Women — Verse 151

Believing in Some Prophets and Rejecting Others is Pure Kufr Allah threatens those who disbelieve in Him and in His Messengers, such as the Jews and Christians, who differentiate between Allah and His Messengers regarding faith. They believe in some Prophets and reject others, following their desires, lusts and the practices of their forefathers. They do not follow any proof for such distinction, because there is no such proof. Rather, they follow their lusts and prejudices. The Jews, may Allah curse them, believe in the Prophets, except `Isa and Muhammad, peace be upon them. The Christians believe in the Prophets but reject their Final and Seal, and the most honored among the prophets, Muhammad, peace be upon him. In addition, the Samirah (Samaritans) do not believe in any Prophet after Yuwsha` (Joshua), the successor of Musa bin `Imran. The Majus (Zoroastrians) are said to believe only in a Prophet called Zoroaster, although they do not believe in the law he brought them casting it behind them, and Allah knows best. Therefore, whoever rejects only one of Allah's Prophets, he will have disbelieved in all of them, because it is required from mankind to believe in every prophet whom Allah sent to the people of the earth. And whoever rejects one Prophet, out of envy, bias and personal whim, he only demonstrates that his faith in other Prophets is not valid, but an act of following desire and whim. This is why Allah said, إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ (Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers...) Thus, Allah describes these people as disbelievers in Allah and His Messengers; وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُواْ بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ (and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers) in faith, وَيقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُواْ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلاً (saying, "We believe in some but reject others," and wish to adopt a way in between.) Allah then describes them; أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَـفِرُونَ حَقّاً (They are in truth disbelievers.) meaning, their disbelief in the Prophet they claim to believe in is clear. This is because their claimed faith in a certain Messenger is not true, for had they truly believed in him, they would have believed in other Messengers, especially if the other Messenger has a stronger proof for his truthfulness. Or at least, they would have strived hard to acquire knowledge of the truth of the other Messenger. Allah said, وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـفِرِينَ عَذَاباً مُّهِيناً (And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment.) This is just punishment for belittling the Prophets whom they disbelieved in, by ignoring what the Prophet brought to them from Allah, and because they are interested in the insignificant possessions of this world. Or, their behavior could be the result of their disbelief in the Prophet after they were aware of his truth, just as the Jewish rabbis did during the time of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . The Jews envied the Messenger because of the great prophethood that Allah gave him, and as a consequence, they denied the Messenger, defied him, became his enemies and fought against him. Allah sent humiliation upon them in this life, that shall be followed by disgrace in the Hereafter, وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ (And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the wrath of Allah.) in this life and the Hereafter. Allah's statement, وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلَمْ يُفَرِّقُواْ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ (And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them,) This refers to the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ who believe in every Book that Allah has revealed and in every Prophet whom Allah has sent. Allah said, ءَامَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ (The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. All of them believe in Allah.) (2:285). Allah then states that He has prepared great rewards for them, tremendous favor and a handsome bounty, أُوْلَـئِكَ سَوْفَ يُؤْتِيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ (We shall give them their rewards;) because of their faith in Allah and His Messengers, وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً (and Allah is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful.) for their sin, if they have any.

Those are the disbelievers truly haqqan is the verbal noun emphasising the content of what precedes it in the sentence; and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating chastisement namely the chastisement of the Fire.

Those are the disbelievers, the ons who are veiled, truly, by their essences and attributes, for their knowledge [of God] is illusory and erroneous, their affirmation of Oneness a clandestine unbelief. They are following neither religion nor truth; [and We have prepared for the disbelievers a chastisement] that is humiliating, humiliating them by the existence of the veil and the ignominy of the soul and its attributes.

Those are the disbelievers, the ons who are veiled, truly, by their essences and attributes, for their knowledge [of God] is illusory and erroneous, their affirmation of Oneness a clandestine unbelief. They are following neither religion nor truth; [and We have prepared for the disbelievers a chastisement] that is humiliating, humiliating them by the existence of the veil and the ignominy of the soul and its attributes.

Those who disbelieve in God and His messengers and seek to divide between God and His messengers and say �We believe in some and disbelieve in some� and seek to adopt a way between them. Those are the disbelievers truly; and We have prepared for the disbe- lievers a humiliating chastisement. [God] relates that they have added the blameworthy actions enumerated here to the shamefulness of their disbelief. He explains that He has doubled their chastisement as requital for their sin so that you will know that He is ever on the watch [89:14] over those who act in corrupt and harmful ways.

