Verse:67 Commentary Emphasis on Tabligh and Comfort for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

In the present verses as well as throughout the previous two sections, there has been a continued description of the crookedness, waywardness, obstinacy and anti-Islam mechanizations of Jews and Christians. One natural effect it could have on the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was that he, being human, could feel disappointed or compelled by circumstances and, as a result of which, the process of Tabligh or the very mission of prophethood might slow down or left lacking somewhere. The second effect could be that in the event he elected to devote single-mindedly to his call and mission as a prophet without caring for any hostility, enmity, harm or hurt, there was every likelihood that it could result in the worst of hardships at the hands of his adversaries. Therefore, in the last verse (67), the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was, on the one hand, emphatically commanded to convey everything revealed to him by Allah, all of it, without any hesitation, to the people. That someone likes or dislikes it, takes or rejects it, should not worry him in his mission. Then, on the other hand, by giving the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم the good news that all those disbelievers will be unable to bring any harm to him in his mission as a prophet for Allah will Himself protect him.

The sentence: وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِ‌سَالَتَهُ And if you do not, then, you have not conveyed His message [ at all ] ' in this verse is worth pondering. This address to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم here means that if he failed to convey even one Divine command to the Muslim Ummah, he would not find himself absolved of the responsibility of prophethood. This was the reason why the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم strived with his full courage and strength all his life to fulfill this heavy obligation placed on his shoulders. Muslims are familiar with the renowned Khutbah of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم during his Last Hajj, the great address which was not only the Constitution of Islam but also the last will and testament of an elementally lenient and merciful prophet who was far more affectionate and caring than a father and mother could ever be.

The parting will of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم on the occasion of the Last Hajj

In this Khutbah before a huge gathering of his noble Sahabah, after he had given important instructions to them, he asked the audience: اَلَا بَلَّغتُ (Listen: Have I conveyed your religion to you?). The Sababah confirmed that he certainly had. Thereupon, he said: You be a witness on this. And along with it, he also said: فَلیُبَلِّغِ اشَّاھِد ( الغای (علیہ السلام) بَ (that is, those present in this gathering should convey my message to those who are not here). Included among the absent are those who were present in the world at that time but were not present in the gathering itself - and also included are those who were yet to be born. The method of conveying the message to them was the spreading of the knowledge of the دین Din of Allah, a duty which was fulfilled by great efforts made by the Sahabah and the Tabi'in.

It was under the direct influence of this parting advice that the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, took the words and deeds of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as a weighty trust of Allah and did their best to ensure that not a single sentence uttered by his blessed tongue should remain un-conveyed to his Ummah. This holds true under all normal conditions. However, if someone did not narrate a particular Hadith before people for a special reason or compulsion, he made it a point to do that before his death by reciting it to at least some people around so that they could be relieved of the burden of trust they have been carrying on their shoulders. A similar event about a Hadith from Sayyidna Mu'adh ؓ has been reported in the Sahih of al-Bukhari, that is, اَخبر بہ معاذ عند موتہ تاثما that is, Sayyidna Mu` adh recited this Hadith at the time of his death so that he would not become a sinner because of his failure to convey this trust with him to others.

The Protection of Allah

In the second sentence of the last verse: وَاللَّـهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ (And Allah shall protect you from the people), good news has been given to him that his enemies would remain unable to do anything harmful against him despite their myriad demonstrations of animosity.

It appears in Hadith that, before the revelation of this verse, some Companions ؓ generally used to stay around him in order to protect him. They guarded him wherever he was, in the city or in travel. After the revelation of this verse, he relieved them all as no security arrangements were needed anymore. Allah had Himself taken that responsibility.

