النص المفهرس

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others is a standing act of arrogance which must almost always be
avoided, particularly during the days of Hajj where the garment of
Ihram and the homogeneity of place and purpose teach the lesson that
all human beings are equal, the distinction of rich and poor, learned
and ignorant, big and small does not exist here, therefore, such display
of assumed distinction, and that too in a state of Ihram, further
increases the degree of crime.
Human equality in practice
This statement of the Holy Qur'an teaches us an important
principle of social living which demands that the the people of a higher
status should not cut off their relations with those of a lower status;
they should rather behave like members of a large family in their
different forms of subsistence, stay and movement. This creates
mutual brotherhood, concern and love, removes the walls between the
rich and the poor, the employer and the employee. It was during his
last sermon of Hajj that the Holy Prophet openly declared for all
times to come that no Arab is superior to non-Arab and no white
person is superior to a black person. Superiority depends on Taqwa
and Ita'ah (the fear of Allah and the obedience to His command).
Therefore, those who wanted to establish a distinct status for
themselves by staying at Muzdalifah, contrary to the rest, were told
that this act of theirs was a sin and they must seek forgiveness for it
so that Allah Almighty may forgive them and bless them with His
mercy.
The prohibition of Jahili customs at Mina
In the verses 199 to 201, some Jahili customs have been corrected.
One of these was that the Arabs of the Jahiliyyah would, once they
had finished their rites at 'Arafat and Muzdalifah and performed their
tawaf and sacrifice and stay in Mina, hold gatherings to recite poetry
and to eulogize the achievements of their forefathers. Such gatherings
were obviously devoid of the remembrance of Allah. It was strange
that they elected to waste such blessed days in activities which were of
no consequence in relation to what they were supposed to do there.
Therefore, they were told that, as soon as they have completed their
Ihram rites and come to stay at Mina, they should dedicate their stay
to the remembrance of Allah and leave out the practice of indulging in

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the reminiscences of their forefathers, specially the boastful claims
about their achievements. Better still was to remember Allah, not
them, and that too with greater attachment and fervor. There was
nothing like being engaged in the dhikr of Allah. So, the Holy Qur'an
guides Muslims to shun the customs coming from the age of ignorance,
specially in the great days of Hajj they have been blessed with, which
are exclusively reserved for 'ibadah and dhikr and have merits and
blessings of their own, a gift from Allah which may not be available
again if lost through carelessness.
In addition to that, the Hajj is a special act of worship which one
gets to perform only after a long and generally exacting journey,
separation from family and business and great expense of money and
time. That unforeseen circumstances prevail is not a far-out prospect.
It is quite possible that one fails to achieve the long-cherished
objective of Hajj, inspite of all efforts and expenses. Now, if Allah
Almighty has, in His infinite grace, removed all impediments and one
has accomplished his Hajj obligation by successfully performing all
required rites, then, the occasion calls for gratitude which further
demands that one should keep busy in remembering Allah, avoid
wasteful gatherings, engagements or conversations. Compared with
the time spent by the people of Jahiliyyah in forefather tale-telling
which brought them no benefit here, or there, the thing to do here is
the dhikr of Allah which is all radiance and benefit for this world, and
for the Hereafter. No doubt, contemporary Muslims do not follow the
custom of Jahiliyyah any more by holding poetic recitals to eulogize
their family trees, but there are thousands of Muslims from all over
the world who still spend out these precious days of Hajj in wasteful
gatherings, entertainments, amusements, shoppings and similar other
pursuits of personal satisfaction. This verse is enough to warn them.
Some commentators have explained this verse by dwelling upon
the analogy of 'father' used here, in some detail. They say that one
should remember Allah as one remembered his father during his
childhood when he was dependant on his father for everything. If man
were to think when he is young, adult and rational, is he not far more
dependant on Allah Almighty at all times and under all conditions,
certainly much more than a child was on his father? As for the
boastful claims about the honour of their fathers, something the people

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of Jahiliyyah used to make, this verse eliminates that too by saying
that real honour comes through the dhikr of Allah. (Ruh al-Bayan)
Moderation in religious and worldly pursuits
Besides what the people of Jahiliyyah used to do during their stay
at Mina, some of them had another habit during the Hajj. Normally,
they would be engaged in acts of devotion to Allah, yet when it came to
making a prayer, they would focus all their attention to praying for
worldly needs, such as, comfort, wealth, honour and their likes,
showing no concern for the life to come. It was to correct this sort of
approach in supplication that it was said that there are people who
would use the great occasion of Hajj to pray for the insignificant gains
of the present life and forget the Hereafter. For such people the
Hereafter holds nothing because their conduct shows that they have
gone through the obligation of Hajj merely in a formal manner, or
have done it to earn prestige in their society. To please Allah and to
earn salvation in the Hereafter are objectives alien to them.
It may be noted at this point that the verse mentions those who
pray by saying: 30GG (Our Lord, give to us in this world .... )
which does not include the word, au (good). This indicates that they
do not care to have what is really good even in this mortal world, on
the contrary, they are so drunk with their craze for material things
that nothing short of a constant fulfilment of their desires would
satisfy them. They just do not bother to check if it is good or bad,
procured rightly or wrongly or what people think about them.
This verse extends a serious warning to those Muslims as well who
prefer to pray for their material ends only even at the unique time of
Hajj and at places so sacred, devoting most of their concerns towards
that goal. There are many rich people who themselves pray, or request
others they hold in esteem to pray for them, not for deliverance from
the accounting of the Akhirah, but for increase in their wealth, growth
in business, and for other worldly concerns. There are many who, by
their profusion in waza'if and nawafil (voluntary acts of worship), come
to believe that they are very devoted, pious and special. In reality,
hidden behind this facade is the same love of the mundane life. Then,
there are respected people who maintain relations with pious elders of

