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COMMENTARY
QUR’ĀN: And when We
made a covenant with the Children of Israel: "You shall not worship
(any) but Allāh. . . ": To begin with, the verse refers to the
Children of Israel in third person, and then ends by addressing them in
second person, "Then you turned back . . . " The first sentence mentions
making a covenant with them - which must naturally be in words - then
describes that covenant; this in its turn begins with a declarative
sentence, "You shall not worship (any) but Allāh", and ends up with some
imperative ones, "and speak to men good words . . ." When the stories of
the Israelites began, they were addressed in second person, because the
verses contained a lot of admonition and reprimand; it continued to the
story of the Cow when, because of demands of eloquence, it was changed to
third person. Consequently, this verse too began with third person,
but when time came to quote the verbal covenant, the style reverted to the
second person.
"You shall
not worship (any) but Allāh": It is a prohibition in the form of an
information. This style shows the utmost importance attached to the ban by
the speaker - it is as though the speaker has no doubt whatsoever that the
order shall be complied with, and that, in this case, the servants will
not dare to go near idolatry.
The same
style is continued in the next clause, "and (you shall do) good to (your)
parents, and to the near of kin and to the orphans and the needy."
The change
over to second person, although resorted to for the purpose of quoting the
covenant, has put the speech back to the original style and has linked the
last clauses of the covenant to the fresh admonitory ones: "and keep up
prayer and pay the zakāt. Then you turned back . . ."
QUR’ĀN: and (you
shall do) good to (your) parents. . .: As translated here,
it is a declarative sentence with the sense of imperative. It may
also be translated as an imperative sentence: "and (do) good . . ." The
verse gives in descending order of importance, the list of those whom one
should do good to. The parents are the root of man's existence, and
nearest of all to him. Then come the near of kin. Going outside the circle
of relatives, the orphans are most deserving of kindness and beneficence,
because in their small age they are deprived of their father - their
guardian, protector and bread-earner. Other needy persons come after
them.
"and to the
orphans": "al-Yatīm" (= orphan) is he whose father has died. The
word is not used for him who has lost his mother. Also, it is said that a
human child is called "orphan" if his father dies, but in animals, the
adjective is used for one whose mother dies.
"and the
needy": "al-Masākīn" is plural of al-miskīn (= needy,
impoverished, destitue, lowly).
"and speak
to men good (words)": "Husnan" (= beauty, excellence) is an
infinitive verb, used for adjective (beautiful, excellent, good) to give
emphasis. Some reciters have recited it hasanan (= beautiful,
excellent, good). However, the sentence enjoins them to speak nicely to
the people; it is an indirect way of ordering them to maintain good
social relations to behave with people nicely, gently and good-mannered -
no matter whether the opposite party is a believer or an unbeliever. It
cannot be said to be abrogated by the verse of fighting, because the two
verses are not contradictory to each other; the place and time of social
contact is other than the place and time of fighting. For example, using
hard words when admonishing a child to correct his behavior is not
contrary to maintaining good social relation.
QUR’ĀN: "You shall
not shed your blood. . . ": This too is a prohibitory order, in the
form of an information - the same style which was used in, "You shall not
worship (any) but Allāh". “as-safk” (= to shed blood).
QUR'AN: backing each
other up against them: "at-Tazāhur" (= to help each other).
az-Zahīr (= helper); it is derived from az-zahr (= back) as
though the helper strengthens the back of the helped one.
QUR’ĀN
: while their very turning away was unlawful for you:
Its literal translation will be, `while it was unlawful for you their very
turning out.' The pronoun "it" is not related here to any
previously mentioned noun etc., it is a pronoun used to begin a sentence.
In the verse, Say: "He, Allāh is one" (112:1), the pronoun "He" has
the same grammatical significance.
QUR’ĀN
: Do you believe in a part of the Book . . . : Why
should you follow the rule of paying ransom for them and disobey the
prohibition of turning them out? Are not both rules in the same book? Do
you believe in a part of the Book and disbelieve in the other?
QUR’ĀN: And We sent
apostles after him one after another: "at -Taqfiyah " ( = to send
someone after someone else).
QUR’ĀN: and We gave
Isā son of Maryam, clear evidence: This subject will be dealt with in
Chapter 3, (The Family of `Imran).
QUR’ĀN
: And they say: "Our hearts are covered": al-Ghulf " is
plural of al-aghlaf . It is derived from ghilāf (= cover).
They say: Our hearts are protected under various covers and veils - your
call cannot reach our hearts. The sentence has the same import as the
verse: And they say: "Our hearts are under coverings from that to which
you call us (41:5).
TRADITIONS
Abu Ja'far
(a.s.) said about the words of Allāh, and speak to men good
(words): "Speak to men the best of that which you would like to be
said about yourself." (al-Kāfi)
as-Sadiq
(a.s.) said about this verse: "Speak to men, and do not speak but good
until you know what it is.
"al-Bāqir
(a.s.) said: "Speak to men the best, of that which you would like to be
said about yourself; for certainly Allāh, Mighty and Great is He, dislikes
an abuser, curler, speaker of evil against the believers, indecent,
shameless (and) begger, and He loves the modest, mild-tempered, chaste
(and) moderate." (Ma`āni 'l-akhbār)
The author
says: A tradition, similar to the first one, has been narrated in al-Kāfī
from as-Sādiq (a.s.) with another chain of narrators; and similarly in
al-`Ayyāshī.
Another
tradition, like the second one has been written from the same Imam in
al-Kāfī; and one like the third is narrated from al-Bāqir (a.s.) in al
-`Ayyāshī. Apparently these meanings of the "good word" have been inferred
from general usage.
as-Sādiq
(a.s) said: "Verily Allāh sent Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) with five swords: So
(there is) a sword against a dhimmī ( = free non-Muslim
subject of an Islamic country). Allāh said: and speak to men good
(words); it was revealed about the dhimmīs, then it was
abrogated by another verse, Fight those who do not believe in Allāh. .
. (9:29) (al-`Ayyāshī)
The
author says: In this tradition the Imam has taken the "speech" to mean
behavior. We say: Do not speak to him but good; what we mean is: Do not
deal with him but in a good and decent manner. This meaning will apply
only if we take the word, "abrogated" in its terminological sense. But it
may also be taken in its literal sense (as we shall explain under the
verse: Whatever signs We abrogate or cause to be forgotten . .
.2:106); and in that case this verse will not be in conflict with that of
the fighting. It should be pointed out that such uses of words in their
literal meanings (as against their terminological ones) are not infrequent
in the traditions of the Imams.
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