The Table, The Table Spread — Verse 62

The People of the Book are Enraged at the Believers Because of their Faith in Allah Allah commands: Say, O Muhammad, to those who mock and jest about your religion from among the People of the Scriptures, هَلْ تَنقِمُونَ مِنَّآ إِلاَّ أَنْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلُ (Do you criticize us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah, and in what has been sent down to us and in that which has been sent down before (us)) Do you have any criticism or cause of blame for us, other than this This, by no means, is cause of blame or criticism. Allah said in other Ayat, وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ (And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise!) and, وَمَا نَقَمُواْ إِلاَ أَنْ أَغْنَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ (and they could not find any cause to do so except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His bounty.)9:74 In an agreed upon Hadith, the Prophet said, «مَا يَنْقِمُ ابْنُ جَمِيلٍ إِلَّا أَنْ كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَأَغْنَاهُ الله» (What caused Ibn Jamil to Yanqim (refuse to give Zakah), although he was poor and Allah made him rich) Allah's statement, وَأَنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ فَـسِقُونَ (and that most of you are rebellious. ..) is connected to أَنْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلُ (that we believe in Allah, and in that which has been sent down to us and in that which has been sent down before (us).) Therefore, the meaning of this part of the Ayah is: we also believe that most of you are rebellious and deviated from the straight path. The People of the Scriptures Deserve the Worst Torment on the Day of Resurrection Allah said next, قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِندَ اللَّهِ (Say: "Shall I inform you of something worse than that, regarding the recompense from Allah") The Ayah commands the Prophet to say: Shall I inform you about a worse people with Allah on the Day of Resurrection than what you think of us They are you, with these characteristics, مَن لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ (those who incurred the curse of Allah) were expelled from His mercy, وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ (and who incurred His wrath) and anger, after which He will never be pleased with them, وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ (those of whom He transformed into monkeys and swine,) as we mentioned in Surat Al-Baqarah (2) and as we will mention in Surat Al-A`raf (7). Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that Ibn Mas`ud said, "Allah's Messenger was asked if the current monkeys and swine were those whom Allah transformed. He said, «إنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يُهْلِكْ قَوْمًا، أَوْ لَمْ يَمْسَخْ قَوْمًا فَيَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ نَسْلًا وَلَا عَقِبًا، وَإِنَّ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ كَانَتْ قَبْلَ ذلِك» (Allah never destroyed a people by transforming them and making offspring or descendants for them. The monkeys and swine existed before that.)" This was also recorded by Muslim. Allah said, وَعَبَدَ الطَّـغُوتَ (Those who worshipped Taghut...) and served them, becoming their servants. The meaning of this Ayah is: you, O People of the Scriptures, who mock our religion, which consists of Allah's Tawhid, and singling Him out in worship without others, how can you mock us while these are your characteristics This is why Allah said, أُوْلَـئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً (such are worse in rank...) than what you -- People of the Scriptures -- think of us Muslims, وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَآءِ السَّبِيلِ (and far more astray from the straight path.) `More' in the Ayah does not mean that the other party is `less' astray, but it means that the People of the Scriptures are far astray. In another Ayah, Allah said, أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُّسْتَقَرّاً وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلاً (The dwellers of Paradise will, on that Day, have the best abode, and have the fairest of places for repose.) The Hypocrites Pretend to be Believers but Hide their Kufr Allah said, وَإِذَا جَآءُوكُمْ قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَقَدْ دَّخَلُواْ بِالْكُفْرِ وَهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُواْ بِهِ (When they come to you, they say, "We believe." But in fact they enter with (an intention of) disbelief and they go out with the same.) This is the description of the hypocrites, for they pretend to be believers while their hearts hide Kufr. So Allah said; وَقَدْ دَّخَلُواْ (But in fact they enter) on you, O Muhammad, بِالْكُفْرِ (with disbelief) in their hearts and they depart with Kufr, and this is why they do not benefit from the knowledge they hear from you, nor does the advice and reminder move them. So, وَهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُواْ بِهِ (and they go out with the same) meaning, they alone, وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْتُمُونَ (and Allah knows all that they were hiding.) Allah knows their secrets and what their hearts conceal, even if they pretend otherwise with His creatures, thus pretending to be what they are not. Allah, Who has perfect knowledge of the seen and unseen, has more knowledge about the hypocrites than any of His creatures do and He will recompense them accordingly. Allah's statement, وَتَرَى كَثِيراً مِّنْهُمْ يُسَـرِعُونَ فِى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ (And you see many of them (Jews) hurrying for sin and transgression, and eating illegal things.) They hurry to devour prohibited and illegal things, all the while transgressing against people, unjustly consuming their property through bribes and Riba, لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ (Evil indeed is that which they have been doing.) Indeed, horrible is that which they used to do and the transgression that they committed. Criticizing Rabbis and Learned Religious Men for Giving up on Forbidding Evil Allah said, لَوْلاَ يَنْهَـهُمُ الرَّبَّـنِيُّونَ وَالاٌّحْبَارُ عَن قَوْلِهِمُ الإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ (Why do not the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.) meaning why don't the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from this evil The Rabbaniyyun are the scholars who are in positions of authority, while the Ahbar are the regular scholars. لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ (Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.) referring to the Rabbaniyyun, as `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas, because they abandoned forbidding evil. Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "There is no Ayah in the Qur'an that has more severe admonition than this Ayah, لَوْلاَ يَنْهَـهُمُ الرَّبَّـنِيُّونَ وَالاٌّحْبَارُ عَن قَوْلِهِمُ الإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ (Why do not the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.)" Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Yahya bin Ya`mar said, " `Ali bin Abi Talib once gave a speech, which he started by praising Allah and thanking Him. He then said, `O people! Those who were before you were destroyed because they committed sins and the Rabbaniyyun and Ahbar did not forbid them from evil. When they persisted in sin, they were overcome by punishment. Therefore, enjoin righteousness and forbid evil before what they suffered also strikes you. Know that enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil does not reduce the provision or shorten the term of life." Imam Ahmad recorded that Jarir said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «مَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ يَكُونُ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ بِالْمَعَاصِي هُمْ أَعَزُّ مِنْهُ وَأَمْنَعُ، وَلَمْ يُغَيِّرُوا إِلَّا أَصَابَهُمُ اللهُ مِنْهُ بِعَذَاب» (There is no people among whom there are those who commit sins, while the rest are more powerful and mightier than the sinners, yet they do not stop them, but Allah will send a punishment upon them.) Ahmad was alone with this wording. Abu Dawud recorded it, but in his narration Jarir said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, «مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَكُونُ فِي قَوْمٍ يُعْمَلُ فِيهِمْ بِالْمَعَاصِي، يَقْدِرُونَ أَنْ يُغَيِّرُوا عَلَيْهِ، فَلَا يُغَيِّرُوا إِلَّا أَصَابَهُمُ اللهُ بِعِقَابٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمُوتُوا» (There is no one who resides among people commiting evil among them, and they do not stop him though they are able to do so, but Allah will punish them all before they die.)" Ibn Majah also recorded this Hadith.

