The Heifer (Al-Baqarah)
Verses 213-214 GROUP_53 2.213-214
213
كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ فَهَدَى اللّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لِمَا اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ وَاللّهُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
Mankind was once a single community, [but then people developed differences], so God sent prophets to them as bearers of good tidings and warning, and sent down with them the Book containing the truth, so that He might judge between their disputes. It was only those to whom it [the scripture] was given who disagreed about it after clear signs had come to them, because of rivalry between them. God by His will guided the believers to the truth about which the others had disputed. God guides whom He will to a straight path.
214
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللّهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللّهِ قَرِيبٌ
Do you think that you will enter Paradise without having suffered like those who passed away before you? Affliction and hardship befell them and so shaken were they that the Messenger and the believers with him would exclaim, ‘When will God’s help come?’ Surely the help of God is near
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Commentary
(a) Religion, as revealed by God, is one religion. Yet men differ on this point, putting a variety of interpretations upon divine religion, so that it may fit in with their mental make-up. In this way different viewpoints, all claiming allegiance to one divine scripture, come into existence. When this happens, God chooses one of His servants to proclaim the truth on earth. He talks in human language, and appears no different from everyone else, but those who are bent on finding truth appreciate the divine quality in his words. Forgetting their differences, they flock to his standard. Others, however, stick stubbornly to their self-contrived interpretations of religion. Why, they contend should we accept what is taught to us by another? Their claim to have a monopoly over truth makes them proud and prejudiced. It causes them to deny truth itself— the very thing that they in their complacency claimed to monopolize. (a) Truth, supported by clear proofs, is revealed to men, yet still they refuse to accept it. Why is this? It is because they see truth as destructive to the dream world they have built up; they view it as damaging to their own interests and honour, as threatening to the comfortable, secure lives to which they have become accus- tomed. But in order to be faithful to God, we are required to make sacrifices of this nature. It is the road that men are reluctant to tread, because of its dangers and difficulties. But that is the only road which leads to Paradise. The price of Paradise is one’s own self. There is only one way to earn Paradise, and that is by total self-abnegation. This involves changing the very foundation of one’s life, thinking and acting in accordance with the pattern God has laid down, and giving up former habits. This task cannot be performed without exhorting others to do good deeds, and criticising their misdeeds. People in every age have been especially averse to criticism and admonition of this nature. Teachers of truth, then, have to be prepared for adverse reactions from their congregations.