6. REASONS FOR SENDING DOWN THE QUR’ᾹN IN STAGES (1)

        The Qur’ān consists of 6236 verses which is today the most accepted opinion. According to Ibn ‘Abbās there are 6616 verses, Nāfi‘: 6217, Shaybah: 6214, scholars of Egypt: 6226, and al-Zamakhsharī: 6666. The difference lies in counting, such as whether the letters of the alphabet in the beginning of some surahs (chapters) are considered one verse or part of a verse. Two or three verses could be considered by some scholars as one verse. This is because, among other things, one sentence which is usually understood to have at least one subject and one predicate may consist of many verses. Sūrat al-Takwīr (chapter 81), for example, starts with 13 verses depicting the situation in the Hereafter: “When the sun…, and when the stars… and when the mountains…and when the pregnant she-camel…and when…etc…, then to complete a sentence verse 14 follows: “(Then) every person shall know what he has brought (of good and evil).” It is said that the Qur’an was revealed in about 5 verses in each revelation, then, in the above example, at least 14 verses would have to be revealed to complete the sentence.

        The Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet gradually and in stages for a period of 23 years for many reasons, among which are as follows:

1.    To strengthen the heart of the Prophet by addressing him continually.  Allah said in the Qur’an,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً

كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا (الفرقان :32)

And those who disbelieve say: ‘Why is not the Qur’an

 revealed to him all at once?” Thus (it is sent down in parts),

that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have

revealed it to you gradually, in stages. (Q. 25:32)

 

Allah also revealed to the Prophet the story of prophets before him to strengthen his heart. He said:

وَكُلًّا نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الرُّسُلِ مَا نُثَبِّتُ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَجَاءَكَ

 فِي هَذِه الْحَقُّ وَمَوْعِظَةٌ وَذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (هود: 120)

And all that We relate to you (O Muhammad) of

 the news of the Messengers is in order that We may

 make strong and firm your heart thereby. And in this

 (chapter of the Qur’an) has come to you the truth,

 as well as an admonition and a reminder

for the believers. (Q. 11:120)

At the outset of his mission most people disbelieved him, and might weaken his spirit, and then Allah comforted him by revealing to him that prophets before him were also called liars, but they were patient. He said:

 وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُوا عَلَى مَا كُذِّبُوا وَأُوذُوا حَتَّى أَتَاهُمْ

 نَصْرُنَا وَلَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ  وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكَ مِنْ نَبَإِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ (الأنعام:34)

Verily, (many) Messenger were denied before you

(O Muhammad), but with patience they bore the denial,

 and they were hurt till Our Help reached them, and none

 can alter the Words (Decisions) of Allah. Surely there

 has reached you the information (news) about

the Messengers (before you) (Q. 6:34)

        The Makkan idolaters not only rejected the Prophet’s call to Islam, but also ridiculed and made fun of him. Then Allah revealed to him to be patient and to leave them. He said:

وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا (10)

And be patient (O Muhammad) with what they say,

and keep away from them in a good way.(Q. 73:10)

        Their worshiping idols saddened the Prophet, but Allah wanted him to be patient and convinced him that He knew what they said openly or secretly. He said: 

وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً لَعَلَّهُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ. لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُمْ

   جُنْدٌ مُحْضَرُونَ. فَلَا يَحْزُنْكَ قَوْلُهُمْ إِنَّا نَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ (يس:74-76)

And they have taken besides Allah gods, hoping that they

 might be helped (by those co-called gods). They cannot help

 them, but they will be brought forward as a troop against

those who worshipped them (at the time of Reckoning).  So,

 let not their speech, then, grieve you (O Muhammad).