And you see many of them namely the Jews vying falling headlong in sin in calumny and enmity wrongdoing and their consuming of unlawful gain what is illicit like bribes; evil is that deed of theirs which they have been committing.

And you see many of them namely the Jews vying falling headlong in sin in calumny and enmity wrongdoing and their consuming of unlawful gain what is illicit like bribes; evil is that deed of theirs which they have been committing.

And you see many of them vying, that is, indulging in all manner of vices in earnest because of their habituation to them and their having been trained in them, and because they constitute natural traits of their souls. Sin is the vice of the rational-speech faculty because it is mendacity; enmity is the vice of the concupiscent faculty

And you see many of them vying, that is, indulging in all manner of vices in earnest because of their habituation to them and their having been trained in them, and because they constitute natural traits of their souls. Sin is the vice of the rational-speech faculty because it is mendacity; enmity is the vice of the concupiscent faculty

وترى -أيها الرسول- كثيرًا من اليهود يبادرون إلى المعاصي من قول الكذب والزور، والاعتداء على أحكام الله، وأكْل أموال الناس بالباطل، لقد ساء عملهم واعتداؤهم.

أي: يبادرون إلى ذلك من تعاطي المآثم والمحارم والاعتداء على الناس، وأكلهم أموالهم بالباطل ( لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ) أي: لبئس  العمل كان عملهم وبئس الاعتداء اعتداؤهم.

