The passage we discussed in Chapter 3 ended on a note reminding the Children of Israel of the many favours God had bestowed on them and their continued ingratitude. We witnessed a number of scenes, some drawn in general outline and some elaborate, showing God’s favours and the Israelites’ ungrateful response. This culminated in the description of their hearts as harder than rocks.

This passage addresses the Muslim community, giving it an outline of the machinations of the Children of Israel, and their devious, wicked scheming. The Muslims are warned that, with such history and nature, the Jews will always try to lead them astray. The length of this address, and the different styles and approaches it employs are indicative of the magnitude of the wicked schemes the Jews of Madinah employed to undermine the Muslim community.

Every now and then, the sūrah confronts the Children of Israel, in front of the Muslims, with the pledges they gave to God and how they violated them. They went as far as killing some of their Prophets when those Prophets would not comply with their wishes. It also describes their violation of divine law, their false arguments and distortion of their Scriptures.

The passage highlights their long arguments with the Muslim community, and the false claims they used. It instructs the Prophet on how to expose their claims and refute their arguments, putting forward the truth, clear and simple. One of their claims was that they would not be in hell for more than a small number of days, on account of their special position with God. God instructs His Messenger on how to refute this claim: “Say: ‘Have you received such a promise from God — for God never breaks His promise — or do you attribute to God something of which you have no knowledge?’“ (Verse 80)

When they were called upon to embrace Islam, “they would say, ‘We believe in what has been revealed to us.’ They deny everything else, although it is the truth, corroborating the revelations they have.” (Verse 91) God tells the Prophet to expose as false their claim of believing in what was revealed to them. “Say, ‘Why, then, did you in the past kill God’s prophets, if you were true believers?’ Moses came to you with clear proof, but in his absence you transgressed, worshipping the calf. We accepted your solemn pledge, and We raised Mount Sinai above you, saying, ‘Take with firmness and strength what We have given you and hearken to it.’ They said, ‘We hear but we disobey.’ For their unbelief they were made to drink the calf into their hearts. Say, ‘Vile is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if indeed you are believers.’” (Verses 91-93)

They also alleged that paradise belongs to them alone, in preference to all people.

God instructs the Prophet Muĥammad to challenge them to open appeal in which they and the Muslims would meet and pray to God together to destroy the party that is lying: “Say: ‘If the ultimate abode with God is yours alone, to the exclusion of all others, then wish for death, if your claim is true.’” (Verse 94)

Do you hope that they will accept your message when some of them would listen to the word of God then, having understood them, knowingly distort it? When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe,’ but when they find themselves alone, they say to one another, Need you inform them that which God has disclosed to you? They will only use it in argument against you before your Lord? Will you not use your reason?’ Do they not know that God is well aware of all that they conceal and all that they reveal?

(Verses 75-77)

Towards the end of the last section, we were told about the rigid and relentless nature of the Israelites. It is a gloomy portrait that casts a bleak shadow of despair and hopelessness; it would seem impossible that any good would come out of them.

With that in mind, the sūrah questions the grounds for any hope, as entertained by some Muslims, that the Jews would accept Islam.

Such a hope was ill-founded because the Jews seemed to lack the perception and the understanding that would lead them to acknowledge the truth and accept it.

Faith and belief in God require a straightforward, refined and receptive nature that is free of deviousness and perversity. It requires a caring, sensitive nature that is truly sincere and fearful of God, that would not distort His words or try to obliterate the truth once it is declared.

The reference here is to the learned and the scholars among Madinah’s Jews, the rabbis and religious elders, who were well versed in the Torah but were willing to tamper with it, and who would knowingly misrepresent and misquote it. This they would do out of jealousy and for their own selfish purposes. Since those people were predisposed to distorting their own Scriptures, they would be even more liable to misrepresent and reject what Muĥammad was teaching, and more than ready to oppose Islam and falsify its message.

