The Noble Quran, as an infinite sea of divine knowledge, presents diverse subjects within its verses through coherent thematic chapters and semantic islands. Verses 97 to 99 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as an integral segment of this vast system, critically address the deviant behaviours of the People of the Book, especially the Jews, examining their enmity and pretexts against Gabriel, the angels, the messengers, and the divine verses. While these verses maintain thematic coherence, they distinguish themselves from the preceding and succeeding verses, necessitating a structural and thematic analysis to elucidate the depth of the Quranic message. The present discourse, adopting a scientific and systematic approach, revisits these verses and, employing refined metaphors and dignified language, explicates their concepts for erudite and specialised audiences. The objective is not only an accurate comprehension of these verses but also an emphasis on the necessity of thematic segmentation of the Quran for delivering its message to global academic centres.
Verses 97 to 99 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as an independent thematic island, critique the behaviours of the People of the Book towards the divine system. These verses, employing clear and argumentative language, focus on their enmity and pretexts against Gabriel, God, the angels, the messengers, and the divine verses, unveiling the resulting disbelief and transgression.
Say, "Whoever is an enemy to Gabrielit is he who has brought it down upon your heart by permission of Allah, confirming what was before it and guidance and good tidings for the believers."
Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michaelthen indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.
And indeed We have revealed to you clear verses, and none disbelieve in them except the defiantly disobedient.
These three verses, in a cohesive structure, sequentially address Gabriels role in the revelation of the Quran, the enmity against the divine system, and the clarity of the verses alongside the wickedness of their deniers. This coherence exemplifies the intrinsic order within the Noble Quran in presenting subjects.
Verses 94 to 96 of Surah Al-Baqarah, focusing on the deliberate falsehood of the People of the Book and a psychological critique of their hypocritical behaviours, form an independent thematic island. Conversely, verses 97 to 99, concentrating on enmity and pretexts, address a different aspect of the deviations of the People of the Book. This distinction, akin to islands in the sea of Quranic knowledge, signifies defined principles in the arrangement of Quranic chapters.
Verses 97 to 99, with expressions such as Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel and none disbelieve in them except the defiantly disobedient, introduce the enmity of the People of the Book as a conscious and unbelieving behaviour. This enmity is accompanied by pretexts such as accepting the Torah but denying the Quran, or accepting Michael but denying Gabriel. These behaviours, rooted in ethnic and religious prejudices, function as barriers against divine truth.
Verse 97, emphasising He has brought it down upon your heart by permission of Allah, identifies Gabriel as the divine intermediary in the revelation of the Quran. Gabriel, acting as the hand executing Allahs command, lacks independent will; thus, enmity towards him equates to enmity towards Allah. This emphasis invalidates the pretexts of the People of the Book.
Verse 97, with the phrase confirming what was before it and guidance and good tidings for the believers, portrays the Quran as a book that corroborates prior scriptures, offers guidance, and brings glad tidings. These attributes demonstrate the Qurans comprehensiveness and universality, rendering its denial baseless.
Verse 98, stating Indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers, indicates that enmity towards Allah, the angels, the messengers, Gabriel, and Michael results in disbelief and places Allah in opposition to the disbelievers. This enmity is the logical consequence of denying the truth and emphasises divine justice.
Verse 99, asserting We have revealed to you clear verses, and none disbelieve in them except the defiantly disobedient, highlights the clarity of the divine verses and the wickedness of those who deny them. This clarity invalidates the pretexts of the People of the Book.
Verses 98 and 99 introduce the two concepts of disbelief (kufr) and transgression (fisq) as distinct characteristics of the behaviour of the People of the Book. Disbelief denotes denial of the truth, whereas transgression signifies departure from divine obedience. This distinction reveals the Quranic analytical depth in describing deviations.
Verses 97 to 99 of Surah Al-Baqarah, through a cohesive structure and distinct thematic focus, critique the enmity and pretexts of the People of the Book, clarify the role of Gabriel, elucidate the characteristics of the Quran, and explain the consequences of disbelief and transgression. These verses, like a beacon in the darkness of ethnic prejudices, reveal truth and underscore the necessity of thematic analysis of the Quran.
The Noble Quran, like a garden blossoming with flowers of knowledge, contains numerous thematic islands, each constituting an independent chapter. Understanding these islands requires meticulous and scholarly investigation to reveal the relationships between the verses and the principles of their arrangement. Verses 97 to 99, as a thematic island, are distinct from the preceding verses (94 to 96) which focus on falsehood, emphasising enmity and pretexts.