ثم حكى - سبحانه - لونا آخر من رذائلهم فقال : ( وترى كَثِيراً مِّنْهُمْ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الإثم والعدوان وَأَكْلِهِمُ السحت ) .والرؤية في قوله : ( وترى ) بصرية .والإِثم : هو كل قول أو عمل لا يرضاه الله - تعالى - .والعدوان : مجاوزة الحد في الظلم والتعدي . والسحت : هو المال الحرام كالرشوة وغيرها .أي : وترى - أيها الرسول الكريم أو أيها السامع - كثيرا من هؤلاء اليهود ، يسارعون في ارتكاب الآثام وفي التعدي والظلم وأكل المال الحرام بدون تردد أو تريث . والتعبير بقوله : ( وترى ) يفيد أن ارتكابهم لهذه المنكرات لم يكن خافيا أو مستوراً ، وإنما هم يرتكبونها مجاهرة وعلانية ، لأن فضيلة الحياء قد نضبت من جوههم .والمسارعة في الشيء : المبادرة إليه بسرعة وخفة ونشاط ، وأكثر استعمالها في الخير كما قال - تعالى - ( أولئك يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الخيرات ) ( نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الخيرات ) وقد استعملت هنا في مسارعتهم في الإِثم والعدوان وأكلهم السحت ، للإِشارة إلى أنهم كانوا يقدمون على هذه المنكرات وكأنهم محقون فيها .والتعدية بحرف ( في ) تؤذن بأنهم مغمورون في الآثام؛ وأنهم ينتقلون فيها في حال إلى حال أخرى شر منها ، حتى لكأن السير في طريق الحق والصدق والفضيلة صار غير مألوف عندهم .وقوله : ( لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ) تذييل قصد به تقبيح أعمالهم التي يأباها الدين والخلق الكريم .أي : لبئس شيئا كانوا يعملونه هذه المنكرات التي منها مسارعتهم في الإِثم والعدوان وأكلهم السحت .وهذه الجملة هي حكم من الله - تعالى - عليهم بذم أعمالهم . وقد جمع - سبحانه - في حكمه بين صيغة الماضي ( كانوا ) وصيغة المضارع ( يعملون ) للإِشارة إلى أن هذا العمل القبيح كان منهم في الماضي ، وأنهم قد استمروا عليه في حاضرهم ومستقبلهم بدون توبة أو ندم .وقد أكد - سبحانه - هذا الحكم بالقسم ، وباللام الموطئة للقسم ، وبكلمة بئس الدالة على شدة الذم . أي : أقسم لبئس العمل الذي كان هؤلاء يعملونه من مسارعتهم في الإِثم والعدوان وأكلهم السحت .

القول في تأويل قوله : وَتَرَى كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (62)قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: " وترى " يا محمد =" كثيرًا "، من هؤلاء اليهود الذين قصصت عليك نبأهم من بني إسرائيل=" يسارعون في الإثم والعدوان "، يقول: يعجلون بمواقعة الإثم. (43)* * *وقيل: إن " الإثم " في هذا الموضع، معنيّ به الكفر. (44)12235 - حدثني محمد بن الحسين قال، حدثنا أحمد بن مفضل قال، حدثنا أسباط، عن السدي في قوله: " وترى كثيًرا منهم يسارعون في الإثم والعدوان "، قال: " الإثم "، الكفر.12236 - حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله: " وترى كثيًرا منهم يسارعون في الإثم والعدوان "، وكان هذا في حُكّام اليهود بين أيديكم. (45)12237 - حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: " يسارعون في الإثم والعدوان "، قال: هؤلاء اليهود=" لبئس ما كانوا يعملون "= لَوْلا يَنْهَاهُمُ الرَّبَّانِيُّونَ ، إلى قوله: لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ ، قال: " يَصْنَعُونَ" و " يعملون " واحد. قال: لهؤلاء حين لم ينهوا، كما قال لهؤلاء حين عملوا.قال: وذلك الإدهان. (46)* * *قال أبو جعفر: وهذا القول الذي ذكرناه عن السدي، وإن كان قولا غير مدفوع جوازُ صحته، فإن الذي هو أولى بتأويل الكلام: أن يكون القوم موصوفين بأنهم يسارعون في جميع معاصي الله، لا يتحاشون من شيء منها، لا من كفر ولا من غيره. لأن الله تعالى ذكره عمَّ في وصفهم بما وصفهم به من أنهم يسارعون في الإثم والعدوان، من غير أن يخصّ بذلك إثمًا دون إثم.* * *وأما " العدوان "، فإنه مجاوزة الحدّ الذي حدَّه الله لهم في كل ما حدَّه لهم. (47)* * *وتأويل ذلك: أن هؤلاء اليهود الذين وصفهم في هذه الآيات بما وصفهم به تعالى ذكره، يسارع كثير منهم في معاصي الله وخلاف أمره، ويتعدَّون حدودَه التي حدَّ لهم فيما أحلّ لهم وحرّم عليهم، في أكلهم " السحت "= وذلك الرشوة التي يأخذونها من الناس على الحكم بخلاف حكم الله فيهم. (48)* * *يقول الله تعالى ذكره: " لبئس ما كانوا يعملون "، يقول: أقسم لَبئس العمل ما كان هؤلاء اليهود يعملون، في مسارعتهم في الإثم والعدوان، وأكلهم السحت.* * *

( وترى كثيرا منهم ) يعني : من اليهود ( يسارعون في الإثم والعدوان ) قيل : الإثم المعاصي والعدوان الظلم ، وقيل : الإثم ما كتموا من التوراة ، والعدوان وما زادوا فيها ، ( وأكلهم السحت ) الرشا ، ( لبئس ما كانوا يعملون )

