Al Islam

a. 2:159. (close)

1950. The verse implies that the object underlying all the commandments and ordinances of Islam is to inculcate righteousness and purity of heart. All Islamic rites and acts of worship are only means that lead to this supreme goal. (close)

a. 2:159. (close)

2463. Commentary:

For شعائر اللّٰه see 2:159 & 5:3. The verse implies that the object underlying all the commandments and ordinances of Islam is to inculcate righteousness and purity of heart. All Islamic rites and acts of worship are only means that lead to this supreme goal. (close)

1951. The animals that are brought to Mecca for sacrifice may be used for riding and carrying burdens or their milk may be used before they are sacrificed. They can serve many other useful purposes. (close)

b. 2:197; 48:26. (close)

b. 2:197; 48:26. (close)

2464. Commentary:

The animals that are brought to Mecca for sacrifice may be used for riding, and carrying burdens or their milk may be used before they are sacrificed. They can serve other useful purposes. (close)

1952. Nasaka Lillahi means, he sacrificed and did good deeds willingly and spontaneously to win nearness to God. Mansak, therefore, means, rites of sacrifice; a place where such rites are performed (Aqrab). With this verse begins the subject of Sacrifice, one of the three main themes with which this Surah deals, the other two being Hajj and Jihad. The verse further shows that the commandment relating to Sacrifice is not confined to Islam. It is common to all religions because they have proceeded from the same Divine Source. The verse also shows that it was the sacrifice of animals that was originally enjoined on the followers of all religions and that the cruel practice of offering human beings as sacrifice was a later innovation. In view of the different meanings of the root-word Nasaka (Lane), true sacrifice possesses three essential characteristics: (a) It should be voluntary and spontaneous. (b) It should be offered with the purest of motives. (c) It should not be offered from material considerations. (close)

a. 5:5; 6:119. (close)

b. 5:74; 16:23; 37:5. (close)

1953. The verse has twofold significance: (1) The fact that the rite of Sacrifice is common to all religions, although they are so widely separated from one another as regards the time and place of their origin, shows that originally they all emanated from the same Supreme Source and that the God of all nations is One God. (2) That the object underlying Sacrifice is to realise and proclaim the Oneness of God by sacrificing our ambitions and aspirations, all our ideas and ideals and even life and honour for His sake. The concept of Sacrifice according to Islam does not consist in appeasing an offended deity or in atoning for one’s sins but in sacrificing one’s all for the sake of God and in the way of God. (close)

c. 5:5; 6:119. (close)

d. 5:74; 16:23; 37:5. (close)

2465. Important Words:

منسکا (rites of sacrifice) is derived from نسك . They say نسك الذبیحة i.e. he slaughtered and sacrificed the animal. نسك الرجلmeans, the man led a life devoted to God; he practised virtue and piety. نسك للّٰه means, he sacrificed seeking to win the pleasure of God; he did good deeds willingly and spontaneously in order to win nearness to God. نسك الثوب means, he washed the cloth. منسك means, rites of sacrifice; place where those rites are performed; one’s native place. مناسك الحج means, the religious rites and ceremonies of the Pilgrimage.

For مخبتین see 11:24.

Commentary:

With this verse begins the subject of sacrifice, one of the three main themes with which this Surah deals, the other two being Hajj and jihad.

The words "And to every people We appointed rites of Sacrifice," show that the commandment relating to Sacrifice is not confined to Islam. Sacrifice is common to all religions because they have proceeded from the same Divine source. It also appears from this verse that it was the sacrifice of animals that was originally enjoined on the followers of all religions and that the cruel practice of offering human beings as sacrifice was a later innovation.

In view of the different meanings of the root word true sacrifice possesses three essential characteristics:-

(a) It should be fully voluntary and spontaneous;

(b) It should be offered with the purest of motives, i.e. only to win the pleasure of God;

(c) It should not be offered from ulterior motives and material considerations.

Thus the first commandment relating to sacrifice though apparently very simple is of great inward significance. It is that sacrifice should be offered only for the sake of Allah and that Allah’s name should be invoked while the animal is being slaughtered for food. This not only sanctifies and blesses the food but is also calculated to turn attention to the sublime object underlying the act of slaughtering the animal—to win the pleasure of God and to be prepared to sacrifice the dearest thing in His way and for His sake.

