Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 113-121

وَقَالَتِ الۡيَهُوۡدُ لَـيۡسَتِ النَّصٰرٰى عَلٰى شَىۡءٍ وَّقَالَتِ النَّصٰرٰى لَـيۡسَتِ الۡيَهُوۡدُ عَلٰى شَىۡءٍۙ وَّهُمۡ يَتۡلُوۡنَ الۡكِتٰبَؕ كَذٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ مِثۡلَ قَوۡلِهِمۡ​ۚ فَاللّٰهُ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ فِيۡمَا كَانُوۡا فِيۡهِ يَخۡتَلِفُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:113﴾ وَمَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنۡ مَّنَعَ مَسٰجِدَ اللّٰهِ اَنۡ يُّذۡكَرَ فِيۡهَا اسۡمُهٗ وَسَعٰـى فِىۡ خَرَابِهَا ​ؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمۡ اَنۡ يَّدۡخُلُوۡهَآ اِلَّا خَآئِفِيۡنَ ؕ لَهُمۡ فِى الدُّنۡيَا خِزۡىٌ وَّلَهُمۡ فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:114﴾ وَلِلّٰهِ الۡمَشۡرِقُ وَالۡمَغۡرِبُ​ فَاَيۡنَمَا تُوَلُّوۡا فَثَمَّ وَجۡهُ اللّٰهِ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:115﴾ وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ وَلَدًا ۙ​ سُبۡحٰنَهٗ ​ؕ بَل لَّهٗ مَا فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ كُلٌّ لَّهٗ قَانِتُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:116﴾ بَدِيۡعُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ وَ اِذَا قَضٰٓى اَمۡرًا فَاِنَّمَا يَقُوۡلُ لَهٗ كُنۡ فَيَكُوۡنُ‏ ﴿2:117﴾ وَقَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ لَوۡلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللّٰهُ اَوۡ تَاۡتِيۡنَآ اٰيَةٌ ​ ؕ كَذٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِهِمۡ مِّثۡلَ قَوۡلِهِمۡؕ​ تَشَابَهَتۡ قُلُوۡبُهُمۡ​ؕ قَدۡ بَيَّنَّا الۡاٰيٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ يُّوۡقِنُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:118﴾ اِنَّاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنٰكَ بِالۡحَـقِّ بَشِيۡرًا وَّنَذِيۡرًا ۙ​ وَّلَا تُسۡـئَـلُ عَنۡ اَصۡحٰبِ الۡجَحِيۡمِ‏ ﴿2:119﴾ وَلَنۡ تَرۡضٰى عَنۡكَ الۡيَهُوۡدُ وَلَا النَّصٰرٰى حَتّٰى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمۡ​ؕ قُلۡ اِنَّ هُدَى اللّٰهِ هُوَ الۡهُدٰى​ؕ وَلَـئِنِ اتَّبَعۡتَ اَهۡوَآءَهُمۡ بَعۡدَ الَّذِىۡ جَآءَكَ مِنَ الۡعِلۡمِ​ۙ مَا لَـكَ مِنَ اللّٰهِ مِنۡ وَّلِىٍّ وَّلَا نَصِيۡرٍ‏  ﴿2:120﴾ اَلَّذِيۡنَ اٰتَيۡنٰهُمُ الۡكِتٰبَ يَتۡلُوۡنَهٗ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهٖؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِهٖ​ ؕ وَمَنۡ يَّكۡفُرۡ بِهٖ فَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡخٰسِرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:121﴾