In a Hadith narrated by Sayyidna Hasan, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been reported to have said: When I was charged with the duty of conveying the message of Allah as His prophet, the charge appeared to be very frightening because people around me were bound to falsify and oppose me. Then, as this verse was revealed, I was at peace. (Tafsir Kabir)

Thus, after the revelation of this verse, no one dared to harm the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم during his efforts to spread the message of Islam as a prophet of Allah. Any casual injury received in Jihad battles is not contrary to this. Verse:68 Commentary Sequence

Earlier, the people of the Book were persuaded to embrace Islam. Mentioned now is the futility of their current approach which they claimed to be the God's truth while it was unworkable in the sight of Allah, insufficient for salvation and dependant on Islam as the only source of salvation. Then, as an antidote to their insistence on remaining disbelievers after being warned, there are words of comfort for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . The mention of Tabligh of Din had appeared in between as based on particular need and congruity.

Commentary

Follow the Divine Shari` ah: Instruction for the people of the Book

In the first verse (68), the people of the Book, that is, the Jews and Christians were instructed to follow the Divine Shari` ah by making it clear that they would be reduced to nothing if they chose not to abide by the injunctions of the Shari` ah. In other words, if they do not ad-here to the Shari` ah of Islam, all their achievements shall stand wasted. To them Allah had given the privilege of being the progeny of prophets. Then, they had the intellectual excellence of the Torah and the Injil as well. Added to this was the presence of many men of Allah among them who went through strenuous spiritual exertions in their search for truth. But, for all this to be valid and weighty the one binding condition was that they should follow the Divine Shari` ah. Without it, no genealogical superiority will work, nor would their intellectual excellence or their spiritual strivings become the means of their salvation.

This statement provides for Muslims too the crucial guidance that there is no way of Dervishes or path of spiritual realization (Suluk Tariqat) or repeated strivings to achieve spiritual goals (Mujahadah and Riyadat) or extra-sensory spiritual illumination (Kashf) or having visitations of inspiration (Ilham) which can become the source of spiritual achievement or salvation in the sight of Allah unless there is full adherence to the Shari'ah.

To prove one's obedience to the Divine Shari` ah, the instruction given in this verse is to follow three things. These are the Torah and Injil which had been revealed earlier for the Jews and Christians while the third one is: وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ , that is, what has been revealed to you from your Lord.

According to the consensus of the majority of commentators, the Sahabah and the Tabi` in, it means the Holy Qur'an which was sent for the universal community of inviters to faith - including the Jews and Christians - through the (midmost) medium of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . Therefore, the verse comes to mean unless you act in accordance with the injunctions brought by the Torah, the Injil and the Qur'an - correctly, fully and totally - no lineal or intellectual excellence of yours shall be valid or acceptable with Allah.'

At this point one may wonder why, in this verse, rather than mentioning Qur'an by its brief name, as was done with the Torah and the Injil., a long sentence : (and what has been revealed to you from your Lord) has been used. What is the wisdom behind it? It is possible that it may be carrying a hint to what was said by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in which he disclosed that the way he was given the Qur'an which is a treasure of knowledge and wisdom, also given to him were other sources of knowledge and insight, which could be called, in a certain aspect, the explication of the Holy Qur'an as well. The words of the Hadith are:

الا انّی اوتیت القرآن و مثلہ معہ الا یوشک رجل شبعان علی اریکتہ یقول علیکم بھذا القرآن فما وجدتم فیہ من حلال فأحلوہ وما وجدتم فیہ من حرام فحرّموہ وان ما حرم رسول اللہ (صلى الله عليه وسلم) کما حرم اللہ۔ (ابوداؤد ، ابن ماجہ، دارمی وغیرہا)

Remember! I have been given the Qur'an and, with it, (many fields of knowledge) like it - lest, in times to come, some sated man reclining on his couch were to say: For you this Qur'an is sufficient - what you find Halal in it, take that as Halal; and what you find Harm in it, take that as Haram - although, what the Messenger of Allah has declared to be Harm is like what Allah has declared to be Harm. (Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Darimi others)

Three Kinds of Ahkam

The Qur'an itself is a testimony of this subject. It says: وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ﴿3﴾ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ ﴿4﴾ which means that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم does not say anything on his own - whatever he says is all revealed to him from Almighty Allah; and under conditions when he says something based on his Ijtihad (fully deliberated judgment) and Qiyas (analogical de-duction) - following which he receives no guidance contrary to it - then, consequently, that Qiyas and Ijtihad too hold the same legal force as that of an injunction revealed through Wahy.