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their time, as well as show their regard for deceased saints and walis,
but the prevailing aim of such relationships is the vague hope that
their du'a and ta'widh (prayers and spiritual charms) will work for
them, wordly hardships will stay away, and their belongings shall be
blessed. For such people too, this verse has special instructions.
Stressed here is the fact that this whole affair rests in the hands of
Allah who is All-Knowing and All-Aware. Everyone must assess his or
her deeds, specially the intention behind whatever is done during the
Hajj or Ziarah, which includes all waza'if, nawafil, du'a and salah.
Then, towards the later part of the verse, Allah Almighty refers to His
virtuous and favoured servants - may be some of them are less
prosperous in a material way - by saying:
مَنْ عَّقُولُ زَّنَا أَتِنَا فِى الذُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً تَّفِى الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةٌ رَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ )
And there is another among them who says: "O our Lord, give
us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us
from the punishment of Fire."
The word, aus': (hasanah) used here is inclusive of all that is good,
inwardly or outwardly. For instance, hasanah or 'good in this world'
shall include personal and family health, increase and benedictory
sufficiency (barakah) in lawful livelihood, the fulfilment of all needs,
virtuous deeds, desirable morals, beneficial knowledge, honour and
prestige, strength of faith, guidance into the straight path and perfect
sincerity in 'ibadat. Similarly, hasanah or 'good in the Hereafter' shall
cover everything from the Paradise, with its countless and endless
blessings to the pleasure of Allah Almighty and the privilege of seeing
Him.
In short, this du'a is a compedium of all prayers in as much as it
encompasses the entire range of man's wordly and other-worldly
objectives. Apart from enjoying peace in the world, and peace in the
Hereafter, the verse, refers in the end to the safety from 'the
punishment of Fire' as well. It was for this reason that the Holy
Prophet used to pray with these words very frequently :
◌َّنَا إِنَا فِى الدُّنْبَا حَسَنَّةً ◌َّفِى الْأِخَرَةِ حَسَنَةً تَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ )
Rabbana 'atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-'akhirati hasanah,
wa qina 'adhaban-nar.

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Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter
and save us from the punishment of Fire.
It is masnun to make this prayer particularly while making tawaf.
This verse also corrects those ignorant dervishes (so called mystics)
who think that real 'ibadah lies in praying for the Hereafter alone and
claim that they do not, on that count, care much about the mortal
world. In reality, such a claim is false, for man depends on fulfilling
his worldly needs not only for his life and sustenance, but also for
performing the acts of worship and obedience. Without these, serving
the objectives of faith would become impossible. Therefore, the blessed
practice of the prophets of Allah has been that they prayed to Allah for
the good of both the worlds. One who thinks that praying to Allah for
the fulfillment of his worldly needs is against the norms of piety and
spiritual dignity is unaware of the great station of prophethood, and
ignorant of man's own role in this mortal world. So, what is required
is that one should not focus all his attention on his material needs as if
they were the very purpose of life, but he should, along with it, show
far more concern for what would happen to him in the Hereafter, and
pray for it.
In the concluding part of this verse, the end of the other class of
people who pray for the good of the dunya (mortal world) and akhirah
(Hereafter) both has been stated by saying that they will be rewarded
in both the worlds for their correct and righteous conduct and for their
prayers. Following that, it has been said: - 10, (And Allah is
swift at reckoning) because His all-pervading knowledge and most
perfect power is sufficient to assess the life-long deeds of each and
every person who ever breathed in His creation; for this He needs none
of those computing mechanisms and means on which only man
depends. So, the time will soon come when He shall make man account
for what he did, and it will be on the basis of that accounting that he
will spread out His reward and punishment.
The emphasis on remembering Allah in Mina
In the last of the eight verses relating to injunctions about Hajj,
that is, ◌ِوَاذْكُرُوا اللّهَ فِىَ أَيَّامٍ مَعُدُودَت (And recite the name of Allah in the given
number of days), the Hajj pilgrims have been asked to engage
themselves in the remembrance of Allah so that their Hajj meets a
perfect ending and their post-Hajj life becomes correct and fruitful.

