The Cow — Verse 12

Meaning of Mischief In his Tafsir, As-Suddi said that Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas`ud commented, وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ (And when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on the earth," they say: "We are only peacemakers.") "They are the hypocrites. As for, لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ ("Do not make mischief on the earth"), that is disbelief and acts of disobedience." Abu Ja`far said that Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that Abu Al-`Aliyah said that Allah's statement, وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ (And when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on the earth,"), means, "Do not commit acts of disobedience on the earth. Their mischief is disobeying Allah, because whoever disobeys Allah on the earth, or commands that Allah be disobeyed, he has committed mischief on the earth. Peace on both the earth and in the heavens is ensured (and earned) through obedience (to Allah)." Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qatadah said similarly. Types of Mischief that the Hypocrites commit Ibn Jarir said, "The hypocrites commit mischief on earth by disobeying their Lord on it and continuing in the prohibited acts. They also abandon what Allah made obligatory and doubt His religion, even though He does not accept a deed from anyone except with faith in His religion and certainty of its truth. The hypocrites also lie to the believers by saying contrary to the doubt and hesitation their hearts harbor. They give as much aid as they can, against Allah's loyal friends, and support those who deny Allah, His Books and His Messengers. This is how the hypocrites commit mischief on earth, while thinking that they are doing righteous work on earth." The statement by Ibn Jarir is true, taking the disbelievers as friends is one of the categories of mischief on the earth. Allah said, وَالَّذينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ إِلاَّ تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ (And those who disbelieve are allies of one another, if you do not do this (help each other), there will be turmoil and oppression on the earth, and great mischief.) (8:73), In this way Allah severed the loyalty between the believers and the disbelievers. Similarly, Allah said, يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْكَـفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَجْعَلُواْ للَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَاناً مُّبِيناً (O you who believe! Do not take disbelievers as Awliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves) (4: 144). Allah then said, إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ فِى الدَّرْكِ الاٌّسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيراً (Verily, the hyprocrites will be in the lowest depth of the Fire; no helper will you find for them) (4:145). Since the outward appearance of the hypocrite displays belief, he confuses the true believers. Hence, the deceitful behavior of the hypocrites is an act of mischief, because they deceive the believers by claiming what they do not believe in, and because they give support and loyalty to the disbelievers against the believers. If the hypocrite remains a disbeliever (rather than pretending to be Muslim), the evil that results from him would be less. Even better, if the hypocrite becomes sincere with Allah and makes the statements that he utters conform to his deeds, he will gain success. Allah said, وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ (And when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on the earth," they say: "We are only peacemakers.") meaning, "We seek to be friends with both parties, the believers and the disbelievers, and to have peace with both parties." Similarly, Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas said, وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ (And when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on the earth," they say: "We are only peacemakers.") means, "We seek to make amends between the believers and the People of the Book. " Allah said, أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـكِن لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ (Verily, they are the ones who make mischief, but they perceive not.). This Ayah means that the hypocrites' behavior, and their claim that it is for peace, is itself mischief, although in their ignorance, they do not see it to be mischief.

Truly a-lā ‘truly’ is for alerting intended emphatically they are the agents of corruption but they perceive this not.

Truly, they are the agents of corruption, but they perceive not.

Truly, they are the agents of corruption, but they perceive not.

When it is said to them �Do not [foment] corruption in the land� they say �We are only putting things right.� Truly they are the agents of corruption but they perceive not. This alludes to the fact that when thoughts of warning came secretly to their hearts calling them to right conduct they followed self-indulgent interpretations rukhaṣ al-taÌwīl and deceived themselves about that which bore witness to the hardness of their hearts. When they denied the proof of the Real in the thoughts that came to their hearts God took the bless- ing away from their states and in its place gave them a deaf ear to the Real. Their affliction is in their resistance to the path Ṭarīqa and their loss of belief in it. Just as an apostate is a more intense enemy to Muslims so the one who returns from spiritual desire irāda to the world and ordinary customs is the worst of people in rejecting this path and the most distant from its followers. As the proverb goes �Anyone who loses their stored grain to fire wishes the same for others.� According to the sincere among those [on the path] the help of those who have deserted the way of spiritual desire should not be accepted just as the Messenger ﷺ did not accept the almsgiving zakāt of Thaʿlaba. It is said that it is sufficient to expose those who lie by saying to such a person's face �You have lied.� When they said �We are only putting things right� the Real ������ showed them to be liars and He said �Truly they are the agents of corruption but they perceive not� meaning �We are aware of them and have exposed them.�

