The exegesis of verses 91 and 92 of Surah Al-Baqarah constitutes a gateway towards profound comprehension of religious epistemology and the sociology of faith-based behaviours. These verses, employing logical reasoning and the method of jidal al-ahsan (the best argument), critique the contradictions inherent in the claims of faith by the People of the Book and unveil the roots of disbelief as the fundamental source of all evils in human beliefs and actions. This examination, relying on the logical structure of the Holy Quran, endeavours to elucidate the deep meanings of these verses in an erudite and scientific manner for an audience of specialised scholars. Accordingly, the verses are presented with a precise and independent translation, while the analyses are enriched with semantic linkages to preserve coherence and content profundity.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُوا بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا نُؤْمِنُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا مَعَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنْبِيَاءَ اللَّهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
Translation: When it is said to them, "Believe in that which Allah has revealed," they say, "We believe in that which was revealed to us," while they disbelieve in what is beyond it, even though it is the truth confirming what is with them. Say: "Then why did you kill the prophets of Allah before, if you are indeed believers?"
وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ مُوسَىٰ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَنْتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ
Translation: And indeed, Moses came to you with clear proofs, yet you took the calf after him while you were unjust.
Verses 91 and 92 of Surah Al-Baqarah, akin to an island within the boundless ocean of Quranic knowledge, form a cohesive and independent unit focused on critiquing the behaviour of the People of the Book. These verses delineate their cognitive and behavioural contradictions through structural and thematic unity, narrating a segment of human history as a meaningful passage. The concept of island herein refers to a collection of verses that, through thematic unity, convey a unified message.
In these verses, Allah the Exalted employs the method of jidal al-ahsana logical and respectful discoursewith the People of the Book. The question, "Then why did you kill the prophets of Allah before, if you are indeed believers?", exemplifies the method of contradiction, challenging the claim of faith by juxtaposing it with their actual behaviour (i.e., killing the prophets). This method reveals the contradiction between assertion and action, thereby invalidating their claim of faith.
The verses under discussion employ contradiction reasoning to highlight inconsistencies, whereas the subsequent seven verses employ affirmative reasoning to establish truth through positive evidence. Contradiction reasoning exposes falsehood by demonstrating incompatibility between claim and behaviour, while affirmative reasoning confirms truth by presenting positive proofs.
Verses 91 and 92 of Surah Al-Baqarah, with a coherent and logical structure, critique the behaviour of the People of the Book. By employing jidal al-ahsan and contradiction reasoning, they unveil the cognitive and practical contradictions of the People of the Book. These verses, like a lamp in darkness, illuminate the path towards understanding the truth and abstaining from disbelief.
Contrary to the misconception that logic is confined to philosophy and kalm (theology), all Quranic verses possess a logical structure. These verses utilise logical rules such as major premises, minor premises, universal and particular statements, affirmatives and negatives, as well as contradiction and affirmative reasoning to elucidate truths. The Holy Quran, like a book of intellect and logic, guides humanity towards profound understanding.
Religious knowledge, especially within the Shia tradition, has failed to present the Holy Quran scientifically and systematically to the world. Many traditional exegeses have resorted to transmitting scattered narrations and materials instead of logical and structured analysis. This approach has hindered the scientific packaging and global presentation of Quranic knowledge.
In literary and exegetical works, the Sunni approach has been dominant, with examples and analyses predominantly presented from this perspective. This dominance has obstructed the development of scientific methods in Shia exegesis and accentuated the necessity for logical re-reading of the Quran.
All Quranic verses are amenable to analysis by logical rules. By examining each verse with logical tools, one can attain the depth of its reasoning and epistemology. This requires revisiting exegetical methods and moving towards a systematic approach.
Many traditional exegeses have approached the verses in a fragmented and structurally incoherent manner, neglecting the logical relationships among them. This approach has impeded the understanding of the continuity and systematicity of Quranic knowledge.
Contrary to the belief that the Quranic verses are scattered and unrelated, these verses possess structural and logical coherence. Verses 91 and 92 exemplify this coherence in critiquing the behaviour of the People of the Book through semantic linkages, conveying a unified message.
The Holy Quran, as a book of intellect and logic, possesses a systematic structure that necessitates scientific and precise reinterpretation. Critiquing traditional approaches and the imperative to move towards logical and systematic methods paves the way for deeper understanding of Quranic knowledge.
The Almighty Allah, through contradiction reasoning, proves in these verses that the People of the Book have no true faith in any revelation because they reject its confirmer (the Holy Quran) and have slain the prophets. This argument, supported by two strong reasons (denial of the confirmer and killing the prophets), invalidates their claim of faith.
Instead of believing in Ma Anzal Allah (what Allah has revealed), the People of the Book are attached to Alayna (what was revealed to themselves) and only accept what benefits them. This ethnic and egotistical partisanship reveals the psychological root of disbelief in self-centredness.
The disbelief of the People of the Book reaches its peak by transforming Ma Anzal into Alayna. This deviation not only entails the denial of the new revelation (the Holy Quran) but also contaminates previous revelations with egotism.