The words, "So your God is one God, therefore, submit ye all to Him," have twofold significance: (1) The fact that the rite of sacrifice is common to all religions, although they are so widely separated from one another as regards the time and place of their origin, shows that originally they all emanated from the same Supreme Source and that the God of all nations is One God. (2) That the object underlying sacrifice is to realize and proclaim the Oneness of God by sacrificing our ambitions and aspirations, all our ideas and ideals and even life and honour for His sake, and by completely submitting ourselves to His commandments. The concept of sacrifice according to Islam does not consist in appeasing an offended deity or in atoning for one’s sins but in sacrificing one’s all for the sake of God and in the way of God. Those who have full realization of this concept of sacrifice are called (humble) in the language of the Quran. (close)

c. 23:61. (close)

a. 23:61. (close)

2466. Commentary:

This verse gives the fourfold object of sacrifice or the four characteristics of المخبتین i.e. those who have realized the real significance of sacrifice. (1) Their hearts are filled with fear when Allah is mentioned; (2) they patiently bear all sorts of hardships and privations in the way of God; (3) they purify themselves by saying their prayers regularly and punctually and (4) they serve mankind with all that God has bestowed upon them—with all the means at their disposal. (close)

1954. The slaughtering of camels which are brought to Mecca for sacrifice is but a symbol of man’s readiness to lay down his life for the sake of his Creator and Master just as camels lay down their lives for their own masters. This is the supreme object and purpose of Sacrifice, other objects mentioned in the verse being of secondary importance. The pilgrim is reminded of the significance of Sacrifice when he slaughters an animal which serves as a Sign of God. The verse also shows that the flesh of the slaughtered animal should be properly distributed and not wasted. (close)

2467. Important Words:

البدن (sacrificial camels) is the plural of بدنة which means, a she-camel or a male camel; a cow and a bull (preferably the first and the second) that is slaughtered at Mecca or brought there for sacrifice, so called because of its fatness, بدن (badana) as a verb meaning, he was or became big, bulky, big-bodied or corpulent or fat (Lane & Aqrab).

صواف (stand tied up in rows) is the plural of صافة which is derived from صوف. They say صوف القوم i.e. the people stood in rows. صواف means, standing in rows (Lane).

وجبت (they fall down). They say وجب الحائط i.e. the wall fell down. وجب الرجل means, the man fell down and died. وجب الشمس means, the sun set. فاذا وجبت جنوبھا means, when their sides fall upon the ground; when they die and fall down (Lane).

قانع (contented) is active participle from قنع (qania‘) which means, he was contented with his lot; and also from قنع(qana‘a) which means, he asked, he begged. قنع الجبل means, he ascended the mountain. القانع means, one who is contented with his lot; one who asks or begs; one of a people (Aqrab).

المعتر (one who supplicates) is derived from عر (‘arra). They say عرہ i.e. he vexed him; he did evil to him; he addressed or applied himself to obtain favour without asking; he came to him and sought his bounty. المعتر means, one who applies oneself to obtain favour without asking; one who comes to another to ask for a favour; a poor man (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse signifies that the slaughtering of camels which are brought to Mecca for sacrifice is but a symbol of man’s readiness to lay down his life for the sake of his Creator and Master just as camels lay down their lives for their own masters. This is the supreme object and purpose of sacrifice, other objects mentioned in the verse being of secondary importance. The pilgrim is reminded of the significance of sacrifice when he slaughters an animal and thus the animal serves as a sign of God. (close)

1955. The verse throws a flood of light on the essence, inwardness and real object and purpose of Sacrifice. It teaches the supreme lesson that it is not the outward act of sacrifice which pleases God but the spirit underlying it and the motive behind it. The flesh or blood of the slaughtered animal does not reach God; it is righteousness of the heart which is acceptable to Him. God demands and accepts total sacrifice of all that is near and dear to us—our material possessions, the ideals that are dear to us, our honour and life itself. In reality, God wants and demands no offering from us in the form of flesh and blood of animals but demands the offering of our hearts. It is, however, a mistake to think that because it is not the outward act of sacrifice but the motive behind it that really matters, the outward act is of no importance. True, the outward act of sacrifice is the shell, and the spirit underlying it is the kernel and essence, yet the shell or the body of a thing, like its spirit or kernel, is of very great importance because no soul can exist without a body and no kernel without a shell. (close)

