Despite some sustained tangents, this section focuses on the "People of the Book." That phrase is used to refer to the Jews and so-called Christians of Arabia people who appealed to authoritative Scriptures. Here it refers especially to the Christians in Arabia and some points are specifically descriptive of the Christian visitors from Najrun who made a treaty with Muhammad at Medina.
The text opens by telling the People of the Book to affirm that Muhammads group is a group of Muslims i.e., they submit only to Allah. Abraham is described as the prototypical Muslim "neither a Jew nor a Christian," in v. 67.
In the sense that Abraham did not follow the Law of Moses, and was never baptized into Christ, it is true that Abraham was not a Jew or a Christian. But was Abraham ever a Muslim? The Quran says he was. But what makes a Muslim a Muslim? Doesnt one have to say "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah," and pay the zakat-tax, and perform five daily prayers (which consist largely of recitations from the Quran) and go on a pilgrimage to Mecca (which involves re-enacting the running-around of Hagar, among other things), and observe the fast of Ramadan? Do Muslims really believe that Abraham recited his prayers from the Quran five times a day? Do Muslims really believe that Abraham ever said, "Muhammad is the prophet of Islam?" I think the most that can be said for v. 67 is that Abraham can be gegarded as someone who affirmed that there is one God, and who submitted his life to Him (however, Abraham married his half-sister -- is that okay in Islam?).
Abraham is also someone who, when visited in Genesis 18, "bowed himself to the ground" when God appeared to Him in a visible form, and repeatedly called Him "Lord" while talking with Him in His visible form. The example of Abraham provides a precedent, not an objection, for the worship and submission of oneself to Gods perfect visible image. In 3:95, Muslims are commanded to follow the religion of Abraham. Logically, then, it would seem that Muslims are commanded to be prepared to do what Abraham did if they ever face the perfect visible image of God.
Verse 70 charges the People of the Book with disbelieving the verses of Allah. This statement, or its equivalent, is repeated again and again (in v. 81, etc.). The underlying idea is that the People of the Book know that their Scriptures endorse Muhammad but they refuse to acknowledge this.
Verse 73 bluntly tells Muslims "Believe no one except the one who follows your religion." On one hand, one could say that this is a natural thing to say one could interpret it as a corollary of the idea that Islam is the one true. On the other hand, it looks like this verse makes objective argumentation between Muslims and non-Muslims superfluous.
Verse 75 mentions two individuals among the People of the Book one is a trustworthy money-manager; the other borrows a single coin and tries to avoid paying it back. The mention of these two different historical characters is a prelude to a theme that is expanded on later in the surah: some People of the Book are good and straightforward, and some are dishonest. Some (v. 78 claims) "distort the book with their tongues." This might be a reference to Jews custom of substituting the Divine Name with "Adonai" when reading the text in public. Verse 80 may be about something similar: "Nor would he [i.e., a truth-teller] order you to take angels and prophets for lords." Probably here we are observing the effects of differences in semantics: the Jews and Christians regularly referred to God, angels, prophets, and highly-esteemed individuals as "Lords" using the term "rabb" to denote respect (as in the term "rabbi"). But Muhammad spoke Arabic, and he emphasized that he was not trained in languages. Muhammad probably thought that using "Rabb" to refer to entities other than Allah was blasphemous.
Verse 84 repeats 2:136 (and here the text starts to get even more repetitive than usual). Then comes a pivotal verse (v. 85): "Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the hereafter he will be one of the losers." As I mentioned earlier, this verse is interpreted to abrogate verses such as 2:62 ("Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians and Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the last day and does righteous deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, neither shall they grieve"). It also seems to collides with material that is contained a bit later /in this surah/ (in verses 113-115)!
Verses 87-89 basically repeat 2:160-162 (slightly shuffled). Then the text describes the terrible fate of unbelievers.
Verse 93 notes that "All food was lawful to the children of Israel, except what Israel made unlawful for himself before the Taurat [Torah]." This subject will come up again later, when the Quran examines the question of food-laws.
Then the text turns, momentarily, to the subject of Mecca named as Bakkah, which is probably why Psalm 84:6s reference to the "valley of Baca" is identified by Muslim interpreters as an allusion to Mecca. The shrine at Mecca is described as "The first temple [or, house of worship] appointed for mankind." The Kaaba-shrine is said to be full of plain signs, and "Hajj to the House [the Kaaba] is a duty that mankind owes to Allah." Since this was, it seems, proclaimed by Muhammad in Medina, at which point the Kaaba was still filled with idols, its likely that quite a few People of the Book disputed this claim.
