In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

The sūrah has now completed its coverage of the events at Uĥud, but the struggle between the Muslim community and their opponents around Madinah, the Jews in particular, was not over. The debates, the arguments, the intrigues, the rumours, the destructive propaganda, and the controversies raged on unabated. It is this unending struggle that has occupied most of the sūrah.

The Prophet Muĥammad had by that time, in the wake of the Battle of Badr, banished the Jewish tribe of Qaynuqā from Madinah, in response to their seditious and subversive activities. They had reneged on agreements he made with them upon his arrival in Madinah and his establishment of a Muslim state incorporating the Arab tribes of Aws and Khazraj. The Jewish tribes of al-Nađīr and Qurayżah and the smaller Jewish communities in Khaybar and other parts of Arabia continued to work together, forging alliances with pockets of “hypocrites” inside Madinah and with the idolaters in Makkah and around Madinah, hatching plots to subvert and destroy the young Muslim state.

Earlier in the sūrah, the Jews are warned against a fate similar to that of the non- Muslim Arabs, if they underestimated the Muslims’ ability to retaliate. We read: “Say to those who disbelieve: ‘You shall be overcome and gathered unto Hell, an evil resting place.

You have had a sign in the two armies which met in battle. One was fighting for God’s cause, the other an army of unbelievers. They saw with their very eyes that the others were twice their own number. But God strengthens with His succour whom He wills. In this there is surely a lesson for all who have eyes to see.” (Verses 12-13)

When the Prophet conveyed this warning to the Jews of Madinah, in the wake of the Badr campaign, they reacted with insolence and contempt. On one occasion, a group of the Qaynuqā` Jews said to the Prophet: “Muĥammad. Do not let yourself be deluded that you were able to kill a few naïve men from Quraysh who were so inexperienced in combat. By God, if you were to fight us, you would know that we are the real men, the like of whom you have never encountered.” They went on to perpetrate more sedition and subversion, many aspects of which are given in this sūrah, culminating in the revocation of their agreement with Muĥammad.

Consequently, the Prophet lay siege to the Qaynuqā` forts until they yielded to his demands, and, thereafter, he banished them to a place called Adhra`āt. The two other Jewish tribes, Qurayżah and al-Nađīr, remained in Madinah, apparently faithful to their pact, but in practice heavily engaged in clandestine activities of disinformation, rumour and intrigue. Thus, the Qur’ān records for posterity Certain characteristics and patterns of behaviour that have, in many societies, come to be associated with some Jewish communities throughout history.

This section of the sūrah reviews some Jewish activities and claims that reflect an attitude of impertinence and disrespect, not only towards the Muslims, but towards God Almighty Himself. Not only did some of the Jews refuse to honour their financial commitments to the state, but had the impudence to say: “God is poor, we are rich”. (Verse 181)

We can also see in this section the weak arguments advanced by the Jews of Madinah against Islam and the contrived manner in which they contradict even their own known history. They disobeyed God and broke their covenant with Him; they concealed God’s revelation from other people or disregarded it altogether; they slew prophets who had come to them with clear proof from God, which they rejected.

The Qur’ān’s exposure of all this shameful misbehaviour was necessary so as to explain their attitude towards the Muslims and to counteract their unholy alliance with the pagan Arabs. It was also necessary for the enlightened education and development of the Muslim community. It made them aware of their surroundings and the environment they were living and working in; they knew the obstacles and pitfalls on their path and the pain and sacrifices awaiting them. Jewish hostility towards the Muslims in Madinah was much more serious and dangerous than that of the Arabs in Makkah, and could represent the largest threat in their history.

Hence, the constant flood of directives and guidelines addressing the Muslims throughout this discussion. The sūrah draws their attention to values that are enduring and fundamental as well as to those that are ephemeral and short-lived. It stresses that life is finite and short; all beings eventually die and in the Hereafter there are rewards, and there are gains and losses. We read: “He who shall be drawn away from the Fire and brought into Paradise shall indeed have gained a triumph. The life of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment.” (Verse 185) They are told that they will be tested regarding their lives and their wealth; they will meet with hostility and harassment from the unbelievers and the people of earlier revelations which they can only resist with perseverance, with fear of God, and in steadfast compliance of His order which will also save them from the fire.

