2-104 O you who believe, say not Ra‘i-na and say Unzur-na, and listen. And for the disbelievers there is a painful chastisement.a
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَقُولُواْ رَٲعِنَا وَقُولُواْ ٱنظُرۡنَا وَٱسۡمَعُواْۗ وَلِلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬ (١٠٤)
2:104a رَٲعِنَا – راعَ – Is derived from رعۡی which means to protect. Accordingly, a hadith states: کُلّکم راعٍ , So the meaning of رَٲعِنَا is listen to us.
ٱنظُرۡنَا – نَظَر is the turning of the eyes to see something. Sometimes, the connotation is to ponder or investigate, and further نَظَر is also used in the sense of to wait (R). The meaning of نظُرۡنَا here is to wait for us or give us some time so that we may understand what you are saying.
The mischievousness of the Jews: The prohibition to use رَٲعِنَا is explained elsewhere as being the result of the Jews saying: رَٲعِنَا لَيَّۢا بِأَلۡسِنَتِہِمۡ (Rai-na, distorting with their tongues) so that they actually said رعن (ra’ina) instead of رَٲعِنَا . The word رعن is derived from رعونت which means he is foolish or stupid or unsound in intellect. This was a relatively minor act among the troublesome acts of the Jews and shows that they missed no opportunity to mock, and boast about pranking the Muslims. The Muslims were stopped from using the word, not because they used it with bad intentions, but because the Jews took advantage of such things. The lesson here is to avoid that which, though not bad intentioned, may have a bad result.
The opposition of the Jews was not well intentioned: The connection of the subject in this section with that in the previous one is apparent. Both sections deal with the mischievousness of the Jews. The nature of the mischief is different in the two cases. The previous section dealt with the secret councils and their plans to destroy Islam. This section deals with how the Jews mocked the Muslims during ordinary interactions. The mockery shows that the Jews were not well intentioned. Sometimes opposition can be well intentioned, but the opposition of the Jews was clearly mischievous, and this is the reason for the mention of their plans and mockery.
2-105 Neither those who disbelieve from among the people of the Book, nor the polytheists, like that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. And Allah chooses whom He pleases for His mercy; and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.a
مَّا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَلَا ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيۡڪُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ مِّن رَّبِّڪُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَخۡتَصُّ بِرَحۡمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلۡفَضۡلِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ (١٠٥)
2-105a يَوَدُّ – وَدّ is to love something and to wish for it to happen, and the word can be used for either of the meanings.
أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ – The أَهۡلِ of a person are those with whom he has a connection through relationship, religion or some other commonality such as an industry or house so that they can be identified as a union or group (R). So by أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ means those grouped around a common scripture. Since the word كِتَـٰبِ is variously used in the Quran to refer to the revelation of Moses, Jesus, and sometimes to the revelation of all prophets, the reference to أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ stands sometimes for Jews, sometimes for Christians, and sometimes for both. In fact, just as there is a generality in the use of the word book depending upon the context, so too the term أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ may have a generic sense in some cases.
خَيۡرٍ – خَیر is a thing that everybody wishes for (R). The meaning here is revelation from God (RM).
رَحۡمَتِهِۦ – رَحۡمة is tenderness following a favor felt by a person on whom mercy is shown. Sometimes, it is used only for tenderness and sometimes only for favor. And رَحۡمة from Allah is solely the name for His reward and favors (R).
ٱلۡفَضۡلِ – فضل is a stage above moderation, but where the context is ذم (to disparage or censure) the word that is used is فُضول (useless or worthless). The use of the word فضل is generally in the context of مدح (praise) and any gift that is not required to be given by a giver is called فضل (R). This is the context in which فضل is used here. Sometimes, however, it is used for things that are attained by effort as, for example, wealth, station in life and strength (R).
The words خَیر – رَحۡمة and فضل used here all point to the revelation granted to the Holy Prophet.
2-106 Whatever message We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or one like it.a Knowest thou not that Allah is Possessor of power over all things?