The Noble Quran, with astonishing order, arranges its chapters based on precise principles. These principles, like a map to a treasure of knowledge, require expertise and skill to discover. Verses 97 to 99, as an independent chapter centred on enmity and pretexts, differ from the preceding and succeeding verses, demonstrating the internal coherence of the Quran.
Traditional exegeses often lack attention to the thematic and chapter structure of the Noble Quran, analysing verses sporadically or with arbitrary divisions. This approach, like being lost in a dense forest, impedes precise understanding of the relationships among verses. For instance, while Tafsir Al-Mizan holds considerable merit, it insufficiently addresses the Qurans thematic chapters.
The Noble Quran, encompassing diverse subjects such as psychology, sociology, law, and art, requires segmentation into distinct chapters. This segmentation, like extracting gems from a mine, enables the transmission of verses to global academic centres. Verses 97 to 99, addressing enmity and pretexts, exemplify this thematic diversity.
The traditional division of the Quran into thirty parts (ajza) or sixty sections (ahzab) suits recital settings but is insufficient for scientific interpretation and analysis. This division, akin to cutting a precious fabric into small pieces, obstructs understanding the Qurans thematic structure. For accurate exegesis, verses must be categorised according to thematic chapters.
The Holy Quran, as a light that shines for all humanity, belongs to all human beings. Its thematic analysis enables the dispatch of verses to universities and scientific centres worldwide. This perspective, contrary to the limitations of some traditional views, demonstrates the universality of the Quran.
Key Point: The Holy Quran belongs to all humanity and must be sent to global scientific centres.
The thematic and structural analysis of the Holy Quran is the key to an accurate and profound understanding of its teachings. This approach, by separating chapters and thematic islands, not only reveals the Qurans internal coherence but also facilitates the globalisation of its message. Criticism of traditional interpretations and common classifications highlights the necessity of revising interpretative methodologies.
The current educational system, particularly in the domain of religious sciences, lacks the capability to cultivate exegetes knowledgeable in the Holy Quran. Traditional courses, such as those by Al-Suyuti and Al-Lumah, due to their book-centred nature and lack of analytical depth, have rendered students incapable of analysing Quranic texts. This inefficiency acts like ash upon the flame of knowledge, preventing the radiance of Quranic sciences.
Key Point: Current religious science courses do not equip students with the ability to analyse and dissect Quranic texts.
Teacher-centred education, like a clear spring, leads to deeper understanding and better analysis of texts, whereas book-centred education, akin to stagnant water, results in superficial learning. This principle must be observed in Quranic education to enable students to analyse texts correctly.
Key Point: Teacher-centred education is superior to book-centred education and strengthens analytical skills.
Foundational sciences such as literature, logic, and principles must be reconstructed with a practical and Quranic approach to enable students to analyse Quranic texts. This reconstruction, similar to renovating an ancient structure, strengthens the scientific foundations of students.
Key Point: Reconstruction of foundational sciences helps reinforce students scientific bases for Quranic exegesis.
The establishment of a network of students for reviewing foundational and advanced sciences, under supervision and regular examinations, assists in enhancing Quranic education. This networking, like a strong bridge, guides students towards a deeper understanding of the Quran.
Key Point: Networking of students leads to coordination and elevation of scientific standards in Quranic education.
Scholars such as Allameh Tabatabai, under difficult conditions and limited resources, presented valuable exegeses, but limitations prevented comprehensive thematic analysis. Today, despite available facilities, the scarcity of genuine scholars and the rise of claimants have resulted in the decline of Quranic exegesis quality.
Key Point: The lack of genuine scholars and the increase in claimants have diminished the quality of Quranic exegesis.
Establishing specialised centres for thematic analysis of the Quran, in collaboration with scholars and scientists, can elevate Quranic exegesis to a global level. This plan, like a luminous city, spreads the message of the Quran worldwide.
Key Point: The establishment of a thousand Quranic cities is a strategy for advancing Quranic exegesis and its globalisation.
The current educational system, due to its book-centredness and lack of analytical depth, is incapable of training Quranic exegetes. Reconstruction of foundational sciences, teacher-centred education, and educational networking, as fundamental solutions, can rescue Quranic sciences from decline and guide them towards globalisation.
The Holy Quran, as a radiant gem, belongs to all humanity. Its thematic analysis enables the dispatch of verses to global scientific centres and universities. This perspective, contrary to some traditional limitations, emphasises the comprehensiveness of the Quran.
Key Point: The Holy Quran belongs to all humanity and must be sent to global scientific centres.
Some traditional views, such as the prohibition of non-Muslims touching the Quran, impede the globalisation of its message. These restrictions may be acceptable in response to insults to the Quran, but in ordinary circumstances, they deprive global audiences of access to the Quran.
