2- Surat Albaqarah/Tafseer

2- Surat Albaqarah/Tafseer

286 Verses  Maddani (revealed in Medina)

A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan

Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Alif Lam Meem (1).

Alif Lam Meem.

Zaleka alketabu la raiyba feehi hudan lel-muttaqeen (2).

This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for the righteous.

Allazina you'menuna bel-ghaiybi wa youqeemuna alsalata wa memma razaqnahum younfequn (3).

Those who believe in the unseen and establish the prayer, and spend from what We have provided them.

Wa allazina you'menuna be-ma aunzela elaiyka wa ma aunzela men qableka wa bel-akherati hum youqenun (4).

And those who believe in what has been sent down to You and what has been sent down before You, and of the Hereafter they are certain.

Aulaeka ala hudan men Rabbehim wa aulaeka humu almuflehun (5).

Those are on guidance from their Lord, and those are the successful.

Inna allazina kafaru saw-on alaiyhim a-anzartahum am lam tunzerhum la you'menun (6).

Indeed, those who disbelieve, it is alike for them whether You warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe.

Khatama Allahu ala qulubehim wa ala sam-ehim wa ala absarehim gheshawatan wa lahum azabun azeem (7).

Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and over their sight there is a covering, and for them there is a great punishment. 

Wa mena alnasi man yaqulu amanna be-llahi wa bel-yawmmi al-akheri wa ma hum be-mu'meneen (8).

And of the people are some who say we believe in Allah and the Last Day, but they are not believers.

Youkhade-una Allaha wa allazina amanu wa ma yakhda-una ella anfusahum wa ma yash-urun (9).

They deceive Allah and those who believe, but they do not deceive except themselves while they do not perceive. 

Fee qulubehim maradun fa-zadahumu Allahu maradan wa lahum azabun aleemun be-ma kanu yakzebun (10).

In their hearts there is a disease, so Allah has increased them in disease, and for them there is a painful punishment because they used to lie.

Wa iza qeela lahum la tufsedu fee al-ardi qalu innama nahnu muslehun (11).

And when it is said to them Do not cause corruption on the earth, they say indeed, we are only reformers.

Ala innahum humu almufseduna wa laken la yash-urun (12).

Unquestionably, they are the corrupters, but they do not perceive.

Wa iza qeela lahum amenu ka-ma amana alnasu qalu a-nu'menu ka-ma amana alsufaha-u ala innahum humu alsufaha-u wa laken la ya'lamun (13).

And when it is said to them Believe as the people have believed, they say Should we believe as the foolish have believed?, unquestionably, they are the foolish, but they do not know.

Wa iza laqu allazina amanu qalu amanna wa iza khalaww ela shayatenehim qalu inna ma-akum innama nahnu mustahze-un (14).

And when they meet those who believe, they say we have believed, but when they are alone with their devils, they say indeed, we are with you, we were only mockers.

Allahu yastahze-u behim wa yamudduhum fe tughyanehim ya'mahun (15).

Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression, wandering.

Aulaeka allazina eshtarawu aldalalata bel-huda fa-ma rabehat tejaratuhum wa ma kanu muhtadeen (16).

Those are the ones who have purchased error for guidance, so their trade had brought no profit, nor were they guided.

Mathaluhum ka-mathali allazi estawqada naran fa-lamma ada-at ma hawlahu zahaba Allahu be-noorehim wa tarakahum fee zulumatin la youbserun (17).

Their example is like that of the one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darknesses, so they could not see.

Summon bukmun aumyun fa-hum la yarje-un (18).

Deaf, dumb, and blind, so they will not return.

Aww ka-sayyibin mena alsama-e feehi zulumatun wa ra'dun wa barqun yaj-aluna asabe-ahum fee azanehim mena alsawa-eqi hazara almawti wa Allahu muheetun bel-kafereen (19).

Or like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darknesses and thunder and lightning, they put their fingers in their ears against the thunderbolts in fear of the death, but Allah is All-Encompassing of the disbelievers.

Yakadu albarqu yakhtafu absarahum kullama ada-a lahum mashaww feehi wa iza azlama alaiyhim qamu wa laww sha-a Allahu la-zahaba be-sam-ehim wa absarehim inna Allaha ala kulli shaiy-in Qadeer (20).

The lightning almost snatches away their sight, every time it lights for them, they walk therein, but when it darkens on them, they stand, and if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight, indeed, Allah is All-Powerful over everything. 

Ya-ayyuha alnasu au'budu Rabbakumu allazi khalaqakum wa allazina men qablekum la-allakum tattaqun (21).

O people! Worship your Lord, the One who has created you and those before you so that you may fear.

Allazi ja-ala lakumu al-arda ferashan wa alsama-a bena-an wa anzala mena alsama-e ma-an fa-akhraja behi mena althamarati rezqan lakum fa-la taj-alu le-llahi andadan wa antum ta'lamun (22).

The One who has made for you the earth a bed, and the sky a building and has sent down water from the sky, and brought forth thereby from the fruits as a provision for you, so Do not make equals to Allah while you know.

Wa in kuntum fee raiybin memma nazzalna ala abdena fa'tu be-suratin men methlehi wa-d-ou shuhada-akum men duni ellahi in kuntum sadeqeen (23).

And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant, then Bring a Surah the like thereof, and Call upon your witnesses besides Allah if you are truthful.

Fa-in lam taf'alu wa lan taf'alu fa-ttaqu alnara allati waquduha alnasu wa alhejaratu au-eddat lel-kafereen (24).

But if you do not do and you will not do, then Fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones prepared for the disbelievers.

Wa bashshiri allazina amanu wa amelu alsalehati anna lahum jannatin tajree men tahteha al-anharu kullama ruzequ menha men thamaratin rezqan qalu haza allazi ruzeqna men qablu wa-autu behi mutashabehan wa lahum feeha azwajun mutahharatun wa hum feeha khaledun (25).

And Give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that for them there are gardens beneath which rivers flow, every time they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they say this is what we were provided with before, and it is given to them in similarity, and for them therein there are purified wives, and they will abide therein forever.

Inna Allaha la yastahyi an yadreba mathalan ma ba-audatan fa-ma fawqaha fa-amma allazina amanu fa-ya'lamuna annahu alhaqqu men Rabbehim wa amma allazina kafaru fa-yaquluna maza arada Allahu be-haza mathalan youdellu behi katheeran wa yahdi behi katheeran wa ma youdellu behi ela alfaseqeen (26).

Indeed, Allah is not shy to cite an example of a mosquito and what is above it, and as for those who have believed, they know that it is the truth from their Lord, but as for those who have disbelieved, they say What did Allah intend by this as an example?, He lets go astray many thereby, and guides many thereby, and He does not let go astray thereby except the disobedient.

Allazina yanquduna ahda Allahi men ba'di methaqehi wa yaqta-una ma amara Allahu behi an yousala wa youfseduna fee al-ardi aulaeka humu al-khaserun (27).

Those who break the covenant of Allah after pledging it, and sever what Allah has commanded to be joined and cause corruption on the earth, those are the losers.

Kaiyfa takfuruna be-llahi wa kuntum amwatan fa-ahyakum thumma youmeetukum thumma youhyikum thumma elaiyhi turja-un (28).

How can you disbelieve in Allah while you were dead, and He gave you life, then He will cause you to die, then He will give you life, and then to Him you will be returned?.

Huwa allazi khalaqa lakum ma fee al-ardi jamee-an thumma estawa ela alsama-e fa-sawwahunna sab-a samawatin wa huwa be-kulli shaiy-in Aleem (29).

He is the One who has created for you all of that which is on the earth, then He turned towards the heaven, and made them seven heavens, and He is All-knower of everything.

Wa iz qala Rabbuka lel-malaekati inni ja-elun fee al-ardi khaleefatan qalu a-taj'alu feeha man youfsedu feeha wa yasfeku aldema-a wa nahnu nusabbehu be-hamdeka wa nuqaddesu laka qala inni a'lamu ma la ta'lamun (30).

And when Your Lord said to the Angels, indeed, I will make upon the earth a successor, they said Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein, and sheds the blood while we glory with Your praise and sanctify You?, He said indeed, I know what you do not know.

Wa allama adama al-asma-a kullaha thumma aradahum ala al-malaekati fa-qala anbe-uni be-asma-e haulae in kuntum sadeqeen (31).

And He has taught Adam the names, all of them, then He presented them before the Angels and said Inform Me of the names of these if you are truthful.

Qalu subhanaka la elma lana ella ma allamtana innaka anta Al-aleemu Alhakeem (32).

They said Glory to be You, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us, indeed, You are the All-Knower, the All-Wise.

Qala ya-adamu anbe'hum be-asma-ehim fa-lamma anba'ahum be-asma-ehim qala a-lam aqul lakum inni a'lamu ghaiyba alsamawati wa al-ardi wa a'lamu ma tubduna wa ma kuntum taktumun (33).

He said O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when He informed them of their names, He said Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you declare and what you conceal.

Wa iz qulna lel-malaekati esjudu le-adama fa-sajadu ella iblisa aba wa-stakbara wa kana mena alkafereen (34).

And when We said to the Angels Prostrate before Adam, so they prostrated except for Iblis, he refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.

Wa qulna ya-adamu eskum anta wa zawjuka aljannata wa kula menha haiythu she'tuma wa la tqraba hazehi alshajarata fa-takuna mena alzalemeen (35).

And We said O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise, and Eat you both therefrom in abundance wherever you both wish, and Do not approach this tree lest you both will be of the wrongdoers. 

Fa-azallahuma alshaiytanu anha fa-akhrajahuma memma kana feehi wa qulna ehbetu ba'dukum le-ba'din aduwwun wa lakum fee al-ardi mustaqarrun wa mata-on ela heen (36).

But Satan caused both of them to slip from it and drove out both of them from what they were in, and We said Go down, being enemies to one another, and for you on the earth there is a place of residence and an enjoyment for a time.

Fa-talaqqa adamu men Rabbehi kalematin fa-taba alaiyhi innahu huwa Altawwabu Alraheem (37).

Then Adam received from His Lord words, and He turned to Him, indeed, He is Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful.

Qulna ehbetu menha jamee-an fa-imma ya'tiyannakum menni hudan fa-man tabe-a hudaya fa-la khawfun alaiyhim wa la hum yahzanun (38).

We said Go down from it, all of you, and if there should come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.

Wa allazina kafaru wa kazzabu be-ayatena aulaeka as-habu alnari hum feeha khaledun (39).

And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.

Ya-bani israeela auzkuru ne'matiya allati an'amtuu alaiykum wa awfu be-ahdi aufi be-ahdekum wa iyyaya fa-rhabun (40).

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and Fulfill My covenant that I will fulfill your covenant, and Be afraid of Me.

Wa-amenu be-ma anzaltu musaddeqan lema ma-akum wa la takunu awwala kaferin behi wa la tashtaru be-ayati thamanan qaleelan wa iyyaya fa-ttaqun (41).

And Believe in what I have sent down confirming what is with you, and Do not be the first disbeliever in it, and Do not exchange My verses for a small price, and Fear Me.

Wa la talbesu alhaqqa bel-bateli wa taktumu alhaqqa wa antum ta'lamun (42).

And Do not confuse the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know.

Wa aqeemu alsalata wa atu alzakata wa-rka-u ma-a alrake-een (43).

And Establish the prayer and Give the Zakah, and Bow with those who bow.

A-ta'muruna alnasa bel-berri wa tansawna anfusakum wa antum tatluna alketaba af-la ta'qelun (44).

Do you enjoin righteousness upon the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Book, then Will you not understand?.

Wa-sta-eenu bel-sabri wa alsalati wa innaha la-kebeeratun ella ala alkhashe-een (45).

And Seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humble ones.

Allazina yazunnuna annahum mulaqu Rabbehim wa annahum elaiyhi raje-un (46).

Those who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him.

Ya-bani Israela ezkuru ne'matiya allati an'amtu alaiykum wa anni faddaltukum ala al-alameen (47).

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I have favored you over the worlds.

Wa-ttaqu yawman la tajzee nafsun an nafsin shaiy-an wa la youqbalu menha shafa-atun wa la you'khazu menha adlun wa la hum younsarun (48).

And Fear a day when a soul will not avail another soul in anything, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will ransom be taken from it, nor will they be helped.

Wa iz najjaynakum men ali fer'awna yasumunakum su-a al-azabi youzabbehuna abna-akum wa yastahyouna nesa-akum wa fee zalekum bala-on men Rabbekum azeem (49).

And when We saved you from the people of Pharaoh, who were afflicting you with the worst of punishment, they were slaughtering your sons and keeping your women alive, and in that there was a great trial from your Lord.

Wa iz faraqna bekumu albahra fa-anjaiynakum wa aghraqna ala fer'awna wa antum tanzurun (50).

And when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on.

Wa iz wa-adna musa arba-eena lailatan thumma ettakhaztumu al-ejla men ba'dehi wa antum zalemun (51).

And when We have appointed for Moses forty nights, then you took the calf after Him while you were wrongdoers.

Thumma afawna ankum men ba'di zaleka la-allakum tashkurun (52).

Then We pardoned you after that so that you may give thanks.

Wa iz ataiyna musa alketaba wa alfurqana la-allakum tahtadun (53).

And when We gave Moses the Book and the Criterion so that you may be guided. 

Wa iz qala Musa le-qawmehi ya-qawmi innakum zalamtum anfusakum be-ttekhazekumu al-ejla fa-tubu ela bare-ukum fa-qtulu anfusakum zalekum khaiyrun lakum enda bare-ukum fa-taba alaiykum innahu huwa Altawabbu Alraheem (54).

And when Moses said to His people O My people! Indeed, you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf, so Repent to your Creator and Kill yourselves, that is best for you in the sight of your Creator, then He turned to you, indeed, He is Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful.

Wa iz qultum ya-musa lan nu'mena laka hatta nara Allaha jahratan fa-akhazatkumu alsa-eqatu wa antum tanzurun (55).

And when you said O Moses! We will not believe in You until we see Allah openly, so the thunderbolt seized you while you were looking on.

Thumma ba-athnakum men ba'di mawtekum la-allakum tashkurun (56).

Then We raised you up after your death so that you may give thanks.

Wa zallalna alaiykumu alghamama wa anzalna alaiykumu almanna wa alsalwa kulu men tayyibati ma razaqnakum wa ma zalamuna wa laken kanu anfusahum yazlemun (57).

And We shaded you with the clouds and sent down to you the Mann and the quails, Eat from the good things which We have provided for you, and they did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves.

Wa iz qulna audkhulu hazehi alqariyata fa-kulu menha haiythu she'tum raghadan wa-dkhulu albaba sujjadan wa qulu hattatun naghfir lakum khatayakum wa sa-nazeedu almuhseneen (58).

And when We said Enter this town and Eat from it wherever you wish in abundance, and Enter the gate prostrating, and Say Relieve us of our burdens, We will forgive you your sins, and We will increase the good doers.

Fa-baddala allazina zalamu qawlan ghaiyra allazi qeela lahum fa-anzalna ala allazina zalamu rejzan mana alsama-e be-ma kanu yafsuqun (59).

But those who wronged changed to a word other than what had been said to them, so We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment from the sky because they were disobeying.

Wa izi estasqa Musa le-qawmehi fa-qulna edrib be-asaka alhajara fa-nfajarat menhu ethnata ashrata aiynan qad alema kullu aunasin mashrabahum kulu wa-shrabu men rezqi ellahi wa la ta'thaww fee al-ardi mufsedeen (60).

And when Moses asked water for His people, so We said Strike with Your stick the stone, then there gushed forth from it twelve springs, indeed, every people knew its drinking place, Eat and Drink from the provision of Allah, and Do not roam in the earth as corrupters.

Wa iz qultum ya Musa lan nasbera ala ta-amin wahedin fa-du lana Rabbaka youkhrej lana memma tunbetu al-ardu men baqleha wa qeththa-eha wa fumeha wa adaseha wa basaleha qala a-tastabdeluna allazi huwa adna be-llazi huwa khaiyrun ehbetu mesran fa-inna lakum ma sa-altum wa durebat alaiyhemu alzellatu wa almaskanatu wa ba-u be-ghadabin mena Allahi zaleka be-annahum kanu yakfuruna be-ayati ellahi wa yaqtuluna alnabiyyina be-ghaiyri alhaqqi zaleka be-ma asaww wa kanu ya'tadun (61).

And when you said O Moses! We will not be patient over one food, so Call upon Your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its herbs, and its cucumbers, and its garlic and its lentils and its onions, He said Would you exchange that which is better for that which is less?, Go down into a city, and indeed, you will have what you have asked for, and the humiliation and misery have been cast over them, and they have carried wrath from Allah, that is because they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the Prophets without right, that is because they disobeyed and they were transgressing. 

Inna allazina amanu wa allazina hadu wa alnasara wa alsabe-eena man amana be-llahi wa alyawmi al-akheri wa amela salehan fa-lahum ajruhum enda Rabbehim wa la khawfum alaiyhim wa la hum yahzanun (62).

Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews and the Christians and the Sabians, those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous deeds, then for those there will be their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.

Wa iz akhazna methaqakum wa rafa-ana fawqakumu altura khuzu ma ataiynakum be-quwwatin wa-zkuru ma feehi la-allakum tattaqun (63).

And when We took your covenant, and We raised Altour over you, Take what We have given you with strength, and Remember what is in it so that you may fear.

Thumma tawallaytum men ba'di zaleka fa-lawla fadlu Allahi alaiykum wa rahmatuhu la-kuntum mena alkhasereen (64).

Then you turned away after that and if not for the bounty of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers.

Wa laqad alemtumu allazina e'tadaww menkum fee alsabti fa-qulna lahum kunu qeradatan khase-een (65).

And you certainly have known those who transgressed among you on the Sabbath, and We said to them Be apes, despised.

Fa-ja'alnaha nakalan le-ma baiyna yadaiyha wa ma khalfaha wa maw-ezatan lel-muttaqeen (66).

And We made it a deterrent torment for what was before it, and what was after it, and an admonition for the righteous.

Wa iz qala musa le-qawmehi inna Allaha ya'murukum an tazbahu baqaratan qalu a-tattakhezuna huzuwan qala a-auzu be-llahi an akuna mena aljaheleen (67).

And when Moses said to His people indeed Allah commands you to slaughter a cow, they said Do you take us in ridicule?, He said I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant.

Qalu ed-u lana Rabbaka youbayyin lana ma heiya qala innahu yaqulu innaha baqaratun la faredun wa la bekrun awanun baiyna zaleka faf'alu ma tu'marun (68).

They said Call upon Your Lord to make clear to us what it is, He said He says she is a cow neither old nor virgin, but median between that, so Do what you are commanded.

Qalu ed-u lana Rabbaka youbayyin lana ma lawnuha qala innahu yaqulu innaha baqaratun safra-ou feqe-on lawnuha tasurru alnazereen (69).

They said Call upon Your Lord to show us what her color is, He said He says she is a yellow cow, bright in color, pleasing to the onlookers.

Qalu ed-u lana Rabbaka youbayyin lana ma heiya inna albaqara tashabaha alaiyna wa inna in sha-a Allahu la-muhtadun (70).

They said Call upon Your Lord to make clear to us what it is, indeed, the cows seemed to us alike, and indeed, we, if Allah wills, will be guided.

Qala innahu yaqulu innaha baqaratun la zalulun tutheeru al-arda wa la tasqi alhartha musallamatun la shiyata feeha qalu al-ana je'ta bel-haqqi fa-zabahuha wa ma kadu yaf'alun (71).

He said He says she is a cow neither trained to plow the earth nor to irrigate the field, sound with no spot on her, they said now you have come with the truth, so they slaughtered her, but they could hardly do it.

Wa iz qataltum nafsan fa-ddara'tum feeha wa Allahu mukhrejun ma kuntum taktumun (72).

And when you killed a soul and disputed over it, but Allah was to bring out what you were concealing.

Fa-qulna edrebuhu be-ba'deha ka-zaleka youhyi ellahu almawta wa youreekum ayatehi la-allakum ta'qelun (73).

So We said Strike him with a part of it, thus Allah gives life to the dead, and He shows you His signs so that you may understand.

Thumma qasat qulubukum men ba'di zaleka fa-heiya kal-hejarati aww ashaddu qaswatan wa inna mena alhejarati lama yatafajjaru menhu al-anharu wa inna menha lama yashshaqqaqu fa-yakhruju menhu alma-u wa inna menha lama yahbetu men khashyati ellahi wa ma Allahu be-ghafilin amma ta'malun (74).

Then Your hearts hardened after that, so they became like stones or stronger in hardness, and indeed, among the stones are some from which rivers gushed forth, and among them are some which split open and water come out from them, and among them are some which fall down for fear of Allah, and Allah is not unaware of what you do.

Afa-tatma-una an you'menu lakum wa qad kana fareequn menhum yasma-una kalama Allahi thumma youharrefunahu men ba'di ma aqaluhu wa hum ya'lamun (75).

Do you aspire that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort it after they had understood it while they know?.

Wa iza laqu allazina amanu qalu amanna wa iza khala ba'duhum ela ba'din qalu a-tuhaddethunahum be-ma fataha Allahu alaiykum le-youhajjukum behi enda Rabbekum afa-la ta'qelun (76).

And when they meet those who believe, they say we have believed, but when they are alone with one another, they say Do you talk to them about what Allah has revealed to you so that they would argue with you about it before your Lord, then Will you not understand?.

Awa-la ya'lamuna anna Allaha ya'lamu ma youserruna wa ma you'lenun (77).

Do they not know that Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare?.

Wa menhum aummiyyuna la ya'lamuna alketaba ella amaniyya wa in hum ella yazunnun (78).

And among them are illiterate who do not know the Book except in wishful thinking, and they do nothing but make conjecture.

Fa-waiylun le-llazina yaktubuna alketaba be-aiydehim thumma yaquluna haza men endi ellahi le-yashtaru behi thamanan qaleelan fa-waiylun lahum memma katabat aiydehim wa waiylun lahum memma yaksebun (79).

So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, then they say this is from Allah in order to exchange it for a small price, so woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they have earned.

Wa qalu lan tamassana alnaru ella ayyaman ma'dudatan qul a-ttakhaztum enda Allahi ahdan fa-lan youkhlefa Allahu ahdahu am taquluna ala Allahi ma la ta'lamun (80).

And they say the Fire will not touch us except for numbered days, Say Have you taken a covenant with Allah and Allah will not break His covenant or Do you say about Allah what you do not know?.

Bala man kasaba sayyi-atan wa ahatat behi khati-atuhu fa-aulaeka as-habu alnari hum feeha khaledun (81).

Yes, whoever earns an evil and his sin has encompassed him, then those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.

Wa allazina amanu wa amelu alsalehati aulaeka as-habu aljannati hum feeha khaledun (82).

And those who believe and do righteous deeds, those are the companions of Paradise, they will abide therein forever.

Wa iz akhazna methaqa bani israela la ta'buduna ella Allaha wa bel-walidaiyni ihsanan wa zee alqurba wa alyatama wa almasakeeni wa qulu lel-nasi husnan wa aqeemu alsalata wa atu alzakata thumma tawallaiytum ella qaleelan menkum wa antum mu'redun (83).

And when We have taken a covenant from the Children of Israel that Do not worship except Allah, and kindness to parents, and the near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and Say to the people what is good, and Establish the prayer and Give the Zakah, then you went back except a few of you while you are turning away.

Wa iz akhazna methaqakum la tasfekuna dema-akum wa la tukhrejuna anfusakum men diyarekum thumma aqrartum wa antum tashhadun (84).

And when We took your covenant Do not shed your blood and Do not expel yourselves from your homes, then you acknowledged while you bear witness.

Thumma antum haulae taqtulauna anfusakum wa tukhrejuna fareeqan menkum men diyarehim tazaharuna alaiyhim bel-ethmi wal-audwani wa in ya'tukum ausara tufaduhum wa huwa muharramun alaiykum ekhrajuhum afa-tu'menuna be-ba'di alketabi wa takfuruna be-ba'din fa-ma jaza-u man yaf'alu zaleka menkum ella khizyun fee alhayati aldunya wa yawma alqiyamati youradduna ela ashaddi al-azabi wa ma Allahu be-ghaflin amma ta'malun (85).

Then here you are, those who kill yourselves and expel a party of you from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression, and if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their expulsion was forbidden to you, so Do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part?, then What is the recompense of those who do that among you except disgrace in the worldly life, and on the day of resurrection, they will be returned to the severest of punishment, and Allah is not unaware of what you do.

Aulaeka allazina eshtaraww alhayata aldunya bel-akherati fa-la youkhaffafu anhumu al-azabu wa la hum younsarun (86).

Those are the ones who have purchased the worldly life for the Hereafter, so the punishment will not be lightened for them nor will they be helped.

Wa laqad ataiyna musa alketaba wa qaffaiyna men ba'dehi bel-rusuli wa ataiyna isa ibna maryama albayyinati wa ayyadnahu be-ruhui alqudusi afa-kullama ja-akum rasulun be-ma la tahwa anfusukumu estakbartum fa-fareeqan kazzabtum wa fareeqan taqtulun (87).

And indeed, We gave Moses the Book and followed up after Him with Messengers, and We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, the clear proofs and supported Him with the Holy Spirit, but Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what your souls do not desire, you were arrogant, so a party you denied, and a party you killed?.

Wa qalu qulubuna ghulfun bal la'nahumu Allahu be-kufrehim fa-qaleelan ma you'menun (88).

And they said our hearts are wrapped, but Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is what they believe.

Wa lamma ja-ahum ketabun men endi ellahi musaddiqun lema ma-ahum wa kanu men qablu yastaftehuna ala allazina kafaru fa-lamma ja-ahum ma arafu kafaru behi fa-la'natu Allahi ala alkafereen (89).

And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming that which is with them, although before they used to request conquest over those who disbelieved, but when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it, so the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers.

Be'sama eshtaraww behi anfusahum an yakfuru be-ma anzala Allahu baghyan an younazzela Allahu men fadlehi ala man yasha-u men ebadehi fa-ba-ou be-ghadabin ala ghadabin wa lel-kafereena azabun muheen (90).

Wretched is that for which they sold themselves that they would disbelieve in what Allah has sent down, grudging that Allah would send down His bounty upon whom He wills from among His servants, so they returned with wrath upon wrath, and for the disbelievers there is a humiliating punishment.

Wa iza qeela lahum amenu be-ma anzala Alahu qalu nu'menu be-ma aunzela alaiyna wa yakfuruna be-ma wara-ahu wa huwa alhaqqu musaddiqan le-ma ma-ahum qul fa-lema taqtuluna anbiyaa Allahi men qablu in kuntum mu'meneen (91).

And when it is said to them Believe in what Allah has sent down, they say we believe in what has been sent down to us, and they disbelieve in what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them, Say then Why did you kill the Prophets of Allah before if you are believers?.

Wa la-qad ja-akum musa bel-bayyinati thumma ettakhaztumu al-ejla men ba'dehi wa antum zalemun (92).

And indeed, Moses came to you with clear proofs, then you took the calf after Him while you were wrongdoers.

Wa iz akhazna methaqakum wa raf'na fawqakumu altutra khuzu ma ataiynakum be-quwwatin wa-sma-u qalu sami'na wa asiayna wa aushrebu fee qulubehemu al-ejla be-kufrehim qul be'sama ya'murukum behi emanekum in kuntum mu'meneen (93).

And when We took your covenant, and We raised Altour over you, Take what We have given you with strength and Listen, they said we heard and disobeyed, and they were made to drink the calf in their hearts because of their disbelief, Say wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you if you are believers.

Qul in kanat lakumu aldaru al-akheratu enda Allahi khalesatan men duni alnasi fa-tamannawu almawta in kuntum sadeqeen (94).

Say if the abode of the Hereafter with Allah is exclusively for you to the exclusion of all other people, then Wish for death if you are truthful.

Wa-lan yatamannawhu Abadan be-ma qaddamat aiydehim wa Allahu Aleemun bel-zalemeen (95).

But they will never wish for it, ever, for what their hands had sent forth, and Allah is All-Knower of the wrongdoers.

Wa la-tajidannahum ahrasa alnasi ala hayatin wa mena allazina ashraku yawaddu ahaduhum laww you'ammaru alfa sanatin wa ma huwa be-muzahzehehi mena al-azabi an you'ammara wa Allahu Baseer-on be-ma ya'malun (96).

And You will surely find them the most greedy of people for life and more than those who associated, one of them wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him from the punishment that he should be granted life, and Allah is All-Seeing of what they do.

Qul man kana aduwwan le-jibrila fa-innahu nazzalahu ala qalbeka be-izni ellahi musaddiqan le-ma baiyna yadaiyhi wa hudan wa bushra lel-mu'meneen (97).

Say whoever is an enemy to Gabriel, then indeed, He has brought it down upon Your heart by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it, and a guidance and glad tidings for the believers.

Man kana aduwwan le-llahi wa malaekatehi wa rusulehi wa jibrila wa mikala fa-inna Allaha aduwwun lel-kafereen (98).

Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His Angels and His Messengers and Gabriel and Michael, then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.

Wa la-qad anzalna elaiyka ayatin bayyinatin wa ma yakfuru beha ella alfasequn (99).

And indeed, We have sent down to You clear verses, and no one would disbelieve in them except the disobedient.

Awa kullama ahadu ahdan nabazahu fareequn menhum bal aktharuhum la you'menun (100).

Is it that whenever they took a covenant, a party of them threw it away?, but most of them do not believe.

Wa lamma ja-ahum rasulun men endi ellahi musaddiqun le-ma ma-ahum nabaza fareequn men allazina autu alketaba ketaba Allahi wara-a zuhurehim ka-annahum la ya'lamun (101).

And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah confirming that which is with them, a party of those who were given the Book threw the Book of Allah behind their backs as if they do not know.

Wa-ttaba-ou ma tatlu alshaiyateenu ala mulki sulaymana wa ma kafara sulaymanu wa lakenna alshayateena kafaru you'allemuna alnasa alsehra wa ma aunzela ala almalakaiyni be-babila haruta wa maruta wa ma you'allemani men ahadin hatta yaqula innama nahnu fetnatun fa-la takfur fa-yata-allamuna menhuma ma youfarrequna behi baiyna almar-e wa zawjehi wa ma hum ba-darreena behi men ahadin ella be-izni ellahi wa yata-allamuna ma yadurruhum wa la yanfa-uhum wa la-qad alemu la-mani eshtarahu ma lahu fee al-akherati men khalaqin wa la-be'sa ma sharaww behi anfusahum laww kanu ya'lamun (102).

And they followed what the devils had recited during the kingdom of Solomon, and Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, they teach the people magic and that which was sent down to the two Angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut, but they both do not teach anyone unless they both say we are only a trial, so Do not disbelieve, and they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, and they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah, and they learn what harms them and does not benefit them, and they knew that whoever purchased it would not have any portion in the Hereafter, and wretched is that for which they sold themselves if they only know.

Wa laww annahum amanu wa-ttaqaww la-mathubatan men endi ellahi khaiyrun laww kanu ya'lamun (103).

And if they had believed and feared, then the reward from Allah would have been better if they only know.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu la taqulo ra-ena wa qulu aunzurna wa-sma-u wa lel-kafereena azabun aleem (104).

O you who have believed! Do not say Listen to us but Say Wait for us, and Listen, and for the disbelievers there is a painful punishment.

Ma yawaddu allazina kafaru men ahli alketabi wa la almushrekeena an younazzala alaiykum men khaiyrin men Rabbekum wa Allahu yakhtassu be-rahmatehi man yasha-u wa Allahu zou alfadli al-azeem (105).

Neither those who disbelieved from among the people of the Book nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord, but Allah chooses for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of the great bounty.

Ma nansakh men ayatin aww nunseha na'ti be-khaiyrin menha aww methleha a-lam ta'lam anna Allaha ala kulli shaiy-in Qadeer (106).

We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten that We bring forth one better than it or one similar to it, Do You not know that Allah is All-powerful over everything?.

A-lam ta'lam anna Allaha lahu mulku alsamawati wa al-ardi wa ma lakum men duni ellahi men waliyyin wa la naseer (107).

Do you not know that to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth?, and you have not besides Allah any protector or any helper.

Am tureeduna an tas-alu rasulakum ka-ma su-ela musa men qablu wa man yatabaddali alkufra bel-emani fa-qad dalla sawa-a alsabeel (108).

Or Do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before?, and whoever exchanges the disbelief with the faith, then he has certainly gone astray from the straight way. 

Wadda katheerun men ahli alketabi laww yaruddunakum men ba'di emanekum kuffaran hasadan men endi anfusehim men ba'di ma tabayyana lahumu alhaqqu fa'fu wa-sfahu hatta ya'tiya Allahu be-amrehi inna Allaha ala kulli shaiy-in Qadeer (109).

Many of the people of the Book wish they could turn you back into disbelievers after your belief, out of envy from themselves after the truth has become clear to them, so Pardon and Overlook till Allah brings His command, indeed, Allah is All-Powerful over everything.

Wa aqeemu alsalata wa atu alzakata wa ma tuqaddemu le-anfusekum men khaiyrin tajeduhu enda Allahi inna Allaha be-ma ta'maluna Baseer (110).

And Establish the prayer and Give the Zakah, and whatever you send forth for yourselves of good, you will find it with Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

Wa qalu lan yadkhula aljannata ella man kana hudan aww nasara telka amnaniyyuhum qul hatu burhanakum in kuntum sadeqeen (111).

And they say no one will enter Paradise except he who is a Jew or a Christian, these are their wishful thinking, Say Bring your proof if you are truthful.

Bala man aslama wajhahu le-llahi wa huwa muhsenun fa-lahu ajruhu enda Rabbehi wa la khawfun alaiyhim wa la hum yahzanun (112).

Yes, whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a good doer, then for him there will be his reward with his Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.

Wa qalati alyahudu laysati alnasara ala shaiy-in wa qalati alnasara laysati alyahudu ala shaiy-in wa hum yatluna alketaba ka-zaleka qala allazina la ya'lamuna methla qawlehim fa-allahu yahkumu baiynahum yawma alqiyamati fee-ma kanu feehi yakhtalefun (113).

The Jews say the Christians are not upon anything, and the Christians say the Jews are not upon anything, although they recite the Book, thus those who do not know said the like of their words, so Allah will judge between them on the day of resurrection in that about which they used to differ.

Wa man azlamu mamman mana-a masajeda Allahi an youzkara feeha esmuhu wasa-a fee kharabeha aulaeka ma kana lahum an yadkhuluha ella kha-efeena lahum fee aldunya khizyun wa lahum fee al-akherati azabun azeem (114).

And who is more unjust than he who prevents the mosques of Allah from being mentioned therein His Name and strives towards their destruction, it is not for those to enter them except in fear, for them there is a disgrace in the world, and for them there is a great punishment in the Hereafter .

Wa le-llahi almashrequ wa almaghrebu fa-aynama tuwallu fa-thamma wajhu Allahi inna Allaha Wase-on Aleem (115).

And to Allah belongs the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the Countenance of Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Encompassing, All-knower.

Wa qalu ettakhaza Allahu waladan subhanahu bal lahu ma fee alsamawati wa alardi kullun lahu qanetun (116).

They say Allah has taken a son, Glory to be Him, rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, all are obedient to Him.

Bade-ou alsamawati wa al-ardi wa iza qada amran fa-innama yaqulu lahu kun fa-yakun (117).

The Originator of the heavens and the earth, and when He decrees a matter, He only says to it Be, and it comes to be.

Wa qala allazina la ya'lamuna laww-la youkallemuna Allahu aww ta'tiyana ayatun ka-zaleka qala allazina men qablehim methla qawlehim tashabahat qulubuhum qad bayyanna al-ayati le-qawmin youqenun (118).

And those who do not know say Why does Allah not speak to us, or Why does a sign not come to us?, thus those before them said the like of their words, their hearts resemble each other, indeed, We have made clear the signs to a people who are certain.

Inna arsalnaka bel-haqqi basheeran wa nazeeran wa la tus'alu an as-habi aljaheem (119).

Indeed, We have sent You with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, and You will not be asked about the companions of the Hell.

Wa lan tarda anka alyahudu wa la alnasara hatta tattabe-a mellatahum qul inna huda Allahi huwa alhuda wa la-ini ettaba'ta ahwa-ahum ba'da allazi ja-aka mena al-elmi ma-laka mena Allahi men waliyyin wa la naseer (120).

And the Jews or the Christians will not be pleased with You until You follow their religion, Say indeed, the guidance of Allah is the guidance, and if You were to follow their desires after what has come to You of the knowledge, You would not have against Allah any protector or any helper.

Allazina ataiynahumu alketaba yatlunahu haqqa telawatehi aulaeka you'menuna behi wa man yakfur behi fa-aulaeka humu alkhaserun (121).

Those to whom We have given the Book recite it as it should be recited, those believe in it, and whoever disbelieves in it, then those are the losers.

Ya-bani israela auzkuru ne'matiya allati an'amtu alaiykum wa anni faddaltukum ala al-alameen (122).

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I have favored you over the worlds.

Wa-ttaqu yawman la tajzee nafsun an nafsin shaiy-an wa la youqbalu menha adlun wa la tanfa-uha shafa-atun wa la hum younsarun (123).

And Fear a day when a soul will not avail another soul in anything, nor will ransom be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be helped.

Wa izi ebtala ibrahima Rabbuhu be-kalematin fa-atammahunna qala inni ja-eluka lel-nasi imaman qala wa men zurriyyati qala la yanalu ahdi alzalemeen (124).

And when Abraham was tested by His Lord with words and He fulfilled them, He said indeed, I will make You a leader for the people, He said and of My progeny, He said My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers.

Wa iz ja-alna albaiyta mathabatan lel-nasi wa amnan wa-ttakhezu men maqami ibrahima musallan wa ahedna ela ibrahima wa ismaela an tahhera baiytiya lel-ta-effeena wa al-akefeena wa alruka'e alsujud (125).

And when We made the House a place of return for the people and a security, and Take from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer, and We charged Abraham and Ishmael that You both Purify My House for those who circumambulate, and those who stay there, and those who bow and prostrate.

Wa-iz qala ibrahimu Rabbi ej'al haza baladan amenan wa-rzuq ahlahu mena althamarati man amana menhum be-llahi wa alyawmi al-akheri qala wa man kafara fa-aumatte-uhu qaleelan thumma adtarruhu ela azabi alnari wa be'sa almaseer (126).

And when Abraham said My Lord! Make this a secure city and Provide its people with the fruits, whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day, He said and whoever disbelieves, I will let him enjoy for a little, then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the fate.

Wa iz yarf'au ibrahima alqawa-eda mena albaiyti wa ismaela Rabbana taqabbal menna innaka anta Alsamee-o Al-aleem (127).

And when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and Ishmael Our Lord! Accept from Us, indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knower. 

Rabbana waj-alna muslimayni laka wa men zurriyyatena aummatan muslematan laka wa arena manasekana wa tub alaiyna innaka anta Altawwabu Alraheem (128).

Our Lord! And Make us two Muslims to You and from Our progeny a Muslim community to You, and Show Us Our rites and Turn to Us, indeed, You are Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful.

Rabbana wa-ba'th feehim rasulan menhum yatlu alaiyhim ayateka wa you'allemuhumu alketaba wa alhekmata wa youzakkehim innaka anta Al-azeezu Alhakeem (129).

Our Lord! And Send among them a Messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them, indeed, You are the Almighty, the All-Wise.

Wa man yarghabu an mellati ibrahima ella man safeha nafsahu wa la-qadi estafaiynahu fee aldunya wa innahu fee al-akherati la-mena alsaleheen (130).

And who would turn away from the religion of Abraham except he who fooled himself, and We have chosen Him in the world, and indeed, in the Hereafter, He will be among the righteous.

Iz qala lahu Rabbuhu aslem qala aslamtu le-rabbi al-alameen (131).

When His Lord said to Him Submit, He said I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.

Wa wassa beha ibrahimu banehi wa ya'qubu ya-baniyya inna Allaha estafa lakumu aldeena fa-la tamutunna ela wa antum muslemun (132).

And Abraham enjoined it upon His sons and Jacob O My sons! Indeed, Allah has chosen for you the religion, so Do not die except as Muslims.

Am kuntum shuhada-a iz hadara ya'quba almawtu iz qala le-banehi ma ta'buduna men ba'di qalu na'budu ilahaka wa ilaha aba-eka ibrahima wa ismaela wa is-haqa ilahan wahedan wa nahnu lahu muslemun (133).

Or Were you witnesses when the death approached Jacob, when He said to His sons What will you worship after Me?, they said we will worship Your God and the God of Your fathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, One God, and we are Muslims to Him.

Telka aummatun qad khalat laha ma kasabat wa lakum ma kasabtum wa la tus-aluna amma kanu ya'malun (134).

That was a nation which has passed on, it will have what it earned and you will have what you have earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do.

Wa qalu kunu hudan aww nasara tahtadu qul bal mellata ibrahima haneefan wa ma kana mena almushrekeen (135).

And they said Be Jews or Christians, so you will be guided, Say rather the religion of Abraham, upright, and He was not of the polytheists.

Qulu amanna be-llahi wa ma aunzela elaiyna wa ma aunzela ela ibrahima wa ismaela wa is-haqa wa ya'quba wa-l-asbati wa ma autiya musa wa isa wa ma autiya alnabiyyuna men Rabbehim la nufarrequ baiyna ahadin menhum wa nahnu lahu muslemun (136).

Say we have believed in Allah and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the Prophets from their Lord, we do not make distinction between any of them, and to Him we are Muslims.

Fa-in amanu be-methli ma amantum be-hi fa-qadi ehtadaww wa in tawallaww fa-innama hum fee sheqaqin fasa-yakfeekahumu Allahu wa huwa Alsamee-o Al-aleem (137).

So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then indeed, they are guided, but if they turn away, then they are only in dissension, and Allah will suffice You against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knower.

Sebghata Allahi wa man ahsanu mena Allahi sebghatan wa nahnu lahu abedun (138).

The religion of Allah, and Who is better than Allah in religion?, and we are worshippers of Him.

Qul a-tuhajjunana fee ellahi wa huwa Rabbuna wa Rabbukum wa lana a'maluna wa lakum a'malukum wa nahnu lahu mukhlesun (139).

Say Do you argue with us concerning Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord?, for us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds, and we are sincere to Him.

Am taquluna inna ibrahima wa ismaela wa is-haqa wa ya'quba wa-l-asbati kanu hudan aww nasara qul a-antum a'lamu ami ellahu wa man azlamu memman katama shahadatan endahu mena Allahi wa ma Allahu be-ghafelin amma ta'malun (140).

Or Do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the descendants were Jews or Christians?, Say Do you know best or does Allah?, and Who is more unjust than he who conceals a testimony he has from Allah?, and Allah is not unaware of what you do.

Telka aummatun qad khalat laha ma kasabat wa lakum ma kasabtum wa la tus-aluna amma kanu ya'malun (141).

That was a nation which has passed on, it will have what it earned and you will have what you have earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do.

Sa-yaqulu alsufaha-u mena alnasi ma wallahun an qeblatehimu allati kanu alaiyha qul le-llahi almashrequ wa almaghrebu yahdi man yasha-u ela seratin mustaqeem (142).

The foolish among the people will say What has turned them away from their Qiblah which they used to face?, Say to Allah belong the east and the west, He guides whom He wills to a straight path.

Wa kazaleka ja-alnakum aummatan wasatan le-takunu shuhada-a ala alnasi wa yakuna alrasulu alaiykum shaheedan wa ma ja-alna alqeblata allati kunta alaiyha ella le-na'lama man yatteba-u alrasula memman yanqalibu ala aqibaiyhi wa in kanat la-kabeeratan ella ala allazina hada Allahu wa ma kana Allahu le-youdee-a imanakum inna Allaha bel-nasi la-ra-ufun Raheem (143).

And thus We have made you a moderate community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you, and We did not make the Qiblah which You used to face except that We will know he who follows the Messenger from he who turns back on his heels, and indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided, and Allah would not waste your faith, indeed, Allah is Most Kind, Most Merciful to the people.

Qad nara taqalluba wajheka fee alsama-e fala-nuwalliyannaka qeblatan tardaha fa-walli wajhaka shatra almasjedi alharami wa haiythu ma kuntum fa-wallu wujuhakum shatrahu wa inna allazina autu aketaba la-ya'lamuna annahu alhaqqu men Rabbehim wa ma Allahu be-qafilin amma ya'malun (144).

Indeed, We have seen the turning of Your face towards the heaven, and We will surely turn You to a Qiblah with which You will be pleased, so Turn Your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever You are, Turn your faces towards it, indeed, those who were given the Book know well that it is the truth from their Lord, and Allah is not unaware of what they do.

Wala-in ataiyta allazina autu alketaba be-kulli ayatin ma tabe-ou qeblataka wa ma anta be-tabe-in qeblatahum wa ma ba'duhum be-tabe-in qeblata ba'din wala-ini ettaba'ta ahwa-ahum men ba'di ma ja-aka mena al-elmi innaka izan la-mena alzalemeen (145).

And if you brought to those who were given the Book every sign, they would not follow your Qiblah, nor will You be a follower of their Qiblah, nor will some of them be a follower of the Qiblah of others, and if You were to follow their desires after what has come to You of the knowledge, indeed, You would then be among the wrongdoers.

Allazina ataiynahumu alketaba ya'refunahu ka-ma ya'refuna abna-ahum wa inna fareeqan menhum la-yaktumuna alhaqqa wa hum ya'lamun (146).

Those to whom We have given the Book recognize Him as they recognize their sons, but indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know.

Alhaqqu men Rabbeka fa-la takunanna mena almumtareen (147).

The truth is from Your Lord, so Do not be among the doubters.

Wa le-kullin wijhatun huwa muwalliha fa-stabequ alkhaiyrati aiyna ma takunu ya'ti bekumu Allahu jamee-an ina Allaha ala kulli shaiy-in Qadeer (148).

For each there is a direction, he turns towards it, so Race to the good, wherever You may be, Allah will bring you forth all together, indeed, Allah is All-Powerful over everything.

Wa men haiythu kharajta fa-walli wajhaka shatra almasjedi alharami wa innahu lal-haqqu men Rabbeka wa ma Allahu be-ghafilin amma ta'malun (149).

So from wherever You go out, then Turn Your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and indeed, it is the truth from Your Lord, and Allah is not unaware of what you do.

Wa men haiythu kharajta fa-walli wajhaka shatra almasjedi alharami wa haiythuma kuntum fa-wallu wujuhakum shatrahu la-ella yakuna lel-nasi alaiykum hujjatun ella allazina zalamu menhum fa-la takhshawhum wa-khshawni wa le-autemma ne'mati alaiykum la-allakum tahtadun (150).

And from wherever You go out, then Turn Your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, Turn your faces towards it so that the people will not have any argument against you except for those who wronged among them, so Do not fear them, but Fear Me, and that I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided. 

Ka-ma arsalna feekum rasulan menkum yatlu alaiykum ayatena wa youzakkeekum wa you'allemukumu alketaba wa alhekmata wa you'allemukum ma lam takunu ta'lamun (151).

Just as We have sent among you a Messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and the wisdom and teaching you what you did not know.

Fa-zkuruni azkurkum wa-shkuru lee wa la takfurun (152).

So Remember Me, I will remember you, and Be grateful to Me, and Do not deny Me.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu esta-eenu bel-sabri wa alsalati inna Allaha ma-a alsabereen (153).

O you who have believed! Seek help through patience and prayer, indeed, Allah is with the patient.

Wa la taqulu le-man youqtalu fee sabeeli ellahi amwatun bal ahiya-on wa laken la tash-urun (154).

And Do not say about those who have been killed in the way of Allah they are dead, rather they are alive, but you do not perceive.

Wa la-nabluwannakum be-shaiy-in mena alkhawfi wa alju-e wa naqsin mena al-amwali wa al-anfusi wa althamarati wa bashshiri alsabereen (155).

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, and lives, and fruits, and Give glad tidings to the patient.

Allazina iza asabat-hum museebatun qalu inna le-llahi wa inna elaiyhi raje-un (156).

Those who when a calamity afflicts them, they say indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.

Aulaeka alaiyhim salawatun men Rabbehim wa rahmatun wa aulaeka humu almuhtadun (157).

Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy, and those are the guided.

Inna alsafa wa almarwata men sha-a-eri ellahi fa-man hajja albaiyta awi e'tamara fa-la junaha alaiyhi an yattawwafa behima wa man tatawwa-a khaiyran fa-inna Allaha Shakerun Aleem (158).

Indeed, the Safa and the Marwah are among the symbols of Allah, so whoever performs Hajj to the House or performs Umrah, then there is no blame upon him if he makes rounds between both of them, and whoever volunteers good, then indeed, Allah is All-Appreciative, All-Knower. 

Inna allazina yaktumuna ma anzalna mena albayyinati wa alhuda men ba'di ma bayyannahu lel-nasi fee alketabi aulaeka yal-anuhumu Allahu wa yal-anhumu al-la-enun (159).

Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of the clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear to the people in the Book, those, Allah curses them, and curse them those who curse.

Ella allazina tabu wa aslahu wa bayyanu fa-aulaeka atubu alaiyhim wa ana Altawwabu Alraheem (160).

Except for those who repent and reform, and make evident, those I will turn to them, and I am Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful.

Inna allazina kafaru wa matu wa hum kuffarun aulaeka alaiyhim la'natu Allahi wa almalaekati wa alnasi ajma-een (161).

Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, upon them will be the curse of Allah and the Angles and the people, all together.

Khaledeena feeha la youkhaffafu anhumu al-azabu wa la hum younzarun (162).

Abiding therein, the punishment will not be lightened for them nor will they be given any respite.

Wa ilahukum ilahun wahedun la ilaha ella huwa Alrahmanu Alraheem (163).

And your God is One God, there is no God but He, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Inna fee khalqi alsamawati wa al-ardi wa-khtelafi al-laili wa alnahari wa alfulki allati tajree fee albahri be-ma yanfa-u alnasa wa ma anzala Allahu mena alsama-e men ma-in fa-ahya behi al-arda ba'da mawteha wa baththa feeha men kulli dabbatin wa tasreefi alriyahi wa alsahabi almusakhkhari baiyna alsama-e wa al-ardi la-ayatin le-qawmin ya'qelun (164).

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day and the ships which sail through the sea with what benefits the people, and what Allah has sent down from the sky of water, then He revived thereby the earth after its death and He dispersed in it from every moving creature, and the direction of the winds and the clouds are subjected between the heaven and the earth, are signs for a people who understand.

Wa mena alnasi man yattakhezu men duni ellahi andadan youhebbunahum ka-hubbi ellahi wa allazina amanu ashaddu hubban le-llahi wa laww yara allazina zalamu iz yarawna al-azaba anna alquwwata le-llahi jamee-an wa anna Allaha shadeedu al-azab (165).

And of the people are those who take other than Allah as equals, they love them as they love Allah, but those who believe are stronger in love for Allah, and if only those who have wronged would see when they will see the punishment that all power belongs to Allah, and that Allah is Severe in punishment.

Iz tabarra-a allazina auttube-u mena allazina ettaba-ou wa ra'awwu al-azaba wa taqatta-at behimu al-asbab (166).

When those who have been followed disavow themselves from those who followed, and they see the punishment, and cut off from them are the ties.

Wa qala allazina ettaba-ou laww anna lana karratan fa-natabarra-a menhum ka-ma tabarra-ou menna ka-zaleka youreehumu Allahu a'malahum hasaratin alaiyhim wa ma hum be-kharejeena mena alnar (167).

Those who followed will say if only we had a return, so we could disavow ourselves from them as they have disavowed themselves from us, thus Allah will show them their deeds as regrets upon them, and they will not come out from the Fire.

Ya-ayyuha alnasu kulu memma fee al-ardi halalan tayyiban wa la tattabe-ou khutuwati alshaiytani innahu lakum aduwwun mubeen (168).

O people! Eat from whatever is on the earth, lawful and good and Do not follow the footsteps of Satan, indeed, he is a clear enemy to you.

Innama ya'murukum bel-su-e wa alfahsha-e wa an taqulu ala Allahi ma la ta'lamun (169).

He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.

Wa iza qeela lahumu ettabe-ou ma anzala Allahu qalu bal nattabe-ou ma alfaiyna alaiyhi aba-ana awa laww kana aba-uhum la ya'qeluna shaiy-an wa la yahtadun (170).

And when it is said to them Follow what Allah has sent down, they say but, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers, even if their fathers were not understanding anything nor were they guided?.

Wa mathalu allazina kafaru ka-mathali allazi yan-equ be-ma la yasma-ou ella du-a-an wa neda-an summon bukmun aumyun fa-hum la ya'qelun (171).

The example of those who disbelieve is like the one who shouts at what does not hear except a call and cry, deaf, dumb, and blind, so they do not understand.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu kulu men tayyibati ma razaqnakum wa-shkuru le-llahi in kuntum iyyahu ta'budun (172).

O you who have believed! Eat from the good things which We have provided for you and Give thanks to Allah if it is Him that you worship.

Innama harrama alaiykumu almaytata wa aldama wa lahma alkhenzeeri wa ma auhella behi le-ghaiyri ellahi fa-mani audturra ghaiyra baghin wa la adin fa-la ethma alaiyhi inna Allha Ghafurun Raheem (173).

He has only forbidden to you the dead and the blood and the flesh of pig, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, but whoever is forced, neither desiring nor transgressing, then there is no sin upon him, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 

Inna allazina yaktumuna ma anzala Allahu mena alketabi wa yashtaruna behi thamanan qaleelan aulaeka ma ya'kuluna fee butunehim ella alnara wa la youkallemuhumu Allahu yawma alqiyamati wa la youzakkehim wa lahum azabun aleehm (174).

Indeed, those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price, those do not eat in their bellies except the Fire, and Allah will not speak to them on the Day of resurrection, nor will He purify them, and for them there is a painful punishment.

Aulaeka allazina eshtarawu aldalalata bel-huda wa al-azaba bel-maghferati fa-ma asbarahum ala alnar (175).

Those are the ones who have purchased error for guidance and punishment for forgiveness, so How patient they are with the Fire!.

Zaleka be-anna Allaha nazzala alketaba bel-haqqi wa inna allazina ekhtalafu fee alketabi la-fee sheqaqin ba-eed (176).

That is because Allah has sent down the Book in truth, and indeed, those who differ over the Book are in extreme opposition.

Laiysa albirra an tuwallu wujuhakum qebala almashriqi wa almaghribi wa lakenna alberra man amana be-llahi wa alyawmi al-akheri wa almalaekati wa alketabi wa alnabiyyina wa ata almala ala hubbehi zawi alqurba wa alyatama wa almasakeena wa-bna alsabeeli wa alsa-eleena wa fee alreqabi wa aqama alsalata wa ata alzakata wa almufuna be-ahdehim iza ahadu wa alsabereena fee alba'sa-e wa aldarra-e wa heena alba'si aulaeka allazina sadaqu wa aulaeka humu almuttaqun (177).

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces towards the east or the west, but righteousness is that he who believes in Allah, and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Prophets, and gives the wealth, despite the love of it, to the near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and those who ask, and in the necks, and establishes the prayer and gives the Zakah, and those who fulfill their covenant when they make a covenant, and those who are patient in the hardship and the adversity and during the fighting! Those are the ones who have been true, and those are the righteous.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu kuteba alaiykumu alqesasu fee alqatla alhurru bel-hurri wa al-abdu bel-abdi wa al-auntha bel-auntha fa-man aufiya lahu men akheehi shaiy-on fa-tteba-on bel-ma'rufi wa ada-on elaiyhi be-ihsanin zaleka takhfeefun men Rabbekum wa rahmatun fa-mani e'tada ba'da zaleka fa-lahu azabun aleem (178).

O you who have believed! Prescribed for you is retaliation for the murdered, the freeman for the freeman, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female, but whoever is pardoned from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with goodness, this is a mitigation from your Lord and a mercy, but whoever transgressed after that, then for him there is a painful punishment.

Wa lakum fee alqesasi hayatun ya-auli al-albabi la-allakum tattaqun (179).

And there is for you in retaliation a life O you of understanding, so that you may fear.

Kuteba alaiykum iza hadara ahadakumu almawtu in taraka khaiyran alwasiyatu lel-walidaiyni wa al-aqrabeena bel-ma'rufi haqqan ala almuttaqeen (180).

Prescribed for you when the death approaches one of you if he leaves wealth, a bequest for the parents and the near relatives in a reasonable manner, a duty upon the righteous.

Fa-man baddalahu ba'da ma samea-ahu fa-innama ethmuhu ala allazina youbaddelunaho inna Allaha Samee-on Aleem (181).

Then whoever changes it after he has heard it, its sin is only upon those who change it, indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-knower.

Fa-man khafa men musin janafan aww ethman fa-aslaha baiynahum fa-la ethma alaiyhi inna Allaha Ghafurun Raheem (182).

But whoever fears from the testator any error or sin and reconcile between them, then there is no sin upon him, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu kuteba alaiykumu alsiyamu kama kuteba ala allazina men qablekum la-allakum tattaqun (183).

O you who have believed! Enjoined upon you is fasting as it was enjoined upon those before you so that you may fear.

Ayyaman ma'dudatin fa-man kana menkum mareedan aww ala safarin fa-eddatun men ayyamin aukhara wa ala allazina youtequnahu fediyatun ta-amu meskeenin fa-man tatawwa-a khaiyran fa-huwa khaiyrun lahu wa an tasumu khaiyrun lakum in kuntum ta'lamun (184).

Numbered days, so whoever among you is ill or on a journey, then a number of other days, and upon those who are able to it, then a ransom of feeding a needy, and whoever volunteers good, then it is better for him, but that you fast is better for you, if you know.

Shahru ramadana allazi aunzela feehi alquranu hudan lel-nasi wa bayyinatin mena alhuda wa alfurqani fa-man shaheda menkumu alshahra fal-yasumhu wa man kana mareedan aww ala safarin fa-eddatun men ayamin aukhara youreedu Allahu bekumu alyousra wa la youreedu bekumu al-ausra wa le-tukmelu al-eddata wa le-tukabberu Allaha ala ma hadakum wa la-allakum tashkurun (185).

The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance for the people, and clear proofs of the guidance and the Criterion, so whoever among you witnesses the month, Let him fast it, and whoever is ill or on a journey, then a number of other days, Allah intends for you the ease, and does not intend for you the hardship, so that you complete the period and that you magnify Allah for that which He has guided you, and so that you may give thanks.

Wa iza sa-alaka ebadi anni fa-inni qareebun ajeebu da'wata alda-e iza da-ani fal-yastajeebu lee wal-you'menu bi la-allahum yarshudun (186). 

And when My servants ask You concerning Me, indeed, I am near, I respond to the supplication of the supplicant when he calls upon Me, so Let them respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly guided.

Auhella lakum laiylata alsiyami alrrafathu ela nesa-ekum hunna lebasun lakum wa antum lebasun lahunna alema Allahu annakum kuntum takhtanuna anfusakum fa-taba alaiykum wa afa ankum fal-ana basheruhunna wa-btaghu ma kataba Allahu lakum wa kulu wa-shrabu hatta yatabayyana lakumu alkhaiytu al-abyadu mena alkhaiyti al-aswadi mena alfajri thumma atemmu al-siyama ela al-laili wa la tubasheruhunna wa antum akefuna fee almasajidi telka hududu Allahi fa-la taqrabuha ka-zaleka youbayyinu Allahu ayatehi lel-nasi la-allahum yattaqun (187).

It has been made lawful for you the night of fasting to have sexual relation with your women, they are clothing for you, and you are clothing for them, Allah knew that you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you and pardoned you, so now, Have sexual relations with them and seek what Allah has decreed for you, and Eat and Drink until the white thread of Dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread, then Complete the fast till the night, and Do not have sexual relations with them while you are staying in the mosques for I'tikaf, these are the limits of Allah, so Do not approach them, thus Allah makes clear His verses to the people so that they may fear.

Wa la ta'kulu amwalakum baiynakum bel-bateli wa tudlu beha ela alhukkami le-ta'kulu fareeqan men amwali alnasi bel-ethmi wa antum ta'lamun (188).

And Do not eat up your wealth unjustly between you or send it to the rulers in order to eat up a portion of the wealth of the people in sin while you know.

Yas-alunaka ani al-ahellati qul hiya mawaqeetu lel-nasi wa alhajji wa laiysa alberru be-an ta'tu albuyuta men zuhureha wa lakenna alberra mani ettaqa wa'tu albuyuta men abwabeha wa-ttaqu Allaha la-allakum tuflehun (189).

They ask You about the new moons, Say they are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj, and it is not righteousness that you come into the houses from their backs, but righteousness is that one who fears, and Come to the houses from their doors, and Fear Allah so that you may succeed.

Wa qatelu fee sabeeli ellahi allazina youqatelunakum wa la ta'tadu inna Allaha la youhebbu almu'tadeen (190).

And Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you and Do not transgress, indeed, Allah does not like the transgressors.

Wa-qtuluhum haiythu thaqeftumuhum wa akhrejuhum men haiythu akhrajukum wa alfetnatu ashaddu mena alqatli wa la tuqateluhum enda almasjidi alharami hatta youqatelukum feehi fa-in qatalukum fa-qtuluhum ka-zaleka jaza-ou alkafereen (191).

And Kill them wherever you find them and Expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and the trial is more severe than killing, and Do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight you therein, but if they fight you, then Kill them, such is the recompense of the disbelievers.

Fa-ini entahaww fa-inna Allaha Ghafurun Raheem (192).

And if they desist, then indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Wa qateluhum hatta la takuna fetnatun wa yakuna aldeenu le-llahi fa-ini entahaww fa-la audwana ella ala alzalemeen (193).

And Fight them until there is no trial and the religion becomes for Allah, but if they desist, then there is no aggression except against the wrongdoers.

Alshahru alharamu bel-shahri alharami wa alhurumatu qesasun fa-mani e'tada alaiykum fa'tadu alaiyhi be-methli ma e'tada alaiykum wa-ttaqu Allaha wa'lamu anna Allaha ma-a almuttaqeen (194).