In v. 100-105 the text warns Muslims that they will become unbelievers if they obey the People of the Book they should simply get a good grip on the Rope of Allah and keep on reciting Allahs message, and stay united as one community. And those who divide will receive torment (this is the Qurans usual description of damnation in hell). This command for unity was not an easy one for the various tribes Muhammad was attempting to join together in Medina. A relevant Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (in At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Aby Dawud) says, "This nation [the community of Islam] will be divided into seventy-three sects all in hell, except one, and that one is the one on which I and my companions are today."
Then the Day of Judgment is described: "Some faces will become white, and some faces will become black." This motif comes up again elsewhere. This is not racist; the imagery is only symbolic the white faces are the saved; the black faces are the damned.
Then, as if summing up, v. 108 reassures Muhammads listeners (like v. 62) that these are the true words of Allah. (It occurs to me that these sporadic self-endorsements are slightly reminiscent of Revelation 21:5.) But the same topic continues. Verse 110 says that among the non-Muslims are "some who have faith." This may refer to the inhabitants of Najrun, who, when they met with Muhammad and he invited them to submit to Allah, replied that they already had.
Verse 112 is interesting and it may support the idea that Muhammad, after making his treaty with Najrun, had second thoughts about it. It says, "Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah, and from men." This is reinforced: "They have drawn on themselves the wrath of All, and destruction is put over them." Muhammad was careful not to reverse himself about the inhabitants of Najrun, but he seems to have been just as careful to make it clear that his treaty with Najrun did not change his general approach to the People of the Book.
Some People of the Book, as described in verses 113-115, will be accepted by Allah: they recite Scripture at night, they believe in Allah and the last day, they promote justice, they forbid sin, and they do good works. The Quran explicitly says here that such people "are among the righteous." But the very next verse says that those who reject Muhammad will dwell in the fire (i.e., hell).
Verse 118 commands Muslims (yet again!) not to take the People of the Book as friends, since "they will do their best to corrupt you." The text goes on a bit, describing the treacherousness of the enemies of Islam they profess agreement in public, but in private "They bit the tips of their fingers at you in rage." In regard to them, the text instructs Muhammad to say, "Perish in your rage."
Verse 120 says that if the Muslims remain patient and pious, their cunning will not do you the least harm."
Then the subject abruptly shifts to the Battle of Uhud at which the Muslim army was defeated, Muhammad was wounded in the face, and his uncle Hamza was killed, along with others.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
The text opens by telling the People of the Book to affirm that Muhammads group is a group of Muslims i.e., they submit only to Allah. Abraham is described as the prototypical Muslim "neither a Jew nor a Christian," in v. 67.
In the sense that Abraham did not follow the Law of Moses, and was never baptized into Christ, it is true that Abraham was not a Jew or a Christian. But was Abraham ever a Muslim? The Quran says he was. But what makes a Muslim a Muslim? Doesnt one have to say "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah," and pay the zakat-tax, and perform five daily prayers (which consist largely of recitations from the Quran) and go on a pilgrimage to Mecca (which involves re-enacting the running-around of Hagar, among other things), and observe the fast of Ramadan? Do Muslims really believe that Abraham recited his prayers from the Quran five times a day? Do Muslims really believe that Abraham ever said, "Muhammad is the prophet of Islam?" I think the most that can be said for v. 67 is that Abraham can be gegarded as someone who affirmed that there is one God, and who submitted his life to Him (however, Abraham married his half-sister -- is that okay in Islam?).
Abraham is also someone who, when visited in Genesis 18, "bowed himself to the ground" when God appeared to Him in a visible form, and repeatedly called Him "Lord" while talking with Him in His visible form. The example of Abraham provides a precedent, not an objection, for the worship and submission of oneself to Gods perfect visible image. In 3:95, Muslims are commanded to follow the religion of Abraham. Logically, then, it would seem that Muslims are commanded to be prepared to do what Abraham did if they ever face the perfect visible image of God.
Verse 70 charges the People of the Book with disbelieving the verses of Allah. This statement, or its equivalent, is repeated again and again (in v. 81, etc.). The underlying idea is that the People of the Book know that their Scriptures endorse Muhammad but they refuse to acknowledge this.
Verse 73 bluntly tells Muslims "Believe no one except the one who follows your religion." On one hand, one could say that this is a natural thing to say one could interpret it as a corollary of the idea that Islam is the one true. On the other hand, it looks like this verse makes objective argumentation between Muslims and non-Muslims superfluous.
