3:93 Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)

وهذا رد على اليهود بزعمهم الباطل أن النسخ غير جائز، فكفروا بعيسى ومحمد صلى الله عليهما وسلم، لأنهما قد أتيا بما يخالف بعض أحكام التوراة بالتحليل والتحريم فمن تمام الإنصاف في المجادلة إلزامهم بما في كتابهم التوراة من أن جميع أنواع الأطعمة محللة لبني إسرائيل { إلا ما حرم إسرائيل } وهو يعقوب عليه السلام { على نفسه } أي: من غير تحريم من الله تعالى، بل حرمه على نفسه لما أصابه عرق النسا نذر لئن شفاه الله تعالى ليحرمن أحب الأطعمة عليه، فحرم فيما يذكرون لحوم الإبل وألبانها وتبعه بنوه على ذلك وكان ذلك قبل نزول التوراة، ثم نزل في التوراة أشياء من المحرمات غير ما حرم إسرائيل مما كان حلالا لهم طيبا، كما قال تعالى { فبظلم من الذين هادوا حرمنا عليهم طيبات أحلت لهم } وأمر الله رسوله إن أنكروا ذلك أن يأمرهم بإحضار التوراة، فاستمروا بعد هذا على الظلم والعناد

قال الإمام أحمد: حدثنا هاشم بن القاسم حدثنا عبدالحميد حدثنا شهر قال: قال ابن عباس: حضرت عصابة من اليهود نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالوا: حدثنا عن خلال نسألك عنهن لا يعلمهن إلا نبي قال "سلوني عما شئتم ولكن اجعلوا لي ذمة الله وما أخذ يعقوب على بنيه لئن أنا حدثتكم شيئا فعرفتموه لتتابعني على الإسلام" قالوا فذلك لك قالوا: أخبرنا على أربع خلال أخبرنا أي الطعام حرم إسرائيل على نفسه؟ وكيف ماء المرأة وماء الرجل؟ وكيف يكون الذكر منه والأنثى وأخبرنا بهذا النبي الأمي في النوم ومن وليه من الملائكة؟ فأخذ عليهم العهد لئن أخبرهم ليتابعنه فقال "أنشدكم بالذي أنزل التوراة على موسى هل تعلمون أن إسرائيل مرض مرضا شديد وطال سقمه فنذر لله نذرا لئن شفاه الله من سقمه ليحرمن أحب الطعام والشراب إليه وكان أحب الطعام إليه لحم الإبل وأحب الشراب إليه ألبانها" فقالوا: اللهم نعم فقال "اللهم اشهد عليهم" وقال "أنشدكم بالله الذي لا إله إلا هو الذي أنزل التوراة على موسى هل تعلمون أن ماء الرجل أبيض غليظ وماء المرأة أصفر رقيق فأيهما علا كان له الولد والشبه بإذن الله إن علا ماء الرجل ماء المرأة كان ذكرا بإذن الله وإن علا ماء المرأة ماء الرجل كان أنثى بإذن الله" قالوا: نعم قال "اللهم اشهد عليهم" قال "وأنشدكم بالذي أنزل التوراة على موسى هل تعلمون أن هذا النبي الأمي تنام عيناه ولا ينام قلبه" قالوا: اللهم نعم قاله "اللهم اشهد" قال "وإن وليي جبريل ولم يبعث الله نبيا قط إلا وهو وليه" قالوا: فعند ذلك نفارقك ولو كان وليك غيره لتابعناك فعند ذلك قال الله تعالى "قل من كان عدوا لجبريل" الآية ورواه أحمد أيضا عن حسين بن محمد عن عبدالحميد به " طريق أخرى" قال أحمد: حدثنا أبو أحمد الزبيرى حدثنا عبدالله بن الوليد العجلي عن بكير بن شهاب عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس قال: أقبلت يهود إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالوا يا أبا القاسم إنا نسألك عن خمسة أشياء فإن أنبأتنا بهن عرفنا أنك نبي واتبعناك فأخذ عليهم ما أخذ إسرائيل على بنيه إذ قال "والله على ما نقول وكيل" قال "هاتوا" قالوا: أخبرنا عن علامة النبي؟ قال " تنام عيناه ولا ينام قلبه " قالوا: أخبرك كيف تؤنث المرأة وكيف تذكر قال " يلتقي الماءان فإذا علا ماء الرجل ماء المرأة أذكرت وإذا علا ماء المراة أنثت " قالوا أخبرنا ما حرم إسرائيل على نفسه؟ قال " كان يشتكي عرق النساء فلم يجد شيئا يلائمه إلا ألبان كذا وكذا - قال أحمد: قال بعضهم يعني الإبل- فحرم لحومها "قالوا: صدقت قالوا: أخبرك ما هذا الرعد ؟ قال " ملك من ملائكة الله عز وجل موكل بالسحاب بيده - أو في يديه - مخراق من نار يزجر به السحاب يسوقه حيث أمره الله عز وجل " قالوا: فما هذا الصوت الذي يسمع؟ قال " صوته " قالوا: صدقت إنما بقيت واحدة وهي التي فتابعك إن أخبرتنا بها: إنه ليس من نبي إلا له ملك يأتيه بالخبر فأخبرنا من صاحبك؟ قال "جبريل عليه السلام" قالوا: جبريل ذاك ينزل بالحرب والقتال والعذاب عدونا لو قلت ميكائيل الذي ينزل بالرحمة والنبات والقطر لكان فأنزل الله تعالى "قل من كان عدوا لجبريل فإنه نزله على قلبك بإذن الله مصدقا لما بين يديه وهدى وبشرى للمؤمنين" والآية بعدها وقد رواه الترمذي والنسائي من حديث عبدالله بن الوليد العجلي به نحوه وقال الترمذي حسن غريب. وقال ابن جريج والعوفي عن ابن عباس: كان إسرائيل عليه السلام- وهو يعقوب - يعتريه عرق النسا بالليل. وكان يقلقه ويزعجه عن النوم ويقلع الوجع عنه بالنهار فنذر لله لئن عافاه الله لا يأكل عرقا ولا يأكل ولد ماله عرق وهكذا قال الضحاك والسدي كذا رواه وحكاه ابن جرير في تفسيره قال: فاتبعه بنوه في تحريم ذلك استنانا به واقتداء بطريقه قال: وقوله "من قبل أن تنزل التوراة" أي حرم ذلك على نفسه من قبل أن تنزل التوراة قلت: ولهذا السياق بعد ما تقدم مناسبتان. " إحداهما" أن إسرائيل عليه السلام حرم أحب الأشياء إليه وتركها لله وكان هذا سائغا في شريعتهم فله مناسبة بعد قوله "لن تنالوا البر حتى تنفقوا مما تحبون".فهذا هو المشروع عندنا وهو الإنفاق في طاعة الله مما يحبه العبد ويشتهيه كما قال تعالى "وآتى المال على حبه" وقال تعالى "ويطعمون الطعام على حبه" الآية " المناسبة الثانية" لما تقدم بيان الرد على النصارى واعتقادهم الباطل في المسيح وتبيين زيف ما ذهبوا إليه وظهور الحق واليقين في عيسى وأمه كيف خلقه الله بقدرته ومشيئته وبعثه إلى بني إسرائيل يدعو إلى عبادة ربه تبارك وتعالى شرع في الرد على اليهود قبحهم الله تعالى وبيان أن النسخ الذي أنكروا وقوعه وجوازه قد وقع فإن الله تعالى قد نص في كتابهم التوراة أن نوحا عليه السلام لما خرج من السفينة أباح الله له جميع دواب الأرض يأكل منها ثم بعد هذا حرم إسرائيل على نفسه لحوم الإبل وألبانها فاتبعه بنوه في ذلك وجاءت التوراة بتحريم ذلك وأشياء أخرى زيادة على ذلك وكان الله عز وجل قد أذن لآدم في تزويج بناته من بنيه وقد حرم ذلك بعد ذلك وكان التسري على الزوجة مباحا في شريعة إبراهيم عليه السلام وقد فعله إبراهيم في هاجر لما تسرى بها على سارة. وقد حرم مثل هذا في التوراة عليهم وكذلك كان الجمع بين الأختين سائغا وقد فعله يعقوب عليه السلام جمع بين الأختين ثم حرم عليهم ذلك في التوراة. وهذا كله منصوص عليه في التوراة عندهم وهذا هو النسخ بعينه. فكذلك فليكن ما شرعه الله للمسيح عليه السلام في إحلاله بعض ما حرم في التوراة فما بالهم لم يتبعوه بل كذبوه وخالفوه؟ وكذلك ما بعث الله به محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم من الدين القويم والصراط المستقيم وملة أبيه إبراهيم فما بالهم لا يؤمنون؟ ولهذا قال تعالى "كل الطعام كان حلا لبني إسرائيل إلا ما حرم إسرائيل على نفسه من قبل أن تنزل التوراة" أي كان حلا لهم جميع الأطعمة قبل نزول التوراة إلا ما حرمه إسرائيل ثم قال تعالى "قل فأتوا بالتوراة فاتلوها إن كنتم صادقين" فإنها ناطقة بما قلناه.