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These 'given number of days' refer toAJILi : (ayyam al-tashriq)
الله اكبر الله اكبر ,during which it is necessary (wajib) to say takbir (which is
. ( لا اله الا الله والله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Immediately following is a clarification of the duration of stay at
Mina and the deadline for throwing pebbles at the three Pillars. This
was an issue debated by the people of Jahiliyyah. Some thought it was
necessary to stay at Mina upto the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah and throw
pebbles at the three Pillars. According to them, to come back from
Mina on the 12th was impermissible and those who did so were
sinners. Similarly, others regarded coming back on the 12th necessary,
and staying there through the 13th, a sin. Both were corrected in this
verse by saying : ◌ِفَمَنْ تَعَلَّلَ فِىٌ يَوْمَيْنِ فَلا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ تَأْخَّرَ فَلَا إِثُمَ عَلَيْه :'Then whoever is
early (in leaving) after two days there is no sin on him and whoever
remains behind, there is no sin on him ... ' thereby proving that both
parties calling each other sinners are involved in excess and error.
The correct position is that Hajj pilgrims have the option of acting
on either of the two permissions. However, it is better and preferable
to stay there through the third day (that is, 13th of Dhul-Hijjah).
Jurists say that one who leaves Mina before sunset on the second day
(i.e. 12th of Dhul-Hijjah), it is not necessary for him to do his ramy
(throwing of pebbles on the three Pillars) for the third day. But, should
the sun set while he is still in Mina, it does not remain anymore
permissible for him to leave Mina until he has done his ramy for the
third day. However, the ramy for the third day has a special concession
that it can also be done between the post-morning and pre-noon hours.
If we look at the manner in which the choice of returning from
Mina has been given to the Hujjaj - no sin if they return on the second
day and no sin if they return on the third day - we shall realize that all
this is for the convenience of one who fears Allah and obeys His
commands, for he really deserves the Hajj, as said elsewhere in the
Holy Qur'an : ◌َإنماَ يَتَقَبَّلُ اللهُ مِنَ المُّقِين which means that Allah Almighty accepts
(acts of prayer and worship) only from those who are God-fearing and
obedient. Now, one who has been involved in sins much before Hajj,
continued being negligent even during the Hajj and was callous
enough not to abstain from sins even after Hajj, his Hajj is certainly
not going to be of any good to him, although, the formal obligation has

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been validly fulfilled, releasing him from the possible crime of not
having performed the Hajj.
وَأَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَهْوَاَ أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْهِ مُحْشَرُونَ : Closing this eight-verse unit, it was said
(And fear Allah and be sure that you are going to be gathered before
Him), where He shall make you account for all your open and hidden
deeds and give you the reward and punishment for these. This last
line is really the essence of all Hajj injunctions given in these verses. It
means that one should keep fearing Allah during the special days of
the Hajj guarding oneself from any shortcoming in the prescribed acts
of Hajj, as he should keep fearing Allah after the Hajj guarding
himself against any pride of performance, and keep abstaining from
sins because, on the day human deeds shall be weighed on the
Balance, his sins will eat away his good deeds, that is, they will nullify
the effect and weight of those good deeds. In a hadith about the great
'ibadah of Hajj, it has been said that one who returns after having
accomplished his Hajj, is so cleansed of his sins as if he was born on
that day. This is why those performing Hajj have been instructed to
maintain the quality of Taqwa, (that vital sense of responsibility
before Allah). Being one who has been purified from sins, it is
necessary to take all possible precautions against what tempts man to
fall into sin so that one can earn the best of both the worlds, the dunya
and the akhirah. If this is not done and the performer of Hajj goes back
to a life of sin, even after such a cathartic experience, he shall find
that the elimination of his past sins by forgiveness is not going to be of
any use to him. Contrary to this, the 'ulama' have said that one who
returns from his Hajj with his heart free from the love of dunya and
attracted to the concern for the akhirah, his Hajj is accepted and his
sins are forgiven and his prayers are answered. From place to place
during the Hajj, people pledge their obedience to Allah before His
House, how can these pledges be thoughtlessly broken after the Hajj?
If those who are lucky to perform their Hajj are a little more mindful
of this factor, they might stay by their solemn pledge later on.
A pious elder said: 'When I returned from Hajj, it was by chance
that a suggestion of sin crept into my heart whereupon I heard a voice

