The Cow — Verse 77

There was little Hope that the Jews Who lived during the Time of the Prophet could have believed Allah said, أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ (Do you covet) O believers, أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ لَكُمْ (That they will believe in your religion) meaning, that these people would obey you They are the deviant sect of Jews whose fathers witnessed the clear signs but their hearts became hard afterwards. Allah said next, وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَـمَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ (Inspite of the fact that a party of them (Jewish rabbis) used to hear the Word of Allah (the Tawrah), then they used to change it) meaning, distort its meaning, مِن بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ (after they understood it). They understood well, yet they used to defy the truth, وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ (knowingly), being fully aware of their erroneous interpretations and corruption. This statement is similar to Allah's statement, فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَـقَهُمْ لَعنَّـهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَضِعِهِ (So, because of their violation of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their (right) places) (5:13). Qatadah commented that Allah's statement; ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ (Then they used to change it knowingly after they understood it) "They are the Jews who used to hear Allah's Words and then alter them after they understood and comprehended them." Also, Mujahid said, "Those who used to alter it and conceal its truths; they were their scholars." Also, Ibn Wahb said that Ibn Zayd commented, يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَـمَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ (used to hear the Word of Allah (the Tawrah), then they used to change it) "They altered the Tawrah that Allah revealed to them, making it say that the lawful is unlawful and the prohibited is allowed, and that what is right is false and that what is false is right. So when a person seeking the truth comes to them with a bribe, they judge his case by the Book of Allah, but when a person comes to them seeking to do evil with a bribe, they take out the other (distorted) book, in which it is stated that he is in the right. When someone comes to them who is not seeking what is right, nor offering them bribe, then they enjoin righteousness on him. This is why Allah said to them, أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَـبَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ (Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and every act of obedience to Allah) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves, while you recite the Scripture (the Tawrah)! Have you then no sense) (2:44)" The Jews knew the Truth of the Prophet , but disbelieved in Him Allah said next, وَإِذَا لَقُواْ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلاَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ (And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe", but when they meet one another in private..). Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas commented, وَإِذَا لَقُواْ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوا ءَامَنَّا (And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe") "They believe that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah, `But he was only sent for you (Arabs)"' However, when they meet each other they say, "Do not convey the news about this Prophet to the Arabs, because you used to ask Allah to grant you victory over them when he came, but he was sent to them (not to you)." Allah then revealed, وَإِذَا لَقُواْ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلاَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ قَالُواْ أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُم بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَآجُّوكُم بِهِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ (And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe," but when they meet one another in private, they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you, that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord") meaning, "If you admit to them that he is a Prophet, knowing that Allah took the covenant from you to follow him, they will know that Muhammad ﷺ is the Prophet that we were waiting for and whose coming we find foretold of in our Book. Therefore, do not believe in him and deny him." Allah said, أَوَلاَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ (Know they (Jews) not that Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal). Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "When the Jews met the believers they used to say, `We believe.' When they met each other, some of them would say, `Do not talk to the companions of Muhammad ﷺ about what Allah has foretold in your Book, so that the news (that Muhammad ﷺ is the Final Messenger) does not become a proof for them against you with your Lord, and, thus, you will win the dispute."' Further, Abu Al-`Aliyah said about Allah's statement, أَوَلاَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ (Know they (Jews) not that Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal), "Meaning their secret denial and rejection of Muhammad ﷺ, although they find his coming recorded in their Book." This is also the Tafsir of Qatadah. Al-Hasan commented on, أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ (That Allah knows what they conceal), "What they concealed refers to when they were alone with each other away from the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ . Then they would forbid each other from conveying the news that Allah revealed to them in their Book to the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ, fearing that the Companions would use this news (about the truth of Muhammad ) against them before their Lord." وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ (And what they reveal) meaning, when they said to the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ, ءَامَنَّا (We believe), as Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` and Qatadah stated. وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ إِلاَّ أَمَانِىَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَظُنُّونَ

God says Know they not the interrogative is affirmative the inserted wāw of a-wa-lā is to indicate the supplement that God knows what they keep secret and what they proclaim? that is what they hide and what they reveal in this matter and all other matters so that they may desist from these things.

Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce? This is the speech of the Lord who is worshiped by the tawḤīd-voicers, responds to those who call, knows the state of the servants, is aware of the apparent and hidden, and calls back those who have turned away. One He calls with explicit expressions, presenting Himself as the Nurturer. He says, “Be penitent toward your Lord!” [39:54]. Another He calls with His exalted allusions and turns the face of his heart away from others to Himself. He presents His lordhood and kingship to him and says, “Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce?” For the recognizers, this is sufficient allusion. When the Lord of the Worlds says that He knows the secret cores and is aware of the hidden things, they sweep the dust of the others from their secret cores and give scatteredness no way into their hearts. When He says that He knows the apparent, they bring truthfulness to bear in their outward interaction with God's creatures. This is why the folk of allusion have said that He knows what they keep secret is a command to watchfulness between servant and Lord, and what they announce is a command to truthfulness in interactions and settling accounts with the creatures. In one of God's books has come, “If you do not know that I see you, that is a defect in your faith. If you do know that I see you, why do you make Me the lowliest of gazers upon you?” Equivalent to this verse is what the Exalted Lord says: “He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal” [40:19]. There are diverse treacheries in the eyes of the lookers, because the travelers are diverse. The treachery of the eyes of the worshipers is that in the dark night, when it is time for whis- pering to God, they fall asleep and the intimacy of seclusion is lost to them. The prophet David received the revelation, “O David, he who claims to love Me is a liar if night comes, and he goes to sleep on Me. Does not every lover love to be secluded with his beloved?” God praised Abraham for this attribute when He said, “When night darkened over him” [6:76].

Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce? This is the speech of the Lord who is worshiped by the tawḤīd-voicers, responds to those who call, knows the state of the servants, is aware of the apparent and hidden, and calls back those who have turned away. One He calls with explicit expressions, presenting Himself as the Nurturer. He says, “Be penitent toward your Lord!” [39:54]. Another He calls with His exalted allusions and turns the face of his heart away from others to Himself. He presents His lordhood and kingship to him and says, “Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce?” For the recognizers, this is sufficient allusion. When the Lord of the Worlds says that He knows the secret cores and is aware of the hidden things, they sweep the dust of the others from their secret cores and give scatteredness no way into their hearts. When He says that He knows the apparent, they bring truthfulness to bear in their outward interaction with God's creatures. This is why the folk of allusion have said that He knows what they keep secret is a command to watchfulness between servant and Lord, and what they announce is a command to truthfulness in interactions and settling accounts with the creatures. In one of God's books has come, “If you do not know that I see you, that is a defect in your faith. If you do know that I see you, why do you make Me the lowliest of gazers upon you?” Equivalent to this verse is what the Exalted Lord says: “He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal” [40:19]. There are diverse treacheries in the eyes of the lookers, because the travelers are diverse. The treachery of the eyes of the worshipers is that in the dark night, when it is time for whis- pering to God, they fall asleep and the intimacy of seclusion is lost to them. The prophet David received the revelation, “O David, he who claims to love Me is a liar if night comes, and he goes to sleep on Me. Does not every lover love to be secluded with his beloved?” God praised Abraham for this attribute when He said, “When night darkened over him” [6:76].

Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce? This is the speech of the Lord who is worshiped by the tawḤīd-voicers, responds to those who call, knows the state of the servants, is aware of the apparent and hidden, and calls back those who have turned away. One He calls with explicit expressions, presenting Himself as the Nurturer. He says, “Be penitent toward your Lord!” [39:54]. Another He calls with His exalted allusions and turns the face of his heart away from others to Himself. He presents His lordhood and kingship to him and says, “Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce?” For the recognizers, this is sufficient allusion. When the Lord of the Worlds says that He knows the secret cores and is aware of the hidden things, they sweep the dust of the others from their secret cores and give scatteredness no way into their hearts. When He says that He knows the apparent, they bring truthfulness to bear in their outward interaction with God's creatures. This is why the folk of allusion have said that He knows what they keep secret is a command to watchfulness between servant and Lord, and what they announce is a command to truthfulness in interactions and settling accounts with the creatures. In one of God's books has come, “If you do not know that I see you, that is a defect in your faith. If you do know that I see you, why do you make Me the lowliest of gazers upon you?” Equivalent to this verse is what the Exalted Lord says: “He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal” [40:19]. There are diverse treacheries in the eyes of the lookers, because the travelers are diverse. The treachery of the eyes of the worshipers is that in the dark night, when it is time for whis- pering to God, they fall asleep and the intimacy of seclusion is lost to them. The prophet David received the revelation, “O David, he who claims to love Me is a liar if night comes, and he goes to sleep on Me. Does not every lover love to be secluded with his beloved?” God praised Abraham for this attribute when He said, “When night darkened over him” [6:76].

Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce? This is the speech of the Lord who is worshiped by the tawḤīd-voicers, responds to those who call, knows the state of the servants, is aware of the apparent and hidden, and calls back those who have turned away. One He calls with explicit expressions, presenting Himself as the Nurturer. He says, “Be penitent toward your Lord!” [39:54]. Another He calls with His exalted allusions and turns the face of his heart away from others to Himself. He presents His lordhood and kingship to him and says, “Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce?” For the recognizers, this is sufficient allusion. When the Lord of the Worlds says that He knows the secret cores and is aware of the hidden things, they sweep the dust of the others from their secret cores and give scatteredness no way into their hearts. When He says that He knows the apparent, they bring truthfulness to bear in their outward interaction with God's creatures. This is why the folk of allusion have said that He knows what they keep secret is a command to watchfulness between servant and Lord, and what they announce is a command to truthfulness in interactions and settling accounts with the creatures. In one of God's books has come, “If you do not know that I see you, that is a defect in your faith. If you do know that I see you, why do you make Me the lowliest of gazers upon you?” Equivalent to this verse is what the Exalted Lord says: “He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal” [40:19]. There are diverse treacheries in the eyes of the lookers, because the travelers are diverse. The treachery of the eyes of the worshipers is that in the dark night, when it is time for whis- pering to God, they fall asleep and the intimacy of seclusion is lost to them. The prophet David received the revelation, “O David, he who claims to love Me is a liar if night comes, and he goes to sleep on Me. Does not every lover love to be secluded with his beloved?” God praised Abraham for this attribute when He said, “When night darkened over him” [6:76].

Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce?This is the speech of the Lord who is worshiped by the tawḤīd-voicers, responds to those who call, knows the state of the servants, is aware of the apparent and hidden, and calls back those who have turned away. One He calls with explicit expressions, presenting Himself as the Nurturer. He says, �Be penitent toward your Lord!� [39:54]. Another He calls with His exalted allusions and turns the face of his heart away from others to Himself. He presents His lordhood and kingship to him and says, �Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they announce?� For the recognizers, this is sufficient allusion. When the Lord of the Worlds says that He knows the secret cores and is aware of the hidden things, they sweep the dust of the others from their secret cores and give scatteredness no way into their hearts. When He says that He knows the apparent, they bring truthfulness to bear in their outward interaction with God's creatures. This is why the folk of allusion have said that He knows what they keep secret is a command to watchfulness between servant and Lord, and what they announce is a command to truthfulness in interactions and settling accounts with the creatures.In one of God's books has come, �If you do not know that I see you, that is a defect in your faith. If you do know that I see you, why do you make Me the lowliest of gazers upon you?�Equivalent to this verse is what the Exalted Lord says: �He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal� [40:19]. There are diverse treacheries in the eyes of the lookers, because the travelers are diverse.The treachery of the eyes of the worshipers is that in the dark night, when it is time for whis- pering to God, they fall asleep and the intimacy of seclusion is lost to them. The prophet David received the revelation, �O David, he who claims to love Me is a liar if night comes, and he goes to sleep on Me. Does not every lover love to be secluded with his beloved?�God praised Abraham for this attribute when He said, �When night darkened over him� [6:76].

أيفعلون كلَّ هذه الجرائم، ولا يعلمون أن الله يعلم جميع ما يخفونه وما يظهرونه؟

قوله تعالى "أولا يعلمون أن الله يعلم ما يسرون وما يعلنون" قال أبو العالية: يعني ما أسروا من كفرهم بمحمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وتكذيبهم به وهم يجدونه مكتوبا عندهم وكذا قال قتادة وقال الحسن "إن الله يعلم ما يسرون" قال كان ما أسروا أنهم كانوا إذا تولوا عن أصحاب محمد وخلا بعضهم إلى بعض تناهوا أن يخبر أحد منهم أصحاب محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - بما فتح الله عليهم مما في كتابهم خشية أن يحاجهم أصحاب محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - بما في كتابهم عند ربهم "وما يعلنون" يعني حين قالوا لأصحاب محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - آمنا وكذا قال أبو العالية والربيع وقتادة.

