Allah states that because of the injustice and transgression of the Jews, demonstrated
by committing major sins, He prohibited some of the lawful, pure things which were
previously allowed for them. This prohibition could be only that of decree, meaning
that Allah allowed the Jews to falsely interpret their Book and change and alter
the information about what was allowed for them. They thus, out of exaggeration
and extremism in the religion, prohibited some things for themselves. It could also
mean that in the Tawrah, Allah prohibited things that were allowed for them before.
Allah said,
﴿كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِـلاًّ لِّبَنِى
إِسْرَءِيلَ إِلاَّ مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَءِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ
التَّوْرَاةُ﴾
(All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Isra'il made unlawful
for himself before the Tawrah was revealed.) We mentioned this Ayah before, which
means that all types of food were allowed for the Children of Israel before the
Tawrah was revealed, except the camel's meat and milk that Isra'il prohibited for
himself. Later, Allah prohibited many things in the Tawrah. Allah said in Surat
Al-An`am (chapter 6),
﴿وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا
كُلَّ ذِى ظُفُرٍ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَآ
إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَآ أَوِ الْحَوَايَآ أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ذَلِكَ
جَزَيْنَـهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ وِإِنَّا لَصَـدِقُونَ ﴾
(And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, and
We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs
or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone. Thus We recompensed them for their
rebellion. And verily, We are Truthful.) This means, We prohibited these things
for them because they deserved it due to their transgression, injustice, defying
their Messenger and disputing with him. So Allah said;
﴿فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ
حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
كَثِيراً ﴾
(For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful to them certain good foods which
had been lawful to them, and for their hindering many from Allah's way.) This Ayah
states that they hindered themselves and others from following the truth, and this
is the behavior that they brought from the past to the present. This is why they
were and still are the enemies of the Messengers, killing many of the Prophets.
They also denied Muhammad and `Isa, peace be upon them. mAllah said,
﴿وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّبَا وَقَدْ نُهُواْ
عَنْهُ﴾
(And their taking of Riba' though they were forbidden from taking it,) Allah prohibited
them from taking Riba', yet they did so using various kinds of tricks, ploys and
cons, thus devouring people's property unjustly. Allah said,
﴿وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـفِرِينَ مِنْهُمْ
عَذَاباً أَلِيماً﴾
(And We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful torment. ) Allah
then said,
﴿لَّـكِنِ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِى الْعِلْمِ
مِنْهُمْ﴾
(But those among them who are well-grounded in knowledge...) firm in the religion
and full of beneficial knowledge. We mentioned this subject when we explained Surah
Al `Imran (3). The Ayah;
﴿وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
(and the believers...) refers to the well-grounded in knowledge;
﴿يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ﴾
(believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you;) Ibn
`Abbas said, "This Ayah was revealed concerning `Abdullah bin Salam, Tha`labah bin
Sa`yah, Zayd bin Sa`yah and Asad bin `Ubayd who embraced Islam and believed what
Allah sent Muhammad with. Allah said,
﴿وَالْمُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَوةَ﴾
(and give Zakah,) This could be referring to the obligatory charity due on one's
wealth and property, or those who purify themselves, or both. Allah knows best.
﴿وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ
الاٌّخِرِ﴾
(and believe in Allah and in the Last Day,) They believe that there is no deity
worthy of worship except Allah, believe in Resurrection after death and the reward
or punishment for the good or evil deeds. Allah's statement,
﴿أُوْلَـئِكَ﴾
(It is they,) those whom the Ayah described above,
﴿سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْراً عَظِيماً﴾
(To whom We shall give a great reward.) means Paradise.
﴿إِنَّآ أَوْحَيْنَآ
إِلَيْكَ كَمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَوْحَيْنَآ
إِلَى إِبْرَهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـعِيلَ وَإْسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالاٌّسْبَاطِ وَعِيسَى
وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ وَهَـرُونَ وَسُلَيْمَـنَ وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُوراً
- وَرُسُلاً قَدْ قَصَصْنَـهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلاً لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ
عَلَيْكَ وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيماً - رُّسُلاً مُّبَشِّرِينَ
وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ وَكَانَ
اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً ﴾
(163. Verily, We have sent the revelation to you as We sent the revelation to Nuh
and the Prophets after him; We (also) sent the revelation to Ibrahim, Isma`il, Ishaq,
Ya`qub, and Al-Asbat, (the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya`qub) `Isa, Ayyub,
Yunus, Harun, and Sulayman; and to Dawud We gave the Zabur.) (164. And Messengers
We have mentioned to you before, and Messengers We have not mentioned to you, and
to Musa Allah spoke directly.) (165. Messengers as bearers of good news and warning,
in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the (coming of) Messengers.
And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise.)
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