Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 :213
To sum up, the gist of the sense in the verse Ket ci pu 56 (All men
used to be a single ummah) is that all human beings were initially and
universally followers of the true faith. Then, temperamental multiplic-
ity gave way to the promotion of self-interest which caused disputes to
surface, so much so that a time came when beliefs too were disputed
which in turn reached a point when the very root, the fine line of dis-
tinction between the true and the false, got all mixed up. Thereupon,
Allah Almighty sent prophets Wide and His Books to guide people
to the right path and to bring them back to the same true faith on
which human beings already were. But, despite all guidance and very
clear signs, there were some who dutifully followed these and there
were others who, out of their obstinacy and hostility, took the road of
denial and deviation.
Injunctions and related considerations
1. The verse tells us that Allah Almighty sent His prophets and
Books into this mortal world for no other purpose but that people, who
had left the single ummah following the true faith and branched out
into different sects, should again be assembled into the same one
community. Whenever people wavered from the right path, Allah sent
a prophet, and a Book so that they act accordingly. The coming of
prophets as a medium of reform and salvation continued when they
again deviated which resulted in the coming of another prophet and
another Book with the express purpose of putting people back on the
right track, that is, on the straight path shown by their Lord. This is
like health, a single fact of life as compared to diseases which are too
many. When a certain disease showed up, Allah prescribed the
appropriate medicine and regimen. Another disease brought another
set of treatment.
Finally, came the most comprehensive of all prescriptions, one that
will be ideally successful against all diseases until such time that Al-
lah wills to keep this world going. This perfect prescription, a compre-
hensive blueprint of all diagnostic considerations, treatment par excel-
lence, the most complete of all previous prescriptions which pre-empts
all future possibilities of treatment, is none but that of Islam. For this
came the last of the prophets , and with him came the Qur'an.
There used to be the recurring problem of Scriptures being interpolat-

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2:213
ed, prophetic teachings being lost which necessitated the sending of
new prophets and new Books in the past. This was set right when Al-
lah Almighty Himself took the responsibility of seeing that the Holy
Qur'an remains protected against interpolations or changes. Then, to
make sure that the teachings of the Holy Qur'an remain intact in their
original form and live right through the Day of Doom, Allah Almighty
promised to create and sustain a set of people from the community of
Muhammad , a group which will always adhere to the true Faith,
keep circulating the correct teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah
among Muslims all over the world without ever flinching against any
opposition or hostility. Therefore, after this, it was inevitable that the
doors of prophethood and the coming of revelation be closed for ever.
So, came the final proclamation, that of the end of prophethood.
Let there be no misgiving that during the course of history the
coming of prophets and Books were ever a source of division or
dissension between people. What is true, as stated earlier, is that all
prophets and divine Books aimed at assembling people around one
true faith to which they initially adhered.
2. We also discover here that the two-nation theory of Muslim and
non-Muslim, the identification of nationhood on the basis of religion is
exactly what the Qur'an aims to support in ◌ِفَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ رَّمِنُكُمْ مُؤْم cited above.
Along with it, we can also clearly see that the real foundation of the
two-nation theory stands on raising a united nationhood, which
flourished in the very beginning and which was based, not on the
factor of the country of origin, but on believing in the Truth and
following the straight path. The Qur'anic statement: ◌ًكَانَ النَّاسُ أَمَّةَ وَاحِدَة (All
men used to be a single ummah) stresses that there used to be real
national unity in the beginning of the world when people followed the
true faith. Disputes came later. Then came the prophets who invited
them to that real unity. Those who rejected their call cut themselves
off from this united nationhood and were known as a separate nation.
3. The third lesson we learn from this verse is that evil people have
always elected to oppose every prophet and every divine Book and
have been even eager to line up their maximum forces against them.

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 214
This being the customary situation allowed to prevail by Allah
Almighty, people who have the strength of faith in their hearts should
not feel bad about the chronic pursuit of intrigues and hostility by the
evil ones against them. Very simply, just as the disbelievers took to
the ways of their elders in the form of denial, hostility and
prophet-bashing, all true Muslims on the straight path should take to
the consistent practice of their elders, the great prophets l+Le , by
staying patient against injuries inflicted on them, nevertheless, keep
calling them to the true Faith with wisdom, sound advice and good
grace. Perhaps, it is because of this congruity of purpose, that the next
verse counsels Muslims to maintain a stance of forbearance and
patience against all situations of distress.
Verse 214
أَمْ حَسِبُُّمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجُنَّةَ وَلَّ يَأْتِكُمْ تَقَلُ الَّذِيْنَ خَلَوْا مِنْ
قَبْلِكُمْ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالصَّاءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّى يَقُوْلَ الرَّسُولُ
وَالَّذِيْنَ أمَنُوا مَعَهْ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللَّهِ الّ ◌َإِنَّ نَصْرَاللهِ قَرِيُبْ 0
Do you think that you will enter Paradise despite that
there have not yet come upon you circumstances as of
those who have passed away before you? They were
afflicted by hardship and suffering and were so shaken
down that the prophet, and those who believed with
him, began to say: "When the help of Allah (will come)"?
Behold, the help of Allah is near. (Verse 214)
The previous verse has said how hostile the disbelievers have been
to prophets and believers and, in a way, has comforted Muslims hurt
by the mockery of disbelievers that there is nothing new about this
antagonism. This has been there all the time. Further from this point,
the present verse recounts the enormous amount of suffering faced by
past prophets and believers at the hands of hostile disbelievers. This
too is to console Muslims that they should be patient against the
hostility of disbelievers as ideal happiness can only be achieved by
getting ready and working hard for the Hereafter.
Commentary
There are two things worth serious attention in this verse:

