133. " Nay, were you witnesses when death approached Jacob ? When he said to his sons: ' What will you worship after me ? ' They said: ' We will worship your God and the God of your forefathers Abraham, Ismail and Isaac, the One (true) God (alone) and to Him we do submit '."
134. " That is a nation that has passed away; theirs is that which they have earned, and yours is what you have earned; you shall not be questioned for what they had been doing."
Occasion of Revelation
A group of the Jews believed that when Jacob (a.s) was on his deathbed, he enjoined on his children the same religion which the Jews currently believe in (with all its corruption of the scriptures) . For the nullification of their belief, Allah sent down this verse. (1)
Commentary :
Everyone is Responsible for his Own Deeds
As it is also understood from the apparent meaning of the verse,
(1) Tafsir-i-Abulfutuh-Razi,vol. 1, p.339
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there were some rejectors of Islam who falsely charged Jacob (a.s.) , the prophet of Allah, regarding this matter. (The matter was mentioned in the description of the occasion of revelation.)
To reject this false claim, the Qur'an says:
" Nay, were you witnesses when death approached Jacob ?...":
Were you there when he frankly questioned his children the way he did?
Yes, that which you (Jews) charge Jacob (a.s.) with is not true. The factual account which occurred was that:
"...When he said to his sons:' What will you worship after me ? '.."
"...They said: ' we will worship your god and the god of your forefathers Abraham, Ismail and Isaac, the one (true) god (alone) and to him we do submit'."
Yes, he did not enjoined them with anything but to believe in monotheism and to submit to the command of Allah, which is the root of submission to all the Divine ordinaces.
It can be deduced from this verse that verse that when Jacob was on his deathbed, a feeling of anxiety and worry existed in him about the future of his children. Finally he expressed his anxiety and asked his sons what they would worship after him. He especially asked ' what (thing) ' and he did not ask ' whom ', because there were some idol-worshippers in the locale who used to prostrate before some particular ' things '. Jacob wanted to know whether there was any tendency towards those beliefs in the depths of their hearts. But when he heard his children's answer, he found, again, his peace of mind.
This is also noteworthy that Ismail (a.s.) was not Jacob's father or forefather, but he was Jacob's uncle, whereas in the verse under discussion, the term / 'aba' / which is the plural of the word / 'ab / (father) has been applied. This makes it clear that, in the Arabic language, this word was sometimes used for ' uncle '. Hence, we say that if this word has been used regarding 'Azar in the Qur'an, it does not negate the fact that 'Azar was Abraham's uncle, not his father.
* * * *
The last of the above verses mentioned is an answer to one of the delusions of the Jews. They emphasized very much on their ancestors
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and the honour and glory they ascribed themselves in relation to Allah. They imagined that even when they tainted themselves with sin, they could be rescued under the comforting shade of such ancestors. Then, the Qur'an says:
" That is a nation that has passed away; theirs is that which they have earned,and yours is what you have earned;..."
And, in the same way that they are not responsible for your deeds, also,
"... you shall not be questioned for what they had been doing."
Therefore, instead of expending all your energy trying to prove that you, by right of ancestry, deserve the honour and high position that your pure ancestors enjoyed, you should try to improve your own Faith and deeds.
The addressees in this verse are apparently the Jews and ' the People of the Book ', but it is evident that this statement is not specifically referring to them alone, in that this basic principle, pertains to us Muslims, too.
135." And they said: ' Be Jews or Christians, you shall be guided aright '.
Say: ' Nay ! Rather the creed of Abraham, the upright; and he was not of those who associate partners to Allah '."
136. " Say: ' We have believed in Allah and that which has been sent down to us, and (in) what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes; and (in) that which was given to Moses and Jesus and (in) that which was given to all prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit '."