ثم وبخهم الله على جهلهم بحقيقة علمه فقال تعالى : ( أَوَلاَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ الله يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ) أي : أيقول الذين لم ينافقوا من اليهود لإِخوانهم الذين نافقوا ما قالوا ، ويكتمون من صفات النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ما كتموا ، ويحرفون من كتاب الله ما حرفوا ، ولا يعلمون أن الله يعلم . ما يخفون من كفر وحقد ، وما يظهرون من إيمان وود؟فالآية الكريمة فيها توبيخ وتجهيل لليهود الذين عاتبوا المنافقين منهم على تحديث المؤمنين بما في توراتهم مما يؤيد صدق النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأنهم لو كانوا مؤمنين إيماناً صادقاً بإحاطة علمه بسرهم وعلانيتهم ، لما نهوا إخوانهم عن تحديث المؤمنين بما فيها فإن ما فيها من صفات للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من الحقائق التي أمرهم الله ببيانها ونهاهم عن كتمانها .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : أَوَلا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ (77)قال أبو جعفر: يعني بقوله جل ثناؤه: (أَوَلَا يعلمون أن الله يعلم ما يسرون وما يعلنون)، أولا يعلم - هؤلاء اللائمون من اليهود إخوانهم من أهل ملتهم, على كونهم إذا لقوا الذين آمنوا قالوا: آمنا، وعلى إخبارهم المؤمنين بما في كتبهم من نعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ومبعثه, القائلون لهم: أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُمْ بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَاجُّوكُمْ بِهِ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ - أن الله عالم بما يسرون، فيخفونه عن المؤمنين في خلائهم = من كفرهم، وتلاومهم بينهم على إظهارهم ما أظهروا لرسول الله وللمؤمنين به من الإقرار بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم, وعلى قيلهم لهم: آمنا, ونهي بعضهم بعضا أن يخبروا المؤمنين بما فتح الله للمؤمنين عليهم, وقضى لهم عليهم في كتبهم، من حقيقة نبوة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ونعته ومبعثه = وما يعلنون، فيظهرونه لمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ولأصحابه المؤمنين به إذا لقوهم، من قيلهم لهم: آمنا بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وبما جاء به، نفاقا وخداعا لله ولرسوله وللمؤمنين؟ كما:-1350 - حدثنا بشر قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد, عن قتادة: (أَوَلَا يعلمون أن الله يعلم ما يسرون)، من كفرهم وتكذيبهم محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا خلا بعضهم إلى بعض,(وما يعلنون) إذا لقوا أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم قالوا: آمنا ليرضوهم بذلك.1351 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا آدم قال، حدثنا أبو جعفر, عن &; 2-257 &; الربيع, عن أبي العالية: (أَوَلَا يعلمون أن الله يعلم ما يسرون وما يعلنون)، يعني ما أسروا من كفرهم بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، وتكذيبهم به, وهم يجدونه مكتوبا عندهم، (وما يعلنون)، يعني: ما أعلنوا حين قالوا للمؤمنين: آمنا

قال الله تعالى : ( أولا يعلمون أن الله يعلم ما يسرون ) يخفون ( وما يعلنون ) يبدون يعني اليهود .

