2-40 O Children of Israel, call to mind My favor which I bestowed on youa and be faithful to (your) covenant with Me, I shall fulfil (My) covenant with you; and Me, Me alone, should you fear.b
يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنۡعَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَأَوۡفُواْ بِعَہۡدِىٓ أُوفِ بِعَهۡدِكُمۡ وَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرۡهَبُونِ (٤٠)
2:40a: بنی – بَنُو – اَبۡنَاء is the plural of اِبۡن and this word is derived from بَناء which means a manufactured thing or in its verbal noun form it means to build a thing. Accordingly, it is stated in the Quran: وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيۡنَـٰهَا بِأَيۡيْدٍ۬ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ (And the heaven, We raised it high with power, and We are Makers of the vast extent (51:47), لَا يَزَالُ بُنۡيَـٰنُهُمُ ٱلَّذِى بَنَوۡاْ رِيبَةً۬ فِى قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِلَّآ أَن تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (The building which they have built will ever continue to be a source of disquiet in their hearts, unless their hearts be torn to pieces. And Allah is Knowing, Wise (9:110), قَالُواْ ٱبۡنُواْ لَهُ ۥ بُنۡيَـٰنً۬ا فَأَلۡقُوهُ فِى ٱلۡجَحِيمِ (They said: Build for him a building, then cast him into the flaming fire) (37:97) and كَأَنَّهُم بُنۡيَـٰنٌ۬ مَّرۡصُوصٌ۬ (…as if they were a solid wall) (61:4). And a son is called اِبۡن because he is brought into existence by his father. Then everything whose identity is an integral part of an event, or instruction or covenant or an order, is called its اِبۡن (son) as for example ابن حرب (literarily son of war, but a warrior), ابن العلم (literarily son of knowledge, but in actuality, knowledgeable) etcetera. ابن سبیل is a traveler (R).
إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ – is Aramaic. إِسۡرَ means عَبۡد(servant). In Arabic, the meaning of إِسۡر is to imprison, from which we have the words اَسیر (prisoner), and its plurals اُسارٰی and اَسۡرٰی. And ٲٓءِيلَ is a name of Allah, the Most High, and it is the same name by which Jesus called out to God on the Cross. The literal meaning of إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ is the servant of Allah or Allah’s slave, and it is also the second name of Prophet Jacob.
Bani Israel and Bani Ishmael: After mentioning the Unity of Allah and the need for prophets, a nation is mentioned as an example. By Bani Israel is meant the nation that is the progeny of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham. The other branch of the progeny of Abraham is Bani Ishmael, that is, the children of Ishmael. Thus, Bani Israel, the nation addressed here, and Bani Ishmael, to which Prophet Muhammad belonged, are two brotherly nations. Bani Ishmael always inhabited Arabia, while Bani Israel, after initially dwelling in Canaan for about 150 years, went to Egypt in the time of Joseph. After staying there for about four hundred years, they came back with Moses to the Holy Land and conquered the it under the leadership of Joshua.
The Jews in Arabia: Several hundred years before Prophet Muhammad, many Jews settled in Arabia– probably because the prophecies of the last prophet indicate his advent there. Three Jewish tribes settled in Madinah, namely Banu Nadir, Banu Qurayza, and Banu Qaynuqa. Jews also settled in Khyber, and they were the rulers there.
The purpose for the narrative of Bani Israel: Narrative about a person or nation in the Quran is not meant to be a tale but rather is to educate the Muslims. The narrative of Bani Israel comes before any others because they have a special connection with Bani Ishmael, and because they are the recipient of special favors from Allah. Prophets were raised among them for their spiritual excellence, and physical excellence was bestowed on them in the form of military conquests. Allah mentions these favors in another place: ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ جَعَلَ فِيكُمۡ أَنۢبِيَآءَ وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكً۬ا (…remember the favor of Allah to you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings…) (5:20), that is, He bestowed on you the most excellent spiritual blessings and the most excellent physical blessings. Despite these blessings their misdeeds made them subject to God’s wrath. The same happened to the Muslims. It was as if the Muslims’ history is written by way of a prophecy in the narration of Bani Israel. This commentary should be considered as coming from the blessed tongue of Prophet Muhammad because in a unanimously accepted hadith of great authenticity, the Holy Prophet had remarked: لتتبعن سنن من قبلکم (You will follow in the footsteps of the previous generations), and when he was asked: الیھود والنصاریٰ یا رسول اللّٰه (The Jews and Christians? O Messenger of Allah), he replied “Yes, who else”. Thus, Muslims are reminded in this verse of the most excellent spiritual and worldly favors once bestowed on them that they are deprived today. First, they deprived themselves of the spiritual blessings by their actions and then Allah imposed upon them others who deprived them of the worldly blessings.