In a nutshell, we can say that, out of the injunctions (Ahkam) given to the Ummah by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم first come those which have been mentioned clearly in the Holy Qur'an. Then, there are those which have not been mentioned in the Qur'an clearly, instead of which, they were revealed to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم through a separate Wahy (Wahy Ghayr Matlu: Revelation not recited). Thirdly, the command which he gave as based on his Ijtihad and Qiyas - following which no command was revealed by Almighty Allah - then, that too takes the legal force of a revealed injunction. It is obligatory to follow all these three kinds of injunctions. They are included within the purview of وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ (What has been revealed to you from your Lord).

It is also possible that the use of the longer sentence: وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ (and what has been revealed to you from your Lord) in place of the likely brief name of Qur'an in this verse may have been preferred so as to indicate that the following of all injunctions given in the Qur'an or given by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is equally mandatory.

Another point worth noting in this verse is that the Jews and Christians have been asked to follow the injunctions of all three Books, that is, the Torah, the Injil and the Qur'an - although, some of them abrogate others. The Injil abrogates some injunctions of the Torah and the Qur'an abrogates many injunctions of the Torah and the Injil. How then, could the sum of three be followed in action?

The answer is clear. Since every incoming Book changed some injunctions of the outgoing Book, it becomes obvious that following the replaced modality, in itself, amounts to acting in accordance with both Books. Following and acting in accordance with abrogated injunctions is against the requirement of both Books.

Allah consoles His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

To console the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم it was said at the end that there will be many among the people of the Book who would fail to benefit by the Divine magnanimity shown to them. They may even react adversely by increasing the tempo of their disbelief and hostility. Let this be no cause of grief to him, nor should he have any sympathetic concern for them. Verse:69 Commentary Salvation promised for Four Communities having faith and good deeds

In the second verse (69), Allah Almighty addresses four traditional religious communities, persuades them to have faith and act righteously whereupon He promises salvation for them. The first of those are: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا (those who believe) that is, the Muslims. Secondly: الَّذِينَ هَادُوا (and those who are Jews); thirdly : صابِئُونَ (the Sabians); and fourthly: نصَارَ‌ىٰ (the Christians). Three of these Communities - Muslims, Jews and Christians - are well-known and found in most parts of the world. Any community having the name Sabian does not exist today. Therefore, scholarly opinion varies as to their exact identity. Quoting Qata-dah, the Tafsir authority, Ibn Kathir has reported that Sabians were people who worshipped angels, offered prayers contra-oriented to the Qiblah and recited the Scripture, Zabur (revealed to Sayyidna Dawud) (علیہ السلام) .

The context of the Qur'an seems to support it as the four Scriptures mentioned in the Qur'an are Torah, Zabur, Injil and Qur'an. Thus, named here are the believers in these four Books.

Another verse on the same subject, almost in the same words, has appeared in the seventh Section of Surah al-Baqarah:

اِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَ‌ىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ‌ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُ‌هُمْ عِندَ رَ‌بِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿62﴾

Surely, those who believed, and those who are Jews, and Christians, and the Sabians - whoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day, and does good deeds - they have their reward with their Lord. And there is no fear for them nor shall they grieve. (2: 62)

Other than the place-oriented transposition of some words, there is no difference between them.

