Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 154 - 157
Injunctions and related considerations:
According to Islamic traditions the dead person is given some kind
of a "new life" in Barzakh44 which develops in him a sensitivity to
punishment and reward. Regardless of whether one is a believer or
disbeliever, virtuous or vicious, this taste of life-in-Barzakh is given to
everybody. However, the life there has many categories: one of them
is for the general lot, while some others are for prophets and virtuous
people. The later ones vary in their degree of excellence. A number of
scholars have collected relevant facts to assert their points of views
about the life-in-Barzakh. All of them cannot be summed up here. I
will restrict myself here, to presenting the considered and the very
balanced view of my worthy teacher Maulana Ashraf 'All of Thana
Bhawan; incidentally, his view is in close conformity with the
teachings of the Holy Qur'an, as also, those of the Holy Prophet
The Martyrs are not dead
One who dies in the cause of Allah is a Shahid (Martyr) and,
although, it is correct and even allowed to call him "dead", yet we are
forbidden to regard their death like ordinary deaths. For, though, life
in Barzakh is given to everybody which gives him perception of
reward and punishment but Shahid in the Barzakh life is
qualitatively different from the one given to other persons. The
distinction a Shahid has over others in Barzakh is that in effect, for
the fullness and sensitivity of life, his perception is, keener and
deeper. As, for instance, the life sensation is there in finger tips, as
also, it is there in heels, but the sensitivity of finger tips is sharper
than that of heels. The effect of the finer life-quality of a Shahid in
Barzakh reaches his physical body as well; whereas ordinarily bodies
remain unaffected. Consequently, a Shahid's body does not waste
away, decay or mingle with dust. On the contrary it retains it
freshness and a semblance of being alive too. This is duly endorsed by
Ahadith and observations. They are, therefore, reported as living and
we are forbidden to call them dead. However, for all worldly purposes
44. An intermediary stage which begins with death and stretches till the
Doomsday.

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 154 - 157
they are treated at par with the dead; their properties are divided and
their wives can remarry. Lives of prophets in Barzakh have a further
distinction. Their life-sensitivity is even finer and keener than that of
Shahids. In Barzakh their bodies retain their life-quality and, in some
ways, its manifestation is extended to this life as well; their properties
are not divided and their wives cannot again enter into wedlock.
The most strong in the retention of this life-quality are the proph-
ets, then are the Shahids, then the ordinary human beings. Neverthe-
less, according to some ahadith some of the men of Allah and virtuous
people share this excellence with Shahids. Apparently, those who die
while exercising stringent discipline against their selves (dbu) are
ranked with Shahids. In other words, though this verse specifically re-
fers to Shahids as against the broad humanity, it does not, for that
reason, exclude the virtuous and the truthful. If, therefore, the body of
a Shahid returns to dust, as bodies of ordinary persons, generally do,
the chances are that the person did not, perhaps, die in the cause of
Allah which is the only criterion of martyrdom (Shahadah).
In case a person who fulfilled all the prerequisites of martyrdom
and, beyond, any doubt, died in the cause of Allah and whose
martyrdom (Shahadah) has been unmistakably and repeatedly
demonstrated, his body must not, on the authority of a hadith, return
to dust. If, in spite of Ahadith, the body mingles with earth (what, in
fact, has made the author of Ruh al-Ma'ani doubt is how can, in spite
of Ahadith, the body of a Shahid be eaten away by earth) the
explanation would be that according to Hadith the body would not
return to dust; however, it does not deny the process of decay and
decomposition caused by other factors like geo-chemical reaction, body
enzymes, and bacteria. Niether does it confute the verse.
Other compound objects like weapons, medicines, food, and the
commingling of various natural elements like water, fire and air had,
undoubtedly, their effects on the bodies of prophets in this world and,
obviously, the life-quality of Shahid in Barzakh is not superior to that
of the prophets in this world; if, therefore, the other ingredients
register their impact on the bodies of Shahids in Barzakh it does not

