2:91 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

أي: وإذا أمر اليهود بالإيمان بما أنزل الله على رسوله, وهو القرآن استكبروا وعتوا, و { قَالُوا نُؤْمِنُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَاءَهُ } أي: بما سواه من الكتب، مع أن الواجب أن يؤمن بما أنزل الله مطلقا, سواء أنزل عليهم, أو على غيرهم, وهذا هو الإيمان النافع, الإيمان بما أنزل الله على جميع رسل الله. وأما التفريق بين الرسل والكتب, وزعم الإيمان ببعضها دون بعض, فهذا ليس بإيمان, بل هو الكفر بعينه, ولهذا قال تعالى: { إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلًا أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا } ولهذا رد عليهم تبارك وتعالى هنا ردا شافيا, وألزمهم إلزاما لا محيد لهم عنه, فرد عليهم بكفرهم بالقرآن بأمرين فقال: { وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ } فإذا كان هو الحق في جميع ما اشتمل عليه من الإخبارات, والأوامر والنواهي, وهو من عند ربهم, فالكفر به بعد ذلك كفر بالله, وكفر بالحق الذي أنزله. ثم قال: { مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا مَعَهُمْ } أي: موافقا له في كل ما دل عليه من الحق ومهيمنا عليه. فلم تؤمنون بما أنزل عليكم, وتكفرون بنظيره؟ هل هذا إلا تعصب واتباع للهوى لا للهدى؟ وأيضا, فإن كون القرآن مصدقا لما معهم, يقتضي أنه حجة لهم على صدق ما في أيديهم من الكتب, قلا سبيل لهم إلى إثباتها إلا به، فإذا كفروا به وجحدوه, صاروا بمنزلة من ادعى دعوى بحجة وبينة ليس له غيرها, ولا تتم دعواه إلا بسلامة بينته, ثم يأتي هو لبينته وحجته, فيقدح فيها ويكذب بها; أليس هذا من الحماقة والجنون؟ فكان كفرهم بالقرآن, كفرا بما في أيديهم ونقضا له. ثم نقض عليهم تعالى دعواهم الإيمان بما أنزل إليهم بقوله: { قُلْ } لهم: { فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنْبِيَاءَ اللَّهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ } ـ

يقول تعالى "وإذا قيل لهم" أي لليهود وأمثالهم من أهل الكتاب "آمنوا بما أنزل الله" على محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وصدقوه واتبعوه "قالوا نؤمن بما أنزل علينا" أي يكفينا الإيمان بما أنزل علينا من التوراة والإنجيل ولا نقر إلا بذلك "ويكفرون بما وراءه" يعنى بما يعدوه "وهو الحق مصدق لما معهم" أي وهم يعلمون أن ما أنزل على محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - "الحق مصدقا لما معهم" منصوبا على الحال أي في حال تصديقه لما معهم من التوراة والإنجيل فالحجة قائمة عليهم بذلك كما قال تعالى "الذين آتيناهم الكتاب يعرفونه كما يعرفون أبناءهم ثم قال تعالى "فلم تقتلون أنبياء الله من قبل إن كنتم مؤمنين" أي إن كنتم صادقين في دعواكم الإيمان بما أنزل إليكم فلم قتلتم الأنبياء الذين جاءوكم بتصديق التوراة التي بأيديكم والحكم بها وعدم نسخها وأنتم تعلمون صدقهم؟ قتلتموهم بغيا وعنادا واستكبارا على رسل الله فلستم تتبعون إلا مجرد الأهواء والآراء والتشهي كما قال تعالى "أفكلما جاءكم رسول بما لا تهوى أنفسكم استكبرتم ففريقا كذبتم وفريق تقتلون" وقال السدي في هذه الآية يعيرهم الله تبارك وتعالى "قل فلم تقتلون أنبياء الله من قبل إن كنتم مؤمنين" وقال أبو جعفر بن جرير: قل يا محمد ليهود بني إسرائيل إذا قلت لهم آمنوا بما أنزل الله قالوا نؤمن بما أنزل علينا: لم تقتلون - إن كنتم مؤمنين بما أنزل الله - أنبياء الله يا معشر اليهود وقد حرم الله في الكتاب الذي أنزل عليكم قتلهم بل أمركم باتباعهم وطاعتهم وتصديقهم وذلك من الله تكذيب لهم في قولهم نؤمن بما أنزل علينا وتعيير لهم.

Although The Jews denied the Truth, They claimed to be Believers!