With Allah, Distinction Depends on Righteous Deeds

The gist of both these verses is that distinctions of lineage, home-land, and nationality do not matter in the sight of Allah. Anyone who takes to total obedience, faith and good deeds as a way of life - no matter what he has been before - shall find himself acceptable with Allah and his devotion will bring the best of appreciation from his Creator. And it is obvious that total obedience after the revelation of the Qur'an depends on being a Muslim - because, there are instructions to this effect in the past Scriptures of the Torah and the Injil as well, while the Qur'an itself was revealed for this particular purpose. Therefore, after the revelation of the Qur'an and the appearance of the Last among Prophets , (علیہم السلام) it cannot be correct - without believing in the Qur'an and having faith in the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم - to follow either the Torah or the Injil or the Zabur. Thus, these verses would mean that whoever from among these communities becomes Muslim shall become deserving of salvation and reward in the Akhirah (Hereafter). Provided right here is the answer to the doubt as to what would happen to all their dark doings of sin and disobedience and disbelief and anti-Islam and anti-Muslim mechanizations once they have become Muslims? The disarming answer is: All past sins and short-comings will stand forgiven and in the life-to-come, they shall have no fear or grief.

A surface view of the subject may suggest to someone that this should not be the place to mention Muslims because they are - in their faith and through their obedience - at the stage desired in the verse. In other words, the occasion here calls for the mention of only those who are supposed to be persuaded to enter the fold of Islam. But, what we have here is a special mode of eloquence employed by the Qur'an. It is like the law promulgated by the highest imaginable authority saying that it is for everyone, in favour or in opposition, bring-ing reward for the law-abiding and punishment for the law-breaking. It is obvious that those in favour are already obedient. The purpose is to make those in the opposing camp hear it. The particular element of wisdom behind mentioning those already in favour is that they are being told here that they are being appreciated not because of any personal or group excellence of theirs but simply because of their quality of obedience to their Creator. If the dissenter in the opposing camp were to take to the path of obedience to his Creator, he too will deserve the same grace and reward.

There is No Salvation (Najat) without Belief in Prophethood ('Iman bir-Risalat)

The set of instructions given in the address to these four Traditional Religious Communities is divided in three parts: (a) 'Iman bil-lah : Belief in Allah (b) 'Iman bil-yowmil-akhir : Belief in the Last Day (c) and Al-Amalus-Salih: Good deeds.

It is obvious that the intention in this verse is not to give the entire details of Islam's articles of faith, nor is there any occasion for it. By mentioning some basic beliefs of Islam here, the aim is to point out to all Islamic beliefs, and to invite people to them - nor is it something so necessary that whenever 'Iman or faith is mentioned in a verse, all details about it should also be mentioned right there. Therefore, the absence of a clearly emphasized mention of the faith in the Messenger or Prophet at this place should have not given anyone having the least commonsense and justice the room to entertain any doubt - specially, when the whole Qur'an and hundreds of its verses are brimming with clear statements about belief in the Risalah. Present there are loud and clear assertions that there is no Najat (salvation) without believing in the Rasul (Messenger of Allah) and the sayings of the Rasul fully and completely, and that no belief and action is acceptable or valid without it. But, a group of deviators, which insists on thrusting its repugnant ideas in the Qur'an somehow, has come up with a new theory based on the absence of an explicit mention of prophethood in this verse - which is absolutely contrary to so many open assertions of the Qur'an and Sunnah. They theorize that every person, despite his religion, a Jew or Christian, even an idol-worshipping Hindu could deserve salvation in the Hereafter - if he believes only in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds. For final salvation (as they would prefer) entry in Islam is not necessary. (Na` udhu-bil-lah : Refuge with Allah! )

People whom Allah has blessed with the Taufiq of reciting the Qur'an and having true faith in it would not need some major knowledge or insight to help them remove this doubt which even they could do through these very clear statements. Even readers of the Qur'an with the help of authentic translations could understand the falsity of this kind of theorizing. Some verses are being given here as an example.

The place where the Holy Qur'an has described the articles of faith ('Iman) in details appears at the end of Surah al-Baqarah as follows:

كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُ‌سُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّ‌قُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّ‌سُلِهِ

All have believed in Allah, and His angels, and His Books, and His Messengers. (in a way that) "We make no difference between any of His Messengers," and they have said ... (2:285).

Within the details of 'Iman (faith) described clearly in this verse, it has also been clarified that believing in any one or some Messengers is absolutely insufficient for salvation. Instead of that, believing in all Messengers is a binding condition. If anyone does not believe even in one single Messenger, his or her 'Iman shall not be valid and acceptable in the sight of Allah.

