Verses 111 to 113 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as a segment of the Quranic discourse with the People of the Bookparticularly the Jewish communitycritically address their claims and behaviours. Through an in-depth examination of their psychological and theological characteristics, these verses explore the roots of their deviations. Emphasising concepts such as excessive greed, polytheism (shirk), and continuous torment, these verses not only critique a specific group but also provide universal lessons for understanding human nature and behaviour. This study adopts a scholarly and academic approach, analysing the verses by integrating lecture content and written commentaries, thereby elucidating key concepts in a refined and systematic language. The objective is to present a profound and coherent perspective, appealing and enlightening for specialised audiences including researchers in religious studies and psychology.
Verses 111 to 113 of Surah Al-Baqarah constitute part of the Quranic dialogue with the People of the Book, especially the Jews, wherein their exclusivist and arrogant claims are critically examined. These verses, composed as a tripartite passage, sequentially address the claim of exclusive possession of Paradise, the invitation to wish for death as proof of their claim, and ultimately the excessive greed for life alongside the inability to escape torment. Verse 113, serving as the concluding segment of this passage, elucidates the psychological traits of polytheists with a wisdom-oriented statement, revealing the correlation between oppressive actions and perpetual punishment.
Translation: And they said, None shall enter Paradise except those who are Jews or Christians. Such are their vain desires. Say, Bring forth your proof if you are truthful.
Translation: Indeed, whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And there is no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve.
Translation: And among those who associate others with Allah, one of them wishes that he could be granted life for a thousand years, but it will not remove him from the punishment if he is granted life. And Allah is ever Seeing of what they do.
The discussed verses, exhibiting a coherent structure, critique the exclusivist claims and deviant behaviours of the Jewish people and polytheists, inviting reflection on deeds and beliefs while indicating the path to salvation through submission and virtue. Verse 113, as the climax of this passage, underscores greed and torment, offering profound lessons for understanding human nature and conduct.
In verse 113, the Holy Quran employs the term الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا (those who associate others [with Allah]) instead of directly naming the Jews to emphasise the attribute of polytheism. This lexical choice serves two purposes: firstly, to broaden the scope of criticism to all polytheists, including Jews, Christians, and other groups such as Zoroastrians and Magians; secondly, to express graciousness and avoid direct disparagement of the Jews by omitting their explicit mention. Shirk, as deviation from monotheism, stems from the inability to comprehend divine unity and results in oppressive actions.
In Judaism and Christianity, shirk is related to the belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), whereas in other polytheist groups, such as Zoroastrians, it refers to dualism (God and Ahriman). Despite these differences, they share the attribute of shirk. The Quran, by highlighting this attribute, extends its criticism to all polytheist groups, yet within the context, it primarily addresses the Jews. This shirk prevents acceptance of the Resurrection and the Hereafter since their deeds lack benevolence.
Shirk acts as a dark veil over the human heart, depriving it of the light of monotheism. This deviation originates in arrogance and the incapacity to acknowledge divine unity. Polytheists, lacking faith in the Hereafter, fear death and resurrection, for their deeds, like poisoned seeds, yield nothing but torment.
Shirk, as an obstacle to monotheism, not only distorts the beliefs of polytheists but also shapes their oppressive behaviours. The Quran, by choosing the attribute الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا instead of specific names, teaches humanity a lesson in fairness and reflection, emphasising the necessity of returning to monotheism.
Verse 112, with the phrase وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَاةٍ, refers to the excessive greed of polytheists, particularly the Jews, for life. Greed is defined as excessive and irrational desire which, contrary to reasonable endeavour and effort, leads to deviation and oppression. This greed is the consequence of inner deficiencies and attempts to compensate for them irrationally.
Greed is like salty water which, the more it is consumed, the greater the thirst becomes. Polytheists, due to a sense of lack and deficiency, crave life and power; yet this excessive desire not only fails to compensate their deficiencies but also leads to unrest and torment. In contrast, faith is like a clear spring that quenches the heart with contentment and tranquillity.
The Jews, as a minority facing Muslims and Christians, developed excessive greed for life and power. This greed culminated in irrational competition and superiority-seeking, which yielded nothing but discord and oppression. History testifies that despite their global influence, this group has perpetually lived in anxiety and unrest due to their greed.
Greed, as an excessive desire, is rooted in inner and social deficiencies and leads to deviation and torment. The Quran, by criticising this trait, guides humanity towards faith and contentment that bring tranquillity and sufficiency.
In verse 113, the phrase يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ points to a low-level desire for life. In Quranic language, wadd denotes weak desire, hubb denotes moderate love, and ishq (stronger than hubb) denotes intense love. Polytheists, unlike the believers who are known for their strongest love for Allah, possess only wadd for life, indicating their awareness of the impossibility of a thousand-year lifespan.
