In The Name of Allah,
the Beneficent and the Most Merciful
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Volume 1: Surah Baqarah, Verses 40-44
O children of Israel! Remember My bounties
which I bestowed on You, and be faithful to (Your) covenant with
Me, I will fulfill (My) covenant with you; and of Me, Me alone,
should you be afraid (40). And believe in what I have sent
down verifying that which is with You, and be not the first to deny it,
neither take a mean price in exchange for My signs; and Me, Me alone,
should you fear (41). And do not mix up the truth with the
falsehood, nor hide the truth while You know (it)
(42). And keep up Prayer and pay the zakat and bow down with
those who bow down (43). What! do you enjoin men to be good and
forget your own selves while you read the Book? Have you then no sense?
(44)
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GENERAL COMMENT
Now
begins the rebuking of the Jews that continues for more than a hundred
verses. Allah reminds them of the bounties bestowed, of the honors
given; contrasting it with their ingratitude and disobedience; showing how
at every juncture they paid the favors of Allah with disregard of their
covenant, open rebellion against divine commands and even with
polytheism. The series reminds them of twelve events of their
history - like rescuing them from Pharaoh and his people by parting the
river, drowning of Pharaoh and his army, the appointed rendezvous at the
mount Saina'i, the Jews' starting calf-worship in Musa's absence, and
Musa's order to them to kill themselves, their demand from Musa to show
their Lord to them face to face, their death by lightning and then their
arising from dead etc. - all of which shows how they were chosen to
receive the special favors of Allah. But their ingratitude runs
parallel to it. They repeatedly broke the covenants made with Allah,
committed capital sins, heinous crimes and shameful deeds; more despicable
was their spiritual poverty and moral bankruptcy - in open defiance to
their book and total disregard to the reason. It was all because
their hearts were hardened, their souls lost and their endeavors
worthless.
COMMENTARY
Qur'an:
.....and be faithful to (your) covenant with Me:
"al-'Ahd"
(covenant) literally means guarding and maintenance. By association it
has become to mean covenant, oath, testament, will, encounter, house,
etc.
Qur'an:
....and of Me,....should you be afraid:
"ar-Rahbah"
(fear) is opposite of ar-raghbah (desire).
Qur'an:
..... and be not the first to deny it:
That is, first among the
people of the book, or first among your own people. This first-ness
is not all-inclusive, because the disbelievers of Mecca had rejected the
Message before the Jews.
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