2:84 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

تفسير الأيات من 84 ال 86 وهذا الفعل المذكور في هذه الآية, فعل للذين كانوا في زمن الوحي بالمدينة، وذلك أن الأوس والخزرج - وهم الأنصار - كانوا قبل مبعث النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم مشركين, وكانوا يقتتلون على عادة الجاهلية، فنزلت عليهم الفرق الثلاث من فرق اليهود, بنو قريظة, وبنو النضير, وبنو قينقاع، فكل فرقة منهم حالفت فرقة من أهل المدينة. فكانوا إذا اقتتلوا أعان اليهودي حليفه على مقاتليه الذين تعينهم الفرقة الأخرى من اليهود, فيقتل اليهودي اليهودي, ويخرجه من دياره إذا حصل جلاء ونهب، ثم إذا وضعت الحرب أوزارها, وكان قد حصل أسارى بين الطائفتين فدى بعضهم بعضا. والأمور الثلاثة كلها قد فرضت عليهم، ففرض عليهم أن لا يسفك بعضهم دم بعض, ولا يخرج بعضهم بعضا، وإذا وجدوا أسيرا منهم, وجب عليهم فداؤه، فعملوا بالأخير وتركوا الأولين, فأنكر الله عليهم ذلك فقال: { أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ } وهو فداء الأسير { وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ } وهو القتل والإخراج. وفيها أكبر دليل على أن الإيمان يقتضي فعل الأوامر واجتناب النواهي، وأن المأمورات من الإيمان، قال تعالى: { فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا } وقد وقع ذلك فأخزاهم الله, وسلط رسوله عليهم, فقتل من قتل, وسبى من سبى منهم, وأجلى من أجلى. { وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ } أي: أعظمه { وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ } ثم أخبر تعالى عن السبب الذي أوجب لهم الكفر ببعض الكتاب, والإيمان ببعضه فقال: { أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْآخِرَةِ } توهموا أنهم إن لم يعينوا حلفاءهم حصل لهم عار, فاختاروا النار على العار، فلهذا قال: { فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ } بل هو باق على شدته, ولا يحصل لهم راحة بوقت من الأوقات، { وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ } أي: يدفع عنهم مكروه.

يقول الله تبارك وتعالى منكرا على اليهود الذين كانوا في زمان رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - بالمدينة وما كانوا يعانونه من القتال مع الأوس والخزرج وذلك أن الأوس والخزرج وهم الأنصار كانوا فى الجاهلية عباد أصنام وكانت بينهم حروب كثيرة وكانت يهود المدينة ثلات قبائل بنو قينقاع وبنو النضير حلفاء الخزرج وبنو قريظة حلفاء الأوس فكانت الحرب إذا نشبت بينهم قاتل كل فريق مع حلفائه فيقتل اليهودي أعداءه وقد يقتل اليهودي الآخر من الفريق الآخر وذلك حرام عليهم في دينهم ونص كتابهم ويخرجونهم من بيوتهم وينتهبون ما فيها من الأثاث والأمتعة والأموال ثم إذا وضعت الحرب أوزارها استفكوا الأسارى من الفريق المغلوب عملا بحكم التوراة ولهذا قال تعالى "أفتؤمنون ببعض الكتاب وتكفرون ببعض" ولهذا قال تعالى "وإذ أخذنا ميثاقكم لا تسفكون دماءكم ولا تخرجون أنفسكم من دياركم" أي لا يقتل بعضكم بعضا ولا يخرجه من منزله ولا يظاهر عليه كما قال تعالى "فتوبوا إلى بارئكم فاقتلوا أنفسكم ذلكم خير لكم عند بارئكم" وذلك أن أهل الملة الواحدة بمنزلة النفس الواحدة كما قال عليه الصلاة والسلام "مثل المؤمنين في توادهم وتراحمهم وتواصلهم بمنزلة الجسد الواحد إذا اشتكى منه عضو تداعى له سائر الجسد بالحمى والسهر" وقوله تعالى "ثم أقررتم وأنتم تشهدون" أي ثم أقررتم بمعرفة هذا الميثاق وصحته وأنتم تشهدون به.

The Terms of the Covenant and their Breach of It

Allah criticized the Jews who lived in Al-Madinah during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They used to suffer, because of the armed conflicts between the tribes of Al-Madinah, Aws and Khazraj. Before Islam, the Aws and Khazraj worshipped idols, and many battles took place between them. There were three Jewish tribes in Al-Madinah at that time, Banu Qaynuqa` and Banu An-Nadir, the allies of the Khazraj, and Banu Qurayzah, who used to be the allies of the Aws. When war erupted between Aws and Khazraj, their Jewish allies would assist them. The Jew would kill his Arab enemy, and sometimes they also killed Jews who were the allies of the other Arab tribe, although the Jews were prohibited from killing each other according to clear religious texts in their Books. They would also drive each other from their homes and loot whatever furniture and money they could. When the war ended, the victorious Jews would release the prisoners from the defeated party, according to the rulings of the Tawrah. This is why Allah said,

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَـبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ

(Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest) Allah said,

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَـقَكُمْ لاَ تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَآءِكُمْ وَلاَ تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ مِّن دِيَـرِكُمْ

(And (remember) when We took your covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your (people), nor turn out your own people from their dwellings.) meaning, "Do not kill each other, nor expel one another from their homes, nor participate in fighting against them." Allah mentioned the word `your own' here, just as He said in another Ayah.