مَا نَنسَخۡ مِنۡ ءَايَةٍ أَوۡ نُنسِهَا نَأۡتِ بِخَيۡرٍ۬ مِّنۡہَآ أَوۡ مِثۡلِهَآۗ أَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ (١٠٦)
2-106a نَنسَخۡ – The meaning of نسَخۡ is to nullify one thing by another. This word is also used in the sense of writing or evidence, and just for abolish. It is also used to connote the abolishment of one thing and the confirmation of another. This last sense is how the word has been used here, that is, the abolishment of one order by another that comes after (R). And نسَخۡ کتاب is used to mean the writing of a book, and in this sense the word استنساخ is used in the Quran instead of نسَخۡ as in: إِنَّا كُنَّا نَسۡتَنسِخُ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ (Surely We wrote what you did) (45:29). And نُسخة means a writing as in: وَفِى نُسۡخَتِہَا هُدً۬ى (…and in the writing thereof was guidance…) (7:154).
اٰیة – The well known meaning of اٰیة is العلامة الظاھرۃ that is, a manifest sign, but Taj al-Arus states the meaning as: الاٰیة الرسالة و تستعمل بمعنی الدلیل و المعجزہ , that is, its meaning is messengership or Divine message, and it is also used in the sense of a cogent argument and miracle. It is stated after the mention of Adam: فَإِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدً۬ى (Surely there will come to you a guidance from Me,…) (2:38) and whoever follows the Divine guidance will have no fear nor shall they grieve. In comparison to this, it is stated: وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ (And those who disbelieve and reject Our messages) (2:39). The clear meaning here of اٰیة is Divine messages. Similarly, in surah Yasin, it is stated: وَمَا تَأۡتِيہِم مِّنۡ ءَايَةٍ۬ مِّنۡ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّہِمۡ إِلَّا كَانُواْ عَنۡہَا مُعۡرِضِينَ (And there comes to them no message of the messages of their Lord but they turn away from it) (36:46) where Ruh al-Maani explains the meaning of ءَايَـٰتِ as الکتب المنزلة , that is, those scriptures that were revealed by God. It is this expansive meaning that is meant here.
Jewish objection as to why the Moses sharia was abrogated: What is meant here by the ءَايَـٰتِ being repealed or forgotten? The context here is that the Jews do not believe in the Quran because it was not revealed to Bani Israel. If the Promised Prophet was from the Israelite, then the sharia of Moses would not have been fully repealed. This is the issue that the Quran answers here. Accordingly, the first verse of this section draws attention once again to the real subject, which is that the followers of the Book are averse to revelation coming to the Muslims from amongst the Bani Ishmael.
How is this sharia the like of Moses’s sharia: Allah states here that the sharia of Moses stands repealed or forgotten and instead He gave humanity a better sharia or one like it. The term better or like it was employed because some of the commandments stay the same but a great majority of its teachings are better than the sharia of Moses. The sharia of Moses was for one nation, and one time; conversely, this sharia is for all nations, for all times to come. Further, revelation about nuanced matters was not revealed in the sharia of Moses but because thinking had matured at the time of the Prophet, nuanced issues could be revealed. Another explanation of بِخَيۡرٍ۬ مِّنۡہَآ أَوۡ مِثۡلِهَآۗ can be that in reality, this sharia is better than that of Moses, but in the prophecy, it isbeen called the “like of” by virtue of being a new sharia as in the prophecy given in Deuteronomy 18:18.
The reason why the abrogation here refers to previous scriptures and not to verses of the Quran: There can be no doubt from the context that the abrogation referred to here is to the previous scriptures and not to Quranic verses. But some commentators have taken this verse to mean the abrogation of some verses of the Quran by others. Such an interpretation is completely contrary to the context. There is no verse here, neither before nor after, that has been abrogated by another or that abrogates another. Further there is no evidence that at the time of the revelation of this verse, any verse was later considered abrogated. It is meaningless, therefore, to have raised the subject of repeal of certain Quranic verses when such a situation had not yet arisen. This second rationale is a definitive argument that the reference here is to the abrogation of previous scriptures and not of Quranic verses.