When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe,’ but when they find themselves alone, they say to one another, ‘Need you inform them that which God has disclosed to you? They will only use it in argument against you before your Lord? Will you not use your reason?’ (Verse 76)

Besides distortion and misrepresentation of the truth, there is also cant and hypocrisy. In fulfilment of prophecies found in their own Scriptures and by virtue of the fact that they had been awaiting the coming of a prophet to lead them to salvation, some Jews would tell the Muslims at times that they too believed in Muĥammad (peace be upon him). Privately, to avoid giving the Muslims any evidence they could use to indict them before God, they would strongly reproach one another for overdoing their pretence of belief. Ludicrous as it may appear, they seemed to believe that as long as they did not divulge their true convictions to the Muslims publicly, they would succeed in concealing them from God and He would thereby not hold it against them. The sūrah, therefore, wonders what kind of logic they were using and, before moving to elaborate on their claims, asks in amazement:

One of the most notorious claims made by the Israelites which stood in direct conflict with divine justice, and had no basis in logic or religious doctrine, was that they were immune to punishment no matter how much they erred or deviated. Hell fire, they said, would touch them for no more than a few days, if at all; after which they would abide in Paradise for ever.

What basis did they have for such a pompous claim? Nothing but sheer wishful thinking based on ignorance and the cunning lies of their elders. When people stray away and find themselves, over a long period, divorced from the true spirit of their religious belief, they end up with a mere facade, a superficial identity that means little in reality. Such people will continue to cherish the illusion of righteousness and salvation by paying lip service to their religious faith. They imagine that their claims of following the right faith will spare them God’s punishment: “They declare, ‘The fire will not touch us except for a few clays.’ Say, ‘Have you received such a promise from God — for God never breaks His promise — or do you attribute to God something of which you have no knowledge?’“ (Verse 80)

What a powerful rebuttal! What promise or assurance do they have from God to substantiate their claims? The truth is that they have no such thing. The question is a rhetorical one, carrying a whiff of sarcasm and reproach.

The next verse gives a definitive statement which represents one of the most fundamental concepts in Islam based on its overall view of man, life and the universe. Reward relates directly to action, both in quantity and quality: “Indeed, those who earn evil and become engulfed by their sin are destined for the fire where they shall abide, but those who believe and do righteous deeds are destined for Paradise where they shall abide.” (Verses 81-82)

What we have here is a superb artistic portrait of a particular mentality, leading to a clear-cut and decisive ruling. We learn that evil is earned. This goes beyond the mere act of committing a sin. We are presented with a psychological frame of mind:

the sinners are deriving a certain degree of pleasure and satisfaction from their sins.

They somehow consider that as gainful and worthwhile behaviour, and so they become totally overcome by it. Had they not believed it to be so, they would have desisted and done their best to avoid such sinful conduct. The Qur’ānic Arabic expression is most graphic, so that the meaning is clear and immediately grasped.

These people are totally enthralled with their wrongdoing and misguided behaviour.

It practically engulfs them to the extent that their whole life is dominated by it and they live for nothing else.

The image of these sinners as eternal dwellers of hell is contrasted with that of those who “believe and do righteous deeds” and are destined for eternal bliss and endless happiness.

True faith finds genuine expression in good acts; a fact which believers, and Muslims in particular, ought to consider and realize. Belief loses its meaning unless it leads to constructive and worthwhile activity. Those who claim to be Muslims but perpetrate corruption, oppose the implementation of God’s law in society, and resist the promotion of Islamic ethics and modes of moral conduct among people are seriously lacking in faith and loyalty to God and Islam. The efforts of such people are fruitless. They shall have no protection whatsoever against God’s punishment, which is bound to come, keen as they may be to avoid it.

The sūrah tells the Muslims more about the nature of the Jews and their crooked and devious ways while, at the same time, confronting the Jews themselves with these revelations.

We made this covenant with the Children of Israel: “Worship none but God; show kindness to parents and kinsfolk and to the orphans and the poor; speak kindly to all people; attend regularly to your prayers and pay the obligatory alms.’ But, except for a few, you turned away and paid no heed. We made a covenant with you that you shall not shed your own blood or drive yourselves out of your own homeland. You acknowledged all that and bore witness to it. Yet there you are, slaying yourselves, and driving some of your own people out of their homes, collaborating against them in sin and injustice. Had they come to you as captives you would have ransomed them.

