Al-Baqara

«Truly those who disbelieve — it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe» (Q. 2:6). When He had mentioned the attributes of the elect among His servants, and described them by those attributes, and mentioned their final destination, He followed it with the description of His enemies. He mentioned four āyāt on the description of the believers, two āyāt on the description of the disbelievers, and thirteen āyāt on the description of the hypocrites.

«[Truly] those who disbelieve» (Q. 2:6). Kufr, lexically: covering over and concealing. In the technical usage of the Law of Islam: denying what is established by necessity to have been brought by the Prophet ﷺ. The kafir in the Qurʾan falls into four divisions. A kafir who is the contrary of the believer: «Truly those who disbelieved and barred [others] from the way of Allah» (Q. 47:1). And a kafir in the sense of the denier: «To Allah is owed, from the people, the pilgrimage to the House — whoever is able to make his way to it; and whoever [disbelieves], Allah is free of need of the worlds» (Q. 3:97) — that is, whoever denies the obligation of the hajj. And a kafir who is the contrary of the thankful: «Be thankful to Me and do not [be ungrateful] to Me» (Q. 2:152). And a kafir in the sense of the one who disowns: «Then on the Day of Resurrection some of you will disbelieve in others, and some of you will curse others» (Q. 29:25) — that is, some of you will disown

others.

Kufr is of [several] kinds. The kufr of the one who acknowledges: one who knows the existence of al-Ḥaqq, Blessed and Exalted, and disbelieves in Him with the tongue, like the kufr of Iblīs and the kufr of the Jews: «[So] when there came to them what they [recognized], they [disbelieved] in it» (Q. 2:89). And a kufr in the sense of denying the Maker outright: one who does not know His existence, Blessed and Exalted, as with the generality of the disbelievers. And a kufr whose holder knows the truth but has not acknowledged it with [his] tongue and has not taken the truth as his religion, as happened in the case of Abū Ṭālib. He says:

⟨I have come to know that the religion of Muhammad⟩

⟨is among the best of the religions of creation as a religion⟩ [1]

He said this with his tongue and believed in it with his heart, but he did not take Islam as his religion, and so he became a kafir. And the kufr of hypocrisy: he affirms with the tongue and denies with the heart. Kufr, as we have already said, is the denial of what is established by necessity to have been brought by Muhammad ﷺ: declaring the oneness of Allah, Blessed and Exalted; the performance of the prayers; the fast of Ramadan; the obligation of zakat on wealth; the hajj; the resurrection. Everything established by necessity to have been brought by the Prophet — to deny it is kufr. As for what is known to have been brought by the Prophet only through reflection and close scrutiny, whoever denies that does not become a disbeliever. The practices that the scholars have listed and have classed as kufr — such as tying the zunnār and [wearing] the ghiyār — [each of these] is a mark of kufr, not kufr in itself. Everyone who is [seen] tying the zunnār — we judge decisively that he is not a believer, because the Prophet ﷺ forbade it, and there is no appetite in it, as there is in fornication and the drinking of wine. These the Law has forbidden, but in them there is a portion for the lower self, and whoever commits them is not a kafir, because the lower self overcame him by way of an appetite. As for tying the zunnār, there is no appetite in it at all; so whoever ties it is making light of the religion of Islam, and he is a kafir. And all the kinds of kufr — whoever meets Allah, Blessed and Exalted, with one of them abides forever in the Fire: «Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, and He forgives what is less than that for whomever He wills» (Q. 4:48).

«Truly those who disbelieve» — such as Abū Jahl, Abū Lahab and their like among the disbelievers — «it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe» (Q. 2:6), because Allah, Blessed and Exalted, knows this of them; so do not set your hope on their believing. al-Ḥaqq, Blessed and Exalted, informed His Prophet that these disbelievers will never believe: it is all the same to them, the warning of the Prophet ﷺ.

[… ﷺ] and his not warning [them], so they do not believe. He did not say, ‘It is the same to you whether you warn them or do not warn them,’ for warning and not warning are not the same with respect to the Prophet ﷺ. Conveying [the message] is obligatory upon him; and if he has conveyed it, it is the same whether someone believed or did not believe — he is rewarded. But the unbelievers who do not believe: the warning of the Prophet ﷺ and his not warning are the same to them, and so they will never believe. Allah taught His Prophet in advance that these men would not believe, in order to cut off his hope for their belief, so that there should not befall him the like of what befell Nūḥ, upon him be peace, after he had remained [among his people] a thousand years less fifty, when [Allah] revealed to him: «that none of your people will believe except one who has already believed» (Q. 11:36) After the enduring of hardships Allah, Blessed and Exalted, informed him of this. As for the Prophet ﷺ, the Real informed him in advance that these men would not believe, so that he should not hope for their belief. Nūḥ, when Allah, Blessed and Exalted, taught him that his people would not believe, prayed against them for destruction; but the Prophet ﷺ, when he knew that his people would not believe, did not pray against them, because he is the prophet of mercy: «And We sent you only as a mercy to the worlds» (Q. 21:107) Allah, Blessed and Exalted, established in this āya that warning them and not warning them are the same to them; and the unbelievers established it against themselves in addressing their prophet Hūd: «It is the same to us whether you admonish or are not one of those who admonish» (Q. 26:136) For this they were recompensed in the Hereafter, when they were made to enter the Fire: «Endure, or do not endure — it is the same to you» (Q. 52:16) Just as Allah said that warning them and not warning them are the same to them, He taught them in the Fire that their enduring and their not enduring are the same. And they said of themselves: «It is the same to us whether we lament or endure; there is no escape for us» (Q. 14:21) — because they had said: «It is the same to us whether you admonish or are not one of those who admonish» (Q. 26:136). «Allah has sealed their hearts» — He stamped them and made them fast, so that no good enters them — «and upon their hearing» — [that is, upon] its organs, so that they derive no benefit from what they hear of the truth — «and upon their eyes is a covering» — a veil, so that they do not see the truth — «and theirs is a great punishment» (Q. 2:7) — that is, strong and lasting, and it is the Fire. al-ʿaẓīm is the opposite of al-ḥaqīr [the paltry], just as al-kabīr [the large] is the opposite of al-ṣaghīr [the small]; and al-ʿaẓīm is greater than al-kabīr. This punishment is a severe punishment, more severe than every punishment. This concerns the unbelievers. And [what follows] was sent down concerning the hypocrites, such as ʿAbd Allah b. Ubayy b. Salūl and his companions. When they came to the Muslims they would say to them, ‘We are with you,’ and when they came to the unbelievers they would say, ‘We are with you.’ The Real, Blessed and Exalted, reported their state: «And among the people there are those who say: We believe in Allah and in the Last Day» — that is, the Day of Resurrection; it was named the Last Day because it is the last of the days — «and they are not believers» (Q. 2:8) — the sense of man [‘whoever’] is observed in it. «They deceive Allah and those who believe» — by displaying the contrary of the unbelief they keep inward, so as to ward off from themselves its worldly rulings — «and they deceive none but themselves» — because the evil issue of their deception returns upon them: they are exposed in this world by Allah’s apprising His Prophet of what they kept inward, and they are punished in the Hereafter — «and they do not perceive» (Q. 2:9) — they do not know that their deception […]. The mukhādaʿa here proceeds from one party only; fāʿala is not here on its [usual] pattern, as in ʿāqabtu al-liṣṣ [I punished the thief]. [2] And the mention of Allah in «they deceive Allah» honours the Muslims, because in reality they deceive only the Muslims; Allah set the deceiving of the Muslims in the place of the deceiving of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. [3] «In their hearts is a sickness» — doubt and hypocrisy, and so it sickens their hearts — «so Allah increased them in sickness» (Q. 2:10) — by what He sent down of the Qurʾan, because of their unbelief in it. This sickness may be either sensory [ḥissī] or non-sensory [maʿnawī]: non-sensory — in their hearts is doubt and hypocrisy, and this is a non-sensory sickness; or a real sickness, because the increase of belief, the strength of the Prophet ﷺ and his continual ascendancy, which increased one thing after another, pained their hearts until it became as though it were a sensory sickness: «so Allah increased them in sickness» (Q. 2:10) — by the sending down of the Qurʾan, the increase of belief, and the strength of the Muslims’ might

and the Prophet’s ascendancy ﷺ. Or else «so Allah increased them» is an imprecation against them — «in sickness»: Allah increases them in sickness. «And they shall have a painful punishment» — that is, one that causes pain — «for what they used to deny» — yukadhdhibūn in Warsh’s reading, and yakdhibūn in ʿĀṣim’s reading (Q. 2:10). «And when it is said to them» — these ones — «Do not work corruption in the earth» by unbelief and by hindering [people] from faith, «they say: We are only setting things right» — and what we are engaged in is not corruption (Q. 2:11). They claim that they are setting things right, and that what they do is merely accommodation with the unbelievers, and that they intend something beneficial, so that they are setters-right. In reality they are the corrupters. He, the Exalted, said: «But they are the corrupters» — alā serves to call attention; innahum hum al-mufsidūn, with the emphatic particle — «but they do not perceive» (Q. 2:12). A philosopher asked a scholar [4]: we see redundancy in the speech of the Arabs; we find them saying Zaydun qāʾim [Zayd is standing], and saying inna Zaydan qāʾim, and saying inna Zaydan la-qāʾim. The Arab scholar answered him: no. Zaydun qāʾim is a report of Zayd’s standing. inna Zaydan qāʾim is an answer to an implied question. And inna Zaydan la-qāʾim is a rebuttal of someone who denies Zayd’s standing; inna is for emphasis. The hypocrites said āmannā [we have believed], in the verbal form, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted, answered them: «and they are not believers». He did not say “and they did not believe”, as they had spoken with a verb, in the verbal form, āmannā; so the refutation of them is more forceful than their claim, because it removes them from the body of the believers — «and they are not believers». Had He said only “they did not believe”, that would not have removed them from the community of the believers. «And when it is said to them: Believe as the people have believed» — the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ — «they say: Shall we believe as the fools have believed», the ignorant? We will not do as they do. «But they are the fools, though they do not know» (Q. 2:13). «And when they meet those who believe they say: We believe; and when they are alone» — apart from them, and have gone back — «with their satans» — their chiefs — «they say: We are with you». When they met the believers they said āmannā, in the verbal form; this is the lighter expression. And when they went back to their satans they said innā maʿakum, in the nominal form, with the emphasis of inna — «We are only mocking» them, by displaying faith (Q. 2:14). «Allah mocks them» — He requites them (Q. 2:15)

for their mockery. «and He extends them» He grants them respite «in their insolence» by their exceeding the limit through unbelief, «wandering blindly» (Q. 2:15)

they waver about in bewilderment — «Those are they who have bought error at the price of guidance» — they took it in exchange for it — «so their trade did not profit them»: they gained nothing in their trade but lost, since their destination is the Fire made everlasting for them — «nor were they rightly guided» in what they did (Q. 2:16). Allah then struck a likeness for the hypocrites, and striking a likeness clarifies the statement more forcefully, because it represents the absent by the present and the intelligible by the sensible. «Their likeness» — their description in their hypocrisy — «is as the likeness of one who kindled» — that is, lit — «a fire» in darkness; «whenever it gave light» — illumined — «what was around him», so that he saw, and warmed himself, and was safe from what he feared, «Allah took away their light» — He extinguished it. He did not say “their fire”, because the point of kindling the fire is the presence of light: «Allah took away their light» — He extinguished it — «and left them in darknesses in which they do not see» what is around them, bewildered as to the road, afraid (Q. 2:17). So too these: they were safe by professing the word of faith, and when they die fear and punishment come upon them. «Deaf» — they are deaf to the truth, so they do not hear it with the hearing of acceptance; «and dumb» — mute as to the good, so they do not utter it; «blind» — to the road of guidance, so they do not see it; «so they do not return» from error (Q. 2:18). «Or like a downpour» — or their likeness is as a ṣayyib, that is, a cloud; that is, like those caught in a rain — «from the sky» — from the direction of the sky — «in it» — that is, the cloud — «are darknesses», densely massed: the darkness of the night, the darkness of the cloud, and the darkness of the rain; «and thunder» — thunder is the angel charged with the rain, or his voice [5] — «and lightning» — that is, a flash. «They put» — those caught in the downpour — «their fingers» — that is, their fingertips — «in their ears from» [on account] of «the thunderbolts», on account of the violence of the thunder’s sound, so as not to hear them, «in dread of death» — fear of death from hearing them (Q. 2:19). So too these hypocrites: when the Qurʾan comes down with mention in it of unbelief, likened to the darknesses, and of the threat against it, likened to the thunder, and of the clear proofs, likened to the lightning, they stop up their ears so as not to hear it and so incline toward

faith and the abandonment of their religion, which is, for them, death. «And Allah encompasses the unbelievers» (Q. 2:19) in knowledge and in power, so they do not escape Him

«The lightning all but snatches away their sight» it takes it swiftly «Whenever it gave them light they walked in it» (Q. 2:20) that is, in

its light. «And when it darkened over them, they stood still» (Q. 2:20) they halted. A likeness for the way the proofs in the Qurʾan unsettle their hearts, for their assent to what they hear in it of what they love, and for their standing back from what they hate. This is the likeness of the hypocrites. The hypocrite is an unbeliever, but when he saw that the Prophet ﷺ was a man of the sword — whoever opposed him, he killed him and seized his property — he came and professed the two testimonies: There is no deity except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and he does not assent in his heart. He prays with the Muslims and gives alms. By this he secured his own person and secured his properties so long as he lives. But death is coming, and when he dies he enters a punishment harsher than what he used to fear. «And had Allah willed, He would have taken away their hearing» in the sense of their [faculties of] hearing, «and their sight. Allah is over all things» over everything He has willed, «capable» (Q. 2:20) and among this is the taking away of what was mentioned.

He set out the description of the believers, the description of the unbelievers, and the description of the hypocrites. The Qurʾan began with the Opening of the Book, a sura determinate (muḥkama) in its entirety, and set second the [sura] whose beginning is the ambiguous (mutashābih): «Alif Lām Mīm» (Q. 2:1). These letters were the heaviest thing upon the Arabs, because they understood nothing of what they contain. As for the Qurʾan — inimitable as it is in its eloquence, in its rhetoric, and in its reporting of the unseen — they still understood it. They are Arabs; they understand everything that came in the Qurʾan. Then these letters came at the openings of the suras, and they caught no scent of them. These are the hardest thing upon them. For all their unbelief and their obstinacy, they are eloquent Arabs who know the interpretation of Arab speech, and every word of Arabic carries meanings that match the character of the word. An example of this: if we say the word kalm, composed of kāf, lām and mīm — its meaning in the Arabic language is force (al-shidda), so force shows itself in every one of its meanings. Among them is kalima (a word), because it strikes a person’s hearing and his heart until he understands what the word contains; and among them is al-kalm, which is a severe wound. Every word of Arab speech has a derivation and has permutations. Kalm: this comes with the sense of kalima, and kalima came in the Qurʾan with the sense of ʿĪsā. He was named a word because he came to be from the utterance «Be» [6], or because the swiftness of his conception and his delivery stood at the level of a word. It has come in Arab speech that they say kalima for an ode and kalima for an oration. The Messenger said: ⟨The truest word the Arabs ever spoke is the word of Labīd⟩ [7]. And if we permute this word — in the sense that any one of its letters may be put first — if we say kalama, then it holds the meanings we have pointed to; and if we say lakama: the blow (al-lakm) is more forceful than the word, and it too has in it the meaning of force; and if we say malaka: al-milāk is the giving in marriage, in the sense of handing the daughter over to the husband, so that it is as though he had come to own her; and if we say malik, from ownership (al-milk) or from dominion (al-mulk): the king — not one of his dealings departs from the meaning of force. But these letters: they caught no scent of them at all, and so they are harder upon them than all the miracles of the Qurʾan. The first of them to be sent down was «Kāf Hā Yā ʿAyn Ṣād» (Q. 19:1). When Jibrīl came down with a verse, he would recite it to its end and would interpret it as well, and he [the Prophet] ﷺ would recite it as Jibrīl had recited it and would interpret it. And when Jibrīl brought the revelation — «Kāf» — the Messenger said:

⟨I know it.⟩ «Hā» ⟨I know it.⟩ «Yā» ⟨I know it.⟩ «ʿAyn» ⟨I know it.⟩ «Ṣād» ⟨I know it.⟩ The Prophet ﷺ knew before Jibrīl knew. Jibrīl came to know that this is a secret kept hidden even from him, the one conveying it. [8]

He mentioned the qualities of the believers; He described them with the finest of qualities: al-taqwā (godfearing), belief in the unseen, performing the prayer, and spending from what Allah has provided them. The prayer: Allah mentioned it in the Qurʾan in a number of verses — «Establish the prayer» (Q. 11:114), in

the opening of al-Baqara — «and they establish the prayer» (Q. 2:3). Not mere praying; rather it is the setting upright, the straightening: you keep it free of all crookedness. Allah commanded the establishing of the prayer. He said: «Establish the prayer» (Q. 2:43); and He commanded performing it in congregation: «and bow with those who bow» (Q. 2:43); and He commanded performing it at its time: «The prayer is for the believers a prescription at appointed times» (Q. 4:103); and He commanded humility in it: «those who in their prayer are humble» (Q. 23:2). So the Prophet ﷺ and whoever followed him

— may Allah make us and you among those who follow him — complied with all of these commands. They established the prayer, they performed it in congregation and at its time, and they were humble in it. Allah mentioned them and mentioned their end: «Those are the inheritors, who shall inherit al-Firdaws» (Q. 23:10–11). And Abū Jahl and his like rejected all of these commands; they accepted nothing of them. Allah mentioned them

«He neither affirmed the truth nor prayed, but he denied and turned away» (Q. 75:31–32), and He mentioned their end: «What brought you into Saqar? They say: We were not among those who prayed» (Q. 74:42–43). And He said: «Then there succeeded them a succession who neglected the prayer and followed lusts; they shall meet with ruin» (Q. 19:59). Whenever He mentions the prayer He pairs it with al-zakat (the alms), because the prayer is the greatest of the acts of worship performed with the body and spending is the greatest of the acts of worship performed with wealth, and a person’s religion is complete only when he worships with his body and with his wealth. He mentioned the unbelievers, and He mentioned the hypocrites, and He called the people to declaring His oneness, which is the greatest thing

«O mankind» — the people of Mecca and those around them, from the whole world — «worship» — declare the oneness of — «your Lord, who created you» — brought you into being when you were nothing. He called them to al-tawḥīd and to the worship of Allah, Blessed and Exalted — «and those before you» — and He created those who were before you — «that you may be godfearing» (Q. 2:21) — [that you may guard], by worshipping Him, against His punishment. The commentator said [9]: ⟨Laʿalla in its original use is for hope, but in His speech, Exalted be He, it is for certainty.⟩ «that you may be godfearing». Laʿalla, with respect to Allah, is for certainty. But the servant here: Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has commanded him to establish the worship of Allah and to declare the oneness of his Lord, and even so he is not secure; rather he hopes and he fears. So laʿalla here needs no figurative reading: perhaps the servant hopes to be among the godfearing

«Who made the earth a bed for you» He made plain His oneness. Allah, [for] whoever does not know Him, is «the One who made the earth a bed for you» a carpet that is spread out, not so extreme in hardness or in softness that settling upon it would be impossible. He made it both hard and soft, so that settling upon it is possible: standing, if you wish; sitting, if you wish; lying down, if you wish. «and the heaven a structure» He is the one who raised this roof above us, a structure over us. «and sent down water from the heaven» (Q. 2:22)

He brought the rain-water out from the heaven, from the direction of the heaven, from the cloud. The cloud is above us, and everything that stands above a human being can be reckoned a heaven. The rain descends from the heaven first, then descends to the clouds, and from the clouds to the earth. Some of the Arabs call rain samaʾ [heaven]:

⟨When the samaʾ comes down upon the land of a people …⟩ [10].

«and thereby brought forth from» the kinds of «the fruits, as provision for you» which you eat, and with which you fodder your beasts. «So do not set up rivals to Allah» partners in worship «while you know» (Q. 2:22) Do not worship any other than Allah, Blessed and Exalted, «while you know» that He is the Creator. When a person knows that Allah is the Creator, he knows that nothing deserves worship from him

other than Allah.

Ten [sorts] of the self-deluded: whoever knows that Allah is his Creator and does not worship Him; whoever knows that Allah is his Provider and does not rest secure in Him; whoever knows that this world passes away and yet inclines toward it and relies upon it; whoever knows that his heirs are his enemies and yet amasses wealth for them and neglects himself; whoever knows that death is coming to him and does not prepare for it; whoever is certain that the grave is his dwelling and does not tend it; whoever is certain that the Ṣirāṭ is his crossing and does not lighten his load; whoever is certain that the Fire is the place of the depraved and does not flee

from it; whoever knows that the Garden is the dwelling of those whom Allah loves, Blessed and Exalted, and does not seek it; whoever is certain that Iblīs

is his enemy and does not make war on him. [11]

[…] «Do not set up rivals to Allah while you know» (Q. 2:22) partners. Shirk falls into divisions. Al-shirk al-jalī [manifest shirk] is what the idolaters hold to, the worship of idols. Al-shirk al-khafī [hidden shirk] is acting for display and for repute. Al-shirk al-akhfā [the most hidden shirk] is seeing anything other than Allah, Blessed and Exalted. Allah has appointed seven of the angels over the deeds of the servant. When he performs a deed, the angels raise it to the lowest heaven, and the angel of the lowest heaven inspects it: ⟨Return this deed in its doer’s face, for he is envious, or a backbiter⟩ — [and] in the second heaven, or proud, or self-admiring, or envious, or a dissembler, or a seeker of repute. When it has passed all the heavens it reaches Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: ⟨The man concealed from you what was in him, and nothing is concealed from Me. This deed was not intended for My face. Return this deed in its doer’s face, for he intended by it another than Me.⟩ [12] For this reason it is related of the Messenger ﷺ: ⟨People are doomed except the believers; the believers are doomed except those who know; those who know are doomed except those who act; those who act are doomed except the sincere; and the sincere are in danger.⟩

«And if you are in doubt concerning what We have sent down upon Our servant»: He called [them] to the oneness of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and to worshipping Him alone, then made it plain — He brought the proof for believing the Prophet ﷺ. «And if you are in doubt» — in uncertainty — «concerning what We have sent down upon Our servant», who is Muhammad ﷺ that it is from Allah, «then bring a sura like it». He challenged them with the Qurʾan: bring a sura like the Qurʾan in eloquence, in excellence of composition, and in reporting the unseen. The shortest sura is Sūrat al-Kawthar, three āyāt. «And call your witnesses» — your gods

which you worship: seek help from them — «apart from Allah, if you are truthful» in [claiming] that Muhammad said it on his own account; so do that, for you are Arabs, as eloquent as he is (Q. 2:23). He challenged them first with the Qurʾan: «Say: If mankind and the jinn were to gather to bring the like of this Qurʾan, they would not bring its like, even if they supported one another» (Q. 17:88); and He challenged them with ten suras: «Then bring ten suras like it, invented» (Q. 11:13); and He challenged them with a single sura, the length of «We have given you al-Kawthar» (Q. 108:1); and they proved unable to do it. The Arabs, for all their eloquence and command of speech, did not attempt to rival the Prophet ﷺ in producing the like of the Qurʾan. No one undertook this except Musaylima al-Kadhdhāb, latterly, and Allah so disfigured him that he produced wordings whose speaker might not be an Arab at all. Imitating Sūrat al-Kawthar he says: ⟨We have given you the jewels, so pray to your Lord and proclaim aloud.⟩ What connection is there between jewels and prayer? Jewels are something

from the adornment of this world. This is far removed from «It is We who have given you [al-Kawthar], [so pray] to your Lord and sacrifice» (Q. 108:1–2) And the Americans hired someone who knows Arabic to compose the like of the Fātiḥa of the Book, and he spoke wordings such that everyone who hears them does not suppose that the one who speaks this is an Arab. He says: ‘By the Name of the Lord of the akwān’, in place of «al-Ḥamdu li-Llāh, Lord of the worlds» [the praise is for Allah] (Q. 1:2) — ‘By the Name of the Lord of the akwān, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful; to You belongs the worship, and by You is help sought.’ He dropped ‘Allah’, which cannot be dispensed with in the mention of Allah, Blessed and Exalted; he said: ‘By the Name of the Lord of the akwān’. And he dropped al-ʿālamīn and said al-akwān. Al-akwān is the plural of kawn, and old, classical Arabic has no plural al-akwān; it is rather a coined word. He said ‘to You belongs the worship’ in place of «It is You we worship», and he says that he is abridging «It is You we worship and it is You we ask for help» (Q. 1:5) — four words. And ‘to You belongs the worship, and by You is help sought’: al-mustaʿān — he made it a maṣdar [verbal noun]. You know that this is deformed speech, far removed from the Fātiḥa. «But if you do not do [it], and you will not do [it]» if you do not do what has been mentioned, owing to your incapacity «and you will not [do it]»

you will never do it «[so fear]» by believing in Allah «the Fire whose fuel is people» the unbelievers «and stones»

their idols «It has been prepared» made ready «for the [unbelievers]» (Q. 2:24) they will be punished by it; [and the] clause […] «[And give good tidings]» announce «to those who believe» who have affirmed the truth of Allah «and [do] righteous deeds» comprising the obligatory and the supererogatory acts «that they will have» «gardens» orchards containing trees, and dwellings «beneath which flow» beneath their trees and their palaces «the rivers» the waters in them. The waters surge through the Garden without limit and without machinery; rather they run along with the inhabitants wherever they have need of them. «whenever they are provided from it» they are fed from that Garden «of a fruit, as provision, they say: This is what we were provided with before — and they are brought it» they are brought the provision «resembling one another, and they will have therein spouses» from among the ḥūr and others. It has been transmitted that the man of the Garden with the fewest women has eight thousand women previously married, four thousand virgins, and one hundred ḥūrāʾ. [13] «purified» from menstruation and every impurity «and they will abide therein» (Q. 2:25) and they are abiding therein, remaining in it forever; they do not perish and they do not leave.

O Allah, send blessing upon our master Muhammad, the opener of what was closed and the seal of what went before, the helper of the truth by the truth and the guide to Your straight path; and upon his family, according to his true worth and his immense measure.

«Allah is not ashamed to strike a parable of whatever kind — a gnat, or what is above it» (Q. 2:26) This āya was revealed in reply to what the Jews said when Allah struck the parable of the fly in His saying, Exalted: «And if the fly should snatch anything from them, they could not recover it from it» (Q. 22:73) and in [the case of] the spider, in His saying: «like the likeness of the spider» (Q. 29:41) They said: What did Allah intend by mentioning these contemptible things? It is not fitting that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, should strike a parable with these paltry things; He ought to have been ashamed of that. And so it was revealed. This is the occasion of the revelation of this āya. Allah struck the parable with these paltry things, and the disbelievers and the hypocrites and the Jews objected to striking a parable with the like of these with respect to the Majestic One, Blessed and Exalted [1] So Allah replied to them with His saying: «Allah is not ashamed to strike» [that is,] to set up «a parable of whatever kind — a gnat, or what is above it» (Q. 2:26) Allah is not ashamed to take the gnat as a likeness, or what is below it, or what is above it; He does not omit to make plain the wisdom it contains. «But as for those who believe, they know that it» — the parable — «is the truth» [that is,] the firmly established, falling in its proper place

«from their Lord» (Q. 2:26) When He strikes a parable with these things, people fall into two classes: the believers know that the parable falls in its proper place. «And as for those who disbelieve, they say: What did Allah intend by this as a parable» — by this parable? — He answered: «He leads astray by it» — by this parable — «many» from the truth, because of their disbelief «and He guides by it many» of the believers, because of their holding it true «and He leads none astray by it except the transgressors» (Q. 2:26) He is not ashamed to strike a parable. al-istiḥyāʾ — shame — is the servant’s shrinking back when he does something for which he would be reproached or blamed, so that he leaves it off. Shrinking back out of aversion to what one is blamed for: this is impossible with respect to Allah, Blessed and Exalted. We have told you a rule: every attribute that is impossible of Allah, Blessed and Exalted — if you look closely into it you find that it has a beginning and an end; its beginning is impossible with respect to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and its end is admissible with respect to Him. al-istiḥyāʾ is the shrinking back from something for which one is blamed or reproached, so that he leaves it; his leaving it is the end. As for the leaving, it is admissible of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And since nothing keeps the great man from doing a thing except shame — for he fears no one, so nothing restrains him except shame — and Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is greater than every great one, shame is predicated of Him without qualification while what is meant is the leaving: that He does not leave it off out of shame. As for the disbelievers who faulted the striking of a parable with these paltry things, [they did so] out of their dullness and the blindness of their hearts, for these paltry things are the most remarkable of what Allah, Blessed and Exalted, created, and they hold wonders that nothing else holds. The gnat, for example, for all the smallness of its frame, has in it every organ that is in the elephant, and two wings besides. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, who had the power to create the elephant and to create the gnat and to fit into it as many organs and joints as are in the elephant — nothing defeats Him. And this creature, which is the small gnat: when Allah created it weak, and created the fly weak likewise, He put in it such boldness that it holds no one in awe. When people gather you find the fly hovering over their eyelids and over their eyes; however hard they drive it off it comes back at them, caring nothing for them. Even kings, even tyrants — the gnat alights on them and does not fear them. As for the elephant and the lion, Allah created them at the utmost of strength and solidity that they could be, and He fitted cowardice into them, so that they do not dare to come near people; they dwell in

the wastelands, and when the two of them hear the sound of a human being they both flee from him. This belongs to the kindness of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. This boldness and audacity which is in lowly things — had He placed it in these powerful things, they would have harmed people, rather would have destroyed them in a short span. If the lion acted as audaciously toward a human being as the fly and the mosquito act audaciously toward him, the people would [all] die. But out of His kindness, Blessed and Exalted, He placed fear in the strong and placed boldness in the weak, which harms no one. The fly, when it alights on you, embitters your life for you; you are in your house, or in your garden, or in whatever place — it embitters your life for you. And the mosquito likewise, for all the lowliness of these things, their weakness and their incapacity. So how do you act boldly toward Allah, Blessed and Exalted, given the severity of His punishment and what is in Hell of scorpions and snakes whose injury never ceases? Everyone who contravenes the command of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and abandons what Allah has commanded him, is as though he were acting audaciously toward this severe punishment — while a flea or a mosquito or a fly embitters him and clouds his life for him. Let him know that he can endure nothing of the punishment of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And these things, for all their lowliness, did not prevent the parable from falling exactly in its place: «O people, a parable has been struck, so listen to it. Those whom you call upon apart from Allah will never create a fly» (Q. 22:73) This is brilliance of the highest order. And He struck a parable for the worship of idols: «Their likeness is as the likeness of the spider: it took a house; and the frailest of houses is the spider’s house» (Q. 29:41) And the striking of parables by means of such things occurs in the Books sent down before the Qurʾan.

al-Maʾmūn was on his pulpit when the fly alighted on him. He drove it off, and it alighted on him repeatedly, and he drove it off, and he had no power over it in anything. So he sent to Abū Hudhayl, a scholar in the city, asking him: what is the wisdom in Allah’s creating these things? He said to him: ⟨Allah created these things as a humiliation for tyrants of your sort. For when the tyrant king sits upon his throne, the fly alights on his excrement and then alights on him, and he is unable to drive it away.⟩ He said to him: ⟨You have spoken truly. For this Allah created it, Blessed⟩

and Exalted. [2] They have said: were it not for the winds and the flies, the world would stink. [3] Along with that, these foul odours — the flies eat them and the winds carry them off, so they dissipate. Were it not for that, the world would stink and it would harm its inhabitants. He said «He leads many astray by it and He guides many by it» (Q. 2:26). How did He, Great is His Majesty, say that He guides many, when the people of guidance are the few in relation to the people of error? The people of error are many, and the people of guidance are few; yet despite their fewness they are many in themselves — not in relation to the people of error, but in themselves they are many. Or: the people of truth, even if they are few, are the great mass, and they are the many, and they are the ones who prevail, and it is they who count. But in reality those who stray are more numerous than those who are guided, and that is because faith is precious and because Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has no need [of anyone]. Had He willed, everyone on earth would have believed, all of them together: «And had your Lord willed, everyone on earth would have believed, all of them together» (Q. 10:99). But because He has no need of creation, He made most of the jinn and of humankind people of error. «And He leads none astray by it except the transgressors» (Q. 2:26)

those who go outside His obedience. «Those who break Allah’s covenant» (Q. 2:27): what He enjoined upon them in the scriptures, namely faith in Muhammad ﷺ. Allah’s covenant is of three kinds. The first is what He took upon the progeny of Adam on the day of «Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes» (Q. 7:172). The second is what He took upon the messengers: that if they lived to meet the Prophet ﷺ, they would believe in him and follow him. The third is what He took upon the scholars: «You shall surely make it clear to the people and not conceal it» (Q. 3:187). This covenant the Jews broke. He made the covenant something broken, as though He had made it a rope, because in the speech of the Arabs a covenant is called a rope; for this reason the expression “breaking” is admissible. «after its ratification»: its confirmation. «and they sever what Allah has commanded to be joined»: faith in the Prophet, the ties of kinship, and other than that. «and they work corruption in the earth»: by acts of disobedience and by hindering [people] from faith. «Those — they are the losers» (Q. 2:27): because their destination is the Fire made everlasting for them. «How do you disbelieve» — O people of Mecca — «in Allah, when you were» — you had been — «dead» (Q. 2:28): drops of seed in the loins

«then He gave you life» in the wombs, in this world, by the breathing of the spirit into you. And the interrogative expresses astonishment: how do they disbelieve after [all] this? «then He causes you to die» at the expiry of your appointed terms. «then He gives you life» through the resurrection. «then to Him» (Q. 2:28)

«you will be returned» (Q. 2:28): you will be brought back after the resurrection, and He will requite you for your deeds. And He said, as a proof of the resurrection when they denied it: «He it is who created for you what is in the earth» — the earth and what is in it — «all together» (Q. 2:29): so that you might benefit from it and take heed. The Real, Blessed and Exalted, announced that He created the earth and all that is in it for the children of Adam, so that they might benefit from it and take heed that the Creator who has power over this has power to raise them after their death. The lām [in “for you”] is the lām of entitlement. They said: the children of Adam are those who were given ownership of the earth and what is in it; it is not [the lām] of licence. This is where the Ibāḥiyya went astray — a school among the schools of the Muʿtazila. They say that Allah created for the children of Adam everything that is in the earth, so there is nothing on the face of the earth forbidden to us once Allah created it for us. But what is meant is other than this. «Then He turned»: after the creation of the earth He directed Himself «to the heaven and fashioned them» — that is, He made them — «seven heavens; and He is Knowing of every thing» (Q. 2:29): knowing of every thing, in sum and in detail. Will you not then take heed that the One who has power to create that in the first place — and it is greater than you — has power to restore you? «He created for you what is in the earth all together, then He turned to the heaven» (Q. 2:29). In this āya it is as though the creation of the heaven came after the creation of the earth; and in Sūrat al-Nāziʿāt, «And the earth, after that, He spread out» (Q. 79:30), it is as though the creation of the earth came later than the creation of the heavens. The reconciliation of the two is that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, created the earth first, then created the heavens, and after the creation of the heavens He spread out the earth and made it as it now is. Each of them is both prior and subsequent. «And» — mention, O Muhammad ﷺ — «And when your Lord said to the angels: I am placing in the earth a vicegerent» (Q. 2:30): who will act in My stead in carrying out My rulings in it. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned that He informed the angels that He was placing a vicegerent in the earth, and he is Adam. «They said: Will You place in it one who will work corruption in it»: by acts of disobedience. «and shed blood»: spill it by killing, as the Banū al-Jānn did. They were before Adam, and they used to work corruption in the earth and shed blood. Will You place a vicegerent like them? «while we glorify You with praise of You»: clothed in

Your praise, we say: Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him. «and we sanctify You»: and we declare You free of what does not befit You. «He said: I know what you do not know» (Q. 2:30): of the benefit in appointing Adam as vicegerent, and that among his progeny are the obedient and the disobedient, so that justice may become manifest among them. They had said: our Lord will not create a creature more honoured in His sight than us, nor more knowing, since we came before it and have seen what it has not seen. [4] So the Exalted created Adam from the adīm of the earth — that is, its surface — by taking a handful from it of all its colours, and it was kneaded with the different waters, [5] and He shaped him and breathed the spirit into him, so that he became a sentient animal after having been inanimate. This is the story of Adam’s vicegerency. Allah said: «I am placing in the earth a vicegerent» (Q. 2:30), and he is Adam. Allah, Blessed and Exalted — His vicegerent in existence is the one through whom He carries out all His rulings and His acts, like the seal belonging to every king, by which he guards his kingdom. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned that He created Adam: He created him a human being. When He mentioned him as a human being He said: «I am creating a human being» (Q. 15:28). And He mentioned him here and made him a vicegerent, and He said «placing» — He did not say “creating,” because in his capacity as vicegerent he is not of the world of creation; rather he is of the world of command. [6] He informed the angels that Adam and his progeny are Allah’s vicegerents in the earth, and the angels answered with this answer: «Will You place in it one who will work corruption in it and shed blood?» (Q. 2:30). From where did they know that Adam’s progeny would work corruption in the earth and shed blood? They knew it from the composition of Adam’s constitution. Allah created Adam and composed in him a soul possessing appetite and anger, and an intellect. The human being has three powers: a power of anger, which sheds blood; a power of appetite, which works corruption in the earth through acts of disobedience; and the power of intellect, which is the one that sets right. So the angels looked at Adam and said: these two powers must inevitably overcome the single power, and therefore corruption must inevitably occur, and there must inevitably occur

the shedding of blood. And it is said that they understood from the word khilāfa that Adam and his progeny would work corruption on the earth, because khilāfa derives from khilāf (opposition): every khalīfa must inevitably differ from the one before him. So when Adam was Allah’s khalīfa, they knew that corruption and the shedding of blood must issue from him. Or they read this in the Tablet, because it was written in al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ that Adam would be a khalīfa on the earth and would have progeny, some of whom would work corruption on the earth and shed blood until Allah filled Hell with them, and some of whom would be obedient, and with them Allah would fill the Garden. They read this in the books, and that is why they said what they said. Or they heard that from Allah, Blessed and Exalted, beforehand. He spoke with them privately beforehand. They said to Him: “Our God, this Fire, [whose] force was created severe — what will You do with it?” He said to them: “I shall create a creature and bring forth progeny from his loins. Among them will be those who obey Me, and I shall admit them to the Garden, and among them those who disobey Me, and I shall admit them to the Fire.” Their objection to Adam’s vicegerency they understood from these several considerations. «And we glorify You with praise and sanctify You. He said: I know what you do not know» (Q. 2:30) So Allah, Blessed and Exalted, turned away from them. «And He taught Adam the names» the names of the things named, that is, the names of all beings, «all of them» (Q. 2:31) even the bowl and the little bowl, [7] and the fart and the little fart, [8] and the ladle. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, taught [him] everything He would create of things: this one’s name is horse and the wisdom in it is such-and-such, and this one’s name is donkey, and this one ... even the qaṣʿa and the qaṣīʿa, the large vessel and the small, and the ladle. Everything — Adam knew it on the spot, from the beginning of time to the end of time, and the angels knew nothing of this. «Then He presented them to the angels and said» in reproof «Inform me» tell me «of the names of these» the things named «if you are truthful» (Q. 2:31) in [your claim] that I shall not create anyone more knowing than you, or that you have a better right to the vicegerency than Adam «They said: Glory be to You» declaring You exalted above any objection raised against You «we have no knowledge except what You have taught us» [of] it «truly You are»

«the All-Knowing, the All-Wise» (Q. 2:32) from whose knowledge and wisdom nothing escapes «He said» Exalted [is He] «O Adam, inform them»

the angels «of their names» (Q. 2:33) the things named. Adam named each thing by its name and stated the wisdom for which it was created

«So when he had informed them of their names, He said» Exalted [is He], to them in rebuke «Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you disclose» what you make manifest, from your saying «Will You place therein» (Q. 2:30) «and what you were concealing» (Q. 2:33) what you keep secret, from your saying: Allah will not create anyone more honoured in His sight than us, nor more knowing.

This is the story of Adam with the angels. When Allah created Adam He taught him these things, and the angels did not know them. So Allah argued against them that Adam deserves the vicegerency because he knows a knowledge the angels do not know. For this reason the scholars said that only the one who knows is entitled to the imāma, because Allah, Blessed and Exalted, argued against the angels over Adam’s vicegerency by [appeal to] knowledge. This is the merit of knowledge. When Adam knew the things named and the angels did not know them, Allah made him khalīfa on the earth and commanded the angels — as comes now — to prostrate to him, a prostration of greeting. This is proof of the nobility of knowledge. Knowledge is the leader and action follows it. The Book, the Sunna, and reason all attest the merit of knowledge. As for the Book, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned the merit of knowledge in several āyāt, among them: «Only those of His servants who know fear Allah» (Q. 35:28) and among them: «Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and the angels, and those possessed of knowledge» (Q. 3:18) Allah mentioned four classes whose ranks He raises. The people of Badr: «The believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned» (Q. 8:2) this was sent down concerning the people of Badr, and at its end He said that He raises their ranks, that He gives them high ranks. And He mentioned those who strive: «Allah has favoured those who strive over those who sit at home with a great reward — ranks» (Q. 4:95–96) And He, Blessed and Exalted, raised the ranks of the righteous: «And whoever comes to Him a believer, having done righteous deeds — those are the ones who have the highest ranks» (Q. 20:75) And He raised the ranks of the people of knowledge above all these classes: «Allah raises those of you who believe, and those who have been given knowledge, by ranks» (Q. 58:11) So He placed those possessed of knowledge in the third rank: «Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and the angels, and those possessed of knowledge» (Q. 3:18) In the Qurʾan there are seven persons, of every one of whom Allah mentioned that He taught him knowledge from Himself, without

intermediary: «He taught Ādam the names, all of them» (Q. 2:31) — so by that he attained the vicegerency and the prostration of the angels to him. And the Exalted said that He taught al-Khiḍr the science of physiognomy: «and We taught him knowledge from Us» (Q. 18:65) — so by that he gained a pupil like Mūsā and Yūshaʿ. And He taught Yūsuf the interpretation of dreams: «My Lord, You have given me of the kingdom and taught me of the interpretation of dreams» (Q. 12:101) — so he attained Zulaykhā and the kingdom. And He taught Dāwūd the making of coats of mail: «and We taught him the making of coats of mail» (Q. 21:80) — so he found leadership and kingship. And He taught Sulaymān the speech of the birds: «We have been taught the speech of the birds» (Q. 27:16) — and the teacher is Allah; so he found the kingdom, and he found Bilqīs and the throne. And He taught ʿĪsā the Book and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel: «and He will teach him the Book and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel» (Q. 3:48) — so by that he attained being raised up to heaven and association with the angels. And He taught Muhammad ﷺ the shariʿa: «and He taught you what you did not know» (Q. 4:113) — so through his knowledge he attained intercession.

