يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ

وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنْزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ

وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ

"O Children of Isra'il (the Israelites), remember My blessing that I conferred upon you, and fulfil the covenant with Me, so I fulfil your covenant, and have awe of Me alone. And have faith in what I have revealed, confirming what is already with you, and do not be the first to deny it, nor take a paltry price for My signs. And fear Me alone. And do not confound truth with falsehood, and do not hide the truth when you know." [2: 40-42]

The Surah Al-Baqarah begins by speaking of the Holy Quran itself, and tells us that although it provides guidance to all men, yet only true Muslims will derive a full benefit from it. The Surah proceeds to warn the disbelievers against the grievous punishment which awaits them in the other world, and also to delineate the misdeeds of the two kinds of disbelievers - those who deny openly, and the hypocrites. Then, addressing all the three groups, it urges upon them to worship Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) alone, and, presenting the Holy Quran as a miracle which cannot be imitated by man, invites them to have faith in it. Next, the Surah recounts how Adam (عليه السلام‎) was created to be the viceregent of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), and thus shows the omnipotence and wisdom of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) so that men may realize why they must obey and worship Him and never be disobedient to Him.

Now, in the days of the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) there were two kinds of people among the disbelievers and the hypocrites. On the one hand were mushrikin, idolaters and associators who did not possess sny religious knowledge, were even otherwise mostly illiterate, and followed the customs of their forefathers - for example, the inhabitants of Makkah in general whom the Holy Qur'an calls the Ummiyyoon (the illiterate). On the other hand were those who believed in the earlier prophets, had a knowledge of the earlier Divine Books like the Torah and the Evangile, and were known as being well-educated. Some of them were the followers of Sayyidna Musa (Moses) (عليه السلام), but did not accept Sayyidna 'Isa (Jesus) (عليه السلام) as a prophet - these were the Yahood or the Jews. Others were the followers of Sayyidna 'Isa (عليه السلام), but did not believe that Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام) was, being a prophet, divinely protected against all sin - these were the Nasara or the Christians. On account of their belief either in the Torah or the Evangile or in both, the Holy Qur'an calls these two groups Ahlul Kitab (the people of the Book). Being well-educated, they were respected and trusted by the people around them, and their opinion had a great deal of weight. If they came to the straight path, others too could be expected to follow their example.

The Jews predominated in Madinah and its environs. The Surah Al-Baqarah is also Madinite. So, after dealing with the idolaters and associators, it addresses the people of the Book in a special manner, from verse 40 to verse 123. Adopting a persuasive and friendly tone, the Surah refers to the noble family to which they belong and the honour which they receive from the people on account of such an affiliation; then, recounting the blessings which Allah has been showering on them, it asks them to be aware of their many misdeeds and their sins, and invites them to come to the Straight Path. All this has been said, to begin with, in a very brief manner - four verses inviting them to Islam, and three to good deeds. Then comes a long and detailed address to them, at the beginning of which, as also just before the end, occur the words, Yaa Bani Isra'il (O Children of Israel) - the repetition is, of course, the usual rhetorical device for making the speech persuasive.

Isra'il is a Hebrew word, signifying 'the servant of Allah'; it is also the second name of Sayyidng Ya'qoob (Jacob) (عليه السلام). Certain scholars have remarked that among the prophets (عليهم السلام) it is the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) alone who has several names, except for Sayyidna Ya'qoob (عليه السلام) has two names, Ya'qoob and Isra'il. The Holy Qur'an addresses the Jews here, not as the "Children of Ya'qoob", but as the "Children of Isra'il", so that the title may remind them that they are the children of the 'the servant of Allah', and hence they should follow the example of their father in worshipping Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) alone and in obeying Him.

In verse 40, Allah asks the Israelites to fulfil His covenant - that is to say, the one they had made with Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). According to Qatadah (رحمه الله) and Mujahid (رحمه الله), the following verse of the Holy Qur'an refers to this covenant which had been mentioned in Torah as well (For the Covenant, see Exodus XXXIV) (165):

"Allah made a covenant with the children of Isra'il, and We raised up from among them twelve chieftains. And Allah said, 'I am with you. Surely, if you perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and believe in My messengers and help them, and lend to Allah a good loan, I will forgive your evil deeds, and I will admit you to gardens underneath which rivers flow'." (5:12)

The covenant mentions acts like prayers and alms, but the most important clause is having faith in all the messengers of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) including the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم). Hence, according to the blessed Companion Ibn 'Abbas (رضي الله عنه), the covenant here signifies having faith in and obeying the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) (See Ibn Jarir)

As for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) fulfilling their covenant, the verse we have just quoted (5:12) makes the meaning clear - Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will forgive the sins of those who fulfil the terms of the covenant, and will admit them to Paradise.

Verse 41 makes it quite explicit that according to the covenant it is obligatory for the Israelites to have faith in the Holy Qur'an, for, after all, it has been sent down to confirm the essential teachings of the Torah. Now, the Israelite scholars were afraid that if they told the truth in this matter, they would be going against the public sentiment, and thus lose their adherents and income both. So, these three verses exhort them to speak the truth without fear, for Allah alone is worthy of being feared.*

[Note:* Let us add that what the Holy Qur'an confirms with regard to the Torah and the Evangile is the fact that they are the Books of Allah. As for the distortions which have from time to time been introduced into them, they are no part of the original texts, and hence the question of confirming such interpolated passages does not arise.]

Injunctions and related considerations

(1) Al-Qurtubi (رحمه الله) remarks in his Commentary that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), in asking the Israelites to worship and obey Him, reminds them of the bounties and blessings He has showered on them, but in the case of the followers of the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), He asks them to do so without mentioning His bounties: "Remember Me, I will remember you." (2:152)

This is a subtle suggestion which brings out the superiority of this Ummah over the others - the Islamic Ummah has a direct relationship with Allah, for it begins by recognizing the Benefactor, and through this knowledge recognizes His bounties; other peoples, on the contrary, begin by recognizing the bounties, and proceed through this medium to a knowledge of the Benefactor.

(2) Verse 40 shows that it is obligatory to fulfil the agreement one has entered into, and it is forbidden to break one's promise. The injunction has been stated explicitly in another verse: "Fulfil your agreements." (5:1)

According to a hadith reported by Muslim (رحمه الله), those who break their promises would, before being finally punished in the other world, be humiliated before the whole human race when it assembles together on the Day of Judgment, for a flag would be placed as a stigma beside everyone who has committed this sin, and the bigger the crime, the higher would the flag be.

(3) Verse 41 asks the Israelites not to be the first to deny the Holy Qur'an, although being a disbeliever is in itself the ultimate sin, whether one be the first or the last. The verse, in fact, suggests that the man who is the first to deny and disbelieve will not only incur the sin of his own denial but also bear the additional burden of the sin of misleading all those who follow his example; and will thus have to undergo a multiple punishment.

It follows from here that the man who is in any way responsible for others falling into any kind of sin will have to bear the burden of this sin along with the sinners; similarly, the man who in some way helps others to do a good deed will receive a reward for it along with them. Several verses of the Holy Qur'an and the ahadlth of the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) repeatedly stress this point.

(4) Verse 41 warns the Israelites against taking a paltry price for His signs or verses (the Arabic word, 'Ayaat has both the meanings). The context makes it clear that it is forbidden to take money from people by misinterpreting or concealing the verses of the Book of Allah in order to please them or to serve their worldly interests. There is an absolute consensus of the Ummah on this point.

(5) As for the question of taking a wage for teaching the verses of the Holy Qur'an or for reporting them correctly, verse 41 is not concerned with the matter. But it is an important question in itself whether it is permissible to accept wages for teaching the Holy Qur'an. There is a divergence of views among the Fuqahh' (jurists) in this matter.

