45:18 Al-Jaathiya (Crouching)

أي: ثم شرعنا لك شريعة كاملة تدعو إلى كل خير وتنهى عن كل شر من أمرنا الشرعي { فَاتَّبِعْهَا } فإن في اتباعها السعادة الأبدية والصلاح والفلاح، { وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ } أي: الذين تكون أهويتهم غير تابعة للعلم ولا ماشية خلفه، وهم كل من خالف شريعة الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم هواه وإرادته فإنه من أهواء الذين لا يعلمون.

ولهذا قال جل وعلا ثم جعلناك على شريعة من الأمر فاتبعها ولا تتبع أهواء الذين لا يعلمون أي اتبع ما أوحي إليك من ربك لا إله إلا هو وأعرض عن المشركين.

Preference of Allah to the Children of Israel and their dispute thereafter

Allah the Exalted mentions the favors He granted the Children of Israel, such as revealing the Divine Books to them, sending the Messengers to them and granting them kingship. Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَـهُمْ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَـتِ

(And indeed We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, and the understanding of the Scripture and its laws, and the prophethood; and provided them with good things,) such as foods and drinks,

وَفَضَّلْنَـهُمْ عَلَى الْعَـلَمينَ

(and preferred them above the nations.) of their time,

وَءاتَيْنَـهُم بَيِّنَـتٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ

(And gave them clear proofs in matters.) `We gave them evidences, proofs and unequivocal signs.' Therefore, the proof has been established against them, yet they differed among themselves after the proof came to them, out of transgression against each other,

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ

(Verily, your Lord) `O Muhammad',

يَقْضِى بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

(will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they used to differ. ) He will judge between them by His just judgement.

Warning to this Ummah against following the Ways of the Children of Israel

This Ayah contains a warning to the Muslim Ummah as well. It warns them not to take the path the Jews took nor adopt their ways. This is why Allah said,

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـكَ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا

(Then We have put you on a (legal) way of commandment. So follow you that.) `follow what was revealed to you from your Lord, O Muhammad, there is no true deity except Him, and turn away from the idolators.' Allah said,

وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَإِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُواْ عَنكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً وَإِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ

(and follow not the desires of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah. Verily, the wrongdoers are protecting friends of one another,) Allah says, `what will the loyalty that the idolators give each other avail them' Indeed, all they will earn from their protecting friends is more loss, destruction and demise,

وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

(but Allah is the Protector of those who have Taqwa.) and He will deliver them from the darkness to the light. In contrast, all the false deities are the protecting friends of those who disbelieve, taking them out of the light to the darkness. Allah said,

هَـذَا بَصَـئِرُ لِلنَّاسِ

(This is a clear insight and evidence for man- kind,) in reference to the Qur'an,

وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

(and a guidance and a mercy for people who have faith with certainty.)

Then We set you O Muhammad (s) upon a clear course a clear way of the commandment the commandment of religion; so follow it and do not follow the desires of those who do not know in worshipping other than God.

The Status of Previous Shari'ahs for Muslims

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِ‌يعَةٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْرِ‌ "Then We have put you on a certain way of the Matter (i.e. the religion)... 45:18". Here it may be borne in mind that the religion of Islam has certain fundamental articles of faith, such as the Oneness of Allah, the Hereafter and so on; and there are ordinances, laws and injunctions related to practical life. As far as the fundamental articles of faith are concerned, they are immutable and were imparted to every Prophet (علیہ السلام) and his Ummah since the inception of man. However, laws relating to practical life were different for different Prophets (علیہم السلام) and their people. The sacred laws of previous Shari'ahs kept changing according to the needs of time and exigencies of circumstances. In the verse under comment, the second type of practical laws has been described as "...a certain way of the Matter (i.e. the religion)...". The jurists, on the basis of this verse, have ruled that the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ must, of necessity, follow the sacred laws of the Shari'ah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . As far as the sacred laws of the previous Shari` ah are concerned, this Ummah is not legally bound to them unless the Qur'an and Sunnah support or confirm them. Support or confirmation may take one of two forms, as follows: (1) the Qur'an and Sunnah may explicitly say that a certain law of a certain Prophet (علیہ السلام) must be followed by this Ummah; or (2) the Qur'an and Sunnah may speak highly and favourably about a certain law of a previous Ummah without hinting that it is abrogated for this Ummah. This indicates that the law is applicable in the Shari` ah of this Ummah also. In that case, the previous law becomes part of this Shari'ah, and as such this Ummah is legally bound to follow it. This much is sufficient for us to understand the status of the previous Shari` ahs. Details are available in the books of the Islamic jurisprudence.

Then We set thee on a wide road of the command, so follow it, and do not follow the ca- prices of those who know not. In other words, “We singled you out for gentle favors, so recognize them. We set down paths for you, so follow them. We affirmed realities for you, so do not go outside of them and do not incline to follow others.”