والرؤية في قوله : { وترى } بصرية ، أي أنّ حالهم في ذلك بحيث لا يخفى على أحد . والخطاب لكّل من يسمع .وتقدّم معنى { يسارعون } عند قوله : { لا يحزنك الذين يسارعون في الكفر } [ النساء : 41 ] .والإثم : المفاسد من قوللٍ وعمللٍ ، أريد به هنا الكذب ، كما دلّ عليه قوله : { عن قولهم الإثم } . والعدوانُ : الظلم ، والمراد به الاعتداء علي المسلمين إن استطاعوه .والسحت تقدّم في قوله : { سمّاعون للكذب أكّالون للسحت } [ المائدة : 42 ] .

ثم استمر تعالى يعدد معايبهم، انتصارا لقدحهم في عباده المؤمنين، فقال: { وَتَرَى كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُمْ ْ} أي: من اليهود { يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ْ} أي: يحرصون، ويبادرون المعاصي المتعلقة في حق الخالق والعدوان على المخلوقين. { وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ ْ} الذي هو الحرام. فلم يكتف بمجرد الإخبار أنهم يفعلون ذلك، حتى أخبر أنهم يسارعون فيه، وهذا يدل على خبثهم وشرهم، وأن أنفسهم مجبولة على حب المعاصي والظلم. هذا وهم يدعون لأنفسهم المقامات العالية. { لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ْ} وهذا في غاية الذم لهم والقدح فيهم.

قوله تعالى : وترى كثيرا منهم يعني من اليهود . يسارعون في الإثم والعدوان أي : يسابقون في المعاصي والظلم وأكلهم السحت لبئس ما كانوا يعملون

The favoured religion of God is that of taqwa (fear of God). In other words, a man should live in society in such a way that he utters no words of sin; in his activities he should avoid forbidden ways and he should behave with entire fairness towards those with whom he has dealings. But a man’s selfishness puts him on the path of world-worship; he wants to lead a life in which he is not troubled by having to distinguish between right and wrong, and in which he needs to worry only about his own worldly interests. The general run of the Jewish people mindlessly trod this path of self-centredness. This being so, it was the duty of the foremost among them to alert them to their wrongdoing and to wean them away from this course. Instead of this, they reached a tacit understanding with the common people. They started disseminating among them a particular type of religion which guaranteed their salvation and promised them a high status, without their having to change their actual way of living in any way. These prominent people did not disturb the current lives of the common people, but used to recite to them false stories of the supremacy of the Jewish community; giving a religious colour to their communal events and conveying to them the glad news that they only had to repeat a number of ritual actions and palaces would be built for them in paradise. Before God, it is the most evil deed to disseminate this type of religion among the people, in which change in their actual lives is not required, and to delude them into thinking that, by publicly performing certain showy rites, their entry into paradise will be guaranteed.

Commentary The Moral Loss of Jews In the first verse (62) cited above, mentioned there is the moral depravation and self-destructive attitude of many Jews so that people who know that may take a lesson and stay away from such deeds, as well as from causes that lead to them. Though, this was generally the condition of Jews, but they also had some good people among them. It is to exclude them that the Qur'an has used the word: کَثِیرًا ` kathiran' (many). As for aggression and eating of the unlawful, these are though included under the sense of ` sin', yet they have been particularly mentioned, distinctly, in order to lay emphasis on the ruin these two kinds of sins bring on one and all. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit) According to Ruh al-Ma'ani, by using the expression ` racing towards sin' about these people, the Holy Qur'an has given the hint that they are chronic subjects of these evil traits and the evil deeds they do have become fixed habits with them, so ingrained that they (automatically) move in that direction, even without intention. This tells us that a good or bad deed when done many times repeatedly becomes a part and parcel of the inmost being of a person, almost a skill or drive or a fixed habit, after which, there remains no exertion or hesitation in doing what one does. This was the limit reached by Jews in pursuing their evil traits. To highlight it, it was said: يُسَارِ‌عُونَ فِي الْإِثْمِ (They race towards sin). The same thing applies to prophets and men of Allah in the case of their good traits. About them too, the Holy Qur'an has used the same expression when it says: يُسَارِ‌عُونَ فِي الخیراتِ (They race towards good deeds - 3:114).

(And thou seest) O Muhammad (many of them) i.e. the Jews (vying one with another in sin) competing with one another in committing contraventions and indulging in idolatry (and transgression) wrong-doing and violation against other people (and their devouring of illicit gain) bribery and that which is unlawful in return for changing legal rulings. (Verily evil is what they do) of contraventions and violations against others.