2. Al-Baqara

When there came to them a messenger from God namely Muhammad (s) confirming what was with them a party of them who were given the Scripture have cast away the Scripture of God that is the Torah behind their backs that is to say they have not acted according to what it said about belief in the Messenger and otherwise; as though they did not know what is contained in it to the effect that he is a true Prophet or that it is the Book of God.

And they follow wa’ttaba‘ū is a supplement to nabadha ‘it cast away’ what the devils used to relate during the time of Solomon’s kingdom in the way of sorcery it is said that they the devils buried these books of sorcery underneath his throne when his kingdom was taken from him; it is also said that they used to listen stealthily and add fabrications to what they heard and then pass it on to the priests who would compile it in books; this would be disseminated and rumours spread that the jinn had knowledge of the Unseen. Solomon gathered these books and buried them. When he died the devils showed people where these books were and the latter brought them out and found that they contained sorcery and said ‘Your kingdom was only thanks to what is in here’; they then took to learning them and rejected the Scriptures of their prophets. In order to demonstrate Solomon’s innocence and in repudiation of the Jews when they said ‘Look at this Muhammad he mentions Solomon as one of the prophets when he was only a sorcerer’ God exalted says Solomon disbelieved not that is he did not work magic because he disbelieved but the devils disbelieved teaching the people sorcery this sentence is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person governing the verb kafarū; and teaching them that which was revealed to the two angels that is the sorcery that they were inspired to perform al-malakayn ‘the two angels’ a variant reading has al-malikayn ‘the two kings’ who were in Babylon — a town in lower Iraq — Hārūt and Mārūt here the names are standing in for ‘the two angels’ or an explication of the latter. Ibn ‘Abbās said ‘They were two sorcerers who used to teach people magic’; it is also said that they were two angels that had been sent to teach sorcery to people as a trial from God. They taught not any man without them saying by way of counsel ‘We are but a temptation a trial from God for people so that He may test them when they are taught it whoever learns it is a disbeliever but whoever renounces it he is a believer; do not disbelieve’ by learning it; if this person refused and insisted on learning it they would teach him.

Yet if only they the Jews had believed in the Prophet and the Qur’ān and been fearful of God’s chastisement by abandoning acts of disobedience towards Him such as sorcery the response to the conditional clause beginning with law ‘if’ has been omitted but it is intimated to be ‘they would have been rewarded’ and this is indicated by His following words verily a reward from God would have been better than that for which they sold themselves if they had but known that this is better they would not have preferred that over this la-mathūbatun ‘verily the reward’ is the subject; the lām is that of oaths; and min ‘indi’Llāhi khayrun ‘from God would have been better’ is the predicate.

O you who believe do not say to the Prophet s ‘Observe us’ rā‘inā is an imperative form from murā‘āt which they used to say to him and this was a derogatory term in Hebrew derived from the noun al-ru‘ūna ‘thoughtlessness’. They found this very amusing and used to address the Prophet s in this way and so the believers were forbidden to use it; but say instead ‘Regard us’ that is look at us and give ear to what you are commanded and be prepared to accept it; and for disbelievers awaits a painful chastisement that is the Fire.

When the disbelievers began to deride the matter of abrogation saying that one day Muhammad enjoins his Companions to one thing and then the next day he forbids it God revealed And whatever verse mā is the conditional particle that has been revealed containing a judgement We abrogate either together with its recital or not that is only its judgement but its recital continues; there is a variant reading nunsikh meaning ‘Whatever verse We command you or Gabriel to abrogate’ or postpone so that We do not reveal the judgement contained in it and We withhold its recital or retain it in the Preserved Tablet; a variant reading of nunsi’hā is nunsihā from ‘to forget’ so ‘Whatever verse We abrogate or We make you forget that is We erase from your heart’; the response to the conditional sentence begun with mā is We bring in place a better one that is more beneficial for Our servants either because it is easier to implement or contains much reward; or the like of it in terms of religious obligation and reward; do you not know that God has power over all things? including abrogating and substituting verses? the interrogative here is meant as an affirmative.

Do you not know that to God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth doing what He pleases and that you have none besides God other than God neither protector to safeguard you nor helper? to keep away His chastisement when it comes.

When the Meccans asked the Prophet to enlarge the size of Mecca and make Safā full of gold the following was revealed Or do you desire to question your Messenger as Moses was questioned by his people aforetime? when they asked him to show them God openly among other things; whoever exchanges belief for unbelief taking the latter in place of the former by refraining from contemplating the clear proofs and by requesting others instead has surely strayed from the even way meaning he has mistaken the proper path al-sawā‘ essentially means al-wasat ‘middle way’.

Many of the People of the Scripture long that law ‘if only that’ represents the import of the verbal noun they might make you disbelievers after you have believed from the envy hasadan is the object denoting reason being of their own souls that is to say their wicked souls have prompted them to this attitude; after the truth with regard to the Prophet s has become clear to them in the Torah; yet pardon leave them be and be forgiving stay away and make no encroachments against them till God brings His command concerning fighting them; truly God has power over all things.

And perform the prayer and pay the alms; whatever good in the way of obedience such as observing kinship and charity you shall offer for your own souls you shall find it that is its reward with God; assuredly God sees what you do and will requite you for it.