"And they say, 'The fire shall not touch us but for a few days." Say, 'Wave you taken a pledge from Allah and Allah will not go against His promise? Or, do you say about Allah what you do not know?"(2:80)
The claim of the Jews that they would not be sent to Hell for their sins, or, if at all, only for a few days, has been interpreted by the Commentators in different ways. One of them is as follows:- The principle is common to all the Shari'ahs that if a believer commits sins, he will receive a punishment in Hell for some time and in accordance with the degree and nature of his sins, but as he possesses 'Iman (faith), he will not be assigned to Hell for ever, and will be released after having served his term.
Now, the argument on which the assertion of the Jews was based was that since the Shari'ah of Sayyidna Musa (Moses - عليه السلام) had not, in their view, been abrogated, they were true believers (Muslims), and had not turned into infidels (Kafirs) by denying the prophethood of Sayyidna 'Isa (Jesus - عليه السلام) and of Sayyida Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم); hence - so the argument ran - if they were sent to Hell in punishment of some sin, they would again' be taken out after a few days.
This false assertion is, thus based on another false assertion. The Torah never declares that the Shari'ah of Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام) is meant to last for ever. To claim perpetuity for it is an unfounded and false assertion, and hence the Jews who made such a claim and denied the prophethood of Sayyidna 'Isa (عليه السلام) and of Sayyidna Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم), must on account of this denial be held to be infidels and disbelievers (Kafirs).
And no Book of Allah holds out to the infidels the promise that they would be released from Hell after a while. The present verse refers to such a promise as the "pledge" of Allah. Since Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has never made such a promise, it goes to show that the Jews were making a baseless claim! (Ma'ariful Qur'an)
"Why not? Those who commit evil and are besieged by their sin, those are people of the Fire - there they shall remain for ever. And those who believe, and do good deeds, such are people of Paradise - there they shall remain for ever."(2: 81-82)
Having refuted the claim of the Jews as baseless, the Holy Qur'an lays down the divine law in this regard. Those who commit evil deeds knowingly and deliberately so that evil takes hold of them completely, leaving no trace of goodness - such men shall go to the Hell, and live there for ever, without any intermission or release. But those who believe in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) - whose Shari'ah has now abrogated all the earlier Shari'ahs - and who do good deeds in conformity with the Islamic Shari'ah, it is these men who shall go to Paradise, and will live there for ever.
Let us explain how evil can take hold of a man so completely that no trace of goodness is left. This kind of thing happens only to infidels (Kafirs), and not to Muslims, even when they are sinners. For, no good deed on the part of an infidel is acceptable to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) on account of his infidelity; even the good deeds he has done before his apostasy and infidelity are lost, and rendered null and void. That is why on the Day of Judgment, infidels will have to show nothing but evil, in punishment of which they shall live in Hell for ever. On the contrary, men of faith will, to begin with, have the greatest and highest good deed to their credit - namely, faith ('Iman) itself. Then, their secondary good deeds too are recorded in their account. So, they cannot be devoid of all goodness, and evil cannot be said to have taken hold of them completely.
In short, the infidel, according to this divine law, must always live in Hell. Since Sayyidna Musa (Moses - عليه السلام) was not the last prophet, but was followed by two other Prophets, Sayyidna 'Isa (Jesus - عليه السلام) and Sayyidna Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم), the Jews turned into infidels by denying these two prophets. So, in accordance with this law, they too will be assigned to Hell for ever like other infidels, and their claim that they would be released from Hell after few days can now be seen to be totally false and baseless.(Ma'ariful Qur'an) Also see:Intention is the Key to Eternal Living in Paradise or Hell-Fire
"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)
"And when We made you take a pledge: 'You shall not shed one another's blood, and you shall not drive out one another from your homes." Then you agreed being yourselves the witness." (2:84)
This verse is a supplement to the previous verse, and speaks of the other articles of the pledge taken by the Israelites. They had agreed not to kill one another by engaging themselves in an internecine war, and also not to send their men into exile - that is to say, not to harass a man so as to force him to migrate.
