109- MANY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK WISH TO TURN YOU BACK TO BE DISBELIEVERS AFTER YOU HAVE BELIEVED, OUT OF THEIR ENVY.  FORGIVE AND PARDON UNTIL ALLAH BRINGS HIS COMMANDS FORTH, FOR ALLAH IS MOST ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS.

 

110- AND BE STEADFAST IN SALAH, GIVE ZAKAH, FOR WHATEVER GOOD YOU SEND BEFORE YOUR SOULS YOU WILL FIND WITH ALLAH, FOR ALLAH SEES ALL THAT YOU DO.

 

 

There are Two Perspectives to these Ayahs; Historic and Contemporary one’s: 

 

Historical Perspective:

 

When Islam spread in Medina among the Arab tribes there, the Jews hated to see them becoming Muslims.  In fact they tried hard to turn them back to Idolatry, Why?  Because they expected and hoped that the expected messenger would be one of them, not from the Arabs, the descendants of Ismael, peace upon him.

 

Allah the Highest commanded the Muslims to forgive and Pardon them.  The struggle of the Jews against Islam was a verbal struggle only.  Yet, Allah the Highest promised the believers that He protects His Faith until it is complete.  “THEY DESIRE TO EXTINGUISH ALLAH’S FAITH WITH THEIR MOUTHS, BUT ALLAH WILL COMPLETE AND PERFECT HIS LIGHT, EVEN THOUGH THE DISBELIEVERS HATE IT” (S: 9 A: 32)

 

They heard a great deal of hurt, insults and mocking, just as we do now “YOU WILL HEAR FROM THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN THE BOOK BEFORE YOU AND FROM THE IDOLATERS A GREAT DEAL OF HURT”.  (S: 3 A: 186)

 

Prescribed for the Muslims are the ways of dealing with such plotting, it is by strengthening their faith.  This is by Salah and Zakah.  This worship leads them to Certainty.  Allah the Highest reassures the Muslims that whatever good they do, they will find with Allah on Judgment Day, having increased by many multiples.

 

It was not for 2 years after the Muslims migration to Medina that Allah the Highest allowed them to fight the disbelievers.

 

 

The Contemporary Perspective:

 

The Muslims throughout the world face a great deal of opposition and challenge to their Faith, by the disbelievers or the people of the book.  We are often mocked, put down, portrayed as terrorists, backward, uncivilized etc. and often ignored as a group of people, when the people’s welfare is discussed internationally. 

 

Allah the Highest promised us support, as long as we stand firmly for our faith, and obey His Commands.  This applies as much if not more, to the Muslims living in the western world. 

 

While we are entitled to protect ourselves by whatever means available, yet we are commanded to forgive and pardon, also to make sure our Faith is firm and strong first.  We should attend to our Salah, Give Zakah, and Fast Ramadan; go to Hajj, and do all that is good and righteous in our day to day living. 

 

For these; we will be rewarded most generously by Allah the Highest.  Also this will strengthen the Muslim society and make us stand out as the people who truly follow God’s Way, the Only Way to Paradise.

108- OR DO YOU WISH TO QUESTION YOUR MESSENGER AS MOSES WAS QUESTIONED BEFOREHAND?  WHOEVER EXCHANGES BELIEF FOR DISBELIEF, HE HAS GONE ASTRAY OF THE EVEN PATH.

 

Allah the Highest is warning and forbidding the Muslims from questioning and doubting Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, as the Jews did with Moses, peace upon him.

 

Questioning and doubting Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, in this way may lead to disbelieve, and going off Allah’s Path. 

 

In general, too many questions do not make things easier, but a great deal harder, and let us not forget what happened with the Jews concerning the cow.   They ended up having great difficulty finding the cow in question, then paying a great deal of money for it, when, had they not asked, any ordinary cow would have been sufficient. 

 

Allah the Highest told us in a very embracing Ayah: “YOU WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT ASK ABOUT THINGS WHICH IF SHOWN SHALL HURT YOU”.  (S: 5 A: 101)

 

Al-Mogera Ibn Shouba, Allah’s messenger’s companion, reported that Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, forbad the Muslims from saying that it was said and he said, and from wasting money and from asking too many questions”. 

