81 Nay those who seek gain in Evil and are girt round by
their sins they are Companions of the Fire therein shall they abide (for ever). 86
82 But those who have faith and work righteousness they are Companions of the Garden
therein shall they abide (for ever).
83 And remember We took a covenant from the children of
Israel (to this effect): worship none but Allah; treat with kindness your parents and
kindred and orphans and those in need; speak fair to the people; be steadfast in prayer;
and practice regular charity. Then did ye turn back except a few among you and ye
backslide (even now). 87
84 And remember We took your Covenant (to this effect): shed no blood amongst you nor turn
out your own people from your homes; and this ye solemnly ratified and to this ye can bear
witness. 88
85 After this it is ye the same people who slay among yourselves and banish a party of you
from their homes; assist (their enemies) against them in guilt and rancor; and if they
come to you as captives ye ransom them though it was not lawful for you to banish them.
Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in and do ye reject the rest? But what
is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life? and on
the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For Allah is not
unmindful of what ye do. 89
86 These are the people who buy the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter;
their penalty shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped.
87 We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a
succession of Apostles; We gave Jesus the son of Mary clear (Signs) and strengthened him
with the holy spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you an Apostle with what ye
yourselves desire not ye are puffed up with pride? Some ye called impostors and others ye
slay! 89 90 91
88 They say "Our hearts are the wrappings (which preserve Allah's word we need no
more)." Nay Allah's curse is on them for their blasphemy; little is it they believe. 92 93
89 And when there comes to them a Book from Allah confirming what is with them although
from of old they had prayed for victory against those without faith when there comes to
them that which they (should) have recognized they refused to believe in it; but the curse
of Allah is on those without Faith. 94
90 Miserable is the price for which they have sold their souls in that they deny (the
revelation) which Allah has sent down in insolent envy that Allah of His Grace should send
it to any of His servants He pleases; thus have they drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath.
And humiliating is the punishment of those who reject Faith. 95
Commentry:
86 This is many degrees worse than merely falling into evil: it is going out to "earn evil" as the Arabic text has it, i.e., to seek gain in evil. Such a perverse attitude means that the moral and spiritual fortress erected around us by the Grace of God is voluntarily surrendered by us and demolished by Evil, which erects its own fortress, so that access to Good may be more and more difficult. (2.81)
87 So far from the Covenant being of the kind you suggest in
ii. 80, the real Covenant is about the moral law, which is set out in ii. 83. This moral
law is universal and if you break it, no privileges will lighten your punishment or help
you in any way (ii. 86). "Speak fair to the people" not only means outward
courtesy from the leaders to the meanest among the people, but the protection of the
people from being exploited, deceived, defrauded, or doped with things to lull their
intelligence. (2.83)
88 Verse 83 referred to the universal moral law. This verse 84 refers to
its application under a special Covenant entered into with the Jews of Medina by the
new-born Muslim Commonwealth under its Guide and teacher Muhammad. This Covenant is given
in Ibn Hisham's Sivat-ur-Rasul, and comments on it will be found in Ameer Ali's Spirit of
Islam (London 1922), pp. 57-61. It was entered into in the second year of the Hijra, and
was treacherously broken by the Jews almost immediately afterwards. (2.84)
89 I understand "ransom them" here to mean "take ransom
for them" though most of the Commentators take it to mean "give ransom for
them". Mustafa had made a Pact which, if it had been faithfully observed by all
parties, would have brought a reign of law and order for Medina. But some of the
treacherous Jews never intended to observe its terms. They fought and slew each other and
not only banished those who were obnoxious to them but intrigued with their enemies. If by
chance they came back into their hands as captives, they demanded ransom for them to
return to their homes although they had no right to banish them at all. If we understand
by "ransom them" pay "ransom for them to release them from the hands of
their enemies," it would mean that they did this pious act for show, although they