Key Point: Traditional limitations hinder the globalisation of the Qurans message.
The Prophet Muhammad, by sending thematic letters to various tribes, provided a model for the globalisation of the Quran. This method, like a key unlocking the doors of knowledge, demonstrates his strategy in spreading the message of Islam.
Key Point: The Prophet Muhammad, through sending thematic letters, offered a model for the globalisation of the Quran.
The Holy Quran, covering subjects such as psychology, sociology, law, and art, demonstrates its comprehensiveness. Verses 97 to 99 exemplify this diversity by analysing hostility and pretextiveness.
Key Point: The thematic diversity of the Quran illustrates its comprehensiveness in addressing human needs.
Quranic verses related to art, both aesthetically and content-wise, have the power to captivate the world. These verses, like an enchanting melody, can fascinate global audiences.
Key Point: The artistic verses of the Quran have the capacity to captivate the world.
The current educational system lacks attention to Quranic art and aesthetics. The absence of art teachers in schools prevents the comprehension of Quranic beauty and its global impact.
Key Point: The absence of art education hinders understanding of Quranic aesthetics.
Scholars of the past, through calligraphy and poetry, served Quranic art. These activities, like a flower in the garden of knowledge, strengthened the connection with the Quran.
Key Point: Past scholars contributed to Quranic art through calligraphy and poetry.
With the advent of technology, the art of calligraphy has declined, and modern scripts lack the delicacy of the past. This decline, like the extinguishing of an ancient lamp, has reduced the aesthetic impact of the Quran.
Key Point: The decline of calligraphic art has diminished the aesthetic influence of the Quran.
The Holy Quran, with its thematic diversity and unparalleled aesthetics, belongs to all humanity. Quranic art, from calligraphy to aesthetic verses, has the power to captivate the world. Critiques of the educational system and traditional restrictions highlight the necessity for revising approaches towards the globalisation of the Qurans message.
The Holy Quran introduces various realms such as angels, messengers, the Throne, and the Kingdom. Traditional interpretations have conflated these realms and ignored the distinctions among them. Angels and messengers operate within the domain of revelation, whereas the Throne and the Kingdom refer to metaphysical realms.
Key Point: Quranic realms, such as angels and the Kingdom, must be differentiated from each other.
The descent of revelation occurs through angels and messengers, while ascension refers to the connection with metaphysical realms. This distinction, like two separate paths on the road of knowledge, reveals the internal order of the Quran.
Key Point: Descent and ascension are two distinct processes within the Quranic realms.
The differentiation of Quranic realms and their metaphysical analysis aids in a more precise understanding of the structure of the Holy Quran. This distinction exposes the internal order of the Quran and emphasises the need to revise traditional exegeses.
The exegesis of verses 97 to 99 of Surah Al-Baqarah, through a thematic and structural approach, reveals the depth of Quranic reasoning in criticising the hostility and pretextiveness of the People of the Book. These verses, emphasising the role of Gabriel, the characteristics of the Quran, and the consequences of disbelief and immorality, reflect the deviations of the People of the Book as a mirror. The thematic analysis of the Quran, as a key to precise comprehension of its knowledge, facilitates the dissemination of its message to global scientific centres. Critique of the current educational system and proposals such as networking and reconstruction of foundational sciences provide solutions to rescue Quranic sciences from decline and elevate them to a global level. The Holy Quran, with its thematic diversity and unparalleled aesthetics, belongs to all humanity and must be presented to the world with a scientific and global perspective.
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Verses 111 to 113 of Surah Al-Baqarah constitute a segment of the Quranic discourse addressing the Jewish people and the polytheists. These verses critically examine the claim of exclusivity regarding the Hereafter and the excessive greed of these groups for worldly life, employing a psychological and logical approach. By utilising tools derived from human psychology and logical reasoning, the verses analyse the deviant behaviours of the polytheists and reveal the truth of their beliefs. The present text synthesises and rewrites the content of the lecture and exegetical analyses, presenting these verses in a scientific and systematic framework aimed at providing a comprehensive and profound resource for specialised audiences and academic environments. The objective is to elucidate Quranic concepts using an exalted and methodical language, preserving all details and enriching the text with literary metaphors and allusions.
"And they say, 'None shall enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian.' These are their vain desires. Say, 'Produce your proof, if you should be truthful.'"
And they said: "No one will ever enter Paradise except one who is Jewish or Christian." These are their wishes. Say: If you are truthful, present your evidence.
