Verse 64 of Surah Al-Midah, like a celestial light, unveils the erroneous beliefs and intellectual deviations of certain Jews in the face of the boundless power of God. This verse, with clear and decisive wording, refutes the claim of limitation in Divine power and underscores the infinite grandeur and generosity of the Lord. In this treatise, relying on exegetical lectures and profound analyses, the meanings of this verse and its ethical, social, and religious consequences are explored. The aim is to present the lofty Quranic concepts in a coherent and scholarly framework with a clear and dignified language, inviting the reader to contemplate the Divine order, the ramifications of disbelief and rebellion, and the necessity of unity and tolerance within the religious community.
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ يَدُ اللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ ۚ غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا بِمَا قَالُوا ۘ بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنْفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا ۚ وَأَلْقَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ كُلَّمَا أَوْقَدُوا نَارًا لِلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ ۚ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا ۚ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
The Jews said: The hand of God is chained. Their own hands are chained, and they have been cursed for what they said. Rather, both His hands are extended; He spends how He wills. And indeed, many of them will increase in transgression and disbelief because of what has been revealed to you from your Lord. And We have cast enmity and hatred among them until the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God extinguishes it. They strive throughout the land to cause corruption, and God does not love the corrupters.
The Holy Quran, in this verse, decisively critiques the assertion of some Jews who said: يَدُ اللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ (The hand of God is chained). This claim, rooted in arrogance and religious prejudice, confines Divine power and considers the implementation of the new Shariah law as ineffectual. The term مَغْلُولَةٌ, meaning shackled or constrained, is a metaphor that connotes limitation and incapacity. This belief not only denies the boundless power of God but also signifies the rejection of new revelation and an ethnocentric superiority that regards themselves as the axis of Divine guidance.
In opposition to this erroneous claim, the Quran responds with a forceful expression: غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا بِمَا قَالُوا (Their own hands are chained, and they have been cursed for what they said). This response not only refutes their assertion but also imposes Divine curse upon them. The curse, like a decisive arrow from the Lord, signifies severance of spiritual connection with Divine mercy. This punishment is inflicted due to their falsehood and denial of Gods power, symbolically binding their own hands, which represent power and capability.
This section of verse 64 of Surah Al-Midah, through explicit critique of the erroneous beliefs of the Jews, emphasises the grandeur and infinitude of Divine power. The claim of limitation of God's hand is rooted in prejudice and arrogance, which is met with a forceful Divine response and curse upon the claimants. These verses invite the reader to reflect on the magnificence of the Lord and to avoid deviant beliefs so that the heart and mind are freed from the shackles of prejudice.
The Holy Quran, rejecting the Jewish claim, declares: بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ (Rather, both His hands are extended). This phrase, with emphasis on the two Divine hands, portrays the boundless generosity and unlimited capability of the Lord. The metaphor of يَدَاهُ (His two hands) is like an open gate to Divine mercy and grace, indicating His limitless power in managing the affairs of the universe. Contrary to the Jewish belief that considered God limited, this verse underscores the expansiveness and vastness of Divine bounty.
The phrase يُنْفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ (He spends how He wills) indicates the systematic nature of Divine giving. Contrary to some interpretations that construe this as arbitrary will, Divine expenditure occurs based on wisdom, reason, and human free will. The Lord, like a wise gardener, distributes His blessings according to the merit and performance of human beings. This systematic nature answers questions concerning why God does not prevent wars and calamities; because humans, endowed with intellect and free will, bear responsibility for choosing the path of felicity or wretchedness.
This section of the verse, by emphasising the expansiveness of the Divine hands and the systematic nature of the Lords giving, provides a clear image of Divine power and wisdom. Human beings, like travellers on the path of creation, are responsible for choosing the way of felicity with their free will and intellect. These verses invite us to reflect on Divine wisdom and to avoid unfounded prejudices about the power of the Lord.
The Holy Quran states: وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا (And indeed, many of them will increase in transgression and disbelief because of what has been revealed to you from your Lord). This phrase refers to the impact of Divine revelation on a group of Jews who, instead of guidance, due to prejudice and denial, submerged themselves deeper in their rebellion and disbelief. Revelation, like a clear mirror, unveils the inner truth of the human soul; those whose hearts are filled with bigotry escalate in disobedience and defiance before its light.
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