Truth to be proclaimed at all cost,

The people of the Gospel do not act up to it,

The errors which the Christians commit.

Al-Ma’idah Verses 67 – 77

يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ

“(O’ Our Apostle Muhammad) Deliver thou what hath been sent down unto thee from thy Lord; and if thou dost it not, then (it will be as if) thou hast not delivered His message (at all); and surely will God protect thee from (the mischief) of men; Verily, God guideth not an infidel people1.” (5:67)

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ حَتَّىٰ تُقِيمُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

“Say! “O people of the Book! Ye have no ground2to stand upon, until ye3stand fast by the Law4and the Evangel5and what hath been sent down unto you6from your Lord;” and surely that which hath been sent7down unto thee (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) will increase8many of them in transgression and infidelity; therefore grieve not for the infidel people9.” (5:68)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئُونَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians and whoever believeth in God and the Last Day (of Judgment) and doeth good, no fear shall be upon them and nor shall they grieve10.” (5:69)

لَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ رُسُلًا كُلَّمَا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُوا وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ

“Certainly We took a covenant11from the children of Israel and We sent unto them apostles; Whenever there came to them an apostle with what their souls12did not like, some (of them) did they call liars and some they used to slay.” (5:70)

وَحَسِبُوا أَلَّا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ فَعَمُوا وَصَمُّوا ثُمَّ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ عَمُوا وَصَمُّوا كَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

“And they thought that there would be no affliction, so they became blinded and deafened; (and when they repented) then God turned merciful unto them yet again many of them became blinded and deafened; and surely God well-seeth what they do.” (5:71)

لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍ

“Certainly infidels are they who say; “Surely God13, He is the Messiah, son of Mary;” and the Messiah (himself hath only) said14: “O’ Children of Israel! worship ye (only) God, my Lord and your Lord, Surely whoever associateth (aught) with God, then God forbiddeth to him the garden (of bliss) and his abode (shall be) the (Hell) fire; and there shall not be for the unjust any helpers15.” (5:72)

لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهُوا عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

“Surely, they disbelieve who say; “Surely God is the third of the three,” and there is no God but the One God; and if they desist not from what they say, a grievous torment shall meet those who disbelieve16.” (5:73)

أَفَلَا يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَهُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“Will they not then turn to God and ask pardon of Him? Verily God is Oft-Pardoning Merciful.” (5:74)

مَا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ الطَّعَامَ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ الْآيَاتِ ثُمَّ انْظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ

“The Messiah, son of Mary, is but an apostle; indeed apostles before him have passed away; and his mother was a Truthful Lady; (like other men and women) they both used to eat food; Behold! How clear We make for them the signs, and yet behold (how) they are turned away (from the right path).” (5:75)

قُلْ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا وَاللَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

“Say, (O’ Our Apostle Muham-mad) (unto them) “Do ye worship besides God that which doth not own for you any harm, (or) any profit? And God He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (5:76)

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا أَهْوَاءَ قَوْمٍ قَدْ ضَلُّوا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَأَضَلُّوا كَثِيرًا وَضَلُّوا عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ

“Say! (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad) “O’ People of the Book! exceed17not the bounds of your religion, and follow not the vain desires of the people who had gone astray aforetime and led many astray and went astray away from the right18path.” (5:77)

Commentary

Verse 67

This Verse occupies a very important and a leading position in the Holy Qur’an and forms a very vital part of the Word of God. When the huge caravan of several thousands of the pilgrims along with the Holy Prophet was on its march, returning from Mecca after the ‘Hajjatul-Wida’ and the Caravan was at the place called Ghadir Khumm, this Verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet.

Immediately on the receipt of the revelation, the Holy Prophet ordered halt to the marching Caravan and called back those who had gone ahead and waited for those who were coming behind. When all the pilgrims had gathered, the Holy Prophet ordered a pulpit of the ‘Kajawas’ (the seats used at the back of the camels) to be prepared.

The Holy Prophet mounting the pulpit delivered a long sermon of his parting advice to the people, and demanding acknowledgement from one and all of the huge audience, of his services towards the fulfilment of his mission as the Apostle of God. He asked if he had conveyed to them the commands of God about the faith and its practice enumerating them one after another. The gathering in one voice replied to each question saying ‘Yes’ (O’ Apostle of God we do acknowledge that thou hast conveyed the commands of the Lord to us). At last, he asked ‘Alasto Aulo bil Momineen min anfosihim?19 i.e., Am I not superior or the Master to the believers more than their own selves?