They had willingly taken this pledge. Now, it may sometimes happen that one does not express one's willingness in so many words, but the manner of his speech suggests it. The agreement of the Israelites was not of this order, but as clear and explicit as the statement of a witness usually is.(Ma'ariful Qur'an)
"Yet, here you are, killing one another, and driving a group of your own out of their homes, supporting each other against them in sin and aggression -- and if they came to you as prisoners, you would ransom them, though their very expulsion was unlawful for you! Do you, then, believe in some part of the Book, and disbe�lieve in some other? So, what can be the recompense of those among you who do that, except disgrace in present life? And, on Doomsday, they shall be turned to the most severe punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do."(2:85)
This verse recounts how the Israelites broke the pledge they had willingly made. Allah (azza wa jal) had laid down three special injunctions for the Israelites: (1) They should not kill one another in an internecine war. (2) They should not force their own people into exile. (3) If they found a man from amongst them a prisoner of war, they should pay a ransom, and get him released. The Israelites disregarded the first two injunctions, and acted upon the third alone which they supposed easier to be carried out.
It happened like this. There lived in Madinah two tribes, the Aws and the Khazraj, who were hostile to each other, and would often go to war. In the environs of Madinah, there also lived two tribes of the Jews, the Bani Qurayzah and the Bani Nadir. The former had friendly relations with the Aws, and the latter with the Khazraj. When the Aws and the Khazraj went to war against each other, the two tribes of the Jews also took part in the battle, each on the side of its own friends. In these battles, many Jews lost their lives or were rendered homeless as much as the non-Jews. In other words, the Jews of the Bani Qurayzah tribe had a share in the slaughter and exile of the Jews of the Bani Nadir tribe, and vice versa.
However, when some of the Jews became prisoners of war, each of the two Jewish groups would persuade their respective friends among the non-Jews to accept a ransom and to release the prisoners. When they were asked why they showed such a solicitude for the prisoners, they would say that it was obligatory for them to get prisoners released. But when someone objected to their helping the non-Jews in slaughtering the Jews, they used to reply that it would be a real disgrace if they did not go to the aid of their friends, even if they were not Jews. So, the present verse exposes their duplicity and their perversity. The Holy Qur'an indicts their behaviour as "sin and aggression," and this suggests that the Israelites were infringing on two kinds of rights - the right of Allah, by disobeying Him; and the right of His creatures, by inflicting pain and loss on them.
The verse proceeds to reprimand them for accepting certain injunctions laid down in the Torah, while rejecting others, and following their own whims in both the cases. At the end, this long verse announces the grave punishment for such misdeeds the Israelites will have to bear in this world as well as in the other. Let it be clearly understood that the Jews referred to in this verse had already become infidels (Kafirs) by refusing to accept and affirm the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad (salallahu 'alayhi wasallam). But instead of referring to this aspect of their infidelity, the verse points out another aspect. It reprimands them for having faith ('Iman) only in some part of the Book (Torah) and not having faith in some other. If we take the words of the present verse literally, it means that the Jews had become infidels by not having faith in some parts (that is to say, some injunctions) of the Torah. For, a Divine Book has to be accepted as a whole; to reject a part is to reject the whole, and clearly amounts to disbelief and infidelity (Kufr).
But if we interpret the present verse in a different way, and take it to be reprimanding the Jews for not acting upon certain injunctions, then a question would arise here: How is it that the verse delineates their infringement of certain commandments as Kufr or infidelity, although a believer cannot be considered an infidel so long as he accepts, at least in principle, the distinctions between the Halal (lawful) and the Haram (unlawful) exactly as laid down by the Shari'ah? The answer to the question is that when a sin is very grave, the idiom of the Shari'ah sometimes delineates it as Kufr (infidelity) in order to emphasize its gravity and its moral nature. This is also what the hadith intends to do when it says: "He who gave up the Salah wilfully became an infidel."
This second interpretation does not, however, attenuate or modify the Kufr (infidelity) of the Jews of which they had already been guilty by denying the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad (salallahu 'alayhi wasallam).