137. " If then they believe in what you believe, they indeed are guided (aright) ; but if they turn away, then they are clearly in schism; Allah will suffice you against them; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
Occasion of Revelation
Upon the occasion of revelation of these verses it is narrated from Ibn Abbas that some of the Jewish scholars and some Christians from
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Najran were disputing with the Muslims. Each of these two groups considered their own creed more superior than the other's regarding the Truth, then they negated each other. The Jews said that their prophet, Moses (a.s.) , was superior and their Book, the Turah, was the best. The Christians, on the other hand, had the same claim. They said Jesus (a.s.) was the best guide and the Evangel was the best among the heavenly Books. Even though they could not settle their own disputes between themselves, the followers of both creeds invited the Muslims to their own religion. The above verses were revealed and answered them both. (1)
* * * *
Commentary :
Only Our Creed is True !
Egoism and self-conceit usually cause one to think that Truth is exclusively his own and therefore, he considers others wrong. This very person, consequently, tries to divert others to his own way of seeing things, as the Qur'an through the first verse of the above verses says:
" And they said: ' Be Jews or Christians, you shall be guided aright'. ..."
Tell them that distorted religions can never be the source of guidance, but:
"... Say: ' Nay ! Rather the creed of Abraham, the upright; and he was not of those who associate partners to Allah '."
The true believers in pure Faith are those who follow the pure Monotheistic creed, i.e. the Monotheism which has never been tainted with any form of polytheism. The most important basic principle for recognizing the pure religion from the corrupted ones is by keeping in mind this very perfect creed of Monotheism.
Islam instructs us not to make distinction between the divine prophets and to respect their religions totally because the fundamental principles of all Divine religions are entirely the same. Moses (a.s.) and Jesus (a.s.) reinstituted the pure (hanif) doctrine of Abraham (a.s.) ,
(1) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol.1,p.216
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which is to live and die with faith in the One True God. They believed in the non-polytheistic creed of Abraham (a.s.) , the pure Monotheist, although their religions were later contaminated with polytheism by their ignorant followers. The Jews, though they taught Unity, went after false gods, and the Christians invented the trinity or borrowed it from pagans. (Of course, if they search for the pureness of truth, they will realize that there is no difference between what their prophets preached and what was brought forth by Islam and that they, in performing their duties today, should follow the divine creed of Islam which has come down from the direction of Allah for this Age) .
* * * *
Concerning the statements of the Muslims' opponents, the next verse enjoins the followers of Islam thus:
" Say: ' We have believed in Allah and that which has been sent down to us, and (in) what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes; and (in) that which was given to Moses and Jesus and (in) that which was given to all prophets from their Lord. ..."
"...We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit '."
Self-conceit and tribal or racial prejudices should never lie at the root of our accepting some of the prophets and rejecting the others. They were all Divine teachers who spent their lives training and guiding people in different eras of time. Their aim was only to guide human beings towards pure Unity, Truth, and Justice, although each of them had some particular duties and special qualifications related to their own specific periods of time.
* * * *
Then it adds :
" If then they believe in what you believe, they indeed are guided (aright) ; ..."
"... but if they turn away, then they are clearly in schism;..."
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If they do not mix their racial and tribal problems, and the likes of them, with the religion, and formally accept all the prophets, they are also guided, otherwise they have put away the truth and followed the wrong.
The term / siqaq / originally means ' cleft, conflict, and fight ' and, here, it has been rendered into ' blasphemy ', and sometimes into 'misleading ', or ' separation from Truth and tending to falsehood ', all of which, in fact, basically point back to the same fact.
Some of the commentators have cited that when the former verse was revealed whereby Jesus (a.s.) was mentioned in a row with some other prophets, some of the Christians said that they did not agree with that statement because Jesus (a.s.) was not like other prophets; he was the son of God. The last verse of the above verses was sent down (1) and warned them that they were misguided and they were in schism.