ʿAli, may Allah ennoble his face, said: ⟨Knowledge is better than wealth in seven respects:⟩ [9]

- ⟨Wealth is the inheritance of the pharaohs, and knowledge is the inheritance of the prophets⟩

- ⟨Wealth decreases with spending, and knowledge does not decrease with spending⟩

- ⟨Wealth — the unbeliever finds it and the believer finds it; and knowledge — none finds it but a believer⟩

- ⟨Wealth needs a keeper and a guard; and knowledge guards its possessor, it needs no keeper⟩

- ⟨Wealth — when a man dies his wealth remains behind, while his knowledge enters the grave with him and does not part from him⟩

- ⟨Wealth weighs a man down on the Ṣirāṭ [the Bridge], and knowledge strengthens him to walk on the Ṣirāṭ⟩

- ⟨Knowledge — all people need it for their religion, and they do not need the possessor of wealth.⟩

So knowledge is better than wealth. And if Ādam, upon him be blessing and peace, was taught the names of existent things and was ennobled by that knowledge until he found the prostration of the angels and their salutation to him — then we have been taught the Essence and the Attributes and the Names: not the names of existent things, but the Names of Allah and His Attributes and His exalted Essence. If we have come to know this, how should we not find the greeting of the angels? Rather we find above that — we find the greeting of the Lord: «Peace — a word from a Merciful Lord» (Q. 36:58). And if al-Khiḍr found, through the science of physiognomy, the companionship of Mūsā and Yūshaʿ — and the two of them are prophets — then we, who have found the science of the Reality, how should we not find the companionship of Muhammad ﷺ? We do find it: «Those are with those whom Allah has favoured — of the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous; and excellent are those as companions» (Q. 4:69). al-Ḥamdu li-Llāh [the praise is for Allah]

Among the excellences of knowledge is that when the student goes out from his house to a scholar seeking knowledge, the angels spread their wings in exaltation and ennoblement of him [10], and so long as he keeps going back and forth to his teacher, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, sends down mercy upon him. And when he is in the session of knowledge: whoever understands the knowledge knows what he finds, and whoever understands nothing of what is said finds charisms. He finds [this]: that he is in obedience to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, so long as he is in the session of knowledge, even if he has understood nothing; he is held back from acts of disobedience and from sins so long as he is in that session, and he is a sitting-companion of the scholars and of the angels. And if he knows nothing of what is said, his heart breaks on this account, and so Allah becomes his sitting-companion: ⟨I am with those whose hearts are broken for My sake⟩ [11]. This is something of the excellence of knowledge. When Allah willed to alert the angels that Ādam is better than them, He gave him of knowledge

what they had not found, and so they acknowledged that Ādam is better than them. «And» — recall, O Muhammad, may Allah bless you and grant you peace — […] «When We said to the angels: Prostrate yourselves to Ādam» — a prostration of salutation by bowing, or as though it were a prostration of bowing, not a prostration of worship; that none deserves but Allah, Blessed and Exalted. Or Ādam was made a qibla for them, as the Kaʿba was made a qibla for us: we prostrate towards it and do not prostrate to it in reality. In any case, this prostration to other than Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is abrogated. «So they prostrated, except Iblīs» — he is the father of the jinn; he was among the angels [12] «He refused» — he held back from prostrating — «and was arrogant» — and he said: I am better than him — «and he was among the unbelievers» (Q. 2:34). Iblīs used to be called ʿAzāzīl [13]; he was a servant brought near. He worshipped Allah, Blessed and Exalted, on every handspan of the face of the earth for a thousand years, and he was the treasurer of the Garden for forty thousand years [14], and he struggled for sixty thousand years — this was before Ādam. And when Allah created Ādam and commanded the angels to prostrate to him, Iblīs reasoned by analogy in the presence of an explicit text; he said that he is better than Ādam, so [he did] not

prostrate to him, but he refused, and the angels prostrated. Prostration was in origin a single act, and this is what analogy requires, this is what is fitting, because Allah is one, so the prostration was one. But when the angels had prostrated for half a day — five hundred years — and raised their heads from the prostration and saw that Iblīs had refused and had not prostrated, they returned a second time: they performed a second prostration in thanks to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, since He had not tried them with what He tried Iblīs with. So the prostration became two. There had been one bowing and one prostration, because the One worshipped is one; but the second was thanks to Allah, Blessed and Exalted.

He cast a specious argument upon the angels. Had Allah not refuted it, we could not have refuted it; no one can refute it by reason. He said: I know that Allah is my Lord and my Creator and my Owner. Why did He create me, after He knew that I am damned [and that] He would punish me? Why did He not leave me be? And once He created me, I obey Him — He is my Lord; why does He command me to prostrate to one other than Him, namely Ādam? And when I refused to prostrate to Ādam, why did He drive me off and curse me and make me damned, when I said nothing except that I worship none but my Lord alone, that I do not prostrate to any but Allah — and He drove me off, and He knows. Allah, when He knew in His pre-eternity that if He commanded me to prostrate to Ādam I would not prostrate to him, why did He command me to prostrate to him? And when He cursed me and drove me off and made me damned, me and everyone who followed me, why did He leave me in this world and give me power over the children of Ādam, [so that] I lead them astray and seduce them? And I asked that He defer me to the end of time, and He accepted this from me too. And He knows that a world with no evil in it is better than a world with evil in it. Why did He not relieve people of me and kill me? [15]

al-Ḥaqq, Blessed and Exalted, answered: the answer to all these specious arguments is simply that his first statement is not true in his own estimation. He said: I am his Creator and I am his Lord; if I am his Creator and his Lord, then I am not questioned about what I do. The Lord, the Creator, disposes as He wills. He first acknowledged that Allah is his Creator and his Lord and his Master. If this is true, there is nothing

nothing is incumbent upon him but to comply with everything He has commanded him, nothing more. So his saying that he is a servant of Allah — this is not true in his own view, and for this reason he raises these objections. This specious argument of Iblīs is the one that has led the sects astray from the beginning of time to the end of time. He said that he was better than Adam: this one was created from clay, while he was created from light. He had worshipped Allah for so many thousands of years, brought near to Allah, while this one was created today from clay — how can he be better than me? He did not know that Allah does whatever He wills. So when the first of the prophets, Nūḥ, upon him be blessing and peace, came, his people said: «This is only a human being like you» (Q. 23:24) — he does not deserve that they should follow him; and so on down to the last of the community. Thus did Quraysh speak of Muhammad ﷺ. This is a specious argument that is never lifted from people, and every specious argument thereafter only branches off from this one. «And We said: O Adam, dwell, you and your wife» — Ḥawwāʾ — «in the Garden, and eat from it freely» — amply, with no restriction in it — «wherever you two wish; and do not approach this tree» (Q. 2:35): by eating; and it is wheat, or the grapevine. «lest you two become»

[that is,] you two become «among the wrongdoers» the disobedient (Q. 2:35) «then Satan caused them both to slip» Iblīs; he removed them both «from it» that is, from the Garden «and he brought them both out of what they had been in» of bliss «and We said: Go down» to the earth — you two, along with the progeny you two comprised «some of you» some of the progeny «to others an enemy» an enemy to others

«And for you in the earth is a dwelling place»: a place of settlement. «and enjoyment»: that which you enjoy. «until a time» (Q. 2:36): the moment when your appointed terms expire. «Then Adam received from his Lord words» (Q. 2:37): He inspired them in him. Allah commanded Adam to dwell in the Garden, he and his wife, after He had created Ḥawwāʾ from his left rib and married her to him. [16] They dwelt in the Garden, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted, forbade them to eat of the tree; and Iblīs had been driven out of the Garden. And the serpent was an animal with four

beautiful legs, in the Garden. [17] When Iblīs was unable to enter the Garden to whisper to Ādam, he cried out at the top of his voice outside the Garden, and the serpent came to him. He wept and said to her: I have advice for Ādam and I cannot enter the Garden. Put me in your mouth so that the angels will not see me, and I will go to Ādam and deliver the advice to him. The serpent did this. Iblīs came in upon Ḥawwāʾ and found Ādam absent. He swore by Allah that this tree is the tree of immortality: if the two of them ate from it they would never leave the Garden, and if they did not eat from it Allah would inevitably bring them out of the Garden. Ḥawwāʾ said: No one is able to swear by Allah’s name while lying. [18] So she reached for the tree, took three grains, ate one on the spot, stored one away for herself and stored one away for her husband. Ādam came and ate a grain, and their garments flew off the two of them, all of them. Ādam wept and cried out in the ground of the Garden until the angels took hold of him. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: Ādam, what is the matter with you? He said that he had eaten from the tree. «Did I not forbid you two that tree?» (Q. 7:22) He said: Ḥawwāʾ fed me. He said to Ḥawwāʾ: What is the matter with you? She said: Iblīs advised me and swore by Your name, and no one is able to swear by Your name while lying. He said: What has Iblīs to do with entering the Garden? He said: The serpent brought me in. So they were all sent down — Ādam, Ḥawwāʾ, Iblīs and the serpent [19] — each of them an enemy to the other. Ādam came down at Sarandīb in India, Ḥawwāʾ at Jidda, Iblīs at al-Ayla and the serpent at Iṣfahān. [20] Ādam remained ashamed for three hundred

years, not raising his head to the heaven, weeping over this transgression. [21] «Then Adam received from his Lord words» (Q. 2:37)

Allah inspired Ādam with words which he took from Him, Majestic is His majesty. «So He turned to him [in acceptance]» The words, it is said, [are] «Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves» (Q. 7:23) and the rest of the āya. [22] He supplicated with them, «so He turned to him [in acceptance]» — He accepted his repentance. «He is the Ever-Relenting» toward His servants, «the Merciful» to them. (Q. 2:37) Ādam received words from Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and repented by means of them, and Allah accepted his repentance. Iblīs put together words of his own and repented by means of them, and he was not answered, because he had no authorization [idhn]. This is the secret of receiving authorization from the shaykhs. Ādam, who received words from his Lord — Allah turned to him [in acceptance]. Iblīs, who repented with words he took from himself — his repentance was not accepted. For this reason the shaykhs came to employ authorization in everything.

The secret runs with the authorization. Even the Messenger ﷺ received the Qurʾan from Jibrīl, though he is nearer to Allah than Jibrīl; but he loved the receiving. «and as one calling to Allah by His permission» (Q. 33:46) Ādam ate from this tree, and eating from the tree — its outward form is the form of disobedience, while in reality it is obedience in Ādam’s case. So it is with the disobedience of the elect: its outward is disobedience and its inward is obedience. As for Ādam, in the inward of the matter the Real (al-Ḥaqq), Blessed and Exalted, addressed him intimately and said to him: I created the Garden and the Fire and promised them both that I would fill them, and this is not possible unless I create a creature and bring out from his loins a progeny, among them one who obeys and goes to the Garden and one who disobeys and goes to the Fire. I charged the angels [with it] and they refused, and the ḥūr al-ʿīn [likewise]. «We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they refused to bear it and were afraid of it, and the human being bore it». (Q. 33:72) Ādam said: If Your good pleasure lies in this, then I will carry it out He said: I will make it appear that you contravened Me and disobeyed Me. He said: If Your good pleasure is in it, I do not mind. For this reason he contravened outwardly while being obedient in reality. Ibn al-ʿArabī al-Ḥātimī said: ⟨When Ādam ate from the tree he came down to the earth⟩

⟨and he was a vicegerent on Allah’s behalf on the earth, and he became a father to all the prophets and the messengers, to the knowers and the friends [of Allah] and the believers, until the Day of Resurrection, and he became a father to the master of existence, Muhammad ﷺ.⟩ He said: ⟨Had I been in Ādam’s place I would have eaten the whole tree and eaten its roots, all of them.⟩

So this disobedience is formal, and not real disobedience. To this al-Jīlī points, in his words: [23]

⟨I have a brilliant subtle point here which I shall state, / and it deserves that ears be lent to it.⟩

⟨It is the difference between the⟩ walī ⟨and the reprobate — / take note of it, for the matter holds wonders.⟩

⟨It is nothing but that, before it occurs, / He informs my heart of what is going to occur.⟩

⟨So I reap what He decrees within its object, / and my eye watches for it before the deeds.⟩

⟨I used to see the will from it before / I saw the act from myself, and the captive is compliant.⟩

⟨If in the command of the⟩ shariʿa ⟨I am disobedient, / then in the ruling of the⟩ Ḥaqīqa ⟨I am obedient.⟩

A scholar in the Hijaz asked me: What is the meaning of His words, Blessed and Exalted: «And Ādam disobeyed his Lord, so he went astray» (Q. 20:121)? I said to him:

Ādam is a servant of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and this is Allah’s speech. It is for Allah to say: Ādam disobeyed and went astray. As for you and me, we are the sons of Ādam, and dutifulness toward our father is obligatory upon us. Our station is «Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him [in acceptance], and guided [him]» (Q. 20:122). Allah says:

«And Adam disobeyed his Lord, and so he went astray» (Q. 20:121). As for us, the tongue of our state says: «Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him in forgiveness, and guided [him]» (Q. 20:122). al-Tawwāb is applied to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, on account of the abundance of His accepting the repentance of the servants. Of the servant one says tāʾib and tawwāb; of Allah one says Tawwāb, and of Allah one does not say tāʾib. «We said: Go down from it» — from the Garden — «all together» (Q. 2:38): He repeated it so as to attach [what follows] to it. «and if there comes to you guidance from Me»: a book or a messenger. «then whoever follows My guidance»: and so believes in Me and acts in obedience to Me. «there shall be no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve. And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs» (Q. 2:38–39): Our books

«Those are the companions of the Fire; in it they abide» (Q. 2:39) remaining. Khulūd is long remaining, even if it is not perpetuity; it does not entail perpetuity. For this reason Allah said in some āyāt: «abiding in it». If khulūd conveyed perpetual abiding, they would not have needed abadan [‘forever’].

«O Children of Israel»: when He had narrated the story of Adam’s vicegerency, He addressed the Children of Israel — those of them who were contemporaries of the Prophet ﷺ. «O Children of Israel»: the sons of Yaʿqūb. And «remember My favour which I bestowed upon you» (Q. 2:40) — and upon your fathers: the deliverance from Pharaoh, the parting of the sea, the shading by the clouds, and other than that — by giving thanks for it through obedience to Me.

Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned in this sura the favours He bestowed upon the Children of Isrāʾīl. They are ten. They met them with ten vile deeds, so Allah sent down upon them ten kinds of punishment, all of them in this sura. [24]

And the Jews who were contemporaries of the Prophet ﷺ — Allah bestowed upon them ten favours likewise, and they met them with ten

vile deeds, so Allah, Blessed and Exalted, punished them with ten kinds of chastisement likewise. [25] The reason for recounting these traits of their forefathers is that the Jews used to hold their forefathers free of fault and believed that they were upright and that they stood in obedience to Allah, Blessed and Exalted. By this āya they came to know that their forefathers were not upright. «Remember My favour which I bestowed upon you» that is, upon your forefathers. «And fulfil My covenant» (Q. 2:40) which I enjoined upon you: belief

in Muhammad ﷺ. «and I shall fulfil your covenant» which I pledged. «And Me — so fear Me» (Q. 2:40) fear

Me in failing to fulfil it, and none other than Me. «And believe in what I have sent down» namely the Qurʾan «confirming what is with you» namely the Tawrāt, by its agreeing with it in [affirming] divine oneness «and do not be the first to disbelieve» the first group to disbelieve «in it, and do not sell» exchange «My signs» which are in your Book, namely the description of Muhammad «for a paltry price» a trifling worldly gain «and Me — so fear Me» (Q. 2:41) fear Me. «And do not mix» do not blend «the truth» which was sent down to you «with falsehood» which you fabricate «and» do not «conceal the truth» the description of Muhammad «while you know» (Q. 2:42) that it is true «And establish the prayer, and give the zakat, and bow with those who bow» (Q. 2:43) pray with those who pray — Muhammad and his Companions. It was sent down concerning their scholars. They used to say to their Muslim kinsmen: Hold fast to the religion of Muhammad, for it is true. If someone consulted them about believing in the Prophet ﷺ and they saw him to be a stranger, they would say to him: Believe in him, for he is truly a prophet. But if their own followers consulted them, they would say: No, he is not a prophet. «Do you command people to righteousness» (Q. 2:44) The interrogative,

when it governs an affirmative, negates it; [26] that is, you did not command people to believe in Muhammad ﷺ. [27] «while you forget yourselves» you leave them and do not command them «while you recite the Book» the Tawrāt, in which is the threat against word diverging from deed «Will you not then use your intellects?» (Q. 2:44) the evil of your conduct, so that you turn back. «And seek help» seek assistance in your affairs «through patience» the restraining of the self over what it dislikes «and the prayer» the performance of the prayer. He singled it out for mention to magnify its standing. And in the hadith: ⟨When a matter pressed hard upon him ﷺ, he would hasten to the prayer.⟩ [28] It is said: the address is to the Jews, since what hindered them from belief was greed and love of leadership. So they were commanded to ṣabr, which is fasting, because it breaks appetite, and to the prayer, because it bequeaths humility. «And it is» this prayer «burdensome» heavy «except for the humble, who think» they are certain «that they will meet their Lord» (Q. 2:45–46)

by the resurrection. «and that to Him they are returning» (Q. 2:46): and so He will requite them. «O Children of Israel, remember My favour which I bestowed upon you» (Q. 2:47): Allah, Blessed and Exalted, reminded them of His favours so that they would give thanks. «and that I favoured you»: I favoured your fathers

«above the worlds» (Q. 2:47) the people of their own age «And fear a day on which no soul will avail another soul anything» it is the Day of Resurrection «nor will intercession be accepted from it» that is, it has no intercession that might be accepted: «So we have no intercessors» (Q. 26:100) «nor will a ransom be taken from it» a ransom «nor will they be helped» (Q. 2:48) — that is, nor will they be protected from the chastisement of Allah. «And» remember «when We delivered you» that is, your forefathers «from the folk of Firʿawn» from Firʿawn and his folk «inflicting upon you» (Q. 2:49) making you taste

«the worst of chastisement» the harshest chastisement «slaughtering your sons» (Q. 2:49) killing your newborn children

«and sparing alive» letting live «your women» — because of the word of certain soothsayers that a child would be born among the Children of Isrāʾīl who would be the cause of the passing away of your kingship. [29] «And in that» in that chastisement «was a great trial from your Lord» (Q. 2:49)

«a great trial from your Lord», or: «in that» [means] the deliverance. «a trial» a bestowal of favour, «great, from your Lord» (Q. 2:49). «And» recall: «when We parted» We split «the sea for you, and We delivered you» from drowning, «and We drowned the folk of Firʿawn» Firʿawn and his people, «while you were looking on. And when We appointed for Mūsā forty nights» (Q. 2:50–51) We would give him the Torah at the end of them. [30] «Then you took the calf» which al-Sāmirī cast, as a god, «after him» after his going off to Our appointed time, «while you were wrongdoers», by taking it [as a god], since you placed worship where it does not belong. «Then We pardoned you» your sins

«after that, so that you might be thankful. And when We gave Mūsā the Book and the Criterion» (Q. 2:52–53) an explication of the Book.

«so that you might be guided. And when Mūsā said to his people: my people, you have wronged yourselves by your taking the calf» (Q. 2:53–54) as a god, «so repent to your Maker, and kill yourselves», that is, let the innocent among you kill the guilty. «That is better for you in the sight of your Maker». (Q. 2:54) So He granted you success in doing that, and He sent upon you a black cloud so that none of you would see another and show him mercy, until some seventy thousand of you had been killed. [31] «Then He turned to you [in forgiveness]» He accepted your repentance

«He is the Ever-Relenting, the Merciful» (Q. 2:54). Allah, Blessed and Exalted, recounts in this āya the story of the Children of Israel with Firʿawn. The Firʿawn of Mūsā was named Muṣʿab b. al-Rayyān, or al-Walīd b. Muṣʿab. [32] He was king of Egypt for four hundred years, [33] he never once suffered pain in his head, no illness ever befell him, every day he would eat a camel, and he would not go to the privy except once in forty days. After that, istidrāj took hold of him. He said that he was a god and not a servant, and so he laid claim to lordship: «I know of no god for you other than me» (Q. 28:38). After that he claimed beyond that: «I am your lord, the most high» (Q. 79:24). This Firʿawn saw a dream in which a fire came out of the dwellings of the Children of Israel and burned his dwellings and his kingdoms, all of them. The soothsayers said to him: a child will be born among the Children of Israel, and in him will lie the passing of your kingship, [34] this is the meaning of your dream. He said: the Children of Israel are my slaves; it is not possible that a child be born among them who takes away my kingship. So then: everyone born among the Children of Israel who is male, I must kill him. So he killed, from among the boys then present, twenty thousand boys, and every male child born among the Children of Israel he would kill, until he had killed ninety thousand children [35] along with the twenty thousand — this is one hundred thousand and ten thousand, all of this in pursuit of Mūsā alone. And the tongue of divinity was addressing him: the child whose killing you seek, you will rear him in your house and on your lap, and you will spend on him, until he becomes the cause of your destruction at his hands, in spite of you. So Mūsā was born, as will come in [Sūrat] al-Qaṣaṣ, and the cause of the destruction

of Firʿawn was Mūsā, upon him be blessing and peace. When Allah destroyed Firʿawn and his people, Mūsā asked Allah to give him a book by which to guide his people, the Children of Israel, in which there would be the lawful and the forbidden, the command and the prohibition. So Allah commanded him to fast forty nights. [36] Forty nights, not like our fasting: its nights and its days [alike], not at all. This is eighty nights. He did not break his fast for the space of forty days, night and day, and he felt no hunger, because he was turned toward the Presence. In a single day

he went to al-Khiḍr for half a day. He said: «Bring us our midday meal; we have met with hardship from this journey of ours» (Q. 18:62). […] He went to a created being: he grew hungry in half a day. But when he turned toward the Real he remained eighty days, that is, forty days together with their nights, and he felt no hunger. For this reason the Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Whoever is sincere toward Allah for forty days, wisdom wells up from his heart and runs upon his tongue.⟩ [37] This is the basis of the khalwa of those who enter the khalwa for forty days. The three-day khalwa has its basis in «three days except by gesture» (Q. 3:41); and the khalwa of seven nights: «seven nights and eight days in succession» (Q. 69:7). «And when you said: Mūsā, we will not believe you until we see Allah plainly, so the thunderbolt seized you while you were looking on. Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be thankful. And We cast shade over you» (Q. 2:55–57)

«the clouds» (Q. 2:57): We covered you with the cloud. «and We sent down upon you the manna and the quails»: these two are al-taranjabīn and the sumānā birds. «Eat of the good things We have provided you»: and do not hoard. But they were ungrateful for the favour and they hoarded, so it was cut off from them. «And they did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves» (Q. 2:57): because its evil consequence falls upon them. «And when We said: Enter this town»: Jerusalem, or Jericho. «and eat from it wherever you wish, freely»: amply, with no restriction in it. «and enter the gate»: its gate. «bowing»: bending low. «and say» — our request is — «ḥiṭṭa» (Q. 2:58). Say ḥiṭṭa. Ḥiṭṭa is that which removes sins, and it is lā ilāha illā Llāh. [38] «your sins will be forgiven you, and We shall increase the doers of good. Then those who did wrong substituted» — among them — «a word other than the one that had been said to them» (Q. 2:58–59): they said ḥabba fī shaʿra, and they entered crawling on their backsides. They were commanded to prostrate and to say lā ilāha illā Llāh, but they did not prostrate; rather they entered crawling on their backsides and said ḥabba fī shaʿra. [39] «We sent down upon those who did wrong a plague» — a punishment, a pestilence — «from the heaven, because they were transgressing» (Q. 2:59): on account of their transgression, their going outside obedience. When they were in the trackless waste they said:

O Mūsā, where are we to get what we may eat? So tables of food came down upon them from heaven and they ate; and whenever the time of the midday meal came, the food would come down in the finest state it could be, and they would eat, and the table would be taken up until the time of its setting out on the morrow.

They said: Where are we to get clothing? Allah, Blessed and Exalted, guaranteed that their garments would neither be soiled nor wear out. Then they said: Where are we to get what we may drink? So he [Mūsā] struck the rock, and twelve springs gushed forth from it. Then they said: The sun is harming us,

So Allah brought clouds that screened them, so that they did not feel the heat of the sun. Then they complained of the darkness at night, so Allah set up pillars of light in the desert of the wilderness, all of it. All of this was through the blessing of Mūsā, who was with them. These are the merits of companionship. They, along with their ruin, their contravention of Allah’s command, and the punishment’s befalling them, had Mūsā and Hārūn among them, and they were given these kinds of blessing, all of it, because of Mūsā and Hārūn. Hārūn and Mūsā are among Allah’s righteous servants, yet when the two of them kept company with these transgressors and remained with them forty years in the wilderness, they too tasted of the punishment because of the companionship, just as the transgressors found the blessing because of the companionship. All good is in companionship and all evil is in companionship. O Allah, bless our master Muhammad and grant [him] peace.

«And when Mūsā sought water» Recall, O Muhammad, when he sought water. Al-istisqāʾ is the request for water to drink, «for his people»,

and they had grown thirsty in the wilderness. «So We said» to Mūsā: «Strike the rock with your staff», and it is the one that fled with his garment, [1] light, square, [2] like a man’s head, [3] of marble or kadhān [4] [a soft, friable stone]. So he struck it, «and there gushed forth» it split open and flowed, «from it twelve springs», according to the number of the tribes, «each group of people knew» a tribe among them, «their drinking place»,

the spot where they drank, so that no one else shared it with them. And We said to them: «Eat from Allah’s provision», from what Allah has provided,

«and drink from Allah’s provision, and do not act wickedly in the land, spreading corruption». (Q. 2:60) ʿAthā [is used] when one causes corruption. Mufsidīn is a ḥāl [a circumstantial accusative]

that reinforces its governing verb. [Allah,] Blessed and Exalted, reported that when Mūsā, upon him be blessing and peace, was in the wilderness with the Children of Israel, they grew thirsty and asked him to seek water. This is the difference between the Children of Israel and the community of Muhammad ﷺ: the communities before us were not entitled to ask anything of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. When they wanted to make a request — any request — they would come to the prophet of that age, and he was the one who asked Allah, Blessed and Exalted, directly. Mūsā’s seeking water for his people indicates this. «And when you said: O Mūsā, we will not endure a single food, so call upon your Lord for us, that He bring forth for us some of what the earth grows — of its herbs, its cucumbers and its garlic». (Q. 2:61) None of this were they entitled to request directly from Allah, Blessed and Exalted. This community, however, Allah granted unrestricted permission in supplication. He said: «And ask Allah of His bounty». (Q. 4:32) And He said: «Call upon Me and I will answer you». (Q. 40:60) Whichever of us is faced with a pressing matter or a need asks Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and He answers him. They asked Mūsā, upon him be blessing and peace, for water. Mūsā was a man who kept himself covered, possessed of integrity and modesty among his people, while his people would strip bare when washing after seminal emission, each one seeing the nakedness of the other. Mūsā, from the time he grew up, refused this: when he wanted to wash he would go far off, screen himself, and wash alone. So they said: nothing has driven Mūsā to this except that he has an udra [5] [a scrotal swelling]. Then one day, when he went off, withdrew, washed, and came out of the water, he wanted to take his garment, and the rock fled with the garment. He began to say: My garment, rock! My garment, rock! [6] Its meaning is: O rock, hand me my garment — until he came before the people and they saw that he had nothing wrong with him. So he took

his garment and put it on. He grew angry, took his staff, and struck the rock, and Allah revealed to him that he was to carry this rock and not part from it. When they were in the wilderness and asked him for water, Allah revealed to him that he should strike this rock with his staff, and he struck it. It was square, with four corners; from each corner three springs came out, so they became twelve springs. And the Children of Israel were twelve tribes, as Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said. Each tribe had its drinking place to itself. This is the meaning of «each group of people knew their drinking place». (Q. 2:60) As for the Messenger ﷺ, they asked him for water, so he ascended the pulpit and raised his hands, turning the backs of them toward the sky, and said: ⟨O Allah, water Your lands, have mercy on Your servants, spread Your mercy, and revive Your dead land.⟩ [7] The transmitter said: ⟨And the sky was like a pane of glass, with not a single wisp of cloud in it. A cloud came⟩

[The cloud] ringed Medina round, and the rain came down from that Friday to the Friday that followed it. [8] Mūsā’s people asked Mūsā to pray to Allah for water for them, and Mūsā prayed at the bidding of his people, and Allah answered his prayer. All the more fitting, then, that Muhammad ﷺ prayed for us at the bidding of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: «And ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and the believing women» (Q. 47:19). This is a command from Allah that the Prophet ﷺ ask forgiveness for us; he asked forgiveness for us at Allah’s command. And since Mūsā was answered when he prayed at the bidding of his people, that Muhammad be answered — he who prayed at the command of Allah, Blessed and Exalted — is stronger and more to be hoped for. So we have great hope in Allah’s having commanded His Prophet to pray to Allah for us and to ask forgiveness for us. «Eat and drink of Allah’s provision» (Q. 2:60). He commanded them to eat an unrestricted eating and to drink an unrestricted drinking, and this carries them into expansiveness and excess that leads to corruption; so He appended to it His words: «and do not go about the earth spreading corruption» (Q. 2:60). «Eat and drink, and do not go about the earth spreading corruption». Again: «Eat and drink, and do not be extravagant; He does not love the extravagant» (Q. 7:31). Just as the Mūsā of the Banū Isrāʾīl sought water for his people, who were the Banū Isrāʾīl, and twelve springs burst forth from the rock, so too the Mūsā of the spirit in every human being seeks water for his people, who are the five outward senses, the five inward senses, the nafs and the heart — twelve senses. So when the rock of the servant’s existence is struck with the staff of lā ilāha illā Llāh, twelve springs burst forth: «each group of people knew its drinking place»: the drinking place of the nafs is acts of worship and acts of striving; the drinking place of the heart is fear and hope; the drinking place of the intellect is contraction and expansion; the drinking place of the spirit is the witnessing of beauty and of majesty; the drinking place of the innermost secret is intimacy and awe. «And their Lord gave them a pure drink to drink» (Q. 76:21). «Eat and drink of Allah’s provision, and do not go about the earth spreading corruption» (Q. 2:60) — by going back to the appetites of the nafs and by contravening the command.

Mūsā struck a rock and twelve springs gushed forth from it. But more remarkable than this is what the Prophet ﷺ showed us, because water gushing forth from stones has perhaps been observed in some places, whereas the Prophet ﷺ — water welled up from between his noble fingers [9], and this has never been observed. This sunna of praying for rain has remained today, whether for crops, or for livestock, or for people’s drinking: the imam goes out, and the Muslims with him, in a state of humility and self-abasement, and they perform the prayer for rain, and Allah answers them.

Mūsā sought water for his people. He remained a long while praying and supplicating, and he was not answered. He said: ‘My Lord, we call upon You — and we are more than three thousand persons of the righteous — because of the need of Your creation, and You have not answered us.’ He said: ‘I have not answered you because among you there is a talebearer, one who goes about with slander among people.’ He said to Him: ‘My Lord, make known to me who he is.’ He said: ‘If I made him known to you, I should be like him: I reproach him for a thing and then practise it myself. This does not befit [Me].’

A day later Allah revealed to Mūsā that that talebearer had died and that his bier was at the door of the mosque. Mūsā hurried to reach the bier and to learn who he was, and he found seventy biers. [10] [Such is] the covering of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. «And when you said: Mūsā, we shall not endure a single food» (Q. 2:61) So the Children of Israel in the wilderness, when they grew weary of life, said that they had grown weary of this food that came down from heaven, it being a single kind, the manna and the quails. They lied: they had not grown weary of the food; they had grown weary only of life. «So call upon your Lord for us, that He bring forth for us» something «of what the earth grows — of its herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its lentils and its onions» (Q. 2:61) These kinds come forth only

from the earth. They knew that this was possible only if they returned to the villages and the towns, and this was in truth what they were after. «He said» — Mūsā [said] to them — «Would you exchange that which is lower for that which is better?» («Would you exchange that which is lower» — baser — «for that which is better» — nobler; that is, would you take it in its place?) They said: We want nothing but this alone. So he prayed to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and the Exalted said: «Go down» — that is, descend — «to a town» — one of the towns — «and you shall have what you asked for» — of plant food. So they settled in Bayt al-Maqdis, or in Arīḥā, a village near Bayt al-Maqdis, and they planted, and Allah provided them with these plants, and so it became their livelihood down to this day of ours. «And humiliation was stamped upon them» — lowliness and disgrace — «and wretchedness» — the mark of poverty and inertness and shame. It clings to them even if they are rich, as the struck dirham clings to its die; you never see a Jew without seeing in him the traces of poverty and humiliation and wretchedness, even if he is rich. «And they incurred» — they came back bearing — «a wrath from Allah. That» — that stamping — «is because they» — by reason of their having — «used to disbelieve in Allah’s signs and to kill the prophets» — such as Zakariyyāʾ and Yaḥyā — «without right» — that is, wrongfully. They killed the prophets wrongfully; the killing of prophets can only be without right. In a single day they killed seventy prophets, and three hundred of the righteous rose up to restrain them from this, and they killed them too. [11] «That is because they disobeyed and used to transgress» — they exceeded the limit in acts of disobedience (Q. 2:61). This is part of what Allah has reported about their forebears. They used to vouch for their forebears as having been upright, and this Qurʾan sets out the foul deeds of their fathers. «Those who believe» — in the prophets — «and those who have become Jews» — they are the Jews — «and the Naṣārā» — they are the Christians — «and the Ṣābiʾūn» (Q. 2:62) — a sect between the Jews

and the Christians [12] «whoever believes» from among them «in Allah and the Last Day» in the time of our Prophet «and does righteous deeds» (Q. 2:62)

by the shariʿa of Muhammad ﷺ: «they shall have their reward» — the recompense of their deeds — «with their Lord; no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve» (Q. 2:62). Whoever believes in the Prophet ﷺ and holds fast to his shariʿa is one of the Muslims, and one of Allah’s awliyāʾ, upon whom there is no fear, nor do they grieve. There is no difference between one stock and another: whether his origin be Christian or Jewish or Ṣābiʾ or Magian, if he affirms the shahāda and acts by the shariʿa of Muhammad, he is one of Allah’s righteous servants. «And» — recall — «when We took your covenant and raised the Mount above you» — We tore it up from its base when you refused to accept it [the Torah] — and We said: «Take what We have given you with strength» — with earnestness and effort — «and remember what is in it» — that is, act by what is in it — «so that you may be godfearing» (Q. 2:63). When Mūsā brought the Torah, and in it were the obligations: the command and the prohibition, the licit and the forbidden, the Banū Isrāʾīl refused to act by the Torah. So Jibrīl took a mountain the size of their camp — they were six hundred thousand — he tore up a mountain to their measure and raised it above them, and said that if they did not act by the Torah as Allah had commanded, the mountain would fall upon them and they would perish to the last of them. [13] «Then you turned away after that» — they accepted under duress; and whatever a person accepts under duress, whenever he is able to withhold from it he goes back to withholding. They accepted under duress, and for that reason they apostatised afterwards. «Had it not been for Allah’s bounty towards you and His mercy» — towards you, in [granting] repentance — «you would have been among the losers» — the ruined (Q. 2:64). «You have certainly known» — you have come to know — «those among you who transgressed concerning the Sabbath» — all this is of the foul deeds of their fathers, of whom they said that they were righteous. Among their fathers too were the people of Ayla, the people of Dāwūd, upon him be peace, who transgressed concerning the Sabbath: they exceeded the limit by catching fish, though We had forbidden them that. «So We said to them: Be apes, driven away» (Q. 2:65) — so Allah destroyed them and made them all apes and swine, cast far off.

So they were destroyed after three days. «So We made it» — that punishment — «an exemplary punishment» — an admonition preventing the commission of the like of what they did — «and for what is before it» — the nations that were in its own time — «and what is after it» — the nations that come after it — «and an exhortation for the God-fearing» (Q. 2:66). They were singled out for mention because they are the ones who benefit from it. These were the people of Dāwūd. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, appointed for every community a day in the week to be a feast day; He gave them Friday. The Jews said that they chose Saturday because it is the last of the week, and it is the day on which, they said, Allah finished creating His servants. The Christians chose Sunday because it is the first of the days of the week. So for this reason the Messenger ﷺ said:

⟨You are the last, the foremost. They were given Friday, but they missed what Allah gave them, so today is ours, tomorrow is the Jews’, and the day after tomorrow is the Christians’.⟩ [14] Friday is the best of the days of the week. ⟨The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday. On it Ādam was created, on it he was sent down, on it he married Ḥawwāʾ, on it he died, on it the Hour will come, and in it there is an hour of answering with which no Muslim servant coincides, praying and supplicating, but that he is answered.⟩ [15] That hour is the last hour of Friday. They said: how can it be the last hour of Friday when the hadith says ⟨he prays in it and supplicates⟩? The answer is the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that ⟨whoever performs ablution and sits awaiting the prayer⟩

⟨is in prayer.⟩ [16] So whoever purifies himself at the end of Friday and sits remembering Allah, Blessed and Exalted, awaiting the sunset prayer — he is the one who has coincided with the evening of that day, as the Prophet ﷺ said. And this is a thing particular to the Tijānīs. al-Ḥamdu li-Llāh [the praise is for Allah]. So when the Children of Israel were severe with themselves, Allah was severe with them. He said to them: do not catch fish on Saturday — and their livelihood was fish. So when Saturday came the fish would all gather above the water and enter the village. It is said [that this was] because it was a trial from Allah, Blessed and Exalted; or because they were visiting the whale that swallowed Yūnus, upon him be blessing and peace, [which] used to dwell in that village. [17] «When their fish came to them on their Sabbath day, surfacing, and on the day they kept no Sabbath they did not come to them» (Q. 7:163). Then, when the matter grew long for them, Satan whispered to one of them: Allah has not forbidden you from seeking the fish on Saturday; He has forbidden you only from taking it. So one of them dug a pit in his garden, and when Saturday came the water flowed and the fish travelled with it and they entered the pit; and when the water receded the fish remained. He waited until Sunday, then he caught the fish and cooked and ate and sold, and nothing befell him. On the second Saturday he did that, until he had amassed much wealth by this. The people followed one after another and did the like of what he did, and nothing befell them. So they grew bold about fishing, and they went into the sea and fished on Saturday. Then, when they set about fishing, they split into three groups: a group that abstained from fishing but did not forbid [it], and a group

forbade them from fishing, and a group fished. Allah destroyed the group who fished, as will come in al-Aʿrāf, and He delivered the group that forbade them from fishing. The Qurʾan is silent about the third group: it is said that they perished with those who perished, and it is said that they were delivered with those who were delivered. We understand from the Qurʾan that they perished with those who perished, because they «did not restrain one another from the wrong they did; wretched was what they used to do» (Q. 5:79) Wretched was what they did. Allah said to them: «Be apes, despised» (Q. 2:65) [18] This is a command from Allah, Blessed and Exalted — the command of belittlement (taḥqīr). The imperative verb in the Qurʾan comes with fifteen senses. This is [a matter of] uṣūl. Not every command is for obligation. The ground of the command is obligation, but the command in the Qurʾan has come with fifteen senses: a command for obligation (wujūb), and that is the ground — «Establish the prayer» (Q. 2:43) — establishing the prayer is obligatory. And a command for recommendation (nadb) — «then contract with them, if you know of good in them» (Q. 24:33) — this is recommended (mandūb). And the command of permission (ibāḥa) — «then hunt» (Q. 5:2) — it does not make hunting obligatory; it is only permitted to us. And the command of direction (irshād), as when you say to your young child, ‘Eat from what is next to you’ — this is discipline for him. And the command of calling witnesses (ishhād) — «and call witnesses when you transact a sale» (Q. 2:282) — it is not obligatory; it is only the calling of witnesses. And the command of belittlement (taḥqīr) — «Be apes, despised» (Q. 2:65) — this placed them in the genus of apes. And the command of humiliation (ihāna) — «Be stones or iron» (Q. 17:50) — its meaning is: I do not care about you; a humiliation of them. And the command of equivalence (taswiya) — «Endure or do not endure, it is the same for you» (Q. 52:16) — their enduring and their not enduring are the same. And the command of warning (indhār) — «Eat and enjoy yourselves» (Q. 77:46) And the command of menace (tahdīd) — «Do what you will» (Q. 41:40) — its meaning is: you will perish. And the command of wishing (tamannī). The poet said: ⟨O long night, clear away⟩ [19] — mere wishing. And the command of supplication (duʿāʾ) — «My Lord, forgive me» (Q. 38:35) — this is a request made of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And the command of honouring (ikrām) — «Enter it in peace, secure» (Q. 15:46) — this is a command that comprises an honouring. This makes you understand that not every

thing Allah commanded has He made obligatory. So it is obligatory, recommended, direction, menace, and permission. [20] «And when you killed a soul and quarrelled over it — and Allah was to bring out what you were concealing» (Q. 2:72) The exegetes bring this āya forward to keep the foul deeds of the Children of Israel consecutive. They killed one of their own whose name was ʿĀmīl. [21] He was a rich man who had been granted long life, and his cousins were impatient for him to die so that they might inherit from him. His death was delayed, so they grew impatient and killed him. They took him by night, carried him off, slaughtered him, and threw him down beside a [neighbouring] clan. In the morning they went seeking his trace until they came to the clan, and they accused them of being the ones who had killed him, and [the clan] denied it. So they came to Mūsā, upon him be blessing and peace, and asked him to make manifest to them who had killed their slain man. They said: ‘We ask of you that you pray to Allah to make his killer manifest to us.’ Mūsā said to them: «Allah commands you to slaughter a cow» (Q. 2:67) — […] kill a cow. Allah said: «And when Mūsā said to his people: Allah commands you to slaughter a cow — they said: Do you take us in mockery?» (Q. 2:67) We ask of you that you make manifest to us the killer of our slain man, and you command us to slaughter cattle. «He said: I take refuge»

I take protection «in Allah» from «that I should be of the ignorant» (Q. 2:67) — the mockers. None mocks but an ignorant man, and I seek refuge in Allah from ignorance. When they knew that this was a firm resolve on Mūsā’s part — had they taken any cow and slaughtered it, they would have attained their object; but they made it hard, so Allah made it hard for them. «They said: Call upon your Lord for us, that He make clear to us what she is» — what her age is. «He said» — Mūsā — «He» — Allah — «says: She is a cow neither old» — aged [22] — «nor young» (Q. 2:68)

small [in age]. «middling» — of middle age — «between that» — that is, between those two states mentioned. «So do what you are commanded» (Q. 2:68) with it: the slaughtering of her. They went further in making it hard. «They said: Call upon your Lord for us, that He make clear to us what her colour is. He said: He says: She is»

[…] «yellow, bright in her colour» — intense in yellowness — «she delights the beholders» (Q. 2:69) — those who look at her, by her beauty; that is, she pleases them. «They said»

«Call upon your Lord for us, that He make clear to us what she is» — is she free-grazing or a working beast? «The cattle» — the genus of cattle — «have become alike to us» — because of their multitude, so we have not been guided to the one intended — «and we, if Allah wills, will indeed be guided» (Q. 2:70) — to her. In the hadith:

⟨… had they not made the exception, she would never have been made clear to them, to the end of time⟩ [23] When they said in shāʾa Allah, by the blessing of in shāʾa Allah, the answer then came, and they are guided to what was sought. «He said: He says: She is a cow not broken in» — not made submissive by labour — «ploughing the earth» — turning it over for cultivation — «nor watering the tilled field» — the land prepared for cultivation — «sound»

from defects and the marks of labour. «No blemish» — no colour — «in her» — other than her colour mentioned earlier. «They said: Now you have come» (Q. 2:71)

you have spoken «with the truth» (Q. 2:71). Now you have made clear to us what you intend. So they sought her out, and they found her with the youth who was dutiful to his mother [24], and they bought her for her hide filled with gold. One of the righteous men died and left behind a young child, and he owned nothing but a cow. He went off to the forest and said: O Lord of Ibrāhīm and Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb, I place this cow of mine in Your keeping; when my son grows up, hand her over to him. The boy grew up righteous and dutiful to his mother. When day came he gathered firewood, and when he brought the firewood he sold it and divided its price into three portions: a portion he ate himself, a portion he gave to his mother, and a portion he gave as alms. And when night came he divided it into three portions: a portion in which he slept, a portion in which he sat with his mother, and a portion in which he devoted himself to the worship of Allah, Blessed

and Exalted, until his mother came to feel pity for him. She said to him: Go to the forest, for your father deposited a cow for you there with the Lord of Ibrāhīm. When you come to the forest, say: O Lord of Ibrāhīm and Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb, hand my cow over to me. When he came to the forest he said this, and the cow came to him and said to him: Ride me. He said: No, my mother did not command me to ride you. She said: Had you ridden me, you would have been powerless over me and would have had no command over any part of me. So he brought the cow to his mother. She said to him: Go to the market and sell her for three dinars. This cow — her price is three dinars; let it be no less than that. But settle nothing except after consulting me. So he came to the market, and a man presented himself to him and said to him: For how much do you sell this cow?