The verse announces that the Jews will have to bear a punishment not only in the other world, but in this world too - in the shape of humiliation and disgrace. It took place as it had been foretold. In the time of the Holy Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wasallam) himself, the Jews of the Bani Qurayzah tribe had to lose their lives or to undergo imprisonment, and those of the Bani Nadir tribe were expelled for having broken the pact they had earlier made with the Muslims.
A Doctrinal Point
Verse 85 announces the "punishment" for Jews. One may very well ask here why the direst punishment should be reserved for the Jews, and not for atheists, for the Jews at least believe in Allah. The famous Commentator 'Alusi (rahmatullahi alaih) says in his "Ruh al-Ma'ani" that every punishment meted out to the infidels will be "the direst" in the sense that it will have no end or limit. So, what the verse implies is not that the punishment given to the Jews will be more severe than the one given to all the other infidels, but that they will be given the kind of punishment which is "the direst" in the sense of having no end or limit. In other words, the verse suggests that the punishment given to the infidels will be more severe than the one given to Muslim sinners. But if there are going to be different degrees in the punishment meted out to different kinds of infidels, it does not in any way go against the implications of this verse. (Bayan al-Quran; Ma'ariful Qur'an)
"Those are the ones who bought the worldly life at the cost of the Hereafter. So, punishment shall not be lightened for them, nor shall they be helped."(2:86)
This verse explains why the Jews will have to undergo such a severe punishment. They have been disobeying Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) in order to satisfy their desires and to enjoy worldly pleasures; they have also sacrificed for these things their salvation in the other world. Their sin being so great, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will not reduce or mollify their punishment, nor will He allow anyone to intercede on their behalf.(Ma'ariful Qur'an)
"And, indeed, We gave Musa the Book, and after him We sent messengers, one following the other; and We gave clear signs to Isa, the son of Mariam (Jesus, the son of Mary), and supported him with the Holy Spirit. Then, how is it that every time a prophet came to you with what does not meet your desire, you grew arrogant? So, you falsified a group (of the messengers) and killed others."(2:87)
The Qur'an again reminds the Israelites how Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) in His mercy forgave them their transgressions again and again, and provided them with all the means of guidance. First of all, He gave them a Divine Book, the Torah, through Sayyidna Musa (Moses - عليه السلام); then, sent them a number of prophets; and, at the end of this line, sent down Sayyidna 'Isa (Jesus - عليه السلام) along with clear and irrefutable evidences of his prophethood, like the Evangel and miracles, and appointed the Archangel Jibra'il (Gabriel - عليه السلام) to give him support.
The Archangel Jibra'il (عليه السلام) has often been called "Ruh al-Qudus" (the Holy Spirit) in the Noble Qur'an and the Hadith. For example, in Verse 16:102: "Say: the Holy Spirit has brought it (the Noble Qur'an) down;" or in a couplet of the poet and blessed Companion Hassan ibn Thabit (رضي الله عنه), reported in the Hadith: "Jibra'il, the messenger of Allah, comes to us; he is the Holy Spirit, the incomparable."
Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) helped and supported Sayyidna 'Isa (عليه السلام) through Jibra'il (عليه السلام) in several ways. (1) He was conceived through the breath of the Archangel. (2) Jibra'il (عليه السلام) protected him against being touched by Satan at the time of this birth. (3) The Archangel always accompanied him in order to defend him against the hostility of the Jews. (4) It was through him that Sayyidna Isa (عليه السلام) was raised to the heavens.
In spite of all these divine favours, the Jews persisted in their rebellion. They were so stubborn in the worship of their desires, that whenever the prophets brought to them certain divine injunctions which did not please them, the Jews would deny the prophets -- they denied even Sayyidna Isa (عليه السلام) - or would kill them outright -- for example, they dealt in this vile manner with Sayyidna Zakariyya (Zachariah - عليه السلام) and Sayyidna Yahya (John the Baptist - عليه السلام). (Ma'ariful Qur'an)
"And they said, "Our hearts are veiled." Rather, Allah has cast damnation upon them for their disbelief. So, they believe just a little."(2:88)
The Jews used to say sarcastically that their hearts were "veiled", by which they meant that their hearts were so well protected against Islam that it could never touch them. This was their way of congratulating themselves on being staunch in their belief. The Holy Qur'an points out that this is not the firmness of faith, but a damnation, for they deny Islam which now is the true religion, and stick to a religion which has been abrogated. They, consequently, possess only "a little" faith ('Iman). Since a little faith is not acceptable, they turn out to be infidels.
