CHAPTER 5, VERSES 8-14
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّـهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِۖ
وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُواۚ
اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰۖ
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَۚ
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٨﴾ وَعَدَ اللَّـهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِۙ
لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٩﴾ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ ﴿١٠﴾ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَن يَبْسُطُوا إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْۖ
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَۚ
وَعَلَى اللَّـهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١١﴾ وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّـهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًاۖ
وَقَالَ اللَّـهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْۖ
لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ وَآمَنتُم بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّـهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا لَّأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُۚ
فَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ ﴿١٢﴾ فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةًۖ
يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِۙ
وَنَسُوا حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِۚ
وَلَا تَزَالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلَىٰ خَائِنَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْۖ
فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاصْفَحْۚ
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٣﴾ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَصَارَىٰ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَهُمْ فَنَسُوا حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِۚ
وَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ اللَّـهُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿١٤﴾
O you who believe! Be upright for Allãh, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably; act equitably, that is nearer to piety, and fear Allãh; surely Allãh is Aware of what you do (8). Allãh has promised to those who believe and do good deeds: they shall have forgive-ness and a mighty reward (9). And (as for) those who disbelieve and reject our signs, these are the companions of the flame (10). O you who believe! Remember Allãh's favour on you when a people had determined to stretch forth their hands towards you, but He withheld their hands from you, and fear Allãh; and on Allãh let the believers rely (11). And certainly Allãh made a covenant with the Children of Israel, and We raised from among them twelve chieftains; and Allãh said: “Surely I am with you, if you keep up prayer and pay zakãt and believe in My Messengers and assist them and offer to Allãh a goodly loan, I will most certainly cover your evil deeds, and I will most cer-tainly cause you to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, but whoever disbelieves from among you after that, he indeed shall lose the right way” (12). But on account of their breaking their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard; they altered the words from their places and they neglected a portion of what they were reminded of; and you shall always discover treachery in them excepting a few of them; so pardon them and turn away; surely Allãh loves those who do good (to others) (13). And of those who say: “We are Christians,” We did take their covenant, but they forgot a portion of what they were admonished with, thereforeWe
excited among them enmity and hatred to the Day of Resurrection; and Allãh will inform them of what they did (14).
* * * * *
COMMENTARY
The connection of the verse with the preceding ones is clear and needs no elaboration. The series of the verses is addressed to the believers, pointing to some important matters, which affect them individually and collectively in both worlds.
QUR’ÃN:
O you who believe! Be upright for Allãh, bearers of wit-ness with justice and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably: The verse is similar to the verse 135 of the chapter “Women”, O you who believe! Be maintainers of justice bearers of witness for Allãh's sake, though it may be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives; if he be rich or poor, Allãh is nearer to them both in compassion; therefore do not follow (your) low desires, lest you deviate; and if you swerve or turn aside, then surely Allãh is aware of what you do.
However, there is a subtle difference between the two verses. The verse of the chapter of “Women” forbids deviation from justice in bearing witness because of some low desires; the person loves the man for whom he bears witness because of some relationship or friendship, etc. and therefore, gives evidence in his favour in order that he might get some undue benefits. Conversely, this verse of the chapter of “The Table” prohibits deviation from justice while bearing witness because of hatred and enmity for the person against whom evidence is tendered; he bears witness against him intending to take some revenge from him and thus tramples on his rights.
This difference of themes has brought difference of stipulations in the clauses of the two verses. The verse in the chapter of “Women” says: Be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness for Allãh's sake; while this verse in the chapter of “The Table” turns the restrictions around and says: “be upright for Allãh, bearers of witness with justice.”
The main purpose of this verse is to restrain the believers from going against truth in bearing witness because of some enmity that the witness might be entertaining against the party concerned. Therefore, the evidence is attached to justice, meaning that one should observe justice while giving evidence; the evidence should not contain even an iota of injustice, even if the person concerned is one's enemy. On the other hand, evidence in favour of someone because of love or relation-ship (even if it goes against the right) is not counted such a deviation from justice although in reality it is not free from injustice and devi-ation. Therefore, the verse in the chapter of “The Table” enjoins bearing witness with justice and it has been based on the order of being upright for the sake of Allãh; while the order in the chapter of “Women” enjoins giving evidence for the sake of Allãh, that is, without following base desires and it is based on the order of being upright with justice.
