ISLAMIC THEOLOGICAL APPROACH TO BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES OF EHLE KITAB - PEOPLE OF THE BOOK - AS DICTATED IN THE QIRAN

ISLAMIC THEOLOGICAL APPROACH TO BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES OF EHLE KITAB - PEOPLE OF THE BOOK   AS DICTATED IN THE QIRAN

ABSTRACT 

The article starts with the beautiful ayah “Say, [O Muhammad], "Do you argue with us about Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are sincere [in deed and intention or worship and obedience]  to Him.” This remarkable principle of religious toleration and peaceful coexistence is offered to the non-believers by our Holy Book as far back as the early seventh century. It is followed by another superb ayah of our Holy Book highlighting some lofty values in human relations enunciated centuries ago which the Western civilisation is catching up now: “Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” The Lord and Creator of the Universe and all mankind is declaring here the minimum criteria for human  salvation on the Day of Judgement. This is the General Principle enunciated by the Rabb-ul Aalameen for all mankind and seems to be the obvious meaning of the text of the Ayah relating to the creed of Islam. The article discusses different interpretations of this ayah. The terms Fiqh and Shari’ah are defined and contrasted. Some ground realities around us are highlighted to bring the problem into proper focus. The innocent new born has no say in deciding which house-hold does he land at birth. It is entirely a Divine Decision.  But this is usually the only factor to decide whether he will, holding the hand of his father/mother as a child walk into a Masjid, Church, Synagogue or Temple. What about the innocent child born in a Hindu house-hold entirely by a Divine Design? Abubakr Baghdadi is a Jannati and Martin Luther King Jr. is guaranteed hellfire. Bhutto, Altaf Bhai certain candidates for the Jannah. As for  Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa, they will surely be roasted in hellfire. The verse under discussion is the gift from Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo to make sense out of this non-sense. In the Court of the Ahkami-al-Hakimeen (the best, wisest, most judicious of all judges) on the Day of Judgement, the Holy Quran declares that the insignia and stripes of religion that we display on our chest will be mostly irrelevant. The team of experts appointed by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo and provided by the minutest details (“…an atom weight of……” Surah Al Zalzala) of the digital footprints of the human race will assess and scrutinize accurately and minutely:

1) Nature, type and intensity of your Belief in Allah notwithstanding your profession about it

2) The depth and sincerity of your Belief in the Hereafter

3) Your deeds, action and performance closely analyzing your intentions (niyyah), sincerity, resources, influence, power etc. 

May be, just may be as a result Mandela and Baghdadi may change places, up there. Finally and  surely the Aleemun Khabeer (All-Knowing, All-Aware) knows best.

 Read ONLY,  IF AND WHEN you have time and mood for: 

 “An Ayah of the Quran for 30 Days” -- July 2015

Choose the section you have time, in the next 30 days to read this ayah:-

Prelude:                       Recurrent Primary Message          1st.            Page

Starting Dua, a note & The Ayah                                        2nd.          Page

A Short Summary:       For the Busy Bee                           Two           Pages

The Main Story:           Recommended                               Four          Pages

Footnotes:                   For the Perfectionist                       One           Page

PRELUDE

From the Pen and Perspective of a self-styled PPK Muslim (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgeable) with a humble submission that Islam totally rejects Blind Following BUT vigorously focusses on the Limitations of Pure Human Reasoning..............and clearly and comprehensively AlLAH knows best.

In the beginning of the seventh century C.E., the folks of Mecca and Medina had a fascinatingly unique window: they had direct access to the Heavens through one of their own. They were blessed with a regular stream of Divine counseling and guidelines. Question and answer sessions were part of the program. Even individual questioner was graced by an answer. In the short Introduction to this scheme they were assured that at the end of this twenty-two year project, Divine Directions and Admonitions will continue through the agency of the PEN. The whole discourse has been preserved and archived till eternity under the guarantee of our Lord and Creator. This record in known as the Quran. 

It should sound unbelievable but factually appears to be true: Many of our prevalent, widespread and important concepts and opinions about religious matters do not have a basis in the Quran and sometimes even appear to be in obvious conflict with the teachings of the Quran. It would be very educative and helpful to discuss an Ayah once a month to see if it supports or rejects our views and actions in our daily life. I wish and hope this email generates a fruitful interactive discussion. 