Verse 75 mentions two individuals among the People of the Book one is a trustworthy money-manager; the other borrows a single coin and tries to avoid paying it back. The mention of these two different historical characters is a prelude to a theme that is expanded on later in the surah: some People of the Book are good and straightforward, and some are dishonest. Some (v. 78 claims) "distort the book with their tongues." This might be a reference to Jews custom of substituting the Divine Name with "Adonai" when reading the text in public. Verse 80 may be about something similar: "Nor would he [i.e., a truth-teller] order you to take angels and prophets for lords." Probably here we are observing the effects of differences in semantics: the Jews and Christians regularly referred to God, angels, prophets, and highly-esteemed individuals as "Lords" using the term "rabb" to denote respect (as in the term "rabbi"). But Muhammad spoke Arabic, and he emphasized that he was not trained in languages. Muhammad probably thought that using "Rabb" to refer to entities other than Allah was blasphemous.
Verse 84 repeats 2:136 (and here the text starts to get even more repetitive than usual). Then comes a pivotal verse (v. 85): "Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the hereafter he will be one of the losers." As I mentioned earlier, this verse is interpreted to abrogate verses such as 2:62 ("Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians and Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the last day and does righteous deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, neither shall they grieve"). It also seems to collides with material that is contained a bit later /in this surah/ (in verses 113-115)!
Verses 87-89 basically repeat 2:160-162 (slightly shuffled). Then the text describes the terrible fate of unbelievers.
Verse 93 notes that "All food was lawful to the children of Israel, except what Israel made unlawful for himself before the Taurat [Torah]." This subject will come up again later, when the Quran examines the question of food-laws.
Then the text turns, momentarily, to the subject of Mecca named as Bakkah, which is probably why Psalm 84:6s reference to the "valley of Baca" is identified by Muslim interpreters as an allusion to Mecca. The shrine at Mecca is described as "The first temple [or, house of worship] appointed for mankind." The Kaaba-shrine is said to be full of plain signs, and "Hajj to the House [the Kaaba] is a duty that mankind owes to Allah." Since this was, it seems, proclaimed by Muhammad in Medina, at which point the Kaaba was still filled with idols, its likely that quite a few People of the Book disputed this claim.
In v. 100-105 the text warns Muslims that they will become unbelievers if they obey the People of the Book they should simply get a good grip on the Rope of Allah and keep on reciting Allahs message, and stay united as one community. And those who divide will receive torment (this is the Qurans usual description of damnation in hell). This command for unity was not an easy one for the various tribes Muhammad was attempting to join together in Medina. A relevant Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (in At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Aby Dawud) says, "This nation [the community of Islam] will be divided into seventy-three sects all in hell, except one, and that one is the one on which I and my companions are today."
Then the Day of Judgment is described: "Some faces will become white, and some faces will become black." This motif comes up again elsewhere. This is not racist; the imagery is only symbolic the white faces are the saved; the black faces are the damned.
Then, as if summing up, v. 108 reassures Muhammads listeners (like v. 62) that these are the true words of Allah. (It occurs to me that these sporadic self-endorsements are slightly reminiscent of Revelation 21:5.) But the same topic continues. Verse 110 says that among the non-Muslims are "some who have faith." This may refer to the inhabitants of Najrun, who, when they met with Muhammad and he invited them to submit to Allah, replied that they already had.
Verse 112 is interesting and it may support the idea that Muhammad, after making his treaty with Najrun, had second thoughts about it. It says, "Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah, and from men." This is reinforced: "They have drawn on themselves the wrath of All, and destruction is put over them." Muhammad was careful not to reverse himself about the inhabitants of Najrun, but he seems to have been just as careful to make it clear that his treaty with Najrun did not change his general approach to the People of the Book.
Some People of the Book, as described in verses 113-115, will be accepted by Allah: they recite Scripture at night, they believe in Allah and the last day, they promote justice, they forbid sin, and they do good works. The Quran explicitly says here that such people "are among the righteous." But the very next verse says that those who reject Muhammad will dwell in the fire (i.e., hell).
Verse 118 commands Muslims (yet again!) not to take the People of the Book as friends, since "they will do their best to corrupt you." The text goes on a bit, describing the treacherousness of the enemies of Islam they profess agreement in public, but in private "They bit the tips of their fingers at you in rage." In regard to them, the text instructs Muhammad to say, "Perish in your rage."
Verse 120 says that if the Muslims remain patient and pious, their cunning will not do you the least harm."
Then the subject abruptly shifts to the Battle of Uhud at which the Muslim army was defeated, Muhammad was wounded in the face, and his uncle Hamza was killed, along with others.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