The same is the reason why in the verse of “The Table” the order to bear witness with justice leads to the order of acting equitably as Allãh says: act equitably, that is nearer to piety; it calls to justice and counts it as a means of acquiring piety. And in the verse of the chapter “Women”, the order has been reversed and the command to bear witness for Allãh is followed by the phrases: do not follow your (low) desires lest you deviate. Thus, Allãh prohibits the believers from following one's low desire and discarding of piety; and counts it as a means of deviating from justice.
Then, both the verses warn them against deviation from piety, using almost similar wordings. The verse of the chapter of “Women” says: and if you swerve or turn aside, then surely Allãh is aware of what you do, i.e., if you don't keep firm hold of piety; and the verse of the chapter of “The Table”says
: and fear Allãh, surely Allãh is Aware of what you do.
The meaning of the wording: “be upright for Allãh, bearers of witness with justice . .”,
may easily be understood from explanations of previous verses.
QUR’ÃN:
act equitably, that is nearer to piety . .: The pronoun “that” refers to justice that is understood from the order of acting equitably. The meaning is clear.
QUR’ÃN:
Allãh has promised to those who believe and do good deeds: they shall have forgiveness and a mighty reward: The sen-tence: “they shall have forgiveness and a might reward”, elaborates the divine promise given to those who believe and do good deeds. This verse presents this divine promise more forcefully than does the verse 29 of the chapter of “Victory”: Allãh has promised those among them who believe and do good forgiveness and a great reward. It is because the verse under discussion clearly and independently describes the promise while the verse of the chapter of “Victory” mentions it as a part of the sentence. Someone has said that it is more emphatic because it is news after news; but this reasoning is not correct.
QUR’ÃN:
And (as for) those who disbelieve and reject our signs, these are the companions of the flame: ar-Rãghib has said: “al-Jahmah (اَلْجَحْمَةُ ) means intensely searing fire; and from it is derived the word al-jahīm (اَلْجَحِيْمُ = the Hell)”. The threat contained in this verse stands opposite to the promise of the preceding verse: they shall have forgiveness and a mighty reward.
In this verse, disbelief is qualified with rejection of the Divine message; the aim is to exclude a disbelief, which is not joined with rejection of the Divine signs and commandments.
When someone knows that the Divine sign is true and does not reject it [yet does not follow it properly] then his case is in the hands of Allãh; if He wishes He would forgive him; otherwise He might give him punishment. The two verses contain good promise for those believers who do good deeds and stern threat to those who disbelieve and reject the Divine signs. Between these two extremes, there are many intermediate stages and stations. Allãh has kept their conditions vague and ambiguous.
QUR’ÃN:
O you who believe! Remember Allãh's favour on you when a people had determined to stretch forth their hands towards you . .: These wordings may be applied to various incidents and events which had taken place between the infidels and the Muslims; for example, the battles of Badr, Uhud and Ahzãb, etc. Apparently, it is a general description and refers to the polytheists' continuous efforts to kill the believers, erase Islam, and annihilate the religion of tawhīd.
Some exegetes have said that it refers to the polytheists' con-spiracy to kill the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) or to plan of some Jews to assas-sinate him, but the apparent wording does not support this particu-larization, as may be seen clearly.
QUR’ÃN:
and fear Allãh, and on Allãh let the believers rely: This exhortation for piety and reliance on Allãh in fact points to intense warning and total prohibition of neglecting the piety and discarding reliance on Allãh. We say so because this command is immediately followed by the description of making covenant with the Children of Israel and also with those who said: “We are Christians”. Both groups had broken the Divine covenant that made them the target of Divine curse, and their hearts were hardened consequently; thus they neglected a portion of their religions. Consequently, Allãh created enmity and hatred among them upto the Day of Resurrection.