2468. Commentary:

This verse throws a flood of light on the essence, inwardness and real object and purpose of sacrifice. It also teaches a supreme lesson, viz. that it is not the outward act of sacrifice which pleases God but the spirit underlying it and the motive behind it. The flesh or blood of the slaughtered animal does not reach God, it is righteousness of the heart which is acceptable to Him. God demands and accepts total sacrifice of all that is near and dear to us—our material possessions, the ideals that are so dear to us, our honour and life itself. In reality, God wants and demands no offering from us in the form of flesh and blood of animals but the offering of our hearts.

It should not, however, be understood to mean that because it is not the outward act of sacrifice but the motive behind it that really matters, the outward act is of no importance. True, the outward act of sacrifice is the shell and the spirit underlying it is the kernel and essence yet the shell or the body of a thing, like its soul, spirit or kernel, is also of very great importance because no soul could exist without a body and no kernel without a shell. (close)

1956. With this verse is introduced the subject of Jihad. The theme of Sacrifice has formed a befitting prelude to this all-important subject. Before the permission to fight in self-defence was given to Muslims, they were apprised of the importance of Sacrifice. The verse throws a flood of light on the Islamic conception of Jihad. Jihad, as the verse shows, is fighting in defence of Truth. But whereas Islam allows no aggressive war, it regards the waging of it to defend one’s honour, country or Faith as an act of the highest virtue. Man is God’s noblest handiwork. He is the acme of His creation, its aim and end. He is God’s vicegerent on earth and the king of His whole creation (2:31). This is the Islamic conception of man’s high place in the universe. It is, therefore, only natural that the religion which has raised man to such a high pedestal should also have attached very great importance and sanctity to human life. Of all things man’s life, according to the Qur’an, is the most sacred and inviolable. It is a sacrilege to take it except under very rare circumstances which the Qur’an has specifically mentioned (5:33; 17:34). But no less important, according to Islam, is freedom of conscience. It is man’s most precious heritage—perhaps more precious than life itself. The Qur’an, which has attached the greatest sanctity to man’s life, could not have failed to acknowledge and declare the sacredness and inviolability of this, his most precious possession. It is in defence of this most precious of their possessions that the Muslims were allowed to take up arms. (close)

2469. Commentary:

With this verse is introduced the subject of jihad. The theme of sacrifice has formed a befitting prelude to this all-important subject. Having explained the importance and significance of sacrifice, the Quran proceeds to tell Muslims that the time has arrived that they should be prepared to undergo all manner of sacrifice in the defence of their faith which the enemy is out to destroy. Before the permission to fight in self-defence was given to Muslims, they were apprised of the importance of sacrifice. The words, "Surely, Allah defends those who believe," throw a flood of light on the Islamic conception of jihad. Jihad, as these words show, is fighting in defence of truth. But whereas Islam allows no aggressive war, it regards the waging of it in self-defence as an act of the highest virtue. Because much misconception prevails regarding the Islamic teaching about jihad and because Islam has been much maligned and subjected to much wilful and deliberate mis-representation on this account a somewhat detailed note is called for on this subject.

Man is God’s noblest handiwork. He is the acme of His creation, its aim and end. He is God’s vicegerent on earth and the king of His whole creation (2:30). To him even angels in heaven make obeisance and for him all animate and inanimate things—the earth, the heaven, the sun, moon, stars, mountains, oceans, rivers, animals, and birds, have been created and to him they have been made subservient (14:33, 34; 35:14). This is the Islamic conception of man’s high place in the universe. It is therefore only natural that that religion which has raised man to such a high pedestal should have attached very great importance and sanctity to his life. Of all things man’s life, according to the Quran, is most sacred and inviolable. It is a sacrilege to take it except under very rare circumstances which the Quran has specifically mentioned. According to the Quran the killing of a person without a just cause is tantamount to the killing of the whole of mankind (17:34; 5:33); so sacred and sanctified is man’s life.

