Bismillaahi walhamdulillaahi wassalaatu wassalaamu �alaa
rasoolillaahi
Assalaamu `Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa
Barakaatuhu
Teachings of the
Qur`aan
Al-Baqarah
Soorah 2
Aayat
104-107
by Ayub
A. Hamid
______________________________________________
In addition
to refusing to join in the work they were under obligation by their
covenants with Allaah and by the provisions and prophesies of their books,
Israelites started a campaign to erect hindrances in the way of the
Islamic movement and to create problems for the Prophet they used to pray
for. They would engage Muslims in useless arguments and confuse them with
tricky questions and false propaganda. They also used to go to the
sittings of the Prophet not to listen, understand, engage in an honest
dialogue or discuss matters sincerely, but to amuse themselves by taunting
and saying words of disrespect. Instead of being civil, polite or genuine,
they would twist their tongues while pronouncing the words of honour and
respect in such a way that the meaning would become derogatory and
derisive. The next section guides Muslims to help them cope with Jewish
tactics, their uncivil behaviour and their crude musings as well as to
answer the questions that the Jewish propaganda was raising in their minds
and to teach them appropriate behaviour they should adopt in those
circumstances.
104 O believers, do not say Raa�inaa rather say
Unzhurnaa and listen carefully; and the disbelievers will have a painful
punishment. 105 Those who
have refused to accept Islam whether they are from the People of the Book
or from polytheists do not like that anything good should be sent down to
you from your Lord. But Allaah chooses for His special Mercy whom He
wishes, and Allaah is the Lord of abounding
grace.
In the Arabian society, the word
Raa�inaa was used to respectfully beg someone�s pardon if the first
utterance was not properly understood. The Jews would say it in a twisted
manner to mean �O our shepherd� or �O arrogant fool�. They found such taunts amusing,
but Allaah is declaring that, in reality, they were inviting Allaah�s
painful punishment. The Muslims have been told that instead of using
Raa�inaa, they should use Unzhurnaa, which was not subject to that kind of
twisting but had the same sense of begging pardon. In addition, they were
advised to listen carefully in the first place so that they do not have to
ask again.
The they have been told that the
rancour of those rejecters of the guidance of Islam is not limited to
their playing these uncivil games; in reality, they do not want to see
Muslims succeed in any respect. But despite the desire and efforts of
those enemies to the contrary, Allaah is free to designate His bounties to
whom He wishes and He is going to ensure that the true followers of the
Prophet excel in achieving their Islamic
goals.
One of the
major objections the Jews used to raise against Islamic teachings was that
if the Qur-aan is also from Allaah as is their book, then why would the
Islamic commands be different from the commands in their books. While
raising this kind of question, they ignored a very important fact. There
has been a natural progression and evolution in the commands of Allaah as
they were given to the followers of various prophets and messengers in the
past. As the human society was evolving, Allaah SWT was adjusting his
commands accordingly to the needs of the people at their specific stage in
the evolutionary process of maturity. Our Prophet was sent as the last
Prophet of Allaah because humanity had matured to a level that the final
guidance could be given without any need for future changes or updates. In
addition to this natural evolution, there were many additions,
interpolations, changes and deletions that unscrupulous people had made in
the previous books of Allaah. The followers of the previous prophets had
invented their own Bid�ah (heresies), changed the teachings of the
prophets, lost some of the teachings or their meaning, etc. Now it was the
job of our Prophet SAAWS to present Islam in its pure, complete and final
form. Consequently, Islam changed some of the commands that were given to
the people of the Book in the past because they were transitional for
their stage of the evolution and now the stage was set for the final
version. It rejected all the Bid�ah or wrong practices introduced and
invented by the people of the Book and it restored some of the teachings
that were ignored, forgotten or thrown away. When the Prophet SAAWS implemented
any of these changes from the previous practices of the people of the
Book, the Jews used to create a lot of noise, raise objections and bother
Muslim with their ignorant objections. Allaah SWT responded to their
propaganda and attacks in the following
verse:
106 We do not cancel any verse nor let it be
forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar. Do you not know
that Allaah has power over everything? 107 Do you not know that Allaah's is the
kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that besides Allaah you have no
guardian or helper?
Instead of getting into arguments
about why this or why that, Allaah SWT has simply told them that it is My
authority to command people whatever I want. I know what is better for
people at a certain stage of their maturity and that is what I send down
in the Qur-aan as my revelations. If you do not like what I command, then
just remember that you will not find any helper or guardian to protect you
from my punishment in my universal
kingdom.
Next: Verses 108 - 110
Copyright ©2004, Ayub A.
Hamid
Permission is
granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, to post on
Internet sites and
to
publish in
full in not-for-profit publications. Contact author for all other
rights, which are reserved.
Please Note: This series is providing the teachings
of the Qur'aan, not a literal translation.
Instead of literal translation, it gives interpretive
meanings of the verses, along with their contextual details.
Please remember that any translation of the Holy Qur'aan is
in fact only an _expression_ of the translator's understanding
of the
Word of Allaah Subhaanahu wa
Ta'aala, and
hence cannot be equated with the Qur'aan itself.
Only the original Arabic text can be called the
Holy Qur'aan.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
If you did not receive
the following soorahs of 'Teachings of the
Qur'aan' series by Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid, please
send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] . Note:
please indicate on the subject line: Request for Soorah ____
Aayat ____. Due to anti-virus measures, please do
not leave the subject line blank as your email will
automatically be deleted as a precaution. Thank you for your attention -
Karima.
Al-Faatihah: The First Verse of the Qur'aan -
Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
Al-Faatihah:
Part
1: Name, Background, Teachings and
Commentary.
Al-Faatihah:
Part
2: The Significance and
Summary.
Al
Baqarah: Name, Background and Topics
Al
Baqarah: The Letters: Alif, Laam, Meem - Aayah
1
Al Baqarah: 2:2-5 / 2:6-7 / 2:8-16 / 2:17-20 / 2:21-25 / 2:26-27 / 2:28-29 / 2:30-33 / 2:34-39 / 2:40-46 / 2:47-56 / 2:57-61 / 2:62 /
2:63-66 / 2:67-74 / 2:75-77 /
2:78-82 / 2:83-86/ 2:87-88 / 2:89-91 / 2:92-98 / 2:99-103
An-Nisaa:
4:1-4 / 4:5-14 / 4:15-28 / 4:29-43 /
4:44-52 / 4:53-58
/
4:59-63 / 4:64-76 / 4:77-87
/ 4:88-100
/ 4:101-112
/ 4:113-126 /
4:127-149 / 4:150-158
/ 4:159
/ 4:160-176.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Karima-DDN
|