At another place, it is said:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُ‌ونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَرُ‌سُلِهِ وَيُرِ‌يدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّ‌قُوا بَيْنَ اللَّـهِ وَرُ‌سُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ‌ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِ‌يدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا ﴿150﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُ‌ونَ حَقًّا

Surely those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and wish to make division between Allah and His Messengers, and say, "We believe in some, and disbelieve in some" and wish to take a way in between that. Those are the disbelievers in reality ... (4:150-151).

The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said:

لَو کَانَ موسٰی حَیًّا لَما وَسعَہ اِلَّا اِتّبَاعِی

Had Musa (علیہ السلام) been alive, he would have had no choice but to follow me.

Now, if someone were to say: ` Let the followers of every religion keep acting according to their respective religions. Thus, they can find Paradise and achieve salvation in the Hereafter without having to believe in the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and without having to become Muslims!' - this would, then, be a flagrant disregard of the verses cited above.

In addition to that, if every religion or community is something acting according to which in every age is sufficient for ultimate success and salvation, then, the coming of the Last among Prophets and the revelation of the Qur'an itself becomes meaningless. The sending of one Shari'ah after the other also becomes redundant. The first Messenger would have brought one Shari` ah and one Book. That would have been sufficient. at need was there to send other Messengers, Shari` ahs and Books? At the most, sufficient would have been the presence of people who would have preserved the Shari` ah and the Book, practiced it themselves and pursuaded ethers to do the same - as has been the duty of the ` Ulama of every community. This, then, would be a situation in which the words of the Qur'an: كُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْ‌عَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا ، (For each of you We have made a way and a method - 5:48) will lose their meaning.

Is it not that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم carried out the mission of Jihad against Jews and Christians, and others, those who did not believe in him and in the Book of Allah revealed to him, even fought against them on battlefields? What justification would remain for that? And if, for a human being to be a true believer acceptable with Allah, having faith only in Allah and the Last Day should be taken as sufficient, why then, would Iblis (Satan) be cursed? Did he not believe in Allah? Or, was he a denier of the Last Day? Was he not the one who, even in his fit of anger, by saying: إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ (Till the Day, the [ dead ] are raised - 38 :79), confirmed his faith in the Last Day?

The truth of the matter is that this error is the product of the notion that religion can be given as a gift on a silver plate as done in marriages. Seen in modern and international context, religion can be used to develop bonds of relationship with other nations - although, the Holy Qur'an has said very openly and clearly that we should have our relations with non-Muslims based on tolerance, sympathy, favour, charity, mercy and things like that, but this should be done by ensuring that the limits of religion are not crossed and that its frontiers re-main fully guarded.

If, in the verse under reference, let us suppose, there was no mention of the faith in prophethood, then, other verses quoted above which command it emphatically, would have been sufficient. But, a closer look at this verse itself will show a distinct hint towards belief in prophethood because, in the terminology of the Qur'an, only that 'Iman billah (belief in Allah) is valid, in which there is belief in everything told by Allah. The Qur'an has made its terminology very clear in the following words:

فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا

So, if they (the Companions) believe in the like of what you (the Prophets) believe in, they have certainly found the right path - 2:137.

It means that the kind of 'Iman the noble Sahabah had is the only 'Iman which deserves to be called 'Iman bil-lah. And it is obvious that 'Iman bir-rasul was a great pillar of the edifice of their 'Iman. Therefore, the words: مَن اٰمَنَ بِاللہِ (whoever believes in Allah) are inclusive of the belief in the Messenger of Allah. Verse:70 Commentary Commentary

