Tafsir

The Jews Say That Allah's Hand is Tied up!

Allah states that the Jews, may Allah's continuous curses descend on them until the Day of Resurrection, describe Him as a miser. Allah is far holier than what they attribute to Him. The Jews also claim that Allah is poor, while they are rich. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ يَدُ اللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ(The Jews say, "Allah's Hand is tied up.") "They do not mean that Allah's Hand is literally tied up. Rather, they mean that He is a miser and does not spend from what He has. Allah is far holier than what they attribute to Him." Similar was reported from Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ad-Dahhak.

Allah said in another Ayah,وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلاَ تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُوراً(And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty.) In this Ayah, Allah prohibits stinginess and extravagance, which includes unnecessary and improper expenditures. Allah describes stinginess by saying,وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ(And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck. ) Therefore, this is the meaning that the Jews meant, may Allah's curses be on them. `Ikrimah said that this Ayah was revealed about Finhas, one of the Jews, may Allah curse him. We mentioned before that Finhas said,إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَآءُ("Truly, Allah is poor and we are rich!") and that Abu Bakr smacked him. Allah has refuted what the Jews attribute to Him and cursed them in retaliation for their lies and fabrications about Him.

Allah said,غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُواْ بِمَا قَالُواْ(Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for what they uttered.) What Allah said occurred, for the Jews are indeed miserly, envious, cowards and tremendously humiliated. Allah said in other Ayat,أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً - أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَهِيمَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ مُّلْكاً عَظِيماً(Or have they a share in the dominion Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqir. Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them of His bounty Then, We had already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and the Hikmah, and conferred upon them a great kingdom.) and, nضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ(Indignity is put over them.)Allah's Hands are Widely Outstretched

Allah said next,بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ(Nay, both His Hands are widely outstretched. He spends (of His bounty) as He wills.) Allah's favors are ample, His bounty unlimited, as He owns the treasures of everything. Any good that reaches His servants is from Him alone, without partners. He has created everything that we need by night or by day, while traveling or at home and in all situations and conditions. Allah said,وَآتَاكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ الإنْسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ(And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrongdoer, an extreme ingrate.) There are many other Ayat on this subject.

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said that `Abdur-Razzaq narrated to him that Ma`mar said that Hammam bin Munabbih said, "This is what Abu Hurayrah narrated to us that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«إِنَّ يَمِينَ اللهِ مَلْأَى، لَا يَغِيضُهَا نَفَقَةٌ، سَحَّاءُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ، أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْفَقَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ السَّموَات وَالْأَرْضَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَغِضْ مَا فِي يَمِينِهِ قال : وَعَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ، وَفِي يَدِهِ الْأَخُرى الْقَبْضُ يَرْفَعُ وَيَخْفِض»(Allah's Right Hand is perfectly full, and no amount of spending can decrease what He has, even though He spends by night and by day. Do you see how much Allah has spent since He created the heavens and earth Yet surely it has not decreased what He has in His Right Hand. His Throne is over the water and in His Other Hand is the hold by which He raises and lowers.) He also said, قُولُ اللهُ تَعَالى:«أَنْفِقْ، أُنْفِقْ عَلَيْك»(Allah said, `Spend and I will spend on you.')" This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs.

The Revelation to the Muslims only Adds to the Transgression and Disbelief of the Jews

Allah said,وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيراً مِّنْهُم مَّآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغْيَـناً وَكُفْراً(Verily, the revelation that has come to you from your Lord makes many of them increase in rebellion and disbelief.) meaning, the bounty that comes to you, O Muhammad, is a calamity for your enemies, the Jews and their kind. The more the revelation increases the believers in faith, good works, and beneficial knowledge, the more the disbelievers increase in envy for you and your Ummah, the more they increase in Tughyan -- which is to exceed the ordained limits for things -- and in disbelief -- meaning denial of you. Allah said in other Ayat,قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى أُوْلَـئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ(Say: "It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it is blindness for them.

