A couple of terms in verse 43 require some explanation: "Janaba" is a state of sexual impurity, similar to what is described in Leviticus 15:16. As in Leviticus 15:16, the remedy for this involves washing. But what if one has no water handy? Then one may perform "Tayammum" a rite which involves putting ones hands on the earth (not just any earth, but "clean earth"), rubbing dirt onto the back of ones hands, blowing the dust off of them, and then rubbing dirt on ones forehead or face.
A Hadith in Sahih-Bukhari (Vol. 7, Book 72, #770) provides the background for verse 43: Aisha related that one day, as a group was traveling with Muhammad in an area with no oasis nearby, she realized that she had lost her necklace. A search commenced to find it. This caused them to be delayed, and prayer-time arrived, but they had no water with which to perform pre-prayer washings. Abu Bakr chided Aisha (his daughter) for causing such a thing to occur. The next morning, "Allah revealed the Divine Verse of Tayammum." (Aisha also noted that her necklace was found.)
Since this was not the same setting in which the first part of this surah was given, it is evident that this surah consists of different "revelations" given at different times. (Its because of this sort of thing that a chronological arrangement of surah-sections, rather than of whole surahs, would be the ideal way to arrange the text for historical study.)
Although this verse may seem straightforward enough, it has elicited a pile of regulations (for some examples see www.al-islam.org/laws/tayammum.html ).
Then the text criticizes the People of the Book. The original targets of this criticism were probably mainly Jews living in and near Medina. Verse 46 repeats the gist of 2:104 the Jews should stop using word-play (the "Raina" pun is mentioned again) to insult Muhammad.
Verse 47 presents Allah telling the People of the Book that if they do not believe what Allah has revealed (i.e., Muhammads message), Allah will "efface faces and turn them hindward, or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers." The idea is that Jews who refuse to become Muslims will be rendered faceless, or be turned into apes. This is quite a departure from the sentiment of 2:62 and 5:69. (Ive noticed that another rendering promoted by the Ahmadiyya sect warns that Allah will destroy leaders and place them on their backs, rather than remove peoples faces. Perhaps the picture of Allah twisting someones head around seemed too vivid to a translator.)
Those who "set up partners" with Allah are said in verse 48 to have committed a sin which Allah does not forgive. Islamic interprets tend to qualify this, explaining that this verse is only saying that a person who commits this sin ("shirk") without repenting will not be forgiven.
The text goes on to describe those who reject Muhammad and his message as selfish, dishonest, miserly, hell-bound, and generally despicable. Verse 51 seems to allude to some Jews who expressed their view that idol-worshippers were closer to the truth than Muslims. The response to their claim: those Jews are under the curse of Allah. Verse 56 describes hell-fire with particular vividness: "As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment." (A similar thought is expressed in 20:19-22.) This suggests that Muhammad intended for his listeners to understand his descriptions of the sufferings of hell, and of the pleasures of heaven, literally and not metaphorically.
Verse 57 echoes 2:25s promise of pure wives in Paradise.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A Hadith in Sahih-Bukhari (Vol. 7, Book 72, #770) provides the background for verse 43: Aisha related that one day, as a group was traveling with Muhammad in an area with no oasis nearby, she realized that she had lost her necklace. A search commenced to find it. This caused them to be delayed, and prayer-time arrived, but they had no water with which to perform pre-prayer washings. Abu Bakr chided Aisha (his daughter) for causing such a thing to occur. The next morning, "Allah revealed the Divine Verse of Tayammum." (Aisha also noted that her necklace was found.)
Since this was not the same setting in which the first part of this surah was given, it is evident that this surah consists of different "revelations" given at different times. (Its because of this sort of thing that a chronological arrangement of surah-sections, rather than of whole surahs, would be the ideal way to arrange the text for historical study.)
Although this verse may seem straightforward enough, it has elicited a pile of regulations (for some examples see www.al-islam.org/laws/tayammum.html ).
Then the text criticizes the People of the Book. The original targets of this criticism were probably mainly Jews living in and near Medina. Verse 46 repeats the gist of 2:104 the Jews should stop using word-play (the "Raina" pun is mentioned again) to insult Muhammad.
Verse 47 presents Allah telling the People of the Book that if they do not believe what Allah has revealed (i.e., Muhammads message), Allah will "efface faces and turn them hindward, or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers." The idea is that Jews who refuse to become Muslims will be rendered faceless, or be turned into apes. This is quite a departure from the sentiment of 2:62 and 5:69. (Ive noticed that another rendering promoted by the Ahmadiyya sect warns that Allah will destroy leaders and place them on their backs, rather than remove peoples faces. Perhaps the picture of Allah twisting someones head around seemed too vivid to a translator.)
Those who "set up partners" with Allah are said in verse 48 to have committed a sin which Allah does not forgive. Islamic interprets tend to qualify this, explaining that this verse is only saying that a person who commits this sin ("shirk") without repenting will not be forgiven.
The text goes on to describe those who reject Muhammad and his message as selfish, dishonest, miserly, hell-bound, and generally despicable. Verse 51 seems to allude to some Jews who expressed their view that idol-worshippers were closer to the truth than Muslims. The response to their claim: those Jews are under the curse of Allah. Verse 56 describes hell-fire with particular vividness: "As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment." (A similar thought is expressed in 20:19-22.) This suggests that Muhammad intended for his listeners to understand his descriptions of the sufferings of hell, and of the pleasures of heaven, literally and not metaphorically.
Verse 57 echoes 2:25s promise of pure wives in Paradise.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