This is an account of how the Bani Isra'il kept breaking the pledge taken from them. As said in verse 70, whenever their Messenger brought a command which did not suit their fancy, they would break their pledge and go about betraying Allah to the limit that they would falsify His Messengers, even kill some of them. They were commanded ` to believe in Allah and act righteously.' But, this was what they did in response. As for the other part of the command - ` Belief in the Last Day' their behaviour was equally reckless. After having committed acts so oppressive, they became totally carefree as if they would not have to pay for what they had done and as if the consequences of their injustice and rebellion will never come out in the open. Under this false impression, they became totally blind and deaf to Divine signs and words. They went on doing what should have not been done. So much so that they killed some prophets and put some others behind bars. Finally, Almighty Allah imposed on them the mastery of Nebuchadnezzar (King of Babylonia, 605-562 B.C., who took them as slaves to Babylon - Old Testament, book of Daniel). When, after a long time, they were sent back to Jerusalem from Babylon through help from some Persian kings who secured their release from disgrace under Nebuchadnezzar, they repented and turned to making amends. Allah relented and accepted their repentance. But, with the passage of some time, they went back to their old practices which made them so blind and deaf once again that they dared killing Sayyi.dna Zakariyah (علیہ السلام) (Zechariah) and Sayyidna Yahya (John) and were all set to kill Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) (Jesus ). (Tafsir Usmani - Notes) Verse:71 Commentary - - - Verse:72 Commentary - - - Verse:73 Commentary Commentary

1. The words: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ in verse 72, translated here literally as ` Allah is the third of the three,' refers to Sayyidna Masih (Jesus Christ), Ruhul-Quds (The Holy Spirit) and Allah, or to Masih, Maryam (Mary) and Allah - with all three taken as God (Refuge with Allah). Thus, Allah becomes a one-third partner with them, then all three of them become one, and that one is three. This unity in trinity, with three persons in one godhead, is the common belief of Christians. They explain this belief which is supported by neither reason nor revelation with a language that is kept circuitous and ambiguous. When not un-derstood, they declare it to be reality beyond comprehension. (Shabbir Ahmad Usmani - Notes)

2. In verse 75, by saying: قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّ‌سُلُ (There have been messengers before him), the assigning of godhood to Sayyidna Masih (علیہ السلام) has been refuted. Prophets came to this world. They completed their mission. Then, they were gone. They were not eternal which is the mark of godhood. Similarly, Sayyidna Masih, may peace be upon him (being human like them) was not eternal. So, he cannot be what God is.

A little reflection will show that everyone who needs to eat and drink almost depends on everything in the world. We cannot say that the earth, the air, the water, the sun and the animals are what we do not need. Look into your own self. There is that grain of food outside you, then begins its journey from the entry into the stomach to the next destination of its digestion. Think of all those factors involved and things required directly and indirectly in this complex procedure. Then, there will be a chain of effects generated through eating and no one can tell precisely how far will they go. So, by pointing out that Sayyidna Masih and his pious mother used to eat, the Holy Qur'an has referred to the endless chain of needs it entails. The argument, thus runs that Masih and Maryam, may peace be upon them both, were not free of the need for eating and drinking which is proved by observation and authentic narrations (not denied by even Christians). And anyone who is not free from the need of eating and drinking cannot be free from anything in this world. How then, a human person, who like all human beings is not free of the need to depend on the chain of causa-tion for survival, could become God? This is a strong and clear proof which can be understood by the educated and the uneducated alike - that is, eating and drinking is contrary to godhood. Though, not eating too is not a proof in favour of godhood, otherwise all angels would become gods! (Refuge with Allah) (Tafsir Usmani)

3. Was Sayyidah Maryam a prophet or saint? This is a debated issue. In the present verse (75), the complimentary use of the word "Siddiqah" (truthful) obviously seems to indicate that she was a godly person, not a Nabiyy ( prophet) - because on a complimentary occasion, what is mentioned is the higher rank. If she had the station of prophethood, the word used for her at this place would have been "Nabiyyah"- but, the word used here is "Siddiqah" which is the station of sainthood or godliness (abridged from Ruh al-Ma` ani).