The Sacred month is for the Sacred month and for the sanctities is retribution, so whoever has transgressed upon you, then Transgress upon him in the same as he has transgressed upon you, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is with the righteous.

Wa anfequ fee sabeeli ellahi wa la tulqu be-aiydeekum ela altahlukati wa ahsenu inna Allaha youhebbu almuhseneen (195).

And Spend in the way of Allah and Do not throw with your hands into destruction, and Do good, indeed, Allah loves the good doers.

Wa atemmu alhajja wa alaumrata le-llahi fa-in auhsertum fa-ma estaiysara mena alhadyi wa la tahlequ ru-usakum hatta yablugha alhadyu mahellahu fa-man kana menkum mareedan aww behi azan men ra'sehi fa-fediaytun men siyamin aww sadaqatin aww nusukin fa-iza amentum fa-man tamatta-a bel-aumrati ela alhajji fa-ma estaiysara mena alhadyi fa-man lam yajid fa-siyamu thalathati ayyamin fee alhajji wa sab-atin iza raja'tum telka asharatun kamelatun zaleka le-man lam yakun ahluhu haderi almasjidi alharami wa-ttaqu Allaha wa'lamu anna Allaha shadeedu al-eqab (196).

And Complete the Hajj and Umrah for Allah, but if you are prevented, then what can be afforded of the sacrifice, and Do not shave your heads until the sacrifice reaches its place, and whoever among you is ill or has an ailment of his head, then a ransom of fasting or charity or sacrifice, and when you are secure, then whoever performs Umrah followed by Hajj, then what can be afforded of the sacrifice, but whoever cannot find, then a fast for three days during Hajj and for seven when you have returned, these are ten complete, this is for he whose family is not present in the Scared Mosque, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is Severe in punishment.

Alhajju ashhurun ma'lumatun fa-man farada feehinna alhajja fa-la rafatha wa la fusuqa wa la jedala fee alhajji wa ma taf'alu men khaiyrin ya'lamhu Allahu wa tazawwadu fa-inna khaiyra alzadi altaqwa wa-ttaquni ya-auli al-albab (197).

Hajj is known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein, then there is no sexual relations, and no disobedience, and no disputing during Hajj, and whatever you do of good, Allah knows it, and Take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is the righteousness, and Fear Me O you of understanding.

Laysa alaikum junahun an tabtaghu fadlan men Rabbekum fa-iza afadtum men arafatin fa-zkuru Allaha enda almash'ari alharami wa-zkuruhu kama hadakum wa in kuntum men qablehi le-mena aldalleen (198).

There is no blame upon you that you seek bounty from your Lord, so when you depart from Arafat, Remember Allah at Almash'ar Alharam, and Remember Him as He has guided you, while you were before it among those who are astray.

Thumma afeedu men haiythu afada alnasu wa-staghferu Allaha inna Allaha Ghafurun Raheem (199).

Then Depart from where the people depart, and Ask forgiveness of Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Fa-iza qadaiytum manasekakum fa-zkuru Allaha ka-zekrekum aba-akum aww ashadda zekran fa-mena alnasi man yaqulu Rabbana atena fee aldunya wa ma lahu fee al-akherati men khalaq (200).

And when you have finished your rites, Remember Allah like your remembrance of your fathers or with greater remembrance, and among the people is he who says our Lord! Give us in the world, and he will not have any portion in the Hereafter.

Wa menhum man yaqulu Rabbana atena fee aldunya hasanatan wa fee al-akherati hasanatan wa qena azaba alnar (201).

And among them is he who says Our Lord! Give us good in the world and good in the Hereafter and Save us from the punishment of the Fire.

Aulaeka lahum naseebun memma kasabu wa Allahu Saree-ou alhesab (202).

For those there will be a share of what they have earned, and Allah is Swift in reckoning.

Wa-zkuru Allaha fee ayyamin ma'dudatin fa-man ta'ajjala fee yawmaiyni fa-la ethma alaiyhi wa man ta-akhkhara fa-la ethma alaiyhi le-mani ettaqa wa-ttqau Allaha wa'lamu annakum elaiyhi tuhsharun (203).

And Remember Allah during numbered days, then whoever hastens in two days, there is no sin upon him, and whoever delays, then there is no sin upon him, for he who fears, and Fear Allah and Know that to Him you will be gathered. 

Wa mena alnasi man you'jebuka qawluhu fee alhayati aldunya wa youshhedu Allaha ala ma fee qalbehi wa huwa aladdu alkhesam (204).

And of the people is he whose words pleases You in the worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness on what is in his heart, and he is the most quarrelsome of opponents.

Wa iza tawalla sa-a fee alardi le-youfseda feeha wa youhleka alhartha wa alnasla wa Allahu la youhebbu alfasad (205).

And when he turns away, he strives throughout the earth to cause corruption therein, and destroys the crops and animals, and Allah does not like the corruption.

Wa iza qeela lahu ettaqi ellaha akhazat-hu alezzatu be-ethmi fa-hasbuhu jahannamu wa la-be'sa almehad (206).

And when it is said to him Fear Allah, the arrogance for the sin takes hold of him, so sufficient for him is Hellfire, and wretched is the resting place. 

Wa mena alnasi man yashri nafsahu ebtegha-a mardati ellahi wa Allahu Ra-ufun bel-ebad (207).

And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is Most Kind to the servants.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu audkhulu fee alselmi kaffatan wa la tattabe-ou khutuwati alshaiytani innahu lakum aduwwun mubeen (208).

O you who have believed! Enter into Islam completely, and Do not follow the footsteps of Satan, indeed, he is a clear enemy to you.

Fa-in zalaltum men ba'di ma ja-atkumu albayyinatu fa'lamu anna Allaha Azeezun Hakeem (209).

But if you slip after the clear proofs have come to you, then Know that Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. 

Hal yanzuruna ella an ya'teyahumu Allahu fee zulalin mena alghamami wa almala-ekatu wa qudiya al-amru wa ela Allahi turja-ou al-aumur (210).

Do they wait except that Allah should come to them in shadows of clouds and the Angels, and the matter has been decided?, and to Allah all matters will be returned.

Sal bani israela kam ataiynahum men ayatin bayyinatin wa man youbaddil ne'mata Allahi men ba'di ma ja-at-hu fa-inna Allaha Shadeedu al-eqab (211).

Ask the Children of Israel How many a clear sign We have given them, and whoever changes the favor of Allah after it has come to him, then indeed, Allah is Severe in punishment.

Zuyyina le-llazina kafaru alhayatu aldunya wa yaskharuna mena allazina amanu wa allazina ettaqaww fawqahum yawma alqiyamati wa Allahu yarzuqu man yasha-u be-ghaiyri hesab (212).

Beautified to those who disbelieve is the worldly life, and they ridicule those who believe, and those who fear are above them on the day of resurrection, and Allah provides for whom He wills without account. 

Kana alnasu aummatan wahedatan fa-ba-atha Allahu alnabiyyina mubashshereena wa munzereena wa anzala ma-ahumu alketaba bel-haqqi le-yahkuma baiyna alnasi feema ekhtalafu feehi wa ma ekhtalafa feehi ella allazina autuhu men ba'di ma ja-at-humu albaiyyinatu baghyan baiynahum fa-hada Allahu allazina amanu le-ma ekhtalafu feehi mena alhaqqi be-iznehi wa Allahu yahdi man yasha-ou ela seratin mustaqeem (213).

The people were one religion, then Allah sent the Prophets as bearers of glad tidings and warners and sent down with them the Book in truth to judge between the people in that about which they used to differ, and none differed over it except those who were given it after the clear proofs came to them out of tyranny between them, then Allah guided those who believed to the truth about which they used to differ by His permission, and Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path. 

Am hasebtum an tadkhulu aljannata wa lamma ya'tekum mathalu allazina khalaww men qablekum massat-humu alba'sa-ou wa alddarra-ou wa zulzelu hatta yaqula alrasulu wa allazina amanu ma-ahu mata nasru Allahi ala inna nasra Allahi qareeb (214).

Or Do you think that you will enter Paradise while the like of those who passed before you has not yet come to you?, the hardship and the adversity touched them, and they were shaken until the Messenger and those who believed with Him say When is the help of Allah?, unquestionably, the help of Allah is near. 

Yas-alunaka maza younfequna qul ma anfaqtum men khaiyrin fa-lel-walidaiyni wa alaqrabeena wa alyatama wa almasakeeni wa-bni alsabeeli wa ma taf'alu men khaiyrin fa-inna Allaha behi Aleem (215).

They ask You what they should spend, Say whatever you spend of good is for parents and the near relatives and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, and whatever you do of good, then indeed, Allah is All-Knower of it.

Kuteba alaiykumu alqetalu wa huwa kurhun lakum wa asa an takrahu shaiy-an wa huwa khaiyrun lakum wa asa an tuhebbu shaiy-an wa huwa sharrun lakum wa Allahu ya'lamu wa antum la ta'lamun (216).

Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you, but perhaps you dislike a thing and it is good for you, and perhaps you like a thing, and it is bad for you, and Allah knows while you do not know.

Yas'alunaka ani alshahri alharami qetalin feehi qul qetalun feehi kabeerun wa saddun an sabeeli ellahi wa kufrun behi wa almasjidi alharami wa ikhraju ahlehi menhu akbaru enda Allahi wa alfetnatu akbaru mena alqatli wa la yazaluna youqatelunakum hatta yaruddukum an deenikum ini estata-ou wa man yartadid menkum an deenihi fa-yamut wa huwa kafirun fa-aulaeka habitat a'maluhum fe aldounya wa al-akherati wa aulaeka as-habu alnari hum feeha khaledun (217).

They ask You about the Sacred month, about fighting in it, Say fighting in it is great, but preventing from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him, and the Sacred Mosque, and the expulsion of its people from it are greater in the sight of Allah, and the trial is greater than killing, and they will not cease to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able, and whoever of you turns back from his religion, then dies while he is a disbeliever, then those, their deeds were nullified in the world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.

Inna allazina amanu wa allazina hajaru wa jahadu fee sabeeli ellahi aulaeka yarjouna rahmata Allahi wa Allahu Ghafurun Raheem (218).

Indeed, those who have believed and those who have emigrated and striven in the way of Allah, those expect the mercy of Allah, and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Yas-alunaka ani alkhamri wa almaiysiri qul feehema ethmun kabeerun wa manafe-ou lel-nasi wa ethmuhuma akbaru men naf-ehema wa yas-alunaka maza younfequna quli alafwa ka-zaleka youbayyinu Allahu lakumu al-ayati la-allakum tatafakkarun (219).

They ask You about the intoxicants and gambling, Say in both of them is great sin and some benefits for people, but the sin of both of them is greater than the benefit of both of them, and they ask You what they should spend, Say the surplus, thus Allah makes clear to you the verses so that you may give thought.

Fee aldounya wa al-akherati wa yas-alunaka ani alyatama qul eslahun lahum khaiyrun wa in tukhaletuhum fa-ikhwanekum wa Allahu ya'lamu almufseda mena almuslehi wa laww sha-a Allahu la-a'natakum inna Allaha Azeezun Hakeem (220).

In the world and the Hereafter, and they ask You about the orphans, Say reform for them is best, and if you mix with them, then they are your brothers, and Allah knows the corrupter from the reformer, and if Allah had willed, He could have put you in trouble, indeed, Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

Wa la tankehu almushrekati hatta you'menna wa la amatun mu'menatun khaiyrun men mushrekatin wa laww a'jabatkum wa la tunkehu almushrekeena hatta you'menu wa la abdun mu'menun khayrun men mushrekin wa laww a'jabakum aulaeka yad-una ela alnari wa Allahu yad-u ela aljannati wa almaghferati be-iznehi wa youbaiyyinu ayatehi lel-nasi la-allahum yatazakkarun (221).

And Do not marry polytheistic women until they believe, and a believing slave woman is better than a polytheistic woman, even though she may please you, and Do not give in marriage to the polytheistic men until they believe, and a believing slave is better than a polytheistic man, even though he may please you, those invite to the Fire, and Allah invites to Paradise and to forgiveness by His permission, and He makes clear His verses to the people so that they may remember.

Wa yas-alunaka ani almaheedi qul huwa azan fa'tazelu alnisa-a fee almaheedi wa la tqrabuhunna hatta yat-hurna fa-iza tatahharna fa'tuhunna men haiythu amarakumu Allahu inna Allaha youhebbu altawwabeena wa youhebbu almutatahhereen (222).

And they ask you about menstruation, Say it is hurt, so Keep away from the women during menstruation, and Do not approach them until they are cleansed, and when they cleansed themselves, then Come to them from where Allah has ordered you, indeed, Allah loves those who are oft-repenting and loves those who are purifying themselves.

Nesa-ukum harthun lakum fa'tu harthakum anna she'tum wa qaddemu le-anfusekum wa-ttaqu Allaha wa'lamu annakum mulaquhu wa bashshiri almu'meneen (223).

Your women are a tilth for you, so Come to your tilth from where you wish and Send forth for yourselves, and Fear Allah, and Know that you will meet Him, and Give glad tidings to the believers.

Wa la taj-alu Allaha aurdatan le-aymanekum an tabarru wa tattaqu wa tuslehu baiyna alnasi wa Allahu Samee-on Aleem (224).

And Do not make Allah an excuse in your oaths against that you do good, and that you fear, and that you reconcile between the people, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower. 

La you-akhezukumu Allahu bel-laghwi fee aymanekum wa laken you-akhezukum bema kasabat qulubukum wa Allahu Ghafurun Haleem (225).

Allah will not call you to account for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will call you to account for what your hearts have earned, and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing. 

Le-llazina you'luna men nesa-ehim tarabbusu arba-ati ashhurin fa-in fa-ou fa-inna Allaha Ghafurun Raheem (226).

For those who swear to abstain from their wives is a waiting of four months, but if they return, then indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 

Wa in azamu altalaqa fa-inna Allaha Samee-on Aleem (227).

And if they resolve on divorce, then indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower.  

Wa almutallaqatu yatarabbasna be-anfusehenna thalathata quru-in wa la yahellu lahunna an yaktumna ma khalaqa Allahu fee arhamehinna in kunna you'menna be-llahi wa alyawmi al-akheri wa bu-ulatuhunna ahaqqu be-raddehinna fee zaleka in aradu eslahan wa lahunna methlu allazi alaiyhenna bel-ma'rufi wa lel-rejali alaiyhenna darajatun wa Allahu Azeezun Hakeem (228).

And the divorced women shall keep themselves waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day, and their husbands have more right to take them back in that, if they wish reconciliation, and for them is the like of that which is on them in a reasonable manner, and for the men is a degree over them, and Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. 

Altalaqu marratani fa-emsakun be-ma'rufin aww tasreehun be-ihsanin wa la yahellu lakum an ta'khuzu memma ataiytumuhunna shaiy-an ella an yakhafa alla youqeema hududa Allahi fa-in kheftum alla youqeema hududa Allahi fa-la junaha alaiyhima feema eftadat behi telka hududu Allahi fa-la ta'taduha wa man yata-adda hududa Allahi fa-aulaeka humu alzalemun (229).

Divorce is twice, then either to keep in a reasonable manner or to release with kindness, and it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given them unless they both fear that they both will not keep the limits of Allah, but if you fear that they both will not keep the limits of Allah, then there is no blame upon either of them in that by which she ransoms herself, these are the limits of Allah, so Do not transgress them, and whoever transgresses the limits of Allah, then those are the wrongdoers.

Fa-in tallaqaha fa-la tahellu lahu men ba'du hatta tankeha zawjan ghaiyrahu fa-in tallaqaha fa-la junaha alaiyhima an yataraja-a in zanna an youqeema hududa Allahi wa telka hududu Allahi youbayyinuha le-qawmin ya'lamun (230).

And if he divorced her, then she is not lawful for him afterwards until she marries a husband other than him, so if he divorces her, then there is no blame upon both of them if they return to each other if they think that they will keep the limits of Allah, and these are the limits of Allah which He makes clear to a people who know.

Wa iza tallaqtumu alnesa-a fa-balaghna ajalahunna fa-amsekuhunna be-ma'rufin aww sarrehuhunna be-ma'rufin wa la tumsekuhunna deraran le-ta'tadu wa man yaf'al zaleka fa-qad zalama nafsahu wa la tattakhezu ayati ellahi huzuwan wa-zkuru ne'mata Allahi alaiykum wa ma anzala alaiykum mena alketabi wa alhekmati ya'ezukum behi wa-ttaqu Allaha wa'lamu anna Allaha be-kulli shaiy-in Aleem (231).

And when you have divorced women and they have reached their term, then either Keep them in a reasonable manner or Release them in a reasonable manner, and Do not keep them for causing harm so that you transgress, and whoever does that, then indeed, he has wronged himself, and Do not take the verses of Allah in ridicule and Remember the favor of Allah upon you and what He has sent down to you of the Book and the wisdom by which He instructs you, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is All-Knower of everything.

Wa iza tallaqtumu alnesa-a fa-balaghna ajalahunna fa-la ta'duluhunna an yankehna azwajahunna iza taradaww baiynahum bel-ma'rufi zaleka you-azou behi man kana menkum you'menu be-llahi wa alyawmi al-akheri zalekum azka lakum wa at-haru wa Allahu ya'lamu wa antum la ta'lamun (232).

And when you have divorced women and they have reached their term, then Do not prevent them from marrying their husbands if they agree among themselves in a reasonable manner, that is by which is admonished whoever of you believes in Allah and the Last Day, that is more virtuous for you and purer, and Allah knows while you do not know.

Wa alwaledatu yourde'na awladahunna hawlaiyni kamelaiyni le-man arada an youtemma alrada-ata wa ala almawludi lahu rezquhunna wa keswatuhunna bel-ma'rufi la tukallafu nafsun ella wus-aha la tudarra waledatun be-waladeha wa la mawludun lahu be-waladehi wa ala alwarethi methlu zaleka fa-in arada fesalan an taradin menhuma wa tashawurin fa-la junaha alaiyhima wa in aradtum an tastarde-u awladakum fa-la junaha alaiykum iza sallamtum ma ataiytum bel-ma'rufi wa-ttaqu Allaha wa'lamu anna Allaha be-ma ta'maluna Baseer (233).

And the mothers shall suckle their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the suckling, and upon the one to whom the child is born is their provision and their clothing in a reasonable manner, no soul is burdened except its capacity, no mother should be harmed because of her child, nor the one to whom the child is born because of his child, and upon the heir is like that, and if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, then there is no blame upon both of them, and if you wish to have your children suckled by another woman, then there is no blame upon you when you pay what you are to give in a reasonable manner, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

Wa allazina yatawaffawna menkum wa yazaruna azwajan yatarabbasna be-anfusehenna arba-ata ashhurin wa ashran fa-iza balaghna ajalahunna fa-la junaha alaiykum feema fa'alna fee anfusehenna bel-ma'rufi wa Allahu be-ma ta'maluna Khabeer (234).

And those who are taken in death and leave wives behind, they shall keep themselves waiting for four months and ten days, and when they have reached their term, then there is no blame upon you for what they do with themselves in a reasonable manner, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Wa la junaha alaiykum feema arradtum behi men khetbati alnesa-e aww aknantum fee anfusekum alema Allahu annakum satazkurunahunna wa laken la tuwa-eduhunna serran ella an taqulu qawlan ma'rufan wa la ta'zemu auqdata alnekahi hatta yablugha alketabu ajalahu wa'lamu anna Allaha ya'lamu me fee anfusekum fa-hzaruhu wa'lamu anna Allaha Ghafurun Haleem (235).

There is no blame upon you for that with which you hint concerning a proposal to the women or for what you conceal within yourselves, Allah knows that you will mention them, but Do not promise them secretly except for saying an appropriate word, and Do not determine on the marriage contract until the decreed term reaches its end, and Know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so Beware of Him, and Know that Allah is All- Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

La junaha alaiykum in tallaqtumu alnesa-a ma lam tamassuhunna aww tafredu lahunna fareedatan wa matte-uhunna ala almuse-e qadaruhu wa ala almuqteri qadaruhu mata-an bel-ma'rufi haqqan ala almuhseneen (236).

There is no blame upon you if you divorce women when you have not touched them nor specified for them an obligation, and Give them provision, the wealthy according his capability and the poor according his capability, a provision in a reasonable manner, a duty upon the good doers.

Wa in tallaqtumuhunna men qabli an tamassuhunna wa qad faradtum lahunna fareedatan fa-nesfu ma faradtum ella an ya'funa aww ya'fuwa allazi be-yadehi auqdata alnekahi wa an ta'fu aqrabu lel-taqwa wa la tansawu alfadla baiynakum inna Allaha be-ma ta'maluna Baseer (237).

And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already specified for them an obligation, then half of what you specified unless they forego or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract foregoes, and that you forego is nearer to righteousness, and Do not forget graciousness between you, indeed, Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

Hafezu ala alsalawati wa alsalati alwusta wa qumu le-llahi qaneteen (238).

Maintain the prayers and the middle prayer and Stand before Allah, devoutly obedient. 

Fa-in kheftum fa-rejalan aww rukbanan fa-iza amentum fa-zkuru Allaha kama allamakum ma lam takunu ta'lamun (239).

And if you fear, then on foot or riding, but when you are secure, then Remember Allah as He has taught you what you did not know.

Wa allazina yutawaffawna menkum wa yazaruna azwajan wasiyyatan le-azwajehim mata-an ela alhawli ghaiyra ekhrajin fa-in kharajna fa-la junaha alaiykum fee ma fa-alna fee anfusehenna men ma'rufin wa Allahu Azeez-on Hakeem (240).

And those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind, for their wives is a bequest, a provision for one year without expulsion, but if they leave, then there is no blame upon you for what they do with themselves in a reasonable manner, and Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

Wa lel-muttalaqati mata-on bel-ma'rufi haqqan ala almuttaqeen (241).

And for the divorced women is a provision in a reasonable manner, a duty upon the righteous.

Ka-zaleka youbayyinu Allahu lakum ayatehi la-allakum ta'qelun (242).

Thus Allah makes clear to you His verses so that you may understand.

Alam tara ela allazina kharaju men diyarehim wa hum aulufun hazara almawti fa-qala lahumu Allahu mutu thumma ahyahum inna Allaha la-zou fadlin ala alnasi wa lakenna akthara Alnasi la yashkurun (243).

Do You not see those who left their homes in thousands out of fear of the death?, so Allah said to them Die, then He gave them life, indeed, Allah is a Possessor of bounty for the people, but most of the people do not give thanks.

Wa qatelu fee sabeeli ellahi wa'lamu anna Allaha Samee-on Aleem (244).

And Fight in the way of Allah and Know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower.

Man za allazi youqredu Allaha qardan hasanan fa-youda-efahu lahu ad-afan katheeratan wa Allahu yaqbedu wa yabsutu wa elaiyhi turja-un (245).

Who is the one who will loan Allah a goodly loan, so He will multiply it for him many times?, and Allah withholds and extends, and to Him you will be returned. 

Alam tara ela almala-e men bani israela men ba'di musa iz qalu le-nabiyyin lahumu eb'ath lana malekan nuqatel fee sabeeli ellahi qala hal asaiytum in kuteba alaiykumu alqetalu alla tuqatelu qalu wa ma lana alla nuqatela fee sabeeli ellahi wa qad aukhrejna men diyarena wa abna-ena fa-lamma kuteba alaiyhemu alqetalu tawallaww ella qaleelan menhum wa Allahu Aleemun bel-zalemeen (246).

Do You not see the chiefs of the Children of Israel after Moses when they said to a Prophet of theirs, Send to us a king so that we will fight in the way of Allah, He said so Would you then, if fighting was enjoined upon you, you will not fight?, they said and what is for us that we should not fight in the way of Allah while indeed, we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?, but when fighting was enjoined upon them, they turned away except for a few of them, and Allah is All-Knower of the wrongdoers. 

Wa qala lahum nabiyyuhum inna Allaha qad ba-atha lakum taluta malekan qalu anna yakunu lahu almulku alaiyna wa nahnu ahaqqu bel-mulki menhu wa lam you'ta sa-atan mena almali qala inna Allaha estafahu alaiykum wa zadahu bastatan fee al-elmi wa aljesmi wa Allahu you'tee mulkahu man yashau wa Allahu Wase-on Aleem (247).

And their Prophet said to them indeed, Allah has sent to you Saul as a king, they said How would he have kingship over us while we are more entitled to the kingship than him, and he has not been given any measures of wealth?, He said indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and Allah gives His kingship to whom He wills, and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knower.

Wa qala lahum nabiyyuhum inna ayata mulkehi an ya'teiyakumu altabutu feehi sakeenatun men Rabbekum wa baqiyyatun memma taraka alu musa wa alu haruna tahmeluhu almalaekatu inna fee zaleka la-ayatan lakum in kuntum mu'meneen (248).  

And their Prophet said to them indeed, the sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come to you in which is tranquility from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the Angels, indeed, in that there is a sign for you, if you are believers.

Fa-lamma fasala talutu be-junudi qala inna Allaha mubtaleekum be-naharin fa-man shareba menhu fa-laiysa menni wa man lam yat-amhu fa-innahu menni ella mani eghtarafa ghurfatan be-yadehi fa-sharebu menhu ella qaleelan menhum fa-lamma jawazahu huwa wa allazina amanu ma-ahu qalu la taqata lana alyawma be-jaluta wa junudehi qala allazina yazunnuna annahum mulaqu Allahi kam men fe-atin qaleelatin ghalabat fe'atan katheeratan be-izni ellahi wa Allahu ma-a alsabereen (249).

And when Saul set out with the soldiers, he said indeed, Allah will test you with a river, so whoever drinks from it, then he is not of me, and whoever does not taste it, then indeed, he is of me, except for he who scooped in the hollow of his hand, and they drank from it except a few of them, then when he had crossed it and those who believed with him, they said there is no strength for us today against Goliath and his soldiers, but those, who were certain that they would meet Allah, said How many a small company has overcome a large company by the permission of Allah, and Allah is with the patient.

Wa lamma barazu le-jaluta wa junudehi qalu Rabbana afregh alaiyna sabran wa thabbit aqdamana wa-nsurna ala alqawmi alkafereen (250).

And when they went forth to Goliath and his soldiers, they said our Lord Pour upon us patience and Make our feet firm, and Help us against the disbelieving people.

Fa-hazamuhum be-izni ellahi wa qatala dawoodu jaluta wa atahu Allahu almulka wa alhekmata wa allamahu memma yasha-ou wa lawla daf-ou Allahi alnasa ba'dahum be-ba'din la-fasadati al-ardu wa lakenna Allaha zu fadlin ala al-alameen (251).

So they defeated them by the permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingship and the wisdom and taught him from that which He willed, and had it not been for Allah repels the people some of them by others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is the Possessor of bounty to the worlds. 

Telka ayatu Allahi natluha alaiyka bel-haqqi wa innaka la-mena almursaleen (252).

These are the verses of Allah, We recite them to You in truth, and indeed, You are of the Messengers.

Telka alrusulu faddalna ba'dahum ala ba'din menhum man kallama Allahu wa rafa-a ba'dahum darajatin wa ataiyna isa ibna maryama albaiyyinati wa ayyadnahu be-ruhi alqudusi wa laww sha-a Allahu ma eqtatala allazina men ba'dehim men ba'di ma ja-at-humu albayyinatu wa lakeni ekhtalafu fa-menhum man amana wa menhum man kafara wa laww sha-a Allahu ma eqtatalu wa lakenna Allaha yaf'alu ma youreed (253).

Those Messengers, We have favored some of them over others, among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degrees, and We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, the clear proofs, and We supported Him with the Holy Spirit, and if Allah had willed, those after them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them, but they differed, so among them were those who believed and among them were those who disbelieved, and if Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu anfequ memma razaqnakum men qabli an ya'tiya yawmun la baiy-on feehi wa la khullatun wa la shafa-atun wa alkaferuna humu alzalemun (254).

O you who have believed! Spend from what We have provided for you before there comes a day in which there is no exchange and no friendship and no intercession, and the disbelievers are the wrongdoers. 

Allahu la ilaha ella huwa alhayyu alqayyumu la ta'khuzuhu senatun wa la nawmun lahu ma fee alsamawati wa ma fee al-ardi man za allazi yashfa-ou endahu ella be-iznehi ya'lamu ma baiyna aiydehim wa ma khalfahum wa la youheetuna be-shaiy-in men elmehi ella be-ma sha-a wase-a kursiyyuhu alsamawati wa al-arda wa la ya-uduhu hefzuhuma wa huwa Al-aliyyu Al-azeem (255).

Allah, there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence, neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, Who is the one who can intercede with Him except by His permission?, He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except for what He wills, His Chair extends to the heavens and the earth, and guarding both of them does not tire Him, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.

La ekraha fee aldeeni qad tabayyana alrushdu mena alghayyi fa-man yakfur bel-taghuti wa you'men be-llahi fa-qadi estamsaka bel-aurwati alwuthqa la enfesama laha wa Allahu Samee-on Aleem (256).

There shall be no compulsion in the religion, the right guidance has become distinct from the error, so whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then indeed, he holds fast to the strongest bond with no break in it, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower. 

Allahu waliyyu allazina amanu youkhrejuhum mena alzulumati ela alnoori wa allazina kafaru awliyauhumu altaghutu youkhrejunahum mena alnoori ela alzulumati aulaeka as-habu alnari hum feeha khaledun (257).

Allah is the Protector of those who believe, He brings them out of the darknesses to the light, and those who disbelieve, their allies are Taghut, they bring them out of the light to darknesses, those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.

Alam tara ela allazi hajja ibrahima fee Rabbehi an atahu Allahu almulka iz qala ibrahimu Rabbiya allazi youhyi wa youmeetu qala ana auhyi wa aumeetu qala ibrahimu fa-inna Allaha ya'ti bel-shamsi mena almashreqi fa'ti beha mena almaghrebi fa-buheta Allazi kafara wa Allahu la yahdi alqawma alzalemeen (258).

Do You not see the one who argued with Abraham about His Lord because Allah has given Him the kingship, when Abraham said My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death, he said I give life and cause death, Abraham said indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so Bring it up from the west, so the one who disbelieved was overwhelmed, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. 

     

Aww ka-llazi marra ala qaryatin wa hiya khawiyatun ala aurusheha qala anna yuhyi hazehi ellahu ba'da mawteha fa-amatahu Allahu me-ata amin thumma ba-athahu qala kam labethta qala labethtu yawman aww ba'da yawmin qala bal labethta me-ata amin fa-nzur ela ta-ameka wa sharabeka lam yatasannah wa-nzur ela hemareka wa le-naj'alaka ayatan lel-nasi wa-nzur ela al-ezami kaiyfa nunshezuha thumma naksuha lahman fa-lamma tabayyana lahu qala a'lamu anna Allaha ala kulli shaiy-in qadeer (259).

Or the one who passed by a town which had collapsed upon its trellises, he said How will Allah bring this to life after its death?, so Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then He raised him up, He said How long have you remained?, he said I have remained a day or part of a day, He said rather, you have remained one hundred years, Look at your food and your drink, it has not changed with time, and Look at your donkey, and We will make you a sign for the people, and Look at the bones, how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh, so when it became clear to him, he said I know that Allah is All-Powerful over everything.

Wa iz qala ibrahimu Rabbi arini kaiyfa tuhyi almawta qala awa lam tu'men qala bala wa laken le-yatma-enna qalbi qala fa-khuz arba-atan mena altaiyri fa-surhunna elaiyka thumma ej'al ala kulli jabalin menhunna juz-an thumma aud-uhunna ya'teenaka sa'yan wa'lam anna Allaha Azeez-on Hakeem (260).

And when Abraham said My Lord Show Me how You give life to the dead, He said Do You not believe?, He said yes, but it is that My heart may be reassured, He said then Take four birds, and commit them to You, then Put on each mountain a part of them, then Call them, they will come to You in haste, and Know that Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

Mathalu allazina younfequna amwalahum fee sabeeli ellahi ka-mathali habbatin anbatat sab'a sanabela fee kulli sunbulatin me'atu habbatin wa Allahu youda-efu le-man yasha-ou wa Allahu Wasee-on Aleem (261).

The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a grain which grows seven spikes, in each spike is a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies for whom He wills, and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knower.

Allazina younfequna amwalahum fee sabeeli ellahi thumma la youtbe-una ma anfaqu mannan wa la azan lahum ajruhum enda Rabbehim wa la khawfun alaiyhim wa la hum yahzanun (262).

Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, then do not follow what they have spent with reminders of favor nor hurt, they will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.

Qawlun ma'rufun wa maghferatun khaiyrun men sadaqatin yatba-uha azan wa Allahu Ghaniyyun Haleem (263).

Kind word and forgiveness are better than charity followed by hurt, and Allah is Free of need, Most Forbearing.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu la tubtelu sadaqatekum bel-manni wa al-aza ka-allazi younfequ mala-hu re-a-a alnasi wa la you'menu bel-llahi wa alyawmi al-akheri fa-mathaluhu ka-mathali safwanin alaiyhi turabun fa-asabahu wabelun fa-tarakahu saldan la yaqderuna ala shaiy-in memma kasabu wa Allahu la yahdi alqawma alkafereen (264).

O you who have believed! Do not nullify your charities with reminders of favor and hurt, like the one who spends his wealth, showing off to the people, and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day, so his example is like that of a smooth stone upon which there is dust and is struck by a heavy rain that left it barren, they are unable to control anything of what they have earned, and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.

Wa mathalu allazina younfequna amwalahumu ebte-gha-a mardati ellahi wa tathbeetan men anfusehim ka-mathali jannatin be-rabwatin asabaha wabelun fa-atat aukulaha de'faiyni fa-in lam yousebha wabelun fa-tallun wa Allahu be-ma ta'maluna Baseer (265).

And the example of those who spend their wealth, seeking the pleasure of Allah and certainty of themselves, is like a garden on a high ground which is struck by a heavy rain, so it brought forth its fruits in double, and if it is not struck by a heavy rain, then a drizzle, and Allah is All-seeing of what you do.

A-yawwadu ahadukum an takuna lahu jannatun men nakheelin wa a'nabin tajree men tahteha al-anharu lahu feeha men kulli althamarati wa asabahu alkebaru wa lahu zurriyyatun du-afa-ou fa-asabaha e'sarun feehi narun fa-htaraqat ka-zaleka youbayyinu Allahu lakumu alayati la-allakum tatafakkarun (266).

Would one of you wish to have a garden of date-palms and grapes beneath which rivers flow, for him therein are all kinds of fruit?, but he is afflicted with old age and has a weak progeny, then it is struck by a whirlwind with fire therein, then it is burnt, thus Allah makes clear to you the verses so that you may give thought.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu anfequ men tayyibati ma kasabtum wa memma akhrajna lakum mena al-ardi wa la tayammamu alkhabeetha menhu tunfequna wa lastum be-akhezeehi ella an tughmedu feehi wa'lamu anna Allaha Ghaniyyun Hameed (267).

O you who have believed! Spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have brought forth for you from the earth, and Do not aim toward the bad therefrom to spend, while you would not take it unless you close your eyes, and Know that Allah is Free of need, Praiseworthy. 

Alshaiytanu ya-edukumu alfaqra wa ya'murukum bel-fahsha-e wa Allahu ya'edukum maghferatan menhu wa fadlan wa Allahu Wasee-on Aleem (268).

Satan frightens you of poverty, and orders you to immorality, and Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty, and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-knower.

You'ti alhekmata man yasha-u wa man you'ta alhekmata fa-qad autiya khaiyran katheeran wa ma yazzakkaru ella aului al-albab (269).

He gives the wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given the wisdom, then indeed, he has been given much good, and no one will be reminded except those of understanding. 

Wa ma anfaqtum men nafaqatin aww nazartum men nazrin fa-inna Allaha ya'lamuhu wa ma lel-zalemeena men ansar (270).

And whatever you spend of expenditures or whatever you vow of vows, then indeed, Allah knows it, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers.

In tubdu alsadaqati fa-ne'mma hiya wa in tukhfuha wa tu'tuha alfuqara-a fa-huwa khaiyrun lakum wa youkaffiru ankum men sayyi-atekum wa Allahu be-ma ta'maluna Khabeer (271).

If you show the charities, then it is good, and if you conceal them and give them to the poor, then it is better for you, and He will expiate from you some of your evil deeds, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Laiysa alaiyka hudahum wa lakenna Allaha yahdi man yasha-ou wa ma tunfequ men khaiyrin fa-le-anfusekum wa ma tunfequna ella ebtegha-a wajhi ellahi wa ma tunfequ men khaiyrin youwaffa elaiykum wa antum la tuzlamun (272).

Not upon You is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills, and whatever you spend of good is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the Countenance of Allah, and whatever you spend of good, it will be paid in full to you, and you will not be wronged.

Lel-fuqara-e allazina auhseru fee sabeeli ellahi la yastate-una darban fee al-ardi yahsabuhumu aljahelu aghniya-a mena al-ta'fufi ta'refuhum be-simahum la yas-aluna alnasa elhafan wa ma tunfequ men khaiyrin fa-inna Allaha behi Aleem (273).

For the poor who have been confined in the way of Allah, unable to travel throughout the land, an ignorant would think them rich because of their abstinence, but you will know them by their marks, they do not ask people importunately, and whatever you spend of good, then indeed, Allah is All-Knower of it.

Allazina younfequna amwalahum be-laili wa alnahari serran wa alaniyatan fa-lahum ajruhum enda Rabbehim wa la khawfun alaiyhim wa ala hum yahzanun (274).

Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, they will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.

Allazina ya'kuluna alreba la yaqumuna ella kama yaqumu allazi yatakhabbatuhu alshaiytanu mena almassi zaleka be-annahum qalu innama albaiy-ou methlu alreba wa ahalla Allahu albaiy-a wa harrama alreba fa-man ja-ahu maw-ezatun men Rabbehi fa-ntaha fa-lahu ma salafa wa amruhu ela Allahi wa man ada fa-aulaeka as-habu alnari hum feeha khaledun (275).

Those who consume usury cannot stand except as the one whom Satan has driven to insanity stands, that is because they say the trade is like the usury, and Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden usury, so whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desisted, then for him is what has passed, and his affair is to Allah, but whoever returns, then those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.

Yamhaqu Allahu alreba wa yurbi alsadaqati wa Allahu la youhebbu kulla kaffarin atheem (276).

Allah eradicates usury and gives increase for charities, and Allah does not like every sinful, severe disbeliever.

Inna allazina amanu wa amelu alsalehati wa aqamu alsalata wa atu alzakata lahum ajruhum enda Rabbehim wa la khawfun alaiyhim wa la hum yahzanun (277).

Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give Zakah, they will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu ettaqu Allaha wa zaru ma baqiya mena alreba in kuntum mu'meneen (278).

O you who have believed! Fear Allah and Give up what remains of usury, if you are believers.

Fa-in lam taf'alu fa'zanu be-harbin mena Allahi wa rasulehi wa in tubtum fa-lakum ru-usu amwalekum la tazlemuna wa la tuzlamun (279).

But if you do not do, then Be informed of a war from Allah and His Messenger, and if you repent, you may have your principal, you do not wrong nor are you wronged. 

Wa in kana zu ausratin fa-nazeratun ela maysaratin wa an tasaddaqu khaiyrun lakum in kuntum ta'lamun (280).

And if he is in hardship, then a postponement until ease, but if you give charity, then it is better for you if you know.

Wa-ttaqu yawman turja-una feehi ela Allahi thumma tuwaffa kullu nafsin ma kasabat wa hum la youzlamun (281).

And Fear a day when you will be returned to Allah, then every soul will be paid in full for what it earned, and they will not be wronged.

Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu iza tadayantum be-daiynin ela ajalin musamman fa-ktubuhu wal-yaktub baiynakum katebun bel-adli wa la ya'ba katebun an yaktuba kama allamahu Allahu fal-yaktub wal-yumleli allazi alaiyhi alhaqqu wal-yattaqi ellaha Rabbahu wa la yabkhas menhu shaiy-an fa-in kana allazi alaiyhi alhaqqu safeehan aww da-eefan aww la yastate-ou an youmella huwa fal-yumlel waliyyuhu bel-adli wa-stashhedu shaheedaiyni men rejalekum fa-in lam yakuna rajulaiyni fa-rajulun wa emra-atani memman tardawna mena alshuhada-e an tadella ehdahuma fa-tuzakkera ahdahuma al-aukhra wa la ya'ba alshuhadau iza ma du-ou wa la tas'amu an taktubuhu sagheeran aww kabeeran ela ajalehi zalekum aqsatu enda Allahi wa aqwamu lel-shshahadati wa adna alla tartabu ella an takuna tejaratan haderatan tudeerunaha baiynakum fa-laysa alaiykum junahun alla taktubuha wa ashhedu iza tabaya'tum wa la yudarra katebun wa la shaheedun wa in taf-alu fa-innahu fusuqun bekum wa-ttaqu Allaha wa you'allemukumu Allahu wa Allahu be-kulli shaiy-in Aleem (282).

O you who have believed! When you transact a debt for a specified time, then Write it down, and Let a scribe write between you in justice, and no scribe should refuse to write as Allah has taught him, so Let him write and Let the one who owes the debt dictate, and Let him fear Allah, his Lord, and he should not diminish anything of it, but if the one who owes the debt is of limited understanding or weak or unable to dictate himself, then Let his guardian dictate in justice, and Bring to witness two witnesses from among your men, and if they are not two men, then a man and two women from the witnesses whom you approve, so that if one of them errs, then one of the two reminds the other, and the witnesses should not refuse when they are called upon, and Do not be weary to write it, whether it is small or large, for its term, this is more just in the sight of Allah and more suitable for testimony and nearer that you have no doubt, except that it is a present transaction which you conduct among yourselves, then there is no blame upon you if you do not write it, and Take witnesses when you transact a sale, and neither scribe nor witness should be harmed, and if you do so, then indeed, it is disobedience on your part, and Fear Allah, and Allah teaches you, and Allah is All-Knower of everything.

Wa in kuntum ala safarin wa lam tajedu kateban fa-rehanun maqbudatun fa-in amena ba'dukum ba'dan fal-you'adi allazi au'tumena amanatahu wal-yattaqi ellaha Rabbahu wa la taktumu alshahadata wa man yaktumha fa-innahu athemun qalbuhu wa Allahu be-ma ta'maluna Aleem (283).

And if you are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit taken in the hand, and if one of you entrusts another, then Let the one who has been entrusted render his trust and Let him fear Allah, his Lord, and Do not conceal the testimony, and whoever conceals it, then indeed, his heart is sinful, and Allah is All-Knower of what you do.

Le-llahi ma fee alsamawati wa ma fee al-ardi wa in tubdu ma fee anfusekum aww tukhfuhu youhasebkum behi ellahu fa-yaghfiru le-man yasha-ou wa you'azzebu man yasha-ou wa Allahu ala kulli shaiy-in Qadeer (284).

To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and whether you declare what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it, then He will forgive whom He wills, and punish whom He wills, and Allah is All-Powerful over everything.

Amana alrasulu be-ma aunzela elaiyhi men Rabbehi wa almu'menuna kullun amana be-llahi wa malaekatehi wa kutubehi wa rusulehi la nufarrequ baiyna ahadin men rusulehi wa qalu same'na wa ata'na ghufranaka Rabbana wa elaiyka almaseer (285).

The Messenger has believed in what was sent down to Him from His Lord, and the believers, all have believed in Allah and His Angels, and His Books, and His Messengers, we do not make distinction between any of His Messengers, and they say we hear and we obey, Your forgiveness our Lord, and to You is the final return.

La youkallefu Allahu nafsan ell wus-aha laha ma kasabat wa alaiyha ma ektasabat Rabbana la tu-akhezna in naseena aww akhta'na Rabbana wa la tahmil alaiyna esran ka-ma hamaltahu ala allazina men qablena Rabbana wa la tuhammelna ma la taqata lana behi wa'fu anna wa-ghfir lana wa-rhamna anta mawlana fan-surna ala alqawmi alkafereen (286).

Allah does not burden a soul except its capacity, it will have what it has earned, and it will bear what it has earned, our Lord! Do not call us to account if we have forgotten or made a mistake, our Lord! And Do not place upon us a burden like that which You have placed on those before us, our Lord! And Do not burden us with that for which we have no strength, and Pardon us, and Forgive us, and Have mercy upon us, You are our Protector, so Help us against the disbelieving people.

Simplified interpretation:

 Surat Albaqarah begins with three letters of the Arabic language, just like 28 Surahs of the Holy Quran that start with individual letters ranging from one to five letters. It is noticeable that in all 29 Surahs the Book or the Holy Quran is mentioned whether it is immediately after these letters or it is included in the Surah or even at the end of it. It was said that this is a challenge from Allah, Almighty, to the infidels of Quraish, as if Allah says to them this is the Book in the letters of the language you speak, but you will not be able to produce the like of it, and He has already challenged them in Aya (88) of Surat Alisraa "Say, if mankind and the Jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants". As for the current Surah, it begins with three letters "Alif, Lam, and Meem" or "A, L, and M" in English followed by "This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for the righteous", but the knowledge of these letters remains with Allah, the Lord of the worlds. 

 And as narrated by Abu Umamah Albahili that he heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) saying: "Recite the Quran, for on the day of resurrection, it will come as an intercessor for those who recite it, Recite the two bright ones, Albaqarah and Ali Imran, for on the day of resurrection, they will come as two clouds or two shades or two flocks of birds in rows, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Surat Albaqarah, for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it, Mu'awiyah said it has been conveyed to me that Batalah means magicians" (Sahih Muslim 804), and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Do not make your houses as graveyards, Satan runs away from the house in which Surat Albaqarah is recited" (Sahih Muslim 780).

 And as narrated by Usaid bin Hudair: "While he was reciting Surat Albaqarah at night, and his horse was tied beside him, the horse was suddenly startled and troubled, when he stopped reciting, the horse became quiet, and when he started again, the horse was startled again, then he stopped reciting, and the horse became quiet too, he started reciting again and the horse was startled and troubled once again, then he stopped reciting, and his son Yahya was beside the horse, he was afraid that the horse might trample on him, when he took the boy away and looked towards the sky, he could not see it, the next morning, he informed the Prophet (PBUH) who said Recite O Ibn Hudair! Recite O Ibn Hudair, Ibn Hudair replied O Allah's Messenger! My son, Yahya, was near the horse and I was afraid that it might trample on him, so I looked towards the sky and went to him, when I looked at the sky, I saw something like a cloud containing what looked like lamps, so I went out in order not to see it, the Prophet (PBUH) said Do you know what that was?, Ibn Hudair said no, the Prophet said those were Angels who came near to you for your voice and if you had kept on reciting till dawn, it (the cloud) would have remained there till morning when people would have seen it as it would not have disappeared" (Sahih Albukhari 5018).

 Allah Almighty says in the first five verses (1-5) "Alif Lam Meem, this is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for the righteous, those who believe in the unseen and establish the prayer, and spend out of what We have provided them, and those who believe in what has been sent down to You and what has been sent down before You, and of the Hereafter they are certain, those are on guidance from their Lord, and those are the successful", that is, Allah assures that the Holy Quran is a Book about which there is no doubt, so it is a revelation from Allah and it is a guidance for the righteous to the straight path, and the righteous only who will benefit from it, and Allah described the righteous saying that they are those who believe in the unseen, so they believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last day (the day of resurrection), so they believe that there will be reckoning on that day, Paradise, and Hellfire, they establish the prayer in its prescribed times with its known conditions such as completing its bowing, prostration, recitation, and humility, and maintaining congregational prayer in the mosque for men, and as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow as Muslim, he should preserve these prayers when a call is announced for them, for Allah has laid down for your Prophet the paths of right guidance, if you were to pray in your houses as this man who stays away praying in his house, you would abandon the Sunnah (Practice) of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the Sunnah of your Prophet, you would go astray, no man purifies himself, doing it well, then goes to one of these mosques except that Allah will write for him for every step he takes a good deed, raise him a degree by it, and remove from him an evil deed by it. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it except a hypocrite who was well known for his hypocrisy, whereas a man would be brought swaying between two men till he was set up in a row" (Sahih Muslim 654 b).

 The righteous spend from what Allah has provided them of good provision whether on their families, in the way of Allah, or in alms, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger said: "Of the Dinar (currency) you spend in the way of Allah, and a Dinar you spend to set free a slave, and a Dinar you gave as a charity to a needy, and a Dinar you spend on your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spend on your family" (Sahih Muslim 995). The righteous also believe in the Holy Quran that Allah has sent down upon His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) and believe in every Scripture that Allah has sent down before Him such as the Scripture of Abraham, the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospel, and they are certain of the Hereafter and the meeting of Allah, so they believe in Allah's reward for those who obey Him, and His recompense for those who disobey Him, and those who adhere to do so, then those are on guidance, insight, and clear approach from Allah, and those are the successful ones in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. The description of the righteous is general for every believer, whether Arab or Non-Arab, from the people of the Book or not, and from the men or the Jinn, none of these characteristic is valid without the other, so belief in the unseen, establishing the prayer, and spending in the way of Allah are not valid except with the belief in the Holy Quran and every Scripture before it, and the belief in the Hereafter.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (6,7) "Indeed, those who disbelieve, it is alike for them whether You warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe, Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and over their sight there is a covering, and for them there is a great punishment", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying it is the same for the disbelievers whether He warns them or does not warn them, they will not believe, therefore, Allah made them astray for His foreknowledge that they would not be guided, and Allah has sealed on their hearts and their hearing, and He put a covering over their sight, so they do not hear what will benefit them, nor are they aware of anything that will guide them, nor do they see the arguments that demonstrate Allah's Oneness, so those who choose the path of misguidance, Allah will lead them astray, and they will not find anyone to guide them after Allah, and Allah has prepared for them a great punishment in Hellfire on the day of resurrection. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (8-10) "And of the people are some who say we believe in Allah and the Last Day, but they are not believers, they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they do not deceive except themselves while they do not perceive, in their hearts there is a disease, so Allah has increased them in disease, and for them there is a painful punishment because they used to lie", that is, Allah tells about the hypocrites saying that they say with their tongues that they have believed in Allah and believed in the day of resurrection, and Allah called it the Last Day because no day like it will follow it, but they are not believers for faith did not reach their hearts, and they declared the opposite of what they concealed, and they think out of their ignorance that they deceive Allah, His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), and the believers by showing faith and concealing disbelief, but in fact, they do not deceive except themselves by this hypocrisy of theirs, and they do not realize that they will destroy themselves through their hypocrisy for Allah knows what they declare and what they conceal, and Allah will deceive them as He has stated in Aya (142) of Surat Alnisa' {Indeed, the hypocrites deceive Allah but He is deceiving them}, and Allah assures that in their hearts is doubt about the religion of Allah and denial of His Messenger (PBUH), so Allah has increased them in their doubt and denial, and He will prolong them in their hypocrisy till they destroy themselves, and Allah has prepared for them a painful punishment in Hellfire on the day of resurrection because they used to lie to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and the believers.

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (11-13) "And when it is said to them Do not cause corruption on the earth, they say indeed, we are only reformers, unquestionably, they are the corrupters, but they do not perceive, and when it is said to them Believe as the people have believed, they say Should we believe as the foolish have believed?, unquestionably, they are the foolish, but they do not know", that is, when it was said to the hypocrites Do not cause corruption on the earth by doing evil deeds and acts of disobedience to Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), and taking the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers for it is a great corruption as Allah has stated in Aya (73) of Surat Alanfal {And those who disbelieved are allies of one another, if you do not do so, there will be a trial on the earth and a great corruption}, they claimed that they are reformers and that they only intend to reconcile between the believers and the disbelievers, but Allah refutes their claim and assures that they are not reformers, but they are the corrupters and they do not realize out of their ignorance that they are corrupters when they disobeyed the command of Allah, transgressed His limits, and took the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers, and when it was said to them Believe in Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) as the companions of Allah's Messenger from among the Emigrants and the Ansar have believed, they said Should we believe as the foolish have believed?, but Allah assures that they are the foolish for the foolish cause corruption on the earth while they think that they are reforming, disbelieve in Allah and disobey Him while they think that they are believing in Him and obeying Him, and they harm themselves while they think that they are doing good to themselves, and as a part of their complete ignorance is that they do not know their state of false belief, misguidance, and ignorance.

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (14-16) "And when they meet those who believe, they say we have believed, but when they are alone with their devils, they say indeed, we are with you, we were only mockers, Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression, wandering, those are the ones who have purchased error for guidance, so their trade had brought no profit, nor were they guided", that is, when the hypocrites meet the believers, they show faith and say to them we have believed in Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), but when they are alone with their devils from among the men such as the leaders of the polytheists and the Jewish rabbis, they show loyalty to them and say we are with you, so we are your allies, and we are only mocking the believers, so they showed faith, loyalty, and friendship to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and His companions, but in fact, they were their enemy as Allah has stated in Aya (112) of Surat Alan'am {And thus We have made for every Prophet an enemy, devils from mankind and the Jinn, inspiring to each other decorative words in delusion}, thereupon, Allah mocks them, so He will recompense them with the recompense of mockery and deception of the believers, and Allah will prolong them wandering blindly in their transgression, disbelief, and misguidance, so they will not be guided to any path of guidance, nor will they see any way of truth, and thus they deserve Allah's punishment that He has decreed for them. Then Allah assures that the hypocrites are the ones who have purchased error for guidance, they are not believers as mentioned above in Aya (8), and among them are those who have reverted from belief to disbelief, and those who have preferred disbelief over belief, and taken the path of misguidance and abandoned the path of guidance, so their deal was lost and they will gain nothing from it, rather, they are exposing themselves to Allah's wrath and punishment, and they were not guided to any path of guidance for their purchasing error for guidance.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (17,18) "Their example is like that of the one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darknesses, so they could not see, deaf, dumb, and blind, so they will not return", that is, Allah has likened the hypocrites to those who kindled a fire in a dark night, but when it lighted what was around them, Allah took away their light and left them in darknesses, so they could not see, likewise, the hypocrites will remain in the darknesses of hypocrisy, disbelief, and doubt like those who kindled a fire and remained in darknesses when Allah took away their light, thereupon, the hypocrites kindled their fire through the faith they showed to the believers, so they are illuminated by it in order to save themselves, their families, and their wealth, but Allah will take away their false light and leave them in darknesses, so they could not see any path of guidance, rather, they are deaf, dumb, and blind, so they do not hear nor understand Allah's arguments, proofs, and verses, nor do they speak the truth and what benefit them, nor do they see the truth, so they will not repent and return to the path of guidance, and they will remain in their hypocrisy till the day of resurrection, then Allah will take their light and they will say to the believers {Wait for us that we may acquire of your light} as mentioned in Aya (13) of Surat Alhadid.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (19,20) "Or like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darknesses and thunder and lightning, they put their fingers in their ears against the thunderbolts in fear of the death, but Allah is All-Encompassing of the disbelievers, the lightning almost snatches away their sight, every time it lights for them, they walk therein, but when it darkens on them, they stand, and if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight, indeed, Allah is All-Powerful over everything", that is, Allah cites another example of the hypocrites saying that they are like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darknesses, thunder, and lightning, so the hypocrites are in the darknesses of hypocrisy, disbelief, and doubt, and they are in a constant state of terror and fear of Allah's punishment like he who is afraid of thunder and lightning lest they kill him as Allah has stated in Aya (4) of  Surat Almunafiqun {They think every shout to be against them}, and they put their fingers in their ears lest they listen to the truth and the guidance like he who puts his fingers in his ears against the thunderbolts for fear of the sound of thunder and for fear of being killed by the struck of lightning, but their caution will be of no use to them for Allah is All-Encompassing of the disbelievers, so He is All-Encompassing of their affairs, and they are subjected to His will and destiny. Then Allah assures that the lightning almost snatches away their sight out of the intensity of its light and beam, every time it lights for them, they walk therein, but when it darkens on them, they stand, so when the hypocrites see victory and prosperity in Islam, they claimed faith and say to the believers we are with you, but when defeat or calamity occurred, they turn away and hasten to the disbelievers in order to protect them, so they follow their desires as Allah has described them in Aya (11) of Surat Alhajj {And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge, and if good befalls him, he is content with it, and if a trial afflicts him, he turns on his face}, thereupon, Allah threatens them saying that if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight as a recompense of their hypocrisy and disbelief, indeed, and Allah is All-powerful to do whatever He wills, and neither impediment nor inability can prevent Him from doing whatever He wills.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (21,22) "O people! Worship your Lord, the One who has created you and those before you so that you may fear, the One who has made for you the earth a bed, and the sky a building and has sent down water from the sky, and brought forth thereby from the fruits as a provision for you, so Do not make equals to Allah while you know", that is, Allah commanded His servants to worship Him alone and submit to Him through obedience, the One who has created them and those before them, so that they may fear Allah and fear His punishment, lest it will befall them as it befell those before them who opposed Allah and His Messengers and transgressed the limits of Allah. And Allah assures that He is the One who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected for the people whatever is in both of them, so He is the One who made the earth a bed so that man can live above it, and move wherever he wants, He made the sky a building and raised it without pillars we can see, and He has sent down rain from the sky, and brought forth thereby from all the fruits in different types, tastes, colors, smells, and shapes, as a provision for them, so Allah commanded His servants not to make equals to Allah while they know that there is no God but Him, and that He is the One who created them and provided for them. And as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "I asked the Prophet (PBUH) What is the greatest sin in the sight of Allah?, He said that you set an equal to Allah though He alone created you, I said that is indeed a great sin, then I asked What is next?, He said to kill your son lest he should share your food with you, I asked What is next?, He said to commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor" (Sahih Albukhari 4477). And Allah's Messenger said in narration of Hudhayfah bin Alyaman: "Do not say what Allah wills and what so-and-so wills, but Say What Allah wills and afterwards so-and-so wills" (Sunan Abi Dawood 4980).

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (23,24) "And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant, then Bring a Surah the like thereof, and Call upon your witnesses besides Allah if you are truthful, but if you do not do and you will not do, then Fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones prepared for the disbelievers", that is, Allah has challenged the polytheists and the hypocrites saying if you are in doubt about the Holy Quran which We have sent down upon Our Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), then Bring only one Surah like it, and call upon whoever you can of your supporters besides Allah, who will bear witness that you have produced the like of it if you are truthful, and Allah has challenged them again saying but if you do not do and you will not do, unquestionably, the Holy Quran is full of wisdom, truth, justice, and guidance, and it is free of falsehood and slander, so they are not able to produce the like of this Quran as Allah has challenged them in Aya (88) of Surat Alisraa, or to produce ten Surahs like it as He has challenged them in Aya (13) of Surat Hud, or even to produce one Surah as He has challenged them in this Aya and in Aya (38) of Surat Yunus. Thereupon, Allah commanded them to fear the Fire of Hellfire whose fuel is men and stones prepared for the disbelievers, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "We were in the company of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) when we heard a terrible sound, thereupon, Allah's Messenger said Do you know what is this?, we said Allah and His Messenger know best, thereupon, He said that is a stone which was thrown seventy years before in the Fire and it has been constantly slipping down and now it has reached its bottom" (Sahih Muslim 2844).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (25) "And Give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that for them there are gardens beneath which rivers flow, every time they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they say this is what we were provided with before, and it is given to them in similarity, and for them therein there are purified wives, and they will abide therein forever", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to give the believers, who believe in Allah, His Messenger, and His Book and do righteous deeds, glad tidings of a constant bliss in Paradise on the day of resurrection, as Allah has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, and there are four kinds of rivers in Paradise, which are rivers of pure water, rivers of milk, rivers of wine, and rivers of purified honey as Allah has stated in Aya (15) of Surat Muhammad, and Allah's Messengers said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "Saihan, Jaihan, Euphrates, and Nile are all among the rivers of Paradise" (Sahih Muslim 2839). Whenever the people of Paradise are provided with a provision of the fruit of Paradise, they will say this is what we were provided with before in the worldly life, and it will be given to them in similarity, so they will be given it in resemblance of shape and color, but it is different in taste and flavor. And for the believers therein there are purified wives from every filth and harm such as menstruation, puerperium, impurity, and bad morals and characteristics, and they will abide in Paradise eternally, so they will be in everlasting bliss without interruption or end.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (26,27) "Indeed, Allah is not shy to cite an example of a mosquito and what is above it, and as for those who have believed, they know that it is the truth from their Lord, but as for those who have disbelieved, they say What did Allah intend by this as an example?, He lets go astray many thereby, and guides many thereby, and He does not let go astray thereby except the disobedient, those who break the covenant of Allah after pledging it, and sever what Allah has commanded to be joined and cause corruption on the earth, those are the losers", that is, Allah assures that He is not ashamed to give examples of truth, both small and large, in order to distinguish the people of guidance and belief in Him from the people of misguidance and disbelief in Him, so Allah is not ashamed to cite an example of something that is even a mosquito in smallness, weakness, and insignificance or even greater than it in size and strength such as the example of the fly that He has cited in Aya (73) of Surat Alhajj, or the example of the spider that He has cited in Aya (41) of Surat Alankaboot. Allah cites the examples to the people, but no one understands them except those of knowledge as He has stated in Aya (43) of Surat Alankaboot, so the believers believe in these examples, both small and large, and know that they are the truth from their Lord and that these examples are in accordance with what Allah has cited them for, so Allah guides them through His examples, and then these examples increase them in guidance to their guidance and faith to their faith, but the disbelievers do not believe in these examples, and marvel at them saying What did Allah intend by this as an example?, so they deny what they have known to be true and certain of the examples that Allah has given them, so they increase them misguidance to their misguidance, and disbelief to their disbelief, and then Allah lets them go astray thereby, so Allah lets go astray many through these examples, and guides many thereby, and He does not let go astray thereby except the disobedient people who disobey Allah's commands, and oppose Him and His Messenger (PBUH). Then Allah describes the disobedient ones saying that they break the covenant of Allah after pledging it, so they oppose Allah's commands, and act in disobedience to Him after they had pledged to Allah to do what He has entrusted them with, and thus they do not fulfill the covenant of Allah. They also sever what Allah has commanded to be joined of ties of kinship, and of being kind to the relatives, and they cause corruption on the earth by doing evil deeds and preventing others from the way of Allah, thereupon, Allah threatens them saying that those are the losers, for those who do so, Allah has cursed them and prepared for them the worst abode in Hellfire as He has stated in Aya (25) of Surat Alra'd. 