No less important, according to Islam, is freedom of conscience. It is man’s most precious heritage—perhaps more precious than life itself. The Quran, which has attached the greatest sanctity to man’s life, could not have failed to acknowledge and declare the sacredness and inviolability of this, his most precious possession. "Let there be no compulsion in religion," says the Quran (2:256). It abounds in verses of like import which shows that not only Islam does not encourage the use of force for the spread of its teaching but positively and in most emphatic terms forbids and condemns it and gives man unrestricted choice in the matter of his faith and belief. Here are some of them:

Say, 'O ye men, now has the truth come to you from your Lord. So whosoever follows the guidance, follows it only for the good of his own soul, and whosoever errs, errs only against it. And I am not a keeper over you (10:109).

And say, It is the truth from your Lord; therefore let him who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve (18:30).

We know best what they say; and thou hast not been appointed to compel them in any way. So admonish by means of the Quran him who fears My warning (50:46).

So remind. Thou art only one to remind. Thou art not a warden over them (88:22-23).

These verses, as it were, make an unequivocal declaration about the freedom of human conscience or the Magna Carta of the liberty of man’s beliefs and convictions. The injunctions embodied in these verses have not remained a dead letter. The Holy Prophet and his Companions lived up to them and strictly obeyed them even if acting upon them meant loss of prestige as it happened at the time of signing of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, or when the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir, on their banishment from Medina, were allowed to take with them the scions of the Muslim families of Aus and Khazraj, much against the remonstrances of their Muslim relatives, because they (the scions) had chosen to go with the Jews (Abu Dawud Kitabul-Jihad, & Manthur). It is also on record that ‘Umar, the second Caliph, presented Islam on several occasions to a Christian slave of his, Asbaq by name, but every time he refused to accept it (Manthur). Instances of such tolerant behaviour on the part of the leaders of Islam during the ages can easily be multiplied. In the face of such magnanimous display of religious tolerance it seems unbelievable that Islam should have been accused of fanaticism and bigotry or of having been spread by force, but it is a sad fact of history that it has been so maligned and accused by its hostile critics. (close)

1957. According to consensus of scholarly opinion this is the first verse which gave Muslims the permission to take up arms in self-defence. It lays down principles according to which Muslims can wage a defensive war, and sets forth along with the following verses the reasons which led a handful of Muslims, without arms and other material means, to fight in self-defence after they had suffered at Mecca ceaseless persecution for years and had been pursued with relentless hatred to Medina and were harassed and harried there too. The first reason given in this verse is that they have been wronged. (close)

2470. Commentary:

According to consensus of scholarly opinion this is the first verse which gave Muslims permission to take up arms in self-defence. The verse was revealed very early in Medina. "It is much more reasonable," says Wherry, to suppose with Muir that this command emanated from Medina. Nöldeke also relegated this command to Medina" (Wherry’s Commentary).

The next verse also lends support to this inference. It states that the permission to fight was given after the Muslims had been driven out of their hearths and homes. If, as some commentators of the Quran hold, the verse was revealed at Mecca, it must have been revealed immediately before Hijrah when most of the Muslims had already migrated to Medina and the Holy Prophet with only a very few Muslims had remained behind in Mecca and their cup of hardships and privations had become full to the brim. But the former view seems to be more akin to fact and reality.

The verse lays down principles according to which Muslims can wage a defensive war, and clearly sets forth the reasons which led a handful of Muslims, without arms and other material means, to fight in self-defence after they had suffered at Mecca ceaseless persecution for years and had been pursued with relentless hatred to Medina and were harassed and harried there too. The first and foremost reason given is that "they had been wronged." The Muslims had suffered untold persecution and war was actually forced upon them. The verse incidentally shows that the Muslims were also very weak in numbers, means and material when the permission to fight in self-defence was granted to them as the comforting and encouraging words, "And Allah indeed has power to help them," indicate. These words also implied a prophecy that though the Muslims were weak and their enemy was proud and powerful, yet as they were fighting in the cause of truth God would help them and they would be victorious. (close)

