Mushaf View — Surah 2 2:92
About this view. Tafsir al-Tabari, al-Qurtubi, and al-Baghawi — three of the most chain-citing classical Sunni mufassirun — have never been fully translated into English. ParallelQuran's English Mushaf view shows the five most-complete English-language Sunni tafsirs available today. The Arabic Mushaf view (Phase 2) will show the full classical stack.
Although The Jews denied the Truth, They claimed to be Believers!
Allah said,
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ
(And when it is said to them), meaning, the Jews and the People of the Book,
ءَامِنُواْ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ
(Believe in what Allah has sent down) to Muhammad , believe in and follow him,
قَالُواْ نُؤْمِنُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا
(They say, "We believe in what was sent down to us.") meaning, it is enough for us to believe in what was revealed to us in the Tawrah and the Injil, and this is the path that we choose,
وَيَكْفُرونَ بِمَا وَرَآءَهُ
(And they disbelieve in that which came after it).
وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ
(while it is the truth confirming what is with them) meaning, while knowing that what was revealed to Muhammad ,
الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ
(it is the truth confirming what is with them). This means that since what was sent to Muhammad conforms to what was revealed to the People of the Book, then this fact constitutes a proof against them. Similarly, Allah said,
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ
(Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognize him (Muhammad ) as they recognize their sons) (2:146). Allah said next,
فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَآءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
("Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers").
This means, "If your claim that you believe in what was revealed to you is true, then why did you kill the Prophets who came to you affirming the Tawrah's Law, although you knew they were true Prophets You killed them simply out of transgression, stubbornness and injustice with Allah's Messengers. Therefore, you only follow your lusts, opinions and desires." Similarly, Allah said,
أَفَكُلَّمَا جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لاَ تَهْوَى أَنفُسُكُم اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ
(Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant Some you disbelieved and some you killed.)
Also, As-Suddi said, "In this Ayah, Allah chastised the People of the Book,
قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَآءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
(Say (O Muhammad to them): "Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers")."
وَلَقَدْ جَآءَكُم مُّوسَى بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ
(And indeed Musa came to you with clear proofs) meaning, with clear signs and clear proofs that he was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. The clear signs -or miracles- mentioned here are the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the staff and the hand. Musa's miracles also include parting the sea, shading the Jews with clouds, the manna and quails, the gushing stone, etc.
ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ
(yet you worshipped the calf) meaning, as a deity instead of Allah, during the time of Musa. Allah's statement,
مِن بَعْدِهِ
(after he left) after Musa went to Mount Tur to speak to Allah. Similarly, Allah said,
وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلاً جَسَداً لَّهُ خُوَارٌ
(And the people of Musa made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing)) (7:148).
وَأَنتُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ
(and you were Zalimun) meaning, you were unjust in this behavior of worshipping the calf, although you knew that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. Similarly, Allah said,
وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فَى أَيْدِيهِمْ وَرَأَوْاْ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ
(And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they (repented and) said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of the losers") (7:149).
"ولقد جاءكم موسى بالبينات" أي بالآيات الواضحات والدلائل القاطعات على أنه رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وأنه لا إله إلا الله والآيات البينات هي الطوفان والجراد والقمل والضفادع والدم والعصا واليد وفرق البحر وتظليلهم بالغمام والمن والسلوى والحجر وغير ذلك من الآيات التي شاهدوها ثم اتخذتم العجل أي معبودا من دون الله في زمان موسى وأيامه وقوله من بعده أي من بعد ما ذهب عنكم إلى الطور لمناجاة الله عز وجل كما قال تعالى "واتخذ قوم موسى من حليهم عجلا جسدا له خوار" "وأنتم ظالمون" أي وأنتم ظالمون في هذا الصنيع الذي صنعتموه من بعده عبادتكم العجل وأنتم تعلمون أنه لا إله إلا الله كما قال تعالى "ولما سقط في أيديهم ورأوا أنهم قد ضلوا قالوا لئن لم يرحمنا ربنا ويغفر لنا لنكونن من الخاسرين".
(And Moses came unto you with clear proofs) with commands, prohibitions and signs (yet while he was away ye chose the calf) you worshipped the calf (and ye were wrong-doers) unbelievers.
عطف على قوله : { فلم تقتلون أنبياء الله } [ البقرة : 91 ] والقصد منه تعليم الانتقال في المجادلة معهم إلى ما يزيد إبطال دعواهم الإيمان بما أنزل إليهم خاصة ، وذلك أنه بعد أن أكذبهم في ذلك بقوله : { فلم تقتلون أنبياء الله من قبل } كما بينا ، ترقى إلى ذكر أحوالهم في مقابلتهم دعوة موسى الذي يزعمون أنهم لا يؤمنون إلا بما جاءهم به فإنهم مع ذلك قد قابلوا دعوته بالعصيان قولاً وفعلاً فإذا كانوا أعرضوا عن الدعوة المحمدية بمعذرة أنهم لا يؤمنون إلا بما أنزل عليهم فلماذا قابلوا دعوة أنبيائهم بعد موسى بالقتل؟ ولماذا قابلوا؟ دعوة موسى بما قابلوا . فهذا وجه ذكر هذه الآيات هنا وإن كان قد تقدم نظائرها فيما مضى ، فإن ذكرها هنا في محاجة أخرى وغرض جديد ، وقد بينتُ أن القرآن ليس مثل تأليف في علم يُحال فيه على ما تقدم بل هو جامع مواعظ وتذكيرات وقوارع ومجادلات نزلت في أوقات كثيرة وأحوال مختلفة فلذلك تتكرر فيه الأغراض لاقتضاء المقام ذكرها حينئذ عند سبب نزول تلك الآيات .
And Moses came to you with clear proofs miracles such as the staff his hand and the parting of the sea; then you took to yourselves the calf as a god after him after he had gone to the appointment and you were evildoers for taking it in worship.
The "clear signs" mentioned in the verse refers to the miracles which- had manifested themselves even before the Torah was given to Sayyidna Musa (Moses علیہ السلام) -- for example, his staff that turned into a .snake, the palm of his hand which shone brightly, the splitting of the sea to make a path for the Israelites, etc. These miracles were meant to affirm the Oneness of Allah and His omnipotence, and to provide an evidence for the prophethood of Sayyidna Musa۔ (علیہ السلام)
In refutation of the Jews, the verse points out that although they lay a claim to 'Iman ایمان (faith), yet have been falling into the sin of Shirk شرک (association), which involves a denial not only of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) but even of Allah Himself.
Although the Jews who were the contemporaries of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، did not themselves take part in the worship of the golden calf, yet they respected such of their forefathers as had done so, and took their side. So, for all practical purposes, they too were guilty of the same sin.
The verse also suggests that no wonder if these people, whose forefathers denied Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ، should now be denying the Holy Prophet ﷺ .
The Jews were not ready to accept the Quran, because they thought they were already rightly guided. They were sure that the very fact that they belonged to the largest group of the followers of truth, that is, the Israelites, that would be enough to earn them salvation. But, in fact, this was a feeling of ethnic superiority which they mistook for love of truth. The communal values of their group came to occupy the position of pure truth. That was why, when the truth appeared in its original form, they failed to accept it. Had their aim been to find pure truth, they would not have found it difficult, since predictions about it had appeared in their own sacred book, (the Torah) to the effect that now it was the Quran that was the Book of Truth to be followed and not the religion of their own group.