2:211 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

يقول تعالى: ( سَلْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَمْ آتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ آيَةٍ بَيِّنَةٍ ) تدل على الحق, وعلى صدق الرسل, فتيقنوها وعرفوها, فلم يقوموا بشكر هذه النعمة, التي تقتضي القيام بها.

بل كفروا بها وبدلوا نعمة الله كفرا, فلهذا استحقوا أن ينزل الله عليهم عقابه ويحرمهم من ثوابه، وسمى الله تعالى كفر النعمة تبديلا لها, لأن من أنعم الله عليه نعمة دينية أو دنيوية, فلم يشكرها, ولم يقم بواجبها, اضمحلت عنه وذهبت, وتبدلت بالكفر والمعاصي, فصار الكفر بدل النعمة، وأما من شكر الله تعالى, وقام بحقها, فإنها تثبت وتستمر, ويزيده الله منها.

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن بني إسرائيل كم شاهدوا مع موسى من آية بينة أي حجة قاطعة بصدقه فيما جاءهم به كيده وعصاه وفلقه البحر وضربه الحجر وما كان من تظليل الغمام عليهم في شدة الحر ومن إنزال المن والسلوى وغير ذلك من الآيات الدالات على وجود الفاعل المختار وصدق من جرت هذه الخوارق على يديه ومع هذا أعرض كثير منهم عنها وبدلوا نعمة الله كفرا أي استبدلوا بالإيمان بها الكفر بها والإعراض عنها "ومن يبدل نعمة الله من بعد ما جاءته فإن الله شديد العقاب" كما قال تعالى إخبارا عن كفار قريش "ألم تر إلى الذين بدلوا نعمة الله كفرا وأحلوا قومهم دار البوار جهنم يصلونها وبئس القرار".

The Punishment for changing Allah's Favor and mocking the Believers

Allah mentioned that the Children of Israel, were witnesses to many clear signs that attest to the truth of Moses regarding what he was sent with for them. They witnessed his hand (when it became lit with light), his parting the sea, his striking the rock (and water flowed from the rock), the clouds that shaded them during the intense heat, the manna and the quails, and so forth. These signs attested to the existence of the Creator and the truth of Moses by whose hand these signs appeared. Yet, so many among them changed Allah's favor, by preferring disbelief to faith and by ignoring Allah's favors,

وَمَن يُبَدِّلْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

(And whoever changes Allah's favor after it had come to him, then surely, Allah is severe in punishment.)

Similarly, Allah said about the disbelievers of Quraysh:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ - جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ

(Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief, and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction Hell, in which they will burn, ـ and what an evil place to settle in!) (14:28, 29)

Then Allah states that He has made the life of this world beautiful for the disbelievers who are satisfied with it, who collect wealth, but refrain from spending it on what they have been commanded, which could earn them Allah's pleasure. Instead, they ridicule the believers who ignore this life and who spend whatever they earn on what pleases their Lord. The believers spend seeking Allah's Face, and this is why they have gained the ultimate happiness and the best share on the Day of the Return. Therefore, they will be exalted above the disbelievers at the Gathering Place, when they are gathered, during the resurrection and in their final destination. The believers will reside in the highest grades in the utmost highs, while the disbelievers will reside in the lowest of lows (in the Fire).

This is why Allah said:

وَاللَّهُ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

(And Allah gives to whom He wills without limit.)

This Ayah indicates that Allah gives sustenance to whomever He wills of His servants without count or limit in this and the Hereafter. A Hadith has stated (that Allah said):

«ابْنَ آدَمَ أَنْفِقْ أُنْفِقْ عَلَيْك»

(O son of Adam! Spend (in Allah's cause) and I (Allah) will spend on you.) The Prophet said:

«أَنْفِقْ بِلَالُ وَلَا تَخْشَ مِنْ ذِي الْعَرْشِ إِقْلَالًا»

(O Bilal! Spend and do not fear deprivation from the Owner of the Throne.)

Allah said:

وَمَآ أَنفَقْتُمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ

(...and whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah's cause), He will replace it.) (34:39) In addition, it is reported in the Sahih (that the Prophet said):

«أَنَّ مَلَكَيْنِ يَنْزِلَانِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ صَبِيحَةَ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ فَيَقُولُ أحَدُهُمَا:اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُنْفِقًا خَلَفًا، وَيَقُولُ الآخَرُ: اللَّهُمَّ أعْطِ مُمْسِكًا تَلَفًا»

(Every day two angels come down from heavens and one of them says, `O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your cause,' and the other (angel) says, `O Allah! Destroy every miser.') Also in the Sahih:

«يَقُولُ ابْنُ آدَمَ: مَالِي مَالِي. وَهَلْ لَكَ مِنْ مَالِكَ إِلَّا مَا أَكَلْتَ فَأَفْنَيْتَ، وَمَا لَبِسْتَ فَأَبْلَيْتَ، وَمَا تَصَدَّقْتَ فَأَمْضَيْتَ، وَمَا سِوَى ذلِكَ فَذَاهِبٌ وَتَارِكُهُ لِلنَّاس»

(The son of Adam says, `My money, my money!' Yet, what is your money except that which you eat and use up, wear and tear, and spend in charity and thus keep (in your record). Other than that, it will go away and will be left for the people (the inheritors).)