Those who disbelieve in God and His messengers and seek to divide between God and His messengers and say �We believe in some and disbelieve in some� and seek to adopt a way between them. Those are the disbelievers truly; and We have prepared for the disbe- lievers a humiliating chastisement. [God] relates that they have added the blameworthy actions enumerated here to the shamefulness of their disbelief. He explains that He has doubled their chastisement as requital for their sin so that you will know that He is ever on the watch [89:14] over those who act in corrupt and harmful ways.

أولئك هم أهل الكفر المحقَّق الذي لا شك فيه، وأعتدنا للكافرين عذابًا يخزيهم ويهينهم.

ثم أخبر تعالى عنهم فقال: 0أولئك هم الكافرون حقا" أي كفرهم محقق لا محالة بمن ادعوا الإيمان به لأنه ليس شرعيا إذ لو كانوا مؤمنين به لكونه رسول الله لآمنوا بنظيره وبمن هو أوضح دليلا وأقوى برهانا منه لو نظروا حق النظر في نبوته وقوله "وأعتدنا للكافرين عذابا مهينا أي كما استهانوا بمن كفروا به إما لعدم نظرهم" فيما جاءهم به من الله وإعراضهم عنه وإقبالهم على جمع حطام الدنيا مما لا ضرورة بهم إليه وإما بكفرهم به بعد علمهم بنبوته كما كان يفعله كثير من أحبار اليهود في زمان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حيث حسدوه على ما آتاه الله من النبوة العظيمة وخالفوه وكذبوه وعادوه وقاتلوه فسلط الله عليهم الذل الدنيوي الموصول بالذل الأخروي "وضربت عليهم الذلة والمسكنة وباءوا بغضب من الله" في الدنيا والآخرة.

وقوله ( أولئك هُمُ الكافرون حَقّاً وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَاباً مُّهِيناً ) إخبار عن سوء مصيرهم ، وشناعة عاقبتهم .أى : أولئك الموصوفون بتلك الصفات القبيحة هم الكافرون الكاملون فى الكفر ، الراسخون فى ظلماته ، وأعتدنا أى وهيأنا وادخرنا للكافرين جميعا عذابا يهينهم ويذلهم جزاء كفرهم وجحودهم .وقوله ( حَقّاً ) مصدر مؤكد لمضمون الجملة قبله ، وعامله محذوف أى : أولئك الكافرون حق ذلك حقا . ويجوز أن يكون صفة لمصدر محذوف . أى أولئك هم الكافرون كفرا حقا أى : كفرا كاملا لا شك فى وقوعه منهم وانغماسهم فيه .هذا هو شأن الكافرين بالله ورسله ، وتلك هى عاقبتهم

