Lessons & Reminders from surah al Baqarah 2: 38-44
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TafseerSurah al Baqarah [2]:
38-44
Ayah
38:
قُلْنَا
اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ فَإِمَّايَأْتِيَنَّكُممِّنِّيهُدًىفَمَن
تَبِعَ هُدَايَ
فَلَا خَوْفٌ
عَلَيْهِمْ
وَلَا هُمْ
يَحْزَنُونَ
We
said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to
you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear
concerning them, nor will they grieve.
fa
= then
- whoever follows the
guidance, no fear will be upon them.
man
tabi'a hudaaya
- whoever follows my guidance
- this is singular, because
a person may embrace Islam by themselves and feel strange
in society for following it. Yet Allah is giving them the good news
that no fear will be upon them
[plural] - which shows that the person will find other good believing
companions in this life, and especially in the next
life.
ya/tiyANNA
kum. Really it would be; ya/tiy
kum. The difference is;
the 'ANNA'
implies Certainty.
ya/tee / Ataa = to Give. So the overall meaning is;
Then
if GuidanceCertainly
[is] given to you from
Me.
So Allah is
telling people to investigate guidance, not just any guidance, but to
investigate that it is truly guidance from Allah. This is implied by
ya/tiyANNA.
There
is no fear
on them - because when fear is in your mind, it has a greater affect
on you than just sadness. So fear is mentioned before sadness.
But
not all fear will leave them [otherwise it would be Khawfa], rather
for most of the part - they will not be in fear.
The wordKhawfun
is mentioned as a Noun, which is a Permanent form. This is
interesting because Fear
is permanently part of a person.
And they will not be sad
- sadness can be ignored, whereas fear is not as easy to ignore. So
this is mentioned after fear.
The 'hum'
[them] is mentioned
to emphasise that Especially them - they will not be sad (in this
worldly life and on Judgment Day).
The word yaHzanoon
is in verb form, which is a a Temporary form. This is interesting
because Sadness
comes and goes in life.
In this world, the believers
have no loss. It is a win-win situation. In hardships, they are
between Sabr and Shukr [Patience and Thankfulness]. Both are
rewardable. [They will not fear or be sad].
Whereas the
disbeliever is in loss. He is in a lose-lose situation. In hardships
he is sad he has lost his time and health, in ease he is arrogant and
ungrateful to Allah - causing Allah's punishment to
descend.
People
who misinterpret the Qur'an, they have fallen into one of these 2
categories;
Khawf
[Fear] - many Muslims who
misinterpret the aayaat of Allah are scared of being criticized - so
they do not discuss them, or they misinterpret them.
Huzn
[grief] - many Muslims are
extremely angered and annoyed due to hardships they have faced, so
they make mis-interpretations based on the griefs that they have
faced in life.
Allah in the upcoming aayaat/verses tells
us not to hide or misinterpret His aayaat/verses. So we have to look
at the Quran from a balanced and neutral perspective when deriving
rulings.
Ayah
39:
وَالَّذِينَ
كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا
أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ
فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
And
those who disbelieve and lied against Our miraculous signs - those
will be companions of the Fire; they will abide therein
eternally."
This is contrasting with the previous
ayah which spoke about following the guidance, and this ayah is
talking about disbelieving and lying against the guidance.
So
it is criticizing the point of not following the guidance.
So
who is the best example of people who know the guidance is true, but
they didn't follow it? [read the next ayah for the answer].
Ayah
40:
يَا
بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ
الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ
عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا
بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ
فَارْهَبُونِ
O
Children of Israel, remind yourselves of Myfavor
which I have bestowed upon you and fulfill My covenant [upon you]
that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me], and
be afraid of [only] Me.
An'am
- Favour/blessing.
Allah
is reminding the Children of Israel that Allah did favour them, but
they were ungrateful. We as Muslims are also favoured, so we should
not fall into their mistakes - otherwise Allah might remove His
favour from us, just like He removed it from them.
Moses is
mentioned the most in the Qur'an so that we can compare ourselves to
his Ummah [nation].
Allah is reminding Bani Isra'eel [the
Children of Israel] to remember the favour of Allah. Similarly, we
should remember the favour of Allah that He chose us.
Now
that we remember this favour, what should we do?
We
should fulfill Allah's promise [through obedience] so that He will
fulfill His promise [of success and reward] for us.
Oowfee
[maJzoom] - Jawab al Shart: I.e. if you fulfill your Promise
[Condition] - Allah will fulfill His promise.
What was the
promise to Bani Isra'eel? That if they applied the laws of the
Torah/Tawraat, They would eat from above them and below them [Ma'idah
5:66]*. Allah will give them everything. If you just follow Allah's
guidance, the reward of the world will come to you and even the next
life.
*وَلَوْ
أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ
وَالْإِنجِيلَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِم
مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا مِن فَوْقِهِمْ
وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِم ۚ مِّنْهُمْ
أُمَّةٌ مُّقْتَصِدَةٌ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ
مِّنْهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ
And
if only they had acted according to the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel
(Gospel), and what has (now) been sent down to them from their Lord
(the Quran), they would surely have gotten provision from above them
and from underneath their feet. There are from among them people who
are on the right course (i.e. they act on the revelation and believe
in Prophet Muhammad SAW like 'Abdullah bin Salam), but many of them
do evil deeds. [Ma'idah 5:66]
The same way, Allah has
promised for our Ummah [nation];
وَعَدَ
اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ
وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ
فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ
مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ
دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ
وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ
خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِي
لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَن
كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ
هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
Allah
has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous
deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon
the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will
surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has
preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after
their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything
with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the
defiantly disobedient. [Nur 24:55]
iyyaaya
ha faRhaboon - and Fear Only Me.
