RENAISSANCE MARCH 2021

Qur’ ā nic Exegesis 17 Monthly Renaissance March 2021 ۡuy ۡ ۡﻔﺴﻬﻢ  ٰ و رﺳﻮۡﻟﻪٖ ﺛﻢ ﻟﻢۡ ﻳﺮۡﺗﺎﺑﻮۡ و ﺟٰﻬﺪوۡ ﺑﺎﻣۡﻮ ﻟﻬﻢۡ و ﻟۡﻤﺆۡﻣﻨﻮۡن ﻟﺬﻳۡﻦ ٰﻣﻨﻮۡ ﺑﺎﷲ ﻚﻫﻢ ﻟﺼٰﺪﻗﻮۡن﴿ R S ٰ وﻟ ﺳﺒﻴۡﻞ ﷲ ١٥﴾ ﻌۡﻠﻢ M ٰ ٰ ﺑﺪﻳۡﻨﻜﻢۡ و ﷲ ﻗﻞۡ !ﻌﻠﻤﻮۡن ﷲ ۡءٍ 6¥ ﻞ k ٰ ﺑ ﻵۡﻹرۡض و ﷲ uy ﻟﺴﻤٰﻮٰتوﻣﺎ uy ﻣﺎ ﻋﻠﻴۡﻢٌ ﴿ ١٦﴾ ۡ ﺳۡﻶﻹﻣﻜﻢ uv ﻳﻤﻨﻮۡنﻋﻠﻴۡﻚ نۡ ﺳۡﻠﻤﻮۡ ﻗﻞۡ ﻵﻹﺗﻤﻨﻮۡ ﻋ ‡ ٰ ﻳﻤﻦﻋﻠﻴۡﻜﻢۡ نۡ ﺑﻞ ﷲ ﻜﻢۡ „ٰ ﻫﺪ ﻟﻶۡﻹﻳۡﻤﺎن نۡ ﻛﻨۡﺘﻢۡ ﴿ ﻗ)ۡ( ﺻٰﺪ ١٧﴾ ﻌۡﻠﻢ M ٰ ن ﷲ ﻏﻴۡﺐ ﻟﺴﻤٰﻮٰت و ﻵۡﻹرۡض ٌۢ ﺑﻤﺎ ^ۡ) ٰ ﺑﺼ و ﷲ that] believers in reality are only those who professed faith in God and His Messenger, then were not afflicted with doubt and fought in the way of God through their wealth and their persons. 33 It is these who are the truthful. (14-15) Tell them: Are you informing God of your religion? Whereas God knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth and God is aware of everything. (16) They think that they have conferred a favour on you that they have accepted Islam. 34 Say: Do not regard your Islam as a favour to me; in fact, it is God’s favour to you that He blessed you with the urge to accept faith 35 if you are true [in this claim you make.] Lord’s mercy awaits them; He is very forgiving. 33. This is presented as a testimony to the fact that they were never inflicted with any doubt. The reason for this is that when a person is prepared to sacrifice his life and wealth for a purpose, then this becomes an indubitable testimony to his faith and conviction. 34. The attitude of these people referred to at the beginning of the s ū rah was a consequence of this notion of theirs that by accepting Islam they had increased the respect of the Prophet (sws) and enhanced the splendour of the Muslims; hence everyone must accept this as a favour they have done to them and deal with them while taking this into consideration. 35. The actual words are: ﻜﻢۡ ﻟﻶۡﻹﻳۡﻤﺎن „ٰ نۡ ﻫﺪ . The preposition of ل after ﻢ ` ﻫﺪ incorporates the meaning of “urge and willingness” ( tawf ī q ) in this sentence. The implication is that in the first place, their claim to faith and conviction stands on slippery ground; yet if there is any truth in it, they should be grateful to God that He blessed them with the urge to accept it and saved them from the pit of doom in which many people of their nation have fallen. What is evident from this in a secondary way is that it is the God-given urge that induces a person to accept