However, at the end of the verse, it encourages the Muslims not to be afraid of the plots of enemies; saying:
"... Allah will suffice you against them; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
* * * *
Explanation :
The Oneness of the Prophets' Invitation
In several occasions, the Holy Qur'an points out that there is no difference between the prophets of Allah because all of them had received the revelation from one single Source and pursued one goal. Therefore, the Qur'an enjoins the Muslims to respect all of the Divine prophets equally. But, as it was stated before, this exhortation does not conflict with the idea that every new religion sent down from Allah abrogates the former religions and Islam is the last religion in the world.
Of course, no religion on earth, except Islam, has ever demanded of its adherents to believe equally in the truthfulness and flawless godliness, sinless purity of conduct and character of the other apostles
(1) Majma' ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 218
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of Allah and in the other sacred scripts as the revealed Word of Allah. This command in Islam was given because the Divine Apostles were like some teachers and every one of them instructed the human race as one class. It is evident that when the period and the course of one class finishes, the trainees will be promoted to another teacher, to a class of a higher degree. Therefore, all nations are to fulfill the requirements given by the last prophet of their times, which is the last stage of the development of the religion in their period of time. This statement will never contrast the rightfulness of the invitations of other prophets.
* * * *
Who were ' Asbat ' ?
The term / sebt / originally means: ' stretching, or expanding of something easily '. A tree is sometimes called ' sabat ' because its branches expand freely. The leading lexicologists expressly declare that / sebt / the plural of which is / asbat / includes sons' children and daughters' children. (1)
The meaning of the term / asbat /, here, is the groups and tribes of Israelites who came forth from Jacob's twelve sons, and, since there were some prophets among them, in the above verse they are counted among those upon whom the Divine verses have been sent down.
So, the objective meaning of the term, here, is the tribe of Israelites or the tribes of Jacob's children who consisted of some prophets, not all the children of Jacob. Some of those children were not entirely eligible to be prophets because they committed sin in their dealings with their own brother.
* * * *
The Arabic term / hanif / is based on / hanaf / with the meaning ' orthodox, true ', or ' inclined from misguidance to right opinion '. So, those pure monotheists who turn away from polytheism and incline to
(1) Arabic-English Lexicon, part 4,p.1294, by : E.W. Lane
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this basic principle, are called ' Hanif '.
It is also for this reason that one of the meanings of / hanif / is ' true, straight '.
This explanation makes it clear that the meaning offered by the commentators for the term / hanif / such as Hajj, the pilgrimage to the Ka'bah, adhering to truth, following Abraham (a.s.) , and the pureness of deeds, are all reflections of that inclusive meaning and each of them is an example of it.
138." (Receive) the baptism of Allah and who is better than Allah in baptizing? And Him do we worship."
139. " Say (to the Jews and Christians) : ' Would you dispute with us concerning Allah Who is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds and for you are your deeds: and we are sincere to Him '."
140. " Or do you claim that Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: ' Who then knows best, you or Allah? ' Who is more unjust than he who conceals testimony received from Allah? And Allah is not heedless of what you do."
141. " That is a nation that has passed away; theirs is that which they have earned and yours is what you earned; you shall not be questioned for what they had been doing."
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Commentary :
Following the invitation, in the former verses, to the adherents of all religions to accept the Divine messages of all prophets, in the first verse of this group of verses, it commands them all to:
" (Receive) the baptism of Allah ..."
Which is the same as the purification by Faith and true monotheism resulting in the manifestation of one true colour. Then, it adds:
"... and who is better than Allah in baptizing? And Him do we worship."
Thus, the Qur'an commands that all racial, tribal and other separative colours be put aside and that every one take on (symbolically) the colour of Allah.
Some commentators have recorded that it was a custom among the Christians to baptize their new-born children in baptismal water which was mixed with dye or a colour, signifying that the baptized person received new colour in life. They said that this baptism, especially with this particular colour, caused the person to be cleaned from the original sin that he had inherited from Adam (a.s.) .
The Qur'an rejects this baseless logic and tells them that in order to purify their souls and minds from any stain of sin instead of using colours of rituals, superstitions and dispersiveness, they had better accept the colour of truthfulness and godliness.