فقال جل ثناؤه لعباده، منبهًا لهم على ضلالتهم وكفرهم: " أولئك هم الكافرون حقًّا " ، يقول: أيها الناس، هؤلاء الذين وصفت لكم صفتهم، هم أهل الكفر بي، المستحقون عذابي والخلود في ناري حقًّا. فاستيقنوا ذلك، ولا يشككنَّكم في أمرهم انتحالهم الكذب، ودعواهم أنهم يقرُّون بما زعموا أنهم به مقرُّون من الكتب والرسل، فإنهم في دعواهم ما ادعوا من ذلك كَذَبَةٌ. وذلك أن المؤمن بالكتب والرسل، هو المصدّق بجميع ما في الكتاب الذي يزعم أنه به مصدق، وبما جاء به الرسول الذي يزعم أنه به مؤمن. فأما من صدّق ببعض ذلك وكذَّب ببعض، فهو لنبوة من كذب ببعض ما جاء به جاحد، ومن جحد نبوة نبي فهو به مكذب. وهؤلاء الذين جحدوا نبوة بعض الأنبياء، وزعموا أنهم مصدقون ببعض، مكذبون من زعموا أنهم به مؤمنون، لتكذيبهم ببعض ما جاءهم به من عند ربهم، فهم بالله وبرسله= الذين يزعمون أنهم بهم مصدقون، والذين يزعمون أنهم بهم مكذبون= كافرون، (21) فهم الجاحدون وحدانية الله ونبوّة أنبيائه حق الجحود، المكذبون بذلك حق التكذيب. فاحذروا أن تغتروا بهم وببدعتهم، فإنا قد أعتدنا لهم عذابًا مهينًا.* * *وأما قوله: " وأعتدنا للكافرين عذابًا مهينًا "، فإنه يعني: " وأعتدنا " لمن جحد بالله ورسوله جحودَ هؤلاء الذين وصفت لكم، أيها الناس، أمرَهم من أهل الكتاب، ولغيرهم من سائر أجناس الكفار (22) =" عذابًا "، في الآخرة=" مهينًا "، يعني: يهين من عُذِّب به بخلوده فيه. (23)* * *وبنحو الذي قلنا في تأويل ذلك قال أهل التأويل.*ذكر من قال ذلك:10765- حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله: " إن الذين يكفرون بالله ورسله ويريدون أن يفرِّقوا بين الله ورسله ويقولون نؤمن ببعض ونكفر ببعض ويريدون أن يتخذوا بين ذلك سبيلا * أولئك هم الكافرون حقًّا وأعتدنا للكافرين عذابًا مهينًا "، أولئك أعداء الله اليهود والنصارى. آمنت اليهود بالتوراة وموسى، وكفروا بالإنجيل وعيسى. وآمنت النصارى بالإنجيل وعيسى، وكفروا بالقرآن وبمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم. فاتخذوا اليهودية والنصرانية، وهما بدعتان ليستا من الله، وتركوا الإسلام وهو دين الله الذي بعث به رُسله.10766- حدثنا محمد بن الحسين قال، حدثنا أحمد بن مفضل قال، حدثنا أسباط، عن السدي: " إن الذين يكفرون بالله ورسله ويريدون أن يفرقوا بين الله ورسله "، يقولون: محمد ليس برسولٍ لله! وتقول اليهود: عيسى ليس برسولٍ لله! (24) فقد فرَّقوا بين الله وبين رسله=" ويقولون نؤمن ببعض ونكفر ببعض "، فهؤلاء يؤمنون ببعض ويكفرون ببعض.10767- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج قال، قال ابن جريج قوله: " إن الذين يكفرون بالله ورسله " إلى قوله: " بين ذلك سبيلا "، قال: اليهود والنصارى. آمنت اليهود بعُزَير وكفرت بعيسى، وآمنت النصارى بعيسى وكفرت بعزَير. وكانوا يؤمنون بالنبيّ ويكفرون بالآخر=" ويريدون أن يتخذوا بين ذلك سبيلا "، قال: دينًا يدينون به الله.---------------الهوامش :(21) سياق هذه الجملة: "فهم بالله وبرسله ... كافرون" ، وما بينها فصل في صفة هؤلاء الرسل.(22) انظر تفسير"أعتد" فيما سلف 8 : 103 ، 355.(23) انظر تفسير"مهين" فيما سلف: ص163 ، تعليق : 4 ، والمراجع هناك.(24) في الموضعين ، في المخطوطة والمطبوعة: "برسول الله" ، والسياق يقتضي ما أثبت.

أولئك هم الكافرون حقا ) حقق كفرهم ليعلم أن الكفر ببعضهم كالكفر بجميعهم ( وأعتدنا للكافرين عذابا مهينا )

وقوله : { أولئك هم الكافرون حقاً } الجملة خبر إنّ والإشارة إلى أصحاب تلك الصلة الماضية ، وموقع الإشارة هنا لقصد التنبيه على أنّ المشار إليهم لاستحضارهم بتلك الأوصاف أحرياء بما سيحكم عليهم من الحكم المعاقِب لاسم الإشارة .وأفاد تعريف جزأي الجملة والإتيانُ بضمير الفصل تأكيدَ قصرِ صفة الكفر عليهم ، وهو قصر ادّعائي مجازيّ بتنزيل كفر غيرهم في جانب كفرهم منزلة العدم ، كقوله تعالى في المنافقين : { هم العدوّ } [ المنافقون : 4 ] . ومثل هذا القصر يدلّ على كمال الموصوف في تلك الصفة المقصورة .ووجه هذه المبالغة : أنّ كفرهم قد اشتمل على أحوال عديدة من الكفر ، وعلى سفالة في الخُلُق ، أو سفاهة في الرأي بمجموع ما حكي عنهم من تلك الصِلات ، فإنّ كلّ خصلة منها إذا انفردت هي كفر ، فكيف بها إذا اجتمعت .و { حقّا مصدر مؤكِّد لمضمون الجملة التي قبله ، أي حُقَّهم حقّا أيّها السامع بالِغين النهاية في الكفر ، ونظير هذا قولهم : ( جِدّاً ) . والتوكيد في مثل هذا لمضمون الجملة التي قبله على ما أفادته الجملة ، وليس هو لرفع المجاز ، فهو تأكيد لما أفادته الجملة من الدلالة على معنى النهاية لأنّ القَصْر مستعمل في ذلك المعنى ، ولم يقصد بالتوكيد أن يصير القصر حقيقيّاً لظهور أنّ ذلك لا يستقيم ، فقول بعض النحاة ، في المصدر المؤكّد لمضمون الجملة : إنَّه يفيد رفع احتمال المجاز ، بناء منهم على الغالب في مفاد التأكيد .وأعتدنا } معناه هيّأنا وقدّرنا ، والتاء في { أعتدنا } بدل من الدال عند كثير من علماء اللغة ، وقال كثير منهم : التاء أصلية ، وأنّه بناء على حدة هو غير بناء عَدّ . وقال بعضهم : إنّ عَتد هو الأصل وأنّ عدّ أدغمّت منه التاء في الدال ، وقد ورد البناءان كثيراً في كلامهم وفي القرآن .

