Al Islam

a. 2:90, 98, 102; 3:4, 82; 4:48; 5:49. (close)

77. Musaddiq is derived from Saddaqa which means, he held or declared him or it to be true (Lane). When the word is used in the sense of "holding a thing to be true," it is either followed by no preposition or by the preposition ba’. But when it is used in the sense of "fulfilling" as in the present verse, it is followed by the preposition lam (2:92 & 35:32). So here it means "fulfilling" and not "confirming" or "declaring to be true." The Qur’an fulfils the prophecies that were contained in the previous Scriptures regarding the advent of a Law-giving Prophet and a universal Scripture. Wherever the Qur’an speaks of itself as being Musaddiq of the previous Scriptures, it does not confirm their teachings but claims to have come in fulfilment of their prophecies. Nevertheless, it accepts the Divine origin of all the revealed Books before it. But it does not look upon all their present teachings to be true in their totality; for parts of them have been tampered with and much that was meant for a specific period has now become obsolete. (close)

b. 7:102; 10:75. (close)

c. 2:80, 175; 3:200; 5:45; 9:9; 16:96. (close)

a. 3:72. (close)

b. 2:147, 160; 6:92.  (close)

78. Here the Jews are forbidden (1) to mix the true with the false by quoting verses from their Scriptures and putting wrong interpretations on them; and (2) to suppress or hide the truth, i.e. suppress such prophecies in their Scriptures as refer to the Holy Prophet. (close)

c. See 2:4. (close)

d. 2:84, 111, 178; 4:163; 5:56; 9:11; 21:74; 23:5. (close)

79. Raki‘ means, one who bows down before God (Lisan). The Arabs used the word for one who worshipped God alone to the exclusion of idols (Asas). (close)

e. 26:227; 61:3-4. (close)

80. Birr (good) means, behaving benevolently towards relations and others; truthfulness; fidelity; righteousness; obedience to God (Aqrab). The word also means extensive goodness or beneficence (Mufradat). (close)

81. 'Book' here refers to the Bible, but the clause, while you read the Book, does not imply that all the contents of the Bible have been accepted as true. (close)

f. 2:154; 7:129. (close)

82. Sabr means, to adhere steadily to what reason and law command and to restrain oneself from what reason and law forbid and from manifesting grief, agitation and impatience (Mufradat). (close)

83. This verse along with the one that follows may be taken to be addressed either to the Jews or to the Muslims. In the former case, it constitutes a continuation of the address to the Israelites, meaning that they should not be hasty in rejecting the Holy Prophet but should try to find out the truth with patience and prayer. As taken to be addressed to Muslims it gives them a message of hope and encouragement. If they acted with patience and prayer, they need have no fear. (close)

g. 4:143; 9:54. (close)

a. 2:224, 250; 11:30; 18:111; 29:6; 84:7.  (close)

b. See 2:41.  (close)

c. 2:123; 3:34; 5:31; 6:87; 7:141; 45:17. (close)

84. The verse signifies that the Israelites were superior to the peoples of only their own age. Where the Qur’an desires to convey the idea of permanent superiority of a people over all nations, it uses other expressions such as in (3:111), where Muslims have been mentioned as "the best people." (close)

d. 2:124; 31:34; 82:20. (close)

85. Shafa‘ah is derived from Shafa‘a which means, he provided a thing which was alone with another; joined a thing to its like (Mufradat). Thus the word has the significance of likeness or similarity; also it means, interceding or praying for a person that he may be shown favour and his sins may be passed over on the ground that he is connected with the intercessor, it being also implied that the petitioner is a person of higher position than the one for whom he pleads and also has deep connection with the person with whom he intercedes (Mufradat & Lisan). Shafa‘ah (intercession) is governed by the following conditions: (1) He who intercedes must have a special connection with the person with whom he wishes to intercede and enjoys his special favour, for without such connection he dare not intercede nor can intercession be fruitful. (2) The person for whom intercession is to be made must have a true and real connection with the intercessor, for none would think of interceding for a person unless the latter has real relationship with the former. (3) The person in whose favour intercession is sought must generally be a good person who has made an honest effort to win the pleasure of God (21:29), only he has fallen into sin in a moment of weakness. (4) Intercession can only be made with God’s express permission (2:256; 10:4). Shafa‘ah as conceived by Islam is, in fact, only another form of repentance, because Taubah (repentance) signifies reforming a broken connection or tightening up a loose one. So whereas the door of repentance becomes closed with death, the door of Shafa‘ah remains open. Moreover, Shafa‘ah is a means of the manifestation of God’s mercy, and because God is not a judge but Master, there is nothing to stop Him from extending His mercy to whomsoever He pleases. (close)

a. 2:124, 256; 19:88; 20:110; 21:29; 34:24; 39:45; 43:87; 53:27; 74:49. (close)