These Divine directives continue to be as valid and as relevant for Muslims today as in the future. They are addressed to every Muslim community intending to revive and uphold Islam. God will open their eyes to the hurdles and difficulties awaiting them, as well as the suffering and sacrifices they have to endure. Ultimately, their hearts and minds should aspire to rewards God has in store for them; suffering, death, and tribulation are all quite bearable. God calls to Muslims everywhere, as He did with that first generation, that: “Every soul shall taste death, and you shall be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which you have earned. He who shall be drawn away from the Fire and brought into paradise shall indeed have gained a triumph. The life of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment. You shall most certainly be tried in your possessions and in your persons; and you shall hear much hurting abuse from those who were given revelations before you, and from those who set up partners with God. But if you persevere and continue to fear God — that is indeed a matter requiring strong resolve.” (Verse 185-6)

Today, the Qur’ān, as the book of this timeless Muslim community, remains its comprehensive constitution, its beacon and trusted guide, just as its enemies and its mission remain the same.

Let not those who niggardly cling to all that God has bestowed on them of His bounty think that this is good for them. Indeed, it is bad for them. That to which they niggardly cling will hang around their necks on the Day of Resurrection. To God belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and God is well aware of all that you do. God has certainly heard the words of those who said: “God is poor, and we are rich.” We shall record what they have said, and also their slaying of prophets against all right, and We shall say: “Taste now the torment of burning. This is on account of what your own hands have wrought. Never does God do the slightest injustice to His servants.” (Verses 180-2)

We do not have any highly authentic report as to whom the reference is directly made in the first verse of this passage; that is, those who are warned against being miserly and the result of their miserliness on the Day of Judgement. The fact that it occurs at this particular point in the sūrah adds relevance to the following verses which speak of the Jews. It is they, confound them, who said, “God is poor and we are rich.” It is also they who claimed that God specifically charged them not to believe in any messenger unless he brought them a burnt offering.

It appears that the whole passage has been revealed when the Jews were called upon to honour their financial commitments under their treaty wits the Prophet.

They were also called upon to believe in the Prophet as God’s Messenger and to give freely for God’s cause.

The stern warning made in these verses and the exposition of the excuses given by the Jews as a justification for their refusal to believe in Muĥammad (pbuh) are revealed as a strong reply to their impudence towards God, their Lord. This is coupled with support given to the Prophet in the face of their rejection of his message. He is reminded of what the messengers before him had to face in the way of hostile reception by their peoples. These included Israelite prophets who were killed after having brought to their people clear evidence of the truthfulness of their prophethood as well as miracles. All this is well known in the history of the Children of Israel.

Let not those who niggardly cling to all that God has bestowed on them of His bounty think that this is good for them. Indeed, it is bad for them. That to which they niggardly cling will hang round their necks on the Day of Resurrection. To God belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and God is well aware of all that you do. (Verse 180)

This verse applies to the Jews who refuse to honour their commitments just as much as it applies to any people who refuse to come forward to support God’s message with that which God has bestowed on them of His bounty. They may think that their niggardliness serves their interests by protecting their wealth, keeping it in their hands, rather than spend it for a good purpose.

The Qur’ānic statement warns them against entertaining such false delusions, making it clear that what they hoard up will be lit up as fire and hung around their necks on the Day of Judgement. It is a fearful warning, made all the more so as it reveals that they niggardly cling only to that which “God has bestowed on them of His bounty. “They are not hoarding something they have gained of their own accord.

They have come to this life penniless, with nothing they could call their own, not even their skins. It is God Who has bestowed on them of His grace and bounty. Yet, when He asks them to be charitable with what He has given them, they do not remember God’s grace. Instead, they remain tight-fisted, thinking that when they hoard up their possessions, they do what is good for them, while in fact they do themselves nothing but evil. Moreover, they are bound to go away, leaving it all behind. It is God who inherits all: “To God belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth.” They only hoard it up for a brief period, before it all returns to God. Nothing of it remains for them except what they spend for God’s sake, in the hope of earning His pleasure. It is that which He rewards them for and ensures their safety on the Day of Judgement.

