In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

At this point, the sūrah begins its address to the Children of Israel, represented by the Jews of Madinah, who posed the stiffest opposition to the Islamic message the moment it arrived there. They launched a relentless campaign of overt and covert resistance as soon as they realized that it had come to stay and to take control of the city and its population. They felt that Islam was bound to deprive them of the moral and economic hegemony they had so far enjoyed. Slowly, Islam began to heal the rifts that had existed between Madinah’s two main rival Arab tribes, the Aws and the Khazraj, thus ending the disputes that the Jews had been able to exploit. At the same time it provided Madinah with an independent code of conduct, based on the Qur’ān.

The war the Jews began to wage against Islam and Muslims in those early days has raged on to the present day. The form and appearance may have changed, but the nature and means remain the same. This is in spite of the fact that the Jews, who have been widely persecuted throughout their history, have always been welcomed and accommodated by Muslim communities. Indeed, Muslim communities have no history of religious or racial intolerance, discrimination or persecution. They are known to welcome peaceful outsiders who have no intention to undermine Islam or harm its people.

It was thought that the Jews of Madinah would be the first to welcome Islam and embrace the new religion and its advocate, the Prophet Muĥammad. The Qur’ān had already given a general endorsement to the Torah; while the Jews had been bidden by their own Scriptures to await the emergence of a new Messenger, whom their own prophets had described. In fact, they had been boasting about his impending arrival to the pagan Arabs.

This section of the sūrah constitutes the opening chapter in a wide- ranging campaign aimed at exposing the scheming and hostile stance of the Jews towards Islam. This counter-attack, however, was launched only after all means of persuasion to get them to accept Islam and join its ranks had been used without success.

The passage opens with a majestic call to the Israelites, reminding them of God’s grace and inviting them to fulfil their part of the covenant with God so that He will fulfil His. It calls on them to be fearful of God and submit to Him, as a prelude to appealing to them to accept the new revelations. It then goes on to condemn them for being among the first to reject it. It censures their deliberate confusion of truth with falsehood and their efforts to obfuscate and conceal the truth contained in their Scriptures. It denounces their attempts to mislead others, particularly those who had recently embraced the new religion, and to foment conflict and strife in the burgeoning Muslim community. It invites them to join the ranks of the believers, observe prayers, and pay their religious dues. Through perseverance and prayer, they seek to overcome their intransigence and arrogance that have prevented them from acknowledging and embracing the new religion. It denounces their two-faced attitude of calling on the Arab idolaters to believe in God while they themselves refuse to accept Islam.

The sūrah goes on to recall for the Jews the long list of favours God had bestowed on them all through their long history. In its unique style, the Qur’ān addresses the Jewish contemporaries of Muĥammad as if they were the contemporaries of Moses who lived centuries earlier, and treats them as one and the same community. Indeed, their attitude and behaviour have been remarkably the same through the ages.

The Qur’ān also reminds them of the horrors of Resurrection Day, when every soul has to defend itself, no intercession or ransom shall be accepted, and no one shall save them from God’s wrath and punishment.

It recalls in vivid detail their ancestors’ confrontation with, and subsequent escape from, Egypt’s Pharaoh, and all the favours God blessed them with afterwards. It reminds them of their lack of gratitude, their relapses and frequent deviations, and their insistence on committing the same errors again and again. It stresses their stubbornness, deviousness, lack of resolve, inability to shoulder responsibility, dishonesty and unfaithfulness to their covenants with God and their own Prophets, some of whom they even killed. They defied God and rejected His messages, worshipped the golden calf, made impossible demands on their prophets and violated almost every commandment they received from God.

The Jews, according to the Qur’ān, have done all this while insisting that they are the only rightly-guided nation in the world and the exclusive recipients of God’s guidance and blessings, and arguing that their religion is the only true one.

However, as we shall see in the following pages, the Qur’ān refutes this claim and declares that all believers in God who adhere to His commands shall receive their deserved reward and shall have nothing to fear or regret.

This campaign to uncover the destructive machinations of the Jews was unavoidable for two main reasons. First, it was essential to demolish their arguments, expose their intrigues and reveal their true intentions towards Islam and the Muslims. This would make Muslims fully aware of what was being done behind their backs to undermine the foundations of their fledgling community.

Second, it was necessary as a warning to the Muslims themselves to avoid the pitfalls into which earlier recipients of God’s message, had fallen. As a result, such communities were stripped of the honour of having custody of the divine message and of the leadership of mankind. A number of specific instructions to this effect, some implicit and some explicit, can be found throughout the present passage.

There is no doubt that the Muslim community in Madinah at the time, and Muslims in subsequent generations, are in need of such warnings and admonitions.

Muslims always need to study the Qur’ān very closely in order to discern and understand the divine instructions that will help them fight their habitual enemies, and to find out how to combat their insidious scheming.

Without God’s guidance and the light of faith, human beings can never recognize all the perils or fathom the wickedness of their enemies.

We can see very clearly here how, in the unique Qur’ānic style, the story of the Jews dovetails with that of Adam and Eve. This reflects an aspect of the integrity and the complementary nature of the topics with the context in which they are presented.

If we go back a little we find that the sūrah had established that God created everything on earth for the benefit of man. It then went on to relate how Adam, father of the human race, was given a covenant as God’s vicegerent on earth, how he was honoured by the angels falling prostrate before him, the brief he received from God, how he overlooked it, regretted his error and repented. We have also been told how he was forgiven and provided with divine guidance to ensure his success in this life. We have seen how that experience was in fact the prelude to the continuous conflict that was to take place on earth between the forces of evil and destruction, represented by Iblīs, and the forces of goodness and construction, represented by God-fearing man.