The 'little faith' which they possessed pertained to the doctrines which are common to Islam and Judaism - for example, belief in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), or belief in the Day of Judgment. But they did not accept Sayyidna Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم) as a Prophet, and the Holy Qur'an as the Word of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). So, their faith was not complete.
If the Verse describes 'the little faith' as 'Iman, it does so only in the lexical sense, for 'Iman signifies total certitude, even if it pertains to certain things, and not to others. But from the point of view of the Shari'ah, such a partial faith cannot be described as 'Iman. The Shari'ah would accept as valid only that 'Iman which affirms with certitude each and everything that the Shari'ah requires one to affirm. (Ma'ariful Qur'an)
"And when there came to them a Book from Allah, which confirms what was with them, while earlier, they used to seek help against those who disbelieved, yet when there came to them that they did identify, they denied it. So the curse of Allah is upon the disbe�lievers." (2:89)
The Torah had in several places foretold the coming of the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم). In fact, the Jews themselves used to tell the Arabs that a new prophet and a new Divine Book was soon to come. But when the Holy Qur'an came down from Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), and even when they had recognized its authenticity, the Jews denied it out of sheer spite.
The verse says that the Holy Qur'an confirms the Torah - it means that the Holy Qur'an is a concrete evidence of the truth of the prophecies made in the Torah with regard to the coming of the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), and of the Holy Qur'an. One who believes in the Torah cannot justifiably deny the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), for such a denial would involve a denial of the Torah itself.
Knowledge Is Not Enough For 'Iman
One may want to know why the Holy Qur'an calls the Jews Kafireen (infidels), when they did recognize the truth as truth, which should qualify them to be called "believers." Let us explain that 'Iman (faith) does not merely mean "knowing the truth", but really signifies "accepting the truth and affirming it deed-wise." Otherwise, Shaitan too will have to be called a believer, for he knows fully well what the truth is! In fact, this knowledge of the truth on the part of Shaitan intensifies the gravity of his Kufr (infidelity) all the more. However, the next verse attributes the infidelity of the Jews to their malice.(Ma'ariful Qur'an)
"Vile is that for which they have sold out their selves: that they should deny what Allah has revealed, grudging that Allah should send down some of His bounty to whomsoever He wills from among His servants. So, they came out with wrath upon wrath. And for unbe�lievers there is humiliating punishment."(2:90)
Prophethood cannot be earned through one's own efforts or one's own merit; it is a special grace which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) bestows on whomsoever He likes. But the Jews were so envious and malicious that they denied the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) and the Holy Qur'an out of sheer spite. In doing so, they were questioning the will of Allah Himself. Thus, they earned divine wrath in two ways - firstly, for denying a true prophet; and secondly, for their envy and malice.
The Holy Qur'an says that the Jews will have to undergo a punishment which would involve not only pain, but also disgrace and abasement. The latter condition has been added to suggest that this kind of punishment is peculiar to the infidels, and is not meant for a true Muslim at all, for a Muslim, no matter how great his sins are, will be punished for the purpose of being purified, not for being disgraced.
The next verse reports what the Jews used to say with regard to the Holy Qur'an, which clearly shows their envy and malice as well as their infidelity (Kufr). (Ma'ariful Qur'an)
"And when it is said to them, "Believe in what Allah has revealed," they say, "We believe in what has been revealed to us" -- and they deny what is beyond, whereas that is the truth, confirming what is with them. Say, "Why then have you been slaying the prophets of Allah earlier, if you were believers?"(2:91)
The Jews flatly refused to believe in any Book of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) -- like the Evangel or the Holy Qur'an - except in the Torah. This denial is a clear evidence of their infidelity (Kufr). Moreover, they also used to add that they believe in the Torah, for it had been sent down to them. This comes to mean that they denied the other Books just because they had not been sent down to them. Such an argument betrays their envy and malice.