In three verses (90 to 92), the term disbelief is repeated five times: upon those who disbelieved, they did not know; they disbelieved, the curse of Allah upon the disbelievers, that they disbelieve, and and for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment. This repetition underscores the intensity and centrality of the concept of disbelief in the critique of the behaviour of the People of the Book.
The phrase the curse of Allah upon the disbelievers refers to a deserved curse that encompasses a comprehensive deprivation affecting disbelievers and even the oppressed among them. This deprivation results from a conscious choice of disbelief and manifests the severity of worldly punishment.
Veiled disbelief is a state in which an individual, due to arrogance, refuses to listen to or accept the truth, rendering dialogue futile. This type of disbelief is rooted in epistemic blockage and self-centredness.
Active disbelief (that they disbelieve) denotes a conscious and deliberate denial actively committed by disbelievers. This form of disbelief manifests in their actions and conscious choices.
Deserved disbelief (and for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment) refers to a punishment that disbelievers merit due to their disbelief. This torment entails eternal humiliation and despair in the Hereafter, although the oppressed are exempt from it.
Reported disbelief (and they disbelieve in what is beyond it) denotes a denial that God reports, rather than one confessed by the disbelievers themselves. This form of disbelief relates to the divine depiction of the state of disbelievers.
Verses 91 and 92 of Surah Al-Baqarah elucidate the types of disbelief and critique the doctrinal contradictions of the People of the Book, revealing the roots of deviation in self-centredness and egotism. These verses call upon humanity to avoid disbelief and embrace divine truth.
For profound understanding of the Holy Quran, instead of reliance on traditional exegeses, one must engage in intimacy, closeness, and continuous reflection upon it. Such intimacy acts as a key that opens the doors of the unseen and guides humanity towards divine knowledge.
The Holy Quran contains all the truths and miracles of the Prophets and Imams and, during the occultation, has no deficiency compared to the presence of the infallibles. This book, like a gushing spring, fulfils all the guiding needs of humanity.
Neglecting the Holy Quran and dependence on exegeses prevent benefiting from its hidden treasure. Such neglect, like disregarding a precious jewel, deprives humanity of divine knowledge.
Genuine ijtihd requires utmost exertion and relentless effort, which is incompatible with worldly distractions and multitasking. Ijtihd, like mining a precious mine, demands full concentration and commitment.
The religious educational system, due to multitasking and dispersion of activities, has deviated from its principal mission of research and scientific advancement. This system requires reevaluation and focus on knowledge and perfection.
Intimacy with the Holy Quran and reevaluation of the religious educational system constitute two wings that enable flight towards divine knowledge. These two prevent negligence and deviation and guide humanity towards truth.
Humans are categorised into four groups in the Holy Quran: disbelievers, polytheists, wicked, and oppressors. This classification, like a comprehensive map, explicates human deviations along the axes of disbelief, polytheism, wickedness, and oppression.
Disbelief and polytheism relate to human relations with God. Disbelief is a complete denial of the truth, whereas polytheism is an incomplete denial combined with belief in other deities.
Wickedness and oppression pertain to human conduct. Wickedness is oppression against oneself, and oppression is aggression against others. Every oppressor is necessarily wicked, but not every wicked person is an oppressor.
Among deviations, disbelief in belief and oppression in practice are the worst. Disbelief, through complete denial of truth, and oppression, through harming others, constitute the primary roots of human corruption.
The term disbelief appears 518 times, and polytheism 168 times in the Holy Quran. This statistic indicates that the danger of disbelief is threefold that of polytheism, emphasising the severity of this deviation.
Inner disbelief is a denial existing within the individual, even if their outward appearance is that of a believer. This disbelief manifests as a contradiction between outward show and inner reality, posing a serious threat to genuine faith.
Inner disbelief is observable in behaviours such as discrepancy between private and public conduct, changes in appetite in different environments, and transgressions in the absence of supervision. These signs highlight the necessity of self-awareness and internal purification.
True faith manifests in consistency of behaviour in private and public, in life and death, and in harmony with what Allah has revealed. This faith liberates the individual from egotism and tribal prejudices.
The categorisation of humans into disbelievers, polytheists, wicked, and oppressors, alongside analysis of disbelief and oppression as the worst deviations, offers a comprehensive map of human behaviours. Avoidance of disbelief and oppression guides humanity towards true faith and felicity.
The exegesis of verses 91 and 92 of Surah Al-Baqarah, akin to a journey into the depths of Quranic knowledge, reveals the roots of disbelief as the mother of all evils and the primary obstacle to genuine faith. These verses, employing the best argumentation and reductio ad absurdum, expose the doctrinal and practical contradictions of the People of the Book and invite humanity to eschew egotism and embrace divine truth. Disbelief, in its veiled, active, deserved, and reported forms, alongside polytheism, wickedness, and oppression, is introduced as the principal human deviations. The 518 occurrences of disbelief compared to 168 of polytheism accentuate its escalating danger. Intimacy with the Holy Quran, reevaluation of the religious educational system, and commitment to genuine ijtihd constitute the pathways to liberation from these deviations and attainment of true faith. This exegesis, like a guiding light, directs humanity towards deeper understanding of divine knowledge and living in the shade of truth.