He said: I sell her for three dinars, subject to my mother’s counsel. He said: I will give you six dinars, and do not consult your mother. He said to him: I shall consult my mother. So he came to his mother. She said to him: Sell her for six dinars, with my counsel. When he returned, the man said to him: I will give you twelve dinars, and do not consult your mother. He said: No, not until I consult my mother. So he went back to his mother. She said to him: This is no man; this is perhaps an angel. If you go back to him, say to him: My mother commands me to consult you — shall I sell this cow or shall I not sell her? So he consulted him, and he said to him: Do not sell this cow. Keep her with you, for Mūsā will send you a people who will buy her, and do not sell her to them except for her hide filled with gold. So they went about seeking the cow that Mūsā, upon him be blessing and peace, had described to them, and they found her description in none but this cow. So they bought her for the fill of her mask — that is, her hide — with gold. When they had slaughtered the cow they returned to Mūsā and said to him: We have slaughtered the cow. He said: Take her tongue, or the base of her tail, and strike the dead man with it — that alone — and he will live. They took the cow’s tongue and struck the man with it, and he rose up with his jugular veins gushing blood. He said: So-and-so and so-and-so, these two are the ones who killed me. Then he went back dead, and the two were barred from the inheritance. This is what our Law has affirmed: whoever kills the one from whom he inherits is barred from the inheritance. «So they slaughtered her, though they were near to not doing it» (Q. 2:71) — because of the costliness of her price. «And when you killed a soul and cast the blame for it upon one another, and Allah was to bring forth what you were concealing. So We said: Strike him» — the slain man — «with part of her» (Q. 2:72–73). So he was struck with her tongue, or with the base of her tail, and he came to life, and he said: So-and-so and so-and-so killed me — his two paternal cousins — and he died; and the two were barred from the inheritance and were put to death. «Thus» (Q. 2:73) — [that is, such] bringing to life

«Allah gives life to the dead» — Allah is the One who gave life to this man after he had been killed; thus does He give life to the dead, all [of them]. Whoever has the power to give life to one has the power to give life to the whole company. «and He shows you His signs» — the proofs of His power — «so that you may understand» (Q. 2:73) — you reflect, and so you know that the One who has the power to give life to a single soul has the power to give life to many souls, and so you believe. «Then your hearts hardened» — you Jews — they grew rigid against accepting the truth — «after that» — what was mentioned, the reviving of the slain man and the signs before it — «so they are» — the hearts — «like stones» — in hardness — «or harder in hardness» (Q. 2:74) — than they are. So these hearts are hard like stones, or harder in hardness than stones. The Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨These hearts rust as iron rusts. They said: What polishes them, Messenger of Allah? He said: Reciting the Qurʾan, abundant remembrance of Allah, and the remembrance of death.⟩ [25] When the heart has grown hard and has died through much heedlessness or through many sins, a person needs to revive it. So when he strikes it with the words lā ilāha illā Allah, Muhammad rasūl Allah, and with recitation of the Qurʾan, and with an empty belly, and with intimate converse in prayer at night, the soul may die and the heart come to life: «He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living» (Q. 10:31). When the soul lives, the heart dies; and when the heart lives, the soul dies. The death of the soul is its leaving off its own wants and its returning to the Truth. And since the Qurʾan has likened the heart to stones, and a person needs a hard blow and the strength of a group to break stones, remembrance in company was for this reason given preference over remembrance alone, because when a group combine to strike stones the effect is stronger than one man’s striking. For this reason remembrance aloud and remembrance with the group have their benefit and their result. «And among stones there are those from which rivers burst forth» (Q. 2:74) — a declaration that some stones are softer than hearts. Hearts are harder in hardness than stones: among some stones there are those that burst forth

from it, rivers. «And among them there are those that split open so that water issues from them, and among them there are those that come down» — it descends from a height downward — «out of fear of Allah» — while your hearts are not affected, and do not soften, and do not grow humble. «And Allah is not unaware of what you do» (Q. 2:74) — He only defers you to your appointed time. «Do you then hope» — you believers — «that they would believe» — the Jews — «you» (Q. 2:75)

«while a party» — a group — «of them used to hear the speech of Allah» — the commentator [26] says: in the Torah. But if it were in the Torah, there would be no need for His saying: «then they distort it after they have grasped it» — they understood it — «while they know» (Q. 2:75). This in fact came down concerning a company whom Mūsā chose. They went with him to the appointed meeting and heard the intimate address from the Truth; they heard the Truth commanding Mūsā and forbidding him, and then they distorted and altered what they had heard, knowing that they were fabricators. [27] «And when they meet» — the hypocrites among the Jews — «those who believe, they say: We believe» — that Muhammad is a prophet and that he is the one of whom good tidings are given in our book — «And when [some of them] withdraw» — go back — «some of them to others, they say» — that is, their chiefs — «Do you tell them» — the believers —

«of what Allah has disclosed to you» — He has made known to you in the Torah of the description of Muhammad — «so that they may argue against you» (Q. 2:76) — so that they may dispute with you

«by it before your Lord» — in the hereafter, that they may establish the proof against you — «Do you then not understand» (Q. 2:76) — that they are arguing against you? The Exalted says: «Do they not know that Allah knows what they keep secret» — what they hide — «and what they declare» (Q. 2:77) — they make public of

that. «And among them» — the Jews — «are unlettered ones» — common folk — «who do not know the Book» (Q. 2:78) — they do not know the Torah

«except» — but rather — «fancies» — falsehoods — «and they do nothing but conjecture» (Q. 2:78) — conjecture, and they have no knowledge. «So woe»

the severity of punishment — «to those who write the Book with their own hands» — fabricated out of their own invention — «then say: This is from Allah, that they may purchase thereby a small price» (Q. 2:79) — of this world. They are the Jews: they altered the description of the Prophet ﷺ in the Torah, and the verse of stoning, and wrote them contrary to what had been sent down. «So woe to them for what»

«their hands have written» — of the fabrication — «and woe to them for what they earn» (Q. 2:79) — of bribes. «And they said» — when the Prophet promised them

the Fire: «It will not touch us» — befall us — «the Fire, except for a number of days» (Q. 2:80) — few, that is, forty [days], the span of their forefathers’ worship of the calf; then it will pass away. «Say» — to them, Muhammad — «Have you taken» — you have not taken — «from Allah a covenant» — a pact from Him to that effect — «for Allah will not break His covenant» «or» — rather — «do you say about Allah what you do not know» (Q. 2:80). «Nay» (Q. 2:81) — it will touch you,

the Fire, and you will abide in it forever. «Whoever earns an evil deed» — polytheism — «and his sin encompasses him» (Q. 2:81) — from every side

in that he died an idolater. «So those are the companions of the Fire; they shall abide in it. And those who believe and do righteous deeds — those are the companions of the Garden; they shall abide in it» (Q. 2:81–82). He joined the first sentence with the fāʾ because their entering the Fire is something they themselves caused, so the fāʾ of causation is brought in; and the last sentence has no fāʾ in it, because entering the Garden is not caused by the servant’s deed: ⟨The deed of no one of you will admit him into the Garden. They said: Not even you, Messenger of Allah? He said: Not even I, unless Allah envelop me in His mercy.⟩ [28] When a person dies an unbeliever he enters the Fire and abides in it forever because of his unbelief; and when he believes in Allah and does righteous deeds he enters the Garden by the bounty of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. As for al-khulūd in the Garden and al-khulūd in the Fire, the transmission concerning both is sound from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And a human being has done no deed that would make him abide forever in the Garden or in the Fire. The unbeliever, however many his sins, were he punished a hundred thousand years for every sin, his evil deeds would have to come to an end one day; and the Muslim, were he recompensed for every atom of his deeds with a hundred thousand years in the Garden, his deeds would have to come to an end. What then is the cause of al-khulūd in the Garden or in the Fire? The servant’s intention: ⟨The believer’s intention is better than his deed.⟩ [29] The believer intends that he is a believer and obedient, and were he granted life forever

he would be a believer forever; by that intention he entered the Garden and dwelt in it forever. The unbeliever’s intention is that he remains an unbeliever: were he to live forever he would live forever an unbeliever, and for this he entered the Fire and stayed in it forever: ⟨Deeds are only by intentions.⟩ [30]

And recall «when We took the covenant of the Children of Israel» — in the Torah — and We said: «and you shall not worship any but Allah» (Q. 2:83) […]

Do good — «and to parents, good treatment» — dutifulness — «and to the near of kin, the orphans and the poor; and speak to people»

«good». The most binding right upon the servant is that he worship Allah alone and associate nothing with Him; and the greatest right after the right of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is the right of the parents: dutifulness to them is obligatory, and undutifulness is among the grave sins. After that, the orphans — one whose father died while he was small. The Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨I and the one who takes charge of an orphan are like these two in the Garden.⟩ [31] «and the poor» — one who has nothing — «and speak to people» — all of them — «good» — that is, commanding what is right, forbidding what is wrong, truthfulness regarding the affair of Muhammad ﷺ and gentleness toward them — «and establish the prayer and pay the zakat» (Q. 2:83). This is what Allah enjoined upon the Children of Israel, and you accepted it. «Then you turned away» — you turned from fulfilling it — «except a few of you, and you were turning away» (Q. 2:83) — like your forefathers. «And when We took your covenant» — and We said: «you shall not shed your blood» — pour it out by killing one another — «and you shall not expel your own from your dwellings; then you acknowledged» — you accepted that covenant — «while you bear witness» (Q. 2:84) — against yourselves. «Then here you are, killing your own» — by killing one another — «and expelling a party of you from their dwellings, supporting one another against them in sin and enmity» — you aid one another in the killing; in sin — [that is,] in disobedience — and in wrongdoing — «and if they come to you as captives you ransom them» — when captives from among your brethren come to you, you ransom them with money — «though it is forbidden to you, their expulsion» (Q. 2:85). This is a story concerning the Aws and the Khazraj and the Banū Qurayẓa and the Banū al-Naḍīr. The Aws and the Khazraj are those who entered Islam when the Prophet ﷺ came to Madīna, and the Prophet began to apply to them the name al-Anṣār. There had been enmity between them for a hundred and twenty years, and they warred among themselves. The Banū Qurayẓa and the Banū al-Naḍīr are two tribes of the Jews who emigrated from al-Shām when they read in the Torah that the prophet who would come forth at the end of time — his birthplace is Mecca and his place of emigration Yathrib. They emigrated to Yathrib and settled in it. They said that they were awaiting the coming forth of the prophet who comes at the end of time; this is the reason for their settling in Madīna. When they arrived, the Banū Qurayẓa attached themselves to the Aws and the Banū al-Naḍīr to the Khazraj, each of them allying itself with a tribe. So it came about that when the Aws and the Khazraj fought one another, the Banū Qurayẓa went out with the Aws and the Banū al-Naḍīr with the Khazraj, and they made war. Yet the Banū Qurayẓa and the Banū al-Naḍīr are forbidden in the Torah from fighting one another: they believe in the Book, and the Book forbade them to kill one another and to expel one another. When they attached themselves to these idolaters they came to make war alongside them, and to make war on their own brethren and kill them. So when it was said to them: Do you fight your brethren? they said: If we abandon the fighting our allies are humiliated. And when a captive was taken from that side, these would collect money, ransom him, and send him back. [32] They said: You fight them, yet when their captives come you ransom them? They said: We were commanded to this in the Torah. For this the āya rebuked them: «Do you then believe in part of the Book» — which is the ransoming — «and disbelieve in part» — which is the abandoning of killing and expulsion — «what then is the recompense of whoever among you does that but disgrace» — humiliation and abasement — «in this present life» (Q. 2:85). Allah promised them disgrace, and disgrace befell them: in the killing of the Banū Qurayẓa, the banishment of the Banū al-Naḍīr to al-Shām, and the imposition of the jizya until the Day of Resurrection.

«and on the Day of Resurrection they will be returned to the harshest punishment; and Allah is not heedless of what they do. Those are the ones who have bought the life of this world at the price of the hereafter» (Q. 2:85–86) — in that they preferred it to it — «so the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be helped. And We gave Mūsā the Book» — the Torah — «and after him We sent messengers in succession» — We made them follow one another, messenger upon the heels of messenger — «and We gave ʿĪsā son of Maryam the clear proofs» — the miracles, such as reviving the dead and healing the blind-born and the leper — «and We strengthened him» — We gave him strength — «with the Holy Spirit» — Jibrīl: wherever he went, he went along with him. Yet you did not go straight. «Is it, then, that whenever a messenger came to you with what did not desire» — [that is,] love — «your souls» — of the truth — «you grew arrogant» (Q. 2:87)

you were too proud to follow him. «a group you denied» — so you denied a group of them, such as ʿĪsā — «and a group»

«and you kill» (Q. 2:87) — and you kill a group, [the verb standing] in the imperfect. You killed Zakariyyāʾ and Yaḥyā. This killing, because it is so hideous, remains to eternity, as though it were always new; or [the sense is that] they are forever killing the prophets, even our Prophet, upon him be blessing and peace. They worked sorcery on him and it had no effect on him, and they poisoned a sheep for him. When he came to Khaybar they prepared food for him and put poison in it. He said: ⟨I adjure you by Allah: will you tell me the truth? They said: Yes. He said: Did you put the poison in this meat? They said: Yes. He said: And why? They said: If you are truly a prophet it will not harm you, and if you are a liar we are rid of you.⟩ [33] That is the poison of which the Prophet ﷺ said at the end of his life: ⟨The poison I ate at Khaybar has never ceased to come back upon me, and now is the time for the severing of my aorta.⟩ [34] — the severing of the cord of his heart — so that he might be granted martyrdom ﷺ. «And they said: our hearts are wrapped» — that is, covered over with membranes

so they do not take in what you say. «Rather» — [the particle] for turning away from what precedes — «Allah has cursed them» — He put them far from His mercy and forsook them, holding them back from acceptance — «for their unbelief, so little is it that they believe» (Q. 2:88) — their faith is very little. «And when a Book came to them from Allah confirming what was with them» — of the Torah — and it is the Qurʾan — «and they had been, before» — before its coming — «praying for victory»

they would pray for victory «against those who disbelieved» (Q. 2:89) — they would say: O Allah, grant us victory over them through the prophet who is to be sent at the end of time. This was their supplication before the coming of the Prophet ﷺ. «But when there came to them what they recognised» — of the truth, that is, the sending of the Prophet ﷺ — «they disbelieved in it» — out of envy, and out of fear for their leadership — «so the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers. Evil is that for which they bought» — they sold — «with it their own souls, that they should disbelieve» — their unbelief — «in what Allah has sent down» — of the Qurʾan — «out of insolence» — out of envy — «that Allah should send down of His bounty upon whomever He wills of His servants. So they returned» — they came back — «with wrath» — from Allah, for their unbelief — «upon wrath» — which they had deserved before, by letting the Torah go to waste and by disbelieving in ʿĪsā — «and for the disbelievers there is a humiliating punishment» (Q. 2:90) — one that carries humiliation. «And when it is said to them: believe in what Allah has sent down» — the Qurʾan — «they say: we believe in what was sent down upon us» — that is, the Torah. He, the Exalted, said: «and they disbelieve» — the case being that they disbelieve — «in what is beyond it» — that is, in what is other than it, and that is the Qurʾan — «while it is the truth, confirming what is with them. Say: then why do you kill» — you killed — «the prophets of Allah before, if you are believers» (Q. 2:91) — if you are truthful in [claiming] that you believe in the Torah. The Torah forbade the killing of the prophets, and you killed the prophets. «And Mūsā came to you with the clear proofs» — such as the staff, the hand, and the parting of the sea: nine signs — «then you took the calf after him» — as a god — «while you were wrongdoers» (Q. 2:92) — by taking it [as a god]. «And when We took your covenant» — when they were charged with acting upon the Torah, they refused, again

«and We raised the Mount above you» — the mountain — when you refused to accept it, so that it might fall upon you. And We said: «take what We have given you with strength» — with earnestness and striving — «and listen» — to what you are commanded, with the hearing of acceptance — «they said: we have heard»

your word. «and we have disobeyed» — your command — «and they were made to drink the calf into their hearts» — that is, love of it mingled with their hearts as a drink mingles [with the body] — «through their unbelief. Say» — to them — «evil is that which» — a thing — «your faith commands you to» — in the Torah — if

faith in the Torah entails this in your view, then your faith is an evil faith. «if you are believers» (Q. 2:93) — and as you claimed. «Say: if the abode of the hereafter is yours» — the Garden — «with Allah, exclusively» — solely — «to the exclusion of [other] people»

as you claimed: «then wish for death, if you are truthful» (Q. 2:94). They said that they are Allah’s sons and His beloved and that the Garden is set apart for them. Wish for death, then! And they will never wish for death. «But they will never wish for it, because of what their hands have sent ahead» — namely their disbelief in the Prophet — «and Allah knows the wrongdoers» — the unbelievers (Q. 2:95). «And you will certainly find them» — by Allah, you will certainly find them — «the greediest of people» (Q. 2:96)

«for life, and more so than those who associate [others with Allah]» (Q. 2:96) — you find the avidity of the Jews for life and for this world fiercer than the avidity of the polytheists. «He would love» — he wishes — «one of them, that he might be given a life of a thousand years» — his being given a thousand years of life — «but it is not»

that is, any one of them — «will remove him far» — put him at a distance — «from the punishment: that he be granted long life» (Q. 2:96). This granting of long life does not put him at a distance from the Fire. «And Allah is Seeing of what they do. Say: whoever is an enemy to Jibrīl» (Q. 2:96–97). The occasion of this āya’s revelation is that ʿAbdallāh b. Ṣūriyā rode out to the Prophet ﷺ. He was the head of his people in Judaism. He came to the Prophet ﷺ and put questions to him. He said to him: I will ask you questions, and if you answer them for me I will believe in you. How do you sleep? The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.⟩ He said: You have spoken the truth; this is how we have read it in the Torah. He said to him: Why is it that a child sometimes resembles his fathers and his paternal uncles, with not the least resemblance in him to his mothers and his maternal uncles? The Messenger ﷺ said to him: ⟨Whichever of the two has the higher fluid, to him belongs the resemblance. When intercourse takes place, the one who emitted first — the child’s interior is created from his fluid; and the one whose fluid is higher — the child’s exterior is created from his fluid. So the resemblance comes to belong to the one whose fluid was higher.⟩ He said to him: You have spoken the truth. He said to him: Tell me about what Isrāʾīl forbade to himself. The Messenger ﷺ said to him: ⟨The flesh of camels and their milk.⟩ That was because he fell gravely ill and vowed that, if Allah healed him of that illness, he would give up the food he loved most, which is camel flesh, and the most beloved

the drink he loved most, which was the milk of camels. He said to him: You have spoken truly. Tell me: what is the welcome-fare of the people of the Garden, the first hospitality they receive from Allah, Blessed and Exalted? The Prophet ﷺ said to him: ⟨The liver of the fish.⟩ He said to him: You have spoken truly. Now one question remains. Tell me which of the angels brings you the revelation. The Messenger said to him: ⟨That is Jibrīl.⟩ He said: Ah, you have spoilt the matter. Jibrīl? He is an enemy to us. Had it been Mīkāʾīl, who brings provision, we would have believed in you; but Jibrīl, who brings hardships and destruction and the ruin of dwellings — no. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb said to him: What is Jibrīl’s standing with Allah, Blessed and Exalted? He said to him: Jibrīl is on His right, Blessed and Exalted, and Mīkāʾīl on His left. ʿUmar said — and this is one of ʿUmar’s concurrences [with revelation] — ⟨If the matter is so, and you are an enemy to Jibrīl, then you must be an enemy to Mīkāʾīl as well, and to Allah, Blessed and Exalted.⟩ He said: No; we are the friends of Mīkāʾīl and the enemies of Jibrīl. The Exalted said: «Say: whoever is an enemy to Jibrīl» (Q. 2:97) — let him die of rage — «for he has brought it down»

that is, the Qurʾan — «upon your heart, by Allah’s permission, confirming what was before it» — what preceded it of the Books — «and as guidance» — from error — «and good tidings for the believers. Whoever is an enemy to Allah» (Q. 2:97–98). His enmity toward Jibrīl earned him enmity toward Allah, Blessed

and Exalted. «and His angels» […] — the one of whom they said that he is

their friend. «then Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers. And We have certainly sent down to you clear signs» (Q. 2:98–99). It was revealed in reply to Ibn Ṣūriyā, who said one day to the Prophet ﷺ: You have brought us nothing. The Exalted said: «And We have certainly sent down to you» — O Muhammad — «clear signs» — plain and evident — «and none disbelieves in them except the defiantly disobedient. And is it not so that whenever they made a covenant» — to believe in the Prophet — «a party of them cast it aside» — by breaking it — «rather, most of them do not believe. And when a messenger came to them from Allah» (Q. 2:99–101) — that is, Muhammad ﷺ — «confirming what was with them, a party of those who were given the Scripture cast the Book of Allah» — the Torah — «behind their backs as though they did not know» (Q. 2:101) — what is in it, that he is truly a prophet. «And they followed what they recite» — what they recited — «the devils, during» — the time of — «the reign of Sulaymān» (Q. 2:102) — of sorcery. The devils had buried it beneath his throne when his kingship was stripped from him, and they used to

[the satans] used to eavesdrop, and they would attach lies to it and cast it to the soothsayers, who wrote it down; and that spread abroad, and it became widely held that the jinn know the unseen. So Sulaymān gathered the books and buried them; and when he died the satans directed people to them, and they dug them out and found sorcery in them. They said: Your kingship was only by this. So they learned it, and they rejected the books of their prophets. The Exalted said — clearing Sulaymān, and in reply to the Jews in their saying, Look at Muhammad: he counts Sulaymān among the prophets, when he was nothing but a sorcerer — the Exalted said: «And Sulaymān did not disbelieve» — that is, he did not practise sorcery — «but the satans disbelieved, teaching people sorcery; and what» — they teach them — «and what was sent down to the two angels» — […] of sorcery — «at Bābil» — a town in the farmland of ʿIrāq [35] — «Hārūt and Mārūt» — the two angels are Hārūt and Mārūt; they were among the righteous of the angels — «and they do not teach anyone without saying: We are only a trial» (Q. 2:102)

Allah sent the two of them down as a trial — they teach the people sorcery, and they teach them that sorcery is unbelief — «so do not disbelieve. So they learn from the two of them that by which they separate a man and his wife» (Q. 2:102). This teaching [was given] because teaching evil is obligatory, so that you may be able to avoid it. If you read in the Qurʾan that drinking wine is forbidden and fornication is forbidden, but you did not know the manner of it, and did not know that in the human being there is a bodily member that has an appetite for this act, so that you might avoid it, you would not be able to avoid it. So the teaching of sorcery was for avoiding it alone. «And they do not harm by it» — that is, by sorcery — «anyone, except by Allah’s permission. And they learn what harms them» — in the hereafter — «and does not benefit them. They had certainly known that whoever purchased it has no share in the hereafter, and evil is that for which they sold themselves, if only they knew». (Q. 2:102) «And if they» — the Jews — «had believed and been God-fearing» — had they complied with Allah’s command they would have been rewarded — «a reward from Allah would be better, if only they knew». (Q. 2:103) «O you who have believed, do not say» rāʿinā (Q. 2:104). The occasion for the revelation of this āya is that the Jews used to say to the Messenger rāʿinā, and the Companions supposed that it was from al-riʿāya [care], so they too began to say rāʿinā, which is an imperative from al-riʿāya; and with them it is an insult, from

al-ruʿūna [folly]. «And say» unẓurnā [look at us], «and listen. And for the unbelievers there is a painful punishment. Neither those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. And Allah singles out for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of the great bounty». (Q. 2:104–105)

«Whatever āya We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or the like of it» (Q. 2:106) The occasion for this āya’s revelation is that the Jews and the polytheists impugned the abrogation of some of the āyāt of the Qurʾan. They said: had it been the speech of Allah it would not have been abrogated, since abrogation is not permissible in the speech of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And this [is] from the extremity of their ignorance. Abrogation did occur in the Qurʾan, by transmission, by the text of the Qurʾan, and the intellect accepts it. Abrogation came in three modes: an āya whose recitation and whose ruling were abrogated, as in His words: ⟨Ten known nursings do prohibit,⟩ [1] this was an āya that was recited and whose ruling was in force; then its recitation was abrogated and its ruling was abrogated. And an āya whose recitation was abrogated and whose ruling remained, as in His words: ⟨The aged man and the aged woman, if they commit fornication, stone them both outright,⟩ this was an āya that was recited; its recitation was lifted and its ruling is in force. And an āya whose ruling was lifted and whose recitation remained [2] «It is prescribed for you, when death comes to one of you, if he leaves wealth»

«the bequest for the parents» (Q. 2:180) This is an āya that is recited to this day and whose ruling is abrogated. It was abrogated by the āya of inheritance, and the Prophet ﷺ made its abrogation clear by his words: ⟨There is no bequest to an heir⟩ [3] The āya is not abrogated by the hadith; rather the hadith makes clear that this āya is abrogated. For the āya has made clear that whatever Allah abrogates, He brings something better than it, and the speech of the created being is never better than the speech of the Creator. Except that revelation is of two kinds: something that is recited and something that is sent down upon the Prophet ﷺ and he then makes it clear to us. In any case, abrogation occurs in the Qurʾan by transmission [4] As for [abrogation] rationally: Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is the freely choosing Agent, disposing of existence as He wills

He puts a ruling into effect for a time; and if He wills, He brings it to an end and brings a new ruling. There is no objection against Him in this. So this āya was revealed. «Whatever āya We abrogate» [5] we remove its ruling, either together with its wording or its ruling alone «or cause it to be forgotten» we defer its recitation and do not remove its ruling, its recitation being lifted «We bring better than it» that is, one more beneficial to the servants than it, in ease or in the abundance of its reward «or the like of it» in obligation and in reward; and [this is] the conclusive proof «Do you not know that Allah has power over all things» (Q. 2:106) and abrogation and substitution are among [the things in His power] The interrogative is for affirmation. «Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth» (Q. 2:107) He is the Owner who disposes as He wills. If they acknowledge that He is the One

the Overwhelming, the Doer of what He wills, they will not object to Him over the abrogation of some of the rulings. «And you have no, apart from Allah» other than Him «protector or helper» (Q. 2:107) who would ward off His chastisement from you if it came to you. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, set out in the last āya of what we read yesterday [6] the ruling on sorcery. The ruling on sorcery is that it is forbidden, a grave sin and unbelief, and it never goes together with faith, and no one practises it but an unbeliever. The proof that sorcery is unbelief is Allah’s denial, Blessed and Exalted, of sorcery of Sulaymān. He said: «And Sulaymān did not disbelieve» (Q. 2:102) meaning he did not practise sorcery. On this basis sorcery is unbelief. And the angels whom Allah sent down came to teach sorcery, to teach that it is evil so that they would avoid it. The exegetes bring a story about these two angels, Hārūt and Mārūt, and the story has no basis. Many of the exegetes have affirmed it, but they took it from the Isrāʾīliyyāt alone, and the Qurʾan gives it the lie. The story: they said that the angels reproached the children of Ādam for the multitude of their sins. So Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: I created them and set in them an appetite that demands these acts of disobedience from them, and had I set this appetite in you, the like of what occurred from them would have occurred from you. They said: It is not possible for us that we should ever disobey You. This answer no angel could ever give. So Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: Choose from among your righteous. So they chose Hārūt and Mārūt, and the two were among the most righteous of the angels. So Allah set in the two of them the appetite for food, for drink and for sexual intercourse, and sent them down to the earth, and commanded them to associate nothing with Allah, to kill no soul, not to commit fornication, to judge by nothing but what Allah had sent down, and not to drink wine. So the two came down and began to judge among the people by the truth. And when night came the two would invoke the Name and return to the Highest Assembly, and when morning broke they would return as well, and when night came they would recite the Name that Allah had taught them and they would ascend to heaven, until a woman fell into a dispute with her husband and the two of them stood before the two [angels]. When one of the two angels looked at her, she took hold of the whole of his heart, and he turned to his companion and said to him: Has the like of what has befallen me befallen you? He said to him: Yes. What is to be done? He said: We shall only try [to win] her. He said: Did not

[Do] you know that Allah is severe in punishment? He said: He is forgiving, merciful. The two of them solicited the woman, and she refused unless they would rule in her favour against her husband. So they ruled in her favour at once, that the right was with her. Then she said: You must drink some wine. So they drank. Each [time] she wanted a sin, one of them said: Allah is severe in punishment, and the other said: He is forgiving, merciful. The woman said that it did not suffice her that they rule in her favour against him, but rather that they kill him. So they killed him. Then they sought her again, and she said: You must prostrate yourselves to the idol. So they prostrated to it. Every single thing they had been forbidden came to pass from them. When night came the woman said: You must teach me the Greatest Name by which the two of you ascend to heaven. So they taught her, and she uttered the Name and flew up to heaven, and she was transformed; she is the star al-Zuhara [Venus] to this day — so they say — and as for the two of them, when night came they were unable to fly and to ascend to heaven, so they went to Idrīs, the prophet of that age. Allah revealed to him that the two of them were to choose between the punishment of this world and the punishment of the hereafter, and they chose the punishment of this world because it passes away. They were cast into a well, and they are being punished in that well to this day. This is the story of Hārūt and Mārūt, and it is a falsehood with no basis.

He mentioned envy [7], and envy is among the grave sins. He said ﷺ: ⟨Envy devours good deeds as fire devours firewood.⟩ [8] — because the envier detests the blessing of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and attributes injustice to

the Creator, and shows enmity to the walī of Allah, and strives to render Allah’s power incapable and to stand in the way of the servants’ obedience to Him. The envious man does not become master. Man is constituted to hate subordination: you will not find any man who likes to be a follower of his like except for some cause, and when that cause ceases the subordination ceases. Even our Creator has conferred upon us such benefits and goods as require of us that we be obedient to Him, and whoever wants these goods to cease wants only to remove the very existence of obedience to Him, Blessed and Exalted. The envier harms none but himself; you will not find a wrongdoer more like one wronged than the envier. Each time he does something to the one he envies, the harm of it returns upon him, so he grows the more enraged, and he does more, and it returns upon him. You find him perpetually angered by his own act. His case is the case of one who takes a stone and wants to throw it at a man’s hand to break it, and the throw comes back and breaks his own hand; and he throws another stone and it comes back to his other hand; and he throws a third stone and it gouges out his eye; and he throws a fourth and it gouges out his other eye. Such is the act of the envier.

There was a king among the kings to whom a scholar used to come, and he was accepted with him, and he honoured him constantly. Each time he sat down he would say to him:

Do good to everyone who does good to you, and as for the wrongdoer, his own wrongdoing suffices him. [9] A man beside him envied him for his standing with this king, so he went to the king and said to him: This so-and-so whom you bring near talks about you; he says that your breath stinks. He said to him: How am I to know that he says this about [me]? He said: When he returns to you, observe what he does and you will find that he says your breath stinks. So he went out and invited the man to his house and fed him leeks and onions and garlic — these foods that have foul odours — and after that he said to him: Go to the king, he is summoning you. So he came and said to him: Do good to everyone who does good to you, and as for the wrongdoer, his own wrongdoing suffices him. He said to him: Come close to me — wanting to speak with him in confidence — and he pressed his garment to his mouth, and so he believed what had been said to him about him. The king grew angry, to the point that he wrote with his own hand, and he never wrote except for a reward; he wrote with his own hand to one of his agents: When the bearer of my letter comes to you, slaughter him and flay him and stuff his skin with straw and send it to me at once. When he had written it and sealed it he handed it to the scholar, and the envier intercepted him and said to him: Make me a gift of this letter; and he pleaded by every means until he gave him the letter. So he went to the agent and handed it to him, and

the agent read the letter and said: The king has ordered me to slaughter you and stuff your skin with straw and send it to him. He said: No, I am not the one the letter is about; go back to the king, I am not the one the letter is about. He said to him: I do not question the king’s order; I carry out his order and do not question it. So he slaughtered him and flayed him and stuffed his skin with straw and sent it to the king. When the king saw it and knew that it was the envier, he sent for the scholar. The scholar entered and said: Do good to everyone who does good to you, and as for the wrongdoer, his own wrongdoing suffices him. He said to him: Tell me, what is your story? Did you not say that my breath stinks? He said: I seek refuge with Allah — am I to say about the king what I do not know? He said to him: When I brought you close to me, you covered your mouth? He said to him: That so-and-so fed me food that had an odour, and I disliked that the king should smell a foul odour [from me]. The king said to him:

Do good to everyone who does good to you, and as for the wrongdoer, his own wrongdoing suffices him.

«Or do you want to ask your Messenger as Mūsā was asked» (Q. 2:108) «am» — rather, you want to ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The occasion of this āya’s revelation was that the people of Mecca gathered and came to the Messenger ﷺ and said to him: If you want us to believe in you, then widen the lands of Mecca for us. Move these mountains so that we may find land to sow in; and make al-Ṣafā gold for us; and send to us Quṣayy b. Kilāb, our ancestor, that we may consult him about believing in you; and bring us the angels, that they may testify for you that you are a prophet. «Or do you want to ask your Messenger as Mūsā was asked» «before» the people of Mūsā said: «Show us Allah openly» (Q. 4:153) «And whoever exchanges belief for unbelief» takes it in its place, and that is by abandoning reflection on the clear signs and proposing others instead. Whoever looks at the clear signs and then goes on proposing others is forsaken. «has strayed from the right way» (Q. 2:108) This man is astray. Demanding signs avails nothing. Whoever Allah wills belief for sees the sign before he asks for it; and whoever

has seen these repeated signs and, despite that, keeps asking for signs is sentenced to wretchedness alone and to being forsaken.

«Many of the People of the Book wish they could turn you back into unbelievers after your belief, out of envy from within themselves» When ʿAmmār and Bilāl came back from the Prophet’s campaigns ﷺ, they would pass by a church and listen to the sermons, finding in them some reports that strengthened them in their belief in the Prophet ﷺ and in the Qurʾan. When the Jews saw that the two were listening to them, they set their hopes on the two apostatizing, and began calling them to their religion and pressing them into apostasy. ʿAmmār said to them: How does breaking a covenant stand with you? They said: Like this — it is like killing. He said: We have made a covenant with Muhammad ﷺ to follow him for the span of our lives, so we will never break his covenant. Then this āya was revealed: «Many of the People of the Book wish they could turn you back into unbelievers after your belief, out of envy from within themselves» Their malignant souls drove them to envy «after what had become clear to them» in the Torah «the truth» concerning the Prophet ﷺ. «So pardon»

«[pardon] them» that is, leave them be «and turn away» turn aside, and do not requite them «until Allah brings His command» concerning them, namely fighting «that Allah has power over all things» (Q. 2:109) This is abrogated by the sword verse. «And establish the prayer and give the alms» Whenever He makes the prayer obligatory He mentions the alms, because the prayer is the greatest of the acts of worship of the body and the alms the greatest of the acts of worship of property. «And whatever good you send ahead for yourselves» an act of obedience, such as kinship-giving or almsgiving «you will find it» you will find its reward «with Allah» Blessed and Exalted «Allah is Seeing of what you do» (Q. 2:110) so He will requite you for it.

ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb rode out in his time to al-Baqīʿ and greeted the people of al-Baqīʿ and said: ⟨News of what has come about after you: your properties have been divided, your houses lived in, your women married. This is what has come about after you.⟩ Then he heard a voice: But

what we sent ahead we found, and what we left behind we lost. [10] This is what verifies His words: «And whatever good you send ahead for yourselves, you will find it with Allah» (Q. 2:110) «And they said» — the Jews — «None will enter the Garden except one who was a Jew» the plural of hāʾid. Whoever

was a Jew — only he is the one who enters the Garden. This is what the Jews said — «or Christians» — and the Christians of Najrān said that the Garden will be entered by none except whoever was a Christian. This is their speech, when they disputed before the Messenger ﷺ. The Jews swore that none would enter it but the Jews, and the Christians swore that none would enter it but the Christians. He, Exalted, said: «That» — that utterance — «is their wishful thinking» — their false cravings — «Say: Bring your proof» — your argument for that — «if you are truthful» (Q. 2:111). «On the contrary» — others than you do enter the Garden — «whoever surrenders his face to Allah» — he submits to His command; He singled out the face because it is the noblest of the limbs, so the rest is all the more [included] — «while he is a doer of good» — affirming [Allah’s] oneness — «then he has his reward with his Lord» — the recompense of his deed is the Garden — «and no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve» (Q. 2:112). And islām, īmān and iḥsān are the religion of the Chosen One ﷺ. A man came to the assembly of the Prophet ﷺ with no trace of travel upon him, his garments of an intense whiteness. He sat down before him ﷺ until his knees touched the knees of the Chosen One ﷺ. He said: ⟨Tell me about al-islām.⟩ The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨The testimony that there is no deity but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, the performance of the prayer, the giving of zakat, the fast of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to the House for whoever can find a way to it.⟩ He said: ⟨You have spoken truly. Now tell me about al-īmān.⟩ He said: ⟨That you believe in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers, and that you believe in the decree, its good and its evil.⟩ He said: ⟨You have spoken truly.⟩ He said:

We were amazed at him: he questions him and declares him truthful. He said: ⟨Tell me about iḥsān.⟩ He said: ⟨That you worship Allah as though you see Him, and if⟩

⟨you do not see Him, then He sees you.⟩ He said: ⟨You have spoken truly. And when will the Hour come?⟩ He said: ⟨The one asked about it is no more knowing of it than the one who asks, but I will tell you of its portents.⟩ That is, its signs: ⟨When the slave-woman gives birth to her mistress⟩ — when concubines become many, so that the slave-woman gives birth to her mistress; the slave-woman, when she bears a child by her master, her child becomes her master and her emancipator — ⟨and when you see the barefoot, the naked, the shepherds of sheep raising themselves high in building.⟩ ⟨He departed, and the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Catch up with him.’ They sought him but found no trace of him. He said to them ﷺ, ‘Do you know who the questioner was?’ They said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘That was Jibrīl, who came to you to teach you your religion.’⟩ [11] Whoever enters Islam by saying: there is no deity but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah — he has his reward with his Lord, and no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve. Allah revealed to the Prophet ﷺ that on this day Diḥya al-Kalbī would come to him as a Muslim; and Diḥya had committed

foul acts, and the Companions detested him. When the time of his entry came, while the Prophet ﷺ was in a company of his Companions, Diḥya appeared. Al-Muṣṭafā ﷺ was averse to their confronting him with what was unseemly, and so turning his mind away from Islam, and he did not wish to command them to do anything. When Diḥya entered, he ﷺ took his cloak and spread it out and said to Diḥya: ⟨Sit here.⟩ He came and folded the cloak and kissed it and placed it over his heart and said: how noble this character is. Then he sat. He said: teach me Islam. The Messenger ﷺ said to him: ⟨Say: I testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.⟩ He pronounced the two testimonies, al-shahādatān, and he began to weep bitterly. Al-Muṣṭafā ﷺ said to him: ⟨What makes you weep, after you were an unbeliever and Allah guided you to Islam?⟩ He said: I did something in the Jāhiliyya that I do not think Allah will forgive me. Al-Muṣṭafā asked him, and he answered, saying to him: I was among the Arabs who detest daughters, and Allah granted me seventy daughters, and I killed them to the last of them. I fear that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, will not forgive me this sin. The Prophet ﷺ paused, and Jibrīl descended and said to him: ⟨Tell him that Allah has forgiven him the sins of sixty years and the unbelief of sixty years. How should He not forgive him the killing of his daughters?⟩ This word cuts off what came before it. Whoever has been an unbeliever for hundreds of years or thousands of years, if he says this word he comes out of his sins as on the day his mother bore him. The Companions said: is this for Diḥya in particular, or for us in general? The Prophet ﷺ said: ⟨Rather, it is for you in general.⟩ And they rejoiced at that.