A miracle of the Quran is that the Holy Prophet never forgot it: The third definitive argument is that along with نسَخۡ (abrogate), the verse also mentions نُنسِهَا نَأۡتِ (cause to be forgotten). But about the Quran it is definitively stated that: سَنُقۡرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰٓ (We shall make thee recite so thou shalt not forget) (87:5). This is followed by: إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّ (Except what Allah please). This does not mean, however, that he will forget some parts, because the passage then becomes meaningless as it would read: We shall make thee recite so that thou shalt not forget but thou wilt forget. Even an ordinary person would not converse like this, leave alone ascribing this to Quran which is a Book of great wisdom. The meaning of إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّ is very clear. That is, there are things that the Holy Prophet forgets, but that Allah will teach him the Quran in a way that he will never forget. And the facts bear this out. Surahs as long as twenty rukus were revealed to the Prophet in one go and never once did he forget a word of it. Even if it is supposed that the Holy Prophet had a lapse of memory, how is it possible that it could be forgotten by all those who memorized the Quran as it was being revealed, and who decidedly were few initially but whose numbers grew to several hundred in Madinah. If one of the persons who memorized the Quran forgot a word during recitation, another would immediately correct him. Even today, if some reciter of the Quran makes a mistake in recitation during prayer, there is immediately a correction by one standing behind. Even beyond this, not only was each verse memorized but it was also written. Who could erase this inscription; neither is there any reference here to any erasure. The only reference here is about forgetting. It is true that there were commandments in previous scriptures which were erased and forgotten with the passage of time. It is with reference to this that the verse speaks of the abrogation of previous scriptures. The reference is not to the abrogation of verses of the Quran.
There is no report of abrogation that can be traced back to the Holy Prophet: The question that remains is whether any verse of the Quran stands abrogated? Some traditions imply so but none of these narrations can be traced back to the Holy Prophet, that is, there is no report that the Holy Prophet ever said that a verse stands abrogated. If the theory of abrogation is correct at least one report traceable to the Holy Prophet would exist.
The saying of a companion is not evidence for abrogation: When the Holy Prophet did not term any verse as abrogated and it is established that the Holy Prophet stated with his own mouth that every verse of the Quran was to be acted upon, then a mere statement of a companion is not sufficient to consider any verse as abrogated. The saying of a companion is no argument, leave alone being considered sufficient to abrogate a verse.
Contradictions in the tradition of abrogation: Traditions of abrogation are often contradictory. One companion may report that a certain verse is abrogated, while another companion reports the same verse is not abrogated. These contradictions make the theory of abrogation very shakey.
The chain of narrations is weak for reports of abrogation: The third thing is that the chains of narration for reports of abrogation are unreliable. Accordingly, Tabarsi states: الروایات فی النسخ کلھا ضعیفة
Great disparity in the number of verses abrogated: There is discrepancy in the how many verses people claim to be abrogated. Some say five while some say several hundred. Such disparity arises because when someone was unable to reconcile one verse with another verse in the Quran, one of the supposedly irreconcilable verse was declared as abrogated.
It is against the teachings of Quran to consider verses irreconcilable and declare them abrogated: The abrogation theorists do not even consider whether the verse they abrogate are of later revelation or not. To declare verses as abrogated instead of reconciling them is to admit contradictions in the Quran, whereas the Quran presents the conformability of the whole as a proof of its genuineness: وَلَوۡ كَانَ مِنۡ عِندِ غَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُواْ فِيهِ ٱخۡتِلَـٰفً۬ا ڪَثِيرً۬ا (And if it were from any other than Allah, they would have found in it many discrepancy) (4:82). If we accept contradictions in the Quran then it is not عِندِ ٱللَّهِ (from Allah). If there is no discrepancy then there is no need for abrogation. It will be shown at the relevant places in the Quran that where some consider abrogation on account of irreconcilability, it is possible to reconcile the verses. In short, the theory of abrogation of verses in the Quran is totally false, and the reference in this verse is to the abrogation of the shariah in previous scriptures.
2-107 Knowest thou not that Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that besides Allah you have not any friend or helper?a
أَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُ ۥ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ وَمَا لَڪُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ۬ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ (١٠٧)
2:107a The indication here in the word مُلۡكُ is to the grant of prophethood for which see 102a. In another place, it is stated: فَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَآ ءَالَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُم مُّلۡكًا عَظِيمً۬ا (We have given to Abraham’s children the Book and the Wisdom, and We have given them a grand kingdom) (4:54). The pronoun “thou” refers to the addressed people generally as is apparent from the use of the plural tense afterwards.