عطف على قوله : { نعمتي } [ البقرة : 47 ] فيُجْعل ( إذ ) مفعولاً به كما هو في قوله تعالى : { واذكروا إذ كنتم قليلاً فكثركم } [ الأعراف : 86 ] فهو هنا اسم زمان غير ظرف لفعل والتقدير اذكروا وقت نجيناكم ، ولما غلبت إضافة أسماء الزمان إلى الجمل وكان معنى الجملة بعدها في معنى المصدر وكان التقدير اذكروا وقت إنجائنا إياكم ، وفائدة العدول عن الإتيان بالمصدر الصريح لأن في الإتيان بإذ المقتضية للجملة استحضاراً للتكوين العجيب المستفاد من هيئة الفعل لأن الذهن إذا تصور المصدر لم يتصور إلا معنى الحدث وإذا سمع الجملة الدالة عليه تصور حدوث الفعل وفاعله ومفعوله ومتعلقاته دفعة واحدة فنشأت من ذلك صورة عجيبة ، فوزان الإتيان بالمصدر وزان الاستعارة المفردة ، وزان الإتيان بالفعل وزان الاستعارة التمثيلية ، وليس هو عطفاً على جملة { اذكروا } [ البقرة : 47 ] كما وقع في بعض التفاسير لأن ذلك يجعل ( إذ ) ظرفاً فيطلب متعلقاً وهو ليس بموجود ، ولا يفيده حرف العطف لأن العاطف في عطف الجمل لا يفيد سوى التشريك في حكم الجملة المعطوف عليها ، وليس نائباً مناب عامل ، ولا يريبك الفصل بين المعطوف والمعطوف عليه أعني { وإذ نجيناكم } بجملة { واتقوا يوماً } [ البقرة : 48 ] فتظنه ملجأ لاعتبار العطف على الجملة لما علمت فيما تقدم أن قوله : { واتقوا } ناشىء عن التذكير فهو من علائق الكلام وليس بأجنبي ، على أنه ليس في كلام النحاة ما يقتضي امتناع الفصل بين المعطوف والمعطوف عليه بالأجنبي فإن المتعاطفين ليسا بمرتبة الاتصال كالعامل والمعمول ، وعُدي فعل { أنجينا } إلى ضمير المخاطبين مع أن التنجية إنما كانت تنجية أسلافهم لأن تنجية أسلافهم تنجية للخلف فإنه لو بقي أسلافهم في عذاب فرعون لكان ذلك لاحقاً لأخلافهم فذلك كانت منة النتجية منتين : منة على السلف ومنة على الخلف فوجب شكرها على كل جيل منهم ولذلك أوجبت عليهم شريعتهم الاحتفال بما يقابل أيام النعمة عليهم من أيام كل سنة وهي أعيادهم وقد قال الله لموسى : { وذكرهم بأيام الله } [ إبراهيم : 5 ] .وآل الرجل أهله . وأصل آل أهل قلبت هاؤه همزة تخفيفاً ليتوصل بذلك إلى تسهيل الهمزة مداً . والدليل على أن أصله أهل رجوع الهاء في التصغير إذ قالوا : أهيل ولم يسمع أُويل خلافاً للكسائي .والأهل والآل يراد به الأقارب والعشيرة والموالي وخاصة الإنسان وأتباعه . والمراد من آل فرعون وَزَعَته ووكلاؤه ، ويختص الآل بالإضافة إلى ذي شأن وشرف دنيوي ممن يعقل فلا يقال آل الجاني ولا آل مكة ، ولما كان فرعون في الدنيا عظيماً وكان الخطاب متعلقاً بنجاة دنيوية من عظيم في الدنيا أطلق على أتباعه آل فلا توقف في ذلك حتى يحتاج لتأويله بقص%

{ أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ } فهم وإن أسروا ما يعتقدونه فيما بينهم, وزعموا أنهم بإسرارهم لا يتطرق عليهم حجة للمؤمنين, فإن هذا غلط منهم وجهل كبير, فإن الله يعلم سرهم وعلنهم, فيظهر لعباده ما أنتم عليه.

أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ وبخهم توبيخا يتلى فقال : " أولا يعلمون " الآية .فهو استفهام معناه التوبيخ والتقريع .وقرأ الجمهور " يعلمون " بالياء , وابن محيصن بالتاء , خطابا للمؤمنين .والذي أسروه كفرهم , والذي أعلنوه الجحد به .