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 154 - 157
confute, in any sense, the meanings of Ahadith which say the Shahids'
bodies are sacred to earth.
Another answer is that the distinction which Shahids have over
others is apparent from the fact that, comparatively, their bodies re-
main unspoiled for a pretty long time, although the liklihood of their
disentegration in the longer run does exist. The aim of the hadith
should, therefore, be explained by saying that the immunity from de-
cay for such a long time is, in itself, an excess on the customary beha-
viour of dead bodies. Eternal preservation, and preservation for a con-
siderable long time, both are an "excess on the customary behaviour"
of dead bodies.
By the words, "32WY ": "you perceive not", the Holy Qur'an asserts
the fact that the life in Barzakh transcends all sensory perceptions.
Patience in hardship: The way to make it easy
The nature and the significance of the severe test man is put to by
Allah has been thoroughly discussed while explaining the verse 1;1,
EsPl: 'And when his Lord put Ibrahim to a test'.
Whatever their magnitude, accidents are unnerving. But a prior
knowledge of such accidents makes it easier to bear them and be
patient about them. Since the entire Ummah is addressed here, the
Ummah should realize that the world is a place of hardships and
labour; it is a place of ordeal. It will not, therefore, amount to
impatience if one does regard such accidents as either strange or a
remote chance. And as the Ummah, generally, displays the spirit of
patience in all its deeds, the reward of Mercy is common to everyone
who strives to be patient. But as the quality and degree of patience
varies from person to person, everyone will be rewarded individually
according to and commensurate with his quality of patience.
A formula of peace in hardship
That the patient people used to recite : ◌َاِنّاللّهِ وَأَنَّا إِلَيْهِ رُجِعُون :We belong to
Allah and to Him we are to return' is, in fact, an inculcation of the
principle of virtue. The suggestion is that this is what the patient
people should say as it brings excellent reward, relieves from the
burden of sorrow and suffering and consoles effectively the grieved
heart.

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 158
Verse 158
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْرُوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ آَوِاعْتَمَرَ
فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطََّّفَ بِهِمَا وَمَنُ تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَ اللّهَ
شَاكِر عَلِيمٌ )
Indeed the Safa and the Marwah are among the marks
from Allah. So whoever comes to the House for Hajj or
performs the 'Umrah, there is no sin for him if he
makes rounds between them; whoever comes up on his
own with good, so Allah is Appreciating, All-Knowing.
(Verse 158)
The subject of the Ka'bah, as we would do well to recollect, started
all the way back from Verse 124 وَإذا بتكى إِبْرَاهِمَ رَّه :'And when his Lord put
Ibrahim to a test', later opening with the statement that the Ka'bah
was made a place for repeated convergence, a sanctuary, and a centre
of divine worship as ordained (125). Then came the famous prayer of
Sayyidna Ibrahim >JIL in which he requested Allah Almighty that
hé and his people be initiated into the correct method of performing
the manasik, the required rites, or acts of worship (126 - 129); which is
inclusive of the Hajj and 'Umrah. We can now see that the centrality
of the House of Allah as the place of worship has been expressed
manifestly when it was declared to be the Qiblah, the direction and
orientation of all Salah, no matter where it is performed; while at the
same time, the importance of the House of Allah was established when
it was made the objective in the performance of the Hajj and 'Umrah.
The present verse opens with the solemn declaration that the two
hills, Safa and Marwah adjoining the Ka'bah in Makkah, are tangible
signs from Allah. Pilgrims walk briskly between them after they have
made the tawaf of the Holy Ka'bah. This act of walking briskly or
"making rounds" between them, as the Qur'an elects to call it, is
known as Sa'y: ¿ , a practice which was there even in the Jahiliyyah
and which made Muslims doubt its propriety. It is exactly this doubt
Allah Almighty aims to remove here.
So, there it was in the earlier treatment of the subject that Allah
Almighty eliminated the objection raised by disbelievers against the

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 158
instituting of the Ka'bah as the Qiblah of Muslim Salah and here,
through a correlated assertion, the doubt of Muslims themselves as to
the propriety of Sa'y in the Hajj and 'Umrah, of which the Ka'bah is
the desired hub, has been removed.
That the text is closely bound together by this reason is not
difficult to see.
Some terms and their meanings
شعيره :is the plural form of Sha irah شَعَائِرِ اللّه The term, Sha'a'ir in .1
which means a sign, mark or token. So, the "Sha'a'ir of Allah" signify
what He has determined to be the marks of Islamic faith.
2.
Lexically, Hajj means to aim, to intend; while, in the
terminology of the Qur'an and Hadith, the act of deciding to go solely
on a pilgrimage of the House of Allah and performing required rites
while there, is called the Hajj.
3. Lexically, 'Umrah means ziyarah or pilgrimage; while, in the
terminology of the Shari'ah, the visit to al-Masjid al-Haram and the
doing of tawaf and sa'y there is called 'Umrah.
Sa'y between Safa and Marwah is Obligatory
Details of the method that governs the performance of the Hajj,
'Umrah and Sa'y are easily available in books of Figh. It may be noted
that Sa'y is a mustahabb (desirable or commendable) practice of the
Holy Prophet according to Imam Ahmad; a fard (absolute obliga-
tion) according to Imams Malik and Shafi'i; and a wajib (necessity) ac-
cording to Imam Abu Hanifah, which means, one who abandons it
would have to slaughter a goat in compensation.
It is advisable to guard against a possible doubt that may arise
while reading the words used in the verse under study. One may
think that the Qur'an simply says that making Sa'y between Safa and
Marwah is 'no sin'; at the most, it proves that it is one of the many
'allowed' acts. This approach can be corrected by looking at the leading
expression ¿y :'no sin' which has been used here in relation to a
question. The question related to all those idols sitting on top of the
Safa and Marwah hills and it was to show their devotion to them that
the people of the Jahiliyyah used to do sa'y between Safa and Marwah,

