This section addresses some excuses offered by the Meccans, and asserts (again) the validity of Muhammads message.
Having just listed the components of the Straight Path, one might expect more details to follow (for instance, a definition of what v. 152 meant by "fulfill the covenant of Allah" which looks like a reference to food-laws, reminiscent of 5:1). Instead, v. 154 brings up the Torah. This is such an abrupt topic-shift that Rodwell suspected that some text went missing between v. 153 and v. 154 during the compilation of the Quran. However, the sudden mention of the Torah was probably intented to say, in effect, "That was the Straight Path; see the Torah for the details." The text affirms that the Torah was given to explain things in detail and to guide people.
Verse 155, echoing 6:92 somewhat, endorses Muhammads recitations. In the following verses Muhammad cites some statements of the Meccans: (1) we cant be blamed since revelation was only given to the Jews and Christians, (2) We would have outdone the Jews and Christians if only we had a holy book, and (3) we won't believe your recitations because no confirming signs accompany them. Muhammad's replies are that (1) the Meccans no longer have any excuse, because now revelation is given to them, and (2) now they have a book (at least, a series of recitations which were written down, even though the Quran was not published as a book during Muhammads lifetime), and (3) the sign-seekers have demanded signs which will be, when given, portents of the immediacy of the end of the world, by which point it will not profit a person to believe.
(Theres not much reason to doubt that Muhammad encountered these excuses. If the Christians of Arabia had spread the gospel more enthusiastically and openly, without prejudice, there would have been no grounds for their first two excuses. It should be emphasized that the tone of v. 158 totally opposes the attribution of miracles to Muhammad, such as the story of the splitting of the moon in Bukhari 4:830-832).
Verse 159 instructs Muslims to have nothing to do with those who cause divisions in their religious communities. At the Sunni site at www.allaahuakbar.net/scholars/musa_nasr.htm one may read a short Islamic essay about schisms within Islam, in which this verse is used to support the rejection of non-orthodox forms of Islam and their advocates. (In a side-bar one can access descriptions of some of the groups which the Sunni Muslims regard as non-Muslim and/or non-orthodox -- Shi'ite, Ahmadiyya, Nation of Islam, Khalifites, etc. The www.submission.org site appears to be a Khalifite site, btw.) Those who apply 6:159 in that way see it as a prophecy, since at the time there were no open divisions within the Islamic community. It would not be amazing for Muhammad to observe the divisions within Judaism and Christianity and warn his followers against the same sort of thing; however, I think that the primary meaning of the verse, when given, was to warn Muhammad's followers to avoid non-Muslim sectarians. (Taken in this sense, the verse reinforces v. 153's command against following other paths. See also 30:32.)
A hadith about divisions within the Islamic Ummah has been recorded in varying forms. Based on Abu Dawud (3:4579-4580 English edition), Tirmidhi, and others, the hadith goes like this: Muhammad said, "The Jews were divided into 71 sects. One sect will enter Paradise and 70 will enter hell. The Christians of old-times were divided into 72 sects. One sect will enter Paradise and 71 will enter hell. By Him in whose hand is my soul [i.e., Allah], this community will divide into 73 sects. Seventy-two sects will enter hell, and one will enter Paradise." Someone asked, "Which one?" One version of the hadith says that Muhammad replied, "The main group," but another version says that Muhammad said, "The group that follows the path that I and my companions are on." Some Muslims, recognizing the rather harsh implications of this hadith, have developed the idea that although the members of 72 out of 73 Islamic sects will enter hell, they will remain there for a limited time, as a sort of purgatory, until the shortcomings of their unorthodoxy are purged away.
Verse 160 illustrates the Islamic system of how to be saved: in judgment, good deeds are put on one side of a balance, and bad deeds are put on the other side. But the good deeds of Muslims are assigned a weight ten times greater than the good deed is worth, while the weight of their bad deeds is unchanged. Thus salvation depends on good works (inasmuch as one has to present some good works) but also on the kindness of Allah (inasmuch as Allah multiplies the value of the Muslims good works because of His kindness, not because of the Muslims worthiness). Elsewhere the Quran mentions some good works which are said to be assigned much greater value.
Verses 161-165 could be called "Muhammad's testimony" -- a final word to the Meccans as he resolved to leave them. The text endorses Muhammad's prophethood and describes his religion as a restoration of the religion of Abraham. Verse 162 is an eloquent self-dedication, slightly reminiscent of Romans 14:8 and Colossians 3:17. In verse 163 Muhammad describes himself as "the first of the Muslims" -- which is elsewhere supposed to have been a description of Abraham (in 2:130-131, for example). Then the text repeats the points that there is only one God (Allah), and "no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" (echoing, again, Psalm 49:7). Possibly this subtly alludes to the Meccans' vain hopes that their special treatment of some camels (bearers of burdens) would alleviate the camels' ex-owners' burdens of sin. Finally, Muhammad describes the Meccans -- some of them are of a different quality than others (the implication, it seems, is that some were entrenched in idolatry, some were mildly committed to idolatry, and some were interested in Islam but could not pursue their interest because they were slaves, minors, or pressured by idolaters not to do so), but Allah will sort everything out, either in retribution or in mercy.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
Having just listed the components of the Straight Path, one might expect more details to follow (for instance, a definition of what v. 152 meant by "fulfill the covenant of Allah" which looks like a reference to food-laws, reminiscent of 5:1). Instead, v. 154 brings up the Torah. This is such an abrupt topic-shift that Rodwell suspected that some text went missing between v. 153 and v. 154 during the compilation of the Quran. However, the sudden mention of the Torah was probably intented to say, in effect, "That was the Straight Path; see the Torah for the details." The text affirms that the Torah was given to explain things in detail and to guide people.