The Prophet ﷺ said: ⟨My Lord, You have forgiven Diḥya al-Kalbī the unbelief of sixty years and the sins of sixty years for a single word; so what of my community, who repeat it by night and⟩ by day ⟨while they affirm it in belief — how should You not⟩

⟨forgive them?⟩ [12]

«And the Jews said: the Christians stand on nothing» worth reckoning — and they disbelieved in ʿĪsā «and the Christians said: the Jews stand on nothing» worth reckoning — and they disbelieved in Mūsā «while they» the two parties «recite the Book» (Q. 2:113)

the revealed books. The Jews refused to affirm ʿĪsā, and they recited the Torah, in which the affirmation of ʿĪsā stands; and the Christians likewise. «Thus» as these said «said those who do not know» the idolaters among the Arabs and others «the like of their saying» they said of everyone who holds a religion that they stand upon nothing «So Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that in which they used to differ» in the matter of religion «And who does greater wrong than one who bars the mosques of Allah, that His name be mentioned in them» (Q. 2:114) It was revealed when they turned the Prophet ﷺ away from the House in the year of al-Ḥudaybiya; or it was revealed about the Byzantines who laid waste the Holy House; or about the idolaters; or about all of them together. «And who does greater wrong»

No one does greater wrong «than one who bars the mosques of Allah, that His name be mentioned in them» by prayer and glorification «and strives for their ruin» by demolition or by disuse. Everyone who bars one of the mosques enters into this — that is, [bars] any worshipper or anyone making remembrance of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. «Those — it was not for them to enter them except in fear» that is, strike fear into them by jihad «They shall have disgrace in this world» humiliation through killing, captivity and the poll-tax «and in the Hereafter they shall have a great punishment» (Q. 2:114) which is the Fire «And to Allah belong the East and the West» The occasion of this āya’s revelation was the Jews’ objection to the abrogation of the qibla. The Messenger ﷺ had a qibla, and it was the true qibla, toward every direction: he would pray toward every direction — «so wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah» After that he was commanded to pray toward the Holy House, and that was abrogated, and he was commanded to pray toward the Kaʿba. The Jews objected to the turning of the qibla, so this āya was revealed: «And to Allah belong the East and the West» meaning that the directions all belong to Allah, Blessed and Exalted «wherever you turn» your faces in prayer, by His command «there» in that place «is the face of Allah» His qibla which He has approved «Allah is All-Encompassing» His bounty encompasses everything

«All-Knowing» (Q. 2:115) inasmuch as the qibla of the Christians is the east alone: «And mention in the Book Maryam, when she withdrew from her family to an eastern place» (Q. 19:16) Since the birthplace of ʿĪsā was an eastern place, they sanctified the east and said that prayer is not valid

except toward the east. As for the Jews, their qibla is the west: «And you were not on the western side» (Q. 28:44) because Mūsā’s colloquy [with Allah] took place in the direction of the west, so they chose the west as a qibla. The Muslims accepted the command of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, without inclining toward anything they wanted for themselves, and their qibla turned out to be the qibla of Ibrāhīm — and they are upon the religion of Ibrāhīm — and the birthplace of Muhammad ﷺ. What the two parties attempted, the Muslims obtained without intending it, and their aim was compliance with Allah’s command alone. «So wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah» (Q. 2:115) His qibla — this is the taʾwīl of those who interpret. [13] Or: «wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah» — His direction, His Essence. The Essence has no direction and no place, so wherever the servant turns, he is facing [it]. What the perfection of gnosis requires of the servant is therefore that he pray toward whatever direction he wishes. As for our praying toward a single direction, that is adab and compliance with the command of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and a disciplining of the soul so that it may grow accustomed to singling out one direction of facing. If the servant, whenever he wants worship or supplication or remembrance, faces a single direction, this is better. The servant’s singling out of one direction outwardly acts upon the inward, until Allah grants him the singling out of the direction inwardly. The real qibla is the Exalted Essence. What is required of the servant is that his heart be turned toward this real qibla always and perpetually. Repeatedly facing the qibla may discipline the servant’s inward until he reaches the facing of the real qibla. Were it not for that, it would be hard for the gnostic to pray toward a determinate direction, since the directions are all one. A king once hosted some of the scholars, and they dined with him, and he asked

a question. He said: What is the meaning of the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: ⟨Do not prefer me over Yūnus b. Mattā⟩ [14] when the Prophet ﷺ is superior to all the prophets and the messengers? They said: This question — none can answer it but a single scholar. So they brought him, and he repeated the question. He said: Here is a poor man in debt, dunned for a thousand dīnārs which he does not have. I will not answer you this question unless you discharge this destitute man’s debt. He discharged the destitute man’s debt on the spot. He said to him: The meaning of ⟨Do not prefer me over Yūnus b. Mattā⟩ is that Allah has no place and no direction, and the Messenger ﷺ ascended to heaven and passed beyond the heavens and the Throne and the Footstool, and he was near to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, to the point that he says: ⟨I cannot number praise of You; You are as You have praised Yourself ⟩ [15] and Yūnus drowned in the sea and a fish swallowed him, and another fish swallowed him, in the depth of the sea, in the belly of the fish, and the fish in the belly of another fish. Muhammad is not nearer to Allah than Yūnus, who is in the depth of the sea, while he is above the layers [of the heavens]. This is the meaning of ⟨Do not prefer me over Yūnus b. Mattā⟩ [16] «Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing» (Q. 2:115) The human being is the khalīfa of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, on His earth. The essence of the human being is khalīfa for the Essence of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and the attributes of the human being are khalīfa for the attributes of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: power, will, knowledge, life, hearing, sight and speech. Every human being has attained a portion of these attributes, and they belong in reality to Allah alone. And the acts of the human being are khalīfa for the acts of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. So every human being is khalīfa for Allah over a portion of the world, be it small or great; all of us are lord of something, except that rabb is not applied to anything other than Allah unless it is put in a construct

to something: lord of the house, it was annexed, lord of the garment, lord of the book. Allah is the rabb in reality. And since the spirit has neither place nor direction, it became a vicegerent on behalf of Allah, Exalted. Allah has no place and no direction, and the spirit in the human being is likewise: it has no where and no how. For this reason none is a vicegerent on behalf of Allah except the human being. «And they said» the Jews and the Christians, and whoever claimed that the angels are Allah’s daughters «Allah has taken a son» He, Exalted, said: «Glory be to Him» declaring Him free of that «Rather, to Him belongs what is in the heavens and the earth» as possession, as creation, and as servants; and ownership is incompatible with begetting. A human being cannot own his own child; even in the shariʿa, whoever comes to own his child, [the child] is thereby freed. «all are devoutly obedient to Him» (Q. 2:116) [17] obedient, each in accordance with what is wanted of it «Originator of the heavens and the earth» He who brought them both into being on no prior model «And when He decrees» wills «a matter» its being brought into being «He only says to it: Be, and it is» (Q. 2:117) so it comes to be. This is a command that displays [His] power. «And those who do not know said» the unbelievers of Mecca, to the Prophet ﷺ. «Why does Allah not speak to us» [to tell us] that you are His Messenger «or a sign come to us» of the kind we have proposed «Thus» as these men said «said those before them» of the unbelievers of the past communities, to their prophets «the like of their saying» that is, obstinacy and the demand for signs «their hearts became alike» in unbelief and stubbornness In this there is consolation for the Prophet ﷺ. «We have made the signs clear to a people who are certain» (Q. 2:118) they know that they are signs and so they believe; so to propose a sign alongside them is obstinacy «We have sent you» O Muhammad «with the truth» with guidance «as a bearer of glad tidings» to whoever responds to it, of the Garden «and as a warner»

[warning] whoever does not respond to it, of the Fire «and you are not asked about the companions of the Blaze» (Q. 2:119) the people of the Fire, the unbelievers: what is the matter with them that they did not believe? Your charge is only the delivery [of the message]. «The Jews will never be pleased with you, nor the Christians, until you follow their creed»

The Jews and the Christians are not pleased with the Chosen One, nor with the Muslims, until they follow them in their religion. […]

«that Allah’s guidance» that is, Islam «is the guidance» and what is other than it is error «and if you were to follow their desires» those to which they call you, [put] hypothetically «after the knowledge that has come to you» the revelation from Allah «you would have from Allah no protector» to guard you «and no helper» (Q. 2:120) to defend you «Those to whom We have given the Book, who recite it as it should be recited»

they read it as it was sent down «those are the ones who believe in it» those believe in the Qurʾan «and whoever disbelieves in it»

that is, in the Book given [to him], by altering it «those are the losers» (Q. 2:121) because their destiny is the Fire, made everlasting for them «O Children of Israel, remember My favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you over the worlds» (Q. 2:122) the like of it has already occurred. al-Ḥaqq called the Children of Israel and reminded them of the favours He bestowed upon their forefathers, and reminded them of the preference He gave to their forefathers, so that they might remember, so that they might give thanks for that favour, and so believe and stand upright. The difference between the community of Muhammad ﷺ «the best community brought forth for mankind» (Q. 3:110), and the Children of Israel is this: as for the Children of Israel, Allah reminded them of His preference, and they grew proud and grew angry and so perished when they saw their preferment; whereas the community of Muhammad, «Say: in Allah’s bounty and in His mercy, in that let them rejoice» (Q. 10:58). When we remember the bounty of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, our hope in Him grows strong; and when they remembered their own preferment, they grew proud, and the like of what befell Iblīs befalls them. «And fear a Day on which [no soul] will give satisfaction» avail «a soul for another soul in anything, nor will any equivalent be accepted from it» a ransom «nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be helped» (Q. 2:123) […] and that is the Day of Resurrection. They were made to fear that Day, because when an affliction befalls a person in this world, some person may perhaps intervene with his standing and rescue him from that affliction; and if he does not find this, he may perhaps pay money and so be delivered from that affliction; and if he finds neither of these two, the great men may perhaps rise on his behalf and intercede for him, and the intercession benefits him; and if he finds none of this at all, nothing remains for him but fighting: he finds helpers from his clan and his loved ones who help him in the fighting. And Allah has negated all of these ways on the Day of Resurrection: «No soul will give satisfaction for another soul in anything, nor will any equivalent be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be helped» (Q. 2:123) they will not find anyone to intercede for them such that his intercession would be accepted; they have no intercessor, «so we have no intercessors» (Q. 26:100), unlike the Muslims. «And» remember «when He tried» tested «Ibrāhīm» Ibrāhīm is a name

that is non-Arabic; in the ʿIbrān [Hebrew] tongue its meaning is merciful father [18] He tried him, «his Lord, with words» (Q. 2:124) that is, with commands and prohibitions with which He charged him,

It is said they are the rites of the hajj. And it is said: rinsing the mouth, snuffing water into the nose, the siwāk [tooth-stick], trimming the moustache, parting the hair — that was [a practice] in his religion — clipping the nails, plucking the armpit hair, shaving the pubic hair, istinjāʾ [cleansing after relieving oneself], and circumcision. He was the first to be circumcised, and he was eighty years old, [circumcised] with an adze. And it is said: thirty traits — ten in Sūrat Barāʾa: «those who repent, those who worship, those who praise» (Q. 9:112) and ten in Sūrat al-Muʾminūn: «The believers have succeeded» (Q. 23:1) up to «those are the inheritors» (Q. 23:10) and ten in Sūrat al-Aḥzāb: «the Muslim men and the Muslim women» (Q. 33:35) Those thirty traits are the ones with which his Lord tried Ibrāhīm. [19] «and he fulfilled them» — he discharged them in full — «He said» — [Allah] Exalted [said] to him — «I am making you a leader for mankind» an exemplar in religion. All the adherents of the religions say that they are upon the religion of Ibrāhīm. «He said: And of my progeny» — make my children leaders in religion as well — «He said: My covenant does not reach» [that is,] with the leadership «the wrongdoers» (Q. 2:124)

[that is,] the unbelievers. Ibrāhīm did not know that there were unbelievers among his progeny until this answer came. «And when We made the House» (Q. 2:125)

[that is,] the Kaʿba «a place of return for the people» a place of recourse to which they return — that is, to which they come back again and again from every side «and a place of security» that is, a place of safety for them from the wrongdoing and the raids that occur elsewhere. A man would meet his father’s killer in it and not provoke him. «And take» — O people — «from» «the station of Ibrāhīm» (Q. 2:125) it is the stone on which he stood at the building of the House

«a place of prayer» a place of prayer, in that you pray behind the Station the two rakʿas of the circumambulation [20] «And We charged Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl» We commanded them both «that» [that is,] in the sense of “that” «purify My House» of idols «for those who circumambulate and those who abide» (Q. 2:125)

those who reside in it «and those who bow, those who prostrate» (Q. 2:125) plurals of rākiʿ and sājid — that is, those who pray «And when Ibrāhīm said: My Lord, make this» [that is,] this place «a secure town» (Q. 2:126) — at that time it was open wasteland. Here he supplicated while the place was barren, and for that reason he said “a town.” And in Sūrat Ibrāhīm he said: «My Lord, make this town secure» (Q. 14:35) because the supplication in Sūrat Ibrāhīm took place when Mecca was already a settled town. And Allah answered his supplication and made it a sanctuary in which no human blood is shed, in which no one is wronged, whose game is not hunted, and whose herbage is not cut [21] that is, its grass is not cut «and provide its people with fruits» (Q. 2:126)

And He did so, by transporting al-Ṭāʾif from Syria to it; it was barren, with no crops in it and no water. «whoever of them believes in Allah» (Q. 2:126)

He asked for the imamate for his progeny, and they were refused: the wrongdoers were barred from the imamate. For this reason, in asking for provision, he said: «whoever of them believes in Allah» «and the Last Day» «He said» «and whoever disbelieves» — I provide for him likewise […] I give him enjoyment

«a little» — the term of his life — «then I shall compel him» — […] in the hereafter — «to the punishment of the Fire» — so he will find no […] from it — «and evil is the destination» (Q. 2:126). And remember: «And when Ibrāhīm was raising up the foundations» — the foundations and the walls — «from» (Q. 2:127)

«the House» — building it — «and Ismāʿīl» — building it with him. The two of them saying: «Our Lord, accept from us» — our building — «it is You who are the Hearing, the Knowing» (Q. 2:127). «Our Lord, and make us two submitters» — compliant — «to You, and» make «of our progeny» — our children — «a community» (Q. 2:128)

a group — «submissive to You» (Q. 2:128). He knew that some of his progeny were among the wrongdoers, and for this reason he asked Him that there be among them a submissive community. «And show us» — teach us — «our rites» — the ordinances of our religion, or our pilgrimage — «And turn to us [in forgiveness]; it is You who are the Accepter of repentance, the Merciful» (Q. 2:128). The House of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: Allah made it a place of resort for the people and a sanctuary. It is the Kaʿba, which is at Mecca, or at Bakka. Bakka is a dialectal form of Mecca; or else Bakka is only the spot on which the Kaʿba stands. The Kaʿba has been built ten times. The first building: the angels built it. The second: Ādam built it. And Shīth b. Ādam, the forefather of the Messenger ﷺ built it. And Ibrāhīm built it fourth, after the Flood, and his building is the one about which the āya came. And after Ibrāhīm the ʿAmāliqa built it, and Jurhum built it, and Quṣayy b. Kilāb built it, and Quraysh built it, and ʿAbd Allah b. al-Zubayr built it, and al-Ḥajjāj built it. Al-Ḥajjāj’s building is the one standing now [22]. The angels spoke ill of Ādam, and after that they sought repentance from Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and with them is al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr — it is the Kaʿba in heaven — which they circumambulate perpetually. So Allah commanded them to build for Ādam a house like this one, and they built the Kaʿba facing al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr. Were al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr to fall upon the earth, it would fall upon the Kaʿba itself. Ādam used to make the pilgrimage to the House. He made the pilgrimage forty

times, from India to Mecca [23]. They said to the Messenger: ⟨What did he ride?⟩ He said: ⟨What beast could carry Ādam?⟩ No beast is able to carry Ādam, not even the elephant. He used to walk on his two feet from the land of India to Mecca; he made the pilgrimage forty times. When the Flood of Nūḥ came, the angels raised the Kaʿba up to heaven, and they took the Black Stone and placed it as a deposit in Mount Abū Qubays beside the Kaʿba [24]. And when time had grown long, the age of Ibrāhīm came. Ibrāhīm was in the sawād of Iraq, in the districts of Kūfa, and he emigrated to Palestine, a part of Syria. And on the road of his emigration there was a toll-collector (makkās) to whom no man came having a beautiful woman with him but that he seized her from him. And with Ibrāhīm was his wife Sāra, the most beautiful of the women of the world; Yūsuf’s beauty was only on account of his resemblance to Sāra. So when he drew near to the toll-collector,

and in […] there was a law: whoever came with a beautiful woman and said that she was his wife, she was seized from him — a beautiful wife is fit for none but the king — and if he said that she was his sister, she was left to him. So when he drew near to the dīwān [the customs post], Ibrāhīm said to Sāra: There is no Muslim on the face of this earth but you and I; so you are, then, my sister. And besides, she was the daughter of his paternal uncle.

If they ask me, I shall say that you are my sister. This is one of his lies, for which he will offer his excuse on the Day of Resurrection — that he lied. Ibrāhīm was exceedingly jealous. He made a chest and put the woman inside the chest and locked it upon her. And when he came to the keeper of the toll, he said to him: What is in the chest? He said to him: Estimate whatever you wish of property — that alone — and I will give you […]. If you say that the chest is full of gold, I will give you a quarter of it in gold. This is the toll among them: a quarter of the property. The man said: No, not until I open the chest — that alone. So he opened it, and he found the most beautiful of the women of the worlds in the chest. He said: What is this woman to you? He said: She is my sister. So he took her and went with her to the king. He contravened

the law, because of the woman’s extreme beauty. And Ibrāhīm was jealous, as we have said. So Allah, Blessed and Exalted, lifted the veils from him, and Sāra was not absent from him from the moment they brought her into the palace and in the houses, and Ibrāhīm witnessed her in all her states. Al-Jalīl [the Majestic] preserved her, so that he should not doubt her. And when she was brought before the king, he stretched out his hand toward her and was struck down on the spot. He resolved on repentance and his reason returned to him, and he stretched out his hand toward her again and was struck down more severely than the first time. And when he recovered he said to her: Are you a sorceress? She said: No, I am the wife of al-Khalīl [the Friend of Allah], and al-Jalīl keeps me from you. He said: Mutilate her. So they made a hole in her ear and put something in it, and it became the finest thing, so that women have all done it down to this day of ours. And he presented her with a slave-woman — she was Hājar — and returned her to her husband. And she said to Ibrāhīm: Receive good news, for Allah has restrained the enemy and has provided me with a serving-girl to serve me [25]. O Ibrāhīm, I am barren, I have borne you no child, and I give you this slave-girl as a gift, that you may take her as a concubine

so that Allah may provide you with offspring through her. So he took her as a concubine, and she bore Ismāʿīl. Jealousy can lead to pregnancy: when the slave-girl gave birth, Sāra conceived and bore Isḥāq. Ismāʿīl — and he was older than Isḥāq — whenever the two of them went out to play, Ismāʿīl would strike Isḥāq, and he would weep and come to his mother. Sāra became angry at this. She said: This is a slave-girl I used to own, and now her son strikes my son every day. This I have no patience for. Take this slave-girl out of here; I will never live beside her. Ibrāhīm, upon him be peace, mounted, and seated Hājar and Ismāʿīl behind him, and travelled with them from al-Shām to the land of the Kaʿba, which was barren waste at that time. When he arrived he left the two of them there with a waterskin of water and a leather bag with dates in it, and he went away from them. The woman began calling after him: Ibrāhīm, Ibrāhīm — and Ibrāhīm only kept walking, until at last she said: Did Allah command you to this, Ibrāhīm? He said: Yes. She said: Then go where you wish; if it is Allah’s command, He will not let us go to waste. When they had stayed some days, the water they had ran out, and Ismāʿīl grew so thirsty that he was near to dying. Hājar went out, until she reached the hill of al-Ṣafā and climbed it, looking to see whether she might see water or a human being. She saw nothing. So she went to al-Marwa, then returned to al-Ṣafā, then went to al-Marwa — seven times. This is the origin of the saʿy [26] between the two hills. She returned to the child, now only awaiting death. Then Jibrīl came and struck with his foot, and the well of Zamzam gushed forth, and the water flowed until it became a sea. Jibrīl began holding the water back, saying: zam, zam — its meaning is: be still — until it went back to being a well. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨May Allah have mercy on the mother of⟩

⟨Ismāʿīl — had she left Zamzam, it would have been a flowing spring⟩ [27] This Zamzam — its depth none knows but Allah; inside it is a sea; its water is beneath the whole of Mecca. So the woman drank and the child drank. [28] There were hunters who dwelt in the open wastes and saw in them no traces of water. They looked at a bird circling around this woman. They said: Glory be to Allah — these birds are not seen except in a place where there is water, and where is water to be found in these barren wastes? So they came, and they found the well of Zamzam and Hājar and Ismāʿīl. They said to her: May we drink of your water? She said: Yes, but you have no right in it. So they drank. After that they asked to settle beside her, and they settled beside her; they were Jurhum, Arabs. So Ismāʿīl grew up an Arab. When a time had passed, Ibrāhīm asked Sāra’s permission to visit Hājar and Ismāʿīl his son. She said: Yes, on condition that you do not dismount from the camel. Ibrāhīm came, and found Ismāʿīl absent, and found a woman in the house. He said: Peace be upon you. Where is your husband? She said: I do not know where he has gone. He said: Are you well? She said: No, we are not well … He said: Do you have food? She said: We have nothing. My husband has gone out hunting; if he finds something, [well and good], and if not, then we are in the worst state — and how many are your questions. He said: When your husband comes, greet him from me and tell him to change the threshold of the door of his house. When he returned she told him: A man came here and asked me about many things, and he said: I tell you to change the threshold of the door. He said: That is my father Ibrāhīm. He has said that I am to divorce you: I divorce you, and you are divorced. When he had stayed a while, he again asked Sāra’s permission for the visit — and Hājar had died. She said to him: On condition that you do not dismount from

the camel. So he came again, and found Ismāʿīl gone out to hunt. When the second woman saw him she said: […] How handsome this man is. How closely he resembles my husband. By Allah, nothing distinguishes the two of them but grey hair. Dismount first. He said: I will not dismount; but how are you? She said: We are well, we need nothing, and my husband will come now. Wait. Dismount so that I may wash your feet. Ibrāhīm said: I will not dismount. So she brought a stone from the stone of the Maqām and placed it under Ibrāhīm’s foot and washed his right foot, then washed the other as well. For this reason the trace of Ibrāhīm’s foot has remained on the stone to this day of ours. When Ismāʿīl came he said: I smell the scent of Ibrāhīm in the house. She said: A man came here between whom and you there is no difference but grey hair. He greeted you, and said that you are to make the threshold of the door firm. He said: That is Ibrāhīm. He has commanded me to keep you and not to divorce you. Then Ibrāhīm returned by a command from Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and said: O Ismāʿīl, Allah has commanded me to build a house for Him here, and has commanded you to help me. He said: Yes, I will help you. So the two of them set about building the House [29] — Ibrāhīm speaking Hebrew and Ismāʿīl speaking Arabic

but each of the two understood from the other, and neither spoke the other’s language. When Ismāʿīl spoke, Ibrāhīm heard him and did not speak; and when Ibrāhīm spoke, Ismāʿīl heard him and did not speak. So the two of them built the Kaʿba — and it is this Kaʿba now standing in Mecca. It has many excellences; we shall come to [them] in Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: «In it are clear signs — the station of Ibrāhīm; and whoever enters it is secure» (Q. 3:97). ⟨Whoever performs the pilgrimage and does not speak obscenely and does not transgress returns from his sins as on the day his mother bore him.⟩ [30]

A man of the righteous made ready for the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah, and he had a young child. The child said to him: Where to, my father? He said: I am going to the House of Allah. He said to him: The House of Allah is there? He said: Yes. He said: You must carry me with you. And he began to weep most bitterly, [insisting] that he must go to the House of Allah — he supposed the matter to be as it is with the state of human beings. He persisted in weeping until the people said: Carry him with you. So he carried him with him, until he came near the House; and when he said, This is the House of Allah, the boy died [31]. The righteous man lamented the death of his son: My son, the fruit of my heart. It was said to him: You wanted the House and you reached the House, and he wanted the Lord of the House — he met the Lord of the House and could not bear Him, and he died. When he heard only the House of Allah, he supposed that Allah was present there, and he longed for Him; and when he arrived, Allah made his hope come true, and he reached the Presence while he was weak, and the poor creature died. This is the true pilgrimage: whoever makes pilgrimage to the true Kaʿba, which is the Presence of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. For this reason Rābiʿa said, addressing al-Junayd: ⟨Junayd, do you circumambulate the House, or the Lord of the House?⟩ al-Junayd was a complete jurist. He said to her: ⟨I circumambulate the House.⟩ She said: ⟨Fie upon you. You come to the House of Allah with hard hearts. As for this: if your circumambulation is of the House alone, then it is nothing but stones and grass. But as for me, I circumambulate the Lord of the House.⟩

«Our Lord, and raise up among them» — the people of the House — «a messenger from among them» (Q. 2:129) — from their own selves. And Allah answered the supplication of Ibrāhīm […] ﷺ. For this reason he said ﷺ: ⟨I am the supplication of Ibrāhīm and the glad tidings of ʿĪsā.⟩ [32] «and giving glad tidings of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Aḥmad» (Q. 61:6). That glad tiding is Muhammad ﷺ; and the supplication of Ibrāhīm: «and raise up among them a messenger from among them» (Q. 2:129) — and he is Muhammad ﷺ.

«reciting to them Your signs» — the Qurʾan — «and teaching them the Book and the wisdom» (Q. 2:129) — what it contains of the rulings

«and purifying them. You are the Mighty, the Wise» (Q. 2:129). al-ḥikma, wherever it is used without qualification in the Qurʾan — what is meant is the knowledge

the Qurʾan, the admonitions of the Qurʾan and the rulings of the Qurʾan. For this reason you know the magnitude of what Allah gave to the community of Muhammad ﷺ. Allah mentioned in the Qurʾan that this world is a slight enjoyment, and this slight thing which He mentioned to us — we cannot reach its limit. This world and what is in it: we are unable to reach its end, and it is slight. As for knowledge, He said: «and you have been given of knowledge only a little» (Q. 17:85). And this knowledge, which He likewise said is little, we cannot reach its limit — so what then of that which He said is much? He said: «and whoever is given wisdom has been given much good» (Q. 2:269). The little — we have not known its limit; and He gave us much beyond that: «and whoever is given wisdom has been given much good». It is related that when the scholars are gathered on the Day of Resurrection the Lord addresses them, as has been related: ⟨I placed My light in you; I did not place it in you and then punish you after that. Go forth — all of you are forgiven.⟩ [33] «And who turns away from the creed of Ibrāhīm» — no one turns away from the creed of Ibrāhīm and abandons it — «except one who makes a fool of his own soul» — he is ignorant of the matter of his own soul, that it is created by Allah and owes Him worship, and he holds it cheap and degrades it — «And We chose him in this world» — Ibrāhīm: We selected him in this world with messengerhood and [the station of] intimate friendship — «And he is» — Ibrāhīm — «in the hereafter among the righteous» (Q. 2:130) — those who have the highest degrees. And recall «when his Lord said to him: Submit» — submit to Allah and devote your religion purely to Him — «He said: I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds» (Q. 2:131). When Allah said to Ibrāhīm, “Submit,” he did not say, “Submit to whom?” He said: «I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds»

«And he enjoined it» — the creed — «Ibrāhīm, upon his sons, and Yaʿqūb». He said: «My sons, Allah has chosen for you the religion» — the religion of Islam — «so do not die except as Muslims» (Q. 2:132). He commanded them to hold firm to Islam. And when the Jews said to the Prophet ﷺ: Do you not know that Yaʿqūb, on the day he died, enjoined Judaism upon his sons? — this is the speech of the Jews, and it is a lie — there came down: «Or were you witnesses» — present — «when death came to Yaʿqūb, when he said to his sons: What will you worship after me?» — after my death — «They said: We shall worship your God and the God of your fathers, Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq» — he reckoned Ismāʿīl [a father]. [34] — «One God» — the God of Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq, all of them, is one God — «and to Him we are submitters» (Q. 2:133). «That» — the company — «is a community that has passed away» — gone before — «to it belongs what it earned» — of deeds, [that is,] recompense — «and to you» — the Jews — «belongs what you earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do» (Q. 2:134). «And they said: Be Jews or Christians, and you will be guided» (Q. 2:135). The Jews said: whoever is a Jew is upon a straight path. And the Christians said: whoever is a Christian is upon a straight path. «Say: Rather»

we follow «the religion of Ibrāhīm, upright» inclining away from all the religions to the upright religion «and he was not one of the idolaters» (Q. 2:135) Allah never mentions Ibrāhīm in the Qurʾan without clearing him of idolatry. «Say» O Muslims «We believe in Allah and in what was sent down to us» of the Qurʾan «and what was sent down to Ibrāhīm» of the ten scriptures «and Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb and the tribes» his sons «and what was given to Mūsā» of the Torah

«and ʿĪsā» — of the Gospel — «and what the prophets were given from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them» (Q. 2:136) — so we believe

in some and disbelieve in some, as the Jews and the Christians do — «and to Him we are submitters» (Q. 2:136). «So if they believe» — that is, the Jews

and the Christians «in the like of what you believe in» that is, in what you have believed «then they are rightly guided» they have travelled the straight path

«And if they turn away» — from belief in him — «then they are only in dissension» — disagreement with you — «Allah will suffice you against them» (Q. 2:137)

Muhammad — their dissension — «And He is the All-Hearing» — of their words — «the All-Knowing» (Q. 2:137) — of their states. And He did suffice him against them, by the killing of Qurayẓa, the expulsion of al-Naḍīr, and the imposition of the jizya upon them. «The dye of Allah» — Allah dyed Ibrāhīm with His dye, the dye of Allah, and it is the fiṭra of Allah according to which He created mankind. He likened the fiṭra of Allah to dye because its trace remains upon the one who bears it forever: as the dye remains in the garment, so too faith. And [it is] a correspondence with what the Christians do. The Christians: when a child is born to them and reaches the seventh day, it must be washed with water they take from the baptismal font. [35] Whomever they have washed with the water of baptism, they say he has become a Christian and upon the religion of the Christians — as though it were a dye in their view. For this reason Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned that He dyed Ibrāhīm with His dye, which is faith in Allah alone. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Every child is born upon the fiṭra of Islam; it is his two parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Zoroastrian — just as the beast gives birth to a beast: do you find among them any with a slit ear?⟩ [36] Rather, it is you who slit them. So likewise Allah, Blessed and Exalted, took the covenant from the progeny of Ādam while Ādam did not exist and the progeny did not exist. He addressed a nonexistent in nonexistence, in nonexistence, and they answered Him: «Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes» (Q. 7:172). So this faith remained a fiṭra in the human being, so that when he is born and his two parents are Muslims he remains upon the fiṭra of faith; and when his two parents are Jews or Christians or Zoroastrians, they make him a Jew or a Christian or a Zoroastrian. And that is the dye of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. «And who» — no one — «is better than Allah in dye» (Q. 2:138) — Allah is better in dye than every dyer. The children of Ādam dye with colours; they dye

the white, and it becomes black; and they dye the white and it becomes red or blue. Every colour they are able to dye to, but they are unable to dye a black thing so that it becomes white — this the dyers cannot do. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted, takes the heart of the unbeliever, which is black, and dyes it, and it becomes white through faith; and He takes black hair and dyes it until it becomes white with grey. The dyers cannot manage this manner [of dyeing]. For this reason He said: no one is better than Allah in dye; rather He is the best of dyers in dye. [37] «and to Him we are worshippers» (Q. 2:138). The Jews said to the Muslims: We are the first People of the Book, and our qibla is older, and the prophets were not from the Arabs; had Muhammad been a prophet he would have been from among us. Prophethood occurs only among the Children of Israel, and no prophet has come as an Arab — this is what we have known. «Say»

to them — «Do you dispute with us» — you contend with us — «concerning Allah» — that He chose a prophet from the Arabs — «while He is our Lord and your Lord» (Q. 2:139)

so it is His to choose from among His servants whomever He wills — «and to us belong our deeds» — we are recompensed for them — «and to you belong your deeds» (Q. 2:139)

you are requited for them «and we are sincere to Him» (Q. 2:139) — we are devoted to Him in religion and in deed, so we have a better claim to being chosen than you do. «Or» — rather: «they say: Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb and the tribal descendants were Jews or Christians» — these men were not Jews and they were not Christians — «Say: Do you know better, or Allah?» (Q. 2:140). Allah knows better. Since Allah knows better, He said: «Ibrāhīm was neither a Jew nor a Christian» (Q. 3:67), because Judaism arose from the Torah and the Torah was sent down upon Mūsā, and Christianity arose from the Gospel and the Gospel was sent down upon ʿĪsā son of Maryam. For this reason Allah refuted them, as will come in Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: «The Torah and the Gospel were not sent down until after him» (Q. 3:65).

The asbāṭ of Ibrāhīm — ʿĪsā is included among them, and ʿĪsā, as you know, has no father. al-Ḥajjāj

b. Yūsuf was a tyrant and a reprobate, and he hated the ahl al-bayt [the Prophet’s household]. He heard of a scholar who said that al-Ḥasan and al-Husayn are of the progeny of Muhammad ﷺ, so he had him brought before him and said to him: You said that al-Ḥasan and al-Husayn are of the progeny of the Prophet ﷺ? He said to him: Yes. He said: You must bring me a proof from the Qurʾan, or else I will kill you. He said to him: Yes. He said to him: And I do not accept this proof: «Say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves» (Q. 3:61) — that when this āya was sent down the Prophet called for al-Ḥasan and al-Husayn; I do not accept this as a proof. He said to him: I bring you a proof more conclusive than that: Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned the progeny of Ibrāhīm. He said:

«and Zakariyyāʾ and Yaḥyā and ʿĪsā and Ilyās» (Q. 6:85). Did He count ʿĪsā among the progeny of Ibrāhīm? He said to him: Yes. He said to him:

And who was ʿĪsā’s father? So then, progeny applies to the children of daughters. Were the children of daughters not part of the progeny, ʿĪsā would not have been of the progeny of Ibrāhīm. He said to him: You have spoken truly — and he rewarded him, giving him a great deal of money. [38] «And who does greater wrong than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not heedless of what you do» (Q. 2:140) a threat to them «That was a community which has passed away; it has what it earned and you have what you earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do» (Q. 2:141) The like of it has already come. The forefathers, even if

they were righteous, and even if they attained what they attained, their deeds do not benefit their children. «and that man has nothing except what he strove for» (Q. 53:39). Yes — the righteousness of the fathers benefits the progeny if they follow their traces; but as for one who abandons the way of his righteous fathers, there is nothing between him and them. al-Rashīd returned one day from the hajj, the army around him and a veil over his face with which he screened himself, and Bahlūl met him — he is his brother, but majdhūb [seized by divine attraction]. He said: O Hārūn, O Hārūn, O Hārūn — three times. He was astonished at a man who called him by his name and did not say to him: O Commander of the Faithful. So he halted the army and said: Bring before me this man who calls me by my name. They brought him before him and he raised the veil from his face. He said to him: O Hārūn, it is you I mean. He said to him: Do you know me? He said to him: Yes, I know you. He said: Who am I? He said: You are the one about whom, if someone is wronged in the farthest West while you are in the farthest East, Allah will question you on the Day of Resurrection. He wept and said to him: How do you see my condition? What do you take me to be? He said to him: Look at it in the Book of Allah — «The righteous are in bliss, and the dissolute are in a blaze» (Q. 82:13–14) — and I think you are in the second clause. He said to him: Do you not know our kinship to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: «When the trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship between them on that day, nor will they ask after one another» (Q. 23:101). He said to him: Our deeds that we perform — we make the hajj, we do such and such. He said: «Allah accepts only from those who fear Him» (Q. 5:27). He said to him: The intercession of the Prophet ﷺ — we hope for it. He said: «On that day intercession will not benefit anyone except him to whom al-Raḥmān has given leave and with whose word He is pleased» (Q. 20:109). He said to him: Name your need to me and I will fulfil it for you. He laughed and said: Are you able to fulfil my need? He said: Yes, I am able. He said: You forgive me my sins and admit me into the Garden. He said: That I am not able to do; but I have been told that you carry many debts, and I am able to help you discharge your debt. He said: Your debts are more than my debts; […], and one who does not discharge a debt is like one who washes urine with urine only; I have no need of your wealth. He said to him: Why is it that we hate death? He said: Because you have ruined the hereafter and built up this world, so you hate to go out from what is built up and go back to the ruin. Had you built up the hereafter you would long for death. O Hārūn, you raised up the clay

and you laid low the religion; you raised up the plaster and laid low the text. If it was from your own wealth, you have been prodigal — «Allah does not love the prodigal» (Q. 7:31) — and if it was from other than your own wealth, you have been unjust — «Allah does not love the unjust» (Q. 3:57). He threatened him and said that he would kill him, because he had been discourteous with him. His ministers said to him: No, O Commander of the Faithful, do not kill him. So he laughed and said: I do not know which of you is the more mad — the one who kills a man whose appointed term has not come, or the one who intercedes for a man whose appointed term has come. Which of you two is the more mad? How great is the folly of all of you. And he went away from him. [39]

«That is a community that has passed away; it has what it earned and you have what you earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do» (Q. 2:141)

Everything turns on righteous action and on devoting action sincerely to Allah, Blessed and Exalted. An action does not count unless one performs it sincerely for the face of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. If what prompts the action is the face of Allah, then this is a sincere action. And if a man, when he is alone by himself, does not pray, and when he is present among the congregation he prays, then this one is a murāʾī [one who acts for show]. And if he prays by himself a light prayer in people’s absence, and in the congregation he prays a fine prayer, then this prayer has no riyāʾ [ostentation] in it; rather it is the iḥsān [its being done well] in which the riyāʾ has remained. And among riyāʾ is the abandoning of an action for people’s sake: whoever abandons an action for people’s sake has practised riyāʾ, and whoever acts for people’s sake has associated [another with Allah]. There is no ikhlāṣ except when one acts for Allah and refrains for Allah. «The foolish among the people will say: What has turned them away from their qibla» — when the qibla of the Muslims was changed from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Kaʿba, the foolish will say these words:

What thing turned the Prophet ﷺ and the believers away from their qibla «which they were upon» — facing it, and that is Bayt al-Maqdis. «Say: To Allah belong the East and the West» — all the directions — so He commands facing whichever direction He wills; there is no objecting to Him. «He guides whom He wills» — [whose] guidance [He wills] — «to a straight path» (Q. 2:142) — the religion of

Islam; and you are of it. «And thus» — as We have guided you — «We have made you» — O community of Muhammad — «a middle community»

choice ones, upright — «that you may be witnesses against the people» — on the Day of Resurrection — «and that the Messenger may be a witness against you» (Q. 2:143) — that he conveyed [the message] to you. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, out of His bounty and His generosity and His favour upon us, made the community of Muhammad the best community brought forth for the people, as He said: «You were the best community brought forth for the people» (Q. 3:110). And He said in this āya: «And thus We have made you a middle community, that you may be witnesses against the people» (Q. 2:143). He made this last community the most excellent of the communities, so that they should be fit to bear witness on the Day of Resurrection. When Allah gathers all of creation, He questions the messengers and He questions the communities

«We shall certainly question those to whom [messengers] were sent, and We shall certainly question the messengers» (Q. 7:6). When the creatures are gathered — the first of them and the last of them, their humans and their jinn and their angels — on a single plain, the first to be brought to account is the Pen. It is asked: Did it convey to the Tablet what it was commanded to convey? It says: Yes. And the Tablet affirms that the Pen conveyed it to it. And it is said to the Tablet: Did you convey to Jibrīl such-and-such a Book, which He sent down to such-and-such a prophet? The Tablet says that it conveyed it to Jibrīl. Jibrīl, did you convey to Nūḥ? He says: Yes, I conveyed. Nūḥ, did you convey to your community? He says: Yes, I conveyed to my community, and they disbelieved. O community, did Nūḥ convey to you? They said: No. «No bringer of good tidings came to us, nor any warner» (Q. 5:19). Then the community of Muhammad ﷺ comes forward and they testify that the prophets conveyed their messages and that Nūḥ conveyed. So his people say: How do these bear witness against us when they came last? Allah says to the community of Muhammad: How do you bear witness for Nūḥ when you came generations after him? They say: You sent down the Qurʾan upon Muhammad as a Book that falsehood does not approach, neither from before it nor from behind it, and he conveyed to us His word, Exalted: «We sent Nūḥ to his people: Warn your people» (Q. 71:1). So the Real, Majestic is His Majesty, says: O Muhammad, is your community upright, fit to bear witness? He says: Yes, my community is upright and choice, fit to bear witness. [40] Then there stands

The proof belongs to the prophets against their communities. «And We did not appoint the qibla» — the direction — «which you were upon» first, and it is the Kaʿba. The Prophet ﷺ used to pray toward it; when he emigrated he faced Bayt al-Maqdis and prayed toward it for a year, or seventeen months; then he was turned back to the Kaʿba — «except that We might know» — a knowing of manifestation — «who follows the Messenger» and so holds him truthful «from him who turns back on his heels» — he returns to unbelief out of doubt in the religion. That is because many of the weak among the Muslims apostatised on account of the matter of the qibla. [41] «And it was» — the turning toward it — «indeed a weighty thing» — burdensome for the people — «except for those whom Allah guided» — among them — «And Allah would not let your faith go to waste» — the occasion for the sending down of this āya: when the qibla was turned toward the Kaʿba, the Muslims said: our brothers who died before the turning of the qibla — perhaps their prayers have been nullified. So Allah said: «And Allah would not let your faith go to waste» — that is, your prayer toward Bayt al-Maqdis. «Allah is to the people full of kindness, merciful» (Q. 2:143). Allah is full of kindness and merciful to the people in not letting their deeds go to waste. «We have indeed seen the turning of your face toward heaven» — the Prophet was looking out for the revelation so that he might be commanded to pray toward the qibla, because the Kaʿba is the qibla of Ibrāhīm and he follows the religion of Ibrāhīm. And this was also more likely to bring the Arabs to Islam. So he came to be watching for a revelation that would command him to turn toward the qibla. So Allah said that He sees the Prophet ﷺ looking out in search of the qibla. «So We shall surely turn you toward» — We shall indeed turn you — «a qibla that will please you» — that you love — «So turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque» — the Kaʿba — «and wherever you may be, turn your faces toward it. And those who were given the Book know that it» — that is, the turning toward the Kaʿba — «is the truth» — the established [truth] — «from their Lord» — because of what is in their books — «and Allah is not heedless of what they do» (Q. 2:144). «And if you brought those who were given the Book every sign» — as to your truthfulness — «they would not follow your qibla» — out of obstinacy — «and you are not a follower of their qibla» (Q. 2:145). This cuts off his hope for their embrace of Islam

and their hope for his returning to it. «Nor are some of them followers of the qibla of others» — the Jews [following] the qibla of the Christians, and the reverse. «And if you were to follow their desires» — which they call you to — «after the knowledge that has come to you» — the revelation — «you would then be» — if you were to follow them, hypothetically — «among the wrongdoers» (Q. 2:145). «Those to whom We gave the Book know him» — they know [him] deliberately — «as they know their sons» (Q. 2:146). Ibn Salām said: ⟨I knew him the moment I saw him, as I know my own son; and my knowledge of Muhammad is the stronger, because as for my son, I do not know whether his mother betrayed me or not.⟩ [42] He said: «they know their sons», and He did not say: their fathers. A man knows his father better than his son; but your knowledge of the son runs forward from the day of his birth — you know him down to this day of ours — whereas the father had a stretch of time before you existed which you do not know. For this reason He did not say: as they know their fathers, even though knowledge of the father is the stronger; rather: «they know their sons». «And a party of them conceal the truth» — the description of Muhammad — «while they know» (Q. 2:146) — this which you are upon. «The truth is from your Lord, so do not be among those who waver» (Q. 2:147) — the doubters. «And for each» — of the communities — «a direction» — a qibla — «to which he turns. So race to the good things» — hasten to acts of obedience — «Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you all together. Allah has power over everything» (Q. 2:148). The Qurʾan commands us to hurry, to race and to be quick; a man’s life calls for nothing but this.

