2:59 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

{ فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا } منهم, ولم يقل فبدلوا لأنهم لم يكونوا كلهم بدلوا { قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ } فقالوا بدل حطة: حبة في حنطة، استهانة بأمر الله, واستهزاء وإذا بدلوا القول مع خفته فتبديلهم للفعل من باب أولى وأحرى، ولهذا دخلوا يزحفون على أدبارهم, ولما كان هذا الطغيان أكبر سبب لوقوع عقوبة الله بهم، قال: { فَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا } منهم { رِجْزًا } أي: عذابا { مِنَ السَّمَاءِ } بسبب فسقهم وبغيهم.

وقوله تعالى فبدل الذين ظلموا قولا غير الذي قيل لهم قال: البخاري حدثني محمد حدثنا عبدالرحمن بن مهدي عن ابن المبارك عن معمر عن همام بن منبه عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "قيل لبني إسرائيل: ادخلوا الباب سجدا وقولوا حطة - فدخلوا يزحفون على استاهم فبدلوا وقالوا حبة في شعرة" ورواه النسائي عن محمد بن إسماعيل بن إبراهيم عن عبدالرحمن به موقوفا وعن محمد بن عبيد بن محمد عن ابن المبارك ببعضه مسندا في قوله تعالى "حطة" قال فبدلوا وقالوا حبة وقال عبدالرزاق أنبأنا معمر عن همام بن منبه أنه سمع أبا هريرة يقول قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال الله لبني إسرائيل "ادخلوا الباب سجدا وقولوا حطة نغفر لكم خطاياكم" فبدلوا ودخلوا الباب يزحفون على استاههم فقالوا حبة في شعرة" وهذا حديث صحيح رواه البخاري عن إسحاق بن نصر ومسلم عن محمد بن رافع والترمذي عن عبدالرحمن بن حميد كلهم عن عبدالرزاق به وقال الترمذي حسن صحيح وقال محمد بن إسحاق كان تبديلهم كما حدثني صالح بن كيسان عن صالح مولى التوأمة عن أبي هريرة وعمن لا أتهم عن ابن عباس أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "دخلوا الباب - الذي أمروا أن يدخلوا فيه سجدا - يزحفون على استاههم وهم يقولون حنطة في شعيرة" وقال أبو داود حدثنا أحمد بن صالح وحدثنا سليمان بن داود حدثنا عبدالله بن وهب حدثنا هشام بن سعد عن زيد بن أسلم عن عطاء بن يسار عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم" قال الله لبني إسرائيل "ادخلوا الباب سجدا وقولوا حطة نغفر لكم خطاياكم" ثم قال أبو داود حدثنا أحمد بن مسافر حدثنا ابن أبي فديك عن هشام بمثله هكذا رواه منفردا به في كتاب الحروف مختصرا وقال: ابن مردويه حدثنا عبدالله بن جعفر حدثنا إبراهيم بن مهدي حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن المنذر القزاز حدثنا محمد بن إسماعيل ابن أبي فديك عن هشام بن سعد عن زيد بن أسلم عن عطاء بن يسار عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال سرنا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى إذا كان من آخر الليل أجزنا فى ثنية يقال لها ذات الحنظل فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "ما