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 215
1. Apparently, this verse seems to indicate that nobody shall enter
Paradise unless he goes through hardships and sufferings, although,
Qur'anic statements and sayings of the Holy Prophet & prove that
many sinners will enter Paradise simply because of the grace, mercy
and forgiveness of Allah Almighty, and that they shall undergo no
hardship either. This is because hardship and suffering have different
levels. The lowest degree is to resist against one's own desiring self
and the Satan, or to strengthen the bases of one's beliefs by countering
the forces working against the true Faith. This degree of achievement
is within the grasp of every Muslim. Further on, there are the middle
and the higher levels. The degree of one's strenuous effort shall be the
degree of one's entry in to Paradise. Thus, nobody remains untried by
effort and struggle and the resulting hardship and suffering. In a
hadith, the Holy Prophet & has said:
أشد الناس بلاء الانبياء ثم الامثل فالا مثل
The hardships faced by the prophets are the hardest faced by
men, after that, by those closer to them.
2. The second point one must note here concerns the prophets and
their followers. That they reached a point of suffering when they cried
out as to when will the help of Allah come, was not because of any
doubt since that would be against the dignity of their station. In fact,
the call was made in the background of Allah's promised help for
which the time and place was left undetermined. As such, using these
words in a state of distress indicated the desire for early help. Making
such a prayer is not against one's trust in Allah (tawakkul) or against
the station of prophethood. On the contrary, the fact is that Allah
Almighty favours the earnest supplication of his servants. Who else
other than the prophets and the pious of the community would be
more deserving of what Allah likes?
Verse 215
يَسْتَلُوْنَكَ مَاذَا يُنْفِقُوْنَ قُلُ مَّا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَ
◌ْأَقْرَبِيْنَ وَالْيَتْمَى وَالمُسْكِيْنِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيْلِ وَمَّا تَفْعَلُوْا مِنْ
خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ )
They ask you as to what they should spend. Say:

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 215
"Whatever good you spend is for parents, kins,
orphans, the needy and the wayfarer. And whatever
good you do, Allah is all-aware of that." (Verse 215)
Commentary
Imperatives such as - 'leave disbelief and hypocrisy and enter
Islam completely', 'listen to none when it comes to obeying the
command of Allah', 'spend your wealth and give your life to seek the
pleasure of Allah' and 'show fortitude against all sorts of hardships
and sufferings' - have been emphatically mentioned in previous verses.
Now, from this point onwards, there appear some details concerning
this obedience which relate to one's wealth, life and other matters of
marriage and divorce. All these form part of the general theme of
righteousness which continues.
This statement of details is very special as these come in answer to
questions raised by the noble Companions before the Holy Prophet .
The answer to questions asked came directly from Allah through the
medium of the Holy Prophet . If this were to be said in other words,
one could say that the Fatwa (religious ruling) was given by Allah
Almighty Himself. This too is correct because Allah Almighty has, in
the Qur'anic verse 5,2 0 : Say: Allah answers you about them ..
(4:127) attributed the act of giving Fatwa to Himself. Therefore, there
is nothing strange about this attribution.
It is also possible to say that these fatawa (plural of fatwa) come
from the Holy Prophet & which have been communicated to him
through revelation. Anyway, what has to be realized is that the
religious injunctions described in this section as answers to some
questions asked by the noble Companions carry a significance of their
own. Throughout the Holy Qur'an, such special injunctions in the form
of questions and answers appear at nearly seventeen places. Seven out
of these happen to be right here in the Surah al-Baqarah, one in Surah
al-Ma'idah and one in Surah al-Anfal. These nine questions are from
the noble Companions. Then come two questions in Surah al-A'raf and
one each in Sūrah Bani Isra'il, Surah al-Kahf, Sūrah Ța-Ha and Surah
al-Nazi'āt making a total of six questions, which were asked by the
disbelievers. All these have been answered in the Holy Qur'an.
The blessed Companion and commentator of the Holy Qur'an,