The huge crowd in one voice shouted, ‘Certainly O’ Apostle of God!’ Again, he asked ‘Alasto Aula min kulle Momineen min Anfusehim’ i.e., Am I not superior (or Master) to every faithful one than his self? Every one of the huge gatherings shouted ‘Certainly O’ Apostle of God’. Then the Holy Prophet called Ali son of Abu Talib to mount the pulpit and raised him with the miraculous strength of his apostolic hands so much that the whole gathering could see the white under his armpit and declared: -

‘Man Kunto Maulaho fahaza Aliyun Maulahu’ - To whomsoever I am the Maula (the Lord - the Master) this Ali is his Maula (the Lord, the Master).

Having said this, he prayed:

‘Allahomma Waa’le man Waa’lahu’ - ‘O God! Be Thou a friend to him who is a friend to him (Ali)

‘Aade man aadahu’ - (Be Thou) an enemy to him who is enemy to him (i.e. Ali).

‘Wansor man nasarahu’ - Help the one who helps him (i.e. Ali).

‘Wakhzul man Khuzalahu’ - Forsake the one who forsaketh him (i.e. Ali).

As the Holy Prophet completed this declaration, the Verse 5:3 was revealed:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا

“This day have I perfected your religion for you and have completed my bounties on you and am pleased your religion to be Islam.’’ (5:3)

Descending from the pulpit, the Holy Prophet commanded every one of the huge gatherings to pay his ‘Baiyat’ or homage or allegiance to Ali. The first one to pay the baiyat was ‘Umar Ibn Khuttab (who later became the and Khalif) saying:

‘Bahhkhin Bakhkhin laka yabna Abi Talib, Asbahta Maulaee wa Maula Kulle Momineen ma mominatin’.

Hurrah, Hurrah, O’ Son of Abu Talib thou hast now become my Maula (Master) and the Maula (Master) of every faithful man and faithful woman20.

Hearing the words with which ‘Umar felicitated Ali, the Holy Prophet commanded ‘Umar not to address Ali as son of Abu Talib but as ‘Amir al-Mu’minin’, i.e., the Lord Commander of the Faithful. Every one paid his baiyat and the Holy Prophet commanded everyone in the audience to receive ‘baiyat’ for Ali as Amir al-Mu’minin’ in their own places on their return from the ‘Haj.’

Like his other titles, viz. ‘Asadullah’ - The Lion of God, ‘Abu Turab’ - The Father of the Earth, ‘Akho Rasullah’ - The Brother of the Apostle of God, etc., the title of ‘Amir al-Mu’minin’ also was bestowed upon Ali exclusively for him by the Holy Prophet himself for none else held any of the titles during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, particularly the title ‘Amir al-Mu’minin’. Though every Holy Imam has rightfully inherited the title Amir Al-Mu’minin, but since it was bestowed exclusively upon Ali by the Holy Prophet, this title is not used for anyone, even for his rightful successors in the office of ‘Imamat’. But the world in its madness to please the worldly monarchs used this title even for those who by their personal character and conduct were nothing but brutes in human frames and devils in the garb of men. History is there to vouch for what all kinds of characters this title was used. They called even Yazeed son of Maaviah the ‘Amir al-Mu’minin.’

As to the revelation of this Verse and the action taken by the Holy Prophet at Ghadir Khumm it will be unnecessarily swelling the note on this Verse to give the whole list of the great traditionists, historians, the scholars and the divines who have related this event with its true significance. The number of such authorities, is innumerable. One of the most famous and the celebrated historians has collected them in a book called ‘Kitabul Wilayat’ about which the great critic Zahabi remarks that when he looked at the book, he was thunder-struck at the number of the authentic sources through which the author has brought the event to be recorded. ‘Ibn-Uqda’ has written a book named ‘Hadithul-Wilayat’, entirely devoted to this event, in which he cites the authorities of no less than 120 ‘Sahabas’ (companions of the Holy Prophet) giving the names of 101 Sahabas.