This is followed by a condemnation of the Jews who thought themselves in no need of God or His reward, or even to the multiples He promises to those who spend their money for His cause. It is this which He is pleased to call a loan given to those who spend their money to serve His cause. The Jews, however, impudently say: How come that God asks us to give Him a loan of our money, and multiplies it for us over and over again, when He Himself forbids usury and the multiplication of the principal loan? This is no more than their impudent playing with words, their unashamed rudeness towards God: “God has certainly heard the words of those who said:

‘God is poor, and we are rich. ’ We shall record what they have said, and also their slaying of prophets against all right and We shall say: ‘Taste now the torment of burning. This is on account of what your own hands have wrought. Never does God do the slightest injustice to His servants.’” Confusion in Jewish concepts of the true nature of God is very common in their distortion of their Scriptures. As they utter their impudent mouthful, they are clearly warned: “We shall record what they have said,” so that we may take them to account for it. It will neither be forgotten nor overlooked. It will be there, side by side with the record of their past misdeeds, which were perpetrated by their successive generations. They collectively share the blame for it, since they share in their practices of disobedience and sin.

“And also their slaying of prophets against all right.” The history of the Children of Israel records a terrible chain of killing one prophet after another, culminating in their attempt on the life of Jesus Christ, (pbuh). They even claim that they killed him, so boasting about their ghastly crime.

And We shall say: ‘Taste now the torment of burning.’” The use of the term “burning” is deliberate. It adds to the horror of their torment. It makes the whole scene of suffering come to life, terrible, painful, unabating. It is a punishment for a hideous crime, namely, killing prophets without any justification whatsoever, and for a terrible sin, when they said “God is poor and we are rich.” “This is on account of what your own hands have wrought.” It is a fitting recompense, fair and correct. “Never does God do the slightest injustice to His servants.” The word “servants” highlights their position in relation to God. They are no more than servants to Him. This makes their crime even more ghastly and their impudence even more horrid. We need only remember that it is servants of God who boast against all standards of politeness: “God is poor, and we are rich.” In addition to their very rude attitude towards God, those Jews claimed that they would not believe in Muĥammad because God had charged them not to believe in any messenger until he brought them an offering and a miracle in the form of fire coming from the sky to consume it. Since Muĥammad did not offer such a miracle, they would remain true to their covenant with God, or so they claimed.

At this point, the Qur’ān confronts them with their own history. In the past, they killed those very prophets who came to them with the very miracles they asked of them and also gave them clear evidence of the truth.

They declare: “God has charged us not to believe in any messenger unless he brings us an offering which the fire consumes.” Say: “Messengers came to you before me with clear evidence of the truth, and with that which you describe. Why, then, did you slay them, if what you say is true?” Then, if they charge you with falsehood, before your time other messengers were also charged with falsehood when they came with clear evidence of the truth, and books of Divine wisdom and with the light-giving revelation. (Verses 183-4)

By so confronting them, the Qur’ān exposes their lies, deviousness and their persistence with disbelief. Also exposed are their boastful claims and the fabrications they make against God.

Thereafter, the sūrah addresses the Prophet with tenderness and reassurance, encouraging him to take lightly whatever they do by way of opposition to him. After all, it is the same as they did against his noble brother messengers throughout history: “Then, if they charge you with falsehood, before your time other messengers were also charged with falsehood when they came with clear evidence of the truth, and books of Divine wisdom and with the light-giving revelation.” (Verse 184)

Muĥammad was not the first messenger to be confronted with the charge of falsehood. Many earlier messengers, especially those sent to the Children of Israel, were similarly confronted, despite what they had shown of clear evidence and miracles, as well as scrolls containing Divine commandments, described in this verse as books of Divine wisdom, and with the light-giving revelation, such as the Torah and the Gospel. It is, then, the same story with all messengers and Divine messages.

It is the same way they all follow, a way of hardship and sacrifice. It is the only way.