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 159 - 162
and in which case, this practice should be haram (forbidden). It is in
answer to this doubt that it was declared, "there is no sin" in it. This
being the real and authentic Abrahamic Tradition, there is no reason
why it should be considered tainted with 'sin'? The 'malpractice' of a
pagan band of people in this intervening period does not end up
making a 'sin' of what is 'good' in the sight of Allah. The use of the
expression 'no sin', therefore, does not go against its being wajib or
necessary.
Verses 159 - 162
إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَكْتُمُوْنَ مَآ أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنْتِ وَالُهُدَى مِنْ بَعْدٍ
مَابَّتُهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِى الْكِتِهُ أُولَئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَلُعَنُهُمُ
اللَّعِنُونَ ◌ٌ إِلَّ الَّذِيْنَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَبَيَّنُوْا فَأُولَئِكَ اتُوُبُ
عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنَا التَّوَابُ الرَّحِيمُ ( إِنَّ أَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَمَاتُوًا وَهُمْ
كُفَّارٌ أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ وَالمُلْفِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِيْنَنْ
خُلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَاهُمْ يُنْظَرُوُنَ )
Surely, those who conceal what We have revealed of
clear signs and guidance - even after We have
explained them for people, in the Book, upon them
Allah casts damnation, and curse them those who
curse. Yet, those who repent and correct and declare,
their repentance I accept. And I am the most Relenting,
the most Merciful. Indeed, those who disbelieved and
died while they were disbelievers; upon them is the
curse of Allah, and of angels, and of all human beings
together, remaining therein forever. Neither will the
punishment be lightened for them, nor will they be
given respite. (Verses 159-162)
As part of the debated issue of Qiblah several verses earlier, the
text has pointed out how the people of the Book went about concealing
the truth concerning the prophethood of the Holy Prophet & for
whom the Ka'bah was appointed as the Qiblah. It was Verse 146,
where it was said:

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 159 - 162
اٌلَّذِينَ أَتَيْنُهُمْ الْكِتْبَ يَعْرِفُوْنَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُوْنَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّ فَرِيْفًا مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُوْنَ
الحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُوْنَ 0
"Those whom We have given the Book recognize him (The
Holy Prophet) as they recognize their own sons. And, in fact,
a group of them does conceal the truth while they know."
Now the text, in order to conclude the subject, warns those who not
only conceal the truth but, going further ahead in obstinacy, persist in
their effort. The ultimate fate of this senseless persistence being all
too obvious, Allah Almighty still extends the promise of His mercy and
forgiveness to those who repent and reflect on what they did, retrace
their steps and correct their negative attitude towards divine truth
and, in order to demonstrate their positive stand, come forward and
state the truth clearly and publicly. The natural consequence of such
a reformed attitude would be that they will enter the fold of Islam
believing in Allah and His prophet, which is the touchstone for any
disbeliever's honest change of heart.
The duty of spreading the Islamic Knowledge
Verse 159 above stated that concealing from people clear signs and
guidance revealed by Allah Almighty is a terrible crime which earns
the curse of Allah Almighty Himself, as well as that of His entire
creation. Let us point out to some injunctions that issue forth from
this verse:
1. It is forbidden to conceal knowledge which must be disclosed and
disseminated widely. The Holy Prophet & said:
من سئل عن علم يعلمه فكتمه الجمه الله يوم القيامة بلجام من النار
"Anyone who is asked about something (of religion) which he
knows would, in the event that he conceals it, be brought forth
by Allah on the Doomsday harnessed with a rein of fire."
(Narrated by Abu Hurayrah and 'Amr ibn al-'As and reported by Ibn Majah -
Qurtubi)
According to the fuqaha' (Muslim jurists), this warning applies to a
person who is the only one available in a given situation. If there are
other knowledgeable persons present, he has the option of suggesting
that the issue may be discussed with an 'alim who knows. (Qurtubi and
Jassās)