When it is said to them �Do not [foment] corruption in the land� they say �We are only putting things right.� Truly they are the agents of corruption but they perceive not. This alludes to the fact that when thoughts of warning came secretly to their hearts calling them to right conduct they followed self-indulgent interpretations rukhaṣ al-taÌwīl and deceived themselves about that which bore witness to the hardness of their hearts. When they denied the proof of the Real in the thoughts that came to their hearts God took the bless- ing away from their states and in its place gave them a deaf ear to the Real. Their affliction is in their resistance to the path Ṭarīqa and their loss of belief in it. Just as an apostate is a more intense enemy to Muslims so the one who returns from spiritual desire irāda to the world and ordinary customs is the worst of people in rejecting this path and the most distant from its followers. As the proverb goes �Anyone who loses their stored grain to fire wishes the same for others.� According to the sincere among those [on the path] the help of those who have deserted the way of spiritual desire should not be accepted just as the Messenger ﷺ did not accept the almsgiving zakāt of Thaʿlaba. It is said that it is sufficient to expose those who lie by saying to such a person's face �You have lied.� When they said �We are only putting things right� the Real ������ showed them to be liars and He said �Truly they are the agents of corruption but they perceive not� meaning �We are aware of them and have exposed them.�

إنَّ هذا الذي يفعلونه ويزعمون أنه إصلاح هو عين الفساد، لكنهم بسبب جهلهم وعنادهم لا يُحِسُّون.

يقول ألا إن هذا الذي يعتمدونه ويزعمون أنه إصلاح هو عين الفساد ولكن من جهلهم لا يشعرون بكونه فسادا.

( ألا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ المفسدون ولكن لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ ) .فأنت ترى أن القرآن الكريم قد وضع في الرد عليهم جملة صدرها بأداة الاستفتاح إيذاناً بأن ما قالوه يجب أن يهمل إهمالاً ، بل يجب أن يكون وصفهم بالإِفساد قضية مبتدأة مقررة حتى يتلقاها السامع وهو منتبه النفس ، حاصر الذهن .ثم أكد الجملة بعدة تأكيدات منها : وصل " ألا " " بإن " الدالة على تأكيد الخبر وتحقيقه ، ومنها تأكيد الضمير بضمير منفصل حتى يتم التصاق الخبر بالمبتدأ ، ومنها اسمية الجملة ، ومنها إفادة قصرهم على الإِفساد في مقابل تأكيدهم أنهم هم المصلحون .ولما كان هذا الرد المؤكد عليهم يستدعي عجباً ، لأنهم زعموا أنهم لا حال لهم إلا الاصلاح ، مع أنهم في الحقيقة لا حال لهم إلا الإفساد ، لما كان الأمر كذلك ، فقد أزال القرآن هذا العجب بقوله :( ولكن لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ ) .أي : أنهم ما قالوه إلا عن غباء استولى على إحساسهم ، ونفي عنهم الشعور بما يصدر عنهم من الفساد ، فأمسوا لا يدركون من شأن أنفسهم شيئاً ، ومن أسوأ ألوان الجهل أن يكون الإِنسان مفسداً ولا يشعر بذلك ، مع أن أثر فساده ظاهر في العيان ، مرئى لكل ذي حس .فعدم شعورهم بالفساد الواقع منهم منبئ باختلاف آلات إدراكهم ، حتى صاروا يحسبون الفساد صلاحاً ، والشر خيراً .وليس عدم شعورهم رافعاً العقاب عنهم ، لأن الجاهل لا يعذر بجهله خصوصاً إذا كان جهله يزول بأدنى تأمل لوضوح الأدلة ، وسطوع البراهين .

