Tafsir

The Children of Israel scatter throughout the Land

Allah states that He divided the Jews into various nations, sects and groups, وَقُلْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ لِبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ اسْكُنُواْ الاٌّرْضَ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ الاٌّخِرَةِ جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًا (And We said to the Children of Israel after him (after Musa died): "Dwell in the land, then, when the final and the last promise comes near, We shall bring you altogether as a mixed crowd (gathered out of various nations).")17:104 مِّنْهُمُ الصَّـلِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَلِكَ(some of them are righteous and some are away from that), some of them are led aright and some are not righteous, just as the Jinns declared, وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّـلِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَلِكَ كُنَّا طَرَآئِقَ قِدَداً ("There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups having different ways (religious sects).") 72:11 Allah said here, وَبَلَوْنَـهُمْ(And We tried them), and tested them, بِالْحَسَنَـتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ(with good and evil), with times of ease, difficulty, eagerness, fear, well-being and affliction, لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ(in order that they might turn (to Allah)) Allah said next, فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُواْ الْكِتَـبَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـذَا الاٌّدْنَى(Then after them succeeded an (evil) generation, which inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life) This Ayah means, after the generation made up of righteous and unrighteous people, another generation came that did not have goodness in them, and they inherited the Tawrah and studied it.

Mujahid commented on Allah's statement, يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـذَا الاٌّدْنَى(They chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life) "They will consume anything they can consume in this life, whether legally or illegally. Yet, they wish for forgiveness, وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ(Saying: "(Everything) will be forgiven for us." And if (again) the offer of the like came their way, they would (again) seize them.)" Qatadah commented on Allah's statement, يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـذَا الاٌّدْنَى(they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life) "This, by Allah, is an evil generation, وَرِثُواْ الْكِتَـبَ(which inherited the Book) after their Prophets and Messengers, for they were entrusted with this job by Allah's command to them.

Allah said in another Ayah, فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُواْ الصَّلَـوةَ(Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who neglect the Salah (the prayers).) 19:59 Allah said next, يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـذَا الاٌّدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا(They chose the goods of this low life saying: "(Everything) will be forgiven to us.") They wish and hope from Allah, while deceiving themselves, وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ(And if (again) the offer of the like came their way, they would (again) seize them.) Nothing stops them from this behavior, for whenever they are given an opportunity in this life, they will consume regardless of it being allowed or not." As-Suddi said about Allah's statement, فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ(Then after them succeeded an (evil) generation) until, وَدَرَسُواْ مَا فِيهِ(and they have studied what is in it (the Book).) "Every time the Children of Israel appointed a judge, he used to take bribes. The best ones among them held a counsel and took covenants from each that they would not take bribes.

However, when one of them would take bribes in return for judgment and was asked, `What is the matter with you; you take a bribe to grant judgment', he replied, `I will be forgiven.' So the rest of his people would admonish him for what he did. But when he died, or was replaced, the one who replaced him would take bribes too. Therefore, Allah says, if the others (who admonished him) would have a chance to loot this world, they will take it."' Allah said, أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَاقُ الْكِتَـبِ أَن لاَّ يِقُولُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ(Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth) thus, admonishing them for this behavior. Allah took a pledge from them that they would declare the truth to people and not hide it.

Allah said in another Ayah, وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَـقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ ((And remember) when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture to make it known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it, but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And indeed worst is that which they bought) 3:187.

Ibn Jurayj said that Ibn `Abbas said about the Ayah, أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَاقُ الْكِتَـبِ أَن لاَّ يِقُولُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ(Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth), "Their claim that Allah will forgive the sins they keep committing without repenting from them." Allah said, وَالدَّارُ الاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ(And the home in the Hereafter is better for those who have Taqwa Do not you then understand) Encouraging them to seek Allah's tremendous reward and warning them against His severe torment.

Allah says here, `My reward and what I have are better for those who avoid prohibitions, abandon lusts and become active in the obedience of their Lord.' أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ(Do not you then understand) Allah says' Do not these people, who preferred this life instead of what is with Me, have any sense to prohibit them from their foolish and extravagant ways' Allah then praises those who adhere to His Book, which directs them to follow His Messenger Muhammad , وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِالْكِتَـبِ(And as to those who hold fast to the Book) adhere to it, implement its commands and refrain from its prohibitions, وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلَوةَ إِنَّا لاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ(and perform the Salah, certainly We shall never waste the reward of those who do righteous deeds.)

The verse 169 has said:فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِ‌ثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَ‌ضَ هَـٰذَا الْأَدْنَىٰ وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ‌ لَنَا وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَ‌ضٌ مِّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ"Then, after them came a generation, who inherited the Book, taking to the mundane stuff of this world and saying: 'We shall be forgiven.' And if there comes to them similar stuff, they would take to it (again).

The Arabic word خَلْفٌ is a past tense of خِلَافَہ signifying a deputy or a person trusted with one's work in one's absence.

The second word used here is خَلْفُ with the merged sound of the second letter ل Lam, generally denoting a deputy who is marked with wickedness, as opposed to the good practices of his elders. The word وَرِ‌ثُوا is a derivative of ورَاثَۃ that is, inheritance. The next word is عَرَ‌ض meaning something bought with money. Sometimes, it is used just for something possessed. The use of this word for money indicates that anything owned in this world is temporary, because this word, as an antonym of 'Jauhar' (substance), is used for an object which requires something else to show its existence like colour which requires another thing to show itself. The word اَدنی 'has been derived from دُنوُ which denotes nearness or lack of distance. The word دُنیا is a feminine gender of this word. The word اَدنی may also be taken to be a derivative of دَنَاَءۃ which signifies disgrace. In this case the word shall refer to something disgraced.

The verse implies that there were two groups of people among the early Jews, the righteous and the wrong-doers. The people coming in later generations who inherited the Torah, however, acted opposite to their elders and made the Book an object of trading or a means of their earning. They used to manipulate and distort the text of the Torah for some money offered to them for this purpose. Moreover, "they said: وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ‌ لَنَا "We shall be forgiven". In spite of committing as great a sin as distorting the text of the Book of Allah, they claimed their forgiveness by Allah. They are warned of this error in the very next sentence. saying: وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَ‌ضٌ مِّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ 'If there comes to them similar stuff they would take to it (again)." That is to say, they are in such a state of perversion that in case they are offered money for changing another text, they shall readily accept it.

The verse has implied that forgiveness of Allah is always there to those who are mindful of their error and turn to their Lord in repentance showing their remorse over what they have done, and making firm promise of not repeating the same mistake again. Being persistent in their sinful acts and claiming their forgiveness is sheer self deception. The next part of the verse puts a question to them, whether they were not made to enter a covenant with Allah that they shall never say anything but truth about Allah. Yes, they read this pledge in their Book. This is nothing but their impudence and obstinacy that stops them from realizing the truth of the Hereafter which is exclusively the fate of those who fear Allah.