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 159 - 162
2. Another very important rule that emerges from here is that one
who himself does not possess the sound knowledge of religious
injunctions and rulings should not try to explain them.
3. The third rule we find out is that answers to religious questions
which are intricate, deeply involved and way beyond the
comprehension level of common people should not be offered before
them lest they fall a prey to some misunderstanding. This will not be
considered as 'concealment of knowledge' since what is not allowed is
the concealment of clear guidance given in the Qur'an and Sunnah
which it is rather necessary to disclose and disseminate widely. The
expression مِنَ الَبَيِّنْتِ وَالْهُدى :"of clear signs and guidance" in this verse
releases a strong suggestion to this effect. It was about such questions
that the blessed Companion 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud had said: 'If you
recite ahadith which people do not understand fully, you will be
throwing them into a nest of discord.' (Qurtubi)
As reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sayyidna 'Ali as ul +, has said:
'Disclose to the common people only that much of knowledge as they
have the capacity to understand. Do you want them to deny Allah and
His Messenger?' For, anything beyond their comprehension would
breed doubts in their minds and the possibility is there that they may
refuse to accept it.
This leads us to the rule that it is the responsibility of an 'alim, a
religious scholar or a guide, to talk to people after he has assessed
their ability to receive what is to be communicated. Such questions
should not be brought up before a person who is likely to fall in error
or misunderstanding. It is for this reason that Muslim jurists, while
discussing such questions in writing, conclude with a standard
warning tag of هذا مما يعرف ولا يعرف which means that the question under
discussion is sensitive, therefore, a scholar should limit it to his
comprehension and refrain from broadcasting it in public. It is
reported that the Holy Prophet has said:
لاتمنعوا الحكمة اهلها فتظلموهم ولا تضعوها فى غير أهلها فتظلموها
"Do not withhold wisdom from those who deserve it, for if you
do so, you will be unjust to them; and do not place it before
those who do not deserve it, for if you do so, you will be unjust
to it."

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 159 - 162
In view of these details, Imam al-Qurtubi has deduced the ruling
that an infidel who appears in polemics against Muslims - or a
heresiarch (mubtadi') who, being a combination of the heretic and the
schismatic, invites people to his misleading ideas - should not be
initiated into the Islamic disciplines unless it is absolutely ascertained
that such teaching would correct his thinking.
Similarly, the executive authority of a time should not be given
rulings which they could misuse to unleash a reign of terror over their
citizens. Similarly again, the 'leaves' (rukhsah) given in religious
injunctions and the stratagems (hilah, plural: hiyal) should not be
brought forth in public unnecessarily lest people get used to being
'excuse-seekers' while acting upon the injunctions of the faith. (Qurtubi)
The Hadith is equal to the Qur'an by implication
The blessed Companion Abu Hurayrah, as reported in the Sahih of
Al-Bukhari, has said: 'If this verse of the Qur'an were not there, I
would have not related a single hadith before you.' The verse referred
to here is the present verse which carries the warning of curse on
concealment of knowledge. Some other Companions, may Allah be
pleased with them, have been reported to have used similar words
while narrating Hadith.
These narrations tell us that in the view of the blessed
Companions, the Hadith of the Holy Prophet d enjoys some privileges
mentioned in relation to the Qur'an. It may be noted that the verse in
question warns those who may conceal what has been revealed in the
Holy Qur'an; it does not mention Hadith as such. But, the blessed
Companions ruled that the Hadith of the Holy Prophet @ was covered
under this reference to the Qur'an and that is why they thought that
concealing the Hadith would also put them under this warning.
The evil consequences of some sins
The exact words of the Holy Qur'an in UI :'And curse them
those who curse', as obvious, have not identified those who do that.
Commentators Mujahid and 'Ikrimah have said that this absence of
specification suggests that they are cursed by every thing and every
living being, so much so, that all animals and insects join in since their
misdeeds hurt all created life forms. This is supported by a hadith