Here the sūrah addresses the Muslim community, explaining the values it should hold dear, and for which it should make sacrifices. It also speaks of the hardships and the suffering which it is bound to encounter on the way and encourages the Muslims to remain steadfast, show strong resolve and to always maintain fear of God:

Every soul shall taste death, and you shall be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which you have earned. He who shall be drawn away from the Fire and brought into paradise shall indeed have gained a triumph. The lift of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment. You shall most certainly be tried in your possessions and in your persons; and you shall hear much hurting abuse from those who were given revelations before you and from those who set up partners with God. But if you persevere and continue to fear God — that is indeed a matter requiring strong resolve.” (Verses 185-6)

The fact that this life on earth is limited to a certain date, which will inevitably come must be well established in believers’ hearts. Good people as well as bad people will certainly die. Those who fight a campaign of jihād and those who slacken, those who feel pride in their faith and those who are humbled by others, the brave who accept no injustice and the cowards who will do anything to remain alive, those who have great aspirations and the ones who seek only cheap enjoyment, will all die.

No one will be spared: “Every soul shall taste death.” It is a cup from which every living thing will have to drink. There is no distinction whatsoever between one soul and another when it comes to drinking this cup. What distinction there is concerns a different value: the ultimate result. “You shall be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which you have earned. He who shall be drawn away from the Fire and brought into paradise shall indeed have gained a triumph.” It is with regard to this value that the distinction will be made. It is this destiny which will separate one group of souls from another. The value is one worth striving for and one to be taken very seriously:

“He who shall be drawn away from the Fire and brought into paradise shall indeed have gained a triumph.” (Verse 185)

The Arabic phrase rendered in translation as “shall be drawn away” is much more expressive than its English equivalent. This is because its very sound adds to its meaning and connotation. It gives the listener the sense that the Fire has strong gravity, that it pulls towards it anyone who draws near or enters its orbit. Such a person, then, needs support from someone else who draws him slowly and gradually away from its overpowering gravity. He who can be forced out of its orbit and become free of its pull will enter paradise, and he will have gained a great triumph.

It is a very vivid image, its lines delineated in sharp relief. We see movement, an overpowering force and a strong resistance. The fire beckons those who yield to the overpowering temptation of sin. Is it not true that a human being needs to be gradually drawn away from temptation? This is indeed how he is drawn away from the Fire. Despite the hard work and alertness this requires, man will always be in deficit with regard to the good work he needs to do. His only hope is for God to bestow on him His grace. That is what is being “drawn away” from the fire really means. It is only through God’s grace that man is spared the punishment of hell.

“The life of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment.” There is enjoyment in this life, it is true. But it is not real enjoyment; it is deceptive indeed; an enjoyment which leads to illusions. As for the real enjoyment which gives lasting happiness and ecstasy, this can only be found in the life to come. It is the triumph gained when one is brought into Paradise. When this fact is well established in the believer’s heart, when he is no longer so keen to stay alive, since every soul shall taste death anyway, and when he has recognised the illusory nature of the enjoyment of this life, God tells the believers of the trials which they shall have to endure in their possessions and persons. By then, they are well prepared for the sacrifice.

You shall most certainly be tried in your possessions and in your persons; and you shall hear much hurting abuse from those who were given revelations before you and from those who set up partners with God. But if you persevere and continue to fear God — that is indeed a matter requiring strong resolve. (Verse 186)

In this verse, God tells the believers in no uncertain terms that they will have to undergo tests and trials which will affect them and their possessions. They have to persevere and remain steadfast in order to prove themselves worthy of God’s trust and His great reward. It is the natural way of things when it comes to the establishment of any faith in real life that its advocates should stand a hard test.

There is no escaping the fact that they will have to demonstrate their patience in adversity, their determined resistance and strong resolve as also their readiness to sacrifice whatever is required of their possessions and their persons. This is the only way to heaven which cannot be attained without sacrifice and hardship. Hell, on the other hand, is surrounded by easy pleasures and temptations. Moreover, there is no other way to mould the community which will become the standard-bearer of Islam and discharge its duties. This community must receive thorough education and cultivation in order to heighten its potentials and strengths. The only way is the practical discharge of the duties imposed by their faith and by their gaining a true and practical knowledge of life and people as they are. The trials are needed so that only the strongest in faith continue to advocate the Islamic call. It is only such people that are worthy of its advocacy since only they are fully equipped to be so entrusted.

