2. Al-Baqara

These verses conclude the discussion on the theme of the Qiblah قبلہ or religious orientation. So, Verse 151 repeats the second part of the prayer of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) with which the discussion had begun (Verses 127 - 129). He had, as one would recall, prayed Allah to accept his founding of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، and to send among his progeny a Messenger from among themselves. The subsequent discussion on the subject of the Qiblah قبلہ has already shown that the first prayer has been heard and accepted. Now, Verse 151 declares that similarly the second request has also been granted, suggesting that since the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been sent in answer to the prayer of the founder of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، it is no wonder that it should be appointed as his Qiblah قبلہ . Verse 151 has specifically mentioned that the new Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ) is sent with the same attributes as specified by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) in his prayer, namely: (1) He recites to them the verses of the Qur'an; (2) He teaches them the Book and the wisdom; (3) He purifies them; (4) He teaches them things which his listeners did not know of, nor could they be found in the earlier Divine Books or through individual reason.

Since Allah has, in granting the two prayers, sent such great blessings to mankind, Verse 152 asks men to "remember" Him as the Supreme Benefactor, and to render Him thanks by being obedient. As long as they do so, Allah will "remember" them in showering on them His material and spiritual blessings. The verse ends with the reminder that men should not be ungrateful to Allah in denying His blessings or in being disobedient.

In the light of this commentary, one can see that the word "as" (in Arabic, the letter Kaf which denotes a comparison between two terms) provides the link between Verse 151 and Verse 152. But, according to al-Qurtubi, the word Kaf or "as" is connected with the first phrase of Verse 152 -: "Remember Me, then". Viewed in the line of this syntactical relationship, the two verses, taken together, would mean that the ability to "remember" Allah is as much a blessing for men as the ordination of the new Qiblah قبلہ and the coming of the Last Prophet ﷺ ، and hence it is the duty of men to render thanks to Allah, so that they may continue to receive His favours.

The merits of 'Dhikr' ذکر (Rememberance)

Dhikr ذکر : or "Remembrance" essentially pertains to the heart, but in so far as the tongue is the interpreter of the heart the oral recitation of a Divine Name or a verse of the Holy Qur'an is also described as Dhikr ذکر . In other words, oral Dhikr ذکر can be worth the name only when it is accompanied by the "remembrance" of the heart. As the great Sufi poet Rumi points out, the recitation of a Divine Name can have no efficacy if one keeps thinking of cows and donkeys while repeating it mechanically with the tongue. One must, however, bear in mind that even a mechanical Dhikr ذکر without the heart being engaged in it is not altogether futile. It is related that the great Sufi Abu ` Uthman, hearing a man complain of such a situation, remarked that one should be grateful to Allah even for this favour of having drawn at least one organ of the body, the tongue, into His service. (Qurtubi)

The merits of Dhikr ذکر are, indeed, innumerable. What greater merit could one wish for than the assurance that when a man "remembers" Allah, He too "remembers" him. Abu ` Uthman once claimed that he knew the time when Allah remembered His servants. The listeners grew curious as to how he could determine this. He replied that, according to the promise made in the Holy Qur'an, when a Muslim remembers Allah, He too remembers him, and thus everyone can know for himself that as soon as he turns to Allah and remembers Him, Allah too remembers him.

Let us add that Verse 152 means to say that if men "remember" Allah by obeying His commandments, He will "remember" them by granting His pardon and His rewards. The commentator Said ibn Jubayr has, in fact, interpreted the Dhikr ذکر or "Remembrance" of Allah as obedience and submission to Him. He says:

فمن لم یطعہ لم یذکرہ وان کثر صلاتہ وتسبیحہ

"He who has not obeyed Him has not remembered Him, even though he has kept himself externally busy in offering (nafl نفل : supererogatory) prayers and reciting His praises."

This explanation is fully supported by a hadith cited by Al-Qurtubi on the authority of "Ahkam al-Qur'an احکام القرآن " by Ibn Khuwayz Mandadh. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that one who has been obeying Allah – that is, following the injunctions with regard to the lawful (Halal حلال ) and the unlawful (Haram حرام ) - has truly been remembering Allah, in spite of being deficient in (nafl نفل : supererogatory) prayers and fasting, while one who has been disobeying divine commandments has, in fact, forgotten Allah, in spite of devoting long hours to nafl نفل prayers, fasting and recitation of His praises.

