2:42 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

ثم قال: { وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا } أي: تخلطوا { الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ } فنهاهم عن شيئين, عن خلط الحق بالباطل, وكتمان الحق؛ لأن المقصود من أهل الكتب والعلم, تمييز الحق, وإظهار الحق, ليهتدي بذلك المهتدون, ويرجع الضالون, وتقوم الحجة على المعاندين؛ لأن الله فصل آياته وأوضح بيناته, ليميز الحق من الباطل, ولتستبين سبيل المهتدين من سبيل المجرمين، فمن عمل بهذا من أهل العلم, فهو من خلفاء الرسل وهداة الأمم. ومن لبس الحق بالباطل, فلم يميز هذا من هذا, مع علمه بذلك, وكتم الحق الذي يعلمه, وأمر بإظهاره, فهو من دعاة جهنم, لأن الناس لا يقتدون في أمر دينهم بغير علمائهم, فاختاروا لأنفسكم إحدى الحالتين.

يقول تعالى ناهيا لليهود عما كانوا يتعمدونه من تلبيس الحق بالباطل. تمويهه وكتمانهم الحق وإظهارهم الباطل "ولا تلبسوا الحق بالباطل وتكتموا الحق وأنتم تعلمون" فنهاهم عن الشيئين معا وأمرهم بإظهار الحق والتصريح به ولهذا قال الضحاك عن ابن عباس - ولا تلبسوا الحق بالباطل - لا تخلطوا الحق بالباطل والصدق بالكذب وقال أبو العالية - ولا تلبسوا الحق بالباطل - يقول ولا تخلطوا الحق بالباطل وأدوا النصيحة لعباد الله من أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ويروى عن سعيد بن جبير والربيع بن أنس نحوه وقال قتادة "ولا تلبسوا الحق بالباطل" ولا تلبسوا اليهودية والنصرانية بالإسلام وأنتم تعلمون أن دين الله الإسلام وأن اليهودية والنصرانية بدعة ليست من الله. ورُوي عن الحسن البصري نحو ذلك. وقال محمد بن إسحاق حدثني محمد بن أبي محمد عن عكرمة أو سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس "وتكتموا الحق وأنتم تعلمون" أي لا تكتموا ما عندكم من المعرفة برسولي وبما جاء به وأنتم تجدونه مكتوبا عندكم فيما تعلمون من الكتب التي بأيديكم ورُوي عن أبي العالية نحو ذلك وقال مجاهد والسدي وقتادة والربيع بن أنس "وتكتموا الحق" يعني محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم "قلت" وتكتموا يحتمل أن يكون مجزوما ويحتمل أن يكون منصوبا أي لا تجمعوا بين هذا وهذا كما يقال لا تأكل السمك وتشرب اللبن قال الزمخشري وفي مصحف ابن مسعود وتكتمون الحق أي في حال كتمانكم الحق وأنتم تعلمون حال أيضا ومعناه وأنتم تعلمون الحق. ويجوز أن يكون المعنى وأنتم تعلمون ما في ذلك من الضرر العظيم على الناس من إضلالهم عن الهدى المفضي بهم إلى النار إن سلكوا ما تبدونه لهم من الباطل المشوب بنوع من الحق لتروجوه عليهم والبيان الإيضاح وعكسه الكتمان وخلط الحق بالباطل.

The Prohibition of hiding the Truth and distorting It with Falsehood

Allah forbade the Jews from intentionally distorting the truth with falsehood and from hiding the truth and spreading falsehood,

وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

(And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth)).

So Allah forbade them from two things; He ordered them to make the truth known, as well as explaining it. Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas mentioned the Ayah,

وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ

(And mix not truth with falsehood) and said; "Do not mix the truth with falsehood and the facts with lies." Qatadah said that,

وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ

(And mix not truth with falsehood) means, "Do not mix Judaism and Christianity with Islam,

وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

(while you know (the truth).) that the religion of Allah is Islam, and that Judaism and Christianity are innovations that did not come from Allah." It was reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said similarly.

Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn `Abbas said that,

وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

(nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth).) means, "Do not hide the knowledge that you have of My Messenger and what he was sent with. His description, which you know about, can be found written in the Books that you have."