Imam Malik (رحمه الله), Imam al-Shafi'ee (رحمه الله), and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (رحمه الله), consider such wages to be permissible, while the great Imam Abu Hanifa (رحمه الله) and some other jurists hold them to be impermissible, for the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) has forbidden the use of the Holy Qur'an as a means of livelihood. But there has been a radical change in the circumstances since then. Formerly, those who taught the Holy Qur'an used to receive a subsistence allowance from the Baytul-Mal, or the public exchequer of the Islamic state. But since Islamic society fell into a disorder*, they lost their financial support. The teaching of the Holy Qur'an to children being a full-time job, the teachers could not turn to difficult professions without interrupting this essential chain of transmitting the Word of Allah from generation to generation. In view of this situation, the jurists of the Hanafi school declared it permissible to accept wages for teaching the Holy Qur'an. According to Hidayah, the famous book of ~ a n a fcio de, this should be the rule (fatwa) these days. Later jurists have extended the permission to similar duties like leading Salah (Imamah), calling for prayers (Adhan), teaching the hadeeth and the Fiqh, etc., for they are related to the teaching of the Holy Qur'an, and the survival of Islam equally depends on them. (See al-Durr al-Mukhtar, al-Shami)

(6) The famous Hanafi scholar Shami (رحمه الله) has, in his commentary on "al-Durr al- Mukhtar" and in his own book "Shifal-'Alil", explained in great detail and with convincing arguments that the later jurists have allowed the acceptance of wages for the teaching of the Holy Qur'an etc. only in view of an essential religious need which must be fulfilled, or the whole Islamic order would be disturbed; hence the permission should be limited only to such essential needs. It logically follows from this principle that paying or receiving wages for the recitation of the Holy Qur'an for transmitting the reward to the dead or in the interest of some worldly purpose is forbidden, for it fulfils no essential religious need. Thus, the man who recites the Holy Qur'an for wages in this manner and the man who pays him for it both commit a sin. When there is no merit earned in such a recitation, how can it be transferred to the dead? Al-Shami (رحمه الله) refers to many authoritative works like "Taj al-Shari'ah", 'Ayni's commentary on Hidayah, the marginal notes by Khayr al-Din al-Ramali on Al-Buhr al-Ra'iq, etc., and specially cites Al-Ramali to the effect that practices like paying for the recitation of the Holy Qur'an beside the grave of a dead man or elsewhere in order to transmit the reward to him, have never been reported from the blessed Companions or their immediate successors or from other great scholars of the early centuries of Islam, and are hence an innovation (Bid'ah) in religion.

(7) Verse 42 explicitly shows that it is not permissible to mix truth and falsehood together in such a way that the addressee falls into a confusion as to what the truth is, and that it is forbidden to conceal the truth because of fear or greed.

Imam al-Qurtubi (رحمه الله) has, in his commentary, related a very illuminating story in this context - a story which has come down to us through a chain of reliable reporters, and has been taken from the "Musnad" of Darimi (رحمه الله).

During one of his visits to the Holy town of Madinah, the Ummayyid Caliph Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Malik wanted to meet someone who had lived with a Companion of the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), if such a man was still alive. On being informed that Abu Hazim was the only man of this kind left in the town, he sent for him . The Caliph said to him, "Abu Hazim, why have you shown such discourtesy and disloyalty?"

"How have I been discourteous or disloyal to you?"

"Everybody who is anybody in Madinah has come to see me, but you haven't", complained the Caliph.

"O chief of the Muslims, may Allah protect you against saying something which is not true to the fact", replied Abu Hazim "You have not been familiar with my name before today, nor have I ever seen you. Things being what they are, how could I come to meet you? Is it disloyaity or discourtesy?"

The Caliph looked around questioningly. Imam Zuhri spoke up: "Abu Hazim is right, and you are wrong."

Changing the subject, the Caliph asked: "Abu Hazim, how is it that I don't like to die?"

"The reason is simple," Abu Hazim said "You have made your world flourish, and turned your habitation in the other world into a desert. Naturally, you don't like to leave a flourishing city for a desert."

The Caliph admitted that it was true, and came out with another question: "What would it be like when we have to appear before Allah tomorrow?"

Said Abu Hazim, "The man who has been doing good deeds will present himself before Allah like the man who returns from a travel to his loved ones, while the man who has been doing evil deeds will appear like the slave who had run away and has now been brought back to his master."