مثل هذه الثنية الليلة إلا كمثل الباب الذي قال الله لبني إسرائيل "ادخلوا الباب سجدا وقولوا حطة نغفر لكم خطاياكم" وقال: سفيان الثوري عن أبي إسحاق عن البراء "سيقول السفهاء من الناس" قال: اليهود قيل لهم ادخلوا الباب سجدا قال: ركعا وقولوا حطة أي مغفرة فدخلوا على أستاههم وجعلوا يقولون حنطة حمراء فيها شعيرة فذلك قول الله تعالى "فبدل الذين ظلموا قولا غير الذي قيل لهم" وقال الثوري عن السدي عن أبي سعد الأزدي عن أبي الكنود عن ابن مسعود وقولوا حطة فقالوا حنطة حبة حمراء فيها شعيرة فأنزل الله "فبدل الذين ظلموا قولا غير الذي قيل لهم" وقال أسباط عن السدي عن مرة عن ابن مسعود أنه قال إنهم قالوا هطا سمعانا أزبة مزبا فهي بالعربية حبة حنطة حمراء مثقوبة فيها شعرة سوداء فذلك قوله تعالى" فبدل الذين ظلموا قولا غير الذي قيل لهم" وقال الثوري عن الأعمش عن المنهال عن سعيد عن ابن عباس في قوله تعالى" ادخلوا الباب سجدا" قال ركعا من باب صغير فدخلوا من قبل استاههم وقالوا حنطة فذلك قوله تعالى "فبدل الذين ظلموا قولا غير الذي قيل لهم" وهكذا روى عن عطاء ومجاهد وعكرمة والضحاك والحسن وقتادة والربيع بن أنس ويحيى بن رافع. وحاصل ما ذكره المفسرون وما دل عليه السياق أنهم بدلوا أمر الله لهم من الخضوع بالقول والفعل فأمروا أن يدخلوا سجدا فدخلوا يزحفون على استاههم من قبل استاههم رافعي رؤسهم وأمروا أن يقولوا حطة أي احطط عنا ذنوبنا وخطايانا فاستهزءوا فقالوا حنطة في شعيرة وهذا في غاية ما يكون من المخالفة والمعاندة ولهذا أنزل الله بهم بأسه وعذابه بفسقهم وهو خروجهم عن طاعته. ولهذا قال "فأنزلنا على الذين ظلموا رجزا من السماء بما كانوا يفسقون" وقال الضحاك عن ابن عباس كل شيء في كتاب الله من الرجز يعني به العذاب وهكذا روى عن مجاهد وأبي مالك والسدي والحسن وقتادة أنه العذاب وقال أبو العالية الرجز الغضب وقال الشعبي الرجز إما الطاعون وإما البرد وقال سعيد بن جبير هو الطاعون وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبو سعيد الأشج حدثنا وكيع عن سفيان عن حبيب بن أبي ثابت عن إبراهيم بن سعد يعني ابن أبي وقاص عن سعد بن مالك وأسامة بن زيد وخزيمة بن ثابت رضي الله عنهم قالوا: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "الطاعون رجز عذاب عذب به من كان قبلكم" وهكذا رواه النسائي من حديث سفيان الثوري به وأصل الحديث في الصحيحين من حديث حبيب بن أبي ثابت "إذا سمعتم الطاعون بأرض فلا تدخلوها" الحديث قال ابن جرير أخبرني يونس بن عبدالأعلى عن ابن وهب عن يونس عن الزهري قال: أخبرني عامر بن سعد بن أبي وقاص عن أسامة بن زيد عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "إن هذا الوجع والسقم رجز عذب به بعض الأمم قبلكم" وهذا الحديث أصله مخرج في الصحيحين من حديث الزهري ومن حديث مالك عن محمد ابن المنكدر وسالم بن أبي النضر عن عامر بن سعد بنحوه.

