Teachings and Commentary
When the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam started giving people the message of Islam and reciting to them the verses of the Qur-aan that were revealed to him, as he was commanded to do in Al-‘Alaq, there were two distinct groups of people who refused to believe in him. One group was that of the Jews and Christians who claimed to believe in one God and in the Books revealed to the previous prophets. They were proud to have the Book from God; hence they were called the People with the Book. The second group was that of people who thought that they were following the ways of Ibraaheem ‘alayhissalaam, but believed in many gods who were supposed to be assistants of the Creator. They had no book to guide them and because of their belief in many gods, they were called Polytheists or idolaters. One thing in common between both the people with the Book (the Jews and Christians) and the polytheists was their disbelief in the revelation of the Qur-aan to the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. They did not want to rely on the claim of the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that he was receiving the revelation from Allaah. Both of the groups wanted to see clear evidence that would leave no doubt about the authenticity of the message being from Allaah SUbhaanahu wa Ta’aala. To them, this clear evidence looked like an angel of Allaah appearing to people reciting pre-written scriptures, unadulterated by any creature.
1:Those who have disbelieved from among the People with the Book and the Polytheists are not going to give up their stance until there should come to them Clear Evidence --
2:A messenger from Allaah, reciting pure scriptures 3:which contain valid and straight teachings.
Their desire for such an experience has been mentioned in other places in the Qur-aan as well. For example, in one of the earliest Soorahs, Al-Mudaththir 74:52, we have been told:
“Yet every one of them wants to be given scriptures all spread out.”
Soorah An-Nisaa 4:135 mentions:
“People with the Book demand that a book to be sent down to them directly.”
The clear evidence in their stance had three attributes:
§ A messenger from Allaah -- something like an angel who descends from heaven, not a person who is born and raised among them as an ordinary human being, and then suddenly claims to be a messenger of Allaah.
§ A written message, the purity of which is established beyond doubt to be written by Allaah, without human interference;
§ A valid and straight message that is immediately evident to everyone to be sensible, clear and valid, leaving no room for difference of opinion, arguments or misinterpretation.
The truth of the matter is that a book revealed exactly in the manner they are demanding would still fail to satisfy them and convince them to believe in its message. When people do not want to change their ways or stance, they can find many excuses to reject the best and most convincing evidence: Appearance of an angel can be discounted as magic; written message can be rejected as forgery; and the most clear and valid statement can be misinterpreted and disputed in multiple ways. The truth of the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s claim is absolutely evident to any sincere, open-minded and objectively rational person; while no evidence can convince those who do not want to find the truth.
A look at the history of the People with the Book provides ample proof that when people do not want to accept the truth, no evidence helps; and when they do not want to follow the guidance sent to them, even the clear, straightforward and very basic commands cause disputes and frictions. The Jews saw a series of miracles including their safe passage through the sea, even then they ended up worshipping the statue of a calf right after witnessing those miracles. They were given the Book written in stone slates, but it did not save them from disputes and rejections of the Islamic teachings. ‘Eesa ‘alayhissalaam was sent to them as a very clear evidence from the day he was born to the day he was raised. His fatherless conception, his talking as a new born baby, his astounding miracles, everything clearly indicated that he was a special messenger of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, but even he was rejected. In fact the greatest disputes and splits among the People with the Book occurred after his advent.
4:The fact is that those who were given the Book created disputes only after the clear evidence had come to them. 5And they were commanded only to serve Allaah like slaves, making submission exclusive for Him sincerely, and to establish Ŝalaah and to pay Zakaah; and this is the valid and straight Deen.
Even the teachings of Deen taught to them were so clear, so straightforward and so concise, but they could act upon them or remain united. The Jews complicated them so much with their additional rules and regulations and their hair-splitting Fiqh pronouncements that the simple teachings of the Deen were completely lost and forgotten. The Christians abandoned this simple Deen altogether and concocted a new religion deifying ‘Eesa, instead of exclusive submission to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. Now the same simple, straightforward and concise Deen that was taught to them in the past is being presented by the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam once again in its pure form. So if they really desire valid and straight teachings as per verse 3, that is what the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is inviting them to. Here, the simplicity of Deen has been indicated by it three critical components without any of which Deen is completely lost:
§ Making all decisions of life in submission and obedience to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala exclusively and sincerely;
§ Establishing Salaah as the pillar on the basis of which collective social and political life of the community is to be built; and
§ Paying Zakaah on the basis of which the whole economic structure and philosophy of the Muslim society is to be structured.
Thus if they do not accept the Deen as the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is inviting them to, they will have no salvation in the Hereafter. For those who want to succeed in this world and attain salvation in the Hereafter, believing in the Prophet and the Qur-aan is not an option. Anyone who refuses to believe in them will be punished in the fire of hell. If they want to attain the pleasure of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and be happy with what they see in the Hereafter, they must believe in the message that is being revealed in the Qur-aan and live by it. There is no other way to attain success, Allaah’s pleasure and salvation. They cannot continue to live according to their old beliefs and ways.
6Certainly, those who have disbelieved from among the People with the Book and the Polytheists will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein forever. They are the worst of creatures. 7While those who have believed and are doing good deeds, they are the best of creatures. 8Their reward with their Lord will be eternal gardens beneath which rivers flow; they will dwell therein eternally forever, Allaah being well pleased with them and they with Him. That is for whoever fears his Lord.
The labelling of the disbelievers as “the worst of creatures” and calling the believers who live their lives according to Islamic teachings as “the best of creatures” is another way of reiterating the point made in Soorah At-Teen while describing human potential to be “the most excellent of the forms” which can conversely become “the lowest of the low”.
Verse 8 gives a vivid picture of the ultimate success that every one should strive for. Only those persons can attain this ultimate success who live in this world in such way that they are afraid of adopting any behaviour that displeases Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.
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