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

In the name of Allah, we praise HIM, seek HIS help and ask for HIS forgiveness. Whosoever Allah guideth none can misguide; whosoever HE allows to fall astray, none can guide him right. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah alone and we bear witness that Mohammed, SAW is HIS slave-servant and the Seal of HIS Messengers. 

Further, we recall that Allah Ta’aala has declared in HIS Book¹ “He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message (or remember or receive admonition) but men of understanding (or intellect)” and we also recall that he has warned us about the day of judgement² “Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons (joy, pleasure).” We realise, that there cannot be a greater boon or blessing or benefit than wisdom and we wonder if this should be a timely reminder to very many of us sincere and practicing Muslims who use our critical thinking to enhance the mundane for ourselves and our families but resort to compulsory following -- taqleed, doctrine of classical Sunni Islamic Fiqh  -- in matters religion. 

(NOTE:  I have filtered out the proofs and details into the Footnotes for those who have the time and interest for them. The main email will then be reasonable length, hopefully for the busy majority. What follows is not a sermon; I do not feel qualified to give one, anyhow. I wish, it may provide a food for thought. A caveat seems in order: If the ayah selected pertains to issues we face in our daily life with our family, friends, neighbours or peers it may affect us personally and lead to some self analysis and soul searching which in turn could be divisive and distressing. If taken in the right spirit, it can be a humble attempt towards finding the “straight path”.) 

THE AYAH

Surah Al-Baqaraa; Ayah 139
قُل أَتُحاجّونَنا فِي اللَّهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنا وَرَبُّكُم وَلَنا أَعمالُنا وَلَكُم أَعمالُكُم وَنَحنُ لَهُ مُخلِصونَ

“Say, [O Muhammad], "Do you argue with us about Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are sincere [in deed and intention or worship and obedience]  to Him.” Sahih International

A SHORT VERSION

“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i

A beautiful ayah but demands an unbiased approach and an open mind to understand the Divine message underneath. In response to the claims of the Jews and Christians regarding the succession of prophethood and their assertion that they are the chosen ones, the Quran offers a very magnanimous and entirely just offer. It is addressing the People of the Book that Allah is the Lord of all Mankind — yours and ours —so we do not have to fight over it. All of us will be rewarded in the Hereafter according to our actions. Let us concentrate on our actions here for the hereafter instead of worrying and fighting about the actions of the other. This remarkable principle of religious toleration and peaceful coexistence is offered to the non-believers by our Holy Book as far back as the early seventh century. Yet it is marketed as a showpiece of democracy and Western civilisation developed in the modern world. Why? Unfortunately, our Community of Faith does not live up to these lofty principles. As a matter of fact we are inclined to be intolerant and many of us tend to be aggressive and even violent in our bigotry. Part of the answer lies with the approach and attitude of  our venerable Ulema.

There is another superb ayah of our Holy Book highlighting some lofty values in human relations enunciated centuries ago which the Western civilisation is catching up now:³                  

“Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.”  Pickthall

At the outset, it must be emphasised that this ayah is certainly not relieving a Momin from the well accepted duties and responsibilities of our Shari’ah. These are there to stay because the Holy Text is replete with them. No ayah of the Quran can be interpreted in isolation. It has to be read in conjunction with other related ones. Our Da’wa for Islam has to continue with the same vigour. What then is Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo ordaining us by this  very meaningful clearly worded ayah with far reaching implications?

The elaborate set of Islamic Law known as Fiqh (the Do’s and Don’ts for Muslims) has been worked out diligently and honestly by our outstanding Imams and Ulemas as a working formula for this world. It is based on their sincere understanding and assessment of the Shari’ah — the Islamic Law envisaged by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo. Fiqh is a total human effort to decipher as closely as possible the design of Shari’ah — a total Divine phenomenon. Fiqh, therefore is not and can never be a true copy of the Shari’ah. On the basis of Fiqh we have very strong and dogmatic opinions about what makes a Muslim and his status in our world and his future for the next. This ayah points to one major fault in our thinking. According to prevalent Fiqh, pronouncement of Shahaada makes a Muslim and ensures his salvation. On the other hand lack of Shahaada denies any chance of salvation. “Sorry, it is not that simple” according to the Shari’ah in the Hereafter as per this ayah. As Lord and Creator of the Universe and all mankind, HE is declaring the minimum criteria for human salvation on the Day of Judgement. Allah Ta’aala

Subhaanahoo declares in no uncertain terms that the label of your religiosity as a result of just pronouncing the shahaada will not matter in the Kingdom Come; it is your doctrine and deeds that will count viz. Belief in Allah, Belief in the Hereafter and righteous deeds. This is the General Principle enunciated by the Rabb-ul Aalameen for all mankind; a beacon of light for all of us specially the non-Muslims.