 Allah Almighty says in next two verses (28,29) "How can you disbelieve in Allah while you were dead, and He gave you life, then He will cause you to die, then He will give you life, and then to Him you will be returned?, He is the One who has created for you all of that which is on the earth, then He turned towards the heaven, and made them seven heavens, and He is All-knower of everything", that is, Allah marvels at those who disbelieve in Him and associated other partners with Him, while He is the One who gives life, and causes death saying as a reprimand How can you disbelieve in Allah while you were dead, and He gave you life, then He will cause you to die, then He will give you life, and then to Him you will be returned?, so Allah affirms that humans were dead in the loins of their fathers and they were nothing until Allah created them in the wombs of their mothers, and He revived them in the worldly life, then He will cause them to die again, and He will revive them again on the day of resurrection, so they all will be returned to Him on the day of resurrection in order to recompense each for his deeds, so there are two deaths and two lives, and those who disbelieve will confess on the day of resurrection that Allah has given them death twice and given them life twice as mentioned in Aya (11) of Surat Ghafir {They will say Our Lord You gave us death twice and gave us life twice,}, and How can you disbelieve in Allah while He is the One who has created all of that which is on the earth,  then He turned towards the heaven, and made them seven heavens, as Allah is the One who created the earth in two days, then He placed firmly-set mountains in it, and He determined therein its sustenance and what is suitable for the livelihood of its people in two days, then Allah turned to create the sky while it was smoke, and Allah completed the creation of the sky as seven skies in another two days as He has stated in Ayat (9-12) of Surat Fussilat, then Allah assures that He is All-Knower of everything as nothing is hidden from Him in the heavens nor on the earth, so He knows what His creation declare and what they conceal of words and deeds.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (30) "And when Your Lord said to the Angels, indeed, I will make upon the earth a successor, they said Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein, and sheds the blood while we glory with Your praise and sanctify You?, He said indeed, I know what you do not know", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying when Your Lord said to Angels, indeed, I am going to create a successor on the earth, so Allah informed the Angels that He will create Adam and His progeny who will succeed one another, century after century and generation after generation, and as narrated by Abu Musa Alash'ari that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Allah, the Most High, created Adam from a handful that He took from all of the earth, so the Children of Adam come in accordance with the earth, some of them come red, white, and black, and between that, and the lenient and the discourteous, and the wicked and the good" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2955). The Angels said to Allah Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein, and sheds the blood?, so Will you create a successor who will have offspring who will spread corruption on the earth, envy one another, and kill one another, while we glory with Your praise and sanctify You?, thereupon, Allah confirms their lack of knowledge of the wisdom of creating a successor on the earth saying to the Angels indeed, I know what you do not know, so Allah assures them that He knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth while they do not know the unseen as will come later in Aya (33), and as narrated by Abu Dharr: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was asked as to which words were the best, He said those for which Allah has chosen for His Angels and His servants Subhana Allahi wa be-hamdehi: Glory to be Allah, and Praise is due to Him" (Sahih Muslim 2731 a). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (31-33) "And He has taught Adam the names, all of them, then He presented them before the Angels and said Inform Me of the names of these if you are truthful, they said Glory to be You, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us, indeed, You are the All-Knower, the All-Wise, He said O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when He informed them of their names, He said Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you declare and what you conceal", that is, Allah has taught Adam the names of everything that He has created, and Allah's Messenger said in narration of Anas: "On the day of resurrection, the believers will assemble, and say Let us ask somebody to intercede for us with our Lord, so they will go to Adam and say you are the father of all the people, and Allah has created you with His Own Hands, and ordered the Angels to prostrate to you, and taught you the names of all things, so please Intercede for us with your Lord so that He may relieve us from this place of ours, Adam will say I am not fit for this, then Adam will remember his sin and feel ashamed thereof (Sahih Albukhari 4476), thereupon, Allah has taught Adam the names of everything, then He displayed them to the Angels and said to them Inform Me of the names of these if you are truthful in your claim that I will place on the earth he who causes corruption therein, and sheds the blood while you obey Me and glory with My praise and sanctify Me. 

 Then the Angels glorified and sanctified Allah and they acknowledged that none encompasses anything of Allah's knowledge except what He wills and that Allah has given Adam superiority over them in knowledge, so they know nothing except what Allah has taught them, and then they acknowledged that Allah is the All-Knower of everything as nothing is hidden from Him in the heavens or on the earth, the All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny. Allah commanded Adam to inform the Angels the names which He has taught Him, and then Adam informed them of the names of the things that Allah has displayed to them, so Allah has confirmed with a decisive evidence that He knows what they do not know, and that He gives His knowledge to whom He wills, therefore, Allah said to the Angels Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you declare and what you conceal, so Allah knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth, so just as there will be those who will cause corruption on the earth, and shed the blood, there will be those who will worship Allah alone and act in obedience to Him, so He has prepared Hellfire for those who disobey Him, and Paradise for those who obey Him.

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (34-36) "And when We said to the Angels Prostrate before Adam, so they prostrated except for Iblis, he refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers, and We said O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise, and Eat you both therefrom in abundance wherever you both wish, and Do not approach this tree lest you both will be of the wrongdoers, but Satan caused both of them to slip from it and drove out both of them from what they were in, and We said Go down, being enemies to one another, and for you on the earth there is a place of residence and an enjoyment for a time", that is, when Allah commanded the Angels to prostrate before Adam, the Angels, all of them, prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he was not one of the Angels, but he was one of the Jinn, and he rebelled against Allah's command as Allah has stated in Aya (50) of Surat Alkahf, and as narrated by Aisha that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "The Angels were created of light, and the Jinn were created of the spark of fire, and Adam was created from what was described for you i.e. of clay" (Sahih Muslim 2996). So Satan refused to prostrate before Adam, and he was arrogant because he claimed that he is better than Adam for Allah has created him from fire and created Adam from clay as Allah has stated in Aya (12) of Surat Ala'raf, so he became of the disbelievers, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "When the son of Adam recites the verses of prostration (Sajdah), and then falls down in prostration, Satan goes into seclusion and weeps saying Alas, and in narration of Abu Kuraib, he says woe unto me, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and he prostrated, and Paradise was entitled to him, and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and am doomed to Hell" (Sahih Muslim 81).

 Then Allah commanded Adam and his wife Eve to dwell in Paradise, and allowed both of them to eat from its fruits in abundance from wherever they wished, and forbade both of them from approaching the fruit of a certain tree lest both of them will be among the wrongdoers who wrong themselves by disobeying the command of their Lord. But Satan caused Adam and Eve to slip from it as Satan deceived Adam saying O Adam shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and a kingdom that will not deteriorate as Allah has stated in Aya (120) Surat Ta Ha, so Adam and Eve ate form the forbidden tree and disobeyed the command of Allah, thereupon, Allah ordered Adam, Eve, and Satan to descend from Paradise to the earth, all of them, they are enemies to one another, Adam and His offspring and Satan and His offspring, and Allah assured them that for them on the earth is a place of residence on the surface of the earth during their lives, and in its soil after their death, and an enjoyment in the worldly life, so Allah will let them enjoy the worldly life and its pleasures of eating, drinking, clothing, talking, companionship and other things for an appointed time that only Allah knows.

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (37-39) "Then Adam received from His Lord words, and He turned to Him, indeed, He is Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful, We said Go down from it, all of you, and if there should come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve, and those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever", that is, when Adam disobeyed the command of Allah and ate from the forbidden tree, he had no determination to disobey Allah and follow Satan as Allah has stated in Aya (115) of Ta Ha, so Allah taught Adam words of repentance, and Adam received them from His Lord and repented to Allah, then Allah accepted His repentance and turned to Him in mercy and forgiveness by accepting and saying these words, and these words were mentioned in Aya (23) of Surat Ala'raf {Both of them said Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers}. Then Allah assured that He is Ever accepting of repentance, Most Merciful for those who repent and give up the sins. Allah then ordered Adam, Eve, and Satan to descend from Paradise to the earth, all of them, and Allah assures them that if there should come to them a guidance from Him through the Messengers, the Prophets, and the Scriptures, then whoever follows Allah's guidance by following His Messengers and adhering to His Scriptures , there will be no fear for him for what he will face later and he will not grieve for what he missed before. 

 But as for those who disbelieve in Allah, His Messengers, and His Scriptures, and denied Allah's signs with which He sent His Messengers in order to indicate the truthfulness of what they brought from their Lord, then those are the companions of Hellfire, abiding therein forever; Because disbelief and denial are of the unforgivable sins, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Sa'id: "The inhabitants of the Fire who are doomed to it, they would neither die nor live in it, but the people whom the Fire would afflict on account of their sins, or He said on account of their misdeeds, He would cause them to die till they would be turned into charcoal, then they would be granted intercession and would be brought into groups and would be spread on the rivers of Paradise, then it would be said O inhabitants of Paradise, Pour water over them, then they would sprout forth like the sprouting of seeds in the silt carried by flood" (Sahih Muslim 185 a).

 When Allah's Messenger will be granted intercession for the people with Allah on the day of resurrection, none will remain in Hellfire except those who will dwell therein forever for they disbelieved and denied Allah's signs, where as narrated by Anas that Allah's Messenger said: "The people will come to Me and I will proceed till I will ask My Lord's permission, and I will be given permission. When I see My Lord, I will fall down in prostration and He will let me remain in that state as long as He wishes and then I will be addressed Raise Your head, Ask, and Your request will be granted, Say, and Your saying will be listened to, Intercede, and Your intercession will be accepted, I will raise My head and praise Allah with a saying He will teach Me, and then I will intercede. He will fix a limit for Me, then I will admit them into Paradise, then I will come back again to Allah, and when I see My Lord, the same thing will happen to Me, and then I will intercede, and Allah will fix a limit for Me to intercede, and I will admit them into Paradise, then I will come back for the third time, and then I will come back for the fourth time, and I will say none remains in Hell but those whom the Quran has imprisoned, and have been destined to an eternal stay  in Hell,Abdullah said But those whom the Quran has imprisoned refers to Allah's saying {Abiding therein forever}" (Sahih Albukhari 4476).

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (40-42) "O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and Fulfill My covenant that I will fulfill your covenant, and Be afraid of Me, and Believe in what I have sent down confirming what is with you, and Do not be the first disbeliever in it, and Do not exchange My verses for a small price, and Fear Me, and Do not confuse the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know", that is, Allah addresses the Children of Israel commanding them to remember His favor that He has bestowed upon them when He saved them from the people of Pharaoh who afflicted them with the worst torment and saved them from drowning, when He gave Moses the Book and the Criterion so that they may be guided, when He shaded them with the clouds and sent down to them the Mann and the quails, and when He caused water to gush forth from the stone as will come later in Ayat (49,50,53,57,60), Allah also commanded them to fulfill the covenant of Allah so that He will fulfill their covenant, and Allah has mentioned His covenant and their covenant that He has taken from them in Aya (12) of Surat Alma'idah saying {And indeed, Allah has taken a covenant from the Children of Israel, and We delegated from among them twelve leaders, and Allah said, indeed, I am with you if you establish the prayer and give the Zakah, and believe in My Messengers and venerate them, and loan Allah a goodly loan, I will surely expiate from you your evil deeds and I will surely admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow, but whoever of you disbelieves after that, then certainly he has gone astray from the straight way}, and Allah commanded them to fear Him lest His punishment befalls them as it befell their forefathers. 

 And from among the conditions of the covenant that Allah has taken from them is that they should believe in Allah's Messengers, thereupon, Allah commanded them to believe in the Holy Quran that in which there is a confirmation of what is with them of the Torah, and Allah forbade them from being the first of the Children of Israel to disbelieve in it; For the Jews of Medina were the first of the Children of Israel to be addressed by the Holy Quran, so if they disbelieve in the Holy Quran and disbelieve in Allah's Messenger, they will be the first of the Jews to disbelieve in both of them. And Allah forbade the Children of Israel from exchanging His verses for a small price, so not to conceal the description of Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) whom they find written in the Torah for a small price in order to gain the fleeting pleasure of the worldly life, so they were distracted by the enjoyment of the worldly life and preferred it over the bliss of the Hereafter, and Allah commanded them to fear Him and fear His punishment if they denied His revelation and His Messenger. Allah also forbade them from changing and alternating the truth with falsehood and concealing what is in their Scriptures about the Prophecy of Muhammad (PBUH) while they know that it is the truth and that He is a sent Messenger from His Lord.

 Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (43-46) "And Establish the prayer and Give the Zakah, and Bow with those who bow, Do you enjoin righteousness upon the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Book, then Will you not understand?, and Seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humble ones, those who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him", that is, Allah commanded the Children of Israel to submit to Him and to believe in His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), saying Establish the prayer with Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), Pay the Zakah (Obligatory charity), and Bow with those who bow from among the Ummah of Muhammad. There are two types of obligatory charity, the first is Zakah on wealth that requires that the wealth reaches the Nisab of Zakah (Eighty-five grams of gold , 21 karat, or five hundred and ninety-five grams of silver), and that the Hijri year passes on it, as mentioned at length in Aya (35) of Surat Altawbah, and the second type is Zakat-Alfitr (Charity given at the end of Ramadan), and it is one Sa' of dates, raisins, barely, or wheat, and one Sa' is approximately three Kilograms, where as narrated by Ibn Umar: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) enjoined the payment of on Sa' of dates, or one Sa' of barely as Zakat-Alfitr on every Muslim, slave or free, male or female, young or old, and He ordered that it be paid before the people went out to offer Eid prayer" (Sahih Albukhari 1503).

 Then Allah denounces their deeds when they enjoin goodness and righteousness upon the people and forget themselves while they recite the Torah and know what is in it of Allah's commands and prohibitions and know the punishment of Allah for those who fall short in the command of Allah, then Will you not understand that you expose yourselves to Allah's punishment when you order the people to obey Allah and you disobey him, and as narrated by Shaqiq: "It was said to Usama bin Zaid Why don't you visit Uthman and talk to him?, thereupon, he said Do you think that I have not talk to him but that I have made you hear?, By Allah! I have talked to him concerning me and him and I did not like to divulge those things about which I had to take the initiative and I do not say to my ruler you are the best among people after I had heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying A man will be brought on the day of resurrection and thrown in the Fire and his intestines will come out and he will go round along with them, as an ass goes round the mill stone, the people of Fire would gather round him and say O so-and-so What has happened to you?, Were you not enjoin the right and forbid from the wrong?, He will say yes, indeed, I used to enjoin the right but did not practice it myself, and forbid from the wrong but practiced it myself" (Sahih Muslim 2989).

 Then Allah commanded the Children of Israel to make their refuge in fulfilling the covenant of Allah through patience and prayer so that they may attain Allah's mercy and pleasure, so Allah commanded them to be patient over all acts of obedience, to refrain from sins,  and to pray the obligatory prayer for the prayer prohibits from immorality and evil as Allah has stated in Aya (45) of Surat Alankaboot, and Allah assures that it is difficult except for the humble ones, so none will adhere to Allah's command except the humbly submissive and obedient to Allah, those who submit to His obedience, fear His wrath, and believe in His promise and threat, and they are certain that they will meet Allah on the day of resurrection and that they will return to Him after their death when they will be resurrected from the graves.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (47,48) "O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I have favored you over the worlds, and Fear a day when a soul will not avail another soul in anything, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will ransom be taken from it, nor will they be helped", that is, Allah commanded the Children of Israel again to remember His favor that He has bestowed upon their forefathers as shown above in Aya (40), and to remember that Allah has favored them over the worlds of their times by appointing Prophets among them and granting them kingdom as mentioned in Aya (20) of Surat Alma'idah {And when Moses said to His people O My people! Remember the favor of Allah upon you when He appointed among you Prophets and made you kings and gave you that which He had not given to anyone of the worlds}, indisputably, the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) is the best nation produced for mankind as Allah has stated in Aya (110) Surat Ali Imran. Then Allah threatens the Children of Israel and frightens them with His punishment on the day of resurrection if they persist on disbelief and opposing His Messenger (PBUH) and His Book saying And Fear a day when a soul will not avail another soul in anything, so no soul will be held accountable for the sin of another soul nor will a soul avert any punishment from another soul to the point that neither a father nor his son can avail one another at all as Allah has stated in Aya (33) of Surat Luqman{O mankind! Fear your Lord and fear a day when a father will not avail his son, nor will a son avail his father in anything}.

 Allah has informed the Children of Israel that nothing would benefit them except repentance from their disbelief, turning back from their misguidance, and following His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), so no intercession will be accepted for the disbelievers on the day of resurrection, and Allah made them despair of the intercession of anyone as He has stated in Aya (48) of Surat Almuddaththir {So there will not benefit them the intercession of the intercessors}, and no ransom will be taken from one of them even if he would ransom himself with the full of the earth in gold as mentioned in Aya (91) of Surat Ali Imran, so if the Children of Israel do not believe in Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) and do not follow the truth that He has been sent with, and they meet Allah on the day of resurrection as they are, then neither a kinship of a relative nor the intercession of anyone will benefit them, and no ransom will be accepted from them, and they will not be helped, so they will not find anyone to save them from Allah's punishment.   

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (49,50) "And when We saved you from the people of Pharaoh, who were afflicting you with the worst of punishment, they were slaughtering your sons and keeping your women alive, and in that there was a great trial from your Lord, and when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on", that is, Allah reminds the Children of Israel of the favors that He has bestowed upon them when He saved them from the people of Pharaoh who used to oppress them by employing them in the worst jobs, toiling them day and night, killing their sons, and keeping their women alive; For Pharaoh has been informed that there might be a boy from among them who would be the cause of the destruction and the collapse of his kingdom as mentioned in Aya (4) of Surat Alqasas, and he repeated the same thing because they believed in the Prophet Moses as mentioned in Aya (127) of Surat Ala'raf, and in that affliction was a great trial from Allah to the Children of Israel in which there was a great blessing for the patient. 

 And Allah has bestowed His favor upon the Children of Israel when He parted the sea for them and Allah saved the Prophet Moses, peace be upon Him, and the believers and drowned Pharaoh and his people in the sea while the Prophet Moses and the believers were looking on them, where as mentioned in Ayat (63-66) of Surat Alshu'araa, Allah commanded the Prophet Moses to strike the sea with His stick, so the sea parted, and each part became like the great mountain, then Allah brought Pharaoh and His soldiers close to the sea, and Allah saved the Prophet Moses and those with Him where they passed to the other side of the sea. When Pharaoh and his soldiers followed the Prophet Moses and His companions, Allah commanded the sea to return to its natural state, and Allah drowned Pharaoh and His soldiers in the sea. And as narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas: "The Prophet (PBUH) came to Medina and saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura (Tenth of Muharram), He asked them about that, they replied this is a good day, the day on which Allah rescued the Children of Israel from their enemy, so Moses fasted this day, the Prophet said we have more claim over Moses than you, so the Prophet fasted on that day and ordered the people to fast" (Sahih Albukhari 2004), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) wanted to differ from the Jews in their fasting by fasting on the ninth day of Muharram along with the day of Ashura, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas also: "When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) fasted on the day of Ashura and commanded that it should be observed as a fast, they said Messenger of Allah! It is a day which the Jews and the Christians hold in high esteem, thereupon, the Messenger of Allah said when the next year comes, if Allah wills, we would observe fast on the ninth, but the Messenger of Allah died before the advent of the next year" (Sahih Muslim 1134). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (51,52) "And when We have appointed for Moses forty nights, then you took the calf after Him while you were wrongdoers, then We pardoned you after that so that you may give thanks", that is, Allah reminds the Children of Israel with His favor that He has bestowed upon them when He has appointed for the Prophet Moses forty nights in order to speak to Him and give Him the Torah in which there were the rulings and details of their law, and it was thirty nights and Allah has completed them with ten as He has stated in Aya (142) of Surat Ala'raf, and it was said that the forty nights were the thirty nights of Dhul-Qa'dah and the first ten of Dhul-Hijjah, so the Prophet Moses went to the mount of Altour in Sinai as mentioned in Aya (80) of Surat Ta Ha, and the Prophet Moses has appointed His brother Aaron as His successor over the Children of Israel, but when the Prophet Moses went to meet Allah at Altuor mount, the Samaritan took the jewelry that they had borrowed from the people of Pharaoh and made a calf from them, and he made it in such a way that it would make a sound as mentioned in Aya (148) of Surat Ala'raf, and Samaritan has led them astray and said to them this is your god and the god of Moses as mentioned in Aya (88) of Surat Ta Ha, so they worshipped the calf while they were wrongdoing when they wronged themselves with disbelief after Allah has saved them and bestowed His favor upon them, then Allah has pardoned them after they have worshipped the calf so that they may give thanks to Allah for the favor that He has bestowed upon them, so they obey His commands and avoid His prohibitions.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (53,54) "And when We gave Moses the Book and the Criterion so that you may be guided, and when Moses said to His people O My people! Indeed, you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf, so Repent to your Creator and Kill yourselves, that is best for you in the sight of your Creator, then He turned to you, indeed, He is Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful", that is, Allah reminds the Children of Israel of His favor that He has bestowed upon them when He Allah has given the Prophet Moses the Torah and the Criterion so that they may be guided to the straight path and adhere to it, so Allah has sent down the Torah which Allah called the Criterion (Alfurqan); Because it distinguishes between truth and falsehood, between guidance and misguidance, and between lawful and forbidden, and Allah has also called the Holy Quran Alfurqan as mentioned in Surat Alfurqan Aya (1); Because all the heavenly Books include distinction between truth and falsehood, guidance and error, and lawful and forbidden.

 When the Children of Israel became remorseful and they saw that they had gone astray by worshipping the calf, they said if our Lord does not have mercy upon us and forgive us, we will surely be among the losers as mentioned in Aya (149) of Surat Ala'raf, so the Prophet Moses said to them that they have wronged themselves by their worshipping of the calf, and He commanded them to repent to their Creator, the One who has created them while they worshipped other than Him, and commanded them to kill one another as a way to repent to Allah, and He assured them that this is best for them in the sight of their Creator; Because they will be saved from Allah's punishment in the Hereafter, so the repentance of everyone of them is to kill anyone he meets, he does care who he kills even if he is his son or his father, so they began to kill one another till Allah accepted the repentance of the murderer and the murdered and turned to them in mercy and forgiveness, so He forgave those who were killed and those who remained alive, indeed, He is Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful for those who repent and give up the sins.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (55,56) "And when you said O Moses! We will not believe in You until we see Allah openly, so the thunderbolt seized you while you were looking on, then We raised you up after your death so that you may give thanks", that is, the Prophet Moses had chosen seventy men from among His people in order to apologize to Allah for worshipping the calf, and Allah has appointed for them an appointment at Altuor mount in Sinai as Allah has stated in Aya (155) of Surat Ala'raf, but when they came to their appointment, they said to the Prophet Moses O Moses! We will not believe in You until we see Allah openly, so Allah seized them with the thunderbolt for their wrongdoing, stubbornness, and disbelief while they were looking on, so they all died, and Allah says in Aya (155) of Surat Ala'raf that the earthquake seized them, so perhaps the thunderbolt and the earthquake were a reference to one thing, or that Allah combined the thunderbolt and the earthquake for them. When they all died, the Prophet Moses stood up and prayed to Allah saying My Lord! My Lord! If You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and Me, Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done?, it is nothing but Your trial by which You let go astray whom You will and guide whom You will, You are our Protector, so Forgive us, and Have mercy on us, and you are the Best of the forgivers as mentioned in Aya (155) of Surat Ala'raf, thereupon, Allah responded to the supplication of the Prophet Moses and revived them after their death, so that that they may give thanks to Allah for the favor that He has bestowed upon them, so they obey His commands and avoid His prohibitions.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (57) "And We shaded you with the clouds and sent down to you the Mann and the quails, Eat from the good things which We have provided for you, and they did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves", that is, Allah reminds the Children of Israel of the favors that He has bestowed upon them when they were with the Prophet Moses on the right side of Altour mount in Sinai, so Allah has shaded them with the clouds in order to protect them from the heat of the sun, and because they were in the desert, they did not have food, so Allah sent down to them the Mann, which is sweet resin like honey, without sowing or toiling, and the quails (Salwa) that fall on them, and they take from them as much as they need. And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said that the Kam'ah (Terfeziaceae), which is edible fungus and it grows in the desert under the ground after rain without human care and is used for food, is like the Mann that Allah has sent down upon the Children of Israel, when He said in narration of Sa'id bin Zaid: "Al-kam'ah is like the Mann, and its water is a cure for the eye trouble" (Sahih Albukhari 4478). Then Allah commanded the Children of Israel to eat from the good provision that He has bestowed upon them, but they did not wrong Allah, rather, they were wronging themselves; Because instead of giving thanks to Allah for the good and easy food that He has sent down upon them, they said to the Prophet Moses we can never endure one kind of food as will come later in Aya (61).

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (58,59) "And when We said Enter this town and Eat from it wherever you wish in abundance, and Enter the gate prostrating, and Say Relieve us of our burdens, We will forgive you your sins, and We will increase the good doers, but those who wronged changed to a word other than what had been said to them, so We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment from the sky because they were disobeying", that is, Allah has bestowed His favor upon the Children of Israel when He said to them Enter Baiyt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and Eat from its fruits, grains, and plants wherever you wish in abundance, and commanded them to enter the gate of the town bowing humbly in gratitude to Allah for the blessings that He has bestowed upon them, and to say Hettatun: Relieve us of our sins, and if they do so, Allah will forgive for them their sins, and He will increase the good doers of His bounty. But those who wronged themselves with disbelief after belief changed to a word other what had been said to them, so they entered the gate in a different way other than the way they were ordered to do, and said a word other than Hettatun, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger said: "It was said to the Children of Israel Enter the gate prostrating, and Say Hettatun, but they entered dragging themselves on their buttocks, so they changed and said Habatun fee sha'ratin: a grain of hair instead of Hettatun" (Sahih Albukhari 4479). So they were commanded to say Hettatun, which a word of asking forgiveness and removing their sins, but they mocked and changed it to Habatun fee sha'ratin, which means wheat ears, thereupon, Allah has sent upon them a punishment from the sky because they were disobeying as they disobeyed Allah's command when they did the opposite of what they were commanded to do, and said other than they were commanded to say.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (60) "And when Moses asked water for His people, so We said Strike with Your stick the stone, then there gushed forth from it twelve springs, indeed, every people knew its drinking place, Eat and Drink from the provision of Allah, and Do not roam in the earth as corrupters", that is, Allah has divided the Children of Israel into twelve descendant tribes as twelve communities and they asked the Prophet Moses for water as He has stated in Aya (160) of Surat Ala'raf, so Allah has bestowed His favor upon them when He responded to the Prophet Moses, and inspired to Him that Strike with Your stick the stone, then there gushed forth from the stone twelve springs, for each tribe there was a spring, and every people knew their drinking place, then Allah commanded the Children of Israel to eat and drink from the provision of Allah which He has provided for them without effort or toil, so Eat from the Mann and the quails and Drink from this water, and Do not roam in the earth as corrupters, so Be grateful to Allah and Do not meet His blessings with disobedience. And Allah caused the water to gush forth from among the fingers of His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "We used to consider miracles as Allah's blessings, but you consider them to be warning. Once we were with Allah's Messenger on a journey, and we ran short of water, He said Bring the water remaining with you, the people brought a utensil containing a little water, He placed His hand in it and said Come to the blessed water, and the blessing is from Allah, I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Messenger, and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah when it was being eaten" (Sahih Albukhari 3579).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (61) "And when you said O Moses! We will not be patient over one food, so Call upon Your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its herbs, and its cucumbers, and its garlic and its lentils and its onions, He said Would you exchange that which is better for that which is less?, Go down into a city, and indeed, you will have what you have asked for, and the humiliation and misery have been cast over them, and they have carried wrath from Allah, that is because they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the Prophets without right, that is because they disobeyed and they were transgressing", that is, Allah has provided the Children of Israel with the Mann and the quails as a provision for them without any difficulty as shown above in Aya (57), but they were not satisfied with them as a food because they do not change every day, so it is like eating the same meal every day, so they said to the Prophet Moses we will not be patient over one food, so Call upon Your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its lentils, and its onions. So the Prophet Moses rebuked them for asking for these lowly foods despite the delicious and beneficial food they were enjoying saying to them Would you exchange that which is better for that which is less?, and as narrated by Ibn Umar: "During the Battle of Khaibar, the Prophet (PBUH) said whoever ate from this plant i.e. garlic should not enter our mosque" (Sahih Albukhari 853), and as narrated by Jabir: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade eating of onions and leek, when we overpowered by a desire, we ate them, upon this, He said he who eats of this offensive plant must not approach out mosque for the Angels are harmed by the same things as men" (Sahih Muslim 564).

 The Prophet Moses assured them that what they asked for is not something difficult, but rather it is plentiful in whatever country they enter, so He commanded them to enter any city and they will find what they have asked for, thereupon, Allah has humiliated them and the humiliation and misery have been cast over them, and they have carried wrath from Allah. So Allah replaced His honor with humiliation, His blessings with misery, and His pleasure with wrath, and they deserved humiliation, misery, and Allah's wrath because they disbelieved in the signs of Allah, and killed the Prophets without right, so they killed Allah's Messengers only because they called them to worship Allah alone without any sin for which they deserved to be killed, and that is because they disobeyed Allah and violated His commands, and they used to transgress Allah's limit. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (62) "Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews and the Christians and the Sabians, those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous deeds, then for those there will be their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve", that is, Allah assures that whoever believes in Allah and believes that Allah will resurrect him from the graves on the day of resurrection, and does righteous deeds from among the Muslims, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians, and there is a difference of opinion about the Sabians, so it was said that they are a people who followed the religion of the Prophet David and read the Psalms, it was said that they are a people who worshiped the Angels, it was said that they are a people who worshiped Allah and believed in Him but they did not have a Prophet or a law to follow, and it was said that they are a people who did not have a religion, it is likely that they were people who did not follow any religion because the polytheists of Quraish used to call anyone who converted to Islam a Sabian meaning that he had abandoned all the religions of the people of the earth at that time. So Allah assures that if those acknowledge Allah's Oneness, believe in His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), believe in the Holy Quran, and believe in the day of resurrection, then for those there will be their reward with their Lord as He will reward them with the best reward in Paradise on the day of resurrection, and there will be no fear for them for what they will face later and they will not grieve for what they missed before.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (63,64) "And when We took your covenant, and We raised Altour over you, Take what We have given you with strength, and Remember what is in it so that you may fear, then you turned away after that and if not for the bounty of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers", that is, Allah has taken the covenant of the Children of Israel that they do not worship except Allah, and to do good to the parents, the relatives, the orphans, and the needy, to speak good to the people, to establish the prayer and give the Zakah, and not to shed each other's blood or evict one another from their homes as will come later in Ayat (83,84), and Allah has raised the mount of Altour above the heads of Children of Israel as if it were a canopy, and they thought that the mountain would fall upon them as mentioned in Aya (171) of Surat Ala'raf, and it was a threat from Allah in order to force them to adhere to their covenant and to act according to what Allah has sent down to them in the Torah, so it was a threat for them that they should take what Allah had commanded them of duties and rulings, otherwise, the mountain would fall on them, so Allah commanded them to take what He has given them in the Torah with diligence and determination and to adhere to it, and commanded them to remember what is in the Torah, so Accept it, Recite it, and Act according to it, so that you may fear Allah and fear His punishment, and then you will follow His commands and avoid His prohibitions. Then Allah assures that they turned away after that and abandoned acting according to the covenant that Allah has taken from them, so they did not carry out what Allah has commanded them in the Torah, but rather, they threw it behind their backs, but Allah has turned to them in mercy and forgiveness after they had broken their covenant, so He did not hasten His punishment for breaking their covenant and disobeying Allah's command, so if not for the bounty of Allah upon them and His mercy, they would be among the losers in the worldly life and the Hereafter. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (65,66) "And you certainly have known those who transgressed among you on the Sabbath, and We said to them Be apes, despised, and We made it a deterrent torment for what was before it, and what was after it, and an admonition for the righteous", that is, Allah addresses the Children of Israel saying that they have already known about their ancestors who transgressed on the Sabbath and disobeyed Allah's command when He forbade them from fishing on the Sabbath, and Allah has tested them by showing the fish on the surface of the water on the day it is forbidden for them to fish, and hiding the fish from them on the days it is permissible for them to fish as Allah has stated in Aya (163) of Surat Ala'raf, but they transgressed Allah's command and fished on the Sabbath. So when they exceeded Allah's limits and rebelled against Allah's command regarding what they had been forbidden, Allah turned them into humiliated apes with tails after they were men and women saying to them Be apes, despised. And the apes were died after the metamorphosis occurred, and the apes that exist today are not descendants of those whom Allah transformed from among the disobedient of the Children of Israel, where as narrated by Ibn Mas'ud: "A man said Allah's Messenger! What about those apes and swine which suffered metamorphosis?, thereupon, Allah's Messenger said indeed, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, did not destroy a people or did not torment a people and let their race grow, apes and swine had been in existence even before that" (Sahih Muslim 2663 d). And Allah has made their metamorphosis as a deterrent torment for what was before it and what was after it of sins and transgression, so it was a deterrence for those who were present with those who transgressed on the Sabbath and those who succeeded them lest they commit sins like the sins of those who were transformed into apes and are punished accordingly, and it is an admonition for the righteous of Allah's punishment and vengeance on those who disobey Him, so they will be admonished by it, obey Allah's commands, and avoid His prohibitions.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (67,68) "And when Moses said to His people indeed Allah commands you to slaughter a cow, they said Do you take us in ridicule?, He said I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant, they said Call upon Your Lord to make clear to us what it is, He said He says it is a cow neither old nor virgin, but median between that, so Do what you are commanded", that is, when a man from the Children of Israel was killed and they disagreed about the killer, Allah showed them His signs in reviving the dead as He brought the murdered back to life when He ordered them to slaughter a cow and strike him with a part of the cow, so the Prophet Moses said to His people indeed Allah commands you to slaughter a cow, they said Do you take us in ridicule?, He said I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant who invent a lie and falsehood against Allah. If they had not objected, any cow would have been sufficient, but they were strict, so Allah made it difficult for them until they found the cow that they were commanded to slaughter, so they said to the Prophet Moses Call upon Your Lord to make clear to us what it is, and He called upon Allah to make clear which cow was meant and what is its description, He then said that Allah says it is a cow neither old nor virgin, but median between that, so it is not too old cow that no longer gives birth, or virgin cow that never gave birth, but it is in middle age between the too old and the too young, so it is a cow that had only given birth once or twice, and it is the strongest of the cows and the best of them, and the Prophet Moses commanded them to do what they are commanded.

 

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (69-71) "They said Call upon Your Lord to show us what her color is, He said He says she is a yellow cow, bright in color, pleasing to the onlookers, they said Call upon Your Lord to make clear to us what it is, indeed, the cows seemed to us alike, and indeed, we, if Allah wills, will be guided, He said He says she is a cow neither trained to plow the earth nor to irrigate the field, sound with no spot on her, they said now you have come with the truth, so they slaughtered her, but they could hardly do it", that is, the Children of Israel asked the Prophet Moses again about the cow saying Call upon Your Lord to show us what her color is, the Prophet  Moses said that Allah says she is a yellow cow, bright in color, pleasing to the onlookers, but they asked for further description for the third time saying to the Prophet Moses Call upon Your Lord to make clear to us what it is, for they claimed that the cows seemed alike to them, and they said that if Allah wills, what was confusing and ambiguous to them regarding the cow will become clear to them, the Prophet Moses said to them that Allah says that she is a cow neither trained to plow the earth nor to irrigate the field, so she has not been tamed to work, she is healthy with no blemish in it, and she has no color other than her own, so she has not any spot on her, neither black, red, nor white, they then said to the Prophet Moses now you have come with the truth, so she has become clear to them and they slaughtered her, but they could hardly do it, it did not appear that they would do it for they did not slaughter her except after much effort, and many questions and answers.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (72,73) "And when you killed a soul and disputed over it, but Allah was to bring out what you were concealing, so We said Strike him with a part of it, thus Allah gives life to the dead, and He shows you His signs so that you may understand", that is, Allah reminds the Children of Israel when He bestowed His favor upon them when a man was killed, and they disputed concerning him, and accused each other of killing him, then they went to the Prophet Moses to ask Him about the matter of the murdered man, and Allah ordered them to slaughter a cow as mentioned in the five previous verses, so Allah was to bring out what they were concealing of killing the person they killed, then disputed concerning him. Then Allah commanded them to strike the murdered with a part of the slaughtered cow, so they took one of its bones and struck the dead man with it, then Allah revived him, and they asked him who killed him, and he told them who had killed him, then he returned dead as he had been. So Allah has put an end to the dispute that had existed between them, and Allah pointed out His great ability to revive the dead by what they saw of the matter of the murdered man, so Allah assures that just as He has brought the murdered back to life in the worldly life, He will bring the dead back to life in the Hereafter, and that was an argument against those who deny the resurrection when Allah showed them His signs of bringing the dead back to life so that they may understand that Allah will resurrect them on the day of resurrection, and then they follow His commands and avoid His prohibitions.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (74) "Then Your hearts hardened after that, so they became like stones or stronger in hardness, and indeed, among the stones are those from which rivers gushed forth, and among them are those which split open and water come out from them, and among them are those which fall down for fear of Allah, and Allah is not unaware of what you do", that is, Allah has showed the Children of Israel His signs of bringing the dead back to life twice, the first was when Allah raised them up after their death when they asked for seeing Allah openly as shown above in Aya (56), and the second was when Allah raised the murdered up after His death as mentioned in the previous verse, but their hearts became hard and far from admonition after what they saw of signs and miracles, and they are in their hardness like stones that cannot be softened or even hard than stones, for there are stones from which rivers flow, there are stones which split open and water come out from them, and there are stones which fall down for fear of Allah, so there are stones softer than their hearts with regard to the truth to which they are called, and Allah's Messenger said in narration of Jabir bin Samura: "I recognize the stone in Mecca which used to pay Me salutations before My advent as a Prophet, and I recognize that even now" (Sahih Muslim 2277). Then Allah assures those who turned away from the truth and denied His signs that He is not unaware of what they do of evil deeds and bad actions, so He will recompense them for their deeds on the day of resurrection. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (75-77) "Do you aspire that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort it after they had understood it while they know?, and when they meet those who believe, they say we have believed, but when they are alone with one another, they say Do you talk to them about what Allah has revealed to you so that they would argue with you about it before your Lord, then Will you not understand?, Do they not know that Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare?", that is, Allah addresses the believers saying Do you hope that the Children of Israel would believe for you and submit in obedience to Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), so Allah made them despair of the faith of the misguided group of Jews whose forefathers witnessed Allah's signs, then their hearts hardened after that, so they follow the footsteps of their forefathers, and Allah assures that there was a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort it after they had understood it clearly while they know that they had invented a lie about Allah in distorting and interpreting it, where their scholars distorted the words of Allah from their proper places, so they misinterpreted the verses of Allah and interpreted the Torah in a wrong way and other than what Allah intended, and they wrote the Torah with their own hands, then they claimed that it is from Allah in order to exchange it for a small price as will come later in Aya (79). 

 Then Allah tells about the hypocrites from among the Jews saying that when they meet the believers, they say we have believed in Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and in what He has brought from His Lord, but when they are alone with one another, they say Do you talk to the believers about what Allah has revealed to you of the description of His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) so that they would argue with you about it before your Lord, so Do you acknowledge that Muhammad (PBUH) is the Prophet whom we found in the Torah, and that we were waiting for Him, so the believers will argue with you about that before Allah, then Will you not understand and recognize that this will be an argument against you for Allah has taken a covenant from you to follow Him?. Thereupon, Allah denounces their saying and assures that He knows what they conceal of disbelief, hypocrisy, and denial of His Messenger (PBUH), and He knows what they declare of belief when they said we have believed.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (78,79) "And among them are illiterate who do not know the Book except in wishful thinking, and they do nothing but make conjecture, so woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, then they say this is from Allah in order to exchange it for a small price, so woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they have earned", that is, Allah tells about some Jews who do not read the Torah nor do they know what Allah has legislated in it of His limits, rulings, and obligations, and they spoke based on conjecture other than what was in their Book, so they invented lies and falsehood, and claimed by their wishful thinking what they did not have, then they say this is from the Book of Allah and wish for the lies out of conjecture not of certainty, so they do not know whether it is true or false. Then Allah tells about their scholars who distorted the Torah when they added to it what they liked, erased from it what they hated, and innovated in their law matters that were not in it, then they added themto the Torah, and they said to their people this is from Allah so that they would accept it, and thus their leadership would be established, and they would obtain the gain of the worldly life, so Allah threatens them saying Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, then they say this is from Allah in order to exchange it for a small price, so woe to them for what their hands have written of falsehood and lies, and woe to them from what they have earned. 

 So Allah threatens those who exchanged the Book of Allah for a small price in order to gain the fleeting pleasure of the worldly life, so they were distracted by the enjoyment of the worldly life and preferred it over the bliss of the Hereafter, and Allah threatens them a second and a third time for what their hands have written of falsehood and lies, and for what they have earned of unlawful things and sins. So their recompense will be Hellfire on the day of resurrection where the word woe (Wail) idiomatically carries the meaning of destruction and perishing and means that the torment will be for them as a recompense for their deeds. And as narrated by Ubaidullah bin Abdullah bin Utba: "Abdullah bin Abbas said O Muslims! How do you ask the people of the Book while your Book which was sent down upon His Prophet (PBUH) is the most recent information from Allah and you recite it, the Book that has not been distorted?, and Allah has told you that the people of the Book has changed with their own hands what was revealed to them, then they said that it is from Allah in order to exchange it for a small price, Ibn Abbas added Is not the knowledge revealed to you sufficient to prevent you from asking them?, By Allah! I have never seen anyone of them asking you about what has been revealed to you" (Sahih Albukhari 2685).

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (80-82) "And they say the Fire will not touch us except for numbered days, Say Have you taken a covenant with Allah and Allah will not break His covenant or Do you say about Allah what you do not know?, yes, whoever earns an evil and his sin has encompassed him, then those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever, and those who believe and do righteous deeds, those are the companions of Paradise, they will abide therein forever", that is, the Jews invented a lie and claimed that they would only be tortured in Hellfire for a few days, then Allah will save them from it, thereupon, Allah has denounced their claim saying Have you taken a covenant with Allah and Allah will not break His covenant or Do you say about Allah what you do not know?, so Do you take a covenant with Allah that He will not torture you, so He will fulfill His promise for you or Do you invent a lie and say about Allah what you do not know?, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "When Khaibar was conquered, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) asked the Jews Who are the people of the Fire?, they replied we will remain in it for a while and then you (Muslims) will replace us in it, Allah's Messenger said to them you will abide in it with ignominy, by Allah! We shall never replace you in it at all" (Sahih Albukhari 5777). 

 Assuredly, they did not take a covenant from Allah of what they claimed, but they said about Allah what they do not know, and they were deluded in their religion by that which they used to invent as Allah has stated in Aya (24) of Surat Ali Imran. Then Allah assures them that the matter is not as they claim and announces that whoever earns an evil and his sin has encompassed him, then those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever, so whoever does the like of your deeds until his evil deeds encompass his good deeds, and he did not repent from them, He will come on the day of resurrection without any good deeds, but rather, all of his deeds will be bad deeds, then He will be thrown into Hellfire on the day of resurrection, abiding therein forever. But as for those who believe in Allah, His Messengers and His books, and do righteous deeds in the worldly life, Allah will admit them into Paradise on the day of resurrection, and they will abide therein forever.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (83) "And when We have taken a covenant from the Children of Israel that Do not worship except Allah, and kindness to parents, and the near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and Say to the people what is good, and Establish the prayer and Give the Zakah, then you went back except a few of you while you are turning away", that is,  Allah has taken a covenant from the Children of Israel that Do not worship except Allah, and kindness to parents, the near of kin, the orphans, and the needy, and Allah has commanded the believers to do the same as He has commanded the Children of Israel in Aya (36) of Surat Alnisa', so Allah commanded His servants to worship Him alone and not to associate anything with Him of false gods and idols, and Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills as mentioned in Ayat (48,116) of Surat Alnisa', and Allah commanded them to treat the parents kindly, and the parents are the most deserving of people to offer gratitude, to do good to them, and to obey them, and as narrated by Abdul-Rahman bin Abi Bakrah from His Father: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said Shall I not tell you of the biggest of the major sins, they said of course O Messenger of Allah! He said to join partners with Allah, and disobeying the parents, he said, He sat up, and He had been reclining, He said and false testimony or false speech, and the Messenger of Allah would not stop saying it until we said we wish that He would stop" (Jami' Altirmidhi 1901).

 And Allah commanded His servants to do good to their relatives, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Salman bin Amer: "Charity given to the needy is charity, and if it is given to relatives, it is two charity and ties of kinship" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1844), to do good to the orphans, who have no means of earning a living and whose fathers have died while they are weak and young, before reaching puberty and being able to earn a living, where as narrated by Ali bin Abi Talib: "I memorized from Allah's Messenger (PBUH) that there is no orphanhood after puberty, and there is no silence for the whole day till the night" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2873), so Be kind to the orphans and take care of them, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Sahl: "I and the one who looks after an orphan will be like this in Paradise, showing His middle and index finger and separating them" (Sahih Albukhari 5304), and to do good to the needy who do not find enough food, clothing, or a shelter, but they do not ask the people anything despite their intense need, so they are given what will meet their needs, and Allah's Messenger said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "The needy is not the one who asks a morsel or two from the others, but the needy is the one who has nothing and is shamed to beg from people" (Sahih Albukhari 1476). And Allah has commanded the Children if Israel to speak to the people good as He commanded His servants to say in their speech the best and the kindest word as mentioned in Aya (53) of Surat Alisraa, so Enjoin the right and Forbid from the wrong, Be patient, Pardon, and speak well to the people, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Dharr Alghifari: "Do not consider anything insignificant out of good things even if it is that you meet your brother with a cheerful countenance" (Sahih Muslim 2626). 

 And Allah has taken the covenant of the Children of Israel that they should establish the prayer and give the Zakah (Obligatory charity), and Allah commanded the believers to establish the prayer and give the Zakah in many verses of the Holy Quran despite the difference of the prayer and the Zakah of the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) of the prayer and Zakah of the Children of Israel, and as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "I asked the Prophet (PBUH) Which deed is the dearest to Allah?, He replied to offer the prayer at its early stated fixed time, I asked What is the next?, He replied to be good to your parents, I asked again What is the next?, He replied to participate in Jihad in the way of Allah (Fighting in the way of Allah), Abdullah said I asked only that, and if I had asked more, the Prophet would have told me more" (Sahih Albukhari 527). But Allah assures that the Children of Israel broke their covenant and went back except a few of them while they are turning away from the path of truth out of their stubbornness, arrogance, and disbelief.

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (84-86) "And when We took your covenant Do not shed your blood and do not expel yourselves from your homes, then you acknowledged while you bear witness, then here you are, those who kill yourselves and expel a party of you from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression, and if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their expulsion was forbidden to you, so Do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part?, then What is the recompense of those who do that among you except disgrace in the worldly life, and on the day of resurrection, they will be returned to the severest of punishment, and Allah is not unaware of what you do, those are the ones who have purchased the worldly life for the Hereafter, so the punishment will not be lightened for them nor will they be helped", that is, Allah has taken the covenant of the Children of Israel that they should not shed the blood of one another and should not expel one another from their homes, and they have acknowledged the covenant of Allah while they bear witness to its truthfulness and believe that it is from Allah. Since their religion is one and their matter is one, and they are among the people like one person, Allah made killing one another and expelling one another from their homes a killing of themselves and an expulsion of themselves.

 Allah denounces the Jews who were in Medina at the time of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as they were participating in the fighting with the Aws and Khazraj. The Aws and the Khazraj, who are the Ansar, were disbelievers in Pre-Islamic era, and there were many wars between them, and the Jews of Medina were divided into three tribes: Banu Quynuqa', Banu Alnadir, and Banu Qurayza, and Banu Quynuqa' were enemies of Banu Qurayza, and it was said that Banu Quynuqa' was ally of the Khazraj, and Banu Qurayza was ally of the Aws, and it was said the opposite, that Banu Qurayza was ally of the Khazraj, and Banu Quynuqa' was ally of the Aws. So when war broke out between the Aws and the Khazraj, the Jews cooperate with the Aws and the Khazraj against each other in sin and aggression, so they exceeded the limits that Allah has set for them regarding what is permissible for them and what is forbidden, so each tribe would fight with its allies, and a Jew would kill his enemy and a Jew would kill another Jew from the other group, and thus they kill themselves and expel some of them from their homes and plunder their goods and money, and this is forbidden to them in their religion and the text of Torah, and when the war ends they ransom the captives who were in the hands of the Aws and the Khazraj in accordance with the ruling of the Torah, therefore, Allah says to them Do you believe in part of the Torah when you ransom the captives, and disbelieve in part of the Torah when you kill yourselves, expel a party of you from their homes, and cooperate against them in sin and aggression?, thereupon, Allah assures them that there is for those who do that among them a disgrace and humiliation in the worldly life, and on the day of resurrection, they will be returned to the severest of punishment in Hellfire, and Allah is not unaware of what they do of transgressing of His limits, making permissible what is forbidden, and forbidding what is permissible. Then Allah assures that those are the ones who have purchased the worldly life for the Hereafter, so they preferred the worldly life over the Hereafter, and preferred misguidance over guidance, so they will enter into Hellfire on the day of resurrection, and the punishment will not be lightened for them nor will they be helped, so they will not find any helper in order to save them from Allah's punishment.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (87,88) "And indeed, We gave Moses the Book and followed up after Him with Messengers, and We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, the clear proofs and supported Him with the Holy Spirit, but Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what your souls do not desire, you were arrogant, so a party you denied, and a party you killed?, and they said our hearts are wrapped, but Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is what they believe", that is, Allah has given the Prophet Moses the Torah, and Allah has sent Prophets to the Children of Israel after the Prophet Moses such as the Prophets Elias, David, Solomon, Jonah, and the last of the Prophets of the Children of Israel was Jesus, Son of Mary, and Allah made them follow one another on one path and one law, because every Messenger whom Allah has sent after the Prophet Moses was on the law and the path of Moses, and acted in accordance with what he used to act in, so He used to command the Children of Israel to establish the Torah, to act in accordance with what was in it, and to call to what is on it, until the Prophets of the Children of Israel were sealed with Jesus, the Son of Mary, and Allah gave Him the Gospel in which there was some contradictions to the Torah in some rulings, so He said to the Children of Israel {And confirming what was before Me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you} as Allah has stated in Aya (50) of Surat Ali Imran.

 And Allah has sent the Prophet Jesus with the clear proofs and signs to the Children of Israel such as bringing the dead back to life by the permission of Allah, molding from the clay the form of a bird, and breathing into it and it becomes a bird by the permission of Allah, and healing the blind and the leper by the permission of Allah as mentioned in Ayat (49) of Surat Ali Imran, and (110) of Surat Alma'idah, and Allah supported the Prophet Jesus with Gabriel, the Holy Spirit, but they denied the Prophet Jesus, and this was their custom as whatever of the law of Allah agreed with their desires, they accept it, and whatever contradicts their desires, they reject it, so whenever there came to them a Messenger from Allah with what their souls did not desire, and what did not agree with them, they were arrogant to follow the truth, so they deny a group of Allah's Messengers and kill a group of them, so Allah denounces them saying Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what your souls do not desire, you were arrogant, so a party you denied, and a party you killed?. The Children of Israel said to their Messengers that their hearts are wrapped, so they do not understand what they are calling them to, thereupon, Allah has cursed them and kept them away from His mercy in the worldly life and the Hereafter because of their disbelief, and little is what they believe as nothing of beneficial faith will enter their hearts, and they believe in only a little of the Torah and disbelieve in most of it.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (89,90) "And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming that which is with them, although before they used to request conquest over those who disbelieved, but when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it, so the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers, wretched is that for which they sold themselves that they would disbelieve in what Allah has sent down, grudging that Allah would send down His bounty upon whom He wills from among His servants, so they returned with wrath upon wrath, and for the disbelievers there is a humiliating punishment", that is, when Allah has sent down the Holy Quran upon His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) confirming that which is with the Children of Israel of the Torah, although before they used to request conquest over those who disbelieved, so they were waiting for the mission of Allah's Messenger and seeking victory through His arrival against their enemies om the disbelievers if they fought them, but when Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), they disbelieved in Him and denied what they used to say about Him, although they recognize that He is the Messenger of Allah whom they find written in the Torah, and that He has brought them the truth from Allah, thereupon, Allah cursed them and assured that the curse and the expulsion from Allah's mercy is upon the disbelievers who denied what they have known of the truth, and denied what has been proven to them to be true regarding the Prophethood of Allah's Messenger (PBUH).

 So wretched is that for which they sold themselves when they disbelieved in what Allah has sent down of the Holy Quran, so they have exchanged falsehood for truth and disbelief for faith out of envy and hatred that Allah should send down His bounty upon whom He wills from among His servants, so they envy Allah's Messenger and His people and hated that Allah placed the Prophecy and wisdom in the Arabs not in the Jews from the Children of Israel until that led them to disbelief in Him despite their knowledge of His truthfulness and that He is a sent Messenger. Thereupon, Allah assures that so they returned with wrath for their previous sins and breaking of Allah's covenant that He has taken from them upon wrath for their disbelief in Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), so Allah has prepared for them a humiliating punishment in Hellfire on the day of resurrection.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (91,92) "And when it is said to them Believe in what Allah has sent down, they say we believe in what has been sent down to us, and they disbelieve in what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them, Say then Why did you kill the Prophets of Allah before if you are believers?, and indeed, Moses came to you with clear proofs, then you took the calf after Him while you were wrongdoers", that is, when it was said to the Jews Believe in the Holy Quran which Allah has sent down upon His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), they said we believe in the Torah which Allah has sent down upon the Prophet Moses, peace be upon Him, and they disbelieve in what came after the Torah of the Books that Allah has sent down to His Messengers, so they disbelieved in the Holy Quran while it is the truth from Allah, and it confirms that which is with them of the Torah, then Allah assures that they do not believe in any Book; For Allah's Book confirm one another, and the Torah, the Gospel, and the Holy Quran contain the command to follow Muhammad (PBUH), and to believe in Him and what He has brought from His Lord, so they deny the Torah just as they deny the Gospel and the Quran out of defiance and disobedience to Allah's command, and transgression against His Messengers, so whenever there came to them a Messenger with what their souls do not desire, they denied a party of them and killed another party as shown above in Aya (87).

 Thereupon, Allah command His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to say to them Why did you kill the Prophets of Allah before if you are believers?. So if you believe in what Allah has sent down to you as you claimed, then Why did you kill the Prophets of Allah while He has forbidden killing them in the Book that He has sent down to you, rather, He has commanded you to believe in them, follow them, and obey them. And Allah has sent the Prophet Moses with clear proofs that indicate the truthfulness of what He has brought from Allah, and they were nine signs as Allah has stated in Ayat(101 of Surat Alisraa, and 12 of Surat Alnaml), and among these signs is parting the sea for them as shown above in Aya (50), but instead of thanking Allah for He has saved them and drowned Pharaoh and his people in the sea, they worshipped the calf that the Samaritan has made for them when the Prophet Moses went to the mount of Altour in Sinai for the appointed time that Allah has appointed to the Prophet Moses as shown above in Aya (51), so they worshipped the calf while they were wrongdoing when they wronged themselves with disbelief after Allah has saved them and bestowed His favor upon them.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (93) "And when We took your covenant, and We raised Altour over you, Take what We have given you with strength and Listen, they said we heard and disobeyed, and they were made to drink the calf in their hearts because of their disbelief, Say wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you if you are believers", that is, Allah has taken the covenant of the Children of Israel that they do not worship except Allah, and to do good to the parents, the relatives, the orphans, and the needy, to speak good to the people, to establish the prayer and give the Zakah, and not to shed each other's blood nor evict one another from their homes as shown above in Ayat (83,84), and Allah has raised the mount of Altour above the heads of Children of Israel as if it were a canopy, and they thought that the mountain would fall upon them as mentioned in Aya (171) of Surat Ala'raf, and it was a threat from Allah in order to force them to adhere to their covenant and to act according to what Allah has sent down to them in the Torah, so it was a threat for them that they should take what Allah had commanded them of duties and rulings, otherwise, the mountain would fall on them, so Allah commanded them to take what He has given them in the Torah with diligence and determination and to adhere to it, and Allah commanded them to hear what He has commanded, and obey His command, so Act according what you have heard, but they turned away from Allah's command and said we heard and disobeyed, then they worshipped the calf, and their hearts absorbed the love of the calf because of their disbelief, thereupon, Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to say to them wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you if you are believers, so How can you claim faith when you have broken your covenant, violated Allah's command, and worshiped other than Allah?. 

 

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (94-96) "Say if the abode of the Hereafter with Allah is exclusively for you to the exclusion of all other people, then Wish for death if you are truthful, but they will never wish for it, ever, for what their hands had sent forth, and Allah is All-Knower of the wrongdoers, and You will surely find them the most greedy of people for life and more than those who associated, one of them wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him from the punishment that he should be granted life, and Allah is All-Seeing of what they do", that is, the Jews made false claims that the Fire will not touch them except for numbered days as shown above in Aya (80), that they are the children of Allah and His beloved ones as mentioned in Aya (18) of Surat Alma'idah, and that they are the allies of Allah as Allah has stated in Aya (6) of Surat Aljumu'ah {Say, O you who are Jews! If you claim that you are allies of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then Wish for death, if you are truthful}, but Allah denied their claims and commanded them to prove their claims if they are truthful, so He commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to say to them if the abode of the Hereafter with Allah is exclusively for you to the exclusion of all other people, then Wish for death if you are truthful, so if you believe that you are the companions of Paradise, then Wish for the death for it will be more beloved to you than the worldly life, because of the bliss of Paradise that you will attain and the hardship of the worldly life that will be removed from you.

 But Allah challenges them saying that they will never wish for death for what their hands had sent forth of disbelief, denial, and sins, and Allah is All-knower of those who wronged themselves with disbelief and tyranny, so their lies and transgression against Allah's Messenger (PBUH) were exposed and they did not wish for death for fear that the punishment of Allah will befall them, and as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "If the Jews had wished for death, they would have died and would have seen their place in the Hell" (Musnad Ahmed 2225). They hate death, and they are the most greedy of people for life for they know their bad end and losing consequence in the Hereafter, so they wish to be delayed from the Hereafter as much as they can, and they are most greedy for life even more than the polytheists who do not believe in the Hereafter and they wish for long life, so one of the Jews wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him from the punishment that he should be granted a long life, so what they fear will inevitably happen to them and they will not be saved from Allah's punishment in the Hereafter, and Allah is All-Seeing of what they do of good and evil, and nothing of their deeds is hidden from Him, so He will recompense them for their deeds in the Hereafter.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (97,98) "Say whoever is an enemy to Gabriel, then indeed, He has brought it down upon Your heart by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it, and a guidance and glad tidings for the believers, whoever is an enemy to Allah and His Angels and His Messengers and Gabriel and Michael, then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to say to the Jews who claimed that Gabriel, the Angel, is their enemy that Gabriel is the Angel who brought the Holy Quran down upon His heart by the permission of Allah and the Holy Quran confirms what was before it of all previous Scriptures including the Torah and Gospel, and it is a guidance to the straight path and glad tidings of Allah's mercy for the believers who believe in Allah, His Angels, His Messengers, and His books, where as narrated by Anas: "Abdullah bin Salam heard the news of the arrival of Allah's Messenger (at Medina) while he was on a farm collecting its fruits, so he came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said  I will ask You about three things which nobody knows unless he be a Prophet, firstly What is the first portent of the Hour?, What is the first meal of the people of Paradise?, and What makes a baby look like his father or mother?, the Prophet said Just now Gabriel has informed Me about that?, Abdullah said Gabriel?, the Prophet said yes, Abdullah said He among the Angels is the enemy of the Jews, on that the Prophet (PBUH) recited this Holy Verse {Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel, then indeed, He has brought it down upon Your heart by permission of Allah}, then He added, as the first portent of the Hour, it will be a fire that will collect the people from the east to the west, and as for the first meal of people of Paradise, it will be extra lobe of the fish liver, and if a man's discharge proceeded that of the woman, then the child resembles the father, and if the woman's discharge proceeded that of the man, then the child resembles the mother, on hearing that Abdullah said I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that You are the Messenger of Allah. O Allah's Messenger! The Jews are liars, and if they should come to know that I have embraced Islam, they would accuse me of being a liar, in the meantime some Jews came and Allah's Messenger asked them What is Abdullah's status amongst you?, they replied he is the best amongst us, and he is our chief and the son of our chief, the Prophet said What would you think if Abdullah bin Salam embraced Islam?, they replied May Allah protect him from this, then Abdullah came out and said I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the Jews then said Abdullah is the worst of us and the son of the worst of us and disparaged him, on that Abdullah said O Allah's Messenger! This is what I was afraid of" (Sahih Albukhari 4480). 