The Questions that the Jews Asked Our Prophet

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "A group of Jews came to Allah's Prophet and said, `Talk to us about some things we will ask you and which only a Prophet would know.' He said, `Ask me about whatever you wish. However, give your pledge to Allah, similar to the pledge that Ya`qub took from his children, that if I tell you something and you recognize its truth, you will follow me in Islam.' They said, `Agreed.' The Prophet said, `Ask me about whatever you wish.' They said, `Tell us about four matters: 1. What kinds of food did Isra'il prohibit for himself 2. What about the sexual discharge of the woman and the man, and what role does each play in producing male or female offspring 3. Tell us about the condition of the unlettered Prophet during sleep, 4. And who is his Wali (supporter) among the angels' The Prophet took their covenant that they will follow him if he answers these questions, and they agreed. He said, `I ask you by He Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that Isra'il once became very ill When his illness was prolonged, he vowed to Allah that if He cures His illness, he would prohibit the best types of drink and food for himself. Was not the best food to him camel meat and the best drink camel milk' They said, `Yes, by Allah.' The Messenger said, `O Allah, be Witness against them.' The Prophet then said, `I ask you by Allah, other than Whom there is no deity (worthy of worship), Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that man's discharge is thick and white and woman's is yellow and thin If any of these fluids becomes dominant, the offspring will take its sex and resemblance by Allah's leave. Hence, if the man's is more than the woman's, the child will be male, by Allah's leave. If the woman's discharge is more than the man's, then the child will be female, by Allah's leave.' They said, `Yes.' He said, `O Allah, be Witness against them.' He then said, `I ask you by He Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that the eyes of this unlettered Prophet sleep, but his heart does not sleep' They said, `Yes, by Allah!' He said, `O Allah, be Witness.' They said, `Tell us now about your Wali among the angels, for this is when we either follow or shun you.' He said, `My Wali (who brings down the revelation from Allah) is Jibril, and Allah never sent a Prophet, but Jibril is his Wali.' They said, `We then shun you. Had you a Wali other than Jibril, we would have followed you.' On that, Allah, the Exalted revealed,

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ

(Say: "Whoever is an enemy to Jibril...") 2:97."

Allah's statement,

نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ

(before the Tawrah was revealed) 3:93, means, Isra'il forbade that for himself before the Tawrah was revealed. There are two objectives behind revealing this segment of the Ayah. First, he forbade himself the most delightful things for Allah's sake. This practice was allowed during his period of Law, and is, thus, suitable that it is mentioned after Allah's statement,

لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ

(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love) 3: 92.

What we are allowed in our Law is to spend in Allah's obedience from what we like and covet but not to prohibit what Allah has allowed. Allah said in other Ayat;

وَءَاتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ

(And gives his wealth, in spite of love for it,) 2:177, and;

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ

(And they give food, in spite of their love for it,) 76:8.

The second reason is that after Allah refuted the false Christian beliefs and allegations about `Isa and his mother. Allah started refuting the Jews here, may Allah curse them, by stating that the abrogation of the Law, that they denied occurs, already occurred in their Law. For instance, Allah has stated in their Book, the Tawrah, that when Nuh departed from the ark, Allah allowed him to eat the meat of all types of animals. Afterwards, Isra'il forbade the meat and milk of camels for himself, and his children imitated this practice after him. The Tawrah later on prohibited this type of food, and added several more types of prohibitions. Allah allowed Adam to marry his daughters to his sons, and this practice was later forbidden. The Law of Ibrahim allowed the man to take female servants as companions along with his wife, as Ibrahim did when he took Hajar, while he was married to Sarah. Later on, the Tawrah prohibited this practice. It was previously allowed to take two sisters as wives at the same time, as Ya`qub married two sisters at the same time. Later on, this practice was prohibited in the Tawrah. All these examples are in the Tawrah and constitute a Naskh (abrogation) of the Law. Therefore, let the Jews consider what Allah legislated for `Isa and if such legislation falls under the category of abrogation or not. Why do they not then follow `Isa in this regard Rather, the Jews defied and rebelled against `Isa and against the correct religion that Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ with.