Their expulsion is indeed forbidden to you. Do you, then, believe in some parts of the Scriptures and deny others? Those of you who do this will have nothing for their reward other than ignominy in this life and, on the Day of Resurrection, they shall be committed to a most grievous suffering. For God is not unaware of what you do.

(Verses 83-85)

Reference has already been made to God’s covenant with the Israelites, and here we learn of more details of this covenant.

Right at the outset, we learn that the covenant between God and the Israelites contained the fundamental and absolute tenets of Divine faith that were subsequently confirmed by Islam, which the Jews chose to oppose and deny.

It required that the Israelites submit to, and worship God, other than whom there is no deity. It advocated kindness to parents, relatives, orphans and the poor in society. It urged courtesy towards others, especially in teaching and preaching to them about right and wrong, good and evil. Furthermore, the covenant enjoined upon the Israelites the observance of regular prayer and the giving of alms; all of which are, indeed, the very basic principles and obligations set by Islam.

This leads to two definite conclusions. First, God’s religion is one and the same throughout human history; its last version, Islam, confirms and endorses the fundamentals of all preceding ones. Second, there is no doubt about the arrogance and obstinacy of the Jews towards this universal religion of God and their refusal to acknowledge it, despite the fact that it advocated the same principles as their covenant with God.

The sūrah then turns to address the Israelites directly, highlighting the inherent contradiction in their attitude. It goes on to point out further contradictions between their present attitude and the terms of their covenant with God: “We made a covenant with you that you shall not shed your own blood or drive yourselves out of your own homeland. You acknowledged all that and bore witness to it.” (Verse 84)

But what have they done after that? “Yet there you are, slaying yourselves, and driving some of your own people out of their homes, collaborating against them in sin and injustice.

The sūrah then confronts the Israelites with their record of how they treated God’s messages and messengers, including their own prophets: “We gave Moses the Book and caused a succession of messengers to follow him. To Jesus, son of Mary, We gave clear proof and supported him with the Holy Spirit. Why is it that every time a messenger comes to you with a message that does not suit your fancies, you glory in your arrogance, charging some (messengers) with lying and slaying others?” (Verse 87)

The Israelites’ main argument for not accepting Islam was that they were in possession of a great many such teachings that had been given to them by their own prophets. The Qur’ān, however, rejects that claim and exposes the disgraceful manner in which they had received those prophets and their teachings.

We have already been told of their encounter with Moses (peace be upon him), and here we learn of more prophets coming after him and receiving similar treatment, right up to Jesus, the son of Mary. Jesus (peace be upon him) came to them with clear evidence of the truth, including the performance of miracles, and was supported by the Holy Spirit, the Archangel Gabriel. But what was their attitude towards him? Their own Scriptures testify to a sad tale of rejection, denunciation and appalling ingratitude towards all the prophets who were sent to them: “Why is it that every time a messenger comes to you with a message that does not suit your fancies, you glory in your arrogance, charging some (messengers) with lying and slaying others?” (Verse 87)

The human tendency to manipulate rules and set double standards in order to achieve selfish ethnocentric, nationalist or sectarian objectives is a well-known phenomenon in society. It usually surfaces in corrupt societies that have lost the basic human sense of justice and fair-play. Laws, principles and standards ought to stem from a neutral, objective and a fair source that is not susceptible to the influence of human desires or prejudices. This agency must transcend human frailty and self- interest.

God relates these accounts of Israelite history as a warning to Muslims to avoid those pitfalls, to preserve their position of leadership on earth and live up to the trust God has placed in them. Thus we find that whenever Muslims have deviated from or abandoned the rule of Islam and persecuted the advocates of true faith, rejecting some and killing others, they have met a fate similar to that of the Israelites. They became weak, divided and humiliated, wallowing in ignominy and misery. This sad state will persist until they respond to the call of God and His messengers, submit to His will, and fulfil their covenant with God with clear resolve and determination.

