Towards Understanding the Qur'an. Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi
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some who say: “We believe in Allah and in the Last Day,” while in fact they do not believe. (9) They are trying to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they do not realize that in truth they are only deceiving themselves. (10) There is a disease in their hearts and Allah has intensified this disease.5 ▶
4 This does not mean that their rejection of the Truth is a consequence of God’s sealing of their hearts. What is meant is that God sealed their hearts and ears as a consequence of their decision to reject the fundamentals of faith, of their deliberate choice of a path divergent from that charted out by the Qur’an.
5 “Disease” here refers to the disease of hypocrisy. The statement that “Allah has intensified this disease” means that He does not punish the hypocrites immediately but allows them to indulge in their hypocrisy and exult in the success of their ruses. This feeling of success intensifies their hypocrisy.
3
Al-Baqarah 2: 11–16
A painful chastisement awaits them for their lying. (11) Whenever they are told: “Do not spread mischief on earth,” they say: “Why! We indeed are the ones who set things right.” (12) They are the mischief- makers, but they do not realize it. (13) Whenever they are told: “Believe as others believe,” they answer: “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?” Indeed it is they who are the fools, but they are not aware of it. (14) When they meet the believers, they say: “We believe,” but when they meet their evil companions (in privacy), they say: “Surely we are with you; we were merely jesting.” (15) Allah jests with them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their rebellion. (16) These are the ones who have purchased error in exchange for guidance. This bargain has brought them no profit and certainly they are not on the Right Way. ▶
4
Al-Baqarah 2: 17–20
(17) They are like him who kindled a fire, and when it lit up all around him, Allah took away the light (of their perception) and left them in utter darkness where they can see nothing.6 (18) They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind; they will never return (to the Right Way). (19) Or they are like those who encounter a violent rainstorm from the sky, accompanied by pitch- dark clouds, thunder-claps and flashes of lightning: on hearing thunder-claps they thrust their fingers into their ears in fear of death. Allah encompasses these deniers of the Truth. (20) It is as if the lightning would snatch their sight; whenever it gleams a while for them they walk a little, and when darkness covers them they halt.7 ▶
6 This means that two opposite effects emerged when a true servant of God radiated the light which made it possible to distinguish true from false and right from wrong and the Straight Way distinct from the ways of error. To those endowed with true perception, all truths became evident. But those who were almost blinded by the worship of their animal desires perceived nothing.
7 The first parable refers to those hypocrites who disbelieved completely but had become Muslims merely to further their worldly interests. The second parable refers to those who were prone to doubt and hesitation or whose faith was weak; those who believed in the Truth but not to the extent of exposing themselves to hardships for its sake.
5
Al-Baqarah 2: 21–4
If Allah so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight. Surely Allah is All-Powerful.
(21) O mankind, serve your Lord Who has created you as well as those before you; do so that you are saved.8 (22) It is He Who has made the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy, and sent down water from above wherewith He brought forth fruits for your sustenance. Do not, then, set up rivals to Allah when you know (the Truth).9
(23) If you are in any doubt whether it is We Who have revealed this Book to Our servant, then produce just a surah like it, and call all your supporters and seek in it the support of all others save Allah. Accomplish this if you are truthful. (24) But if you fail to do this – and you will most certainly fail – then have fear of the Fire ▶
8 So that you are saved from false beliefs and unrighteous conduct in this life, and from God’s punishment in the Next.
9 Not to set up others as rivals to Allah means not to make anyone other than God the object of worship, service and obedience that one owes to God alone.
6
Al-Baqarah 2: 25–6
whose fuel is men and stones10 and which has been prepared for those who deny the Truth.
(25) (O Prophet), announce glad tidings to those who believe in this Book and do righteous deeds (in accordance with its teachings), that for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow. Their fruits will have such resemblance to those of the earth that when- ever they will be provided with those fruits they will say: “It was this which was granted to us on earth before.” For them there shall be pure spouses, and there they shall abide forever.
(26) Behold! Allah is not ashamed to propound the parable of a gnat, or even of something more lowly.11 On hearing these parables the believers know that it is the truth from their Lord, ▶
10 In the Next Life not only will the unbelievers become the fuel of Hell-fire, but that the same fate will befall the idol-stones they worshipped and before which they prostrated themselves.
11 Here an objection is indirectly refuted. At several places in the Qur’an, spiders, flies, gnats and so on are mentioned in order to elucidate certain points. Opponents objected to this on the grounds that such objects were too lowly to find a place in the Book of God. They insinuated that had the Qur’an indeed been a revelation from God it would not have mentioned such trivial objects.
7
Al-Baqarah 2: 27–8
while those bent on denying the Truth say: “What does Allah mean by these parables?” Thus He causes many to go astray just as He directs many to the Right Way. And He thereby causes to go astray only the transgressors,12 (27) who break the covenant of Allah after its firm binding,13 and cut asunder what Allah has commanded to be joined,14 and spread mischief on earth. They are the utter losers.
(28) How can you be ungrateful to Allah Who bestowed life upon you when you were lifeless, then He will cause you to die and will again bring you back to life so that you will be returned to Him. ▶
12 Fasiq means transgressor, disobedient.
13 The injunctions or ordinances issued by a sovereign to his servants and subjects are termed [ahd in Arabic since compliance with them becomes obligatory for the latter. [Ahd has been used here in this sense. The [ahd referred to here signifies God’s eternal command that all human beings are obliged to render their service, obedience and worship to Him alone. “After its binding” refers to the promise made by mankind to remain faithful to the injunctions of God at the time of Adam’s creation. (For details see al-A[raf, 7: 172.)
14 That is, the transgressors strike their blows at those very relationships