 Thereupon, Gabriel is the Trustworthy Spirit who has brought the revelation down upon the heart of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as Allah has stated in Ayat (192-194) of Surat Alshu'araa {And indeed, it is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds, the Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down, upon Your heart that You may be of the warners}, so whoever is hostile to Gabriel, Let him know that He is the Trustworthy Spirit who brought down the Quran upon the heart of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) by the permission of Allah for him to do so, so He is an Angelic Messenger from among the Angelic Messengers of Allah, and whoever is hostile to an Angel or a Messenger, then he is hostile to all Angels and all Messengers, and the enmity of some of them necessitates the enmity of Allah towards him, and the enmity of Allah towards His servant is tormenting him with a severe torment, therefore, Allah threatens those who are hostile to His Angels saying that whoever is an enemy to Allah, His Angels, His Messengers, Gabriel and Michael, then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (99-101) "And indeed, We have sent down to You clear verses, and no one would disbelieve in them except the disobedient, Is it that whenever they took a covenant, a party of them threw it away?, but most of them do not believe, and when there came to them a Messenger from Allah confirming that which is with them, a party of those who were given the Book threw the Book of Allah behind their backs as if they do not know", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that He has sent down to Him clear verses that indicate His Prophethood and truthfulness, so Allah makes clear to the Children of Israel, specially to their scholars and Rabbis, that He is a sent Messenger from Allah through the verses of the Holy Quran with regard to the hidden knowledge of the Jews, and the news of their forefathers as shown above in many verses, and Allah assures that no one would disbelieve in them except the disobedient who disobey Allah's commands, incline to falsehood, and abandon the truth. Then Allah condemned the Children of Israel for their abandonment of the covenant of Allah that He had given them to adhere to, so whenever they took a covenant, a party of them threw it away, and most of them do not believe in Allah nor in His Messenger, and when Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) came to them confirming that which is with them of the Torah with regard to His description, their news, and the news of their forefathers, a party of them threw the Torah behind their backs as if they did not know what was in it.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (102,103) "And they followed what the devils had recited during the kingdom of Solomon, and Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, they teach the people magic and that which was sent down to the two Angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut, but they both do not teach anyone unless they both say we are only a trial, so Do not disbelieve, and they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, and they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah, and they learn what harms them and does not benefit them, and they knew that whoever purchased it would not have any portion in the Hereafter, and wretched is that for which they sold themselves if they only know, and if they had believed and feared, then the reward from Allah would have been better if they only know", that is, a party of the Jews who were given the Torah turned away from the Book of Allah which was in their hands, and disobeyed Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), and they followed what the devils used to recite  of magic during the kingdom of the Prophet Solomon, so Allah acquitted the Prophet Solomon of what they accused Him of magic, and informed that magic was the work of the devils, so it was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved and claimed that what Solomon used to do of subjugating the wind and the devils was magic.

 It was said that the devils wrote magic and buried it under the throne of the Prophet Solomon, and when the Prophet Solomon died, the devils brought the magic out and said to the people this is your kingdom and Solomon used it, so Learn it, so they began to learn it and rejected the Book of Allah, and Allah declares the innocence of Solomon from what they accused Him of, so Allah acquitted him of disbelief and assured that magic is disbelief, and that the devils disbelieve in Allah for they teach the people magic. And Allah has sent down magic as a test and a trial to His servants, and the Jews followed the magic that Allah has sent down to the two Angels Harut and Marut at the land of Babylon, and the two Angels taught them as a test and advised them saying we are only a trial, so Do not disbelieve, so that you would have no argument, so the Jews followed the magic taught by the devils and the magic taught by the two Angels and abandoned the Book of Allah and the knowledge with which Allah has sent His Messengers.

  And they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, and they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah, so Allah gives them power over whom He wills, and does not give them power over whom He wills, and they learn what harms them and does not benefit them for they purchased disbelief for belief and they knew that whoever purchased it would not have any portion in the Hereafter, so they will have no share in the bliss of the Hereafter, and they will be the companions of Hellfire, for magic is one of the seven destructive sins that lead its doer to Hellfire on the day of resurrection, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Avoid the seven great destructive sins, the people said O Allah's Messenger! What are they?, He said to join others in worship along with Allah, to practice magic, to kill the soul which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, to eat up Riba (Usury), to eat up an orphan's wealth, to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to accuse the chaste, heedless, and believing women" (Sahih Albukhari 2766). So wretched is that for which they sold themselves if they only know. Then Allah assures that if those who learn magic and cause separation between a man and his wife believe in Allah, His Messenger, and His Book, and fear Allah and His punishment if they disobeyed His commands, so they act according to His commands and prohibitions, then Allah's reward for them would have been better for them than magic and what they acquired through it, if they only know the reward of Allah for those who obey Him.   

 

 And the magic remained among the Jews, and a man from the Jews of Banu Zuraiq made magic on the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), where as narrated By Aisha: "A man called Labid bin Ala'sam from the tribe of Banu Zuraiq made a magic on Allah's Messenger till Allah's Messenger started imagining that He had done a thing that He had not really done, one day or one night, He was with us, He invoked Allah and invoked for a long period, and then said: O Aisha! Do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I have asked Him about?, two men came to Me and one of them sat near My head and the other near My feet, one of them said to his companion What is the disease of this man?, the other replied "He is under the effect of magic, the first one asked Who has made the magic on Him?, the other replied Labid bin Ala'asm, the first one asked What material did he use?, the other replied 'A comb and the hairs stuck to it and the skin of pollen of a male date palm, the first one asked Where is that?, the other replied In the well of Zarwan, so Allah's Messenger along with some of His companions went there and came back saying O Aisha, the color of its water is like the infusion of Henna leaves, the tops of the date-palm trees near it are like the heads of the devils, I asked O Allah's Messenger Why did you not show it?, He said Since Allah cured Me, I dislike to let evil spread among the people, then He ordered that the well be filled up with earth" (Sahih Albukhari 5763). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (104,105) "O you who have believed! Do not say Listen to us but Say Wait for us, and Listen, and for the disbelievers there is a painful punishment, neither those who disbelieved from among the people of the Book nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord, but Allah chooses for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of the great bounty", that is, Allah forbade the believers from imitating the Jews in their words and actions when they distorted the words of Allah from their places, and said to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) we hear and we disobey, and Hear, may You do not hear and Listen to us, twisting their tongues and defaming the religion, and Allah assures that if the Jews said we hear and obey and Hear and Wait for us, surely, it would have been better for them and more suitable as He has stated in Aya (46) of Surat Alnisa', so Allah commanded the believers not to say to Allah's Messenger Listen to us, but to say Wait for us, so that we understand what You say to us, and Allah commanded them to listen to Allah's Messenger with reverence and respect for Him not in a manner of rudeness and sullenness towards Him, so Allah commanded them to follow Him, obey His commands, and avoid His prohibitions, and not to be like the Jews in their address to Allah's Messenger, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abdullah bin Umar: "He who copies any people is one of them" (Sunan Abi Dawood 4031). Then Allah assures that He has prepared for the disbelievers who oppose Him and His Messenger a painful punishment in Hellfire on the day of resurrection, so Do not be like them lest Allah's punishment will befall you as it will befall them, then Allah shows the intensity of the enmity of those who disbelieved from among the people of the Scripture and the polytheists whom Allah warns against imitating them, as they do not like that any good should be sent down to the believers out of envy and hatred towards the believers, so they wished that Allah would not sent down to them the Holy Quran and the wisdom, but Allah assures that He chooses for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of the great bounty, so Allah chooses whom He wills for prophethood and message, and Allah guides who He will to faith as a mercy from Him to His servants so that they may attain His pleasure and win His Paradise.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (106,107) "We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten that We bring forth one better than it or one similar to it, Do You not know that Allah is All-powerful over everything?, Do you not know that to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth?, and you have not besides Allah any protector or any helper", that is, Allah did not abrogate a verse to another, nor He changed its ruling except that He brought forth a verse batter than it in terms of benefit or similar to it in ruling, so Allah turns the lawful into unlawful and the unlawful into lawful, the permissible to prohibited and the prohibited into permissible, and that only occurs in the verses of commands, prohibitions, but as for the news such as the description of Paradise, Hellfire, the day of resurrection, as well the news of the previous nations, there is no abrogating or abrogated verse in them. The abrogation is of two types: the first is abrogation of a verse to a lighter and a better one such as the verse of fighting when it was abrogated from ten to two in Ayat (65,66) of Surat Alanfal as Allah has abrogated {if there are among you twenty who are patient, they will overcome two hundred} with { if there are among you one hundred who are patient, they will overcome two hundred}, and the second type is abrogation of a verse to a similar one such as changing the direction of Qiblah "direction of prayer" as will come later in Ayat (142-144)

 Likewise, Allah did not cause a verse to be forgotten, so no one can recite it except that He brought forth a verse better than it or similar to it, and as narrated by Anas bin Malik: "The tribes of Ri'l, Dhazwan, Usaiya, and Bani Lihyan asked Allah's Messenger to provide them with some men to support them against their enemy, He therefore provided them with seventy men from the Ansar whom we used to call Alqura' in their lifetime, they used to collect wood by daytime and pray at night. When they were at the well of Ma'una, the infidels killed them by betraying them, when this news reached the Prophet(PBUH), He stood in the Fajr prayer (morning prayer) for one month invoking evil upon some of the Arabs tribes, upon Ri'l, Dhazwan, Usaiya, and Bani Lihyan, we used to read a verse of the Quran revealed in their connection, but later the verse was cancelled, it was Convey to our people on our behalf that we have met our Lord, and He is pleased with us, and has made us pleased" (Sahih Albukhari 4090). And as narrated by Ibn Abbas that Umar said: "Our best Quran reciter is Ubai, and our best judge is Ali, and in spite of this we leave some of the statement of Ubai because Ubai says I do not leave anything that I have heard from Allah's Messenger while Allah Almighty says We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten" (Sahih Albukhari 4481). Then Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying Do you not know that Allah is All-powerful over everything?, so Allah assures that He is All-powerful to do whatever He wills, and neither impediment nor inability can prevent Him from doing whatever He wills, and Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) again saying Do you not know that to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth?, so the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone by creation, invention, authority, power, command, and will, and He disposes them as He wills, so you have neither a Protector nor a Helper besides Allah in order to support you and dispose your affairs.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (108-110) "Or Do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before?, and whoever exchanges the disbelief with the faith, then he has certainly gone astray from the straight way, many of the people of the Book wish they could turn you back into disbelievers after your belief, out of envy from themselves after the truth has become clear to them, so Pardon and Overlook till Allah brings His command, indeed, Allah is All-Powerful over everything, and Establish the prayer and Give the Zakah, and whatever you send forth for yourselves of good, you will find it with Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Seeing of what you do", that is, Allah forbade the believers from imitating the Jews when they set conditions for belief in the Prophet Moses, peace be upon Him, including their saying We will not believe in You until we see Allah openly as shown above in Aya (55), so Allah condemned whoever asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) out of denial and stubbornness, just as the Children of Israel asked the Prophet Moses, peace be upon Him, then Allah assures that whoever exchanges the disbelief with the faith, so he exchanges denying Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and asking Him questions that he does not need in a manner of obstinacy and disbelief with believing in Allah's Messenger and following Him, then he has erred and turned away from the path of guidance to the path of error and ignorance. 

 Then Allah informed the believers of the hostility of the Jews towards the believers, inwardly and outwardly, and of the envy they harbor for the believers, so the Jews are people of deceit, envy, and malice towards them, as they wish they could turn the believers back into disbelievers after their belief out of envy from themselves after the truth with regard to the matter of Muhammad (PBUH) has become clear to them, so they were striving to turn the people away from following Allah's Messenger as much as they could despite their knowledge that He is the Prophet whom they find written with them in the Torah, then Allah commanded the believers to pardon until His command of conquest and victory comes, and He decrees concerning them what He wills, and Allah abrogated His pardon and brought out His command when He ordered the believers to fight them as mentioned in Aya (29) of Surat Altawbah {Fight those who do not believe in Allah nor in the Last Day, and who do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Book until they give the Jizyah in humiliation while they are despised}, and Allah assures that He is All-powerful to do whatever He wills, as neither impediment nor inability can prevent Him from doing whatever He wills, so if He wills, He will guide them to the straight path, and if He wills, He will punish them with a severe punishment. Then Allah commanded the believers to establish the prayers in their prescribed times and to give the Zakah (obligatory charity), and Allah urged the believers to do good deeds saying And whatever you send forth for yourselves of good, you will find it with Allah, so whatever righteous deeds you do during your life, you will find its reward with Allah on the day of resurrection, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do, so nothing of your deeds is hidden from Him, and He will recompense you for whatever you send forth for yourselves of good and evil. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (111,112) "And they say no one will enter Paradise except he who is a Jew or a Christian, these are their wishful thinking, Say Bring your proof if you are truthful, yes, whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a good doer, then for him there will be his reward with his Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve", that is, the Jews claimed that no one will enter Paradise except those who are Jews, and the Christians claimed that no one will enter Paradise except those who are Christians, thereupon, Allah assures that this claim that they made without any evidence or argument is nothing but their wishful thinking, so they claimed by their wishful thinking what they did not have, so Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to say to them Bring your proof if you are truthful in your claim that Paradise is exclusively for you to the exclusion of all other people. Then Allah responds to their claim saying Yes, he who sincerely worships Allah, submits his face to Him, and he is a good doer who worships Allah as if he sees Him, and if he cannot see Him, then Allah sees him, so he acts according to Allah's commands and prohibitions and followed His Messenger (PBUH), then for him there will be his reward with his Lord as He will reward him with the best reward in Paradise on the day of resurrection, and there will be no fear for them for what they will face later and they will not grieve for what they missed before.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (113) "The Jews say the Christians are not upon anything, and the Christians say the Jews are not upon anything, although they recite the Book, thus those who do not know said the like of their words, so Allah will judge between them on the day of resurrection in that about which they used to differ", that is, the Jews said that the Christians are on nothing and they denied the prophethood of Jesus, peace be upon Him, and disbelieved in the Gospel, and the Christians said that the Jews are on nothing, and they denied the Prophethood of Moses, peace be upon Him, and disbelieved in the Torah while they were reciting the Scripture, so each one finds in his Scripture a confirmation of the Prophet whom he disbelieved in, so the Jews disbelieved in Jesus while they have the Torah in which is what Allah took from them through the tongue of Moses to believe in Jesus and the Gospel, and the Christians disbelieved in Moses while they have the Gospel in which there is a confirmation of the Prophet Moses, and of the Torah, so the Gospel which Christians believe to be true fulfills what is in the Torah of the Prophecy of Moses, peace be upon Him, and what Allah imposed on the Children of Israel in it of obligation, and the Torah which the Jews believe to be true fulfills the Prophecy of Jesus, peace be upon Him, and what He brought from Allah of rulings and obligations, so they know well the law of the Torah and the Gospel and that each of which was legitimate in its time, but they disputed among themselves out of stubbornness and denial. Thus those who do not know said the like of their words, so the Jews and the Christians said like the words of the infidels who have no Scripture and disbelieve out of ignorance, stubbornness, and denial, so Allah will judge between the Jews, the Christians, and the disbelievers on the day of resurrection in what they used to differ therein of beliefs and deeds. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (114,115) "And who is more unjust than he who prevents the mosques of Allah from being mentioned therein His Name and strives towards their destruction, it is not for those to enter them except in fear, for them there is a disgrace in the world, and for them there is a great punishment in the Hereafter, and to Allah belongs the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the Countenance of Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Encompassing, All-knower", that is, who is more unjust and transgressive than he who prevents the Name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strives towards their destruction. It was said that this verse was revealed regarding the Christians who prevented the people from praying in the mosque of Jerusalem, and it was said that it was revealed regarding the polytheists of Quraish who expelled Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) and His companions from Mecca and prevented them from praying in the Sacred Mosque "Ka'bah", but it is general for everyone who prevents the mosques from being used for prayer and preforming Islamic rituals in them, and strives to spread corruption on the earth, and it is general in every place where Allah is worshipped and prostrated to, where Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Jabir bin Abdullah: "The earth has been made for Me a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum" (Sahih Albukhari 438). 

 Then Allah commanded the Muslims not to allow the infidels to enter the Mosques, and if they entered them, they entered them in fear that the Muslims would expel them and torture them for entering the Mosques, then Allah assures that for those who prevent people from the Mosques of Allah and strive towards their destruction there is a disgrace and humiliation in the worldly life, and for them there is a great punishment in Hellfire in the Hereafter, and Allah assures that to Him belongs the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the Countenance of Allah, so you do not turn your faces in any direction except that Allah is in that direction, and Allah is All-Encompassing in His bounty, Generous with His gifts, All-Knower of His creation as nothing of their affair is hidden from Him, so He knows wherever He places His bounty. And as narrated by Ibn Umar: "The Messenger of Allah would perform voluntary prayer upon His mount facing whichever direction He was headed while He was coming from Mecca to Medina, then Ibn Umar recited {And to Allah belongs the east and the west}, and Ibn Umar said it was about this that the Aya was revealed. It has been reported from Qatadah that he said about this Aya {And to Allah belongs the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the Countenance of Allah} it is abrogated, it was abrogated by Allah's saying {So Turn your faces in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: meaning facing it }" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2985).

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (116,117) "They say Allah has taken a son, Glory to be Him, rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, all are obedient to Him, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, and when He decrees a matter, He only says to it Be, and it comes to be", that is, Allah absolves Himself from having a son, where the Jews say Ezra is the son of Allah and the Christians say the Messiah is the son of Allah as mentioned in Aya (30) of Surat Altawbah, while the disbelievers have made the Angels who are servants of Allah females as Allah has stated in Aya (19) of Surat Alzukhruf, and claimed that the Angels are the daughters of Allah, so they have attributed a son to Allah while to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, all are obedient and submissive to Him, willingly or unwillingly, and as narrated by Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (PBUH) said that Allah has said: "The son of Adam tells a lie against Me though he has no right to do so, and he abuses Me though he has no right to do so, as for his telling a lie against Me, it is that he claims that I cannot recreate him as I created him before, and as for abusing Me, it is his statement that I have a son, so Glory to be Me! I am far from taking a wife or a son" (Sahih Albukhari 4482). So the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone, He is the Originator and the Creator of the heavens and the earth without any origin or example to be followed, so How could He have a son when He does not have a wife and He created everything? as Allah has stated in Aya (101) of Surat Alan'am, so all those in the heavens and the earth are His slaves, so How could Allah have a son from among them?, a son can only be born from two proportional things and Allah Almighty has no equal, no partner, and no companion for Him, so How could He have a son?, and when Allah decrees a matter, He only says to it Be, and it comes to be as nothing refuses to obey His commands, and whatever He wills will inevitably happen. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (118,119) "And those who do not know say Why does Allah not speak to us, or Why does a sign not come to us?, thus those before them said the like of their words, their hearts resemble each other, indeed, We have made clear the signs to a people who are certain, indeed, We have sent You with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, and You will not be asked about the companions of the Hell", that is, Allah tells about the disbelievers who set conditions for belief in Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) out of their ignorance, arrogance, and stubbornness saying Why does Allah not speak to us, or a sign not come to us?, so they wanted Allah to speak to them so that they would believe in Him, and they asked for a sign that will be a proof of the prophethood of His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), thus those before them said the like of their words, so their hearts resemble each other, so the disbelievers said the like of the words of the people of the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians or the words of other disbelievers, and their hearts were similar to the hearts of those before them in ignorance, arrogance, and stubbornness, as the Jews said to the Prophet Moses O Moses! We will not believe in You until we see Allah openly as shown above in Aya (55), and the disbelievers also wanted to see Allah as mentioned in Aya (21) of Surat Alfurqan saying {Why were the Angels not sent down to us or Why do we not see our Lord?}, then Allah assures that He made the signs clear to a people who are certain of the truthfulness of Allah's Messengers, so they believed in them and followed them, but as for the disbelievers who are not certain, they will not believe even if every sign comes to them until they see the painful punishment as Allah has stated in Ayat (96,97) of Surat Yunus. Then Allah addresses His Messenger saying that He has sent Him with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings of Paradise and its constant bliss for those who obey Allah, and a warner of Hellfire and its humiliating punishment for those who disobey Him, and Allah assures His Messenger (PBUH) that He will not be asked about the companions of the Hell, so He will not be asked about the disbelief of those who disbelieve in Allah and oppose His Messenger after giving them the glad tiding and warning them, so Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was only responsible for conveying the message clearly to them, and Allah will hold them accountable for their disbelief on the Day of Resurrection as mentioned in Aya (40) of Surat Alra'd {Then only upon You is the conveyance, and upon Us is the reckoning}.

  Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (120,121) "And the Jews or the Christians will not be pleased with You until You follow their religion, Say indeed, the guidance of Allah is the guidance, and if You were to follow their desires after what has come to You of the knowledge, You would not have against Allah any protector or any helper, those to whom We have given the Book recite it as it should be recited, those believe in it, and whoever disbelieves in it, then those are the losers", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that the Jews and the Christians will not be pleased with Him until He follows their religion and abandon the religion of Islam, so Allah commanded His Messenger to assure them that the guidance of Allah is the true guidance, so the guidance with which Allah has sent His Messenger is the straight, correct, complete, and comprehensive religion, and Allah warns His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) against following the desires of the Jews and the Christians saying that if He follows the way of the Jews and the Christians after what has come to Him of the knowledge and revelation, so He has neither a Protector nor a Helper besides Allah in order to support Him, dispose His affairs, and protect Him from Allah's punishment. Although the address is to Allah's Messenger (PBUH), but the command is to His Ummah, so Allah threatens the Muslims with a severe threat against following the ways of the Jews and the Christians after the truth has become clear to them through what has come to them of the knowledge and what they have learned from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. 

 Then Allah assures that the scholars from among the Children of Israel to whom Allah has given the Book recite their Scripture as it should be recited, so they believe in it, followed it as it should be followed, acknowledged its rulings, did not distort the words from their places, and acted according to what Allah has commanded them therein with regard to following Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), so they believed in Him and in what He has brought them from His Lord, but as for those who disbelieve in their Scripture and denied the Prophethood of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), then those are the losers in the worldly life and the Hereafter for they are upon nothing until they uphold the Torah and the Gospel and what has been sent down to them from their Lord as Allah has stated in Aya (68) of Surat Alma'idah. And Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "By the One in whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! No one of this nation, whether a Jew or a Christian, hears of Me, then he dies while he does not believe in that with which I have been sent except that he will be among the companions of the Fire" (Sahih Muslim 153).

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (122,123) "O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I have favored you over the worlds, and Fear a day when a soul will not avail another soul in anything, nor will ransom be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be helped", that is, Allah commanded the Children of Israel for the third time to remember His favor that He has bestowed upon their forefathers as shown above in Ayat (40,47), and to remember that Allah has favored them over the worlds of their times by appointing Prophets among them and granting them kingdom as mentioned in Aya (20) of Surat Alma'idah {And when Moses said to His people O My people! Remember the favor of Allah upon you when He appointed among you Prophets and made you kings and gave you that which He had not given to anyone of the worlds}, indisputably, the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) is the best nation produced for mankind as Allah has stated in Aya (110) Surat Ali Imran. Then Allah threatens the Children of Israel and frightens them with His punishment on the day of resurrection if they persist on disbelief and opposing His Messenger (PBUH) and His Book saying And Fear a day when a soul will not avail another soul in anything, so no soul will be held accountable for the sin of another soul nor will a soul avert any punishment from another soul to the point that neither a father nor his son can avail one another at all as Allah has stated in Aya (33) of Surat Luqman {O mankind! Fear your Lord and fear a day when a father will not avail his son, nor will a son avail his father in anything}.

 Allah has informed the Children of Israel that nothing would benefit them except repentance from their disbelief, turning back from their misguidance, and following His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), so no ransom will be accepted from the disbelievers on the day of resurrection, even if they would ransom themselves with the full of the earth in gold as mentioned in Aya (91) of Surat Ali Imran, and no intercession will benefit them, and Allah made them despair of the intercession of anyone as He has stated in Aya (48) of Surat Almuddaththir {So there will not benefit them the intercession of the intercessors}, so if the Children of Israel do not believe in Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) and do not follow the truth that He has been sent with, and they meet Allah on the day of resurrection as they are, then no ransom will be accepted from them, and neither a kinship of a relative nor the intercession of anyone will benefit them, and they will not be helped, so they will not find anyone to save them from Allah's punishment.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (124) "And when Abraham was tested by His Lord with words and He fulfilled them, He said indeed, I will make You a leader for the people, He said and of My progeny, He said My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers", that is, Allah has tested the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, with obligations He imposed upon Him and commands He commands Him to carry out, as a test and a trial for Him, and  the Prophet Abraham fulfilled all that was prescribed for Him, and that was one of the virtues that Allah has described Him with, as He says in Aya (37) of Surat Alnajm {And Abraham who fulfilled}, and the clear trail for the Prophet Abraham was when Allah commanded Him in a dream to slaughter His son Ishmael, and He has fulfilled the dream, but when He and His son submitted to Allah's command, Allah ransomed Ishmael with a great sacrifice to be slaughtered instead of Him as Allah has stated in Ayat (102-107) of Surat Alsaffat {Indeed, this is the clear trial, and We ransomed Him with a great sacrifice}, so Allah has rewarded the Prophet Abraham for what He has done saying I will make You a leader for the people, so when He carried out the commands and left the prohibitions, Allah made Him a role model and a leader (Imam) for the people to follow and imitate. And when Allah has made the Prophet Abraham a leader for the people, He asked Allah that the leaders (Imams) after Him would be from His descendants, so Allah responded to His request and placed in His progeny the prophethood and the Book as mentioned in Aya (27) of Surat Alankaboot {And We placed in His progeny the prophethood and the Book}, but Allah has informed the Prophet Abraham that not all of His descendants are righteous, and there would be wrongdoers from among His descendants, so the covenant of Allah will not reach them, and they would not be Imams so that they would not be followed, so as for whoever among His descendants is righteous, Allah will make him an Imam to be followed, but as for whoever is wrongdoer, Allah will not make him an Imam to be followed.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (125) "And when We made the House a place of return for the people and a security, and Take from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer, and We charged Abraham and Ishmael that You both Purify My House for those who circumambulate, and those who stay there, and those who bow and prostrate", that is, Allah made the Sacred House (Ka'bah) a place of return for the people, so they do not end their need for the Sacred House, they come to it, then return to their families, then return to it, so Allah made the Sacred House a place that souls yearn for, and that they would never end their need for it even if they visited it every year in response to the supplication of the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, when He said {So Make hearts among the people incline towards them,} as mentioned in Aya (37) of Surat Ibrahim, and Allah  made the Sacred House a security for the people, so they are safe from killing or any other harm as Allah has stated in Aya (97) of Surat Ali Imran {And whoever enters it will be safe}. 

 Then Allah commanded the Muslims to take the standing place of Abraham "Maqam" a place of prayer, and the standing place of Abraham  is the stone on which He stood when He was raising the foundations of the Sacred House, and on which are the footprints of His feet, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Ishmael brought the stones and Abraham was building, and when the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham who stood over it, and carried on building, while Ishmael was handing him the stones" (Sahih Albukhari 364), and the location of the standing place of Abraham was next to the Ka'bah, and it is now under the building behind which Muslims pray the two Rak'ahs of Tawaf, and it was attached to the Ka'bah as the Prophet Abraham used to stand on it and His son Ishmael handed Him the stones, but Umar bin Alkhattab, may Allah be pleased with him, moved it in his emirate to the east side, so that those who circumambulate would not disturb those who pray at the standing place after circumambulating the Ka'bah, and as narrated by Anas: "Umar said I agreed with Allah in three things, or said my Lord agreed with me in three things. I said O Allah's Messenger! Would that You took the standing place of Abraham as a place of prayer, I also said O Allah's Messenger! Good and bad persons visit You, Would that You ordered the mothers of the believers to cover themselves with veils, so the Divine verses of Hijab were revealed i.e. Aya (31) of Surat Alnoor, and Aya (59) of Surat Alahzab. I came to know that the Prophet (PBUH) had blamed some of His wives, so I entered upon them and said you should either stop or else Allah will give His Messenger better wives than you, when I came to one of His wives, she said to Me O Umar! Does Allah's Messenger have not what He could advise His wives with, that you try to advise them?, thereupon, Allah revealed {Perhaps if He divorced you, His Lord will substitute for Him wives better than you, submissive Surat Altahrim Aya 5}" (Sahih Albukhari 4483). 

 And as narrated by Ja'far bin Muhammad from his father from Jabir bin Abdullah: "When we came with Allah's Messenger (PBUH) to the House, He touched the pillar "Alhajar Al-Aswad", and circumambulated seven, running three of them and walking four, then He went to the standing place of Abraham and He recited {And Take from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer}, and He made the standing place between Him and the House, and Ja'far bin Muhammad said His father Muhammad bin Ali used to say I do not know that he mentioned it except from Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and that He recited in the two Rak'ahs {Say, He is Allah, who is One Surat Alikhlas}, and {Say O disbelievers Surat Alkafirun}, then He returned to the pillar "Alhajar Al-aswad" and kissed it" (Sahih Muslim 1218). And as narrated by Isma'il bin Khalid that Abdullah bin Abu Awfa said: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) performed Umrah, so he performed Tawaf of the Ka'bah and offered two Rak'ahs behind the Maqam (Standing place of Abraham), and was accompanied by those who were screening Him from the people, somebody asked Abdullah Did Allah's Messenger enter the Ka'bah?, Abdullah said no" (Sahih Albukhari 1600). And Allah commanded the Prophet Abraham and His son Ishmael to purify the Sacred Mosque from idols and from the worship of idols therein for those who go around it (Performing Tawaf) and those who are staying there for worship and seclude themselves for prayer therein, and those who bow, and prostrate in the prayer.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (126) "And when Abraham said My Lord! Make this a secure city and Provide its people with the fruits, whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day, He said and whoever disbelieves, I will let him enjoy for a little, then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the fate", that is, the Prophet Abraham supplicated Allah for the people of Mecca including His progeny to have security and comfortable life, so He asked Allah to make Mecca a secure city, and Allah has made Mecca a secure city since the creation of the Heavens and the earth by preventing those who intended to cause corruption in it, and warding off the calamities from it, but Allah did not impose the obligation of its sanctity through any of the Prophets before the Prophet Abraham as an act of worship when He responded to His supplication and made Mecca a sacred city, so whoever transgresses Allah's limits in Mecca, Allah will punish him with a severe punishment. And as narrated by Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said on the day of conquest of Mecca: "Indeed, Allah has made this city a sanctuary since the creation of the heavens and the earth, and will remain a sanctuary till the day of resurrection as Allah has ordained its sanctity, fighting was not permissible in it for anyone before Me, and even for Me it was allowed only for a portion of a day. So it is a sanctuary with Allah's sanctity till the day of resurrection, its thorns should not be uprooted and its game should not be chased, and its Luqata (falling things) should not be picked up except by one who would announce that publicly, and its grass should not be cut, Al-Abbas said O Allah's Messenger! Except Al-Idhkhar for it is used by their blacksmiths, and for their domestic purposes, so Allah's Messenger said except Al-Idhkhar" (Sahih Albukhari 1834), and Allah's Messenger made Medina a sacred city just as the Prophet Abraham made Mecca a sacred city, as narrated by Jabir that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Abraham declared Mecca as sacred, and I declare Medina that between the two mountains as inviolable, no tree should be lopped and no game is to be molested" (Sahih Muslim 1362).

 The Prophet Abraham also asked Allah to provide the believers of Mecca with the fruits, not the disbelievers, saying whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day, but Allah informed that He provides for those disbelieve just as He provides for those who believe in the worldly life, and Allah just will let them enjoy for a little in the worldly life to the end of their life, then He will force them to the punishment of Hellfire on the day of resurrection, and what a miserable fate that is! For the good things of provision will be exclusively for those who believed in Allah in the worldly life on the day of resurrection as Allah has stated in Aya (32) of Surat Ala'raf, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "When the people saw the first fruit of the season, they brought it to Allah's Messenger (PBUH), when He received it He said O Allah! Bless us in our fruits and Bless us in our city, and Bliss us in our Sa's (measure tool), and Bless us in our Mudd (measure tool) O Allah! Abraham was Your servant, Your friend, and Your Prophet, and I am Your servant and Your Prophet, He supplicated You for Mecca, and I supplicate You for Medina just as He supplicated You for Mecca, and the like of it in addition, He would then call to the youngest child and give him these fruits" (Sahih Muslim 1373). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (127) "And when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and Ishmael Our Lord! Accept from Us, indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knower", that is, the Prophet Abraham settled His wife Hajar and His son Ishmael in an uncultivated valley near the Sacred House as Allah has stated in Aya (37) of Surat Ibrahim, and as narrated by Ibn Abbas that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said that the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, brought his wife Hajar and His son Ishmael while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka'bah (The Sacred House) under a tree on the spot of Zamzam at the highest place in the mosque, and He set out homeward, and on reaching the Thaniya where they could not see Him, He faced the Ka'bah, raising both hands and invoked Allah saying these words Our Lord, I have settled some of My progeny in an uncultivated valley near Your Sacred House, Our Lord that they may establish the prayer, so Make hearts among the people incline towards them, and Provide them from the fruits, so that they may give thanks (Surat Ibrahim Ayat (37,38), so they obey Your commands and avoid Your prohibitions. And Allah has sent an Angel at the place of Zamzam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing), till water flowed from that place, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it, the Angel said to her Do not be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and His father, and Allah never neglects His people, the House (Ka'bah) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left. When Allah ordered the Prophet Abraham to raise the foundations of the Ka'bah, He came to His son Ishmael and said to him O Ishmael! Allah has given me an order, Ishmael said Do what Your Lord has ordered You to do?, Abraham asked Will you help Me?, Ishmael said I will help You, Abraham said, Allah has ordered to build a house here, pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it, the Prophet added, then they raised the foundation of the House (Ka'bah), Ishmael brought the stones and Abraham was building, and when the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham who stood over it, and carried on building, while Ishmael was handing him the stones, and both of them were saying {Our Lord! Accept from Us, indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knower}, the Prophet added, then both of them went on building and going round the Ka'bah saying Our Lord! Accept from Us, indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knower" (Sahih Albukhari 3364). 

 Thereupon, the Prophet Abraham and His son Ishmael rebuilt the Ka'bah after it had been destroyed for the Prophet Abraham said to Allah I have settled some of My progeny in an uncultivated valley near Your Sacred House, and Allah has pointed out for the Prophet Abraham the original foundations of the Ka'bah as mentioned in Aya (26) of Surat Alhajj {And when We pointed out for Abraham the place of the House}, But the Ka'bah was destroyed again, and Quraish rebuilt it on foundations other than the foundations of Abraham, peace be upon Him, where as narrated by Aisha: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said Don't you see that when your people built the Ka'bah, they did not build it on all Abraham's foundations?, I said O Allah's Messenger! Why don't You rebuild it on Abraham's foundations?, He said Were your people not so close to heathenism, I would do so, Abdullah bin Umar said Aisha had surely heard Allah's Messenger saying that, for I do not think that Allah's Messenger left touching the two corners of the Ka'bah facing Alhijr except because the Ka'bah was not built on all Abraham's foundations" (Sahih Albukhari 4484). And as narrated by Abdullah bin Alzubair from his mother's sister, Aisha, that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "O Aisha! Were your people not so close to polytheism, I would have demolished the Ka'bah, and would have brought it to the level of the ground, and would have constructed two doors, one facing the east, and the other to the west, and would have added to it six cubits of area from the Hijr, for Quraish had reduced it when they rebuilt it" Sahih Muslim 1333 e).

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (128,129) "Our Lord! And Make us two Muslims to You and from Our progeny a Muslim community to You, and Show Us Our rites and Turn to Us, indeed, You are Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful, Our Lord! And Send among them a Messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them, indeed, You are the Almighty, the All-Wise", that is, when the Prophet Abraham and His son Ishmael, peace be upon both of them, were raising the foundations of the Ka'bah, they kept supplicating Allah to made them two Muslims to Allah and from their progeny a Muslim community to Him, so they asked Allah to make them submissive to His command and obedient to Him, not associating anyone with Allah in worship nor in obedience, and to make their descendants follow their path, so that they may be a nation devoted to Allah, and they asked Allah to show them their rites of worship, and it was said that the Prophet Abraham and Ishmael asked Allah to show them the rites of Hajj, and the rites include everything that a servant does to draw closer to Allah, whether it be by slaughtering a sacrifice, praying, circumambulating the Ka'bah, or other righteous deeds, and they asked Allah to turn to them in mercy and forgiveness, and praised Him saying indeed, You are Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful.

 The Prophet Abraham and His son Ishmael supplicated Allah for Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) in particular saying {And Send among them a Messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them, indeed, You are the Almighty, the All-Wise}, and Allah has chosen His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) from the descendants of Ishmael, where as narrated by Wathilah bin Alasqa': "I heard Allah's Messenger as saying verily Allah has granted eminence to Kinana from among the descendants of Ishmael, and He granted eminence to Quraish from among Kinana, and He granted eminence to Banu Hashim from among Quraish, and He granted Me eminence from among Banu Hashim" (Sahih Muslim 2276). Thereupon, Allah has sent His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) from among the progeny of Abraham and Ishmael, peace be upon Them, in order to recite the Holy Quran to the people, to teach them the Holy Quran and the jurisprudence in religion and clarification of everything that they need in the matter of their religion and their worldly life, to purify them from the filth of disbelief and sins, and to teach them that which they did not know as will come later in Aya (151).

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (130-132) "And who would turn away from the religion of Abraham except he who fooled himself, and We have chosen Him in the world, and indeed, in the Hereafter, He will be among the righteous, when His Lord said to Him Submit, He said I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds, and Abraham enjoined it upon His sons and Jacob O My sons! Indeed, Allah has chosen for you the religion, so Do not die except as Muslims", that is, Allah assures that no one turns away from the religion and the Law of Abraham out of a desire for another except he who fooled himself, as he wronged himself with his foolishness when he abandoned the truth for misguidance and deviated from the path of Allah to the path of Satan, and Allah has chosen the Prophet Abraham in the worldly life for the message, and He will be among the righteous who will have a higher degrees in Paradise in the Hereafter. When Allah said to the Prophet Abraham Submit, so Be sincere in Your worship of Me, and Submit to Me in obedience, the Prophet Abraham said I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds, so the religion of Abraham is the religion of Islam and monotheism, therefore, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) in Aya (123) of Surat Alnahl saying {Then We revealed to You that Follow the religion of Abraham, upright, and He was not of the polytheists}, and Allah says in Aya (68) of Surat Ali Imran {Indeed, the most worthy of Abraham among the people are those who followed Him, and this Prophet, and those who believed, and Allah is the Ally of the believers}. The Prophet Abraham enjoined the religion of Islam upon His sons and the Prophet Jacob also enjoined it upon His sons, and the Prophet Jacob is the grandson of the Prophet Abraham from His son Isaac as Allah has stated in Aya (71) of Surat Hud {And His wife was standing, and she laughed then We gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac Jacob}, so the Prophet Abraham and His grandson Jacob enjoined upon their descendants obedience to Allah, submission to Him, and commanded them to adhere to Islam and not to abandon it until they die.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (133,134) "Or Were you witnesses when the death approached Jacob, when He said to His sons What will you worship after Me?, they said we will worship Your God and the God of Your fathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, One God, and we are Muslims to Him, that was a nation which has passed on, it will have what it earned and you will have what you have earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do", that is, Allah denounces those who turned away from the religion of Abraham and denied His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that when the death approached the Prophet Jacob, peace be upon Him, He said to His sons What will you worship after Me?, they said we will worship Your God and the God of Your fathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, One God, and we are Muslims to Him, so when the Prophet Jacob was about to die, He enjoined upon His sons the worship of Allah alone, with no partner, and they confirmed to Him their steadfastness in religion and their worship of Allah alone saying that they will worship His God and the God of His fathers Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, and that they are obedient and submissive to Allah, so they assured that they will worship Allah, the God of His grandfather Abraham, of His uncle Ishmael, and of His father Isaac, although the Prophet Ishmael is His uncle, but they consider Him one of His fathers because the Arabs consider the uncle to be of the same status as the father. Then Allah threatens them saying that the nation of the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants had passed on, and that they will have what they earned and you will have what you have earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do, so your ancestors who passed away from among your fathers, the Prophets, and the righteous people will not benefit you if you do not do good that will benefit you, for them are the deeds that they did, and for you are the deeds that you have done, and you will not be held accountable for what they used to do of evil and good.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (135,136) "And they said Be Jews or Christians, so you will be guided, Say rather the religion of Abraham, upright, and He was not of the polytheists, Say we have believed in Allah and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the Prophets from their Lord, we do not make distinction between any of them, and to Him we are Muslims", that is, the Jews and the Christians said to the Muslims Be Jews or Christians, so you will be guided, so the Jews claimed that there is no guidance except what they are upon, and the Christians claimed the same, that their religion is better than Islam, and that their Scripture is better than the Holy Quran, thereupon, Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to say to them we do not follow Judaism and Christianity, nor do we take them as religion, but we follow the religion of Abraham who was neither a Jew nor a Christian as Allah has stated in Aya (67) of Surat Ali Imran, but rather, He was upright as He used to teach the people their religion, enjoin good, and forbid evil, He was a Muslim who used to submit to Allah in all of His words and deeds, and He was not of the polytheists, but rather He devoted Himself to worship Allah alone with no partner. 

 And Allah commanded the believers to say to those who turned away from the religion of Allah that they do not seek other than the religion of Allah, but rather, they believe in Allah, there is no God but Him, they do not worship anyone but Him, and they also believe in what was sent down to them of the Holy Quran, and in what was sent down of Scriptures and revelation to the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and the Descendants are the Descendants of the Prophet Jacob, and among them is the Prophet Joseph, and they believe in what was given to Moses of the Torah and Jesus of the Gospel, and in what was given to all the Prophets from their Lord, so they believe in all of them and they do not make distinction between any of them and to Him they are Muslims, so they do not disbelieve in any Prophet or any Scripture, rather they believe in what was sent down from Allah and acknowledge that it is the truth, guidance, and light from Allah, and believe in every Prophet sent by Allah, and acknowledge that they were on truth and guidance, confirming one another, and calling to the Oneness of Allah, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "The people of the Scripture used to recite the Torah in Hebrew and they used to explain it in Arabic to the Muslims, on that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said Do not believe the people of the Scripture or disbelieve them, but Say we have believed in Allah and in what was sent down to us....."(Sahih Albukhari 4485). And as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to recite in the first of the two Rak'ahs of the Dawn (Fajr prayer,{Say we have believed in Allah and in what was sent down to us} Aya 136 of Surat Albaqarah, and in the second of the two {We have believed in Allah and Bear witness that indeed, we are Muslims} Aya (52) of Surat Ali Imran" (Sahih Muslim 727 a).

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (137-139) "So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then indeed, they are guided, but if they turn away, then they are only in dissension, and Allah will suffice You against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knower, the religion of Allah, and Who is better than Allah in religion?, and we are worshippers of Him, Say Do you argue with us concerning Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord?, for us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds, and we are sincere to Him", that is, Allah assures that if the Jews and the Christians believe in the same as the believers believe in, so they believe in Allah, in all of Allah's Books and in all of Allah's Messengers, and they do not make distinction between any of them, then they have attained the truth and have been guided to it. But if they turn away from the truth to falsehood after the truth had become clear to them, then they are only in dissension and disobedience to Allah and His Messenger, so Allah reassured His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) that He will suffice Him against them, and will grant Him victory over them, and Allah is All-Hearing of what they say of ignorance and disbelief when each group claimed that they were the rightly guided ones as shown above in Aya (135), and Allah is All-Knower of what they conceal of hatred and animosity towards the believers. 

 Then Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to say to the Jews and the Christians that we follow the religion of Allah upon which He created His creation, and that is the upright religion based on belief in Allah, and all of His Books and Messengers, and Who is better than Allah in religion?, and we are worshippers of Him, so we follow the religion of Abraham that Allah has legislated for His creation, and we are submissive and obedient to Allah, not arrogant to believe in any of His Books or Messengers. Then Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to say to the Jews and the Christians who claimed that Judaism or Christianity is the upright religion Do you argue with us concerning Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord?, so Do you argue with us about the religion of Allah, and closeness to Him while He is our Lord and your Lord, so He will judge between us and will reward each one for his deeds, so we will have the reward for what we earn of deeds and you will have the reward for what you earn of deeds, therefore, we will not be held accountable for your deeds, nor will you be held accountable for our deeds, and we are sincere to Allah in worship and obedience, not associating anyone with Him in worship as you did when you claimed that Ezra is the son of Allah, and Messiah is the son of Allah as mentioned in Aya (30) of Surat Altawbah. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (140,141) "Or Do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the descendants were Jews or Christians?, Say Do you know best or does Allah?, and Who is more unjust than he who conceals a testimony he has from Allah?, and Allah is not unaware of what you do, that was a nation which has passed on, it will have what it earned and you will have what you have earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger (PBUH) to say to the Jews and the Christians who claimed that the Prophets were of their religion, whether Judaism or Christianity, Do you say that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants were Jews or Christians?, and Allah commanded His Messenger to say to them Do you know best or does Allah?, so Do you know best of them and of the religion they followed, or does Allah?, assuredly, the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants of the Prophet Jacob were not Jews nor Christians, rather, they were on the religion of Islam, the religion of Abraham, upright, and He was not of the polytheists as Allah has stated in Aya (67) of Surat Ali Imran {Abraham was not a Jews nor a Christian, but He was upright, a Muslim, and He was not of the polytheists}, and Allah assures that there is no one who is more unjust than he who conceals a testimony he has from Allah?, so they conceal the testimony of Allah when He revealed to them in the Torah and the Gospel that all Prophets were on the religion of Islam, and claimed that the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants of the Prophet Jacob were Jews or Christians even though they were before the Prophet Moses, and the Prophet Jesus, so Allah threatens them saying that He is not unaware of what they do as He will recompense them for their evil deeds and false claims on the day of resurrection. Then Allah threatens them again, as in Aya (134), saying that the nation of the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants had passed on, and that they will have what they earned and you will have what you have earned, and you will not be asked about what they used to do, so your ancestors who passed away from among your fathers, the Prophets, and the righteous people will not benefit you if you do not do good that will benefit you, for them are the deeds that they did, and for you are the deeds that you have done, and you will not be held accountable for what they used to do of evil and good.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (142) "The foolish among the people will say What has turned them away from their Qiblah which they used to face?, Say to Allah belong the east and the west, He guides whom He wills to a straight path", that is, Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) used to pray in Mecca between the corners of the Sacred Mosque, so the Ka'bah was in front of Him while He was facing Jerusalem, but when He (PBUH) emigrated to Medina, it was impossible to combine between the Ka'bah and Jerusalem, and Allah commanded Him to face Jerusalem as will come later in the next verse, so Allah's Messenger continued to pray facing Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months, and He frequently supplicated and asked Allah to be directed towards the Sacred Mosque (Albait Alharam), which was the Qiblah (Direction of prayer) of the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, so Allah answered His supplication and He was ordered to turn towards the Sacred Mosque, He then addressed the people and informed them of this, and the first prayer He performed towards the Scared Mosques was Asr prayer (Afternoon prayer), and when this happened, some of the hypocrites, and the Jews became suspicious, confused, and doubtful, so they said What has turned them away from their Qiblah which they used to face?, so Why do these people sometimes face this direction and sometimes that direction?, so Allah answered them and commanded His Messenger to say to them that the east and the west belong to Allah alone, so He is the Disposer of their affair, He guides whom He wills to a straight path, so He directs His servants to the direction He wants.

 And as narrated by Albara' bin Azib: "The Prophet prayed facing Jerusalem (Bait Almaqdis) for sixteen or seventeen months but He wished that His Qiblah would be the Ka'bah, so Allah revealed {Indeed, We have seen the turning of Your face towards the heaven, and We will surely turn You to a Qiblah with which You will be pleased Aya 144}, thus He was directed towards the Ka'bah, and He offered the Asr prayer facing Ka'bah, and some people prayed with Him, a man from among those who had prayed with Him went out and passed by some people offering prayer in another Mosque, and they were in the state of bowing, He said I swear by Allah that I had prayed with Prophet (PBUH) facing Mecca, hearing that, they turned their faces to the Ka'bah while they were still bowing in the Asr prayer" (Sahih Albukhari 4486, 7252). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (143) "And thus We have made you a moderate community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you, and We did not make the Qiblah which You used to face except that We will know he who follows the Messenger from he who turns back on his heels, and indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided, and Allah would not waste your faith, indeed, Allah is Most Kind, Most Merciful to the people", that is, Allah has made the Ummah of Muhammad (Muslims) a moderate Ummah, so He has chosen for them the most perfect laws and acts of worship, with no exaggeration nor dereliction, so that the Muslims will be witnesses over the people on the day of resurrection, and Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) will be a witness over His Ummah on the day of resurrection, so Allah has placed them in a position blow the Prophets and above all other nations so that they will be witnesses for Allah's Messengers over their nations that they had conveyed what Allah has commanded them to convey of the message to their people, and that Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) will be a witness over His Ummah that they have believed in Him and in what He brought them from His Lord, and as narrated by Abu Sa'id Alkhudri that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Noah will be called on the day of resurrection, and He will say Labbaika wa Sa'daika ya Rabbi: At Your service and Your pleasure O My Lord! Allah will say Did You convey the message?, Noah will say yes, His nation will then be asked Did He convey the message to you?, they will say no warner came to us, Allah will say to Noah Who will bear witness in Your favor?, He will say Muhammad and His Ummah, so you (Muslims) will testify that He conveyed the message, and the Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) will be a witness over yourselves, and that is what is meant by the statement of Allah {And thus We have made you a moderate community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you}" (Sahih Albukhari 4487)., and in another narration of Abu Sa'id also: "The Prophet (PBUH) said regarding Allah's saying {Wa kazaleka ja-alnakum aummatan wasatan}, that the meaning of wasatan is just" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2961).

 Then Allah assures that He has prescribed for Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and the believers the Qiblah "Direction of prayer" first towards Jerusalem, then Allah turned them from it to the Sacred Mosque so that the condition of those who follow and obey Allah's Messenger and face with Him the Qiblah He faces, may be clear from those who turn back on their heels and apostatize from their religion. And Allah assures that turning the Qiblah from Jerusalem to the Sacred Mosque is difficult and great in the souls except for those whose hearts Allah has guided, so they are certain of the truthfulness of Allah's Messenger, and believe that everything He brought is the truth in which there is no doubt, and that Allah does what He wills and rules what He wants, so the believers when heard that Allah has turned the Qiblah from Jerusalem to the Sacred Mosque, they obeyed Allah's command and turned their faces to the Ka'bah while they were still bowing in the Asr prayer, while the foolish among the people said What has turned them away from their Qiblah which they used to face? as shown above in the previous verse, and Allah would not waste your faith, so the reward of the prayers towards Jerusalem before will not be lost, and as narrated by Albara' bin Azib: "Some men had died before the Qiblah was changed towards the Ka'bah, they had been killed and we did not know what to say about them, so Allah revealed {And Allah would not waste your faith, indeed, Allah is Most Kind, Most Merciful to the people}" (Sahih Albukhari 4486). And Allah is Most Kind, Most Merciful to the people, so He does not waste any act of obedience that they have obeyed Him with, and does not hold them accountable for abandoning anything that He has not imposed upon them. 

  Allah Almighty says in the next verse (144) "Indeed, We have seen the turning of Your face towards the heaven, and We will surely turn You to a Qiblah with which You will be pleased, so Turn Your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever You are, Turn your faces towards it, indeed, those who were given the Book know well that it is the truth from their Lord, and Allah is not unaware of what they do", that is, The Prophet (PBUH) prayed facing Jerusalem (Bait Almaqdis) for sixteen or seventeen months when He emigrated to Medina, but He wished that His Qiblah would be the Ka'bah, and He used to look to the sky, so Allah revealed {Indeed, We have seen the turning of Your face towards the heaven, and We will surely turn You to a Qiblah with which You will be pleased}, and Allah commanded Him to turn His face towards the Sacred Mosque "Ka'bah", and commanded the believers to turn their faces towards the Sacred Mosque wherever they are, from all directions, whether from east, west, north, or south, so Allah's Messenger and the believers turned their faces towards the Sacred Mosque, and it is well known that the first prayer that Allah's Messenger performed towards the Ka'bah was the Asr prayer (Afternoon) as shown above in Aya (142), but the news of the change of Qiblah was delayed from the people of Quba' until the Fajr prayer (Dawn), where as narrated by Ibn Umar: "While some people were offering morning prayer at Quba', a man came to them and said a Quranic order has been revealed to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) tonight that He should face the Ka'bah at Mecca, so you too should turn your faces towards it, at that moment their faces were towards Sham (Jerusalem), so they turned their faces toward the Ka'bah" (Sahih Albukhari 4490). 

 So it is obligatory to face the Ka'bah during the obligatory prayer, and whoever neglects to face it while he knows its direction, then his prayer is not valid, and he must repeat every prayer he prayed facing a direction other than the Qiblah, but whoever is ignorant of the direction of Ka'bah, he should pray according to his own afford, and it is permissible to pray to other than the direction of Qiblah when fighting or praying voluntary prayer while travelling, where as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to pray (voluntary prayer) while riding on His mount wherever it turned, and whenever He wanted to pray the compulsory prayer, He dismounted and prayed facing the Qiblah" (Sahih Albukhari 400). Then Allah assures that those who were given the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians know well that changing the Qiblah from Jerusalem to Ka'bah is the truth from Allah, and know that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) only spoke the truth and commanded to it; Because they know the description of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) in their Scripture, but they opposed Him out of envy, arrogance, stubbornness, and disbelief, so Allah has threatened them saying and Allah is not unaware of what they do, so Allah will recompense them for their deeds on the day of resurrection.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (145) "And if you brought to those who were given the Book every sign, they would not follow your Qiblah, nor will You be a follower of their Qiblah, nor will some of them be a follower of the Qiblah of others, and if You were to follow their desires after what has come to You of the knowledge, indeed, You would then be among the wrongdoers", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that if He brought the people of the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians every proof and argument that the truth is what He brought them with regard to the obligation to change the Qiblah in prayer from Jerusalem to the Ka'bah, they would not believe in it, nor would they follow the Qiblah of Allah's Messenger, nor will Allah's Messenger follow their Qiblah, so just as they cling to their desires and their Qiblah, He also clings to Allah's command, follows what pleases Allah, and does not follow their whims, and Allah assures that the Jews would not follow the Qiblah of the Christians, nor would the Christians follow the Qiblah of the Jews, so the Jews and the Christians do not agree on one Qiblah due to their hostility towards each other, and Allah assures His Messenger that if He were to follow the desires of the people of the Scripture, and return to their Qiblah after what has come to Him of the knowledge through Allah's revelation, then He would be among the wrongdoers who transgress what Allah has commanded them to do, although the address is to Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), but what is meant is His Ummah, so Allah warns whoever follows the desires of the Jews and the Christians and follows their Qiblah lest he becomes a wrongdoer who wrongs himself with opposing Allah's command and deviating from obedience to Him.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (146-148) "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize Him as they recognize their sons, but indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know, the truth is from Your Lord, so Do not be among the doubters, for each there is a direction, he turns towards it, so Race to the good, wherever You may be, Allah will bring you forth all together, indeed, Allah is All-Powerful over everything", that is, the people of the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians find the description of Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) written with them in the Torah and the Gospel as Allah has stated in Aya (157) of Surat Ala'raf, so they recognize Him as they recognize their sons, and they know His prophecy and the truthfulness of His message, but a party of them conceal the truth while they know that this is the truth from Allah. Then Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) assuring Him that what He has revealed to Him about the Qiblah is the truth from Allah and nothing is true other than it, so Do not be among the doubters after the truth has come to You, although the speech is directed to Allah's Messenger, but it is for His Ummah so that they will not be in doubt about the matter of changing the direction of the Qiblah from Jerusalem to the Sacred Mosque. 

 Allah assures that the people of the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians will not follow the Qiblah of the Muslims, nor will the Muslims follow their Qiblah as shown above in Aya (145), so Allah assures that for each there is a direction of prayer, and the people of every religion have a Qiblah towards which they turn their faces, for the Jew there is a Qiblah towards which he turns his face, for the Christian there is a Qiblah towards which he turns his face, and for the Muslim there is a Qiblah towards which he turns his face, Allah commanded His servants to hasten to do good deeds by obeying Allah and drawing near to Him, turning to the Qiblah to which He has guided them, then Allah assures that He will gather all of His servants on the day of resurrection wherever they may be, and Allah is All-powerful to do whatever He wills, and neither impediment nor inability can prevent Him from doing whatever He wills, so He is Able to gather them from the earth even if their bodies are scattered therein.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (149,150) "So from wherever You go out, then Turn Your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and indeed, it is the truth from Your Lord, and Allah is not unaware of what you do, and from wherever You go out, then Turn Your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, Turn your faces towards it so that the people will not have any argument against you except for those who wronged among them, so Do not fear them, but Fear Me, and that I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) for the second time, as in Aya (144), to turn His face towards the Sacred Mosque "Ka'bah" in the prayer, and this is a confirmation of the command to face the Ka'bah and pay attention to it, so whoever prays the obligatory prayer facing a direction other than the Qiblah intentionally without an excuse, then his prayer is invalid, then Allah assures His Messenger Muhammad that turning to the direction of the Ka'bah is the truth about which there is no doubt, and Allah is not unaware of what they do of deeds, so He knows best those who obey His command and those who disobey His command and deviate from the path of truth to the path of doubt and misguidance. Allah commanded His Messenger for the third time to turn His face towards the Ka'bah from wherever He goes out whether in Median or elsewhere. 

 Likewise, Allah commanded the Muslims to turn their faces towards the Ka'bah in all the mosques of Medina and in all places on the earth so that the people will not have any argument against them except for those who wronged among them, so Allah has turned the Qiblah from Jerusalem to the Ka'bah in order to cut off the argument of the Jews who said Muhammad (PBUH) and His companions opposed our religion, but they turn towards our Qiblah, but there remains the argument of those who wronged from among the polytheists of Quraish against the Muslims when they said Muhammad (PBUH) has turned to our Qiblah, and He will return to our religion, so Allah commanded the believers not to fear them for they will not harm them or turn them from the truth to which He has guided them, but to fear Allah and fear His punishment if they disobeyed Him and transgressed His command, and Allah has turned the believers to the Ka'bah in order to complete His favor upon them, so their Shari'ah may be completed in all aspects and that they may be guided to the right Qiblah, which is the Qiblah of the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, who was upright, and He was not of the polytheists as mentioned above in Aya (135). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (151,152) "Just as We have sent among you a Messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and the wisdom and teaching you what you did not know, so Remember Me, I will remember you, and Be grateful to Me, and Do not deny Me", that is, Allah has bestowed His favor upon the believers when He has guided them to the Qiblah of the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, just as He has responded to the supplication of the Prophet Abraham and His son Ishmael when they called upon Allah saying {Our Lord! And Send among them a Messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them, indeed, You are the Almighty, the All-Wise, Aya 129 above}, so Allah has sent His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) from among Quraish in response to the supplication of the Prophet Abraham in order to recite the Holy Quran to the people, to purify them from the filth of disbelief and sins, to teach them the Holy Quran and the jurisprudence in religion and clarification of everything that they need in the matter of their religion and their worldly life, and to teach them that which they did not know and bring them out of the darknesses of disbelief to the light of belief as they were before in a clear error as Allah has stated in Aya (164) of Surat Ali Imran. 

 Then Allah commanded the believers to remember Him by obeying Him in what He commanded them and what He forbade them, so He will remember them with mercy and forgiveness, so Allah has commanded the believers to remember Him through obedience, and also to remember Him with the tongue when He commanded them to remember Him much remembrance as mentioned in Aya (41) of Surat Alahzab, and Allah commanded the believers to give thanks to Him for the blessings that He has bestowed upon them, and Allah has promised those who give thanks to Him that He will increase them of His blessings as mentioned in Aya (7) of Surat Ibrahim, and Allah forbade the believers from denying Him and denying His blessings lest He deprives them from the blessings that He has bestowed upon them, and a part of being grateful for Allah's blessings is not to hide them, and that the result of the blessings to be apparent on the servant of Allah, where as narrated by Amr bin Shu'ayb from his father from his grandfather that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Allah loves to see the result of His favors upon His servant" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2819).  

 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (153,154) "O you who have believed! Seek help through patience and prayer, indeed, Allah is with the patient, and Do not say about those who have been killed in the way of Allah they are dead, rather they are alive, but you do not perceive", that is, Allah urges the believers to seek help through patience and prayer in the face of calamities, in performing acts of obedience and Allah's obligation, and in abstaining from sins and forbidden things, and Allah is with the patient ones, so He will help them in the worldly life and the Hereafter, and as narrated by Suhaib that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Amazing is the affair of the believer, his affair is entirely good, and this is not the case of anyone except the believer, if good befalls him, he gives thanks, and that is good for him, and if adversity afflicts him, he is patient, and that is good for him" (Sahih Muslim 2999).

 Then Allah commanded the believers not to say that those who were killed in the way of Allah are dead, and Allah assures that their souls are alive with Allah, receiving provision in Paradise, undoubtedly, they died and their bodies are in the dust, but their souls are alive in Paradise, but you do not realize that because you do not see them, where as narrated by Masruq: "We asked Abdullah about this verse {And Do not think that those who have been killed in the way of Allah are dead, but rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision, Aya 169 of Surat Ali Imran}, he said we asked about it, and He (The Prophet) said the souls of the martyrs live in the bodies of green birds who have their nests in chandeliers hung from the Throne, they eat in Paradise from wherever they like and then nestle in their chandeliers, once their Lord cast a glance at them and said Do you want anything?, they said What more shall we desire?, we eat in Paradise from wherever we like, their Lord asked them the same question thrice, when they saw that they will continue to be asked and not left, they said O Lord! We wish that our souls will be returned to our bodies so that we will be killed in Your way again, when He saw that they had no need, they were left" (Sahih Muslim 1887). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (155-157) "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, and lives, and fruits, and Give glad tidings to the patient, those who when a calamity afflicts them, they say indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return, those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy, and those are the guided", that is, Allah tells that He will surely test His servants with something of fear of their enemies and panic in the battle, with something of famine, and with something of loss of wealth, lives, and fruits, so their wealth will decrease, their souls will decrease through the death of children, relatives, friends, and loved ones, and drought will occur, so their gardens will not yield as usual and their fruits will decrease, so all of that is a trial from Allah to His servants so that those who are truthful in their faith will be distinguished from those who are liars, and whoever is patient in the face of these calamities, Allah will reward him, and whoever despairs, Allah will punish him, thereupon, Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to give glad tidings to the patient, those who when a calamity afflicts them, they say indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return, so they acknowledged that they are the servants of Allah, that Allah disposes all affairs of His servants as He wills, and that they will return to Him on the day of resurrection, so they submit to Allah's judgment, hope for His reward, and fear His punishment, and this is contentment with Allah's decree, and the sign of contentment is the tranquility of the heart with what comes to the soul of dislikes and likes. Then Allah has promised the patient with blessings from Him, forgiveness, and mercy, and Allah assures that they are the guided ones to the path of truth and guidance. 