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 163 - 164
from the blessed Companion, Bara' ibn 'Azib where the Holy Prophet
¿ has been reported to have said that the word al-la'inun ('those who
curse') refers to all animal life that moves on the earth. (Qurtubi quoting
Ibn Majah)
Cursing an individual is not permissible
From the words of the text ju's, wc, :'and died while they were
disbelievers', commentators al-Jassas, al-Qurtubi and some others
have formulated the view that it is not permissible to curse an infidel
about whom it is not certain that he is to die in a state of infidelity.
Now that we have no way of finding out for sure that a person will die
in a given state, we are bound to obey the ruling that it is not
permissible to curse an infidel by name. That the Holy Prophet & has
cursed some infidels by name is explained by the fact that their death
in a state of infidelity was divinely revealed to him. As far as the
infidels as a whole are concerned, including the tyrants and the
unjust, it is technically correct, if cursed without any particularization.
From this we also find out that the act of cursing is so grave that it
has been disallowed even if the target be an infidel about whom it is
not certain that he is going to die as one. If so, how can this become
permissible if the target is a Muslim or, even if it is directed at an
animal? Common people in Muslim societies seem to neglect this
aspect of standard Muslim behaviour, specially our Muslim sisters
who are prone to use very hard language about those they do not like
among the circle of their acquaintances. It should be clearly
understood that the act of cursing becomes effective not only by using
the word, 'curse' but all synonyms used are subject to the same ruling.
The word 'La'nah' (curse) means: 'to remove away from the mercy of
Allah Almighty'. Therefore, all damnatory swearing and cursing,
whatever the shade, circumstance or language, falls under the
purview of "la'nah" or 'curse'.
Verses 163 - 164
وَإِلُهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌهٌ لَآ إِلهَ إِلَّ هُوَ الرَّحْمنُ الرَّحِيْمُ ) إِنَّ فِىْ خَلْقِ
السَّمْوْتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اَلَّيْلِ وَالتَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَُِّ
تَجْرِئُ فِى الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَّا أَنْزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 163 - 164
مِنْ ثَمَّاءٍ فَاحْيَابِهِ الْآَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَ فِيْهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ ◌ْ
وَتَصْرِيُفِ الرِّبْحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ
لَأَيْتٍ لِقَوْمٍ تَّعُقِلُوْنَ 0
And your god is one God: There is no god but He, the
All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful. Surely, in the creation
of heavens and earth, and the alternation of night and
day, and the ships that sail in the sea with what
benefits men, and the water Allah sent down from the
sky, then revived with it the earth after its being dead,
and spread over it of each creature, and in the turning
of winds, and in the clouds employed to serve between
heaven and earth: there are signs for those who have
sense. (Verses 163 - 164)
When the mushrikin, (the associators) of Arabia heard the verse
26; : 'And your god is one God', all against their own belief, they
were puzzled thinking how could there be just one single object of
worship for the whole wide world. If this was a serious claim, there
has to be some proof in support. That proof has been tersely encased
in the present two verses.
Understanding Tauhid, the Oneness of Allah,
in the wider sense:
Tauhid, the cardinal principle of Muslim faith as stated in Verse
163 has been proved repeatedly and variously, therefore, we limit
ourselves at this point to a summary view of the principle as follows:
1. He is One in the state of His being, that is, there exists in the
universe of His creation no entity like Him. He is without any
duplicate or replica and without any equal or parallel. Such unshared
and pristine is His station that He alone is deserving of being called
the Wahid, the One.
2. He is One in claiming the right of being worshipped, that is, in
view of the nature of His Being, the comprehensiveness of His most
perfect attributes and the great charisma of His creation and its
nurture, all human obedience, all 'ibadah, all worship has to be for
Him alone.

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 163 - 164
3. He is One in being free of any conceivable composition, that is,
He is free of segments and fragments, units and organs, substances
and elements, atoms and particles. There is just no way He can be
analyzed or divided or resolved.
4. He is One in being the anterior and the posterior, that is, He
existed when nothing did and He will remain existing when nothing
will. Who then, if not Him, shall be called the Wahid, the only One?
(Jassās)
Now in Verse 164, there is a series of signs and proofs in support of
the premise that Allah Almighty is really One. Stated simply, these
can be grasped by the learned and the ignorant alike. How can one
bypass the wonder of the creation of the heavens and the earth? Who
can ignore the constant alternation of the night and the day? The
message is simple and clear. Their origination and their perpetuity is
the work of His perfect power alone and that there is absolutely no
being other than Him who can take that credit.
Similarly, the movement of boats on the surface of waters, is a
formidable indicator of Allah's power which gave water, a substance so
liquid and fluid, the property of lifting on its back ships which carry
tons and tons of weight all the way from the East to the West. Then,
there is the movement of winds which Allah harnesses into the service
of man, and in His wisdom, keeps changing their direction. These are
great signs; they tell us that they were created and operated by a
supreme being, the One who is All-Knowing, All-Aware, All-Wise. If
the substance of water was not given a state in which the molecules
move freely among themselves while remaining in one mass, a
functional fluidity in other words, all this maritime activity would not
be there. Even if this fluidity of sea-surface was there, help from
winds was still needed in order to cover all those thousands of nautical
miles across the seas of the world. The Holy Qur'an has summarized
the subject by saying:
إِنْ يَّشَأُ يُسْكِنِ الْرِّيْحَ فَيَظْلَلُنَ رَوَاكِدَ عَلَى ظَهْرِه
"If He wills, He can still the winds, then, ships shall remain
standing on the back of the seas." (42:33)
The use of the expression ◌َبمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاس :with what benefits men' points