It is possible that it means, "..although you know the tremendous harm that this evil will cause people, misguiding them and leading them to the Fire, because they will follow the falsehood that you mixed with the truth in your claims."

وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلوةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

(And perform As-Salat and give Zakah, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in.)

Muqatil said, "Allah's statement to the People of the Book,

وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلَوةَ

(And perform As-Salah) commands them to perform the prayer behind the Prophet ,

وَآتَوُاْ الزَّكَوةَ

(and give Zakah) commands them to pay the Zakah to the Prophet , and

وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

(and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in) commands them to bow down with those who bow down among the Ummah of Muhammad . Allah therefore commands the People of the Book to be with, and among the Ummah of Muhammad ." In addition, Allah's statement,

وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

(And bow down along with Ar-Raki`in) means, "And be among the believers performing the best deeds they perform, such as, and foremost, the prayer." Many scholars said that this Ayah (2:43) is proof for the obligation of performing the prayer in congregation (for men only). I will explain this ruling in detail in Kitab Al-Ahkam Al-Kabir, Allah willing.

And do not obscure confuse the truth that I have revealed to you with falsehood that you fabricate; and do not conceal the truth the description of Muhammad (s) wittingly that is knowing it to be the truth.

(6) Verse 42 explicitly shows that it is not permissible to mix truth and falsehood together in such a way that the addressee falls into a confusion as to what the truth is, and that it is forbidden to conceal the truth because of fear or greed.

Imam al-Qurtubi (رح) has, in his commentary, related a very illuminating story in this context - a story which has come down to us through a chain of reliable reporters, and has been taken from the "Musnad" of Darimi.

During one of his visits to the Holy town of Madinah, the Ummayyid Caliph Sulayman ibn ` Abd al-Malik (رح) wanted to meet someone who had lived with a Companion of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، if such a man was still alive. On being informed that Abu Hazim ؓ was the only man of this kind left in the town, he sent for him.

The Caliph said to him, "Abu Hazim, why have you shown such discourtesy and disloyalty?"

"How have I been discourteous or disloyal to you?"

"Everybody who is anybody in Madinah has come to see me, but you haven't", complained the Caliph.

"0 chief of the Muslims, may Allah protect you against saying something which is not true to the fact", replied Abu Hazim "You have not been familiar with my name before today, nor have I ever seen you. Things being what they are, how could I come to meet you? Is it disloyalty or discourtesy?"

The Caliph looked around questioningly. Imam Zuhri (رح) spoke up: "Abu Hazim is right, and you are wrong."

Changing the subject, the Caliph asked: "Abu Hazim, how is it that I don't like to die?"

"The reason is simple," Abu Hazim said "You have made your world flourish, and turned your habitation in the other world into a desert. Naturally, you don't like to leave a flourishing city for a desert."

The Caliph admitted that it was true, and came out with another question: "What would it be like when we have to appear before Allah tomorrow?"

Said Abu Hazim, "The man who has been doing good deeds will present himself before Allah like the man who returns from a travel to his loved ones, while the man who has been doing evil deeds will appear like the slave who had run away and has now been brought back to his master."

The Caliph burst into tears, and said with a sigh, "I wish we could know how Allah would deal with us."

Abu Hazim replied, "Assess your deeds in the light of the Book of Allah, and you will know."

"Which verse of the Holy Qur'an can help us to do so?"

"Here is the verse: اِنَّ الْأَبْرَ‌ارَ‌ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ ﴿13﴾ وَإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ‌ لَفِي جَحِيمٍ ﴿14﴾: "Surely the righteous shall be in bliss, and the transgressors shall be in a fiery furnace." (82:13-14)

The Caliph remarked: "Allah's mercy is great; it can cover even the wrong-doers."

Abu Hazim recited another verse: إِنَّ رَ‌حْمَتَ اللَّـهِ قَرِ‌يبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ "Surely the Mercy of Allah is close to those who do good deeds." (7:56)

The Caliph advanced another question: "Tell me, Abu Hazim, who is the most honorable among the servants of Allah?"

"Those who are mindful of their fellow-human beings and possess the right kind of understanding to know the truth."

"Which is best among good deeds?"