Truly, what a delicate and beautiful sentence it is! How nice it would be if all people accepted the godly colour, i.e. the colour of unity, purity and virtue! Viz the colour of colourlessness, the colour of justice, equality, patience and perseverance. Under the light of the colour of unity and sincerity, all conflicts and fights can be put to an end and the main weed of polytheism and dispersion might be rooted out.
This is, in fact, that very colournessless, or in other words, pulling away of all colours.
In several traditions, commenting on this verse, it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) who has said that the objective meaning of /sibqatallah / ' the baptism of Allah' is the pure creed of Islam. (1) This idea is also a reference to what was said in the above.
(1) Nur-uth-Thaqalayn, vol.1,p.132
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Some of the Jews, and some others, occasionally disputed with the Muslims claiming that all the prophets were chosen from among them and their religion was the oldest of all religions, and their book was the most ancient of Divine Books. They said that if Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) had really been a prophet, he would have been appointed from among them. They sometimes said that their race was superior to the Arab race, for the acceptance of creeds, and they were more receptive to revelation than Arabs, because they had practically been idol-worshippers while the Jews were not.
The Jews considered themselves the sons of God, the ones who claimed Heaven exclusively theirs. The Qur'an refuses all of these false imaginations. At first, it tells the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) :
" Say (to the Jews and Christians) : ' Would you dispute with us concerning Allah Who is our Lord and your Lord? ..."
This Lord is not exclusively for one particular tribe or a certain race. He is the Lord of all human beings and all creatures in the world of existence.
Addressing them, it adds that they should also know that: there are no privileges for anyone except for those attained by a person's good deeds:
"... For us are our deeds and for you are your deeds: ..."
But there is a difference between those deeds. We serve Him sincerely and associate none with Him, (while most of you have poluted Unity with polytheism) :
"...and we are sincere to Him '."
* * * *
The next verse replies to some other vain claims of theirs. It says:
" Or do you claim that Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians?..."
"... Say: ' Who then knows best, you or Allah? '..."
Allah knows best of all that they were neither Jewish nor Christian.
You also know, whether you admit it or not, that many of those prophets came in to this world before Moses (a.s.) and Jesus (a.s.) , and
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if you do not know it, then you have ignorantly charged them with such a belie which in itself, is a great sin and an attempt at hiding the true fact. Thus:
"... Who is more unjust than he who conceals testimony received from Allah? ..."
"... And Allah is not heedless of what you do."
What a wonder! When it happens that a person's mind is dominated by obstinacy and prejudice, he denies even the well-known facts of history. For instance, the Jews counted the prophets such as Abraham (a.s.) , Isaac (a.s.) and Jacob (a.s.) , who came into the world and passed away before Moses and Jesus, as being from among the followers of Moses (a.s.) and Jesus (a.s.) . They denied the above mentioned fact which is pertinent to the fate of their people and defines their Faith and religion. It may be for this very reason that the Qur'an introduces them as the most unjust. There is no unjust action worst than that some persons intentionally deny some facts in order to misguide people so that they wander aimlessly in that misguidance.
* * * *
In the last of the verses under discussion, which is also the last verse of the first part (out of the thirty parts) of the Holy Qur'an, the Qur'an answers them in another style indicating that supposing all these claims were correct, then, this is the answer:
" That is a nation that has passed away; theirs is that which they have earned..."
"...and yours is what you earned; you shall not be questioned for what they had been doing."
In conclusion, a nation should rely upon its own deeds, not on its past history. As a person should thrive on his own excellecies, not on those of his ancestors.
142. " The fools among the people will say: ' What has turned them from their Qiblah (direction of prayer) which they were facing at.' Say: ' Allah's is the East and the West; He guides whoever He pleases to a straight way '."