This is followed by an account of the history of the Israelites which records their covenant with God and how they violated it, as well as the favours God had bestowed on them and their ingratitude. As a result God withdrew His trust from them, allowing them to live in humiliation. The account warns Muslims against the evil designs of the Israelites and against following their example.

There is a clear link between the assignment of Adam as God’s vicegerent on earth and the choice of the Israelites as custodians of God’s message. The subject matter and the message flow in total harmony with the style employed.

The Qur’ān is not concerned with the chronology of the history of the Israelites. It is only recalling certain events or actions in as much or as little detail as is appropriate. Various other episodes of the story of the Israelites are related in other sūrahs, revealed earlier in Makkah, but for a different purpose. The aim there was to inspire and reassure that small group of the early Muslims in Makkah, and show them how to cope with their situation and learn from the strong faith and courage of earlier believers.

In the present context, however, the aim is to expose the real intentions and plans of the Jews, to describe their methods, and to warn the Muslim community about their scheming, as well as against repeating their mistakes. The difference between the Makkan and Madinan styles of the Qur’ān, which will become clear later when we study the Makkan sūrahs, is reflected in the emphasis and the presentation of the same topics.

On reviewing the passages where the story of the Israelites occurs in the Qur’ān, one finds that the details fit perfectly into the context to reinforce the argument or the point that is being made. It is also the case in this instance, as already explained.

The story of the Israelites is the one most frequently mentioned in the Qur’ān. The special care and attention with which it is told is indicative of God’s great wisdom in the way He deals with the Muslim community and how He prepares it to assume the all important task of the leadership of mankind.

Children of Israel! Remember My favour which I have bestowed on you. Fulfil your covenant with Me and I will fulfil Mine with you; and of Me alone stand in awe.

Believe in what I have revealed, confirming that which you already have, and be not the first to reject it. Do not barter away My revelations for a paltry price, and fear Me alone. Do not overlay the truth with falsehood, nor knowingly suppress the truth.

Attend regularly to your prayers, pay your zakāt, and bow down in prayers with those who bow down. How can you bid others to be righteous and forget yourselves, even when you read the Scriptures? Do you not understand? Seek strength in patient perseverance and in prayer, which is indeed a demanding task except for the devout, who know that they shall meet their Lord and to Him they shall ultimately return.

(Verses 40-46)

Any review of Jewish history would immediately fill one with amazement at the host of favours and blessings God has bestowed on these people. Nor could one fail to be amazed at how persistently they have shown total ingratitude in return. In this opening announcement, God makes a general reference to those special favours before going on to speak about some of them in greater detail. As He does so, God again calls on the Israelites to fulfil their pledges and the commitments they made to Him. If they do, He will bless them with more favour and grace.

What is this covenant? Is it the original one made with Adam: “Guidance shall reach you from Me. Those who follow My guidance shall have nothing to fear nor shall they grieve, but those who deny and gainsay Our revelations shall have the fire, wherein they shall abide.” (Verses 38-39) Or, is it the universal covenant made between God and human nature, which binds man to seek the Lord and worship Him alone, associating no partners with Him? The latter needs no qualification or justification, as man perceives it instinctively and naturally, as long as his basic nature is free of capricious and deviant influences. Or does the verse refer to the covenant made with Abraham, the patriarch of Israel: “When his Lord tested Abraham with certain commandments and he fulfilled them, He said, ‘I have appointed you a leader of mankind.’ Abraham asked, And what of my descendants?’ God said, ‘My covenant does not apply to the wrongdoers.’” (Verse 124)

Is it, on the other hand, the covenant made with the Israelites on Mount Sinai, when the mountain was raised over their heads? They were ordered then to take it up with strength and dedication, as will be later explained.

In fact, all these are essentially one covenant. Their essence is man’s total submission to God and adherence to the one true faith He sent to humanity through His messengers, in a long and honourable procession throughout history.

In fulfilment of this covenant, God calls on the Israelites to fear Him alone, and to believe in and accept what He has revealed to His Messenger, Muĥammad, confirming and endorsing their own Scriptures. They are urged not to hasten into rejecting it but to be among the first to believe in it: “Believe in what I have revealed, confirming that which you already have, and be not the first to reject it.” (Verse 41)

Islam, as propounded by Prophet Muĥammad, was no more than God’s one eternal religion given its final form. It is a continuation of the same message and the complement of the covenant God made with man in the beginning. It embraces past revelations and provides guidance for mankind in future generations. It brings together the Torah of the Old Testament and the Gospel of the New Testament, and adds what is required to lead mankind to further prosperity, unity and progress. Its aim has been to achieve the true brotherhood of man, eliminate racial and ethnic divisions and discrimination, and unite humanity in its submission to God under the covenant with Him.

God warns the Israelites against rejecting His final message in pursuit of temporal gain or narrow interests, such as the privileges and the status enjoyed by the rabbis through their religious function in the community: “Do not barter away My revelations for a paltry price, and fear Me alone.” (Verse 41)

Money, wealth and worldly aggrandizement have been the delight of the Jews since their early days. This verse could be referring to the fees and taxes imposed on ordinary Jews by their rabbis and clerics in return for religious services. These people were known, as stated elsewhere in the Qur’ān, to have had a monopoly on the interpretation of the Scriptures which enabled them to issue biased and tendentious rulings favouring the rich and powerful. To maintain this monopoly, Jewish elders and religious leaders would be inclined to urge their people to reject Islam and refuse to recognize it.

