وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لاَ تَعْبُدُونَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَاناً وَذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْناً وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مِّعْرِضُونَ (٨٣)

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ لاَ تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءكُمْ وَلاَ تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ  ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَؤُلاء تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقاً مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَارِهِمْ تَظَاهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِالإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَإِن يَأتُوكُمْ أُسَارَى تُفَادُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ فَمَا جَزَاء مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلاَّ خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ  أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالآَخِرَةِ فَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ (٨٤-٨٦)

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَقَفَّيْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ بِالرُّسُلِ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لاَ تَهْوَى أَنفُسُكُمُ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقاً كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقاً تَقْتُلُونَ  وَقَالُواْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّه بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلاً مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ (٨٧-٨٨)

وَلَمَّا جَاءهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَلَمَّا جَاءهُم مَّا عَرَفُواْ كَفَرُواْ بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّه عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ  بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ أَن يَكْفُرُواْ بِمَا أنَزَلَ اللّهُ بَغْياً أَن يُنَزِّلُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ فَبَآؤُواْ بِغَضَبٍ عَلَى غَضَبٍ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ (٨٩-٩٠)

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُواْ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ قَالُواْ نُؤْمِنُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرونَ بِمَا وَرَاءهُ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَاء اللّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَلَقَدْ جَاءكُم مُّوسَى بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ  وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُواْ مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاسْمَعُواْ قَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَأُشْرِبُواْ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِهِ إِيمَانُكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِينَ (٩١-٩٣)

قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الآَخِرَةُ عِندَ اللّهِ خَالِصَةً مِّن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُاْ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ  وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمينَ (٩٤-٩٥)

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ وَاللّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ (٩٦)

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ  مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلّهِ وَمَلآئِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ (٩٧-٩٨)

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلاَّ الْفَاسِقُونَ  أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُواْ عَهْداً نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ (٩٩-١٠٠)

And recall1 when We made a covenant2 with the Israelites: ‘Worship none but God, show kindness3 to your parents4, to your kinsfolk, to orphans, and to the destitute5 and say what is good to people6 and diligently attend to your prayers and pay the Zakāh.’ Then except for a few all of you broke [it] and [in reality] you are those who break promises7. (83)

And recall when We made a covenant8 with you: ‘You shall not shed your kinsmen’s blood or turn them out of their dwellings’. Then to this you consented and bore witness9. Yet you are the very ones who slay your own kinsfolk, and drive out a group of yours from their dwellings, and help one another against them with sin and aggression; and when they come to you as captives, you ransom them10 though in the first place their expulsion was unlawful for you. Then do you believe in one part of the Book of God and deny another? So those of you who act thus shall be rewarded with disgrace in this world and with a grievous punishment on the Day of Resurrection. [You always do this] and whatever you do, God is not unaware of it. Such are they who exchange the life of this world at the price11 of the life to come. So [now] their punishment shall not be lessened, nor shall they be helped. (84-6)

And to Moses We gave the book and sent after him messengers12 one after the other13 and [at the very end] gave Jesus son of Mary very clear signs and strengthened14 him with the Holy Spirit.15 [Do you know what your attitude was with those signs]? So whenever a messenger of [Ours] brings to you what does not suit your fancies, will you always be disdainful [to him]? So this is what happened: you kept on rejecting one group [of Our Messengers] and slaying the other16 – and [these are the people] who say: ‘Our hearts have covers’17. But God has cursed them18 for their disbelief. So [now] they will seldom believe. (87-88)

And [these are the people that] when a Book19 from God came to them in confirmation of the predictions they had with them and before this they had been praying for victory20 [with reference to this book] against those who had rejected their religion. Then when that came to them which they fully recognized, they rejected it. So God’s curse be upon these rejecters! Evil is that for which they have sold21 away their souls: to deny God’s own revelation, grudging22 that He should reveal His bounty to whom He chooses from among His servants! So they have incurred God’s wrath upon wrath23. And [now] an ignominious punishment awaits these disbelievers [in this world and in the Hereafter]. (89-90)

And [these are the people that] when it is emphasized that they should believe in what God has revealed, reply: ‘We believe in what was revealed to us’, and [in this manner] they openly deny what is besides it24 although it is the truth25 in confirmation of the predictions that are with them. Ask them: ‘If you are believers of [the guidance which has been revealed to you] why did you kill the prophets of God [who came to you]? And [you knew that] Moses came to you with clear signs, but in his absence you worshipped the calf and at that time committed a great injustice’.26 And recall when We made a covenant with you and raised Tūr above you with the command: ‘Grasp fervently what We have given you and listen and obey’; so [the attitude which your forefathers adopted clearly showed that] they [at that time also in fact had] said: ‘We hear but disobey’. And because of their disbelief the love of the calf was made to sink into their hearts. Ask them: ‘If you are believers then what evil is it to which your faith prompts you’. (91-3)