(B: Reqaq; 22 & M: Aqdiah; 10 & Mal: Kalam; 20)

 

When Allah the Highest, made Hajj a duty upon the Muslims, a man asked Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him: “Would it be for every year Allah’s messenger?”  He did not get an answer.  He asked three times without getting an answer.  Then Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “No, and had I said yes, it would have become an obligation for you”.  Then he, prayer and peace upon him, said: “Do not ask about the things I did not tell you about, for what caused the destruction of people before you, was; asking too many question, their disputes and differing with their prophets.  Therefore, whenever I command you to do something, do I, and whenever I forbid you from doing something, avoid it”. 

(B: Etesam; 2 & M: Hajj; 411& N: Hajj; 1 & Ma: Moqademah; 1 & A: 246,249)

 

Thanks to Allah; Allah’s messenger’s companions were very economical with their questions to him.  Had they been always questioning Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, arguing and disputing with him as the Jews were with their prophets and messengers; they would have made things very difficult for the Muslim Nation.

 

This questioning and disputing leads us astray from Allah’s Path, the Even Path to the Uneven Path.  This Uneven Path is full of difficulties; these are all of our own making.

 

Nowadays, we hear many Muslims ask many detailed questions about their religion, concerning very simple and clear rules, as to whether this or the other is better, and some so called scholars, giving answers which make the Muslims daily life difficult, when the questions should not have been asked in the first place.  This is something we should not do.

 

 

 

B: Bukhari  M:  Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi  

106- IF WE ABROGATE AN AYAH OR CAUSE IT TO BE FORGOTTEN, WE REPLACE IT WITH WHAT IS BETTER THAN IT OR LIKE IT, DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT ALLAH HAS POWER TO DO ALL THINGS.

 

107- DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT TO ALLAH BELONGS THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS AND OF THE EARTH, AND YOU HAVE NEITHER AN ALLY NOR SUPPORTER OTHER THAN HIM.

 

There are two facts in these Ayahs; they are both important for understanding the Quran.  I will mention the second first, which is that Allah the Highest caused some of the Ayahs of the Quran to be forgotten.  These Ayahs are not known to us, this was a way of abolishing a temporary rule included in these Ayahs.  By causing them to be forgotten, this ruling would have been abolished totally from the minds as well as from the Quran.

 

Abrogation is for the rule mentioned in the Ayah to be overruled.  It is not necessarily totally cancelled, but almost. 

 

The reasons for that were that Islam went through phases:

 

-  The Muslims were living in Mekka for 13 years before migrating to Medina.  There, they were few and were persecuted.  The commands to regulate their lives were mainly, in general moral and ethical terms, but there was no Law, Sharia, or Hodoud (the penalties of the Islamic law), as there was no authority to implement it. 

-          

-         When the Muslims migrated to Yathrib (Medina), they soon became the Majority.  Allah the Highest sent down Quran with commands and Laws to regulate the Muslim’s society, which the Muslims were then able to enforce, as they had a state and Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, was the Head of this State.

-         Allah the Highest did not send the Quran down as one piece, but an Ayah or a few Ayahs at a time.  The same happened with the Islamic Law, it was sent down gradually mostly over the last 10 years of Allah’s messenger’s life.

 

-         Some of the Laws were introduced gradually.  Like Inheritance.

 

Initially, Allah the Highest commanded the Muslims to make wills, and to make these wills in favour of their parents and close kin.  Allah the Highest sent this Ayah first: “IT IS PRESCRIBED FOR YOU THAT SHOULD DEATH APPROACHES ONE OF YOU AND HE HAS SOME GOODS TO LEAVE BEHIND, TO MAKE A WILL TO THE PARENTS, CLOSE KIN, KINDLY.  THIS IS A DUTY UPON THE PIOUS”.  (S: 2 A: 180)

 

This was later followed by the commands in Sorah Al-Nesae, and other Ayahs detailing the portion every inheritor should have.  This did not abolish the will altogether, but limited it to no more than one third of the estate and this has two conditions: a- It should not be unjust.  b- It should not be made to one of the inheritors.  Detailed discussion of this will be made when discussing these Ayahs.

