2:146 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

يخبر تعالى: أن أهل الكتاب قد تقرر عندهم, وعرفوا أن محمدا رسول الله, وأن ما جاء به, حق وصدق, وتقينوا ذلك, كما تيقنوا أبناءهم بحيث لا يشتبهون عليهم بغيرهم، فمعرفتهم بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم, وصلت إلى حد لا يشكون فيه ولا يمترون، ولكن فريقا منهم - وهم أكثرهم - الذين كفروا به, كتموا هذه الشهادة مع تيقنها, وهم يعلمون { وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِنْدَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ } وفي ضمن ذلك, تسلية للرسول والمؤمنين, وتحذير له من شرهم وشبههم، وفريق منهم لم يكتموا الحق وهم يعلمون، فمنهم من آمن [به] ومنهم من كفر [به] جهلا، فالعالم عليه إظهار الحق, وتبيينه وتزيينه, بكل ما يقدر عليه من عبارة وبرهان ومثال, وغير ذلك, وإبطال الباطل وتمييزه عن الحق, وتشيينه, وتقبيحه للنفوس, بكل طريق مؤد لذلك، فهولاء الكاتمون, عكسوا الأمر, فانعكست أحوالهم.

يخبر تعالى أن العلماء أهل الكتاب يعرفون صحة ما جاءهم به الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم كما يعرف أحدهم ولده والعرب كانت تضرب المثل في صحة الشيء بهذا كما جاء في الحديث أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لرجل معه صغير أبنك هذا" قال نعم يا رسول الله أشهد به قال "أما إنه لا يخفى عليك ولا تخفى عليه" قال القرطبي: ويروى عن عمر أنه قال لعبدالله بن سلام: أتعرف محمدا كما تعرف ولدك؟ قال نعم وأكثر نزل الأمين من السماء على الأمين في الأرض بنعته فعرفته وإنى لا أدري ما كان من أمه قلت وقد يكون المراد "يعرفونه كما يعرفون أبناءهم" من بين أبناء الناس كلهم لا يشك أحد ولا يمتري في معرفة ابنه إذا رآه من أبناء الناس كلهم ثم أخبر تعالى أنهم مع هذا التحقق والإتقان العلمي "ليكتمون الحق" أي ليكتمون الناس ما في كتبهم من صفة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم "وهم يعلمون".

The Jews know that the Prophet is True, but they hide the Truth

Allah states that the scholars of the People of the Scripture know the truth of what Allah's Messenger ﷺ was sent with, just as one of them knows his own child, which is a parable that the Arabs use to describe what is very apparent. Similarly, in a Hadith, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said to a man who had a youngster with him:

«ابْنُكَ هَذَا»

؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَشْهَدُ بِهِ

(Is this your son) He said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I testify to this fact." Allah's Messenger ﷺ said:

«أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَا يَجْنِي عَلَيْكَ وَلَا تَجْنِي عَلَيْه»

(Well, you would not transgress against him nor would he transgress against you.)

According to Al-Qurtubi, it was narrated that `Umar said to `Abdullah bin Salam (an Israelite scholar who became a Muslim), "Do you recognize Muhammad ﷺ as you recognize your own son" He replied, "Yes, and even more. The Honest One descended from heaven on the Honest One on the earth with his (i.e., Muhammad's) description and I recognized him, although I do not know anything about his mother's story."

Allah states next that although they had knowledge and certainty in the Prophet , they still:

لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ

(conceal the truth.)

The Ayah indicates that they hide the truth from the people, about the Prophet , that they find in their Books,

وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

(while they know it. ) Allah then strengthens the resolve of His Prophet and the believers and affirms that what the Prophet came with is the truth without doubt, saying:

الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

((This is) the truth from your Lord. So be you not one of those who doubt.)

Those to whom We have given the Scripture they recognise him Muhammad (s) as they recognise their sons because of the descriptions of him in their Scripture ‘Abd Allāh Ibn Salām said ‘I recognised him the moment I saw him as I would my own son; but my recognition of Muhammad (s) was more intense’; even though there is a party of them that conceal the truth that is his description while they know this truth which you Muhammad (s) follow.

Verses 144 and 145 have told us how the People of the Book اھل الکتاب knew in their hearts that a divine commandment itself had instituted the Baytullah بیت اللہ as the Qiblah قبلہ of the Muslims, and yet denied this fact in public. Now, the two present verses show that their conduct towards the Holy Prophet ﷺ was equally dishonest and malicious.

The Torah and the Evangel had already foretold the coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، and set down the signs and indications which should help the people to recognize him. On the basis of the irrefutable evidence provided by their own Sacred Books, the Jews and the Christians knew him to be the promised Last Prophet ﷺ ، but many of them refused to acknowledge him as such out of sheer obstinacy.

Let us add a word or two in order to explain the simile employed here by the Holy Qur'an - that of man recognizing his own son without any doubt or ambiguity. As everyone knows, in bringing two terms into comparison with each other, a simile does not involve in this analogy all the aspects of these two terms, but only those which should be relevant to the occasion. So, in considering the present simile one should not allow one's imagination to roam far afield, and bring under discussion even those cases which happen to be illegitimate. For, the present simile intends to make a very simple and obvious point - since the son grows from infancy to manhood normally under the eyes of his parents, his face or general appearance is quite sufficient for his father to recognize him without any doubt or hesitation. The Jews and the Christians enjoyed the same kind of facility - or even certainty - in being able to recognize the Last Prophet ﷺ . So, to persist in denying him was as dishonest as refusing to recognize one's own son should normally be.

And it was just this kind of gross dishonesty that the People of the Book were indulging in. Some of them, while denying the truth themselves, even tried to keep it concealed from others, although they knew fully well that this particular truth (that is to say, the new injunction with regard to the Qiblah قبلہ) had been established by Revelation from Allah Himself.

The phrase, "The Truth is from your Lord", can also be interpreted in a general sense as providing a definition of the nature of truth - namely, that alone is truth which comes from Allah. One who has understood this fact can never allow himself to be in doubt with regard to this particular truth or to any other which has been revealed to a prophet by Allah.

(Those unto whom We gave the Scripture recognise (this revelation) as they recognise their sons�) [2:146]. This was revealed about the believers of the people of the Book: 'Abd Allah ibn Salam and his companions. They knew Allah's Messenger, Allah bless him and give him peace, by his description, traits and mission from their Scripture as did any one of them know his son upon seeing him with other boys. Said 'Abd Allah ibn Salam: �I knew Allah's Messenger, Allah bless him and give him peace, better than I knew my son�. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab asked him: �How is that, O son of Salam?� He said: �Because I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah truly and out of certainty, but I cannot bear witness truly and out of certainty that my son is mine, for I have no knowledge of what women do [behind their husbands' backs]�. 'Umar then said: �May Allah give you success, O son of Salam!