The great Sufi Master Dhu al-Nun al-Misri has said that the man who remembers Allah in the full sense of the term forgets everything else, and that, in reward of such a total absorption, Allah Himself takes care of all his concerns, and grants him something far more valuable for everything he loses. Similarly, the blessed Companion Mu` adh ؓ has remarked that in so far as winning absolution from divine wrath is concerned, no good deed on the part of man can compare with Dhikr ذکر . And in a hadith reported by the blessed Companion Abu Hurayrah ؓ ، Allah Himself says …

Earlier, alluding to an unpleasant incident, patience and steadfastness were inculcated and the excellence of Sabirun (the patient people) was mentioned. The next verses mention, in some detail, other unpleasant incidents and culminate in describing the excellence of pa-tience, and perseverance in it. Those verses give preference to the theme of war with infidels over other themes for two reasons: first, the sacrifice of life is a grand sacrifice; whoever steadfastly endures this loss will, undoubtedly, learn to be patient on losses of lesser magnitude; second, it is relevant to the situation too, as the objectionist on the orientation of Ka'bah کعبہ had been facing it.

Injunctions and related considerations:

According to Islamic traditions the dead person is given some kind of a "new life" in Barzakh44 برزخ which develops in him a sensitivity to punishment and reward. Regardless of whether one is a believer or disbeliever, virtuous or vicious, this taste of life-in-Barzakh برزخ is given to everybody. However, the life there has many categories: one of them is for the general lot, while some others are for prophets and virtuous people. The later ones vary in their degree of excellence. A number of scholars have collected relevant facts to assert their points of views, about the life-in-Barzakh برزخ . All of them cannot be summed up here. I will restrict myself here, to presenting the considered and the very balanced view of my worthy teacher Maulana Ashraf ` Ali (رح) of Than a Bhawan; incidentally, his view is in close conformity with the teachings of the Holy Qur'an, as also, those of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

44. An intermediary stage which begins with death and stretches till the Doomsday.

The Martyrs are not dead

One who dies in the cause of Allah is a Shahid (Martyr) and, although, it is correct and even allowed to call him "dead", yet we are forbidden to regard their death like ordinary deaths. For, though, life in Barzakh برزخ is given to' everybody which gives him perception of reward and punishment but Shahid شھید in the Barzakh برزخ life is qualitatively different from the one given to other persons. The distinction a Shahid شھید has over others in Barzakh برزخ is that in effect, for the fullness and sensitivity of life, his perception is, keener and deeper. As, for instance, the life sensation is there in finger tips, as also, it is there in heels, but the sensitivity of finger tips is sharper than that of heels. The effect of the finer life-quality of a Shahid شھید in Barzakh برزخ reaches his physical body as well; whereas ordinarily bodies remain unaffected. Consequently, a Shahid's body does not waste away, decay or mingle with dust. On the contrary it retains it freshness and a semblance of being alive too. This is duly endorsed by Ahadith and observations. They are, therefore, reported as living and we are forbidden to call them dead. However, for all worldly purposes they are treated at par with the dead; their properties are divided and their wives can remarry. Lives of prophets in Barzakh برزخ have a further distinction. Their life-sensitivity is even finer and keener than that of Shahids. In Barzakh برزخ their bodies …

Earlier, alluding to an unpleasant incident, patience and steadfastness were inculcated and the excellence of Sabirun (the patient people) was mentioned. The next verses mention, in some detail, other unpleasant incidents and culminate in describing the excellence of pa-tience, and perseverance in it. Those verses give preference to the theme of war with infidels over other themes for two reasons: first, the sacrifice of life is a grand sacrifice; whoever steadfastly endures this loss will, undoubtedly, learn to be patient on losses of lesser magnitude; second, it is relevant to the situation too, as the objectionist on the orientation of Ka'bah کعبہ had been facing it.