In addition, Imam Ahmad reported that the Prophet said:

«الدُّنْيَا دَارُ مَنْ لَا دَارَ لَهُ، وَمَالُ مَنْ لَا مَالَ لَهُ، وَلَهَا يَجْمَعُ مَنْ لَا عَقْلَ لَه»

(The Dunya (life of this world) is the residence of those who have no residence, the wealth of those who have no wealth, and it is harvested by those who have no sense of reason.)

Ask O Muhammad (s) the Children of Israel by way of rebuke how many a clear proof manifest ones such as the parting of the sea and the sending down of manna and quails which they exchanged for unbelief did We give them kam ‘how many’ is the interrogative particle linking the second object of the verb sal ‘ask’ and is also the second object of the verb ātaynā ‘We gave’ and its specifier; whoever changes God’s grace that is what God has blessed him with in the way of signs for these constitute the causes of guidance after it has come to him out of unbelief God is severe in retribution against him.

Immediately earlier, it was said that opposing truth after clear signs have come, deserves punishment. The first verse here (211) cites the case of the elders of Bani Isra'il who were punished for their hostility to truth despite clear signs given to them.

Rather than follow the blessed guidance given to them, they chose to stray away from it and, as a result, underwent punishments, for instance, they received the Torah which deserved being accepted but they denied it, consequent to which, they were threatened with Mount Sinai coming down upon them. Again, they heard the Word of Allah which they should have loved and respected but they tinkered with doubts in it and consequently, were struck dead by lightening. Then, again, they were delivered from the Pharaoh through a passage-way made by parting the river, but they showed no gratitude, instead, took to the calf for which they were killed. Further again, they should have been grateful when Mann مَنّ and Salwa سلوا was sent for them but they disobeyed and spoilage set in. When they showed their distaste for it, it stopped coming, throwing them into the toil of growing their own food. Lastly, the chain of prophets that appeared among them from time to time should have been a matter of great satisfaction for them, yet they started killing them for which they were punished, having been deprived of power.

In the wake of such misdeeds, some of which find mention in the earlier part of Sarah al-Baqarah, the divine law is that one who changes the blessings or clear signs of Allah, especially after it has come to him when he should have followed its guidance rather than turn back and go astray, then, the ultimate must come to pass, that is, Allah Almighty punishes such a deviant severely.

In the second verse (212), the real cause of the opposition to truth has been identified as the love of dunya دنیا (the worldly life) and its material gains. One of the effects of this attitude shows up in the derogatory stance taken against those who love their faith. The reason is simple. When materialism overpowers, the urge for faith evaporates. In fact, people would go to the limit of abandoning their faith when it happens to be against their worldly interests and would even have the audacity to laugh at those who love and practice it. So, it should not be strange that many chiefs among the Israelites and the ignorant among polytheists would make fun of poor Muslims. It is in this context that the Holy Qur'an says: 'Adorned is the present life for those who disbelieve' because of which 'they laugh at those who believe', although, these Muslims who have said no to kufr کفر and shirk shall be in a state better than that of the disbelievers on the day of Qiyamah (Doomsday), for the disbelievers will be in Jahannam جَھَنَّم (Hell) and the believers, in Jannah جَنَّت (Paradise).

The last sentence carries a warning for those who pride on their brute economic strength because it is Allah who 'gives, to whom He wills, without measure'. So, all this depends on divinely-ordained destiny and not on personal excellence or influence. As such, it is not necessary that one who is respected for personal possessions happens to be a recipient of honour with Allah as well. The truth is that real honour cannot be anything other than what turns out to be valid in the sight of Allah. That being that, would it not be a plain 'absence of sense' if one stands on the crutches of worldly riches and claims honour for himself and looks down upon the less fortunate as mean? The real consequence of such attitude shall be unravelled on the Last Day.

It has been reported that Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ said: 'Anyone who takes a Muslim man or woman low in status because of his or her hunger, Allah Almighty will put him to disgrace before a gathering of all, from the first to the last. And anyone who falsely accuses a Muslim man or woman of a weakness, Allah Almighty would put him on a high mound until he falsifies himself.' (a1-Qurtubi)