2:40b: ٱرۡهَبُونِ – The meaning of رَھۡب is fear mixed with caution and anxiety (R) as in: لَأَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ رَهۡبَةً۬ (Your fear is greater…) (59:13) and تُرۡهِبُونَ بِهِۦ عَدُوَّ ٱللَّهِ (…to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah…) (8:60). تَرھَبُّ means worship and رَھۡبانِیَّة means excessive worshipping. فَٱرۡهَبُونِ is in reality فَٱرۡهَبُونی that is, me alone should you fear. And إِيَّـٰىَ is added as a restriction, that is, a fear the like of which is not felt from anything else.
The covenant of Bani Israel with God: Both the covenants are mentioned in Deuteronomy 26:17-19: “Thou hast vouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and to hearken unto His voice: And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto the Lord thy God, as He hath spoken.” “Hearken unto His voice” means they would accept the Last Prophet.
The covenant with the Muslims: A similar covenant was made with the Muslims as well: إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱشۡتَرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَأَمۡوَٲلَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلۡجَنَّةَۚ (Surely Allah has bought from the believers their persons and their property – theirs (in return) is the Garden.) (9:111). Muslims are in violation of this covenant and that is the reason for the difficulties they face today as a nation.
2-41 And believe in that which I have revealed, verifying that which is with you, and be not the first to deny it;a neither take a mean price for My messages; and keep your duty to Me, Me alone.b
وَءَامِنُواْ بِمَآ أَنزَلۡتُ مُصَدِّقً۬ا لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ وَلَا تَكُونُوٓاْ أَوَّلَ كَافِرِۭ بِهِۦۖ وَلَا تَشۡتَرُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِى ثَمَنً۬ا قَلِيلاً۬ وَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱتَّقُونِ (٤١)
2:41a: مُصَدِّقً۬ا – It is from صدق (truth) and صدّقت فلانا means I assigned him to the side of truth. (R).
مُصَدِّقً۬ا لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ means it verifies that which is with you. The verification is a declaration of its truth and the relative pronoun ل after the verification is to show that the verification is for the benefit of that which is being verified, that is the Jewish and Christian scriptures.
Quran as the verifier of all Scriptures and its significance: The Quran is the verifier of the scriptures of Bani Israel and it is also called the verifier of all revealed Books: مُصَدِّقً۬ا لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ (…verifying that which is before it of the Book and a guardian over it). (5:48). The Quran is the only Book holds all the prophets of Bani Israel to be true and also makes it incumbent to believe in all the prophets, wherever they may have appeared in the world. Another significance of مُصَدِّقً۬ا لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ in the commentary by Ibn Jarir is that they had prophecies of the advent of the Holy Prophet. So the Prohet’s advent proved these prophecies, otherwise, there would be doubt about their truthfullness.
The prophecy of being the “Like of Moses”: For example, consider the prophecy: “I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee”, (Deuteronomy 18:18). The spirit of this prophecy necessitates that a prophet should appear who is the like of Moses. The strange thing is that none of the Israelite prophets claimed to be the like of Moses, nor could any prophet of Bani Israel claim to be so because all of them were the caliphs or successors of Moses.