Commenting on this verse, some companions of the Prophet and later scholars have pointed out that when compared to belief in God’s revelations and the promised rewards of the hereafter, the world and all its treasures are worthless.

The sūrah goes on to censure the Israelites for deliberately confusing truth with falsehood in order to create confusion, doubt and discord among the Muslims. “Do not overlay the truth with falsehood, nor knowingly suppress the truth.” (Verse 42)

The Qur’ān abounds with reports of how the Jews of Madinah would seize every opportunity to antagonize its Muslims, create distractions and spread false ideas and malicious rumours among them. They had a notorious reputation, as we shall see, for causing division and making mischief within the Muslim community.

The sūrah then invites the Israelites to join the Muslims in their religious practices, and abandon their prejudices and ethnocentric tendencies. “Attend regularly to your prayers, pay your zakāt, and bow down in prayer with those who bow down.” (Verse 43)

The sūrah refutes their pretence, particularly that of their elders and rabbis, of piety and godliness which they claim simply on the basis of having received divine revelations. The fact is that they continued to reject the new revelations which confirm their own. The sūrah asks them disapprovingly: “How can you bid others to be righteous and forget yourselves, even when you read the Scriptures? Do you not understand?” (Verse 44)

This may well have been directed at the Jews of Madinah on some specific occasions, but it applies to all believers and religious leaders of all groups and generations.

When religious teaching becomes a mere profession, it loses its fervour. Those who take it up begin to say things they do not believe and their actions tend to become divorced from their words. This can lead them to twist facts and compromise ideas and principles to serve their interests and desires. Their rulings, pronouncements and opinions, or fatwas, may sound convincing but they are far removed from the spirit and the letter of the religion.

The double standards of those who claim to represent a certain religion or ideology not only harm them personally, but also undermine the ideas and the religions they are advocating. Thus people would hear fine words, contradicted by foul deeds. Then become confused and the light generated by faith in their hearts becomes dim. Having lost trust in religious preachers, they now lose trust in the religion itself.

When they are not uttered with sincerity and conviction, words lose their impact.

A man’s beliefs are meaningless unless his actions and behaviour become a practical translation of those beliefs. When a man’s conduct reflects his words, no matter how plain and ordinary these words are, people will trust him and take him seriously. His words draw their power and effect from the sincerity and honesty with which they are being uttered, not from the rhetoric or eloquence in which they are delivered.

They assume a force of their own.

To match one’s actions to one’s words is not easy to achieve. It requires cultivation, discipline and constant contact with God. Life’s preoccupations are normally distracting, and man is weak unless he remains in touch with God’s omnipotent power. The forces of evil and temptation can also overwhelm him sometimes, and a brief moment of carelessness can damage the entire course of his life. But, supported by God’s invincible power, man can conquer his desires, overcome his weaknesses and overpower his opponents, powerful as they may be.

Thus the Qur’ān directs the Jews of Madinah and, by implication, all mankind, to seek support and strength through perseverance and prayer. The Jews were being asked to give up the privileged status they enjoyed in Madinah and the material benefits obtained from their religious functions, and to accept the new revelations which they knew to be true. Such great sacrifices require strength, courage and devotion. Hence the directive: “Seek strength in patient perseverance and in prayer, which is indeed a demanding task except for the devout, who know that they shall meet their Lord and to Him they shall ultimately return.” (Verses 45-46)

It demands courage, honesty and tenacity, as well as the power of prayer and perseverance.

Reference to perseverance is quite frequent in the Qur’ān, which presents it as crucial and indispensable in enduring hardship and making momentous decisions.

One of the most difficult moments anyone can encounter is having to acknowledge the truth and relinquish power and material privilege as a result.

But what do we understand from the directive to ‘seek strength in... prayer’. Prayer is seen by Islam as a link between man and his Lord and Master, through which the human heart draws strength and fortitude. It generates life and energy in the human soul. Despite his unique relationship with God and the lofty level of spiritual piety he attained, the Prophet Muĥammad was known to resort to prayer every time he experienced distress or anxiety. Prayer remains an inexhaustible fountain of peace, comfort and spiritual uplift for every believer.

A prerequisite of perseverance, or şabr, and fear of God, or taqwā, is the absolute and unshakeable belief in man’s return to God when his actions will be reckoned and he will be judged. This is also an essential requirement for the establishment of values for this life and the life to come. Once the right criteria to judge these values are set, the world and all its treasures and riches are seen as worth very little when compared to the rewards in the hereafter.

What started as a simple instruction initially directed at the Jews of Madinah turns out to be a permanent and enduring lesson for all mankind.

The following verse is yet another reminder from God to the Israelites of His grace and generosity towards them, and a general admonition to them about the resurrection that is certain to come: “Children of Israel! Remember My favour which I bestowed on you, and that I have preferred you over all people. Fear the day when no soul shall avail another in any way, nor shall intercession be accepted from any of them, nor ransom taken from them, and none shall receive help.” (Verses 47-48)

The preferred position granted to the Israelites was limited to the time of their mandate as custodians of God’s message on earth. As soon as they betrayed their trust, disobeyed their prophets, denied God’s favours and abandoned their commitment to God, they incurred His wrath, and were condemned to a life of humiliation, misery and exile.