 

-         Some prohibitions were done gradually also, as with Intoxicants and Gambling.  This was out of Allah’s Mercy, as these idle worshipping societies were full of many evil habits, and stopping them suddenly could have been difficult.

 

First Allah the Highest sent this Ayah down: “THEY ASK YOU ABOUT INTOXICANTS AND GAMBLING; SAY: ‘THEY HAVE A GREAT SIN AS WELL AS BENEFITS TO PEOPLE, BUT THEIR EVIL IS GREATER THAN THEIR BENEFITS”. 

(S: 2 A: 219)

 

Then Allah the Highest commanded the Muslims not to pray while drunk so that they did not make mistakes in their Salah, saying: “YOU WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT APPROACH THE SALAH WHILE YOU ARE DRUNK, SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW WHAT TO SAY”. 

(S: 3 A: 43)

This meant that the Muslims could not drink wine and intoxicants during the day, but only after they prayed Esha Salah, which was too late for most of them.  They were people who worked manually all day; they woke up for Fajr and slept when it was dark.

 

Then Allah the Highest forbad intoxicants and gambling totally saying: “BUT SATAN WISHES TO CAUSE ANIMOSITY AND HATRED BETWEEN YOU THROUGH WINE (INTOXICANTS) AND GAMBLING, AND PREVENTS YOU FROM REMEMBERING ALLAH AND FROM SALAH, SO WOULD YOU NOT BE FORBIDDEN”.  (S: 5 A: 91)

 

-         Some commands were hard for the Muslims to follow, and they were abrogated to make things easier for them.  This was Allah the Highest showing His Mercy and Compassion to the Muslims after they showed their willingness to obey and submit to difficult commands.  For Example; Allah the Highest sent down this Ayah: “TO ALLAH BELONGS ALLAH BELONGS ALL THERE IS IN THE HEAVENS AND IN THE EARTH, AND WHETHER YOU SHOW WHAT IS INSIDE YOU OR HIDE IT, ALLAH WILL JUDGE YOU BY IT, FORGIVING WHOM HE WILLS AND PUNISHES WHOM HE WILLS, AND ALLAH IS ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS”.  (S:2 A:284)

 

This was difficult for the believers, and they told Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, so.  He told them to accept Allah’s rule and say we hear and we obey.  When they did this, Allah the Highest sent the next two Ayahs down: “THE MESSENGER BELIEVED IN WHAT WAS SENT DOWN TO HIM FROM HIS LORD, SO DID THE BELIEVERS; THEY ALL BELIEVED IN ALLAH, HIS ANGELS, HIS BOOKS AND HIS MESSENGER, WE DO NOT MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN HIS MESSENGERS, AND THEY SAID: ‘WE HEAR AND WE OBEY, OUR LORD FORGIVE US, FOR TO YOU IS OUR DESTINY  *  ALLAH DOES NOT DEMAND FROM A SOUL MORE THAN IT CAN BEAR, FOR IT WHAT IT HAS EARNED AND UPON IT WHAT IT HAS EARNED, …………………….”  (S: 2 A: 285-286)

 

And Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “Allah pardoned for my nation what they thought of inside themselves, as long as they did not do it or speak of it”.  (B: Talaq; 11)

 

-         Testing People’s faith; as happened when the Qibla (the direction one faces when praying) was changed from Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Sacred Mosque (in Mekka).

 

Before Migration to Medina in the North, the Muslims prayed towards both Al-Aqsa mosque and the Kabba.  After migrating, they prayed towards Al-Aqsa mosque for some 17 months.  Then, Allah the Highest sent down Quran changing the Qibla to the Kabba saying: “WE SEE THE TURNING OF YOUR FACE FROM THE SKY, SO WE WILL TURN YOU TOWARDS A QIBLA WHICH WILL PLEASE YOU, SO TURN YOUR FACE TOWARDS THE SACRED MOSQUE, AND WHEREVER YOU ARE TURN YOUR FACE TOWARDS IT.  THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN THE BOOK KNOW THAT IT IS THE TRUTH FROM THEIR LORD, AND ALLAH IS NOT UNAWARE OF WHAT THEY DO”.  (S: 2 A: 144)