The wait for three prophets up to the time of Jesus: This is the reason the Bani Israel were waiting for this prophecy to be fulfilled till the time of Jesus,. Accordingly, when John claimed to be a prophet, people asked him: Are you the Messiah? He said, no; then they asked him, are you Elias? He said, no; then they asked him, are you that prophet? He said, no. (John 1:21). All versions of the Bible here cite Deuteronomy 18:18, that is the “like of Moses”, for the identity of “that prophet”. These questions show that up to the time of Jesus, the Bani Israel were awaiting the advent of three prophets. Of these, Jesus proclaimed John to be the fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the coming of Elias and claimed himself to be the Messiah, leaving only the advent of the prophet who was to be the like of Moses. There has been no prophet in Bani Israel after Jesus.
Irrefutable evidence against Jews and Christians: If the Holy Prophet had not appeared and claimed to be the “like of Moses”, the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:18 would perforce be considered false. The advent of the Holy Prophet manifests the truth of this prophecy. Even in the very early revelations of the Holy Prophet he is said to be the like of Moses, as for example in Surah Al Muzzammil: كَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُولاً۬ (…as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh). (73:15). This early anointment of the Holy Prophet by revelation of being the like of Moses in line with the Biblical prophecy is powerful evidence of the truth of the Holy Prophet against the Jews and the Christians. There are similar prophecies whose authenticity was established by the appearance of the Holy Prophet, as none of the prophets of Bani Israel fulfilled the conditions of those prophecies. This verse particularly serves to ask [the Jews and Christians] what their objection is in not accepting this Prophet when he fulfills the prophecies found in their Books.
2:41b: ثَمَنً۬ا قَلِيلاً۬ means a small price and implies the benefits of earthly life. It is for these benefits that most men do not accept the truth. Allah, the Most High, states: قُلۡ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا قَلِيلٌ۬ (Say: The enjoyment of this world is short) (4:77).
2-42 And mix not up truth with falsehood, nor hide the truth while you know.a
وَلَا تَلۡبِسُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ بِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ وَتَكۡتُمُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ (٤٢)
2:42a: تَلۡبِسُواْ – لَبۡس means wearing clothes or to conceal yourself with clothes. لباس (dress) is derived from it, for which see 2:187a. Then the meanings have switched from the literal to metaphorical andلَبَسۡت عَلَیۡه اَمَره means concealed a matter from him (R).
الحق – Raghib states that the literal meaning of حَقَّ is conformity and suitability and it is used in many senses. An attribute of Allah is الحق because He creates things in conformity with the dictates of wisdom: ثُمَّ رُدُّوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَوۡلَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡحَقِّ (Then are they sent back to Allah, their Master, the True one) (6:62). The things created by God are called حق because they are created according to the dictates of wisdom. Every action and word is called حق if it is right, proportionate and timely (R). Among the many meanings of حق is alsoصدق (truth). (T). حق is the opposite of باطل (false or untrue).
Mixing truth with falsehood: What is implied by حق here are the prophecies that could still be found in their Books, and by باطل is meant their own desires that caused them to deny the fulfilment of the prophecies. These prophecies are mentioned as hidden in another place in the following words: قَالُوٓاْ أَتُحَدِّثُونَہُم بِمَا فَتَحَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ (…they say: Do you talk to them of what Allah has disclosed to you…) (2:76) .
2-43 And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and bow down with those who bow down.a
وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱرۡكَعُواْ مَعَ ٱلرَّٲكِعِينَ (٤٣)
ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ – Is derived from زکا and is used in farming for verdant growth. زکوٰة also stems from it, the wealth that is distributed to the needy, and it is called زکوٰة because in reality there is great blessing in it because a person’s wealth may increase or their soul is cleansed (R).
ٱرۡكَعُواْ – The literal meaning of رکوع is to bend and is used for complete obedience, symbolized by a person completely bowing to another. In the terminology of the shariah it is one of the postures assumed in prayer in which a person bows with his hands on his knees until the neck and back are in a level plane. Here the term is used in its original sense [of complete obedience].
Prayer and Zakat: The first invitation is to faith and now they are told that mere confession of faith is not enough. It is necessary to accept as a principle two things Islam has made a requirement for the purity or perfection of the of soul, that is to keep up prayer and to give charity. The former is for excellence of spiritual beauty and the latter for excellence in goodness because prayer is primarily concerned with acquiring those perfections that are most concerned with a person’s soul, and charity with doing good to others.
