4:162 An-Nisaa (The Women)

لما ذكر معايب أهل الكتاب، ذكر الممدوحين منهم فقال: { لَكِنِ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ } أي: الذين ثبت العلم في قلوبهم ورسخ الإيقان في أفئدتهم فأثمر لهم الإيمان التام العام { بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ } وأثمر لهم الأعمال الصالحة من إقامة الصلاة وإيتاء الزكاة اللذين هما أفضل الأعمال، وقد اشتملتا على الإخلاص للمعبود والإحسان إلى العبيد. وآمنوا باليوم الآخر فخافوا الوعيد ورجوا الوعد. { أُولَئِكَ سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا } لأنهم جمعوا بين العلم والإيمان والعمل الصالح، والإيمان بالكتب والرسل السابقة واللاحقة.

ثم قال تعالى " لكن الراسخون في العلم منهم " أي الثابتون في الدين لهم قدم راسخة في العلم النافع. وقد تقدم الكلام على ذلك في سورة آل عمران " والمؤمنون " عطف على الراسخين وخبره " يؤمنون بما أنزل إليك وما أنزل من قبلك " قال ابن عباس: أنزلت في عبدالله بن سلام وثعلبة بن سعيه وأسد بن سعيه وأسد بن عبيد الذين دخلوا في الإسلام وصدقوا بما أرسل الله به محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم وقوله " والمقيمين الصلاة " هكذا هو في جميع مصاحف الأئمة وكذا هو في مصحف أبي بن كعب وذكر ابن جرير أنها في مصحف ابن مسعود والمقيمون الصلاة قال: والصحيح قراءة الجميع ثم رد على من زعم أن ذلك من غلط الكتاب ثم ذكر اختلاف الناس فقال بعضهم هو منصوب على المدح كما جاء في قوله " والموفون بعهدهم إذا عاهدوا والصابرين في البأساء والضراء وحين البأس " قال: وهذا سائغ في كلام العرب كما قال الشاعر: لا يبعد قومي الذين همو أسد العداة وآفة الجزر النازلـين بكـل مـعترك والطيبون مـعاقد الأزر وقال آخرون: هو مخفوض عطفا على قوله " بما أنزل إليك وما أنزل من قبلك " يعني وبالمقيمين الصلاة وكأنه يقول وبإقامة الصلاة أي يعترفون بوجوبها وكتابتها عليهم أو أن المراد بالمقيمين الصلاة الملائكة وهذا اختيار ابن جرير يعني يؤمنون بما أنزل إليك وما أنزل من قبلك وبالملائكة وفي هذا نظر والله أعلم. وقوله " والمؤتون الزكاة " يحتمل أن يكون المراد زكاة الأموال ويحتمل زكاة النفوس ويحتمل الأمرين والله أعلم " والمؤمنون بالله واليوم الآخر " أي يصدقون بأنه لا إله إلا الله ويؤمنون بالبعث بعد الموت والجزاء على الأعمال خيرها وشرها. وقوله " أولئك " هو الخبر عما تقدم " سنؤتيهم أجرا عظيما " يعني الجنة.

Some Foods Were Made Unlawful for the Jews Because of their Injustice and Wrongdoing

Allah states that because of the injustice and transgression of the Jews, demonstrated by committing major sins, He prohibited some of the lawful, pure things which were previously allowed for them. This prohibition could be only that of decree, meaning that Allah allowed the Jews to falsely interpret their Book and change and alter the information about what was allowed for them. They thus, out of exaggeration and extremism in the religion, prohibited some things for themselves. It could also mean that in the Tawrah, Allah prohibited things that were allowed for them before. 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.) We mentioned this Ayah before, which means that all types of food were allowed for the Children of Israel before the Tawrah was revealed, except the camel's meat and milk that Isra'il prohibited for himself. Later, Allah prohibited many things in the Tawrah. Allah said in Surat Al-An`am (chapter 6),

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِى ظُفُرٍ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَآ إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَآ أَوِ الْحَوَايَآ أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ذَلِكَ جَزَيْنَـهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ وِإِنَّا لَصَـدِقُونَ

(And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone. Thus We recompensed them for their rebellion. And verily, We are Truthful.) This means, We prohibited these things for them because they deserved it due to their transgression, injustice, defying their Messenger and disputing with him. So Allah said;

فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً

(For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful to them certain good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their hindering many from Allah's way.) This Ayah states that they hindered themselves and others from following the truth, and this is the behavior that they brought from the past to the present. This is why they were and still are the enemies of the Messengers, killing many of the Prophets. They also denied Muhammad ﷺ and `Isa, peace be upon them. mAllah said,

وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّبَا وَقَدْ نُهُواْ عَنْهُ

(And their taking of Riba' though they were forbidden from taking it,) Allah prohibited them from taking Riba', yet they did so using various kinds of tricks, ploys and cons, thus devouring people's property unjustly. Allah said,

وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـفِرِينَ مِنْهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً

(And We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful torment. ) Allah then said,

لَّـكِنِ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِى الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ

(But those among them who are well-grounded in knowledge...) firm in the religion and full of beneficial knowledge. We mentioned this subject when we explained Surah Al `Imran (3). The Ayah;

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(and the believers...) refers to the well-grounded in knowledge;

يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ

(believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you;) Ibn `Abbas said, "This Ayah was revealed concerning `Abdullah bin Salam, Tha`labah bin Sa`yah, Zayd bin Sa`yah and Asad bin `Ubayd who embraced Islam and believed what Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ with. Allah said,

وَالْمُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَوةَ

(and give Zakah,) This could be referring to the obligatory charity due on one's wealth and property, or those who purify themselves, or both. Allah knows best.

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ

(and believe in Allah and in the Last Day,) They believe that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, believe in Resurrection after death and the reward or punishment for the good or evil deeds. Allah's statement,

أُوْلَـئِكَ

(It is they,) those whom the Ayah described above,

سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْراً عَظِيماً

(To whom We shall give a great reward.) means Paradise.

But those of them who are firmly rooted established in knowledge like ‘Abd Allāh b. Salām and the believers the Emigrants and the Helpers believing in what has revealed to you and what was revealed before you of scriptures and those who observe the prayer wa’l-muqīmīna l-salāta is in the accusative because it is a laudative; it is also read in the nominative wa’l-muqīmūna l-salāta; and pay the alms and those who believe in God and the Last Day — to them We shall surely give nu’tīhim is also read yu’tīhim ‘He shall surely give’ a great wage namely Paradise.

The previous verses referred to Jews who adhered to their disbelief and obstinately continued practising what was blame-worthy. The present verse now cites those who were, no doubt, from among the People of the Book, but, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ came with his mission and they found in him, fully and unmistakably, all qualities the Last among Prophets was supposed to have according to the prophesies of their Scriptures, they believed in him - like Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Salam, Usayd and Tha'labah, may Allah be pleased with them all. The words of praise in this verse are for these blessed souls.

Commentary

The great reward promised to those referred to here is because of their qualities of faith and righteous deeds. As far as salvation as such is concerned that depends on the correction of essentials of doctrinal matters - of course, subject to the condition, that one's life ends with the blessing of faith ('Iman).

But those who are firmly rooted in knowledge The firmly rooted in knowledge are those who have obtained the varieties of knowledge: knowl- edge of the Shariah, knowledge of the Tariqah, and knowledge of the Haqiqah. Knowledge of the Shariah is to be learned, knowledge of the Tariqah is to be practiced, and knowledge of the Haqiqah is to be found. Concerning knowledge of the Shariah He says, “Ask the folk of the remembrance” [16:43]. Concerning knowledge of the Tariqah He says, “Seek the means of approach to Him” [5:35]. Concerning knowledge of the Haqiqah He says, “We taught him knowledge from Us” [18:65]. He turned knowledge of the Shariah over to a teacher, He turned knowledge of the Tariqah over to a pir, and He turned knowledge of the Haqiqah over to Himself. Whoever fancies that he has no use for the intermediary of a teacher in knowledge of the Shari- ah is a heretic. Whoever claims that knowledge of the Tariqah is possible without a pir is a tempter. Whoever says that the teacher of knowledge of the Haqiqah is other than the Real is deluded. It has been said that those firmly rooted in knowledge are those who learn the knowledge of the Shariah and then put it into practice with self-purification to the point that they perceive the knowledge of the Haqiqah in their secret core. Thus MuṣṬafā said, “When someone acts on what he knows, God will bequeath him knowledge of what he does not know.” When someone does not put the knowledge of the Shariah into practice, he has wasted his knowledge, and it becomes an argument against him. When someone puts it into practice, his outward knowledge becomes an argument to his benefit, and he receives the knowledge of the Haqiqah as a gift.