Tell them: ‘If to God, the Abode of the Hereafter is for yourselves alone27 leaving all others aside, then be desirous of death if you are true [in this claim of yours]!’28 and [you will see that] they will never wish for death because of what they have sent forward by their hands and [in reality] God is fully aware of these wrong-doers. (94-5)

And indeed, you will find them to be the greediest of all people for life even more than those who have adopted idolatry as their religion29. Each one of them would love to live a thousand years. But even if their lives were thus prolonged, then this will surely not save them from the torment of God and [indeed] God is watching all their actions.30 (96)

[In enmity with the Qur’ān, they have now become enemies of Gabriel]. Tell them: ‘Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel [is in reality an enemy of God31]’ because he [O Prophet!] has revealed it to your heart by the permission of God32 in confirmation with the predictions which are present from before and [revealed it] to give guidance and glad tidings to the believers.33 [They should know that] whoever is an enemy of God, His angels, and His Prophets and Gabriel and Michael34, then God is the enemy of such disbelievers.35 (97-8)

And [in the shape of this Qur’ān, O Prophet!] We have sent down to you clear arguments and in reality none will deny them except such defiant people. What! Whenever they make a covenant, must some of them cast it aside? In fact, the truth is that most of them do not have faith.36 (99-100)

(Translated from Ghamidi’s Al-Bayān by Shehzad Saleem)

 1. From here the Jews are reminded of the breech of covenant they had been guilty of so that they become fully aware of the attitude they had adopted towards a covenant they were so proud of.

2. This refers to the initial covenant which was made with the Israelites regarding monotheism and discharging of duties. The words ‘لاَ تَعْبُدُونَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ’ have come right after referring to this covenant in direct speech much like way we say: ‘I have told you: you will not do this’.

3. Showing kindness to someone is not different from fulfilling one’s obligations to someone. It means that one should fulfill these obligations towards others in a very befitting manner.

4. After mentioning the obligation towards God, a mention of the obligation towards the parents shows that after God one’s greatest obligation is towards one’s parents.

5. A mention of orphans and the destitute right after a mention of the parents and kinsfolk show their importance in an Islamic society

6. These words are synonymous to (٢ :٢٦٢-٣)  ‘قَوْلٌ مَعْرُوْفٌ وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ’,  (٤ : ٥ ‘ ٨‘٩)‘مَيْسُوْرَا  وَ قُوْلُوالَهُمْ قَوْلاَ’  (١٧ :٢٨ )‘وَلْيَقُوْلُوا قَوْلاَ سَدِيْدَا’. The implied meaning is that besides fulfilling one’s obligations towards people, one should also be conscious of their self-respect. So whatever is said to them should be said in a decent and cultured way. They should not be scolded or ill-spoken to. If a person cannot talk decently to people to whom he owes obligations, then he has actually disobeyed the directive of showing kindness to them.

7. The implication is that this is not a sin which was committed by them accidentally: this was their constant attitude.

8. From here begins a mention of another covenant.

9. ie when this covenant was pledged a whole group of their forefathers was present with the Prophet Moses (sws). It is evident from the Torah that it was the way of the Prophet Moses (sws) that he would inform the Israelites of the directives of God in public and then take a pledge from the whole group to follow these directives.

10. It is evident from history that they would first conspire and have someone attack their brethren. When these brethren as prisoners in the hands of the enemy would come to them for help, they would have them set free as a show of kindness and sympathy for their brethren.

11. ie they gave preference to this world in relation to the Hereafter. This is a common style in most languages to connote preference.

12. The actual Qur’ānic word used is ‘الرُسُل’. This word connotes a position higher than the position of Nabuwwah and it is also used as a general word to connote the messengers of the Almighty. It is in this second connotation that the word is used for archangel Gabriel. It is known that in its first connotation, for the Israelites it was solely used for Moses (sws) and after him for Jesus (sws). Consequently, it is certain that here this word is used in its second connotation signifying the Prophets that came to the Israelites.

13. The implication is that the Almighty sent Prophets towards the Israelites in succession to remind them of the covenant mentioned before.