 The hard patience with the soul that brings great reward is only at the first onset of the calamity; For it indicates the strength of the heart and its steadfastness in patience, where as narrated by Anas bin Malik: "The Prophet (PBUH) passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave, He told her to fear Allah and be patient, she said to Him Go away for You have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine, and she did not recognize Him, then she was informed that He was the Prophet (PBUH), so she went to the house of the Prophet and there she did not find any guard, then she said to Him I did not recognize You, He said indeed, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity" (Sahih Albukhari 1283).

 Crying over the dead and having a sad heart do not contradict patience in times of calamity, but what contradicts patience is any statement with the tongue that objects to Allah's decree, or an action such as slapping the cheeks, tearing the clothes, and wailing, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Umar: "Sa'd bin Ubadah complained of illness, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came to visit him accompanied by Abdul-Rahman bin Awf, Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, and Abdullah bin Mas'ud, as He entered, He found him in a swoon, upon this He said Has he died?, they said no, so the Messenger of Allah wept, when the people saw Allah's Messenger weeping, they also began to weep, He said Listen, Allah does not punish for the tears that the eye sheds or the grief the heart feels, but He punishes for this (pointing to His tongue), or He may show mercy" (Sahih Muslim 924), and as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "He who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes, and follows the ways of Jahiliyyah "Pre-Islamic era" is not one of us" (Sahih Albukhari 194), and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said: "Two are found among the people which are tantamount to disbelief: slandering one's lineage and lamentation on the dead" (Sahih Muslim 67). 

 And as narrated by Aisha that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn" (Sahih Albukhari 5640), and as narrated by Umm Salama that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says what Allah has commanded him "Inna le-llahi wa inna elaiyhi Raje-oun, Allahumma au'jurni fee musebati wa-khlef lee khaiyran menha: indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return, O Allah! Reward me for my affliction and Give me something better than it in exchange of it'', Allah will give him something better than it in exchange, she said when Abu Salama died, I said What Muslim is better than Abu Salama whose family was the first to emigrate to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), I then said the words, and Allah gave me the Messenger of Allah in exchange, she said the Messenger of Allah sent Hatib bin Abi Balta'ah to deliver me the message of marriage with Him, I said I have a daughter, and I am of a jealous temperament, He (PBUH) said so far as her daughter is concerned, We would supplicate Allah that He may free her "of her responsibility", and I would also supplicate Allah to do away with the jealous temperament" (Sahih Muslim 918).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (158) "Indeed, the Safa and the Marwah are among the symbols of Allah, so whoever performs Hajj to the House or performs Umrah, then there is no blame upon him if he makes rounds between both of them, and whoever volunteers good, then indeed, Allah is All-Appreciative, All-Knower", that is, the Safa and the Marwah were among the rites of Jahiliyyah, as the people in Pre-Islamic era used to walk between the Safa and the Marwah, so the Muslims refrain from going between both of them and said that they are among the rites of Jahiliyyah, likewise, the Ansar refrain from going between both of them saying that they were not ordered to go between both of them, so Allah revealed this Aya and assures that the Safa and the Marwah are among the symbols of Allah and that going between both of them (Sa'y) is among the rites of Allah during Hajj or Umrah, where as narrated by Alzuhri from Urwah: "I said to Aisha I do not see anything wrong if someone does not go between the Safa and the Marwah nor any harm if I do not go between them, she said How horrible is what you have said O my nephew! The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to go between them and the Muslims used to go between them, it was only that the people who used to assume Ihram in the name of Mannah (False idol) which was in Almushallal would not go between the Safa and the Marwah (after embracing Islam), so Allah Almighty sent down {So whoever performs Hajj to the House or performs Umrah, then there is no blame upon him if he makes rounds between both of them}, and if it were as you say, then it would be then there is no blame upon him if he does not make rounds between both of them. Alzuhri said I mentioned that to Abu Bakr bin Abdul-Rahman bin Alharith bin Hisham, he was surprised at that and he said indeed, this is knowledge, I had heard some men among the people of knowledge saying that those Arabs who would not go between the Safa and the Marwah, said that going between these two rocks is a matter of Jahiliyyah, and others among the Ansar said we have only been ordered with going around the House "Ka'bah", and we were not ordered to do so with the Safa and the Marwah, so Allah Almighty revealed {Indeed, the Safa and the Marwah are among the symbols of Allah}, Abu Bakr bin Abdul-Rahman said so I thought that it was revealed about these people and those people" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2965). And as narrated by Asim bin Sulaiyman: "I asked Anas bin Malik about the Safa and the Marwah, he said we used to consider them a custom of Jahiliyyah, so when Islam came, we gave up going around them, so Allah revealed Indeed, the Safa and the Marwah till His saying if he makes rounds between both of them" (Sahih Albukhari 4496).

 Thereupon, Allah assures that the Safa and the Marwah are among the symbols of Allah and places of worship, so whoever performs Hajj to the House or performs Umrah, then there is no blame upon him if he makes rounds between both of them. Many scholars have stated that walking between the Safa and the Marwah (Sa'y) is one of the pillars of Hajj or Umrah, and they said that it is obligatory to walk between both of them for Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has performed Sa'y between both of them and He said in narration of Jabir bin Abdullah: "Learn your rituals" (Sahih Muslim 1297), and as narrated by Aisha that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) set the tradition of Tawaf between both of them, so nobody is allowed to omit the Tawaf between them (Sahih Albukhari 1643), and as narrated by Umm walad of Shaiybah: "I saw the Messenger of Allah performing Sa'y between Safa and Marwah saying the valley should not be crossed except quickly" (Sunan Ibn Majah 2987), and as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: "When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) arrived in Mecca, He performed Tawaf around the House "Ka'bah" seven times, I heard Him reciting {And Take from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer, Aya 125 above}, so He performed the prayer behind the Maqam "The standing place of Abraham", then He came to the Stone "Black stone", then He said We begin with what Allah began with, so He began at the Safa and the Marwah and recited Indeed, the Safa and the Marwah are among the symbols of Allah" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2967). So one should start with Safa before Marwah, and it not permissible to begin with Marwah, and whoever begins with Marwah, he should repeat the Sa'y and begin with Safa, and whoever leaves Sa'y between Safa and Marwah forgetfully or intentionally, he should return from where he remembered to Mecca and perform the Sa'y. Then Allah assures that whoever volunteers to perform Hajj or Umrah after the obligatory hajj, and perform Sa'y between Safa and Marwah, then Allah is All-Appreciative, All-Knower, so He appreciates his obedience and gratitude by rewarding him with the best reward, and He is All-Knower of what he declares and conceals, and He will reward him for it on the day of resurrection.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (159,160) "Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of the clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear to the people in the Book, those, Allah curses them, and curse them those who curse, except for those who repent and reform, and make evident, those I will turn to them, and I am Ever accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful", that is, Allah threatens the people of the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians who conceal what Allah has sent down of the clear proofs and guidance after Allah has made it clear to His servants in the Scriptures which He sent down to His Messengers, as Allah took the covenant of those who were given the Book that they make it clear to the people, and do not conceal it, but they threw it behind their backs and exchanged it for a small price as He has stated in Aya (187) of Surat Ali Imran, so they concealed the description of Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) whom they find written in the Torah and the Gospel, then Allah assures that those who concealed the truth after it had become clear to them are the ones whom Allah has cursed and kept away from His mercy in the worldly life and the Hereafter, and they are cursed by those who curse from among the Angels and the believers. But Allah has made an exception for those who repented in the worldly life, reformed by giving up the sins they have committed, and beginning to perform acts of obedience, and made clear to the people what they had concealed of their Scriptures, and Allah assures that He will accept their repentance and turn to them in mercy and forgiveness, and He is Ever accepting of repentance, Most Merciful for those who repent and give up the sins.

 And as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "The people say that I have narrated many Hadiths, Had it not been for two verses of the Holy Quran, I would not have narrated a single Hadith, then he recited {Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of the clear proofs} till Allah's saying the Most Merciful, indeed, our emigrant brothers "Muhajereen" used to be busy in the market with their business, and our Ansari brothers used to be busy with their property, but I used to stick to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) contented with what will fill my stomach, and I used to attend that which they used not to attend, and I used to memorize that which they used not to memorize" (Sahih Albukhari 118). No one has the right to conceal from the people the knowledge of Shari'ah related to beliefs and rulings, but it is desirable to speak to the people according to their level of understanding, and leave out what may be ambiguous to them or difficult to understand, so that it will not be a pretext for them to deny Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) and not believe in them, therefore, the scholar can divide his knowledge into levels among the people, so he speaks to the general public according to what they understand, and assigns the precise issues to those of knowledge, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "I have memorized two kinds of knowledge from Allah's Messenger (PBUH), I have propagated one of them, and if I propagated the other, then my throat (pharynx) would be cut" (Sahih Albukhari 120).

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (161-163) "Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, upon them will be the curse of Allah and the Angles and the people, all together, abiding therein, the punishment will not be lightened for them nor will they be given any respite, and your God is One God, there is no God but He, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful", that is, Allah assures that He will not accept the repentance of those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, but rather, the curse of Allah, the Angles, and the people, all together will be upon them, abiding in that curse, so Allah will curse them and keep them away from His mercy in the Hereafter, and will cast them into Hellfire on the day of resurrection, and they will abide therein forever, and the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be given any respite to repent and believe; Because the rule of Allah that has passed among His servants is that the repentance will not be accepted at the time of death or on the day of resurrection as mentioned in Aya (85) of Surat Ghafir. Then Allah assures that He is the only One who is worthy of worship saying that your God is One God, there is no God but Him, with no partner, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, so Worship Allah alone, and Do not associate anyone with Him, Obey Him and Submit to His command, and Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) said in narration of Mu'adh bin Jabal: "Whoever's last words are La Ilaha ella Allah: there is no God but Allah, will enter paradise" (Sunan Abi Dawood 3116).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (164) "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day and the ships which sail through the sea with what benefits the people, and what Allah has sent down from the sky of water, then He revived thereby the earth after its death and He dispersed in it from every moving creature, and the direction of the winds and the clouds are subjected between the heaven and the earth, are signs for a people who understand", that is, Allah cites some signs that indicate that there is no God but Him, and that He is the Creator of everything, so there are signs for those of understanding in the creation of the heavens and the earth in their height and breadth and what is in both of them of the sun, moon, stars, planets, mountains, valleys, seas, rivers, animals, and trees, likewise, there are signs in the alternation of the night and the day for the people, where He is the One who has made the night and the day in succession, if one of them comes, the other goes, one of them brings light and the other brings darkness, and it is not permissible for the night to overtake the day, nor is permissible for the day to overtake the night. Allah is the One who has subjected the ships to run through the sea, and Allah subjected the sea to carry the ships, so man seeks of Allah's bounty whether they are ships for trade or for fishing, so they are used in transporting goods from one region to another and in fishing and extracting ornaments. Allah is the One who sends down water from the sky, then He revives thereby the earth after its death, so it brings forth its vegetation, fruits, and crops, and Allah has dispersed in the earth from every creature that moves on the earth including animals, birds, beasts, insects and what is in the sea of various kinds.

 There are also signs in the direction of the wind to the south and to the north where it has a role in rainfall and plant pollination, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Do not revile the wind, for it is from the mercy of Allah, it brings mercy (i.e. rain) or destruction, but Ask Allah for its goodness, and Seek refuge in Allah from its evil" (Sunan Ibn Majah 3727). And the clouds are subjected between the heaven and the earth to carry rain to whatever lands and places Allah wills, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "While a person was in the wilderness, he heard a voice from the cloud Irrigate the garden of so-and-so, after that the clouds moved away and poured water on a stony ground, it filled a channel amongst the channels of that land, so that person followed that water, and he found a person standing in the garden busy in changing the course of water with the help of a hatchet, he said to him servant of Allah! What is your name?, he said so-and-so, and it was the same name which he had heard from the clouds, and he said to him servant of Allah! Why do you ask me my name?, he said I heard a voice from the clouds of which is the downpour, saying Water the garden of so-and-so, like your name, What do you do in this matter?, he said now as you state so, I look what yield I get from it, I give one-third as charity out of it, and I and my children eat one-third, and one-third I return to it as investment" (Sahih Muslim 2984 a), and in another narration, he said I earmark one-third for the needy, the beggars, and the wayfarers (Sahih Muslim 2984 b). 

 And as narrated by Aisha: "When the Prophet (PBUH) saw a cloud approaching from any horizon, He would stop what He was doing, even if He was praying, and turn to face it, then He would say Allahumma inna na'auzuo beka men sharri ma aursela behi: O Allah! We seek refuge in You from the evil of that with which it is sent, then if it rained, He would say Allahumma sayyiban nafi'an: O Allah! A beneficial rain, two or three times, and if Allah dispelled it and it did not rain, He would praise Allah for that" (Sunan Ibn Majah 3889). So those of understanding will acknowledge the favors that Allah has bestowed upon them, and the greatness of His creation as He is the One who has created the heavens and the earth in truth and subjected for mankind whatever is in both of them, so they will say {Our Lord, You did not create this in vain, Glory to be You, so Save us from the punishment of the Fire} as Allah has stated in Aya (191) of Surat Ali Imran.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (165) "And of the people are those who take other than Allah as equals, they love them as they love Allah, but those who believe are stronger in love for Allah, and if only those who have wronged would see when they will see the punishment that all power belongs to Allah, and that Allah is Severe in punishment", that is, Allah tells about the polytheists who worship false gods and idols besides Allah saying that they have made equals to Allah, they worship them besides Allah and love them as they love Allah, so they equate these idols with Allah in love, but those who believe in Allah are stronger in their love for Allah than those who associated false gods and idols with Allah; Because of their complete knowledge of Allah and their belief in His Oneness, so they do not associate anything with Him, but rather, they worship Him alone with no partner, then Allah threatens those who have made equals to Him and have wronged themselves with disbelief saying that if they would see the punishment that awaits them on the day of resurrection, they would have known that all power belongs to Allah alone with no partner, so the rule belongs to Him alone and that all things are under His authority and control, and that Allah is Severe in punishment for those who made equals for Him and worshipped them with Him, for they have committed one of the greatest sin in the sight of Allah, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "I asked the Prophet (PBUH) What is the greatest sin in the sight of Allah?, He said that you set an equal to Allah though He alone created you, I said that is indeed a great sin, then I asked What is next?, He said to kill your son lest he should share your food with you, I asked What is next?, He said to commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor" (Sahih Albukhari 4477). And as narrated by Abdullah: "The Prophet (PBUH) said one statement, and I said another, the Prophet said whoever dies while still invoking anything other than Allah as a rival to Allah, will enter Hell, and I said whoever dies without invoking anything as a rival to Allah, will enter Paradise" (Sahih Albukhari 4497). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (166,167) "When those who have been followed disavow themselves from those who followed, and they see the punishment, and cut off from them are the ties, those who followed will say if only we had a return, so we could disavow ourselves from them as they have disavowed themselves from us, thus Allah will show them their deeds as regrets upon them, and they will not come out from the Fire", that is, Allah tells about the day of resurrection when those who were followed in disbelief will disavow themselves from those who followed them, so the leaders will disavow themselves from their followers and will quarrel with each other when they will be made to stand in front of Allah on the day of resurrection as Allah has stated in Ayat (31-33) of Surat Saba', and Satan will disavow himself from those who followed him and worshiped false idols besides Allah saying {Indeed, I deny your association of me before} as mentioned in Aya (22) of Surat Ibrahim, so everyone who is followed in disbelief and misguidance will disavow his followers when they will see the punishment of Allah on the day of resurrection, and all ties that existed between them in the worldly life will cut off from them, and will become enmity between them on the day of resurrection as mentioned in Aya (67) of Surat Alzukhruf {The friends, that day, some of them are enemies to others except the righteous}, so those who were followed and their followers will not help one another, and neither a friend nor a relative will benefit them, and the followers will wish that they could return to the worldly life so that they would disavow themselves from those whom they followed, would disavow their worship, and would not pay attention to them, but rather, they would worship Allah alone with no partner, but there is no way to return, and Allah will show them their evil deeds for which they deserved the punishment of Allah as regrets upon them, so their abode will be Hellfire, and they will not come out of it, rather, they will abide therein forever.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (168,169) "O people! Eat from whatever is on the earth, lawful and good and Do not follow the footsteps of Satan, indeed, he is a clear enemy to you, he only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know", that is, Allah commanded mankind to eat from what is on the earth of the fruits, crops, and cattle as long as it is lawful and good, and not to follow the footsteps and the commands of Satan in prohibiting what Allah has made lawful for them of crops and cattle just as the polytheists who followed the commands of Satan when they prohibited what Allah has made lawful for His servants, and vowed some of them to their partners as an invention against Allah, then Allah assures that Satan is a clear enemy to the Children of Adam where he prevents them from the way of Allah and seeks their destruction in the worldly life and the Hereafter, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Iyad bin Himar that Allah says: "I have created My servants upright (i.e. having a natural inclination to the worship of Allah), but the devils have turned them away from their religion, so they have made forbidden to them what I have made lawful for them, and commanded them to associate with Me what I have not sent down any authority of it" (Sahih Muslim 2865). Then Allah assures that Satan commands man to do the immorality and the evil, and every sin is one of the steps of Satan, and he commands them to say about Allah what they do not know and invent a lie about Allah when they claimed that Allah has ordered them of immorality as Allah has stated in Aya (28) of Surat Ala'raf {And when they do an immorality, they say we found our fathers on it, and Allah has ordered us of it, Say indeed, Allah does not order immorality, Do you say about Allah what you do not know}.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (170,171) "And when it is said to them Follow what Allah has sent down, they say but, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers, even if their fathers were not understanding anything nor were they guided?, the example of those who disbelieve is like the one who shouts at what does not hear except a call and cry, deaf, dumb, and blind, so they do not understand", that is, when it is said to those who take other than Allah as equals Follow what Allah has sent down to the Messenger (PBUH), so Submit to Allah and His law, and Adhere to what He has made obligatory and what He has made forbidden such as Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah, and Ham which they had vowed to their idols as Allah has stated in Aya (103) of Surat Alma'idah, they say but, we will follow that upon which we found our forefathers, so they are our leaders and we are satisfied with what they were upon of prohibitions and obligations, thereupon, Allah assures that their forefathers were upon nothing when they attributed things to Allah that Allah did not appoint for them, and they prohibited things that Allah did not prohibit, so they thought that their forefather were upon guidance but they were not, they were not understanding anything of Allah's religion, commands, and prohibitions, nor were they guided to any path of guidance. Then Allah assures that the polytheists in their disbelief, misguidance, and ignorance are like the sheep that do not understand what is said to them, rather, when their shepherd call them, they do not understand what he says, they only hear his voice when he calls the nearby sheep or cries to the distant ones, so the polytheists do not understand what Allah's Messenger (PBUH) calls them to, rather, they are deaf, dumb, and blind, so they do not hear nor understand Allah's arguments, proofs, and verses, nor do they speak the truth and what benefit them, nor do they see the truth, so they do not understand anything.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (172,173) "O you who have believed! Eat from the good things which We have provided for you and Give thanks to Allah if it is Him that you worship, He has only forbidden to you the dead and the blood and the flesh of pig, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, but whoever is forced, neither desiring nor transgressing, then there is no sin upon him, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", that is, Allah commanded the believers to eat of what Allah has provided for them of lawful and good provision, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "O you people! Indeed, Allah is good (Tayyib), and He does not accept but what is good, and indeed, Allah ordered the believers with what He ordered the Messengers, He says {O Messengers! Eat from the good things, and Do righteous deeds, indeed, I am All-Knower of what you do, Surat Almu'minun Aya (51}, and He says {O you who have believed! Eat from the good things which We have provided for you, the current Aya}, then Abu Hurayrah said that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) made a mention of a person who travels widely, his hair is disheveled, and he is covered with dust, he raises his hands to the sky and says O Lord! O Lord! Yet his food is from the unlawful, his drink is from the unlawful, his clothing is from the unlawful, and he was nourished by the unlawful, so How can that be accepted" (Sahih Muslim 1015).

 Allah also commanded the believers to give thanks to Him for the blessings that He has bestowed upon them if they worship Him alone for the polytheists used to forbid things through other than Allah, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Anas bin Malik: "Allah is pleased with His servant who takes a morsel of food, then he praises Allah for it, or drinks a drink, then he praises Allah for it i.e. saying Alhamdu le-llah: Praise be to Allah" (Sahih Muslim 2734). Thereupon, Allah makes clear to His servants what He has forbidden to them as He has only forbidden for them the dead animals that die without being slaughtered or hunted, the spilled blood, and the meat and fat of swine, whether slaughtered or dead swine, and what is slaughtered for their false gods and idols and slaughtered in other than the name of Allah, but Allah has permitted to the Muslims two kinds of the dead, and two kinds of the blood where Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abdullah bin Umar: "Two kinds of dead meat and two kinds of blood have been permitted to us, the two kinds of dead meat are fish and locusts, and the two kinds of blood are the liver and spleen" (Sunan Ibn Majah 3314). But Allah made an exception and permitted eating from these unlawful foods when necessity, when the Muslim lacked other food and was forced to do so without his choice out of fear of death if he does not eat it, neither desiring the unlawful food nor transgressing the limits of Allah, then Allah is All-Forgiving for eating what is forbidden, Most Merciful when He makes the forbidden permissible for Him at times of necessity.

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (174-176) "Indeed, those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price, those do not eat in their bellies except the Fire, and Allah will not speak to them on the Day of resurrection, nor will He purify them, and for them there is a painful punishment, those are the ones who have purchased error for guidance and punishment for forgiveness, so How patient they are with the Fire!, that is because Allah has sent down the Book in truth, and indeed, those who differ over the Book are in extreme opposition", that is, the people of the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians concealed what Allah has sent down of the Scriptures with regard to the description of Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) whom they find written in the Torah and the Gospel in exchange for bribes they were given for that, and they exchanged what Allah has sent down of the Scripture for a small price in order to gain the fleeting pleasure of the worldly life, so they were distracted by the enjoyment of the worldly life and preferred it over the bliss of the Hereafter. Thereupon, Allah assures that what they eat in exchange for concealing the truth is fire that will blaze in their bellies on the day of resurrection, and that He will not speak to them words of kindness, nor will He purify them from their sins, and He has prepared for them a painful punishment in Hellfire. 

 Then Allah assures that those are the ones who have purchased error for guidance and punishment of Allah for His forgiveness, so they have taken the path of misguidance and abandoned the path of guidance, and they will gain nothing from it, rather, they are exposing themselves to Allah's wrath and punishment for they denied Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and followed other than the path of truth, and they followed what would cause them to be punished and abandoned what would cause them to be forgiven, so How patient they are with the Fire!, they have no choice or no way to escape from the punishment of Hellfire, and they deserved this severe punishment because Allah has sent down the Holy Quran upon His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) in truth, so those who differ over the Holy Quran are in extreme opposition to the guidance and far from the right path for the Holy Quran confirms what was before it of the Torah and the Gospel as Allah has stated in Aya (3) of Surat Ali Imran.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (177) "Righteousness is not that you turn your faces towards the east or the west, but righteousness is that he who believes in Allah, and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Prophets, and gives the wealth, despite the love of it, to the near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and those who ask, and in the necks, and establishes the prayer and gives the Zakah, and those who fulfill their covenant when they make a covenant, and those who are patient in the hardship and the adversity and during the fighting! Those are the ones who have been true, and those are the righteous", that is, Allah assures the people of the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians, who concealed the description of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) in their Books and prevented the people from the way of Allah, that the righteousness is nothing but obedience to Allah, compliance with His commands, following what He has prescribed, and turning wherever He directs His servants, and this is the righteousness, piety and complete faith, so there is no righteousness or obedience in turning their faces towards the east or the west if it is not by the command of Allah and in compliance with His law. So the righteousness is not that the Jews who turn their faces towards the west in the direction of Jerusalem, or that the Christians who turn their faces towards the east where the sun rises, but the righteousness is to believe in Allah and that there is no God but Allah, to believe in the day of resurrection, Paradise, and Hellfire and that Allah will resurrect His creation from the graves in order to reckon them that day, to believe in the existence of the Angels and that they are the servants of the Most Gracious, to believe in the Books sent down from the heaven to the Prophets, peace be upon Them, until they were sealed with the most honorable of them, which is the Holy Quran with which Allah abrogated all the Books that came before it, and to believe in all of Allah's Prophets from the first of Them to the last of Them, Muhammad (PBUH).

 The righteousness also is to give the wealth, despite the love of it, and Allah assures in Aya (92) of  Surat Ali Imran that man will not attain the good until he spends from what he loves, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked O Messenger of Allah! Which charity is the most superior in reward?, He replied the charity which you give while you are healthy, niggardly, and afraid of poverty and wish to become wealthy, and Do not delay it until it reaches the throat (i.e. approaching the time of death), and then say Give such-and-such to so-and-so, and such-and-such to so-and-so, and it has already belonged to so-and-so" (Sahih Albukhari 1419). And Allah has legislated six ways of the expenditure of charity, the first way of the expenditures of charity is to be given to the near of kin, so Allah commanded His servants to do good to their relatives, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Salman bin Amer: "Charity given to the needy is charity, and if it is given to relatives, it is two charity and ties of kinship" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1844), the second way of the expenditures of charity is to be given to the orphans, who have no means of earning a living and whose fathers have died while they are weak and young, before reaching puberty and being able to earn a living, where as narrated by Ali bin Abi Talib: "I memorized from Allah's Messenger (PBUH) that there is no orphanhood after puberty, and there is no silence for the whole day till the night" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2873), so Be kind to the orphans and take care of them, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Sahl: "I and the one who looks after an orphan will be like this in Paradise, showing His middle and index finger and separating them" (Sahih Albukhari 5304).

 The third way of the expenditure of charity is to be given to the needy who do not find enough food, clothing, or a shelter, but they do not ask the people anything despite their intense need, so they are given what will meet their needs, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "The needy is not the one who asks a morsel or two from the others, but the needy is the one who has nothing and is shamed to beg from people" (Sahih Albukhari 1476), and the fourth way of the expenditure of charity is to be given to the wayfarer who is in need of maintenance and what he needs for his travel. The fifth way of the expenditure of charity is to be given to those who ask, so they are given Zakah (obligatory charity) and alms, and Allah commanded the believers to treat them kindly, not to cause harm to them as will come later in Aya (236), and not to repulse them as Allah has stated in Aya (10) of Surat Aldduha {And as for the beggar, Do not repel him}, and as narrated by Abu Musa Alash'ari: "Whenever a beggar or a person in need of something came to the Prophet (PBUH), He used to say Intercede and you will be rewarded for that, and Allah will fulfill what He wills through the tongue of His Messenger" (Sahih Albukhari 7476).

 The sixth way of the expenditure of charity is to be given in the necks whether freeing the slave by paying money to his master or helping a slave who wrote a contract for his master to pay him money in order to free himself as Allah has described in Aya (33) of Surat Alnoor, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "If somebody manumits a Muslim slave, Allah will save every part of him for every part of the slave from the fire, even his private for the private parts of the salve" (Sahih Albukhari 6715), and as narrated by Abu Dharr: "I asked the Prophet What is the best deed?, He replied to belief in Allah, and striving in His way, I then asked What is the best kind of manumission?, He said the most expensive slave and the most beloved by his master, I said if I cannot afford to do that?, He said Help the weak or Do good for a person who cannot work for himself, I said if I cannot do that?, He said Refrain from harming others for this will be regarded as a charity by which you give charity for yourself" (Sahih Albukhari 2518).

 The righteousness also is to establish the prayer in its prescribed times, and to pay the obligatory charity (Zakah) as shown above in Aya (43), and Allah assures that the righteous are those who fulfill their covenant when they make a covenant, so they do not break their covenant if they have pledged a covenant with Allah or with the people, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "The signs of a hypocrite are three, whenever he speaks, he tells a lie, whenever he promises, he breaks his promise, and whenever he is entrusted, he betrays" (Sahih Albukhari 6095), that the righteous are those who are patient in the hardship and the adversity, so they are patient with the hardship and what afflicts them of poverty and need, and the adversity and what afflicts them in their bodies of illnesses, and that the righteous are those who are patient during the battle and fighting their enemy. Then Allah assures that those who have been described with this characteristics are the ones who have been true in their faith, and those are the righteous who fear Allah and fear His punishment, so they performed acts of obedience and avoided the forbidden things.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (178,179) "O you who have believed! Prescribed for you is retaliation for the murdered, the freeman for the freeman, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female, but whoever is pardoned from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with goodness, this is a mitigation from your Lord and a mercy, but whoever transgressed after that, then for him there is a painful punishment, and there is for you in retaliation a life O you of understanding, so that you may fear", that is, Allah has prescribed for Muslims the retaliation for the murdered as He has prescribed it for the previous nations such as the Jews as mentioned in Aya (45) of Surat Alma'idah, but Allah has made permissible for Muslims to take the blood money (Diyyah) from the killer instead of retaliation by killing him, and Allah has not permitted it to any nation before, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The law of retaliation (Qisas) was prescribed for the Children of Israel, but the blood money was not ordained for them, so Allah Almighty said to this nation (Muslims) {Prescribed for you is retaliation for the murdered, the freeman for the freeman, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female, but whoever is pardoned from his brother anything}, so the pardon is that he accepts the blood money in the case of intentional murder, {Then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with goodness}, then the relatives should demand blood money in a reasonable manner, and the killer must pay with a good conduct, this is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy in comparison to what was prescribed for the nations before you, but whoever transgressed after that, then for him there is a painful punishment, so whoever killed the killer after taking the blood money shall have a painful torment" (Sahih Albukhari 4498).

 The Arabs in Pre-Islamic era "Jahiliyyah" used to carry out Qisas for those who were killed from those who did not kill, and kill a hundred in return for one person out of pride and showing off their status and prestige, so Allah made the free men and women equal in retaliation for intentional killing, and He made the slaves equal in retaliation for intentional killing, so if a free man kills a free man, the blood of the killer is equal to the blood of the murdered, so retaliation is for him, not for anyone else, so Do not extend the killing to someone who did not kill, and it is forbidden to you to kill someone other than the one who killed, and the same applies to the females and the slaves, and this verse explains the ruling on a freeman if he kills a freeman, a slave if he kills a slave, and a female if she kills a female, but it did not explain if a man kills a woman, or vice versa, or if a free, whether a male or a female, kills a slave, or vice versa, but Allah assures in Aya (45) of Surat Alma'idah that the soul for the soul, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Anas: "The prescribed law of Allah is retaliation: Qisas" (Sahih Albukhari 4499), so Allah's Messenger (PBUH) killed the Jew who killed a girl in Medina (Jami' Altirmidhi 1394). But the jurists differed on killing a freeman if he killed a slave, some of them said that he should be killed because the lives of Muslims are equal, and the majority said that a freeman should not be killed if he killed a slave, but rather, the value of the salve should be paid to his master, where as narrated by Hisham from Qatadah from Alhassan: "A freeman should not be subjected to retaliation in return for a slave" (Sunan Abi Dawood 4518).  

 It is not permissible for a Muslim to kill a Dhimi (Non-Muslim lives under Islamic rule), or to kill a Non-belligerent disbeliever as long as they are peaceful and are not at war with Muslims, so they are inviolable in life, honor, property, and it is not permissible to attack them without legitimate legal right, but the scholars differed on whether a Muslim should be killed in retaliation for a Dhimi or a Non-belligerent disbeliever or not. Most of them have said that a Muslim should not be killed in retaliation for a Dhimi or a Non-belligerent disbeliever, and some have said that he should be killed in retaliation for killing any of them, but some combine the two opinions saying that he should be given a discretionary punishment, one hundred lashes and imprisonment for one year, if the killing occurred as a result of a quarrel or enmity, but if it occurred through treachery and deceit, then he is to be killed unanimously, and there is no pardon for him. And as narrated by Qais bin Abbad: "I and Ashtar went to Ali and said to him Did the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) give you any instruction about anything for which He did not give any instruction to the people in general?, he said no, except what is contained in this document of mine, Musaddad said he then took out a document, Ahmed said a document from the sheath of his sword. It contained the lives of all Muslims are equal, they are one hand against other people, the lowliest of them can guarantee their protection, unquestionably, a Muslim must not be killed for an infidel, nor must one who has been given a covenant be killed while his covenant holds, if anyone introduces an innovation (Bed'ah in religion), he will be responsible for it, and if anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation, he is cursed by Allah, the Angels, and all the people" (Sunan Abi Dawood 4530).

 The doctrine of the majority of Imams is a group will be killed if they participated in killing one person, and Umar bin Alkhattab killed four persons when they killed a boy, where as narrated by Ibn Umar: "A boy assassinated, Umar said If all the people of San'a took part in the assassination, I would kill them all, Almughirah said that his father said Four persons killed a boy, and Umar said as above. Abu Bakr, Ibn Alzubair, Ali, and Suwaid bin Muqarrin gave the judgment of retaliation "Qisas" in cases of slapping, and Umar carried out Qisas for a strike with a stick, Ali carried out Qisas for three lashes with a whip, and Shuraih carried out Qisas for one lash and for scratching" (Sahih Albukhari 6896).

 Then Allah says But whoever is pardoned from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with goodness, so Allah has permitted the closest relative of the murdered to take blood money from the murderer, but he must demand the blood money in a reasonable manner if he accepts the blood money instead of retaliation, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "If somebody is killed, then his closest relative has the right to choose one of the two: the blood money or retaliation: having the killer killed" (Sahih Albukhari 112), and the murderer should pay the blood money with goodness without any harm or delay with the intention of not paying, and Allah assures that He has mercy on the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) and permitted for them the blood money which was not permitted for anyone before them, so it is permissible for them to kill the murder, or to take the blood money, or to pardon him, but Allah threatens whoever kills the murderer after taking or accepting blood money with a painful torment in Hellfire on the day of resurrection.

 There is no doubt that the retaliation or the blood money is the right of the closest relative (Guardian) of the murdered person, but it is not repentance for he who intentionally kills a believer, nor is it a substitute for the punishment that Allah has prepared for whoever intentionally kills a believer as He has stated in Aya (93) of Surat Alnisa', and if the guardian of the murdered pardoned the murderer, so he did not kill him nor did he take the blood money, then it will be an expiation for the guardian of the murdered as Allah has stated in Aya (45) of Surat Alma'idah, and then the murderer will bear on the day of resurrection the sin of the murdered and the sin of the guardian of the murdered, where as narrated by Alqamah bin Wa'il from his father: "While I was sitting in the company of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), a person came there dragging another one with the help of a strap and said Allah's Messenger! This man has killed my brother, Allah's Messenger said to him Did you kill him?, and the other man said in case he did not make a confession of this, I shall bring a witness against him, he said yes, I have killed him, Allah's Messenger said Why did you kill him?, he said I and he were striking down the leaves of a tree, and he abused me and enraged me, and so I struck his head with an ax and killed him, whereupon, Allah's Messenger said Have you anything with you to pay blood money on your behalf?, he said I do not possess any property but this garment of mine and this ax of mine, He said Do you think your people will pay ransom for you?, he said I am more insignificant among my people than that, He threw the strap towards him (The guardian) saying Take away your man, the man took him away, and as he returned, Allah's Messenger said if he kills him, he will be like him, he returned and said Allah's Messenger! It has reached me that You have said that if he killed him, he would be like him, and I caught hold of him according to Your command, whereupon, Allah's Messenger said Don't you like that he should bear your sin and the sin of your companion (Your brother)?, he said Allah's Messenger Why not?, the Messenger of Allah said if it is so, then Let it be, he threw away the strap and set him free" (Sahih Muslim 1680 a), and in another narration of Alqamah bin Wa'il, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "He will bear the sin of the slain and that of his own, and thus, he will be among the companion of Hellfire" (Sunan Abi Dawood 4501). 

 Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) assures that the murderer deserves the sin of killing a Muslim and the sin of harming the guardian of the murdered, and he will be punished for that in the Hereafter, so if the guardian were to take retaliation for the murdered, he would then increase the punishment of the murderer in the worldly life, so Will you not be satisfied with the punishment of the Hereafter and pardon him in the worldly life?. There is no disagreement that retaliation for murder can only be carried out by those in authority, it is obligatory upon them to undertake retaliation and implement the legal punishment. Then Allah addresses those of understanding saying and there is for you in retaliation a life O you of understanding, so that you may fear; Because if the killer knows that he will be killed, he will fear retaliation and refrain from killing, and thus there is a life for the souls of the murderer and the murdered, a life for the one who is killed instead of the killer, and a life for the group that is killed instead of one person.

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (180-182) "Prescribed for you when the death approaches one of you if he leaves wealth, a bequest for the parents and the near relatives in a reasonable manner, a duty upon the righteous, then whoever changes it after he has heard it, its sin is only upon those who change it, indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-knower, but whoever fears from the testator any error or sin and reconcile between them, then there is no sin upon him, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", that is, Allah has prescribed that when the death approaches whoever has wealth, whether little or much, to make a bequest to his parents and his near relatives in a fair manner and Allah made it obligatory upon the righteous who fear Allah and fear His punishment by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, then that was abrogated after that, and a known share of the inheritance was given to the parents, and a fixed share was given to the relatives as Allah has stated in Ayat Alfara'id (The shares of inheritance that are prescribed in Ayat (11,12,176) of Surat Alnisa'), where as narrated by Ata' from Ibn Abbas: "The custom was that the wealth of the deceased would be inherited by his offspring, and the parents would inherit by the bequest of the deceased, then Allah abrogated from that whatever He wanted, and fixed for the male double the amount inherited by the female, and for each one of parents a sixth, and for the wife an eighth or a fourth,  and for the husband a half or a fourth" (Sahih Albukhari 2747).

 So the bequest became for the relatives who do not inherit; For the bequest to an heir is not permissible, where as narrated by Anas bin Malik: "I was under the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and its saliva was dripping between my shoulders, and I heard Him as saying Allah has given each person who has rights his rights, but there is no bequest for an heir" (Sunan Ibn Majah 2714). And it is recommended that he bequeaths to his close relatives who do not inherit no more than one-third of the estate lest he prejudices his heirs, and leaves the rest of the estate as Allah has divided it, where Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said to Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas "Give one-third, and even one-third is too much" (Sahih Albukhari 3936). And Allah's Messenger (PBUH ) said in narration of Abdullah bin Umar: "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to bequeath to stay for two nights without having his last will and testament written and kept ready with him" (Sahih Albukhari 2738). And it was said that it is not permissible to make a will except to a relative who does not inherit, unless the deceased has no relatives, in which case he may make a will to the poor Muslims. And the scholars judged that if a man made a will to a non-relative while he has relatives in need, then two-thirds of the bequest should be given to them, and one-third of the bequest should be given to the one to whom the deceased made the will. 

 Then Allah assures that whoever changes the bequest or distorts it after he has heard it from the deceased, so he changes its ruling, whether he adds to it, subtracts from it, or conceals it completely, then the sin is only upon those who change it, and the reward of the deceased is with Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-knower, so He has heard what the deceased bequeathed, All-Knower of those who have changed the bequest. And if someone is present with a testator who is making a will when he is on the verge of death, and he fears that he might make a mistake unintentionally in his will, or that he might commit injustice in his will and deliberately harm some of his heirs such as bequeathing more than one-third or bequeathing to one of his heirs to increase his share beyond what Allah has written for him or bequeathing to a stranger while he has a needy relative, then there is no blame on the one who is present with the testator and hears his will from him to reconcile between him and his heirs by ordering him to be just in his will, informing him of what Allah has permitted him to do in his will, and forbidding the heirs from preventing him from what Allah has permitted him to do, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful, so He will forgive the testator if he retracted the unjust will, and He will not hold him accountable for it.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (183,184) "O you who have believed! Enjoined upon you is fasting as it was enjoined upon those before you so that you may fear, numbered days, so whoever among you is ill or on a journey, then a number of other days, and upon those who are able to it, then a ransom of feeding a needy, and whoever volunteers good, then it is better for him, but that you fast is better for you, if you know", that is, Allah has prescribed fasting upon the Muslims as He has prescribed it on those before them from among the people of the Scripture so that they may fear Allah and fear His punishment, so they follow His commands and avoid His prohibitions. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, and fasting in Islamic law means abstaining from eating, drinking, and having sexual intercourse from Adhan (Call of prayer) of Fajr (Dawn) until Adhan of Maghrib (Sunset), and it is completed by avoiding prohibitions and sins, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Whoever does not give up forged speech and acting upon it, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink" (Sahih Albukhari 1903). And as narrated by Aisha: "During Jahiliyyah (Pre-Islamic era) Quraish used to fast on the day of Ashura', and the Prophet (PBUH) used to fast it, and when He came to Medina, He fasted it, and ordered the Muslims to fast it, and when Ramadan was revealed, Ramadan became an obligation and fasting on Ashura' was given up, and whoever wished to fast on it did so, and whoever did not wish to fast, did not fast" (Sahih Albukhari 4504).    

 Allah has enjoined fasting upon Muslims for a specific number of days, which is the month of Ramadan, and He has permitted the sick and the traveler not to fast as long as they are sick or on a journey because that would be difficult for them, but rather, they could break their fast, then they fast the same number of days on which they broke their fast on other days or feed a poor person in lieu of each day of fasting, and this includes the pregnant woman who fears for her fetus, and the breastfeeding woman who fears for her child, where as narrated by Anas bin Malik that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Allah has remitted half the prayer to a traveler, and fasting to the traveler, the breastfeeding woman, and the pregnant woman, and the sub-narrator said, I swear by Allah that He (PBUH) mentioned both or one of them i.e. breastfeeding and pregnant women" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2408), and as narrated by Ibn Abbas with regard to Allah's saying {Then a number of other days} that it stands valid for the pregnant and breastfeeding woman" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2317), and the menstruating woman is not permitted to fast at all, but she must break the fast and fasts the same number of the days of menstruation on other days, where as narrated by Abu Sa'id Alkhudri that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Isn't it true that a woman does not pray and does not fast on menstruating?, and that is defect in her religion" (Sahih Albukhari 1951), and as narrated by Aisha: "Sometimes I missed some days of Ramadan, but could not fast in lieu of them except in the month of Sha'ban, Yahya (a sub-narrator) said she used to be busy serving the Prophet (PBUH)" (Sahih Albukhari 1950).

 There are two cases for a sick person, one of them is that he cannot fast at all, in which case he must break the fast, the second is that he is able to fast, but it is harmful and difficult, in which case it is recommended for him to break the fast, and the majority of scholars said that if he has a disease that causes him harm and pain, or he fears that the disease will worsen with fasting, it is permissible for him to break the fast, but others said that one does not break the fast due to illness except for someone whose illness itself requires him to break the fast, so if he can tolerate fasting while sickness, he does not break the fast such as someone who suffers from headache, fever, or a minor illness that does not cause any difficulty in fasting. 

 As for the traveler, a man is not called a traveler unless he has started his journey, so it is not permissible for him to break the fast as long as he has not started his journey, and it is better for the traveler to fast in Ramadan as along as it is not difficult for him to fast, but if it is difficult for him to fast, then breaking the fast is better for him, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) fasted during His travels and broke the fast at other times, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "Do not condemn one who observes fast, or one who does not observe, for the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) observed fast in a journey, and He did not observe it too" (Sahih Muslim 1113 f), and as narrated by Abu Sa'id Alkhudri: "We went out on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) during Ramadan, some of us observed the fast, and some of us broke it, neither the observer of the fast had any grudge against the one who broke it, nor the breaker of the fast had any grudge against who had fasted, they knew that he who had strength enough fasted, and that was good, and they also found that he who felt weakness broke it, and that was also good" (Sahih Muslim 1116). 

 And Allah's Messenger fasted during His travels, where as narrated by Abu Aldarda': "We set out with Allah's Messenger (PBUH) on one of His journey on a very hot day, and it was so hot that one had to put his hand over his head because of the severity of heat, none of us was fasting except the Prophet (PBUH) and Ibn Rawaha" (Sahih Albukhari 1945). And at other times, Allah's Messenger broke His fast, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas:"The Messenger of Allah journeyed during the month of Ramadan in a state of fasting till He reached Usfan, He then ordered a cup containing drinking water and He drank that openly so that the people might see him and broke the fast till He reached Mecca, Ibn Abbas said Allah's Messenger fasted and broke the fast, so he who wishes to fast, he fasts, and he who wishes to break the fast, he breaks it" (Sahih Muslim 113 e). And as narrated by Aisha: "Hamza bin Amr Alaslami asked the Prophet (PBUH) Should I fast while traveling?, He (PBUH) said you may fast if you wish, and you may not fast if you wish" (Sahih Albukhari 1943), and in another narration of Muraweh that Hamza bin Amr Alaslami said: "Messenger of Allah! I find strength in me for fasting on a journey Is there any sin upon me?, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said it is a concession from Allah, he who took advantage of it, then it is good, and he who preferred to observe fast, then there is no sin upon him" (Sahih Muslim 1121). So whoever fasts during his travels, then he has fulfilled Allah's obligation, and whoever breaks his fast, then he has taken an advantage of a permission given to him.

 It is not a good act of obedience and worship to fast while traveling if fasting is difficult when Allah has given permission for the fasting person to break his fast, whether the fast is obligatory or supererogatory, where as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was on a journey and saw a crowed of people, and a man was being shaded, He asked what is the matter?, they said he is fasting, He (PBUH) said it is not righteousness that you fast on a journey" (Sahih Albukhari 1946). And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) broke the fast when He was informed that there are people to whom fasting has become unbearable and that they are waiting how He does, He then called for a cup of water when it was afternoon, and when He was informed that some people had continued their fast after that, He said those are the disobedient, those are the disobedient; Because they did not follow Him and obey His command (Sahih Muslim 1114 a,1114 b).

 And as narrated by Anas: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on a journey, some of us had been observing the fast and some of us had not been fasting, we got down at a place on a hot day, most of us had the cloth for shelter, there were also those amongst us who sheltered sun with the help of their hands, the observers of the fast fell down (out of weakness), those who had not observed it got up and pitched tents and watered the mounts, thereupon, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said the breakers of the fast have taken away the reward today" (Sahih Muslim 1119), and as narrated by Qaza'ah: "I came to Abu Sa'id Alkhudri, and he was surrounded by people, and when they dispersed, I said to him I am not going to ask you about what these people were asking, I ask you about fasting on a journey, upon this he said we traveled with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) towards Mecca and we had been observing fast, we halted at a place, there the Messenger of Allah said you are nearing your enemy and breaking of fast would give you greater strength and that was concession, but some of us continued to observe the fast and some of us broke it, we then got down at another place, and He (PBUH) said you are going to encounter the enemy in the morning and breaking of fast would give you strength, so Break the fast, as it was a point of stress, so we broke the fast, but subsequently we saw ourselves observing the fast with the Messenger of Allah on a journey" (Sahih Muslim 1120). 

 And Allah has given the healthy resident a choice between fasting on other days or feeding one poor person instead of each day of fasting, if he wills, he may fast, and if he does not will, he may feed a poor person for each day, and if he volunteers good, so if he combines fasting with a ransom of feeding a poor person or he feeds more than one poor person for each day, then it is a voluntary act of goodness, and it is better for him, and if he fasts, then that is better for him than feeding the poor, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Allah says the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give reward for it, fasting is a protection i.e. from fire and sins, if one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say I am fasting, By Him in whose Hand My soul is, the unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk, there are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord, then he will be pleased because of his fasting" (Sahih Albukhari 1904). And in another narration of Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Every deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward, Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said with the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me, and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake" (Sahih Muslim 1151 e).

 

 The choice between fasting and feeding the poor was at the beginning for the sick, the traveler, and the resident, then Allah made fasting obligatory for the healthy resident, and Allah permitted the sick and the traveler to repeat the fasting of the day on which they broke the fast, and permitted the elderly who are not able to fast to feed a poor person as a ransom for each day of fasting, thereupon, the choice between fasting and feeding the poor was abrogated for the healthy one, but feeding the poor was not abrogated for those who were absolutely unable to fast, therefore, there was a dispute over whether this verse is abrogated or not, where as narrated by Ata' that he heard Ibn Abbas reciting {And upon those who are able to it, then a ransom of feeding a needy}, Ibn Abbas said this verse is not abrogated, but it is meant for old men and old women who have no strength to fast, so they should feed one poor person instead of each day of fasting" (Sahih Albukhari 4505), but as narrated by Nafi': "Ibn Umar recited {And upon those who are able to it, then a ransom of feeding a needy} and added this verse is abrogated" (Sahih Albukhari 4506), and as narrated by Salama: "When the Divine revelation {And upon those who are able to it, then a ransom of feeding a needy}, was revealed, it was permissible for one to give a ransom and give up fasting, the verse succeeding it was revealed and abrogated it" (Sahih Albukhari 4507).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (185) "The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance for the people, and clear proofs of the guidance and the Criterion, so whoever among you witnesses the month, Let him fast it, and whoever is ill or on a journey, then a number of other days, Allah intends for you the ease, and does not intend for you the hardship, so that you complete the period and that you magnify Allah for that which He has guided you, and so that you may give thanks", that is, Allah has sent down the Holy Quran all at once from Al-lawh Almahfouz to the lowest heaven in the month of Ramadan, on the night of Alqadr as Allah says in Aya (1) of Surat Alqadr {Indeed, We have sent it down on the night of Alqadr}, then the Holy Quran was revealed over a prolonged period to Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) according to events and incidents as Allah has stated in Aya (106) of Surat Alisraa, and Allah has sent down the Holy Quran as a guidance for the people, so it is an explanation of Allah's limits, obligations, lawful and unlawful things, and it is clear proofs of the guidance and the Criterion, so the Holy Quran is clear and evident proofs indicating guidance that contradicts misguidance, and it distinguishes between truth and falsehood, between guidance and misguidance, and between lawful and forbidden.

 Then Allah commanded whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan to fast it, so it is obligatory upon whoever witnesses the beginning of the month of Ramadan while he is adult, sane, and healthy in body to fast without fail, so this verse abrogated the permission in the previous verse for whoever is resident and healthy to break the fast and pay the ransom by feeding a poor person for each day he broke the fast. Fasting begins when the crescent moon of Ramadan is sighted, and breaking the fast begins when the crescent moon of Shawwal is sighted, and if the crescent moon cannot be sighted on the twenty-ninth day of Ramadan, then the month will be thirty days depending on the country in which one resides, and it is not permissible to precede the month of Ramadan with a day or two days of fasting except for those who are accustomed to fasting such as those who fast one day and break one day throughout the year, or those who fast Mondays and Thursdays of each month, where Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "Do not precede the month with a day or two days (of fasting), unless that fast falls on a day that one of you used to fast, Fast with its sighting, and Break the fast with its sighting, and if it is cloudy, then Count for thirty days, then Break your fast" (Jami' Altirmidhi 684).

 And as narrated by Kuraib : "Umm Alfadl, daughter of Harith, sent him to Mu'awiya in Levant, he said so I arrived to Levant and did the needful for her, it was there in Levant that the month of Ramadan commenced, I saw the new moon on Friday, I then came back to Medina at the end of the month, Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, asked me about the new moon of Ramadan and said When did you see it?, I said we saw it on the night of Friday, he said Did you see it yourself?, I said yes, and the people also saw it, and they fasted and Mu'awiya also fasted, whereupon, he said but we saw it on Saturday night, so we will continue to fast till we complete thirty or we see it (Crescent moon of Shawwal), I said Is the sighting of the moon by Mu'awiya not valid for you?, he said no, this is how the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has commanded us" (Sahih Muslim 1087).

   

 Allah has permitted again the sick and the traveler not to fast as long as they are sick or on journey on the condition that they fast the same number of days on which they broke their fast on other days, so whoever has a physical illness that makes fasting difficult or harmful for him, or is traveling and fasting is difficult for him, then he may break the fast, and if he breaks the fast, then he must fast the same number of days on which he broke the fast, and he can fast them consecutively or separately. The matter of breaking the fast in sickness and travel is optional and is not obligatory, so man may break the fast or fast according to his ability as mentioned in the previous verse. Allah only permitted you to break the fast when you are sick or traveling even though it is obligatory for the healthy resident for Allah intends for you the ease, and does not intend for you the hardship, so it is a way to make things easy for you and to show Allah's mercy to you, and so that you complete the number of your month, so that you magnify Allah for that which He has guided you, so many scholars have considered it permissible to magnify Allah on Eid Al-Fitr by saying Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest, and so that you may give thanks to Allah for the blessing that He has bestowed upon you when He obliged you to fast the month of Ramadan, where Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "Whoever observes fast during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's reward, then all his past sins will be forgiven" (Sahih Albukhari 38), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained" (Sahih Albukhari 3277). And as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said to a woman from the Ansar, when it is Ramadan, then Perform Umrah for Umrah during it is equivalent to Hajj" (Sunan Alnasai 2110).

 The jurists differed regarding someone who died without fasting the days on which he broke his fast in Ramadan, some said no one should fast on behalf of anyone else, some said that a ransom should be paid on his behalf, and some said his relatives should fast on his behalf for Allah's Messenger said in narration of Aisha: "Whoever died and he ought to have fasted, then his guardians must fast on his behalf" (Sahih Albukhari 1952), and as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "A woman came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said my sister died while she had two consecutive months of fasting due, so He (PBUH) said Do you see that if there was a debt due from your sister Would you pay it?, she said yes, He said then the right of Allah is more appropriate" (Jami' Altirmidhi 716), but some said that his guardians should fast on his behalf only in the case of a vowed fast, not an obligatory fast, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas: "A woman came to the Messenger of Allah and said Messenger of Allah! My mother has died and there is due from her a fast of vow, Should I fast on her behalf?, thereupon, He (PBUH) said  Do you see that if there was a debt due from your mother Would it have been paid on her behalf?, she said yes, He said then Observe fast on behalf of your mother" (Sahih Muslim 1148 d).

 As for supererogatory fasting, it is a great way to stay away from Hellfire on the day of resurrection for distance covered by a journey of seventy years, and to atone for sins, where as narrated by Abu Sa'id Alkhudri: "I heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying he who fasts one day in the way of Allah, Allah will keep his face away from the Fire for seventy years" (Sahih Albukhari 2840), and as narrated by Sahl that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "There is a gate in Paradise called Alrayyan, and those who observe fast will enter through it on the day of resurrection and none except them will enter through it, it will be said Where are those who used to observe fast?, they will get up and none except them will enter through it, after their entry, the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it" (Sahih Albukhari 1896).

 

 And as narrated by Abu Qatadah: "A person came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said How do you fast?, the Messenger of Allah felt annoyed, when Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, noticed his annoyance, he said we are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our religion, and with Muhammad as our Prophet, we seek refuge in Allah from the anger of Allah and that of His Messenger. Umar kept on repeating these words till His anger calmed down, then Umar said Messenger of Allah What is the position of he who fasts perpetually?, He said he neither fasted nor broke it, or He said he did not fast and he did not break it, Umar said What about he who fasts for two days and does not fast one day?, He said Is anyone capable of doing that, Umar said What about he who fasts on a day and does not fast on the other day?, He said that is the fast of David, peace be upon Him, Umar said What about he who fasts one day and does not fast for two days?, thereupon, He (PBUH) said I wish I were given the strength to do that, thereafter the Messenger of Allah said fasting three days every month and that of Ramadan every year is perpetual fasting, I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafa may atone for the sins of the preceding year and the coming year, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for the sins of the preceding year" (Sahih Muslim 1162 a), and in another narration of Abu Qatadah also that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was asked about fasting on Monday, and He said It is when I was born, and revelation was sent down to Me (Sahih Muslim (1162 e). And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari: "He who observed the fast of Ramadan, and then followed it with six (days of fast) of Shawwal, it would be as if he fasted the entire year" (Sahih Muslim 1164), so fasting the month of Ramadan is equivalent to fasting ten months, and fasting the six days of Shawwal is equivalent to fasting two months, and thus the year is complete.

 It is not permissible to fast on Friday unless you fast the day before or the day after it, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "I heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying none of you should fast on Friday unless he fasts a day before or after it" (Sahih Albukhari 1985), and as narrated by Abu Ayyub from Juwairiya bint Alharith: "The Prophet (PBUH) visited her on Friday and she was fasting, He asked her Did you fast yesterday?, she said no, He said Do you intend to fast tomorrow?, she said no, He said then Break your fast" (Sahih Albukhari 1986). And it is forbidden to fast on the day of Eid Al-Fitr and the day of Eid Al-Adha, where as narrated by Abu Ubaid: "I witnessed the Eid with Umar bin Alkhattab who said Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has forbidden people to fast on the day on which you break fasting (Eid Al-Fitr), and the day on which you eat the meat of your sacrifices (Eid Al-Adha)" (Sahih Albukhari 1990). And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) forbade fasting on the days of Tashreeq, which are the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth of Dhul-Hijjah, where as narrated by Abu Murrah, the freed slave of Umm Hani', that he entered along with Abdullah bin Amr upon His father Amr bin Al-As, and he brought food for him, he said Eat, he said I am fasting, Amr said Eat, these are the days on which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to command us to break the fast, and forbid us to keep fast, Malik, the sub-narrator, said these are the days of Tashreeq" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2418).

 It is not permissible to fast the obligatory fast without the intention of fast before Dawn, where as narrated by Hafsa, the wife of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) that the Messenger of Allah said: "He who does not determine to fast before Dawn, then he does not fast" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2454). So it is not permissible to fast the month of Ramadan, to fast a fast of vow, or to fast a fast of ransom of another day except that you intend to fast before Dawn, and the intention is valid if you think at night that you will fast tomorrow, or when you take Suhoor, so you ate and drink with the intention of gaining strength to fast, then you have done what is required of you. But the matter is different with regard to the voluntary fasting, it is permissible to intend to fast after Dawn, and it is permissible also to break the fast at any time, and there is no blame upon you, where as narrated by Aisha: "When the Prophet (PBUH) entered upon me, He would ask Do you have food?, when we said no, He would say I am fasting, Waki' added, another day when He entered upon us, we said O Messenger of Allah! Some Hais (Date and ghee dessert) has been presented to us, and we have retained it for You, He said Bring it to Me, Talhah said He (PBUH) fasted in the morning but broke His fast" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2455). And as narrated by Umm Hani': "On the day of conquest, conquest of Mecca, Fatima came and sat on the left side of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), and Umm Hani' was on His right side, a slave-girl brought a vessel which contained some milk, she gave it to Him (PBUH) and He drank of it, He then gave it to Umm Hani' who drank of it, she said Messenger of Allah! I have broken my fast, I was fasting, He said to her Were you making atonement for something?, she replied no, He said then it does not harm you if it was voluntary" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2456).

 It is recommended for the fasting person to break his fast with dates or a few sips of water, where as narrated by Anas bin Malik: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to break His fast before praying with some fresh dates, but if there no fresh dates, then with a dry dates, and if there were no dry dates, He took some mouthfuls of water" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2356). And it is also recommended to take Suhoor with dates for the Prophet (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "How good is the believer's meal of dates shortly before Dawn" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2345). 

 Allah's Messenger (PBUH) urges the believers to provide food to the fasting people at the time of breaking the fast, and assures that they will have a reward like that of the fasting one, where as narrated by Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever provides the food for a fasting person to break his fast with, then for him is the same of his reward, without anything being diminished from the reward of the fasting person" (Jami' Altirmidhi 807), and as narrated by Anas bin Malik: "The Prophet (PBUH) came to visit Sa'd bin Ubadah, and he brought bread and olive oil, and He (PBUH) ate, then the Prophet said may the fasting ones break their fast with you, and the pious eat your food, and the Angels send their blessing on you" (Sunan Abi Dawood 3854).  

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (186) "And when My servants ask You concerning Me, indeed, I am near, I respond to the supplication of the supplicant when he calls upon Me, so Let them respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly guided", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying when My servants ask You concerning Me, then I am near to them, I hear their supplication, and answer the call of those who call upon Me, and as narrated by Abu Musa Alash'ari: "When Allah's Messenger (PBUH) fought the Battle of Khaibar, or when Allah's Messenger went towards it, the people passed over a high place overlooking a valley, they raised their voices with Takbeer: saying Allahu Akbar, Allah is the Greatest, there is no God but Allah, on that Allah's Messenger said Show mercy to yourselves for you are not calling one who is deaf nor is He absent, indeed, you are calling One who is All-Hearing, Ever-Near, and is with you, I was behind the riding animal of Allah's Messenger, and He heard me saying La hawla wa la quwwata ella bellah: There is neither might nor power but with Allah, on that He said to Me O Abdullah bin Qais, I said Labaika O Allah's Messenger: at Your service O Allah's Messenger! He said Shall I guide you to a sentence which is one of the treasures of Paradise, I said yes O Allah's Messenger! Let my father and my mother be sacrificed for Your sake, He said it is La hawla wa la quwwata ella bellah: There is neither might nor power but with Allah" (Sahih Albukhari 4205).

 The supplication is the worship because when the servant supplicates Allah, he then acknowledges His Lordship and Divinity, and since the servant knows that there is no God but Allah, he will acknowledge His Oneness, will put his trust upon Him in all of his affairs, and will seek refuge from every evil in Him alone, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Alnu'man bin bashir that the supplication is the worship (Jami' Altirmidhi 2969). So Allah says to His Messenger (PBUH) {So Let them respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly guided}, thereupon, Allah urges His servants to call upon Him, and promises them that He will answer their supplication on the condition that they respond to His command, submit to Him in obedience, and believe in Him, so that they may be rightly guided to the right path, so Call upon Allah while being certain of the answer, and with full will, where Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Anas: "When one of you makes supplication, he should supplicate with a will, and should not say O Allah! Confer upon me if You will, for there is none to coerce Allah" (Sahih Muslim 2678).