The Jews were Rebellious instead of Appreciative when They gained Victory

Allah admonished the Jews for avoiding Jihad and not entering the holy land as they had been ordered to do when they came from Egypt with Musa. They were also commanded to fight the disbelieving `Amaliq (Canaanites) dwelling in the holy land at that time. But they did not want to fight, because they were weak and exhausted. Allah punished them by causing them to become lost, and to continue wandering, as Allah has stated in Surat Al-Ma'idah (5). The correct opinion about the meaning of, `the holy land' mentioned here is that it was Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), as As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qatadah and Abu Muslim Al-Asfahani, as well as others have stated. Musa said,

يَاقَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الاٌّرْضَ المُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِى كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلاَ تَرْتَدُّوا

(O people! Enter the holy land which Allah has assigned to you and turn not back (in flight).) (5:21)

However, some scholars said that the holy land is Jericho, (Ariha') and this opinion was mentioned from Ibn `Abbas and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd.

After the years of wandering ended forty years later, in the company of Yuwsha` (Joshua) bin Nun, Allah allowed the Children of Israel to conquer the holy land on the eve of a Friday. On that day, the sun was kept from setting for a little more time, until victory was achieved. When the Children of Israel conquered the holy land, they were commanded to enter its gate while,

سُجَّدًا

(prostrating) in appreciation to Allah for making them victorious, triumphant, returning them to their land and saving them from being lost and wandering. Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said that,

وَادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا

(and enter the gate Sujjadan) means, "While bowing". Ibn Jarir reported Ibn `Abbas saying,

وَادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا

(and enter the gate in prostration) means, "Through a small door while bowing." Al-Hakim narrated it, and Ibn Abi Hatim added, "And they went through the door backwards!" Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that they were ordered to prostrate on their faces when they entered the city, but Ar-Razi discounted this explanation. It was also said that the Sujud mentioned here means, `submissiveness', for actually entering while prostrating is not possible.

Khasif said that `Ikrimah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "The door mentioned here was facing the Qiblah." Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, As-Suddi, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak said that the door is the door of Hittah in Iylya', which is Jerusalem. Ar-Razi also reported that some of them said that it was a door in the direction of the Qiblah". Khasif said that `Ikrimah said that Ibn `Abbas said that the Children of Israel entered the door sideways. As-Suddi said that Abu Sa`id Al-Azdy said that Abu Al-Kanud said that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that they were commanded to, u

وَادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا

(enter the gate in prostration (or bowing with humility)) but instead, they entered while their heads were raised in defiance.

Allah said next,

وَقُولُواْ حِطَّةٌ

(and say: `Hittah'). Ibn `Abbas commented, "Seek Allah's forgiveness." Al-Hasan and Qatadah said that it means, "Say, `Relieve us from our errors."

نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَـيَـكُمْ وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(and We shall forgive you your sins and shall increase (reward) for the good-doers) Here is the reward for fulfilling Allah's commandment. This Ayah means, "If you implement what We commanded you, We will forgive your sins and multiply your good deeds." In summary, upon achieving victory, the Children of Israel were commanded to submit to Allah in tongue and deed and, to admit to their sins and seek forgiveness for them, to be grateful to Allah for the blessings He gave them, hastening to do the deeds that Allah loves, as He said,

إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ - وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِى دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَجاً - فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوِبَا

(When there comes the help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah). And you see that the people enter Allah's religion (Islam) in crowds. So glorify the praises of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance.) (110).

Allah said,

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ قَوْلاً غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ

(But those who did wrong changed the word from that which had been told to them for another).

Al-Bukhari recorded Abu Hurayrah saying that the Prophet said,

«قِيلَ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا: حِطَّةٌ، فَدَخَلُوا يَزْحَفُون عَلى أَسْتَاهِهِم فَبَدَّلُوا وَقَالُوا، حَبَّةٌ فِي شَعْرَة»

(The Children of Israel were commanded to enter the door while bowing and to say `Hittah'. Yet, they entered the door on their behinds, distorting the words. They said; `Habbah (seed), in Sha`rah (a hair).')

An-Nasa'i recorded this part of it from Abu Hurayrah only, but he has a chain from the Prophet , explaining Allah's statement,

حِطَّةٌ

(`Hittah'), saying, "So they deviated and said `Habbah." Similar was recorded by `Abdur-Razzaq, and his route was also collected by Al-Bukhari. Muslim and At-Tirmidhi narrated similar versions of this Hadith, At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih."

The summary of what the scholars have said about this subject is that the Children of Israel distorted Allah's command to them to submit to Him in tongue and deed. They were commanded to enter the city while bowing down, but they entered while sliding on their rear ends and raising their heads! They were commanded to say, `Hittah' meaning, "Relieve us from our errors and sins." However, they mocked this command and said, "Hintah (grain seed) in Sha`irah (barley)." This demonstrates the worst type of rebellion and disobedience, and it is why Allah released His anger and punishment upon them, all because of their sinning and defying His commands. Allah said,

فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ رِجْزًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْسُقُونَ

(So We sent upon the wrongdoers Rijz (a punishment) from the heaven because of their rebellion.)

Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Every word in Allah's Book that says Rijz means, `a punishment."' Mujahid, Abu Malik, As-Suddi, Al-Hasan and Qatadah were reported to have said that Rijz means `Torment.' Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Sa`d bin Malik, Usamah bin Zayd and Khuzaymah bin Thabit said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«الطَّاعُونُ رِجْزٌ.عَذَابٌ عُذِّبَ بِهِ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُم»

(The plague is a Rijz, a punishment with which Allah punished those before you.)

This is also how An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith. In addition, the basis of this Hadith was collected in the Two Sahihs,

«إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الطَّاعُونَ بأَرْضٍ فَلَا تَدْخُلُوهَا»

(If you hear of the plague in a land, then do not enter it.)

Ibn Jarir recorded Usamah bin Zayd saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إنَّ هَذَا الْوَجَعَ وَالسَّقَمَ رِجْزٌ عُذِّبَ بِهِ بَعْضُ الْأُمَمِ قَبْلَكُم»

(This calamity and sickness (i.e. the plague) is a Rijz, a punishment with which some nations who were before you were punished.)

The basis of this Hadith was also collected in the Two Sahihs.

Then the evildoers among them substituted a saying other than that which had been said to them and said instead ‘A grain inside a hair’ and entered the town dragging themselves on their rears; so We sent down upon the evildoers the replacement of the second person of the previous verse with the overt identification in the third person alladhīna zalamū ‘the evildoers’ is intended to emphasise the depravity of their action wrath a punishment of plague from the heaven for their wickedness for deviating from obedience and within a very short period of time just under seventy thousand of them were dead.

This verse is a continuation of the preceding verse. Allah had commanded the Israelites to keep, while entering the city, repeating the word Hittatun حِطَّةٌ (which indicates repentance for one's sin and the request for pardon). But they replaced this word with another phrase by way of mockery, and started saying, Habbatun fi sha` irah (grain in the midst of barley), or Hintatun حِطَّةٌ (wheat).

The punishment which descended on them was plague that wiped out seventy thousand men (Qurtubi). In passing, we may recall a hadith which says that plague is a punishment for the disobedient, and a blessing for the obedient.

Injunctions and related considerations

The Israelites were punished for having changed a word ordained by Allah, and substituted a phrase of their own invention, thus distorting the meaning itself. According to the consensus of the Fuqaha ' (Muslim jurists), a change in the words of the Holy Qur'an, or of a Hadith, or of a divine commandment which invents or distorts the actual meaning is impermissible.

This should be obvious enough. But there is another question -- is it permissible to change the words in such a way that the meaning does not suffer but remains intact? In his commentary, Imam al-Qurtubi (رح) says that in certain texts and in certain kinds of speech the words are as much a part of the intention as the meanings and equally necessary for conveying an idea, and that in such a case it is not permissible to change the words. For example, in the Adhan اذان (the call for prayers) it is not permissible to employ words other than those which have been laid down for the purpose by the hadith. Similar is the case of the Salah: the different things to be recited in them (like Subhanaka Allahumma سبحانک اللہم ، At-Tahiyyat التحیات ، Qunut قُنُوت ) or the glorification of Allah during the Ruku' رکوع (bowing down) and the Sajdah سجدہ (prostration) all these must be said exactly in the words which have been reported in the hadith; substituting other words is not allowed, even if the meaning does not undergo a change.

This rule applies to each and every word of the Holy Qur'an. All the Injunctions with regard to the recitation of the Holy Qur'an strictly pertain to those words alone which Allah has revealed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . According to the hadith, the merit of reciting the Holy Qur'an is so great that for every letter that one reads or recites one gets the reward which one would get for performing ten good deeds. But if one reads a very accurate translation of the Holy Qur'an or even an Arabic version in which the original words have been replaced by certain other words without injuring the sense, the Shari'ah shall not accept it as a recitation of the Holy Qur'an, and one will not get any reward of recitation for it. For, it is not the meanings alone which constitute the Holy Qur'an; "Qur'an" is the name of meanings inherent in the words revealed by Allah to the Holy Prophet ﷺ so that the two are inseparable from each other.

