Qxpiv May, 2007 By Shabbir Ahmed, M. D., Florida Chief Adviser and Editor: Hossein Kowsari, California Reviewed by: Abdullah Ali Bashoeb, Hijaz
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2:31 And God endowed humanity with the capacity to attain knowledge. Then He showed the angels certain things and said to them, “Tell me if you have the capacity of learning about these, if you are indeed truthful (and better qualified to have supremacy on the planet earth).” [‘Allam-al-Aadam-al-Asma = He endowed humankind with the capacity to attain knowledge] 2:32 They humbly said, “Glorified are You, High Above all! We only know what you have taught us (the tasks assigned to us). Most certainly, You, only You, are the Knower, the Wise.” 2:33 Then He said, “O Adam! Show them some of your capacity to attain knowledge.” And when Adam informed them of his ability to learn, He said to the angels, “Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the Highs and the Lows? And I know what is manifested by your efforts and the potentials that lie dormant within you.” 2:34 And when We said to the angels, “Humble yourselves and be subservient to Adam-mankind, they instantly complied humbling themselves except Iblees (Satan). He refused through self-glorification, and so became a rejecter of the Divine Command. [Thus, God endowed mankind with the ability to harness the Forces in Nature through science. There is, however, an internal domain He has designed within humans, the Nafs or ‘Self’. Call it 'I', ‘Self’, ‘Ego’, ‘Personality’, ‘I-amness', ‘Me’. This has been placed for the humans to exercise free will and achieve personal growth or self-actualization. But this ‘self’ is vulnerable to the evil prompting of its own intrinsic selfish desire or that of extrinsic sources. In that situation the ‘self’ rebels against the higher controls of human judgment, and more importantly, against the Revealed Moral Values. This rebellious state of the ‘self’ has the ability to rationalize its desire and emotions through the intellect. And this rebellious state of the ‘Ego’ is Satan or Iblees. It was this Iblees that refused to humble itself to the higher human controls of judgment and Divine Commands. Incidentally, the Qur’an nowhere mentions a human ‘soul’, ‘spirit’ or 'spirituality'. Iblees = Deprivation = Hopelessness = Frustration = Desperation and regret = Rebellious state of the human ‘self’ that drifts away from the Divine Commands, but wishes to escape personal responsibility by blaming God for its own misdeeds. See 7:16. Sajdah = Prostration = Complete submission = Willful obedience = Utter humility = Adoration = Utmost commitment to Divine Cause = Humbling one's own self] 2:35 We told the early humans, Adam and his wife (men and women), “O Mankind! Reside in this land which is Paradise and partake the fruit thereof as you please. But do not go near this branching Tree (of Selfishness). Or, you will become of the wrongdoers.” [If you branch off into casts, sects, and rivalry, you shall replace your Paradise with Hell. 2:213, 4:65 10:19, 20:117-118. Zulm = To displace something from its rightful place = Replace good with evil = Relegate the truth = Transgression = Oppression = Violation of human rights = Wrongdoing] 2:36 But Satan caused them both (men as well as women) to stumble therein and got them out of the happy state they were in. And so We said, “Degraded you have become with wedges of discord among yourselves! There shall be for you habitation and livelihood on earth for a while.” [Their straying egos and selfish desires had clashed and led them into dividing among themselves for the pursuit of self-interest. Humanity fell from the height of felicity into contention and rivalry. The plentiful provision of the land that used to be open for all became a matter of private ownership and hoarding. They have since been living in a state of continuous toil, turmoil and strife] 2:37 (The solution to this catastrophe was beyond human redress.) Then Adam received Words of Guidance from his Lord and He accepted his repentance. Certainly, He is the Acceptor, the Most Merciful. [Adam = Aadam = Man. His wife = Woman. Udma = Ability to live together as a community. Aadam from Udma thus, indicates humankind. The word “Eve” or Hawwa is not mentioned in the Qur’an. She is described with dignity as Mer’a-til-Aadam = Adam’s Zaujah = Wife, Consort, Mate of Adam = Mrs. Adam. The Qur’an adopts the beautiful method of either gently correcting or ignoring the errors in other Scriptures. It does not repeat the Biblical fallacy of ‘Eve’ having been created from Adam’s rib. She also repented and God treated both of them equally. 