هنا قسمان قد وضحا لكل أحد: مؤمنٌ بالله وبرسله كلِّهم وكتبه، وكافرٌ بذلك كله. وبقي قسم ثالث: وهو الذي يزعم أنه يؤمن ببعض الرسل دون بعض، وأن هذا سبيل ينجيه من عذاب الله، إنْ هذا إلا مجرد أماني. فإن هؤلاء يريدون التفريق بين الله وبين رسله. فإن من تولى الله حقيقة تولى جميع رسله لأن ذلك من تمام توليه، ومن عادى أحدا من رسله فقد عادى الله وعادى جميع رسله، كما قال تعالى: { مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ } الآيات. وكذلك مَنْ كفر برسول فقد كفر بجميع الرسل، بل بالرسول الذي يزعم أنه به مؤمن، ولهذا قال: { أُولَئِكَ هُـمُ الْكَـافِرُونَ حَقًّا } وذلك لئلا يتوهم أن مرتبتهم متوسطة بين الإيمان والكفر. ووجه كونهم كافرين - حتى بما زعموا الإيمان به- أن كل دليل دلهم على الإيمان بمن آمنوا به موجود هو أو مثله أو ما فوقه للنبي الذي كفروا به، وكل شبهة يزعمون أنهم يقدحون بها في النبي الذي كفروا به موجود مثلها أو أعظم منها فيمن آمنوا به. فلم يبق بعد ذلك إلا التشهي والهوى ومجرد الدعوى التي يمكن كل أحد أن يقابلها بمثلها، ولما ذكر أن هؤلاء هم الكافرون حقا ذكر عقابا شاملا لهم ولكل كافر فقال: { وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا } كما تكبروا عن الإيمان بالله، أهانهم بالعذاب الأليم المخزي.

قوله تعالى : أولئك هم الكافرون حقا تأكيد يزيل التوهم في إيمانهم حين وصفهم بأنهم يقولون نؤمن ببعض ، وأن ذلك لا ينفعهم إذا كفروا برسوله ؛ وإذا كفروا برسوله فقد كفروا به عز وجل ، وكفروا بكل رسول مبشر بذلك الرسول ؛ فلذلك صاروا الكافرين حقا . وللكافرين يقوم مقام المفعول الثاني ل " أعتدنا " ؛ أي أعتدنا لجميع أصنافهم عذابا مهينا أي مذلا .

The Makkans believed in the prophethood of Abraham. Similarly, the Jews and the Christians believed respectively in the prophethood of Moses and Jesus. But none of them would acknowledge the prophethood of Muhammad. All of them were willing to accept the prophets of the past, but none of them were ready to accept the Prophet of their own times—mindful as they were of the fact that the prophets they believed in had also been faced with the same hostile reactions in their times as were now being faced by the Arab prophet. All such attempts to reject the contemporary prophet amounted to finding a middle course between truth-worship and self-worship, so that entry to Paradise should be secured without any sacrifice of self-interest. The truth of the matter is that the prophethood of the past is an established fact. Whereas, to acknowledge the contemporary prophet one needs to undertake a new intellectual journey. The prophethood of the past after the passage of time becomes so accepted that it becomes a part of one’s thinking process right from the time of one’s birth. But the prophet of the day is a controversial personality. He appears to be an ‘ordinary human being.’ So, to believe in a prophet in the garb of an ordinary human being, it is essential for man to have a complete change of mindset. He has to find God again at the level of awareness. Belief in the prophet of the past entails only a belief in one’s own heritage, following in the footsteps of one’s forefathers. Their faith was not by choice, but by birth. They had not made a conscious discovery of God. So, belief in the prophet of the past is only a continuation of one’s forefather’s ways, while belief in the prophet of one’s own times means a conscious acceptance of faith. What is of importance in the eyes of God is the faith adopted by choice and not by birth.