Commetary :
Occasion of the Change of Qiblah
This verse together with a few verses following it refers to one of the great happenings in the history of Islam which caused a huge wave of excitement among the people of that time. The explanation for the occurrence is that the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) , under divine direction, prayed towards the direction of Jerusalem for thirteen years in Mecca after proclaiming his mission and then, also, for several months in Medina after his migration. But again, under divine direction, the Qiblah (i.e. the direction of prayer) was changed and Muslims were commissioned to pray towards the Ka'bah
The commentators are divided as to the length of time that Muslims worshipped facing towards Jerusalem in Medina. The duration of this ritual situation has been cited from seven to seventeen months. However, during this period, Muslims were always entangled with the reproaches of the Jews, because Jerusalem was originally the Jewish
(1) The commentary of the First part of the Holy Qur'an ended of the previous page, but verses about the theme of Qiblah in the Qur'an is still continued. Hence, to complete the idea, we had to add some verses of part2 , here, at the end of this volume.
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Qiblah. Since the Muslims used to pray towards the direction of Jerusalem, the Jewish Qiblah, during that time, they blamed that their (Muslims) acceptance of their (Jewish) Qiblah proved, as they thought, that the Jews were right in their creed and Muslims, who were not independent for themselves in the direction of prayer, were not.
These statements were difficult for the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and Muslims to bear. They were, on one hand, showing obedience to the command of Allah, and, on the other hand, the ceaseless sarcasm of the Jews was intolerable. It was for this reason that by night Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) occasionally turned his face towards the heavens in a way that showed he was expecting to receive Divine revelation.
After some time of waiting, finally the command for changing the Qiblah was revealed. It was while the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was praying the noon prayer and he had already performed only two rak'ats of the prayer in Bani-Salim Mosque towards the direction of Jerusalem when Gabriel was commissioned by Allah to take the arm of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and turn his face towards the direction of the Ka'bah.
The Jews were annoyed with this occurrence and according to their old traditional style, they began seeking pretexts. Aforetime, they used to say that they were superior to Muslims because Muslims were dependent on the Jews regarding their Qiblah. But, when the command of changing the Qiblah was sent down by the Lord, a party of the Jews protested; as the Qur'an says:
" The fools among the people will say: ' What has turned them from their Qiblah (direction of prayer) which they were facing at ? '..."
The Jews disputed about why the Muslims altered the former prophets' Qiblah that day. They said if the first Qiblah was correct, then why the change? And, if the second one was right, then why had they been praying towards the direction of Jerusalem for more than thirteen years?
The Lord ordered His Apostle thus:
"...Say: ' Allah's is the East and the West; He guides whoever He pleases to a straight way'."
Similar to this circumstance the words East and West, besides the verse under discussion, have occured in four other verses of the Qur'an: 2: 115, 2: 177, 26: 28, 73: 9. There is a short explanation about their
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objective meaning when commenting on verse 115 (pg. 267 this vol.) . The content meaning of these terms refers to the Omnipresence of Allah as the Absolute Reality, the hold of which penetrates the universe in its every part and particle as well as its whole, meaning both the rise of the light in the East and its setting in the West are the various aspects of manifestation of Allah's Mighty and Glory i.e., whichever direction the mind turns there is this aspect of His.
This verse was a decisive clear reasonable answer for those who sought pretext by letting them know that Jerusalem, the Ka'bah and all other places belong to Allah, and, intrinsically, Allah has no house and no place; He is the Omnipresent. The main principle here is that we servants should submit to His command and whatever direction He appoints for prayer, that direction is sacred and respectable and that direction should be prayed towards. Without His commission, no place has excellence or preference in its own essence.
And, the change of the Qiblah, in fact, is one stage of the many different stages of trial and development, each of which is an example of Divine Guidance. It is He Who guides people to the ' Straight Path '.
143. "And thus have we made you an ummat of midding stand that you may be witnesses over mankind, and the messenger may be (a) witness over you. we did not make the (former) Qiblah (direction of prayer) towards which you were facing at, except that we might distinguish him who follows the messengerfrom him who truns back upon his heels; it was indeed hard except for those whom Allah has guided. Allah would never let your faith be wasted - truly Allah is to mankind Most Affectionate, Most Merciful."