2-108 Rather you wish to put questions to your Messenger, as Moses was questioned before. And whoever adopts disbelief instead of faith he indeed has lost the right direction of the way.a
أَمۡ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسۡـَٔلُواْ رَسُولَكُمۡ كَمَا سُٮِٕلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبۡلُۗ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ ٱلۡڪُفۡرَ بِٱلۡإِيمَـٰنِ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ (١٠٨)
2:108a Disrespectful questioning by the Jews: The Jews are addressed here. By رَسُولَكُمۡ is meant “the prophet sent to you”. It was the Jews who questioned disrespectfully as is very clearly stated elsewhere: يَسۡـَٔلُكَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ كِتَـٰبً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ فَقَدۡ سَأَلُواْ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكۡبَرَ مِن ذَٲلِكَ (The People of the Book ask thee to bring down to them a Book from heaven; indeed they demanded of Moses a greater thing, than that) (4:53). The meaning of “adopts disbelief instead of faith” means to leave belief for disbelief as the Jews did.
2-109 Many of the people of the Book wish that they could turn you back into disbelievers after you have believed out of envy fromدthemselves, after truth has become manifest to them. But pardon and forgive, till Allah bring about His command. Surely Allah is Possessor of power over all things.a
وَدَّ ڪَثِيرٌ۬ مِّنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ لَوۡ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ إِيمَـٰنِكُمۡ كُفَّارًا حَسَدً۬ا مِّنۡ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلۡحَقُّۖ فَٱعۡفُواْ وَٱصۡفَحُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَأۡتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمۡرِهِۦۤۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ۬ (١٠٩)
حَسَدً۬ا – حسد is to wish for the end of a well-deserved blessing that has been bestowed on another and sometimes includes an effort to bring it to an end (R). One who makes an effort to get a similar blessing is called غبطه , and according to one tradition: اَلۡمُؤمِنُ یَغۡبِطُ وَالمُنَافِقُ یَحۡسُدُ , that is, a believer makes an effort to get a similar blessing but a hypocrite is jealous. In the Nihayah it states that حَسَد is to wish for the diminishing of somebody else’s blessings and to desire the same blessings for oneself while غَبۡطis to just desire the same blessings as someone else has without wishing theirs’s to diminish. A saying in the Hadith states: لا حسد الا فى اصفحوا. The meaning of صفح includes forsaking reproach and this is even more than forgiving (R).
Jews consider idol worship to be better than monotheism: Here it states that the waywardness of the Jews reached the stage where they desired the Muslims to revert to unbelief. Their wish was out of envy because otherwise they should have considered a religion of monotheism better than a religion of idol worship. In another place, the Quran quotes the People of the Book saying about the Makkan unbelievers: هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَهۡدَىٰ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ سَبِيلاً (These are better guided in the path than those who believe) (4:51). The Jews and the Makkan unbelievers had the common objective of extirpating Islam. They wanted the Muslims to revert from Islam and so waged wars against the Muslims. The Quran states: وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمۡ عَن دِينِڪُمۡ إِنِ ٱسۡتَطَـٰعُواْۚ (And they will not cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion, if they can) (2:217).
Muslims practice forgiveness in wars: The essence of Allah bringing about His command or order is that the kingship of Islam be established. Here it states that they (the Jews and Makkan unbelievers) will not desist till this happens but nevertheless the Muslims should comport themselves with forgiveness and compassion. The battles the Muslims fought were for defense of self and Islam. They never fought to seek revenge. This attitude of forgiveness and clemency prevailed both during the battle and after their victory. After the capture of Makkah, the forgiveness of the Makkans in the words of لَا تَثۡرِيبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ (No reproof be against you this day) (12:92) was in compliance with this verse. To consider this verse abrogated is sheer folly.
2-110 And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate. And whatever good you send before for yourselves, you will find it with Allah. Surely Allah is Seer of what you do.a
وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّڪَوٰةَۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ۬ (١١٠)
2:110a Prayer as a curative: The Muslims prayed prior to this order but the motive for an order is not necessarily that people acted contrary to it before the order was issued. The previous verses refer to the difficulties being confronted by Muslims at the hands of the People of the Book whose efforts were directed at making the Muslims renounce their religion. The palliative suggested for these difficulties is to pray and give zakat. Prayer is the best curative for difficulties as a person turns to Allah for help, but a person cannot reach his full potential by prayer alone unless it is accompanied by sympathy for fellow human beings in the form of zakat. In the end, it is stated that prayer is not for the benefit of Allah but it is the worshipper who benefits from it. Nothing is wasted; everything is preserved with Allah.
