SURAH 2 – AL-BAQARAH - THE COW

VERSES 97 - 103

Quran Study Sessions – Session 34

July 26, 2020

Introduction

❑Allah responds to the objections of Jews against Jibril (AS).

❑Allah responds to the accusations made by them against Sulaiman (AS).

Verse 97-98 Basic Meaning

❑Say (to the Jews), "Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel (then let them know that) -it is [none but] he who has brought it (the Qur’an) down upon your heart, [O Muhammad], by permission (and command) of Allah,

❑confirming that which was before it (like the Torah and Injeel) and as guidance and good tidings (of Jannah) for the believers.“

❑Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael – then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.

❑Some Jews objected to the Prophet (SAW)’s message saying that Jibril (AS) is an enemy to the Jewish people, so they wouldn’t listen to any revelation from him.

❑Allah defended the honor of Jibril (AS), all the angels, and all the messengers by saying that anyone who is an enemy to them is a disbeliever and an enemy to Allah.

❑Disbelieving in even one messenger or angel is kufr.

Verse 97-98 Elaboration

Verse 99 Basic Meaning

❑And We have certainly revealed to you (O, Muhammad) verses [which are] clear proofs, and no one would deny them except the defiantly disobedient.

Verse 100-101 Basic Meaning

❑Is it not [true] that every time they took (from Allah) a covenant (to follow the prophets) a party of them threw it away? But, [in fact], most of them do not believe.

❑And when a messenger from Allah (Muhammad SAW) came to them confirming that which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Scripture of Allah (the Torah) behind their backs (ignoring its commands to follow the prophet) as if they did not know [what it contained].

❑When the Prophet Muhammad was sent to the Jews, they claimed they had no covenant with Allah to follow him. In response to this, these verses were revealed.

❑Whenever Allah made a covenant with them, they ignored it and disobeyed it then acted like they never even knew of such a covenant. For example:

❑When Musa (AS) went up Mount Tur, they took the calf as a god.

❑After Allah gave them the Torah, they refused to believe in it and acted stubborn.

❑After they promised to obey the Torah and follow the prophets, they disobeyed or tried to kill any prophet that brought anything they disliked.

❑The Jews rejecting Muhammad (SAW) is nothing new. It is following their previous pattern. When Muhammad (SAW) came, they acted as if they had no information proving he was the prophet in the Torah.

Verse 100-101 Elaboration

Verse 102 Basic Meaning

❑And (in addition) they followed [instead] what the devils had recited (and claimed) during the reign of Solomon (saying that Solomon practiced magic). It was not Solomon who disbelieved (by practicing magic), but the devils disbelieved (by) teaching people magic and (teaching) that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut.

❑But the two do not teach anyone unless they said (as advice), "We are a trial (from Allah), so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]." And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife.

❑But they do not harm anyone through it (magic) except by permission of Allah . And the people learn what harms them (in the Aakhirah) and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.

❑The Jews asked the Prophet (SAW) about many things to “test” his prophethood. One of those things was magic.

❑They accused Sulaiman (AS) of doing magic. This claim was made by the devils after Sulaiman (AS)’s death. However, Sulaiman (AS) didn’t do the amazing things he did through magic but by the miracle of Allah.

❑This verse proves that magic is kufr. Because they accused Sulaiman (AS) of practicing magic, and Allah responded by “Sulaiman (AS) did not commit kufr.” i.e. magic and kufr were used interchangeably by Allah to defend Sulaiman (AS) from the accusation of magic.

❑Allah responded to this accusation of magic by making clear that it was the devils themselves who committed kufr by teaching people magic not Sulaiman(AS).

Verse 102 Elaboration

❑Magic was taught by two angels sent by Allah, Harut and Marut, as a test. They always told people they were a test and discouraged them from doing kufr before teaching them magic.

❑All magic is descended from that time from the city of Babylon.

❑Many stories are claimed about the angels Harut and Marut in addition to what is mentioned in the Quran. None of them are Sahih, and most of them are from the Israailiyaat.

Verse 102 Elaboration – Origin of Magic

❑On a linguistic level, the word “sihr” describes anything which tricks people or whose cause is hidden.

❑On that level, it can even describe speech that tricks and causes people to do things they wouldn’t do otherwise. The Prophet said: “Some eloquent speech is sihr.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

❑However, magic is known as sihr because the source of what is causing the effect is not observable by humans. Magic is caused by the Jinn. A magician, in simple terms, is someone who seeks help from the Jinn.

❑Allah says: “Indeed, he (the devil) sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them.” (7:27) That is why the effects of the Jinn are known as sihr.

❑As magic is only the work of a creature of Allah, it does not have unlimited power. It is limited as much as the Jinn doing it is limited.

Verse 102 Elaboration – What is Magic?

❑Things like fortune telling and astrology are also branches of magic. The Prophet (SAW) said: “He who acquires a branch of the knowledge of astrology, learns a branch of magic […]” (Sunan Abi Dawud)

❑In this verse, Allah mentions a particularly egregious use of magic people learned from Harut and Marut: separating between a man and his wife through making one seem bad to the other by whispering and tricking. This is one of the greatest things Shaitan loves to do.

❑The Prophet (SAW) said: “The Satan sends detachments of his own in order to put people to trial and the highest in rank, in his eyes, is one who is most notorious in sowing the seed of dissension.” (Sahih Muslim)

❑This is why Allah mentions this use of magic as it is the worst and the one most valued by Iblis himself. This portrays the importance of being on good terms with family and other Muslims. Shaitan loves dissension between people.

Verse 102 Elaboration – What is Magic? Cont.

❑Allah makes clear that magic is not a way to go around divine will. No one will harm anyone with or without magic without Allah’s permission.

❑No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. (64:11)

❑The use of magic only harms people in the hereafter, and the supposed benefits in the short life are negligible in comparison to the wrath of Allah that is brought upon those who use it.

❑It is as if magicians sold themselves and their place in Jannah for no benefit at all.

❑Bani Israel knew all of this yet many of them practiced magic.

Verse 102 Elaboration – Consequence of Magic

Verse 103 Basic Meaning

❑And if they (the Jews) had believed (in the Prophet SAW and the Quran) and feared Allah (instead of disbelieving or practicing magic), then the reward from Allah would have been [far] better, if they only knew.

❑Why did Allah say in the previous verses, “As if they didn’t know” and “But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share,” showing that they knew, then say “If only they knew”?

❑They knew that disbelieving in the prophet and practicing magic would lead them to Hellfire but they still did so out of their disobedience and stubbornness because they didn’t realize the magnitude of what going to Hellfire actually means. So they knew in theory, but didn’t realize the reality leading them to make such a bad choice.

❑We should make sure we realize the truth of the consequences and rewards mentioned in the Quran so that it actually affects our actions and doesn’t just remain theoretical knowledge.

Verse 103 Elaboration

❑Sunnah.com for Hadith

❑Furqan.co for Tafsir in Arabic

❑Englishtafsir.com for Tafsir in English

References