He said: «Hasten to forgiveness» (Q. 3:133), and He said: «Race» (Q. 57:21), and He said here: «So race to the good things» (Q. 2:148). And the Prophet ﷺ said: ⟨Be quick with righteous deeds before you are kept occupied.⟩ [43] The business of religion needs quickness

and otherwise you will waste much of your time where you do not intend to. And quickness is to pray at the first of the time. ⟨The first of the time is Allah’s good pleasure, and the last of the time is His pardon, Blessed and Exalted.⟩ [44] «And from wherever you go out» — for a journey — «turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque. It is indeed the truth from your Lord, and Allah is not heedless of what you do» (Q. 2:149). «And from wherever you go out, turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be, turn your faces toward it» — he repeated it for emphasis — «so that there be not for the people» — the Jews and the polytheists — «against you any argument» (Q. 2:150) — a dispute

«except those of them who do wrong» — except the people of wrongdoing, for they dispute out of obstinacy — «so do not fear them» — do not be afraid of their disputing — «but fear Me» — by obeying My command — «and that I may complete My favour upon you, and that you may be guided» (Q. 2:150) — to the truth; a completing like its completing by Our sending [a messenger]. «As We sent among you a messenger» — as We completed your favour by sending the Messenger, so too We completed your favour by the turning toward the qibla — «from among you» — he is Muhammad ﷺ — «reciting to you Our signs» — the Qurʾan — «and purifying you» — he cleanses you of polytheism — «and teaching you the Book»

the Qurʾan — «and the wisdom» — what is in it of rulings — «and teaching you what you did not know» (Q. 2:151). «So remember Me» (Q. 2:152)

by prayer and by tasbīḥ [glorification] and the like of it, such as tahlīl [declaring Allah’s oneness] and taḥmīd [praising Allah] — «I will remember you» (Q. 2:152). In the hadith, from Allah: ⟨Whoever remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself; and whoever remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in an assembly better than it.⟩ [45] «And be thankful to Me» (Q. 2:152)

My blessing, through obedience — «and do not be ungrateful to Me» (Q. 2:152). «O you who believe, seek help» — for the hereafter — «through patience» — in obedience and in affliction — «and prayer» — He singled it out for mention because of its recurrence and its greatness — «Allah is with the patient» (Q. 2:153)

with [His] help. «And do not say of those who are killed in the way of Allah: [they are] dead. Rather, [they are] alive» — their spirits are in the crops of green birds that roam in the Garden wherever they wish, on account of a hadith to that effect [46] — «but you do not perceive» (Q. 2:154) — you do not know what they are in. Martyrdom has its karāmāt [marks of divine favour]; the martyrs have been granted karāmāt that are not [given] to the prophets. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Allah has given the martyr six qualities: that he be forgiven at the first drop of his blood; that he be guided to his station in the Garden at once; that Allah set upon his head a crown — a single ruby of it is better than the world and what is in it; that He wed him to seventy-two of the wide-eyed houris; that He grant him intercession for seventy of his kinsfolk; and that he not feel death except as you feel the sting of a bee.⟩ [47] «And We will certainly test you with something of fear» — of the enemy — «and hunger» — drought — «and loss of wealth» — through destruction — «and of lives and of fruits» (Q. 2:155) — through blights.

«And give good news to the patient» (Q. 2:155) — in affliction — with the Garden — «those who, when an affliction strikes them» — a trial — «say: We belong to Allah»

«and to Him we are returning» (Q. 2:156). They said this word. In the hadith: ⟨Whoever utters the formula of return at the time of affliction, Allah rewards him for it and replaces it for him with something better than it.⟩ [48] And in it: ⟨That the lamp of the Prophet ﷺ went out and he uttered the formula of return. ʿAʾisha said: This is only a lamp. He said: Everything that grieves the believer is an affliction.⟩ [49] «Those — upon them»

«blessings» — forgiveness — «from their Lord, and mercy» — a blessing — «and those are the rightly guided» (Q. 2:157). […]

Some of the Muslims had misgivings about going around between al-Ṣafā and al-Marwa, since the unbelievers used to go around between them for the worship of the idols. So He, Exalted, said: «al-Ṣafā and al-Marwa are» — two hills in Mecca — «among the rites of Allah» — among the signposts of His religion — «so whoever makes the pilgrimage to the House or performs the ʿumra» — he undertakes the hajj or the ʿumra — «there is no fault» — that is, no sin — «upon him in going around the two of them» — that he traverse between them seven times — «and whoever volunteers good» — more than that — «then Allah is thankful, knowing» (Q. 2:158). «Those who conceal» — this was sent down concerning the scholars of the Jews, who concealed the description of the Prophet ﷺ; they conceal — «what We have sent down of the clear proofs and the guidance» (Q. 2:159) — such as the verse of stoning and the characterization of Muhammad ﷺ.

«after We had made it clear to the people in the Book» — in the Torah — «those — Allah curses them» (Q. 2:159)

He removes them far from His mercy «and the cursers curse them» the angels and the believers [50] «except those who repent and make amends»

their deeds — «and they make clear» — what they concealed — «then those are the ones toward whom I relent» — I accept their repentance — «and I am the Ever-Relenting, the Merciful» (Q. 2:160). «Surely those who disbelieved and died while they were unbelievers — upon those is the curse of Allah and of the angels and of mankind, all together» (Q. 2:161) — they deserve that in this world and the hereafter — «abiding therein» — abiding in the curse, or abiding in the Fire, to which the curse points — «the punishment shall not be lightened for them» — [not for] the blink of an eye — «nor shall they be granted respite» (Q. 2:162) — they are not given time for repentance or for offering an excuse — «And your deity is one deity» — this was sent down concerning a people who asked the Messenger: ⟨Describe your Lord to us.⟩ He said: «And your deity is» — the one who deserves worship — «one deity» — there is no equal to Him in His essence, nor in His attributes — «There is no deity but He, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful» (Q. 2:163). They asked for a sign for that, and there came down: «Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth» — and what

is in them of wonders — «and the alternation of the night and the day» — by going and coming, and increase and decrease — «and the ships» — the vessels — «that run in the sea» — and do not sink, though laden — «with what benefits people» — of trade and transport — «and what Allah has sent down from the sky of water, and has revived the earth with it» — with vegetation — «after its death» — after its dryness — «and has scattered» — He dispersed and spread — «in it of every creature» (Q. 2:164) — because they grow by the fertility

«and the directing of the winds» — turning them south and north, hot and cold — «and the clouds» — the cloud-cover — «subjected between the sky and the earth» — without any tie. These eight, all of them — «are signs» — pointing to His oneness, Exalted — «for a people who reason» (Q. 2:164). Whoever reflects on these signs knows that nothing is beyond the power of the one who made them, and that He is the One who deserves worship, and no other. «And among the people are those who take, apart from Allah» — other than Him — «equals» — idols — «they love them» — with veneration and submission — «as the love of Allah» — that is, as their love for Him — «and those who believe are stronger in love for Allah» — than their love for the equals — «and if you could see» — O Muhammad — «those who did wrong» — the unbelievers — «when they see» (Q. 2:165)

they see «the punishment» you would see a terrible thing «that the power» and you would also see that power and dominance «belongs to Allah altogether, and that Allah is severe in punishment» (Q. 2:165) «When those who were followed disown» the leaders «those who followed» they deny having led them astray «and they see the punishment, and the bonds between them are severed» the ties of connection between them «And those who followed say: If only we had a return» a return to this world «that we might disown them» those who were followed «as they have disowned us» today. This is for the expression of a wish. «Thus» as He showed them the severity of His punishment and some of them disowned others «Allah will show them their deeds» the evil ones «as regrets upon them, and they shall not come out of the Fire» (Q. 2:167) «O people, eat of what is in the earth, lawful and wholesome, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan» that is, his embellishing [of evil] «he is to you a manifest enemy» (Q. 2:168) manifest in enmity «He only commands you to evil» sin «and to indecency» what is foul in the law «and that you say about Allah what you do not know» (Q. 2:169) such as forbidding what He has not forbidden, and the like «And when it is said to them» that is, the unbelievers «Follow what Allah has sent down» of affirming [His] oneness and of declaring wholesome things lawful «they say: No, rather we follow what we came upon» we found «our forefathers upon» the worship of idols and the forbidding of the sawāʾib and the baḥāʾir The Exalted said: «a-» — do they follow them «even though their forefathers understood nothing» of the matter of religion «and were not rightly guided» «And the likeness of those who disbelieve» their description, and that of him who calls them to guidance «is as the likeness of one who shouts» who cries out «at what hears nothing but a call and a cry» (Q. 2:171)

one who hears nothing but a loud sound, and when you shout at him he does not hear «Deaf, dumb, blind — so they do not understand» (Q. 2:171) «O you who believe, eat of the wholesome things We have provided you» the lawful portions of what We have provided you «and give thanks to Allah» for what He has made lawful for you «if it is He whom you worship» (Q. 2:172) «He has only forbidden you carrion»

the eating of carrion — «and blood» — that which is poured forth — «and the flesh of swine, and what has been consecrated to other than Allah» — slaughtered in the name of another than Him — «but whoever is compelled» — whom necessity drives to eat something — «neither desiring it» — not going out in rebellion against the Muslims, on al-Shāfiʿī’s school; or «neither desiring it» means not making do with carrion while other food is to be had — «nor transgressing» — one who exceeds [the limit]

according to the school of al-Shāfiʿī «nor transgressing» nor overstepping the lawful and the forbidden «there is no sin upon him; Allah is Forgiving, Merciful» (Q. 2:173) «Those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book» which contains the description of Muhammad «and sell it for a paltry price» of this world «they eat nothing into their bellies but the Fire, and Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection» out of anger at them «nor will He purify them» cleanse them of the filth of sins «and they shall have a painful punishment» (Q. 2:174) «Those are they who have bought error at the price of guidance, and punishment at the price of forgiveness» which was prepared for them in the Hereafter had they not concealed «How enduring they are of the Fire» (Q. 2:175) how severe is their endurance of the Fire, in committing what makes it due «That is because Allah» by reason that Allah «sent down the Book» the Torah «with the truth; and those who differ about the Book» namely the Jews «are in schism» disagreement «far-reaching» (Q. 2:176) «Righteousness is not that you turn your faces» in your prayer «toward the East and the West» a refutation of the Jews and the Christians «but righteousness is he who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels and the Book» that is, the books «and the prophets; and gives wealth, despite his love of it» along with his love for it «to the near of kin» relatives «the orphans, the poor, the wayfarer» travellers «and those who ask» those who beg «and for the freeing of slaves» and in loosing necks: those under a contract of manumission «and establishes the prayer and gives the alms» the obligatory alms «and those who fulfil their covenant when they make a covenant» with Allah or with people «and those who are patient in»

«adversity» — severe poverty — «and hardship» — illness — «and at the time of fighting» — the time of fierce combat — «Those»

those described by what has been mentioned «are the ones who have been true» — in their faith — «and those are the godfearing» (Q. 2:177). He proceeds to the law. «O you who believe, retaliation is prescribed for you in the case of the slain» — in attribute and in act — «the free man for the free man»

and the free man is not killed for the slave — «and the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever is pardoned» — among the killers — «by his brother» — of the blood of his slain brother — «anything, then [there must be] pursuit» — so the pardoner must pursue the killer — «in a fitting manner» — by claiming the blood money from him without violence — «and payment» — and the killer must pay the blood money — «to him with kindness» — without delay — «That» — the ruling — «is an alleviation from your Lord» — retaliation or pardon: the one under obligation may choose between them, and that is

an alleviation from Allah, Blessed and Exalted — «and a mercy» — He made neither of the two binding, as He made retaliation binding upon the Jews and blood money upon the Christians — «but whoever transgresses after that» — by wronging the killer, as by killing him — «has a painful punishment» (Q. 2:178). «And in retaliation there is life for you» — a great preservation [of life] — «O people of understanding» (Q. 2:179) — because when a person knows that he

if he kills he is killed, he refrains from killing, and two souls are thereby kept alive. «So that you may be godfearing» (Q. 2:179) — you guard against qawad [retaliatory killing]. «It is prescribed for you, when death approaches one of you, if he leaves wealth, that he make a bequest to the parents and the near relatives in a fitting manner» (Q. 2:180)

with equity, by not exceeding a third — «as a duty upon those who are mindful [of Allah]» (Q. 2:180). This is abrogated by the verse of inheritance and by his saying ﷺ: ⟨No bequest to an heir.⟩ [51] «But whoever alters it» — the bequest — «after he has heard it» — come to know it — «its sin is only upon those who alter it. Allah is All-Hearing» — of the testator’s words — «All-Knowing» (Q. 2:181) — of the deed of the one to whom the bequest is entrusted.

«But whoever fears from a testator some deviation» — a swerving from the truth — «or sin» — in that he acted deliberately and so exceeded a third — «and sets things right between them» — between the testator and the legatee — «there is no sin upon him. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful» (Q. 2:182). «O you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you» — of the [earlier] communities — «so that you may be mindful [of Allah]» (Q. 2:183). «[Fast] days numbered» — few, or fixed by a known number; and they are Ramadan. «So whoever among you is ill or on a journey» — a traveller on a journey of the shortening [kind] — «then a number [of days]» — he owes the number of what he did not fast — «of other days» — which he fasts in its place. «And upon those who are able for it» — that is, who are not able for it — «a ransom, the feeding of needy persons» — whoever is unable to fast pays the ransom: he gives for each day a single mudd only. «So whoever volunteers good» — by exceeding the measure mentioned — «then it» — the volunteering — «is better for him. And that you fast is better for you» — than breaking the fast and the ransom in the time of travel and illness — «if you know» (Q. 2:184) — that it is better for you, so do it. Those days are «the month of Ramadan, in which the Qurʾan was sent down as guidance for mankind and as clear proofs of the guidance and the criterion» — that is, it distinguishes between truth and falsehood — «so whoever is present» — attends — «of you for the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a»

«journey, then a number of other days» — the like of this has already come — «Allah desires ease for you and does not desire hardship for you; and that you complete the number, and that you magnify Allah for having guided you, and that you may be thankful» (Q. 2:185). «And when My servants ask you about Me, I am near» — the Prophet ﷺ was asked: ⟨Is Allah near, so that we may speak softly to Him, or far, so that we must call to Him aloud?⟩ He said: He is near. [52] «I answer the call of the caller when he calls Me. So let them respond to Me and let them believe in Me, that they may be rightly guided» (Q. 2:186). «It has been made lawful for you, on the night of the fast, intimacy» — this came down because of what obtained in the first period of Islam, the prohibition of intercourse at night in the time of Ramadan — «It has been made lawful for you, on the night of the fast, intimacy» — the approaching — «to your wives» — by intercourse — «they are a garment for you and you are a garment for them» — a figure for their embracing one another — «Allah knew that you were deceiving yourselves»

by intercourse on the night of the fast, as happened with ʿUmar [53] — this āya came down while the people had been doing it before ʿUmar and concealing it — «so He turned to you in forgiveness» — before your repentance — «and pardoned you. So now lie with them, and seek what Allah has prescribed for you» — what He has permitted of intercourse — that is, by your thanking Allah, so that you say: ⟨O Allah, keep Satan away from us and keep Satan away from⟩

⟨what You have provided us⟩ [54] and you say: ⟨By Allah’s Name.⟩ «And eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the thread»

«black, of the dawn» — eat until the dawn breaks — «then complete the fast» — from dawn — […]

«And do not lie with them while you are secluded in the mosques» — by iʿtikāf — «Those» — the rulings — «are the limits of Allah»

«so do not approach them. Thus Allah makes clear His signs to the people, that they may fear [Him]» «And do not consume your wealth among yourselves wrongfully» unlawfully «and [do not] offer» cast «with it» that is, by way of litigation over it, or with wealth as a bribe «to the judges, that you may consume a portion of people’s wealth sinfully, while you know» (Q. 2:188) «They ask you about the new moons» (Q. 2:189) the plural of hilāl The new moons appear slender, then they increase until they are filled with light, then they return as they began, and they are not in a single state like the sun. «Say: They are appointed times» the plural of mīqāt «for the people» by them they know the times of their sowing and their trading, the waiting periods of their women, their fasting and their breaking of the fast «and the pilgrimage» and the season of the hajj «And it is not righteousness that you enter the houses from their backs» while in iḥrām, as they used to do in the Jāhiliyya «but righteousness is he who fears [Allah]» one who abandons opposing Allah «and enter the houses by their doors» in iḥrām as at other times «and fear Allah, that you may prosper» (Q. 2:189) When the Prophet ﷺ was turned away from the House, the Exalted said: «And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you» of the unbelievers «and do not transgress; Allah does not love the transgressors» (Q. 2:190) «And kill them wherever you come upon them» you find them [55] «and drive them out from where they drove you out» Mecca «And discord»

polytheism — «is worse than killing» — that is, than your killing of them in the Sacred Precinct — «And do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight you in it; but if they fight you» — in it — «then kill them» — in it — «Thus» — the killing and the expulsion — «is the recompense of the unbelievers» (Q. 2:191). «But if they cease» — from unbelief, and submit — «then Allah is forgiving, merciful» (Q. 2:192). «And fight them until there is no» — is not found — «sedition, and religion is» — worship — «for Allah; but if they cease» — from polytheism — «then there is no hostility except against the wrongdoers» (Q. 2:193). «The sacred month» — the inviolable one, set in counterpart — «for the sacred month» (Q. 2:194) — so just as they fought you in it, kill them in its like — «and the inviolable things» — plural of ḥurma, that which must be respected — «are [subject to] retaliation» — retaliation is taken in their like when they are violated — «So whoever commits aggression against you» — by fighting during the inviolable [month] — «then commit aggression against him in the like of what he committed against you, and fear Allah» — in exacting redress — «and know that Allah is with those who fear Him» (Q. 2:194). «And spend in the way of Allah» — obedience to Him in jihad — «and do not cast with your hands» — yourselves — «into destruction» — ruin — «and do good; Allah loves those who do good» (Q. 2:195). «And complete the hajj and the ʿumra for Allah» — perform them both with their due rights — «But if you are prevented» — you are barred from completing them — «then what is readily available of the sacrificial offering» — is incumbent upon you, and that is a sheep — «and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches» — the aforementioned [offering] — «its place of sacrifice. And whoever among you is sick or has an ailment of his head» — such as lice or a headache — «then a ransom of fasting» — three days — «or charity» — of three ṣāʿs — «or a sacrifice» (Q. 2:196)

with a sheep. [56] «And when you are secure, then whoever enjoys the» ʿumra «up to the pilgrimage, then whatever is readily available of sacrificial animals» — the sacrificial animal is incumbent upon him — «and whoever cannot find [one], then a fast of three days during the pilgrimage and seven when you have returned» — to your homeland — «and those are ten complete» — three during the pilgrimage and seven when you have returned — «those are ten complete». «That» — the ruling mentioned, the obligation of the sacrificial animal or of the fast upon the one performing tamattuʿ — «is for him whose family are not present at the Mosque» […] — the people of Mecca: the sacrificial animal is not incumbent upon them when they perform tamattuʿ — «And fear Allah, and know that Allah is severe in punishment» (Q. 2:196) «The pilgrimage is [in] months well known» — Shawwāl, Dhū al-Qaʿda, and ten nights of Dhū al-Ḥijja — «so whoever undertakes» — upon himself — «the pilgrimage therein» — by entering iḥrām — «then no sexual intercourse, no transgression, and no disputing during the pilgrimage. And whatever good you do» — such as charity — «Allah knows it» — and He will recompense you for it — «And take provision» — revealed concerning the people of Yemen — [take] what will carry you on your journey — «for the best provision» — the most excellent provision — «is God-fearing» — that by which one guards against […] — «and fear Me, O possessors of understanding» (Q. 2:197) «There is no blame upon you that you seek» — in your seeking — «a bounty» — provision — «from your Lord» — by trading during the pilgrimage — «And when you depart» — you press on — «from ʿArafāt, remember Allah» — after passing the night at Muzdalifa, with the talbiya, the tahlīl, and supplication — «at the Sacred Waymark» — which is a mountain at the far end of Muzdalifa called Quzaḥ, upon which the mosque now stands — «and remember Him as He has guided you, though you were before it» — before His guidance — «among those who went astray» (Q. 2:198) «Then depart» — O Quraysh — «from where the people depart» — they used to keep apart from the people and stand alone — «and seek Allah’s forgiveness» — for your sins — «Allah is forgiving and merciful» (Q. 2:199) «And when you have completed your rites» — the acts of worship of your pilgrimage, by stoning the Jamrat al-ʿAqaba, performing the circumambulation, and settling at Minā — «remember Allah» — with the takbīr and with praise — «as you remember your fathers» — as you used to mention your fathers in boasting

«or more intensely in remembrance» — than [your] remembrance of them — «And among the people there is he who says: Our Lord, give us in this world» — and he is given it therein

«and he has no portion in the Hereafter» share «And among them is he who says: Our Lord, give us good in this world» (Q. 2:200-201)

a blessing — «and in the hereafter good» — which is the Garden — «and protect us from the punishment of the Fire» — by not entering it — (Q. 2:201) «Those have a share» — reward — «of» — on account of — «what they have earned» — what they have done, of pilgrimage and supplication — «and Allah is swift in reckoning» (Q. 2:202) — He reckons with all creation in the measure of half a day of the days of this world, on the strength of a hadith to that effect. [57] O Allah, bless our master Muhammad.

[…] «And remember Allah» — with the takbīr at the stoning of the jamarāt — «on numbered days» (Q. 2:203) — the three days of tashrīq [1]

«So whoever hastens» — hurries in departing from Minā — «in two days» — on the second of the days of tashrīq, after stoning his jimār — «there is no sin upon him» — by hastening — «and whoever delays» — in it [that is, at Minā], until he has spent the night of the third and stoned his jimār — «there is no sin upon him» — by that; that is, they have a choice in the matter. And the negation of sin is «for whoever is mindful [of Allah]» — who is mindful of Allah in his hajj, because he is the pilgrim in reality — «And be mindful of Allah, and know that to Him you will be gathered» (Q. 2:203) — in the hereafter, and He will requite you

for your deeds. He, Glorified and Exalted, mentioned in these āyāt the rites of the hajj, and commanded the servants to complete the hajj and the ʿumra for Allah, without riyāʾ [ostentation] or sumʿa [courting a reputation], because the hajj is the act of worship most given to riyāʾ. You will not find a pilgrim to whom any piece of news is put but that he mentions some piece of news about the Hijaz — that is, exulting in his hajj. For this reason He said: «And complete the hajj and the ʿumra for Allah» (Q. 2:196). And He commanded iḥsān [doing well]; and iḥsān is the servant’s doing well in his words and his deeds, and his doing well in his intention, and his doing well in his opinion, in that he thinks well of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and of His servants. The Lord says on the tongue of His prophet: ⟨I am as My servant thinks of Me.⟩ [2] And the Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨Let none of you die except while he thinks well of Allah.⟩ [3] And He commanded His servants, when they have completed their hajj, to be abundant in the remembrance of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, as they remember their fathers, or with a more intense remembrance. The hajj outwardly is making for the House and performing the rites of the hajj; the real hajj is the return to Allah, Blessed and Exalted. So whoever has discharged that hajj until he reaches the Presence, let him be abundant in the remembrance of Allah, Blessed and Exalted — nothing concerns him but Allah — until he tastes the remembrance of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. For this reason He addressed the knowers [of Allah]: «So when you have completed your rites» — by the real hajj — «and remember Allah as you remember your fathers» (Q. 2:200). The child in his infancy mentions his father at every need that befalls him, and in his manhood he takes pride in mentioning his father. So just as the servant mentions his father in both states, out of pride and out of need, the knower of Allah remembers his Lord out of pride and out of need — rather, more intensely than that. For the child may come to do without his father through a guardian other than him, whereas the knower finds no doing without Allah, Blessed and Exalted

and he sees nothing other than Him. For this reason He urged the increase of the remembrance of Allah after arrival at the Presence of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. Among people there is one whose aim is this world only; among them is one who wants this world and the Hereafter; among them is one who wants this world and sells his Hereafter for his present life; and among them is one who sells his present life for his Hereafter. Four classes — Allah mentioned all of them in this āya. So among them is «one who says: Our Lord, give us in this world» he asks for this world only «and he has no share in the Hereafter» (Q. 2:200) «and among them is one who says: Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire» (Q. 2:201) This one asked for the good of this world and the good of the Hereafter. The third will come in the āya: «And among people is one whose speech pleases you concerning the life of this world, and he calls Allah to witness over what is in his heart, while he is the most obstinate in dispute» (Q. 2:204) This one sold his Hereafter for his present life. And the fourth — he is the most complete of them — sold himself and purchased the Hereafter. «And remember Allah during numbered days» (Q. 2:203) One says ayyām maʿdūdāt — the plural of maʿdūda — and one does not say yawm maʿdūda: the masculine is not qualified by the feminine. But since it is permissible to say ayyāman maʿdūda, as came earlier: «The Fire will not touch us except for numbered days» (Q. 2:80) qualifying a plural with the feminine is permissible. So maʿdūdāt here is the plural of maʿdūda, a feminine plural qualifier. Mālik and al-Shāfiʿī differed over the numbered days. Mālik says: the Day of Sacrifice and the two that follow it. Al-Shāfiʿī says: the days of tashrīq are the numbered days, on the evidence of «so whoever hastens on in two days» of the days of tashrīq «there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays, there is no sin upon him» (Q. 2:203) The āya made the numbered days part of the days of stoning, which are the days of tashrīq. So the first day, the Day of Sacrifice, is numbered. And Allah said in the āya of the hajj: «And remember Allah during numbered days» (Q. 2:203) And the known days, for Mālik, are three days after the Day of Sacrifice. So the first day is, for him, numbered and not known; the two days are numbered and known; and the fourth day is known and not numbered. This is Mālik’s position. And the pilgrim, if he has stoned the pillar on the two days and gone off to Mecca, there is no sin upon him — this is the hastening on. And whoever delays until he has completed the three days, there is no sin upon him. He expressed it by denying sin because among the pilgrims there is one who says that whoever hastens on has sin upon him, and among them one who says that whoever delays has sin upon him; so the āya denied sin in both cases. This is «for whoever is mindful [of Allah]» (Q. 2:203)

by complying with Allah’s command and avoiding His prohibition, because this one is the pilgrim in reality. ⟨Whoever performs the pilgrimage and does not speak obscenely and does not transgress returns from his sins as on the day his mother bore him.⟩ [4] ⟨The accepted pilgrimage has no recompense except the Garden.⟩ [5] And the accepted pilgrimage — its sign — is that the pilgrim returns humble, renouncing the world, and turning toward Allah, Blessed and Exalted. One of the reprobates made the pilgrimage to Allah’s Sacred House and returned, and one day his soul called him to the acts of disobedience he used to commit, and he heard […].

Do you do this while you are a pilgrim? — so he desisted from that [6], and this is the sign of the accepted pilgrimage. «And know» «that you» «to Him»

«you will be gathered» (Q. 2:203) in the Hereafter, so He will requite you for your deeds; or: you will be gathered to Him in any case. The real pilgrim too is gathered to the Presence of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. «And among people is one whose speech pleases you concerning the life of this world» (Q. 2:204) This āya was sent down concerning a man called al-Akhnas b. Sharīq. [7] He was a hypocrite, sweet of speech toward the Prophet ﷺ. He would swear, when he was present with the Prophet ﷺ that he believed in him and loved him, […] and Allah, Blessed and Exalted, gave him the lie in that. He passed by a crop and some donkeys belonging to certain Muslims, and he burned the crop and hamstrung the donkeys by night. When he was present with the Prophet he was a believer, loving and truthful; and when he turned away he set about making enmity against his Companions and corrupting things against them. He, Exalted, said: «And among people is one whose speech pleases you concerning the life of this world» (Q. 2:204) and [it does] not

and it does not please you in the Hereafter, because it runs counter to his belief. «and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart» — that it accords with what he says — «and he is the most obstinate in dispute» (Q. 2:204) — severe in enmity toward you and toward your followers, because of his hostility to you. This is the third category: the hypocrite has sold his Hereafter for his world. «And when he turns away» — he departs from you — «he strives» — he walks — «in the earth, to work corruption in it and to destroy the tilth and the progeny» — [these] are part of the corruption — «And Allah does not love corruption» (Q. 2:205) — He is not pleased with it. «And when it is said to him: Fear Allah» — in what you do — «pride takes hold of him» — disdain and zeal carry him to act — «with the sin» — which he was commanded to guard against — «so enough for him» — [what] suffices him — «is Hell; and how evil a resting-place» (Q. 2:206) — the bedding. […]. «Allah does not love corruption» (Q. 2:205), least of all the corruption of this hypocrite in tilth and progeny, because Allah, Blessed and Exalted, when He created Ādam and sent him down to the earth and made him a vicegerent in it, taught him the crafts by which his children would live; and Ādam’s craft was tillage. [8] And Allah, Blessed and Exalted, placed the blessing in progeny and in tillage, so that it is greater in these things than it is in all other things. If you reflect, you find that most people do not sow: few of them are those who occupy themselves with agriculture, and those who do occupy themselves with agriculture occupy themselves only in part of their time. Despite this, you see that a human being eats nothing but what is sown. Had Allah not sent down the blessing upon what is sown, this would not have been possible. And He placed the blessing in animals — sheep, cattle and camels. In most cases these livestock give birth only once in the year, and when one gives birth she bears a single offspring; and if it varies, she bears two. Whoever wants meat must slaughter one of them, and whoever wants to sell sells something of them; and you do not go out but that you meet

a herd of camels, or a herd of cattle or of sheep. And if you think about beasts of prey, and about dogs, and even about cats, you find them giving birth twice in the year; each time they bear eight young. And people do not occupy themselves with slaughtering them, nor with selling them, and you never see many of them at all. If you came across five dogs, you would say: this is a great many dogs. And you find a hundred cows, and you find a hundred sheep. Had the blessing not descended upon livestock, this would not be so. So for this reason this hypocrite has acted contrary to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, in that he occupied himself with destroying the tilth and the livestock. «And when it is said to him: Fear Allah, pride takes hold of him» (Q. 2:206). This is the extreme of arrogance. Whoever is told, Fear Allah, and does not humble himself is arrogant. For this reason it was said to ʿUmar: Fear Allah; and he rubbed his cheek, may Allah be pleased with him, on the ground, in humility before Allah the Exalted. [9] «And among the people is he who sells his self» (Q. 2:207) — he is Ṣuhayb al-Rūmī, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He was at Mecca; and when the Messenger ﷺ emigrated, he set out for the emigration, and with him were eight persons. The unbelievers met them and killed his companions, all of them, until he alone remained. They confronted him in order to keep him from the emigration. He had with him a quiver filled with arrows. He said to them: ⟨My people, you know that I am the best archer among you, and this quiver of mine is filled with arrows. If you wish to stand between me and the emigration to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, then I shall empty my quiver into you — and with every arrow I shall kill one of you — and when what is in my quiver is spent, I shall fight you with my sword until I die. Then do after that what you wish. And it is better for you that I give you my property which I left at Mecca and that you leave me to go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.⟩ So they agreed to that. When he reached the environs of Medina, Abū Bakr met him and said to him: ⟨The sale has profited.⟩ He said to him: ⟨What is this?⟩ He said to him: ⟨An āya has been sent down concerning you.⟩ And he recited to him this āya: «And among the people is he who sells his self» — he expends it in obedience to Allah — «seeking the good pleasure of Allah» — His pleasure. And he is Ṣuhayb; he emigrated to Medina and left his property to them. «And Allah is Compassionate toward the servants» (Q. 2:207) — in that He guided them to that in which His pleasure lies. This is the fourth category:

— sold his present life for his Hereafter. The Muslim sold himself, by his own choice, to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and its price was the Garden. The elect sold their souls, by their own choice, to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and its price was the good pleasure of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. The common believers’ price for their souls is the Garden: «Allah has purchased from the believers their souls and their properties, in that the Garden shall be theirs» (Q. 9:111) And the elect’s price for their souls is the good pleasure of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. «And among people is one who sells his soul» that is, he sells it «seeking the good pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Gentle toward [His] servants» (Q. 2:207) The servant must expend his property for Allah, and his children for Allah, and his own soul for Allah. Whoever expends his property for Allah finds annihilation in the acts: he knows that there is no agent in existence but Allah. Annihilation in the acts is the price of the one who expends his property for Allah. Whoever surrenders his children to Allah finds annihilation in the attributes of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And whoever surrenders his own soul to Allah finds annihilation in the Essence of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: he is annihilated from his own self and subsists through Allah. «And that to your Lord is the final end» (Q. 53:42) «And Allah is Gentle toward [His] servants» (Q. 2:207) «O you who believe, enter into submission wholly» (Q. 2:208) This āya was sent down concerning ʿAbd Allah b. Salām and his companions. When they entered Islam they went on venerating the Sabbath and disliking the flesh of camels and their milk, following their old religion; so it was sent down concerning them: «O you who believe, enter into submission» into Islam «wholly» that is, in all of its ordinances [10] «and do not follow the footsteps of Satan» the paths of Satan — his making division seem fair «he is to you a manifest enemy» (Q. 2:208) manifest in enmity So they turned back and came to do everything the Muslims do. Included in this, down to the present, is whoever follows certain customs and holds to racial division after Islam has said: «The believers are only brothers» (Q. 49:10) and who leaves aside certain things in which there is no harm, following blameworthy customs.

«Enter into submission wholly» (Q. 2:208) This is an address that takes in all the Muslims together: that they enter into Islam wholly

in all its parts. The hadith explains it: ⟨The Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.⟩ [11] Or it is an address to every human being, that he bring all his limbs into Islam. He enters Islam with all his limbs: he walks only to what Allah has commanded, and does not strike with his hands except by Allah’s command, and does not look with his eyes except by Allah’s command, and does not speak with his tongue, nor eat into his belly, nor partake of the appetite of his private parts, except in conformity with the command of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. This is entering Islam wholly. This is the entry of the soul. And the heart strips off all blameworthy traits of character and puts on all praiseworthy traits; and the spirit leaves off turning toward any other than Allah, Blessed and Exalted; and the inmost secret passes away in the Essence of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and sees nothing other than Him. This is entering Islam wholly. «But if you slip» — you have inclined away from entering into the whole of it — «after the clear proofs have come to you» — the manifest arguments that it is the truth — «then know that Allah is Mighty» — nothing renders Him unable to take vengeance on you — «Wise» (Q. 2:209) — in His handiwork. «Do they wait» — what are they waiting for, that is, those who leave off entering Islam wholly — «except that Allah should come to them» — the command of Allah, Blessed and Exalted — «in canopies» — the plural of ẓulla — «of the clouds» — the clouds — «and the angels» — and that is the coming of the angels — «and the matter is decided» — so the decree of their destruction is accomplished — «and to Allah the matters are returned» (Q. 2:210) — so He recompenses every servant according to his deed: if good, then good; and if evil, then evil. «Ask» O Muhammad «the Children of Israel» — by way of rebuke — «how many a clear sign We gave them» — what is the number of the manifest signs they received, such as the splitting of the sea and the sending down of the manna and the quails; and all these signs they exchanged for unbelief — «And whoever exchanges the favour of Allah» (Q. 2:211)

what He has bestowed upon him of the signs, because they are a cause of guidance — «after it has come to him» — [exchanging it] for unbelief — «then Allah is severe in punishment» (Q. 2:211) — for him. «It has been made to seem fair to those who disbelieve» (Q. 2:212). It was revealed concerning the unbelievers of Mecca. They used to mock the poor among the Muslims and deride them — men like Bilāl, ʿAmmār and Ṣuhayb. So the Exalted said: «It has been made to seem fair to those who disbelieve» — of

the people of Mecca — «the life of this world» — by deception, so they loved it. They used to love this world and to see it as everything: when they found wealth they found what they loved, and they supposed that everything had been completed for them, so they pay no regard to their Hereafter nor to their Master — «and they mock» — they mock on that account — «at those who believe» — on account of their poverty — «and» — they deride the poor among the Muslims — «those who guarded themselves» — against shirk — and they are these [poor ones] — «are above them on the Day of Resurrection» — and these poor ones, whom they deride and at whom they laugh, will be above them on the Day of Resurrection, in the degrees of the Garden, while they are in the lowest reach of the Fire. «And Allah provides for whom He wills without reckoning» (Q. 2:212) — an ample provision in the Hereafter, unlike this world, for this world is bounded and everything in it is bounded; and Allah, Blessed and Exalted, provides for His friends with a provision beyond reckoning. Allah mentioned in this āya that the godfearing will be above the people on the Day of Resurrection; and whoever desires this standing above them, let him take the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as his model in leaving this world and what is in it. The Messenger ﷺ was brought the treasuries of the earth, the fifths of the spoils were conveyed to him, and kings east and west presented him vast wealth — and he did not hold back a single dirham of this for himself. Rather he enriched others and strengthened the Muslims with what Allah gave him, and left himself out, so much so that he ﷺ died with his coat of mail pledged with a Jew against the maintenance of his dependents. [12] This standing above them: whoever aims at it must renounce this world, turn toward Allah, Blessed and Exalted, choose what is with Allah, and have it be dearer to him than what is with people. «Mankind was a single community» — people, before the sending of the prophets, were upon a single community, a single religion, which is faith; then they differed, in that some believed and some disbelieved — «so Allah sent the prophets» — to them — «as bearers of good tidings» — to whoever believed, of the Garden — «and as warners» — to whoever disbelieved, of the Fire — «and He sent down with them the Book» — the books — «with the truth, that it might judge between the people concerning that in which they differed» (Q. 2:213) — of

religion «And none differed over it» religion «except those who were given it» that is, the Book — some believed and some disbelieved «after the clear proofs had come to them» the manifest arguments for [divine] oneness «out of envy among themselves. Then Allah guided those who believed to that over which they differed» that is, of that over which they differed «over it, of the truth» to the truth «by His permission» (Q. 2:213) This expression contains an inversion, a putting first of what is later and a putting later of what is first. Allah guided those who believed from disagreement to the truth; He did not guide them from the truth to disagreement, but rather from disagreement to the truth. The lām stands in the place of min and min in the place of the lām, and this occurs in the speech of the Arabs. The Qurʾan came down in Arabic: everything the Arabs utter, the Qurʾan utters. «And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path» (Q. 2:213) the way of truth. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, took the covenant upon the progeny of Ādam: «Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes» (Q. 7:172) so every one of them is born upon this faith. For this reason the Messenger ﷺ mentioned: ⟨Every newborn is born upon the primordial nature; it is his two parents who make him a Jew, or make him a Christian, or make him a Magian.⟩ [13] He did not say: make him a Muslim. A human being is born upon Islam. If he goes over in unbelief to Christianity or to Judaism he is an apostate; and if he remains upon Islam he has remained upon the primordial nature: «the primordial nature of Allah upon which He created mankind — there is no altering the creation of Allah» (Q. 30:30) «Or did you suppose that you would enter the Garden» (Q. 2:214) It was sent down concerning a hardship that befell the Muslims. At the beginning of their affair the Muslims were harmed with every kind of harm; the unbelievers met them with every injury, until the Messenger ordered them to emigrate to Abyssinia. After that the Messenger ﷺ emigrated with his own noble person to Medina the Radiant, and the unbelievers did not cease to harm the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. The severest thing he met from the unbelievers was the Day of the Trench: the unbelievers called one another from every quarter to Medina, while [the Muslims] were neighbours to their enemies the Jews, with the hypocrites among them, so that they met severe harm from the Jews. The Qurʾan described them: «and the hearts reached the throats» (Q. 33:10) So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ supplicated, and Allah granted them relief. He said: ⟨One of those before you would be harmed⟩

⟨in his religion, and the saw would be set upon his head and he would be split until he was split into two halves, and that would not turn him back from his religion. And one of them would have a comb of fire taken to him, parting his skin from his flesh until his skin was flayed off while he was alive, and that would not turn him back from his religion. By Allah, Allah will surely bring this affair to completion, until the rider travels from Ṣanʿāʾ to Ḥaḍramawt fearing none but Allah, and the wolf for his sheep.⟩ [14] And every messenger Allah sent was harmed, and his people were harmed, until he said: «When is Allah’s help?» (Q. 2:214) — even the Messenger ﷺ and his Companions. «Or did you suppose that you would enter the Garden when there has not yet come to you the like» the likeness of what came to «of those who passed away before you» (Q. 2:214) of the believers, in the way of trials — so that you might be patient

as they endured patiently. «There touched them hardship» — […] — «and affliction» — illness — «and they were shaken» — they were disquieted by kinds of

affliction. «Until the Messenger says» — that is, until the Messenger said — «and those who believed with him» — [saying this] because they deemed the help slow in coming, the hardship upon them having reached its limit — «When [will] Allah’s help [come]?» — when will Allah’s help come, which we were promised? And they were answered on Allah’s part: «Behold, Allah’s help is near» (Q. 2:214) — its coming is near. This is Allah’s way, Blessed and Exalted: «and you will never find, for the way of»

«of Allah any change» (Q. 33:62) «They ask you what they should spend» (Q. 2:215) The questioner was ʿAmr b. al-Jamūḥ. [15] He was an old man possessed of property, and he asked the Prophet ﷺ about what he should spend and on whom he should spend. «They ask you» O Muhammad «what they should spend» that which they are to spend «Say» to them «Whatever good you spend» from any property, little or much. This states the thing spent, which the questioner asked about. «it is for the parents» He answered concerning the recipient, which is the other half [of the question] «and the near of kin, and the orphans, and the poor, and the wayfarer» (Q. 2:215) A person spends of his property, little or much, whatever he wishes — that is all. And the channel of alms is the parents, the near of kin, the orphans, the poor and the wayfarer: they have the better claim to it. «And whatever good you do» spending or other than it «Allah knows it» (Q. 2:215) and He will requite [you] for it. As for spending: it is everything a man spends. The Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨Do not fall short of anything you have the power to do, even by half a date, [16] even by your emptying the bucket into your brother’s vessel, even by your meeting him with a good word and a cheerful face.⟩ [17] All of these are alms. Even that you go about with him in his need, whether it is met or not met — all of these are alms. «And whatever good you do, Allah knows it» (Q. 2:215) and He will requite [you] for it. «It is prescribed» made obligatory «upon you is fighting» against the unbelievers «though it is hateful» detested «to you» (Q. 2:216) naturally, because of its hardship. When Allah made jihad obligatory upon us, this obligation weighed heavily on the souls of the Muslims. «And it may be that you hate a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing while it is evil for you» (Q. 2:216) because the soul inclines toward the appetites that bring about its ruin and shrinks from the obligations that bring about its happiness. So there may be good for you in fighting, though you hate it, since in it lies either victory and spoil or martyrdom and reward; and there may be evil in abandoning it, though you love it, since in it lies humiliation, poverty and the loss of reward. «And Allah knows» what is good for you «while you do not know» (Q. 2:216) so hasten to what He commands you. «They ask you about the sacred month, about fighting in it» (Q. 2:217) The occasion for the sending down of this āya: the Prophet ﷺ sent out the first of his raiding parties, with ʿAbd Allah b. Jaḥsh over it and eight men with him. They fought the polytheists and killed Ibn al-Ḥaḍramī on the last day of Jumādā al-Ākhira, and it was confused for them with Rajab; so the unbelievers reproached them with having held it lawful.