Of the long list of the named Sahabas, only a very few who are well-known ones, is given here: (1) Abu-Bakr, (2) ‘Umar, (3) Othman, (4) Talha, (5) Zubair, (6) Abdur-Rahnian bin Auf, (7) Salman, (8) Saad, (9) Khazimah, (to) Abu Ayyub, (it) Sahl-Ibn Hunaif, (12) Zaid Ibn Sabit, (13) Hassein Ibn Sabit, (14) Abul-Tufail etc. Readers interested in knowing further about the authenticity of this report may refer to the two gigantic volumes of the celebrated work ‘Abaqatul-Anwar.’ As a matter of fact, there is not a single event of the Islamic history nor even of any other Qur’anic Verses which has earned so much of unanimous, universal, unquestionable and doubtless attention from such great authorities in such a huge number.

The event was so much known to everyone during the time of the Holy Prophet and so many of the great personalities have witnessed and vouched for it that none could ever venture to deny, excepting that some with vested interest have only attempted to misinterpret the meaning of the word ‘Maula’ to mean an ordinary friend but a Persian poet has given an apt reply to such perverted interpretation saying:

Abbas dar mana-e-mankonto Maula Meeravi harsoo

Ali Maula ba-on ma’na ke paighambar bowad Maula.

In vain, for the interpretation of the expression of whomsoever can the Maula dost thou run in every direction, Ali is Maula in the very same sense as the Holy Prophet himself was.

The very word and the construction of the Verse is sufficiently eloquent about the actual meaning and the object of the revelation.

‘Maa Onzila ilaik’ - that which has already been sent down to thee (O’ Our Apostle) - It clearly indicates that that which the Holy Prophet had then been commanded by God to convey, had already been communicated to him and it had not been conveyed to the people.

The Holy Prophet had already preached the Unity of God. All the Divine attributes had also been preached.

The faith in all the previous apostles of God and in the Holy Prophet himself being the last of God’s Apostles had also been established.

The faith in the Last Day, i.e., the Day of Resurrection for the Final Judgment had also been preached.

This was all about the fundamentals of the theoretical side of the religion, Islam. As regards the practical side of the faith-

‘Salat’ or the prescribed daily prayer had already been taught, and it was being regularly offered.

‘Saum’, i.e., fasting was being done.

‘Haj’, i.e., pilgrimage to the Ka’ba; that was being done, and the multitude was returning only after performing it.

‘Zakat’, i.e., the prescribed poor-rate was being paid and duly collected.

‘Khums’, i.e., the 1/5^th of the net gain was being duly paid and collected.

‘Jehad’, i.e., the Fight for the cause of God was already being done whenever the believers were called to do it.

‘Amarbil Maaroof’, i.e., Enjoining of good and ‘Nahya anil munkar’, i.e., the preaching of abstinence from evil, was being done. There was nothing of the fundamentals of the doctrines of the faith or its practice that was left unconveyed to the people.

The succeeding words raise the importance of the object the revelation to the climax.

Wa in lam taf’al fama ballaghta risalateh

and if thou doeth it not,

Then thou hast not discharged His apostleship at all.

Which means that which the Holy Prophet was now under this revelation commanded to convey, was the life and soul or the chief object of his apostleship on the discharge of which duty, depended on the fulfilment of the object of his apostleship. The concluding words of the revelation reveal the cause of the Holy Prophet having deferred the conveyance of that which had already been sent down to him ‘Wallaho Ya’simuka Minan-nas’ - Verily will God save thee (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad) from the mischief of the people.

This assurance from God to His Apostle, against the mischief of the people makes the whole situation quite clear that the Holy Prophet had received something very important to be conveyed but it was something in his own knowledge which would have never been relished or even accepted by a certain group of some mischief-mongers, the hypocrites, who were powerful elements for it would have frustrated all their hopes in their plans for the future (i.e., after the departure of the Holy Prophet).

The Holy Prophet apprehending some great flare-up and awaiting some suitable opportunity to discharge the duty in a safer way had deferred the action as the revelation already received would have demanded any immediate action then and there as it has been now imperatively demanded. But the matter was of such an important and vital one that without it, the faith was not a faith complete and all that the Holy Prophet had done for it would have been of no effect or of any avail at all for humanity. And what the Holy Prophet did immediately on the receipt of this revelation must be the object of this revelation and that alone would by all reasoning be the matter upon which depended the fulfilment of the mission of the Holy Prophet. Immediately as this revelation was received, the Holy Prophet halted the whole caravan.