Allah said,

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ

(And when it is said to them), meaning, the Jews and the People of the Book,

ءَامِنُواْ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ

(Believe in what Allah has sent down) to Muhammad , believe in and follow him,

قَالُواْ نُؤْمِنُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا

(They say, "We believe in what was sent down to us.") meaning, it is enough for us to believe in what was revealed to us in the Tawrah and the Injil, and this is the path that we choose,

وَيَكْفُرونَ بِمَا وَرَآءَهُ

(And they disbelieve in that which came after it).

وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ

(while it is the truth confirming what is with them) meaning, while knowing that what was revealed to Muhammad ,

الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ

(it is the truth confirming what is with them). This means that since what was sent to Muhammad conforms to what was revealed to the People of the Book, then this fact constitutes a proof against them. Similarly, Allah said,

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ

(Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognize him (Muhammad ) as they recognize their sons) (2:146). Allah said next,

فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَآءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

("Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers").

This means, "If your claim that you believe in what was revealed to you is true, then why did you kill the Prophets who came to you affirming the Tawrah's Law, although you knew they were true Prophets You killed them simply out of transgression, stubbornness and injustice with Allah's Messengers. Therefore, you only follow your lusts, opinions and desires." Similarly, Allah said,

أَفَكُلَّمَا جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لاَ تَهْوَى أَنفُسُكُم اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ

(Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant Some you disbelieved and some you killed.)

Also, As-Suddi said, "In this Ayah, Allah chastised the People of the Book,

قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَآءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

(Say (O Muhammad to them): "Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers")."

وَلَقَدْ جَآءَكُم مُّوسَى بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ

(And indeed Musa came to you with clear proofs) meaning, with clear signs and clear proofs that he was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. The clear signs -or miracles- mentioned here are the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the staff and the hand. Musa's miracles also include parting the sea, shading the Jews with clouds, the manna and quails, the gushing stone, etc.

ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ

(yet you worshipped the calf) meaning, as a deity instead of Allah, during the time of Musa. Allah's statement,

مِن بَعْدِهِ

(after he left) after Musa went to Mount Tur to speak to Allah. Similarly, Allah said,

وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلاً جَسَداً لَّهُ خُوَارٌ

(And the people of Musa made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing)) (7:148).

وَأَنتُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ

(and you were Zalimun) meaning, you were unjust in this behavior of worshipping the calf, although you knew that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. Similarly, Allah said,

وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فَى أَيْدِيهِمْ وَرَأَوْاْ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ

(And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they (repented and) said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of the losers") (7:149).

And when it was said to them ‘Believe in what God has revealed that is the Qur’ān and other Books they said ‘We believe in what was revealed to us’ that is the Torah; and wā here indicates a circumstantial qualifier they disbelieve in what is beyond that what is other than that or what came afterwards such as the Qur’ān; yet it is the truth wa-huwa’l-haqqu is a circumstantial qualifier confirming musaddiqan a second circumstantial qualifier for emphasis what is with them. Say to them ‘Why then were you slaying the prophets of God formerly if you were believers?’ in the Torah and in it you were forbidden to kill them this address concerning what their forefathers did is directed towards those present at the time of our Prophet on account of their approval of it that is of what the forefathers had done.

The Jews flatly refused to believe in any Book of Allah -- like the Evangel or the Holy Qur'an - except in the Torah. This denial is a clear evidence of their infidelity (Kufr کفر). Moreover, they also used to add that they believe in the Torah, for it had been sent down to them. This comes to mean that they denied the other Books just because they had not been sent down to them. Such an argument betrays their envy and malice.

The Holy Qur'an refutes their argument in three ways:

(1) When the truth and authenticity of the other Books has been established on the basis of irrefutable arguments, what does, then, this denial mean? If they had any doubts as to the arguments on the basis of which authenticity was being claimed for these Books, they could very well have voiced this doubt, and satisfied themselves on this point. But why this flat refusal to believe?

(2) The other Books, like the Holy Qur'an, confirm the Torah..If one denies them, one at the same time denies the Torah itself.

(3) To slay a prophet is tantamount to infidelity (Kufr), according to all the Divine Books. Moreover, the prophets whom the Jews had killed were themselves Israelites, and their teachings, were based on the injunctions of the Torah. But the Jews not only killed these prophets, but also accepted the killers as their chiefs. This is a direct denial of the Torah, and falsifies their claim that they believe in the Torah.

In short, nothing that the Jews say or do is acceptable and valid from any possible point of view.

The next verses proceed to refute the Jews on several other counts.