Surah Al-Baqarah 2:243-248 - Quran Translation Commentary

(2:243) Have you not heard of those who abandoned their homes although they were in their thousands for fear of death?! Whereupon Allah said unto them: ‘Die.' Subsequently He brought them to life. Verily Allah is full of bounty for the people, but most people do not give thanks.⁵¹⁴

(2:244) Fight in the way of Allah,⁵¹⁵ and know that Allah is the All hearing, the All knowing.

(2:245) Who is it that will offer Allah a goodly loan⁵¹⁶ so that Allah may increase it many fold?⁵¹⁷ And Allah withholds and gives⁵¹⁸ (whomsoever He wills);⁵¹⁹ and it is to Him that you will return.⁵²⁰

(2:246) Have you not heard of the elders of the Children of Israel after Musa? When they said to a Prophet of theirs,⁵²¹ ‘Appoint a king over us so that we may fight (under his command) in the way of Allah'⁵²² He replied, ‘Is it possible that if fighting is prescribed for you, you will not fight?' They said: ‘What will prevent us from fighting in the way of Allah when we have been expelled from our homes and (separated from our) offsprings?'⁵²³ But when fighting was prescribed for them they turned away save for a few of them. And Allah knows best the transgressors.

(2:247) Their prophet told them, ‘Verily Allah has appointed over you Talut a king.' They objected, ‘How can kingship be for him over us when we are more deserving of kingship than he?⁵²⁴ nor has he been given abundant wealth.' He replied, ‘It is Allah who has chosen him above you. Further, He has given him a decisive edge over you in knowledge and physical strength.⁵²⁵ And Allah bestows His sovereignty upon whomsoever He will. Allah is All Embracing, All Knowing.'

(2:248) Their Prophet also told them, ‘The sign of his kingship is that the Chest⁵²⁶ will come back to you wherein is sechina⁵²⁷ from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Musa and the family of Harun left behind: the angels bearing it. Verily in this is a sign for you if you are believers.'

Commentary

514. Without a hadith on the subject, it is difficult to say what historical incident the Qur'an is referring to. The classical commentators offer the following as their comment.

Sa`id b. Jubayr reports Ibn `Abbas as having said that these were four thousand in number who were fleeing from plague (or jihad: Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Alusi, Zamakhshari from Ibn `Abbas). They said, 'We shall go to a land where death will not overtake us.' When they had reached the intended destination, Allah (swt) ordered: "Die." They fell dead. Some time later a prophet happened to pass by their remains. He prayed to Allah that they be given a new life. Allah restored them to life. According to some the prophet was: Hizqil (Ezekiel of the Old Testament: Au.) Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and others).

As for the modern interpretation that the dying and bringing back to life allude to the wandering of the Israelites in the desert for forty years, suffice it to say that it has no basis either in idion or in tradition. It is entirely conjectural (Au.).

Plague

With reference to plague, Ibn Kathir reports a hadith from Musnad Ahmad and Sahihayn the substance of which is that when `Umar ibn al Khattab (ra) arrived in Syria for inspection, he met Abu `Ubaydah ibn al Jarrah and his companions who informed him that plague had struck the Syrian region. Abdul Rahman ibn `Awf appeared and told him: "I know something about this. I have heard the Prophet (saws) say, 'If it breaks out in a place then, if you are there, do not run away; but if you are not there, do not go there either.'" `Umar thanked Allah and left the place. (Abu `Ubaydah objected to `Umar going away saying, 'Are you running away from the qadr [the Divine Decree] of Allah? `Umar replied, 'I wish it was not you who said that. Yes, (I am running away) from Allah's qadr to Allah's qadr': Qurtubi).

What the above report tells us is that a time is allotted to each individual. No one can die before completing his term. There is no escape from qadr nor from Allah save towards Allah. Therefore, there is no point in running away from a place where an epidemic has struck. This of course, adds Ibn Kathir, is also applicable to jihad (during which a lot of people die, but they would any way, even if they did not participate in it: Au.)

Zamakhshari adds: "After all one has to die; so why not in the way of Allah?"

Accordingly, Allah said (Ibn Jarir) in the following verse: وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ [البقرة/244] "Fight in the way of Allah, and know that Allah is the All seeing, the All knowing."