This is why Allah said,

كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِـلاًّ لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ إِلاَّ مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَءِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ

(All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Isra'il made unlawful for himself before the Tawrah was revealed) 3:93 meaning, before the Tawrah was revealed, all types of foods were allowed, except what Isra'il prohibited for himself. Allah then said,

التَّوْرَاةُ قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِن كُنتُمْ

(Say: "Bring here the Tawrah and recite it, if you are truthful."),

for the Tawrah affirms what we are stating here. Allah said next,

فَمَنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ

(Then after that, whosoever shall invent a lie against Allah, then these it is that are the wrongdoers.) 3:94, in reference to those who lie about Allah and claim that He made the Sabbath and the Tawrah eternal. They are those who claim that Allah did not send another Prophet calling to Allah with the proofs and evidences, although evidence indicates that abrogation, as we have described, occurred before in the Tawrah,

فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ

(then these it is that are the wrongdoers.)

Allah then said,

قُلْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ

(Say, "Allah has spoken the truth;") 3:95 meaning, O Muhammad, say that Allah has said the truth in what He conveyed and legislated in the Qur'an,

فَاتَّبِعُواْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفاً وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(follow the religion of Ibrahim the Hanif, and he was not of the idolators.") 3:95.

Therefore, follow the religion of Ibrahim that Allah legislated in the Qur'an. Indeed, this is the truth, there is no doubt in it, and the perfect way, and no Prophet has brought a more complete, clear, plain and perfect way than he did. Allah said in other Ayat,

قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَانِى رَبِّى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, the Hanif, and he was not of the idolators.") 6:161

and,

ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(Then, We have sent the revelation to you (saying): "Follow the religion of Ibrahim, the Hanif, and he was not of the idolaters.) 16:123.

When the Jews said to the Prophet ‘You claim that you follow the creed of Abraham but Abraham did not eat camel’s meat nor drink its milk’ the following was revealed All food was lawful to the Children of Israel save what Israel Jacob forbade for himself namely camels when he was afflicted with sciatica ‘irq al-nasā he made a vow that if he were cured he would not eat of it again and so it was forbidden him; before the Torah was revealed which was after the time of Abraham as it was not unlawful in his time as they claimed. Say to them ‘Bring the Torah now and recite it so that the truth of what you say may become clear if you are truthful’ in what you say; they were stupified and did not bring it the Torah. God exalted be He then said

Commentary

In the verses appearing above, there is a continuity of arguments against positions taken by the people of the Book. At some places, it concerns Jews and at others, the Christians. One such argument, which has been reported in Ruh al-Ma'ani on the authority of Wahidi and al-Kalbi, recounts the incident when the Holy Prophet ﷺ stated his adherence to the community of Abraham ﷺ with reference to all fundamentals of the religious code, and most of the subsidiaries, the Jews objected by saying: 'You eat camel meat and partake of its milk although these were unlawful for Abraham (علیہ السلام) .' The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'No, this was lawful for him.' The Jews said: 'All that we consider unlawful has continued to be unlawful since the days of Naoh and Abraham (علیہما السلام) to the point that this unlawfulness reached us.' Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed the verse: كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَ‌ائِيلَ ٍ 'Every (kind of) food was lawful for the children of Isra'il - 93' to refute the Jewish claim in which it is said that before the revelation of Torah, all things were lawful for the children of Isra'il except the camel meat which Isra'il (علیہ السلام) (Jacob) himself had denied to eat for a particular reason, and then it remained unlawful for his progeny also.

The fact, as narrated by Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ in an authentic re-port, is that Jacob suffered from Sciatica. He had taken a vow that he would abandon what he liked most in what he ate if Allah Almighty cured him of the disease. He was cured and camel meat was what he liked most, so he abandoned it. (See Al-Hakim and al-Tirmidhi as quoted by Ruh a1-Ma` ni). Then, it, so happened that this prohibition which started because of a vow continued among the Bani Isra'il as a divine injunction. It seems their code recognized a vow as a cause of unlawfulness of something lawful, like in our own Shari'ah, a vow may make the permissible acts as obligatory. However, a vow or pledge which renders things unlawful is, in reality, an oath which is not permissible in our Shari` ah. In fact, in such a case, it is obligatory to break the oath and make amends by making کفارہ Ka ffarah. This. Is in accordance with what Allah Almighty has said in the verse لِمَ تُحَرِّ‌مُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّـهُ لَكَ why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you? - 66:1) (See al-Tafsir al Jabir)

(All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel�) [3:93]. Said Abu Rawq and al-Kalbi: �This was revealed when the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: �We follow the religion of Abraham�. The Jews responded to this by saying: �How can this be so when you eat the meat of camels and drink their milk�. He said: �That was lawful for Abraham and so we make it lawful too�. The Jews said: �Everything that we take for unlawful today was unlawful to Noah and Abraham and so on and so forth until our time�. To refute them, Allah, exalted is He, revealed (All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel�)�.