 

 So nothing prevents Allah from answering the supplication, and He does not disappoint the supplicant, unless he despairs his supplication being answered and then ceases supplication; Because this is a sign of weak faith in Allah, Allah also does not answer the supplication when man supplicates for evil or severing the ties of kinship, and when his earnings are unlawful, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "The supplication of the servant is granted in case he does not supplicate for sin or for severing the ties of womb, or he does not become impatient, it was said O Messenger of Allah! What does "if he does not he grow impatient" imply?, He said that he should say I supplicated, I supplicated, but I did not find it being responded, and thus he becomes frustrated and abandoned supplication" (Sahih Muslim 2735 c), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Jabir: "There is none who utters a supplication except that Allah gives him what he asked, or prevents evil from him that is equal to it as long as he does not supplicate for something evil or severing the ties of womb" (Jami' Altirmidhi 3381). And as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) made a mention of a person who travels widely, his hair is disheveled, and he is covered with dust, he raises his hands to the sky and says O Lord! O Lord! Yet his food is from the unlawful, his drink is from the unlawful, his clothing is from the unlawful, and he was nourished by the unlawful, so How can that be accepted" (Sahih Muslim 1015). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (187) "It has been made lawful for you the night of fasting to have sexual relation with your women, they are clothing for you, and you are clothing for them, Allah knew that you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you and pardoned you, so now, Have sexual relations with them and seek what Allah has decreed for you, and Eat and Drink until the white thread of Dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread, then Complete the fast till the night, and Do not have sexual relations with them while you are staying in the mosques for I'tikaf, these are the limits of Allah, so Do not approach them, thus Allah makes clear His verses to the people so that they may fear", that is, at the beginning of the obligation of fasting, if someone broke his fast, he was only permitted to eat, drink, and have sexual intercourse until the Ishaa prayer (evening) or he sleeps before that, so whenever he slept or prayed Ishaa prayer, he was forbidden to eat, drink, and have sexual intercourse until the following night, and that was difficult for the believers, where as narrated by Alabara' bin Azib: "When the obligatory of fasting Ramadan was revealed, the people did not have sexual relations with their wives for the whole month of Ramadan, but some men cheated themselves, so Allah revealed {Allah knew that you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you and pardoned you}" (Sahih Albukhari 4508), and as narrated by Ibn Abbas with regard to Allah's saying {O you who have believed! Enjoined upon you is fasting as it was enjoined upon those before you}: "During the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH), when the people offer night prayer (Ishaa), they were commanded to abstain from food, drink, and women, and they kept fast till the next night, a man betrayed himself and had intercourse with his wife after he had offered the night prayer, and he did not break his fast, so Allah, the Exalted, intended to make it easy for the others, thus providing concession and utility, Allah, Glory to be Him said {Allah knew that you used to deceive yourselves}, and by this Allah benefited the people and provided concession and ease to them" (Sunan Abi Dawood). 

 And as narrated by Albara' also : "It was the custom of the companions of the Prophet (PBUH), that if any of them was fasting and the food was presented but he had slept before eating, he would not eat that night nor the following day until the evening. Qais bin Sirmah Al-Ansari fasted and came to his wife at the time of Ifatr (Breaking the fast), and said to her Do you have food?, she said no, but I will go and bring something for you, he worked during the day and his eyes overcame him, then his wife came and when she saw him, she said you shall disappointed, about the middle of the next day he fainted, and that was mentioned to the Prophet (PBUH), so this Aya was revealed {It has been made lawful for you the night of fasting to have sexual relation with your women}, so they were very happy about that {And Eat and Drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread}" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2968).  

 Since the man and the woman sleep with each other and touch each other, so they are clothing for each other, and Allah likens them to clothing because the body joins the body and they intertwine with each other and become a covering for each other, then it is appropriate that Allah granted them permission to have sexual intercourse during the nights of Ramadan till the Dawn lest it be difficult for them as some of the believers used to deceive themselves by committing the forbidden acts during the nights of Ramadan such as sexual intercourse, eating, and drinking after praying Ishaa prayer or after sleeping as shown above, so Allah turned to them in mercy and forgiveness and pardoned them by making things easy for them and granting them permission to do what has been forbidden to them during the nights of Ramadan, so Allah permitted them to have sexual relations with their women and to seek what Allah has decreed for them of lawful sexual relations. Since Allah made Dawn the end of the permissibility of sexual intercourse for whoever wants to fast, then whoever wakes up in a state of Janabah (Major ritual impurity) should perform Ghusl by washing the whole body and complete his fast and there is no blame upon him, where as narrated by Abu Bakr bin Abdul-Rahman bin Alharith bin Hisham from Aisha and Umm Salama, the wives of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "The Messenger of Allah at times got up in the morning in a state of Janabah on account of having sexual intercourse, not due to sexual dream in the month of Ramadan, and would observe fast" (Sahih Muslim 1109 d), and in another narration, Aisha said that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) washed Himself and observed fast after Dawn broke upon Him during Ramadan in a state of Janabah (Sahih Muslim 1109 b), and Umm Salama said that He (PBUH) did not break the fast and did not fast a day instead (Sahih Muslim 1109 c).  

 When Abu Hurayrah said that whoever gets up in the state of Janabah should not fast, it became clear that he heard that from Alfadl bin Al-Abbas not from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), where as narrated by Abu Bakr bin Abdul-Rahman bin Harith: "I heard Abu Hurayrah narrating that he who is overtaken by Dawn in a state of Janabah should not observe fast. I made a mention of it to Abdul-Rahman bin Harith i.e. his father, but he denied it, Abdul-Rahman went and I also went along with him till we came to Aisha and Umm Salama, and Abdul-Rahman asked them about it, both of them said that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) woke up in the morning in a state of Janabah without sexual dream (i.e. due to sexual intercourse), and He observed fast, Abu Bakr added we then proceeded till we went to Marwan and Abdul-Rahman made a mention of it to him, upon this Marwan said I stress upon you that you better go to Abu Hurayrah and refer to him what is said about it, so we came to Abu Hurayrah and Abu Bakr had been with us throughout and Abdul-Rahman made a mention of it to him. whereupon, Abu Hurayrah said Did they (Aisha and Umm Salama) tell you this?, he replied yes, upon this Abu Hurayrah said they have better knowledge, Abu Hurayrah then attributed that what was said about it to Alfadl bin Al-Abbas and said I hear it from Alfadl not from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), Abu Hurayrah then retracted from what he used to say about it, Ibn Juraij, one of the narrators, reported I asked Abd-Almalik Did they say in Ramadan, whereupon, he said it was so, and He (PBUH) woke up in the state of Janabah which was not due to the sexual dream, and then observed fast" (Sahih Muslim 1109).

 Allah also has permitted to eat and drink in addition to have sexual intercourse at any time of night of Ramadan the fasting person wishes till the light of morning is distinguished from the darkness of the night, and Allah expressed this by the white thread of Dawn from the black thread, so when the white thread of Dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread, you refrain and complete the fast till the night, and as narrated by Sahl bin Sa'd: "The verse {And Eat and Drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread} was revealed, but of Dawn was not revealed along with it, so some men when intending to fast, they used to tie their legs, one with white thread and the other with black thread, and would keep on eating till they could distinguish one thread from the other, then Allah revealed of Dawn, whereupon, they understood that meant the night and the day" (Sahih Albukhari 4511). And as narrated by Alsha'bi: "Adi took a white rope and a black one, and when some part of the night had passed, he could not distinguish one from the other, the second morning, he said O Allah's Messenger! I put (the two ropes) underneath my pillow, the Prophet (PBUH) said then your pillow is too wide if the white thread and the black thread are underneath your pillow" (Sahih Albukhari 4509). And as narrated by Adi bin Hatim: "I said O Allah's Messenger! What is the meaning of the white thread distinct from the black thread?, Are these two threads?, He said you are not intelligent if you watch the two threads, He then added no it is the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the day" (Sahih Albukhari 4510).

 Allah's permission to eat and drink until Dawn is an evidence of the desirability of eating Suhoor before Dawn (Fajr), which is the food eaten just before Dawn in Ramadan or any other day of fasting, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) urges everyone who wants to fast to eat Suhoor, where as narrated by Anas bin Malik: "The Prophet (PBUH) said Take Suhoor, as there is a blessing in Suhoor" (Sahih Albukhari 1923), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Amr bin Al-As: "The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the people of the Book is eating before Dawn" (Sahih Muslim 1096). It is recommended to delay Suhoor until close to Dawn, where as narrated by Anas from Zaid bin Thabit: "We took the Suhoor with the Prophet (PBUH), then He stood for the prayer, I asked What was the interval between Suhoor and Adhan (Call of prayer)?, he replied the interval was sufficient to recite fifty verses of the Quran" (Sahih Albukhari 1921), and as narrated by Aisha: "Bilal used to pronounce the Adhan at night, so Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said Eat and Drink till Ibn Umm Maktoum pronounces the Adhan, for he does not pronounce it till it is Dawn" (Sahih Albukhari 1918), and Allah's Messenger said in narration of Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "Let none of you be prevented from eating Suhoor by Bilal's Adhan for he calls to prayer at night so that those who are awake may pay attention (to Suhoor), and that those who are sleeping may wake up" (Sahih Albukhari 621). And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "When any of you hears the call of prayer (of Dawn) while he has a vessel in his hand, he should not lay it down till he fulfills his need" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2350). 

 Allah commanded the believers to complete the fast from Dawn till nightfall, so breaking the fast at sunset is obligatory, where as narrated by Umar bin Alkhattab that Allah's Messenger said: "When night falls from this side, and the day vanishes from this side, and the sun sets, then the fasting person should break his fast" (Sahih Albukhari 1954), and as narrated by Abdullah bin Abi Awfa: "We were traveling with Allah's Messenger and He was fasting, and when the sun set, He said to someone Get down and Prepare Sawiq for us (Ground barely mixed with water or milk), he said O Allah's Messenger! Will You wait till it is evening?, He (PBUH) again said Get down and Prepare Sawiq for us, he replied O Allah's Messenger! It is still daytime, He said Get down and Prepare Sawiq for us, so he got down and carried out that order, then He (PBUH) said when you see night falling from this side, the fasting person should break his fast, and He beckoned with His finger towards the east" (Sahih Albukhari 1956). 

 It is recommended to hasten breaking the fast, where as narrated by Sahl bin Sa'd that Allah's Messenger said: "The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten breaking the fast" (Sahih Albukhari 1957). But whoever thought that the sun has set due to clouds or something else, so he broke his fast, then the sun appeared, he must fast a day instead of it, where as narrated by Hisham bin Urwa from Fatima from Asma' bint Abi Bakr: "We broke the fast one day of Ramadan when it was cloudy in the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH), then the sun rose, Abu Usama said I asked Hisham Were they ordered to fast in lieu of that day?, he replied that was inevitable" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2359). And the same applies to someone who thought that Dawn had not broken, so he ate, and then it became clear that Dawn had broken, so he should fast a day in lieu of it, thereupon, whoever doubted that Dawn has broken or not, he should stop eating, and if he ate while he was doubtful, then he must fast a day instead.

 Breaking the fast intentionally in Ramadan is a great sin, so whoever committed this sin must repent, regret, resolve not to break the fast again without a legitimate excuse, and hasten to fast the day which he broke intentionally, and the most likely opinion is that he is not required to make the major expiation for the day he broke the fast as in the case of breaking the fast by having sexual intercourse as will come later, rather, he is required to repent, seek forgiveness, and fast a day instead, but whoever delays the fast without an excuse until the next Ramadan begins, he must fast the days on which he broke the fast in addition to a minor expiation for each day on which he broke the fast, and the minor expiation is to feed a needy one for every day of breaking the fast. But as for whoever eats or drinks forgetfully, then his fast is complete, and he does not have to fast another day instead, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever eats or drinks forgetfully, then he should complete his fast for Allah fed him and gave him drink" (Sahih Albukhari 1933). 

 But if he broke his fast by having sexual intercourse, then he must fast a day instead, and make the major expiation, which is freeing a slave, and if he cannot find one, he must fast for two consecutive months, and if he is unable to do so, then he must feed sixty poor persons for each day he broke the fast by having sexual intercourse, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "While we were sitting with the Prophet (PBUH), a man came and said O Allah's Messenger! I have been ruined, Allah's Messenger asked what was the matter with him, he replied I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting. Allah's Messenger asked him Can you afford to manumit a slave?, he said no, He (PBUH) asked Can you fast for two consecutive months?, he said no, He (PBUH) asked Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?, he said no. The Prophet (PBUH) kept silent, and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet (PBUH), He asked Where is the questioner?, he replied I, the Prophet said to him Take this and Give it in charity, the man said Should I give it to a person poorer than me?, By Allah! There is no family between its two mountains (Medina) who are poorer than me?, the Prophet smiled till His premolar teeth became visible and then said Feed your family with it" (Sahih Albukhari 1936). The jurists differed regarding a woman whose husband had intercourse with her during a day of Ramadan, it was said that there is only one expiation for the husband, whether she consented to it or was forced, because Allah's Messenger (PBUH) obligated the questioner to one expiation and did not mention the wife, and it was said that she is obligated to do the same as her husband, but others said that if she complied, then each of them must make an expiation, but if he forced her, then he must make only one expiation.

 It is disliked for he who does not feel secure about himself and does control himself to kiss or hug his wife while he is fasting lest that be a cause of something that invalidates his fast, where as narrated by Aisha: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to kiss me while observing fast, and who among you can control his desire as the Messenger of Allah could control his desire" (Sahih Muslim 1106), and it is known that the young man does not control himself, unlike an old man, so it is better for him not to kiss or hug his wife while he is fasting, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "A man asked the Prophet (PBUH) whether one who was fasting could embrace his wife, and He gave him permission, but when another man came to him and asked Him, He forbade him, the one to whom He gave permission was an old man, and the one whom he forbade was a youth" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2387).

 It is forbidden to connect one day's fast to another without eating or drinking anything in between, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade from observing fast uninterruptedly (Wisal), a man from the Muslims said Messenger of Allah! You Yourself observe fast uninterruptedly, whereupon, the Messenger of Allah said Who among you is like Me?, I spent night that My Lord feeds Me and provides Me drink, when they refused to refrain from the uninterrupted fast, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) observed the uninterrupted fast for a day, and then for a day, then they saw the new moon (Of Shawwal), then He said if the appearance of the new moon were delayed, I would have observed more with you, as a way of warning them when they refused to refrain from Wisal" (Sahih Muslim 1103 a), so the continuous fasting is not prescribed for Muslims, but it was a special characteristic of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), where Allah granted Him the strength of the one who eats and drinks, and strengthened Him for all acts of obedience without any weakness of strength, therefore, He (PBUH) forbade His Ummah from continuing fast by abstaining from food and drink, day and night, intentionally, out of mercy and compassion for them, but He (PBUH) permitted them to continue fast until Dawn when He said in narration of Abu Sa'id Alkhudri: "Do not observe continuous fast, if any of you wants to observe continuous fast, he should observe it until the Dawn, they said You observe continuous fast?, He replied My position is not like that of yours, there is the One who feeds Me, and there is the One who provides Me drink" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2361).

 Then Allah has forbidden the one who performs I'tikaf in the mosque during Ramadan or other than Ramadan to have sexual intercourse with women, day or night, until he completes his I'tikaf, so whoever has sexual intercourse with his wife while he is in the state of I'tikaf, then he has invalidated his I'tikaf. I'tikaf is staying in the mosque in obedience to Allah, and I'tikaf is a Sunnah which Allah's Messenger (PBUH) did, and so did some of His wives and some of His companions, where as narrated by Aisha: "The Prophet (PBUH) used to observe I'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan till Allah took Him in death, then his wives observed I'tikaf after Him" (Sahih Muslim 1172 c), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) observed I'tikaf for twenty days in the year of His death, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "The Prophet (PBUH) used to perform I'tikaf every year in the month of Ramadan for ten days, and when it was the year of His death, He performed I'tikaf for twenty days" (Sahih Albukhari 2044).

 Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to observe I'tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan till He was informed that the night of Qadr lays in the last ten days of Ramadan, so He observed I'tikaf after that in the last ten days, where as narrated by Abu Sa'id Alkhudri: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to practice I'tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan, and once He stayed in I'tikaf till the night of twenty-one, and it was the night in the morning of which He used to come out of His I'tikaf, the Prophet said whoever was in I'tikaf with Me should stay in I'tikaf for the last ten days, for I was informed of the night of Qadr, but I have been caused to forget it, I saw Myself (in the dream) prostrating in mud and water in the morning of that night, so Look for it in the last ten nights and in the odd ones of them, it rained that night and the root of the mosque dribbled as it was made of leaf stalks of date-palms, I saw with my own eyes the mark of mud and water on the forehead of the Prophet in the morning of the twenty-one" (Sahih Albukhari 2027).

 Once Allah's Messenger postponed I'tikaf to the first ten days of Shawwal, where as narrated by Amrah from Aisha: "The Prophet (PBUH) used to practice I'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan and I used to pitch a tent for Him, and after offering the morning prayer, He used to enter the tent, Hafsa asked the permission of Aisha to pitch a tent for her, and she allowed her and she pitched her tent, when Zainab bint Jahsh saw it, she pitched another tent, in the morning, the Prophet noticed the tents, He said What is this?, He was told, then the Prophet (PBUH) said Do you think that they intended to do righteousness by doing this?, He then abandoned I'tikaf in that month, and practiced I'tikaf for ten days in the month of Shawwal" (Sahih Albukhari 2033).

 There is no minimum time for I'tikaf, and it is valid even for one night, where as narrated by Ibn Umar: "Umar asked the Prophet (PBUH) I vowed in Aljahiliyah (Pre-Islamic era) to perform I'tikaf for one night in the Sacred Mosque (Ka'bah), He (PBUH) said Fulfill your vow" (Sahih Albukhari 2032). Among the conditions of I'tikaf is purity from Janabah, menstruation, and postpartum bleeding, so if a woman menstruates during I'tikaf, she must leave the mosque, and the same applies to the man who is in a state of Janabah due to a wet dream, he must perform Ghusl (Washing the whole body), whether in the mosque or outside it, as Allah says in Aya (43) of Surat Alnisa' {Or in a state of Janabah except those passing through until you have bathed}. The person performing I'tikaf is not permitted to leave the mosque in which he is performing I'tikaf except for an unavoidable matter such as relieving himself of urination or defecation, or to bring food or drink, and the same applies to going out for medical treatment, or other necessities that a person cannot do without. And it is better for whoever intends to perform I'tikaf that he performs it in a mosque where Friday prayer is held, but if the mosque in which he performs his I'tikaf does hold Friday prayer, then it is permissible for him to go out to perform Friday prayer and return to his place of I'tikaf for the congregational prayer on Friday is obligation, and I'tikaf is Sunnah, and the obligation takes precedence over the Sunnah. 

 So the matter agreed upon is that women are forbidden to the person performing I'tikaf as long as he is performing I'tikaf in his mosque, so he is forbidden to have sexual intercourse and its causes such as kissing, hugging, and the like, and if he goes home for an unavoidable need, it is not permissible for him to stay there except for the time he takes to complete his need such as relieving himself or eating, and it is not permissible for him to kiss his wife, embrace her, or occupy himself with anything other than his I'tikaf, but the wife is allowed to help her husband such as by giving him something to eat or drink, or combing his hair, where as narrated by Aisha: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to bend His head to me while He was in the mosque, and I would comb and oil His hair, and He used not to enter the house except for a need as long as He was in I'tikaf" (Sahih Albukhari 2029).

 The person performing I'tikaf is not allowed to visit the sick, but he is allowed to ask about them while passing by, and it is allowed that his relatives visit him in the place of his I'tikaf, where as narrated by Ali bin Al-Husain: "Safiya, the wife of the Prophet (PBUH), told me that she went to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) to visit Him in the mosque while He was in I'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan, she had a talk with Him for a while, then she got up in order to return home, the Prophet accompanied her, when they reached the gate of the mosque, opposite the door of Umm Salama, two Ansari men were passing by and they greeted Allah's Messenger, He told them Do not run away and said she is Safiya bint Huyai, both of them said Subhana Allah: Glory to be Allah O Allah's Messenger and they felt it, the Prophet (PBUH) said Satan reaches everywhere in the human body as blood reaches in it, and I was afraid lest Satan might throw an evil thought in your minds" (Sahih Albukhari 2035). The beginning of I'tikaf is recommended to be after Fajr prayer (Dawn), not at night, where as narrated by Aisha: "When the Messenger of Allah decided to observe I'tikaf, He prayed Fajr prayer, then went to the place of His I'tikaf" (Sahih Muslim 1173). Then Allah assures that the rulings He has prescribed for the believers in this Aya are the limits of Allah, and Allah commanded the believers not to violate them, thus Allah makes clear His verses to the people so that they may fear, so He has explained fasting, its rulings and details, for the people so that they may fear Allah and fear His punishment if they disobeyed His commands and violated His limits. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (188) "And Do not eat up your wealth unjustly between you or send it to the rulers in order to eat up a portion of the wealth of the people in sin while you know", that is, Allah commands the believers not to eat up each other's wealth unjustly, so Do not eat up the wealth of others, whether little or much, and Do not deny it, then you go to the judges in order to rule in your favor, so you eat up a portion of the wealth of the people in sin and transgression, even though you know that you are not entitled to it, that you are sinful, and that you are consuming what is forbidden, so if there is no evidence against you, Do not dispute while you know that you are unjust for the judgment of the judges does not make permissible what you took unjustly nor does it forbid what is permissible, the judge only rules based on what he sees, and he is a human, so he can make mistakes or be right, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Umm Salama: "I am only a human being, and you come to Me with your cases, and it may be that one of you can present his case eloquently in a more convincing way than the other, and I give My verdict according to what I hear, so if ever I have judged in favor of someone regarding his brother's right, then he should not take it for I am giving him only a piece of fire" (Sahih Albukhari 7169). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (189) "They ask You about the new moons, Say they are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj, and it is not righteousness that you come into the houses from their backs, but righteousness is that one who fears, and Come to the houses from their doors, and Fear Allah so that you may succeed", that is, the people asked Allah's Messenger (PBUH) about the new moons with regard to the waxing and waning of the crescent moon, and the changes in its conditions, so Allah revealed this Aya in response to their question and commanded His Messenger (PBUH) to say that the new moons are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj, so they know through the news moons the time of fasting and the time of breaking the fast, the time of the waiting period of women, whether the divorced or the widowed, and the time of Hajj rituals, and Allah has ordained for moon phases so that the people may know the number of the years and the computation as He has stated in Aya (5) of Surat Yunus, so with the sighting of the crescent moon, one month of the Hijri calendar begins and another ends, and many obligations are determined on that sighting, and the beginning of the new month is known by sighting the crescent moon after sunset on twenty-nine day, and if the crescent moon is hidden and not seen, the month is completed with thirty days, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Ibn Umar: "We are an illiterate nation, we neither write nor know accounts, the month is like this and this i.e. sometimes of twenty-nine days, and sometimes of thirty days" (Sahih Albukhari 1913).

And as narrated by Abu Albukhtari: "We went out to perform Umrah, and when we encamped in the valley of Nakhlah, we tried to see the new moon, , some of the people said it was three nights old, and others said that it was two nights old, we then met Ibn Abbas and told him we had seen the new moon, but that some of the people said it was three nights old and others said that it was two nights old, he asked on which night we had seen it, and when we told him we had seen it on such-and-such night, he said the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said indeed, Allah deferred it till the time it is seen, so it is to be reckoned from the night you saw it" (Sahih Muslim 1088).

Then Allah assures that righteousness is not that one who comes into his houses from its back, but righteousness is that one who fears Allah and fears His punishment, so he follows His commands and avoids His prohibitions, where as narrated by Abu Is-haq: "I heard Albara' saying this verse was revealed regarding us, for the Ansar on returning from Hajj never entered their houses through the proper doors, but from behind, one of the Ansar came and entered through the door and he was taunted for it, therefore, the following verse was revealed {And it is not righteousness that you come into the houses from their backs, but righteousness is that one who fears, and Come to the houses from their doors}" (Sahih Albukhari 1803). So Allah assures that what they committed themselves to is not an act of righteousness at all, for the righteousness is fearing Allah and following what He has commanded, then Allah commanded them to come to the houses from their doors, and to Fear Allah so that they may succeed in the worldly life and the Hereafter and they will win the bliss that Allah has prepared for the righteous in Paradise. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (190) "And Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you and Do not transgress, indeed, Allah does not like the aggressors", that is, Allah commanded the believers to fight their enemies whose aim is to fight Islam and its people, so just as they fight you, Fight them too, and Do not transgress, and Allah does not like the aggressors who violate His limits and disobey His commands, so Do not fight those who do not fight you, and Do not kill the women, the children, and the elderly, Do not mutilate corpses, whether by burning or cutting them into pieces, and Do not kill animals or cut down trees without necessity, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sent out His army, He would say Go out in the Name of Allah, fighting in the way of Allah those who disbelieve in Allah, Do not be treacherous, Do not steal from the war booty, Do not mutilate, and Do not kill children or those who dwell in hermitages i.e. monks" (Musnad Ahmed 2728), and as narrated by Abdullah bin Umar: "During some of the Battles (Ghazawat) of the Prophet (PBUH), a woman was found killed, Allah's Messenger disapproved the killing of women and children, and in another narration of Abdullah Ibn Umar also, Allah's Messenger forbade the killing of women and children" (Sahih Albukhari 3014,3015). And as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) sent us in a mission and said if you find so-and-so, and so-and-so, Burn both of them with fire, when we intended to depart, Allah's Messenger said I have ordered to burn so-and-so, and so-and-so, and it is none but Allah who punishes with fire, so if you find them, then kill them" (Sahih Albukhari 3016).

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (191,192) "And Kill them wherever you find them and Expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and the trial is more severe than killing, and Do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight you therein, but if they fight you, then Kill them, such is the recompense of the disbelievers, and if they desist, then indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", that is, Allah commanded the believers to fight those who fight them from among the polytheists wherever they find them and are able to kill them, so Allah urges the believers to be determined to fight the polytheists as they were determined to fight the believers, and to expel them from their country from which they expelled Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and the believers. And Allah assures that the trial is more severe than the killing; For the trial of the believer in his religion until he turns away from it, and becomes a polytheist after his conversion to Islam is more severe and harmful to him than being killed while he adhering to his religion and holding fast to it. Then Allah forbade the believers from fighting the polytheists of Quraish at the Sacred Mosque (Almasjid Alharam) unless they initiate fighting them there, in which case they should fight and kill them, and that is the recompense of the disbelievers, so Allah has made the recompense of the disbelievers for their disbelief and fighting the believers killing in the worldly life and a painful punishment in the Hereafter, but if they desist and abandon fighting in Almasjid Alharam, and they repent and believe, then Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds.

   

 It was said that this verse is abrogated by Aya (5) of Surat Altawbah {And when the sacred months have passed, then Kill the polytheists wherever you find them}, and it was said that it is a decisive verse not an abrogated verse, so it is not permissible to fight anyone at Almasjid Alharam until he fights you there, and this is the correct of the two opinions; for Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said on the day of conquest of Mecca that fighting in the Sacred Mosque had not been permitted to anyone before Him, and Allah has singled Him out for that purpose, and it was only permitted for Him for an hour of that day after which its sanctity has returned to what it was, so it is forbidden by the Sanctity of Allah until the day of resurrection, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said on the day of conquest of Mecca: "There is no Hijrah (Emigration) i.e. after the conquest of Mecca, but only Jihad (Fighting in the way of Allah) and good intention, and when you are called to battle, then Go forth. He also said on the day of conquest of Mecca, Allah made this town Sacred on the day He created the heavens and the earth, so it is Sacred by the Sanctity conferred on it by Allah till the day of resurrection, and fighting on it was not lawful to anyone before Me, and it was made lawful for Me only during an hour on one day, for it is Sacred by the Sanctity conferred on it by Allah till the day of resurrection, its thorns are not to be cut, its game is not to be molested, and the things dropped are to be picked up only by one who makes a public announcement of it, and its fresh herbage is not to be cut, Abbas, said Messenger of Allah! Exception may be made in case of rush (Izkhar), for it is useful for their blacksmiths and for their houses, so He said except for Izkhar" (Sahih Muslim 1353).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (193) "And Fight them until there is no trial and the religion becomes for Allah, but if they desist, then there is no aggression except against the wrongdoers", that is, Allah commanded the believers to fight the polytheists until there is no trail, and no Muslim will be tempted from his religion, and the religion and monotheism will be for Allah alone, with no partner, so there will be no disbelief along with the religion of Islam, and that was at the beginning of Islam when the Muslims were put to trial because of their religion, and the polytheists would kill them or chain them, but when the Muslims increased, there was no trial, where as narrated by Nafi' from Ibn Umar: "During the affliction of Ibn Alzubair, two men came to Ibn Umar and said the people are lost, and you are the son of Umar, and the companion of the Prophet (PBUH), so What forbids you from coming out i.e. for fighting?, he said what forbids me is that Allah has prohibited the shedding of my brother's blood, they both said Didn't Allah say And Fight them until there is no trial?, he said we fought until there was no trial and the worship was for Allah, while you want to fight until there is a trial and the worship becomes for other than Allah, and as narrated by Nafi' from other narrators, a man came to Ibn Umar and said O Abu Abdul-Rahman! What made you perform Hajj in one year and Umrah in another year and leave Jihad in the way of Allah though you know how much Allah recommends it?, Ibn Umar replied O son of my brother! Islam is founded on five principles: belief in Allah and His Messenger, the five obligatory prayers, fasting of the month of Ramadan, paying the Zakah, and Hajj to the House, the man said O Abu Abdul-Rahman! Won't you listen to what Allah has mentioned in His Book {And if two groups of the believers fight against each other, then Make peace between both of them, Surat Alhujuraat Aya 9}, and His command {And Fight them until there is no trial}, Ibn Umar said we did it during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) when Islam has only a few followers, a man would be put to trial because of his religion, he would either be killed or tortured, but when the Muslims increased, there was no trial, the man said What is your opinion about Utham and Ali?, Ibn Umar said as for Uthman, it seems that Allah has forgiven him, but you dislike that he should be forgiven, and as for Ali, he is the cousin of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and His daughter's husband, then he pointed with his hand and said this is his house which you see" (Sahih Albukhari 4513).

 And Allah assures that if the polytheists desisted from disbelief and submitted to Allah, then there is no aggression against them after that, so they protected themselves from killing as soon as they embraced Islam and testified that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and aggression should be only directed against the wrongdoers who wronged themselves with disbelief, tyranny, and fighting the Muslims, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "I have been ordered to fight the people till they say there is no God but Allah, and whoever says there is no God but Allah, then indeed, his life and property will be saved by Me except for Islamic law, and his accounts will be with Allah" (Sahih Albukhari 2946). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (194) "The Sacred month is for the Sacred month and for the sanctities is retribution, so whoever has transgressed upon you, then Transgress upon him in the same as he has transgressed upon you, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is with the righteous", that is, the sacred month is the month of Dhul-Qa'da of the sixth year of Hijrah, the year of Alhudaiybeyah in which the Prophet (PBUH) set out along with His companions to perform Umrah, but the polytheists of Quraish prevented them from Reaching the House (Ka'bah), then they tended to reconciliation and truce, and they stipulated that the Messenger of Allah would return to Medina that year and would come the next year to perform Umrah, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) accepted their conditions and said in narration of Almiswar bin Makhramah and Marwan bin Alhakam: "By the One in whose hand My soul is! If they ask Me any plan by which they glorify the sanctities of Allah, I will give it to them" (Sahih Albukhari 2731), so the next year, which was the seventh year of Hijrah, Allah's Messenger went out to perform Umrah with His companions in Dhul-Qa'da, the same month in which the polytheists of Quraish had prevented Him from the House in the sixth year, so they entered Mecca and completed their Umrah, then left Mecca and returned to Medina, so Allah says the sacred month is for the sacred month as He made them to enter Mecca and brought them into the Ka'bah in Dhul-Qa'da, despite the dislike of the polytheists of Quraish, and for the sanctities is retribution, so the Umrah in Dhul-Qa'da of the seventh year of Hijrah was a retribution for Dhul-Qa'da of the sixth year of Hijrah in which they did not reach the Ka'bah.

 Then Allah ordered the believers to be just even with regard to the polytheists saying {So whoever has transgressed upon you, then Transgress upon him in the same as he has transgressed upon you}, so whoever transgresses against you, violates the sanctities of Allah, and fights you, then Transgress against him in fighting as he has transgress against you by fighting you, and whoever among the polytheists violates a sanctity of Allah's sanctities, then Violate the same from him; For Allah has made the sanctities subject to retribution, then Allah commanded the believers to fear Him and fear His punishment if they disobeyed His commands, and to know that Allah is with the righteous ones who fear Allah and fear His punishment by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, so He will support them in the worldly life against their enemy and reward them with the best reward in the Hereafter.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (195) "And Spend in the way of Allah and Do not throw with your hands into destruction, and Do good, indeed, Allah loves the good doers", that is, Allah commanded the believers to spend in His way in all forms of worship and obedience, and the best way which He commanded to be taken is fighting His enemy from among the polytheists, and spending in what strengthened the Muslims against their enemy, where as narrated by Abu Wa'il from Hudhaifa: "The verse {And Spend in the way of Allah, and Do not throw with your hands into destruction} was revealed concerning spending in the way of Allah i.e. Jihad" (Sahih Albukhari 4516), and Allah informs that abandoning Jihad and refraining from spending in His way will lead to destruction if one does it by choice while being able to do so, so it is not destruction for a man to be killed in the way of Allah, rather to refrain from spending in the way of Allah.

 And as narrated by Aslam bin Imran Altujibi: "We were in a Roman city, when a large column of Romans came out to us, so about the same number or more of the Muslims went towards them, the commander of the people of Egypt was Uqba bin Amir and the commander of the group was Fadalah bin Ubaid, one man among the Muslims reached the Roman line until he entered amidst them, so the people started screaming Subhana Allah: Glory to be Allah! He has thrown himself into destruction. Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari said O people! You give this interpretation for this Aya while this Aya was revealed about us, the people of Ansar. When Allah made Islam might, and increased its supporters, some of us secretly said to each other, outside of the presence of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), our wealth has been ruined, and Allah has strengthened Islam and increased its supporters, so if we tend to our wealth then what we lost of it shall be revitalized for us, so Allah, Blessed and Most High, revealed to His Prophet rebuking what we said {And Spend in the way of Allah and Do not throw with your hands into destruction}, so the destruction was tending to the wealth and maintaining it, and that we abandoned Jihad, Abu Ayyub did not cease travelling in the way of Allah until he was buried in the land of the Romans" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2972). Then Allah commanded the believers to do good, and that is the highest level of obedience, indeed, Allah loves the good doers who worship Allah as if they see Him, and if they cannot see Him, then Allah sees them, so they act according to Allah's commands and prohibition.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (196) "And Complete the Hajj and Umrah for Allah, but if you are prevented, then what can be afforded of the sacrifice, and Do not shave your heads until the sacrifice reaches its place, and whoever among you is ill or has an ailment of his head, then a ransom of fasting or charity or sacrifice, and when you are secure, then whoever performs Umrah followed by Hajj, then what can be afforded of the sacrifice, but whoever cannot find, then a fast for three days during Hajj and for seven when you have returned, these are ten complete, this is for he whose family is not present in the Scared Mosque, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is Severe in punishment", that is, Allah commanded the believers to complete the rituals of the Umrah and the Hajj, and completing Hajj and Umrah means that you intend them from your home, intending nothing but Hajj and Umrah, and you enter Ihram from the Miqat, not that you go out for trade or any need, so completing them means that you go out from your home for them, not for anything else, but if you are close to Mecca, and you perform Hajj or Umrah, that is also valid and sufficient, but it is not a part of completing them. So whoever enters the state of Ihram for Hajj or Umrah, it is not permissible for him to exit the state of Ihram until he completes them, Hajj is completed when he throws Jamrat Al-Aqabah on the second day or the third day of Tashreeq as will come later in Aya (203), circumambulates round the Ka'bah, and circumambulates between Safa and Marwah (Tawaf), then he has exited his Ihram, and Umrah is completed when he circumambulates the Ka'bah, and between Safa and Marwah, as the Safa and the Marwah are among the symbols of Allah, and Allah has permitted those who perform Hajj or Umrah to make rounds between both of them as mentioned above in Aya (158). 

 There is no disagreement about the obligation of Hajj for those who can afford it for Allah says in Aya (97) of Surat Ali Imran {And to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House for whoever is able to find a way to it}, and as narrated by Aisha that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Be ready to travel for Hajj as it is one of the two kinds of Jihad "fighting in the way of Allah" (Sahih Albukhari 1516), and it is the best Jihad for women, where as narrated by Aisha: "I said O Allah's Messenger! We consider Jihad as the best deed, so Will we fight?, He said no, but the best Jihad is Hajj Mabrur i.e. the Hajj that is performed with sincerity for the sake of Allah" (Sahih Albukhari 1520).

 But there is a dispute over whether the Umrah is obligatory or supererogatory, and it is a confirmed Sunnah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) performed four times, all in the month of Dhul-Qa'da except the one He performed along with Hajj, although He (PBUH) entered the state of Ihram in it for Umrah and Hajj in Dhul-Qa'da when He (PBUH) set out from Medina in the last five days of Dhul-Qa'da, but it ended in Dhul-Hijja with the end of the rituals of Hajj, and they are: the Umrah of Alhudaiybeyah in the year six, the Umrah of Alqada' in the year seven upon which He made a peace treaty with the polytheists of Quraish in the year six as shown above in Aya (194), the Umrah of Ji'rana in the year eight, and the Umrah that was along with His Hajj in the year ten, where as narrated by Qtadah that Anas informed him: "Allah's Messenger performed the Umrah four times, all during the month of Dhul-Qa'da except the one He performed along with Hajj, the Umrah that He performed from Alhudaiybeyah or during the time of Alhudaiybeyah in the month of Dhul-Qa'da, the Umrah of the next year in the month of Dhul'-Qa'da, then the Umrah which He had started from Ji'rana, the place where He distributed the spoils of Hunain in the month of Dhul-Qa'da, then the Umrah that He performed along with His Hajj" (Sahih Muslim 1252). 

 And as narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas: "The Prophet (PBUH) with His companions started from Medina after combing and oiling His hair and putting on two sheets of Ihram, He did not forbid anyone to wear any kind of sheets except the ones colored with Saffron because they may leave the scent on the skin, and so in the early morning, the Prophet (PBUH) mounted His mount in Dhul-Hulaifa, then set out till they reached Baida', where He and His companions recited Talbiya, and then He did the ceremony of Taqlid His camel for sacrifice: putting the colored garlands around its neck, and all that happened on the last five days of Dhul-Qa'da, and He reached Mecca on the four day of Dhul-Hijja, He then performed Tawaf round the Ka'bah, and performed the Tawaf between the Safa and the Marwah, and as He has a Badana (camel) and has garlanded it, He did not finish His Ihram, He proceeded towards the highest places of Mecca near Alhajoun, and He was assuming the Ihram for Hajj, and did not go near the Ka'bah after He performed Tawaf till He returned from Arafat, then He ordered His companions to perform the Tawaf round the Ka'bah, then the Tawaf between the Safa and the Marwah, and to cut short the hair of their heads and to finish their Ihram, and that was only for he who had not a sacrifice that he had garlanded it, and whoever has his wife with him, then she is lawful to have intercourse with, and similarly perfume and clothes were permitted for him (Sahih Albukhari 1545). 

  So Allah's Messenger (PBUH) combined Hajj and Umrah in His Ihram, and as narrated by Aisha: "We set out with the Prophet (PBUH) in Hajjat-Alwada' "Farewell pilgrimage" and we assumed Ihram for Umrah, the Prophet then said Whoever has the Hadi "Sacrifice" with him should assume Ihram for Hajj along with Umrah and should not finish the Ihram till he finishes both. I was menstruating when I reached Mecca, and so I neither did Tawaf round the Ka'bah nor Tawaf between Safa and Marwah, I complained about that to the Prophet on which He replied Undo and comb your head hair, and Assume Ihram for Hajj, and Leave the Umrah, so I did so, when we had performed the Hajj, the Prophet (PBUH) sent me with Abdul-Rahman bin Abi Bakr (Her brother), to Altan'eem, a place approximately 5 to 6 kilometers from Mecca, so I performed the Umrah, the Prophet said to me this Umrah is instead of your missed one, those who has assumed Ihram for Umrah performed Tawaf round the Ka'bah and between Safa and Marwah and then finished their Ihram, after returning from Mina, they performed another Tawaf, and those who has assumed Ihram for Hajj and Umrah together performed only one Tawaf" (Sahih Albukhari 1556). 

 Allah has permitted His Messenger (PBUH) and the believers to perform Umrah during the months of Hajj, which are Shawwal, Dhul-Qa'da, and Dhul-Hijja, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The people (In Pre-Islamic era) used to think that to perform Umrah during the months of Hajj was one of the major sins on earth, and also used to consider the month of Safar as Sacred month, and they used to say when the wounds of camel's back heal up, and the signs of those wounds vanish and the month of Safar passes away, then Umrah is permissible for the one who wishes to perform it, in the morning of fourth of Dul-Hijja, the Prophet (PBUH) and His companions reached Mecca, assuming Ihram for Hajj, and He ordered His companions to make their intention of Ihram for Umrah only, so they considered His order as something great and were puzzled and said O Allah's Messenger! What kind of Ihram is allowed?, He (PBUH) said Finish the Ihram completely like a Non-Muhrim" (Sahih Albukhari 1564).

 So the Umrah has been incorporated in Hajj, and as narrated by Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah said: "This is Umrah of which we have taken advantage, so he who has not the sacrifice with him should get out of the state of Ihram completely, for Umrah has been incorporated in Hajj until the day of resurrection" (Sahih Muslim 1241), and as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said to a woman of the Ansar who was called Umm Sinan What has prevented you that you did not perform Hajj with us?, she said the father of so-and-so i.e. her husband, had only two camels, one of them had been taken away by him and his son for Hajj, whereas the other one is used by our boy to carry water, upon this He (PBUH) said Umrah during the month of Ramadan suffice for Hajj or Hajj along with Me" (Sahih Muslim 1256).

 And as narrated by Safwan from his father Ya'la bin Umayya : "A person came to the Prophet (PBUH) as He was just at Ji'rana, and he had been putting on a clock which was perfumed, or he (the narrator) said there was a trace of yellowness on it, he said What do You command me to do during my Umrah?, and the revelation came to the Prophet (PBUH) and He was covered with a cloth, and Ya'la said Would that I see revelation coming to the Messenger of Allah, Umar said Would it please you to see the Messenger of Allah receiving the revelation?, Umar lifted a corner of the cloth and I looked at Him and He was emitting a sound of snorting, he (the narrator) said I thought it was the sound of a camel, when He (PBUH) was relieved of this, He said Where is the one who asked about Umrah?, when the person came, He said Wash out the trace of yellowness, or he said the trace of perfume, and Put off the cloak, and Do in your Umrah what you do in your Hajj" (Sahih Muslim 1180). Thereupon, the most appropriate opinion is that Umrah is not an obligation like Hajj that must be entered into initially, but whoever enters into it and makes it obligatory upon himself must complete its rituals according to the current Aya.

 The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has specified Miqats (places) for those who intend to perform Hajj or Umrah to begin their Ihram from, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "Allah's Messenger made Dhul-Hulaifa as the Miqat for the people of Medina, Al-Juhfa for the people of Sham: The Levant, Qarn Almanazil for the people of Najd, and Yalamlam for the people of Yemen, and these Miqats are for the people at those very places, and besides them for those who come thorough these places with intention of performing Hajj and Umrah, and whoever is living within these boundaries can assume Ihram from the place he starts, and the people of Mecca can assume Ihram from Mecca" (Sahih Albukhari 1524).

 And as for the clothes of Ihram, Allah's Messenger set some conditions for the clothes of Ihram for men, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Umar: "A man asked O Allah's Messenger! What kind of clothes should a Muhrim wear?, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) replied he should not wear a shirt, a turban, trousers, a head cloak or leather socks except if he can find no slippers, he then may wear leather socks after cutting off what might cover the ankles, and he should not wear clothes which are scented with Saffron or Wars; two kinds of perfumes" (Sahih Albukhari 1542), but as for the clothing of Ihram for women, it is any body-concealing garment that covers the entire body except for the face and the hands, and it must be loose and not adorned. So the woman wears whatever she wants as long as she adheres to Islamic clothing, without adhering to specific color or design except that she would not wear Niqab (Face covering) or gloves and except that which is considered ostentation and beautification. 

 Then Allah says {But if you are prevented, then what can be afforded of the sacrifice, and Do not shave your heads until the sacrifice reaches its place}, so if you are prevented from reaching the Ka'bah or from completing your rituals after entering the state of Ihram by any excuse, whether it is a prevention of an enemy, the injustice of a ruler, illness, or whatever it may be, then what can be afforded of the sacrifice, so everyone offers a sacrifice according to his financial ability, so he may slaughter a camel, a cow, a sheep, or even a goat, where as narrated by Aisha: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) sent some goats as sacrificial animals to the House and He garlanded them" (Sahih Muslim 1321), and it is permissible for more than one person up to seven to offer one camel or one cow, where as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: "We set out in the state of Ihram for Hajj along with Allah's Messenger (PBUH), He commanded us that seven persons should join in camels and cows, every seven in one Badana i.e. a camel or a cow" (Sahih Muslim 1318 b).

 And Allah commanded the believers not to shave their heads until their sacrifices reach their place and are slaughtered on the day of Nahr (tenth of Dhul-Hijja), and their place is the Ka'bah as mentioned in Aya (33) of Surat Alhajj {Then their place is to the Ancient House}, and that is for whoever enters the state of Ihram but he is unable to go further and complete his rituals, so he should remain in his state of Ihram and send his sacrifice or the price of his sacrificial animal to the Ka'bah, and when his sacrifice reaches its place and is slaughtered, he then shall finish his Ihram and shave his head, and as narrated by Aisha: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) entered upon Duba'ah bint Alzubair and said to her Do you have a desire to perform the Hajj?, she replied By Allah! I feel sick, He said to her Intend to perform Hajj and Stipulate something by saying  Allahumma mahelli haiythu habastani: O Allah! I will finish my Ihram at any place You stop me, she was the wife of Almiqdad bin Al-Aswad" (Sahih Albukhari 5089). But as for whoever is prevented from reaching the Ka'bah by an enemy, he should slaughter his sacrifice, then shave his head and finish his Ihram in the place where he is prevented, as when Allah's Messenger was prevented from reaching the Ka'bah in the year of Alhudaiybeyah, He (PBUH) slaughtered His sacrifice, shaved His head, and finished His Ihram at Alhudaiybeyah, the place where He was prevented, and His companions did the same. Therefore, most of the scholars agreed that if someone is prevented from reaching the Ka'bah by an enemy, whether a Muslim or a disbeliever enemy, he must offer a sacrificial animal. 

 But the scholars differed on performing another Hajj or Umrah instead of the Hajj or the Umrah from which the one was prevented by an enemy, so some said that he must perform another one instead, while others said that he is not obligated to do so unless it is the obligatory Hajj, in which case he is obliged to perform another Hajj instead, but if it is a Hajj after the obligatory Hajj or Umrah, he does not have to perform another one. And as for whoever suffers a fracture or becomes lame after entering the state of Ihram, he should end his Ihram at the place where he is injured after slaughtering his sacrifice, and he should perform another Hajj instead of it, where as narrated by Alhajjaj bin Amr that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Whoever suffers a fracture or becomes lame, then he must finish His Ihram and is required to perform another Hajj, when Ikrimah mentioned that to Abu Hurayrah and Ibn Abbas, they said he told the truth" (Jami' Altirmidhi 940). Thereupon, if the pilgrim misses the obligatory Hajj while he was at the place where he was prevented, regardless of the reason, so he did not stand at Arafat before Dawn on the day of Muzdalifah, he then has missed Hajj and his Hajj becomes Umrah, if possible, he should go to Mecca, circumambulate the Ka'bah, and circumambulate between the Safa and the Marwah, and if he has an offering with him, he should slaughter it in Mecca near the Sacred Mosque, then shave his head or shorten his hair, and end his Ihram, and then he should perform Hajj the following year and offer whatever offering he can. 

 Shaving the head is a ritual for the pilgrim who completed his Hajj and for the one who is prevented by an enemy or by illness, and shaving the head during Hajj or Umrah is better than shortening the hair, where as narrated by Abdullah: "The Prophet (PBUH) and some of His companions got their heads shaved, and some others got their hair cut short" (Sahih Albukhari 1729), and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said O Allah! Forgive those who get their heads shaved, the people asked also those who get their hair cut short?, He (PBUH) said O Allah! Forgive those who get their heads shaved, the people said also those who get their hair cut short?, the Prophet (PBUH) said it thrice, and at the third time He (PBUH) said and also those who get their hair cut short" (Sahih Albukhari 1728). But women are not included in shaving the head, but their ritual is shortening the hair, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Shaving is not a duty laid on women, only shortening the hair is incumbent on them" (Sunan Abi Dawood 1984).

 It is not permissible for anyone to shave his head or cut short his hair before he has slaughtered his sacrificial animal except in the case of an excuse as will come later, for Allah says {And Do not shave your heads until the sacrifice reaches its place}, and Allah's Messenger did the same, He began by slaughtering His sacrificial animal, then He shaved His head after that, so whoever violates this and brings forward shaving before slaughtering, he may have done so by mistake, ignorance, or deliberately, and if he did so by mistake or out of ignorance, then there is no blame on him, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The Prophet was asked about a person who has his head shaved before slaughtering or other similar ceremonies of Hajj, He said there is no blame, there is no blame" (Sahih Albukhari 1721), and as narrated Ibn Abbas also: "A man said to the Prophet (PBUH) I performed Tawaf Al-Ifada before the Rami (throwing the pebbles at the Jamra), He (PBUH) said there is no blame, the man said I had my head shaved before slaughtering, He (PBUH) said there is no blame, he said I have slaughtered before the Rami, He (PBUH) said there is no blame" (Sahih Albukhari 1722). And the scholars agreed that a ransom is obligatory for whoever shaves or cuts short his hair in Ihram without any excuse, but they differed regarding the ransom, some said that he has a choice between fasting, feeding the poor, or slaughtering, as in the case of someone who shaves his head for an excuse, but some said that he has no choice, he only has to offer a sacrifice.

 Allah has commanded the believers not to shave their heads until the sacrifice reaches it place, unless one of them is forced to shave it, either due to sickness, or an ailment of his head from lice or something else, then he should shave it due to the necessity that has befallen him, even if the sacrifice did not reach its place, and he is obliged to make a ransom of fasting for three days, or feeding six poor persons, or slaughtering a sheep, where  as narrated bu Mujahid that Ka'b bin Ujra said: "By the One in whose Hand my soul is! This Aya was revealed referring to my case {And whoever among you is ill or has an ailment of his head, then a ransom of fasting or charity or sacrifice}, he said we were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) at Alhudaiybeyah and we were in a state of Ihram, and the polytheists had held us back, and I had a good deal of hair and the lice were falling on my face, the Prophet (PBUH) passed by me and said the lice on your head are bothering you?, he said I said yes, He said then Shave, and this Aya was revealed, Mujahid said the fasting is for three days, the feeding is six needy people, and the sacrifice is a sheep or more" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2973). And in another narration of Abdullah bin Ma'qil that Allah's Messenger said to Ka'b bin Ujra Can you afford to slaughter a sheep, he said no, the Prophet (PBUH) said then Fast for three days or Feed six poor persons by giving half of Sa' of food for each and Shave your head" (Sahih Albukhari 4517).

 So Allah has given the one who is ill or has an ailment of his head permission to shave his head and has given him the choice in this situation, whatever he does is sufficient for him, so if he wishes, he can fast for three days, or he can slaughter a sheep and give it in charity to the poor, or he can give a charity by feeding six needy ones by giving half of Sa' (Two Mudd) of food for each, and according to most jurists the half of Sa' is approximately one and half kilograms of grain or the equivalent of the average food, whether the food of the people is dates, barely, wheat, rice, corn, or it is other than that such as meat, fish, or milk. But Allah's Messenger (PBUH) guided Ka'b bin Ujra to do the best, and the best is to sacrifice a sheep, then to fast for three days if he cannot sacrifice, then to feed six poor persons if he cannot sacrifice or fast. But the scholars differed about the places where the ransom should be performed, some said whatever was of blood (Sacrifice) should be done in Mecca, and whatever was of feeding or fasting should be wherever he wants, and some said he makes the ransom, whatever it is, wherever he wants, and this is the correct opinion; Because when Allah says {Then a ransom of fasting or charity or sacrifice}, He did not say in a specific place rather than other places, also when Allah's Messenger (PBUH) ordered Ka'b bin Ujra to make a ransom, they were not in the Sacred Mosque, they were at Alhudaiybeyah, so it is clear that all of that is permissible to be done outside the Sacred Mosque, so wherever he does it, it is sufficient for him. 

 Then Allah says {And when you are secure, then whoever performs Umrah followed by Hajj, then what can be afforded of the sacrifice}, so if you are able to perform the rituals when you have recovered from your illness or when your fear of your enemy has gone away, then whoever performed Umrah followed by Hajj, whether he enters the state of Ihram for both of them and did not end his Ihram till he completes the rituals of Hajj, or he enters the state of Ihram for Umrah first, then when he finishes it, he enters into Ihram for Hajj, in both cases, he should slaughter whatever he can afford of the sacrificial animals, and the minimum being a sheep, and he can slaughter a cow for Allah's Messenger (PBUH) offered sacrifice of a cow on behalf of His wives (Sahih Muslim 1211 i), or even one-seventh of a camel or one-seventh of a cow as shown above. There are three types of Hajj, the first is Hajj Altamattu', which is when one enters the state of Ihram for Umrah during the months of Hajj, he completes it, then finishes his Ihram, and on the night of the eighth day of Dhul-Hijja, he enters the state of Ihram for Hajj and proceeds to Mina to perform the Hajj rituals. The second type of Hajj is Hajj Al-Ifrad, which is when one enters the state of Ihram for Hajj only and remains in his Ihram until he finishes the rituals of Hajj, and the third type of Hajj is Hajj Alqiran, which is when one enters Ihram for both Umrah and Hajj, and he does not finish his Ihram after the Umrah but remains in his Ihram until he finishes the rituals of Hajj.

 There is no disagreement among the scholars that Hajj Altamattu' is permissible, where as narrated by Imran bin Husain: "The verse of Hajj Altamattu' was revealed in Allah's Book, so we performed it with Allah's Messenger (PBUH), and nothing was revealed in Quran to make it illegal, nor did He (PBUH) prohibit it till He died, but the man (who made it illegal) just expressed what his own mind suggested" (Sahih Albukhari 4518), and as narrated by Abu Jamrah Alduba'i: "I performed Hajj Altamattu', but the people discouraged me to do so, I came to Ibn Abbas and asked him about it, he ordered me to do so, I came to the House "Ka'bah" and slept, I saw a visitant in the dream who said Umrah is acceptable and so is the Hajj performed with sincerity for the sake of Allah, I came to Ibn Abbas and informed him about that which I saw in the dream, whereupon, he said Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, this is the Sunnah of Abu Alqasim (PBUH)" (Sahih Muslim 1242).

 The best type of Hajj is Hajj Altamattu' for Allah's Messenger (PBUH) ordered His companions to do it, but if a person has a sacrificial animal that he brought with him from the Miqat, then it is better for him to perform Hajj Alqiran, following the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), where as narrated by Anas bin Malik: "I heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) pronouncing Talbiya for both Hajj and Umrah" (Sahih Muslim 1232), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said to His companions, while commanding them to perform Hajj Altamattu' in narration of Abu Shihab: "Do what I have ordered you, Had I not brought the Hadi (Sacrifice) with Me, I would have done the same, but I cannot finish My Ihram till the Hadi reaches its place, so they did so" (Sahih Albukhari 1568). And as narrated by Ikrimah from Ibn Abbas: "Ibn Abbas was asked about Hajj altamattu' on which he said the Muhajireen and the Ansar and the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) in Hajjat-Alwada' (farewell pilgrimage) and we did the same, when we reached Mecca, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said Give up your intention of doing the Hajj and perform Umrah except the one who had garlanded the Hadi (Sacrifice), so we performed Tawaf round the Ka'bah and between the Safa and the Marwah, and we had sexual intercourse with our wives, and wore ordinary clothes, the Prophet (PBUH) added whoever garlanded his Hadi is not allowed to finish the Ihram till the Hadi has reached its place (of slaughtering), then on the night of Tarwiya (eighth of Dhul-Hijja), He ordered us to assume Ihram for Hajj, and when we have performed all the ceremonies of Hajj, we came and performed Tawaf round the Ka'bah and between the Safa and the Marwah, and then our Hajj was complete, and we had to sacrifice a Hadi according to Allah's saying {Then what can be afforded of the sacrifice, but whoever cannot find, then a fast for three days during Hajj and for seven when you have returned}, and the sacrifice of the sheep is sufficient, so the Prophet (PBUH) and His companions joined the two religious deeds in one year i.e. Hajj and Umrah, for Allah revealed of such practice in His Book, and His Prophet (PBUH) did it, and rendered it permissible for all the people except those living in Mecca, Allah says {This is for he whose family is not present in the Scared Mosque} i.e. non-resident of Mecca" (Sahih Albukhari 1572).

 The conditions of Hajj Altamattu' are that one has to combine Hajj with Umrah, to perform both of them in one journey and one year, to perform both of them in the months of Hajj, which are Shawwal, Dhul-Qa'da, and Dhul-Hija, to perform Umrah first, not to combine them in one Ihram but to enter Ihram for Hajj after completing Umrah by circumambulating the Ka'bah and between the Safa and the Marwah, and he must also perform another circumambulating for Hajj, to perform Hajj and Umrah on behalf of one person, and to be from outside Mecca. Whenever one performs Hajj Altamattu', so he performs Umrah first and finishes his Ihram, then assumes Ihram for Hajj on night of the eighth of Dhul-Hijja, he is required to offer a sacrificial animal which he slaughters on the days of slaughtering, and the sacrificial animal is a sheep, a cow, a camel, or even one-seventh of a camel or one-seventh of a cow, and he eats from his sacrifice if he wishes and gives it in charity, but if he cannot offer a sacrificial animal, either because of the lack of sacrificial animals or the lack of its price, he must fast for three days during Hajj and seven days when he returns to his home. 

 The scholars differed regarding the three days that Allah made it obligatory upon he who did no find a sacrifice, some said that he should fast three days between entering Ihram and the day of Arafa (Ninth of Dhul-Hijja), some said they should be before the day of Arafa and that is more in accordance with the Sunnah and stronger for worship; For Allah's Messenger (PBUH) did not fast on the day of Arafa, and some said that they are from the time he enters Ihram for Hajj till the Day of Nahr (Eid Al-Adha), so it is permissible to fast on the day of Arafa, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "He should fast for three days during the Hajj before the day of Arafa, but if the third day of his fasting happens to be the day of Arafa, then there is no blame upon him" (Sahih Albukhari 4521). But Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has permitted the pilgrims to fast on the days of Tashreeq, which are the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth of Dhul-Hijja, when they could not find a sacrificial animal (Hadi), and He did not permit any of the pilgrims to fast on these days except in this case, where as narrated by Aisha and Ibn Umar: "Nobody was allowed to fast on the days of Tashreeq except those who could not afford Hadi" (Sahih Albukhari 1997). So whoever cannot afford Hadi, he should fast for three days during the Hajj and seven days when he returns home, not before that, where Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Ibn Umar: "And if anyone cannot afford a Hadi, he should fast for three days during the Hajj and seven day when he returns home" (Sahih Albukhari 1691), and this indicates that it is not permissible to fast the seven days except in one's country, among his family. 

 Then Allah assures that these are ten days so that no one would think that he has a choice between fasting three days during the Hajj and seven days when he returns to his family, so this ten days are sufficient for the sacrificial animal, and Allah has made Hajj Altamattu' permissible for all the people except those living in Mecca, so Allah did not permit those whose families are present at the Sacred mosque and residents of Mecca to perform Hajj Altamattu' when there is a distance of the Sacred Mosque in which the prayer cannot be shortened, and Allah has made it easier for those whose families are non-residents of Mecca to perform Hajj Altamattu', so they combine Hajj and Umrah in one journey and one year, not to perform Hajj at one time and Umrah at another time, then Allah commanded the believers to fear Him in what He has commanded and what He has forbidden and to know that Allah is Severe in punishment for those who transgress His commands and prohibitions. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (197) "Hajj is known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein, then there is no sexual relations, and no disobedience, and no disputing during Hajj, and whatever you do of good, Allah knows it, and Take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is the righteousness, and Fear Me O you of understanding", that is, the Hajj is well-known months, so it is not permissible to enter the state of Ihram before these months; For Ihram is one of the rituals of Hajj and it is the timing of Hajj, and the months of Hajj are Shawwal, Dhul-Qa'da, and Dhul-Hijja, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The months of Hajj which Allah mentioned in His Book are Shawwal, Dhul-Qa'da, and Dhul-Hijja" (Sahih Albukhari 1572). So whoever enters Ihram for Hajj before its timing, it is not considered Hajj but Umrah, and it is permissible to enter Ihram for Umrah at any time of the year, on any day or night. Then Allah says so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein, so he has obliged himself to begin it with the intention inwardly, with Ihram outwardly, and with the Talbiya verbally, and as narrated by Abdullah bin Umar: "The Talbiya of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was Labbaika Allahumma labbaika, labbaika la shareeka laka labbaik, inna alhamda wa alni'mata laka wa almulk, la shareeka lak: I respond to Your call O Allah i.e. At Your service, I respond to Your call, I respond to Your call, You have no partner, I respond to Your call, indeed, all the Praise and Blessings are for You, and the Sovereignty, You have no partner with You" (Sahih Albukhari 1549). And as narrated by Ubaidullah bin Abdullah from Ibn Abbas: "Usama rode behind Allah's Messenger (PBUH) from Arafat to Al-Muzdalifah, and then Al-Fadl rode behind Him from Al-Muzdalifah to Mina, Ibn Abbas added both of them said the Prophet (PBUH) kept on Talbiya till He threw Jamrat Al-Aqabah" (Sahih Albukhari 1543).