فَتُوبُواْ إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ

(So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves, that will be better for you with your Creator) (2:54) because the followers of one religion are just like one soul. Also, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَوَاصُلِهِمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْجَسَدِ الْوَاحِدِ إِذَا اشْتَكى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالْحُمَّى وَالسَّهَر»

(The example of the believers in their kindness, mercy and sympathy to each other is the example of one body, when an organ of it falls ill, the rest of the body rushes to its aid in fever and sleeplessness.) Allah's statement,

ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ

(Then, (this) you ratified and (to this) you bore witness.) means, "You testified that you know of the covenant and that you were witnesses to it."

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَـؤُلاَءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَـرِهِمْ

(After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes). Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَـؤُلاَءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَـرِهِمْ

(After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes) "Allah mentioned what they were doing, and that in the Tawrah He had prohibited them from shedding each other's blood, and required them to free their prisoners. Now they were divided into two camps in Al-Madinah, Banu Qaynuqa`, who were the allies of the Khazraj, and An-Nadir and Qurayzah, who were the allies of the Aws. When fighting erupted between Aws and Khazraj, Banu Qaynuqa` would fight along with the Khazraj, while Banu An-Nadir and Qurayzah would fight along with the Aws. Each Jewish camp would fight against their Jewish brethren from the other camp. They would shed each other's blood, although they had the Tawrah with them, and they knew their rights and dues. Meanwhile, the Aws and Khazraj were polytheists who worshipped idols. They did not know about Paradise, the Fire, Resurrection, Divine Books the lawful and prohibited. When the war would end, the Jews would ransom their prisoners and implement the Tawrah. Consequently, Banu Qaynuqa` would ransom their prisoners who were captured by the Aws, while Banu An-Nadir and Qurayzah would ransom their prisoners who were captured by the Khazraj. They would also ask for blood money. During these wars, they would kill whomever (Jews or Arabs) they could, while helping the polytheists against their brethren. Therefore, Allah reminded them of this when He said,

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَـبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ

(Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest) This Ayah means, `Do you ransom them according to the rulings of the Tawrah, yet kill them while the Tawrah forbade you from killing them and from expelling them from their homes The Tawrah also commanded that you should not aid the polytheists and those who associate with Allah in the worship against your brethren. You do all this to acquire the life of this world.' I was informed that the behavior of the Jews regarding the Aws and Khazraj was the reason behind revealing these Ayat."

These noble Ayat criticized the Jews for implementing the Tawrah sometimes and defying it at other times, although they believed in the Tawrah and knew what they were doing was wrong. This is why they should not be trusted to preserve or convey the Tawrah. Further, they should not be believed when it comes to the description of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , his coming, his expulsion from his land, and his Hijrah, and the rest of the information that the previous Prophets informed them about him, all of which they hid. The Jews, may they suffer the curse of Allah, hid all of these facts among themselves, and this is why Allah said,

فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلاَّ خِزْىٌ فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا

(Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world), because they defied Allah's Law and commandments,

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى أَشَدِّ الّعَذَابِ

(And on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment) as punishment for defying the Book of Allah that they had.

وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَأُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالاٌّخِرَةِ

(And Allah is not unaware of what you do. Those are they who have bought the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter) meaning, they prefer this life to the Hereafter. Therefore,

فَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ

(Their torment shall not be lightened) not even for an hour,

وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

(Nor shall they be helped), and they shall find no helper who will save them from the eternal torment they will suffer, nor shall they find any to grant them refuge from it.

And when We made a covenant with you and We said ‘You shall not shed your own blood spilling it by slaying one another; neither expel your own from your habitations’ let no one of you expel the other from his house; then you confirmed it that is you accepted this covenant and you bore witness upon your own souls.

This verse is a supplement to the previous verse, and speaks of the other articles of the pledge taken by the Israelites. They had agreed not to kill one another by engaging themselves in an internecine war, and also not to send their men into exile - that is to say, not to harass a man so as to force him to migrate.

They had willingly taken this pledge. Now, it may sometimes happen that one does not express one's willingness in so many words, but the manner of his speech suggests it. The agreement of the Israelites was not of this order, but as clear and explicit as the statement of a witness usually is.