86. ‘Adl (ransom) means, equity or justice; equal compensation; fair and equitable ransom (Aqrab). (close)

b. 14:7; 20:81; 44:31-32.  (close)

87. Pharaoh was not the name of a particular monarch. The rulers of the Nile Valley and Alexandria were called Pharaohs. Moses was born in the reign of Pharaoh Rameses II, and had to leave Egypt with the Israelites in the reign of his son, Merenptah II. Rameses II, is called the Pharaoh of the Oppression and his successor Merenptah II, the Pharaoh of Exodus (Enc. Bib. & Peake’s Commentary on the Bible). (close)

88. Al (people) is derived from the verb Ala which gives the sense of returning or governing or exercising control. The word thus means, the family or party of a man, or followers of a leader, or subjects of a ruler to whom they constantly return or who governs or exercises control over them (Lane). (close)

88A. Pharaoh had inflicted upon the Israelites grievous torments by imposing upon them hard and disgraceful labour. He also had given orders that their sons be slain and their daughters spared. In this way he sought to destroy not only their manhood but to kill in them manly qualities. (close)

c. 7:128, 142; 28:5. (close)

89. The incident mentioned in this verse relates to the time when, under God’s command, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt into Canaan. The Israelites left secretly by night and when Pharaoh learnt of their flight, he pursued them with his hosts and was drowned in the Red Sea. In order to appreciate fully the nature and significance of this incident which constituted a great Divine Sign, it is necessary to read the verse under comment along with other relevant verses such as vv. 20:‌78; 26:62-64; 44:25. The following facts emerge from these verses: (a) When Moses struck the sea with his rod as the Qur’an says, or stretched out his hand over the sea as the Bible says, it was the time of the ebb-tide and the sea was receding, leaving a dry bed. (b) Moses was commanded by God to cross quickly the dry bed to the opposite bank, which he did. (c) But when the hosts of Pharaoh reached the sea, it was the time of high-tide and in their zeal to overtake the Israelites they took no notice of it and at once jumped into the sea. (d) It seems that, being heavily equipped with big chariots and other heavy armaments the progress of the army of Pharaoh was greatly retarded so that while they were yet in the midst of the sea, the high tide returned and they were all drowned. The striking of the water of the sea with his rod by Moses had no cause and effect connection with the actual parting of the sea. It was merely a Sign or a Divine intimation for Moses that it was the time of the ebb-tide and that the Israelites should hasten to cross. God had so arranged that when Moses reached the sea the tide was about to recede, so that as soon as he struck the sea with his rod in obedience to Divine command, it began to recede and a dry path was made for the Israelites. The striking of the sea water with his rod by Moses and the recession of the sea coincided. This constituted a miracle because God alone knew when the sea would recede and He had commanded Moses to strike its waters at the time of recession.

Historians differ as to the exact place from where Moses crossed the Red Sea from Egypt into Canaan. Some are of the view that on his way from the territory of Goshen, which is also called the Valley of at-Tamthilat or Wadi Tumilat and where the capital of the Pharaohs was situated (Enc. Bib. vol.4, col. 4012, under "Rameses"), Moses passed by the Gulf of Timsah (Enc. Bib., cols. 1438 and 1439). Others think that he went much further to the north and going round Zoan crossed over to Canaan near the Mediterranean Sea (Enc. Bib., col. 1438). But what is most probable is the fact that from Tal Abi Sulaiman, which was the capital of the Pharaohs in Moses’s time, the  Israelites at first went to north-east to the Gulf of Timsah but finding that a net of gulfs barred their way, they turned south and crossed the Red Sea near the town of Suez where it is hardly more than 2 to 3 miles wide, and started for Qadas (Enc. Bib., col. 1437). "The Israelites fled with him (Moses) across the Goshen marshes into the Sinaitic peninsula. The crossing of the "Red Sea" (yam suph, "sea" or "lake of reeds") was probably the crossing of the southern end of a lake a few miles N.W. of what is now called the Red Sea. A wind laid bare a wide stretch of shore, and when an Egyptian force pursued the fugitives, their chariot-wheels stuck fast in the wet soil, and the water returned upon them when the wind shifted. Writers differ as to the route taken by the Israelites. Some think that they moved southward to the mountainous range of (the modern) Sinai, and then along the eastern arm of the Red Sea, now  known as the Gulf of ‘Akaba, to its northernmost point at Ezion-Geber. Others think that the evidence points to the route still taken by Mecca pilgrims, nearly due E. to Ezion-Geber, and that thence they moved N.W. to the region of Kadesh (Barnea), to Mt. Sinai or southward along the E. side of the Gulf of ‘Akaba to Mt. Horeb. The traditions differ and certainty is impossible" (Peake’s Commentary on the Bible). (close)

a. 7:137; 8:55; 20:78, 81; 26:64-67; 28:41; 44:25. (close)