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from the Unseen: Didn't you perform the Hajj? Didn't you perform the
Hajj? This voice became a wall between me and that sin. Allah
Almighty protected me.'
As against this, there is the case of another pious man from
Turkey, who was a disciple of the famous Maulana Jami. He was in
such an unusual state of spiritual excellence in his normal life that he
used to observe a halo of radiance over his head. He went to perform
his Hajj, but after his return he discovered that he has lost that
unusual state totally. He talked about it to his master, Maulana Jami.
He said: 'Before your Hajj, you had the gift of humbleness, you wept
before Allah thinking of yourself as a sinner. After your Hajj, you
became proud and picked up the airs of someone righteous, spiritually
elevated. Therefore, this very Hajj of yours became the cause of your
pride and that is why you lost that state of radiance.'
The emphasis on Taqwa (the fear of Allah) towards the conclusion
of Hajj injunctions has yet another secret. It goes without saying that
Hajj is a great act of 'ibadah. Once it has been accomplished, that
eternal adversary of man, the Satan, generally injects into man's heart
the thought of self-righteousness which simply ruins all his deeds.
Therefore, the final word said was about the need to fear Allah and the
necessity to obey Him, not only before the Hajj and during the Hajj ,
but also after the Hajj when one must become much more particular in
fearing Allah and alert in abstaining from sins by conscious effort, lest
all that one has done in the form of the 'ibadah of Hajj goes waste.
اللهم وفقنا لما تحب وترضى من القول والفعل والنية
O Allah, give us the ability to do what You love and are
pleased with - in word, deed and intention.
Verses 204 - 207
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ تُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُ فِى الْمُوةِ الَّنْيَا وَيُشْهِدُ اللّهَ
عَلى مَافِىٌ قَلْبِهُ وَهُوَ اَلَهُّ الْخِصَامِ ) وَإِذَا تَلَّى سَعىٍفِى
الْآَرُضِ لِيُفُسِدَ فِيُهَا وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَةُ وَاللّهُ لَا يُحِبُ

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 204 - 207
الْفَسَادَ ) وَإِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللّهَ آَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْإِثْمِ فَحَسْهُ
جَهَثَّمْ ،وَلَبِئْسَ الُّهَادُ ) وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ تَّشْرِىُ نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ
مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللّهُ رَمُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ )
And among men there is one whose words, in this life,
attract you; he even makes Allah his witness on what is
there in his heart, while he is so stiff-necked when
quarreling. And once he turns back, he runs about in
the earth trying to spread disorder therein, and to de-
stroy the tillage and the stock; and Allah does not like
disorder. When it is said to him, "Fear Allah", he is over-
come by the arrogance (he has) for sin. The hell is then
enough for him, and it is, indeed an evil bed to rest.
And among men there is one who sells his very self to
seek the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is compassionate
to His servants. (Verses 204 - 207)
In the previous verses, it was said that there are two kinds of those
who make prayers. Some wish to have everything right here in this
world, others pray for the good of both worlds, the mortal and the
eternal. In the present verse, the same two kinds have been identified
as those who are hypocritical and those who are sincere.
Verses 204-206 refer to a hypocrite, Akhnas ibn Shurayq known for
his eloquence. He would come to the Holy Prophet e and try to
impress him with his sworn allegiance to Islam, but no sooner did he
walk out of his company than he would get busy with his anti-Muslim
mischief-making. Any effort to make such a person fear Allah takes
him to the other extreme when he pleases his pride through sin. So,
'the Hell is enough for him.'
Commentary
The last verse (207) portrays the true, the sincere Muslim who
would stake his very life to achieve the good pleasure of Allah
Almighty. This verse has been revealed to honour the sincere
Companions who offered unmatched sacrifices in the way of Allah. It
has been reported by Hakim, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim, with sound
authorities, that this verse was revealed in connection with a
particular event relating to the blessed Companion Suhayb al-Rumi. It
has been reported that soon after he left Makkah on his emigration

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 208 - 210
route to Madinah, he was accosted on his way by a group of
disbelievers of the Quraysh. Seeing this, Companion Suhayb
dismounted, took position, pulled out all the arrows from his quiver
and said to the group: 'O tribe of Quraysh, you all know that I am far
better in archery than any of you here. My arrow never misses its
target. Now, I swear by Allah that you shall not reach me until there
remains even one arrow in my quiver. Then, after arrows, I shall use
my sword as long as I can. Only after that you can do what you can.
However, if you want to make a deal, I can tell you where my money is
in Makkah. You go and take that and let me go my way.' The
confronting group of Quraysh agreed to do so. When Companion
Suhayb reached Madinah, safe and unharmed, he went to the Holy
Prophet and told him everything about the incident. Upon this, he
said twice:
ربح البيع أبايحيى ربح البيع ابايحيى
Profitable was your deal Abu Yahya, profitable was your deal
Abu Yahya!
The revelation of the verse under reference in connection with this
particular event confirms the blessed comment made by the Holy
Prophet . .
However, some commentators cite similar events relating to other
noble Companions as the background of the verse's revelation (Mazhari).
Verses 208 - 210
يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ أُمَنُوا ادْخُلُوْا فِى السّلْمِ كَاثَةً وَّلَا تَتَّبِعُوا
خُطُوْتِ الشَّيْطِنِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمُ عَدُوٌّ ◌ُبِيْنٌ ، فَإِنْ زَلَلُهُمْ مِّنْ بَعْدِ
مَا جَاءَتْكُمُ الْبُّنْتُ فَاعْلَمُوْآَ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ٥ هَلْ
يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّ أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ اللّهُ فِىْ ظُلِلٍ مِنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلِّئِكَهُ
وَقُضِىَ الْآَمْرُهُ وَإِلَى اللهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمْوُرُ 0
O those who believe, enter Islam completely, and do
not follow the footsteps of Satan. Surely, for you, he is
an open enemy. And if you slip, even after clear signs
have come to you, then you must know that Allah is
mighty, wise. They are looking forward to nothing but

