Verse 59 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as a continuation of the Quranic narrative concerning the Children of Israel in verse 58, presents a portrayal of this nations deviation from divine commandments and the resulting consequences. This verse addresses themes such as substitution of speech, oppression, immorality, and the descent of punishment from the heavens, engaging in a profound examination of the causes and ramifications of social and ethical deviations. This treatise adopts a scientific and systematic approach to analyse the content of the verse and integrates related lectures to provide a comprehensive and refined exegesis suited for an erudite audience. The objective is to elucidate the Quranic paradigm of a sound and faithful society, while critiquing the deviations that hinder its realisation, with an emphasis on the principles of chastity, sufficiency, and humility.
فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ
Translation: Then those who wronged substituted a word other than that which had been said to them; therefore, We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment from the heaven for their transgression.
Verse 58 of Surah Al-Baqarah presents a model of a primordial society (qaryah) governed by two fundamental principles: material wellbeing (affluence and sufficiency) and spiritual ethics (humility and meekness). This paradigm, akin to a flourishing tree, is rooted in the balance between material and spiritual needs and guarantees the felicity of the community. A society wherein the eyes and hearts of all are satiated, and which suffers from no material or spiritual deficiency, attains health and happiness.
Chastity (avoidance of extravagance and wastefulness) and sufficiency (moderate prosperity) constitute two essential pillars for the health of the individual and society. These principles, like the two wings of a bird flying towards felicity, liberate man from the traps of excess and deficiency. The Holy Quran accords no merit to poverty nor to excessive accumulation; both are condemned as they obstruct the attainment of health and happiness.
The Holy Quran identifies poverty and excessive accumulation as two polar deviations that diminish social health. Poverty drives man towards deprivation and misery, while accumulation leads to corruption and wastefulness. Both resemble two aspects of a single malady that hinder humility and moral health. The emphasis on poverty as a virtue (e.g., poverty is my pride) lacks foundation and is incompatible with Quranic teachings and authentic traditions. This culture has been propagated by unqualified individuals without scientific basis and holds no valid authority.
Health (physical wellbeing) and security (social and familial safety) are two unrecognised blessings that constitute the foundation of individual and societal health. These blessings, like clear water that quenches the life of the community, are prerequisites for a wholesome and faithful life. Their absence leads to physical, psychological, and social maladies.
The Quranic paradigm of a sound society is founded upon chastity, sufficiency, health, and security. These principles, like the pillars of a robust edifice, safeguard society from material and spiritual deviations. The critique of poverty and excessive accumulation and the emphasis on moderation reveal the comprehensiveness and universality of this paradigm for realising felicity at individual, familial, and social levels.
Verse 59 of Surah Al-Baqarah elucidates the deviation of the Children of Israel from divine commandments through the phrase فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ. This substitution denotes the replacement of divine instructions (such as hit, prostration, and the consumption of wholesome food) with something other than what was commanded. The agents of this substitution, الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا, by their oppression towards themselves and others, deviated from the divine path. The oppression herein encompasses ingratitude, arrogance, and disobedience, culminating in immorality.
Badal denotes substitution and replacement, whereas iwad implies exchange or reciprocal dealing. In the verse, badal refers to the replacement of divine speech with something else, not a reciprocal exchange. This distinction, analogous to the difference between changing the course of a river and exchanging two commodities, emphasises the intentional nature of the deviation.
In the phrase بَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ, قَوْلًا functions as the second object, غَيْرَ as its adjective, and الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ as the first object. This precise syntactic structure reflects the linguistic exactitude of the Holy Quran in describing deviation and the replacement of divine commands.
The employment of غَيْرَ in place of ضد or مخالف indicates the comprehensiveness of deviations and the absence of absolute contradiction in existence. Ghayr, like a sea encompassing all rivers, includes all deviations from minor to major. This lexical choice emphasises the variety and breadth of deviations and the nonexistence of absolute binaries.
Philosophically, the concept of opposite (such as white and black) does not exist externally due to the absence of a final contrary. Likewise, absolute equality (such as two plus two equals four) does not manifest in the external world; rather, differentiation and opposition prevail. This perspective, like a light illuminating the darkness of the mind, underscores the dynamism and variety of existence and the epistemological limitations of man.
The deviations of the Children of Israel were not uniform; some deviated less and others more, indicating opposition and differentiation in their behaviours. This diversity, like the various colours in a complex painting, emphasises the intricacy of human behaviour and the necessity for detailed analysis.
Traditional exegeses that limit غَيْرَ to specific expressions such as هط سمقنا or حنطه سمراء lack scientific authenticity and authority. These narrations, stemming from Israiliyat, resemble rootless branches distant from the Quranic text and should not serve as a basis for interpretation.
The deviation of the Children of Israel from the Quranic paradigm resulted from conscious disobedience and substitution of divine commands. The Qurans philosophical precision in employing غَيْرَ instead of opposite highlights the diversity of deviations and the absence of absolute contradiction. The critique of unsubstantiated interpretations underscores the necessity of returning to the Quranic text and avoiding baseless narrations.
Immorality, defined as departure from moderation in material behaviours (extravagance and wastefulness) and spiritual attitudes (arrogance and refusal to repent), was the root of the Children of Israels deviations. This departure, like a storm disrupting a ships balance, led to social and ethical maladies.
The Children of Israel, instead of consuming wholesome sustenance (raghadan), resorted to extravagance and wastefulness, squandering divine blessings. This conduct, akin to pouring clear water into a desert, reflected ingratitude and lack of moderation.
Excessive accumulation led to sadistic behaviours, such as kicking animals or wasting blessings. These behaviours, like fire blazing from within, signified psychological illness and deviation from balance.
Complete consumption of food (e.g., cleaning the bottom of a dish) psychologically induces vitality and satiation of both eye and heart. This behaviour, like water quenching thirsty soil, prevents wastefulness and the sensation of lack. Conversely, extravagance (such as food wastage) causes psychological ailments and dissatisfaction.