Certainly, this speaks very eloquently clarifying the position, the value and the greatness of the significance of the object of the revelation. Most of the people had joined the ranks of Islam (the hypocrites) with plans of their own to be executed after departure of the Holy Prophet from this world and by the conveyance of that which was already received, they would have certainly deserted him and everything which he had alone would have gone along with him and again the disbelief of the heathenism would have gained its own original sway over the minds of the people. It is quite obvious that it was also the divine plan to make conveyance imperative on such an occasion.

Without the appointment of some with divine qualities in the place of the Holy Prophet the security of the Final Word of God, the Holy Qur’an, and its true interpretation, the Holy Book would have met the same fate as that of the previous scriptures at the hands of the Jews and the Christians and the promise of God Himself taking care of securing His Own Word in its originality under Verse 15:9 could not have been fulfilled.

Thus, without the faith in the ‘Imamat’, i.e. continuation of the divine guidance, the religion Islam remains incomplete, to be nothing but what the fancy of the corrupt minds would have remoulded it to suit their own selfish ends.

Besides the others, the following great authorities of even the accredited Sunni Scholars, have reported this event with all its details:

1. Ahmad Ibn Hambal.

2. Abdullah Ibn Ahmad.

3. Abdullah Ibn Muhammad Ibn abi Shaiba Asdi.

4. Abdul Abbas Nasvi.

5. Abdul Malik Farkoosh.

6. Abu Ishaq Naishapuri.

7. Ismail Alias Ibn Samam.

8. Abdul Karim Sam’aani.

9. Moaffaq bin Ahmad.

10. ‘Umar bin Muhammad.

11. Yousuf bin Qari Ali Sibt Ibn Jawzi.

12. Moheb-Tabari.

13. Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad.

14. Muhammad Ibn Abdullah.

15. Jamaluddin Karandi.

16. Ibn Kathir.

17. Ali bin Shahabuddin al-Hamadani.

18. Ahmad bin Ali Maqreezi.

19. Ibn-Sabbagh Maliki.

20. Allama Maibandi.

21. Aseeluddin Waiz.

22. Mahmood bin Muhammad.

23. Muhammad bin Abdur Rasool Barzanji.

24. Mirza Muhammad bin Mo’tamad Khan Hadsi.

25. Muhammad bin Sadre-Alam.

26. Muhammad Ibn Ismail bin Salatul Amir.

27. Sulaiman bin Dawar.

28. Ahmad bin Manee’ Baghavi.

29. Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad Jovaini.

30. Jalaluddin al-Suyuti.

31. Jamaluddin.

32. Atauddin.

33. Fazlullah Mohaddis.

34. Alauddin Muttaqi.

35. Mahmood bin Ali Subhani Qadri.

36. Ahmad bin Muhammad Qushas.

37. Ibn-Uqdah.

Books:

1. Sirrul Aalamain-Ghuzaah.

2. Asadul Ghaba.

3. Kitabul-Mas’ool - Md. bin Talha al-Shafayi.

4. Tazkirah al-Khawasul-Umma-Sibt Ibn Jawzi.

5. Manaqib al-Ibn Maghazili Faqeeh Shafayi.

6. Tafsir Tha’labi.

7. Tafsir Abu-Saud.

8. Tafsir Durre Manthur.

9. Mo’addatul-Qurba-of Syed Ali Hamadani.

to. Kitabul Rusul wal Mulook - Tabarri.