The statement was meant to remind them of that glory and privilege in order to encourage them to seize the fresh opportunity presented to them by Islam to rejoin the community of believers and renew their covenant with God. But they are also being warned about “a day when no soul shall avail another in any way,” and no individual can save another.

This is one of the most important Islamic principles. Responsibility and accountability are personal and not collective, and are directly related to an individual’s will and freedom of choice. They are also based on divine justice.

It is a principle that upholds the dignity and integrity of man and cultivates and strengthens his conscience. It raises his standards of morality and behaviour and enriches his wealth of values with which Islam has honoured him.

The verse further stresses that on that day, no intercession “shall be accepted..., nor ransom taken” from, or on behalf of, anyone. Unless a person has a record of faith and good deeds, nothing can save him or absolve his misdemeanours or intransigence towards God. Furthermore, he shall receive no support of any kind from anyone else.

The sūrah proceeds to enumerate the favours God had extended to the Israelites, the most significant of which was their deliverance from the tyranny and persecution of the Pharaoh. It portrays their response to these favours which was marked with lack of appreciation and flagrant violation of God’s commandments. “And remember how We delivered you from Pharaoh’s people, who afflicted you with cruel suffering, killing your sons and sparing only your women. That was a grievous trial from your Lord. We parted the sea for you, led you to safety and drowned Pharaoh’s people before your very eyes.” (Verses 49-50)

The Qur’ān graphically recalls the ordeals suffered by the Israelites’ forefathers, as if the later Jews themselves had undergone those experiences. It stresses the act of deliverance as well as the torment and the persecution that preceded it. It makes the specific point that the whole experience contained an element of trial by God to the Israelites, testing their faith and resolve, and their trust in the Lord. The expression used in this verse in reference to the suffering adds connotations that the suffering was like food given regularly. It highlights one aspect of that suffering, which is the killing of young men and leaving women alone. This was meant to weaken the Jews and exhaust their strength.

The verse seeks to impress upon the listener that when ordained by the will of God, hardship, misfortune and tribulation will not be in vain. Once aware of this fact, one will develop more resilience and moral strength that will enable one to endure pain and overcome it much more easily. The experience will inspire one to draw closer to God and seek His mercy and help, and raise one’s capacity to cope with life’s difficulties as well as one’s credit for reward in the hereafter. Hence the telling comment: “That was a grievous trial from your Lord.” (Verse 49)

Having recalled the painful part of the episode, the sūrah portrays the scene of delivery when God “parted the sea for you, led you to safety and drowned Pharaoh’s people before your very eyes.” (Verse 50)

More detailed accounts of this event, already familiar to the Jews from their own Scriptures, are given in several Makkan sūrahs of the Qur’ān. Here, in typical Qur’ānic style, we get only a brief reference to it, but in the most vivid terms, addressing the Jews of Madinah as if they were present at the scene, for a heightened effect and greater impact.

The Jews have left Egypt and, through God’s grace and mercy, crossed the Red Sea safely. The sūrah picks up the story: “And [remember, too], when We appointed for Moses forty nights, and in his absence you took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers. Yet even after that We pardoned you, so that you might be thankful. We gave Moses the Scriptures and the Standard [by which to distinguish right from wrong], so that you might be rightly guided. Moses said to his people, ‘You, my people, have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf Turn, then, in repentance to your Maker and slay one another. That will be better for you in your Maker’s sight.’ Thus, He accepted your repentance; for He is the One to accept repentance, the Merciful.” (Verses 51-54)

The episode of the calf is covered in more detail in verses 87-98 of Sūrah 20, revealed earlier in Makkah. It is a well-known chapter of Jewish history. When their Prophet left them for a while, they sank as low as worshipping an inanimate object, in total disregard of the instructions of the Prophet who saved them, by God’s grace, from Pharaoh and his army. Their attitude is described in its true colours:

“You took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers.” (Verse 51) Who could be a worse wrongdoer than one who worships the model of a calf after God had saved him from idolaters?

Nevertheless, God pardoned them and gave their Prophet, Moses, the Torah as a source of guidance for them. However, there was need for a thorough cleansing of ranks. Such a shaky nature could only be steadied by a very stringent atonement:

“Moses said to his people: “You, my people, have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf Turn, then, in repentance to your Maker and slay one another. That will be better for you in your Maker’s sight.” (Verse 54) Thus, the order was given to kill those who went far astray as a means of cleansing for the whole community.

No doubt it was a heavy responsibility, for killing members of their community was like killing themselves; but it was inescapable in order to preserve the purity and righteousness of the rest of the community. It was a punishment commensurate with the vile transgression perpetrated. Had they counselled one another against transgression, they would not have worshipped the calf. Hence, the punishment to reform their nature.

Once punishment has been meted out, God’s mercy descends afresh. “Thus, He accepted your repentance; for He is the One to accept repentance, the Merciful.” (Verse 54)

Yet, true to form, their stubbornness and obduracy had the better of the Israelites.

They now demanded to see God Himself. The demand was made by the seventy individuals who, as detailed in the earlier Makkan sūrahs, had been chosen by Moses to represent his people. They went further than that, making their belief in Moses and his message conditional on their seeing God in person. Obviously, this is mentioned here for comparison with the attitude of the Prophet Muĥammad’s Jewish contemporaries, who were demanding impossible proof to verify the truth of his claim to prophethood.

