Allah asks, `Has not the time come for the believers to feel humility in
their hearts by the remembrance of Allah and hearing subtle advice and the
recitation of the Qur'an, so that they may comprehend the Qur'an, abide by it,
and hear and obey Muslim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "Only four
years separated our acceptance of Islam and the revelation of this Ayah, in
which Allah subtly admonished us,
[أَلَمْ يَأْنِ
لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ]
(Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be
humble for the remembrance of Allah)'' This is the narration Muslim collected,
just before the end of his book. An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith in the
Tafsir of this Ayah. Allah's statement,
[وَلاَ يَكُونُواْ
كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الاٌّمَدُ فَقَسَتْ
قُلُوبُهُمْ]
(Lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term
was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened) Allah is prohibiting
the believers from imitating those who were given the Scriptures before them,
the Jews and Christians. As time passed, they changed the Book of Allah that
they had, and sold it for a small, miserable price. They also abandoned Allah's
Book behind their back and were impressed and consumed by various opinions and
false creeds. They imitated the way others behaved with the religion of Allah,
making their rabbis and priests into gods beside Allah. Consequently, their
hearts became hard and they would not accept advice; their hearts did not feel
humbled by Allah's promises or threats,
[وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ
فَـسِقُونَ]
(And many of them were rebellious.) meaning, in action; therefore, their
hearts are corrupt and their actions are invalid, just as Allah the Exalted
said,
[فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم
مِّيثَـقَهُمْ لَعنَّـهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ
الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَضِعِهِ وَنَسُواْ حَظَّا مِّمَّا ذُكِرُواْ بِهِ]
(So, because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their
hearts grow hard. They changed the words from their (right) places and have
abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them.)(5:13) meaning,
their hearts became corrupt and they hardened, and they acquired the behavior of
changing Allah's Speech from their appropriate places and meanings. They
abandoned acts of worship that they were commanded to perform and committed what
they were prohibited to do. This is why Allah forbade the believers from
imitating them in any way, be it basic or detailed matters. Allah the Exalted
said,
[اعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ
اللَّهَ يُحْىِ الاٌّرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الاٌّيَـتِ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ]
(Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death! Indeed We have made
clear the Ayat to you, if you but understand.) This Ayah indicates that He
brings subtleness to hearts after they have become hard, guides the confused
after they were led astray, and relieves hardships after they have intensified.
And just as Allah brings life back to the dead and dry earth by sending the
needed abundant rain, He also guides the hardened hearts with the proofs and
evidences of the Qur'an. The light (of faith) would have access to the hearts
once again, after they were closed and, as a consequence, no guidance was able
to reach them. All praise is due to Him Who guides whomever He wills after they
were misguided, Who misguides those who were led aright before. Surely, it is He
Who does what He wills and He is the All-Wise, the Most Just in all that He
does, the Most Subtle, the Most Aware, the Most High, the Proud.
[إِنَّ
الْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَالْمُصَّدِّقَـتِ وَأَقْرَضُواْ اللَّهَ قَرْضاً حَسَناً
يُضَـعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ - وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِاللَّهِ
وَرُسُلِهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ وَالشُّهَدَآءُ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ
أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَآ
أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ الْجَحِيمِ ]
(18. Verily, those who give Sadaqat, men and women, and lend Allah handsome
loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit), and theirs shall be an
honorable good reward.) (19. And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers.
they are the Siddiqun (true believers) and the martyrs with their Lord. They
shall have their reward and their light. But those who disbelieve and deny Our
Ayat -- they shall be the dwellers of the blazing Fire.)