 

Allah the Highest made it clear that this was a test to distinguish the true from the untrue believers saying: “AND WE DID NOT MAKE YOU FACE THE QIBLA YOU USED TO FOLLOW EXCEPT TO KNOW WHO FOLLOWS THE MESSENGERS FROM THOSE WHO TURN BACK ON THEIR HEALS, INDEED IT IS HARD EXCEPT FOR THOSE TRULY GUIDED BY ALLAH”.  (S: 2 A: 143)

 

These were just some examples to explain the concept of abrogation in the Quran and in Islam.  They are certainly not all the cases, but just examples to explain the idea and concept.  I hope it made the issue clear. 

 

 

 

 

B: Bukhari   M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi  

105- NEITHER THOSE WHO DISBELIEVED OUT OF THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK NOR DO THE IDOLATERS WISH ANY GOODNESS TO COME DOWN TO YOU FROM YOUR LORD.  ALLAH CHOOSES WHOM HE WILLS FOR HIS MERCY, AND ALLAH HAS INFINITE BOUNTIES.

 

 

There are more Ayahs which carry the same meaning, Allah the Highest said: “IF YOU ARE AFFECTED BY SOMETHING GOOD, IT WILL DISPLEASE THEM, BUT IF AFFLICTION STRIKES YOU, IT WILL PLEASE THEM, BUT IF YOU ARE PATIENT AND PERSEVERE, THEIR PLOTTING WILL NOT AFFECT YOU IN ANY WAY, FOR ALLAH KNOW ALL THEY DO”.  (S: 3 A: 120)

 

What we should know, is that the disbelievers of any kind do not wish any goodness to come to us, neither in this life, nor in the Hereafter.  This includes the people of the book, i.e. The Jews and Christians.

 

Allah’s bounties are plenty, some are given to the every one, believer and disbelievers, like wealth and health.  Other bounties are given to the believers only, in this life and in the hereafter, they include:

 

-         Understanding Faith.  Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “Allah gives of this world those he loves and those he does not love, but gives faith only to those he loves”.

 

-         This Faith, and it’s understanding, is what Allah the Highest called “Wisdom” in the Quran, it is a great bounty, for Allah the Highest said: “HE GIVES THE WISDOM TO WHOM HE WILLS, AND HE WHO IS GRANTED THE WISDOM, HE HAS BEEN GRANTED A GREAT DEAL OF BOUNTY, BUT ONLY THOSE OF SOUND MINDS WILL KNOW AND REMEMBER”.  (S:2 A:269)

 

-         There is no limit or restriction to Allah’s bounties.  Allah the Highest rewards the Muslim twice as much as he would reward other nations.  Allah the Highest said: “YOU WHO BELIEVE, BE RIGHTEOUS AND GUARD YOURSELVES FROM ALLAH’S DISPLEASURE, AND BELIEVE IN HIS MESSENGER, HE WILL GIVE YOU TWICE AS MUCH OF HIS MERCY AND WILL LET YOU HAVE LIGHTS TO WALK WITH, AND WILL FORGIVE YOU, FOR ALLAH IS MOST FORGIVING, MOST MERCIFUL”.  (S:57 A:28)

 

This Ayah is clarified by this Hadith in which Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “The parable of you and the Jews is like that of a man who hired workers telling them: ‘You will work for me to midday for so much’.  The Jews worked for that much and the Christians worked for the same amount.  Then you come and work from ASR, until Magrib (i.e. mid-afternoon until sunset) for twice the payment.  The Jews and Christians get angry and say: ‘Our work is more than them but our bounty is less’.  He (Allah) says: ‘Did I hold back what is due to you unjustly?’  They say: ‘No’.  He says: “This is my bounty; I give to whoever I wish”. 

(B: Maqaqeet; 17 & T: Adab; 82 & Ma: Nekah; 48 & A: 2; 111,121 6; 95)

 

 

 

B: Bukhari   M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi  

104- YOU WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT SAY: “RAENA” (ATTEND TO US) AND SAY: “INZORNA” (LOOK AT US) AND LISTEN, AND THE DISBELIEVERS WILL HAVE HUMILIATING PUNISHMENT. 