The Caliph burst into tears, and said with a sigh, "I wish we could know how Allah would deal with us."

Abii Hazim replied, "Assess your deeds in the light of the Book of Allah, and you will know."

"Which verse of the Holy Qur'an can help us to do so?"

"Here is the verse: "Surely the righteous shall be in bliss, and the transgresgors shall be in a fiery furnace." (82:13-14)

The Caliph remarked: "Allah's mercy is great; it can cover even the wrong doers."

Abu Hazim recited another verse: "Surely the Mercy of Allah is close to those who do deeds." (7:56)

The Caliph advanced another question: "Tell me, Abu Hazim, who is the most honorable among the servants of Allah?"

"Those who are mindful of their fellow-human beings, and possess the right kind of understanding to know the truth."

"Which is best among good deeds?"

"Fulfilling the obligations laid down by Allah, and keeping away from what He has forbidden."

"Which is the prayer that is likely to be accepted by Allah?"

"The prayer of a man for him who has done him some good."

"Which is the best form of charity?"

"Giving as much as one can, in spite of one's own need, to a man in misery without trying to make him feel grateful and without causing him pain by trying to put him off."

"Which is the best form of speech?"

"Speaking the truth plainly and unresercedly before the man who can harm you in some way or from whom you expect a favour."

"What kind of man is the wisest among the Muslims?"

"He whose actions are governed by obedience to Allah, and who invites others as well to it."

"What kind of man is the most stupid?"

"He who helps another man in committing some injustice, which comes to mean that he has been selling off his faith for serving the worldly interests of that man."

The Caliph agreed with all this, and then asked him pointedly, "What do you think of me?" Abu Hazim wanted to be excused from replying to such a question, but the Caliph insisted that he should say a word of advice.

Abu Hazim said: "O chief of the Muslims, your forefathers established their rule over the people with the help of the sword and against their will, after killing hundreds of men. Having done all this, they departed from the world. I wish you could know what they themselves are saying after their death and what people are saying about them."

Fearing that the Caliph would be displeased by such plain talk, one of his courtiers rebuked Abu Hazim for having spoken so rudely. He replied: "No, you are wrong. I have not said anything rude but only what Allah has commanded us to say. For Allah has enjoined upon the 'ulama' to speak the truth before the people and not to conceal it."

And he recited this verse of the Holy Qur'an: "You shall make it clear to the people and not conceal it." (3:187)

The Caliph asked, "Alright how can we reform ourselves now?" Abu Hazim said, "Give up your pride, acquire a spirit of fellowfeeling for the people, and give them justly what is due to them."

"Abu Hazim, is it possible that you come to live with us?"

"May Allah protect me from it!"

"Why?"

"Because I am afraid that if I live with you, I might begin to like your wealth and your grandeur, and have to suffer a grievous punishment for it in the other world."

"Well, is there anything you need? What can we do for you?"

"Yes, I have a need. Please help me to save myself from Hell and to enter Paradise."

"This is not in my power."

"Then, there is nothing you can do for me."

The Caliph asked him to pray for him. Abu Hazim made this prayer: "O Allah, if you approve of Sulayman, make the well-being of this world and the next easily accessible to him; but if he is your enemy, drag him by the hair towards the deeds you approve of."

The Caliph then asked him for some special advice. Abi Hazim said: "I shall make it short. You should have the fear of your Lord and reverence for Him to the degree that He never finds you present at the place He has forbidden, and never finds you absent from the place where He has commanded you to be."

Later on, the Caliph sent one hundred gold dinars to him as a present. Abu Hazim sent the money back with a letter, saying: "If these dinars are the wages for my words, then blood and pork are, in my eyes, cleaner than this money. If you believe that this money is my due from the public exchequer, then there are hundreds of 'Ulamaa' and servants of Islam. If you have sent the same amount to each one of them, I can accept the money, otherwise I do not need it." Abu Hazim's refusal to accept the wages for giving advice clearly shows that taking wages for an act of worship or obedience to Allah is not permissible.

*[Note: Through the onslaught of Western imperialism and other factors]

Ma'ariful Qur'an

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 18th January 2011

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