According to the majority of Muslim scholars, the station of Nu-buwwah (prophethood) has never appeared among women. This mission has been particular with men:

وَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِ‌جَالًا نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَ‌ىٰ

And We have not sent any (one) before you but men to whom We revealed from among the peoples of the towns - Surah Yusuf, 12 : 109. (Tafsir Usmani) Verse:74 Commentary - - - Verse:75 Commentary - - - Verse:76 Commentary - - - Verse:77 Commentary Commentary

The Crookedness of Bani Isra'il : Yet Another Aspect

It will be recalled that, in previous verses, mentioned there was the contumacy of Bani Isra'il along with their tyranny and injustice with reference to what they did to their benefactors, the prophets sent by Allah who had come to show them the way to succeed in this life and in the life to come. But, they mistreated them, by falsifying some and killing others: فَرِ‌يقًا كَذَّبُوا وَفَرِ‌يقًا يَقْتُلُونَ (70)

The present verses expose another aspect of the crooked ways of Bani Isra'il. So astray were they that they, not content with one extreme mentioned above, reached for another when they committed excess in showing reverence for messengers of Allah by making them nothing short of God: لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ‌ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّـهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ. It means that the section of people from the Bani Isra'il who said that Allah is exactly Jesus the son of Mary had become disbelievers. Mentioned this far is the saying of the Christians only. Elsewhere, the Jews too have been censured for the same kind of excess and error: قَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ‌ ابْنُ اللَّـهِ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَ‌ى الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ اللَّـهِ (And the Jews said, "Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allah" and the Christians said, "Masih (the Christ) is the son of Allah."

The word "Ghuluww" used at the beginning of verse 5:77 قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ (Say, "0 people of the Book, be not excessive in your faith" ) means to cross limits. "Ghuluww" or excess in religion refers to the crossing of limits drawn by religion in matters of belief and deed. For example, there is a limit to paying homage to prophets. The farthest one can go is to take them as the best among God's creation. That is the limit. Going over and beyond this limit, calling those very prophets God or son of God is excess in matters of belief.

Bani Isra'il : Their Cycle of Excess and Deficiency

The behaviour of the people of the Bani Isra'il towards prophets and messengers of Allah had been a mixture of opposites. They could become as neglectful and irreverent as to falsify or even kill them while it would be they themselves who would stretch the limits of their exaggerated reverence for them by calling them God or son of God. This syndrome of excess and deficiency in group behaviour is a sign of ingrained brutality. There is a well-known saying among Arabs: اَلجاھِلُ امَّا مفرِط اَو مُفَرِّطُ which means that an ignorant person never stays on moderation. He would either go for اِفرَاط ` Ifrat' (excess) or for تَفریط ` Tafrit (deficiency). Ifrat means to cross the limit while Tafrit means to fall short in doing one's duty. These actions on two extremes may have come from two different groups of the Bani Isra'il, or it is also possible that one single group acted in two different ways with different prophets whereby some were subjected to their falsification, even killing, while some others were equated with God.

Addressing the people of the Book in this verse, the guidance given to them and their generations to come right through the Last Day, has the status of a basic principle to be kept in sight while following a religion for the slightest deviation from it makes one be lost forever. Therefore, let us first explain a few basic things about it.

The Method of Knowing and Reaching Allah

The most significant truth of our life is that Allah جَلَّ شَانَہُ Jalla Sha'nuhu is the Creator and Master of all universes of existence and whatever they contain. He is One. To Him belongs all there is and for Him is to command. It is He alone man must obey. But man, the lump of clay come alive, is still wrapped up in layers and layers of materialism. How can he reach out to the One so pure and pristine? Or, how could he get an access to sources of His will and guidance? For this, Allah جَلَّ شَانَہُ Jalla Sha'nuhu has, in His grace, appointed two sources of knowledge through which man can get to know what is liked and disliked by Allah Almighty and what it is that man must do and what is it that man must avoid. The first source is that of the Books of Allah which have the status of Law and Guidance for all human beings. Then, as the second source, there are those special and welcome servants of Allah whom Allah Almighty has chosen from among human beings, and He has sent them to people as the practical models of His likes and dislikes and the practical keys to His Books. In religious terminology, they are called "Rasul" (messenger) or ` Nabiy' (prophet).