11. Sawaeq-Moharriqa - Ibn Ha je-e-Macci.

12. Nuzuhil-Abrar - Mirza Md. Mo’tamad Khan.

13. Hisn-e-Haseenul Mataleb - Shamsuddin Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Jazari.

14. Arbayeen - Hafiz Jamaluddin.

15. Tazkiratul Hafifaz - Hafiz Zahabi.

16. Sharhe Mishkat - Mullah Ali.

17. Abqathul-Masdooh - Allama Ziauddin Salah-bin Mahdi Muqbih.

18. Insanul Oyoon - Hafiz Nooruddin Halbi.

19. Zainul Fata - Hafiz Ahmad bin Muhammaed Asemi.

20. Siratus Sawa - Hafiz Mahmood bin-Muhammad bin Ali-Shaikhani Qadri.

21. Lam’ate Sharhe Mishkat - Shaik Abdul Huq-e-Muhaddis Dahlavi.

22. Nawaqizur Rawafiz - Mirza Maqdoom bin Mir Abdul Baqi.

23. Rawzatun Nadiah - Md. Ismail Ibn Salahut.

24. Ma’arijul Ola - Allama Md. Sadrul-Alam.

25. Saiful Maslool - Qazi Sanaull Panepatti.

26. Do’atul Hadat ila Ada-el-Haqqul Mo’aalat - Allama Abul Qasim-Ubaidullah Ibn Abdul Alhaskani.

27. Diraya-e-Hadithul Wilaya - Allama Abu Syeed Masbin Nasir Assanjari.

28. Miftahul-Kanzul Daqaiq - Hafiz Shamsuddin Abu Abdullah Md. bin Nasir Assanjari.

29. Musnad - Imam-e-Ahmad Hambal

30. Shawahidun Nubuwwath - Mullah Jami.

31. Tawzihul-Dalail - Syed Shahabuddin.

32. Yanabiul-Mo’addah - Shaikh Sulaiman-Qandozi Hanafi.

33. Rauzatus Safa

34. Tarikhe Kamil

35. Tarikhe-ibnul Wardi.

36. Kitabul Saniul Mataleb - Allama-Jarazi.

37. Mofaarijun-e-Nubuwwah - Mullah Mo’in Kashifi.

38. Firdausul-Akhbar-e-Dailmai.

39. Tarikh-e-Abul-Fida.

40. Tarikhul Khulafa - Imam-e-Syuti.

41. Khawasul Aimmah - Sibt Ibn Jawzi.

42. Istee-aab - Abdul Bar.

Etc. (K.M.)

A complete list of all the historians and the traditionists (Mohaddithen) is impossible to give here. Only the well-known and the leading ones whose position is universally accepted by the Sunni School have been given. In spite of so much of the doubtless and the unchallengeable acknowledgement of the facts it is only a wonder how man could ever insist upon his own fanciful notions and hold himself fast to them, unless his conscience and reasoning cease to work or he does not want to be corrected.

When the Holy Prophet declared about Ali being the ‘Maula’ or the Lord or Commander of the faithful. One of the hypocrites - Harith bin No’man Fehri could not tolerate the appointment of Ali in the place of the Holy Prophet and got upon his camel and deciding to leave the gathering, approached the Holy Prophet and said: -

“O’ Apostle of God, thou wanted us to discard idolatry; we did it. Thou wanted us to pray, fast, to go on pilgrimage, give the poor-rate, the Khums, to fight in the way of God, we did everything. And now thou art placing Ali over and above us. Is this what thou doest of thine own accord or in accordance with the command from God?”

The Holy Prophet said: “Whatever I have done is nothing, but the execution of the revealed will of God.” Then the hypocrite prayed God saying that if what the Holy Prophet said was true then let a torment come from heaven and kill him. Immediately a stone came from heaven and passing right through the man’s body and killed him.

As pointed in note to Verse 5:3, the importance of this passage is self-evident from the very wordings of the passage. The points to be noted here are: -

1. That no historical record or traditions give us any information about the specific and particular Islamic teachings doctrinal or practical, the Holy Prophet to have announced after the revelation of this passage which had not been already announced except the declaration of the ‘Wilayat’ of Ali-Ibn-Abi Talib, and the taking of the covenant from the people with regard to it on the unique occasion of the mammoth representative assembly of the pilgrims from all comers of the then Muslim World, numbering to at least a lakh and twenty thousand pilgrims. This has been proved by irrefutable evidence of history and traditions and the text of which has been acknowledged by the bulk of the leading scholars of all schools in Islam though they might differ in the interpretation of the wording of the text.

2. ‘Maa Onzilla’ cannot be taken as to mean ‘whatever or all that is revealed’ as some commentators have attempted to interpret because it cannot be appropriate, see note to Verse 5:3. Such an interpretation after the revelation and the conveyance of all the doctrinal and the practical teachings of the faith as a whole, would only mean a repetition of the whole bulk, as a reminder which is justified and the lengthy sermon on the occasion recorded by some historians and commentators which shows that the Holy Prophet reminded the audiences questioning them if he had not announced each and every article of the faith mentioning each one of the doctrines of the faith and its practice, and after taking their confessing acknowledgment, he declared ‘O’ my Lord! Be Thon my witness.’ But the justification of the repetition does not justify the warning phrase of ‘if thou doeth it not thou hast not fulfilled the apostleship,’ and there is no justification in the assurance of the protection if the matter was of only the repetition of what has already been done.