14. The reason that the help of Gabriel for the Prophet Jesus (sws) is mentioned in various places in the Qur’ān is that the Jews because of their wretchedness believed that the various miracles which emanated from the hands of Jesus (sws) were because of the help provided by Beelzebub the king of evil spirits:

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. (Matthew 12: 22-29)

15. In ancient scriptures the term ‘الرُوْحُ القُدُس’ refers to Gabriel.

16. The actual Qur’ānic words are: ‘وَفَرِيقاً تَقْتُلُونَ’ It is evident from the clause to which they are co-ordinated that before these words too there is an elision of an incomplete verb (الفعل الناقص).

17. This declaration on their part means that their hearts are closed to the calls of the Messenger because these calls are so foolish that they cannot take roots in the heart of a sensible person. Had there been any sense in them, they would have been the first to accept them.

18. The implication is that what the Prophet (sws) is presenting before them are certainly not what they acclaim; he is presenting something very sensible but because of their own stubbornness and obduracy they have been deprived of the ability to accept them. So they are now indulging in disbelief and as a punishment for this, the Almighty has sent His curse on them.

19. ie the Qur’ān.

20. On the basis of the predictions of the advent of Muhammad (sws) and of the revelation of the Qur’ān which were with the Jews, they were hopeful that whenever these would arrive, their wretched days would end and they would be able to humble their enemies. It was with this reference that they would pray for victory.

21. The implication is that they persisted in their stubbornness and did not care that this attitude would lead them to Hell. In other words, this stubbornness became so dear to them that they preferred it to their own selves.

22. The actual Qur’ānic words used are: ‘بَغْياً أَن يُنَزِّلُ اللّهُ’. Before the word ‘أَن’ there is an elision of the particle ‘عَلَى’ as per linguistic principles. That is their stubbornness was because of the fact that the Qur’ān had been sent to the Ismaelites and to a Prophet belonging to them.

23. The expression ‘wrath upon wrath’ refers to the fact that first when they had broken the covenant with God they had pledged through the Prophet Moses (sws) they had already earned the wrath of God, but now after the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (sws) when they once again had a chance to revive this covenant they never made use of this chance and hence became worthy of further wrath.

24. ie they are not convinced of believing in any other book after the Torah.

25. ie as per the predictions of the Torah, it is now only the Qur’ān which is the true scripture from God.

26. The actual Qur’ānic words used are: ‘وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ’. Since the greatest ‘ظُلْم’ (injustice) according to the Qur’ān is ‘شِرك’ (polytheism), the words ‘وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ’ actually mean ‘َأَنتُمْ مُشْرِكُوْن ’. The Israelites, in other words, are reprimanded that if they think that they are true in their belief in the Torah then why did they perpetrate this injustice by worshipping the calf in the very lifetime of the Prophet Moses (sws). The earlier Prophets while referring to this shameful infidelity of the Israelites have gone as far as to say: ‘O Israel, you are the one who committed infidelity the very first night’.

27. ie if only the Jews are entitled to the favours of the Hereafter.

28. Here the Qur’ān has put the Jews to shame that if they think that they only will succeed in the Hereafter then they should desire to meet their Lord; however, they very well know themselves how greedy they are for the life of this world. This fact of course is very harsh and is instrumental in humiliating them in their own eyes.

29. ie the Idolaters of Arabia who the Jews considered very lowly since for a long time they never received any divine guidance. Here the Qur’ān has made it amply clear that in spite of making tall claims of religiosity and piety they are morally inferior even to the Idolaters.

30. Here the implied meaning is that if He is watching them then He will definitely punish them for their crimes.

31. These suppressed words are but a requisite of the style that has been adopted in the apodosis.

32. The Jews in their foolishness had gone as far as to become the enemy of Gabriel merely because he had revealed the message of God to Muhammad (sws) and not to someone among them.

33. By presenting these details about the Qur’ān, the intention is to tell them that their opposition to it is not merely an opposition to the Qur’ān but in fact opposition to the Torah according to whose predictions the Qur’ān was revealed. Also, it is not merely an opposition to a book but an opposition to guidance and glad tidings which the Almighty sent them.

34. Gabriel and Micheal are mentioned after referring to other angels just as the specific is mentioned after the general. It is evident from this mention that these two angels hold special status before the Almighty.

35. It is evident from this that opposing Gabriel is not merely opposing him; it is opposing the Almighty, all the angels and all the prophets. Also evident is the fact that opposing the Almighty, His angels and His prophets is a disgraceful form of disbelief and the result of such opposition is that the Almighty is also an enemy of such disbelievers. Obviously, there is no further need to say that those who make Allah as their enemy are the worthless of all. The concise and succinct manner of the Qur’ān has thus made it possible to drive the point home without giving the Jews a chance to reject what it has said.

36. After mentioning the evasion and indifference of the Jews to the covenant that they had made with the Almighty regarding His final Book and His last prophet, this is an expression of amazement at their attitude viz: Will they always persist on their evasion?