This is because a book, no matter how exhaustive, can never be sufficient for the complete grooming of man. The fact is that it takes a man to be the natural groomer and nurturer of another man. There-fore, it has been the practice of Allah that He has allowed two orders to flourish in the mission of reforming and training men in the art of living. These are: (a) The Book of Allah, and (b) The Men of Allah - included wherein are the blessed prophets, then their deputies, the ` Ulama and the Mashaikh. About this order of ` Rijalullah' (men of Allah), people have been victims of excess and deficiency since ancient times. Particularly, the different sects that mushroomed in religions were all products of this error of approach through which somewhere they were inflated beyond the required limit hitting the outer frontiers of the worship of such men. At other places, they were totally ignored and bypassed by saying: 'For us, the Book of Allah is enough' (حَسبُنَا کِتاب اللہ), apparently a true declaration, but by misinterpreting it to negate the importance of prophets they made it as their motto. At one extreme a Messenger of Allah, a Rasul - even Pirs and Faqirs - were taken to be the knowers of the unknown and seers of the unseen, as if they were (God forbid) the very possessors of God's own attributes. People started with worshipping live Pirs and landed into the worship of their graves as well. Then, there was that other extreme when even a Rasul of Allah was given the status of what would be a mere courier or postman. Thus, the essential message of the verses under reference is that the offenders against the honour of prophets are no less in their disbelief than are those who raise them far above the limits set for honouring them and go about saying that they were equal to Allah. Verse 77 which says, "do not be excessive in your faith," is a preface to this very subject. It makes it very clear that دین Din is, in reality, the name of a few limits and restrictions. The way it is a crime to remain deficient or negligent within those limits, so it is a crime to cross and exceed them. The way it is a grave sin to reject and insult the messengers of Allah and their deputies, in the same way, it is a much graver sin to take them to be the owners of Allah's own attributes or their equal sharers with Him.

Justified Intellectual Research is no Excess

In verse 77, the word: (unjustly) appears along with the statement: (Do not be excessive in your faith). According to investigative scholars of Tafsir, this word has been used here for emphasis because an excess in religion is always unjust. The probability of its being just does not simply exist. ` Allamah al-Zamakhshari and others have identified two kinds of Ghuluww or excess at this particular place: (1) The unjust and false which has been prohibited here; (2) The just and permissible, as an example of which, he has named deep intellectual research - or as it has been the way of the scholastic theologians (Mutakallimin) of Islam in matters relating to articles of faith, or that of Muslim jurists in matters relating to juristic rulings. According to him, even this is, though, Ghuluww (excess) but, an excess which is just and permissible - while, the considered position of the majority of scholars is that it simply does not fall within the definition of Ghuluww (excess). Finally, we can say that deep insight and de-tailed investigation in questions relating to the Qur'an and Sunnah should remain within the limits as proved from the Holy Prophet HHHHH and from the Sahabah and Tabi` in - if so, that is not Ghuluww (excess). And what reaches the limits of Ghuluww is blameworthy here too.

Bani Isra'i1 Asked to Follow the Path of Moderation

Addressing the Bani Isra'il at the end of the verse (77), it was said: وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا أَهْوَاءَ قَوْمٍ قَدْ ضَلُّوا مِن قَبْلُ وَأَضَلُّوا كَثِيرً‌ا that is, they should not follow the de-sires and whims of a people who had themselves gone astray before them, and had made others go astray as well. The reason why they fell into that error was given immediately after by saying: وَضَلُّوا عَن سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ that is, these people, by moving away from the right path, had lost it. This straight path was the path of moderation between the two extremes of excess and deficiency. Thus, two things have been accomplished in this verse: It points out to the fatal error made by crossing over the norm, or lagging far behind it, and stresses upon the need to stay firm on the straight path, the ideal path of moderation.