Therefore these two evidences clearly prove that the subject of the revelation was a thing of the greatest importance, which was considered as the sole axis of the 23 years of apostolic mission of the Holy Prophet and there was a great risk and even danger for the Holy Prophet in the declaration ordered in the Verse and that the danger was not from the side of the infidels but from the people surrounding him for it was on the return from his Last Haj when the Muslims as a power had been established and the Islamic forces had even reached the outskirts of Arabia. Thus, there could never be the least fear or apprehension of any danger from the non-Muslims in the announcement of the subject of this revelation. Of course, there was an expectation by the hypocrites and the infidels that the Holy Prophet will pass away without a male offspring to succeed him, to which the Verse 5:3 answers.

There is no such vital question of Islam worthy of such emphatic and imperative declaration at about the close of the apostolic mission except the question which became the subject of the disputes among the companions of the Holy Prophet on the eve of his departure and immediately after it and in every age thereafter, and became the root of all other controversial problems and the sectarian feelings, political strife’s, religious persecution which caused rift after rift in the ranks of the Muslims and bloodshed which have darkened the history of the Muslims after the departure of the Holy Prophet down to this day, and that was the question of the supreme authority in Islam in the place of the Holy Prophet after him.

The settlement of this vital question by the Holy Prophet by the declaration made under this Verse, justifies the revelation of Verse 5:3 regarding the completion of the message. Though there might be many minute details of the other doctrinal and the practical teachings left unannounced but if this vital question had not been settled in unequivocal terms leaving no room for any different interpretation, the whole apostolic mission of the Holy Prophet with all the details of the faith explained and with all the labours undertaken for it, would have been totally in vain for its object being lost, it becomes good for nothing. The object was that there should not be any arguments of excuse for the people against God, after the Apostles21.

In short to say that the Holy Prophet did not settle this question, is nothing but the denial of his ‘Risalat. (Apostleship). For all the ugly, unpleasant controversies and the quarrels resulting into terrible bloodshed and wars, the Holy Prophet will be responsible.

Having this passage and all the other passages concerning the question of ‘Khilafat’, the Sixth Holy Imam Jafer Ibn Mohammad as-Sadiq said.... i.e., “Islam is established on five pillars, namely, Prayer, Poor-rate, Fasting, and Pilgrimage and nothing was called unto as was done about the Wilayat”. (A.P.)

Verse 68

‘Lastum ala Shaiyin’ O’ the people of the scriptures, (i.e., the Jews and Christians) your faith is nothing worth the name of a religion unless you faithfully adhere to your own scriptures the Torah and the Evangel and that which has now been sent down to you, i.e., the Holy Qur’an. The attention of the Jews and the Christians, is invited to the faithful following of their own respective scriptures, for by keeping to these scriptures they can never fail to acknowledge the Holy Prophet whose holy personality is clearly predicted and whose advent is repeatedly prophesied in these holy books, even in spite of the corruption they have undergone at their own hands. But the more they saw the truth about the Holy Prophet and the revelation to him, the more they became persistent and began distorting their religion ‘c get away from the obligation to acknowledge the facts. It is evident from the Bible that the people even from long before, even prior to the advent of John the Baptist, were expecting the advent of the Holy Prophet and eagerly awaited for it. (John 1/19-25).

It is evident from all uncorrupted sources that the Christians of the firs’ three centuries were Unitarians. Even now, today when the unreasonable doctrine of Trinity has been thrust into the Christian faith, the school of the Jehovah’s witnesses of the Watch Tower Society, is strictly Unitarian. This reversion to the faith in the Unity of God, was affected only after the advent or the Holy Prophet and his most vehemently condemning polytheism of any and every kind and strongly establishing the absolute Unity of God without the least room for any kind of imagination of associating anything with God. But even the Unity of God worked our by some schools of Christianity is only in a philosophic sense lacking the Islamic perfection.

Verse 69

Salvation is open to the people of all religions, provided they believe in God, do good and believe in the Day of Judgment. This Verse refers to those who lived prior to the advent of the Holy Prophet and after his advent, to those who live in such distant places where the message of Islam has not reached, and the people, are open minded ready to accept the message of Islam if it were to reach them22.