They are those who are called from a place far away.") and,وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّـلِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا(And We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it increases wrongdoers in nothing but loss. ) Allah said next,وَأَلْقَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَآءَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ(We have put enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection.) Therefore, their hearts are never united. Rather, their various groups and sects will always have enmity and hatred for each other, because they do not agree on the truth, and because they opposed you and denied you. Allah's statement,كُلَّمَآ أَوْقَدُواْ نَاراً لِّلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ(Every time they kindled the fire of war, Allah extinguished it;) means, every time they try to plot against you and kindled the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it and makes their plots turn against them.

Therefore, their evil plots will return to harm them.وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَسَاداً وَاللَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ(and they (ever) strive to make mischief on earth. And Allah does not like the mischief-makers.) It is their habit to always strive to cause mischief on the earth, and Allah does not like those with such behavior.

Had the People of the Book Adhered to their Book, they Would

Have Acquired the Good of this Life and the Hereafter

Allah said next,وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ ءَامَنُواْ وَاتَّقَوْاْ(And if only the People of the Scripture had believed and had Taqwa...) Consequently, had the People of the Book believed in Allah and His Messenger and avoided the sins and prohibitions that they committed;لَكَفَّرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَـتِهِمْ وَلاٌّدْخَلْنَـهُمْ جَنَّـتِ النَّعِيمِ(We would indeed have expiated for them their sins and admitted them to Gardens of pleasure (in Paradise).) meaning We would have removed the dangers from them and granted them their objectives.وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُواْ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيهِمْ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ(And if only they had acted according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has (now) been sent down to them from their Lord,) meaning, the Qur'an, as Ibn `Abbas and others said.لاّكَلُواْ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِم(they would surely have gotten provision from above them and from underneath their feet.) Had they adhered to the Books that they have with them which they inherited from the Prophets, without altering or changing these Books, these would have directed them to follow the truth and implement the revelation that Allah sent Muhammad with.

These Books testify to the Prophet's truth and command that he must be followed. Allah's statement,لاّكَلُواْ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِم(they would surely have gotten provision from above them and from underneath their feet.) refers to the tremendous provision that would have descended to them from the sky and grown for them on the earth.

Allah said in another Ayah,وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى ءَامَنُواْ وَاتَّقَوْاْ لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَـتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ(And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa, certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth.) Allah's statement,مِّنْهُمْ أُمَّةٌ مُّقْتَصِدَةٌ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ سَآءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ(And among them is a Muqtasid Ummah, but for most of them; evil is their work.) is similar to Allah's statement,وَمِن قَوْمِ مُوسَى أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ(And of the people of Musa there is a community who lead (the men) with truth and establish justice therewith.)7:159 and His statement about the followers of `Isa, peace be upon him,فَـَاتَيْنَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنْهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ(So We gave those among them who believed, their (due) reward.) Therefore, Allah gave them the highest grade of Iqtisad, which is the middle course, given to this Ummah.

Above them there is the grade of Sabiqun, as Allah described in His statement;ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَـبَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَـلِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَتِ بِإِذُنِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ - جَنَّـتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤاً وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ(Then We gave the Book as inheritance to such of Our servants whom We chose. Then of them are some who wrong themselves, and of them are some who follow a middle course, and of them are some who, by Allah's permission, are Sabiq (foremost) in good deeds. That itself is indeed a great grace. `Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens) will they enter, therein will they be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments there will be of silk.)35:32-33

How are Divine Commands carried out in Full?

Mentioned in verse 66 which begins with the words: وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَ‌اةَ (And if they had upheld the Torah ...), are some details of the same faith and godliness for which worldly blessings have been promised in the previous verse (65). The detail is that they should, uphold the Torah, the Injil and the Holy Qur'an revealed after them. The word used here does not refer to 'acting in accordance with these books'. Instead of that, the word placed here is ` Iqamah' which means to establish, and to make something stand upright and straight. It signifies that their teachings can be carried out fully and correctly only when there is no increase or decrease or shortcoming in them. What is meant to stand straight must stand perfectly straight - established, not tilting.

The essence of the verse is that if the Jews were to believe in the guidance of the Torah, the Injil and the Qur'an, even today, and carry out their instructions fully, without failing to act properly, nor opting for excess and transgression by equating self-innovated things with established religion, then, they shall deserve the promised blessings of the Hereafter, and the doors of sustenance will be thrown open for them in the present world as well. It will come from above and it will come from beneath. ` Above' and ` beneath,' as obvious, mean sustenance which will be available easily and constantly. (Tafsir Kabir)It will be noticed that the earlier verse (65) promised blessings only in the Hereafter. The present verse (66) extends the promise to cover worldly comforts as well. The reason for this may perhaps be that the Jews had taken to malpractices, particularly the practice of altering and distorting Scriptures because of their taste for the temporal and their insatiable greed for money.