Verse 155, echoing 6:92 somewhat, endorses Muhammads recitations. In the following verses Muhammad cites some statements of the Meccans: (1) we cant be blamed since revelation was only given to the Jews and Christians, (2) We would have outdone the Jews and Christians if only we had a holy book, and (3) we won't believe your recitations because no confirming signs accompany them. Muhammad's replies are that (1) the Meccans no longer have any excuse, because now revelation is given to them, and (2) now they have a book (at least, a series of recitations which were written down, even though the Quran was not published as a book during Muhammads lifetime), and (3) the sign-seekers have demanded signs which will be, when given, portents of the immediacy of the end of the world, by which point it will not profit a person to believe.
(Theres not much reason to doubt that Muhammad encountered these excuses. If the Christians of Arabia had spread the gospel more enthusiastically and openly, without prejudice, there would have been no grounds for their first two excuses. It should be emphasized that the tone of v. 158 totally opposes the attribution of miracles to Muhammad, such as the story of the splitting of the moon in Bukhari 4:830-832).
Verse 159 instructs Muslims to have nothing to do with those who cause divisions in their religious communities. At the Sunni site at www.allaahuakbar.net/scholars/musa_nasr.htm one may read a short Islamic essay about schisms within Islam, in which this verse is used to support the rejection of non-orthodox forms of Islam and their advocates. (In a side-bar one can access descriptions of some of the groups which the Sunni Muslims regard as non-Muslim and/or non-orthodox -- Shi'ite, Ahmadiyya, Nation of Islam, Khalifites, etc. The www.submission.org site appears to be a Khalifite site, btw.) Those who apply 6:159 in that way see it as a prophecy, since at the time there were no open divisions within the Islamic community. It would not be amazing for Muhammad to observe the divisions within Judaism and Christianity and warn his followers against the same sort of thing; however, I think that the primary meaning of the verse, when given, was to warn Muhammad's followers to avoid non-Muslim sectarians. (Taken in this sense, the verse reinforces v. 153's command against following other paths. See also 30:32.)
A hadith about divisions within the Islamic Ummah has been recorded in varying forms. Based on Abu Dawud (3:4579-4580 English edition), Tirmidhi, and others, the hadith goes like this: Muhammad said, "The Jews were divided into 71 sects. One sect will enter Paradise and 70 will enter hell. The Christians of old-times were divided into 72 sects. One sect will enter Paradise and 71 will enter hell. By Him in whose hand is my soul [i.e., Allah], this community will divide into 73 sects. Seventy-two sects will enter hell, and one will enter Paradise." Someone asked, "Which one?" One version of the hadith says that Muhammad replied, "The main group," but another version says that Muhammad said, "The group that follows the path that I and my companions are on." Some Muslims, recognizing the rather harsh implications of this hadith, have developed the idea that although the members of 72 out of 73 Islamic sects will enter hell, they will remain there for a limited time, as a sort of purgatory, until the shortcomings of their unorthodoxy are purged away.
Verse 160 illustrates the Islamic system of how to be saved: in judgment, good deeds are put on one side of a balance, and bad deeds are put on the other side. But the good deeds of Muslims are assigned a weight ten times greater than the good deed is worth, while the weight of their bad deeds is unchanged. Thus salvation depends on good works (inasmuch as one has to present some good works) but also on the kindness of Allah (inasmuch as Allah multiplies the value of the Muslims good works because of His kindness, not because of the Muslims worthiness). Elsewhere the Quran mentions some good works which are said to be assigned much greater value.
Verses 161-165 could be called "Muhammad's testimony" -- a final word to the Meccans as he resolved to leave them. The text endorses Muhammad's prophethood and describes his religion as a restoration of the religion of Abraham. Verse 162 is an eloquent self-dedication, slightly reminiscent of Romans 14:8 and Colossians 3:17. In verse 163 Muhammad describes himself as "the first of the Muslims" -- which is elsewhere supposed to have been a description of Abraham (in 2:130-131, for example). Then the text repeats the points that there is only one God (Allah), and "no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" (echoing, again, Psalm 49:7). Possibly this subtly alludes to the Meccans' vain hopes that their special treatment of some camels (bearers of burdens) would alleviate the camels' ex-owners' burdens of sin. Finally, Muhammad describes the Meccans -- some of them are of a different quality than others (the implication, it seems, is that some were entrenched in idolatry, some were mildly committed to idolatry, and some were interested in Islam but could not pursue their interest because they were slaves, minors, or pressured by idolaters not to do so), but Allah will sort everything out, either in retribution or in mercy.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