He also said at another place (3: 168): الَّذِينَ قَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُوا لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا قُلْ فَادْرَءُوا عَنْ أَنْفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ [آل عمران/168] "Those who told their compatriots, while they themselves remained behind, 'Had they listened to us they would not have been killed.' Tell them, 'Stave off death from yourselves, if you are true.'" And, at another place (4: 77,78): رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآَخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا (77) أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِكُكُمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُشَيَّدَةٍ [النساء/77، 78] "They said, `O Lord! Why did You prescribe fighting for us? Why did You not give us a respite?' Tell them, 'This world's pleasures are meagre. The Hereafter is better for him who fears Allah. And you shall not be wronged. Wherever you might be, death will overtake you, even if you were in fortified forts."

It has also been reported to us that Allah's sword Khalid ibn Walid said in his death bed: "I have been through such and such dangerous situations. There is not a part of my body where there is no mark of injury. But look. I'm dying in this bed like a wild ass."

Quotation from Ibn Kathir ends here.

According to a report in Bukhari, the Prophet was asked about plague. He said: « الطَّاعُونُ رِجْسٌ أُرْسِلَ عَلَى طَائِفَةٍ مِنْ بَنِى إِسْرَائِيلَ أَوْ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ ، فَإِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ بِهِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلاَ تَقْدَمُوا عَلَيْهِ ، وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلاَ تَخْرُجُوا فِرَارًا مِنْهُ » "It is a punishment that was (originally) sent down upon the Israelites, or (he said) upon those before you. If you hear that it has struck a land, do not go there. But if you are there, then do not run away from there, trying to escape it." According to another hadith in Bukhari the Prophet (saws) said when enquired about plague: « أَنَّهُ عَذَابٌ يَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ ، وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ جَعَلَهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ، لَيْسَ مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَقَعُ الطَّاعُونُ فَيَمْكُثُ فِى بَلَدِهِ صَابِرًا مُحْتَسِبًا ، يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لاَ يُصِيبُهُ إِلاَّ مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ ، إِلاَّ كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ شَهِيدٍ » "It is a scourge that Allah sends down upon whomsoever He will. Now, Allah has made it a means of mercy for the believers so that there is no believer who stays put patiently in a place struck by plague, firmly believing that nothing will happen except that which has been preordained by Allah, but he will be rewarded in the same measure as a martyr." However, there is no difference in opinion between the scholars, that this is not applicable to the situation of the enemies of Islam overrunning a Muslim territory, or dacoits raiding a district in which circumstances the Muslims are allowed to move to places of safety. Also, if one leaves the area affected by plague, for reasons other than escape, then it should be permissible, in view of the words of the hadith which disallow the movement as a means of escape. Accordingly, we do not know of any Muslim scholar running away from plague (Qurtubi).

515. The way of Allah: Imam Malik has said, 'Ways of Allah are many. There is not a "way of Allah" that is not fought for, or against, or in its cause. The noblest of these ("ways of Allah" for which one may fight), is Islam' (Qurtubi).

516. According to `Umar and some others of the Salaf, "Goodly loan" refers to what is spent in the way of Allah (Ibn Kathir).

Goodly Loan

Three points must be observed while spending: (i) It should be the best of what one possesses, (ii) it should be done to win Allah's approval and, (iii) it should not be with the intention of placing someone under an obligation.

"The first is concerned with the thing itself that is being spent, the second is between the bestower and His Lord, and the third between the bestower and the bestowed upon" (Ibn al-Qayyim).

517. The Qur'an itself says in verse 261 of this surah that Allah (swt) increases the reward of good deeds seven hundred fold. There are several ahadith, although some weak, but the combination of which makes the meaning acceptable, to the effect that Allah (swt) increases the reward of a good deed by a million or more times (Ibn Kathir).

518. Since the "giving" and "withholding" are both means by which Allah reveals His Powers, both the "states" are commendable (and should be equally welcome to a believer) Thanwi.