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that Allah comes upon them in canopies of cloud with
the angels and the matter is closed. And to Allah all
matters are returned. (Verses 208 - 210)
The previous verses ended with a word of praise for the sincere. As
sincerity (ikhlas) can sometimes touch the limits of excess
inadvertently, that is, one does intend to come up with more
obedience, but that obedience, when observed carefully, turns out to be
exceeding the limits set by the Shari'ah and Sunnah. This is called
bid'ah. This can be explained through the example of the blessed
Companion 'Abdullah ibn Salam and others who were, previous to
their Islam, known scholars among the Jews. Since Saturday was the
sacred day of rest (the Sabbath) in Judaism, and camel-meat was
unlawful, they thought, once they were in Islam, to bring about some
sort of a synthesis between the two faiths, through which they could
continue to honour Sabbath as it was necessary under the law of
Moses while Islam did not require dishonouring it; and similarly, they
could simply avoid eating camel-meat in practice while believing that
it was lawful, for it was unlawful in the law of Moses but Islam does
not make it obligatory to eat it. Thus, they thought that they would
stay in touch with the law of Moses and still not go against the
Shari'ah of Muhammad , something that appealed to them as a
stronger demonstration of obedience to divine laws and a closer
approach to matters of faith. Allah Almighty corrects this thought in
the present verse which aims to establish that Islam is an obligation
in its totality. It is total and perfect only when what is not necessary in
Islam is not considered to be a part of it. To take such thought or
practice as part of the Faith is a Satanic slip which may bring far more
severe a punishment than common sins would.
It is in this background of the verse's revelation, that believers
have been asked to 'enter Islam completely', not making allowances for
a faith other than Islam - a divisive approach which makes one an
easy target of Satan. Therefore, the prohibition 'do not follow the
footsteps of Satan', an enemy who would cheat you into taking to
something which obviously looks very much like your Faith, but
happens to be totally contrary to it in reality. After having received
clear laws and rules that lead to the straight path, there is no
justification left for any deviation. Those who still slip, they must

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remember that Allah is Mighty, having the power to punish, and Wise
too, lest one should misread any delay in punishment which comes
when His Wisdom so dictates. Using an eloquent image, the text goes
on to question the ultimate acceptance of truth at a time when it shall
no longer remain worth accepting and all matters of reward and
punishment shall revert to Allah with no power existing other than
Him, why then would anyone become quixotic enough to stand against
a Power so obvious, the result of which could be nothing but
destruction.
Commentary
The word, سلم :(silm) in ◌ًادْخُلُوا فِى السِّلْمِ كَافَّة translated here as 'enter
Islam completely', is used to convey two meanings, 'peace' and 'Islam'.
At this place, according to the consensus of the Companions and their
successors, it means Islam (Ibn Kathir). The word nu : (kaffah) means
'totally' and 'universally'. In the structural scheme of the sentence, this
word appears as hal (an adverb, qualifying the verb before it with a
particular state). There are two possibilities here. Firstly, the word be
taken as the hal of the pronoun in L'us : (udkhulu) in which case the
translation would be referring to the condition of the believers while
entering Islam, which must be 'complete'. This would mean that their
entire person, hands and feet, eyes and ears, feeling and thinking,
after having embraced the Faith should all be within the parameters
of Islam and the obedience to Allah. This is to warn against a state of
being in which one may be physically carrying out the dictates of
Islam while the heart and the mind are not fully satisfied, or in case,
the heart and the mind are satisfied, yet what one does physically
remains outside the pale of Islam.
Secondly, it is possible to take the word, silm as the hal or indicated
state of the Faith in Islam, in which case, the translation would be re-
ferring to the perfect and complete state of Islam in which the believ-
ers must enter. So, 'entering Islam completely' would mean that one
must accept all injunctions of Islam, not that one accepts some and
hesitates about others. Since Islam is the name of that particular way
of life which has been given through the Qur'an and Sunnah, there-
fore, it does not matter, which facet of life it concerns, it may be beliefs
and acts of worship or social dealings or business transactions or gov-
ernment and politics or trade and industry or any other field; what