القول في تأويل قوله جل ثناؤه: أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَكِنْ لا يَشْعُرُونَ (12)وهذا القول من الله جل ثناؤه تكذيبٌ للمنافقين في دعواهم. إذا أمِروا بطاعة الله فيما أمرَهم الله به, ونُهوا عن معصية الله فيما نهاهم الله عنه، قالوا: إنما نحن مصلحون لا مفسدون, ونحن على رُشْدٍ وهُدًى - فيما أنكرتموه علينا - دونكم لا ضالُّون. فكذَّبهم الله عز وجل في ذلك من قيلِهم فقال: ألا إنهم هم المفسدون المخالفون أمرَ الله عز وجل, المتعدُّون حُدُودَه، الراكبون معصيتَه, التاركُون فروضَه، وهم لا يشعرون ولا يَدرُون أنهم كذلك - لا الذين يأمرونهم بالقسط من المؤمنين، وينهَوْنَهُم عن معاصي الله في أرضه من المسلمين.

{ألا}: كلمة تنبيه ينبه بها المخاطب.{إنهم هم المفسدون}: أنفسهم بالكفر والناس بالتعويق عن الإيمان.{ولكن لا يشعرون}: أي لا يعلمون أنهم مفسدون؛ لأنهم يظنون أن الذي هم عليه من إبطان الكفر صلاح.وقيل: لا يعلمون ما أعد الله لهم من العذاب.

رد عليهم في غرورهم وحصرهم أنفسهم في الصلاح فرد عليهم بطريق من طرق القصر هو أبلغ فيه من الطريق الذي قالوه لأن تعريف المسند يفيد قصر المسند على المسند إليه فيفيدُ قوله : { ألا إنهم هم المفسدون } قصر الإفساد عليهم بحيث لا يوجد في غيرهم وذلك ينفي حصرهم أنفسهم في الإصلاح وينقضه وهو جار على قانون النقض وعلى أسلوب القصر الحاصل بتعريف الجنس وإن كان الرد قد يكفي فيه أن يقال إنهم مفسدون بدون صيغة قصر ، إلا أنه قُصِر ليفيد ادعاءَ نفي الإفساد عن غيرهم . وقد يفيد ذلك أن المنافقين ليسوا ممن ينتظم في عداد المصلحين لأن شأن المفسد عرفاً أن لا يكون مصلحاً إذ الإفساد هين الحصول وإنما يصد عنه الوازع فإذا خلع المرءُ عنه الوازعَ وأخذ في الإفساد هان عليه الإفساد ثم تكرر حتى يصبح سجية ودأباً لا يكاد يفارق موصوفه .وحرف ( ألا ) للتنبيه إعلاناً لوصفهم بالإفساد .وقد أكد قصر الفساد عليهم بضمير الفصل أيضاً كما أكد به القصر في قوله : { وأولئك هم المفلحون } [ البقرة : 5 ] كما تقدم قريباً . ودخوللِ ( إِنَّ ) على الجملة وقرنِها بأَلاَ المفيدة للتنبيه وذلك من الاهتمام بالخبر وتقويته دلالةً على سخط الله تعالى عليهم فإن أدوات الاستفتاح مثل ألا وأمَا لما كان شأنها أن ينبه بها السامعون دلت على الاهتمام بالخبر وإشاعته وإعلانه ، فلا جرم أن تدل على أبلغية ما تضمنه الخبر من مدح أو ذم أو غيرهما ، ويدل ذلك أيضاً على كمال ظهور مضمون الجملة للعيان لأن أدوات التنبيه شاركت أسماء الإشارة في تنبيه المخاطب .وقوله : { ولكن لا يشعرون } مَحمَلُه مَحْمَلُ قوله تعالى قبله : { وما يخادعون إلا أنفسهم وما يشعرون } [ البقرة : 9 ] فإن أفعالهم التي يبتهجون بها ويزعمونها منتهى الحذق والفطنة وخدمةِ المصلحة الخالصة آيلة إلى فساد عام لا محالة إلاَّ أنهم لم يهتدوا إلى ذلك لخفائه وللغشاوة التي ألقيت على قلوبهم من أثر النفاق ومخالطة عظماء أهله ، فإن حال القرين وسخافة المذهب تطمس على العقول النيرة وتَخِفُّ بالأحلام الراجحة حتى تَرى حسناً ما ليس بالحَسَن . وموقع حرف الاستدراك هنا لأن الكلام دَفْع لما أثبتوه لأنفسهم من الخلوص للإصلاح ، فرفع ذلك التوهم بحرف الاستدراك .