Salvation depends on Islam This clear verdict of the Holy Qur'an has exposed the rudderless and crooked ways of those who, in an effort to appear tolerant in dealings with peoples of other faiths, would like to present their religion and religious beliefs as gifts on a platter. By doing so, they wish to tell - despite and contrary to the clear injunctions of the Qur'an and Sunnah - people of other faiths that Muslims do not think that salvation depends on Islam alone and a Jew could keep to his or her creed and a Christian to his or hers and yet, both could look forward to salvation; though, they deny all prophets or at least some of them, for which reason this verse has declared them to be the kind of disbelievers who are destined for Hell. There is no doubt about the fact that Islam stands unmatched in its attitude to non-Muslims in matters of justice and fairness, sympathy and goodwill, favour and tolerance. But, good favours can be made within the limits of one's rights and possessions. Religious principles and articles of faith are not our property which we could donate or present to somebody. Of course, Islam is generous and benevolent in its teachings of tolerance and good treatment with non-Muslims, but it is also equally cautious and firm in the defence of its frontiers. It maintains its essential approach of all possible sympathy and maximum tolerance with non-Muslims, but, at the same time, Islam absolves itself decisively from all forms of disbelief and customs woven around it, declaring Muslims as a people distinct from non-Muslims - and yet, it provides full protection to their national hallmarks. In short, Islam prefers to keep not only the acts of worship Muslims perform distinct from those of others, but also its way of life in a society, the examples of which abound in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Had Islam believed in the possibility of salvation through every religion or community, it would have had no right to lay so much stress on spreading the message (Tabligh تَبلِیغ) of Islam, almost to the limit of staking property and life for it. This would have been wrong in principle and quite contrary to dictates of reason. In fact, by accepting such a premise, the very coming of the noble Prophet, may the blessings of Allah and peace be upon him, and the revelation of the glorious Qur'an, is rendered, God forbid, redundant. And, lest we miss, the entire Jihad carried out by the noble Prophet ﷺ and the rightly-guided Caliphs ؓ becomes meaningless, rather reduced to nothing but the lust for more land. In this case, some people have fallen victims to doubt by a misreading of verse 62 in Surah al-Baqarah which is cited below: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَ‌ىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ‌ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُ‌هُمْ عِندَ رَ‌بِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿62﴾ Surely, those who believed in Allah, and those who happened to be Jews and Christians, and the Sabeans - whosoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day, and does good deeds - they have their reward with their Lord. And there is no fear for them nor shall they grieve. Since, in this verse, rather than giving the full detail of what constitutes faith, only belief in Allah and in the Last Day has been considered sufficient, those who try to understand the Qur'an through an incomplete study have misunderstood the whole idea. They assumed that simply believing in Allah and the Last Day is enough for salvation and that believing in prophets is no condition for it: Thus, they failed to understand that the Qur'an has its own terminology in which Belief in Allah, in order to be acceptable, has to be in conjunction with Belief in the Prophet. Otherwise, even the Satan admits that there is a God and that He is One. The Holy Qur'an has itself clarified the real issue in the following words: فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا ۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّـهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ﴿137﴾ So, if they believe in the like of what you believe in, they have certainly found the right path. And if they turn away, they are nothing but in antagonism. Then Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (2:137) In other words, we can say that their faith will be valid and trust-worthy only when they have the same faith as common Muslims do, a faith in which Belief in the Prophet is indispensably necessary with Belief in Allah. Otherwise, if they do not do that, let it be understood that they are the ones who wish to create dissension. After that, for them, Allah will be sufficient on your behalf, and He is the One who hears everything and He is the One who knows everything. As for the verses under discussion, it has been clearly declared that anyone who rejects even one of the prophets of Allah is an avowed disbeliever (kafir) and a recipient of the punishment of Hell. So, let us remember that Belief in Allah, in order to be valid, has to be with Belief in the Prophet. If the Belief in the Prophet is not there, even referring to Belief in Allah as such will not be correct.

(Such are disbelievers in truth; and for disbelievers) the Jews and other disbelievers (We prepare a shameful doom) by means of which they shall be abased; it is also said that this means: a severe torment.