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 208 - 210
matters is one's entry into Islam as a complete system, an organic
whole, unified, indivisible.
The gist of the two approaches given above is that no Muslim shall
be deserving of calling himself a Muslim unless he accepts all Islamic
injunctions truly and sincerely from the deep recesses of his heart,
irrespective of the department of life they belong to, irrespective of
whether they concern the outward physique of the body or the heart
and the mind.
The background of the verse's revelation mentioned earlier in the
introductory remarks also shows that one must keep nothing but the
teachings of Islam in sight, practice it in its entirety which will, in
consequence, make Muslims independent of all religions and nations.
Special Note
The verse holds out a stern warning to those who have got Islam
all tied up with masjid and 'ibadat (mosque and the performance of
acts of prescribed worship) neglecting injunctions relating to social
living and business and personal dealings as if they were no part of
religion. This negligence is wide-spread among the 'technically'
religious people who do not seem to care much about rights and
dealings, specially social rights. It appears that they do not regard
these injunctions to be the injunctions of Islam, neither do they make
an effort to find out what they are, or try to learn them in an orderly
manner, nor think of acting in accordance with these injunctions. We
seek refuge with Allah.
As regards the possibility of 'Allah Almighty and the angels coming
upon them in canopies of clouds,' this will be on Doomsday. The correct
position is that such coming of Allah Almighty belongs to the
Mutashabihat, statements of hidden meaning, about which there is a
standard policy practiced by the majority of the blessed Companions,
the Tabi'in, their successors, and the revered elders of the Muslim
ummah, that is, one must believe in its truth and avoid worrying
about as to how this would happen because it is beyond human reason
to find out the reality and the nature, the whats and the hows of the
'Being' and the Attributes of Allah Almighty, and this too is included
therein.

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 211 - 212
Verses 211 - 212
سَلِّ بَنٌِ إِسْرَاءِيْلَ كَمْ أَتَبِّنْهُمْ مِنْ أَيَةٍ، بَيِنَةٍ وَمَنْ تُيَدِّلُ نِعُمَةً
اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَاجَاءَتُّهُ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ) زُيِّنَ لِلَّذِينَ
كَفَرُوا الُحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا وَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ أَمَنُوْامِ وَالَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوْا
فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيْمَةِ وَالْلُهُ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ ◌َشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ )
Ask the Children of Isra'il how many a clear sign We
have given them. And whoever changes the blessing of
Allah after it has come to him, then Allah is severe at
punishment. Adorned is the present life for those who
disbelieve and they laugh at those who believe while
those who fear Allah shall be above them on the Day of
Resurrection. And Allah gives, to whom He wills,
without measure. (Verses 211 - 212)
Immediately earlier, it was said that opposing truth after clear
signs have come, deserves punishment. The first verse here (211) cites
the case of the elders of Bani Isra'il who were punished for their
hostility to truth despite clear signs given to them.
Rather than follow the blessed guidance given to them, they chose
to stray away from it and, as a result, underwent punishments, for
instance, they received the Torah which deserved being accepted but
they denied it, consequent to which, they were threatened with Mount
Sinai coming down upon them. Again, they heard the Word of Allah
which they should have loved and respected but they tinkered with
doubts in it and consequently, were struck dead by lightening. Then,
again, they were delivered from the Pharaoh through a passage-way
made by parting the river, but they showed no gratitude, instead, took
to the calf for which they were killed. Further again, they should have
been grateful when Mann and Salwa was sent for them but they
disobeyed and spoilage set in. When they showed their distaste for it,
it stopped coming, throwing them into the toil of growing their own
food. Lastly, the chain of prophets that appeared among them from
time to time should have been a matter of great satisfaction for them,
yet they started killing them for which they were punished, having
been deprived of power.
In the wake of such misdeeds, some of which find mention in the
وقف لازم

518
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 211 - 212
earlier part of Surah al-Baqarah, the divine law is that one who
changes the blessings or clear signs of Allah, specially after it has
come to him when he should have followed its guidance rather than
turn back and go astray, then, the ultimate must come to pass, that is,
Allah Almighty punishes such a deviant severely.
In the second verse (212), the real cause of the opposition to truth
has been identified as the love of dunya (the worldly life) and its
material gains. One of the effects of this attitude shows up in the
derogatory stance taken against those who love their faith. The reason
is simple. When materialism overpowers, the urge for faith
evaporates. In fact, people would go to the limit of abandoning their
faith when it happens to be against their worldly interests and would
even have the audacity to laugh at those who love and practice it. So,
it should not be strange that many chiefs among the Israelites and the
ignorant among polytheists would make fun of poor Muslims. It is in
this context that the Holy Qur'an says: 'Adorned is the present life for
those who disbelieve' because of which 'they laugh at those who
believe', although, these Muslims who have said no to kufr and shirk
shall be in a state better than that of the disbelievers on the day of
Qiyamah (Doomsday), for the disbelievers will be in Jahannam (Hell)
and the believers, in Jannah (Paradise).
The last sentence carries a warning for those who pride on their
brute economic strength because it is Allah who 'gives, to whom He
wills, without measure'. So, all this depends on divinely-ordained
destiny and not on personal excellence or influence. As such, it is not
necessary that one who is respected for personal possessions happens
to be a recepient of honour with Allah as well. The truth is that real
honour cannot be anything other than what turns out to be valid in
the sight of Allah. That being that, would it not be a plain 'absence of
sense' if one stands on the crutches of worldly riches and claims
honour for himself and looks down upon the less fortunate as mean?
The real consequence of such attitude shall be unravelled on the Last
Day.
It has been reported that Sayyidna 'Ali e Algo, said: 'Anyone who
takes a Muslim man or woman low in status because of his or her
hunger, Allah Almighty will put him to disgrace before a gathering of