The Prophet ﷺ sent out, two months before Badr, eight of his Companions, and he wrote a letter for their commander ʿAbdallāh b. Jaḥsh and sealed it, and he wrote him another letter, saying to him: ⟨Travel in Allah’s Name, with Allah’s blessing. Do not open this letter until you have travelled two days. When you have travelled two days, open the letter. And do not compel anyone to travel with you: whoever wishes to travel with you, let him travel, and whoever wishes to turn back, let him turn back.⟩ When he had travelled two days he opened the letter and found in it: ⟨By Allah’s Name. Travel with Allah’s blessing until you come to Baṭn Nakhla⟩ — a place between al-Ṭāʾif and Mecca — ⟨and when you meet the caravan of Quraysh, perhaps you will bring us some good from them.⟩ [18] So they travelled on until they reached Baṭn Nakhla on the last day of Jumādā al-Ākhira, before Rajab — and it is a month in which fighting is forbidden. When the unbelievers saw them, ʿAbdallāh b. Jaḥsh said to them: shave the head of one of you. So they shaved the head of one of them, and when they saw him with his head shaved they said: these are a people who have come only for the ʿumra. So they felt secure, and the Companions fell upon them, and Wāqid [19] shot ʿAmr b. al-Ḥaḍramī, and he fell dead; and he was the first of the polytheists to be killed, and this man was the first to kill in Allah’s path. And [they] fled

Nawfal; and they took captive ʿUthmān b. ʿAbdallāh and al-Ḥakam b. Kaysān, and took as booty two camels and much provision, and brought it to Medina. The unbelievers of Quraysh reproached the Messenger ﷺ. They said to him: you fight in the land of the Sanctuary and in the sacred months. And they took to reproaching the Muslims who were at Mecca: this messenger of yours, you ṣubāh [renegades], has come to treat as licit the sacred months and the Sanctuary of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And the Prophet ﷺ said: he had not commanded them to fight in the sacred months. So this āya was sent down: «They ask you about the sacred month» — the one in which fighting is forbidden — «fighting in it» — a substitution [for “the sacred month”] — «Say: fighting in it is great» — enormous — «and a barring» — preventing people — «from the path of Allah» — His religion — which is their own doing, theirs — «and disbelief in Him» — and disbelief in Allah, Blessed and Exalted — «and» barring from «the Sacred Mosque, and the expulsion of its people from it» — and they are the Prophet ﷺ and the believers who were with him; they are the people of the Mosque, and they expelled them from Mecca. This is «greater» — more enormous in sin — «in Allah’s sight» — Blessed and Exalted — than fighting in the Sanctuary. [20] «And the sedition» — polytheism on your part — «is greater than the killing» — of you — «and they will not cease» — the unbelievers — «fighting you» — O believers — «until they turn you back from your religion» — to unbelief — «if they are able» (Q. 2:217)

from us never ceases. The unbelievers do not cease fighting the believers in order to turn them back to unbelief, when they are able to do so.

[…] «[whoever] of you turns back from his religion, and dies while he is an unbeliever — those, there have come to nothing» — have become void — «their works»

the righteous [ones] — «in this world and the Hereafter» (Q. 2:217) — so no account is taken of them and no reward [accrues] for them. And the qualification by dying in that [state] entails that, had he returned to Islam, his work would not have been annulled: he is rewarded for it, and he does not repeat it — like the pilgrimage, for example. Al-Shāfiʿī holds this. And when

[…] this āya, the Muslims rejoiced. They knew that they were absolved of sin in this deed of theirs, but they had no

[…] and they held the spoils in abeyance. «And those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide in it forever» (Q. 2:217) the apostates.

There was sent down: «Those who believed and those who emigrated» they parted from their homelands «and strove in the path of Allah» to exalt His religion «those hope for the mercy of Allah» the reward of Allah «and Allah is Forgiving» to the believers «Merciful» (Q. 2:218) And the Prophet ﷺ had held the spoils in abeyance; then he took the fifth for himself and divided the remainder among those who were present at

the raiding party.

Allah, Blessed and Exalted, described the believers by emigration. Emigration is of two kinds: an emigration from the land of unbelief to the land of Islam — and this emigration came to an end with the conquest of Mecca: ⟨There is no emigration after the conquest⟩ [21] — and an emigration from the homelands of the self, from human appetites, to the worship of Allah, Blessed and Exalted; and this one never comes to an end. And jihad is of two kinds: a lesser jihad and a greater jihad. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad.⟩ They said: ⟨Is striking with the swords the lesser jihad?⟩ He said: ⟨Yes; and the greater jihad is the jihad of the self, of caprice and of Satan.⟩ [22] For the one who fights in the first arena — the utmost of his case is that he be killed by the sword,

so that he becomes a martyr; and the one who fights in the second arena — the utmost of his case is that he be annihilated in the Essence of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and become a knower, a ṣiddīq. And the ṣiddīqūn are higher in station than the martyrs, on the evidence of the āya: «of the prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs and the righteous» (Q. 4:69) — he mentioned the ṣiddīqūn before the martyrs. And emigration is of two kinds: an emigration from one land to another land, and an emigration from the familiar things of the self to what the Lord, Majestic and Exalted, loves.

«They ask you about wine and gambling» (Q. 2:219). Four āyāt were sent down concerning wine: «And of the fruits of the date-palms and the grapes you take from it an intoxicant and a goodly provision» (Q. 16:67). This is the first of what was sent down concerning wine; this āya praised wine:

«an intoxicant and a goodly provision» (Q. 16:67). So the Muslims took the drinking of wine to be licit, and they drank it while it was lawful, until ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: ⟨Messenger of Allah, ask Allah to make clear to us concerning wine a clarifying statement. This wine makes the intellect absent and brings corruptions; and this gambling, in which a man comes upon abundant wealth without effort — ask Allah, Blessed and Exalted, to make clear to us the ruling on this.⟩ So the second āya was sent down: «They ask you about wine and gambling» — what is the ruling on them both — «Say: in them both» — in the practice of them both — «is great sin» — enormous, because of what comes about on account of them: quarrelling, mutual reviling and obscene speech

«and benefits for the people» — by way of pleasure and delight in wine, and the getting of money without toil in gambling. When this āya was sent down, some of the Companions drank wine and some of them left it. Some of them said, «benefits for the people» — that it comprises the benefits; and some of them said, «in them both is great sin» — that in great sin there is no advantage. «And the sin of them both» — what arises from them of corruptions — «is greater than the benefit of them both» (Q. 2:219). When it was sent down, a group drank it and others abstained. Then ʿUmar said:

⟨O Allah, make clear to us concerning wine a clarifying statement.⟩ Then ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAwf — and he was among the wealthy of the Companions — made a banquet for the Companions, and they ate and drank wine. And when the sunset prayer came, they put forward one of them, and he

drunk, and he recited Sūrat al-Kafirūn and dropped the lāʾāt [the negative particles of the sura], all of them. So ʿUmar said: ⟨O Allah, make clear to us concerning wine a clarification that heals.⟩ And there was sent down: «Do not approach the prayer while you are drunk, until you know what you are saying» (Q. 4:43). Then some of them said:

It has been forbidden; and others said: No, it has been forbidden at the times of prayer only. So some of them would leave wine when morning came, until he had prayed the five prayers; and after them he would take wine and pass the night drunk, and when morning came he came to the morning sober and prayed. Then ʿUmar said: ⟨O Allah, make clear to us concerning wine a clarification that heals.⟩ And there was sent down: «O you who believe, wine and gambling and idol-stones and divining-arrows are only an abomination of Satan’s work, so shun it, that you may prosper. Satan desires only to cast enmity and hatred between you by means of wine and gambling, and to turn you away from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer. Will you then not cease?» (Q. 5:90–91) — cease. Then ʿUmar said: ⟨O Allah, we have ceased; O Allah, we have ceased.⟩ [23] So wine was forbidden from that day, and its prohibition was made severe. The most severe prohibition is the prohibition of wine. For this reason ʿAli, may Allah ennoble his face, said: ⟨If wine were poured into a well and a minaret were built over it, I would not give the call to prayer from it; and if it were poured⟩

⟨into a sea, and the sea were laid bare and grass grew, I would not pasture my beasts on it.⟩ [24] Jibrīl said to the Messenger ﷺ: Allah has praised four traits in Jaʿfar al-Ṭayyār. So the Messenger asked Jaʿfar; he said to him: ⟨What are the four traits which Allah has praised in you in the Jāhiliyya?⟩ He said: ⟨By Allah, Messenger of Allah, had Allah not informed you, I would not have informed you. I never drank wine at all in the Jāhiliyya, because I am more in need of what increases my intellect than of what removes it. And the second: I never worshipped an idol at all, because I saw that it neither harms nor benefits. And the third: I never committed fornication at all in the Jāhiliyya, because I am a jealous man: I do not love anyone who touches my womenfolk or my daughters, and what I do not like to be done to me I do not do to anyone. And the fourth: I never lied at all, because I saw that lying is baseness.⟩ [25]

«And they ask you what they should spend» — what is its measure? — «Say» to them: spend — «the surplus» (Q. 2:219) — that is, what is in excess of need; and do not spend what you need and so ruin yourselves. The Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨Begin with yourself, then with those you support. The best charity is that which comes out of a surplus of wealth.⟩ [26] And despite this, Abū Bakr spent all

his property, and the Messenger ﷺ confirmed him in it. One day the Prophet ﷺ called for spending in the path of Allah. ʿUmar said: It coincided with property I had; it coincided with my having found eight thousand dīnārs. I said: Every good

came, outstripping me to it […] today […]

half of the property I had, and I brought it to the Messenger ﷺ. I said to him: I had eight thousand dīnārs; four [thousand] I have put in the path of Allah, and four I have kept for my dependents — let this be mine with Allah, Blessed and Exalted. Then Abū Bakr came and said: ⟨All the property I have is charity in the path of Allah.⟩ The Messenger said:

⟨What are you keeping for your dependents?⟩ He said: ⟨Allah and His Messenger will suffice them.⟩ The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Between the two of you is what lies between your two sayings.⟩ [27] This one said that he had kept half of what he had for his dependents, and Abū Bakr said: Allah and His Messenger will suffice them. ʿUmar said: ⟨By Allah, I will never race you after this day.⟩ This is the proof of Abū Bakr’s superiority over ʿUmar; but superiority in every respect belonged to none but the Messenger ﷺ. As for anyone other than the Messenger: if he is superior in one respect, he is surpassed in [another] respect. What predominated in Abū Bakr was the state of maʿrifa, in ʿUmar what predominated was the state of the shariʿa, in ʿUthmān what predominated was the ṭarīqa, and in ʿAli what predominated was the

ḥaqīqa, though all of them were complete in all four matters. So for this reason Abū Bakr is the most excellent of the Companions, but some of the Companions surpass him in some things. And you find people unequal: you find this one complete in this respect, deficient in that respect, surpassing in this. The aspects of the good are many; whatever agrees with a person, that is his door. You find a servant of Allah upon whom Allah has opened in prayer and has not opened upon him in fasting; and one upon whom He has opened in fasting and has not opened for him in the remembrance of Allah; and one upon whom He has opened in remembrance and has not opened for him in almsgiving; and one for whom He has opened in almsgiving and has not opened for him in recitation. Whatever Allah has opened for you, keep to that door alone and you will find the good. Allah loves from the servant only that he do good. «And do good, that you may prosper» (Q. 22:77). «And thus» — as He has made clear to you what has been mentioned — «does Allah make clear to you the signs, that you may reflect» (Q. 2:219) […]

«this world and the Hereafter» (Q. 2:220) — Allah has made every sign clear, so that the servant may be one who reflects, in all circumstances, upon this world and the Hereafter, and so you take what is most beneficial for you in the two. Allah, Blessed and Exalted — His signs are of [several] kinds: dazzling signs, such as the evidentiary miracles of the prophets; and signs that break the customary course, such as thunderclaps and lightning and the falling of rains — whenever this is renewed before the servant, he knows that this is a sign among the signs of Allah; and the eclipse of the sun and of the moon, and other things besides; and a sign in every atom — you find no atom in existence but that it is a sign among the signs of Allah, Blessed and Exalted …

⟨And in everything there is a sign of His⟩

⟨showing that He is One.⟩

[28] So the rational human being sees nothing without seeing a sign and reflecting upon this world and the Hereafter. For this world is the title-page of the Hereafter, and the outward is the title-page of the inward. So when you see something beautiful, it reminds you of the ḥūr al-ʿīn and of what is in the Garden of anything […], or it reminds you of what is higher than that: the beauty of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and the face of His Messenger ﷺ. And when you see something ugly, you remember Munkar and Nakīr. And when you hear a rebuff, you remember the rebuff with Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And when you see acceptance, it reminds you of acceptance with Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And when you see [someone] turning toward [you], it reminds you of Allah’s turning toward you. And when you see [someone] turning away, it reminds you of Allah’s turning away from you, and so you seek refuge in Allah from that. Everything you see of the outward is the title-page of what is with Allah, Blessed and Exalted, of the inward. For this reason He said in this āya that He has made the signs clear to us in all their aspects, so that we may reflect upon this world and the Hereafter.

«And they ask you about the orphans» (Q. 2:220) — and about the constraint they encounter concerning them. When the āya was sent down: «Those who consume the property of orphans wrongfully consume only fire in their bellies, and they shall be roasted in a blaze» (Q. 4:10), they complained of the matter of the orphans. They said: What are we to do with the property of the orphans? Are we to mix their property with our property and so fall into constraint? Or are we to set their property apart — and if we set it apart, it is lost? And how are we to prepare food for them? And in this way they felt constrained in the matter of the orphans. Allah the Exalted said

«And they ask you about the orphans. Say: setting things right for them» — in their property, by making it grow, and your mingling with them — «is better» — than leaving that — «And if you mingle with them» — you mix your expenditure with their expenditure — «then [they are] your brothers» — they are your brothers in religion, and it belongs to the condition of a brother that he mingle with his brother, so that is permitted to you. A person may put his orphan’s property into his own property and keep it safe for him, so that when he attains his maturity of judgement he hands his property over to him; and he takes from it his maintenance and his clothing and reckons it against him, and what remains he hands over to him when he grows strong and attains his maturity of judgement. This is what is most beneficial in the matter of the orphans. «And Allah knows the one who corrupts» — their property in the course of mingling; whoever intends corruption, Allah knows him — «from the one who sets right» — and whoever intends setting right, him too Allah knows, and so He requites each of the two — «And had Allah willed, He would have burdened you» — He would have straitened you by forbidding the mingling — «Allah is Mighty» — prevailing in His command — «Wise» (Q. 2:220) — in His making. There has come down, concerning the merits of

spending on the orphan, the saying of the Messenger ﷺ: ⟨Whoever prepares food and brings an orphan with him to it, the Garden becomes his due.⟩ [29] And his saying: ⟨I and the one who takes charge of an orphan are like these two in the Garden⟩ [30] — and he pointed with the index finger and the middle finger. And how is a man to act when he takes charge of an orphan: is he to strike him by way of discipline, or not strike him, since a severe threat has come down concerning striking the orphan? But this does not apply to striking for his upbringing and his correction, for many a blow is better for the orphan than a sweet morsel he has eaten. So whoever strikes him by way of discipline and in seeking his uprightness — there is no constraint in that and no sin; and whoever strikes the orphan merely because of his weakness, that one is the sinner. «And do not marry idolatresses until they believe» (Q. 2:221). […]: one of the Companions had married a slave woman — he was ʿAbd Allah b. Rawāḥa; and Ḥudhayfa b. al-Yamān: both of them owned a slave woman, and he set her free and married her, and he was reproached for that — why does he not marry a free woman, an equal match for him? «And do not marry idolatresses» — the unbelieving women — «until they believe» — it is unlawful to give a Muslim in marriage to an unbeliever — «and a believing slave woman is better than an idolatress» — [even if she is] free — «though she please you» (Q. 2:221) — for her beauty and her wealth. And this is restricted to [women] other than the women of the People of the Book, by the āya

«And the chaste women from among those who have been given the Book» (Q. 5:5), which was sent down in the last sura to be sent down. Whoever wishes to marry, let him choose a Muslim, believing woman. The Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨A woman is married for four [things]: for her wealth, for her lineage⟩

⟨and for her beauty, and for her religion. So take hold of the one who has religion — may your hands be rubbed with dust.⟩ [31] Whoever wants to marry, let him look to the one who has religion. Even if she is homely, she is better than a beautiful woman who has no religion; and if she is a slave woman, or a freedwoman, and religious, she is better than a woman of lineage and wealth who has no religion. One of the righteous had an outstanding daughter, and men sought her hand from every quarter. He had a black slave called Mubārak, the father of ʿAbd Allah b. al-Mubārak. He summoned him and said to him: I am consulting you. My daughter has reached the age of marriage and men have sought her hand, all of them, and I would like you to give me your opinion about her. The slave said to him: ⟨You are of the Arabs. The Arabs choose high lineage; the people of your time choose wealth; and your Prophet chooses religion alone.⟩ So he said to him: I choose what the Prophet ﷺ chose; and I have seen no one, in my estimation, better in religion than you. I have given her to you in marriage. This is the father of ʿAbd Allah b. al-Mubārak, who covered the horizons with knowledge. «And do not give [your women] in marriage to the polytheists» — the unbelievers — «until they believe. A believing slave is certainly better than a polytheist, even though he please you» — on account of his wealth and his beauty — «Those» — the people of polytheism — «call to the Fire» — by their calling to the action that necessitates it; so marriage with them is not fitting — «And Allah calls» — upon the tongue of His messengers — «to the Garden and to forgiveness» — the action that necessitates them — «by His permission» — by His will; so answering Him is obligatory, by giving His friends [of Allah] in marriage — «And He makes His signs clear to the people, that they may remember» (Q. 2:221) — that they may take heed. «And they ask you about menstruation» (Q. 2:222)

The occasion for the descent of this āya: when a woman menstruated they would withdraw from her; they would put her out of the house. And some of them did not avoid the woman at the time of her menstruation. So they asked the Messenger ﷺ. «And they ask you about menstruation» (Q. 2:222) — menstruation, or its place — what is to be done with women during it. «Say: It» — menstruation — «is a hurt» — something filthy, or

its place. «So keep apart from the women» — that is, abstain from intercourse with them — «during menstruation» — its time or its place — «and do not»

«approach them» — in intercourse — «until they are pure» — they wash after it ceases — «and when they have purified themselves, come to them» — in intercourse — «from where Allah has commanded you» — by avoiding it during menstruation, and that is the front; and do not go beyond it to anything else — «Allah loves» — He rewards and honours — «those who repent» — from sins — «and He loves those who purify themselves» (Q. 2:222) — from filth — «Your women are a tilth for you» (Q. 2:223). They asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the saying of the Jews. The Jews used to say to the Muslims: whoever comes to his wife in the front from the direction of the back, the child comes squint-eyed and comes a fool.

So they asked the Messenger ﷺ about that. «Your women» — your wives — «are a tilth for you»

the place of your sowing only, because it is the place where the child is sown. «So come to your tilth» — [that is,] its place, and that is the front — «however you wish»

— in whatever way you wish: standing, or sitting, or lying down, or facing, or from behind. All of this is a refutation of the saying of the Jews: whoever comes to his wife in her front from the direction of her back, the child comes squint-eyed. The manner of the sunna is that the woman lie on her back and the man come to her from above her, as the Messenger ﷺ used to do. [32] «And send forward for yourselves»

righteous action, such as pronouncing the Name at intercourse: ⟨By Allah’s Name: The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful. O Allah, keep Satan far from us, and keep Satan far from what You have provided us.⟩ [33] Whoever says this at intercourse — if Allah decrees a child, he will be guarded from Satan, and there is written for his father, for the number of his breaths, a good deed for every breath; and a single good deed is better than the world and what is in it. For this reason he said

«And send forward for yourselves» — righteous action, namely pronouncing the Name at intercourse — «and fear Allah» — in His command and His prohibition.

«And know that you will meet Him» — by the resurrection, and He will requite you for your deeds — «And give good tidings to the believers» (Q. 2:223) — those who are godfearing: give them good tidings of the Garden. «And do not make Allah» — swearing by Allah — «an obstacle» — a cause that prevents — «to your oaths, that you should act righteously» — that you should not act righteously — «and be godfearing». A certain man had sworn that he would not do [something], and afterwards, when he wanted to go back to what he used to do, he said: the oath prevents me, for I swore by Allah. So this āya was sent down: do not make the oath a cause preventing you from doing what is good. «and that you make peace between people. And Allah is Hearing» — of your words — «Knowing»

of your states «Allah does not hold you to account for inadvertence in your oaths» (Q. 2:225) which is what the tongue runs ahead to without intent. With the Shāfiʿīs: “No, by Allah”; “Yes, by Allah.” With the Mālikīs: one who is certain of something and swears to it, and then the contrary of it becomes clear. «but He holds you to account for what your hearts have earned» what they intended of the oaths, when you break them «and Allah is Forgiving» of what was inadvertence «Forbearing» (Q. 2:225) in delaying the punishment of the one who deserves it «For those who forswear their wives» they swear not to have intercourse with them «a waiting of four months» (Q. 2:226) waiting four months «then if they go back»

they intended to return to intercourse after the oath. [34] «then Allah is Forgiving, Merciful» — «Forgiving» — to them, for the harm they inflicted upon the woman by the oath; «Merciful» (Q. 2:226) — to them: when they intend to return, they bring the expiation only, and their wives become lawful to them. Whoever swears that he will not have intercourse with his wife for the duration of this world is held back four months; after four months he either expiates his oath or his wife is divorced from him. This holds in every kind of oath. As for the […] that the jurists speak of, I do not know it; it is neither in the Book nor in the Sunna. «And if they resolve upon divorce» — by not returning; then let them pronounce it — «Allah is Hearing» — of their words — «Knowing» (Q. 2:227) — of their resolve. After the waiting that has been mentioned there is nothing but the return or the divorce. «And the divorced women shall wait» — let them wait — «by themselves» — from marriage — «three courses» (Q. 2:228) — which pass from the time of the divorce: she menstruates and becomes pure, and menstruates and becomes pure, and menstruates and becomes pure. These are three qurūʾ.

«And it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs» — of a child or of menstruation — […] «they believe in Allah and the Last Day». «And their husbands» — their spouses — «have the better right to take them back» — to return to them, even if they refuse — in that, [that is] in the time of waiting — «if they desire reconciliation» — between the two of them, and not the harming of the woman; and this is an incitement to intend it, not a condition for the permissibility of the return — «And they have» — against the husbands — «the like of what is upon them» — the woman has a right against the man just as the man has a right against the woman — «in a fitting manner» — fitting in the Law: good companionship, the leaving off of harm, and the like — «and men have a degree over them» — a superiority in right, in that the women are obliged to obey them, in return for the dower the men have paid and for the maintenance — «and Allah is Mighty» — in His dominion — «Wise» (Q. 2:228) — in what He has ordained for His creation. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has commanded good companionship with women. The Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨There is no good in women, and no enduring without them.⟩ ⟨I have never seen any among those deficient in intellect and religion more apt to carry off the reason of a resolute man than one of you.⟩ [35] So keep company with them and consult them, for the sake of good companionship, and go against them, because they are deficient in intellect. [36] There was a man in the time of one of the prophets who asked the prophet of that time to supplicate Allah for him, and the Prophet ﷺ supplicated Allah. Allah said to His prophet: Tell so-and-so that I have given him three requests; let him wish for what he will — three things, which he will find

as he wishes. He said: Let me first consult my wife. He came and said to her: We used to ask Allah for something, and today the asking has come from Allah: He has given me three requests to ask of Him. The woman said: The first is that He make me the most beautiful of the women of the world. So he supplicated, and she became the most beautiful of the women of the world; her beauty filled the house. She rose and began to adorn herself. He said to her: Where to? She said: To a king who suits me. He said to her: I implore you, do not do this — and he pressed her. She insisted on going to the king of that time. So he said: O Allah, let the second request be that You turn her into an ape — and she became an ape. Two of the requests were lost. She began to weep. He said: What is to be done now? She said:

Ask Allah to return me to my [former] state, and I will remain with you. So he asked Allah, and she returned to her state and remained with him.

All the requests were lost; he gained nothing, because of his wife’s folly. [37] «Divorce» — the pronouncement of divorce after which there is a return — «is twice» (Q. 2:229) — whoever divorces a woman may marry her a second time; and if he divorces her a second time, he may marry her. [38]

«then retention» — so you must retain them after it; after the second divorce there is nothing but the retention alone — «in a fitting manner» — without harm — «or release» — a sending of them away — «with kindness» (Q. 2:229). If he adds another pronouncement of divorce,

he makes it irrevocable. «And it is not lawful for you» — O husbands — «to take anything of what you have given them» — of the dowers — […]

It is not permissible for a man to divorce a woman and take anything of her property that he gave to her previously — «unless the two of them fear»

the two spouses — «that they will not maintain Allah’s limits» — that is, unless the cause of the divorce is that the two of them feared that they would not maintain Allah’s limits — «So if you fear that they will not maintain Allah’s limits, there is no blame upon the two of them for what she gives to ransom herself» (Q. 2:229) — if it was.

The man does not want to divorce his wife, and the woman has turned refractory and refuses to remain with the husband, until the two of them have ascertained that they are unable to uphold Allah’s limits by remaining together. Then khulʿ is permissible: that the woman ransom herself from the husband with property — whether the bridal gift, or less than it, or more than it. This is the ground for khulʿ. One of the women Companions came to the Prophet ﷺ and she was a righteous woman. She said to him: ⟨Messenger of Allah, as for me — my husband, I hold nothing against him in religion, nor in anything else, and he discharges what is incumbent upon him; only I no longer love him.⟩ He said to her: ⟨What is the cause of that?⟩ She said: ⟨Nothing, except that I saw him coming along with his companions, and I looked at him, and he was the shortest of them and the ugliest of them in face. But I have seen nothing in him to be censured; only I will not remain with him.⟩ The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Did he give you property as a bridal gift?⟩ She said: ⟨Yes, he gave me a garden of date palms as a bridal gift.⟩ He said: ⟨Will you return his garden to him?⟩ She said: ⟨Yes, and I will add to it.⟩ He said ﷺ: ⟨Return his garden to him.⟩ So she returned the garden to the husband, and she was divorced. This is the basis for khulʿ. [39] «Those» — the rulings mentioned — «are Allah’s limits, so do not transgress them; and whoever transgresses Allah’s limits — those are the wrongdoers» (Q. 2:229). «And if he divorces her» — the husband, after the two [pronouncements] — «she is not lawful to him thereafter» — [that is, after] the third pronouncement of divorce — «until she marries» — she weds — «a husband other than him» (Q. 2:230), and he has intercourse with her, as in the hadith which the two Shaykhs [al-Bukhārī and Muslim] transmitted. It is related that a beautiful woman of the Companions came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: ⟨My husband divorced me three times and made my divorce irrevocable, and another man married me, and I found him unable to come to me, for what he has is like the fringe of a garment.⟩ The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Do you want to return to the husband who made your divorce irrevocable? No — not until you taste his sweetness and he tastes your sweetness.⟩ [40] That is, intercourse. She came the next day and said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: ⟨What you used to tell me has come about: he tasted of me and I tasted of him.⟩ The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Your first statement convicts you of lying — that what he has is like the fringe of a garment.⟩ So the Messenger ﷺ barred her from returning to the first husband. [41] And the second husband, whom she had claimed to be incapable of intercourse, said: ⟨Messenger of Allah, what a liar she is. I shake her out as a hide is shaken out.⟩ And he brought two children whom she had borne him. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨These two children are more like their father than the crow is like⟩

⟨the crow.⟩ [42] And she loved to return to her first husband, but the Messenger ﷺ barred her. She came in the time of Abū Bakr, and Abū Bakr barred her. She came in the time of ʿUmar, and ʿUmar said: ⟨I was present at your⟩ coming ⟨to the Messenger ﷺ and to Abū Bakr; and if you seek to return to your first husband I will stone you.⟩

«And if he divorces her» — the second husband — «there is no blame upon the two of them» — the wife and the first husband — «that they return to one another» (Q. 2:230)

to the marriage — «if they think that they will uphold Allah’s limits». «And those» — the [rulings] mentioned — «are Allah’s limits; He makes them clear to a people who know» (Q. 2:230). «And when you divorce the women and they reach their term» — they draw near the expiry of their waiting period — «then retain them» — by taking them back before the expiry of the waiting period — «in kindness» — without harm — «or release them in kindness» — leave them until their waiting period expires. When the waiting period expires, she is finally separated [from him]. «And do not retain them» — by taking [them] back — «to cause harm» — rather, taking back is for reconciliation only; as for taking back with the intent to cause harm, do not do it — «so that you transgress» against them, by forcing [them] to ransom themselves and to [seek] divorce, and by prolonging the confinement. «And whoever does that has wronged himself» — by exposing it to Allah’s punishment — «and do not take Allah’s signs in mockery» — [as something] mocked, by contravening them — «and remember Allah’s favour upon you» — [namely] Islam — «and what He has sent down upon you of the Book» — the Qurʾan — «and the Wisdom» (Q. 2:231)

the rulings it contains — «He admonishes you thereby» — by your giving thanks for it [the favour] through acting upon it — «and fear Allah, and know that Allah is Knowing of all things» (Q. 2:231) — nothing is hidden from Him. «And when you divorce the women» (Q. 2:232). The occasion for the revelation of this āya is that the sister of Maʿqil b. Yasār was divorced by her husband, and afterwards he sought again to take her back, and she consented, but her brother refused. So it was revealed. [43] «And when you divorce the women and they reach their term» — they draw near the expiry of their waiting period — «then do not prevent them» — O guardians, do not prevent them — «from marrying their husbands» — who had divorced them — […]

the husbands and the women — «among themselves in kindness» — [in kindness] according to the Law — «That» — the prohibition — «whoever among you believes in Allah and the Last Day is admonished thereby» — because he is the one who benefits from it — «That for you» — the abandonment of preventing [them from marrying] — «is purer» — better — «for you, and more cleansing» — for you and for them, because of what is feared for the two spouses by way of suspicion, on account of the attachment between them — «and Allah knows» (Q. 2:232)

what there is of benefit in it — «and you do not know» (Q. 2:232) — that; so follow His command. «And those who have borne [children]» — the mothers — «shall suckle» — let them suckle — «their children for two terms» — two years — «complete» — an emphatic qualifier — «for whoever wishes to complete the suckling» — and nothing beyond it — «And upon the one to whom the child is born» — he being the father — «is their provision» — the feeding of the mothers — «and their clothing» — in return for the suckling, if they have been divorced — «in kindness» — according to his capacity — «No soul is charged except [according to] its scope» — its capacity — «No mother shall be harmed on account of her child» — because of him, by being compelled to suckle him when she has refused — «and no» — shall be harmed — «one to whom a child is born, on account of his child» — because of him, by being charged beyond his capacity. The attribution of the child to each of the two, in both places, is for the sake of evoking compassion. «And upon the heir» — the father’s heir, that is, the child — «the like of that» — which falls upon the father toward the mother, of provision and clothing — «But if the two of them wish» — the two parents — «weaning» (Q. 2:233)

weaning him before the two years, proceeding «from mutual consent» — agreement — «from them both, and consultation» — between the two of them, so that the child’s benefit in it may appear — «there is no fault upon them» — in that — «And if you wish» — an address to the fathers — «to have your children suckled» — by wet-nurses other than the mothers — «there is no fault upon you» — in it — «when you hand over» — to them — «what you have given» — what you intended to give them of the wage — «in kindness» — handsomely, as with a willing heart — «And fear Allah, and know that Allah is Seeing of what you do» (Q. 2:233) — nothing of it is hidden from Him. «And those who are taken in death» — they die — «among you and leave behind» — they leave — «wives, they shall wait» — let them wait — «by themselves» — after them, [refraining] from marriage

«four months and ten» (Q. 2:234) — of nights. This applies to those who are not pregnant; the waiting period of the pregnant is that they deliver their burden, by the āya of [Sūrat] al-Ṭalāq; and the slave woman is at half of that, by the Sunna. «Then when they reach their term» — the period of their waiting expires — «there is no fault upon you concerning what they do with themselves» — of adorning themselves and making themselves available to suitors — «in kindness»

according to the Law. «And Allah is Aware of what you do» (Q. 2:234) — knowing its inward as [He knows] its outward. «And there is no fault upon you concerning that wherein you hint» — you intimate — «at it, of proposing to the women» — those whose husbands have died, during the waiting period, as when a person says, for example: how beautiful you are, and who could find the like of you, and many a man desires you [44] — «or you conceal» — you harbour [it] — «within yourselves» — of

the intention of marrying them — «Allah knows that you will mention them» — in the proposal — and you cannot abstain from them, so He has permitted you the hint. «But do not promise them secretly» — [that is,] marriage [45] — «unless you speak a word that is honourable» — what is recognised in the Law by way of hinting; that is permitted you. «And do not resolve upon the tie of marriage» — upon contracting it — «until the writ» — what is prescribed of the waiting period — «reaches its term» — by its coming to an end — «And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves» — of resolve and otherwise — «so beware of Him» — lest He punish you — «and know that Allah is Forgiving» — to whoever is wary of Him — «Forbearing» (Q. 2:235) — in deferring the punishment from the one who deserves it. This is the waiting period of death: four months and ten nights. It abrogated «provision up to the year» (Q. 2:240). The waiting period was at first a complete year, and the āya that precedes it in the arrangement abrogated it — [part] of the wisdom of the Qurʾan. The reason for this is that Allah created Ādam over forty years while he was sticky clay, and forty years from dark altered mud, and forty years like baked pottery — so that is forty [years] three times over — and then He breathed the spirit into him. [46] This is the root of Ādam’s creation. When Allah commanded the spirit to enter Ādam’s body, the spirit refused, until the Lord said to it: enter unwillingly, and you will come out unwillingly. So the spirit entered, and when it reached the nose Ādam sneezed and said al-Ḥamdu li-Llāh [the praise is for Allah]. He is the first to have said this word, and the angels responded to his sneeze with a blessing and said: for this you were created. Then when there passed

the spirit, until it reached his knees, he wanted to rise. For this reason the Real (al-Ḥaqq) addressed him: «The human being was created of haste» (Q. 21:37). [47] And the children of Ādam have never ceased to be hasty. Then, when the spirit pervaded him, he rose up walking, and he became a living creature after having been inanimate.

The first to say subḥāna Allah [glory be to Allah] were the angels, the bearers of the Throne; the first to say al-Ḥamdu li-Llāh [the praise is for Allah] was Ādam, upon him be peace; the first to say lā ilāha illā Allah was Nūḥ, upon him be peace; the first to say Allahu akbar [Allah is greater] was Ibrāhīm — these are the enduring righteous [deeds] — and the first to say lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā bi-Llāh al-ʿAli al-ʿAẓīm [there is no capacity and no power save by Allah, the High, the Great] was Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. [48] The origin of Ādam’s creation was forty years, three times. For this reason the son of Ādam is created in his mother’s womb forty days as a sperm-drop, forty days as a clot, forty days as a lump of flesh, and then the spirit is breathed into him. [49] Forty, three times, is four months. The waiting period was legislated to guard lineages, so that they do not become mixed. When the man dies, the woman sits [in waiting] four months; if she is pregnant, the pregnancy must become evident, because the spirit is breathed into it, and the spirit, when it occurs, may occur faintly at the beginning of the matter — but if ten days are added, it must move a great deal. So ten days were added to the four months. This is the waiting period of the woman whose husband has died, except when she is pregnant: when she delivers her child, her womb has been cleared. «And there is no blame upon you if you divorce the women so long as you have not touched them» — that is, have intercourse with them — «or assigned them an assignment» — a bridal gift. Divorce before touching is unobjectionable — «and provide for them» — give them what

they may enjoy — «upon the one of ample means» — the wealthy among you — «his measure, and upon the straitened one» — the one narrow in provision — «his measure»

It conveys that one does not look to the wife’s measure, but only to the husband’s state — «as a provision» — a providing — «in a fitting manner»

according to the Law — «an obligation upon the doers of good» (Q. 2:236). The wisdom in the provision is that divorce breaks the woman’s spirit, and whoever breaks a Muslim’s spirit ought to mend it; for this reason the provision was legislated after divorce. «And if you divorce them before you have touched them, having assigned them an assignment, then half of what you assigned» — if the bridal gift has been settled and the divorce has occurred before consummation, then half the bridal gift belongs to the woman and half of it remains with the husband — «except» — but — «that they remit»

the wives — except when the wife remits: since he contracted [marriage] with me and there is nothing between us, let him take his property. «or he remits in whose hand is the knot of marriage» — or the husband remits. [50] The woman gives way, or the man gives way — «and that you remit is nearer to godfearing» — and the man’s remission is better, because the man is stronger and more complete — «and do not forget liberality among yourselves» — in any case let one of you be liberal toward the other, either the man or the woman — «Allah is Seeing of what you do» (Q. 2:237), so He will requite you for it. «Maintain the prayers» — the five, by performing them at their times — «and the middle prayer» — it is the afternoon prayer, or the dawn prayer, or the noon prayer, or another: [these are] opinions. Allah has made prayer obligatory upon this community, and what is obligatory of prayer is five prayers in the day and the night. Verses in the Qurʾan indicate it, among them this one. He said: «Maintain the prayers» — and al-ṣalawāt is a plural, and the least a plural [denotes] is three — «and the middle prayer» — the middle prayer is conjoined to them, and the middle prayer is disputed. So from this five prayers result. «and stand before Allah devoutly obedient» (Q. 2:238) — stand before Allah in prayer devoutly obedient. It is said: obedient; and it is said:

silent. They used to speak during the prayer at the beginning of Islam, and when this āya came down they were commanded to keep silence

in the prayer. [51]

The Messenger said: ⟨In the prayer there is occupation.⟩ [52] And the five prayers are expiations. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ⟨If there were a river at the door of one of you in which he bathed five times every day, would that leave anything of his grime? They said: No, Messenger of Allah. He said: So too the five prayers.⟩ [53] ⟨The five prayers are an expiation for what lies between them.⟩ [54] The Real, Blessed and Exalted, addressed Mūsā and said to him: ⟨I give Muhammad and his community a prayer which is four⟩ rakʿas ⟨— it is the noon prayer. In the first⟩ rakʿa ⟨I forgive them all their sins; in the second the angels seek forgiveness for them, and whomever the angels seek forgiveness for I do not punish; in the third the gates of heaven are opened to them, and there is answered …⟩

⟨… for them the supplication; and on the fourth I settle My good pleasure upon them, and I shall not be angry with them thereafter.⟩ [55] «But if you fear» — an enemy, or a flood, or a beast of prey — «then on foot» — so pray on foot: rijālan is the plural of rājil, that is, walking — «or mounted» — the plural of rākib. This is the prayer of fear. One who is in fear may pray mounted, or pray walking, and may speak. «And when you are secure» — from the fear — «then remember Allah» — pray — «as He taught you what you did not know» (Q. 2:239) — before His teaching it — of its obligatory elements and its requisites. The middle prayer is the best of the five prayers. It was concealed so that you would keep all five prayers, just as the Night of Decree was concealed within this blessed month so that you would hold vigil through all the nights of Ramadan; and just as the walī was concealed among persons so that you would honour all Muslims; and just as the hour of answered prayer was concealed within Friday; and just as the Greatest Name was concealed among the names; and just as the accepted act of worship was concealed among all acts of worship — so that the servant would be eager for every good. It has been transmitted that it is the dawn prayer: this is Mālik’s position, [56] because of its heaviness upon souls. And it is said that it is the afternoon prayer, [57] and this is the strongest

of the positions, because of the hadiths transmitted that indicate it. On the day of the Trench, when the Messenger ﷺ had prayed the noon prayer, they were occupied with confronting the unbelievers until the sun set, and the Messenger ﷺ said:

⟨May Allah fill their graves and their houses with fire — they kept us from the middle prayer.⟩ [58] And the prayer missed was the afternoon prayer. A sound hadith; and it is explicit that the afternoon prayer is the middle prayer.