Commentary:
An Ummat of Middle Standing
In this verse a part of the philosophy and secret of the change of the Qiblah is referred to.
At first it says:
"And thus have we made you an ummate of midding stand...."
A nation that is a medium one from any aspect, viz. it is in a state that is neither in excess nor defect and can be brought forth as an example.
But, why is the Mslims' Qiblah a middle one Haply, it is
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because most of the christians were living in countries west of their Qiblah. In order to stand towards the directon of the birthplace of Jesus which was located in jerusalem they had to stand nearly towards the direction of the East. Therefore the East was considered the direction of their Qiblah. The Jews, who mostly were living in syria, Babylon and the like, preyed towards Jerusalem which was located nearly in the west for them. Hence, the west was considered the direction of their Qiblah. But, for the Muslims of that time (Muslims is Medina) , the Ka'bah was located in the south, between the East and the west which, thereby, was considered a middle ground.
All of those meaning, in fact, are understood from the phrase wakaoalika / ' and thus ' stated in the verse, the Qur'an, however, apparently, may intend to refer to the position of all Islamic programs and that not only the Muslims' Qiblah is middle standing but also in all other aspects they have this specialty.
Then, it adds:
"...that you may be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger may be (a) witness over you. ..."
The expression of the Muslims being ' witnesses ' over the people of the world, and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) bearing ' witness ' over the Muslims may be an insinuation to ' being as a model ', since witnesses are always chosen from the eligible ones. Thus, the purpose might be that you (Muslims) , with these instructions and this creed, are a model nation, as the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is a model among you.
You, by your deeds and behaviour bear witness that a man can be both a man of action and a man of religion while he is living in this very world. He, being sociable, can quite properly protect the limits of his spiritual and moral aspects. Portraying these thoughts and activities, you bear witness that not only there is no contradictions between religion and science, or the present world and the coming world, but they serve one another.
Then, the Qur'an has pointed to one of the secrets of the change of the Qiblah when it says:
"...We did not make the (former) Qiblah (direction of prayer) towards which you were facing at, except that We might distinguish him who
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follows the Messenger from him who turns back upon his heels; ..."
It is interesting that the Qur'an does not say: ' him who follows you ' but it says: ' him who follows the Messenger ' which confirms the fact that you (Muhammad) are commissioned by the Lord and you are a guide. So, they must be obedient to your command in all things. In this relation, the change of the Qiblah is simple; if the command were beyond that, it should be obeyed and their seeking pretext in it is a sign of their holding on to the customs of the age of paganism and idol worshipping.
The Quranic phrase "from him who turns back upon his heels"
144. " Indeed We see turning your face (O' Muhammad) to the heavens, and now We shall turn you (in prayer) to a Qiblah that you shall be pleased with.
Turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it (for prayer) and those who have been given the (earlier) Book know well that it is the truth from their Lord.
And Allah is not at all heedless of what they do."
Commentary :
Turn Towards the Sacred Mosque
As it was mentioned before, Jerusalem was the first, but temporary, Qiblah of the Muslims. So, as the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was waiting to receive the command from Allah to change the Qiblah, especially after he had migrated to Medina and continued praying towards the same direction, i.e. towards the direction of Jerusalem, the Jews used to very frequently taunt the Muslims at not having a Qiblah of their own and stated that but for the Jews' faith, the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) would not even know the direction towards which, by the direction of Allah, he should turn in prayer. Owing to the sneers of the Jews he (p.b.u.h.) desired a change and Allah granted it to him. In the above verse this subject is referred to when the command of the Qiblah has been issued to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) . It says thus:
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" Indeed We see turning your face (O' Muhammad) to the heavens,..."
"... and now We shall turn you (in prayer) to a Qiblah
that you shall be pleased with. ..."
"... Turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque..."
"... and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it (for prayer) ..."