7:23-24. Again, Adam and his wife mean humankind, male and female. Taubah = Repentance = Returning to the Right Path = Realizing one's fault and taking corrective action. 4:17, 4:18, 5:39, 3:89, 6:54, 16:119, 24:5, 27:71] 2:38 We said, “For now, all of you are degraded to a lower level of existence, out of this state of felicity (Paradise). But, when guidance comes to you from Me, those who will follow My Guidance, on them shall be no fear from without, nor shall they have any grief from within.” [Note here the multiple plural ‘all of you’ confirming that Adam and his wife are allegorical terms for the humankind. Incidentally, the word ‘Eve’ is nowhere mentioned in the Qur’an, once again Adam denoting humankind. Khauf = Fear from without. Huzn = Intrinsic depression or grief = Unhappiness = Regret] 2:39 But those who reject Our messages or deny them in practice, such will be the rightful companions of the Fire. They will abide therein. 2:40 (One example is that of the Israelites.) O Children of Israel! Remember My Blessings that I bestowed upon you (when you were following My Commandments). Fulfill your promise unto Me and I will fulfill My promise unto you. And fear none but Me. [Fear the consequences of violating Divine Commands. 2:47, 2:83-85, 2:122, 3:61, 5:12-13, 5:70, 9:111, 45:16] 2:41 And grace yourselves with belief in what I have revealed now confirming (the Truth) in what you already have. Be not the first among those who will conceal the Truth therein, and trade not My revelations for petty gains. Rather, be mindful of Me. [‘Confirming the Truth in’ (2:101). Petty gains = The false dogma of being the ‘chosen ones’ which is consistently rejected by the Qur’an. The only criterion of honor in the Sight of God is character (2:80-81, 10:69-70, 29:23, 49:13). Kufr = Denial of the Truth = Concealing the Truth = Ingratitude = Rejection of truth = Choosing to live in darkness = Hiding or covering something = Closing eyes to light. Kafir = One given to Kufr = One who adamantly denies the truth = Commonly translated as ‘infidel’ = Derivatively and positively, a farmer who hides the seed under the soil (57:20). Therefore, Kufr or Kafir does not apply to the unaware, anyone to whom the Message has not been conveyed or reached yet. Taqwa = Seeking to journey through life in security = Protect oneself from disintegration of the personality = Journeying in security = Being careful = Getting empowered against evil = Avoid overstepping the Laws = Exercising caution = Preserving oneself against deterioration = Good conduct = Building character = Live upright = Fear the consequences of violating Divine Commands = Being mindful of the Creator = Remaining conscious of the Divinely ordained Values = Taking precaution = Being watchful against error] 2:42 Do not confound the Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth while you are well aware of it. [2:159, 3:71] 2:43 Strive to establish the Divine System, and to set up a Just Economic Order in the society. And bow with others who bow to these Commands. 2:44 Do you exhort people to make room for everyone's welfare and progress in the society, while you disregard practicing what you preach? And all the while you study the Scripture! Will you not, then, use your sense? [Using sense will tell that failing to practice what one preaches is but lying to one’s ‘self’ 2:10. Birr = Making room for everyone's welfare and progress in the society = Exponential growth of the ‘self’. 2:177] 2:45 If you wish to strengthen your ‘selves’ and promote the well-being of the society, then be patient and resolute in establishing the Divinely ordained System of Life. It is indeed hard except for those who are humbly committed to a noble cause, [2:153, 70:17-27, 90:10-18. You have become used to thriving on the fruit of others’ toil, such as devouring usury, and, therefore, economic equity and social equality strike at your selfish interests. 