In this verse Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo, in HIS eternal wisdom has enunciated the minimal duties and obligations for salvation. Let me borrow the words of Dr. Mohammed Asad from his  renowned exegesis “The Message of the Quran” “The above passage - which recurs in the Qur'an several times - lays down a fundamental doctrine of Islam. With a breadth of vision unparalleled in any other religious faith, the idea of "salvation" is here made conditional upon three elements only: belief in God, belief in the Day of Judgment, and righteous action in life. The statement of this doctrine at this juncture - that is, in the midst of an appeal to the children of Israel - is warranted by the false Jewish belief that their descent from Abraham entitles them to be regarded as "God's chosen people”. 

This seems to be the obvious meaning of the text of the Ayah relating to the creed of Islam. But it hurts the interest, worldly gains, pride and prejudices of the Tribe of Muslims. No wonder it is an unpopular interpretation and is not supported by many of our scholars. Maudoodi comes out with a very debatable conclusion “The aim of the verse is merely to repudiate the illusion cherished by the Jews that, by virtue of their being Jews, they have a monopoly of salvation.”  Mufti Mohammed Shafi argues⁴ that this ayah is an assurance to all and to Jews in particular that they will be rewarded if they submit themselves fully to the commandments of  Allah both in their beliefs and in their deeds. First, the wordings of the ayah do not support this interpretation of the great scholar. Second, Islam originated with this practice of accepting Jews, Christian and non-believers once they have retracted. The Jews did not need fresh assurance on this account. I also feel that the esteemed Mufti comes out with some sarcasm and name calling in a footnote to express his views. This is specifically forbidden in our Holy Book. You judge for your self.⁵         

There is another controversial logic by this eminent scholar. He explains “Faith in Allah is the first article in the Islamic creed, while faith in the Day of Judgment is the last. By mentioning only these two, the verse intends to say in a succinct manner that it is necessary to have faith in all the articles of the creed, from the first to the last.”  Is he right? Probably not as proved by these ayahs.⁶  

Sayyid Qutb, the famous scholar has this to say about this ayah“….. the most basic and all-embracing principle of the unity of God’s religion. It establishes that belief in God is one and the same for all groups and nations, and that it will lead to righteousness and good deeds. God’s grace and mercy are not the monopoly or the privilege of any particular racial or ethnic group. They are extended to all believers at all stages of human history, in succession……” But he  has decided that this is operative only “until the arrival of God’s final message”. According to his logic, with the advent of Islam, we are now the only guided one; we are the chosen one; we are the true believers. Rest of humanity is doomed to Hellfire. We claim all this while not missing a single moment to condemn the Jews for claiming exactly the same position. 

Let us look at some ground realities around us. The innocent new born has no say in deciding which house-hold does he land at birth. It is entirely a Divine Decision.  But this is the single most important, as a matter of fact the only factor to decide whether he will, holding the hand of his father/mother as a child walks into a Masjid, Church, Synagogue or Temple. As a young man he is driven more by his loyalty to his tribe rather than the love and knowledge of religion. Largely if not completely, the bias or antipathy against the “the other camp” is the underlying driver for the passion and energy for one’s religion. This is is true, I dare say for about 90% of humanity. Hence there are millions and billions of Muslims and Christians in our world but we see very little of Islam or Christianity around us. What about the innocent child born in a Hindu house-hold entirely by a Divine Design?  He has started on the wrong foot and has a great and weighty handicap as compared to a child born in a Muslim house-hold. The Muslim Ummah has a mandate t0 guide them by their words and deeds towards the true Deen, Islam. As per our Holy Text, we will be required to bear witness on the day of Judgement that we have sincerely conveyed the message of our beloved Prophet to our neighbors in our life time. We seem to have failed miserably in this sacred duty.  There are glorious and effective  exceptions of Da’waa in our times. But their good work is cleanly wiped out by the marauding hordes of Mulla Umer, OBL and Abu Bakr Baghdadi. Islam is the only Divinely chosen religion goes the saying. It is absolutely true, I believe, you believe , the whole Ummah does.. However there has to be a fault line somehow and somewhere. A girl/boy of fourteen dies: son of a Christian priest:destined for hell; son of a Muslim drug dealer:destined for Jannah! Abubakr Baghdadi is a Jannati and Martin Luther King Jr. is guaranteed hellfire. The Kings,Emirs, Sultans and Shaikhs of the Islamic world will have a red carpet rolled out leading to  Jannah  but their poor and miserable Christian, Hindu and Buddhist slave workers are booked straight for Hell. Zulfikhar Ali Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, Altaf Bhai and Nawaz Shareef, all guaranteed candidates for the Jannah. As for  Gandhi, Nehru, Mandella and Mother Teresa, they will surely be roasted in hellfire. Does it not sound simply nonsense? It does! It most definitely does!  The verse under discussion is the gift from Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo to make