«And those of you who are taken in death» — they die — «and leave behind» — they leave — «wives» — then let them bequeath — «a bequest»

«for their wives» — and let them give them — «provision» — that by which they are provided for, of maintenance and clothing — «until» — the completion of — «the year»

from their death — the waiting that is obligatory upon them «without being expelled» not expelled from their dwelling. This is the original ruling. A woman used to observe a waiting period of a full year, and the preceding āya abrogated it. «But if they leave» of their own accord «there is no blame upon you» O guardians of the deceased «in what they do with themselves of what is proper» (Q. 2:240) according to the Law, such as adorning themselves, leaving off mourning, and the cutting off of maintenance «and Allah is Mighty» in His dominion «Wise» (Q. 2:240) in His making. And the bequest mentioned is abrogated by the āya of inheritance, and the waiting of a year by the āya of four months and ten [days], which comes before it [in the text] and later in the sending down. The right of lodging stands for her according to al-Shāfiʿī. «And for divorced women» a provision they are to be given «in a proper manner» (Q. 2:241) to the measure of

what is possible — «an obligation upon those who are mindful» of Allah (Q. 2:241). He repeated it so as to take in the woman who has been touched as well, since the preceding āya concerns one other than her

«Thus» just as He has made clear to you what has been mentioned «does Allah make clear to you His signs, that you may use your reason» (Q. 2:242) that you may ponder them

«Have you not seen» an interrogative of wonder, rousing eagerness to hear what comes after it; has your knowledge not reached «those who went forth from their dwellings in thousands» four thousand, or eight thousand, or ten thousand, or […] or forty thousand, or seventy thousand [59] «in fear of death» (Q. 2:243) The plague fell in their land, so they went forth [in flight] from death. They were a people of the Children of Israel, the people of Ḥizqīl, the prophet of Allah. «and Allah said to them: Die» (Q. 2:243) When they had [fled] until they were eight days’ distance from their land, it was said to them: Die — and they all died. «then He gave them life» after eight days, through the supplication of their prophet Ḥizqīl. Ḥizqīl set about supplicating Allah and pleading with Him until they were all raised. They lived on for an age with the mark of death upon them: they would find no garment but it turned like a shroud. The foul smell that you smell among the Jews to this day is from that death. «Allah is possessed of bounty toward mankind» (Q. 2:243) and part of it is the giving of life to these «but most people» they are the unbelievers «are not grateful» (Q. 2:243) And the purpose in mentioning the report of these people is to encourage the believers to fight. Allah intends to command us to jihad, and the soul fears death; so He told this story. Those who fled from death — when Allah said to them: Die, they all died. So we, then, whether we go forward to jihad or hold back, it is all one when the time of death falls due. «And fight in the path of Allah» to exalt His religion «and know that Allah is Hearing» of your words «Knowing» (Q. 2:244) of your states, and He will requite you «Who is it that will lend to Allah» by spending his property in the path of Allah «a goodly loan» by spending it for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, out of a willing heart «so that He may multiply it for him many times over» (Q. 2:245) from ten up to more than seven hundred, [60] as will come. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, out of the perfection of

His bounty and His concern for the poor man, He named charity [given] for the Face of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, a loan. And why did He name it a loan? Because when a person asks you for property and says, “Give me,” or “Make me a gift,” you do not expect of him that he return anything to you; and if he says to you, “Lend me,” you expect that he will return to you what he took. So for this reason the servant is assured that Allah will return to him the recompense of his charity, since He named it a loan. And Allah, out of the perfection of His compassion for the poor man, has set Himself in the place of the poor man. It has come in the sound hadith that the Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨Allah will cause the human being to stand before Him on the Day of Resurrection, and will say: ‘My servant, I fell ill and you did not visit Me’⟩ — this is a great secret — ⟨‘My servant, I asked you for food and you did not feed Me. My servant, I asked you for drink and you did not give Me drink.’ He said: ‘How am I to visit You, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ He said:⟩

⟨‘My servant so-and-so fell ill, and had you visited him you would have found that with Me.’ He said: ‘How am I to feed You, my Lord, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ He said: ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for food, and had you fed him you would have found that with Me.’ ‘How am I to give You drink, my Lord?’ He said: ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for drink, and had you given him drink you would have found that with Me.’⟩ [61] Look at this

poor man, the lowly one standing at the door of your house asking charity of you — and tomorrow he will bring you to account. And the loan is greater in reward than the gift. The Messenger ﷺ on the night he was taken by night, found written on the gate of the Garden:

⟨Charity is for tenfold its like, and the loan for eighteen [of its like].⟩ So he said to Jibrīl: ⟨How astonishing — charity, which a person gives for the Face of Allah and which does not come back to him, and the loan, which does come back to him, and yet it is greater in reward?⟩ He said to him: ⟨Yes. A person may be given charity when he is not in need; but no one asks for a loan unless he is in need.⟩ [62] Whoever seeks a loan seeks it only out of need. So for this reason the recompense of the loan was greater with Allah than the recompense of charity. And this community — concerning them was revealed: «Whoever brings a good deed, for him is tenfold its like» (Q. 6:160). So the Messenger ﷺ said:

⟨My Lord, increase my community [in reward].⟩ So the āya of charity was revealed — it comes tomorrow, in shāʾa Allah — «The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as the likeness of a grain that grew seven ears» (Q. 2:261) — one part for seven hundred. So the Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨My Lord, increase my community [in reward].⟩ So this āya was revealed: «Who is it that will lend Allah a goodly loan, so that He may multiply it for him many times over?» (Q. 2:245) — to more than seven hundred. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨My Lord, increase my community [in reward].⟩ So there was revealed: «Only the steadfast are given their reward without reckoning» (Q. 39:10). So he said: ⟨I am content with Allah as Lord.⟩ [63] So content was

the Chosen One ﷺ. «And Allah straitens» He withholds provision from whom He wills, as a trial «and expands» He broadens it for whom He wills, as a test «and to Him you will be returned» in the Hereafter, by the resurrection «Have you not seen the chiefs of the Children of Israel after Mūsā» (Q. 2:246) that is, their story «when they said to a prophet of theirs» (Q. 2:246) he is Shamwīl

«Raise up for us a king, that we may fight» with him «in the way of Allah. He said: Will you perhaps, if fighting is prescribed for you, not fight?» — perhaps, when jihad is imposed upon you as an obligation, you will not accept — «They said: And what is it with us that we should not fight in the way of Allah, when we have been driven out from our dwellings and our children» — because of them; the people of Jālūt had done that to them — «But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away» — and they turned coward — «except a few of them» — and they are the ones who crossed the river with Ṭālūt, as will come — «And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers» (Q. 2:246) — so He will requite them. And the prophet asked his Lord to send a king, and He answered him by sending Ṭālūt. «And their prophet said to them: Allah has indeed raised up for you Ṭālūt as king» — Allah has made Ṭālūt a king over you — «They said: How can the kingship be his over us, when we are worthier of the kingship than he?» — the habit of the children of Ādam. This man does not deserve the kingship over us; he is not of the tribe of kingship, nor of the tribe of prophethood; he was a tanner or a shepherd; he is not of the tribe of Yahūdhā, nor of the tribe of Rūbīl. The tribe of Yahūdhā are the people of prophethood, and the tribe of Rūbīl are the people of kingship, and this man was of the tribe of Binyāmīn, and they do not deserve the kingship over us — «and he has not been given abundance of wealth» — he is poor, he has nothing; how is he able to establish the kingship? — «He said» to them — their prophet — «Allah has chosen him» — He chose him for the kingship — «over you, and has increased him in stature» — amplitude — «in knowledge and body» — he was the most knowing of the Children of Israel at that time, the most comely of them, and the most complete of them in form. When this āya was revealed concerning him he became the most knowing of them and the best of them in body. «And Allah gives His kingship to whom He will» — and with this there is no objecting against Allah, Blessed and Exalted; He gives His kingship to whom He will — «And Allah is Vast» — [in] His bounty — «Knowing» — of who is worthy of it (Q. 2:247). «And their prophet said to them» (Q. 2:248)

They asked him for a sign of his kingship. «Indeed the sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come to you» (Q. 2:248) — the chest. The prophets had the chest of Ādam, which he brought down with him from heaven; in it were the likenesses of all the prophets. And it had reached

Mūsā. When they fought, Allah gave them victory on account of this chest. When the Amalekites overcame them, they took the chest from them, and they would seek help by it and overcome their enemy. The Exalted said: «in it is a» sakīna — tranquillity for your hearts — «from your Lord, and a remnant of what the family of Mūsā left» — meaning Mūsā — «and the family of Hārūn» (Q. 2:248) — meaning Hārūn. The two of them had left it to them. In it were Mūsā’s two sandals and his staff, and Hārūn’s turban, and a qafīz of the manna that used to come down upon him, and fragments of the tablets that were shattered when Mūsā cast them down; their remnant was in the chest. [64]

«the angels bearing it» when you see the angels bearing this chest until they set it down before Tālūt, that is the sign of his kingship «in that is a sign for you» of his kingship «if you are believers» (Q. 2:248) So the angels bore it between heaven and earth while they looked on, until they set it down beside Tālūt. Then they acknowledged his kingship and hastened to the fighting, and he chose seventy thousand of their young men. «And when he set out» went forth «Tālūt with the troops» from Jerusalem — and the heat was severe, and they asked him for water «he said: Allah is testing you» putting you to the proof «by a river» so that the obedient among you and the disobedient might show themselves; and it is between the Jordan and Palestine [65] «so whoever drinks of it» of its water «he is not of me» of my followers «and whoever does not taste it» does not try it «he is of me — except one who scoops up a scoop with his hand» (Q. 2:249) and is content with it and does not go beyond it: he is of me. «But they drank of it» when they came up to the river they drank in quantity «except a few of them» (Q. 2:249) who limited themselves to the scoop. It is related that it sufficed them for their own drinking and for their beasts, and they were three hundred and some ten — the number of the people of Badr and the number of the messengers. [66] «Then when he had crossed it, he and those who believed with him» (Q. 2:249) and they are those who

confined themselves to the scoop. «They said: We have no power today against Jālūt and his troops» — no power to fight them. They turned coward and did not cross it. «Those who deemed» — were certain — «that they would meet Allah said» — [meet Him] at the resurrection; and they are those who were content with the scoop — «How many» — many a — […] — a company — «[a] small [company] has overcome a large company by Allah’s leave» — by His will — «and Allah is with the steadfast» (Q. 2:249) — with aid and victory. «And when they went forth against Jālūt and his troops» (Q. 2:250) — they came out to fight them and drew up in ranks

«They said: Our Lord, pour out» — pour down — «upon us steadfastness and make our feet firm» — by strengthening our hearts for jihad — «and give us victory over the disbelieving people. So they routed them» — broke them — «by Allah’s leave» — by His will — «and Dāwūd killed» (Q. 2:250–251)

And he had been in Ṭālūt’s army. «Jālūt» — the tyrant. «And He gave him» — Allah gave — Dāwūd — «the kingship» (Q. 2:251) — among

the Children of Israel. «and wisdom» — prophethood and kingship did not come together for anyone among the Children of Israel until they came together for Dāwūd, upon him be peace. He became a king and a prophet after the death of Shamwīl [Samuel] and the death of Ṭālūt; he inherited from them both. «And He taught him of what He willed» — such as the craft of coats of mail. «And were it not for Allah’s repelling of the people, some of them by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted» (Q. 2:251) — were it not that Allah repels affliction from some by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted through the mastery of the polytheists and the killing of the Muslims. [67]

«But Allah has bounty towards the worlds» (Q. 2:251) — He repels some of them by means of others. «Those» — these verses — «are Allah’s signs, which We recite» — which We relate — «to you» — Muhammad — «in truth» — truthfully — «and you» — Muhammad — «are among those sent» (Q. 2:252).

«Those» [means] the company, «the messengers» — it is ‘those’ and ‘the messengers,’ subject and predicate; or [the reading is] ‘those messengers.’ «We favoured some of them above others». Allah favoured some of the prophets above others by His singling [one] out with a merit that belongs to no other. «Among them is one to whom Allah spoke» such as Mūsā, «and He raised some of them» — namely Muhammad ﷺ — «in degrees» (Q. 2:253) above the rest, by the universality of the summons, the sealing of prophethood, the preferment of his community above all other communities, the multiplying miracles, and the many distinguishing properties. He mentions in this āya that Allah favoured some of the prophets above others. They agreed that some of the prophets are more excellent than others, and they reached consensus that Muhammad ﷺ is the most excellent of the prophets and the messengers; and that [rests] on many grounds. One of them is that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, reported in the Qurʾan that He sent the Prophet ﷺ as a mercy to the worlds, in His words: «We sent you only as a mercy to the worlds» (Q. 21:107) Since he was a mercy to all the worlds, it is established that he is the most excellent of all the worlds — because every single one in the world is shown mercy by reason of Muhammad ﷺ, so Muhammad became more excellent than all of them. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted, joined obedience to him to obedience to Himself, the pledge of allegiance to him to the pledge of allegiance to Himself, his good pleasure to His good pleasure, and his might to His might. He, Exalted, said: «Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah» (Q. 4:80) And He, Exalted, said: «Those who pledge allegiance to you pledge allegiance only to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands» (Q. 48:10) And this hand is the hand of Muhammad

ﷺ — and his good pleasure to His good pleasure: «And Allah and His Messenger are more worthy that they should please Him» (Q. 9:62) — and his might to His might: «and to Allah belongs the might, and to His Messenger, and to the believers» (Q. 63:8) And also: as for the Prophet ﷺ, Allah reported in His Book that He raised his renown

«And We raised your renown for you» (Q. 94:4) That [was] by His joining mention of him to the mention of Allah at the adhān, at the iqāma, at the khuṭba, and at the tashahhud — that is, at the pronouncing of the two testimonies: whoever says ‘I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah’ says ‘and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ This belonged to no other of all the prophets. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted, reported in His Book that he is the seal of the prophets, and this shows that he is more excellent than all of them, because it is not intelligible that something excellent be sealed with something of lesser worth. When the craftsman comes to the last of his work, he brings out the mastery of his work and makes it the seal. So since Muhammad was the seal of the prophets, it became clear that he is more excellent than all of them, because sealing with something of lesser worth is neither intelligible nor wise. And Allah reported in His Book that the community of Muhammad is the best of all communities: «You were the best community brought forth for mankind» (Q. 3:110) Whence did they come by this? From the Prophet ﷺ. Since we were the best community by reason of Muhammad ﷺ, it became clear that Muhammad is more excellent than the prophets who were sent to the communities before us; and his Book is more excellent than their books, his religion more excellent than their religions, and his law more excellent than their laws. Along with that, he has the most miracles of them all. Mūsā is the prophet with the most miracles: Allah mentioned that He gave him nine clear signs, and [to] Muhammad ﷺ Allah gave of clear signs what He gave to none of the prophets before him. Along with that, Allah issued a challenge in the Qurʾan with a single sura: «then bring a sura like it» (Q. 2:23) And the shortest of the suras is «We have given you al-Kawthar» (Q. 108:1), and it is three āyāt. From this it emerged that every three āyāt in the Qurʾan are a miracle, and the Qurʾan is more than six thousand āyāt. So the Qurʾan alone comprises, of miracles, more than two thousand miracles — knowing that Mūsā had only nine signs — to say nothing of the miracles that appeared to his Companions,

and he left behind, of the Companions, one hundred and fourteen thousand, [1] each one of whom witnessed a miracle that no one else witnessed. And [each] prophet used to be sent

to his own people, whereas the Chosen One ﷺ was sent to mankind entire — rather, to the jinn and mankind [alike]. And Allah says in His Book: «And We sent you only as one [sent] to mankind entire» (Q. 34:28) And since he was a messenger to all mankind, his hardship was greater than the hardship of all the prophets, because every one of them was sent only among his own people.

And when the hardship is greater, the merit is greater. For this reason the Prophet ﷺ is more excellent than all the prophets. And also, the Prophet ﷺ says: ⟨I am the master of the children of Ādam, and [this is] without boasting. Ādam and those below him are under my banner on the Day of Resurrection.⟩ [2] It emerged from this that he is more excellent than Ādam and than all the sons of Ādam. ʿAli came up one day, and the Prophet ﷺ looked at him and said: ⟨This is the master of the Arabs.⟩ ʿAʾisha said: ⟨The master of the Arabs, while you are present?⟩ He said: ⟨He is the master of the Arabs, and I am the master of the worlds.⟩ And al-ʿālamīn [‘the worlds’][3] — there enters into it all

the prophets, but even the angels. Also, the Prophet ﷺ went out one day to his Companions and found them talking. One of them said: ⟨How remarkable Ibrāhīm is: Allah took him as a⟩ khalīl ⟨.⟩ Another said: ⟨This is no more remarkable than Mūsā, to whom Allah spoke directly.⟩ Another said: ⟨This is no more remarkable than ʿĪsā, who came to be the Spirit of Allah, Blessed and Exalted.⟩ Another said: ⟨Ādam is the chosen of Allah; Allah created him with His own hand and made the angels prostrate to him.⟩ So the Prophet ﷺ went out and said: ⟨I have heard what you say. Yes, Allah took Ibrāhīm as a⟩ khalīl ⟨, as you said; and He spoke to Mūsā directly, as you said; and He made ʿĪsā b. Maryam the Spirit of Allah and His word, as you said; and Ādam the chosen of Allah and His deputy on the earth. But as for me, Allah took me as a⟩ ḥabīb ⟨; so just as He took Ibrāhīm as a⟩ khalīl ⟨, He took me as a⟩ ḥabīb ⟨.⟩ [4] ⟨By Him in whose hand my soul lies, were Mūsā b. ʿImrān, upon whom the Torah was sent down, and ʿĪsā b. Maryam, upon whom the Gospel was sent down, to come, nothing would be open to them but to follow me.⟩ [5] And the ḥabīb stands above the khalīl. Allah mentioned the khalīl

in the Qurʾan, and He mentioned the ḥabīb. Through the Qurʾan we understand the excellence of the ḥabīb over the khalīl. The khalīl is Ibrāhīm, and the khalīl is one who is granted what he asks of his khalīl. Khalīl comes from khulla, because the khalīl — you fill his need and he fills your need. This entails that every khalīl of whom his khalīl asks something helps him in what he seeks. And so we find Ibrāhīm saying: «and it is He who I hope will forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgement» (Q. 26:82). This is a request from him: he asked Allah to forgive him his sin on the Day of Judgement, and Allah granted him what he asked. And Muhammad ﷺ without asking: «We have granted you a clear victory, that Allah may forgive you what has gone before of your sin and what came after, and complete His favour upon you, and guide you to a straight path» (Q. 48:1–2). The khalīl said: «and grant me a tongue of truthfulness among those who come after» (Q. 26:84). He asked Allah that he be praised among those who come after him, and Allah answered this supplication of his, so that the Jews say that they follow the religion of Ibrāhīm, and the Christians say that they follow the religion of Ibrāhīm, and the Muslims follow the religion of Ibrāhīm. This is praise enough; but it does not reach: «Have We not expanded your breast for you? … And We raised high your renown for you» (Q. 94:1, 4). He joined the mention of him to the mention of Himself. And the khalīl said: «and keep me and my sons from worshipping the idols» (Q. 14:35), while Allah said to His ḥabīb: «Allah wishes only to remove impurity from you, O People of the House» (Q. 33:33) — without any asking. And the khalīl was one who emigrated to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and he said: «I am going to my Lord; He will guide me» (Q. 37:99), so the going was from him; whereas Muhammad ﷺ was taken by night: «Glory be to Him who took His servant by night» (Q. 17:1). That one went of his own accord; this one was taken by night by the power of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, without effort and without hardship. And since what was given to Muhammad ﷺ came as a free gift, so it is with his community. Mūsā came to the appointed meeting of his own accord, «and when Mūsā came to Our appointed time» (Q. 7:143), so the coming was from him, at his own cost; and the community of Muhammad, following Muhammad ﷺ is likewise: when Allah took the Prophet ﷺ by night, He disclosed His signs to us without effort on our part, «We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves, until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth» (Q. 41:53) — by [His] help, not at our own cost. And the Prophet ﷺ is superior to all the prophets, upon them be blessings and peace, in these respects and more. The banner of praise is in his hand on the Day of Resurrection; the intercession is his; the wasīla is his. There will come the hadith of

the intercession, at its full length. They came to Ādam, and to Nūḥ, and to Ibrāhīm, and to Mūsā, and to ʿĪsā; each of them says: ⟨Myself, myself.⟩ And when they came to Muhammad he said: ⟨I am the one for it; I am the one entitled to the intercession.⟩ And he said: ⟨Allah, Blessed and Exalted, gave me the choice between half my community entering the Garden and His granting me the intercession, and I chose the intercession because it is more encompassing.⟩ He said:

⟨My intercession is for those of my community who commit the grave sins.⟩ [6] And Allah said: «and your Lord will surely give you, and you will be well pleased» (Q. 93:5). And he said ﷺ: ⟨I am the first to knock at the gate of the Garden, and I enter it.⟩ [7] ⟨It is forbidden to all the prophets and the messengers to enter the Garden before me, and forbidden to their communities to enter before my community.⟩ [8] Those who enter the Garden are a hundred and twenty rows: eighty of the rows from this community, and the forty from the remaining communities. [9] And he said: I ⟨am the first for whom the earth will split open,⟩ [10] the first to be raised. All of this is decisive proof that the Prophet ﷺ.

ﷺ is more excellent than the rest of the prophets. [11] The highest of the prophets in station are Ibrāhīm, Mūsā and ʿĪsā. Mūsā, upon him be blessing and peace, came to the appointed meeting-place to commune with Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and his communing was at Mount Ṭūr, while the Prophet ﷺ passed beyond seven heavens, then drew near and hung suspended, until he was «two bow-lengths away, or nearer» (Q. 53:9), and he was called in that station. This is higher than Mūsā’s communing at Mount Ṭūr. As for Mūsā, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, reported concerning him that he asked for the vision: «My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You» (Q. 7:143), and the answer was: «You will not see Me» (Q. 7:143). As for Muhammad ﷺ, the Qurʾan reported: «The heart did not lie about what it saw» (Q. 53:11). And Mūsā fell down in a swoon: «and Mūsā fell down in a swoon» (Q. 7:143), that is, unconscious; whereas Muhammad ﷺ: «The eye did not swerve, nor did it transgress» (Q. 53:17).

Allah addressed all the prophets and messengers by their names: O Nūḥ, O Ibrāhīm, O Mūsā, O ʿĪsā, O Ādam, O Dāwūd — every one of them He calls by his bare name, because, for all the majesty of their stations, every one of them is only a servant of His. As for Muhammad ﷺ, He did not call him by his name even once: O Messenger, O Prophet, O you wrapped in a cloak. Yes, He mentioned his name in the Qurʾan, because had He not mentioned his name we would not know who this mighty creature is; so He mentioned him, and He mentioned him only by joining the messengership to the mention of him: «Muhammad is nothing but a messenger» (Q. 3:144), «Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah» (Q. 48:29), «Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets» (Q. 33:40). This is the difference between our Prophet and the prophets before him. And since the Qurʾan states explicitly that He favoured some of the prophets over others, and we have witnessed these excellences and these conclusive proofs that Muhammad ﷺ is the most excellent of the prophets, no one doubts the pre-eminence of Muhammad ﷺ except one who does not believe this Qurʾan and has thereby left the religion altogether.

«And We gave ʿĪsā son of Maryam the clear proofs, and We strengthened him» We reinforced him «with the Holy Spirit» Jibrīl, who went with him wherever he went «And had Allah willed» [He would have] guided all people «those who came after them would not have fought one another» after the messengers

«after the clear proofs had come to them» because of their disagreement and their declaring one another astray «but they disagreed» by His will «so among them was he who believed» held firm to his faith «and among them was he who disbelieved» like the Christians after the Messiah «And had [Allah] willed»

«Allah, they would not have fought one another» [this is] emphasis «but Allah does what He wills» granting success to whom He wills and forsaking whom He wills (Q. 2:253). «O you who believe, spend out of what We have provided you» its zakat «before there comes a day in which there is no sale» [that is,] ransom «in it»

«nor friendship» a friendship that brings benefit «nor intercession» without His permission; and that day is the Day of Resurrection «And the disbelievers»

in Allah, or in what He has imposed upon them «they are the wrongdoers» the disbelievers are the wrongdoers (Q. 2:254). The scholars said: al-Ḥamdu li-Llāh [the praise is for Allah] that He did not say ‘the wrongdoers are the disbelievers’, but rather ‘the disbelievers are the wrongdoers’. [12] The Qurʾan’s practice, when it recounts the narratives, is to mention the rulings and to mention tawḥīd, because patience with a single kind is hard for the children of Ādam, even in foods: they like to move from one food to another, from one dish to another; that is more pleasurable to them. So the Qurʾan came in this way: it brings the narratives, then it brings the rulings, then it brings tawḥīd. It brought tawḥīd: this is the greatest verse in the Qurʾan. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Ādam is the master of mankind, I am the master of the Arabs, the Verse of the Throne is the master of the verses, Salmān is the master of Persia, Bilāl is the master of Abyssinia, and Friday is the master of the days.⟩ [13]

And he said: ⟨The most excellent of the Qurʾan […] and the most excellent of its verses is the Verse of the Throne.⟩ [14] because this verse comprises, of

tawḥīd, what no other verse comprises, in fifty words, all of them on tawḥīd, whereas [Sūrat] al-Ikhlāṣ is in only fifteen words. «Allah» a proper name for the Exalted Essence, the Necessarily Existent, who has no need of anything other than Himself, while everything other than Him depends upon Him. Allah — and He is the one truly worshipped. «There is no deity but He» there is nothing truly worshipped in existence except Him «the Living» perpetual in subsistence «the Sustainer» who undertakes to the utmost the governance of His creation (Q. 2:255). He stated that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has none truly worshipped besides Him, and this is the tawḥīd of the generality.

Tawḥīd has three ranks: it has a husk and it has a kernel, and the kernel itself also has a kernel. The kernel of the kernel is the oil that comes out of the kernel. The tawḥīd of the generality is lā ilāha illā Llāh, lā ilāha illā huwa, because they are absent from the Real, Blessed and Exalted. The tawḥīd of the elect is lā ilāha illā anta, because they are present with Allah, Blessed and Exalted — this is the kernel. The tawḥīd of the elect of the elect is that they pass away from themselves and so hear the tawḥīd from the One who declares the unity: lā ilāha illā anā. This one did not speak; rather the tawḥīd came out of him. The Real spoke upon his tongue, as He spoke upon the tongue of the tree in the case of Mūsā. Mūsā came to a tree and it said: «Truly I am Allah» (Q. 28:30). If the Real speaks upon the tongue of a tree, then that He should speak upon the tongue of the children of Ādam is more fitting. The meaning of lā ilāha illā Llāh for the generality is: there is nothing rightfully worshipped other than Allah. The meaning of lā ilāha illā Llāh for the aspirants is: there is nothing rightfully intended other than Allah, because they have set their aim upon the Presence. If they are truthful in intending nothing other than the Presence, then for them there is nothing intended but Allah. As for the tawḥīd of those who have arrived, the meaning of lā ilāha illā Llāh for them is: there is nothing rightfully existent other than Allah. They say lā illā Llāh [there is nothing but Allah]. «Each people has come to know»

«their drinking place» (Q. 2:60). This āya contains the mention of Allah seventeen times, between the explicit [noun] and the pronoun: «Allah — there is no deity but He» — this is His name, huwa [He]; «The Living» — His name; «The Self-Subsisting» — [His name]; «There does not take Him» — the pronoun refers back to Him — «slumber nor sleep. To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth» — the pronoun refers back to Him — «Who is there that intercedes with Him» — the pronoun refers back to Allah, Blessed and Exalted — «except by His permission»; «He knows» — [the subject is] He — «what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge» — [the pronoun] refers back to Allah, Blessed and Exalted — «except by what He wills» [that is,] Allah; «His Footstool extends over the heavens and the earth, and there does not weary Him» — [the pronoun] refers back to Him — «their preservation» — the agent of the verbal noun is a concealed pronoun referring back to Him — «and He is the Most High, the Great» (Q. 2:255). These are seventeen names of Allah in a single āya. This is not found in the Qurʾan except in Āyat al-Kursī, and for this reason it came as the greatest of the āyāt. Ranking in excellence exists only with respect to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, on the side of

Allah. Whoever wants to rank us above others by something other than Allah, let him take his preferment back. «The Living» — the one whose subsistence is perpetual; «The Self-Subsisting» — the one who is utmost in undertaking the governance of His creation (Q. 2:255). These two names describe Allah, Blessed and Exalted, with a description that no names other than these two accomplish. And Allah is the greatest of Allah’s ninety-nine names: you find that every name is annexed to it, while it is not annexed to any name. You say: al-Raḥmān is one of the names of Allah, al-Raḥīm is one of the names of Allah, al-Ḥayy is one of the names of Allah, al-Qayyūm is one of the names of Allah. And every word from which a letter is dropped loses its meaning and remains without meaning — except this word. If you drop the alif, there remains li-Llāh: «To Allah belongs what is in the heavens and the earth» (Q. 2:284). And if you drop the first lām, there remains lahu: «To Him belongs what is in the heavens and the earth» (Q. 2:116). And if you drop the second lām, there remains huwa: «He is Allah; there is no deity but He» (Q. 59:22). «There does not take Him slumber» — drowsiness — «nor sleep» (Q. 2:255). The due of hyperbole would have been for Him to say that no sleep takes Him and no slumber; but the beginning of sleep is drowsiness, so [if] no slumber takes Him, then no sleep all the more. He does not sleep and does not grow drowsy. It is related that it occurred to Mūsā, upon him be blessing and peace, one day: does our Lord sleep? So the angel came to him and kept him sleepless three nights running; he did not taste sleep. After that he was brought two flasks filled with water, [left] with him in trust for him to guard. He began to doze, and one flask knocked against the other, and he dozed, until sleep overcame him

and the two glass vessels broke, both of them. When he awoke he found the two flasks had both broken. [15] Allah revealed to him: ⟨You are the one who slept; you were unable to guard two flasks. I am the One who guards the heavens and the earth, the Throne and the Footstool, and the creation they contain — how should I sleep?⟩ One of the righteous had bought a slave, and the slave was one of the friends of Allah. When they had taken supper and nothing remained but sleep, he said to him: spread out my bedding for me so that I may sleep. He said to him: My master, do you have a master? He said to him: yes. He said: does your master sleep? He said: no, my Master does not sleep. He said: are you not ashamed to sleep before your master sleeps? This cannot be. So he set him free. [16] Two aspirants fell into disagreement, one of them saying to the other:

sleep is better than wakefulness, because the sleeper does not disobey Allah, Blessed and Exalted. And the other says to him: No, wakefulness is far better, because so long as you are awake you are a knower of Allah and you are able to make remembrance of Allah, whereas the sleeper does not know Allah and does not know anything. So the two of them brought their dispute before the Shaykh. One of them said: I said that sleep is better, because the sleeper does not disobey. The other said: I said that wakefulness is better, because the waking man knows Allah, Blessed and Exalted. The Shaykh said: As for you, who said that wakefulness is better than sleep — your life is better than your death. And he kept silent about the other, [17] [so] it is known from what was said to him [that the other’s] death is better for him.

«To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth» as possession, as creation, and as slaves; and ownership is incompatible with sonship. «Who is there that shall intercede with Him» No one intercedes with Him «except by His permission» [granted] to him. «He knows what is before them» [that is,] the creation «and what is behind them» of the affair of this world and of the hereafter. «And they do not encompass anything of His knowledge» they do not know anything of what He knows «except what He wills» that He should teach them, through the reports of the messengers. «His Kursī encompasses the heavens and the earth» It is said: His knowledge encompasses them both. And it is said: His dominion [does]. And it is said: the Kursī itself contains them both, by reason of its vastness, on account of the hadith: ⟨The seven heavens in the Kursī are but as seven dirhams cast into a shield. ⟩ [18] «And it does not weary Him» [that is,] weigh upon Him «the preserving of them both» that is, the heavens and the earth. «And He is the Exalted» above His creation by [His] overpowering «the Immense» (Q. 2:255) that is,

the Great. This is Āyat al-Kursī. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Whoever keeps constantly to the recitation of Āyat al-Kursī after every prayer, nothing bars him from entering the Garden but death.⟩ And he said: ⟨When you take to your bed and recite Āyat al-Kursī, Allah preserves you, and preserves whoever is with you in the house, and the houses around [you].⟩

[19] The Prophet ﷺ had left dates of ṣadaqa with Abū Hurayra, who was his storekeeper. When night came, a person came in to steal from them, and Abū Hurayra seized him. He said to him: By Allah, let me go, and I will not do it again. So he came to the Messenger ﷺ in the morning, and he said to him: Abū Hurayra, what did your captive do? He said: He pledged to me that he would not do it again. He said: He will certainly do it again. And on the following night, when Abū Hurayra grew drowsy, he came back and wanted to take some of

the ṣadaqa, so he seized him again and said to him: You gave a pledge that you would not do it again, and you have done it again. He said: Let me go, and I will not do it again. So he let him go. When morning came al-Muṣṭafā said to him: Abū Hurayra, what did your captive do? He said: He pledged to me that he would not do it again. He said: He will certainly do it again. And on the third night he came again and set about scooping up [the dates], wanting to steal. So Abū Hurayra seized him and said to him: You are a traitor; every day you give a pledge that you will not come back, and you come back. He said to him: Let me go, and I will teach you something which, if you recite it, Allah will preserve you from the devils. He said to him: What is it? He said: Āyat al-Kursī.

When morning came the Messenger ﷺ said to him: Abū Hurayra, what did your captive do? He said: He taught me something; he said that when I recite it before sleep Allah preserves me from Satan — and it is Āyat al-Kursī. He said: He has certainly told you the truth, though he is a great liar. [20]

And whoever recites it for a need three hundred and thirteen times — the number of the messengers and the number of the people of Badr — Allah grants that need, whatever it may be; [21] and whoever recites it fifty times before sleep, Allah heals him of madness. They have mentioned many things concerning its excellences. «There is no compulsion in religion» there is no compelling [anyone] to enter the religion «right guidance has been made clear from error» it has become plain, through the clear signs, that belief is right guidance and unbelief is error. It was sent down concerning those of the Anṣār who had children whom they wanted to compel to Islam. «So whoever disbelieves in the ṭāghūt» Satan, or the idols «and believes in Allah has grasped» has taken hold of «the firmest handhold» the firmly tied knot «which does not break; and Allah is Hearing» of what is said «Knowing» (Q. 2:256) of what is done. «Allah is the protector of those who believe» their helper «He brings them out of the darknesses» unbelief «into the light» belief. He put ‘the darknesses’ in the plural because the paths of unbelief are many and the path of belief is one. «And those who disbelieve — their protectors are the ṭāghūt; they bring them out of the light» belief «into the darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they abide in it forever». (Q. 2:257) He brings the story. «Have you not seen him who contended» disputed «with Ibrāhīm concerning his Lord, because Allah had given him kingship» (Q. 2:258) His insolence and his pride at the blessings of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, carried him [to this], and so he took to disputing

Allah’s prophet Ibrāhīm — and he [the disputant] is [Nam]rūd b. Kanʿān «When Ibrāhīm said» — when he said to him: who is your Lord, the one to whom you call us? Ibrāhīm said «My Lord is He who gives life and causes death» he creates life and death in bodies «He said» he [that is, Namrūd] «I give life and I cause death» by killing and by pardoning. He summoned two men, killed one and let the other go, and said to him: I have caused death and I have given life. When Ibrāhīm saw that, he moved to a clearer proof. «Ibrāhīm said» «Then Allah brings the sun from the east, so bring it» you «from the west. So the one who disbelieved was confounded» the disbeliever was bewildered and astonished; he knew no answer «And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people» (Q. 2:258) This Namrūd was a tyrannical king; he ruled the whole world. No one has ruled the world in its entirety except four persons: two of the believers and two of the disbelievers. Two of the believers: Sulaymān b. Dāwūd, who ruled the whole world, and Dhū al-Qarnayn, the Arab whom Allah mentioned at the end of [Sūrat] al-Kahf. And two of the disbelievers: this Namrūd b. Kanʿān, the Pharaoh of Ibrāhīm, and Bukhtanaṣṣar, whose account will come in Sūrat al-Isrāʾ. [22] Today the world contains more than a hundred states. Pharaoh, for all his tyranny, ruled nothing but Egypt, whereas this Namrūd ruled the whole world, and he lived four hundred years and no illness ever befell him. Then Iblīs came to him and said to him: you are not a human being, you are a god; call the people to worship you alone. So he claimed lordship. When Allah sent Ibrāhīm and he called them to the worship of the One Creator, he disputed with him in this disputation. It was a time of drought. Ibrāhīm went out from al-Shām seeking provisions, and when Ibrāhīm refused to acknowledge him, he denied him the provisions, so Ibrāhīm went back to his family without provisions. When he drew near the village he said: if I come back empty-handed, this will frighten my dependents; it is better that I fill my sacks with this earth. So he took earth on a rise, filled his sacks and loaded them on his animals. When he arrived, fatigue overcame him and he slept. When he had fallen asleep, the lady of the house said: I will take some of the provisions he has brought and make him food before he wakes. So she opened a sack and found the finest wheat, and she made bread,

When Ibrāhīm awoke and smelled the food, he asked her: where did you get this food? She said: from the wheat you brought from your khalīl [friend]. And so Ibrāhīm was named khalīl. He knew that this was from Allah, Blessed and Exalted. [23] It is also said that he was named al-Khalīl because Ibrāhīm was wealthy: he owned five thousand head of cattle, and he had dogs that pastured the cattle, and every one of his livestock dogs he collared with pure gold. The angels said: what Ibrāhīm has done is extravagance, and perhaps the abundance of his wealth distracts him from the remembrance of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. So […] said to the angels: go to Ibrāhīm and test him. An angel came to him and said to him: Ibrāhīm, these dogs — gold is hung upon their necks? He said: because of the worthlessness of this world; gold is contemptible, and nothing suits it but dogs. He said to him: this cattle you own is abundant. He said: make mention of Allah once and I will give you half of it. So he said: lā ilāha illā Allah. He said: make mention of Him a second time and I will give you all of it. So he made mention of Allah, and he said to him: all the cattle I have is yours, and if you add [another] I will give you all the possessions I have. So he made mention of Allah a third time, and he said to him: if you do it again I will give you myself — I will be your servant for the rest of my life. So he made mention of Allah, and the angel made to leave. He said to him: do not go away from your property. He said to him: I am an angel from among the angels; I have no need of wealth. So he went back and said: it is fitting for this one, O

my Lord, that You take him as an intimate friend [khalīl]. [24] Then Ibrāhīm said: this wealth, which he gave for Allah’s sake, does not return to him. So with it he built the porticoes that are in Jerusalem — the porticoes of Ibrāhīm, standing to this day, [built] from that wealth. «Or like the one who passed by a town» — it is Jerusalem — riding on a donkey, with a basket of figs and a cup of juice with him; and he is ʿUzayr — «and it was hollow» fallen down «upon its trellises» its roofs, when Bukhtanaṣṣar [Nebuchadnezzar] laid it waste. When Bukhtanaṣṣar destroyed Jerusalem, demolished the mosques, and killed the prophets and the Muslims, all of them, and held power over them for four hundred years as well, ʿUzayr passed by Jerusalem and it was empty. «He said: By what means» how «will Allah give life to this after its death» how will Allah give life to this city after its death — in amazement at the power of [Allah] the Exalted. «So Allah caused him to die» Allah caused him to die, him, and made him remain «a hundred years, then He raised him» raised him to life, to show him the manner of it. ʿUzayr, when he asked how Allah gives life to the dead, his question did not carry complete adab, as Ibrāhīm’s question that comes next does; and for this reason the sign was shown to him in his own person. Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him. He and his donkey both died and their bones crumbled, then Allah raised him. «He said: How long did you remain?» When Allah raised him and he sat up, he was asked: how long did you stay here? «He said: I remained a day» He said: one single day, supposing it to be the day on which he died and at the end of which he was raised. He said «or part of a day» because he had fallen asleep at the beginning of the day and was taken [in death], and was brought to life at sunset, so he supposed it was the day of his sleep. «He said: Rather, you remained a hundred years» Allah informed him that he had stayed there a hundred years. «So look at your food» He looked at the figs, and there they were in the state they were in when they were picked from the tree, moist and fresh. «and your drink» the juice too was fresh «it has not gone stale with the years» it had not altered. ʿUzayr and the donkey both died, until their bones gleamed bare, while the basket and the juice stayed as they were on the day it was pressed. «and look at your donkey» (Q. 2:259)

how it is. And he saw it dead, its bones white and gleaming. We did that so that you may know. «and so that We may make you a sign» of the resurrection «for the people — and look at the bones» look again at the bones of your donkey «how We revive them» (Q. 2:259) — we give them life — our reading,

and the reading of Ḥafṣ is kayfa nunshizuhā, that is, We move them «then We clothe them with flesh» He looked at them, and they had been fitted together and clothed with flesh, and the spirit was breathed into it, and it stood up and brayed. «So when it became clear to him» that, by direct witnessing «He said: I know» a knowing by direct witnessing «that Allah is powerful over all things» (Q. 2:259). This is ʿUzayr. When ʿUzayr had lived until he reached twenty years, a child was born to him; and when he reached forty years he set out on this journey of his, and Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him. He was raised at the age of forty, and he had left behind a son of twenty years who lived on after him for a hundred years. So he came back at the age of forty while his son was a hundred and twenty years old, and the two of them died on a single day. A riddle is made of it: a man died, he and his son, on a single day, and his son was older than him by eighty years, two thirds of his lifetime — the two thirds are eighty years. ʿUzayr died at the age of forty and his son died at the age of a hundred and twenty; the son was longer-lived than the father by two thirds of his lifetime. So ʿUzayr mounted the donkey and entered the city, and saw that every landmark of the town had changed. He came and gave greeting. They said:

Who are you? He said: I am ʿUzayr. They said: do not remind us of our calamity — ʿUzayr went out travelling and perished on his journey, and has not come back these hundred years. He said: I am ʿUzayr. They said: No. He said: He is ʿUzayr. They said to him: you must bring us proof that you are ʿUzayr. They said to him: ʿUzayr knew the Torah by heart, and the Torah was lost at the hand of Bukhtanaṣṣar, and all those who knew the Torah by heart perished; no Torah is left with us. So he set about dictating the Torah to them from its beginning to its end. When he had finished, one of them said: I have found it written that my grandfather reports from his grandfather that he deposited a copy of the Torah under such-and-such a palm tree. So they called for someone who knew that place, and they came and dug and found the Torah, and they compared it with the Torah that ʿUzayr had dictated, and he had not altered so much as a single vowel-mark. So they said: this one is nothing less than the son of Allah. For this they perished.