ولما كان في قولهم: { إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ } حصر للإصلاح في جانبهم - وفي ضمنه أن المؤمنين ليسوا من أهل الإصلاح - قلب الله عليهم دعواهم بقوله: { ألا إنهم هم المفسدون } فإنه لا أعظم فسادا ممن كفر بآيات الله, وصد عن سبيل الله، وخادع الله وأولياءه, ووالى المحاربين لله ورسوله, وزعم مع ذلك أن هذا إصلاح, فهل بعد هذا الفساد فساد؟" ولكن لا يعلمون علما ينفعهم

قوله تعالى : ألا إنهم هم المفسدون ولكن لا يشعرونقوله عز و جل : ألا إنهم هم المفسدون ردا عليهم وتكذيبا لقولهم . قال أرباب المعاني : من أظهر الدعوى كذب ، ألا ترى أن الله عز وجل يقول : ألا إنهم هم المفسدون وهذا صحيح . وكسرت ( إن ) لأنها مبتدأة ، قاله النحاس . وقال علي بن سليمان . يجوز فتحها ، كما أجاز سيبويه : حقا أنك منطلق ، بمعنى ألا . و هم يجوز أن يكون مبتدأ و ( المفسدون ) خبره والمبتدأ وخبره خبر ( إن ) . ويجوز أن تكون ( هم ) توكيدا للهاء والميم في ( إنهم ) . ويجوز أن تكون فاصلة - والكوفيون يقولون عمادا - و ( المفسدون ) خبر إن ، والتقدير ألا إنهم المفسدون ، كما تقدم في قوله : وأولئك هم المفلحون .قوله تعالى : ولكن لا يشعرون قال ابن كيسان يقال : ما على من لم يعلم أنه مفسد من الذم ، إنما يذم إذا علم أنه مفسد ثم أفسد على علم ، قال : ففيه جوابان : أحدهما - أنهم كانوا يعملون الفساد سرا ويظهرون الصلاح وهم لا يشعرون أن أمرهم يظهر عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم . والوجه الآخر : أن يكون فسادهم عندهم صلاحا وهم لا يشعرون أن ذلك فساد ، وقد عصوا الله ورسوله في تركهم تبيين الحق واتباعه ( ولكن ) حرف تأكيد واستدراك ولا بد فيه من نفي وإثبات ، إن كان قبله نفي كان بعده إيجاب ، وإن كان قبله إيجاب كان بعده نفي . ولا يجوز الاقتصار بعده على اسم واحد إذا تقدم الإيجاب ، ولكنك تذكر جملة مضادة لما قبلها كما في هذه الآية ، وقولك : جاءني زيد لكن عمرو لم يجئ ، ولا يجوز جاءني زيد لكن عمرو ثم تسكت ; لأنهم قد استغنوا ببل في مثل هذا الموضع عن لكن ، وإنما يجوز ذلك إذا تقدم النفي كقولك : ما جاءني زيد لكن عمرو .

For those who put worldly interests and expediency first, total and unconditional devotion to truth appears unwise, for their true allegiance is to their worldly interests; only on a superficial level can they attach themselves to the truth. They consider themselves clever. They think they are safeguarding themselves in this world, and also qualifying to be considered among the pious. But this is no more than wishful thinking; it is a figment of their imagination rather than a real fact of life. Every test in life removes them further from the path of true religion and brings them closer to their own world-oriented ‘religion’. Their hypocrisy is like a cancer which keeps on growing. They consider true believers, who act in the interests of truth, to be ruining themselves for no good reason. They call their own policy, on the other hand, one of reform; they prize it because it enables them to pursue a safe course without clashing with anyone; but this just shows how distorted their reasoning is. If they were to think deeply, they would realize that on earth reform can only come from man giving himself up to God alone, while obstructing any movement aimed at consolidating man’s relationship with the will of his Lord amounts to creating disorder on earth. Their seemingly profitable business is in fact running at a loss. For, they are forsaking pure truth for an adulterated version of it, which can benefit none.