Moreover, it is through trial and perseverance that faith becomes dearer to the faithful. The more they have to endure of hardship and the more sacrifice they have to give for their faith the more valuable it becomes to them. They do not turn their backs on it afterwards, not in any circumstances.

Trials strengthen those who are tried. It is resistance which sharpens potentials and consolidates them. A new faith requires that these potentials be heightened so that it can establish its roots deep in the most fertile soil of human nature.

It is also through trials that the advocates of a faith come to know themselves as they are. They will look at themselves as they struggle and fight for their faith. They become more aware of human nature in reality and its latent potentials, and they know the true nature of societies and communities. They observe the struggle between their own principles on the one hand and desires and temptations on the other. They become aware of how Satan works on man leading him astray and causing him to err.

Moreover, it is through the trials endured by the advocates of a certain faith that its opponents come to realise that there is much good in, it; its followers have stuck by it despite all the hardships they have endured for its sake. It is then that those opponents may themselves accept that faith en masse.

This is in the nature of faith and ideology: to withstand such trials while maintaining fear of God, so that repelling aggression by others does not turn into counter-aggression, and despair is not allowed to becloud one’s vision as one goes through the hardships. But this is far from easy: “That is indeed a matter requiring strong resolve.” The Muslim community in Madinah was thus made aware of what awaits it of sacrifice, agony, abuse and trial in possessions and persons. These were to be inflicted by its enemies, whether these followed earlier religions or were idolaters.

Despite all this, the Muslim community was determined to go along its way, without reluctance or hesitation. Members of that Muslim community in Madinah were certain that every soul will taste death, and that rewards are paid on the Day of Resurrection. They knew that true triumph is that of being drawn away from the fire and of being brought into paradise. To them, the life of this world was nothing but an illusory enjoyment. It is on such hard rocks that the Muslim community in Madinah stood and along that straight and correct way it made its strides. The same hard rocks and the same straight way are available to its advocates in every generation. The enemies of this faith remain the same. Generations follow generations and still they plot to undermine it. The Qur’ān, however, remains the same, well preserved by God.

The methods of trial may differ from time to time, but the principle remains the same: “You shall most certainly be tried in your possessions and in your persons; and you shall hear much hurting abuse from those who were given revelations before you and from those who set up partners with God.” (Verse 186)

The sūrah gives many examples of the schemes adopted by people of earlier religions and the idolaters and their propaganda which aimed to cast doubt and confusion on the very fundamentals of Islam and on its followers and their leadership. These examples are always renewed and new methods and forms added to them as new means of communication become available. They are all directed against Islam and its principles of faith as well as against the Muslim community and its leadership. Hence, the same principle which God explains to the first Muslim community as He points out its way and the nature of its enemy remains always applicable.

This Qur’ānic directive remains valid for the Muslim community every time it takes upon itself to implement God’s method in practical life. It reassures the Muslims that God’s promise will come true. All that it has to endure of trials, abuse, false accusation and hardship becomes very pleasant, since it is no more than a confirmation that the community is going along the way God intends. It is fully certain that perseverance and maintaining its fear of God are all the equipment it needs. All enemy schemes are of little effect. Trials and abuse are of no consequence.

The sūrah continues to expose the peoples of earlier revelations who have contravened their covenant with God. God took a pledge from them that when He revealed to them the Scriptures that they would always make them known to people.