were themselves the authors of their unlawful banishment. I think the former makes better
sense. (2.85)
89 I understand "ransom them" here to mean "take
ransom for them" though most of the Commentators take it to mean "give ransom
for them". Mustafa had made a Pact which, if it had been faithfully observed by all
parties, would have brought a reign of law and order for Medina. But some of the
treacherous Jews never intended to observe its terms. They fought and slew each other and
not only banished those who were obnoxious to them but intrigued with their enemies. If by
chance they came back into their hands as captives, they demanded ransom for them to
return to their homes although they had no right to banish them at all. If we understand
by "ransom them" pay "ransom for them to release them from the hands of
their enemies," it would mean that they did this pious act for show, although they
were themselves the authors of their unlawful banishment. I think the former makes better
sense. (2.87)
90 As to the birth of Jesus, cf. xix. 16-34. Why is he called the
"Son of Mary"? What are his "clear signs"? What is the "holy
spirit" by which he was strenghtened? We reserve to a later state a discussion of the
Quranic teaching on these questions. See iii. 62, n. 401. (2.87)
91 Notice the sudden transition from the past tense in "some ye
called imposters" to the present tense in "others ye slay." There is a
double significance. First, reviewing the long course of Jewish history, we have come to
the time of Jesus; they have often given the lie to God's Apostles, and even now they are
trying to slay Jesus. Secondly, extending the review of that history to the time of
Muhammad, they are even now trying to take the life of that holy Apostle. This would be
literally true at the time the words were promulgated to the people. And this transition
leads on naturally to the next verse, which refers to the actual conditions before
Muhammad in Medina in the second year of the Hijra. Sections 11/13 (ii. 87-121) refer to
the People of the Book generally, Jews and Christians. Even where Moses and the Law of
Sinai are referred to, those traditions are common to both Jews and Christians. The
argument is about the people who ought to have learnt from previous Revelations and
welcomed Muhammad's teaching, and yet they both took up an attitude of arrogant rejection.
(2.87)
92 The Jews in their arrogance claimed that all wisdom and all knowledge
of God were enclosed in their hearts. But there were more things in heaven and earth than
were dreamt of in their philosophy. Their claim was not only arrogance but blasphemy. In
reality they were men without Faith. (I take Gulfan here to be the plural of Gilafun the
wrapping or cover of a book, in which the book is preserved.) As usual, there is a much
wider meaning. How many people at all times and among all nations close their hearts to
any extension of knowlege or spiritual influence because of some little fragment which
they have got and which they think is the whole of Allah's Truth? Such an attitude shows
really want of faith and is a blasphemous limitation of Allah's unlimited spiritual gifts
to His creatures. [According to another view, the verse refers to the Jewish claim that a
covering had been placed over their hearts which prevented them from grasping the message
of the Prophet (peace be on him). See Ibn Kathir's commentary on the verse. See also verse
iv. 155.] (2.88)
93 The root kafara has many shades of meaning: (1) to deny God's
goodness, to be ungrateful, (2) to reject Faith, deny His revelation, (3) to blaspheme, to
ascribe some limitation or attribute to God which is derogatory to His nature. In a
translation, one shade or another must be put forward according to the context, but all
are implied. (2.88)
94 The Jews, who pretended to be so superior to the people without Faith
- the Gentiles - should have been the first to recognize the new Truth - or the Truth
renewed - which it was Muhammad's mission to bring because it was so similar in form and
language to what they had already received. But they had more arrogance than faith. It is
this want of faith that brings on the curse, i.e., deprives us (if we adopt such an
attitude) of the blessings of God. Again the lesson applies to a much wider circle than
the Jews. We are all apt, in our perverseness, to reject an appeal form our brother even
more summarily than one from an outsider. If we have a glimmering of the truth, we are apt
to make ourselves impervious to further truth, and thus lose the benefit of Allah's Grace.
(2.89)
95 Racial arrogance made the Jews averse to the reception of Truth when
it came through a servant of God, not of their own race. Again the lesson is wider. Is
that averseness unknown in our own times, and among other races? Yet how can a race or a
people set bounds to God's choice? God is the Creater and Cherisher of all races and all
worlds. (2.90)