"Say, 'Indeed, the Home of the Hereafter that is [established] with Allah exclusively for you and not for the others. Then wish for death, if you should be truthful.'"
Say: If the abode of the Hereafter is exclusively with Allah for you and not for others, then if you are truthful, wish for death.
"But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers. And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life among those who associate others with Allah. One of them wishes that he could be granted life for a thousand years, but it would not remove him in the least from the punishment that he should be granted. And Allah is Seeing of what they do."
And they will never wish for it because of what their hands have sent before [them]. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers. And indeed, you will find them the most eager of people for life; and among those who associate others with Allah, one of them would like to be granted a thousand years of life, but it would not avert him from the punishment at all. And Allah is Seeing of what they do.
These three verses form a coherent passage that, through a psychological and logical lens, critiques the claim of exclusivity to the Hereafter by the Jewish people and the excessive greed for life of the polytheists. Verse 113, with its emphasis on "the most eager of people" and "one of them wishes," highlights the psychological traits of the polytheists as if holding a mirror that reveals their inner deviations before the eyes of the audience.
The Glorious Quran, by analysing deviant behaviours such as greed, provides tools to comprehend the inner states of humans. These verses, akin to a light in the darkness of the human psyche, illuminate the hidden layers of behaviours and invite the audience to contemplate the external signs to reach the depth of inner truth. The lack of scientific awareness among Muslims has rendered this immense treasury unfamiliar to them, while non-Muslims remain deprived due to unfamiliarity with this source.
Summary of Section One
The discussed verses, with their tripartite structure, critique exclusivist claims and the excessive greed of the polytheists. Employing observational psychology, they invite the audience to discover truth through conscience. The estrangement of the Quran among Muslims results from incapacity to scientifically utilise this source, necessitating a systematic and academic approach for extracting its knowledge.
The pivotal point: The term Latajidannahum, derived from the root Wajada meaning conscience, refers to recognising inner states through outward observation and is the Quranic psychological tool for analysing human behaviours.
The root Wajada in this verse connotes a conscientious perception by which, through observing the faces and behaviours of individuals, inner states such as greed become apparent. The Glorious Quran, with Latajidannahum, invites the audience on a psychological journey to discern the depth of the polytheists deviations via external signs. This approach acts as a key unlocking the hidden locks of the human psyche, compelling the audience to perceive truth with open eyes.
The pivotal point: The Quran, by stating Latajidannahum ahrasa al-nas, offers a psychological argument in place of a direct claim, inviting the audience to verify the truth through observation.
If the Quran had merely asserted that the polytheists are the most greedy people, this claim would have been rejected by them. However, through Latajidannahum, it enables the audience themselves, via conscience and observation, to uncover this truth. This method forms a bridge linking reason and heart, obviating the need for complex experimental tools.
The pivotal point: The emphatic Lm and the heavy Nn in Latajidannahum signify the certainty and clarity of the Quranic argument, negating the necessity of complicated apparatus.
The utilisation of the emphatic Lm and heavy Nn resembles a cry emerging from the depth of truth, summoning the audience to assuredly recognise the polytheists greed. This structure demonstrates Quranic eloquence in delivering concepts with decisiveness and clarity, introducing observational psychology as an effective instrument.
Summary of Section Two
The phrase Latajidannahum and Quranic reasoning signify the depth of psychological and logical analysis in the Quran regarding human behaviours. These verses, by inviting conscience and observation, guide the audience to discover truth, while rhetorical emphases guarantee the certainty of this discovery.
The pivotal point: Greed denotes an excessive and disproportionate desire which, unlike diligence, is intrinsically blameworthy, as it transgresses the natural balance of the cosmos.
Greed is like a river that has overflown its natural banks, becoming a destructive flood. This excessive desire, in contrast to diligencewhich is a reasonable and commendable effortis inherently blameworthy due to its unnaturalness. The Quran, by using the phrase ahrasa al-nas, points to the polytheists deviation in their craving for life, contrasting it with benevolent endeavours.
The pivotal point: The objects of greed may be worthy (such as guidance and justice) or unworthy (such as worldly life), but the nature of greed remains blameworthy due to its disproportionateness.
Greed is sometimes directed towards worthy aims like guidance or justice, and sometimes towards unworthy ends like material accumulation or worldly life. This duality is akin to two branches of a single tree, one bearing sweet fruit and the other poisonous toxin. Nevertheless, the essence of greed, because it departs from natural balance, remains blameworthy.
The pivotal point: The Quran refers to greed in five instances, four of which relate to commendable objects (guidance and justice), and one to a blameworthy object (worldly life).
The references to greed in the Quran are as follows:
