Surah al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2 : 104

Overview (Verses 104 – 110)

Efforts to Undermine the New Religion
 
This new passage takes the exposition of Jewish intrigue against Islam and the Muslims a step further, revealing the reasons that lie behind their deep-seated hatred and their treachery and troublemaking. It gives Muslims strong warnings, requiring them to be on their guard in dealing with the hostile and malicious scheming of the Jews. Muslims are pointedly told not to emulate the behaviour of the Jews, or to fall for their trickery and deceit.
 
It appears that the Jews were making an issue of the modifications and amendments that had to be made to some Islamic rules and requirements during the formative years of Islam. They utilized this to raise doubts in Muslim minds, questioning the validity and veracity of their religion. Had those rules and ideas originated from God, the Jews argued, they would not have had to be changed or replaced.
 
This insidious campaign gathered strength when the direction faced by Muslims in prayer, the qiblah, was changed from Jerusalem to the Ka`bah in Makkah, sixteen months after the Prophet’s arrival in Madinah in 622 CE.
 
On his arrival in Madinah, the Prophet instructed his followers to turn towards Jerusalem, the sacred city of Judaism, in prayer, which gave the Jews reason to argue that their faith was superior, the one and only true religion. This made the Prophet wish, although he never expressed his feelings in words, that prayers could be made facing the Ka`bah in Makkah. As time went by, this feeling grew even stronger until his unspoken wish was granted, as we shall see later in the sūrah.
 
Since the change of qiblah deprived the Israelites of the basis for their argument concerning the merits and status of their faith, they launched a malevolent and surreptitious campaign aimed at discrediting the divine origins of Islam and questioning its veracity. They went for the very foundations of Islam, arguing with the Muslims that if facing Jerusalem during Prayer had not been valid, their worship hitherto would have been in vain; but that if it had been valid, there would be no justification for a change of qiblah. They were hitting at the very roots of the Muslims’ faith in God’s reward and, more seriously, at the wisdom and insight of the Prophet’s leadership.
 
More worrying were the indications that the anti-Islamic campaign instigated by the Jews of Madinah was having some success. Weak- minded Muslims began to question the Prophet demanding ‘proof’ and ‘evidence’ for what he taught and preached. Needless to say, such questioning is the opposite of complete trust in the Prophet’s leadership and in the source of the Islamic faith. Therefore, the Qur’ān clarifies the principle and the wisdom behind the abrogation, replacement or amendment of some rulings, and warns the Muslims against the real aims of Jewish criticism of the Qur’ān and the Prophet. It tells them clearly that the ultimate aim of the Jews was to turn the clock back, so that the Arabs who believed in Islam would revert to their old pagan days. It was jealousy and malice that drove the Jews to those lengths. They deeply resented, and would not accept, the fact that God had favoured another people with the honour of His final mandate to man and chosen them as the advocates of His last message. The Qur’ān undertook to expose the perfidious and malevolent Jewish accusations and claims, citing examples of earlier conflicts between Jews and Christians in which accusations were exchanged and insults traded.
 
The sūrah then turns to highlight aspects of the qiblah issue, pointing out that the Jews were hell-bent on preventing the Muslims from turning towards the Ka`bah in prayer. The Qur’ān condemns this stance, branding it an attempt to prevent the mentioning of God’s name in His places of worship and an effort to destroy such places.
 
As the passage draws to a close it brings the Muslims face to face with the real and underlying motives driving the Jews and Christians in their opposition to Islam. Their chief wish had been to turn the Muslims away from their beliefs and their religion altogether. They were never going to rest or be happy with Muĥammad until he abandoned his faith for theirs; otherwise, it would be war, intrigue and confrontation all the way.
 
Begrudging God’s Grace
 
“Believers, do not say [to the Prophet]: “Listen to us,’ but say: “Have patience with us,’ and hearken. Grievous suffering awaits the unbelievers. Neither the unbelievers among the people of earlier revelations nor the idolaters would like to see any blessing ever bestowed upon you by your Lord. But God favours with His mercy whom He wills; His grace is infinite. Any revelation We annul or consign to oblivion We replace with a better or similar one. Do you not know that God has power over all things? Do you not know that God has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth, and that apart from God you have no one to protect you or give you help? Do you wish to ask of the Messenger who has been sent to you the same as was formerly asked of Moses? He who barters faith for unbelief has surely strayed away from the right path. Many among the people of earlier revelations would love to lead you back to unbelief now that you have embraced the faith. This they do out of deep-seated envy, after the truth has become manifest to them; so forgive and forbear until God makes known His decree. Indeed, God has power over all things. Attend regularly to your prayer and pay zakāt (financial duty); for, whatever good you do for your own sake you shall find it with God. God sees all that you do. (Verses 104-110)
 
The opening verse of this passage addresses the believers, asking them not to emulate the Jews in their play on certain Arabic words when speaking to the Prophet. One such word is rā`inā, which means “listen to us”, but the sound of which could be subtly varied to convey the offensive meaning of ‘an impulsive fool’. They would resort to this cowardly form of abuse because they would not dare insult the Prophet openly. The Muslims were advised to use synonymous words that could not be twisted to give an offensive meaning in their address to the Prophet.
 
This kind of behaviour not only shows the extent of Jewish resentment and envy towards the Muslims, it also shows the Jews as discourteous and underhand. The Qur’ān mentions these activities to indicate how caring and well disposed God is towards the Prophet and the Muslims, and how much He is willing to defend and protect them against their detractors.
 
The sūrah goes on to expose further Jewish ill-will and animosity towards the Muslims, so that they may beware of their malign influence and hold fast to what God has entrusted them with: “Neither the unbelievers among the people of earlier revelations nor the idolaters would like to see any blessing ever bestowed upon you by your Lord. But God favours with His mercy whom He wills; His grace is infinite.” (Verse 105) The verse speaks of Jews, Christians and idolaters in the same vein, describing them as unbelievers because they have all denied God’s last and final message to man which was revealed to Muĥammad (peace be upon him). They share the same grudges and hatred towards the Muslims for being chosen by God as recipients of His revelation and as trustees and custodians of His religion on earth.
 
Earlier, we saw other manifestations of this jealousy and the blind hatred underlying it, and how it was extended even to angels such as Gabriel who was no more than a carrier of God’s revelations to the Prophet Muĥammad.
 
In stating that “God favours with His mercy whom He wills”, the sūrah emphasizes that God’s decisions in these matters are not arbitrary. If He chooses to bestow His mercy on Muĥammad and his followers, it is because He knows that they both deserve and are worthy of it. The comment at the end of this verse is: “His grace is infinite” (Verse 105).
 
The greatest of God’s bounties is His message, and the advocacy of His faith. Thus, believers should realize in their hearts how favoured they have been. They would be able then to counter the hatred and doubt campaign led always by the Jews to weaken the faith in the hearts of Muslims, with awe and gratitude, coming as it does after they have been alerted to the unbelievers’ intrigues and ill-will. All these feelings may be seen as an essential mobilization to counter the Jews’ campaign against Islam.
 
The main reason for this impudent attack, as mentioned earlier, was the abrogation, replacement or amendment of certain Qur’ānic directives and rulings, especially the one regarding the qiblah. This last ruling instructed Muslims to face the Ka`bah in Makkah, rather than Jerusalem, in prayer.
 
Regardless of the immediate occasion, the sūrah at this point gives a definitive statement with regard to this important issue: “Any revelation We annul or consign to oblivion We replace with a better or similar one. Do you not know that God has power over all things?” (Verse 106)
 
Partial amendments of rulings in response to changing circumstances during the lifetime of Prophet Muĥammad could only be in the interest of mankind as a whole. As the originator of revelations, God, the Creator, is the final and absolute authority to decide such amendments. To cancel or replace any directive or principle is His exclusive prerogative. This point is emphasized in the next verse: “Do you not know that God has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth, and that apart from God you have no one to protect you or give you help?” (Verse 107)
 
We can clearly detect a hint of warning, and a reminder to Muslims that other than God they can call on no one for support or protection. The likely reason for this is the effect the Jewish campaign had had on some Muslims, whose trust and confidence in the Prophet showed signs of flagging. That is borne out by the following verse: “Do you wish to ask of the Messenger who has been sent to you the same as was formerly asked of Moses? He who barters faith for unbelief has surely strayed away from the right path.” (Verse 108)
 
Again there is a clear denunciation of the Jewish habit of questioning their prophets, disobeying them and asking for the impossible, as has been described at length earlier in the sūrah.
 
The verse also warns Muslims not to lose sight of their commitments and obligations towards God, as the Jews had clone before them. Otherwise, they would lose faith in their own religion, as the Jews wish them to do: “Many among the people of earlier revelations would love to lead you back to unbelief now that you have embraced the faith. This they do out of deep-seated envy, after the truth has become manifest to them.” (Verse 109)
 
That enmity towards Islam which filled, and continues to fill, the hearts of the Jews, has always been the real force that motivates their plotting and scheming. The Qur’ān makes this very clear as it describes the relentless Jewish efforts to shake the foundations of Islam and destroy the Muslim community throughout the world. It therefore calls on Muslims to rise above their opponents’ level rather than meet evil with evil. It advises not mere restraint, but forgiveness and forbearance: “so forgive and forbear until God makes known His decree. Indeed, God has power over all things.” (Verse 109)
 
Muslims are urged to pursue the faith God has chosen for them and to invest their efforts and energies in the worship of God Almighty: “Attend regularly to your prayer and pay zakāt (financial duty); for, whatever good you do for your own sake you shall find it with God. God sees all that you do.” (Verse 110)
 
Thus we can see how the Qur’ān revitalizes the collective Muslim conscience, focuses on the real sources of danger to the community, and mobilizes Muslims’ energy and feelings for closer contact with God and more gracious submission to His will and command. Until that will is revealed and God’s word takes effect in life, Muslims are urged to exercise prudence and show tolerance and magnanimity towards detractors, envious people and ill-wishers.