Having confronted the Israelites with their attitude towards their own Prophets, the sūrah tackles their response to the new message, Islam, and its bearer, Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him):

They say, ‘Our hearts are sealed.’ No! God has cursed them for their disbelief They have but little faith. And now that a Book confirming their own has come to them from God, and they had repeatedly forecast its coming to the unbelievers, they have denied what they know to be the truth. God’s curse be upon the unbelievers! Vile is that for which they have bartered their souls, because they have denied what God has revealed, grudging that He should, by His grace, send down His revelations to whom He chooses from among His servants. Thus they have incurred God’s wrath over and over again. Ignominous suffering is in store for the unbelievers. When it is said to them, Believe in what God has revealed,’ they say, ‘We believe in what has been revealed to us.’ They deny everything else, although it is the truth, corroborating the revelations they have. Say, ‘Why, then, did you in the past kill God’s prophets, if you were true believers?’ Moses came to you with clear proofs, but in his absence you transgressed, worshipping the calf. We accepted your solemn pledge, and We raised Mount Sinai above you, saying, ‘Take with firmness and strength what We have given you and hearken to it.’ They said, ‘We hear but we disobey.’ For their unbelief they were made to drink the calf into their hearts. Say, ‘Vile is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if indeed you are believers.’ (Verses 88-93)

The sūrah then goes further in exposing their bigotry and deception. It says: “When it is said to them, ‘Believe in what God has revealed,’ they say, ‘We believe in what has been revealed to us.’ They deny everything else, although it is the truth, corroborating the revelations they have.” (Verse 91)

This would be the reply of the Jews of Madinah whenever they were called upon to acknowledge Islam and the Qur’ān. They considered what their own Prophets had taught them sufficient and complete, and they rejected all else, including the revelations received by Jesus and Muĥammad, the last of all prophets (peace be upon them all). The Qur’ān takes great exception to this reaction by the Israelites to God’s revelations, when these are “the truth, corroborating the revelations they have.” (Verse 91)

But, why should they bother about the truth when it is not addressed to them alone, and what concern is it to them that revelations sent to other nations should corroborate their own? Their bigotry and narrow-mindedness were so extreme that they had even rejected what their own Prophets had preached, and dared even to kill some of them. “Say: ‘Why, then, did you in the past kill God’s prophets, if you were true believers?’“ (Verse 91) How could they substantiate their claims to believe only in what had been revealed to them through their Prophets if they went as far as killing some of these prophets?

Worse still, they rejected the revelations Moses, their most senior Prophet and the saviour of their nation, had conveyed to them. “Moses came to you with clear proof, but in his absence you transgressed, worshipping the calf:” (Verse 92) Could their worship of the calf, with Moses still alive, ever be considered a sign of faith? Does it support their argument that they believe in what has been revealed to them?

Nor, indeed, was that the only instance of their transgression and rebellion.

Earlier, God had made the covenant with them under Mount Sinai, but soon they were in clear breach of that covenant. “We accepted your solemn pledge, and We raised Mount Sinai above you, saying, ‘Take with firmness and strength what We have given you and hearken to it.’ They said, ‘We hear but we disobey.’ For their unbelief they were made to drink the calf into their hearts.” (Verse 93)

The mode of expression changes from direct address to that of reporting past events. Thus, it confronts the Israelites with their past attitudes, and informs Muslims and mankind generally of these Jewish attitudes. It then instructs the Prophet Muĥammad to condemn utterly the bizarre faith they claimed to have if it would require them to flagrantly reject the truth: “Say, ‘Vile is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if indeed you are believers.’“ (Verse 93)

Two fascinating expressions immediately draw our attention here. The first is:

“They said: ‘We hear but we disobey.’“ Indeed, they did not utter the words, ‘but we disobey’. How is it then that these words are attributed to them? It is simply a question of portraying an attitude as though it is fully expressive. Thus, their actual words said that they had heard the message, but their actions said that they had disobeyed it. This reality was a much more authentic and accurate statement of their attitude than the words they uttered. The sūrah here is emphasizing one of the most fundamental Islamic principles: actions lend validity to words. Actions must be in harmony with words in order for the words to have any meaning or value whatsoever.