The Holy Qur'an refutes their argument in three ways:-
1)When the truth and authenticity of the other Books has been established on the basis of irrefutable arguments, what does, then, this denial mean? If they had any doubts as to the arguments on the basis of which authenticity was being claimed for these Books, they could very well have voiced this doubt, and satisfied themselves on this point. But why this flat refusal to believe?
2) The other Books, like the Holy Qur'an, confirm the Torah. If one denies them, one at the same time denies the Torah itself.
3)To slay a prophet is tantamount to infidelity (Kufr), according to all the Divine Books. Moreover, the Prophets (عليهم السلام) whom the Jews had killed were themselves Israelites, and their teachings, were based on the injunctions of the Torah. But the Jews not only killed these Prophets (عليهم السلام), but also accepted the killers as their chiefs. This is a direct denial of the Torah, and falsifies their claim that they believe in the Torah.
In short, nothing that the Jews say or do is acceptable and valid from any possible point of view!
The next verses proceed to refute the Jews on several other counts.
"And certainly Moses came to you with clear signs, then you took to yourselves the calf thereafter -- and you were transgressors."(2:92)
The "clear signs" mentioned in the verse refers to the miracles which had manifested themselves even before the Torah was given to Sayyidna Musa (Moses (عليه السلام)) -- for example, his staff that turned into a snake, the palm of his hand which shone brightly, the splitting of the sea to make a path for the Israelites, etc. These miracles were meant to affirm the Oneness of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and His omnipotence, and to provide an evidence for the prophethood of Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام).
In refutation of the Jews, the verse points out that although they lay a claim to 'Iman (faith), yet have been falling into the sin of Shirk (association), which involves a denial not only of Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام) but even of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) Himself.
Although the Jews who were the contemporaries of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), did not themselves take part in the worship of the golden calf, yet they respected such of their forefathers as had done so, and took their side. So, for all practical purposes, they too were guilty of the same sin.
The verse also suggests that no wonder if these people, whose forefathers denied Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام), should now be denying the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
"And when We took pledge from you, and raised high the (Mount of) Tur above you: "Hold fast to what We have given you, and listen" - they said, 'We have heard and disobeyed." And, on account of their denial, they were soaked with the love of the calf in their hearts. Say: "Evil is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if you are believers."" (2:93)
In refuting the claim of the Jews to be authentic and true believers, the Holy Qur'an again recounts an incident which it has already referred to in Verse 63. When the Israelites succeeded, with the help of Allah, in escaping from Egypt and crossing the sea, they came upon a people who used to worship idols. They found this cult so attractive that they requested Sayyidna Musa (Moses (peace be upon him)) to fabricate a visible and concrete god for them too. When he reprimanded them, they realized their error, and offered repentance. But repentance has many degrees. Since their repentance was not of a very high order, the darkness of their error did not altogether leave their hearts, but continued to grow, and finally manifested itself in the worship of the golden calf. As an act of penance, some of them had to be slain, and others, as some commentators report, were forgiven and not slain. Possibly the repentance of these latter was again of a low order. As for those who had not indulged in the worship of the calf, they did not hate the action of the worshippers of the calf as much as they should have. So, their hearts too carried a trace of the sin of association (shirk). So, either through the feebleness of their repentance or through a want of proper hatred for infidelity, their hearts became indolent in religious matters, so much so that when Allah asked them to take a pledge to follow the injunctions of the Torah steadfastly, Mount Toor (Sinai) was suspended over their heads to threaten them.
This verse reports the Jews as having replied that they had heard the Command of Allah, but they would not obey, or would not be able to obey. It means that out of sheer fright they said (only with their tongues) that they had heard (that is to say, accepted) the Command of Allah (azza wa jal). But there was no real consent in their hearts, and their posture and attitude was such as if they were saying that they would not or could not obey.
Having referred to such example of their perversity and rebellion, the Holy Qur'an asks the Jews to have a look at themselves and also at their claim to genuine faith. Could a true faith ever inspire men to such deeds? If it is their brand of "faith" which leads them into such grave sins, then it cannot be a true faith. Hence their claim to be true believers is evidently false.