sense out of this non-sense. In the Court of the Ahkami-al-Hakimeen (the best, wisest, most judicious of all judges) on the Day of Judgement, the Holy Quran declares that the insignia and stripes of religion that you display on your chest will be mostly irrelevant. The team of experts appointed by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo and provided by the minutest details (“…an atom weight of……” (Surah Al Zalzala) of the digital footprints of the human race will assess and scrutinize accurately and minutely:

1) Nature, type and intensity of your Belief in Allah notwithstanding your profession about it

2) The depth and sincerity of your Belief in the Hereafter

3) Your deeds, action and performance closely analyzing your intentions (niyyah), sincerity, resources, influence, power etc. 

May be, just may be as a result Mandela and Baghdadi may change places, up there. Finally and  surely the Aleemun Khabeer (All-Knowing, All-Aware) knows best. 

I feel we have been through some really challenging and confusing stuff. Let us pause and digest it. We will discuss additional relevant ayahs next month. I better mail this one after Eid. 

and Allah knows best. 

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.

TO BE CONTINUED

THE MAIN STORY

“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i

A beautiful ayah but demands an unbiased approach and an open mind to understand the Divine message underneath. In response to the claims of the Jews and Christians regarding the succession of prophethood and their assertion that they are the chosen ones, the Quran offers a very magnanimous and entirely just offer. It is addressing the People of the Book that Allah is the Lord of all Mankind — yours and ours —so we do not have to fight over it. All of us will be rewarded in the Hereafter according to our actions. Let us concentrate on our actions here for the hereafter instead of worrying and fighting about the actions of the other. The ayah ends by declaring that Muslims are singularly and sincerely devoted to Allah and Allah  alone for worship and devotion. The Arabic word in the text is Mukhlisun, allied to the word Ikhlaas, "the act of purifying oneself." According to Saed ibn Jubayr, Ikhlaas consists in worshipping no one but Allah, associating no one with Allah, and doing good deeds only for the sake of obeying Allah, and not for the purpose of winning the admiration of the people.