This became their main hurdle which had stopped them from obeying the Qur'an and the Prophet of Islam despite that they had seen very clear signs of their veracity. They were scared at the idea that by becoming Muslims, their leadership role in the community will be all over. Also gone will be the offerings and gifts which they received as religious high-priests. It was to remove this kind of doubt or apprehension that Almighty Allah promised to them that if they take to believing truly and acting righteously, nothing will be decreased from their worldly wealth and comfort which would, rather, be increased.

Answer to a Doubt

Details given above also show that this particular promise was made to Jews who were present during the time of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and were his direct addressees. If they had obeyed the command given to them, they would have had all sorts of blessings in the mortal world as well. So, those who took to the message of faith and good deed, they had these blessings in full - like Najashi (Negus) the King of Ethiopia and Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Salam ؓ . However, it is not necessary that for one who abides by faith and good deed, sustenance will be extended as a rule and, vice versa, for one who does not, sustenance will be straightened as a rule. The reason is that, at this place, the purpose is not to describe a general rule. This is a promise made to a particular group under particular conditions.

However, as far as the standard or general rule regarding faith and good deeds is concerned, the promise of the blessing of good and pure life is universal - but, that could either take the form of extended means of sustenance, or means which are outwardly constricted, as it has been with the blessed prophets and men of Allah not all of whom had extended sustenance all the time, but they all did have the purest of the pure life.

Justice was served when in the last verse (67), it was also added that the evil doings of Jews mentioned in the text do not apply to all Jews. Among them there were moderate people, people who were on the right path. But, the majority was evil doing. ` People on the right path' denotes people who were first Jews and Christians, then believed in the Qur'an and the Holy Prophet ﷺ and entered the fold of Islam.

( ولو أنهم أقاموا التوراة والإنجيل وما أنزل إليهم من ربهم ) قال ابن عباس وغيره : يعني القرآن .

( لأكلوا من فوقهم ومن تحت أرجلهم ) أي : لو أنهم عملوا بما في الكتب التي بأيديهم عن الأنبياء ، على ما هي عليه ، من غير تحريف ولا تغيير ولا تبديل ، لقادهم ذلك إلى اتباع الحق والعمل بمقتضى ما بعث الله به محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم ; فإن كتبهم ناطقة بتصديقه والأمر باتباعه حتما لا محالة .وقوله : ( لأكلوا من فوقهم ومن تحت أرجلهم ) يعني بذلك كثرة الرزق النازل عليهم من السماء والنابت لهم من الأرض .وقال علي بن أبي طلحة ، عن ابن عباس : ( لأكلوا من فوقهم ) يعني : لأرسل [ السماء ] عليهم مدرارا ( ومن تحت أرجلهم ) يعني : يخرج من الأرض بركاتها .وكذا قال مجاهد وسعيد بن جبير وقتادة والسدي كما قال [ تعالى ] ( ولو أن أهل القرى آمنوا واتقوا لفتحنا عليهم بركات من السماء والأرض [ ولكن كذبوا فأخذناهم بما كانوا يكسبون ] ) [ الأعراف : 96 ] ، وقال : ( ظهر الفساد في البر والبحر بما كسبت أيدي الناس [ ليذيقهم بعض الذي عملوا لعلهم يرجعون ] ) [ الروم : 41 ] .وقال بعضهم : معناه ( لأكلوا من فوقهم ومن تحت أرجلهم ) يعني : من غير كد ولا تعب ولا شقاء ولا عناء .وقال ابن جرير : قال بعضهم : معناه : لكانوا في الخير ، كما يقول القائل : " هو في الخير من قرنه إلى قدمه " .