(2:113) The Jews say: “The Christians have no basis for their beliefs,” and the Christians say: “The Jews have no basis for their beliefs.” They say so even though they read the Scripture. The claim of those who have no knowledge (of the Scripture) is similar.113 Allah will judge between them concerning their differences on the Day of Resurrection. (2:114) Who is more iniquitous than he who bars Allah’s places of worship, that His name be mentioned there, and seeks their destruction? It does not behove such people to enter them, and should they enter, they should enter in fear.114 There is degradation for them in this world and a mighty chastisement in the Next. (2:115) The East and the West belong to Allah. To whichever direction you turn, you will be turning to Allah.115 Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.116 (2:116) They say: “Allah has taken to Himself a son.” Glory to Him! Nay, whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him; to Him are all in obeisance. (2:117) He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth; whenever He decrees a matter He (merely) says: “Be”, and it is. (2:118) The ignorant say: “Why does Allah not speak to us?117 Why does no Sign come to us?” The same was said by people before them. Their hearts are all alike.118 We have made the Signs clear for people of firm faith.119 (2:119) (What greater Sign can there be than that) We sent you with the Truth as a bearer of good tidings and a warner!120 And you will not be answerable about the people of the Blazing Flame! (2:120) Never will the Jews be pleased with you, (O Prophet), nor the Christians until you follow their way.121 Say: “Surely Allah’s guidance, is the true guidance.” Should you follow their desires disregarding the knowledge which has come to you, you shall have no protector or helper against Allah. (2:121) Those to whom We have given the Scripture, and who recite it as it ought to be recited, they truly believe in it;122 and those who disbelieve in it, they are the real losers.

Notes

113. The reference is to the polytheists of Arabia.

114. Places of worship should properly remain in the custody of devout and God-fearing people, so that even if bad people did go there they would be deterred from committing misdeeds through fear of punishment. This is a subtle reference to the wrong perpetrated by the unbelievers of Makka, who had barred their own compatriots - the Muslims - from worshipping in the House of God.

115. God is neither eastern nor western. East and west, north and south, and indeed all places and directions are His, though He is not confined to any particular place or direction. Hence, if any place or direction is fixed for worship this does not mean that God dwells there. Likewise, changes in the direction of Prayer is not a proper subject for controversy and dispute.

116. That is, God is neither limited, mean, narrow-minded, nor poor in resources. All such notions about God, which arise from considering Him as essentially similar to human beings, are erroneous. God's realm is boundless and so is His vision and the range of His benevolence and mercy. Moreover, God's knowledge is all-embracing. He knows who remembers Him, as well as where, when and why he does that.

117. What they meant was that God should either appear before them Himself, tell them plainly that the Qur'an was a revelation from Him, and proclaim His injunctions, or cause them to see some extraordinary sign that would convince them that whatever Muhammad (peace be on him) told them was from Him.

118. The fact is that the misguided people of the time of the revelation of the Qur'an did not raise any objection or make any demands essentially different from those of the misguided people of the past. From the remote past till today, error and misguidedness seem to have the same character, so the same doubts and objections are repeated over and over again.

119. The demand that God should speak to them directly was too absurd even to be answered. The question dealt with here concerns the demand for a sign that would convince them of the Truth. In response to this it is pointed out that many signs do exist, but all such signs are of profit only to those who are inclined to believe. As for those who are bent on disbelief, what sign can be shown to them, and to what avail?

120. Why speak of other signs when the most conspicuous sign of Truth is the very person of Muhammad? Let us recall his life before the commencement of his prophethood, the conditions existing in the area where, and the people among whom, he was born, the manner in which he was brought up and spent the first forty years of his life, and then his glorious achievements as a Prophet. What further signs could we want in support of his message?

121. The cause of their disconcertment with the Prophet (peace be on him) was not that they were earnest seekers after the Truth which the Prophet had failed to make clear to them. The real cause of their unhappiness was that he had not resorted to hypocrisy and trickery, in regard to religious matters, that unlike them he did not pursue self-interest and self-indulgence under the facade of godliness and piety, that he did not twist religious principles and injunctions without scruple, as the Jews were wont to do in order to make them suit their desires and fancies, that he did not resort to the chicanery and duplicity which characterized the religious life of the Jews. As a result, it was no use trying to appease them. For unless the Muslims were prepared to assume the attitude and orientation of the Jews and to follow all their errors in belief and practice, there was no question of their being able to bring about any reconciliation with them.

122. This refers to the pious element among the People of the Book. Since these people read the Book with sincerity and honesty of purpose, they are inclined to accept whatever they find to be true according to it.