وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا

وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ

"And when We made the children of Israel take a pledge: "You shall not worship anyone but Allah; and to parents you shall be good, and to near of kin and to orphans and the needy. And say to the people what is good, and be steadfast in Salah, and pay Zakah" Then, you went back (on your word), all but a few among you, and you are used to turning away." (2:83)

This verse speaks of the pledge which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) had made the Israelites take, and the few people it refers to as having been true to the pledge were those who acted upon the Shari'ah of Sayyidna Musa (Moses - عليه السلام) as long as it was in force, and when it was abrogated, followed the Shari'ah of Sayyidna Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم).

Injunctions And Related Considerations

1) This verse brings out the basic elements common to Islam and all the earlier Shari'ahs: Tawheed (the doctrine of Unity or Oneness); service to one's parents, relations, orphans and the needy; being gentle in speaking to all human beings; Salah and Zakah.

2) The verse asks us to adopt a gentle tone and an open-hearted manner in speaking to others, whether they are good or evil, pious or impious, orthodox or aberrant, followers of Sunnah or adherents to partitive innovations in it. In religious matter, however, one should not try to hide the truth for the sake of pleasing people or of winning their approval. The Holy Qur'an tells us that when Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) sent Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام) and Sayyidna Harun (Aaron - عليه السلام) to the Pharaoh, He instructed them to use gentle and soft words (20:42). None of us who addresses another today can be superior to Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام), nor can the man addressed be viler than the Pharaoh.

Talha ibn 'Umar (رحمه الله) recounts that once he said to the great master of the Sciences of Exegesis and Hadith, 'Ata' (رحمه الله), "One can see around you people who are not quite orthodox in their beliefs. As for me, I am rather short-tempered. If such people come to me, I deal with them harshly." 'Ata' (رحمه الله)replied, "Do not behave like this," and, reciting the present verse, he added, "Allah has commanded us to speak to people politely. When Jews and Christians all are to be treated like this, would this commandment not apply to a Muslim, no matter what kind of a man he is?" (Qurtubi) (Ma'ariful Qur'an)

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 23rd February 2011

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