And [remember] when you said, Moses, we will not believe in you until we see God in person. ‘You were then struck by a thunderbolt while you were looking on. But We raised you again after you had been as dead, so that you might be thankful. We caused the clouds to provide shade for you, and sent down for you manna and quails. ‘Eat of the good things We have provided for you. ‘Indeed, to Us they did no harm, but themselves did they wrong. (Verses 55-57)

Neither the signs and favours nor God’s forgiveness and generosity had any effect on the Israelites’ obdurate, materialistic and cynical nature. The prolonged and harsh persecution they had endured under the tyranny of the Pharaoh seems to have finally corrupted their souls, so that they would yield only to force. Nothing corrupts souls and natures than writhing under tyranny for a long time. They had acquired the slave characteristics of being submissive when overpowered and subjugated, but vicious and revengeful when not under threat. Over the centuries, this became, and remains today, a defining character of the Jewish people.

While on Mount Sinai, the Israelites had the audacity to demand from Moses that they should see God in person, to which God responded by striking them with a thunderbolt that left them as dead. Nevertheless, God was again merciful towards them and restored them to consciousness, so that they might appreciate His kindness and show gratitude.

God also recalls for them how He had taken care of their forefathers when they were lost in the wilderness, providing them with food and protecting them against the scorching heat of the sun. Historic records indicate that the Israelites, on leaving Egypt, crossed the Red Sea into the Sinai desert. It was hot and without water, which put them in danger of dying of starvation. But, God bestowed His grace on them and provided them with a special type of food, as sweet as honey, which they called manna. God also sent them flocks of quail which they could easily catch and eat.

Clouds would gather above them to protect them from the heat of the desert sun.

Thus God alleviated their suffering in the wilderness, but, as the verse comments, they showed no appreciation or gratitude. As such, they were the losers: “Indeed to Us they did no harm, but themselves did they wrong.” (Verse 57)

The sūrah reminds the Children of Israel of more of their acts of intransigence and heartless behaviour: “And [remember] when We said, ‘Enter this city, eat of its abundant food as you may desire, prostrate yourselves as you enter the gates and say: “Lord, relieve us of our burden.” We will then forgive your sins and We will richly reward those who do good.’ But the wrongdoers among them substituted other words for those which they had been given.

Therefore We let loose against them a scourge from heaven in requital for their transgression.” (Verses 58-59)

Some reports indicate that the city referred to here is Jerusalem, the holy city which, not long after the Jewish exodus from Egypt, God commanded the Israelites to enter, driving out its inhabitants who were a race of giants. They refused and asked Moses to do that by himself while they waited outside the city. This episode is discussed fully in verses 20-26 of Sūrah 5, where, in an attitude of unmatched insolence, they say to Moses: “Mighty people dwell in that land, and we will surely not enter it unless they depart from it. If they do depart, then we will enter.” (5: 22) “Moses, we will never go in so long as they are in it. Go forth, then, you and your Lord, and fight. We shall stay here.” (5: 24)

As punishment they were lost for forty years in the wilderness of the Sinai desert, until a new generation had grown up who, led by the Prophet Joshua, son of Nūn, conquered the city. However, instead of entering Jerusalem, prostrating themselves in humility, and praying God to remove their burden of sin and forgive them, they took a totally different attitude and said different words.

Although these events occurred at a time much later than the one described at the beginning of this section of the sūrah, it can be seen clearly that, throughout their history, the Children of Israel displayed the same characteristics of insolence, rebellion, and stubborn deviation.

The Qur’ān was relating to the Jews of Madinah events and episodes of their history well known to them, reminding them of the victory God granted to their forefathers, God’s help in bringing them to the holy city of Jerusalem, and their ingratitude and disobedience towards God. “But the wrongdoers among them substituted other words for those which they had been given. Therefore, We let loose on them a scourge from heaven in requital for their transgression.” (Verse 59)

‘Wrongdoers’, as used in this verse, could be a reference to a small group among the Israelites or to the whole community, depending on who perpetrated the misdemeanours and rebelled against God and Moses.

In addition to the above, God had also blessed the Israelites while they were in the wilderness by providing them with water. The Qur’ān reminds the Jews of Madinah of this also, and of their forefathers’ response to it. “And [remember] when Moses prayed for water for his people We said to him, Strike the rock with your staff’ Twelve springs gushed forth from it. Each tribe knew their drinking place. Eat and drink of what God has provided and do not persistently spread corruption in the land” (Verse 60)

The Israelites descended from twelve tribes who went back to the twelve sons of Jacob, or Israel, father of the Jews. When they needed water in the desert, they asked Moses to provide it for them, and he turned to God for help. God answered his prayers, and asked Moses to strike a rock with his stick, whereupon twelve springs, one for each tribe, spurted out with enough water for all their needs. They were given all this by God’s grace, but they were also warned against spreading corruption: “Eat and drink of what God has provided for you and do not persistently spread corruption in the land” (Verse 60)

Let us recall the scene. The Israelites have fled from persecution and have journeyed into a desert of sand and rocks. The sun beats down all day and the sky will yield no rain. While they endure these desperate and hostile conditions, water springs out of the rocks, honey-tasting manna falls from the sky and quails begin to arrive in multitudes.

But despite all this, the people’s minds remained closed, their hearts intractable and their attitude rigid. They could not rise to the occasion or appreciate the purpose of their flight from Egypt. God had delivered them from the humiliation and persecution of the Pharaoh in order to restore their honour, dignity and freedom.

Needless to say, there was a price to be paid. They were to inherit the holy city of Jerusalem; but they had to capture it first.