 Verily, we know what they conceal and what

they reveal. (Q. 36:74-76)       

Moreover, Allah promised to protect the Prophet in conveying the message of Islam, when He said:  

يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ

وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ (المائدة:67)

O Messenger (Muhammad), proclaim (the Message) which

 has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not,

 then you have not conveyed the Message. Allah will protect

you from mankind. Verily, Allah guides not the

people who disbelieve. (Q.5:67)

 

        When victory seemed to be far away, Allah promised it to the Prophet, when he said: 

كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا وَرُسُلِي إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ (المجادلة:21)

 Allah has decreed: “Verily, it is I and My Messengers

who shall be victorious.” Verily, Allah is All-

Powerful, All-Mighty (Q. 58:21) 

        When the companions of the Prophet were not happy with the conclusion of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, as they considered it a one-sided treaty: they had to postpone their pilgrimage to the next year, and any Muslim from the Makkan tribe who took refuge to Madinah had to be brought back to Makkah, and not vise-versa. Ssome of them were even in doubt of his being a prophet. On their way back to Madinah, the Prophet said to them that it had been revealed to him worth more than the world and its contents. He recited:  

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا . لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ

 عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا. وَيَنْصُرَكَ اللَّهُ نَصْرًا عَزِيزًا (الفتح:1-3)

Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad) a manifest

 victory. That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past

 and the future, and complete His Favour on you, and

 guide you on the Straight Path. (Q. 48:1-3). 

        The Prophet was said to have performed night prayers until his feet became swollen. It was said to him, “Allah has forgiven you your sins of the past and the future.” On that, he said, “Shouldn’t I be a thankful slave of Allah?” (Reported by Bukhari) 

        The Prophet’s companions congratulated him for the good news for him; they asked him whether good news would also be for them. Then Allah revealed, 

لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ

 فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا (الفتح:5)

That He may admit the believing men and the believing

 women to Gardens under which rivers flow (i.e. Paradise)

to abide therein forever, and He may expiate from their

 sins; and that is with Allah a supreme success. (Q. 48:5) 

Verse 1-2 and verse 5 are connected, so that it means, that Allah has given the Prophet s.a.w. victory so that He forgives his past and future sins, and that He admits believers to Heaven.  

2.  Out of consideration for the Prophet since revelation was a very difficult experience for him. For example: 

a.     He perspired profusely. 

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ المُؤْمِنِينَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، أَنَّ الحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ

رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ

اللَّهِ، كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الوَحْيُ؟ فَقَالَ  رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

«أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الجَرَسِ، وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ، فَيُفْصَمُ عَنِّي

 وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ عَنْهُ مَا قَالَ، وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ المَلَكُ رَجُلًا فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي

 مَا يَقُولُ» قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا: وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ

يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ الوَحْيُ فِي اليَوْمِ الشَّدِيدِ البَرْدِ، فَيَفْصِمُ عَنْهُ

وَإِنَّ جَبِينَهُ لَيَتَفَصَّدُ عَرَقًا (رواه البخاري و مسلم)

Narrated ‘Ᾱ’ishah (the mother of the faithful believers):

Al-Ḥārith bin Hishām (r.a.) asked Allah’s Messenger s.a.w.

 O, Allah’s Messenger! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed

 to you?” Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. replied, “Sometimes it is

 (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is

the hardest of all and then this state passes off after I have

 grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the angel comes in

the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever

he says.”  ‘Ᾱ’ishah r.a. added: Verily, I saw the Prophet

 s.a.w. being inspired (divinely) and (noticed) the

 sweat dropping  from his forehead on a very

cold day as the Inspiration was over.

(Reported by Bukhari and Muslim)

 

وقال زيد بن ثابت :"كُنْتُ أَكْتُبُ الْوَحْيَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ  وَكَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ

أَخَذَتْهُ بُرَحَاءٌ شَدِيدَةٌ وَعَرِقَ عَرَقًا شَدِيدًا مِثْلَ الْجُمَانِ، ثُمَّ سُرِّيَ عَنْهُ"

Zayd ibn Thābit said: “I used to write the revelation

for the Prophet, and when revelation came to him

 affliction overtook him and perspired profusely like

small pearls, then he felt at peace again .”

 

b.     His body became very heavy. ‘Ᾱ’ishah said that it happened that revelation came to the Prophet while he was on his riding she camel. The camel felt the heaviness of him that she knelt and hit the ground with her inner neck. It also happened that the Prophet was leaning on the leg of Zayd ibn Thābit. Zayd said: 

"حَتَّى تَكَادَ رِجْلِي تَنْكَسِرُ مِنْ ثِقَلِ الْقُرْآنِ، وَحَتَّى أَقُولَ:

لَا أَمْشِي عَلَى رِجْلِي أَبَدًا" (رواه الطبراني)

“The Qur’ān was so heavy, that my legs almost

 became  broken, and said that I would not be able

 to walk again.” (Reported by al-Ṭabrānī)

 

c.     He heard sound like clinking, heard by the companions like the hum of bees. 

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ اْلخَطاَّبِ  قَالَ:" كَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ

عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْوَحْيُ يُسْمَعُ عِنْدَ وَجْهِهِ دَوِيٌّ كَدَوِيِّ النَّحْلِ" (رواه أحمد)

‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said: “When revelation came

to the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. hum was heard at his

face like the hum of bees” (Reported by Ahmad)

 

d.    His face changed.  

 

عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ: قال:"كَانَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ  إِذَا أُنْزِلَ

عَلَيْهِ كُرِبَ لِذَلِكَ، وَتَرَبَّدَ وَجْهُهُ" (روام مسلم)

‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit said: “When the Prophet of Allah

received revelation he felt distress from it, and his

 face turned grey (Reported by Muslim)

 

e.     He tilted his head and covered it with a cloth.

 

عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ: «كَانَ النَّبِيُّ  إِذَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْيُ

نَكَسَ رَأْسَهُ وَنَكَسَ أَصْحَابُهُ رُءُوسَهُمْ، فَلَمَّا أُتْلِيَ عَنْهُ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ»

Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit said: “When the Prophet of

Allah received revelation he tilted his head and covered

it with a cloth, and his companions also covered

 their heads. After the revelation was read

to him his lifted his head. 

f.       Snoring was heard from him like that of the young camel.  Ya‘lā ibn Umayyah said: “I wish I could see the Prophet when revelation was being sent down to him.” ‘Umar asked him if he really wanted to see him in that condition. When he said, “yes”, ‘Umar lifted his clothes and snored like the snore of the young camel. 

All these indicate the severity in receiving revelation, which has been mentioned by Allah when he says: 

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا (المزمل:5)

 Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word (Q. 73:5)

 

Commentators of the Qur’ān say that the revelation itself is weighty, such as the above examples; others say that the application of its injunction and prohibition is weighty. Similarly, the following verse indicate the difficulty in applying the injunctions and prohibition in the Qur’ān,

 

لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ

 وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (21الحشر:21)

Had We send down this Qur’ān on a mountain, you

 would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.(Q. 59:21)

 [TO BE CONTINUED] (CIVIC, 17.01.14)

 Bibliography:

Von Denffer, Ahmad. ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:

A.S. Nordeen, 1991

المكتبة الشاملة

تفسير الطبري
http://vb.tafsir.net/tafsir35685

http://askaquestionto.us/question-answer/revealedbook/how-    

        many-verses-ayahs-are-there-in-the-quran        

5. CHANGING WORDS FROM THEIR RIGHT PLACES

  5. CHANGING WORDS FROM THEIR RIGHT PLACES

          The prominent scholar and propagator of Islam, Shaykh Muḥammad al-GhazālĪ in his book entitled Fī Mawkib al-Da‘wah (“In the Procession of Islamic Propagation”) under the topic تَحْرِيْفُ الْكَلِمِ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ (“Changing Words from Their Right Places”), says:

Among the insurmountable obstacles which

obstructed the march of Islam in this era, and covered

 its new revival, is an obvious support of a kind of Islamic propagators who are endowed with eloquence and ability to debate. As they have opportunities to talk, they talked in

 great length, and people praised them more and more,

 so that they talked more and more, until they

exceeded the proper bound. (p. 241)

In spite of their eloquence Islam gets nothing from them in socio-political field, but rather a great loss and evilness from their prattle.

          How could this happen? Shaykh al-GhazālĪ explains as follows:

          The Qur’an was not revealed all at once, but in stages, and closely related to new incidents. It is Allah’s wisdom that in this way the conscience of the believers grows through understanding these verses, like the growth of the young body through pure food. This is in particular case, as Allah said:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذَلِكَ

 لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا (الفرقان :32)

And those who disbelieve say “Why is not the Qur’an

 revealed to him all at once?” Thus (it I s sent down in parts),

 that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have

 revealed it to you gradually, in stages. [It was revealed

 to the Prophet in 23 years] (Q. 25:32)

          In general case it was to connect laws from heaven with the affairs of the earth, as sufficient and satisfactory answers and solutions to arising problems. Revelation is not at one side, while human affairs at the other, as pointed out by the following verse:

وَلَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلَّا جِئْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا (الفرقان :33)

And no example or similitude do they bring (to oppose or

to find fault in you or in this Qur’an), but We reveal to you

 the truth (against that similitude or example), and

 the better explanation thereof (Q. 25:32)

          The ‘ulamā’ (Muslim scholars) who truly inherit the prophethood, and convey Allah’s message perfectly and precisely, are those who know how to treat the condition of people and the remedy of the souls with what Allah revealed, so that they do not confuse in prescribing medicine, and do not make mistakes in diagnosing a disease.

          The expression of the divine texts in the most tenaciously related affairs is the reality of wisdom in which Allah says:

يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا

وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (البقرة:269)

He grants wisdom to whom He pleases, and he to

 Whom  wisdom is granted, is indeed granted abundant

 good.  But none remember (will receive admonition)

except men of understanding. (Q. 2:269)

          It means, Shaykh al-GhazālĪ explains further, that calling to (the path of) Allah is a kind of knowledge and an art. The propagator (caller to Islam), despite the great abundance of divine texts with him, has to be a physician and a pharmacist at the same time. Ignorant hand could handle bottles of medicines, and could be poison, or a mixture of medicines which increases disease rather than curing it. In the same way foolish incompetent people will do with Allah’s words when they turn them away out their contexts, and when they displace words from their right places which will abuse the verses they are quoting, and people to whom these verses are directed.

          Citing the Qur’ānic verses should be in a proper place and situation. It is not an Islamic way, Shaykh al-Ghazālī said, that when you attend a wedding you recite the Qur’ānic verse,

يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ ... (النساء:11)

Allah commands you as regards your children’s

(inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to

 that of two females; … (Q. 4:11)

or when war is being announced you read the following verse to people:

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا

خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا (الفرقان:63)

And the (faithful) slaves of the Most Gracious (Allah) are

those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and

 when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply

 back with mild words of gentleness. (Q. 25:63).

In the same way it is not proper according to Islam to recite to those who deny the Islamic injunctions and dare to disobey Allah and his legal punishments the following verse:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ

يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ (الزمر:3 5)

 Say: “O My slaves who have transgressed against

 themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair

 not of the Mercy of Allah: verily, Allah forgives all sins.

 Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Q. 39:53).

          It is also not proper according to Islam to recite to people who respect thinking and are subject to evidence the following verse:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُمْ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ وَلْيَجِدُوا فِيكُمْ غِلْظَةً

 وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ (التوبة:123)

O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are

 close to you, and let them find harshness in you;  and know

 that Allah is with those who  are the pious. (Q. 9:123)

Shaykh al-Ghazālī said further that the course of the divine texts is through the procedure which Allah wants, not through complicated philosophy; it needs simply a straight natural disposition and pure reason. Any person with sound natural disposition and straight reason will be able to quote the Qur’ānic verses in their right places, so that he will say the truth and read the truth. But if the souls become polluted, and the passion takes control, then the teachings of the religion of Islam will be merely mentioned, whereas something else will be decided.

 This was actually happened to ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib when he heard the Khawarij group who deserted him said to him, لاَ حُكْمَ إِلاَّ لِلّه  (“The decision is only for Allah.”), which is derived from the Qur’ānic verse,

إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ (الأنعام:57, يوسف:40, 67)

 … and the decision is only for Allah

 (Q. 6:57 and 12: 40 and 67)

and ‘Ali replied, كَلِمَةً حَقِّ يُرَادُ بِهَا الْبَاطِل   (“A true expression with wrong intention”). When Mu‘āwiyah felt that the battle with ‘Ali at the battle of Ṣiffīn in 657 was on the brink of defeat, he asked his army to hoist the Qur’an on their lances. Mu‘āwiyah wanted to stop the fighting, and to put the dispute through arbitration based on the Qur’ān. In this arbitration ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ᾱṣ, the representative of Mu‘āwiyah, convinced Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī, the representative of ‘Ali, to pronounce ‘Ali’s removal a caliph. To this, the Kawarij protested, denounced both Mu‘āwiyah and ‘Ali; Mu‘āwiyah for his rebellion against ‘Ali the rightful caliph, and  ‘Ali for giving away his authority as a legitimate caliph, which could only be decided by Allah at the outcome of the fighting. As they deserted ‘Ali’s camp, they were called “Kawārij”, “Deserters”. They rebelled against both sides, and considered them infidels.

          In 658 ‘Ali defeated the rebels in the Battle of Nahrawan, but they were successful in assassinating ‘Ali in 661. They also attempted to assassinate Mu‘āwiyah and ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ᾱṣ but failed as they kept bodyguards.

          This is one example of putting the divine texts out of context. One of the most common Qur’ānic verse understood out of its context is this verse:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ

صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (البقرة:62)

Verily, those who believe and those who are Jews and

 Christians, and Sabians, whoever [among them] believes in

 Allah and the Last Day and does righteous good deeds

 shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall

 be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Q. 2:62)

        Salmān al-Fārisī asked the Prophet about the case of the monks with whom he had worshiped in church and believed in his advent as the last prophet. Then Allah revealed the above verse to explain that the Muslims who stick to their faith, and people before them who followed their respective prophets will be safe until the advent of the next prophets. The Jews who followed Prophet Moses a.s. and kept the Torah till the advent of Prophet Jesus a.s. will be safe; but if they did not want to follow Prophet Jesus a.s. they will be damned. The Christians who followed Prophet Jesus a.s. and kept the Injil (Gospel) till the advent of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. will be safe; but if they did not want to follow Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. they will be damned.

          This verse does not mean, although apparently so, that whether you are Jew, Christian, Sabean, or you follow any religion, as long as you believe in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds, you will be safe.  The pagan Arabs and the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) are, according to the Qur’an, non-believers.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ... (البينة:6)

Verily, those who disbelieve from among the people

of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and idolaters

 will abide in the Fire of Hell…(Q. 98:6)

          Afterwards, Allah revealed the following verse:

وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي

الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ (آل عمران:85)

And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam,

 it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter

he will  be one of the losers (Q. 3:85)

Ibn ‘Abbās‘s comment on the above verses is that Allah does not accept any deed or work from anyone, unless it conforms to the Law of Muhammad s.a.w. that is, after Allah sent Muhammad s.a.w. Before that, every person who followed the guidance of his own Prophet was on the correct path, following the correct guidance and was saved.

The Prophet himself said, as narrated by Abū Hurayrah,

وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ، لَا يَسْمَعُ بِي أَحَدٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ

وَلَا يَهُودِيٌّ وَلَا نَصْرَانِيٌّ، وَمَاتَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ،

إِلَّا كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ(رواه مسلم وأحمد)

By Him (Allah) in Whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is, there is

none from amongst the Jews and the Christians (of these  present nations) who hears about me and then dies without believing in

the Message with which I have been sent, but he will be from

the dwellers of the (Hell). (Reported by Muslim and Ahmad)

          In conclusion, in quoting any Qur’ānic verse or saying of the Prophet s.a.w. we have to be very careful, not to quote it out of its context. (CIVIC, 10 January, 2014)

 

NB. The Qur’ānic verse 62 above has been explained extensively in my Selected Khuṭab vol. 1 under the title “Salmān al-Fārisī”.

 

Bibliography:

  محمد الغزالي, في موكب الدعوة.  القاهرة: نهضة مصر, 2004م

المكتبة الشاملة

بفسير إبن كثير

تفسير الطبري

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khawarij