ثم رد هذا القول لمخالفة أقوال السلفوقد ذكر ابن أبي حاتم عند قوله : ( ولو أنهم أقاموا التوراة والإنجيل ) حديث علقمة ، عن صفوان بن عمرو ، عن عبد الرحمن بن جبير بن نفير عن أبيه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : " يوشك أن يرفع العلم " . فقال زياد بن لبيد : يا رسول الله ، وكيف يرفع العلم وقد قرأنا القرآن وعلمناه أبناءنا؟! قال ثكلتك أمك يا ابن لبيد ! إن كنت لأراك من أفقه أهل المدينة أوليست التوراة والإنجيل بأيدي اليهود والنصارى فما أغنى عنهم حين تركوا أمر الله " ثم قرأ ( ولو أنهم أقاموا التوراة والإنجيل )هكذا أورده ابن أبي حاتم حديثا معلقا من أول إسناده ، مرسلا في آخره . وقد رواه الإمام أحمد بن حنبل متصلا موصولا فقال :حدثنا وكيع ، حدثنا الأعمش ، عن سالم بن أبي الجعد عن زياد بن لبيد قال : ذكر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم شيئا فقال : " وذاك عند ذهاب العلم " . قال : قلنا : يا رسول الله ، وكيف يذهب العلم ونحن نقرأ القرآن ونقرئه أبناءنا ، ويقرئه أبناؤنا أبناءهم إلى يوم القيامة؟

قال : " ثكلتك أمك يا ابن أم لبيد إن كنت لأراك من أفقه رجل بالمدينة أو ليس هذه اليهود والنصارى يقرءون التوراة والإنجيل ولا ينتفعون مما فيهما بشيء "وكذا رواه ابن ماجه ، عن أبى بكر بن أبي شيبة ، عن وكيع بإسناده نحوه وهذا إسناد صحيح .وقوله : ( منهم أمة مقتصدة وكثير منهم ساء ما يعملون ) كقوله تعالى : ( ومن قوم موسى أمة يهدون بالحق وبه يعدلون ) [ الأعراف : 159 ] ، وكقوله عن أتباع عيسى : ( فآتينا الذين آمنوا منهم أجرهم [ وكثير منهم فاسقون ] ) [ الحديد : 27 ] . فجعل أعلى مقاماتهم الاقتصاد ، وهو أوسط مقامات هذه الأمة ، وفوق ذلك رتبة السابقين كما في قوله تعالى : ( ثم أورثنا الكتاب الذين اصطفينا من عبادنا فمنهم ظالم لنفسه ومنهم مقتصد ومنهم سابق بالخيرات بإذن الله ذلك هو الفضل الكبير جنات عدن يدخلونها ) الآية [ فاطر : 32 ، 33 ] .

والصحيح أن الأقسام الثلاثة من هذه الأمة يدخلون الجنة .وقد قال أبو بكر بن مردويه : حدثنا عبد الله بن جعفر ، حدثنا أحمد بن يونس الضبي ، حدثنا عاصم بن علي ، حدثنا أبو معشر ، عن يعقوب بن يزيد بن طلحة ، عن زيد بن أسلم ، عن أنس بن مالك قال : كنا عند رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال : " تفرقت أمة موسى على إحدى وسبعين ملة ، سبعون منها في النار وواحدة في الجنة ، وتفرقت أمة عيسى على ثنتين وسبعين ملة ، واحدة منها في الجنة وإحدى وسبعون منها في النار ، وتعلو أمتي على الفرقتين جميعا . واحدة في الجنة ، وثنتان وسبعون في النار " . قالوا : من هم يا رسول الله؟ قال : " الجماعات الجماعات " .قال يعقوب بن يزيد كان علي بن أبي طالب إذا حدث بهذا الحديث عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، تلا فيه قرآنا : ( ولو أن أهل الكتاب آمنوا واتقوا لكفرنا عنهم سيئاتهم ولأدخلناهم جنات النعيم ) إلى قوله تعالى : ( منهم أمة مقتصدة وكثير منهم ساء ما يعملون ) وتلا أيضا : ( وممن خلقنا أمة يهدون بالحق وبه يعدلون ) [ الأعراف : 181 ] يعني : أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم .وهذا حديث غريب جدا من هذا الوجه وبهذا السياق . وحديث افتراق الأمم إلى بضع وسبعين مروي من طرق عديدة ، وقد ذكرناه في موضع آخر . ولله الحمد والمنة .