1958. This verse gives the second reason. It is that Muslims were driven out from their hearths and homes without a just and legitimate cause; their only offence being that they believed in One God. For years the Muslims were persecuted at Mecca, then they were driven out from it and were not left in peace even in their exile at Medina. Islam was threatened with complete extirpation by a combined attack by the Arabian tribes around Medina, among whom the influence of the Quraish, on account of their being the custodians of the Ka‘bah, was very great. Medina itself was honeycombed with sedition and treachery. The Jews, compact and united, were opposed to the Holy Prophet whose difficulties instead of lessening had greatly increased by Emigration. It was under these highly unfavourable circumstances that Muslims had to take up arms to save themselves, their Faith and the Holy Prophet from extermination. If ever a people had a legitimate cause to fight, it were the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his Companions, and yet the unconscionable critics of Islam have accused him of waging aggressive wars to impose his Faith on an unwilling people. (close)

a. 2:252. (close)

1959. After giving reasons why the Muslims were obliged to take up arms, the verse mentions the object and purpose of the wars of Islam. The object was never to deprive other people of their homes and possessions or to deprive them of national freedom and compel them to submit to foreign yoke, or to explore new markets and get new colonies as the Western Powers do. It was to fight in self-defence and to save Islam from extermination and to establish freedom of conscience and liberty of thought. It was also to defend places of worship belonging to other religions—the churches, the synagogues, the temples, the cloisters, etc. (2:194; 2:257; 8:40 & 8:73). Thus the first and foremost object of the wars of Islam was, and will always be, to establish freedom of belief and worship and to fight in defence of one's country, honour and freedom against an unprovoked attack. Could there be a better cause to fight for than this? (close)

b. 47:8 . (close)

a. 2:252. (close)

b. 47:8. (close)

2471. Important Words:

صوامع is the plural of صومعة which is derived from صومع. They say صومع الشیء i.e. he collected together the thing. صومع البناء means, he raised the building. صومعة means a mountain; a high place where a monk lives or a holy man worships seeking solitude; a cloister; the cell of a recluse (Aqrab & Lane).

بیع (churches) is the plural of بیعة which means, a church or, as some say, a Jewish place of worship (Aqrab & Lane).

صلوات Places of worship of the Jews (Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse gives the second reason, which led the poor and weak Muslims to take up arms. It was that they were driven out from their hearths and homes without a just and legitimate cause, their only crime being that they believed in one God. For years the Muslims were persecuted at Mecca, then they were driven out from it and were not left in peace even in their exile at Medina. They continued to be harassed in that place also. Islam was threatened with complete extirpation by a combined attack from the Arabian tribes round Medina, among whom the influence of the Quraish, on account of their being the custodians of the Ka‘bah, was very great. Medina itself was honey-combed with sedition and treachery. The Jews, compact and united, were opposed to the Holy Prophet. ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy, whose designs to become the crowned king of Medina had been upset by the Holy Prophet’s arrival in that city, and the hypocrites were an additional source of great danger to Islam. The Quraish held out a threat to ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ubayy that if the people of Medinah gave shelter to the Holy Prophet and did not make common cause with them against Muslims they would attack Medina with all their powerful hosts and allies and would kill their men and carry their women to Mecca in captivity (Abu Dawud). Thus Islam had to defend itself against much more powerful enemies at Medina than at Mecca. The position of Muslims in the first few years of their life at Medina was decidedly much weaker than at Mecca and the Holy Prophet’s difficulties instead of lessening had greatly increased. It was under these highly unfavourable circumstances that Muslims had to take up arms to save themselves, their faith and their Holy Prophet from extermination. If ever a people had a legitimate cause to fight, it were the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his Companions, and yet the unconscionable critics of Islam have accused him of waging aggressive wars to impose his faith on an unwilling people. See also 9:13.