2-111 And they say: None shall enter the Garden except he who is a Jew or the Christians . These are their vain desires. Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.a
وَقَالُواْ لَن يَدۡخُلَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَـٰرَىٰۗ تِلۡكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمۡۗ قُلۡ هَاتُواْ بُرۡهَـٰنَڪُمۡ إِن ڪُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِينَ (١١١)
2-111a From بَرِہ (Became lighted) بُرۡهَـٰنَ is an argument that enlightens the claim and is strong, and assuredly true (R).
إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَـٰرَىٰ – The plural of ھود is ھاد. for which see 62a. Both Jews and Christians are included in قَالُو and this is an abridgement of two sentences into one. That is, the Jews say that none will enter paradise except Jews and the Christians say that none will enter paradise except Christians. As is manifest from verse 113, this statement of theirs is termed امانی (their desire) or a false claim and they are asked to produce testimony in support thereof. The Jews claim that there is no salvation without the scriptural law of Moses while the Christians claim that there is no salvation without belief in atonement; but no argument supports either contention.
Quran provides evidence for every claim: Because the Jews and the Christians do not have testimony to verify their beliefs, the Christians are forced into an untenable situation where their belief system does not require rationality to explain spiritual beliefs. The Jews also present religion as requiring blind conformity. In contrast, Islam uses enlightened arguments. Further, Islam presents supporting arguments for every claim.
2-112 Nay, whoever submits himself entirely to Allah and he is the doer of good (to others), he has his reward from his Lord, and there is no fear for such nor shall they grieve.a
بَلَىٰ مَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهُ ۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ۬ فَلَهُ ۥۤ أَجۡرُهُ ۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (١١٢)
2-112a أَسۡلَمَ – Is derived from سَلٰم which means to remain protected against manifest and hidden calamities, and the meaning of اِسلام is to enter a state of peace and security, and the meaning of: اسۡلَمۡتُ اِلشیٔ اِلٰی فلانً is I gave the thing to the other. In shariah, اِسلام is used in two ways. One is verbal declaration and this is lesser than ایمان but the overt ordinances of Islam begin to apply as in: قُل لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُواْ وَلَـٰكِن قُولُوٓاْ أَسۡلَمۡنَا (Say: You believe not, but say, We submit) (49:14), and the second is to state verbally with firm conviction in the heart, combined with actions and faithfulness, that is, to fulfill the promise, and to surrender oneself fully to Allah in respect of all things that are Divinely decreed. (R). It is this second meaning that is applicable here.
وجه – is the face. Because face is the first appearance of a person and is the most distinguished part of the manifested body, the word is used for everything that comes forward, apparent, and for every distinguished thing and its commencement. Sometimes وجه is used to mean the thing itself, and sometimes it means attention (R).
Salvation is a result of actions and not just words: The Jews and the Christians claim nobody except them enters paradise. In the previous verse, this claim was rebutted as being without any evidence and so in this verse, it is stated that religion is not lip service but is a system of actions; only such enter paradise who adopt this system of actions. Mere professions are not sufficient to take one to paradise. The lesson for Muslims in this is firstly that a mere profession of faith in Islam is not sufficient to take them to paradise unless they exert the maximum effort to follow the system of actions that the religion prescribes, and secondly it apprises the Jews and Christians that the actions that takes one to God are not to be found in them anymore.
The actions that take one to paradise: What method grants one paradise? Devoting one’s attention fully to the obedience of Allah and dedicating oneself wholeheartedly to Allah. It is not to divorce oneself from the world, but to obey Allah in a way that benefits humanity and serves humankind. Complete obedience to Allah resulting in the perfection of one’s own soul and service to humanity is a part of making life more complete. These are the pillars of a true faith and these pillars are perfected in Islam.
Freedom from fear and grief: In the end it is stated: وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ which means that the paradise granted in the Hereafter begins in this world. The nature of this worldly paradise is that a person achieves freedom from fear and grief. For details of this see 2-38b. When people practice complete obedience to Allah, Satan becomes obedient to them, and they are not afraid of falling a prey to his insinuations. Further, the time of such people is spent in doing acts that benefit humanity, and they do not grieve about the past. To achieve this stage, where one is free from the slavery of sin, where Satan is made obedient, and where one is fully engaged in the welfare of humanity, is the paradise of this world, and it is a testimony to the paradise of the Hereafter.
Bayan-ul-Quran 