What calls for guidance becomes what calls for their own destruction. And ʿUzayr — his question has no adab in it: «He said: By what means will Allah give life to this after its death» (Q. 2:259) and for this reason the sign was shown to him, but in his own person: he tasted hardship. And Ibrāhīm, who is complete in adab, asked for what ʿUzayr asked, but with complete adab. «And» recall «when Ibrāhīm said: My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead» (Q. 2:260) He came with the name rabb — O my Lord, show me — he asked Allah, Blessed and Exalted, to show him the manner of it. He did not doubt

in the power, but he wished to witness [it]. «He said: Do you not then believe?» in My power to give life. He asked him, Blessed and Exalted, even though He knew of his belief in that, so that he might answer what he was asked and the hearers might learn his purpose. «He said: Yes, but so that my heart may be at rest» (Q. 2:260) Ibrāhīm asked for the seeing so that his heart might be at rest, and for this reason the Messenger ﷺ said:

⟨We have more right to doubt than Ibrāhīm.⟩ [25] He said this out of humility. He wished for the witnessing so that his heart might be at rest. Hearts fall into classes:

A heart that is at rest in this world alone: «They were content with the life of this world and were at rest in it» (Q. 10:7) The people of this world — their rest is in this world alone, because that is the limit of their knowledge. And the people of Allah — their rest is in the remembrance of Allah: «Is it not by the remembrance of Allah that hearts are at rest?» (Q. 13:28) And the elect of the elect — their rest is in direct witnessing: «Show me how You give life to the dead» «Do you not then believe? He said: Yes. But so that my heart may be at rest» (Q. 2:260) — by direct witnessing. Ibrāhīm is one of the people of direct witnessing. «He said: Then take four of the birds and draw them to yourself» Take four of the birds: the cock, the vulture, the crow and the peacock. Kill them, cut them up, mix their flesh with their feathers, and gather all of that together. «then set upon every mountain» of the mountains of your land «a portion of them, then call them: they will come to you in haste» swiftly «and know that Allah is Mighty, Wise» (Q. 2:260) in His making. So he took a peacock, a vulture, a crow and a cock, and did with them what has been described, and kept their heads with him, and called them. The pieces flew to one another until they were made complete, then they came forward to their heads, and each stood up a bird. This is Ibrāhīm: when he asked to see the manner of the raising of the dead, Allah directed him to these four birds. He killed them, pounded them up with their feathers and their flesh, and divided them into four portions as has been described. Then he called out, O cock, and out came whatever belonged to

the cock from every portion, and it fitted itself together until the whole of it was joined and was attached to its head, and it stood up a cock. The peacock likewise, the vulture likewise, the crow likewise. So Ibrāhīm knew by direct witnessing that Allah has the power to give life to the dead. Ibrāhīm is one of the knowers [al-ʿārifūn] whose journeying is always in the Dominion [al-malakūt]; their hearts fly in the Dominion, and for this reason Allah showed him marvels in the birds. These birds have in them the natural dispositions of the sons of Adam. The cock has appetite in it always, the appetite for intercourse; the crow is covetous; the vulture loves eating and never slackens from eating; and the peacock loves adornment and boasting. [26] When a man purifies his soul of these dispositions he dwells in the dominion of the heavens and the earth. When he struggles against his soul until he has severed it from appetite, from much eating, from boasting and self-adornment, and from covetousness, he enters the dominion of the heavens and the earth. Man was created from the four elements: from water, earth, air and fire — these are the four elements. From the nature of water and earth came covetousness and miserliness; from air and fire came anger and appetite. These are four. Covetousness married envy, miserliness married rancour, anger married pride, and appetite has no spouse: it is a beloved, like a woman held in common among men. So these are seven: there appeared covetousness and its wife envy, miserliness and its wife rancour, anger and its wife pride, and appetite, which has no spouse. These seven are the gates of Hell: «It has seven gates; to each gate a portion of them is assigned» (Q. 15:44) So whoever struggles against his soul and purifies it of covetousness and of miserliness, of envy, of rancour, of anger, of pride and of appetite has freed his soul from the Fire. Covetousness is the first thing by which Allah was disobeyed: Adam ate from the forbidden tree after he had possessed the Garden and what is in it, out of covetousness on his part for remaining in the Garden — and so he went out of the Garden. And envy is the first thing by which Iblīs disobeyed: he envied Adam and so refused to prostrate to him, and contrived against him until he brought him out of the Garden, out of envy. And by envy Qābīl killed Hābīl. These three acts of disobedience are the first acts of disobedience upon the face of

the earth: covetousness, envy and killing. «The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the path of Allah is as the likeness of a grain that put forth seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains» (Q. 2:261) This verse came down concerning the army of hardship — I mean the expedition of Tabūk. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Whoever equips the army of hardship, the Garden is his.⟩ [27] ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān came to him and said to him: ⟨Upon me are a thousand camels, each camel with its load of wheat, and a hundred horses with their saddles and their saddle-cloths.⟩ And he brought a thousand dīnārs and poured them into the lap of the Prophet ﷺ and the Prophet began to turn the gold over and to say:

⟨O Allah, I am pleased with him, so be pleased with him. By Allah, nothing ʿUthmān does after this day will harm him.⟩ [28] And so there came down: «The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the path of Allah is as the likeness of a grain that put forth seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains» (Q. 2:261) And so likewise

their expenditures are multiplied seven hundredfold. [29] «And Allah multiplies for whom He wills, and Allah is Vast» His bounty [is vast]. «Knowing» (Q. 2:261) «Those who spend their wealth in the path of Allah, then do not follow what they have spent with reproach» upon the one spent upon, as when they say, for example: I have done him a kindness and mended his condition. «nor harm» by mentioning it to someone whose learning of it he would not like «They shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve» (Q. 2:262) «A kind word» good speech, and a reply to the one who asks «and forgiveness» towards him in the matter of the need — that is, a veiling of his need «are better than a charity followed by harm» by reproach, and by shaming him for having asked «And Allah is Rich» beyond need of the charity of [His] servants «Forbearing» (Q. 2:263) in deferring the punishment from the one who reproaches «O you who believe, do not nullify your acts of charity» [that is], their rewards «by reproach and harm, like the one who» like the nullifying of [the expenditure of] the one who «spends his wealth for show before people» making a display to them «and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day» and he is the hypocrite «His likeness is as the likeness of a bare rock» a smooth stone «upon which is dust, and a downpour strikes it» heavy rain «and leaves it bare»

hard and smooth, with nothing upon it «They have no power» that is, the hypocrites «over anything of what they have earned» they find nothing of the reward of what they did «And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people» (Q. 2:264) «And the likeness of those who spend their wealth seeking the good pleasure of Allah and out of a firmness in themselves» in certainty of the reward, unlike the hypocrites «is as the likeness of a garden» an orchard «on a height» elevated and level «a downpour strikes it, and it yields» it gives «its produce» that is, its fruit «twofold; and if no downpour strikes it, then a drizzle» light rain «And Allah is Seeing of what you do» (Q. 2:265) And Allah is seeing of what you do. «Would [one] wish»

would he like «any of you that he should have a garden» an orchard «of date palms and vines, beneath which rivers flow, in which he has» fruit «of all the fruits, and there strikes him» when there has already struck him «old age» so that he has become too weak from old age to earn «and he has weak offspring» young children «and a whirlwind strikes it» a violent wind «in which is fire»

«and it burns up» and so he lost it when he was most in need of it. Would any of you like this? No. So too the man: when he gives a charity and makes a display in it — when he enters his grave and comes to be most in need of his good deeds, he finds them scattered dust, as nothing. «Thus does Allah make clear to you the signs, that you may reflect» (Q. 2:266) and so take warning «O you who believe, spend» [that is], pay the zakat «of the good things of what you have earned» the choice part of what you have earned. The ṭayyib here means fine quality, because «Spend» indicates that it is lawful; so what remains is that the meaning of «of the good things of what you have earned» is: of the choice part of them. When a man gives charity, he gives from wealth that is good. «and of what We have brought forth for you from the earth» of grains and fruits «and do not aim at» do not intend «the bad» the inferior «of it to spend, when you would not take it»

[that is], the bad «except that you close your eyes to it» out of the intensity of your dislike of it «and know that Allah is Rich» beyond need of your expenditures «Praiseworthy» (Q. 2:267) praised «Satan promises you poverty» he frightens you with it if you give charity, so that you hold back «and commands you to indecency» with miserliness. Every al-faḥshāʾ in the Qurʾan has the sense of fornication except this one, which has the sense of miserliness. [30] «And Allah promises you» for spending «forgiveness from Him» for your sins «and bounty» provision given in replacement from Him «And Allah is Vast, Knowing» (Q. 2:268) of the one who spends. When a man resolves to bring out the charity — the Messenger said: ⟨The charity does not go out until it has been wrested from the hand of seventy devils.⟩ [31] And the charity, when it goes out from the hand of the one who gives it, speaks words: I was little and you made me much; I was small and you made me great; I was perishing and you made me endure; I was guarded, and now I remain a guard for you; I was an enemy and you made me beloved. Every charity utters these five words

before it reaches the poor man. [32] It was little and became much; it was small and became great; it was guarded and became a guard; it was perishing and became enduring; it was an enemy and became a beloved. «He gives wisdom» beneficial knowledge that leads to action «to whom He wills; and whoever is given wisdom has been given much good» because his end is everlasting felicity. Wisdom is knowledge of the Qurʾan, beneficial knowledge. Wherever it is mentioned in the Qurʾan its meaning is the admonitions of the Qurʾan, the sunna of the Messenger ﷺ and working for the hereafter. Knowledge that comprises this, the Qurʾan describes as much good — after this world and what is in it had been [called] little, and knowledge [had been called] little, by this it has become much; and that which was called little, we never know its end. «And none remembers except those possessed of understanding» (Q. 2:269) «And whatever you spend of expenditure» [that is], what you have paid of zakat or charity «or vow of a vow» and have fulfilled [it] «then Allah knows it» and will requite you for it «And the wrongdoers shall have no helpers» (Q. 2:270) who could prevent [it] «If you disclose the charities»

the voluntary offerings «then how excellent it is» making them public is a good thing «and if you conceal them» you cover them over «and give them to the poor, that is better for you» (Q. 2:271) than making them public. Almsgiving is of two kinds: if it is an obligatory alms and the person is one whose example is followed, then making it public is better than concealing it, because of the following of his example that results from it; and if he is not such a one, then concealing it is better. [33] «and We shall remit for you some of your evil deeds, and Allah is aware of what you do» (Q. 2:271) Our master ʿAli, may Allah ennoble his face, uttered nine sayings: three in his intimate converse with Allah, Blessed and Exalted, three in wisdom, and three in the proprieties [al-ādāb]:

Three in the intimate converse. He says: ⟨It is enough glory for me that You are my Lord, and it is enough honour for me that I am Your servant. [34] You are as I love, so make me as You love.⟩ This is in his intimate converse. And three in wisdom. ʿAli said, may Allah ennoble his

face: ⟨The worth of every man is what he does well. [35] He who knows his own measure does not perish. [36] Whoever knows what he aims at finds easy what he seeks.⟩ And he said, concerning the proprieties: ⟨Spend on everyone you love, and you are his commander; have no need of everyone you love, and you are his equal; plead with everyone you love, and you are his captive.⟩ [37] If you have no need of a man, however high he has risen, you are his equal; and if you need him, you are his captive; and if you do good to him, you are his commander. «Their guidance is not upon you» (Q. 2:272) The occasion for the descent of this verse is that the Prophet ﷺ said: ⟨Withhold the alms from the poor among the unbelievers, so that they may accept Islam.⟩ [38] The alms used to reach them only from the Muslims. If the Muslims withheld their alms, they might be driven to Islam. And Allah, in His justice, says: «Their guidance is not upon you» the guiding of people to entering Islam. Upon you is only the delivering [of the message], that alone. «but Allah guides whom He wills» His guiding him to enter into it «and whatever good you spend» of wealth «is for yourselves» The alms is not for the poor man; it is for the giver of the alms. «and you spend nothing except in seeking Allah’s face» His reward, nothing else «and whatever good you spend will be repaid to you in full» its recompense «and you will not be wronged» (Q. 2:272) you will not be diminished of anything of it «For the poor»

The alms are for the poor «who are confined in the path of Allah» (Q. 2:273) they have confined themselves to the jihad, and they are the people of

the Ṣuffa [the portico of the Prophet’s mosque]. [39] Their chief was Abū Hurayra. They were four hundred of the Emigrants who had set themselves apart for learning the Qurʾan and for going out with the raiding parties. «they are unable [to make] any journeying» travel «in the land» for trade and for a livelihood, because they are occupied with the jihad «the ignorant man supposes them» [ignorant] of their condition «to be rich, because of [their] abstinence» because they abstain from begging «You know them»

O you who are addressed «by their mark» their sign, which is humility and the trace of exertion «they do not ask people» for anything, importuning them «with importunity» they do not beg at all «and whatever good you spend, Allah knows it» (Q. 2:273) and He will requite [you] for it «Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly» (Q. 2:274) It came down concerning our master ʿAli b. Abī Ṭālib, may Allah ennoble his face. He hired himself out and worked the whole day; when night came they gave him four dirhams. He gave one dirham in alms by night, one dirham by day, one dirham in secret and one dirham openly. [40] And so Allah said: «Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly — theirs is their reward with their Lord; no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve» (Q. 2:274) «Those who consume usury» they take it, and it is the increase in dealing with coin and with foodstuffs, whether in quantity or in term «shall not rise» from their graves «except» [with] a rising «as he rises whom he afflicts» throws him down «Satan, from the touch» from madness «That» which has befallen them «is because they» for the reason that they «said: Trade is only like»

«usury» (Q. 2:275) Allah forbade usury, and they said: whoever sells cannot do without usury. This is the comparison reversed. «whereas Allah has made trade lawful and has forbidden usury» (Q. 2:275) Allah answered them: He made trade lawful and forbade usury. How can trade be like usury

«So he to whom there comes» reaches him «an admonition» an exhortation «from his Lord, and desists» from consuming it «his is what is past» (Q. 2:275)

before the prohibition. «And his affair» in [the matter of] pardon «[is] unto Allah». «And whoever returns» to consuming it, likening it to sale in respect of lawfulness, «those are the companions of the Fire; they abide therein forever» (Q. 2:275) «Allah effaces usury» He denied the advantage here as well, in that Allah diminishes usury and strips away its blessing «and He causes the charities to grow» He increases them, makes them grow, and multiplies their reward. Usury is effaced and then burned, while the charities Allah increases and multiplies. «And Allah does not love every disbeliever» by declaring usury lawful «sinner» dissolute through consuming it; rather, He punishes him (Q. 2:276) «Those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish the prayer and pay the alms — theirs is their reward with their Lord; no fear is upon them, nor do they grieve» The like of it has already come. (Q. 2:277) «O you who believe, fear Allah and leave» abandon «what remains of usury, if you are believers» truthful in your faith, for compliance with Allah’s command belongs to the character of the believer. It was revealed when some of the Companions demanded, after the prohibition, usury that had been owed to him beforehand. (Q. 2:278) [41] «But if you do not do so» what you were commanded, namely the abandonment of usury «then be apprised» know «of war from Allah and His Messenger» against you. In it is a severe threat to them. And when it was revealed they said: we have no hand for war with Him. «And if you repent, you shall have the principal sums of your wealth» the capital sums of your wealth «you will not wrong» by [exacting] an increase «nor will you be wronged» by [suffering] a reduction (Q. 2:279) «And if there be» there happens to be a debtor «one in straitened circumstances, then a deferment» that is, deferring him «until ease» until the time of ease «And that you remit it is better for you, if you only knew» that it is better — so do it. (Q. 2:280) In the hadith: ⟨Whoever grants respite to one in straits, or remits [the debt] for him, Allah will shade him in His shade.⟩

Muslim transmitted it. [42] «And fear a Day on which you will be returned to Allah» you will be brought back on it to Allah, and it is the Day of Resurrection «then every soul will be paid in full for what it earned» it did, of good and of evil […] «and they will not be wronged» (Q. 2:281) by the diminution of a good deed or the addition of an evil one «O you who believe, when you contract a debt with one another» that is, you deal with one another by means of a debt, such as a salam [sale] or a loan «for a stated term» that is, known «then write it down» as a safeguard and to forestall dispute «and let [one] write» the document of the debt «[between you] a scribe, in justice» with truth in what he writes: he adds nothing to the sum or the term and subtracts nothing «and let [him] not refuse» that is, decline, «a scribe, to write [it]» when he is called to it «as Allah has taught him» since Allah has favoured him with writing, let him not be miserly [with it] «so let him write; and let dictate» to the scribe «the one who owes the debt» the debt, because he is the one testified against, so he acknowledges [it] so that what he owes may be known «and let him fear Allah, his Lord» in his dictation «and let him not diminish» that is, reduce «anything from it. And if the one who owes the debt is a prodigal» a squanderer «or weak» unable to dictate, through youth or old age «or unable to dictate himself» through muteness, or ignorance of the language, or the like «then let his guardian dictate» the one in charge of his affairs: a father, an executor, a court-appointed guardian, or an interpreter «in justice. And call witnesses» have witnesses testify to the debt «two witnesses» two men who give testimony «from among your men» free Muslim men who have reached majority «and if they are not» that is, the two witnesses «two men, then one man and two women» who give testimony «from those of whom you approve as witnesses» for his religion and his probity; and the women are two [rather than one, so that] «one of them should err» that is, forget «one of the two, so that the one may remind the other. And let the witnesses not refuse when they are called» to assume the testimony and to give it «and do not grow weary» that is, become bored «of writing it down, small or large» little or much «until its term. That [course] of yours» that is, the writing [of it] «is more equitable» more just «in Allah’s sight, and more upright for testimony, and nearer» that is, closer «to your not doubting» that you doubt the amount of the debt or the term «unless it be» that is, there occurs «a present trade which you circulate among yourselves» you take possession of it, and there is no term in it «then there is no blame on you that you do not write it down. And call witnesses when you trade with one another» (Q. 2:282) [call witnesses] to it, for that best wards off disagreement,

and this, and what precedes it, is a command of recommendation. «And let no writer or witness cause harm» [namely, to] the holder of the right and the one who owes it, by distortion or by refusing to testify «And if you do» what you were forbidden «then it is a transgression» a departure from obedience «on your part. And fear Allah» in His command and His prohibition «And Allah teaches you» the welfare of your affairs «and Allah is Knowing of all things» (Q. 2:282) «And if you are upon a journey» travelling, and you contract a debt with one another, «and you find no writer, then pledges» the plural of rahn «taken in hand»

by which you take security. «But if one of you trusts another» the creditor trusted the debtor with his right and so took no pledge «then let him who is trusted render» the debtor «his trust» his debt «and let him fear Allah his Lord» in rendering it «And do not conceal the testimony» (Q. 2:283)

when you are called to give it «and whoever conceals it, his heart is sinful» the heart is singled out for mention because it is the seat of testimony, and because when it sins the rest [of the body] follows it; so he is punished for it with the punishment of sinners. ⟨In the body there is a morsel of flesh: when it is sound the whole body is sound, and when it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt. It is the heart.⟩ [43] «and Allah is knowing of what you do» (Q. 2:283) nothing is hidden from Him «To Allah belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And whether you disclose» that is, make manifest «what is in yourselves» of evil and of equity «or conceal it» that is, keep it secret «Allah will bring you to account for it» on the Day of Resurrection «so He forgives whom He wills» [whom He wills] forgiveness for «and punishes whom He wills» [whom He wills] to punish «and Allah is powerful over everything» (Q. 2:284) and that includes bringing you to account and requiting you; when it came down, Abū Bakr came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said to him: ⟨If Allah takes us to account for what is in our souls, then we perish; we have no capacity for this.⟩ The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Do you wish to say what the people of the two Books before you said: We have heard and we have disobeyed?⟩ Abū Bakr said: ⟨No, but we have no capacity for this. If Allah takes us to account for what is in our souls, there is no deliverance at all.⟩ so there came down «Allah does not burden»

«a soul beyond its capacity» (Q. 2:286) [44] — the āya that follows. «The Messenger has believed» [that is,] Muhammad «in what has been sent down to him from his Lord» of the Qurʾan «and the believers» [this is] coordinated with it «each one» of them «has believed in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers» (Q. 2:285)

They say: «We make no distinction between any of His messengers» so as to believe in some and disbelieve in others, as the Jews and the Christians did. «And they said: We have heard» [that is,] what we were commanded — a hearing of acceptance «and we have obeyed. Your forgiveness» we ask You for Your forgiveness «our Lord, and to You is the return» (Q. 2:285) When the āya before it came down, the believers complained of the whispering [of the soul], and being brought to account for it weighed heavily upon them. And so there came down: «Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity» that is, [beyond] what its power can encompass «To it belongs what it has earned» (Q. 2:286)

of good «and against it is what it has acquired» of evil «Our Lord» [that is,] say: Our Lord «do not take us to task» with punishment «if we forget or err» (Q. 2:286) [that is,] we have abandoned what is right, [not] deliberately, as You took to task those before us for it. And Allah has lifted that

from this community, as has come in the hadith. [45] So his asking [for this] is an acknowledgement of Allah’s favour. «Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden» a matter whose carrying weighs heavily on us «as You laid it upon those before us» the Children of Israel: the killing of the self, since whoever wished to repent would kill himself; and the handing over of a quarter of one’s wealth, for the alms-tax was a quarter of their wealth; and the cutting away of the place [touched by] impurity «Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength for» of obligations and affliction «and pardon us» efface our sins «and forgive us and have mercy on us» mercy is something more than forgiveness «You are our Protector» our Master and the One who manages our affairs «so help us against the disbelieving people» (Q. 2:286) by establishing the proof and by victory in fighting them, for it belongs to a protector to help those under his protection against enemies, and in the hadith: ⟨When this āya came down and he ﷺ recited it, he was told after every phrase: I have done [it].⟩ [46] His supplication was answered.

Sūrat Āl ʿImrān

Medinan. Two hundred āyāt, or [two hundred] less one āya.

«By Allah’s Name: The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful» «Alif Lām Mīm» (Q. 3:1) Allah knows best what He intends by it. The right course in interpreting it is: Allah knows best what He intends. It came down concerning the disputation of the Messenger ﷺ with the delegation of the Christians of Najrān.

Sixty riders came from the Christians of Najrān. Among them was the king, among them the head of the bishops, and among them the greatest of their merchants, their rich man — they are the lords to whose word [the rest] defer. They came to the Prophet ﷺ disputing with him about the affair of ʿĪsā. At one time they would say: ʿĪsā is Allah, because he gives life to the dead and heals the one born blind and the leper, and creates from clay the likeness of a bird — so he is Allah. At another time they would say: ʿĪsā is a son to Allah, because he has no father. Have you seen a child with no father? Since he had no father, we know that Allah is his father. At another time they would say: the third of three…

Have you not read the word of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, ‘We did’ and ‘We said’? Had He been alone, He would have said ‘I said’ and ‘I did’. [47] The Prophet ﷺ said to them: ⟨Do you know that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is Living and does not die?⟩ They said: Yes.

He said: ⟨And does death come to ʿĪsā?⟩ They said: ⟨Yes.⟩ He said: ⟨Do you not know that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is able to form people in the wombs, and that ʿĪsā has nothing of that?⟩ They said: ⟨Yes indeed.⟩ He said: ⟨Do you not know that a child must resemble his father, and Allah is the Living, the Self-Subsisting, whom no slumber takes nor sleep, living, who never dies, while ʿĪsā — his mother carried him as women carry, and she bore him as women bear, and she suckled him as women suckle, and he used to eat and drink and relieve himself?⟩ They said: ⟨Yes indeed.⟩ He said: ⟨You know that ʿĪsā — the Christians claimed that he was killed, and that he was powerless to defend himself, while Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is living, abiding.⟩ They said: ⟨Yes.⟩ And so there came seventy āyāt from

the beginning of this sura, concerning that disputation, making clear the confirmation of the Prophet ﷺ and his agreement with the truth. [48] «Allah — there is no deity but He, The Living, The Self-Subsisting» (Q. 3:2) Allah, the one who deserves worship; there is no object of worship in truth other than Him. And He is «The Living» — the everlasting; «The Self-Subsisting» — the one who undertakes the governance of His creation perpetually. ʿĪsā is not like that. «And He sent down upon you» O Muhammad «the Book» the Qurʾan «with the truth, confirming what was before it» (Q. 3:3) That the Qurʾan came down upon Muhammad — in this is the strongest proof for Muhammad ﷺ of his truthfulness in what he said. «and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel before, as guidance» — guides out of error — «for mankind» (Q. 3:3–4) because if they acknowledge that Allah sent down the Torah and the Gospel, they cannot deny that Allah sent down the Qurʾan upon Muhammad. Either they disbelieve in all the prophets and all the books, and so disbelieve in the Qurʾan; but if they affirm the truth of one prophet among the prophets, or one book among the books, then they cannot declare false

Muhammad or the Qurʾan, for they have no argument. The prophets came with books from Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and what strengthened them, so that we accepted that this came from Allah, were the miracles; and Muhammad came with a book from Allah and came with dazzling miracles. So how can one believe in a prophet and disbelieve in Muhammad ﷺ, when he has miracles they do not have, and when he claimed nothing but a book that came to him from Allah, Blessed and Exalted? For this reason He informed them that it is He who sent down this Book, just as He sent down the Torah and the Gospel before. «and He sent down the Furqān» (Q. 3:4) meaning the books that distinguish truth from falsehood, or the miracles, in all three. So either one affirms all of them or one disbelieves in all of them: may Allah protect us from that. «Those who disbelieve in Allah’s signs will have a severe punishment; and Allah is Mighty» prevailing in His affair, so nothing prevents Him from carrying out His promise and His threat «Possessor of retribution» (Q. 3:4) a severe punishment for whoever disobeys Him «Allah: nothing is hidden from Him» that exists «in the earth or in the heaven» (Q. 3:5) because of His knowledge of what occurs in the world, universal and particular «He it is who forms you in the wombs however He wills» as the Prophet ﷺ mentioned: maleness and femaleness, whiteness and blackness «there is no deity but He, the Mighty, the Wise» (Q. 3:6) in what He makes. The Messenger ﷺ says: ⟨The creation of one of you is gathered in his mother’s belly for forty days as a drop, and forty days as a clot, and forty days as a morsel of flesh; then the spirit is breathed into him.⟩ [49] And in another narration: ⟨When there falls⟩

The drop of fluid in the mother’s womb: the angel asks, Is he wretched or felicitous? And he is answered: wretched, or felicitous. Rich or poor? And he is answered: rich or poor. What is his deed, and what is his term? These four — the pen has dried upon them. This is an instruction to the angel of what had already preceded in the Tablet; otherwise, this had already preceded before the child’s descent into its mother’s womb. «And He it is who sent down upon you the Book; of it are determinate verses — they are the mother of the Book» (Q. 3:7) Allah is He who sent down this Qurʾan upon Muhammad. In it are determinate verses, clear in their signification; they are the foundation of the Book, and from them the rulings were derived. «and others ambiguous» (Q. 3:7) — their meanings are not understood, like the openings of the suras. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, described the Qurʾan as being entirely muḥkam: «its verses have been made determinate» (Q. 11:1). So it became entirely muḥkam. This is because it is without precedent in its composition, its meanings, its eloquence and its rhetoric. And He described the Qurʾan as being entirely mutashābih: «Allah has sent down the best of discourse, a Book of resembling parts, paired» (Q. 39:23). That is because of the resemblance of one part of it to another. And He described the Qurʾan as being of two parts: in it there is muḥkam and mutashābih. The muḥkam is what is clear in its signification, and the mutashābih is what is not understood in its meaning, like the openings of the suras, and the attributes of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and the like. The Qurʾan, then, falls into four parts. One part is clear with a manifest clarity, so that everyone who knows Arabic understands its meaning when he hears it, such as «Say: He is Allah, One» (Q. 112:1) — every Arab knows the meaning of «He is Allah, One» — and this is the greater part of the Qurʾan. One part contains obscure meanings and requires deep competence in Arabic, in grammar, in morphology and in rhetoric, and for this reason it requires an exegete to explain it. One part none knows except those firmly rooted in knowledge. And one part none knows except Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and that is the mutashābih, such as the mention of a hand for Allah, Blessed and Exalted. He said that He has a hand, and He said that He has two hands: «rather, His two hands»

«are outstretched» (Q. 5:64) — and both of them are a right hand. [50] This a human being does not understand: the two hands, each one of them is a right hand. And He mentioned that He has hands, many hands: «and the heaven — We built it with hands» (Q. 51:47). If we have recourse to taʾwīl, as those who practise it hold, and say that the hand is power, the naming refutes this, because power is not put into the dual, much less into the plural. So the attributes of Allah with which He described Himself: we believe in them according to what Allah, Blessed and Exalted, intends by them. This is what is correct. He mentioned that He has a face, and that He has a hand; He mentioned that He has a foot; He mentioned that He descends; He mentioned that He istawā. All of these are sound meanings which Allah knows and we do not know. The chief qadi in the Hijaz questioned me — they affirm direction, they say that Allah is seated upon the Throne, in these very words, we seek refuge with Allah; they do not say mustawin, they say seated upon the Throne — he followed me in the Hijaz until he sat down at my side and began to question me. He said to me: Whoever does not hold that [Allah] is seated above the Throne, his faith is deficient, or he is not a believer. «The Merciful — upon the Throne He settled» (Q. 20:5). And in the hadith: ⟨Where was our Lord before He created the heavens and the earth? Cloud above cloud, and Allah above that.⟩ [51] And the hadith: ⟨Allah created seven heavens and chose the seventh.⟩ [52] He recited all of this to me, so I said to him: I hold that

Allah mentioned for Himself a Throne and a Footstool, and He mentioned that He istawā upon His Throne, and the Throne is hidden from us. But He also mentioned that He has a House, and here we are at His House now. He mentioned that He has a she-camel: have we ever seen Him ride a she-camel? He said: No.

I said: «the she-camel of Allah and her drink» (Q. 91:13) — whose is this she-camel? This is the House of Allah: if we enter it, do we find Him in it or not? He said: We do not find Him in it. I said: If, when we enter His House, we do not find Him there — and the norm is that a man is found in his house — then it is possible that His Throne too, if we come to it, we will not find Him upon it. He said: What are we to do with this hadith: ⟨Our Lord descends every night, when the first third of the night has passed, and says: Is there any petitioner, that I may give to him? Is there any caller, that I may answer him? Is there any seeker of forgiveness, that I may forgive him?⟩ [53] This descent is proof that He is above. I said to him: Yes, He descends every night, and we believe that. But this Qurʾan says that Allah sent down to us eight kinds of livestock: of camels two, of cattle two, of sheep two, of goats two. These are eight that Allah reported He sent down to us from heaven. Every day we see a she-camel giving birth to a camel, and we see a cow giving birth to a cow, and we see a ewe giving birth to a ewe, and a she-goat giving birth to a she-goat. How did these descend from heaven, when we are watching their mothers give birth to them? He said: We do not know the reality

How did it descend from heaven? I said: if we do not understand the descent of the animals, how are we to understand the descent of the Master, Mighty and Exalted? He fell silent. As for al-mutashābih [the ambiguous], the sound position concerning it is the position of al-Shāfiʿī: ⟨We believe in what Allah said according to what Allah intended, and we believe in the speech of the Messenger of Allah according to what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended.⟩ «As for those in whose hearts there is deviation» an inclination [away from the truth] «they follow what is ambiguous in it, seeking discord» because of their ignorance of their own falling into the ambiguities «and seeking its interpretation» its exegesis «And none knows its interpretation» its exegesis «except Allah» alone «and those firmly rooted in knowledge say: We believe in it» (Q. 3:7) Or: none knows its interpretation except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge — none knows it except Allah and those firmly rooted; or: none knows it except Allah, and those firmly rooted in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it.’ [This is] a mark of knowledge as well. The Messenger ﷺ said: ⟨Learn knowledge, for learning it for Allah’s sake is fear [of Him], seeking it is worship, investigating it is⟩ jihad ⟨, and teaching [it] to one who does not know it is alms — since it is the markers of the licit and the illicit. Knowledge is the intimate in desolation, the companion in solitude, the one who converses in seclusion. By it Allah raises people up until He makes them leaders and imams whose deeds are taken as a pattern⟩

⟨and their words⟩

[54] ⟨and they become intercessors with Allah on the Day of Resurrection.⟩ [55] «All» of the muḥkam and the mutashābih «they say: We believe in it» (Q. 3:7)

in the mutashābih «All» of the muḥkam and the mutashābih «is from our Lord. And none takes heed» takes admonition «except those possessed of understanding» the possessors of intellects. «Our Lord, do not cause our hearts to deviate» make them incline away from the truth by seeking an interpretation of it that does not befit us «after You have guided us» You have directed us «and grant us from Your presence» from You «a mercy» a setting [of us] aright «Truly You are the Bestower. Our Lord, truly You are the gatherer of mankind» You will gather them «for a day» on a day «in which there is no doubt» that is the Day of Resurrection, and You will requite them for their deeds «Truly Allah does not break the appointed promise» (Q. 3:8–9) His promise of the resurrection on it. In this there is a turning away from the [second-person] address [iltifāt], and it may be part of His own speech, Exalted. The purpose of the supplication in these terms is to show that their concern is the matter of the hereafter; and for that reason they asked for steadfastness in guidance, that they might attain its reward. The two Shaykhs transmitted from ʿAʾisha, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with her, who said: ⟨The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited this āya:⟩ «He it is who sent down upon you the Book; in it are decisive verses» (Q. 3:7) ⟨to the end of it, and he said: ‘If you see those who follow what is ambiguous in it, those are the ones Allah has named, so beware of them.’⟩ [56] And al-Ṭabarānī transmitted in al-Kabīr from Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī that he heard the Prophet ﷺ say: ⟨I fear for my community nothing but three traits⟩ — and he mentioned among them: ⟨that the Book be opened to them, and the believer takes it seeking its interpretation, while none knows its interpretation except Allah⟩ «and those firmly rooted in»

«knowledge say: We believe in it, all of it is from our Lord. And none take heed but those possessed of understanding» [57] (Q. 3:7) «Those who disbelieve: there will not avail» that is, ward off «them, their wealth or their children, against Allah» against His punishment «anything; and they are the fuel of the Fire» (Q. 3:10) the fuel of the Fire is that with which it is kindled, their way, that is, their custom [was] «like the way of the folk of Pharaoh» like the custom of the folk of Pharaoh «and those before them» of the nations, such as ʿĀd and Thamūd «they denied Our signs, so Allah seized them» (Q. 3:11) that is, destroyed them

«for their sins» on account of their sins «and Allah is severe in punishment» (Q. 3:11) It was revealed when the Prophet ﷺ commanded the Jews to [accept] Islam on his return from Badr, and they said to him: ⟨Do not let it delude you that you have fought a band of Quraysh, raw youths who do [not] know fighting. If you confront us, you will know that we are the men and we are the champions.⟩ [58] So it was revealed. «Say» O Muhammad «to those who disbelieve» of the Jews «you will be overcome» (Q. 3:12) by killing and captivity and the levying of the jizya — and that has come to pass.

This is a miracle. «and you will be gathered to Hell» and so enter it «and wretched is the resting place» (Q. 3:12) the bed, In addressing the Prophet ﷺ, they said that his fighting was against Quraysh, and that they are callow and know nothing of war, so that it gives no ground for boasting; so Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned that expedition, namely the battle of Badr «there has been for you a sign» a lesson «in two companies» two groups «that met» on the day of Badr, for battle «one company fighting in Allah’s path» (Q. 3:13) that is, in obedience to Him

and they are the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. They were three hundred and thirteen men, and with them two horses. [59]

and six coats of mail and eight swords; most of them were on foot. This is the army of the Prophet ﷺ. «and another, disbelieving — you see them as twice their number» — that is, the Muslims more numerous than the disbelievers. And they were about a thousand: Quraysh a thousand, or nine hundred. [60] And Allah mentioned that at the beginning of the affair He makes them few in your eyes and makes you few in their eyes, as comes in Sūrat al-Anfāl — this is at the beginning — and at the end He made the disbelievers look upon the Muslims as though they were two thousand, so that their fear of them would increase. Is this not lesson enough? A company of brave men, a thousand, every one of them trained for war, with a sword, and a horse, and provision enough; and three hundred who had no weapons but eight swords, and no mounts but two horses, the horse of al-Zubayr and the horse of al-Miqdād, only these. So they met, and they feared them — that is, those of the thousand [were the ones who feared] — until they saw them as twice their number, «to the eye’s seeing» — and this was direct witnessing: Allah created that, so they saw them plainly, as though they were two thousand. «And Allah strengthens with His help whom He wills. In that there is a lesson for those possessed of sight». (Q. 3:13) This is the Battle of Badr. It took place in Shawwāl in the second year of the Hijra, a year after the Hijra. The Messenger ﷺ invoked [Allah] against Quraysh: ⟨O Allah, make it years upon them like the years of my brother Yūsuf.⟩ [61] Then the drought fell, until they went hungry, until they ate apes and ate dogs. So they gathered their wealth and their stores and sent their lesser king, Abū Sufyān. He went to Syria and bought for them a great store of provisions. And when

he returned, the Prophet ﷺ saw in a dream that Allah had given him one of the two parties: Abū Jahl, with him the army, and Abū Sufyān, with him the caravan. Allah promised him one of the two parties, as will come in Sūrat al-Anfāl. So they gathered. As for the caravan, they fled and saved themselves and reached the Hijaz; and as for the war-party, they went out […] armed to the teeth in weapons, and they came to Badr. In this there was a sign, that is, a lesson, because the Prophet ﷺ announced that they would be victorious, and he announced the places where the people would fall: so-and-so is struck down here, and so-and-so is struck down here, and so-and-so is struck down here, to the last of them; and the matter fell out as he had said. So they met, and the Muslims overcame them, and they took captive from among them […] chiefs from among their chiefs, among them al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. This is a lesson for whoever takes a lesson. More of […] will come

in Sūrat al-Anfāl.

«The love of desires has been made alluring to people» — what the soul craves and is drawn to. Allah made them alluring as a trial, or Satan [did]. In this āya He mentioned seven things that a human being loves, seven things in which a human being’s desires lie; love is gathered in them. And you know that a person loves a thing and does not love to love it, as a Muslim loves something forbidden — so then, that is, he does not love to love it; and he loves a thing that he loves to love and in which his desire does not lie; and he loves a thing that he loves to love and in which his desire does lie — this is the stronger. All of them came together in the āya: the love of desires. He mentioned that they are desires made alluring to them and that they loved them. «of women» — when a man comes of age, the first thing he attaches himself to is to find a wife who suits him. «and sons» — when he has found a wife, he loves that Allah provide him with children. «and heaped-up hoards of gold and silver» — and when he has found women and sons, he loves to find much gold and silver. As for gold, its own word makes you renounce it: al-dhahab is from al-dhahāb, going away; so everything you own of gold must go away. And silver, al-fiḍḍa, is from al-faḍḍ, which is scattering: everything you own of silver must be scattered. Women and sons and gold and silver. «and branded horses» — the steeds; they are called khayl for their khuyalāʾ [their vainglorious bearing]. «and cattle» — camels and cows and sheep and goats. «and tilled land» — cultivation. «That is the enjoyment of the life of this world» — all these things are goods enjoyed in this world,

then it perishes. «and with Allah is the best of returns» (Q. 3:14) That is the goodly place of return, which is the Garden, with Allah, Blessed and Exalted; so one should desire it and nothing else. ʿAli, may Allah ennoble his face, said: ⟨Man’s appetites are in women, food, drink, clothing, and mounts.⟩ He said: ⟨The best food is honey, and it is only the excrement of a fly; the best drink is water, in which people, beasts, livestock and wild animals are all alike; women are only a urinary passage within a urinary passage; the best of mounts are horses, and upon them men are killed; and the finest clothing is silk, which is only the excrement of a worm.⟩ [62] None of this deserves attention. Attention belongs to what is with Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and that is attained only by obeying Him, by carrying out His command and avoiding what He forbids. O Allah, bless our master Muhammad.