the lectures of Nokounam, , Session (326)
The exegesis of verse 76 of Surah Al-Baqarah, with a profound insight into the dual behaviours of certain recent converts and hypocrites in their encounter with the Islamic community and non-Muslim societies, opens a window towards understanding the psychological, sociological, and religious complexities within the context of Prophetic Medina. This exegesis, adopting a systematic and scholarly approach, analyses faith-related and hypocritical behaviours, employing sophisticated allegories and allusions to present profound Quranic meanings in an engaging and academic framework. The objective of this treatise is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the related verses, emphasising the distinction between superficial faith and hypocrisy, as well as examining the ethical and social consequences of religious behaviours in pluralistic societies. The structure of this work, organised thematically, explores the various dimensions of these verses and, through semantic linkages, paves the way for future research in comparative theology and the sociology of religion.
وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا إِلَى بَعْضِهِمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ قَالُوا أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُمْ بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَاجُّوكُمْ بِهِ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
When they meet those who believe, they say: We have believed, and when they are alone with one another, they say: Do you inform them of what Allah has opened for you, so that they may argue with you before your Lord? Do you not then reason?
Verse 76 of Surah Al-Baqarah bears an apparent resemblance in its opening to verses 14 and 15 of the same Surah, though this similarity does not signify repetition. Verses 14 and 15 read as follows:
وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا إِلَى شَيَاطِينِهِمْ قَالُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِئُونَ
And when they meet those who believe, they say: We have believed, and when they are alone with their devils, they say: Indeed, we are with you; we are only mocking.
This superficial congruity at the commencement of these verses, each beginning with وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا, may mislead some exegetes towards the assumption of repetition. However, the Noble Quran, like a clear spring, has revealed each verse with a renewed dignity and a distinctive perspective. Verse 76 differs from verse 14 in terms of audience, motives, and behaviours, attesting to the Qurans rhetorical dynamism.
The Noble Quran, akin to a fertile garden, addresses matters diversely and suitably to human capacities. A single subject might be presented in one verse from a particular viewpoint and from another angle in a different verse, as if each verse were a branch of the tree of knowledge bearing a novel fruit. This rhetorical diversity enables multilayered comprehension and the contextual adaptation of verses to various historical and social conditions.
Some exegetes mistakenly consider verse 76 a repetition of verses 14 and 15, whereas this verse is distinctive in dignity and perspective. The Noble Quran, like an endless sky, eschews repetition, with each verse casting new light upon the land of knowledge. This critique emphasises the necessity of precision in verse analysis and avoidance of oversimplified interpretation.
Verse 76 of Surah Al-Baqarah, despite its apparent similarity to verses 14 and 15, is distinct in rhetoric and content. This distinction originates in the Quranic wisdom that portrays matters with variety and depth. Analysing these verses requires a meticulous look into their social and psychological contexts, which will be elaborated upon in subsequent sections.
Verse 76 of Surah Al-Baqarah depicts different behaviours of recent converts and hypocrites. Faith in these verses is categorised as follows:
This classification reflects the psychological and religious diversity in accepting faith. Some recent converts in verse 76 possessed an ordinary and preliminary faith, neither reaching the depth of true faith nor the level of complete hypocrisy.
The recent converts in verse 76, who had embraced Islam from among the Jews and Christians, exhibited a preliminary faith. Due to social pressures and kinship ties, these individuals accommodated both groups (Muslims and non-Muslims). This accommodation was not due to hypocrisy but out of fear of conflict and the desire to preserve familial bonds. They resembled travellers between two lands, neither fully proceeding toward the destination of faith nor remaining loyal to their former abode.
In verse 14, a group of hypocrites feigned faith, and in private with their shayan (devils), declared their alliance and mockery of the believers. This behaviour manifests deliberate and complete hypocrisy. They resembled wolves in sheeps clothing, infiltrating the Islamic community with the intent to cause disruption and gather information.
The fundamental difference between verses 14 and 76 lies in their audiences and behaviours. In verse 14, hypocrites meet believers and then retreat to their shayan, revealing their true intentions. In verse 76, recent converts return to their kin and relatives, remaining silent in the face of their objections. This silence arises not from hypocrisy but from accommodation and preservation of familial ties.
The analysis of faithful and hypocritical behaviours in verses 14 and 76 demonstrates the psychological and social complexities in religious communities. Preliminary faith, like a fragile sapling, is vulnerable to social pressures, whereas hypocrisy, like a sinister shadow, deliberately threatens the religious community. This distinction underscores the importance of understanding social and psychological contexts in Quranic exegesis.
Shayan in Verse 14In verse 14, shayan refers to knowledgeable yet corrupt scholars who have heard, understood, and distorted divine speech. Due to their awareness and corruption, they are termed shayan (devils). They resemble extinguished stars that have transformed the light of knowledge into the darkness of corruption.
Knowledge alone does not constitute perfection; if accompanied by corruption, it leads to mischief. The corrupt scholars in verse 14 exemplify such mischief, turning knowledge into a tool of deviation.
From a sociological perspective, Jews and Christians in Medina were divided into five groups:
This classification, like a precise map, delineates Medinas social structure and displays the complexity of religious relations.
Shayan and Buhum Il B