 So whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself in the months of Hajj, then there is no sexual relations, and no disobedience, and no disputing during Hajj, so whoever made the Hajj obligatory upon Him and entered the state of Ihram, he should avoid sexual intercourse and its preliminaries such as engaging and kissing, he must avoid all kinds of sins, and avoid committing what is forbidden during Ihram, and as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The words Alrafath means sexual intercourse, Alfusuq means all kinds of sin, Aljidal means (to) dispute" (Sahih Albukhari 1572). And as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations, and does not do evil, then he will return as if he were born anew" (Sahih Albukhari 1521), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "An Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the next and Hajj that is performed with sincerity for the sake of Allah will receive no other reward except Paradise" (Sahih Muslim 1349).

 And Allah has forbidden disputing during the Hajj, so the pilgrim is not allowed to insult anyone or engage in disputes with anyone, and when Allah has forbidden the pilgrims from doing what is forbidden of deeds and words, He urges them to do what is good and informs them that He knows what they do of good, so he will reward them for it with the best reward on the day of resurrection, and Allah commands the pilgrims to bring enough provision with them as some people used not to carry enough food and drink for their pilgrimage, and when they came to Mecca, they asked the people for food and drink, and as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The people of Yemen used to come for Hajj and used not to bring enough provision with them, and used to say that they depend on Allah, on their arrival to Mecca, they used to big the people, so Allah revealed {And Take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is the righteousness}" (Sahih Albukhari 1523). So Allah commands the pilgrims to take their provision with them, not to beg from the people, and guides them to the best provision that will benefit them in the Hereafter saying {But indeed, the best provision is the righteousness}; For whoever makes righteousness his provision, he will fear Allah outwardly and inwardly, will follow Allah's commands, and will act in obedience to Him, then Allah addresses those of understanding because they are the ones who accept Allah's commands and carry them out, commanding them to fear Him and fear His punishment if they disobeyed His commands.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (198,199) "There is no blame upon you that you seek bounty from your Lord, so when you depart from Arafat, Remember Allah at Almash'ar Alharam, and Remember Him as He has guided you, while you were before it among those who are astray, then Depart from where the people depart, and Ask forgiveness of Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", that is, the people used to avoid buying and selling during the Hajj season, so Allah has permitted them to do so while performing the acts of Hajj saying there is no blame upon you that you seek bounty from your Lord, so there is no blame upon you in buying and selling before and after Ihram, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "Ukaz, Majanna, Dhul-Majaz were markets during Aljahiliyah (Pre-Islamic era), they considered it a sin to trade during the seasons (of Hajj), so this verse was revealed {There is no blame upon you that you seek bounty from your Lord}" (Sahih Albukhari 4519), and as narrated by Abu Umamah Altaymi: "I was a man who used to give on hire for this purpose (give my mount on hire for travelling during Hajj), and the people said to me your Hajj is not valid, so I met Ibn Umar and told him Abu Abdul-Rahman! I am a man who gives on hire for this purpose, and the people told me your Hajj is not valid, Ibn Umar said Do you not put on Ihram, recite the Talbya, circumambulate the Ka'bah, return from Arafat and lapidate Jamrat?, I said yes, then he said your Hajj is valid, a man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked Him the same question you have asked me, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) kept silence and did not answer him till this verse was revealed {There is no blame upon you that you seek bounty from your Lord}, so the Messenger of Allah sent for him and recited this verse to him and said your Hajj is valid" (Sunan Abi Dawood 1733). 

 Then Allah commanded the pilgrims when they depart from Arafat to remember Allah at Almash'ar Alharam which is all of Muzdalifah. Standing at Arafat is the greatest pillar of Hajj, and whoever does not stand at Arafat, his Hajj is invalid, where the Messenger of Allah said in narration of Adul-Rahman bin Ya'mar: "The Hajj is Arafat, the Hajj is Arafat, the Hajj is Arafat, the days of Mina are three, but whoever hastens to leave in two days, then there is no sin on him, and whoever stays on, then there is no sin on him, and whoever attends Arafat before the rising of Fajr, then he has performed the Hajj" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2975).  

 The day of Arafa (Ninth of Dhul-Hijja) begins at dawn on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijja, and extends until the dawn on the day of Sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha), and the time of standing in Arafat for pilgrims ends with the dawn on the day of Sacrifice. Although Allah's Messenger (PBUH) stood during the farewell pilgrimage after praying the Dhuhr (Noon) prayer until the sunset, and Allah's Messenger said in narration of Jabir bin Abdullah: "Learn your rituals from Me" (Sahih Muslim 1297), but it is permissible for the pilgrim to come to Arafat by night or day before the dawn of Eid Al-Adha, where as narrated by Urwah bin Mudarris Alta'i: "I came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) at the place of halting, that is Muzdalifah, I said I have come from the mountain of Tayy, I fatigued my mount and fatigued myself, By Allah! I found no hill but I halted there, Have I completed my Hajj?, so Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said anyone who offers this prayer along with us and come over to Arafat before it by night or day will complete his Hajj and he may fulfill his ritual purity" (Sunan Abi Dawood 1950).

 The virtue of the day of Arafa is great and its reward is immense, on that day, Allah sets free His believing servants from Hellfire, where as narrated by Aisha that the Messenger of Allah said: "There is no day when Allah stets free more servants from Hell than the day of Arafa, He draws near, then praises them to the Angels saying What do these want?" (Sahih Muslim 1348), and whoever fasts on the day of Arafa, Allah will forgive his sins for two years, where as narrated by Abu Qatadah Al-Ansari that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was asked about fasting on the day of Arafa, and He said: "It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year" (Sahih Muslim 1162 b), and this fasting is for anyone other than the pilgrim (Hajj) for it is disliked for the pilgrim to fast on the day of Arafa, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) did not fast on the day of Arafa during the Farewell pilgrimage, where as narrated by Umm Al-fadl: "The people doubted whether the Prophet (PBUH) was observing the fast on the day of Arafa, so I sent something for Him to drink and He drank it" (Sahih Albukhari 1658).

 And as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: "When the day of Tarwiyah (Eighth of Dhul-Hijja) came, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and His companions entered Ihram for Hajj, and they headed to Mina, and Allah's Messenger prayed there the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Ishaa, and Fajr prayers, then He stayed for a short time until the sun rose, and He ordered that a dome of hair (of goats or of wool of sheep) be pitched for Him in Namirah, then Allah's Messenger set out, and Quraish had no doubt that he will stop at Almash'ar Alharam (Muzdalifah), as they used to do in Ajahiliyah, so the Messenger of Allah passed by Muzdalifah until He came to Arafat, and He founded the dome be pitched for Him in Namirah, so He dismounted in it until the sun declined, then He ordered the Qaswa' (His she-camel) to be brought, then He set out till He came to the valley (Valley of Uranah), in this place, Allah's Messenger stood and addressed the people and exhorted them, Bilal then pronounced Adhan then Iqamah, and Allah's Messenger led Dhuhr prayer, Bilal then pronounced Iqamah, and Allah's Messenger led Asr prayer, and he observed no other prayer in between the two. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) then mounted the Qaswa' and came to the place of stay (of Arafat), making His she-camel Qaswa' turn towards the side of rocks, having the path taken by those who went on foot in front of Him, and faced the Qiblah, He kept standing there till the sun set, and the yellow light had somewhat gone, and the disc of the sun had disappeared, He made Usama sit behind Him. 

 Then Allah's Messenger tightened the reins of Qaswa' until its head reached the place on the saddle where the rider places his foot, and He pointed out to the people with His right hand twice to be moderate (in speed), and whenever He passed over an elevated tract of sand, He slightly loosened it till she climbed up, then He reached Muzdalifah, there He led Maghrib and Ishaa prayers with one Adhan and two Iqamahs, and He did not glorify (Allah) in between them i.e. did not pray supererogatory prayer between Maghrib and Ishaa prayers, the Messenger of Allah then lay down until dawn and offered Fajr pray with an Adhan and Iqamah when the morning light was clear. He again mounted Qaswa', and when He came to Almash'ar Alharam, He faced towards Qiblah, and He supplicated Him, glorified Him, and pronounced His Uniqueness (i.e. La ilaha ella Allah: there is no god but Allah) and pronounced His Oneness (i.e. La ilaha ella Allahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu: there is no god but Allah, with no partner), and kept standing till the daylight was very clear, He then went quickly before the sun rose, and seated behind Him Alfadl bin Al-Abbas.

 Then He came to the bottom of Muhassir (a valley between Muzdalifah and Mina), then He urged His she-camel a little, following the middle road, which comes out at the greatest Jamra, then when He came to the Jamra which is near the tree, He threw it with seven small pebbles saying Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest, while throwing every one of them, they were small pebbles, and He did this in the bottom of the valley, He then went to the place of sacrifice, and sacrificed sixty-three camels with His own hands, then He gave the remaining number to Ali who sacrificed them, and He (PBUH) shared him in his sacrifice, He then commanded that a flesh from each camel should be put in a pot, and when it was cooked, both of them (Allah's Messenger and Ali) ate from its meat and drank from its soup, the Messenger of Allah again rode and came to the House (Ka'bah), and offered Dhuhr prayer at Mecca" (Sahih Muslim 1218).

 Standing at Arafat and Muzdalifah are two pillars of Hajj without which Hajj is not valid according to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah, and as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: " The whole of Arafat is a place of halting, the whole of Mina is a place of sacrifice, the whole of Muzdalifah is a place of halting, and all the passes of Mecca are a thoroughfare and a place of sacrifice" (Sunan Abi Dawood 1937). Muzdalifah is the name of the place where the pilgrims go after departing from Arafat, and where they spend the night of tenth of Dhul-Hijja, and Almash'ar Alharam is located there, and the Maghrib and Ishaa prayers are combined there with one Adhan and two Iqamahs. It is a Sunnah for the pilgrim to combine Dhuhr and Asr prayer at Arafat, combine Maghrib and Ishaa prayers at Muzdalifah, where as narrated by Usama bin Zaid: "As soon as the Prophet (PBUH) departed from Arafat, He went towards the mountain pass, and there He relieved Himself and then performed ablution, I said O Messenger of Allah! Will You offer the prayer here?, He replied the prayer is ahead of you i.e. the place of prayer is at Muzdalifah" (Sahih Albukhari 1667). Then Allah commanded the pilgrims when they depart from Arafat to remember Allah at Almash'ar Alharam, so when Allah's Messenger (PBUH) came to Almash'ar Alharam, He then faced towards Qiblah, and He supplicated Allah, glorified Him, and pronounced His Uniqueness and His Oneness as shown above, and Allah commanded the pilgrims again to remember Him as He has bestowed His blessings upon them when He has guided them to the straight religion and directed them to the rituals of Hajj, while they were before His guidance among those who are astray. 

 Then Allah commanded the pilgrims to depart from where the people depart as the people of Quraish used to stay at Muzdalifah while the people used to stay at Arafat, so Allah commanded the Muslims to go to Arafat and stay at it, where as narrated by Aisha: "Quraish and those who embraced their religion used to stay at Muzdalifah and used to call themselves Al-Hums, while the rest of the Arabs used to stay at Arafat, when Islam came, Allah ordered His Prophet (PBUH) to go to Arafat and stay at it, and then pass on from there, and that is what is meant by Allah's saying {Then Depart from where the people depart}" (Sahih Albukhari 4520), so Allah commanded the pilgrims to oppose the polytheists of Quraish, and ordered them to go to Arafat and stay at it, and then depart from Arafat to Muzdalifah, and depart from Muzdalifah to Mina, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) opposed them when He departed from Muzdalifah to Mina before the sunrise, where as narrated by Umar bin Alkhattab: "The people in Aljahiliyah (Pre-Islamic era) did not return from Muzdalifah till they saw sunlight at the mountains Thabeer, the Prophet (PBUH) opposed them and returned before the sunrise" (Sunan Abi Dawood 1938). And it is recommended that the pilgrims depart slowly from Arafat to Muzdalifah, but if they find an open space, they should increase their speed, and as narrated by Hisham from his father: "Usama was asked in my presence or he said I asked Usama and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) made him sit behind Him when He departed from Arafat. I said How was Allah's Messenger walking when He departed from Arafat, he said He (PBUH) made it (Qaswa') walk at a slow speed, and when He found an open space, He made it walk briskly" (Sahih Muslim, 1286 b).

 And as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "A man who wants to perform Hajj can perform Tawaf around the Ka'bah as long as he is not in the state of Ihram till he assumes Ihram for Hajj, then if he rides and proceeds to Arafat, he should take a sacrifice (Hadi), either a camel, or a cow, or a sheep, whatever he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, he should fast for three days during the Hajj before the day of Arafa, but if the third day of his fasting happens to be the day of Arafa, then it is no blame upon him, then he should proceed to Arafat and stay there from the time of Asr prayer till darkness falls. Then the pilgrims should proceed from Arafat, and when they have departed from it, they reach Jam' (Muzdalifah) where they ask Allah to help them to be righteous and dutiful to Him, and there they remember Allah greatly or Say Takbeer (Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest), and Tahleel (La ilaha ella Allah: there is no God but Allah) repeatedly before dawn breaks, then after offering Fajr prayer you should depart (To Mina), for the people used to do so, and Allah says {Then Depart from where the people depart, and Ask forgiveness of Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful}, then you should go on doing so till you throw pebbles over the Jamra" (Sahih Albukhari 4521). 

 And Allah commands the pilgrims to ask His forgiveness, and assures that He is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said in narration of Shaddad bin Aws that the most superior way of asking forgiveness from Allah is: "Allahumma anta rabbi la illaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana ala ahdika wa wa'dika ma-estata'tu, a'auzu beka min sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u laka be ne'mataka alayya wa abu'u laka be-zanbi fa-eghfer lee fa innahu la yaghferu alzunuoba illa anta: O Allah! You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am Your servant, I keep Your covenant, and my pledge to You so far as I am able, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done, I admit to Your blessing upon me, and I admit to You my sin, so Forgive me for there is none who may forgive sins but You, the Messenger of Allah added, if somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise, and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise" (Sahih Albukhari 6306).

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (200-202) "And when you have finished your rites, Remember Allah like your remembrance of your fathers or with greater remembrance, and among the people is he who says our Lord! Give us in the world, and he will not have any portion in the Hereafter, and among them is he who says Our Lord! Give us good in the world and good in the Hereafter and Save us from the punishment of the Fire, for those there will be a share of what they have earned, and Allah is Swift in reckoning", that is, Allah commands the pilgrims when they complete their Hajj and slaughter their sacrifices to remember Him as they remember their fathers or even more so, as it was said that in Pre-Islamic era, the people used to gather after completing their Hajj, and they used to boast about the deeds of their fathers, so Allah commanded them in Islam that their remembrance should be with praise, thanks, glorification to their Lord not to anyone else, and that they should oblige themselves to remember Allah much just as they obliged themselves in Pre-Islamic era to remember their fathers, then Allah urges the believers to supplicate Him after remembering Him frequently, as it is the place where supplications are likely to be answered, and Allah condemned those who only ask Him for the worldly gain and forget the Hereafter saying that they say our Lord! Give us in the world, so they ask Allah for nothing but the enjoyment and adornment of the worldly life, so their deeds are for the worldly life, thereupon Allah assures that they have no share in the reward of Allah nor any portion in His Paradise and the blessings He has prepared for His believing servants. 

 Then Allah praises those who ask Him for the good of the worldly life and that of the Hereafter, so He urges the believers to desire from Him what He has of good in the worldly life and Hereafter with supplication and humility, so Make your deeds purely for His sake and to seek His pleasure, and Allah guided them to a supplication that encompasses all good in the worldly life such as health, abundant provision, spacious house, beneficial knowledge, righteous deeds, etc, and encompasses all good in the Hereafter, the highest of which is entering Paradise, security from the greatest terror, facilitating the reckoning, forgiveness, and other matters of the Hereafter, and it also removes all evil of the Hereafter by asking Allah to save them from the punishment of Hellfire on the day of resurrection, so it is one of the comprehensive supplications that encompasses the good of this world and the Hereafter, and Allah's Messenger used to call upon Allah with this supplication, where as narrated by Anas: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to say Rabbana atena fee aldunya hasanatan wa fee al-akherati hasanatan wa qena azaba alnar: Our Lord! Give us good in the world and good in the Hereafter and Save us from the punishment of the Fire" (Sahih Albukhari 4522). 

 And as narrated by Anas: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) visited a person from among the Muslims who had grown feeble like the chicken, Allah's Messenger said Did you supplicate for anything or beg of Him about that?, he said yes, I used to say O Allah! Impose punishment upon me earlier in this world what You are going to impose upon me in the Hereafter, thereupon, Allah's Messenger said Glory to be Allah! You have neither the power nor forbearance to take this upon yourself, Why did you not say Allahumma atena fee aldunya hasanatan wa fee al-akherati hasanatan wa qena azaba alnar: O Allah! Give us good in the world and good in the Hereafter and Save us from the punishment of the Fire" (Sahih Muslim 2688). And as narrated by Jabir from Mu'adh: "The Prophet (PBUH) said to a youth, My nephew! What do you do in the prayer?, he said I recited Fatihat Alketab i.e. Surat Alfatihah, and I ask Allah for Paradise, and seek refuge in Him from the Fire, I do not understand well Your sound and the sound of Mu'adh, the Prophet said I and Mu'adh go around both, or He said something similar" (Sunan Abi Dawood 793). Then Allah assures that those who completed the rituals of Hajj and asked Allah for the good of the worldly life and the Hereafter will have a share of what they have earned, so they will have the reward of their Hajj and the reward of the deeds that they have earned for they have acknowledged that all good is from Allah, and that the bounty is in His Hand and He gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is Swift in reckoning of His servants; Because His knowledge encompasses all of their affairs.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (203) "And Remember Allah during numbered days, then whoever hastens in two days, there is no sin upon him, and whoever delays, then there is no sin upon him, for he who fears, and Fear Allah and Know that to Him you will be gathered", that is, Allah commanded the pilgrims to remember Him during numbered days, and there is no disagreement that these numbered days are the days of Mina and they are called the days of Tashreeq on which the pilgrims stone the Jamarat, and they are the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth of Dhul-Hijja, and as narrated by Nubaishah, a man from Hudhail that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "I used to forbid you to store the meat of sacrifice for more than three days so that there would be enough for everyone, but Allah, Almighty and Sublime, has bestowed good upon us, so Eat some, Give some in charity, and store some for these days are the days of eating, drinking, and remembering Allah" (Sunan Alnasai 4230). And as narrated by Uqbah bin Amir that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "The day of Arafa, the day of sacrifice, the days of Tashreeq are our festival, O people of Islam, and these are the days of eating and drinking" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2419).

 The days of Mina are three days, and as narrated by Abdul-Rahman bin Ya'mar that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The Hajj is Arafat, the Hajj is Arafat, the Hajj is Arafat, the days of Mina are three {Then whoever hastens in two days, there is no sin upon him, and whoever delays, then there is no sin upon him}, and whoever attends Arafat before the rising of dawn (Fajr), then he has performed the Hajj" (Jami Altirmidhi 2975). And Allah has permitted the pilgrims to leave Mina in two days, so they stay in Mina for three days, two days of Mina and the day of sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha), so whoever hastens in two days, then there is no sin upon him, and he has to stone forty-nine pebbles, and he will not be required to throw the pebbles on the third day of Mina, so he will begin with Jamrat Al-Aqabah on the day of Sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha), and will throw seven pebbles at it, and no stone should be thrown except at Jamrat Al-Aqabah on the day of Sacrifice, then he will throw twenty-one pebbles at the three Jamarat: the Kubra (Great), Wusta (Middle), and Sughra (Small), seven pebbles for each one on the second day of Eid Al-Adha, and he will do the same on the third day, so the total pebbles on the three days will be forty-nine. But whoever does not leave until the end of the third day of Mina, then there is no sin upon him, so he will stay in Mina for four days, and he will complete the number of pebbles and throw seventy pebbles, as he will do what the one who hastens on two days did, but he will throw twenty-one pebbles on the fourth day, seven pebbles at every Jamrah, as he did on the second and the third day of Eid Al-Adha, in addition to Jamarat Al-Aqabah on the day of sacrifice, and thus the number of pebbles for those who do not hasten to leave Mina will be seventy pebbles.  

 The Sunnah is to throw the pebbles after sunrise, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The Prophet (PBUH) advanced the weak among His family and said Do not stone the Jamrah until the sun has risen" (Jami' Altirmidhi 893), and the time of stoning Jamrat Al-Aqabah is from sunrise till after the sun has passed the meridian (i.e. after Dhuhr prayer), but the time of throwing the pebbles on the days of Tashreeq is from after the sun has passed the meridian (i.e.after Dhuhr prayer) till sunset, where as narrated by Jabir: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) throwing pebbles on the day of sacrifice while on His riding beast in the forenoon, and next (i.e. the days of Tashreeq) when the sun had passed the meridian" (Sunan Abi Dawood 1971).

 The order in throwing the pebbles is obligatory, so it is not permissible to start throwing a pebble until the first pebble has been thrown, so the pilgrim begins with throwing the Small Jamrah (Sughra) with seven pebbles saying Allahu Akbar with each pebble, and he should stop at it and supplicates Allah, then he should throw the Middle Jamrah (Wusta) with seven pebbles, also saying Allahu Akbar with each one and supplicating, he then should throw the Great Jamrah (Jamrat Al-Aqabah) with seven pebbles, and he should not stop at it nor supplicate, whereas  narrated by Salim: "Ibn Umar used to do Rami of Small Jamrah with seven small pebbles and used to recite Takbir: Allahu Akbar, on throwing every pebble, he then would go ahead till he reached the level ground where he would stand facing the Qiblah for a long time to invoke (Allah) while raising his hands, then he would do Rami of Middle Jamrah, and then he would go to the left towards the middle ground, where he would stand facing the Qiblah, he would remain standing there for a long period to invoke while raising his hands, and would stand there for a long period, then he would do Rami of Great Jamrah from the middle of the valley, but he would not stay by it, and then he would leave and say I saw the Prophet (PBUH) doing like this" (Sahih Albukhari 1751).

 It is better for the one who throws the pebbles to have Mecca on his left side and Mina on his right side if he is able to do so, as it is proven from the actions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) during the Hajj, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Yazid: "When Abdullah bin Mas'ud reached the Great Jamrah (Jamrat Al-Aqabah), he kept the Ka'bah on his left side, and Mina on his right side, and threw seven pebbles, and said the one on whom Surat Albaqarah was revealed has done the Rami similarly" (Sahih Albukhari 1748). The pebbles must be of stone, not any other material, they must be small pebbles, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "On the morning of Al-Aqabah, while He was on His mount, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me Pick up (some pebbles) for Me, so I picked up some pebbles for Him that were the size of date stones or fingertips, and when I placed them in His hand, He (PBUH) said Like these, and Beware of going to extremes in religious matters, for those who were before you were destroyed because of going to extremes in religious matters" (Sunan Alnasai 3057), so it is undesirable to throw large stones at Jamarat. The pebbles also must be pure, and they must be thrown at Jamarat not placed at them, and it is recommended to be taken from Muzdalifah and not from what the pilgrims threw before in Mina, and it desirable that the one who throws them to be riding as the Prophet (PBUH) did.

 If the days of stoning have passed, and the pilgrim has not stoned, and he remembered after leaving Mina, then he must offer a sacrifice, whether he left Mecca or not, it is the same whether he left out all of the Jamarat, or one Jamrah, or a pebble from one Jamrah until the days of Mina have passed, then he must offer a blood sacrifice, which is a sheep to be slaughtered in the Sacred Mosque (Ka'bah) and distributed to its poor, and there is no way according to all scholars to throw the stones that he missed during the days of Tashreeq after the sun sets on the third day of Tashreeq, which is the fourth day of Eid Al-Adha. 

 Spending the nights of Tashreeq in Mina is one of the rituals of Hajj, so it is not permissible to spend the night in Mecca or elsewhere other than Mina on the nights of Tashreeq, but Allah's Messenger has permitted those who are in charge of providing water to the pilgrims to leave spending the nights of Tashreeq in Mina, where as narrated by Ibn Umar: "Al-Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib asked the permission of Allah's Messenger to let him stay in Mecca during the nights of Mina in order to provide the pilgrims with water to drink, so He (PBUH) permitted him" (Sahih Albukhari 1634). And Allah's Messenger has permitted the camel herders to leave spending the nights in Mina, where as narrated by Abu Albaddah bin Asim bin Adi from his father: "The Messenger of Allah has permitted the camel herders to leave spending the nights of Tashreeq in Mina, that they stone on the day of Nahr (Eid Al-Adha), then to gather the stoning of two days after the day of Nahr so that they stoned them during one of them, Malik said I think that he said on the first of them, then they should stone on the day of departure" (Jami' Altirmidhi 955). By analogy with the rites of Hajj, whoever does not spend the night in Mina, other than the water-givers and the shepherds, must offer a blood sacrifice, which is a sheep to be slaughtered in the Sacred Mosque (Ka'bah) and distributed to its poor. The scholars agreed that whoever hastens to leave Mina in two days, he should leave it after the sun had passed the meridian (i.e.after Dhuhr prayer) if he has stoned the Jamrat on the second day of Tashreeq before evening, so he is permitted to leave Mina as long as there is still some daylight. 

 When the pilgrim throws the pebbles at the Great Jamrah (Jamrat Al-Aqabah) on the second day or the third day of Tashreeq, then everything prohibited during Ihram becomes permissible for him except women for women are not permissible for him until he performs Tawaf Alwada' (Farewell Tawaf) round the Ka'bah and between Safa and Marwah, where as narrated by Amr bin Dinar: "We asked Ibn Umar whether a man who, while performing Umrah, had performed Tawaf of the Ka'bah and had not yet performed Tawaf between Safa and Marwah, could have sexual relation with his wife, Ibn Umar replied the Prophet (PBUH) reached Mecca and performed the seven rounds of Tawaf of the Ka'bah, and then offered two Rak'ahs of prayer behind the Maqam, and then performed the seven rounds of Tawaf between Safa and Marwah, he recited {Indeed, there is for you in the Messenger of Allah a good example, Surat Alahzab aya 21}, and we asked Jabir bin Abdullah, and he said he should not come near his wife till he has completed Tawaf between Safa and Marwah" (Sahih Albukhari 1645). 

 So Allah commands the pilgrims to remember Him on the days of Mina when they throw the pebbles and after the prayers by saying Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest, without saying the Talbiya, and this includes the non-pilgrim, so he has to say Takbeer, especially during the prayer times, at the end of each prayer, whether he prays alone or in a group. And Allah has permitted the pilgrims to leave Mina on the second day of Tashreeq after throwing the pebbles or to stay until the third day, and there is no sin upon those who hasten nor upon those who delay as long as they all feared Allah in their pilgrimage, so they did not commit what Allah forbade them from, and did what Allah commanded them to do, so Allah promises them forgiveness if they obeyed Allah by performing what He charged them with of His limits, prohibitions, and commands; For the Hajj that is performed with sincerity for the sake of Allah will receive no other reward except Paradise as shown above in Aya (197), then Allah commands the believers to make piety their approach in the worldly life and reminds them that they will be gathered to Him on the day of resurrection saying {And Fear Allah and Know that to Him you will be gathered}, so Fear Allah and Fear His punishment if you disobey His Commands and transgress His limits, and Know that you will be gathered to Him on the day of resurrection, so He will recompense each for His deeds, good or evil. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (204-207) "And of the people is he whose words pleases You in the worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness on what is in his heart, and he is the most quarrelsome of opponents, and when he turns away, he strives throughout the earth to cause corruption therein, and destroys the crops and animals, and Allah does not like the corruption, and when it is said to him Fear Allah, the arrogance for the sin takes hold of him, so sufficient for him is Hellfire, and wretched is the resting place, and of the people is he who sells himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is Most Kind to the servants", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) telling Him about the hypocrite whose words please Him and he calls Allah to witness on what is in his heart, so he claims that his words are in accordance with his belief, and that Allah knows that what is in his heart is like what his tongue has uttered and that he believes in Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) while he is the most quarrelsome of opponents as he conceals disbelief, declares belief, argues with falsehood and lies, and deviates from the truth, and as narrated by Aisha that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The most hated man in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome of opponents" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2976).

 And when the hypocrite turns away and leaves Allah's Messenger (PBUH), he strives throughout the earth to cause corruption therein, so he commits what Allah has forbidden such as cutting off the road and harming the people, and he destroys the crops, fruits, and livestock, and Allah does not like the corruption on the earth or on the wealth, and when the hypocrite is admonished in his speech and actions, and it was said to him Fear Allah, so Desist from your actions, Do not cause corruption on the earth, and Return to the truth lest Allah's punishment befalls you, he will refuse and will be overcome by arrogance and anger that led him to the sin, and will persist on his transgression and misguidance, so Hellfire is sufficient for them as a punishment and a recompense, so they will be gathered to Hellfire on the day of resurrection, and wretched is the resting place that they have paved for themselves with transgression, misguidance, and stubbornness. Unlike the hypocrite who claims with his tongue the opposite of what is in his heart, and whenever he is able to disobey Allah, he disobeys Him, and when he is admonished and forbidden from it, he is overcome by pride in sin, there is the one who sells himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah by following every path that leads to Allah's pleasure such as Jihad in the way of Allah with himself and his wealth, enjoining what is right, forbidding from what is wrong, doing acts of obedience, and abandoning sins.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (208-210) "O you who have believed! Enter into Islam completely, and Do not follow the footsteps of Satan, indeed, he is a clear enemy to you, but if you slip after the clear proofs have come to you, then Know that Allah is Almighty, All-Wise, Do they wait except that Allah should come to them in shadows of clouds and the Angels, and the matter has been decided?, and to Allah all matters will be returned", that is, Allah commanded the believers to enter into Islam completely, so Allah commanded them to act according to its laws and commands, to abandon all of its prohibitions, and to establish all of its rulings and limits without neglecting some of them and acting according some of them, and Allah forbade the believers from following the footsteps of Satan and assured that Satan is a clear enemy to the Children of Adam where he prevents them from the way of Allah and seeks their destruction in the worldly life and the Hereafter as he only orders mankind to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what they do not know as shown above in Aya (169), so Do all acts of obedience and Avoid all acts of disobedience as much as you are able to do so. 

 But if you turned away after the clear proofs have come to you and the path of truth has been made clear to you from the path of falsehood, so you opposed Islam and its laws, then Know that Allah is Almighty who is Severe in His revenge on those who disobeyed Him, All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny. Then Allah threatens the disbelievers and the hypocrites who persist on disbelief, oppose Allah's Messenger (PBUH), and deny the truth after it has become clear to them saying Do they wait except that Allah should come to them in shadows of clouds and the Angels, so Do they wait except that Allah should come to them in shadows of clouds on the day of resurrection in order to judge between His creation and reward each for his deeds, and also the Angels will come to them on the day of resurrection in order to implement Allah's judgment on His creation as mentioned in Ayat (21,22) of Surat Alfajr {Nay! When the earth has been crushed, complete crushing, and Your Lord has come, and the Angels rows by rows}, and then the matter has been decided when Allah will judge between His creation with justice, so the people of Paradise will enter Paradise and the people of Hellfire will enter Hellfire, and to Allah all matters will be returned on the day of resurrection, so no judgment other than the judgment of Allah and no authority other than His authority.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (211) "Ask the Children of Israel How many a clear sign We have given them, and whoever changes the favor of Allah after it has come to him, then indeed, Allah is Severe in punishment", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to ask the Jews How many clear signs they witnessed with the Prophet Moses, peace be upon Him, that indicated the truthfulness of what He brought them from Allah, such as splitting the sea, the shade of clouds, Mann and quails, striking the rock, and reviving the dead as shown above in Ayat (49-73), but instead of acknowledging the favor that Allah has bestowed upon them and being grateful to Him, they refused Allah's favor and exchanged it for disbelief, so they turned away from believing in Allah, and following His Prophet Moses, peace be upon Him, thereupon, Allah threatens them and assures that He is Severe in punishment for those who disbelieve in Him and refuse to submit to Him alone, and refuse to believe in Allah's Messengers and Books. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (212) "Beautified to those who disbelieve is the worldly life, and they ridicule those who believe, and those who fear are above them on the day of resurrection, and Allah provides for whom He wills without account", that is, Allah assures that the worldly life has been adorned for those who disbelieve, so they turned to the worldly life, seeking its fleeting pleasures, and turned away from the Hereafter, neglecting its eternal pleasures and Allah has made the adornment of the worldly life a test for its people as He has stated in Surat Alkahf Aya (7) {Indeed, We have made what is on the earth an adornment for it, so that We may test them which of them is best in deed}, so the disbelievers accept the adornment of the worldly life and are content with it, so they abandon belief in Allah and following His Messengers, and they mocked the believers who refused the adornment of the worldly life, seeking the pleasure of Allah and the reward that He has prepared for them, so they believe in Allah and follow His Messengers, thereupon, they act in obedience to Allah, following Allah's commands, and avoiding Allah's prohibitions, so those who fear Allah and fear His punishment will be above the disbelievers on the day of resurrection, as they will win the happiest abode, and will settles the high ranks of Paradise, while the disbelievers will be immortalized in the depths of Hellfire. And Allah provides for whom He wills without account, so Allah provides for whom He wills an eternal and endless provision without limit or enumeration for which He holds His servants accountable.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (213) "The people were one religion, then Allah sent the Prophets as bearers of glad tidings and warners and sent down with them the Book in truth to judge between the people in that about which they used to differ, and none differed over it except those who were given it after the clear proofs came to them out of tyranny between them, then Allah guided those who believed to the truth about which they used to differ by His permission, and Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path", that is, all people were on one religion which is the worship of Allah alone with no partner, but they differed and disagreed regarding the matter of their religion, then idols and false gods were worshipped besides Allah, thereupon, Allah has sent His Messengers as bearers of glad tidings of Paradise for those who believe, repent and do righteous deeds, and warners of a painful torment in Hellfire for those who disbelieve and oppose their Messengers, so that there will be no argument for the people against Allah after the Messengers as mentioned in Aya (165) of Surat Alnisa', and Allah has sent down with His Prophets the Book in truth to judge between the people in that about which they used to differ therein of beliefs and deeds, so each Prophet used to judge between His people according to His Scripture, and according to what Allah has revealed therein of commands, prohibitions, and legal punishment. But none differed over it except those who were given it after the clear proofs came to them out of tyranny between them, so they did not differed about their Scripture except after Allah's signs came to them and the arguments were established against them, and nothing drove them to differ except their stubbornness and tyranny of some of them against others for the sake of the worldly life, then Allah guided the believers to the truth by explaining to them what those who were before them differed about, and Allah has guided the nation of Muhammad (PBUH) to all acts of worship and beliefs that those who were before them from among the Jews and Christians differed about, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "We are the last, we would be the first on the day of resurrection, and we would be the first to enter Paradise, even though they were given the Book before us, and we were given after them, they differed, so Allah guided us to the truth about which they used to differ, and it was this day of theirs about which they differed, but Allah guided us to it, He (PBUH) said Friday, so this day is for us, the next day is for the Jews i.e. Saturday, and the day after tomorrow is for the Christians i.e. Sunday" (Sahih Muslim 855 c). 

 So Allah has guided the believers by His permission and knowledge to the truth that those who were before them differed about, and Allah guides whom He wills to the straight path of truth in which there is no crookedness, and as narrated by Abu Salama bin Abdul-Rahman bin Awf: ''I asked Aisha, the mother of the believers, to tell me the words with which Allah's Messenger (PBUH) commenced the prayer when He got up at night, she said When He got up at night He would commence His prayer with these words "O Allah! Lord of Gabriel, and Michael and Israfil, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You will judge between Your servants in that about which they used to differ, guide Me to the truth that it had been differed about by Your permission, indeed, You guide whom You will to the straight path: Allahumma Rabba Gebrael wa Michaeel wa Israfeel fatera alsamawati wa alardi alema alghaibi wa alshahadati anta tahkumu baiyna ebadeka fee ma kanuo feehi yakhtalefuon, ehdeni lema aukhtulefa feehi mena alhaqqi be-izneka innaka tahdi man tasha-uo ela seratin mustaqeem" (Sahih Muslim 770).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (214) "Or Do you think that you will enter Paradise while the like of those who passed before you has not yet come to you?, the hardship and the adversity touched them, and they were shaken until the Messenger and those who believed with Him say When is the help of Allah?, unquestionably, the help of Allah is near", that is, Allah addresses the believers saying Do you think that you will enter Paradise before you are tested by the like of that with which Allah has tested the nations before you?, and Allah has tested the previous nations with hardship and what afflicts them of poverty and need, and adversity and what afflicts them in their bodies of illnesses, and they were shaken in fear and terror from their enemies until the Messenger and those who believed with Him say When Is the help of Allah?, so they were impatient for victory over their enemies and call for a way out, thereupon, Allah assures them that as hardship comes, so does victory saying that the help of Allah is near, so Allah urged them to be patient over the hardships and promised them His victory. And as narrated by Khabbab bin Al-Art: "We complained to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) while He was sitting in the shade of the Ka'bah, leaning over His Burdah i.e. covering sheet, we said to Him Would You seek help for us?, Would You pray to Allah for us?, He (PBUH) said among the nations before you a man would put in a ditch that was dug for him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces, yet that would not make him give up his religion, his body would be combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him abandon his religion, By Allah! This religion will prevail till a traveler from Sana' to Hadramaut will fear none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep, but you are hasty" (Sahih Albukhari 3612). And as narrated by Ibn Abu Mulaika that Aisha said By Allah! Allah never promised His Messenger anything but He knew that it would certainly happen before He died, but trials were continuously presented before the Messengers till they were afraid that their followers would accuse them of telling lies" (Sahih Albukhari 4524).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (215) "They ask You what they should spend, Say whatever you spend of good is for parents and the near relatives and the orphans and the needy, and the wayfarer, and whatever you do of good, then indeed, Allah is All-Knower of it", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that His companions ask Him what they should spend from their wealth in charity and on whom they should spend, so Allah commanded Him to say to them whatever you spend of your wealth and give in charity, then Give it to your fathers, your mothers, the near relatives, and as narrated by Tariq Almuharibi: "We came to Medina and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was standing on the pulpit addressing the people and saying the hand which gives is the upper hand, Start with those for whom you are responsible, your mother, your father, your sister, your brother, then the next closest and the next closest" (Sunan Alnasai 2532), and Allah commanded the believers to spend on the orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer, and these categories were discussed at length in Aya (177) above. Then Allah assures that whatever you spend and give in charity from your wealth, then indeed, Allah is All-Knower of it, so nothing of your affair is hidden from Him, and He will reward you with the best reward on the day of resurrection.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (216) "Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you, but perhaps you dislike a thing and it is good for you, and perhaps you like a thing, and it is bad for you, and Allah knows while you do not know", that is, Allah has enjoined fighting the disbelievers upon the believers, while it is hated to the believers to fight as it is difficult and burdensome to them; For they will either be killed or wounded along with the hardship of travel and fighting the enemy. Fighting is not an obligation upon every sane adult Muslim like prayer and fasting, but if some Muslims fight in the way of Allah, then fighting is not obligatory upon the others, then Allah assures that you may hate fighting in His way (Jihad) while it is good for you, as you will gain spoils, victory, and unity and strength of Muslims or attain martyrdom and you will be rewarded with a great reward as Allah has stated in Aya (95) of Surat Alnisa' {Allah has preferred those who strive with their wealth and their lives over those who sit by degrees, and Allah has promised the best for all, and Allah has preferred those who strive over those who sit with a great reward}, and perhaps you like a thing, and it is bad for you, for when you abandon Jihad in the way of Allah, you will be defeated, humiliated and your status will be lost, and you will be like the hypocrites if you did not wish to engage in Jihad despite being able to do so, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Whoever died while he did not fight in the way of Allah nor did he express any desire for Jihad, then he died the death of a hypocrite, Abdullah bin Mubarak said we think the Hadith pertained to the time of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)" (Sahih Muslim 1910), and it was said that the obligation of Jihad pertained to the time of Allah's  Messenger (PBUH) because when He calls them to Jihad, they were obligated to set out for Jihad because of the obligation to obey Him, not because it was an obligation on the collective level. And Allah knows what is good for you and what is bad for you while you do not know, so Do not hate what Allah has prescribed for you of Jihad in His way for He knows that your fighting in His way is good for you in the worldly life and the Hereafter, and abandoning fighting in His way is bad for you, so Respond to Him and Submit to His command. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (217) "They ask You about the Sacred month, about fighting in it, Say fighting in it is great, but preventing from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him, and the Sacred Mosque, and the expulsion of its people from it are greater in the sight of Allah, and the trial is greater than killing, and they will not cease to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able, and whoever of you turns back from his religion, then dies while he is a disbeliever, then those, their deeds were nullified in the world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that His companions ask Him about fighting in the Sacred month, and Allah ordered Him to say to them that fighting in the Sacred month is a great sin in the sight of Allah, and that it is forbidden as it was, so Do not fight or shed the blood in it, but Allah assures that what the disbelievers consider permissible from the believers is greater in the sight of Allah than fighting in the Sacred month such as preventing the believers from the way of Allah when they imprisoned them, tortured them, and detained them from migration to Allah's Messenger (PBUH), their disbelief in Allah, preventing the believers from the Sacred Mosque (Ka'bah) for Hajj, Umrah, and prayer in it, and the expulsion of the Muslim residents of the Sacred Mosque.

 The well-known saying of the scholars is that this verse was revealed when Allah's Messenger (PBUH) sent a detachment of seven or eight men led by Abdullah bin Jahsh Al-Asdi, and among them were Ammar bin Yasir, Abu Hudhaifa bin Utba bin Rabi'ah, Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, Utba bin Ghazwan Al-Sulami, an ally of Banu Nawfal, Suhail in Baiyda', Amir bin Fuhaiyrah, and Waqid bin Abdullah Al-Yarbu'i, an ally of Umar bin Alkhattab, and He (PBUH) wrote a letter to Ibn Jahsh and ordered him not to read it until he reached Batn Malal (A valley about fifty kilometer from Medina), when he reached Batn Malal, he opened the letter, and found in it "When you look at this letter of Mine, Go until you reach Nakhlah, between Mecca and Taif, and Observe there Quraish and Inform Us of their news", so Ibn Jahsh said to his comrades the Messenger of Allah ordered me to go to Nakhlah and observe Quraish until I bring Him their news, and He has forbidden me to force any of you, whoever among you wants martyrdom and desires it, Let him go, and whoever does not want it, Let him return, as for me, I will carry out the command of Allah's Messenger(PBUH), so he went and his comrades went with him, and none of them stayed behind except for Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas and Utba who lost their mount, so they went to Bahran looking for it. 

 Ibn Jahsh marched to Batn Nakhlah, and there he found Al-Hakam bin Kaysan, Al-Mughirah bin Uthman, Amr bin Al-Hadrami, Abdullah bin Al-Mughirah. Abdullah bin Al-Mughirah escaped, and they captured Al-Hakam bin Kaysan, Al-Mughirah bin Uthman, and Amr bin Al-Hadrami was killed by Waqid bin Abdullah, and this was the first booty taken by the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), and when they returned to Medina with the two captives and the booty they had taken, the people of Mecca wanted to ransom the two captives, the Prophet (PBUH) said until We see what our two companions had done, so when Sa'd and his comrade returned, He (PBUH) took a ransom for the two captives. The polytheists said Muhammad claimed that He follows the obedience of Allah, but He was the first to violate the Sacred month and He killed our comrade in Rajab, the Muslims said we killed him in Jumada, they thought that night was the last night of Jumada, but it was the first of Rajab and they did not realize it, then the Muslims sheathed their swords when the month of Rajab began, then Allah revealed, reproaching the people of Mecca {They ask You about the Sacred month, about fighting in it, Say fighting in it is great}, so it is forbidden, and what you have done O polytheists is greater in the sight of Allah than killing in the Sacred month when you prevented the people from the way of Allah, disbelieved in Allah, prevented Muhammad (PBUH) and His companions from it, and expelled the people of the Sacred Mosque from it. 

 The scholars differed on the ruling of this verse, as to whether it was abrogated or not, so it was said that it was abrogated by Aya (36) of Surat Altawbah when Allah commanded the believers to fight the polytheists {And Fight against the polytheists all together as they fight against you all together}, but it was said that it is a decisive verse and not abrogated as fighting in the Sacred month remains forbidden as the Prophet (PBUH) did not initiate fighting during the Sacred month unless the polytheists began fighting the Muslims.

 Then Allah assures them that the trial is greater than killing in the Sacred month as they used to tempt the Muslims in their religion until they returned them to disbelief after their belief, so this is greater in the sight of Allah than killing in the Sacred moth, and they will continue to fight the Muslims until they turn them back from their religion if they are able to do so, so they will not cease to tempt the Muslims from their religion as they did with the Muslims before migration, and Allah assures that whoever turns back from his religion, the religion of Islam, then he dies as a disbeliever before repenting from his disbelief, then those whose deeds were nullified in the worldly life and in the Hereafter as their deeds have become worthless due to their disbelief, and those are the losers on the day of resurrection, so they will be the companions of Hellfire on the day of resurrection, abiding therein forever; Because disbelief and denial are of the unforgivable sins.

 So the entry of the apostate into Hellfire and his eternity therein is conditional upon his death in apostasy, but as for the one who repents from apostasy and returns back to Islam, Allah will accept his repentance and will forgive him as He has stated in Ayat (86-89) of Surat Ali Imran, and as for he who persists on apostasy and does not return to Islam again, Allah has sentenced him to death in the worldly life, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "It is not permissible to take the life of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no God but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah but in one of three cases the married adulterer, a life for a life, and the deserter of his religion, abandoning the community (of Muslims)" (Sahih Muslim 1676). And as narrated by Ikrima: "Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn Abbas who said Had I been in his place, I would not have burnt them as the Prophet (PBUH) said Do not punish with Allah's punishment, no doubt, I would have killed them for the Prophet (PBUH) said if somebody discards his religion, then Kill him" (Sahih Albukhari 3017), and as narrated by Abu Burda: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) sent Abu Musa to Yemen, then He sent Mu'adh bin Jabal after him, and when Mu'adh reached him, he spread out a cushion for him and requested him to get down, behold! There was a fettered man beside Abu Musa, Mu'adh asked Who is this?, Abu Musa said he was a Muslim, and then turned back to Judaism, then Abu Musa requested Mu'adh to sit down but Mu'adh said I will not sit down till he has been killed, this is the judgment of Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), and repeated it thrice, then Abu Musa ordered that the man be killed, and he was killed" (Sahih Albukhari 6923).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (218) "Indeed, those who have believed and those who have emigrated and striven in the way of Allah, those expect the mercy of Allah, and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", that is, Allah assures that those who believed in Him, His Messenger, and the Holy Quran, and those who went out as emigrants (Almuhajereen) in the way of Allah, and left their homelands, families, and friends after they have been wronged for the sake of Allah and His Messenger and for the support of Allah's religion, and fought the polytheists for the sake of Allah with their wealth, those expect that Allah will have mercy on them and admit them into His Paradise by His mercy, as none will enter Paradise through his deeds only, but through Allah's mercy and grace, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "None amongst you can get into Paradise by virtue of his deeds alone, they said not even You?, He said not even I, but that Allah should wrap Me in His grace and mercy" (Sahih Muslim 2816 f), and Allah is All-Forgiving and Most Merciful for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (219) "They ask You about the intoxicants and gambling, Say in both of them is great sin and some benefits for people, but the sin of both of them is greater than the benefit of both of them, and they ask You what they should spend, Say the surplus, thus Allah makes clear to you the verses so that you may give thought", that is, from among Allah's honor and benevolence towards the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) is that He did not impose the laws upon them all at once, but rather, He imposed the laws upon them time after time, and that was the case with regard to the prohibition of intoxicants, and this verse is the first to be revealed concerning the intoxicants, then Allah forbade the believers from approaching the prayer while they are intoxicated until they know what they are saying as He has stated in Aya (43) of Surat Alnisa', and then Allah has forbidden the intoxicants completely in Aya (90) of Surat Alma'idah, and the same applies to gambling when Allah has forbidden it completely in Aya (90) of Surat Alma'idah. So Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that the believers ask Him about the intoxicants and gambling, and the intoxicants are all things that numb the mind, whether they are wine or something else, and gambling is every game whose purpose is gambling and consuming people's money unlawfully such as chess and backgammon, so Allah commanded His Messenger (PBUH) to say to those who ask Him about intoxicants and gambling that there is a great sin in both of them, and that there are some benefits in both of them, but the sin of both of them is greater than the benefit of both of them; Because their sin is related to religious aspects as when the drinker of alcohol loses consciousness, he commits forbidden acts and harms the people, and the gambler eats people's money unjustly, and wrongs the others, and both of them reduces the faith of the one who drinks alcohol and the one who gambles when they follow the footsteps of Satan who intends to cause enmity between the people, distracts them from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer as Allah has stated in Aya (91) of Surat Alma'idah {Satan only intends to cause enmity and hatred between you through intoxicants and gambling and to prevent you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer, so Will you not desist?}. While the benefits of intoxicants and gambling are related to some worldly gains only such as selling the intoxicants and benefiting from its price, and what the gambler earns from what the others gambles with, then he spent it on himself and his family 

 And as narrated by Abu Bakr bin Abdul-Rahman bin Al-Harith that his father said: "I heard Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, say Avoid intoxicants for it is the mother of all evils, there was a man among those who were before you who was a devoted worshipper. An immoral woman fell in love with him, she sent her slave girl to him saying we are calling you to bear witness, so he set out with the slave girl, and every time he entered a door, she locked it behind him until he reached a beautiful woman who has with her a boy and a vessel of wine, she said By Allah! I did not call you to bear witness, rather I called you to have intercourse with me, or to drink a cup of this wine, or to kill this boy, he said Pour me a cup of this wine, so she pored him a cup. He said Give me more, and soon he had intercourse with her and killed the boy, so Avoid intoxicants, for By Allah! Faith and addiction to intoxicants cannot coexist but one of them will soon expel the other" (Sunan Alnasai 5666).

 The companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) asked Him about spending and to whom it should be spent, and the answer came out in accordance with the question as shown above in Aya (215), then they asked Him again about the amount of spending, so Allah commanded Him to say to them Spend the surplus, so Spend what is surplus to your needs so that you do not exhaust your wealth lest you become a burden on the people when you sit asking them, so Spend what is available and what does not burden you to spend, as the best charity is that which a person gives from his wealth after fulfilling the rights of himself and his family, so that the giver of charity does not become a needy of anyone after giving his charity, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger said: "The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person, and Start giving first to your dependents" (Sahih Albukhari 1426), and as narrated by Jabir: "A person from Banu Udhra set a slave free after his death, this news reached the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), upon this He said Have you any property besides it?, he said no, He (PBUH) said Who would buy from Me?, Nu'aim bin Abdullah Al-Adawi bought him for eight hundred Dirhams, and brought them to Allah's Messenger, so He gave them to him (the owner), the He said Start with your own self, Spend them on yourself, and if anything is left, it should be spent on your family, and if anything is left after your family, it should be spent on your relatives, and if anything is left after your relatives, it should be spent like this and like this, and he was saying: in front of you, on your right and on your left" (Sahih Muslim 997).

 And as narrated by Abu Umamah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "O son of Adam! It is better for you if you spend the surplus, but if you withhold it, it is evil for you, there is no reproach for you for a living (if you withhold your living), and Begin with your dependents, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand" (Sahih Muslim 1036). Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses so that you may give thought in the worldly life and the Hereafter, so you know that the worldly life is a trial and that it will soon perish, and that the Hereafter is the eternal life, and then you will keep from your wealth what will benefit you in the worldly life and spend on what will benefit you in the Hereafter.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (220) "In the world and the Hereafter, and they ask You about the orphans, Say reform for them is best, and if you mix with them, then they are your brothers, and Allah knows the corrupter from the reformer, and if Allah had willed, He could have put you in trouble, indeed, Allah is Almighty, All-Wise", that is, this verse is connected to the verse before it, so Allah makes clear to you the verses so that you may give thought in the worldly life and the Hereafter. Then Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad saying that His companions ask Him about the orphans and how to deal with their wealth, and it was said that when Allah commanded the guardians of the orphans to protect their wealth and warned against taking their property unjustly as mentioned in Ayat (10) of Surat Alnisa', and Aya (152) of Surat Alan'am, the guardians of orphans began to separate the food and drinks of the orphans from their food and drinks, and began to detain the remaining food for the orphan to eat, but the orphan might eat it, or the food might spoil, and that was difficult for them, so they mentioned that to Allah's Messenger and then Allah commanded His Messenger to say to them reform for them is best, and if you mix with them, then they are your brothers, so they mixed their food with the food of the orphans and their drinks with the drinks of the orphans. 

 But others said that avoiding the wealth of the orphans was part of Arabs morals, and they asked Allah's Messenger about it because of its difficulty for them, so Allah revealed this Aya, and Allah assures that reforming the affairs of the orphans is better for them and for the orphans, and if they mixed with the orphans, so they eat with them, drink with them, ride their mount, then they are their brothers and there is no blame upon them if they do so, and Allah knows the corrupter from the reformer, so He knows he whose intention and purpose is corruption or reform the affairs of orphans, so Fear Allah in the wealth of orphans lest you mix with them while you want to consume their wealth unjustly and make your mixing with them a way to corrupt their wealth for Allah knows what is the intention of whoever among you mixes with the orphan, so He knows if he shares with him his food, drink, dwelling, and slaves with the intention of corrupting and consuming his wealth unjustly or improving and increasing it, and if Allah had willed, He could have put you in trouble, so He could make it difficult for you, but He made things easy to you and permitted you to mix with the orphans in the best manner, indeed, Allah is Almighty who is Severe in His revenge on those who disobeyed Him, All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (221) "And Do not marry polytheistic women until they believe, and a believing slave woman is better than a polytheistic woman, even though she may please you, and Do not give in marriage to the polytheistic men until they believe, and a believing slave is better than a polytheistic man, even though he may please you, those invite to the Fire, and Allah invites to Paradise and to forgiveness by His permission, and He makes clear His verses to the people so that they may remember", that is, Allah forbade the believers from marrying the polytheistic women who worship idols and false gods besides Allah and do not have a heavenly religion until they believe in Allah, His Books, and His Messengers, and faith is achieved by affirming Shahada (Testifying that there is no God but Allah and testifying that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), and adhering to the rulings of  Islam as Shahada alone is not sufficient to achieve faith. Although Allah has permitted the believers to marry the chaste women from among the people of the Scripture as He has stated in Aya (5) of Surat Alma'idah, but it is not permissible for Muslim men to marry the slave-girls owned by the people of the Scripture from among the Jews and the Christians or owned by the disbelievers as Allah has permitted them to marry the believing slave girls who were owned by the believers when necessary as mentioned in Aya (25) of Surat Alnisa'. And Allah assures that a believing slave woman is better than a polytheistic woman, even if she impresses you with her beauty, her wealth, and her noble lineage, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "A woman is married for four things: for her wealth, her family status, her beauty, and her religion, so you should marry the religious woman lest your hand will stick to the dust i.e. you will be loser" (Sahih Albukhari 5090).

 Then Allah commanded the believers not to give their believing women in marriage to the polytheistic men until they believe, so it is forbidden to give a believing woman in marriage to a polytheistic man until he converts to Islam as the believing women are not lawful for the polytheistic men nor are the polytheistic men lawful for the believing women, and this applies to the woman who converts to Islam while her husband remains on disbelief as she is no longer lawful for him as Allah has stated in Aya (10) of Surat Almumtahanah, and this includes everyone who does not profess the religion of Islam such as pagans, Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians, and those who have apostatized from Islam as Islam is supreme and nothing is supreme over it, so a Muslim man can marry a Jewish or a Christian woman, but a Jew or a Christian man cannot marry a Muslim woman; Because the husband has authority and control over his wife, so he may force her to abandon her religion and make her disbelieve in Islam, and since the children follow their fathers, the children will raise as Jews or Christians, and will become of the companions of Hellfire. In addition, the Muslim venerates Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them, and believes in their message, and the Torah and the Gospel, so his faith does not lead him to harm his Jewish or Christian wife because of her faith, so the difference in religion is not a reason for harm or aggression, unlike the Non-Muslim who dose not believe in the Holy Quran or the message of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), so his lack of faith leads him to harm his Muslim wife and belittle her religion. And Allah assures that a believing slave is better than a polytheistic man, even if he impresses you with his beauty, his wealth, and his noble lineage. 

 This Aya indicates that the woman's guardians have more right to give her in marriage than herself, and as narrated by Abu Musa that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "There is no marriage except with a guardian" (Jami' Altirmidhi 1101). And it is not permissible to a woman to give another woman in marriage or to give herself in marriage, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "No woman should arrange the marriage of another woman, and no woman should arrange her own marriage" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1882). But the guardian has no right to give the woman in marriage without her consent, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "A matron should not be given in marriage except after consulting her, and a virgin should not be given in marriage except after her permission, they said O Allah's Messenger! How can we know her permission?, He said her silence" (Sahih Albukhari 5136). And in another narration of Ibn Abbas, the Messenger of Allah said: "A matron has more right to herself than her guardian" (Sahih Muslim 1421), this means that she has more right to herself in that no marriage contract can be made with her except with her consent, not that she has more right to herself in that the marriage contract can be made with herself without her guardian, and if her guardian gives her in marriage without her consent, the marriage contract then is annulled, where as narrated by Khansa' bint Khidham Al-Ansariya that her father gave her in marriage when she was a matron and she disliked that marriage, so she went to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and He declared that marriage invalid (Sahih Albukhari 5138). And the woman's guardian who is responsible for her marriage should be from among her agnatic kin, and no one has the guardianship if her father is present, but if her father is not present, then the guardianship goes to the grandfather, and if he is not present, the guardianship goes to her brothers, then to the closest, provided that the guardian is an adult of sound mind.

 So it is not valid for a woman to give herself in marriage without a guardian, whether she is young or old, a virgin or previously married, and if the woman does not have a suitable guardian, then the Muslim judge will arrange her marriage, where as narrated by Aisha that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Any woman whose marriage is not arranged by her guardian, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid, if he has had intercourse with her, then the dowry belongs to her in return for his intimacy with her, and if there is any dispute, then the ruler is the guardian of the one who does not have a guardian" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1879). So if the woman's guardians refuse to fulfill her desire and marry her to someone who is qualified to marry her, their guardianship is revoked and the matter is transferred to the judge who then becomes her guardian, otherwise, the judge has no guardianship if the guardian is present. 

 

 And Allah assures that the company and association with the polytheists, men and women, leads to Hellfire on the day of resurrection for there is love and affection between spouses which motivates them to please each other and because they do not believe in the Oneness of Allah nor in His Messenger (PBUH), the polytheistic husband or wife calls the other to disbelief, and they also encourage the love of the worldly life and preferring it over the Hereafter, while Allah invites the people to Paradise and to forgiveness by His permission, when He guides them to His Paradise and forgiveness through His law, commands, and prohibitions. And Allah makes clear His verses to the people so that they may remember, so He explains His arguments that He has revealed in His Book, so that they may distinguish between those who invite to Hellfire, and Allah, the One who invite to Paradise and forgiveness, and then choose the way of success and salvation.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (222) "And they ask you about menstruation, Say it is hurt, so Keep away from the women during menstruation, and Do not approach them until they are cleansed, and when they cleansed themselves, then Come to them from where Allah has ordered you, indeed, Allah loves those who are oft-repenting and loves those who are purifying themselves", that is, the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) asked Him about menstruation (Haiyd), as the Jews in Medina did not live with the menstruating woman in the same house, nor did they share a food or drink with them, so Allah informed them that they must avoid only intercourse with them, not anything else, such as sleeping beside them, eating or drinking with them, where as narrated by Anas: "When a woman from among the Jews menstruated, they would not eat with her, nor drink with her, nor mingle with her in their houses, and the Prophet (PBUH) was asked about that, so Allah, the Most High revealed {And they ask you about menstruation, Say it is hurt}, so the Messenger of Allah told them to eat with them, drink with them, and to remain in the house with them, and to do everything except intercourse with them. The Jews said  He does not want to leave any matter of ours without opposing us in it, then Abbad bin Bishr and Usaid bin Hudair came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to inform Him about that, they said O Messenger of Allah! Should we not have intercourse with them during their menstruation?, the face of Allah's Messenger changed color, until they thought that He was angry with them, so they left, and afterwards the Prophet was given some milk as a gift, so He sent some of it to them to drink, then they knew that He was not angry with them" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2977).

 Thereupon, Allah has forbidden woman's vagina as long as she is menstruating, and has permitted everything else, so most of scholars said that it is permissible to fondle a menstruating woman in any place except her vagina and anus, so her husband can approach her, touch her, hug her, kiss her and so on, without having intercourse with her, and the woman would then cover herself from the navel and what was below it to the knee during her menstruation, and he could do whatever he wants except for intercourse, where as narrated by Aisha: "Whenever one of us was menstruating, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) wanted to fondle her, He used to order her to put an Izar (Waist-wrap) during her menstruation, and started fondling her, Aisha added, Which of you can control his desire as the Prophet (PBUH) controlled His desire" (Sahih Albukhari 302), and as narrated by Aisha: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would recline in my lap when I was menstruating and recite the Quran" (Sahih Muslim 301).

 Allah assures that having sexual intercourse with women during their menstruation is harmful and forbids the believers from approaching them until they are cleansed, so whoever has intercourse with his wife while she is menstruating, he has sinned, and he should seek forgiveness and repent to Allah. Then Allah has permitted them to have intercourse with their wives after the menstruation when they cleansed themselves by bathing the whole body with water (Ghusl), so the ruling on sexual relation returns to what it was before menstruation, and if a woman's menstruation ends, she is not lawful for her husband until she washes the whole body with water or performing Tayyammum if she cannot find water, and Allah commanded the believers to have intercourse with their wives from where He has commanded them, so they should come to them in the vagina not in anything else, and whoever does otherwise, then he has transgressed, and this Aya is an evidence that the anal intercourse is forbidden. And Allah assures that He loves those who are oft-repenting when they committed what Allah has forbidden them from even if they repeated it repeatedly, and Allah loves those who are purifying themselves from hurt such as having intercourse with a menstruating woman or in a place other than the vagina. 