2:275. Khushoo’ = Being humbly compliant = Sincerely committed = Being devoted to a noble cause. Sabr = Patience = Facing adversity with courage = Steadfastness = Resolve = Determination in the face of affluence or adversity] 2:46 Those who realize that they are to meet their Lord and that they are to return to Him. [Meeting the Lord also indicates facing His Law of Requital. Returning to Him signifies being subject to His Law. It also denotes following His Commands, and of course, it alludes to the life Hereafter] 2:47 (Once again) O Children of Israel! Remember the Blessings I bestowed upon you and how I gave you distinction among the nations [of the times when you were faithful to Commands. 2:122] 2:48 Hence, beware of the Day (when all actions will encounter Absolute Justice, and contrary to your thinking), no person will avail another in the least. And neither intercession will be accepted, nor shall compensation be taken from anyone. And they will not be helped. [6:164] [Shafa'ah = Stand up as witness to the Truth = Intercession = Clearing a falsehood assigned to someone. 2:123, 6:50-51, 6:70, 32:4, 39:44, 40:17-18, 10:3, 19:87. Not even the messengers of God are exempt from the Divine Law of Recompense. 6:15, 10:15, 39:13, 72:20-21] 2:49 Also remember when We saved you from Pharaoh’s people. They persecuted you by assigning hard tasks and with a dreadful torment. They slaughtered your sons and let your women folk live for slavery and shameful acts. That was indeed a great tribulation, a test from your Lord Supreme. [In addition to killing the newborn boys, as a matter of state policy, Pharaoh humiliated the strong and left the vulnerable for slavery and shameful acts. Abna = Sons = Strong ones. Nisaa = Females = Women = Weak ones. Yastahyoon carries the connotation of ‘letting live’ as well as ‘in shame’. This is what a tyrannical system does. 27:34, 28:4-5, 40:25. Exodus 1:15-22] 2:50 And recall when We parted the sea and rescued you and drowned the people of Pharaoh right before your eyes. [When you faithfully followed Moses, We rescued you through a safe passage in the Red Sea. You crossed over through the Sea of Reeds at low tide, as if it were parted. This Exodus brought you to the safety of Sinai from the persecution in Egypt. 7:138, 10:90, 20:77, 26:63, 44:24] 2:51 (Instead of being grateful, you did something bizarre.) While We summoned Moses for forty nights to reveal Our Commandments, you took to worshiping the (golden) calf in his absence. You became once again those who hurt themselves. [7:142. Zulm = Displace something from its rightful place = Relegating the Truth = Hurting someone or one’s own self = Violation of human rights = Live in darkness = Oppression = Diminishing the due measure = Replace good with evil = Relegate the truth = Transgression = Oppression = Violation of human rights = Wrongdoing. See 2:35. Was not the calf an object of worship of the Egyptians, your recent masters? You demonstrated that physical emancipation did not equate psychological emancipation] 2:52 Then, even after that, We pardoned you and gave you another chance to show gratitude. [2:56] [Shukr = Thankfulness = Gratitude in word and action = Bring Divine Bounties to the most fruitful use = Sharing one's wealth and resources with fellow humans = Opposite of Kufr when the context demands it, ingratitude] 2:53 And We gave Moses the Scripture and (thus) the Criterion (between right and wrong) so that you might be guided right. [Hudan = Hidayah = Guidance = Right guidance = A lighted road = Journey with prominent landmarks = A sincere gift = A high rock of identification in the sea = Lighthouse = A fixed sign in the desert] 2:54 When Moses returned, he said to his people, “O my people! You have hurt your own ‘selves’ by worshiping the calf. So, turn in repentance to your Maker and kill your ego (rebellious mentality). This will be best for you in the Sight of your Maker.” Thereupon He turned toward you accepting your repentance. Surely, He is the Acceptor of repentance, the Merciful. [7:148-156, 12:53. Baari = The Maker = Initiator = Originator = The Original Designer. Unfortunately, blindly following the account of Exodus (to say in all humility, correctly described in QXP 32:26-28), most ancient and modern commentators of the Qur’an, including Maududi of the 20th century, stumble on this verse as well. They maintain that the Israelites in a matter of hours killed one another randomly up to 70,000 men! Others claim that only the culprits were killed! All this confusion arises for giving literal meaning to Qatl and for blindly following some Biblical accounts and fabricated Hadith. This