وَٱرۡكَعُواْ – is used to state that a person must at all times bow in obedience before the commandments of Allah.
2-44 Do you enjoin men to be good and neglect your own souls while you read the Book? Have you then no sense?a
أَتَأۡمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلۡبِرِّ وَتَنسَوۡنَ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ تَتۡلُونَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ (٤٤)
2:44a: ٱلۡبِرِّ- بِرّ is extensive goodness or a great good deed (R) from بَرّ which is a vast tract of land.
تَنسَوۡنَ – نِسۡیَان is for a person not to restrain himself from a thing that is entrusted to him whether as a result of weakness, neglect or desire until he becomes oblivious to it (R). A person is accountable for the نِسۡیَان that is deliberate, as in فَذُوقُواْ بِمَا نَسِيتُمۡ لِقَآءَ يَوۡمِكُمۡ هَـٰذَآ (So taste, because you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours) (32:14). The نِسۡیَان meant here is one which is intentional because to not follow the advice one is dispensing to others shows clearly that the disregard is deliberate.
تَتۡلُونَ – The literal meaning of تلیٰ is to follow something completely whether bodily or by following an order (R), and تَلَاوَت is specific to the Books of Allah whether by recitation or by acting upon it (R). By making this word specific to the Books of Allah, it has been made clear that the real purpose of recitation is to act according to it.
تَعۡقِلُونَ – The literal meaning of عَقۡل is to stop and catch, as in stopping the camel by the cord that binds the animal’s legs at the knees. (R). In a hadith, the term اعقل و توکل is used, where the meaning of اعقل is to tie the knees. Imam Raghib says that there are two uses of عَقۡل. First, the power that prepares a man to accept knowledge is called عَقۡلand second, the knowledge that is acquired by this power is also called عَقۡل. He writes that wherever Allah, the Most High, has chided the unbelievers for lacking عَقۡل , it is in the sense of the second meaning. It is obvious that Allah provides every human the strength to acquire knowledge and only the person who does not use it is accountable.
The need to practice what is preached: In particular, the religious scholars are addressed here, who advise others but do not reform themselves. If the address is taken to be to the learned of Bani Israel, then their attention is drawn to the prophecies regarding the Holy Prophet. But I am of the opinion that the Muslims are actually being addressed, who are given this knowledge so that they may not walk in the footsteps of the Israelite preachers. Unless the preacher practices what he preaches, his sermons will not influence the preached.
The need to use intelligence in religion: Phrases like أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ (Have you then no sense) are of frequent occurrence in the Quran. This shows that intellect is a great gift from Allah and without using it, it is neither possible to find the truth nor can one identify the true religion and the right path. There is a hadith in Mufradat (Dictionary of the Quran) which states: ما خلق اللٰۡه خلقا اکرم علیه من العقل (There is no creation of Allah more honorable in His eyes than the one that has intelligence). It is intelligence that makes man superior to animals. To say that intelligence has no part in religion is completely against the teachings of the Quran. Allah admonishes those persons who do not use their intellect.
Intelligence and revelation: Revelation informs us about things that one cannot acquire knowledge of merely by the use of intelligence. However, that does not mean that intellect should not be used to determine the rationality of those things sent down by revelation. Revelation enlightens the inherent intelligence in the nature of a person. To make one the opposite of the other is to be ignorant of their respective characters.
2-45 And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and this is hard except for the humble ones,a
وَٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِۚ وَإِنَّہَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلۡخَـٰشِعِينَ (٤٥)
2:45a: ٱلصَّبۡر – صبرا is to show restraint in a time of need and remain restrainted for a thing that your intellect desires and the shariah allows (R). In other words, صبر is to remain devoted and to stay away from sinful acts. صبر is a common word and steadfastness in times of trouble, resoluteness in battle, and fasting is called صبر.