After having given reasons why the Muslims were obliged to take up arms, the verse proceeds to mention the object and purpose of the wars of Islam. The object was never to deprive anybody of his home and possessions or to deprive whole peoples of national freedom or compel them to submit to foreign yoke under the garb of making them civilized as Western nations do, or to explore new markets and get new colonies. It was to fight in self-defence and to save Islam from extermination and to establish freedom of conscience and liberty of thought. It was also to defend places of worship belonging to different religions against desecration or destruction. Having laid down the principle that all religions have their origin in Divine revelation and that the founders of all religions were Divine Messengers and should therefore be equally respected (35:25), the Quran in the present verse has enjoined upon the Muslims to defend, even with their lives, all the places of worship—the churches, the synagogues, the temples, the cloisters, etc. This subject also finds an echo in vv. 2:‌194; 2:257; 8:40; 8:73. Thus the first and foremost object of the wars of Islam was, and will always be, to establish freedom of belief and worship and to fight in defence of country, honour and freedom against an unprovoked attack. Could there be a better cause to fight for than this? The Islamic injunctions as embodied in the present verse did not remain merely pious principles. They were acted upon by Muslims in daily life. The Muslims in the heyday of their power and glory always allowed complete freedom of belief and worship to people who accepted their protection and guardianship. To show the broad-mindedness and catholicity of Islamic teaching in this respect, we give below only one of several charters of freedom which the Holy Prophet granted to the followers of other faiths:

This is the document which Muhammad, son of ‘Abdullah, God’s Prophet, Warner and Bearer of glad-tidings, has caused to be written so that there should remain no excuse for those coming after. I have caused this document to be written for Christians of the East and the West, for those who live near, and for those of the distant lands, for the Christians living at present and for those who will come after, for those Christians who are known to us and for those as well whom we do not know. Any Muslim violating and abusing what is therein ordered would be regarded as violator of God’s testament and would be the breaker of His promise and would make himself deserving of God’s curse, be he a king or a subject. I promise that any monk or wayfarer, etc. who will seek my help on the mountains, in forests, deserts or habitations, or in places of worship, I will repel his enemies with all my friends and helpers, with all my relatives and with all those who profess to follow me and will defend him, because they are my covenant. And I will defend the covenanted against the persecution, injury and embarrassment by their enemies in lieu of the poll-tax they have promised to pay. If they prefer themselves to defend their properties and persons, they will be allowed to do so and will not be put to any inconvenience on that account. No bishop will be expelled from his bishopric, no monk from his monastery, no priest from his place of worship, and no pilgrim will be detained in his pilgrimage. None of their churches and other places of worship will be desolated or destroyed or demolished. No material of their churches will be used for building mosques or houses for the Muslims, any Muslim so doing will be regarded as recalcitrant to God and His Prophet. Monks and bishops will be subject to no tax or indemnity whether they live in forests or on the rivers, or in the East or West, North or South. I give them my word of honour. They have my promise and covenant and will enjoy perfect immunity from all sorts of inconveniences. Every help shall be given them in the repair of their churches. They shall be absolved from wearing arms. They shall be protected by the Muslims. Let this document be not disobeyed till the Judgement Day (Baladhari).

Similar charters were granted to the followers of other faiths. True Muslims have always tried to follow faithfully the example of their Prophet.

The words, "And Allah will surely help one who helps Him," signify that Muslim armies will receive Divine help because they fight Allah’s own battles and promote the sacred cause which is very dear to Him. (close)

1960. The verse implies a commandment for the Muslims that when they get power, they should not use it for the furtherance of their own selfish ends but should employ it to ameliorate the lot of the poor and the down trodden people and to establish peace and security in their dominions, and that they should respect and protect places of worship. (close)

2472. Commentary:

The verse lays down some principles of universal application:

Firstly: Those true servants of God are entitled to receive God’s help, power and authority to use it for the good of humanity who do their duty to God and man, and are devout and God-fearing, who help their fellow beings with all the means at their disposal and not only themselves live righteous lives but exhort others to lead good and useful lives and abstain from evil.

Secondly: Any nation or people who seek to receive Divine help and rise to power and influence should act upon these principles.

Thirdly: a nation or people on whom God confers power and dominion continue to enjoy these blessings so long as they observe these principles. To this sublime principle another verse of the Quran also refers, viz. "Verily, Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change their own condition" (13:12).

The verse incidentally implies a commandment for the Muslims that when they get power, they should not use it for the furtherance of their own selfish ends but should employ it in ameliorating the lot of poor and downtrodden people and in establishing peace and tranquillity in their dominions and should particularly respect and protect places of worship. It also shows that the Companions of the Holy Prophet were granted power, dominion and wealth because they lived up to the principles enunciated in this verse and that when they attained power and wealth they used it in the service of humanity. (close)