The incident has been referred to, only to make the believers aware that the Jews and the Christians have been meted out the pun-ishment because they had forgotten the Divine covenant; they had undertaken that they would surrender themselves to Allãh and had reinforced it with the promise of obeying the God's commands. Accordingly they should have desisted from going against the Divine rules and should have relied on God in their religious affairs. They should have taken what Allãh had chosen for them and left what He did not like them to do. Its only way was to obey their Messengers by believing in them and not following anyone other than Allãh and His Messenger. They should not have listened to those arrogant and insolent persons who called them to submit to their authority, even if they were their religious scholars and monks. There should be no obedience except to Allãh or to him who calls to Allãh's obedience.
But they threw the Divine guidance behind their backs. As a result they were removed far from Divine mercy; they altered the Divine speech from its place and interpreted it in a way that was against the Divine ideas; as a result, they neglected and forgot the important parts of the religion.
It was a part on which all good and happiness depended. When they abandoned it, every happiness, felicity, and good departed from their lives, and what was left of religion in their hands, that too was contaminated and spoiled. Religion is a composite entity of beliefs and rules, every part of which is intertwined with all other parts; if a part is spoiled all other parts are adversely affected, especially if the spoiled part was related to the basics. For example, a person prays but not for the sake of Allãh, spends in charities but not to seek the pleasure of Allãh or fights but not for raising the word of truth. Such people cannot get benefit of what has remained in their hands because it is altered and rotten; and what they had neglected of the religion would not be of any help to them in the hereafter. Nobody can do without religion especially its fundamental principles.
It is seen from the above that the context demands that the believers should be warned against neglecting the piety and discarding the reliance on God. This purpose is served by referring to that event and inviting them to ponder on it.
Also it appears from the above that reliance on God should cover all legislative and creative matters or may be the legislations only; in other words, Allãh has commanded the believer to obey Allãh and His Messenger in religious commandments and accept whatever the Messenger has brought and explained to them; they should entrust the religious affairs and Divine commandments to their Lord; should refrain from thinking that they were independent or that they could manipulate the Divine sharī‘ah which the Messenger has brought to them. Also, they should conform to the system of the cause and effect laid down by God in the universe. But they should not ascribe to it any independent authority. They should not give to it any shade of Lord-ship. They should always remain waiting for what Allãh decides or chooses for them by His own management and will.
QUR’ÃN:
And certainly Allãh made a covenant with the Children of Israel and We raised from among them twelve chieftains . .: ar-Rãghib has said: an-Naqīb (اَ لنَّقِيْبُ = translated here as chieftain) denotes the one who investigates or explores the condition of his people; it is derived from an-naqb (اَلنَّقْبُ = breaching or boring a wall or a hide); plural = an-nuqabã’ (اَلنُّقَبَآءُ ) Allãh narrates to the believers of this ummah what had happened to the Children of Israel. They were given their religious command-ments; a covenant was made with them that they would remain stead-fast in religion. Chieftains were appointed for them and thesharī‘ah
was promulgated, and thus the proof of Allãh was completed against them. And what was their response to all that? They broke the covenant and in return, Allãh cursed them and made their hearts stone hard. Allãh says: “And certainly Allãh made a covenant with the Children of Israel.” It is mentioned several times in the chapter of “The Cow”, and in other place: “and weraised
among them twelve chieftains”; appar-ently, they were the heads of the twelve tribes. They were a sort of rulers over them; their relationship with their tribes was in a way like that of Ulu 'l-Amr vis-à-vis people of this ummah; they had the authority in the worldly and religious affairs although they did not receive any divine revelation nor had they any right to legislate any sharī‘ah (because this is reserved for Allãh and His Messenger). “And Allãh said: 'Surely I am with you.'“ This
is a commitment that Allãh would protect and look after them. It follows that God would help them if they obeyed Him and would abandon them if they disobeyed. That is why this sentence is followed by these two conditions: “if you keep up prayer and pay zakãt and believe in My Messengers and assist them.” at-Ta‘zīz (اَلتَّعْزِيْزُ = to help respectfully). “My Messengers” refers to those who were to come in future like ‘Īsã and Muhammad, and all those whom Allãh raised between Mūsã and Muhammad (peacebe
on them all). “And offer to Allãh a goodly loan”, it refers to unobligatory spending in the way of Allãh, not the obligatory zakãt:
“ 'I
will most certainly cover your evil deeds, and I will most certainly cause you to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow.'“ This
is the goodly promise given by God and it is followed by these words: “ 'but whoever disbe-lieves from among you after that, he indeed shall lose the right way.' “
“But on account of their breaking their covenant”; apparently, it refers to the disbelief mentioned just above about which Allãh has warned that he indeed shall lose the right way.