is all the more amazing since the same verse is showing Pardon from God to the Israelites for their worshiping of the calf. Qatl = Subdue = Bring low = Humiliate = Make humble = Killing the inflated or rebellious Ego = Qatl also means murder, slaying, fighting, but in a different contexts] 2:55 And recall when you said, “O Moses! We will not believe in you unless we see God face to face!” Thereupon thunder overtook you as you were looking on. [Your minds were still programmed with the primitive ways of the "Age of Worship" when humans could only appreciate the tangible. At that level of intellect, humans come to fear natural phenomena. Thus, when you saw the lightning thunder you almost fell dead in fright. 7:155] 2:56 Then We revived you, and raised you from a dead to a living nation so that you might show gratitude (by following the Divine Commands.) 2:57 And We shaded you with Our Grace and We bestowed upon you Our Bounties in abundance, saying, “Partake of the decent things We have provided you.” And they did not harm Us; but they had certainly harmed their own ‘selves’. [Zall = Shade. Ghamam = Clouds. Being shaded with clouds in the desert is a blessing, hence my rendition as Grace. Manna-wus-Salwa = God’s sustenance that reaches all members of the community equitably. Literally, it also means delicious fruit (Manna) and fowl or quail meat (Salwa). Tayyab = Decent and clean = Of one's liking = Not forbidden in the Qur’an = Good for mind and body = Pleasant] 2:58 Then We commanded you, “Enter this town and enjoy the provisions therein, partake as you desire. But enter the gate with heart-felt humility, saying, “Hittatun.” (O Our Lord! Pardon our misdeeds as we mend our ways). And We shall forgive you your faults and amply reward the doers of good.” [‘This town’ = Can’aan = The land of Palestine. See 5:21, 7:161] 2:59 But, the transgressors altered the meaning of the word they had been given, and changed their attitude of humility and perseverance. So, We brought down upon the transgressors consequences from the Heaven for, they infringed repeatedly (drifted away from the Commandments). [Rijz = Weak, shaky legs = Loss of determination and resolve = Losing individual and collective strength = Becoming lazy = Replacing action with word. 7:134-135, 7:162, 29:34. Fisq = Drifting away from the Commands or from discipline = ‘Sin’ = Disregarding moral values. Heavenly consequences = Divine Law of Requital. You became shaky in your resolve losing discipline and courage, hence, the Promised Land became forbidden to you for forty years. 2:61, 3:21, 5:22-26] 2:60 (Remember the times when you were in the Sinai desert) and Moses asked for water for his people. We said, “Strike the rock with your staff.” And there gushed out twelve springs so that each tribe found its respective source of fresh cool water. Moses said, “Enjoy God’s provision, but desist from becoming mischievous.” [Mischief = Creating disruption and chaos in the land for selfish gains. ‘Asa = Staff = Force = Conviction = Support = A united community holding on to a mission as the five fingers hold on to a cane. Moses was guided to rocks under which were hidden twelve springs of water ready to gush forth. With the strength of his conviction and with the help of his companions, Moses unclogged those springs. 7:160] 2:61 (At one stage you demanded Moses to provide you with a great variety of edibles, although you were living in the Sinai desert.) You said, “O Moses! We are weary of the same kind of food, so ask your Lord that He brings forth for us plant food such as herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils and onions.” He said, “Would you exchange something superior for something inferior? (Preoccupy yourselves with petty desires instead of higher goals?) Go back in shame to Egypt and you will get what you demand.” So, humiliation and misery were stamped upon them and they had to face God’s Requital. That was because they kept rejecting God's messages. And they persisted in opposing and even killing some prophets against all right. They did all this, because they chose to rebel and went on transgressing. 2:62 (That was a glimpse of the past.) Indeed, those who believe (in the Qur’an and call themselves Muslims), and those who are Jews, and Christians and the Sabians; whoever truly believes in God and the Last Day and does works that benefit humanity, their reward is with their Lord. For them shall be no fear from without, nor shall grief touch them from within. [Note: The author of this rendition is not aware of any instance in the Qur’an where the use of Tasreef, that is, looking at the related verses, is more crucial than in the understanding of this verse. Some great commentators have misinterpreted this verse for missing out on related verses such as these:
[O You who have chosen to be graced with belief = O You who acknowledge the Qur’an. Reflecting on the above verses makes it clear that the belief in God and the Last Day must be in accordance with the Qur’an. verses 2:62 and 5:69 emphasize that mere giving of a name to one’s religion or creed carries no importance. Sabians = Once a small Monotheistic community that started merging with their environment. In the Judeo-Christian milieu they preferred to announce themselves as ‘Followers of John the Baptist’. They sometimes claimed to follow a way between Judaism and Christianity. In Persia, they subscribed to many views of Zoroastrianism. In Arabia, they joined hands with the ‘Nature-worshipers’ or ‘Star-worshipers’. Mostly living in Arabia, Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Persia, they modified their beliefs most suited to their environment. In some ways, their attitude resembled the modern Agnostics] 2:63 (O Children of Israel) Surely, We accepted your solemn pledge, letting Mount Sinai tower above you as witness, and saying, “Hold fast onto what We have given you, and take to heart what is therein, so that you may live upright.” 2:64 Then, even after that, you turned away. And were it not for the Bounty of God upon you and His Grace, you would have been undone. 2:65 You are well aware of those among you who broke the Sabbath, whereupon We said unto them, “Be you held in contempt like apes!” [For social and ecological reasons and to inculcate the sanctity of the Law in your hearts, We had commanded you to desist from fishing or working on Saturdays and to strengthen your social ties rather than going after business on that day (4:154, 7:163-167, 16:124). Persistent indiscipline is more befitting of an apish, rather than human mentality. 4:47, 4:154, 5:60. Note: Strangely enough, some ancient, and even modern commentators like Maududi, maintain that they were physically transformed into apes!] 2:66 We made this degradation a lesson for them in their times, and for the future generations, We made it a source of enlightenment that should soften the hearts of those who wish to live upright. [Wa’z = Admonition that softens the hearts] 2:67 And remember, Moses said unto his people, “Indeed, God commands you to sacrifice a cow.” They said, “Do you mock us?” He replied, “I seek shelter with God from being among the ignorant who mock people.” [Slaughter a cow to get rid of the Pharaoh’s pagan inclinations you carry in your hearts. That is what prompted you to worship the golden calf. 2:54, 7:152] 2:68 (Now, they started making excuses.) They said, "Ask your Lord on our behalf to enlighten us as to what kind of a cow she is." He answered, “Indeed, He has said that she is a cow neither too old nor too young. She is between the two conditions. Do, then, as commanded.” 2:69 (Then) they said, “Ask for us your Lord that He enlighten us as to what color she is.” He answered, “Surely, He has said that she is a yellow cow. Bright is her color, pleasing to beholders.” 2:70 (Again) they said, “Call upon your Lord that He make it clear to us what exactly she is. For, to us all cows are much alike. And surely, if God so wills, we shall be rightly guided.” 2:71 He answered, “Indeed, He says it is to be a cow that has not toiled in tilling the land nor in watering the crops and it is whole and healthy, unblemished.” Said they, “Finally, you bring out a concrete description!” So they sacrificed her, although they would rather not have done it. [They still adored cow-worship and the golden calf. 2:93, 5:101] 2:72 Recall! A person was slain and you were casting blame on each other. So God brought forth what you were hiding. 2:73 We said, “Apply the Law to such cases of unsolved murder. This is how God gives life to the dead. And He expounds His messages for you to use your common sense. [There is life for you in the Law of Just Recompense. A Law that deters murder and, thus, saves lives, indeed gives you life 2:179.
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