Injunctions and related considerations:

According to Islamic traditions the dead person is given some kind of a "new life" in Barzakh44 برزخ which develops in him a sensitivity to punishment and reward. Regardless of whether one is a believer or disbeliever, virtuous or vicious, this taste of life-in-Barzakh برزخ is given to everybody. However, the life there has many categories: one of them is for the general lot, while some others are for prophets and virtuous people. The later ones vary in their degree of excellence. A number of scholars have collected relevant facts to assert their points of views, about the life-in-Barzakh برزخ . All of them cannot be summed up here. I will restrict myself here, to presenting the considered and the very balanced view of my worthy teacher Maulana Ashraf ` Ali (رح) of Than a Bhawan; incidentally, his view is in close conformity with the teachings of the Holy Qur'an, as also, those of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

44. An intermediary stage which begins with death and stretches till the Doomsday.

The Martyrs are not dead

One who dies in the cause of Allah is a Shahid (Martyr) and, although, it is correct and even allowed to call him "dead", yet we are forbidden to regard their death like ordinary deaths. For, though, life in Barzakh برزخ is given to' everybody which gives him perception of reward and punishment but Shahid شھید in the Barzakh برزخ life is qualitatively different from the one given to other persons. The distinction a Shahid شھید has over others in Barzakh برزخ is that in effect, for the fullness and sensitivity of life, his perception is, keener and deeper. As, for instance, the life sensation is there in finger tips, as also, it is there in heels, but the sensitivity of finger tips is sharper than that of heels. The effect of the finer life-quality of a Shahid شھید in Barzakh برزخ reaches his physical body as well; whereas ordinarily bodies remain unaffected. Consequently, a Shahid's body does not waste away, decay or mingle with dust. On the contrary it retains it freshness and a semblance of being alive too. This is duly endorsed by Ahadith and observations. They are, therefore, reported as living and we are forbidden to call them dead. However, for all worldly purposes they are treated at par with the dead; their properties are divided and their wives can remarry. Lives of prophets in Barzakh برزخ have a further distinction. Their life-sensitivity is even finer and keener than that of Shahids. In Barzakh برزخ their bodies …

Patience in hardship: The way to make it easy

The nature and the significance of the severe test man is put to by Allah has been thoroughly discussed while explaining the verse’ وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ رَ‌بُّهُ 'And when his Lord put Ibrahim to a test'.

Whatever their magnitude, accidents are unnerving. But a prior knowledge of such accidents makes it easier to bear them and be patient about them. Since the entire Ummah is addressed here, the Ummah should realize that the world is a place of hardships and labour; it is a place of ordeal. It will not, therefore, amount to impatience if one does regard such accidents as either strange or a remote chance. And as the Ummah, generally, displays the spirit of patience in all its deeds, the reward of Mercy is common to everyone who strives to be patient. But as the quality and degree of patience varies from person to person, everyone will be rewarded individually according to and commensurate with his quality of patience.

A formula of peace in hardship

That the patient people used to recite: إِنَّا لِلَّـهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَ‌اجِعُونَ : 'We belong to Allah and to Him we are to return' is, in fact, an inculcation of the principle of virtue. The suggestion is that this is what the patient people should say as it brings excellent reward, relieves from the burden of sorrow and suffering and consoles effectively the grieved heart.

Patience in hardship: The way to make it easy

The nature and the significance of the severe test man is put to by Allah has been thoroughly discussed while explaining the verse’ وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ رَ‌بُّهُ 'And when his Lord put Ibrahim to a test'.

Whatever their magnitude, accidents are unnerving. But a prior knowledge of such accidents makes it easier to bear them and be patient about them. Since the entire Ummah is addressed here, the Ummah should realize that the world is a place of hardships and labour; it is a place of ordeal. It will not, therefore, amount to impatience if one does regard such accidents as either strange or a remote chance. And as the Ummah, generally, displays the spirit of patience in all its deeds, the reward of Mercy is common to everyone who strives to be patient. But as the quality and degree of patience varies from person to person, everyone will be rewarded individually according to and commensurate with his quality of patience.

A formula of peace in hardship

That the patient people used to recite: إِنَّا لِلَّـهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَ‌اجِعُونَ : 'We belong to Allah and to Him we are to return' is, in fact, an inculcation of the principle of virtue. The suggestion is that this is what the patient people should say as it brings excellent reward, relieves from the burden of sorrow and suffering and consoles effectively the grieved heart.