كَبِيرَةٌ – The actual meaning of كَبِير is big, but كَبِيرَةٌ is also used for a thing that is difficult. کبر has been used in this sense in: وَإِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيۡكَ إِعۡرَاضُہُمۡ (And if their turning away is hard on thee,…) (6:35).
خَـٰشِعِينَ – خشوع means humility, submissiveness (R), peace and obedience (T). this word is especially used for a respectful tone and downcast eyes. The Quran has خَشَعَتِ ٱلۡأَصۡوَاتُ (voices are low) (20:108) and خَـٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَـٰرُهُمۡ (Their looks cast down) (68:43).
Method of seeking help: The Quran prescribes patience and prayer for believers to seek help in times of distress. Patience is steadfast adherence to true principles and prayer is supplicating to Allah, the Most High. Patience in prayer requires that a person stands strong without caring for any opposition or hurdle. Even if the whole world turns against him, he should stand firm like a mountain and his steps should not falter. Prayer requires that he should fall before Allah with great humility and meekness. When one exhibits a high degree of firmness before people and a high degree of humbleness before Allah, then the way to success becomes easy.
The need to turn to Allah in times of distress: Some of the commentators have taken the pronoun إِنَّہَا (this is) to stand for seeking assistance, which makes the meaning: Seeking assistance with patience and prayer is hard for common folks. Others have taken it to stand for just prayer and in my opinion, this is correct as the context of the passage shows. To turn to Allah in a time of distress is only the habit of those who have a very strong belief in a meeting with Allah. Here, after giving the command to ask assistance with patience and prayer, the subject of prayer is continued because the context here is recognition of the prophet, or belief in him, and this objective is primarily achieved through prayer. Later in verse 153, after giving the same command, the subject is continued with patience as the emphasis because the context there is of war– prayer is no doubt necessary but the overriding need in that situation is for steadfastness.
2-46 Who know that they will meet their Lord and that to Him they will return.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّہُم مُّلَـٰقُواْ رَبِّہِمۡ وَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِ رَٲجِعُونَ (٤٦)
يَظُنُّونَ- ظن is a thing attained from signs. When the signs and the conclusions are strong, the thing becomes knowledge and when they are weak, it is no more than a superstition (R). ظن is used both for suspicion and certainty. When used in the context of certainty, it implies a certainty obtained with endeavor to understand, not by sight. When certainty is a result of sight, it is called knowledge (T). The use of ظن here is certainty and there is almost a consensus on this among the commentators.
مُّلَـٰقُواْ – لقاء is used both for a thing coming in front and for obtaining it, but is also used for the two events taking place separately.
رَٲجِعُونَ – رُجُوع is the return of a thing back to where it started or where it was decreed to have started with regard to the place, action or word (R).
What is meant by a meeting with the Lord? This is mentioned again and again in the Quran and the unbelievers are accused of not believing in meeting with the Lord. إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرۡجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا وَرَضُواْ بِٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا (Those who expect not the meeting with Us, and are pleased with this world’s life…) (10:7) shows that considering the life of this world as the sole objective and purpose of life is akin to denying a meeting with the Lord. Towards the end of Surah Qaf, after describing those people who expend their power only for the life of this world, it is stated: أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلِقَآٮِٕهِۦ (Those are they who disbelieve in the messages of their Lord and meeting with Him,…) (18:105). In another place, it is stated:إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدۡحً۬ا فَمُلَـٰقِيهِ (…thou must strive a hard striving (to attain) to thy Lord, until thou meet Him) (84:6). Thus, what is meant by a meeting with the Lord is attaining the high [spiritual] life that is the lot of the believers in this world. Although the full manifestation of the meeting with the Lord will only take place after death, in the Hereafter. But those who achieve paradise in this world, that is, achieve the spiritual status where their soul is at rest (نفس مطمئنه ) live their worldly life in the presence of Allah. Thus, لقاء ٱللَّهُ or to attain Allah is the highest objective of human life.
إِلَيۡهِ رَٲجِعُونَ – رجوع الی ٱللَّهُ The return of every person to Allah after death has already been mentioned in verse 28. The meaning here is the presentation before Allah for requital.
Bayan-ul-Quran 