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 215
'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas has said: 'I have not seen a set of people better
than the Companions of the Holy Prophet _ who, (despite their great
attachment to matters of Faith and their deep love for and close
relationship with the Holy Prophet ) asked very few questions.' The
questions asked relate to a total of thirteen problems only, which have
been answered in the Holy Qur'an because these noble souls never
asked a question unless absolutely necessary (Qurtubi).
In the present verse (215), the istifta' or questions asked by the
noble Companions has been reported in the words, Ji Ku Beke: "They
ask you as to what they should spend'. The same question has been
repeated in verse 219 in the same words: ◌َوَيَسْتَلُرُّنَكَ مَاذَا يُتُفِقُون but the answer
to this one question has been given differently in the present verse
(215) and later on, in verse 219.
Therefore, it is necessary to first understand the wisdom behind
the two answers to one single question. This wisdom becomes clear by
looking at the background in which these verses were revealed. For
instance, the present verse was revealed in a particular situation
when the Companion, 'Amr ibn Jamuh had asked the Holy Prophet
the question: ماننفق من أموالنا وأين نضعها؟ (Ibn al-Mundhir - Mazhari) that is, 'what do
we spend from our wealth, and where?' According to a narration
reported by Ibn Jarir, this question was not that of Ibn Jamuh alone,
rather, it was from Muslims in general. The question has two parts,
that is, what and how much should be spent, and where should it go or
who should be the recepients.
Let us now look at the second verse (219) which begins with the
same question. The background of its revelation as narrated by Ibn
Abi Hatim is as follows. When the Holy Qur'an commanded Muslims to
spend in the way of Allah, some Companions رضى الله عنهم أجمعين came to
the Holy Prophet & and requested an elaboration of the injunction.
They wished to find out what 'money' or which 'thing' they should
spend in the way of Allah. This question has one simple unit of
inquiry, that is, what should they spend. Thus, the two questions
somewhat differ in their approach. The first question consisted of the
'what' and 'where' of spending. The second question is restricted to
what' only. The Qur'anic answer to the first question shows that the
second part of the question, that is, where should they spend, has been .

530
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 215
given more importance and answered frontally and clearly. However,
the first part of the question, that is, what should they spend, was
answered as a corollary, and considered sufficient. Now let us go back
to the two parts as they appear in the words of the Holy Qur'an. About
the first part, that is, where should they spend, it has been said:
مَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنُ خَيْرٍ فَلُوَالِدَيْنِ وَاُلْأَقْرَبِيْنَ وَالْيَعْمَى وَالْسَِّكِيْنِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيْلِ
Whatever good you spend is for parents, kins, orphans, the
needy and the wayfarer.
Then, the other part of the question, that is, what should they
وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيرٍ فَإِنَّ ,spend, was answered as a corollary through the words
"HE : 'And whatever good you do, Allah is all-aware of that'. The
hint is that Allah Almighty has not placed any restriction on you as to
the amount of what you should spend. The fact is whatever you spend
in accordance with your capability will become deserving of a
matching reward with Allah.
In short, the considered explanation of the heads of expenditure
was given in the first verse (215), perhaps, in view of the real concern
of the questioner about where to spend. Then, the question, what
should they spend, was answered as a corollary and considered
sufficient. The later verse (219) where the question was limited to
what 'money' or what 'thing' should they spend was answered by
saying: l ji (Say: "The surplus"). These two verses yield some rules
of guidance about spending in the way of Allah.
Rulings
1. These two verses are not concerned with the obligatory zakah
because the threshold of holdings for the obligatory Zakah is fixed, and
the obligatory ratio of spending under it has also been fully
determined through the Holy Prophet & . None of these two have been
specified in the verses under discussion. This tells us that the two
verses refer to voluntary charities (al-Sadaqat al-nafilah). This also
removes the doubt about the inclusion of parents as recepients of
spending under verse 215, although, giving Zakah to parents is not
permissible under the teaching of the Holy Prophet . The reason is
simple. These two verses have nothing to do with the obligation of
Zakāh.

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 216 - 218
2. Another rule of conduct which emerges from this verse is that
even the gift given or food served to parents and other near of kin, if
the intention is to obey Allah Almighty in doing so, will be included
under spending in the way of Allah and will deserve reward with Him.
3. Consideration should be given, while making voluntary
charities, to spending only what is extra to personal needs. Spending
while hurting one's own family, over-riding their due rights and
subjecting them to straightened circumstances is no act of merit.
Similarly, one who does not pay back his debt yet goes on squandering
money in voluntary charities is not liked in the sight of Allah.
The statement about spending 'the surplus' (al-'afw), that which is
extra to needs, has been interpreted as an obligatory injunction by the
blessed Companion Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and others. According to
them, it is not permissible to hold in one's possession any money or
materials surplus to needs even after paying of zakah and fulfilling all
rights due; it is necessary (wajib) to give everything extra to needs as
charity (sadaqah). However, the majority of Companions, their
successors (the Tabi'in) and the great imams of the Faith interpret the
Qur'anic verses in question to mean that whatever has to be spent in
the way of Allah should be surplus to needs. It does not mean that one
has to give in charity (sadaqah) everything surplus to need as
something necessary or wajib. Moreover, this later position is what the
consistent practice of the blessed Companions proves.
Verses 216 - 218
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَكُرٌُ لَّكُمْ وَعَسَىَ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا
وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْوَعَشْىَ أَنْ تُحِتُّبُوا شَيْئًا ◌َهْوَ شَتْ لَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ
يَعْلَمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ) يَسْئَلُوْنَكَ عَنِ الشَّهُرِ الْحُرَامِ قِتَالٍ
فِيْهِ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيْهِ كَبِْ وَصَدُّ عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللَّهِ وَكُفُّرُ بِهِ
وَالْمُسْجِدِ الْحَرَاءِ وَإِخْرَاجٌ أَهْلِهٍ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ
مِنَ الْقَتْلُ وَلاَ يَزَالُوْنَ يُقَاتِلُوْنَكُمْ حَتْ يَرُُوْكُمُ عَنْ دِيْنِكُمْ إِنِ
اسْتَطَاعُوا، وَمَنْ ◌َرْتَدِدُ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِيْنِهِ فَيَمُتُ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ
فَأُولَئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحُبُ

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 216 - 218
النَّارِّهُمْ فِيُهَا خُلِدُونَ ﴿ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ أمَنُوا وَالَّذِيْنَ هَاجَرُوًا
وَجَاهَدُوْا فِىُ سَبِيْلِ اللَّهِ أُولَئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَةَ اللّهُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ
تَحِيمٌ )
Fighting is enjoined upon you, while it is hard on you.
And it could be that you dislike something, when it is
good for you, and it could be that you like something
when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not
know. They ask you about the sacred month, that is,
about fighting in it.
Say, "Fighting in it is something grave but, in the sight
of Allah it is far more grave to prevent from the path of
Allah, to disbelieve in Him, and al-Masjid al-Haram, and
to expel its people from there and Fitnah (to create
disorder) is more grave than to kill." And they will go
on fighting you until they turn you away from your
faith if they could. And whoever of you turns away
from his faith and dies infidel, then they are those
whose deeds have gone waste in this world and in the
Hereafter. And they are people of the Fire. They shall
be there for ever.
As for those who believed and those who migrated and
carried out jihad in the way of Allah, they do hope for
Allah's mercy and Allah is Forgiving, Very-Merciful.
(Verses 216-218)
Explanation in brief:
Verse 216 establishes the obligatory nature of Jihad even though it
may be burdensome for some temperaments. In this case, the truth is
that it is Allah Almighty who knows the reality of everything while
man does not possess the full range of that knowledge. Therefore, one
should not decide on things being good or bad as prompted by personal
desires, rather, one must say yes to the command of Allah and follow it
consistently as the most expedient course of action.
Verse 217 begins with a question which was asked by some
disbelievers from the tribe of Quraysh. It has been reported that some
Companions of the Holy Prophet & were by chance confronted by
disbelievers while on a journey. During the engagement, one
disbeliever got killed at their hands. The day this happened was the

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 216 - 218
first of the month of Rajab which, according to the calculation of the
Companions, was the 30th of the Jumada al-Ukhirah. It may be noted
that Rajab is one of the 'sacred' months. So, the disbelievers taunted
Muslims by saying that they did not even honour the sanctity of the
'sacred' month. The Muslims were worried and asked the Holy Prophet
about it. According to some narrations, as stated above, some
disbelievers themselves came to the Holy Prophet & and raised the
question as a matter of objection.
The answer given is that 'fighting in a sacred month, is something
grave' (but, Muslims did not do so intentionally, instead, this came to
pass inadvertantly because of a misunderstanding about the date).
Moreover, what the disbelievers have committed is more grave than
this, because the disbelief, the placing of idols in the Holy Mosque and
the expelling of Muslims from there is a greater evil than killing a
disbeliever in a state of war.
Injunctions and related considerations
1. The injunction declaring Jihad as obligatory appears in the first
: كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ الْفِتَالُ :of the three verses under comment in the words
"Fighting is enjoined upon you ... " which means that 'Jihad has been
made obligatory on you'. These words apparently seem to say that
Jihad is obligatory on every Muslim in every condition. Some other
verses of the Qur'an and the sayings of the Holy Prophet , however,
have clarified that this obligation is not absolute, that is, every
Muslim is not charged to perform it as Fard 'Ayn, (absolute and
mandatory obligation on every Muslim) instead, it is Fard 'ala
al-Kifayah whereby, should a group of Muslims come forward to
discharge this obligation, other Muslims would be considered absolved
from it. However, should there remain just no group ready to
discharge the obligation of Jihad at any time or in any country, the
result will be that all Muslims will fall into the sin of abandoning an
obligation. The saying of the Holy Prophet & in the hadith: 11 .L .441
LUI means that it is necessary that there be, right upto the Day of
Doom, a group of Muslims which keeps discharging the obligation of
Jihad. Another verse of the Holy Qur'an says:
فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجْهِدِيْنَ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَلَّى الْقُعِدِيْنَ دَرَجَةً وَكُلَّا تَعَدَ اللهُ
الُسْنى

