Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as a brilliant manifesto of divine guidance, presents the foundational principles of monotheism, social ethics, and acts of worship in a comprehensive and coherent framework. This verse, revealed in the form of the covenant with the Children of Israel, is addressed not only to a specific nation but, as an eternal discourse, summons all humanity towards exalted religious values. The structure of the verse, combining descriptive and imperative styles, delineates on one hand the characteristics of the believers, and on the other, explicitly provides practical instructions to actualise these values. This commentary, adopting a scientific and systematic perspective, analyses the theological, ethical, and psychological dimensions of the verse, and relying on the content of the lecture, endeavours to elucidate its concepts in a refined manner appropriate to the academic sphere. The goal is to present a text which, while preserving all details and core meanings, employs a fluent and literary language to offer educated audiences and researchers in the field of religious studies a foundation for profound reflection and future research.
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ
Translation: And when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel: You shall worship none but Allah, and show kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, and the needy; and speak kindly to people, and establish prayer, and give alms; then you turned away, except a few of you, and you were averse.
Key Point: Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a precious gate, encapsulates a collection of monotheistic, ethical, and devotional principles, each of which, like the branches of a robust tree, encompasses multiple scientific, social, and psychological domains.
This verse, by presenting a coherent value system, begins with devotional monotheism and, emphasising kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, and the needy, reaches social ethics. It then defines religiosity in both individual and social dimensions through the command to speak kindly to people and perform acts of worship (prayer and almsgiving). This comprehensiveness indicates the Qur'ans role as a universal source of human guidance.
Key Point: The exegesis of the verse must be focused on the original text and refrain from unscientific methods such as storytelling or adding unnecessary omissions, because the verse itself explicitly conveys the intended meaning.
Instead of relying on extraneous narrations or irrelevant examples, the interpretation should concentrate on the apparent text and the realisation of its instances. This approach highlights the Qurans self-sufficiency in exegesis and underscores the necessity of a scientific methodology in verse analysis.
Key Point: Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah employs two rhetorical styles: the descriptive style (news) in the initial parts, and the imperative style (command) in the latter sections, each serving a particular function in guidance and education.
The opening segment of the verse, from "You shall worship none but Allah" to "and the needy," is descriptive and reflects the characteristics of the believers like a clear mirror. This segment portrays an ideal model for religiosity by describing attributes. In contrast, the concluding sections, including "and speak kindly to people," "and establish prayer," and "and give alms," are imperative and oblige the addressee to practical adherence to these values.
Key Point: The distinction between the descriptive and imperative styles refers to the Qurans rhetorical and educational complexity, which, through varied expression, invites the audience to reflection and action.
The descriptive style, by portraying the attributes of the believers like a masterful painting, prepares the mind of the audience to accept the values, whereas the imperative style, like a decisive command, urges them to act. This variety reflects the eloquent artistry of the Qur'an in human guidance.
Key Point: Some commentators, by adding omitted elements such as Do good to and show kindness to parents, depart from the apparent text, whereas the verse requires no such additions.
This critique stresses the necessity of adhering to the apparent text. Adding unnecessary omissions may lead to distortion of meaning or unwarranted complexity, whereas the Qur'an, like a pure spring, clearly expresses the meanings itself.
Key Point: The ethical principles in the verse, including kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, and the needy, apply to all humans regardless of religion or creed, reflecting the universality of Islamic ethics.
The ethical commands from "and show kindness to parents" to "and the needy" link human values like a string of pearls. These principles provide a model for ethical living not only for believers but for all humans, whether disbelievers or non-believers.
Key Point: The command "and speak kindly to people" is presented as an imperative to remove any misconception that this command is limited to good or co-religionists and to emphasise its universality.
The phrase "and speak kindly to people" is like a heavenly melody, inviting humanity to speak kindly to all people, including sinners and disbelievers. This command is stated explicitly and imperatively due to the potential misconception in human minds regarding its limitation, thereby emphasising its universality.
Key Point: The phrase "and speak kindly to people" has no apparent restriction and includes all humans, even criminals and disbelievers, forbidding disrespect even to sinners.
This universality is like a wide gate encompassing human dignity. Humans, due to psychological limitations, might assume that kindness is restricted to the good or co-religionists, but the Quran, through this command, breaks all narrow-minded boundaries.
Key Point: Enforceable rulings (such as hudud and punishments) do not conflict with "and speak kindly to people," since these rulings are evidence-based restrictions and do not limit the universality of the verse.
If an individual commits a crime, enforceable rulings like penalty or imprisonment are implemented based on evidence, but these rulings, as branches of the tree of justice, must not be accompanied by disrespect or humiliation. The universality of "and speak kindly to people" remains intact, and human dignity must be preserved even toward criminals.
Key Point: Repentance, like a golden key, erases sin and removes the penalty, since with repentance, no criminal remains.
In Islamic legal system, if a criminal repents before the implementation of the penalty, their sin is erased and the punishment is waived. This principle, like a merciful breeze, demonstrates divine infinite kindness that forgives even great sins through sincere repentance.
Key Point: Judges and witnesses are confined to apparent knowledge (evidence and testimony) and cannot judge inner matters (such as deceit in repentance).
The Islamic legal system, like a solid edifice, is founded on apparent evidence. Witnesses can only report what they have seen, and judges rule solely based on testimonies. This limitation both preserves human dignity and prevents hasty judgments.
Key Point: Even in enforcing penalties, "and speak kindly to people" must be observed, as exemplified by the conduct of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) with Ibn Muljam, representing dignity even towards enemies.
The behaviour of the Infallibles, particularly Imam Ali's (peace be upon him) treatment of Ibn Muljam, is like a shining torch demonstrating respect for human dignity even in the face of adversaries. This behaviour offers a sublime model for justice implementation coupled with mercy.
Key Point: Harsh and ruthless behaviours, originating from non-Islamic cultures, are incompatible with the command "and speak kindly to people."
Violence and severity, sometimes justified in the name of religion, stem from tyrannical cultures and contradict the merciful spirit of Islam. This verse, like a clear mirror, calls humanity to avoid violence and to uphold the dignity of all.
Key Point: God does not love the arrogant and haughty, because arrogance is the root of harsh behaviours, backbiting, and slander.
Arrogance is like a deadly poison, the root of many unethical behaviours. Backbiting and slander, often arising from self-superiority, aim to prove personal superiority by degrading others. The Quran, by critiquing this trait, invites humans to humility.
Key Point: The conduct of the Infallibles, such as Imam Alis (peace be upon him) treatment of Ibn Muljam, exemplifies avoidance of arrogance and maintenance of human dignity even towards enemies.
The Infallible Imams (peace be upon them), through their generous conduct, have provided an unparalleled model of humility and sublime ethics. This conduct acts like a guiding light illuminating the path to ethical living in the Islamic community.