They, however, did not honour their pledges and concealed what had been entrusted to them of God’s revelations:

God has made a covenant with those who were granted revelations (when He bade them): ‘Make it known to mankind and do not conceal it.” But they cast it behind their backs and bartered it away for a trifling price. Evil is that which they have taken in exchange for it. Do not think that those who exult in their deeds and love to be praised for what they have not done — do not think that they will escape punishment. A grievous suffering awaits them. To God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and He has power over all things. (Verses 187-9)

The sūrah relates many examples of what the people of earlier religions, particularly the Jews, were keen to do or say. Most serious among these was their concealment of the truth and their attempt to confuse that truth with falsehood. They aimed to create doubt and uncertainty in the basic concept of religion as well as in the truthfulness of the message of Islam. They tried hard to conceal the fact that Islam shared with past religions their basic principles to the extent that Islam endorsed them and they confirmed it. The Torah was in their hands telling them that the message of Muĥammad was true and that it originated from the same source.

In spite of their covenant with God to make their revelations known to mankind and never to conceal them, they have deliberately gone against their pledges. The expression given here to their attitude clearly shows their negligence and contravention of their own pledges. It is expressed in the form of an unseemly gesture: “they cast it behind their backs.” It also reveals that they committed this dishonourable act for no more than a trivial gain: “and bartered it away for a trifling price.” Whatever the price, it was nothing more than a small gain by worldly standards. It could only have served the personal interests of the rabbis or the national interest of the Israelites. All this is nothing but a trifling price, even if it did amount to the ownership of all the earth for the rest of time. How trifling this price is for a covenant made with God. How little all this is in comparison with what is stored with God:

“Evil is that which they have taken in exchange for it.” A ĥadīth related by Al-Bukhārī on the authority of Ibn `Abbās states that the Prophet asked some Jews of Madinah about something. They concealed it and deliberately gave him an incorrect answer. They gave him the impression that they were right, and that they deserved to be praised for it. In fact, they rejoiced at their concealment of what he asked them about. According to this ĥadīth, this was the occasion for the revelation of the following verse: ‘Do not think that those who exult in their deeds and love to be praised for what they have not done — do not think that they will escape punishment. A grievous suffering awaits them.” (Verse 188)

Another ĥadīth, also related by Al-Bukhārī, on the authority of Abū Said al-Khudrī, states that a group of hypocrites at the time of the Prophet used to stay behind when the Prophet embarked on a campaign of Jihād. They were very pleased for sparing themselves the trouble of accompanying the Prophet. When he returned to Madinah they gave him all sorts of excuses, swearing that what they said was true, and seeking to be praised for things they had not done. Hence, the revelation of this verse.

It is not always apparent that a certain Qur’ānic verse has been revealed on a particular occasion or to answer a specific question. It frequently happens that a certain verse is quoted to comment on a certain event because it fits the purpose; hence, some people may say that such and such verse was revealed on such and such occasion. It may also be that the verse itself includes fitting comments on a particular event, and again the same suggestion about its revelation is made. In this particular respect we are unable to say which of the two reports is more accurate. If it was the first, the sūrah speaks of the people of earlier revelations and their concealment of what God had entrusted to them of His revelations when He accepted their pledge that they would make them known to people. In spite of this, they concealed and lied about it persistently to such an extent that they sought praise for their fabrications.

If the second report is true, the sūrah includes references to the hypocrites to which this verse may be attached. It describes a type of people who may be found in every community as they were to be found at the time of the Prophet. They are those who do not have the courage of their convictions, who cannot stand in defence of what they profess to believe in. They are not prepared to fulfil the duties imposed by faith and instead they stay behind, taking no share in the struggle for faith. If those who fight and struggle for their faith suffer a defeat, these hypocrites raise their heads and boast about their wisdom and realism. If the fighters come back victorious, the hypocrites waste no time in pretending to have given them their full support, claiming that they contributed to their victory. In this way they seek praise for something which they have not done.

This is a type of people who thrive on cowardice and false pretences. Their image is drawn in a couple of touches in the Qur’ān, but the impact is very clear.

God assures His Messenger that such people cannot escape punishment. They cannot spare themselves the grievous suffering which awaits them and they may have no support in trying to evade it: “Do not think that they will escape punishment. A grievous suffering awaits them.” (Verse 188) They are threatened with suffering, and the threat comes from God, to Whom the heavens and the earth belong, and Who is able to do all things. How, then, can they escape it? “To God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and He has power over all things.” (Verse 189)