RENAISSANCE NOVEMBER 2022

Qur’anic Exegesis 40 Monthly Renaissance November 2022 143 of S ū rah al-Baqarah. Verse 77 began with the mention of the prayer and the reason for this was indicated there. The s ū rah now ends emphasizing the prayer and zak ā h with the words: “so, be diligent in the prayer and pay zak ā h and hold strongly to God. He only is your guardian; so, what a good guardian and what a good helper.” Here the directive to be adhere to the prayer and pay zak ā h is with reference to the responsibility of “bearing witness to God’s religion before mankind” imposed on this community. On these two pillars stands the whole edifice of religion. 32 As long as people follow them, religion will be followed, and vice versa. There is no difference in the expressions ef ٰۡۡو ﻋﺘﺼﻤﻮ ﺑﺎﷲ and ۡۡو ﻋﺘﺼﻤﻮ ef ْٰﺑﺤﺒﻞ ﷲ . This is the remedy being suggested to the hardships that will be faced in this cause: they should adhere to their stance with full resolve and keep their Lord in remembrance and hold fast to His Book. Moreover, they should show full faith in His help because He is the best of Guardians and the best of Helpers. With these words, the explanation of this s ū rah comes to its completion. s> رب ﻟﻌﻠﻤ ef دﻋﻮﻧﺎ ن ﻟﺤﻤﺪﷲ Cž ْْْْْٰٰٰٰو (and our last words are that all gratitude is for God, Lord of the worlds). Ra ḥ m ā n ā b ā d 6 th July 1973 __________ 32. For details, see: Am ī n A ḥ san I ṣ l āḥī , Tadabbur-i Qur’ ā n , vol. 1, 197-199.