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 216 - 218
And Allah has given precedence to mujahidin, who carry out
jihad with their properties and lives, over those who sit away,
and Allah has promised good for both. (4:95)
Here, the promise of good has been extended to those also who may
not be able to take part in Jihad because of some compulsive excuse or
because of engagement in some other religious service. It is obvious
that the promise of good would have never been made for those who
are absent from Jihad, in the event that it were an absolute obligation
on every individual Muslim. Similarly, this is what appears in another
verse:
فَلَوْ لَاَنَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوْا فِى الْدِّيُنِ
Why could a small group from every large community of yours
not come forward so that they pursue understanding in relig-
ion? (9:122)
Here, the Holy Qur'an itself suggests a division of work whereby
some Muslims carry out Jihad and some keep serving the cause of
religious education. This can be done only when Jihad is Fard 'ala
al-Kifayah and not Fard 'Ayn.
In a hadith appearing in al-Bukhari and Muslim, it is said that a
person sought the permission of the Holy Prophet & to take part in
Jihad. He asked him: 'Are your parents alive?' He said, 'Yes, they are
alive.' He said: 'Then, go. Serve your parents and earn the reward of
Jihad'. Incidentally, this also tells that Jihad is a Fard 'ala al-Kifayah.
When a group from among the Muslims is staunchly discharging the
obligation of Jihad, remaining Muslims can engage themselves in
other services and duties. But, should there come a time when the
'Imam' or the leader of Muslims gives a general call under the
compulsion of need and invites all Muslims to take part in Jihad, then,
Jihad becomes an absolute obligation on everybody. In Surah
al-Taubah, the Holy Qur'an says:
◌َيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ أمَنُوْا مَالَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكْمُ أَنْفِرُوْا فِىْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ اتَّ قَلُمُ
O those who believe, what has happened to you that, when
you are asked to come out in the way of Allah, you become
heavy? (9:38)
This verse carries the injunction relating to the general call of
Jihad mentioned above. In the same way, should it be that

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 216 - 218
disbelievers, God forbid, invade an Islamic country and the group
engaged in defence is not fully capable of it, being weak or insufficient
in number, then, at that time as well, this obligation becomes
'contagious', passing on from that first group to all Muslims close by,
as an equally effective obligation. And in case, they too are weak or
incapable, the obligation will pass on to Muslims close to them. This
situation may reach a point when Jihad becomes an absolute
obligation on each and every individual Muslim all over the world. It is
in view of these verses from the Holy Qur'an that the majority of
Muslim jurists and scholars of hadith have set up the rule that Jihad
is Fard 'ala al-Kifayah under normal conditions.
2. Therefore, as far as Jihad remains a Fard Kifayah, it is not
permissible for the off-spring to go for Jihad without the permission of
their parents.
3. It is not correct for one who has a debt to pay to take part in this
Fard Kifayah until such time that he clears his debt off. But, should
there come a time when, either due to a general call for Jihad or an
aggressive encirclement of Muslims by the disbelievers, Jihad becomes
Fard 'Ayn, an absolute obligation on all, then, no condition such as
that of the permission of parents or of the husband or of the creditor
remains operative. Towards the end of this verse, it is as a mode of
persuasion that Jihad has been identified as something which may,
temperamentally, appear 'hard' but one must remember that human
intelligence and effort fails so many times when it comes to the
outcome. It is not at all surprising that the most intelligent person
around may take the beneficial to be harmful and vice versa. If
everyone was to look back into the events of his or her life, it will be
noticed right there that there was something they were going after as
beneficial turned out ultimately to be very harmful, or there was
something they were avoiding as harmful which later on proved to be
very beneficial. This scenario of human reasoning and planning failing
time and again is a matter of repeated experience, therefore, it was
said that fighting in the way of Allah may obviously appear to be a loss
of life and property, yet the time will come when realities will be
unveiled and we shall find out that this loss was no loss, instead, it
was the ultimate in gain, and a source of eternal peace.

536
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 216 - 218
The injunction relating to fighting in the 'sacred' months:
The second of the three verses under comment here proves that
fighting is forbidden in Rajab, Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muhar-
ram, the four 'sacred' months. In the same way, there are several
verses of the Holy Qur'an where fighting has been very clearly forbid-
den during the sacred months, for instance:ْمِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ مُمْ ذلِكَ الدِّينُ القَيِّم :'Four
of them are sacred. That is the right religion' (96:36). Then there is the
saying of the Holy Prophet , in the famous address of the Last Hajj:
-Four (months) from among them are sa' : منها أربعة حرم ثلاث متواليات ورجب مضر
cred, out of which three are consecutive and the (fourth) is Rajab of
Mudar'. These Qur'anic verses and hadith narrations prove that fight-
ing is haram in the four months mentioned and this forbiddance is
good for ever.
In this connection, 'Ata ibn Abi Rabah, a leading early exponent of
Qur'anic exegesis declared on oath that this injunction is there to stay
for ever. Several others among the respected Successors (Tabi'in)
regard this injunction as provenly unabrogated, but in accordance
with the ruling of the majority of Muslim jurists as stated by
al-Jassas, this injunction is one of the abrogated ones as maintained by
a consensus of jurists and fighting is no more forbidden in any month.
Now comes the question as to which verse of the Holy Qur'an
abrogates this injunction. Jurists have taken different positions in this
respect. Some say the verse ◌َقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَانَّة :And fight the disbelievers,
all of them' (9:36) abrogates it. Many others regard the verse (isu
Slay the disbelievers wherever you find them' (9:5) as': الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ حَيْثَ وَجَدْتُمُوْهْمٌ
its abrogator. They have taken the word: @ here in the sense of
'anytime' meaning thereby that the disbelievers should be killed in
whatever month or time they are found. Some have said that the
abrogator of this injunction is the very conduct of the Holy Prophet
since he himself besieged the city of Ta'if during the 'sacred months'
and it was during the 'sacred months' that he sent the noble
Companion 'Amir al-Ash'ari on the military expedition of Awtas. On
these grounds, Jurists in general, regard this injunction as abrogated,
al-Jassas calls it وهو قول فقهاء الأمصار : "This is what the majority of the
jurists says'.
Ruh al-Ma'ani, under comments on this verse, and al-Baydawi,
under the explanation of the first section of Surah al-Bara'ah have