This ayah provides a very clear directive to us in dealing with our theological differences with the people of the Book and by extension with all the non-Believers. So far as they allow us freedom of action in our Beliefs and Doctrines, we do not  have to bother about theirs. All of us will be judged ultimately by the Lord of all mankind. This remarkable principle of religious toleration and peaceful coexistence is offered to the non-believers by our Holy Book as far back as the early seventh century. Yet it is marketed as a showpiece of democracy and Western civilisation developed in the modern world. Why? Unfortunately, our Community of Faith does not live up to these lofty principles. As a matter of fact we are inclined to  be intolerant and many of us tend to be aggressive and even violent in our bigotry. Some time back in Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan a Qadiani was arrested and put behind bars. Two lawyers (probably Qadiani) appeared at the jail to arrange a bail for him. A mob gathered outside. After some shouting, the two were dragged through the streets, beaten and killed. You can build a case of mob behavior. However it becomes an “official” act when you learn that there was no police action, no public protest and above all no condemnation from any Aalim. In another Muslim country Malaysia, Muslims objected to Christians using the name “Allah” in their churches. The government backed them and prohibited the use of the name of Allah in all the Churches. Please note that Christians make up forty percent of the population of Malaysia. An  appeal was lodged at the Supreme Court. After two years of proceedings, a verdict was announced in favour of the Christians. Muslim response: bomb blasts went off in six Churches in the following days. Once again no police action. No aalim condemned it. Instead the then Prime Minister condoned it openly on TV calling this devastation a result of “emotional” problem. I ask again, why? Despite the clear message from  Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo in this ayah and repeated elsewhere, why we Muslims are so bigoted. Part of the answer lies with the approach and attitude of  our venerable Ulema. Listen to  part of the commentary of Mufti Mohammed Shafi in his renowned Ma’aariful Quran on this  ayah: “……. Should the Jews and the Christians still continue, in their stubbornness, to deny, Allah asks the Holy Prophet & and the Muslims to declare in plain and simple words that Allah, being the Lord of All, cannot show any special favour to any particular group of His creatures, and that on the Day of Judgment He will assess the Jews and the Christians as well as the Muslims according to what each has believed in and how each has been behaving - a principle which was accepted by the People of the Book too…..”. Despite my tremendous respect and admiration for Mufti Mohammed Shafi I beg to differ from him strongly. I am encouraged on this audacity by the repeated teachings in my Holy Book to use my God given critical thinking to learn my Dean and the remarkable advice by a dignitary of Islam second only to our Dear Prophet, Sayyidna Abu Bakr Siddique.  In his very first khutba immediately after his election as the first caliph he instructed his audience of desert Bedouins to follow him only if he is going by the Book; if not, then he should be corrected. I personally think, a magnanimous and attractive peace offer, unheard of in those days ordained by the Rabbu-al-Aalameen to the unbelievers to promote some  harmony and concord in Muslim life is given what appears to be a confrontational interpretation by an eminent Aalim; this can be potentially damaging for the Ummah. Consequently, do we not see a dichotomy in our behaviour as an Ummah? We are proud of and never miss an opportunity to portray Islam as a Religion of Peace (which it certainly is) but as eagerly show, on many occasions a penchant for clash and conflict resulting frequently in aggression and violence. I am not referring to our justified reaction to Islamophobia. 

There is another superb ayah of our Holy Book highlighting some lofty values in human relations enunciated centuries ago which the Western civilisation is catching up now. Here again many scholars find it difficult to accept the obvious and clear meaning of the language of Holy Text and come out with different interpretations. It may be mentioned here that the First principle of exegesis — science of tafseer — by consensus is that no interpretation of an ayah can be accepted agains the obvious meaning of the language of the Text. With this short preface let us read the ayah:³            

“Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.”  Pickthall

At the outset, it must be emphasised that this ayah is certainly not relieving a Momin from the well accepted duties and responsibilities of our Shari’ah. These are there to stay because the Holy Text is replete with instructions for them. No ayah of the Quran can be interpreted in isolation. It has to be read in conjunction with other related ones. Notwithstanding what follows, I am sure our Da’wa for the spread and dissemination of our Deen preferably promoted by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo for this planet has to continue and with greater vigour. Islam is the “Right Path” selected by our Lord Creator for us. What, then does this ayah mean? What is Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo ordaining us by this  very meaningful clearly worded ayah with far reaching implications? Let us discuss. We start reciting the “Mother of Quran” (Surah Fatiha) by praising  Allah as “the Lord of the Worlds” (Rabbi-al-Aalameen) but forget this fact the next moment and start considering HIM instead  as the “Lord of Muslamin” who cares only for the Ummah and ignores rest of the humanity.