519
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 213
all, from the first to the last. And anyone who falsely accuses a Muslim
man or woman of a weakness, Allah Almighty would put him on a
high mound until he falsifies himself.' (al-Qurtubi)
Verse 213
كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللهُ التَِّيْقَ مُبَشِّرِيْنَ وَمُنُذِرِيُنَ
وَأَنْزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَبَ بِالْحَقِّ لِبَحُكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيْمَا اخْتَلَفُؤْا
فِيْهِ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيُهِ إِلَّ الَّذِيْنَ أُوْتُوُهُ مِنْ أَبَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتُهُمُ
الْبَيِّنْتُ بَغْيَا بَيْنَهُمْ فَهَدَى اللّهُ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لِمَ اخْتَلَفُوْا فِيْهِ
مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِذْنِهِ وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِىُّ مَنُ ◌ََّشَاءُ إِلى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيُم 0
All men used to be a single Ummah. Then Allah sent
prophets carrying glad-tidings and warning and sent
down with them the Book with the Truth to judge
between people in what they disputed. And none but
those to whom it (Book) was given disputed it after
clear signs had come to them, led by envy against each
other. Then Allah, by His will, guided those who
believed, to the truth they disputed. And Allah guides
whom He wills to the straight path. (Verse 213)
Earlier, the real cause of the opposition to truth has been identified
as the love of the worldly life. Now, the present verses point out that,
all along the lanes of time, Allah has been showing clear signs to
establish the true faith, yet the seekers of the mundane benefits have
been working against it to safeguard their material interests.
Commentary
Stated in the verse is the fact that there was a time when all hu-
man beings used to belong to one single community having common
religion and belief - a faith, true and natural. Then came differences in
temperaments and tastes, opinions and thoughts, consequently giving
birth to contradicting beliefs, making it impossible to distinguish the
true from the false. It was in order to make truth distinct from error
and to show people the straight path of truth that Allah Almighty sent
prophets with Books and revelations. After what the prophets l +

520
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:213
did by way of moral education, people split apart in two groups. The
first group welcomed the guidance sent by Allah Almighty and accept-
ed to follow the prophets >JI + . These are known as true Muslims.
The second group belied the Scriptures and the prophets and refused
to follow them. These are known as kafirs or disbelievers. The opening
statement in the verse ◌ٌكَانَ النَّاسُ امَّةَ وَاحِدَة translated as 'all men used to be a
single ummah', needs some explanation. Imam Raghib al-Isfahani has
said in his al-Mufradat that the word, ummah signifies a set of people
gathered together for reasons of faith, time or place. This element of
unicity could be that of beliefs and ideas, or that of presence in a geo-
graphical area at a given time, or that of heredity, language, colour
and its likes. So, the sense of the statement is that there was a time
when all human beings used to be a composite group. Two considera-
tions emerge here which need elaboration:
Firstly, what sort of unity is stipulated in this verse? Secondly,
what was the time when this unity existed? The first question was
settled by the last sentence of this very verse which mentions the
differences that came up later on, and that the prophets were sent to
determine the true way out of the multiplicity of ways. It is obvious
that the prophets and Scriptures sent to resolve these differences were
not dealing with the differences in issues of heredity, language, colour,
country or period. Instead, it was the difference of ideas and beliefs.
This comparative examination tells us that the unity mentioned in
this verse means the unity of ideas and the unity of beliefs.
So, as the sense of the verse appears now, there was a time when
all human beings belonged to one set of beliefs. What was that set of
beliefs? Two possibilities exist here. Either they were united under the
belief of God's Oneness, or lived together under a state of disbelief and
error. However, according to the majority of commentators, the
weightier opinion is that all of them were united under the belief of
God's Oneness. A verse to this effect appears in Surah Yunus as well:
وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوْا وَلَوْلاَ كَلِمَةُ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ تَرَّكَ لَقُضِىَ
بَيْنَهُمْ فِيْمَا فِيْهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ 0
All men used to be a single ummah. Then, they split. Had it
not been the initial will of your Lord (that the true and false
and the good and bad shall exist simultaneously in this mortal