So
Allah is reminding His favours before reminding people to fear Him
alone.
Ayah
41:
وَآمِنُوا
بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا
مَعَكُمْوَلَا
تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ
ۖ
وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا
قَلِيلًا
وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ
wa
Aaminoo... - and come to believe..
in what I have sent down,
as a confirmation of what you already have
[they had the Torah, and the Qur'an confirmed the Torah] - so Allah
is necessitating that the people believe in the Messenger - Prophet
Muhammad - because he is the Messenger from Allah confirming what
came of the early message of the Torah.
Believing in Prophet
Muhammad is important in this ayah because in ayah [2]:62
in this surah, we will realise that Allah does not mention the
Messenger. So believing in the Messenger - Prophet Muhammad - is
mentioned in this ayah, and this ayah [41] is part of the discussion
which leads to the discussion in ayah 62 of this
surah.
أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ
بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ
بِبَعْضٍ ۚ
فَمَا
جَزَاءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ
إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا
ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ
إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا
اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
So
do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then
what is the recompense for those who do that among you except
disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be
sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of
what you do. [Baqarah 2:85]
We
have to believe in ALL the religion 100%.
..And
do not be of the first to disbelieve in it.
This is emphasised because the Jews had knowledge of previous
Prophets, so the Sahaba thought that the Jews would be the first to
be Muslims. But ironically, they never. It was easier for the
polytheist Arabs to become Muslim in huge numbers than it was for the
Jews, and this is what actually happened.
Allah
exposes the secret agendas of the enemies of Islam;
Don't
sell my signs for a small price;
I.e.
they knew Prophet Muhammad was a Messenger of Allah, and they knew
that if they tell everyone that a non-Jew is a Prophet, then their
special status is gone. Their high status of being the honored
'people of the Book' will be gone, so they will lose their special
status in the sight of society, and they will have to be equals to
the slaves who follow the Messenger, and equal to the Gentiles
[non-Jews].
wa
iyyaaya fattaqoon - and fear only, only Me.
This
is a warning to ALL people who receive Allah's book and revelation.
Because they may interpret Allah's book in the wrong way out of fear
of the people, and not fearing Allah. They may do this to please the
people, and earn Allah's wrath.
Ayah
42:
وَلَا
تَلْبِسُوا
الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِوَتَكْتُمُوا
الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
And
don't clothe
the truth with falsehood.
People
might use the Quran and Sunnah and produce wrong conclusions for an
agenda/motive - this is done using 90% truth and 10% false, yet
whatever is not 100% truth - then it is not the truth.
مَثَلًا
ۘ يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهْدِي بِهِ
كَثِيرًا ۚ وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلَّا
الْفَاسِقِينَ
He
misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not
except the defiantly disobedient, [Baqarah 2:26]
..And
don't conceal
the truth while you know.
Ayah
43:
وَأَقِيمُوا
الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَوَارْكَعُوا
مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ
Establish
the prayer and give Zakah [purification charity]
- because when you pray - you are connecting with Allah and
remembering Him much, and purifying yourself by giving in away in
charity.
And
make Rukoo' [bowing] along with the BowerS [Raaki'EEN].
The
conservative Jews these days have the exact similar prayer to us
today, EXCEPT that they make rukoo' [bowing] first and then sajdah
[prostration] after that. This is proven in surah aal Imran;
يَا
مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي
وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ
O
Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate
and bow with those who bow [in prayer]."
[aal Imran 3:43]
Unlike
our Ummah where we do Rukoo' first, and then sajdah;
مُّحَمَّدٌ
رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ
ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى
الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖتَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا
سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ
فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا
Muhammad
(SAW) is the Messenger of Allah,
and those who are with him
are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You
see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer),
seeking Bounty from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. [Fath
48:29]
This
time, Allah is commanding them to make Rukoo' [bowing] with those who
bow - i.e. the Muslims.
Up until now, Allah has still not
declared the Muslims as a separate nation. Their Qiblah is the same,
and their beliefs are similar.
So Allah is reminding them of
His favours, He is almost trying to show them like a deviated
sect/group who should join back to the mainstream and obedient
Muslims. That is extremely powerful.
Ayah
44:
أَتَأْمُرُونَ
النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ
أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ
الْكِتَابَ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
This
is the scariest ayah/verse.
Do you command people to do good,
and forget your ownselves, and [yet] you read the Book? Why is it
that you don't understand?
This is the scariest ayah for
people especially people of knowledge.
Then don't you
understand?
'Aql
[commonly translated as 'Intellect']=
to tie.
'iqaal
- a rope [which the arabs would tie around their head - which they
would take off to tie their camel after they had rode it].
=
control and restraint (over your emotions and thoughts) = self
control, so you can make a good Judgment.
your
'Aql should make you follow the truth when it comes to you and your
judgment should not be clouded by false emotion and false pride.
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