To the best of my knowledge, it is a widely prevalent belief that Muslims are destined for the Jannah; even the sinner Muslims will be transferred to Jannah on completing their term in Hell. Finally it seems to be  our assertion that all the non-believers have no chance of redemption in the Hereafter. (Does it sound familiar? The chosen people!) The elaborate set of Islamic Law known as Fiqh (the Do’s and Don’ts for Muslims) has been worked out diligently and honestly by our outstanding Imams and Ulemas of the five schools as a working formula for this world. It is based on their sincere understanding and assessment of the Shari’ah — the Islamic Law envisaged by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo. Fiqh is a total human effort to decipher as closely as possible the design of Shari’ah — a total Divine phenomenon. Fiqh, therefore is not and can never be a true copy of the Shari’ah. Fiqh is the ‘law of the land” down here. Shari’ah will the “law of the land” in the hereafter. On the basis of Fiqh we have very strong and dogmatic opinions about what makes a Muslim and his status in our world and his future for the next.   According to prevalent Fiqh, pronouncement of Shahaada makes a Muslim and ensures his salvation. On the other hand lack of Shahaada denies any chance of salvation. “Sorry, it is not that simple” according to the Shari’ah in the Hereafter as per this ayah. As Lord and Creator of the Universe and all mankind, HE is declaring the minimum criteria for human salvation on the Day of Judgement.  Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo declares in no uncertain terms that the label of our religiosity as a result of just pronouncing the shahaada will not matter in the Kingdom Come; it is our doctrine and deeds that will be judged and scrutinized in detail viz. Belief in Allah, Belief in the Hereafter and Righteous deeds. This is the General Principle enunciated by the Rabbu-al-Aalameen for all mankind; a beacon of light for all of us specially the non-Muslims. Can the non-Muslims enter Jannah? The usual answer by the Islamic scholarship is a definite and firm NO and is very jubilantly accepted by the Ummah. In this ayah the All Knowing says other wise; they certainly can enter if they qualify as judged by HIS three conditions. In our transient abode here, human designed Fiqh is the benchmark. This completely disqualifies the non-Muslims from any chance of redemption. In our eternal dwelling up there however, the Divine designed Shari’ah will be the touchstone. This ayah describes one clause of that Shari’ah which gives a chance of salvation in the hereafter to the non-believers. This is the broad Divine framework given to us in this verse. The devil of course lies in the details which have to be filled in. What sort of Belief is accepted? What does the belief in the Hereafter means? What are the righteous deeds? However the ayah is clear that merely the label of religiosity that we display in this world will not count in the Ultimate Court of the All Powerful and Omnipresent. 

This seems to be the obvious literal meaning of the text of the Ayah relating to the “creed of Islam”. There is no significant difference of opinion on this; all translations are almost identical. The divergence starts with the interpretation. But the obvious meaning  hurts the interest, worldly gains, pride and prejudices of the “Tribe of Muslims”. Additionally it goes against their “ancestral customs, social conventions and imitative instincts”.  No wonder it is an unpopular interpretation and is not supported by many of our scholars. Yousuf Ali, the author of a very popular Tafseer in English does not comment at all on the underlying meaning of this ayah. He discusses in some detail about the identity of the Sabeans. Maudoodi comes out with this debatable conclusion “The aim of the verse is merely to repudiate the illusion cherished by the Jews that, by virtue of their being Jews, they have a monopoly of salvation.” He  probably has based this conclusion on the fact that this ayah is preceded by  detailed discussion of the intransigence and obstinacy of the Jews. Mufti Mohammed Shafi argues⁴ that this ayah is an assurance to all and to Jews in particular that they will be rewarded if they submit themselves fully to the commandments of  Allah both in their beliefs and in their deeds. In other words, if Jews and others recant they will be forgiven. First, the wordings of the ayah do not support this interpretation of the great scholar. Second, Islam originated with this practice of accepting Jews, Christian and non-believers once they have retracted. Were not most of our great Sahaabaas converts from paganism? The logic behind this interpretation, therefore seems rather hazy. The Jews did not need fresh assurance on this account. He further maintains, that this ayah is in fact an invitation to the non-believers to join Islam which is the only choice after the revelation of the Holy Quran. I also feel that the esteemed Mufti comes out with some sarcasm and name calling in a footnote to express his views. This is specifically forbidden in our Holy Book. You judge for your self.⁵                

There is another some what controversial logic by this eminent scholar. This ayah mentions only two articles of faith of Islam viz. faith in Allah and the Hereafter. The Mufti explains “Faith in Allah is the first article in the Islamic creed, while faith in the Day of Judgment is the last. By mentioning only these two, the verse intends to say in a succinct manner that it is necessary to have faith in all the articles of the creed, from the first to the last.” Is he right? Faith in the Hereafter is not the last; it usually follows the Faith in Allah all over in the Quran. In the forceful and meaning full ayah where Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo declares⁶ 

“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is……”

and then goes onto  declare five distinct categories of piety. The first among these five is about Eemaan which is described as:

 “one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets……..”

Look at the priority of the items;  faith in theHereafter follows directly after faith in Allah.  Second, as we finish Surah Fatiha and move on to second surah, the Holy Book describes the qualities of Muttaqui. The first one is belief in the Hereafter; even prayer comes next.⁷ 

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah (muttaqui) -

Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them……..” Sahih International

I also feel that there is no need for this type of logic by Mufti Shafi. We have to read this ayah as part of the Quran which is full of other duties and obligations for a Momin apart from these two articles of faith. It would be obvious nonsense to ignore the rest of the Quran, concentrating only on this verse. In this ayah Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo, in HIS eternal wisdom has enunciated the minimal duties and obligations for salvation. Let me borrow the words of Dr. Mohammed Asad from his  renowned exegesis “The Message of the Quran”: “The above passage - which recurs in the Qur'an several times - lays down a fundamental doctrine of Islam. With a breadth of vision unparalleled in any other religious faith, the idea of "salvation" is here made conditional upon three elements only: belief in God, belief in the Day of Judgment, and righteous action in life. The statement of this doctrine at this juncture - that is, in the midst of an appeal to the children of Israel - is warranted by the false Jewish belief that their descent from Abraham entitles them to be regarded as "God's chosen people”. 

Sayyid Qutb, the famous scholar cum revolutionary activist displays in his monumental Fi Dhilal Al Qur’an an interesting approach to this ayah which is preceded in the Quran by a detailed discussion of Jews specially referring to their claim of  “being the most rightly-guided nation, the chosen people of God and the only people that shall be saved.” He points out that this claim is totally rejected by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo who in Surah Baqarah generally and in this verse specially “…..goes on to stress the most basic and all-embracing principle of the unity of God’s religion. It establishes that belief in God is one and the same for all groups and nations, and that it will lead to righteousness and good deeds. God’s grace and mercy are not the monopoly or the privilege of any particular racial or ethnic group. They are extended to all believers at all stages of human history, in succession……..The verse affirms that all of those religious communities who believe in God and the Last Day shall obtain their reward with God and may rest assured that they will be saved. The main criterion is religious belief rather than ethnic or national affiliation.”  But he  has decided that “the most basic and all-embracing principle of the unity of God’s religion” is operative only “until the arrival of God’s final message, which would unite all believers…..

With the advent of Islam this comes into sharper focus, because the final version of divine faith has been established.” According to this opinion therefore, we are now the only guided one; we are the chosen one; we are the true believers. Rest of humanity is doomed to Hellfire. We claim all this while not missing a single moment to condemn the Jews for claiming exactly the same position. 

Let us look at some ground realities around us to really appreciate the need and purpose of this verse. The innocent new born has no say in deciding which house-hold does he land at birth. It is entirely a Divine Decision.  But this is the single most important, as a matter of fact the only factor to decide whether he will, holding the hand of his father/mother as a child walk into a Masjid, Church, Synagogue or Temple. As a young man he is driven more by his loyalty to his tribe rather than the love and knowledge of religion. Largely if not completely, the bias or antipathy against the “the other camp” is the underlying driver for the passion and energy for one’s religion. This is is true, I dare say for almost 90% of humanity. Hence there are millions and billions of Muslims and Christians in our world but we see very little of Islam or Christianity around us. What about the innocent child born in a Hindu house-hold entirely by a Divine Design?  He has started on the wrong foot and has a great and weighty handicap as compared to a child born in a Muslim house-hold. The Muslim Ummah has a mandate to to guide the likes of him by their words and deeds towards the true Deen, Islam. As per our Holy Text, we will be required to bear witness on the day of Judgement that we have sincerely conveyed the message of our beloved Prophet to our neighbors in our life time. We seem to have failed in this sacred duty; do you agree? There are glorious and effective  exceptions of Da’waa in our times. But their good work is cleanly wiped out by the marauding hordes of Mulla Umer, OBL and Abu Bakr Baghdadi. Islam is the only Divinely chosen religion goes the saying. It is absolutely true; I believe it, you believe it and the whole Ummah does. However there has to be a fault line somehow and somewhere; how else can you explain what we often see.  A girl/boy of fourteen dies: son of a Christian priest:destined for hell; son of a Muslim drug dealer:destined for Jannah! Abubakr Baghdadi is a Jannati and Martin Luther King Jr. is guaranteed hellfire. The Kings,Emirs, Sultans and Shaikhs of the Islamic world will have a red carpet rolled out leading to  Jannah  but their poor and miserable Christian, Hindu and Buddhist slave workers are booked straight for Hell. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, Altaf Bhai and Nawaz Shareef, all guaranteed candidates for the Jannah. As for  Gandhi, Nehru, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa, they will surely be roasted in hellfire. Does it not sound simply nonsense? It does! It most definitely does!  The verse under discussion is the valuable gift from Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo to help us to make sense out of this non-sense. In the Court of the Ahkam-al-Hakimeen (the best, wisest, most judicious of all judges) on the Day of Judgement, the Holy Quran declares that the insignia and stripes of religion that you display on your chest will be mostly irrelevant. The team of experts appointed by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo and provided by the minutest details (“…an atoms weight of……” Surah Al Zalzala) of the digital footprints of the human race will assess and scrutinize accurately and minutely:

1) Nature, type and intensity of your Belief in Allah notwithstanding your profession about it

2) The depth and sincerity of your Belief in the Hereafter

3) Your deeds, action and performance closely analyzing your intentions (niyyah), sincerity, resources, influence, power etc. 

The terms of reference for this team will be the Shari’ah based on the Holy Quran and the preaching and practice of our beloved Prophet as recorded and tabulated in the Divine Register. An important question to ponder. Will the vast literature of Fiqh of different schools of thought of Sunni and Shi’ah Islam and the six Text Books of Hadith (Sihahe Sitta) will be admissible in the Sovereign and Ultimate Court of the Ahkam-al-Hakimeen (the best, wisest, most judicious of all judges). Extremely unlikely, in my view. Not a word about this literature is mentioned in the Holy Quran or referred to by our beloved Prophet. What do you think?

May be, just may be, as a result Mandela and Baghdadi may change places, up there. Finally and  surely the Aleemun Khabeer (All-Knowing, All-Aware) knows best. 

I feel we have been through some really challenging and confusing stuff. Let us pause and digest it. We will discuss additional relevant ayahs next month. I better mail this one after Eid. 

and Allah knows best. 

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.

TO BE CONTINUED

FOOTNOTES

(1) Surah 2/269
يُؤتِي الحِكمَةَ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤتَ الحِكمَةَ فَقَد أوتِيَ خَيرًا كَثيرًا ۗ وَما يَذَّكَّرُ إِلّا أُولُو الأَلبابِ

(2) Surah 102/8
ثُمَّ لَتُسأَلُنَّ يَومَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعيمِ

(3) Surah 2/62
الَّذينَ يُنفِقونَ أَموالَهُم في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ لا يُتبِعونَ ما أَنفَقوا مَنًّا وَلا أَذًى ۙ لَهُم أَجرُهُم عِندَ رَبِّهِم وَلا خَوفٌ عَلَيهِم وَلا هُم يَحزَنونَ

(4) The previous verse spoke of how the Israelites drew upon themselves the wrath of Allah through their habitual insolence and disobedience. Now, this account may lead the listeners, or the Jews themselves, to suppose that, in view of such transgression, their Taubah (repentance),if they agree to offer it, would not be acceptable to Allah. In order to dispel such a misgiving, the present verse lays down a general principle: no matter how a man has been behaving earlier, so long as he submits himself fully to the commandments of  Allah in his beliefs and in his deeds both, he is acceptable to Allah, and will get his reward. It is obvious enough that after the revelation of the Holy Qur'an, which is the last message of Allah, perfect obedience to Allah can only mean accepting Islam and following the Last Prophet Muhammad.  The verse, in effect, assures everyone that once a man has accepted Islam, all his former transgressions, whether in the matter of beliefs or in that of deeds, will be forgiven, and he will become worthy of receiving the rewards of the other world.

(5) Mufti sercasm

Contrary to the flaccid fancies of some "modernizers" who are very happy with themselves over their "liberalism" and "tolerance", the present verse does not open the way to salvation for each and every "man of good will" irrespective of the creed he follows. If one reads the verse in its proper context and along with other relevant verses of the Holy Qur'an, one will easily see that the verse, in fact, promises salvation in the other world only to those who accept Islam. It is an invitation to Islam extended to the Jews, the Christians, the Sabeans and, as a matter of fact, to the followers of all possible religions, and even to non-believers -- specific names only serve as examples. 

(6) Surah 2/177 (part of the ayah)

لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آَمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآَخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ

(7) Surah 2/2-3
ذٰلِكَ الكِتابُ لا رَيبَ ۛ فيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِلمُتَّقينَالَّذينَ يُؤمِنونَ بِالغَيبِ وَيُقيمونَ الصَّلاةَ وَمِمّا رَزَقناهُم يُنفِقونَ