227. whether it is cow-worship or idol- worship, both amount to polytheism, and polytheism is a total falsehood that is ascribed to God, because a polytheist, in reality, claims that other beings are also partners in Allah’s godhood, or that idol worship is equivalent to God-worship, or that the worship of other beings has not been forbidden by God. All these cases of a polytheist’s claim are nothing but ascribing falsehood to God. Therefore, for the polythesists Allah’s punishment in the Hereafter and disgrace in this life are destined.

Those persons of Bani Israil who had taken the calf as their god and were worshipping it were subjected to a humiliating punishment, that has been described in Note No.73, Surah Baqarah.

228. prophet Moosa chose seventy men from amongst his people to go to Mount Tur for begging Allah’s pardon for the sin committed by their community in worshipping the calf.

229. When these seventy men went to Mount Tur, Allah caused the earth to shake so that they might be awed and they might pray with all humbleness and sincerity, and might seek His forgiveness earnestly.

230. Every word of Prophet Moosa’s prayer is full of his earnestness, humbleness and love towards Allah, and quite in keeping with the divine tradition it was richly rewarded.

231. That is: punishment is specific and mercy is general. So far as the punishment is concerned, only those people are subjected to it about whom Allah specifically takes a decision, and this decision or judgement is in keeping with His attributes of justice and wisdom. But none is deprived of His mercy; whether it is a man member of the animal kingdom or a tree member of vegetable kingdom all grow in the shadow of His mercy. A survey of the universe will show that everywhere the springs of mercy are overflowing.

232. That is: So far as that mercy of Allah is concerned which has to be bestowed as a recompense for the virtuous deeds, it will be bestowed only on the actually deserving people, who will have these qualities as described here.

To adopt ‘taqwa’, the word used here, means to live a life always fearing God and to avoid disobeying Him, in which avoidance of polytheism is essentially included

233. This verse and the verse that follows are like parenthetical sentences, that is, when the narration of the events concerning Bani Israil reached the stage where Allah’s favours on them are being mentioned, the need has arisen to make it clear as to who are the people who ‘are deserving of these favours today. Accordingly, the people are invited to have faith in the Unlettered Prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and to follow him.

234. The explanation of the word ‘Ummi’ occurring in the text has been given in Note No.29, Surah Aal-i-Imran. Here it is presented as a distinguishing quality of the Last prophet, because being unlettered is ordinarily not a praiseworthy quality, but this attribute in the case of the Last Prophet has become distinctly praiseworthy as it reflects his miraculous greatness. Inspite of being unlettered, the teachings imparted by him has astounded the most highly-learned men of the world; ulema, thinkers, intellectuals, all are deriving benefit from his teachings. In other words, his being unlettered has become a proof of his being a prophet, and it is such a proof that the world is unable to refute it.

His being unlettered was a great argument for Bani Israil because whereas Allah had favoured one branch of prophet Ibrahim’s race (Bani Israil) with the Divine Scriptures and with prophets, he had neither revealed any Divine Book for the other branch, Bani Ismail (Arabs) nor had he sent down any prophets among them. He had merely made a promise that for this branch of the descendents of Ibrahim that is unaware of the Divine Book and whose only source of guidance is teachings left by prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, He would send down a prophet who, despite being unlettered, would have a Divine Book. Accordingly, it is mentioned in the Torah:

“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.” (Deut. 18 : 18, 19)

No prophet from Bani Israil satisfies this qualification, because here it is mentioned that the prophet would be from among the brethren of Bani Israil and not from Bani Israil themselves. Then if Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) does not satisfy this condition, who else does? The second point is that prophet Moosa had come with a Shariah, and prophet Muhammad has also his Shariah, while other prophets of Bani Israil followed the Shariah of prophet Moosa. Therefore, in the prophecy of the Torah, the prophet who is promised to be sent. down and who qualifies the conditions mentioned in it is only the Arabian prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him).

235. The reference about the prophecy of the coming of prophet Muhammad (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has been quoted above. As for the prophecies in the Injeel (Bible) about his

prophethood, some of the references are quoted as follows:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

“The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes”? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” (Matt. 21 : 42 to 44)

Every word of this prophecy fits prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) because he is the Stone (head) of the corner, that is, the last prophet. God’s kingdom that is the spiritual leadership of the world has been taken away from the Bani Israil and has been handed over to the Muslim Ummah. Any one who clashed with the last prophet was crushed to pieces, and the one whom he attacked was totally destroyed.

In the Injeel of John it is stated that when the Jews asked Yahya, whether he was the Masih (Messiah), he replied in the negative. When they asked him whether he was Eliah (Elias), he said; “No”. They asked: “Art thou that prophet? And he answered: No.” (John 1: 21 King James Version)

From this it becomes quite clear that for the people of faith the personality of prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was recognised as ‘that prophet,’ and when after the Christ no other prophet, except prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) appeared, then who else’can be’that prophet,’ save the Last prophet from Arabia.

At another place this quotation of prophet Eesa is recorded:

“Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” (John. 14: 30.King James Version)

At another place it is stated: “But when the Counsellor comes...he will bear witness to me. (John 15 : 26)

And it is the holy and blissful personality of the Last prophet who has most convincingly borne witness to the prophethood of the Christ, brought into prominence his personality and focused the attention of the world on his true teachings.

At one more place it is mentioned:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come”. (John. 16:13)

And at one place it has been clearly stated that he will be with them till the last. day, that is, his Shariah will be in force till the end of the world: “and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you for ever.” (John. 14:16)

236. That is: The things which were forbidden to the Jews on account of their transgression were made lawful to them after the coming “of the Last prophet: Since this prophet was sent down with the everlasting Shariah, it has only those restrictions which are in keeping with the nature, that is only filthy things have been made haram (forbidden).

237. By burdens, etc., are meant those religiolegal hairsplitting of the learned men or jurists of the Jews which had made their Shariah a burden for them. How burdensome it was can be understood by a study of the Torah. And by shackles or fetters are meant those innovations and superstitions which had bound them tight.

238. That is: Quran.

Say: “O Mankind ! Verily, I am the messenger of Allah to you all, (Allah) to whom the kingdoms of heavens and earth belong. There is no god but He. It is He who gives life and who gives death. Therefore, believe in Allah and His messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be rightly guided.” (Al-Quran)