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 216 - 218
reported a consensus of the community on the abrogation of the
forbiddance of fighting during the 'sacred months' (Bayan al-Qur'an).
However, al-Tafsir al-Mazhari answers all these arguments by saying
that the sanctity of the 'sacred months' is clearly present in the verse
known as Ayah al-sayf or the Verse of the Sword, that is :
إِنَّ ◌ِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللّهِ اثْنَا عَشَ شَهْرًا فِىْ كِتَابِ اللّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمُوْتِ
وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ،
'The number of months, with God, is twelve (mentioned) in
the book of Allah, the day that he created the heavens and the
earth; four of them are sacred' (9:36).
Of the verse relating to fighting, this verse was the last one to be
revealed and the Address of the Last Hajj which was delivered only 80
days before the Holy Prophet & passed away clearly indicates the
sanctity of the 'sacred months'. For this reason, the verses quoted
cannot be regarded as abrogative of this injunction. Moreover, the
siege of Ta'if did not take place in the month of Dhul-Qa'dah. It was in
Shawwal, therefore, this too cannot be regarded as its abrogator. But,
it can certainly be conceded that the absolute forbiddance of fighting
in the 'sacred months' which seems to reflect from the verse referred to
holds an exception whereby it would become permissible for Muslims
to defend themselves, or counter attack the aggressor if disbelievers
themselves start the fighting during these months. This much, then,
can be termed as abrogated, which finds a clarification in the verse
.(2:194) 'The holy month for the holy month": الحرَامُ بِالشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ
The gist of the discussion is that initiating a fight during these
months is forbidden for ever, but in the event that disbelievers mount
an attack on Muslims, then, Muslims are permitted to fight back in
their defence. Al-Jassas has reported the narration of the blessed
Companion Jabir ibn 'Abdullah who said that the Holy Prophet & did
not fight in any of the 'sacred months' until such time that the initial
fighting was started by the disbelievers.
The evil consequences of Apostasy
Towards the end of the verse (217), it has been said that the act of
turning into an apostate after having become a Muslim shall be dealt
with under the injunction ◌ِحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِى الدُّنْبَ وَالْآخِرَة :that is, they shall be
those whose deeds have gone waste in this world and in the Hereafter.

538
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 216 - 218
Here are some injunctions relating to the apostates:
1. Some examples of 'deeds going waste in this world' are that the
wife of an apostate goes out of the bond of marriage; if a relative of an
apostate dies a Muslim, he gets no share in the inheritance; all
obligations such as prayers and fasting fulfilled in one's state of Islam
are reduced to nothing; for such a person funeral prayers are not
offered and he or she is not buried in the graveyard meant for
Muslims.
'Deeds going waste in the Hereafter' means that one gets no
reward for acts of worship and enters the Hell to stay there for ever.
2. Should an apostate become a Muslim once again, at least this
much is certain that he could hope to salvage himself away from Hell
in the Hereafter, while during the remaining tenure of his life in the
mortal world, the injunctions of Islam will be operative for him. But,
there is a difference of opinion among jurists about what would
happen to a person who has already done his Hajj - would it be
obligatory on him, given the capability, to do it all over again, or would
it not? Similarly, in the Hereafter, would the reward for his previous
religious performances, such as prayers and fasting, revert back to
him, or would they not? Imam Abu Hanifah says that it is obligatory
on him to do his Hajj again and he does not subscribe to the opinion
that he will be rewarded for his previous prayers and fastings while
Imam Shafi'i differs on both issues.
3. For one who is basically a disbeliever, the position is that the
reward for his good deeds in a state of disbelief is held in abeyance. If
there comes the time when he embraces Islam, he gets a matching
reward for all such deeds, but in the event that he dies an infidel,
everything goes waste. The Hadith statement:أسلمت على ما أسلفت من خير :'You
have embraced Islam with all the good deeds which you have
performed earlier' means just this.
4. In short, the fate of an apostate is worse than that of an original
disbeliever. This is why Jizyah can be accepted from an original
disbeliever while a male apostate who does not return to Islam is
killed. If the apostate is a woman, she is imprisoned for life. The
reason is that their conduct insults Islam and the insult of such a
binding authority deserves no less a punishment.