The sūrah then turns to reassure Prophet Muĥammad of the truth and validity of the revelations he had received, and to denounce those who reject or oppose his message. It specifically condemns the Israelites for not living up to their promises and commitments, whether made to God or to their own prophets, or to Muĥammad himself. That is manifest in their rejection of the Qur’ān, God’s final revelation to man, which endorsed and reinforced the revelations they already had. “We have sent down to you clear revelations: none will deny them except the evildoers. Is it always to be the case that every time they make a solemn pledge some of them will violate it? The truth is that most of them do not believe. And now that a Messenger from God has come to them, confirming what is already in their possession, some of those who had been given the Scriptures cast God’s Book behind their backs as though they know nothing.” (Verses 99-101)

Here, then, we have the real reason behind the Israelites’ rejection of God’s revelations; it is their sheer wickedness and the corruption of their souls. Normal, healthy human nature could not but acknowledge and embrace the truth and principles expounded by divine revelations. The compelling logic in such revelations cannot fail to impress the human heart and mind. The fact that the Jews, or any other people for that matter, have refused to believe divine revelations is not a criticism of the validity or veracity of such revelations, but rather a reflection of those people’s perverted and corrupt nature.

The sūrah then makes a public condemnation of the Jews, exposing their inconsistency and insincerity and showing them as a fragmented community with no unity or identity of purpose, despite their racial prejudice against others. Their chauvinism, ethnocentricity and their jealousy of any other favoured community did not stop them from being divided among themselves and mistrustful of each other.

Whatever treaty or agreement they make with any other people, some of them are bound to break ranks and violate it.

This was evident when they broke the covenant God made with them at Mount Sinai, and in their reneging on pledges given to their prophets and patriarchs, as well as in their breach of the treaty they had with the Prophet Muĥammad and the Muslims, when he first arrived to settle in Madinah. That agreement provided for a framework of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Jews, but the Jews were quick to undermine the new faith, lending support to the Prophet’s enemies and sowing the seeds of strife and discord within the Muslim community in Madinah.

This is a well-known characteristic of the Israelites. In contrast, the lives of Muslims, as described by the Prophet Muĥammad “are of equal worth. All Muslims stand united against any hostile party. Even the weakest among them speaks on their behalf and honours their commitments.” No Muslim would break a promise made by another on behalf of the whole community. Abū `Ubaydah, the commander of a Muslim army, once wrote to the Caliph `Umar ibn al-Khaţţāb, seeking advice concerning one of his soldiers, a slave, who had given a pledge of security to the citizens of a town in Iraq. The Caliph wrote back, saying, “God has praised the honouring of pledges very highly and you would not be faithful to your commitments unless you honour them. Therefore, you must honour your pledge to these people and leave them in peace.” Such is the behaviour of a magnanimous, united and straightforward community — a far cry from that of those perfidious and conniving Jews.

Would that be the end of their transgression? Would they, having rejected the revelations sent down to Muĥammad, hold fast to the revelations given to their forefathers and show faith and loyalty to its laws and teachings? Definitely not. They cast God’s revelations behind their backs and went in search of myths and superstitions: “They follow what the devils relate of Solomon’s kingdom. Solomon never disbelieved, but the devils did. They instruct people in witchcraft which was certainly not revealed to the two angels, Hārūt and Mārūt, at Babylon. Yet these two [angels] never taught anyone without first declaring, ‘We are but a temptation to evil, so do not renounce your faith.’ From these two, people learned what they would use to cause discord between a man and his wife. However, with that knowledge they can harm no one except by God’s leave.

Indeed, they learn what harms them and brings them no profit. They knew full well that whoever contracted such a deal would have no share in the life to come. Vile indeed is what they had sold their souls for, if they but knew it! Had they embraced the faith and been God- fearing, God’s reward would have been far better for them, if they but knew it.” (Verses 102- 103)

They abandoned Divine revelations which had come to confirm their Scriptures and gave credence to myths and legends from the time of Solomon, which falsely asserted that he practised sorcery and witchcraft and owed all his extraordinary powers to them.