Fabimã naqdihim (فَبِمَانَقْضِهِمْ ): The particle “mã” here gives emphasis to their breaking the covenant; also it creates a vagueness which gives various connotations in different settings; it may show that a certain thing is too big or too small, etc. The meaning: 'Because of their certain contrary behaviour against the covenant,We
cursed them and made their hearts hard.' Curse means keeping isolated from Divine Mercy. Qãsiyah (قَاسِيَةُ = hard); it was originally used for hard stones; a hard heart is that which doesn't submit to truth, is not affected by mercy. Allãh says: Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allãh and what has come down of the truth? And (that) they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors (57:16).
This hard-heartedness led them to altering the words from their places; this alteration could be by interpreting a Divine speech in a way which Allãh was not pleased with, that is, misinterpreting it and giving it an uncalled for meaning. Also, it could be by deleting some words or adding or altering it; all these are examples of alteration. In this way they lose the sight of clear realities of religion. “And they ne-glected a portion of what they were reminded of”; that was the portion which contained the fundamentals of religion on which the felicity of both worlds depended; that falicity was replaced by infelicity and hardships. They started believing that God was like His creatures, that the Prophet Mūsã (a.s
.) was the final Prophet, that the sharī‘ah of the Torah would continue forever, that badã’ or abrogation of the sharī‘ah was invalid and similar other beliefs.
“and
you shall always discover treachery in them”; it may also be translated as 'you shall always find a treacherous group among them.' “excepting
a few of them; so pardon them and turn away; surely Allãh loves those who do good (to others).” We have explained several times that exception of a few does not prevent attachment of curse and punishment to the whole group or nation.
QUR’ÃN:
And of those who say, “We are Christians,” We did take their covenant, but they forgot a portion of what they were admon-ished with, therefore, We excited among them enmity and hatred to the Day of Resurrection, and Allãh will inform them of what they did: ar-Rãghib has said: “Gharã” (غَرَى ) means “became attached”; it is derived from al-gharã’ (الْغَرآء = glue).
Jesus Christ, son of Mary was a Prophet of Mercy; he called people to peace and love and exhorted them to look towards the here-after keeping aloof from worldly adornments and delights. He strictly forbade them to fight among themselves for the gains of this life.
When they forgot a portion of what they were admonished with, Allãh made their hearts inclined to war and fighting in place of love and peace and exchanged the fraternal feelings which they were taught with enmity and hatred, as He says: “but they forgot a portion of what they were admonished with, therefore, We excited among them en-mity and hatred to the Day of Resurrection.”
This enmity and hatred became ingrained in their psyche, which has fixed its tentacles among these Christian nations. This mindset of theirs is like the Fire of the hereafter from which they cannot escape no matter how hard they strived. Whenever they will desire to go forth from it, from grief, they shall be turned back into it and taste the chas-tisement of burning (22:22). This had begun soon after ‘Īsã, son of Maryam (a.s.) was raised up. His disciples and missionaries who roamed from Jerusalem to Rome were entangled in one controversy after another among themselves; and this has kept growing and spreading its tentacles resulting in wars, fightings, raids, banishments and anathemas, until it reached to the great world wars which threatened the earth with destruction and humanity with annihilation. All this shows how a Divine bounty turns into Divine revenge and how the endeavours are wasted; and soon Allãh will show them the result of what they were doing.
* * * * *
0%
Author: Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