The fourth and the fifth verses expose the sophistry of the hypocrites -their activities threatened to produce a general chaos and disorder, and yet, in their mealy-mouthed way, they pretended to be men of good will and to be serving the cause of peace and order. The Holy Qur'an makes it clear that oral claims alone do not decide the question whether one is working for order or disorder, for what thief would call himself a thief? It depends on what one does, not on what one says. If a man's activities do result in mischief, he will be called a mischief-maker, even if he had no such intention. Who are reformers and mischief-makers (7) As these verses report, when the hypocrites were asked not to spread disorder in the land through their prevarication and double dealing, they used to reply emphatically إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ :"We are nothing but reformers." The word Innama إِنَّمَا (nothing but), used in, the Arabic text, indicates not merely emphasis but exclusivity. So, their reply would mean that they were nothing but reformers, the servants of order, and that their activities could have nothing to do with disorder. Commenting on their reply, the Holy Qur'an says: أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُ‌ونَ "Beware, it is, in fact, they who spread disorder, but they are not aware." Now, we learn two things from this comment. Firstly, the activities of the hypocrites did actually produce disorder in the land. Secondly, they did not indulge in these activities with the express intention or design of creating disorder they were not even aware of the possibility that their actions could be the cause of disorder. For, among the things which spread disorder in the world, there are some which are commonly recognized to be mischievous and disorderly activities, and hence every sensible and conscientious man refrains from them e.g., theft, robbery, murder, rape etc.; on the other hand, there are some which in their external aspect do not appear to be mischief or disorder, but, working unseen, they have the necessary consequence of destroying the morals of men which, in its turn, opens the door to all kinds of disorder. This is exactly what the hypocrites were doing. No doubt, they refrained from theft, robbery etc.; it was on this count that they denied their being mischievous, and emphatically asserted that they were serving the cause of order. But all this while they had been freely giving vent to their malice and envy by conspiring with the enemies of the Muslims. These are things which finally bring man down to the level of beasts. Once he has lost his awareness of ethical values and human decency, even an average man becomes an agent of social disorder of a disorder much greater than that released by thieves or robbers, or even beasts are capable of producing. For, the mischief of robbers and beasts can be controlled by the physical power of law and government. But laws are made and enforced by men. What happens to laws, when man has ceased to be man, can easily be witnessed all around us in the world of today. Everyone takes it for granted that humanity is on the march and the modern man is so far. the ultimate in civilization; the network of educational institutions covers every hamlet on the face of the earth; legislative bodies keep buzzing night and day; organizations for the promulgation of laws spend billions, and circumlocution offices proliferate. And yet crime and disorder keep in step with the march of civilization. The reason is simple. Law is not an automatic machine; it requires men to make it work. If man ceases to be man, neither laws nor can bureaucratic agencies provide a remedy for the all-pervading disorder. It is for this that the greatest benefactor of mankind, the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، concentrated all his attention on making men real men - in all the plenitude of the term. Once this has been achieved, crime or disorder comes to an end of itself without the help of enormous police forces and extensive system of law-courts. As long as people acted upon his teachings in certain parts of the world, man saw a kind of peace and order prevail the like of which had never been witnessed before nor is likely to be witnessed when these teachings are abandoned or disregarded. In so far as actual practice is concerned, the essence of the teachings of the Holy Prophet is fear of Allah and solicitude for the assessment of one's deeds on the Day of Judgment. If these are absent, no constitution or legal code, nor administrative body or university can force or induce man to keep away from crime. Those who run the world in our day invent ever-new administrative measures to prevent crime, but they not only neglect the very soul of administration, the fear of Allah, but even deploy the means of destroying it - all of which has the necessary consequence that the remedy only helps to feed the malady. To another aspect of the question, it is easy enough to find a cure for thieves and robbers and for all those who create disorder openly. But the miscreants who have been described in these verses always appear in the garb of reformers, brandishing colourful schemes of social amelioration which are only a mask for personal interests, and for raising the slogan, إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ :"We are nothing but reformers." Hence it is that Allah, while asking men not to spread disorder on the earth, has also said in another place: وَاللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ الْمُفْسِدَ مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِ "And Allah knows the one who makes mischief distinct from him who promotes good." (2:220) This is an indication that Allah alone10 knows the states of men's hearts and their intentions, and He alone knows the nature and consequences of each human deed as to whether it would help the cause of order or of disorder. So, to serve the cause of order, it is not sufficient merely to possess such an intention; much more essential than that is to orient oneself in thought and deed in harmony with the Shari'ah, for an action may, in spite of the best intentions, sometimes result in mischief and disorder, if it is not guided by the Shari` ah.

(They are indeed the mischief mongers) by being a hindrance. (But they perceive not): the followers do not know that their leaders mislead them.

Truly a-lā ‘truly’ is for alerting intended emphatically they are the agents of corruption but they perceive this not.