The Qur’ān refutes this allegation completely and talks of sorcery and deliberate rejection of the divine faith, in the same vein. Thus, the Qur’ān treats sorcery as disbelief, and attributes it to devils: “Solomon never disbelieved, but the devils did. They instruct people in witchcraft.” (Verse 102) It further refutes the allegation that the two angels of Babylon, Hārūt and Mārūt, were sorcerers. It confirms that witchcraft “was certainly not revealed to the two angels, Hārūt and Mārūt, at Babylon.” (Verse 102) The Qur’ān makes the truth about these two angels clear. They were testing people’s faith, for a purpose that has not been identified. Again associating sorcery, black magic and witchcraft with disbelief in God, the Qur’ān exonerates the two angels, confirming that they had explained the nature of their work to the people and given them fair warning: “Yet these two [angels] never taught anyone without first declaring, ‘We are but a temptation to evil, so do not renounce your faith.’“ (Verse 102) Nevertheless, some people persisted with learning and practising sorcery, thus falling to temptation and causing harm: “From these two, people learned what they would use to cause discord between a man and his wife.’’ (Verse 102)

At this point, the Qur’ān establishes another fundamental Islamic principle of faith: nothing happens in this world without God’s authority. “However, with that knowledge they can harm no one except by God’s leave.” (Verse 102) Cause and effect are only valid by the will of God. When you put your hand in the fire it is burnt, but the burning itself only occurs with God’s leave; for it is He who gave fire the property to incinerate and gave human skin susceptibility to burn. This means that God is also capable at any moment of cancelling this property and rendering fire completely harmless, as was the case with the Prophet Abraham, when his people threw him into a blazing fire and he came out of it unscathed. (21: 69)

Black magic, sorcery and witchcraft still hold deep fascination for many people today, while many others are taken in by the seemingly extraordinary powers of their practitioners.

It is true that some individuals are seen to possess special powers or abilities not explained by scientific evidence. Science has not been able to go farther than giving a description of some of these phenomena such as telepathy, the supposed communication of thoughts or ideas other than by the known senses; and hypnosis, artificially produced sleep or the sleep-like state in which the subject acts only on external suggestion.

While recognizing these powers and acknowledging their existence and effects, science has not been able to offer any satisfactory explanations as to what they are or how they come about.

This, of course, applies to numerous other psychic phenomena over which scientists are in dispute and which science is still unable to understand, either through lack of scientific evidence or because such phenomena cannot be verified by empirical methods. One such method is premonitory or “prospective” dreams which foretell the future and which Sigmund Freud, the founder of modern psychoanalysis who was well known for his rejection of spiritual powers, was not able to dismiss or deny. How is it possible that some people are able to sense and identify future events long before they actually occur?

It is presumptuous and native to dismiss these powers of extrasensory perception simply because science has not been able to understand or explain them.

This does not, however, give credence to myths or fairy tales. It is important that we should take an objective and open-minded attitude towards such experiences.

While science cannot deny them completely, it should nevertheless continue to probe these phenomena and try to decipher their mystery. We have, therefore, to accept the fact that certain matters in the physical as well as the spiritual world will remain beyond human comprehension and that they must be taken into account when trying to understand life.

One of these matters is black magic, and all other feats and activities related to it, and the possibility of Satanic invasion of the human mind. The evident power possessed by some people to convey suggestions, and to psychologically influence and inspire others, mentally and physically, is quite striking. And, although the Qur’ān speaks of the sorcery performed by Pharaoh’s magicians in their challenge to Moses as delusion (20: 66), we cannot dismiss the possibility that this type of trickery could be used to create discord and dissension between friends or husbands and wives. Naturally, people’s emotions and feelings are determined by all kinds of influences and causes that are ultimately controlled by the will of God, as discussed earlier.

As to the identity of the two angels referred to here, Hārūt and Mārūt, and their location in Babylon, the story was well known in Jewish religious literature. The Jews of Madinah did not question the Qur’ānic account of their story. Qur’ānic accounts of this type, however, are often brief and general, since the aim is not to give detailed chronological or historic information, but rather to draw lessons and highlight the morals behind the events.