The Israelites did not seem to appreciate that honour or to be ready to make the necessary sacrifices. They simply were not up to the commitment and the responsibility that God had entrusted them with. They were not prepared even to sacrifice the most mundane of their daily needs and habits, so that they might undertake the brief but harsh journey across the desert, on their way to glory, freedom and dignity.

The Qur’ān reminds the Jews of Madinah of what their forefathers had asked of Moses and addresses the early Israelites, saying: “[And remember] when you said, Moses! We can no longer put up with one kind of food. Pray to your Lord, then, to bring forth for us some of what the earth produces of green herbs, cucumber, garlic, lentils and onions.’ He said, ‘Would you take a lesser thing in exchange for what is much better? Go down to any land and you shall have what you asked for.’ Ignominy and humiliation were stamped upon them and they incurred the wrath of God, because they denied His revelations and slew prophets against all right, and because they persisted in their disobedience and transgression.” (Verse 61)

It is clear that Moses himself was aghast at their ignoble demands. His response was that what they were asking for was worthless and could be found anywhere. In its Arabic form, Moses’s response could be interpreted in one of two ways. It could mean that their request is so mundane and available everywhere. So wherever they wish to stay, they could find what they asked for. Alternatively, Moses is telling them to go back to Egypt and resume their servile, humble, humdrum life where they can have their cucumber, lentils, garlic and onion. They would not, it seems, be strong enough for the great and noble task God had called on them to undertake.

Contrary to some commentators, I favour this second meaning because it reminds the Israelites of their misery and humiliation in Egypt, as it says: “Ignominy and humiliation were stamped upon them and they incurred the wrath of God.” (Verse 61)

Historically, this came later as a result of their disbelief in God’s revelations, their killing of some of their prophets, and their general disobedience. These developments occurred several generations after Moses, but “ignominy and humiliation” are mentioned here because they fit the context of their condescension and insolence. Moses reminded them of the suffering and the distress they had undergone in Egypt and of God’s kindness in delivering them from the Pharaoh.

No other nation in history has shown more intransigence and obstinacy than the Jews. They viciously and mercilessly killed and mutilated a number of prophets and messengers. They have over the centuries displayed the most extreme attitudes towards God, and towards their own religion and people.

Nevertheless, they have always boasted of their virtue and made the implausible claims of being the most rightly-guided nation, the chosen people of God and the only people that shall be saved. Such claims are totally refuted by the Qur’ān which, in this sūrah, goes on to stress the most basic and all-embracing principle of the unity of God’s religion. It establishes that belief in God is one and the same for all groups and nations, and that it will lead to righteousness and good deeds. God’s grace and mercy are not the monopoly or the privilege of any particular racial or ethnic group.

They are extended to all believers at all stages of human history, in succession, until the arrival of God’s final message, which would unite all believers. “Those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians and the Sabaeans — anyone who believes in God and the Last Day, and does what is right, shall have their reward with their Lord. They have nothing to fear nor shall they grieve.” (Verse 62)

‘Those who believe’, as used here refers to the Muslims, while “Sabaeans” probably refers to a pre-Islamic religious group among the Arabs who were unhappy with idolatry and sought belief in the one God of Abraham, cutting themselves off from the pagan Arabs. Their name comes from the Arab word saba’, describing a person who has abandoned the religion of his forefathers. In some commentaries, they are confused with the followers of Sabaism, who worshipped stars.

The verse affirms that all of those religious communities who believe in God and the Last Day shall obtain their reward with God and may rest assured that they will be saved. The main criterion is religious belief rather than ethnic or national affiliation. With the advent of Islam this comes into sharper focus, because the final version of divine faith has been established.

The sūrah continues to recall to the Jews of Madinah incidents from the history of their forefathers. “We accepted your solemn pledge and raised Mount Sinai above you, saying, ‘Take with firmness and strength what We have given you, and bear in mind all its contents, so that you may remain God-fearing.’ Yet after that you turned away, and but for Gods grace and mercy you would have surely been among the losers.” (Verses 63-64)

Details of the ‘pledge’ are given later on in this sūrah and elsewhere in the Qur’ān.

The emphasis here is on recalling the scene, in words that well suit the awesome atmosphere in which the covenant was delivered, and lend particular stress to the solemnity and significance of the occasion. God’s covenant with the Israelites was not a matter that could be taken lightly; no half-heartedness, equivocation or wavering. It is the most momentous, gravest enterprise that can be contracted between God and man, and it carries a heavy responsibility indeed. Those chosen to give such a pledge must have total determination and devotion to be able to fulfil its obligations. The Israelites are therefore told: “Take with firmness and strength what We have given you, and bear in mind all its contents, so that you may remain God fearing.” (Verse 63)

When Prophet Muĥammad was assigned prophethood he said to his wife Khadījah, “There is no longer any time for relaxation”, for he had already been told in the Qur’ān: “We are about to address you with grave and weighty words.” (73: 5)

Having given their pledge, it was essential that the Israelites should understand its implications, appreciate its reality and prepare to meet its demands. What is particularly important is that there should be no short-lived enthusiasm. Such a pledge means, in essence, a whole new way of life for them. As they go about implementing it, it generates new feelings, establishes a new system and observes a new morality. The end result is an attitude based on fearing God, always remembering that He sees us and knows our feelings and motives.

Alas, what a disappointment! The Israelites failed to live up to that responsibility.