416
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 165
out to the countless benefits that accrue to human beings when they
mutually trade their goods through sea freighters. It is interesting to
keep in mind the variations these benefits take from country to
country and from age to age.
Then comes the marvel of water descending from the sky, drop by
drop, released in a measure and manner that it hurts nothing. If it
always came in the form of a flood, nothing would have survived, man
or animal or things. Then, the raining of water is not all; it is the
storage of water on earth that baffles the human ingenuity. Risking a
simplicity, let us imagine if everyone was asked to store for personal
use a quota of water for six month, how would everyone manage that?
Even if such an impossible storage was somehow done, how could it be
made to remain potable and hygienic all this time? Allah Almighty, in
His infinite mercy, took care of this too. The Holy Qur'an says:
فَأَسْكَتْهُ فِى الْأَرْضِ وَإِنَّا عَلَى ذَهَابٌٍ بِهِ لَقْدِرُوُنَ 0
'Then, We made water stay in the earth, although, We were
capable of letting it flow away,' (23:18)
But, nature did not allow this to happen. For the inhabitants of
the earth, human and animal, water was stored in ponds and lakes
openly. Then, the same water was lowered into the earth under the
mountains and valleys in the form of an unsensed network of hidden
pipelines of water accessible to everyone taking the trouble of digging
and finding water. Further still, is it not that a huge sea of ice was
stored out on top of the mountain ranges which is secure against
spoilage and melts out slowly reaching all over the world through
nature's own water lines.
To sum up, it can be said that Allah's Oneness has been proved in
these verses with the citation of some manifestations of His perfect
power. Commentators of the Qur'an have taken up this subject in
great details. Those interested may see al-Jassas, al-Qurtubi and
others.
Verse 165
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنُ ◌َتَّخِذُ مِنُ دُونِ اللهِ أَنْدَادًا تُحِتُوْنَهُمْ كَحٍُّّ

417
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 166 - 167
اللّهِ وَالَّذِيْنَ أُمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهُ وَلَوْتَرَى الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوا إِذ
يَرَوُنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلْهِ جَمِيُّعًا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيْدُ الْعَذَابِ )
Among the people there are some who set up, aside
from Allah, parallels whom they love as if it be the love
of Allah, yet those who believe are most firm in love for
Allah. Only if those who have acted unjustly would see
- when they see the punishment - that all power be-
longs to Allah alone and Allah is severe in punishment.
(Verse 165)
In the verses that appeared earlier, there was a strong and positive
view of Allah's Oneness. Now the present verse points out to the
error made by those who associate others in the divinity of Allah and
think that they are caretakers of their needs. Their attachment to
them reaches the proportions of love that is due for Allah alone.
In direct contrast to this profile of the polytheists, there are the
true believers who love Allah alone, and very staunchly too, for a poly-
theist may turn away from his self-made god in the event of an im-
pending loss, but a true believer reposes his total confidence in Allah,
in gain and loss alike, retaining His love and pleasure as his lasting
possession, never leaving his Creator whatever the odds against him
be.
Now, returning back to the 'unjust', the Holy Qur'an makes a
subtle suggestion that the opportunity to correct their position was
there; they could have recognized through their frustrations with their
gods that they were helpless and that real power rested with Allah.
But, they missed the opportunity and must now learn the hard way.
So, the stern warning.
Verses 166 - 167
إِذْ تَبَاَ أَلَّذِيْنَ اْبِعُوْا مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اَتَّبَعُوا وَرَأَوْا الْعَذَابَ
وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْآَسْبَابُ ) وَقَالَ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُوْا لَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً
فَنَتَبَّاَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَبَّمُوْا مِنَّاء كَذَلِكَ يُرِيْهِمُ اللَّهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ
حَسَرُتٍ عَلَيُهُمْ وَمَاهُمُ بِخِرِجِيْنَ مِنَ النّارِ﴾

418
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 168 - 169
When those who were followed disown those who
followed, and they see the punishment and the bonds
between them will be cut asunder! And those who
followed would say, "We wish there be a return for us,
so that we may disown them as they have disowned us."
Thus Allah makes them see their deeds as remorse for
them. And they are not to come out from the Fire.
(Verses 166 - 167)
Towards the end of the preceding verse it was said that the
punishment of the Hereafter is severe. How severe it will be is now
the subject of the present verse.
The severity of the punishment against which the polytheists have
been warned will unfold itself when their leaders whom they followed
will disown them as their votaries; and they both, the leaders and the
led, will witness the punishment, and whatever bonds of leading and
following may have existed between them would be snapped apart,
very much like it happens in our mortal world when people share in
the illegal but wriggle out when apprehended, so much so, that they
would even go to the limit of refusing to recognize their accomplices!
When the so-called 'people' of their leaders will see this turnabout
of theirs, they will fret and fume but will be unable to do anything
about it except wishing that there be a return for them to the mortal
world where they could, at least, square up with their greasy leaders -
'May be this time they come back to us seeking our allegiance which
would be a perfect time to say no to them and to distance ourselves
from them and to do to them what they did to us.'
But, what price are these dreams now? They are not going
anywhere. They are stuck with 'their deeds which they see as
remorse', and they all, the leaders and their followers, 'are not to come
out from the Fire', since the punishment for shirk, the grave sin of
associating partners with Allah, is to remain in the Fire for ever.
Verses 168 - 169
يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِنَّا فِى الْأَرْضِ حَلْلًا طَيِّبًافَلَا تَّبِعُوا