Verse 71

The Israelites though who were once the favoured people of God thought that they would not be punished. Repeated warning had been of no avail to them. They were subjected to horrible afflictions in this world at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. A large number of them was slain and the rest were taken prisoners.

‘Fitnah’, i.e., punishment. Torment.

Refers to the usual attitude of the despots and the autocrats who deviate from the prescribed path of God and when criticised by the pious or the godly ones they belie or persecute them and do not see any evil or any evil consequence in their action and subsequently some of them repent, but the nature in them makes them repeat the same. This was true particularly in the history of the Muslim monarchs, and people are mostly of this nature. The same happened with the people who turned away from the Covenant of Ghadir Khumm with the plea that they wanted only to avoid the trouble as if they were interested in the welfare of the Muslims more than God and His Apostle. (A.P.)

Verse 72

What Jesus actually J preached to the people was nothing but the Unity of God. Even the very version of the scripture adopted by the Christian Church declares what actually Jesus spoke to his people. (Math. 4/10).

Verse 75

The argument of Jesus and his mother’s partaking of food is to prove that those who are controlled by hunger and thirst can only be mortals. God, the Supreme Being, is essentially above any want for His existence whereas those whose lives depend upon food can never even be imagined to be God. This is a simple and an unbreakable argument against the Christians deifying Jesus and his mother.

The Christians advance a peculiar and inconceivable phenomenon of Jesus having two natures, one of a divine, another of a human being. Apart from the phenomenon being illogical, unreasonable and inconceivable the simplest counter to it, is, if Jesus did really possess any higher nature of a divine, it must be proved by his being above the wants of the lower nature of a mortal. However Jesus was only a mortal, and he needed everything as a mortal does.

Verse 76

This Verse only illustrates the argument advanced in the previous Verse against the divinity of Jesus, saying, anyone or anything which does not control any loss or gain to one’s own self can never be God. Jesus was subject to; the law of nature as a mortal and he could not control his own life or death. He could not himself avoid death and prays for the cup passing away from him.

“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O’ my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt. (Math. 26/39).

Again, if Jesus was God Himself, who does Jesus petition for having been forsaken. Who is the forsaker? And who is the forsaken?

“And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani? i.e., My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’’

If Jesus has ever used the term ‘son of God’ for himself, he must have meant as the creature of God and by his addressing God as his Father, it naturally means that he held himself as a created one by God - and not God Himself.

Verse 77

The Christian doctrine of deifying Jesus or his mother is in the following of the incarnation theory in the earliest people of polytheistic creeds. Whenever they found anything unusual in their heroes, they immediately raised them to God-head, making them as gods incarnate, saying that God has taken flesh or entered in those bodies. In the mad love of their religious leaders, they got blind even to simple reasoning that how could the Absolute and the Infinite become concrete and finite or how could the unlimited become arrested in any limited form or shape. Mere manifestation of God’s attributes in any mortal of special purity, only dazzled the sight of the people.

• 1. Refer to Verse. 5:3, 11:12. The next Verse revealed immediately was the last phrase of Verse 5:3.
• 2. You are of nothing.
• 3. Establish- Follow in practice minutely.
• 4. ‘Torah’.
• 5. ‘Injeel’.
• 6. Qur’an.
• 7. Revealed at ‘Ghadir Khumm’.
• 8. On account of the Covenant of the ‘Wilayat (succession or the Guardianship) of Ali Ibn Abi Talib Taken at Ghadir Khumm.
• 9. The whole of this Verse directly or indirectly refers to the event of ‘Ghadir Khumm’ (AP).
• 10. Refer to Verses 2:62; 3:84.
• 11. For a similar reference to the Covenant taken from the children of Israel Refer to Verse 2:83
• 12. Or selves.
• 13. God incarnate.
• 14. Jesus said: ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is One God” Mark-12/29.
• 15. Indicates that the just ones will have helpers - i.e. intercessors.
• 16. This is in refutation of Trinity.
• 17. Step not out of the laws - beyond the truth.
• 18. Levelled.
• 19. Refer to Verse 33:6.
• 20. Ghazali, Sirr ul-Alameen.
• 21. Refer to Verse 4:165.
• 22. For almost a similar Verse, see 2:62.