It appears from the present verse that Allah had commanded the Israelites to say this particular word, Hittatun حِطَّةٌ , while offering their Taubah توبہ (repentance), and hence changing the ordained word was in itself a sin. They went so far as to distort even the meaning, and drew upon themselves the divine punishment.

Now, as for other kinds of speech in which it is the meanings that are really intended and not the words, the masters of the science of Hadith and the jurists in general believe that in such places words can be changed provided that the meaning does not suffer but remains in-tact. Al-Qurtubi has cited Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik and Imam Shafi` i رحمہم اللہ as holding the view that it is quite permissible to report ahadith with regard to its meaning alone provided that the man who reports it should have a perfect knowledge of the Arabic language and also be familiar with the situation to which this particular hadith pertains, so that he should not misinterpret the text or distort the sense.

On the other hand, certain masters of the science of Hadith do not allow the slightest change in the words of a hadith, and insist that it should be reported exactly in the words in which one has received it. This, for example, is the view of Muhammad ibn Sirin, Qasim ibn Muhammad etc. Some of them even insist that if in reporting a hadith a reporter has made a lexical mistake, the man who has heard the hadith from him must, in his own turn, report it in exactly the same words including the mistake, only indicating what the correct word is likely to be. Such scholars cite a hadith in support of their view. It has been reported that the Holy Prophet ﷺ advised a man to say this prayer before going to sleep at night: اَمَنتُ بِکِتَابِکَ اَلَّذِی اَنزَلَتَ وَ نَبِیِّآکَ الَّذِی اَرسَلتَ I have faith in Your Book which You have made to descend, and in Your Prophet ﷺ whom You have sent." The prescribed prayer had the word Nabiyy (Prophet), but the man changed it for Rasul (Messenger). The Holy Prophet ﷺ instructed him not to make a change, but to say the prescribed word Nabiyy. This shows that it is not permissible to change a single word in reporting a hadith. Similarly, another hadith says: نَضَّرَ اللہُ اِمرَأَ سمِعَ مَقِالَتِی فَبَلَّغَنَا کَمَا سَمِعَھَا "May Allah make the man flourish who heard my speech, and then conveyed it exactly as he had heard." This also indicates that it is necessary to report the exact words of a hadith as one has received them.

Most of the jurists and the masters of the science of Hadith, however, believe that although it is better to report a hadith as far as possible in exactly the same words as one has heard without making any change intentionally, yet if one cannot recall the exact words, it is also permissible to report the meaning in one's own words, and that the words of the hadith quoted above - "... conveyed it exactly as he had heard" - might also mean that one should report the meaning of a hadith exactly and without any alteration. Obviously, changing the words does not necessarily go against this provision. Imam al-Qurtubi (رح) has, in support of his view, pointed out that this very hadith goes to prove that changing words, when necessary, is permissible, for this hadith itself has come down to us in different words in different versions. As for the other hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has insisted that the word Nabiyy should be recited and not the word Rasul, one might explain it in this way. The word Nabiyy (prophet) carries the sense of sublimity much more than does the word Rasul, for the latter is employed for any messenger whatsoever, while the former is reserved only for those who are specially chosen by Allah for being directly addressed through revelation (Wahy وحی ), and who thus occupy a rank higher than all other men. There is another explanation too. As far as prayers are concerned, the words appointed for the purpose by Allah or by the Holy Prophet ﷺ have a much greater efficacy than any other words can have. (Qurtubi) That is why those who prepare تعویذ : ta'widh (translated as 'charms' in absence of an exact counterpart) or ` awdhah, or suggest words to pray are very careful in keeping to the authentically reported words without the slightest change. So, one may say that the prayers which are considered to be very efficacious, should be included in the first category of speech in which not only the meanings but the words also must be carefully safeguarded, for both are equally intended.