 

Allah the Highest is addressing the Muslims saying “YOU WHO BELIEVE”.  This means that it is instructions and commands for the believers, which is different from addressing mankind, which usually takes the form of “O PEOPLE” or “O MANKIND”.   So there is a command to the believers in this Ayah.

 

The command is not to use a certain word addressing Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him.  Why?

 

When the Jews of Medina went to see Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, about something, they did not call him Allah’s messenger, but called him by the name Aba Al Qasim (Father of Qasim).  Qasim was his first son who died before he was two.

 

When they wanted to attract his attention, they said to him Raenn, which means reckless and irresponsible, twisting their tongues with the word Raena which means attend to us.  This was to covertly insult him, prayer and peace upon him. 

 

Unaware of what the Jews were doing, some of the Muslims said to Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, “Raena”, therefore Allah the Highest forbad the Muslims from using this word with Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him.  Consequently, any one who does will mean to insult Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him.

 

Allah the Highest spoke about the Jews doing this on another occasion in Sorah Al-Nesae saying: “ OF THE JEWS THOSE WHO TAKE WORDS OUT OF CONTEXT AND THEY SAY: “WE HEAR AND WE DISOBEY” AND “HEAR, BUT YOU ARE NOT BEING HEARD”, AND: “RAENA” TWISTING THEIR TONGUES WITH IT AND TO SLANDER THE RELIGION.  BUT IF THEY SAY: “WE HEAR AND WE OBEY, AND LISTEN TO US AND LOOK AT US”, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR THEM AND MORE PROPER.  BUT ALLAH CURSED THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR DISBELIEF, THEY DO NOT BELIEVE, JUST FEW OF THEM”.  (S: 4 A: 46)

 

Allah the Highest is promising them a humiliating punishment.  We notice that they meant, to mock Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, and in return Allah the Highest will humiliate them.

 

There are a number of lessons in this Ayah, of them:-

 

-         The Muslims should not blindly imitate non-Muslims in what they say and do, they might find that they have been doing a great wrong and are becoming like them.  Allah’s messenger prayers and peace upon him said:  “He who imitates what a group of people do, he is one of them”.  (A:2;50 & D:Lebas;4)

 

-         Mohamed, prayer and peace upon him, was not just rejected by the Jews, but they mocked him and on several occasions tried to kill him.  This is not new for them, as they did the same with other prophets and messengers of Allah.

 

 

-         All Allah messengers, peace upon them, suffered physical and verbal abuse by the disbelievers.  Allah the Highest said: “BUT NO MESSENGER EVER CAME WITHOUT BEING MOCKED”. (S:15 A:11)He also said: “OTHER MESSENGERS BEFORE YOU WERE MOCKED, HOWEVER THOSE WHO MOCKED THEM WERE TAKEN BY THE VERY THING THEY DREADED”.  (S:6 A:10)

 

-         The Muslims should never associate themselves with, or sit down with, those who mock their religion or Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, Allah the Highest said: “DO NOT TAKE THOSE WHO MOCK YOUR RELIGION OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE GIVEN THE BOOK BEFORE YOU AND THE DISBELIEVERS AS CLOSE FRIENDS AND ALLIES, BE PIOUS IF YOU ARE TRULY BELIEVERS”.  (S:5 A:57)

 

 

-         The Muslims should never mock one another, for Allah the Highest said: “YOU WHO BELIEF, LET NOT ONE GROUP OF YOU MOCK ANOTHER, FOR THEY MIGHT BE BETTER THAN THEM, NOR SHALL ONE GROUP OF WOMEN MOCK ANOTHER GROUP OF WOMEN, FOR THEY MIGHT BE BETTER THAN THEM, AND DO NOT MAKE MOCKING GESTURES ABOUT EACH OTHER, AND DO NOT CALL EACH OTHER BAD NAMES, FOR THE WORST SIN IS EVIL DOING AFTER YOU HAVE BELIEVED, AS FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT REPENT, THEY ARE THE EVIL DOERS”.  (S:49 A:11)

 

 

 

B: Bukhari   M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi