Al Islam

1925. By "the land" is meant Palestine. Christian writers have also interpreted the words 'inherit the land' or 'inherit the earth' in the Psalms as meaning, inherit Canaan, 'the pledge of God’s covenant.' The reference in the words, 'in the Book of David' is to Psalms. 37:‌9, 11, 22 & 29. There is also a prophecy in Deuteronomy (28:11 & 34:4) that Palestine will be given to the Israelites. Palestine remained in the hands of Christians till Muslims conquered it in the Caliphate of ‘Umar, the Second Successor of the Holy Prophet. It is to this conquest of Palestine by Muslim arms that the prophecy embodied in the verse under comment may refer. It remained under Muslim possession for about 1350 years with the exception of a brief space of 92 years, when during the Crusades it changed hands, till in our own time through the evil designs of some so-called democratic Christian Powers, the country of the name of Palestine has altogether ceased to exist and on its ruins the State of Israel has been built. The Jews have come to their own after wandering in wilderness for about 2000 years. But this great historical event, too, has taken place in fulfilment of a Quranic prophecy (17:105). This, however, is only a temporary phase. The Muslims are destined to win it back. Sooner or later— sooner rather than later—Palestine will revert to Muslim possession. This is a Divine decree and nobody can alter the decree of God. (close)

2431. Commentary:

By الارض (the land) is meant Palestine. It is worthy of note that Christian commentators themselves have interpreted the phrase 'inherit the land' or 'inherit the earth' in the Psalms as meaning, 'inherit Canaan, the pledge of God’s covenant.' ("Commentary on the Old Testament," published by The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, notes on Ps. 37:‌3, 9). The reference in the words, "in the Book of David" is to Psalms 37:‌9,11,18,22 & 29, where it is stated:

For evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever... For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut; The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.

The word الذکر may also refer to Torah, the Book of Moses. There is a prophecy in Deuteronomy (28:‌11 & 34:‌4) that Palestine was to be given to the Israelites:

For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant .... And the Lord said unto him, this is the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed.

The Israelites rose to great power after Moses and in the time of David and Solomon their rule extended far and wide till it embraced in its orbit far-off lands. Then they fell on evil days. They sinned and transgressed and killed God’s Prophets with the result that Divine nemesis overtook them. First Samaria was conquered and ravaged by the Assyrians about 733 B.C. and the whole country north of Israel was annexed by them. Then under Pharaoh Necho, the Egyptians ravaged Judah in 608 B.C. and last of all the greatest blow fell on Israel when Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, laid waste Judah, killed in cold blood the inhabitants of Jerusalem and burned and razed the holy Temple of Solomon to the ground and carried away in captivity the members of the royal family and their Prophets. After wandering in wilderness for about a century the Israelites were restored to Jerusalem and to some of their lost glory through the instrumentality of Cyrus, the Persian king and his successors. To this restoration the following passage of the Bible makes a prophetic reference from the mouth of Moses:

And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee—thou shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.... And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and He will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers (Deut. 30:‌1-5).

Again the Israelites relapsed into sin and iniquity. They opposed and persecuted God’s Messengers and the cup of their wickedness became full to the brim when they hung on the cross Jesus, their last great Prophet. Then God’s wrath fell upon them. The Roman hordes under Titus attacked them in 70 A.D. and amid circumstances of unparalleled horror Jerusalem was destroyed and the Temple of Solomon was burnt down for the second time (Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc. under "Jerusalem"). To this double disaster of the Israelites vv. 17:‌5-8 of the Quran make a pointed reference.

Palestine, the Holy Land, remained in the hands of Christians till Muslims conquered it in the Caliphate of ‘Umar, the Second Successor of the Holy Prophet, and unlike Nebuchadnezzar and Titus he accorded such benign and kind treatment to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and showed such respect and reverence to the Temple of Solomon as are unparalleled in the whole annals of foreign conquest. It is to this conquest of Palestine by Muslim arms that the prophecy embodied in the verse under comment particularly refers. Palestine remained under Muslim possession for about 1350 years with the exception of a brief space of 92 years when during the Crusades it changed hands, till in our own time through the evil designs of some so-called democratic Christian powers, the country of the name of Palestine has altogether ceased to exist and on its ruins the State of Israel has been built. The Jews have come to their own after wandering in wilderness for about 2000 years. But this great historical event, too, has taken place in fulfilment of a Quranic prophecy. The Muslims were told that in the time of the Promised Messiah, the Jews will be made to come back to their Holy Land from the ends of the earth (17:105). But this is only a temporary phase. The Muslims are destined to win it back. Let the whole world know that sooner or later—sooner rather than later—Palestine will revert to Muslim possession. This is a Divine decree and nobody can alter God’s decree. (close)

a. 34:29. (close)

1926. The Holy Prophet was a mercy for the whole of mankind as his Message is not confined to any particular country or people. Through him the nations of the world have been blessed as they were never blessed before. (close)

a. 34:29. (close)

2432. Commentary:

The Holy Prophet was an embodiment of Divine mercy. He was a mercy for his followers and a mercy for his opponents. He was a mercy for the unlettered Arabs whom he raised from the lowest depths of moral depravity to the highest pinnacles of spiritual eminence and he was a mercy for the coming generations inasmuch as he left in the Quran and in his teachings safe and sure guidance for them. He was a mercy for the whole of mankind as his message is not confined to any particular country or people while every other Prophet before him was sent as a mercy for a particular people. Through him the nations of the world have been blessed as they were not blessed through any other Prophet. There could be no greater praise of the Holy Prophet than the one which God has bestowed upon him in the Quran in the words:

"There has indeed come to you a messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is that you fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare; and to the believers he is particularly compassionate and merciful" (9:128). (close)

b. 18:111; 41:7. (close)

a. 18:111; 41:7. (close)

2433. Commentary:

As against the religion which Gog and Magog profess and preach and which teaches belief in three gods, to declare and proclaim and preach that our God is one God and the belief in the Trinity is false is indeed a difficult task. (close)

c. 72:26. (close)

1927. God is not bound by days and hours for the fulfilment of His promises. He knows best if and when a certain prophecy is to be fulfilled. (close)

b. 72:26. (close)

2434. Commentary:

The verse makes it clear that God is not bound by dates and hours for the fulfilment of His promises. He knows best if and when a certain prophecy is to be fulfilled. (close)

d. 2:34; 20:8; 87:8. (close)

c. 2:34; 20:8; 87:8. (close)

a. 7:90. (close)

1928. The Holy Prophet is commanded to offer the prayer contained in this verse as a protection against the powers of evil that were to be let loose upon the world in the Latter Days in the form of Gog and Magog. It is clear from the Bible that in the time of Gog and Magog physical force will not be the only danger to Islam. There will be other factors which will constitute a far greater source of danger to it. The Holy Prophet may also be represented as praying in this verse that the duration of the possession of Palestine by the Jews may be the shortest possible and that it may revert to its legitimate heirs—the Muslims. (close)

d. 7:90. (close)

2435. Commentary:

The Holy Prophet is commanded to offer the prayer contained in this verse as a protection against the onslaughts of the powers of evil that were to be let loose upon the world in the latter days in the form of Gog and Magog. It is clear from the Bible that in the time of Gog and Magog physical force will not be the only danger. There will be other factors which will constitute a far greater source of danger to Islam. Islam will suffer more from the attacks of the pen and the tongue than from physical attacks. These attacks will excite God’s anger against the guilty. In Ezek. 39:‌7 we have: "I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathens shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel." Again, "I will be jealous for my holy name" (Ezek. 39:‌25). These, quotations show that Gog and Magog will profane God’s holy name and against this profanation of God’s name the Prophet is commanded to seek Divine help.

The Holy Prophet may also be represented as praying in this verse that the duration of the possession of Palestine by the Jews may be as short as possible and that it may revert to its legitimate heirs—the Muslims. (close)