Surah Al-Ma'idah, one of the final chapters revealed to the heart of the Noble Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him), shines like a brilliant lamp, guiding the Ummah along the path of regulating religious and social relations. This Surah, by elucidating legal, ethical, and rational injunctions, provides a comprehensive framework for a faithful life. Verse twelve of this Surah, which is the focus of the present discourse, centres on the Divine covenant with the Children of Israel, outlining their duties and the consequences of breaching the covenant. Like a clear mirror, it portrays the relationship between obedience and felicity, as well as defiance and misguidance. This treatise undertakes a profound and analytical exploration of the meanings and messages of this verse, linking preceding and succeeding verses to delineate a coherent system of Divine guidance.
Verses ten and eleven of Surah Al-Ma'idah serve as a gateway to verse twelve, preparing the ground for the exposition of the Divine covenant with the Children of Israel. Verse ten issues a stern warning to the disbelievers and deniers of Divine signs, presenting an ultimatum and recalling the dire outcome of ingratitude. Verse eleven, addressed to the believers, reminds them of Divine blessings and emphatically underscores the necessity of steadfast faith through a threatening tone. These two verses, like two wings, provide a prelude to the fate of the People of the Book depicted in verse twelve and stand as a warning for all nations.
Verse eleven, by recalling Divine favours to the believers, acts as a gentle breeze stirring the branches of the tree of faith, urging them to steadfastness. Implicit within this verse is a threat: if the believers stray from the path of faith, like the People of the Book, they will suffer a calamitous fate. This warning, akin to a clarion call, establishes a profound connection with verse twelve, which alludes to the misguidance of the Children of Israel due to disobedience.
وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا ۖ وَقَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ ۖ لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ وَآمَنْتُمْ بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۚ فَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ
Indeed, Allah took the covenant of the Children of Israel and raised from among them twelve leaders. Allah said, Indeed, I am with you. If you establish prayer, give zakh, believe in My messengers, support them, and loan Allah a goodly loan, I will surely remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow. But whoever disbelieves thereafter from among you then indeed, he has strayed from the soundness of the way.
The phrase وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ (Indeed, Allah took the covenant of the Children of Israel) acts as a golden key, unlocking the understanding of the relationship between God and the people of Israel. The covenant is a Divine pact that obliges the community to fulfil religious and ethical duties. This commitment, like a firm rope, binds the Children of Israel to obedience to the Lord and adherence to Divine guidance. The covenant signifies the responsibility borne by the people before God, as if God, through this pact, summons them towards the pinnacles of felicity.
The phrase وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا refers to the appointment of twelve leaders from among the Children of Israel. The word نقيب, derived from the root نقب, meaning to search or investigate, denotes righteous and guiding individuals who, like beacons in the dark night, directed the people towards the light of guidance. These leaders were selected corresponding to the tribal structure of the Children of Israel, divided into twelve families or tribes. Each leader, akin to a helmsman for his tribe, bore the responsibility of leadership and supervision.
Although not prophets, the leaders resembled stars in the sky of guidance, occupying a rank close to that of the prophets. They were successors to the prophets, charged with the governance and service of the people. Unlike tyrannical rulers who await supplications in their palaces, these leaders acted as itinerant healers, hastening to the people with their knowledge and wisdom. This characteristic recalls the prophetic description of the Messenger as a travelling physician by his knowledge, who heals the people with his wisdom.
In Islamic culture, leadership and governance must be just. Certain traditions, such as لابد للناس من أمير (People must have a leader), underscore the necessity of a ruler, but such governance must be based on justice, not corruption or immorality. The leaders, as just supervisors, represented this exemplary governance. Unlike colonial systems that convert power into an instrument of domination, these leaders employed intellect, prudence, and experience to guide the people towards goodness and well-being. This perspective, like a mirror, reveals the flaws of despotic regimes and emphasises self-governance grounded in reason and wisdom.
The phrase إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ (Indeed, I am with you) conveys a heavenly glad tidings about God's accompaniment of the Children of Israel. This presence not only indicates Divine support and care but is conditional upon the community's adherence to their duties. God, like a benevolent father, promises to be with His people at every step, provided they walk the path of obedience.
Verse twelve enumerates five fundamental duties for the Children of Israel, which, like five pillars, establish the edifice of felicity:
Zakh is a communal almsgiving for wealth redistribution, whereas the goodly loan is a targeted flow of assistance directed towards the prophets, leaders, and the needy. Unlike usurious loans, which impose hardship, the goodly loan is a benevolent loan that unties the difficulties of creation. This distinction, like two branches of the same tree, illustrates the comprehensiveness of the Islamic system of charity.
In response to fulfilling the five duties, God grants two great promises: the forgiveness of sins (لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ) and entry into gardens beneath which rivers flow (لَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ). These promises, like two brilliant gems, depict the reward of obedience. The forgiveness of sins is akin to a purifying rain that cleanses the heart of defilements, and Paradise, a verdant garden, is the ultimate destination of the faithful.
The phrase فَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ serves as a warning against disbelief following the covenant. In this verse, disbelief signifies ingratitude and rebellion against the Divine pact, likened to losing ones way in an endless desert, diverting the people from the right path. Such misguidance is the inevitable consequence of breaching the covenant and disobedience, which led the Children of Israel to a calamitous fate.
Gods method with all nations, from Jews and Christians to Muslims, is like a single sun shining upon all. The Holy Qur'an emphasises this uniformity, stipulating obedience as the condition for felicity and disobedience as the path to misguidance. The Children of Israel, Jews, Christians, and even some Muslims, due to denial or hypocrisy, deviated from this path. Only a few, like shining stars in the sky, aligned with God and attained felicity.
Despite receiving the Divine covenant and the appointment of leaders, the Children of Israel were negligent in fulfilling their duties. Some paid zakh but withheld the goodly loan; some believed in the prophets but failed to support them. These acts of disobedience cast a dark shadow, depriving them of the light of guidance. The Qur'an, referring to another verse (لا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ), regards disrespect towards the prophets as a sign of ingratitude and covenant violation.