The subject of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، as we would do well to recollect, started all the way back from Verse 124 : 'And when his Lord put Ibrahim to a test', later opening with the statement that the Ka'bah کعبہ was made a place for repeated convergence, a sanctuary, and a centre of divine worship as ordained (Verse 125). Then came the famous prayer of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) in which he requested Allah Almighty that he and his people be initiated into the correct method of performing the manasik مناسک ، the required rites, or acts of worship (126 - 129); which is inclusive of the Hajj and ` Umrah. We can now see that the centrality of the House of Allah بیت اللہ as the place of worship has been expressed manifestly when it was declared to be the Qiblah قبلہ ، the direction and orientation of all Salah نمازیں ، no matter where it is performed; while at the same time, the importance of the House of Allah was established when it was made the objective in the performance of the Hajj and ` Umrah.

The present verse opens with the solemn declaration that the two hills, Safa صفاء and Marwah مروہ adjoining the Ka'bah کعبہ in Makkah, are tangible signs from Allah. Pilgrims walk briskly between them after they have made the tawaf طواف of the Holy Ka'bah کعبہ . This act of walking briskly or "making rounds" between them, as the Qur'an elects to call it, is known as Sayee سعی a practice which was there even in the Jahiliyyah جاھلیہ and which made Muslims doubt its propriety. It is exactly this doubt Allah Almighty aims to remove here.

So, there it was in the earlier treatment of the subject that Allah Almighty eliminated the objection raised by disbelievers against the instituting of the Ka'bah کعبہ as the Qiblah قبلہ of Muslim Salah نماز and here, through a correlated assertion, the doubt of Muslims themselves as to the propriety of Say in the Hajj and ` Umrah, of which the Ka'bah کعبہ is the desired hub, has been removed.

That the text is closely bound together by this reason is not difficult to see.

Some terms and their meanings

1. The term, Sha a'ir in شعایر اللہ is the plural form of Sha` irah شعیرہ which means a sign, mark or token. So, the شعأیر اللہ "Sha` a'ir of Allah" signify what He has determined to be the marks of Islamic faith.

2. Lexically, Hajj means to aim, to intend; while, in the terminology of the Qur'an and Hadith, the act of deciding to go solely on a pilgrimage of the House of Allah بیت اللہ and performing required rites while there, is called the Hajj.

3. Lexically, ` Umrah means ziyarah زیارہ or pilgrimage; while, in the terminology of the Shari'ah, the visit to al-Masjid al-Haram and the doing of tawaf طواف and Sayee سعی there is called ` Umrah.

Sayee سعی between Safa and Marwah is Obligatory

Details of the method that governs the performance of the Hajj, ` Umrah and Sayee سعی are easily available in books of Fiqh فقہ . It may be noted that Sayee سعی is a mustahabb (desirable or commendable) practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ according to Imam Ahmad (رح) ; a fard فرض (absolute obligation) according to Imams Malik and Shafi` i رحمۃ اللہ علیہما ; and a wajib واجب (necessity) according to Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) ، which …

As part of the debated issue of Qiblah قبلہ several verses earlier, the text has pointed out how the people of the Book went about concealing the truth concerning the prophethood of the Holy Prophet for whom the Ka'bah کعبہ was appointed as the Qiblah قبلہ . It was Verse 146, where it was said:

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِ‌فُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِ‌فُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِ‌يقًا مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿146﴾

"Those whom We have given the Book recognize him (The Holy Prophet) as they recognize their own sons. And, in fact, a group of them does conceal the truth while they know."

Now the text, in order to conclude the subject, warns those who not only conceal the truth but, going further ahead in obstinacy, persist in their effort. The ultimate fate of this senseless persistence being all too obvious, Allah Almighty still extends the promise of His mercy and forgiveness to those who repent and reflect on what they did, retrace their steps and correct their negative attitude towards divine truth and, in order to demonstrate their positive stand, come forward and state the truth clearly and publicly. The natural consequence of such a reformed attitude would be that they will enter the fold of Islam believing in Allah and His prophet, which is the touchstone for any disbeliever's honest change of heart.

The duty of spreading the Islamic Knowledge

Verse 159 above stated that concealing from people clear signs and guidance revealed by Allah Almighty is a terrible crime which earns the curse of Allah Almighty Himself, as well as that of His entire creation. Let us point out to some injunctions that issue forth from this verse:

1. It is forbidden to conceal knowledge which must be disclosed and disseminated widely. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said:

من سٔل عن علم یعلمہ فکتمہ الجمہ اللہ یوم القیامہ بلجام من النار

"Anyone who is asked about something (of religion) which he knows would, in the event that he conceals it, be brought forth by Allah on the Doomsday harnessed with a rein of fire." (Narrated by Abu Hurayrah and ` Amr ibn al-'As and reported by Ibn Majah - Qurtubi)

According to the fuqaha' فقہاء (Muslim jurists), this warning applies to a person who is the only one available in a given situation. If there are other knowledgeable persons present, he has the option of suggesting that the issue may be discussed with an ` alim who knows. (Qurtubi and Jassas)

2. Another very important rule that emerges from here is that one who himself does not possess the sound knowledge of religious injunctions and rulings should not try to explain them.

3. The third rule we find out is that answers to religious questions which are intricate, deeply involved and way beyond the comprehension level of common people should not be offered before them lest they fall a prey to some misunderstanding. This will not be considered as 'concealment of knowledge' since what is not allowed is the concealment of clear guidance given in the Qur'an and Sunnah which it is rather necessary to disclose and disseminate widely. The expression مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى of clear signs and guidance" in this verse releases a strong …

As part of the debated issue of Qiblah قبلہ several verses earlier, the text has pointed out how the people of the Book went about concealing the truth concerning the prophethood of the Holy Prophet for whom the Ka'bah کعبہ was appointed as the Qiblah قبلہ . It was Verse 146, where it was said:

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِ‌فُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِ‌فُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِ‌يقًا مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿146﴾

"Those whom We have given the Book recognize him (The Holy Prophet) as they recognize their own sons. And, in fact, a group of them does conceal the truth while they know."

Now the text, in order to conclude the subject, warns those who not only conceal the truth but, going further ahead in obstinacy, persist in their effort. The ultimate fate of this senseless persistence being all too obvious, Allah Almighty still extends the promise of His mercy and forgiveness to those who repent and reflect on what they did, retrace their steps and correct their negative attitude towards divine truth and, in order to demonstrate their positive stand, come forward and state the truth clearly and publicly. The natural consequence of such a reformed attitude would be that they will enter the fold of Islam believing in Allah and His prophet, which is the touchstone for any disbeliever's honest change of heart.

The duty of spreading the Islamic Knowledge

Verse 159 above stated that concealing from people clear signs and guidance revealed by Allah Almighty is a terrible crime which earns the curse of Allah Almighty Himself, as well as that of His entire creation. Let us point out to some injunctions that issue forth from this verse:

1. It is forbidden to conceal knowledge which must be disclosed and disseminated widely. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said:

من سٔل عن علم یعلمہ فکتمہ الجمہ اللہ یوم القیامہ بلجام من النار

"Anyone who is asked about something (of religion) which he knows would, in the event that he conceals it, be brought forth by Allah on the Doomsday harnessed with a rein of fire." (Narrated by Abu Hurayrah and ` Amr ibn al-'As and reported by Ibn Majah - Qurtubi)

According to the fuqaha' فقہاء (Muslim jurists), this warning applies to a person who is the only one available in a given situation. If there are other knowledgeable persons present, he has the option of suggesting that the issue may be discussed with an ` alim who knows. (Qurtubi and Jassas)

2. Another very important rule that emerges from here is that one who himself does not possess the sound knowledge of religious injunctions and rulings should not try to explain them.

3. The third rule we find out is that answers to religious questions which are intricate, deeply involved and way beyond the comprehension level of common people should not be offered before them lest they fall a prey to some misunderstanding. This will not be considered as 'concealment of knowledge' since what is not allowed is the concealment of clear guidance given in the Qur'an and Sunnah which it is rather necessary to disclose and disseminate widely. The expression مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى of clear signs and guidance" in this verse releases a strong …