One of the reasons for the promptness with which the people of Madinah recognized the Prophet Muhammad, and believed in him, was that they had often heard from their Jewish neighbours of the coming of a final prophet. They had, therefore, been expecting his arrival. The Jews then were responsible for the Muslims’ initial fervour for Islam. It was only natural that the Muslims, in their turn, should hope that the Jews would unhesitatingly accept the prophethood of Muhammad. With every hope of a positive response, it was with sublime feelings that they called on the Jews to join them in their belief in the Prophet. How shocked the Muslims were, then, when they found that, contrary to their expectations, the Jews were not ready to accept their invitation to accept Islam. Rather, their efforts had the opposite effect, for the Prophet’s opponents took the opportunity to ask the Muslims, ‘How are you so sure about the prophethood of Muhammad? If he were truly a prophet, the Jews would have been the first to believe in him, for their knowledge of what is written in the scriptures is greater than yours.’ But acceptance of a truth is not dependent upon knowledge alone; one has also to be sincere. As for the Jews, they had already altered their own scriptures, though they knew them to be the word of God. Seeking out loopholes in any part of the Holy scriptures that did not conform to their wishes, they altered the word of God at will; religion was subordinated to their worldly interests. However true something may be, if one is bent on denial and intentional distortion, one is sure to find some justification or the other for it. Such a perverse attitude finally leads to deliberate misrepresentation of the true word of God. One who has such irreverent attitude towards the divine scriptures can never appreciate the gravity of matters concerning God: he hears the word of God, but he can always find words to show that the commandment does not apply to him; he believes in God, but his insensitivity makes him commit acts of flagrant rebellion against Him which no one who really believes that God is watching over him, and hearing what he says, would ever dare to perpetrate.

Allah reminds the Jews that He is omniscient, and knows what they try to keep concealed as well as what they say or do openly. So, it would make no difference at all, if the hypocrites tried to conceal their infidelity from the Muslims, or the other group, not to disclose the verses of the Torah which speak of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . For, Allah Himself has, on different occasions, informed the Muslims in the Holy Qur'an as to the hypocrisy of certain Jews and as to the testimony of the Torah also. Verse 77 deals with the educated ones among the Jews, while Verse 78 speaks of those who were unlettered. These men had no knowledge of the Torah, and were even deficient in their understanding. Then, the Jewish scholars did not give them correct or proper information about their religion. No wonder, their minds were stuffed only with baseless superstitions which they found very pleasant and flattering. Since the dishonesty of their scholars was the real cause of their superstitiousness, the crime of the former was greater than that of the latter. So, Verse 79 turns to the Jewish scholars. They were greedy and self-seeking, and in order to please the people for receiving money and respect from them, they used to misrepresent divine injunctions, going so far as to change the words of the Torah or distort the sense, pretending all the while that this was just what Allah had said or meant. The Verse 79 announces a grievous punishment for these two sins - distorting the Word of Allah and earning money by doing so. A doctrinal point Verse 78 says that the illiterate Jews follow their Zann ظن ، that is to say, their fancies or conjectures. Some people do not pay any attention to the context in which the word has been used here, and come to the erroneous conclusion that it is not legitimate to accept or follow any view or injunction based on Zann ظن ، which they always translate as "a fanciful supposition." This, no doubt, is one of the lexical meanings of the word, but only one. Let us explain that the Holy Qur'an uses the word Zann ظن in three ways: (1) To signify perfect certitude -"Those who are certain that they are going to meet their Lord" (2:46). (2) To signify the greatest likelihood - "And he said to him whom he thought was the more likely of the two to be released from the prison" (12:42). (3) To signify a mere fanciful supposition - as in the present verse. The Zann ظن which the Holy Qur'an prohibits us to follow is that of the third kind. This verse condemns the Jews for having followed this kind of Zann ظن which consists in a fanciful opinion that is not supported by a respectable argument or goes against a valid one. On the contrary, it is necessary to follow the Zann ظن of the first two kinds. When certain ahadith or certain arguments and conclusions in the Shari` ah are described as resting on Zann ظن ، it is done according to the second signification of the word. One cannot avoid this kind of Zann ظن in any sphere of life, and the Shari` ah requires us to accept and follow it. Certain verses of the Holy Qur'an, of course, condemn those who follow their Zann ظن ، but to apply this condemnation to all the possible cases, and to use such verses for rejecting all the legitimate arguments and injunctions of the Shariah based on Zann ظن is to betray one's ignorance of the Holy Qur'an.

Allah, Exalted is He, says: (Are they) i.e. these leaders (then unaware that Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden) amongst themselves (and that which they proclaim?) to Muhammad and his Companions.

God says Know they not the interrogative is affirmative the inserted wāw of a-wa-lā is to indicate the supplement that God knows what they keep secret and what they proclaim? that is what they hide and what they reveal in this matter and all other matters so that they may desist from these things.