“Yet after that you turned away.” (Verse 64) Nevertheless, God did not withhold His grace and mercy from them: “but for God’s grace and mercy you would have surely been among the losers.” (Verse 64)

The sūrah moves on to yet another manifestation of their violations of their covenant with God, and their failure to fulfil its requirements. This time it takes the form of weakness in the face of temptation and the prospect of short-term gain. “You are well aware of those of you who broke the Sabbath. To them We said, Be as despicable apes.’ Through that [punishment] We set an example to their own time and for all times to come, and an admonition to the God-fearing.” (Verses 65-66)

Elsewhere in the Qur’ān we have the details of their violation of the Sabbath: “Ask them about the town which stood by the sea: how its people profaned the Sabbath. Each Sabbath their fish appeared before them breaking the water’s surface, but they would not come near them on other than Sabbath days.” (7: 163) They had requested that a day should be assigned to them for rest. God set them Saturday as a day when they do not work for a living. He then put them to a clear test when fish would come to the shore in large numbers on the Sabbath but not on other days of the week. Overwhelmed by greed, the Israelites were not able to pass that test. It was not in their nature to let such an opportunity go by for the sake of such a trivial matter as the observance of a certain covenant made with God! Thus, deviously and flagrantly, they violated the Sabbath by trapping the fish when they came to the shore and waiting until the next day, when the Sabbath was over, to collect them. As a consequence, they were severely reprimanded and rated as no more than ‘despicable apes’, since their mentality and behaviour had sunk to utterly revolting depths.

They had earned their due punishment for breaching the trust God had placed in them, abased their humanity by losing their self discipline and control, and descended to the lowest level of animals who have no free will of their own, but are driven by their needs and desires. It is not imperative that they should be physically changed into apes, as the Arabic text may be taken to mean. They had already sunk into that level by thought and spirit.

This episode was marked in their history as a useful lesson for them and for the generations of believers that would come after them.

The present passage is rounded off by the story of the cow, told here in full since it is not mentioned elsewhere in the Qur’ān. The story depicts the Israelites as shifty and stubborn people, ever looking for excuses and justification for their failures.

When Moses said to his people, ‘God commands you to sacrifice a cow, ‘ they said, Are you mocking at us?’ He said, ‘God forbid that I should be so ignorant.’ They said, ‘Pray on our behalf to your Lord to make plain to us what kind of cow she should be.’ He said, ‘He says let her be neither an old cow nor a young heifer, but of an age in between. Do, then, as you are commanded.’ They said, Tray on our behalf to your Lord to make clear to us of what colour she should be.’ [Moses] replied, ‘He says let her be a yellow cow, bright of hue, pleasing to the beholder.’ They said, Tray on our behalf to your Lord to make plain to us of what exact type she should be, for to us cows are much alike. We shall, God willing, be guided aright.’ [Moses] answered, ‘He says let her be a cow, not broken-in to plough the earth or water the tillage, free of all fault, without markings of any other colour.’ Said they, ‘Now you have given the right description.’ They sacrificed her, although they had almost left it undone. Having slain a human being, you cast the blame on one another for this [murder]. God would definitely reveal what you have concealed. We said, ‘Strike him with a piece of it. Thus God brings the dead back to life and shows you His signs, so that you may use your reason.’ (Verses 67-73)

This brief account highlights a number of issues, including the nature and disposition of the Israelite mentality, God’s power, life after death, and the nature of life and death. Moreover, we may reflect on the stylistic touches in the way the story is told, which fit it perfectly into the context of the sūrah.

The Israelite character comes through very clearly in this story, reflecting lack of faith or trust in God, reluctance to believe their Prophets and hesitation in responding to them, and a tendency to mock and ridicule what they are told, coupled with impertinence.

God’s directive, as conveyed to them by Moses was clear and simple: “sacrifice a cow”. It hardly needed elaboration, nor was it difficult to carry out. Moses, after all, was the man who had led them out of Egypt and, by the grace of God, brought them to safety. He made it clear that he was simply conveying a commandment from God.

Not only was their response insolent and brazen, but they also accused Moses of jesting and making fun of them.

Moses was clearly perturbed and made it immediately clear that he entertained no such idea: “He said: ‘God forbid that I should be so ignorant.’“ (Verse 67) His gentle, polite response was sufficient to prompt them to reconsider and act upon God’s order. He makes it clear to them that mocking at others is unbecoming of anyone other than a person who does not know recognize God’s position.

Up to that point, it was still possible for them to sacrifice any cow to fulfil God’s order as given to them by His Messenger, but their devious and hesitant nature got the better of them and they came up with an unnecessary demand: “They said: ‘Pray on our behalf to your Lord to make plain to us what kind of cow she should be.’“ (Verse 68)

The way this question is phrased suggests that they still suspected Moses of making fun of them. Their use of the phrase ‘your Lord’ when addressing Moses also indicates their indifference towards the whole affair which, they inferred, concerned only Moses and his Lord. Moreover, their question regarding the type of cow to be sacrificed is also indicative of their total lack of interest and their tendency to ridicule. Moses had already told them to sacrifice a cow, and any cow would have sufficed.