419
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 168 - 169
خُطُوْتِ الشَّبْطِنِ إِنَّهْ لَكُمُ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ ) إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُمُ بِالسُّؤَّءِ
وَالْفَحْشَاءٍ وَأَنْ تَقُوُلُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَالَا تَعْلَمُوُنَ 0
O people, eat of what is in the earth, permissible and
good, and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan;
indeed, for you he is an open enemy. He only orders
you evil and immodesty, and that you allege about
Allah what you do not know. (Verses 168 - 169)45
The meaning of the words
The real meaning of the root word J (halla) in (halalan tayyiban:
Ci X : permissible and good) is 'to open a knot'. In that sense, what
has been made halal means that a knot has been opened and the
restriction has been removed. The blessed Companion Sahl ibn
'Abdullah e Uly», has said: "Salvation depends on three things -
eating halal, fulfilling (divine) obligations and following the Sunnah of
the Holy Prophet ." The word 5 (tayyib) means 'good' as inclusive
of the clean and the pure and covers the twin aspects of being lawful,
permissible or halal and being naturally desirable.
The word offs (khutuwat) is the plural form of das (khutwah) which
is the distance between the two feet when striding. Here the khutuwat
of Shaytan means Satanic deeds.
45. The previous verses refuted beliefs held by the mushrikin; the present verses
take up the ill effects of some of their pagan practices.
One of these was to release animals dedicated to their idols, whom they
treated as sacred, refusing to derive any benefit from them. They took it to be
unlawful. Straying further on, they even took this act of theirs as obedience
of the divine will, a source of pleasing their Creator through the intercession
of their idols.
It is in this background that Allah Almighty has given the right guidance
in the present verse. Eating or using what Allah has provided on this earth -
all that is good, pure and permissible - is the best rule. Avoiding something
permissible on the assumption that doing so will please Allah is a Satanic
thought. So, 'do not follow in the footsteps of Satan' who is an open enemy
and what can you hope from an enemy but that he would keep pushing you
towards the evil and the immodest, and that you attribute to Allah something
for which you have no authority.

420
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 170 - 171
su' in . Cell, 2's means something which bothers
somebody good and reasonable. The word fahsha' covers what is
immodest. Some commentators have said that su' here signifies sin as
such, and fahsha' signifies major sins.
The expression 's"{ [] (innama ya'murukum: 'he only orders you')
means instigating a suggestion in the heart. The meaning can be seen
more clearly in a hadith from the blessed Companion 'Abdullah ibn
Mas'ud who said that the Holy Prophet & has said: "The son of Adam
is influenced by a suggestion from the Satan and a suggestion from the
angel. The Satanic suggestion has the effect of bringing forth the
expedient gains in evil deeds and thereby opening the avenues of
negating the truth, while the angelic suggestion promises reward and
success for good deeds and leaves the happy effect of a heart in peace
at its attestation of the truth."
Injunctions and Rulings
1. Polytheistic practices, such as releasing animals in the name of
idols or dedicating them, whether big or small, to a saint or to anyone
other than Allah has been declared unlawful in Verse 173 which
follows. The present Verse (168) is not negating the unlawfulness of
such an animal as wrongly conceived by some people. The objective of
the verse is to stress that animals which Allah has made lawful should
not be made unlawful by dedicating them to idols. Let them be what
they are and use them for personal benefit. Why go about making
things unlawful on your own which is a grave sin, and when it is
dedicated to someone other than Allah it becomes impure and what is
impure is unlawful.
2. If anyone dedicates an animal to anyone other than Allah out of
ignorance or carelessness and wishes to make amends, he should
resolve to retreat from his misdeed and repent on what he did, in
which case, the meat of that animal will become lawful for him.
Verses 170 - 171
وَإِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُمْ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوْا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَّا الْفَيْنَا
عَلَيْهِ أَبَّاءَنَاءَوَلَوْ كَانَ أَبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُوُنَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُوُنَ 0

421
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 170 - 171
وَمَثَلُ اَلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا كَمَثَلِ أَلَّذِىٌ يَنْعِقُ بِمَّا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلََّ دَُّءَ
"َّنِدَاءَ هُّ بُكُمُّ عُمُىٌّ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ )
And when it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has
sent down," they say: "Instead, we would follow what
we found our fathers on." Is it so - even though their
fathers used to understand nothing, nor had they been
on the right path? The parable of those who disbelieve
is like the one who hears nothing but a call and cry.
They are deaf, dumb and blind, so they sense not.
(Verses 170 - 171)
When these mushrik people were asked to follow the injunctions
revealed by Allah through His Messenger, they refused to do so and
insisted that they would rather follow the customary practice they had
inherited from their fathers because, as they assumed, their models
were divinely appointed to follow the way they adopted. Allah
Almighty refutes this position of theirs by asking how could they go on
following the ways of their fathers, under all conditions, to the
exclusion of all other ways, even if their fathers did not understand
much about the true faith, nor were they blessed with guidance given
by their Lord?
In their lack of understanding, the verse says that the disbelievers
resemble the scenario of a person shouting his call to an animal who
hears nothing meaningful or significant except a bland cry. The
disbelievers, in that state, do hear but not what is intended to correct
them, so they are called 'deaf; and they are tight-lipped when it comes
to accepting the truth, therefore, they are 'dumb'; and since they do
not see their benefit or loss, they are 'blind'. Consequently, with their
vital senses so dulled, they seem to understand nothing.
Comments on the nature of Taglid:
No doubt, this verse (170) does censure the blind following of
forefathers, but at the same time, it provides a rule and its attending
conditions proving that following has its permissible aspect which has
been indicated in 3uns (even though their forefathers used to
understand nothing) and 3, 2% (nor had they been on the right path).
It is from here that we find out that following the forefathers