539
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 219
Verse 219
يَسْتَلُوْنَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِِ، قُلْ فِيْهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيٌُّ وَّ مَنَافِعُ
لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَا اكْبُرُ مِنْ تَّفْعِهِمَاء
They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In both
there is great sin, and some benefits for people. And
their sin is greater than their benefit. (Verse 219)
Commentary:
This verse forms part of the series of questions asked by the noble
Companions. These are as they appear in this Surah along with the
answers given. Here, the question is about wine and gambling which
has been answered by Allah Almighty by pointing out that the use and
practice of these two things breeds major sins while people may also
get some benefits from them, but the sin they release is far too grave
than the benefit they give, implying that both these are worth
abandoning.
Since these two issues are very serious, they need a somewhat
detailed inquiry into their nature and the injunctions relating to them.
The prohibition of wine, and related injunctions:
When Islam came, drinking was common practice as part of the
general state of Jahili customs. When the Holy Prophet & emigrated
to Madinah, people of that city were also accustomed to wine and
gambling. Common people were infatuated with these in view of their
obvious benefits. They had no idea of the evils inherent in these
practices. However, it is the usual practice of Allah that there are, in
every nation and in every country, sensible people who use reason to
control their temperaments. They would not go'near an emotional urge
if it goes against the dictates of reason. In this regard, the station of
the noble Prophet & was way high, for he had a built-in distaste for
things which were going to be declared haram later on. Even among
the blessed Companions there were some who had not touched wine
during the days it was an open practice. It was after reaching
Madinah al-Tayyibah that some Companions became deeply concerned
about the evil effects of these two involvements. It was due to this
concern that Sayyidna 'Umar al-Faruq and Mu'adh ibn Jabal along
with some Ansari Companions presented themselves before the Holy

540
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 219
Prophet ( and told him how wine and gambling not only spoil man's
reason but also cause financial loss and sought his advice in this
connection. It was in answer to their question that the present verse
was revealed. This is the first verse in which the elementary step to
stop Muslim from wine and gambling was taken.
What the verse says is clear from its translation, and its
explanation which follows immediately. It may be added here that the
word, 'Ithm' or sin includes everything that may become a preliminary
to sin. For instance, wine dulls senses and weakens the power of
reason, something basic to human excellence. Human reason acts as a
brake against human indulgence in evil deeds. Once reason is blocked
out, the door is opened for all sorts of evil deeds.
It will be noted that drinking has not been clearly identified as
something unlawful in this verse, but its evils has certainly been
pointed out, which may lead man into many sinful activities. In a way,
this takes the form of a good counsel urging man to abandon it. That is
why, soon after the revelation of this verse, some noble Companions
took this good counsel of the Holy Qur'an so seriously that they
stopped drinking then and there. There were some others among them
who thought that the verse, in fact, has not declared wine as haram; it
has, instead, identified it as a cause of sin in as much as it does lead to
evils religiously undesirable, so, if they can manage to keep
themselves immune from such evils, what harm could there be if they
continued drinking? Consequently, so they did, until came a day when
the blessed Companion, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awt as Ul _+, invited
some of his friends from among the noble Companions at his home.
When dinner was over, everybody started drinking wine as usual. In
the meantime, came the time for Maghrib salah. Everybody stood up
for salah and selected one of them to lead the prayers. The Imam
began his recitation from the Holy Qur'an, but drunk as he was, he
recited the Surah al-Kafirun all wrong. Thereupon, the second step
against drinking was taken and the following verse was revealed:
يَتُّهَا الَّذِينَ أُمَنُوا لَاتَقْرَبُوا الصَّلْوَةَ وَأَنْتُمُ سُكُرْى
O those who believe, do not go near Salah when you are intox-
icated. (4:43)
Here, drinking was declared to be absolutely unlawful at the time

541
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 :219
of the Salah. Other times remained open. Some of the noble
Companions had totally stopped drinking following the revelation of
the first verse deducing from it that something which stops one from
Salah cannot hold any good at all. And now that Salah has been
prohibited in a state of intoxication, one should keep his distance from
that which deprives one from Salah. However, since wine was not
forbidden clearly and explicity during hours other than those of Salah,
there were some who continued drinking during other hours until
when there occured yet another incident. This time it was the blessed
Companion, 'Itban ibn Malik who invited some Companions, Sa'd ibn
Abi Waqqas being one of them. Once the dinner was over, wine was
served in accordance with the custom. Then, turning to another
customary Arab practice at that time, the intoxicated party started
talking poetry and began reciting their respective accomplishments
and excellences. The Companion Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas recited a
Qasidah49 poem in which he satirized the Ansar (helpers) of Madinah
and eulogized his own tribal affinities. This made an Ansari youngman
angry and he hit Sa'd with a jaw-bone from a camel causing severe
injury on his head. Sayyidna Sa'd came to the Holy Prophet ; and
complained against that Ansari youngman. At that time, the Holy
, اللهم بين لنا فى الخمر بيانا شافيا :Prophet u raised his hands in prayer and said
that is, 'O Allah, give us a clear and conclusive guidance in the matter
of wine'. Thereupon, the third verse regarding wine, that of Surah
al-Ma'idah, was revealed with details declaring wine to be absolutely
unlawful. The verse is as follows:
يَاَاتُهَا الَّذِيْنَ اهُوًّا ◌ِنَ الْخَمْرُ وَ الْيَسِْْ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجُسْ مِنْ عَمَلِ
الشَّيْطِنِ فَاجْتَنِبُوْهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ )
O you who believe! wine and gambling and stone altars and
drawing of lots with arrows are only an abomination, a work
of Satan; so shun it, that haply you may prosper. (5:90)
The gradual forbiddance of wine
Being supreme in His authority, Allah alone knows the real
wisdom behind all divine imperatives, but a close look into the Islamic
legal code reveals that the Shari'ah of Islam has left ample room for
49. An Arab poetical form introduced by the modern poet, Garcia Lorca in
the West.