Moses persisted with his patient approach and tried to steer the dialogue back to a sensible level and away from argument on formality and technicality. He gives them another straight and clear answer: “He says let her be neither an old cow nor a young heifer, but of an age in between.” (Verse 68) He follows that with a clear, authoritative advice: “Do, then, as you are commanded.” (Verse 68)

That should have been more than adequate for them to choose a cow and carry out the order, discharging their obligation and sparing themselves further complication by narrowing their choices even further. Nevertheless, they insisted on asking more questions: “They said: ‘Pray on our behalf to your Lord to make clear to us of what colour she should be.’“ (Verse 69) Since they asked, they received an answer:

“[Moses] replied: ‘He says let her be a yellow cow, bright of hue, pleasing to the beholder.’“ (Verse 69)

The choices are narrowing and the task of finding the right kind of beast that would meet this now elaborate description has become more difficult than ever. It is no longer simply the first available cow, but it has to be one of middle years, neither very old nor very young, of bright yellow colour, not too fat nor too lean, and, most difficult of all, ‘pleasing to the beholder’. This means that the cow must be bright, lively and vigorous; because such are the qualities that people are pleased to see. On the other hand, people dislike to look at a thin, weak or deformed animal.

Yet those Jews were not finished. They continued to make matters difficult for themselves. Once again they ask about the type of cow they should sacrifice, justifying their new request on grounds that they had a problem of choice: “They said:

‘Pray on our behalf to your Lord to make plain to us of what exact type she should be, for to us cows are much alike. We shall, God willing, be guided aright.’” (Verse 70)

There was now no escaping severe complication and restriction of choice, as more and more features were specified: “[Moses] answered: ‘He says let her be a cow, not broken-in to plough the earth or water the tillage, free of all fault, without markings of any other colour.’“ (Verse 71)

It was no longer an ordinary, average cow that could be easily found anywhere, but one with a specific description and an unusual combination of features. Then, just as the matter became unduly complicated and the choice really hard, the people relented: “Said they: ‘Now you have given the right description.’ They sacrificed her, although they had almost left it undone.” (Verse 71)

It was as though Moses had not, up to that point, been telling them the truth, or they had not been disposed to believe him.

As soon as they carried out the command, God revealed to them its purpose:

“Having slain a human being, you cast the blame on one another for this [murder]. God would definitely reveal what you have concealed. We said, ‘Strike him with a piece of it. Thus God brings the dead back to life and shows you His signs, so that you may use your reason.’“ (Verses 72-73)

This is the second aspect of the story, which highlights God’s power, the reality of resurrection and the nature of life and death. The mode changes from narration to direct speech. God has revealed to the Israelites under Moses the wisdom behind asking them to slaughter a cow. A man had been murdered and, with no witnesses available, they were blaming one another for his murder. God wanted to demonstrate to them that He could bring the victim back to life to identify his killer or killers. This was achieved by striking the dead man’s body with a piece of the sacrificial cow. The mystery was solved and justice was done.

The question here is why this approach should be necessary when God can restore the dead to life without the need for anything in particular. What possible relationship could there be between the sacrificed cow and the murdered person being restored to life?

The Jews were accustomed to sacrificing cows, but why should a piece of meat restore life to a dead body when it had no life and no ability to give life? The logical answer is that the whole event was symbolic, intended to demonstrate God’s power, the workings of which human beings cannot comprehend. We see the effects of God’s power around us all the time, but we are not able to grasp its reality or the way it works.

“Thus God brings the dead back to life... “— just as effortlessly and readily as they had seen, though they could not understand how it happened.

To the human mind, the contrast between the reality of life and the mystery of death cannot be more bewildering, but to God Almighty the matter poses no problem whatsoever. But, how is that so? This is the greatest mystery that no creature can, or ever will, unravel. It is the secret that only the Supreme Being knows, but whose significance and outcome the human mind is able to appreciate and comprehend, because God “shows you His signs, so that you may use your reason.” (Verse 73)

As given in the Qur’ānic superior style, the narrative takes us on a short mystery tour with a story that begins with a command from God to the Israelites to sacrifice a cow, without at first telling them, or the reader, of the purpose behind it. It was simply a test of faith and obedience.

We are only given the dialogue that takes place between Moses and his people. At no time is the story interrupted to tell us what words were exchanged between God and Moses. We only know that every time the Israelites asked Moses to refer to “his Lord”, he did so and came back to them with an answer. We are not told how that communication was conducted or what was said by either God or Moses. This omission is most befitting of God’s greatness, who should be revered and not insulted with pointless arguments such as those Jews were making.

The story concludes with an event as astounding for us as it was for the Israelites themselves: a dead man brought back to life simply by striking his corpse with a piece of a dead cow. That is most amazing! The artistic method employed here combines with the purpose of the narration to a most significant and successful effect in one of the shortest and finest stories told in the Qur’ān.

The final scene in the story should have been awesome enough to inspire faith, submission and fear of God in the hearts of the Children of Israel. But despite all the lessons they might have learnt from earlier encounters related in the sūrah, there is a gloomy, disappointing conclusion that comes as a complete surprise: “Yet after all this, your hearts hardened until they were as hard as rocks or even harder; for there are rocks from which rivers gush forth; others split so that water flows through them, and some other rocks fall down for fear of God. Indeed, God is not unaware of what you do.” (Verse 74)

Their hearts are compared here to hard rocks, but even more difficult to subdue.

The similes given were not altogether unfamiliar to the Israelites, for when they needed water they had seen it gush forth from one solid rock, in twelve springs.

They had witnessed how a Mountain crashed down when God revealed His glory there, as told in Sūrah 7, Verse 143. Their hearts, however, remained rigid and inflexible, totally devoid of faith and fear of God, harsh, barren and unbending. But they are warned that “God is not unaware of what you do.” (Verse 74)

This concludes an episode of the Israelites’ rich and chequered history; a history fraught with denials, deviousness, scheming, stubbornness, corruption and flagrant rebellion.