According to the Islamic traditions, we know that this change of the Qiblah happened in Medina, at a very sensitive moment when the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was praying the noontime prayer. The bringer of Divine revelation took Muhammad's (p.b.u.h.) arm and turned him from the direction of Jerusalem to the direction of the Ka'bah. At the same time Muslims immediately changed their rows, too. It is also said that in that event even the women had to change their place of prayer with the men. (It should be noted that in that occurrence Jerusalem was located approximately towards the North while the direction of the Ka'bah was towards the South.)
It is also noteworthy that the change of the Qiblah had been one of the signs of the Call of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) written in the former scriptures. The Jews had learnt therein that he (p.b.u.h.) would pray towards two directions for his Qiblah.
Therefore, in the above verse, after the command of the Qiblah, it adds:
"... and those who have been given the (earlier) Book know well that it is the truth from their Lord. ..."
The phrase " those who have been given the (earlier) book " means the Jews who through the prophecies in their scriptures (Vide Deut 18: 15 & 18) already knew that the holy Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was a true prophet, thus:
" The Lord, thy God, will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren like unto Me; unto him you shall hearken:" Deut 18: 15.
" I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." Deut 18: 18,19
Moreover, the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) did not follow the customs of his locale at first, and put aside the Ka'bah which was the center of idols that the Arabs loved very much. He formally accepted
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the direction of the Qiblah of a limited minority, i.e. Jerusalem. This was, in itself, considered proof of the rightfulness of his invitation and the Divinity of his Call.
At the end of the verse, it adds:
"... And Allah is not at all heedless of what they do."
That is, instead of introducing the change of the Qiblah as a sign of his rightfulness, they rejected it and raised a tumult. But Allah is heedless neither of their actions nor of their intentions.
145. " And even if you were to bring every Sign to those who have been given the (earlier) Book, they would not follow your Qiblah, nor would you be a follower of their Qiblah, neither are they the followers of each other's Qiblah. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, then you will surely be of the Unjust.
Commentary :
They will Never be Content !
Commenting on the previous verse it was described that the ' People of the Book ' knew that the change of the Qiblah from the direction of Jerusalem to the direction of the Sacred Mosque not only was not an objection to the authenticity of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) , but that it was one of the signs of his rightfulness to prophethood, because they had learned through their religious books that the Apostle of Islam (p.b.u.h.) would pray towards the directions of two Qiblahs. But their vain religious fanaticisms did not let them accept the fact.
In principle, until when a person has not made a decision on a subject yet, by bringing proof, reasons, logic, and miracles for him, he might be made to understand the fact or the fact, itself, might be proved and be manifested to him and consequently, he changes his belief. But, when formerly he has decidedly confirmed his position, especially in the case of a zealous or ignorant person, it is not at all possible to change his mind.
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So the Qur'an decisively says:
"And even if you were to bring every Sign to those who have been given the (earlier) Book, they would not follow your Qiblah, ..."
146. " Those to whom We have given the (earlier) Book, recognize him (the Prophet) as they recognize their sons, but a group of them most surely conceal the truth while they know (it) ."
147. " The Truth is from your Lord, therefore be not one of the doubters."
Commentary :
Following the former discussions about the obstinacy and bigotry of a party of the People of the Book, the first verse of theabove says:
" Those to whom we have given the (earlier) Book, recognize him (the Prophet) as they recognize their sons,...."
They have learnt about his name and his specific characteristics in their religious books.
"....but a group of them most surely conceal the truth while they know (it) ."
Some of them, of course, having seen those clear signs of the promised Prophet (p.b.u.h.) embraced Islam. It is quoted from 'Abdillah- ibn-Salam, who previously had been one of the Jewish scholars and then accepted Islam, that he said that from before, he knew the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) better than he know his son,(1) and the other scholars know the prophet of Islam well, too.
This verse uncovers an important fact. It denotes that the earlier Divine Books had contained a very vivid and distinct illustration of the physical and spiritual characteristics of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) .It had been so clear that those who were acquainted with those Books could draw a clear image of him in their minds.