519. It is reported that once in Madinah the prices of commodities rose up sharply. The people came to the Prophet and suggested that he fix up the prices. He told them: "It is Allah who is the Bestower, the Withholder and the Provider. I hope to meet my Lord in a state in which no one will be complaining of a wrong done to him by me in matters of life or property" (Ibn Jarir).

520. Ibn Abi Hatim has reported that when this verse: "Who is it that will offer Allah a goodly loan, so that Allah may increase (for him the reward) many fold," was revealed, Abu al-Dahdah al Ansari went to the Prophet and asked him: يا رسول الله إن الله يريد منا القرض؟ قال: "نعم يا أبا الدحداح". قال: أرنا يدك، قال: فناوله يده، قال: قد أقرضت ربي حائطي - وحائطه فيه ستمائة نخلة - فجاء يمشي حتى أتى الحائط وأم الدحداح فيه وعيالها، فنادى: يا أم الدحداح، قالت: لبيك، قال: اخرجي فقد أقرضته ربي. - رواه أبو يعلى والطبراني ورجالهما ثقات ورجال أبي يعلى رجال الصحيح. "Does Allah want a loan from us?" The Prophet said, "Yes. O Abu Dahdah." Abu Dahdah said, "Will you stretch your hand?" When the Prophet did that he said, "Be witness that I have lent my orchard to my Lord." (The transmitter of the report adds: "There were six hundred trees in that orchard"). Abu Dahdah then proceeded to the orchard and called Umm Dahdah and children without entering into it: "Come out O mother of Dahdah for I have lent this orchard to my Lord" (Ibn Jarir). (The version above is from Majma`). Ibn Marduwayh also reports this through `Umar (Ibn Kathir).

521. It is said that the Prophet referred to was either Sham`un (Simon) or Shamwil (Samuel) Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir.

As for Talut, he is Saul of the Bible (Au.).

522. This request was made by the Israelites when their enemies defeated them in battle after battle, expelled them from their homes and enslaved their children (Ibn `Abbas: Ibn Jarir).

523. "Obviously, a reference to the many invasions of their homelands by their perennial enemies, the Philistines, Amorites, Amalekites and other Semitic and non Semitic tribes living in and around Palestine; and, by implication, a reminder to the believers of all times that 'fighting for God's cause' (as defined in the Qur'an) is an act of faith" (Asad). <

524. It is said that of the twelve tribes of the Israelites, one, Yehuda, was known for producing prophets and the other, Levi, for producing rulers. Talut was from neither of them. He was a Benjamite (Ibn `Abbas, Suddi, Qatadah, Dahhak, Wahab b. Munabbih Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi).

The verse implies that imamah is not necessarily hereditary (Razi).

525. Having had an edge over them in physical prowess did not necessarily mean Talut was tall and robust. It implies rather that he was endowed with power and courage. As for example, the Prophet told his wife: "First to join me would be the one with the longest arm." His wives began to measure each other's arms. But the first to die after him was Zaynab (ra) who used to work with her hands and was the most generous of hand (Qurtubi).

526. The following has been reported about the Tabut.

The Tabut

According to Jewish sources, this was a wooden chest lined with gold. It contained, according to Ibn `Abbas, the rod of Musa (saws) and the Tablet on which the Law was originally written. Qatadah, Suddi, `Ikrimah and Abu Saleh add to the list a copy of the Tawrah, some mann, and clothes worn by Musa and Harun, peace be upon them. The Israelites carried it into the battlefields as a source of comfort and blessing. (When religious and moral perversion became rampant: Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Zamakhshari), they lost it to their enemies (according to one report, Amalekites: Ibn `Abbas, Ibn Jarir). There are two opinions about how it came back. Ibn `Abbas is reported to have said that it was brought down by the angels from the heavens right into the midst of the Israelites. Another version is that those who had captured it took it to Jericho and placed their idols on it. One day they found their idols fallen down and broken. They attributed this to the casket and putting it on a bullock cart pushed it on the road leading to the Israeli settlements and there onwards angels took charge (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Alusi, Zamakhshari). Ibn Jarir adds: "I am told that the rod and the casket are buried in Tabariyyah (a lake in Palestine), and that they will be excavated before the end of the world."

527. The verbal meaning of the word Sechina is peace or comfort. Yet Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir (and others) offer various interpretations, probably of Jewish origin.