521
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 213
world) all their disputes would have been settled once for all
(leaving no trace of the enemies of truth). (10:19)
In Sūrah al-Anbiya', it was said:
إِنَّ هِذِهِ أُمَّيْكُمْ أُمَّةَ وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُنِ ٥
This ummah of yours is a single ummah and I am your Lord.
So, worship Me. (21:92)
Also in Surah al-Mu'minun, it was said:
إِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّيْكُمْ أُمَةَ وَاحِدَةً وَّأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاتَّقُوْنِ )
This ummah of yours is a single ummah and I am your Lord.
So, fear Me. (23:52)
All these verses indicate that the unity referred to here is the unity
of belief and faith in the true religion.
Now, we have to determine the period of this universal human
unity. The commentators of the Holy Qur'an among the blessed
Companions, Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Ibn Zayd said that the period refers
to the period of ''Azal' (eternity without beginning) when the spirits of
all human beings were created and asked 'Eaf (Am I not your
Lord?) to which every soul without exception said, 'Yes, You are our
Lord'. That was the time when all human beings were on one true
belief the name of which is Islam, the Faith. (Qurtubi)
The blessed Companion 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said that the period
of this unity of belief dates back to the time when Sayyidna Adam
came into this world with his wife. They had children who multiplied.
All of them believed in the religion of Adam and followed his
teachings, specially that of God's Oneness. All of them, except Qabil
(Cain), were obedient to the religious law.
In the Musnad of al-Bazzar, there appears an addition to the
statement of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas cited above which says that this
unity of belief prevailed from the time of Sayyidna Adam to that of
Sayyidna Idris. Upto that time all of them followed Islam and Tauhid,
and the period in between them is that of ten qarns. Probably, qarn
means a century which sets the period at one thousand years.
Some others have said that the period dates back to the time of the
deluge in the days of Sayyidna Nuh in which all living were swept
·

522
Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 213
away except those who had boarded the ark with Sayyidna Nuh. When
the flood subsided, those who survived were all Muslims, monotheists
and followers of the true faith.
In reality, all these three statements are not contradictory; all
three periods were such that people were one community and followed
the true faith.
The second sentence in the verse says:
فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النِّّنَ مُبَشِّرِيْنَ وَ مُنْذِرِيُنَ وَأَنْزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ
النَّاسِ فِيُمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيْهِ
Then Allah sent prophets carrying glad-tidings and warning
and sent down with them the Book with the Truth to judge
between people in what they disputed.
It is worth noting that the first sentence said that all men used to
be a single ummah, and in the second, this statement has been rami-
fied by saying that Allah sent prophets and Books to resolve disputes.
Obviously, the two sentences do not seem to synchronize because the
cause of sending prophets and Books is the disputation of people,
which did not exist at that time. However, the answer is very clear.
The verse means that during the early period of human life, people ad-
hered to one true faith, later on differences crept in, which led to dis-
(عليهم السلام) putations following which came the need to send prophets
and Books.
Something still remains. When mention has been made of a single
ummah above, why is it that the incidence of differences has, not been
mentioned? Those who are blessed with some insight into the wisdom
behind the style of the Holy Qur'an would not find it difficult to
answer the question, for the Holy Qur'an, while relating past events,
does not report the whole story anywhere, instead, it eliminates parts
in between, which could be understood contextually. For instance,
there is the prisoner in the story about Sayyidna Yusuf WILL who,
after his release, came to the king and asked that he be sent to
Sayyidnā Yusuf JI ul in order to seek an interpretation of the royal
dream. This proposal of the prisoner is all that the Holy Qur'an
relates, then, the conversation begins with 2 G &D'. The text does
not say that the king liked his proposal and sent him to the

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 213
prison-house to see Sayyidna Yusuf WJI ule and that he reached there,
then, addressed him. The fact is that reading the text with sentences
earlier and later makes all this simple to understand.
Similarly, the mention of differences after the mention of a united
community in this verse was not considered necessary because the
advent of disputes is something known by the whole world all the
time. What needed to be expressed was that, before all these
overflowing disputes, there was a time when all human beings used to
follow one true religion. This is what was stated. Now, the disputes
visible all over the world were not something that should have been
expressly identified. This was unnecessary. Nevertheless, very
pointedly it was said that Allah Almighty did provide for the removal
of these disputes through guidance. The words of the text say: 2
who were to carry 'عليهم السلام ,that is, 'Allah Almighty sent prophets النّبيّنَ
glad-tidings of eternal peace and bliss to those who follow the true
Faith and to give warning of the punishment of Hell to those who turn
away from it. Then, Allah helped prophets through His revelations
and Books which were to make truth distinct from error in matters of
beliefs and ideas. The text, after that, points out to the outcome.
Inspite of the prophets and Books with open truths, the world split
itself into two groups. There were some who did not accept this clear
guidance, and strangely enough, the first to deny this guidance were
those to whom these prophets and verses were sent, that is, the Jews
and the Christians. Far more astonishing is the fact that there was no
possibility of any doubt or misgiving in Scriptures which were neither
beyond their understanding nor were likely to throw them into
confusion. In fact, these people knew and understood it, yet it was
their lust for taking an opposite stand which made them deny it.
Then, there was the second group who were enabled to follow the
straight path by Allah Almighty and they became the ones to say yes
to the lead given by prophets, messengers and divine books sincerely
and whole-heartedly. These very two groups have been identified in
Surah al-Taghabun as follows:
خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنْكُمُ كَافِرٌ تَمِنَّكُمْ تُمِنٌ
Allah Almighty created you, then, some of you became disbe-
lievers and some of you, believers. (64:2)