Can anybody imagine that any name or description about the
(1) Al-Manar, vol.2 & Al-Tafsir-ul-Kabir, Fakhr-i-Razi, vol.4, p.128
148. " Everyone has a direction to which he turns, so hasten to precede each other towards all that is good.
Wherever you (may) be, Allah will bring you altogether (unto Him) ; surely Allah is All-Powerful over all things."
Commentary :
Every Religion has a Qiblah
This verse is, in fact, an answer to the Jews who made a vast uproar about the event of the change of Qiblah. It says:
" Everyone has a direction to which he turns, ..."
There had been different directions of the Qiblah during the history of prophets. The change of the direction of a Qiblah is not a strange thing, because it is not like the principles of the religion which are permanent, nor is it similar to Divine affairs which are impossible to interfere in. Therefore, do not make such a big deal about the Qiblah.
"... so hasten to precede each other towards all that is good. ..."
Instead of spending all your time on talking about this minor subject, you had better pay attention to doing good dees and having pure intentions which have a broad racing field where you can challenge to precede each other, because the criterion of the value of your existence is your pure good actions.
This meaning is just like what is stated in verse 177 of the current Sura: " It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is that one should have faith in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Apostles, ..."
If you want to examine Islam or Muslims, you can utilize this criterion for analysis, not the problem of the change of the Qiblah.
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Then, as warning to the objectors and encouraging the good-doers, it says:
"... Wherever you (may) be, Allah will bring you altogether (unto Him) ; ..."
in the Great Court of the Hereafter which is the final stage of reward and punishment.
It is not such that some be busy doing righteous works and some others do not do anything but destruction and spend their time spoiling others' deeds and, yet, these two groups be treated equally without having any reckoning or any recompense.
The idea may seem surprising for some people that how it is possible that Allah gathers the particles of the scattered dusts of men wherever they may be, and brings them into a new life, then, it immediately says:
"... surely Allah is All-Powerful over all things."
Indeed, the existence of this statement at the end of the verse is evidence for the statement preceding it, which says:
" Wherever you (may) be, Allah will bring you altogether (unto Him) ".
Explanation :
The Day When Imam Mahdi's (a.s.) Adherents Assemble
According to numerous traditions narrated from the holy Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) cited in Islamic literature, the expression: " Wherever you (may) be, Allah will bring you altogether (unto Him) " has been rendered into the adherents of Imam al-Mahdi, the twelveth Imam,(a.s.) .
It is quoted in ' Raudat-ul-Kafi ' from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) who,after mentioning this expression, said: " It means the adherents of Imam Gha'im (a.s.) who consist of three hundred and thirteen men. By Allah, they are the objective meaning of the phrase / ummat-ul-ma'dudah /. By Allah, they all will gather together at the same time like the autumnal wind-driven broken clouds that become cumulus." (1)
(1) Raudat-ul -Kafi, vol.8,p.313, Tradition 478
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It is also narrated from Ali-ibn-Musa-ar-Rida, the eighth Imam, who has said: " By Allah, when al-Mahdi (a.s.) rises, Allah will gather all our followers from all cities unto him." (1)
There is no doubt that this commentary is one of the deep innate meanings of the verse. Based on Islamic traditions, we know that there are layers upon layers of meaning concerning the verses of the Qur'an. One of them is the apparent meaning which is universal and general; and others, which are the deeply hidden ones which none knows except the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) , the sinless Imams (a.s.) , and those whom Allah wills.
In other words, these traditions refer to this very meaning that the Creator, Who is able to gather the particles of the scattered dusts of men from different parts of the world, can easily bring the adherents of al-Mahdi (a.s.) on one day and at one time together to strike the first spark of the establishment of the revolution for the settlement of the godly government in order to put an end to tyranny and transgression, and establish Divine Justice among people throughout the world.
(1) Majma' -ul- Bayan,vol. 1,p.231
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