"Fulfilling the obligations laid down by Allah, and keeping away from what He has forbidden."

"Which is the prayer that is likely to be accepted by Allah?"

"The prayer of a man for him who has done him some good."

"Which is the best form of charity?"

"Giving as much as one can, in spite of one's own need, to a man in misery without trying to make him feel grateful and without causing him pain by trying to put him off."

"Which is the best form of speech?"

"Speaking the truth plainly and unreservedly before the man who can harm you in some way or from whom you expect a favour."

"What kind of man is the wisest among the Muslims?"

"He whose actions are governed by obedience to Allah, and who invites others as well to it."

"What kind of man is the most stupid?"

"He who helps another man in committing some injustice, which comes to mean that he has been selling off his faith for serving the worldly interests of that man."

The Caliph agreed with all this, and then asked him pointedly, "What do you think of me?"

Abu Hazim wanted to be excused from replying to such a question, but the Caliph insisted that he should say a word of advice. Abu Hazim said: "0 chief of the Muslims, your forefathers established their rule over the people with the help of the sword and against their will, after killing hundreds of men. Having done all this, they departed from the world. I wish you could know what they themselves are saying after their death and what people are saying about them."

Fearing that the Caliph would be displeased by such plain talk, one of his courtiers rebuked Abu Hazim for having spoken so rudely. He replied: "No, you are wrong. I have not said anything rude but only what Allah has commanded us to say. For Allah has enjoined upon the ` ulama' to speak the truth before the people and not to conceal it." And he recited this verse of the Holy Qur'an لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ : "You shall make it clear to the people and not conceal it." (3:187)

The Caliph asked, Wright how can we reform ourselves now?"

Abu Hazim said, "Give up your pride, acquire a spirit of fellow-feeling for the people, and give them justly what is due to them."

Abu Hazim, is it possible that you come to live with us?"

"May Allah protect me from it!"

"Why?"

"Because I am afraid that if I live with you, I might begin to like your wealth and your grandeur, and have to suffer a grievous punishment for it in the other world."

"Well, is there anything you need? What can we do for you?"

"Yes, I have a need. Please help me to save myself from Hell and to enter Paradise."

"This is not in my power."

"Then, there is nothing you can do for me."

The Caliph asked him to pray for him. Abu Hzim made this prayer: "0 Allah, if you approve of Sulayman, make the well-being of this world and the next easily accessible to him; but if he is your enemy, drag him by the hair towards the deeds you approve of."

The Caliph then asked him for some special advice. Abu- H-azim said: "I shall make it short. You should have the fear of your Lord and reverence for Him to the degree that He never finds you present at the place He has forbidden, and never finds you absent from the place where He has commanded you to be."

Later on, the Caliph sent one hundred gold dinars to him as a present. Abu Hazim sent the money back with a letter, saying: "If these dinars are the wages for my words, then blood and pork are, in my eyes, cleaner than this money. If you believe that this money is my due from the public exchequer, then there are hundreds of ` Ulama' and servants of Islam. If you have sent the same amount to each one of them, I can accept the money, otherwise I do not need it."

Abu Hazim's refusal to accept the wages for giving advice clearly shows that taking wages for an act of worship or obedience to Allah is not permissible.

And confuse not truth with falsehood. Be careful not to mix truth and falsehood. Do not put truthfulness together with lying, the ap- proved together with the unapproved. I do not say not to recognize falsehood. You must recognize it so as to avoid it, and you must recognize truth so as go after it. MuṣṬafā said, “O God, show us truth as truth and provide us with choosing it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and provide us with avoiding it.” Concerning the verse, “And confuse not truth with falsehood,” the masters of the realities have said that the meaning is that you should not mix together the share of the soul and the food of the heart, for the two do not get along. The owner of the heart is elated at the rightful due of truth, but the servant of the soul is bound by the share of the soul. How can the two come together? This world is trifling and the next world precious. How can the two get along? Friendship with the Cre- ator is beginningless and endless felicity, but friendship with the created is a ready bane. How can the two come together? God has not given any man two hearts in his breast [33:4]. God-worship and self-worship are opposites. How can the two be brought together in one makeup? Love for both self and the loving Friend won't reach you. Want either this or that-you won't reach both.