542
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 219
human emotions when following its dictates. This is to give man the
least possible inconvenience. The Holy Qur'an has itself said: 20
('y úl : Allah does not obligate anyone beyond his or her capacity'
(2:286). It was the demand of this mercy and wisdom that made Islam
go slow on forbidding wine.
The gist of the Qur'anic history of forbidding wine through a
gradual process is that it has revealed four verses on the subject. As
said earlier, one of these verses belongs to Surah al-Baqarah, the
explanation of which you are reading through now. Here, wine has
been identified as sin-prone, a corrupting agent. The mention of wine
has been left at that point. It has not been 'forbidden'. This, in a way,
is a manner of saying that the habit of drinking is worth leaving, but
the direct command to quit drinking was not given.
The second verse لاَتَقْرَبُوا الصَّلُوّةَ وَأَنْمُمكرى :'do not go near salah when you
are intoxicated' (4:43) appears in Surah al-Nisa'. Here, wine was
declared to be unlawful during salah hours. At other times, the choice
remained open.
The third and the fourth verses belong to Surah al-Ma'idah. In
these two, as mentioned earlier, wine was declared to be unlawful
clearly and absolutely.
The Shari'ah of Islam used the method of gradual prohibition of
wine for the simple reason that it would have been much too hard on
human temperament to cut away from the habit of a life-time,
specially so the habit of addiction to intoxicants. Scholars have said:
that is, it is harder to change an ongoing habit : فطام العادة أشد من فطام الرضاعة
for man than it is for a child used to suckling at his mother's breast.
So, moving wisely, Islam first stressed on its evil, then prohibited it
only at the time of salah and finally after the passage of a certain time,
it was absolutely forbidden.
However, the wisdom that required a gradual process before the
prohibition had equally required that once the prohibition is
promulgated, it should be implemented with its full force. That is why
the Holy Prophet , in the early stages, warned people against the
use of wine and told them how it invited divine punishment. He said
that wine was the source of evils and indecencies and one who
indulges in it can go on to commit even the worst possible sins.

543
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 219
In a hadith, he said 'Wine and Faith cannot be combined.' These
narrations appear in al-Nasa'i. In the Jami' of al-Tirmidhi, there is a
narration from the blessed Companion Anas which reports that the
Holy Prophet ¿ has cursed ten people in relation to wine, being the
crusher or presser or squeezer, the distiller, the user, the server, the
carrier, the receiver (the one for whom it is carried), the seller, the
buyer, the giver (as gift), and the one who uses the income arising
from it. This verbal teaching and persuasion was not all that he
stopped at, he took practical steps and made a legally binding
proclamation that whosoever has any wine in possession should
deposit it at an appointed place.
The matchless obedience of the blessed Companions
As soon as the first order came to them, the noble Companions,
obedient and responsive as they were, lost no time and took out all
wine stored in their homes for personal use and poured it out on the
streets then and there. Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Le Ul yo, has
reported that at the time when the proclaimer appointed by the Holy
Prophet & went around the streets of Madinah announcing that wine
was forbidden, whoever had a vessel of wine in his hands, threw it
away right where he was and whoever had cups or goblets or flasks of
wine in the house, brought these out and smashed them off. Sayyidna
Anas was happily busy serving wine to a gathering of friends at that
time. Present there were great Companions like Abū Talha, Abu
. رضى الله تعالى عنهم أجمعين Ubaydah ibn Jarrah, Ubaiyy ibn Kab and Suhayl'
When the voice of the proclaimer struck their ears, everybody present
said, 'Now, pour all this wine down on the ground and break all cups
and goblets and ewers and pitchers.' In some narrations it is said that
it was immediately with the announcement that wine had become
unlawful that everyone who had a cup of wine reaching close to his
lips was electrified and threw it away right there. That day, wine was
flowing down the streets of Madinah like a stream of rainwater, and as
a result of that, it remained usual in the streets of Madinah for a long
time that rains would reactivate the smell of wine soaked in the
ground, as well as its colour, which would show up on the surface.
When people were ordered to deposit whatever wine they had at a
given place, not much was left there to deposit except the limited stock