"Say: 'If the Last Abode near Allah is for you purely, short of all people, then make a wish for death, if you are true." But they will never wish for it because of what their hands have sent ahead. And Allah is all-aware of the unjust."(2:94-95)
The Jews used to claim that the blessings of the other world were specially reserved for them, and were not, meant for any other people. Certain other verses of the Holy Qur'an too refer to such a claim on the part of the Jews, and also of the Christians: "They say: The fire will not touch us but for a few days" (2:80), "And they say: No one will enter Paradise except he who is a Jew or Christian." (2:111), "And the Jews and the Christians said: We are the sons of Allah and His close friends" (5:18). What they meant in making such a claim was that since their own faith was the true one, they must certainly attain salvation in the other world -- the repentant and the forgiven being admitted to Paradise from the very beginning, the sinners finding release from the fires of Hell after undergoing a punishment for a few days, and the obedient receiving a welcome like sons and beloved friends.
The use of certain improper expressions like "sons of Allah" not�withstanding, these claims are in themselves quite correct, provided that they pertain to people who follow a true and valid faith. But the Jews (and the Christians as well) were still following a faith which had been abrogated, and was thus no longer valid -- a fact which nullified their claim. So, the Holy Qur'an has refuted the claim again and again in different ways, and the present verse has adopted a special mode. The habitual method of settling a dispute is to have a discussion and let both the parties present their own arguments. Since the Jews knew they could not win, they fought shy of this normal way. So, the Holy Qur'an suggests an abnormal method, which would not call for much knowledge or understanding, but only put a little strain on the tongue. The proposed trial consists in this -- if the Jews are so sure of the blessings of the other world being reserved for themselves, they should declare that they wish to die, and this declaration would estab�lish them as being genuine in their faith; but if they refuse to accept the challenge, it would show that they were liars. The Holy Qur'an also predicts that they would never have the courage to go through the trial.
In view of their hostility to the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), one could expect them to take up such a simple challenge very zealously. But they knew very well in their heart of hearts that the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) and the Muslims stood for the truth, while they themselves were the champions of falsehood, and were, in actual fact, infidels. So, they refused to go through the trial, for they were struck with awe, and feared that as soon as they had expressed the wish to die, death would come over them, and they would be sent to Hell. This recalcitrance is, thus, in itself an evidence of the truth of Islam.
Here we must note that the trial was proposed not for all the Jews of all the ages, but specially for those who were the contemporaries of the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), and who used to deny him out of sheer envy and malice, in spite of having recognized that he was a genuine prophet.
Nor should one raise the doubt here that they had perhaps accepted the challenge, and "wished" for death in their hearts, as the Holy Qur'an seems to ask. For one, the Holy Qur'an itself reports the prediction that they would never "wish for it." Secondly, if they could wish for death in their hearts, they must have declared it orally too, for their victory lay in just such a declaration, and this was a very easy way of refuting the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم). But they did not avail themselves of this opportunity.
Nor can one suppose that they did make an oral declaration, for the fact has not been reported, and thus has not come down to us. Such a supposition would be wrong, because the opponents of Islam have always outnumbered its adherents, and if such a thing had happened, they must have been trumpeting it aloud to show to the world that the Jews had successfully passed the test proposed by the Holy Qur'an itself.
"And you shall surely find them (the Jews), of men, the most avid for life - even more than the polytheists. Of them, one would love to be aged a thousand years. But it will not remove him from punishment to be so aged. And Allah is watchful of what they do."(2:96)
This verse shows the basic weakness of the Jews which did not allow them to accept the challenge proposed in Verse 94, and thus exposes the hollowness of their claim to the blessings of the other world being reserved for them. The Holy Qur'an puts a special emphasis on the fact that the Jews loved physical life much more than did the Arab polytheists. Such an inclination should not have been surprising on the part of the latter, for, after all, they did not believe in the other world, and physical life was the be-all and end-all for them. But the Jews acknowledged the existence of the other world, and even had the illusion that they alone deserved its joys, and yet it was they who, above all others, wished to live in this world as long as possible.
This very desire shows how baseless their pretention was, and how they themselves knew that they would have to face the fires of Hell in the other world, and that physical life was, as long as it lasted, a kind of protection against their final fate.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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