422
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 170 - 171
mentioned in the text of the Qur'an was censured because they lacked
reason and guidance. 'Guidance' or the right path signifies injunctions
revealed by Allah Almighty, openly and clearly, while 'aql or reason
stands for imperative guidance deduced by the great armed vision of
Ijtihad from the recognized sources of Islamic Shari'ah.
Now we can see that following the model of those identified in the
text cannot be permitted because they do not have a revealed set of
laws from Allah, nor do they have the ability to deduce injunctions
from the Word of Allah. There is a subtle hint here which we would do
well to note. In case, we are satisfied that a certain 'alim has the
perfect knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah and in the absence of a
clear and direct instruction of the two sacred sources, he has the great
expertise of a mujtahid so that he can, by analogical deduction, arrive
at rulings from the texts of the Qur'an and Sunnah - then. it is
permissible to follow such mujtahid 'alim. It does not mean that one
has to obey 'his' injunctions and follow 'his person.' Instead, it means
that one has to obey the injunctions of Allah alone to the total
exclusion of others. But, since a direct and trustworthy knowledge of
the injunctions of Allah (in all their ramifications) is not readily
available to us due to our ignorance, we have to follow a mujtahid
'alim in order to act in accordance with the injunctions of Allah
Almighty.
From what has been said above, it becomes clear that those who
hasten to quote verses of this nature against following the great
mujtahid imams, are themselves unaware of the proven meaning of
these verses.
In his comments on this verse, the great commentator, al-Qurtubi
has said that the prohibition of following forefathers mentioned in this
verse refers to following them in false beliefs and deeds. The aspect of
following correct beliefs and good deeds is not included here as it has
been very clearly projected in Surah Yusuf in the words of Sayyidna
: عليه السلام Yusuf
إِنّى تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَهُمْ بِالْخِرَةِ هُمْ كُفْرُونَ هَاتَتَعْتُ مِنَّةَ أبَّا فِىَ
◌ِبْرُهُمَ وَاِسْحُقَ وَيَعُقُّوَبَ
"I have disassociated myself from the community of people

423
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 172 - 173
who do not believe in Allah and who deny the Hereafter
and I have chosen to follow the community of my fathers,
Ibrahim and Ishaq and Ya'qub. (12:37-38)
This is good enough to prove that following forefathers in what is
false is forbidden while it is permissible, rather desirable, in what is
true.
Al-Qurtubi has taken up the issue of following the mujtahid imams
within his comments on this verse. He says:
تعلق قوم بهذه الآية فى ذمّ التقليد (الى) وهذا فى الباطل صحيح امّا
التقليد فى الحق فأصل من أصول الدين وعصمة من عصم المسلمين يلجأ
إليها الجاهل المقصّر عن درك النظر
"Some people have quoted this verse to support their criticism
against Taqlid (following). As far as following the false is con-
cerned, this is correct. But, this has nothing to do with follow-
ing what is true which is, in fact, a basic religious principle,
and a great means of protecting the religion of Muslims in-as
much as one who does not have the ability to do Ijtihad must
rely on 'following' in matters of religion." (Volume 2, Page 194)
Verses 172 - 173
يَبِّهَا الَّذِيُّنَ أمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبْتِ مَارَزَقْتُكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوْا لِلّهِ
إِنْ كُنْتُمْ ◌ِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ ) إِنَّمَا خَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيَّتَّةَ وَ الَلَّمَ وَلَمْ
اُنْزِيْرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَبْرِ اللَّهِ فَعَنِ اضْطَرَّ غَيْرٌ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَاٍ
فَلاَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ )
O those who believe, eat of the good things We have
provided you and be grateful to Allah, if (really) you
are to worship Him alone. He has only forbidden you:
carrion, blood, the flesh of swine and that upon which
a name other than 'Allah' has been invoked. So
whoever is compelled by necessity, neither seeking
pleasure nor transgressing, then there is no sin on him.
Verily, Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. (Verses
172 - 173)
Earlier, the aim was to correct the error made by the mushrikin