 The menstruating woman should stop praying and fasting during her menstruation, then she should perform Ghusl when the bleeding stops and pray, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Umar that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "O womenfolk! You should give charity and ask much forgiveness for I saw you in bulk amongst the dwellers of Hell, a wise lady among them said Why is it, Messenger of Allah, that our folk is in bulk in Hell?, He (PBUH) said you curse too much and are ungrateful to you spouses. I have seen none lacking in common sense and failing in religion but robbing the wisdom of the wise besides you, upon this the woman said What is wrong with our common sense and with religion, He said your lack of common sense that the testimony of two women is equal to one man, this is the lack of common sense, and she spends some nights in which she does not pray and she breaks the fast in the month of Ramadan, so this is a failing in religion" (Sahih Muslim 79).

 And Allah makes things easier for women when He does not impose any burden on them by performing the prayer they missed during their menstrual period, as it would be difficult for them to perform the missed prayers for it is repeated five times a day, but they should fast the days of fasting on which they broke the fast in the month of Ramadan, and as narrated by Mu'adha: "A woman asked Aisha Should I offer the prayers that which I did not offer because of menses?, Aisha said Are you from Harura'?, we were with the Prophet (PBUH) and used to get our periods but He never ordered us to offer them, Aisha perhaps said we did not offer them" (Sahih Albukhari 321). Aisha denounced the woman's question because the people of Harura', a town in Iraq, used to order the menstruating women to perform the prayers they missed during menstruation.

 The jurists differed regarding the time of menstruation as there is no specific time for menstruation except what is related to woman's habits, and it was said that the minimum period of menstruation is one night and one day, and the maximum time is fifteen days, and they also differed regarding the time of postpartum bleeding as there is no specific time for it, and it was said that it is two months, but others said it is forty days, and purification occurs when the blood stops, then the woman should perform Ghusl like the Ghusl of Janabah and menstruation. Ghusl is washing the entire body with water, and there are some differences between Ghusl for Janabah and Ghusl for menstruation, where as narrated by Aisha: "Asma' asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) about washing after menstruation, He said everyone amongst you should use water mixed with the leaves of Lote tree (Sidr) and cleanse herself well, and then pour water on her head and rub it vigorously till it reaches the roots of the hair, then she should pour water on it. Afterwards, she should take a piece of cotton smeared with Musk and cleanse herself with with it, Asma' said How should she cleanse herself with the help of that?, upon this, He said Glory to be Allah! She should cleanse herself, Aisha said in a subdued tone that she should apply it to the trace of blood, Asma' then further asked about Ghusl of Janabah, He (PBUH) said she should take water and cleanse herself well or complete the ablution and then pour water on her head and rub it till it reaches the roots of the hair, and then pour water on her. Aisha said How good are the women of Ansar that their shyness does not prevent them from learning religion" (Sahih Muslim 332 c). 

 But if the blood continues to come out from the woman's uterus after the end of her normal menstrual period, then is considered Istihadah not haiyd (menstruation), as it is a pathological blood that comes out from a severed vein in the uterus, and the ruling of menstruation does apply to it, so the woman with Istihada prays, fasts, performs Tawaf, and recites the Holy Quran, and it permissible for her husband to have intercourse with her. So when the time of menstruation and monthly period comes, which is the time in which she usually menstruated before she was afflicted with Istihada, she should stop praying, fasting and other prohibitions of menstruation for the duration of her monthly period, and when the days of her usual menstrual period end, she is considered to have become pure from menstruation even if the bleeding continues, and then she should perform Ghusl and begin to pray, where as narrated by Aisha: "Fatima bint Abi Hubaish came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said O Messenger of Allah! I get persistent bleeding from the uterus and do not become clean, Shall I give up my prayers?, Allah's Messenger said No because it is from a blood vessel and not the menses, so when your real menses begins, Give up your prayers and when it has finished, Wash off the blood (Ghusl), Hisham, the sub narrator said that his father added that the Prophet (PBUH) told her, then Perform ablution (Wudu') for every prayer till the time of the next period comes" (Sahih Albukhari 228). 
 

 

 Menstrual blood and postpartum bleeding prevent praying, fasting, sexual intercourse, divorce, circumambulation (Tawaf), touching the Holy Quran, entering the Mosque, and I'tikaf in the mosque, but there are two opinions regarding the recitation of the Holy Quran during menstruation, some said that it is permissible for a menstruating woman to read the Holy Quran without touching it, or read what she has memorized from the Holy Quran, but others said that it is forbidden to recite the Holy Quran until she purifies herself.   

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (223) "Your women are a tilth for you, so Come to your tilth from where you wish and Send forth for yourselves, and Fear Allah, and Know that you will meet Him, and Give glad tidings to the believers", that is, Allah assures the believers that their wives are a tilth for them as the woman's vagina is like the field, the semen is like the seed, and the child is like the plant, and Allah has permitted the believers to come to their wives from where they wish, so Go unto them from the front, from the back, lying on their backs or on their sides, on the condition that it is in the vagina, which is a soil for tilth in which the child is sought, so it will not harm you what position you use to have sexual intercourse with your wife as long as you reach her vagina, and as narrated by Jabir: "Jews used to say if one has sexual intercourse with his wive from the back, then she will deliver a squint-eyed child, so this verse was revealed {Your women are a tilth for you, so Come to your tilth from where you wish}" (Sahih Albukhari 4528).

 So you may approach your wife facing forward, facing backward, laying down, and however you wish as long as the penetration is in the vagina and does not extend beyond it to the anus, so it is permissible only in one place, where as narrated by Umm Salama from Allah's Messenger (PBUH) regarding Allah's saying {Your women are a tilth for you, so Come to your tilth from where you wish}, meaning one valve (Jami' Altirmidhi 2979), and as narrated by Khuzaiyma bin Thabit that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Allah is not too shy to tell the truth, He (PBUH) repeated it three times, Do not have intercourse with women in their buttocks" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1924), and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Allah will not look to a man who has intercourse with his wife in her buttocks" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1923). It is recommended to call upon Allah before starting intercourse, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "If anyone of you, when having sexual intercourse with his wife says Besmi ellahi, Allahumma jannibni alshaiytana wa Jannibi alshaiytana ma razaqtana: In the name of Allah, O Allah! Keep Satan away from me, and Keep Satan away from what you have provided for us, and then that was decreed between them, or it is destined that they should have a child, then Satan will never be able to harm him" (Sahih Albukhari 5165). Then Allah commanded the believers to send forth good deeds and acts of obedience while complying with what He has forbidden them from, to fear Allah and fear His punishment if they disobey His commands and do not abstain from the forbidden things, and to know that they will meet Him, and He will reward them for their deeds, evil and good, and Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to give glad tidings to the believers who obey His commands and abandon what He has warned them against.  

 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (224,225) "And Do not make Allah an excuse in your oaths against that you do good, and that you fear, and that you reconcile between the people, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower, Allah will not call you to account for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will call you to account for what your hearts have earned, and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing", that is, Do not let your oaths by Allah prevent you from doing good, and from fearing Allah and fearing His punishment if you disobey His commands, or prevent you from making peace between people, so when a man swears that he will not speak to his relatives, or maintain his kinship ties, or give charity, or that there is a grudge between him and someone, and he swears that he will not reconcile with him, or that a man swears that he will not reconcile between the people, and he makes his oath by Allah as an excuse so that he does not do so, then continuing and persisting on his oath is a sin, so he should break his oath and make an expiation for it as in Aya (89) of Surat Alma'idah, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "By Allah! If anyone of you insists on fulfilling an oath by which he may harm his family, he commits a greater sin in the sight of Allah than that of breaking it and making expiation for it" (Sahih Albukhari 6625). And as narrated by Zahdam Aljamri that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "By Allah! If Allah wills, if I take an oath and then later find another thing better than that, I do what is better, and make expiation for the oath" (Sahih Albukhari 6721). And Allah is All-Hearing of what you say and what you swear to, All--Knower of what you intend, what you declare, and what you conceal, so Fear Allah and fear His punishment if you disobey Him.

 Allah will not hold you accountable for the oaths that your tongues preceded you with hastily and unintentionally, for example, when a person says I swear by Allah I will not eat, I swear by Allah I will not drink, I swear by Allah I will not buy for this much, I swear by Allah I will not sell for this much, while he does not intend that, he is just talking, but the opposite happens, or when a person swears an oath by Allah about something thinking that it is as he swore about, but it is not, so these oaths do not require an expiation, and as narrated by Aisha: "This verse Allah will not call you to account for what is meaningless in your oaths was revealed about man's statement no, By Allah, and yes, By Allah" (Sahih Albukhari 4613). But Allah will hold you accountable for what your hearts intentionally intend and resolve to do with knowledge and awareness of what you intend and want, specially if you swear by Allah to lies and falsehood or to consume people's property unjustly, and Allah is All-Forgiving who forgives those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds, Most Forbearing for those who disobey him by not hastening His punishment. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (226,227) "For those who swear to abstain from their wives is a waiting of four months, but if they return, then indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful, and if they resolve on divorce, then indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower", that is, if a man swears by Allah that he will not have sexual intercourse with his wife for a period of time, whether he is angry or not, it will be either less than four months or more than that, if it is less than four months, then he may wait for the appointed period to end and then have intercourse with his wife, and she must be patient, and she does not have the right to demand him to return to her during this period as long as it is less than four months, where as narrated by Zuhair: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) took an oath that He would not go to His wives for one month, Zuhair said that Urwa narrated to him from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, when twenty-nine nights were over, which I had counted, the Messenger of Allah came to me, she said He came to me first of all, I said Messenger of Allah! You had taken an oath that You would not come to us for a month, whereas You have come after twenty-nine days which I have counted, whereupon, He said the month may also consists of twenty-nine days" (Sahih Muslim 1083).

 

 But if man swears not to have intercourse with his wife for more than four months (Ila'), Allah has given him a period of four months to return to his wife through sexual intercourse, or to divorce her after the four months have passed, and the wife has the right to demand from her husband when the four months have passed that he either should have intercourse with her, or divorce her, and if he returns to having intercourse with her when the four months have passed or before that, then he should make an expiation for his oath as mentioned in Aya (89) of Surat Alma'idah, then Allah assures that He is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful to you when He forgives you and has mercy on you for what you neglected of the right of your wives because of your oaths.

 If someone took an oath by Allah that he will not have intercourse with his wife, then he became ill, imprisoned, or traveled, or if she is sick, menstruating, absent, or any other reason, then he has an excuse not to have intercourse with her, and he could return to her through his tongue or his heart by his intention before the four months, and in that case, he should take witnesses on that and make an expiation for his oath, and thus she is still his wife, even if the four months passed without him having intercourse with her, but in the case of no excuse, he cannot return to her except through sexual intercourse, and if the four months passed before him having sexual intercourse with her, then he is given the choice between returning or divorce, and if he refuses the two choices, she could bring her case to the judge, and the judge will force him to choose one or the other so that he does not harm her, otherwise, she is considered to be divorced from him.

 It was said that the oath of Ila' is not valid unless he swears by Allah, but if he makes an exception by saying In sha'a Allah: if Allah wills, when swearing that he will not have intercourse with his wife, then his oath is not valid; Because he linked it to the will of Allah , so if Allah wills, he will have intercourse with her, and if Allah does not will, he will not. Then Allah assures that if they resolve on divorce, then indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower of what they say and do, and this indicates that the divorce is only in the hand of the husband and that the passing of four months is not sufficient for the divorce to take place, rather, he must retract from what he swore to do or divorce her.  

 

 The divorce then will be considered a revocable divorce (Talaq Raj'i) in which the husband has the right to take his wife back during the waiting period of divorce (Iddah) without a new marriage contract or a dowry as will come later in the next verse (228), and this is the opinion of the majority of scholars, but others said that the divorce will be considered an irrevocable divorce (Talaq Ba'in, Bainouna Sughra) in which a new contract of marriage and a dowry become necessary for remarriage as long as it is not the third divorce (Talaq Ba'in, Bainouna Kubra) which has a different ruling as will come later in Aya (230), and their argument is that the husband does not retract from his oath within four months, so he intended to divorce her irrevocably.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (228) "And the divorced women shall keep themselves waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day, and their husbands have more right to take them back in that, if they wish reconciliation, and for them is the like of that which is on them in a reasonable manner, and for the men is a degree over them, and Allah is Almighty, All-Wise", that is, Allah has ordered the divorced women who have had intercourse with their husbands that they should wait for three menstrual periods, so the woman should remain after her husband divorced her for three menstrual periods, then she canmarry if she wishes. So if a man divorced his wife for the first time or the second time during a period of purity in which he has not intercourse with her, she will have a menstrual period, then another, then another, and her husband has more right of her as long as she has not performed Ghusl after the third menstruation, but if she performed the Ghusl of the third menstruation, she has more right to herself, and becomes a stranger to him, so she will be released from her waiting period (Iddah) and the return will be invalid, and then her husband cannot take her back in marriage except through a proposal, a new marriage contract with a guardian and witnesses, and a new dowry, unless it is the third divorce, in which case there is another ruling as will come later in Aya (230), and the ruling of this verse does not include the divorced woman who was divorced before her husband has intercourse with her, those who have despaired of menstruation, those who have not menstruated, nor the pregnant woman. And as narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas: "The verse {And the divorced women shall keep themselves waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs}, if a man divorced his wife, then he had the right to take her back in marriage though he had divorced her by three pronouncements, so that was abrogated and Allah revealed {Divorce is twice}" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2195). 

 It is not lawful for the divorced women to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs of pregnancy or menstruation if they believe in Allah and the day of resurrection, so it is forbidden to them to conceal from their husbands who divorced them the pregnancy or menstruation during the waiting period of divorce (Iddah), in which the husbands have the right to take them back in marriage, seeking thereby to nullify the rights of their husbands to take them back in marriage, and Allah threatens them saying if they believe in Allah and the day of resurrection, so that they would not tell anything other than the truth, and that they would abstain from their won purpose, such as they are hasty in ending the waiting period, or because they want to prolong it, or attribute the child to the new husband, so Allah commanded them to tell the truth in that matter without adding or subtracting anything because it is a matter that can only be known from the women, and it is often difficult to establish evidence for it. So the woman should not say I am menstruating while she is not, or I am not menstruating while she is, or to say I am pregnant while she is not, or I am not pregnant while she is.

 And their husbands have more right to take them back in that, if they wish reconciliation, so the husband has more right to take his wife back in marriage as long as she is in her waiting period if his intention by taking her back was to reform and do good, and this is the case of revocable divorce (Talaq Raj'i) when he divorces her for the first time or the second time, and if he took his wife back in marriage during the waiting period, he is not required to do any of the marriage rules except for the witnesses to the return only for Allah says in Aya (2) of Surat Altalaq {And Take witness two just men from among you}, and as narrated by Mutarrif bin Abdullah: "Imran bin Husaiyn was asked about a person who divorces his wife , and then has intercourse with her, but he does not call any witness to her divorce nor to her return, he said you divorced against the Sunnah and took her back against the Sunnah, Call someone to bear witness to her divorce and to her return in marriage, and Do not repeat it" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2186).

 Then Allah assures that for the women is the like of that which is on them in a reasonable manner, and for the men is a degree over them, so women have rights over men just as men have rights over women, so Let each of them fulfill what is due to the other in a just manner, they then have the right to good companionship, respect, and treatment in a just manner from their husbands just as the husbands have the right to be obeyed, respected and treated kindly, and the men have a degree over the women in character, status, obedience, spending, and rulings, and according to this degree, Allah urges men to  treat women well, take care of them, and to be generous to them in terms of spending and character, and Allah is Almighty who is Severe in His revenge on those who disobeyed Him, All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (229) "Divorce is twice, then either to keep in a reasonable manner or to release with kindness, and it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given them unless they both fear that they both will not keep the limits of Allah, but if you fear that they both will not keep the limits of Allah, then there is no blame upon either of them in that by which she ransoms herself, these are the limits of Allah, so Do not transgress them, and whoever transgresses the limits of Allah, then those are the wrongdoers", that is, men used to take their wives back in marriage though they had divorced them three times as mentioned in the previous verse, so Allah has stipulated that divorce is twice, so if the husband divorces his wife once or twice, he has the right to take her back as long as her waiting period (Iddah) has not ended, and if the waiting period ended, he cannot take her back except with a new contract of marriage, dowry, and witnesses. After the two divorces, Allah commanded him to keep his wife in a reasonable manner, so he must treat his wife with kindness, respect her, and protect her, or to release her with kindness, so he divorces her for the third time and gives her her rights, and then it will be major irrevocable divorce (Talaq Ba'in, Bainouna Kubra), in which he does not have the right to take her back in marriage until she marries another husband as will come in the next verse. 

 The woman has the right of maintenance and spending her waiting period in the house of her husband in the case of the first and second divorce, and man does not have the right to take her out her house unless she commits a clear immorality as Allah has stated in Aya (1) of Surat Altalaq, but she has no right of maintenance or housing with the husband during her waiting period of the third divorce, where as narrated by Fatima bint Qaiys that her husband divorced her (the third divorce) during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and gave her a meager maintenance allowance, when she saw that, she said By Allah! I will inform Allah's Messenger, and if maintenance allowance is due to me, then I will accept that which will suffice me, and if it is not due to me, I will not accept anything from him, she said I made a mention of that to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and He said there is neither maintenance allowance for you nor lodging" (Sahih Muslim 1480 b).

 The Holy Quran and the Sunnah indicate that divorce is permissible, not prohibited, and the scholars agreed that whoever divorces his wife while she is in a state of purity i.e. when she menstruated, then became clean and her husband did not have intercourse with her after she became clean, then he has divorced her according to the Sunnah and the waiting period that Allah has commanded in Aya (1) of Surat Altalaq, and he has the right to take her back in marriage if he had consummated the marriage with her before her waiting period has ended, and when it has ended, then he is one of those who ask her to marry him, and she has the right to accept or not, where as narrated by Ibn Umar that he divorced his wife while she was menstruating during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), Umar bin Alkhattab asked Allah's Messenger about that, whereupon, Allah's Messenger said: "Command him to take her back and let her until she becomes clean, and she again enters the period of menstruation and she becomes clean again, and then if he so wishes he may keep her, and if he wishes he divorces her without having intercourse with her, for that is the period of Iddah which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious has commanded for the divorce of women" (Sahih Muslim 1471). But if a man divorced his wife while she is menstruating, during postpartum bleeding, or during a period of purity in which he had intercourse with her, then he has sinned and his divorce is valid according to majority of scholars.

 The scholars did not differ regarding a man who said to his wife you are divorced; For it is an explicit divorce and it is one divorce unless he intended more than that, so if he intended two or three divorces, then what he intended is bending on him, and if he did not intend anything, then it is one divorce in which he has the right to take his wife back during her waiting period. And the explicit expressions of divorce are three as Allah has stated in the Holy Quran, and they are: release as mentioned in this Aya, divorce and separation as mentioned in Ayat (1,2) of Surat Altalaq, so if he said to his wife I divorce you, I release you, or I part with you, then she is divorced, but if he said a word that may or may not be a divorce, then it is not permissible to annul the marriage and it is not binding on him unless he says that he intended it as a divorce, in which case he is bound by it based on his admission. 

 

 

 But as for a man who pronounces three divorces at once, Are the three divorces binding on him, so his wife is not lawful for him unless she marries another husband and observes her waiting period if the new husband died or divorced her or Is it one divorce, and the husband has the right to take her back in marriage as long as she is in her waiting period, and after her waiting period ends, he can marry her again according to the rules of marriage, the scholars agreed that he has sinned for doing so, as it goes against the Holy Quran and Sunnah, and the majority of scholars held that the triple divorce occurs with one word if he said to his wife you are divorced with three, or if he repeated the word three times. At the beginning of Islam, when a man said to his wife you are divorced, you are divorced, you are divorced, while he intended a confirmation of his divorce, not a new divorce each time, then it had been ruled that one divorce had taken place, but during the caliphate of Umar, people used to pronounce three divorces at once, with the intention of new divorce each time, so Umar implemented it, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The pronouncement of three divorces during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and that of Abu Bakr, and two years of the caliphate of Umar was treated as one, but Umar bin Alkhattab said indeed, people have begun to hasten in the matter in which they are required to observe respite, so if we have imposed this upon them, and he imposed it upon them" (Sahih Muslim 1472).

 Then Allah addresses the men saying that it is not lawful for them to take anything of what they have given their wives, so it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given your wives as a dowry when you intend to divorce them, rather, what is required of you is to release them with kindness by giving them their rights of dowry and compensation, and other rights that are due to them from you, and it is not lawful for you to make your wives suffer or to oppress them so that they may ransom themselves with what you have given them of the dowries or some of it as Allah has stated in Aya (19) of Surat Alnisa', so it is prohibited to take what is due to the wife unless the wife is the cause of corruption in marriage relationship, and if the husband and the wife fear that they both will not keep the limits of Allah, so each of them thinks of himself as not fulfilling the rights of marriage to his partner as he is required to do, due to hatred or anything else, and then they both will abandon obedience to Allah in what is required of the rights of each other, so there is no blame upon the wife for redeeming herself, and there is no blame upon the husband for taking what she redeems herself with.

 

 So if a woman hates her husband and asks him for divorce, then she must redeem herself with what he has given her, and this situation is called Khul', and Khul' is not permissible unless the discord and rebellion are on the part of the woman, in that case, it is permissible for the man to accept the ransom and divorce her, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) commanded Thabit bin Qaiys to divorce his wife Habiba bint Sahl when she hated him and feared that her aversion to him will lead her to be ungrateful to her husband, neglect his rights, mistreat him, and commit acts that contradict Islam such as discord, quarrel, rebellion, and the like, and that was the first Khul' in Islam, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The wife of Thabit bin Qaiys came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said O Allah's Messenger! I do not blame Thabit for defects in his character or his religion, but I dislike to behave in Non-Islamic manner, on that Allah's Messenger said Will you give back the garden which he has given you?, she said yes, then the Prophet (PBUH) said to Thabit Accept the garden and Divorce her once" (Sahih Albukhari 5273), And in another narration of Aisha: "Habiba, daughter of Sahl, was the wife of Thabit bin Qaiys bin Shammas, he beat her and broke some of her part, so she came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) after morning, and complained to Him against her husband, the Prophet called on Thabit bin Qaiys and said to him Take a part of her property and Separate yourself from her, he asked Is that right Messenger of Allah?, He (PBUH)) said yes, he said I have given her two gardens of mine as a dower, and they are already in her possession, the Prophet said Take them and Separate yourself from her" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2228).

 So the divorce of a woman who redeemed herself from her husband (Mukhlatli'ah) is considered one divorce, and her husband has no right to return her into marriage without her consent, and if the husband divorced his wife twice before Khul', then he has no right to return her back unless she marries another husband. The scholars differed regarding the waiting period of a woman who has been divorced by Khal', as it was said that her waiting period is the same as that of a woman who has been divorced in all cases, whether she menstruates or not, or whether she is pregnant or not, so she has the same ruling of each case, but others said that her waiting period is one menstrual period, based on the statement of Ibn Abbas when he said: "The wife of Thabit bin Qaiys separated herself from him for a compensation, the Prophet (PBUH) made her waiting period a menstrual course" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2229). It is not permissible to wife to ask her husband for divorce without reason, and if she has no reason and asks divorce, then she will be forbidden to Paradise, where as narrated by Thawban that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Whichever woman asks her husband divorce without harm (cause), then the scent of Paradise will be forbidden to her" (Jami Altirmidhi 1187). Then Allah assures that these are the limits of Allah, so He has made clear to you what is permissible to you and what is forbidden to you, so Do not transgress the limits of Allah lest you go beyond obeying Him to disobeying Him, and whoever transgresses the limits of Allah, then those are the wrongdoers who wrong themselves with disobedience, and transgression.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (230) "And if he divorced her, then she is not lawful for him afterwards until she marries a husband other than him, so if he divorces her, then there is no blame upon both of them if they return to each other if they think that they will keep the limits of Allah, and these are the limits of Allah which He makes clear to a people who know", that is, if a man divorces his wife for the third time after the two divorces in which he has the right to take his wife back into marriage as long as her waiting period has not ended, then she is not lawful for him after the third divorce and he has no right to take her back into marriage until she marries a husband other than him after the end of her waiting period, in a valid marriage, and the new husband should have intercourse with her, and if he has divorced her or died, then there is no blame upon her and the husband who divorced her three time if they return to each other if they think that they will keep the limits of Allah and live with each other in a reasonable manner, so each of them thinks that he will fulfill the rights of marriage to his partner as he is required to do, and these are the limits of Allah which He makes clear to a people who know, so He has made clear to you what is permissible and what is forbidden to a people who know and believe that these are the limits of Allah with regard to divorce, remarriage, waiting period, and ransom, so they act according to what Allah has stipulated and entrusted them with of His knowledge.

 So the woman is not lawful for her first husband unless another husband has intercourse with her in a valid marriage, and if she marries another husband, but he does not consummate the marriage with her through complete sexual intercourse, she is not lawful for the first husband. Likewise, she is not lawful for the first husband if she has intercourse with someone outside of marriage, and if the woman is a slave-girl, she is not lawful for the first husband if she has intercourse with her owner in the possession of the right hand because he is not a husband, and as narrated by Ibn Umar: "The Prophet (PBUH) said concerning a man who had a wife and he divorced her, then she married another man who divorced her before consummating the marriage with her, whether she could go back to her first husband, He (PBUH) said no, not until she tastes his sweetness i.e. complete sexual intercourse" (Sunan Alnasai 3414). And as narrated by Aisha: "The wife of Rifa'ah Al-Qurazi came to the Prophet (PBUH ) and said I was the wife of Rifa'ah, but he divorced me and it was a final irrevocable divorce, then I married Abdul-Rahaman bin Al-Zubair, but he is impotent, the Prophet (PBUH) asked her Do you want to remarry Rifa'ah?, you cannot unless you have tasted his sweetness, and he has tasted your sweetness i.e. complete sexual intercourse" (Sahih Albukhari 2639).

 The second husband must desire the woman, intend to live with her permanently, and must have intercourse with her, and it was said that he should have intercourse with her in a permissible manner, so if he has intercourse with her while she is in a state of Ihram, fasting, I'tikaf, menstruating, or postpartum bleeding or while the husband is in a state of Ihram, fasting, I'tikaf, then she is not lawful for the first husband because of this intercourse, and it is not permissible for him to marry her at the request of the husband who divorces her three times in order to make her lawful for him, and whenever he declares this intention, the marriage then is not valid according to the majority of Imams, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: ''The Messenger of Allah cursed the woman who practice tattooing and the one who gets herself tattooed, the woman who adds hair extensions and the one who had her hair get extended, the consumer of Riba (Usury) and the one who pays it, and Al-Muhallil i.e. the one who marry a woman in order to make her lawful for her first husband, and Al-Muhallal lahu i.e. the husband who asks him to do so" (Sunan Alnasai 3416). 

 The jurists differed regarding whether a man who divorced his wife once or twice, and he left her until her waiting period ended, then she married another husband and consummated the marriage with him, then he divorced her and her waiting period ended, then the first husband married her, Can she return to him with what remains of the three divorces or Has the second husband nullified what came before him of the divorces, so when she returned to the first husband, she returned with the total of the three divorces, the majority of the Jurists and some of the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said that she returned to him with what remains of the three divorces, so if he divorced her once in the first marriage, he has two divorces left, and if he divorced her twice, he has only one divorce left.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (231) "And when you have divorced women and they have reached their term, then either Keep them in a reasonable manner or Release them in a reasonable manner, and Do not keep them for causing harm so that you transgress, and whoever does that, then indeed, he has wronged himself, and Do not take the verses of Allah in ridicule and Remember the favor of Allah upon you and what He has sent down to you of the Book and the wisdom by which He instructs you, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is All-Knower of everything", that is, Allah addresses men saying that when they divorce women a divorce in which they have the right to take them back in marriage, then women have reached their appointed time of the waiting period (Iddah), and there is nothing left of it except an amount within which they can take them back, they should either keep them in a reasonable manner, so they must treat their wives with kindness, respect them, and protect them, or to release them with kindness, so Let them complete the waiting period, and fulfill all their rights over you such as dowry and compensation, then they will be divorced minor irrevocable divorce in the case of the first and the second divorce as shown above in Aya (229), or major irrevocable divorce in the case of the third divorce as shown above the previous verse (230). 

 Then Allah warns men against taking woman back in marriage with the intention of harming them, so Do not take them back during the waiting period for causing harm to them, to prolong their waiting period, or to take back some of what you have given them when they ransom themselves because of your harm to them. And it was said that when a man divorces his wife, and her waiting period was about to end, he would take her back to cause her harm lest she marry someone else, then he would divorce her for the second time, and she would observe her waiting period and when her waiting period was about to end, he would take her back so that her waiting period was prolonged while he has no need for her and does not want to keep her, so Allah forbade them from doing that, and threatens them saying that whoever does that, then indeed, he has wronged himself with disobedience to Allah, so he will expose himself to Allah's punishment for he has sinned and transgressed the limits of Allah. Then Allah commanded men not to take His verses in ridicule for they are all serious, and whoever ridicules them will be held accountable, and there is no disagreement among the jurists that if someone divorces his wife in jest, the divorce is binding on him. 

 Then Allah addresses the believers saying and Remember the favor of Allah upon you and what He has sent down to you of the Book and the wisdom by which He instructs you, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is All-Knower of everything, so Remember the favor of Allah upon you when He has guided you to Islam and sent His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) with guidance and clear proofs to you and Remember what He has sent down to you of the Book and the wisdom by which He commands you, forbids you, and threatens you for committing forbidden acts, as He has made clear to you in His Book and on the tongue of His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) what is due to you upon your women and what is due to your women upon you, and He has made clear to you divorce and its rulings, and what is permissible for you in divorce and in taking your women back in marriage, so that some of you may have a way out through divorce and separation if his partner is harming him as a mercy from Allah to you and blessing from Him upon you. And Fear Allah and Fear His punishment if you disobeyed His commands and transgressed His limits, and Know that Allah is All-Knower of everything, so nothing of you deeds is hidden from Him, and He will recompense you for your deeds, good and evil, on the day of resurrection.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (232) "And when you have divorced women and they have reached their term, then Do not prevent them from marrying their husbands if they agree among themselves in a reasonable manner, that is by which is admonished whoever of you believes in Allah and the Last Day, that is more virtuous for you and purer, and Allah knows while you do not know", that is, this verse was revealed about a man who divorces his wife once or twice, and her waiting period (Iddah) ends, then he decided to marry her and take her back, and the woman wants to return to him, but her guardians prevent her from doing so, so Allah forbade them from preventing her from marrying her husband again, where as narrated by Al-Hasan from Ma'qil bin Yasar that he married his sister to a man from among the Muslims during the time of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). She remained with him as long as she did, then he divorced her once without taking her back until her Iddah ended, but they desire each other again, then he proposed to her along with others, he (Ma'qil) said to him you ingrate! I honored you by marrying her to you then you divorced her, By Allah! She will never be returned to you again, Allah knew of his need for her and her need for her husband, so Allah, Blessed and Most High, revealed {And when you have divorced women and they have reached their term} up to His saying {While you do not know}. When Ma'qil heard that he said I heard my Lord and obeyed, then he called for him and said I marry you and honor you (Jami' Altirmidhi 2981).

 This verse, along with Aya (221) mentioned above, indicates that the woman does not have the right to give herself in marriage, and that her marriage must be arranged by her guardian (Waliyy) or by the judge in few cases as mentioned above in Aya (221), as if a woman has the right to marry herself without her guardian's permission, or if she has the right to appoint anyone other than her guardian to arrange her marriage, then her guardians' prohibition against preventing her from marrying would not have any clear meaning. Then Allah assures that His prohibition of women's guardians from preventing them from returning to their husbands if they agree among themselves in a good manner, is something by which is admonished whoever of you believes in Allah and the Last Day, as when he believes in Allah's law, fears Allah's threat, and fears the punishment of the day of resurrection, he will desist and follow Allah's commands, and avoid Allah's prohibitions, so he will not wrong the woman by preventing her from marrying her husband again, and Allah assures that following Allah's law in returning women to their husbands if they agree to live with each other in a reasonable manner, is more virtuous for you and purer for your hearts, and Allah knows while you do not know, so the good is in what Allah has prescribed for you, and the interests are in what He commands and forbids. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (233) "And the mothers shall suckle their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the suckling, and upon the one to whom the child is born is their provision and their clothing in a reasonable manner, no soul is burdened except its capacity, no mother should be harmed because of her child, nor the one to whom the child is born because of his child, and upon the heir is like that, and if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, then there is no blame upon both of them, and if you wish to have your children suckled by another woman, then there is no blame upon you when you pay what you are to give in a reasonable manner, and Fear Allah and Know that Allah is All-Seeing of what you do", that is, Allah guides the mothers to breastfeed their children completely for two years for whoever wishes to complete the breastfeeding, and this is an evidence that breastfeeding for two years is not obligatory, and it is permissible to wean the child before two years, and the husband is not obliged to pay the wage of breastfeeding for more than two years, so this Aya ends the dispute between the spouses with regard to the breastfeeding period, and if the husband wants to wean the child before this period while the mother does not agree, he is not permitted to do so, and if the mother wants to wean him before the two years, while the father does not agree, then she is not allowed to wean him until the father agrees, and they agree on one opinion, if they agreed to wean him before the two yeas, then he will be weaned, and if they disagreed, then they should not wean him before the two years. Decreasing the period of two years is only permissible if it will not harm the newborn, and both parents agree, so Allah has given the choice to the father and the mother in this matter, if they want to complete the breastfeeding, they should complete two years, and if they want to wean the newborn before that, then that is up to them as long as they considered the best interest of the newborn.

 The scholars has differed as to whether breastfeeding is a right of the mother that she can waive and give up, and then she cannot be forced to do so, or whether it is a right upon her and one of her duties in the case of marriage. According to the most correct opinion, breastfeeding during marriage is a right upon her and what confirms this opinion is that Allah gave her the right of maintenance and clothing in a fair manner during the period of breastfeeding, so the woman has no right to ask for money in exchange for breastfeeding as long as she is in the marital bond, but if she needs additional provision due to breastfeeding, the husband must provide for her, and if the wife is divorced, she is not forced to breastfeed the child, and the father must give her the wage of breastfeeding as mentioned in Aya (6) of Surat Altalaq.

 The father of the child must provide for the mother and clothe her according to what is reasonable, according to what is customary without extravagance or miserliness, and according to his ability in terms of wealth, so no soul shall be charged except its capacity, so the husband shall not be charged with anything that is extravagant, no mother should be harmed because of her child, nor the one to whom the child is born because of his child, so the mother must not leave her child to harm his father by raising him, and it is not permissible for him to take his child away from his mother to harm her, and upon the heir of the child is like that if his father had died and the child has no money, so the heir is responsible for providing for the child's mother, fulfilling her rights, and not harming her, just as the child's father would have been obliged to if he were alive, and this is the opinion of the majority of scholars, but there are those who said that the heir is not obliged to provide for the mother or to clothe her, but what is upon him is that he does not harm the the child's mother. 

 If the father and the mother desire weaning their child through mutual consent and consultation, then there is no blame upon both of them, so if the child's parents agree to wean him before the two years, and they consult each other, considering that weaning him from being nourished by mother's milk to other food is in his best interest, then there is no blame upon them for that. And if you wish to have wet nurses other than mothers in order to breastfeed your children, then there is no blame upon you when you pay what you are to give in a reasonable manner, so if the father and the mother agree that they should give the child to a wet nurse, either the mother has an excuse or not, then there is no blame upon them for giving him to a wet nurse, provided that the father gives his wife the rights that Allah has decreed for her such as provision and clothing in a reasonable manner, and that he does not harm her in order to take the child from her, so there is no blame upon him if he gives his child to another woman for a wage in a reasonable manner. Then Allah commanded the men and women to fear Him, and fear his punishment if they disobey His commands and assures that He is All-Seeing of what you do, so nothing of your deeds is hidden from Him, and He will recompense you for whatever you send forth for yourselves of good and evil. 

 This Aya provides evidence that custody belongs to the mother, for a boy until puberty and for a girl until marriage, and it was said that if the child reaches the age of eight, which is the age of discernment, he is given the choice between his parents. But the father and the mother should draw lots for the son, and if they agree to the lottery and are satisfied with the result, then nothing wrong with it, but if there is no agreement on the lottery, then the child will be given the choice between his parents, where as narrated by Hilal bin Usamah from Abu Maiymuna Salma: "While I was sitting with Abu Hurayrah, a Persian woman came to him along with a son of hers, she had been divorced by her husband and they both claimed him, she said Abu Hurayrah speaking to him in Persian, my husband wishes to take my son away, Abu Hurayrah said Cast lots for him, saying it to her in a foreign language, then her husband came and asked who is disputing with me about my son?, Abu Hurayrah said O Allah, I do not say this except that I hear a woman who came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while I was sitting with Him, and she said O Messenger of Allah! My husband wishes to take away my son, and he draws water for me from the well of Abu Inabah, and he has been good to me. The Messenger of Allah said Cast lots for him, her husband said Who is disputing with me about my son?, the Prophet (PBUH) said this is your father and this is your mother, so Take whichever of them you wish by the hand, so he took his mother's hand and she went away with him" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2277). There is no disagreement among scholars regarding the fact that the divorced woman who has not remarried has more right to her child than the father as long as he is a young who cannot distinguish anything, if he is in safekeeping with her, and there is no evidence of immorality and immodesty in her.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (234) "And those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind, they shall keep themselves waiting for four months and ten days, and when they have reached their term, then there is no blame upon you for what they do with themselves in a reasonable manner, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do", that is, Allah commanded the women whose husbands have died to observe a waiting period (Iddah) for four months and ten days, and this is the ruling of all women whose husbands have died, whether they are free or slave, young or old, and includes women who consummated marriage with their husbands, and those who have not consummated marriage with their husband by consensus, where as narrated by Masrouq from Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "Abdullah was asked about a man who had married a woman without consummating the marriage with her or fixing any dower for her till he died. Abdullah said she should receive the full dower, observe the waiting period (Iddah) and have her share of the inheritance, thereupon, Ma'qil bin Sinan said I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) giving the same decision regarding Birwa' bint Washiq" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2114).  

 The only exception to this ruling is a woman whose husband has died while she is pregnant as her waiting period ends when she gives birth, even if she stays a moment after the death of her husband according to Allah's saying in Aya (4) of Surat Altalaq {And those who are pregnant, their term is until they deliver their burden}, and Ibn Abbas combined this verse with Aya (4) of Surat Altalaq, and said that she should wait for the longer of the two waiting periods, whether for four months and tens day or for delivering her child, so he saw that if the delivery of her pregnancy was less than four months and ten days, then she should wait for four months and ten days, and if the delivery was more than that, then she should wait until the delivery of the pregnancy, and it was said that Ibn Abbas has retracted this verdict, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) ruled for Subay'ah bint Alharith Al-Aslamiyya, when her husband died while she was pregnant, that her waiting period ended as soon as she gave birth (Sahih Albukhari 4909), and Ibn Mas'ud confirmed that Surat Altalaq was revealed after Surat Albaqarah, where as narrated by Muhammad bin Sereen: "I sat in a gathering in which the chiefs of the Ansar were present, and Abdul-Rahman bin Abi Laila was among them, I mentioned the narration of Abdullah bin Utba regarding the question of Subay'ah bint Al-Harith, Abdul-Rahman said but Abdullah's uncle used not to say so, I said I am too brave if I tell a lie concerning a person who is now in Al-kufa, and I raised my voice, then I went out and met Malik bin Amir or Malik bin Auf and said What was the verdict of Ibn Mas'ud about the pregnant widow whose husband had died?, he replied Ibn Mas'ud said Why do you impose on her the hard order and do not let her make use of the leave?, the shorter Surah of women (Surat Altalaq) was revealed after the longer Surah (Surat Albaqarah) i.e. her Iddah is up till she delivers" (Sahih Albukhari 4532). The scholars agreed that if a man died and left behind a pregnant woman, and four months and ten days have passed, her prescribed period did not end until she gives birth.

  So the women shall wait for four months and ten days after the death of their husbands, and then they shall abstain form adornment with clothing, cosmetics, perfume, and moving from the dwelling in which they lived during the lifetime of their husbands unless they are pregnant, in which case they shall wait until they give birth even if before the four months and ten days, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) used to forbade women from mourning for a dead person, whether the dead be a father, mother, brother, son, or any other relative, for more than three days, except for the husband, as narrated by Humaid bin Nafi' from Zainab bint Umm Salama : "A relative of Umm Habiba died, she sent for a yellow (perfume) and applied that to her forearm and said I am doing that for I have heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) saying it is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Last Day to mourn beyond three days except the husband for four months and ten days" (Sahih Muslim 1486 b).

 And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) commanded women to leave off adornment, perfume, and other things with which married women adorn themselves for four months and ten days, so not to apply kohl to the eyes, or apply perfume with aromatic scents, or wear dying clothing, but Allah's Messenger (PBUH) granted them permission when they were pure from menstruation to use Kust Adhfar, when one of them washed herself from her menstrual period, so that the area would be perfumed and the unpleasant odor would go away, where as narrated by Umm Atiyya: "We were forbidden to mourn for more than three days for a dead person except for a husband, for whom wife should mourn for four months and ten days, and then we were not allowed to put kohl in our eyes, nor perfume ourselves, nor wear dyed clothes except a garment of Asb (A type of Yemeni clothing that is dyed before it is woven), but it is permissible for us that when one of us became clean from her menses and took a bath, she could use a piece of Kust Adhfar (a certain kind of perfume), and it was forbidden to us to follow funeral processions" (Sahih Albukhari 5341). 

 And as narrated by Zainab bint Abi Salama: "Umm Salama and Umm Habiba were talking with each other, saying that a woman came to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and mentioned to Him that her daughter had lost her husband, and her eyes were sore and she wanted to use Kohl (cosmetic similar to eyeliner), whereupon, Allah's Messenger said one among you used to throw a dung at the end of a year i.e. in a abstinence of adornment, now it is only for four months and ten days" (Sahih Muslim 1488 e), and in another narration of Humaid bin Nafi': "I said to Zainab What is this throwing of dung until a year is passed?, Zainab said when the husband of woman dies, she went into a hut and put on her worst clothes, and did not apply perfume or something like it until a year was over. Then an animal like a donkey or a goat, or a bird was brought to her, and she rubbed her hand over it, and it so happened that one on which she rubbed her hand died, she then came out of her house and she was given dung, and she threw it, and then she made use of anything like perfume or something else as she liked" (Sahih Muslim 1486).

 The woman whose husband has died must remain in the house in which she was with her husband until the four months and ten days have passed, where as narrated by Zaiynab bint Ka'b bin Ujra: "Furaiy'ah bint Malik bin Sinan told her that she came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and asked Him whether she could return to her people Banu Khidrah, for her husband went out seeking his slaves who ran away, when they met him at Al-Qudoum, they killed him, so I asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) Should I return to my people for he did not leave any dwelling house of his own nor maintenance for me?, she said the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied yes. She said I came out, and when I was in the apartment or in the mosque, He (PBUH) called for me or He commanded someone to call me, and therefore I was called, He said What did you say?, so I repeated my story which I had already mentioned about my husband, thereupon, He said Stay in your house till the decreed period reaches its end. She said so I passed my waiting period in it for four months and ten days, when Uthman bin Affan became Caliph, he sent for me and asked me about that, so I informed him and he followed it and decided cases accordingly" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2300).

 The scholars have agreed that if a man divorced his wife with a divorce in which he has the right to take her back, and then died before the end of the waiting period of divorce, she must observe the waiting period of divorce and inherit from him, and they have agreed that if a woman who has been divorced three times died during the waiting period, the husband does not inherit from her because she is not his wife and he is not her husband, accordingly, if he died, she observes the waiting period of divorce not that of death. Then Allah assures that when women whose husbands had died have reached their prescribed term and fulfilled their waiting period (Iddah), there is no blame upon you for what they do with themselves in a reasonable manner, so there is no blame upon the guardians of women for what they did with themselves such as using perfume, beautifying themselves, moving from the dwelling in which they observed their Iddah, or marrying whoever they are permitted to marry in a reasonable manner, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do, and nothing of your affair is hidden from Him, so Do not prevent them from what is lawful for them.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (235) "There is no blame upon you for that with which you hint concerning a proposal to the women or for what you conceal within yourselves, Allah knows that you will mention them, but Do not promise them secretly except for saying an appropriate word, and Do not determine on the marriage contract until the decreed term reaches its end, and Know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so Beware of Him, and Know that Allah is All- Forgiving, Most Forbearing", that is, Allah assures men that there is no blame upon them for what they say as an allusion concerning a proposal of marriage to the women during their waiting period (Iddah) after the death of their husbands without stating it explicitly, just an allusion as if he says I want to get married, I would love to marry a woman of such-and-such characteristics, or I wish that Allah had blessed me with a righteous wife, he may says that to her guardian or to her without an intermediary, but he does not propose to her specifically. And this ruling applies to the woman whose husband has divorced her three times "Irrevocable divorce", as she will not return to her husband again unless she marries another husband as shown above in Aya (230), but as for the woman whose husband divorced her one or two times "revocable divorce", it is not permissible to anyone other than her husband to explicitly propose to her as she is like a wife, and he has the right to take her back in marriage during her waiting period. So speaking explicitly to a woman during her waiting period about anything related to marriage is not permissible, likewise, it is not permissible to speak to her about anything that is obscene, or to mention intercourse or incite it, and so is what is similar. And there is no blame upon men for what they conceal within themselves with regard to marrying women after their waiting period had ended.

 Allah knows that you will mention them, either secretly or openly, in your souls and with tongues, so He permitted allusion without explicitness, because He knows that yourselves will overpower you and that humans are weak in controlling themselves, but Do not promise them secretly except for saying an appropriate word, so Do not make a secret appointment with her nor take her promise not to marry anyone other than you while she is in her waiting period in secret and concealment, but Say an appropriate word to her guardian or to her that will allude your desire to marry her after the end of her waiting period (Iddah), and Do not determine on the marriage contract until the waiting period reaches its end, so marriage contract is invalid during the waiting period, but if that happened because they are ignorant of its prohibition, then there is no blame upon them, and if that happened while one of them or both of them had known its prohibition, then it is adultery. If a man marries a woman during her waiting period, and does not consummate the marriage with her, then the contract of marriage is annulled, and she must complete her waiting period from the first husband.

 But as for a man who marries a woman during her waiting period, and consummates the marriage with her, they must be separated immediately, and she should get her dowry for what he had made lawful from her, but the scholars differed as to whether Will she be forbidden to him forever or not?, the majority say that she is not forbidden to him forever, but he may propose to her after her waiting period from the first husband and from him has ended. So if she wants to marry the one she married during her waiting period or someone other than him, she must observe two waiting periods; one from the first husband and one from the second, and there is no overlap between the two waiting periods according to majority of scholars. And Allah knows what is within yourselves with regard to your desires of women, so Beware of Him and Fear Him lest you do anything that He has forbidden you from, such as making a secret appointment with them or marrying them during their waiting periods or other matters that He has forbidden you regarding women while they are in the waiting period. And Allah is All-Forgiving who forgives those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds, Most Forbearing for those who disobey him by not hastening His punishment. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (236) "There is no blame upon you if you divorce women when you have not touched them nor specified for them an obligation, and Give them provision, the wealthy according his capability and the poor according his capability, a provision in a reasonable manner, a duty upon the good doers", that is, Allah has permitted men to divorce women after the marriage contract has been concluded and before consummating the marriage, and in the event that no dowry was appointed for them, Allah ordered that they should be given something as a compensation gift (Mut'ah) from their husbands according to their capability, the rich according to his means and the poor according to his means, a provision in a reasonable manner without any injustice. There is no limit for Mut'ah, whether little or much, and the husband is not forced to give a specific amount, but it has been said that the highest thing that he can give to a woman in this case is a slave, and blow that is silver, and blow that is clothing, if he is wealthy, he gives her a slave or something similar, and if he is poor, he gives her two or three garments, where as narrated by Aisha that when the daughter of Al-Juan, Umaima bint Al-Nu'man bin Basheer, was brought to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as a pride, and He went near her, she said I seek refuge with Allah from You, He said you have sought refuge with the Great, Return to your family, and in narration of Abu Usaid, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) ordered him to give her two white linen dresses" (Sahih Albukhari 5254,5255). 

 So this verse is about a woman whose marriage contract was concluded, but she was not consummated with, and no dowry was specified for her, Allah commanded that she be given a gift as a compensation for her, and Allah assures that there is no waiting period after divorce in this case as He has stated in Aya (49) of Surat Alahzab {O you who believe! When you marry the believing women then divorce them before you have touched them, then there is no waiting period for you upon them that you may count, so Give them Provision and Release them a good release}. Every marriage contract in which the dowry is not mentioned or specified is permissible, and it is permissible to specify it after that, and then it will be attached to the marriage contract, but if the dowry is not specified at all, and then the divorce occurs before consummation the marriage, then there is no dowry for the woman, but Mut'ah (compensation gift), each according his financial ability. And if a man concluded the marriage contract, then he died before consummating the marriage or specifying a dowry for his wife, then she should receive the full dower, observe the waiting period (Iddah) and have her share of the inheritance, for Allah's Messenger (PBUH) gave the same verdict regarding Birwa' bint Washiq as shown above in Aya (234), then Allah assures that Mut'ah is a duty upon the good doers, so it is obligatory upon all Muslim men; for Allah has commanded all people to be good doers and pious, thereupon, it was said that if a man is ignorant of the Mut'ah when he divorced a woman before consummating the marriage or specifying a dowry for her until years have passed, he should pay it to her even if she married another husband, and to her heirs if she died. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (237) "And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already specified for them an obligation, then half of what you specified unless they forego or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract foregoes, and that you forego is nearer to righteousness, and Do not forget graciousness between you, indeed, Allah is All-Seeing of what you do", that is, Allah stipulated in this verse that if a man divorced his wife after the marriage contract has been concluded and before consummating the marriage, and he has already specified a dowry for her, then she is entitled to half of this dowry unless the woman foregoes her right of the dowry, she then is not entitled to anything from her husband, and he has no waiting period upon her in this case. So Allah gave the women the choice, if they wish, they could give up half of the dowry, and if they wish, they could take half of the dowry, and in order for a woman to forego her right of the half of dowry, she must be adult and sane, but if she is still under the guardianship of her father or another guardian, then it is not permissible for her to forego her right of the dowry, and there is no disagreement on that.

 Then Allah says {Or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract foregoes}, and the scholars differed on who is the one in whose hand is the marriage contract, some said that he is the woman's guardian, whether her father, brother, or someone she cannot marry without his permission, so if he wishes, he could forego her right of the dowry even if she dislikes that, but the majority said that the one in whose hand is the marriage contract is the husband, so if he wishes, he could forego and give her the full dowry; Because they all see no way for the guardian to have any share of her dowry, and there is consensus that it is not permissible for the guardian to forego her dowry before the divorce, and so it is after it, and he does not have the right to forego anything of her money, and the dowry is her own money, and they agreed that among the guardians are those who have no right to forego anything of her dowry such as the sons of her paternal uncles, and the sons of her brothers, so the same applies to the father and the brother because Allah did not specify one guardian over another, and Allah knows best. Then Allah assures that the one who is nearer to righteousness is the one who foregoes, so if one of them foregoes what is due to him from the other in terms of dowry before divorce in this case, then this is closer to piety of Allah and Allah commanded them not to forget graciousness between them, so Let the man be generous to his wife when he divorces her before consummating the marriage, either to complete her dowry if he did not give her all of it, or to forego if he had given her all of it, then Let him be generous to her by giving up what is due to him from her, and Let the woman return all the dowry to him if she had taken it, or forego all of it if she did not take it, but if they do not do that and abandon what Allah has urged them to do, then she gets half of what was stipulated for her on the marriage contract, and he gets the half of it, indeed, Allah is All-Seeing of what you do, and nothing of your affair is hidden from Him, so He will reward those who do good for their good and will recompense those who do evil for their evil.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (238) "Maintain the prayers and the middle prayer and Stand before Allah, devoutly obedient", that is, Allah commanded the believers to maintain the performance of prayers on their times and with all their conditions, so Continue to perform them on their prescribed times, with their pillars, and as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "I asked the Prophet (PBUH) Which deed is the dearest to Allah?, He replied to offer the prayers at their early prescribed times, I asked What is the next?, He replied to be good and dutiful to your parents, I again asked What is the next?, He replied fighting in the way of Allah "Jihad", Abdullah added, I asked only that much and if I had asked more, He would have told me more" (Sahih Albukhari 527). So from among the dearest deeds to Allah is to hasten to prayer and not to be lazy, and not to delay it, and Allah has threatens those who are neglectful in performing the prayer in Ayat (4,5) of Surat Alma'un. Allah has singled out the middle prayer with more emphasis among the five daily prayers, and the middle prayer is afternoon prayer (Asr prayer) as before it there are two daytime prayers, and after it there are two nighttime payers, and as narrated by Sumurah bin Jundab that the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said: "The middle prayer is afternoon prayer i.e. Asr prayer" (Jami Altirmidhi 2983). As narrated by Ali: "On the day of Al-Khandaq (the battle of the trench), the Prophet (PBUH) said they prevented us from offering the middle prayer till the sun had set, may Allah fill their graves and their houses, or He (PBUH) said their bodies, with fire" (Sahih Albukhari 4533). 

 Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has urged Muslims to maintain Asr prayer in a way that no other prayer was urged like it, even though maintaining all of prayers is obligatory, where as narrated by Umara bin Ru'aiyba from his father: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying he who observes prayer before the rising of the sun and before its sitting, he will not enter the Hell, He means the Dawn prayer (Fajr) and the afternoon prayer (Asr), a person belonging to Basra said to him Did you hear it from the Messenger of Allah?, he said yes, the person (from Basra) said I bear witness that I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), my ears heard it, and my heart retained it" (Sahih Muslim 634), and as narrated by Abu Basra Al-Ghifari: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) led us in the Asr prayer at Al-Mukhammas, and then said this prayer was presented to those gone before you, but they lost it, and he who guards it, he will have two rewards in store of him, and no prayer is valid after it till the onlooker appears i,e. evening star" (Sahih Muslim 830). And at the same time, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) warns against neglecting the Asr prayer and delaying it until sunset without an excuse saying in narration of Abdullah bin Umar: "He who misses the afternoon prayer, it is as though he has been deprived of his family and his property" (Sahih Muslim 66), and in another narration of Abu Almalih from Buraida that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Whoever leaves the Asr prayer, all his deeds will be nullified" (Sahih Albukhari 553). 

 And Allah commanded the believers to stand before Him in their prayers in humility, and this Aya was revealed to prohibit speaking during prayers which was permissible in the early days of Islam, where as narrated by Zaid bin Arqam: "We used to speak while in prayer, one of us used to speak to his brother about his need till this verse was revealed {Maintain the prayers and the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient}, then we were ordered not to speak in the prayer" (Sahih Albukhari 4534), and as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "We used to greet the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while He was engaged in prayer, and He would respond to our greeting. But when we returned from the Negus, we greeted Him, and He did not respond to us, so we said O Messenger of Allah! We used to greet You when You were engaged in prayer and You would respond to us, He replied prayer demands whole attention" (Sahih Muslim 538). 

 So those who pray are supposed to be occupied with their prayers, contemplating what they are saying, whether it be reciting the Quran, remembrances, or supplications as they are communing with their Lord, so it is obligatory upon them not to interrupt their communing with Allah while praying with the words of anyone else. So Pray in a state of humility, tranquility, and calmness of your limbs. Thereupon, the Muslims agreed that speaking intentionally during prayer invalidates the prayer, but they differed regarding someone who speaks unintentionally while praying, some said that speaking during prayer invalidates it, regardless of it whether it was intentional or unintentional, and he must repeat the prayer, some said that if he speaks absentmindedly or speaks while thinking that he is not praying, then he should continue and not repeat it, and some used to differentiate between congregational prayer and individual prayer, as they have permitted those who pray behind the Imam to speak to him about the prayer if he forgot or made a mistake in the prayer, but they did not permit he who prays alone to speak in the prayer.

 Thereupon, it is forbidden to speak during prayer except for Quran and remembrances, but something may arise during prayer and the person praying behind the Imam wants to alert him to, so Allah has permitted people to alert him to it without invalidating the prayer, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Glorification i.e. Subhana Allah is for men, and clapping is for women" (Sahih Albukhari 1203). So if the person praying behind the Imam needs to explain something to the Imam or point out a mistake that occurred in the prayer, then he should glorify Allah by saying Subhana Allah, and the women should clap their hands, and as narrated by Sahl bin Sa'd Al-Sa'idi: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) went to establish peace among Bani Amr bin Awf, in the meantime, the time of prayer was due and the Mu'adhin (Caller of prayer) went to Abu Bakr and said Will you lead the prayer, so that I pronounce the Iqamah?, Abu Bakr said yes and led the prayer. Allah's Messenger (PBUH) came while the people were still praying and He entered the rows of the praying people till He stood in the first row, the people clapped their hands, Abu Bakr never glanced sideways in his prayer, but when the people continued clapping, Abu Bakr looked and saw Allah's Messenger, Allah's Messenger beckoned him to stay at his place, Abu Bakr raised his hands and thanked Allah for that order of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), and then he retreated till he reached the first row, Allah's Messenger went forward and led the prayer. When Allah's Messenger (PBUH) finished the prayer, He said O Abu Bakr! What prevented you from staying when I ordered you to do so?, Abu Bakr replied How can Ibn Abi Quhafa (Abu Bakr) dare to lead the prayer in the presence of Allah's Messenger (PBUH)?, then Allah's Messenger said Why did you clap so much?, if something happens to anyone during his prayer, he should say Subhana Allah: Glory to be Allah, if he says so, he will be attended to, for clapping is for women" (Sahih Albukhari 684).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (239) "And if you fear, then on foot or riding, but when you are secure, then Remember Allah as He has taught you what you did not know", that is, Allah mentions the situation in which a person is distracted from performing the prayer in the most perfect manner, which is the situation of fear for his life, such as the situation of fighting and the engagement of war, or if a wild animal is pursuing him, or an enemy is following him, saying if you fear, then Pray in whatever situation you can, on your feet or riding, facing the Qiblah or not, so the prayer is not cancelled for the servant in the state of fear, and as narrated by Nafi': "Whenever Abdullah bin Umar was asked about the prayer of fear (Salat Al-Khawf), he said the Imam comes forward with a group of people and leads them in one Rak'ah of prayer while another group from them who has not prayed yet stay between the praying group and the enemy, when those who are with the Imam have finished their one Rak'ah, they retreat and take the positions of those who have not prayed, but they will not finish their prayer with Tasleem, those who have not prayed come forward to offer one Rak'ah with Imam, then the Imam having offered two Rak'ahs finishes his prayer, then each member of the two groups will offer the second Rak'ah alone after the Imam has finished his prayer, thus each one of the two groups will have offered two Rak'ahs, but if the fear is too great, they can pray standing on their feet or riding on their mounts, facing the Qiblah or not, Nafi' said I do not think that Abdullah bin Umar narrated this except from Allah's Messenger (PBUH)" (Sahih Albukhari 4535), and in another narration of Ibn Umar also: "When there is greater fear, then Observe prayer even on the ride or with the help of gestures in a standing position" (Sahih Muslim 839 c).  

 Allah's Messenger (PBUH) prayed the prayer of fear in more than one way in different battles, investigating what is most effective in guarding them as was proven by the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as mentioned in Ayat (102,103) of Surat Alnisa'. So Allah has permitted the riding to pray on his mount and the pedestrian to pray on his feet, but when you are secure, then Remember Allah as He has taught you what you did not know, so when you are secure, then Establish your prayer as you have been commanded, completing its bowing, prostration, standing, and humility, and just as He has bestowed upon you blessings and guided you to faith and taught you what you do not know when He taught you the prayer of fear which is sufficient for you, and taught you what will benefit you in the worldly life and the Hereafter, so Remember Him much and Be grateful to Him for the blessings He has bestowed upon you. Thereupon, Allah commanded in this verse and the previous verse to maintain the prayers in every situation, whether in health or sickness, presence or travel, ability of inability, fear or security, so they are not waived for the person obligated to perform them under any circumstances even if it is not done except by a gesture with the eye.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (240) " And those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind, for their wives is a bequest, a provision for one year without expulsion, but if they leave, then there is no blame upon you for what they do with themselves in a reasonable manner, and Allah is Almighty, All-Wise", that is, when a man died and left his wife, she would observe a waiting period (Iddah) of one year in his house, and his family would provide for her from his money whether her husband made a will for her before his death or not, and his family would not evict her from her martial house before one year from the death of her husband if she wished, but if she abandoned her right and leave the martial house before the year has passed, then there is no blame upon the family of her husband for what she had done with herself with regard to leaving mourning in a reasonable manner, and then her rights to maintenance and housing in her martial house for one year are nullified by leaving the house on her own without being expelled by the heirs of her husband. 

 Then Allah abrogated this ruling and obliged her to observe a waiting period of four months and ten days, and she should not leave his house during the Iddah, but as for the statement of Ibn Abbas and Ata' that this verse was abrogated by the verse of inheritance and that the wife is not to reside in the martial house, so she may observe her waiting period wherever she wished (Sahih Albukhari 4531), this is refuted by the ruling of the Messenger of Allah for Furaiy'ah bint Malik bin Sinan that she should observe the waiting period of her deceased husband in his house for four months and ten days as mentioned above in Aya (234).

 So the waiting period of a woman whose husband has died is four months and ten days unless she is pregnant, in which case her waiting period ends when she gives birth as mentioned in Aya (4) of Surat Altalaq, and Allah obliged for her a quarter of her husband estate if he has no children, and an eighth if he has children as mentioned in Aya (12) of Surat Alnisa', so Allah has made clear her waiting period and her inheritance, abrogating the bequest and maintenance for one year in this verse, and as narrated by Ibn Al-Zubair: "I said to Uthman bin Affan (while he was collecting the Quran) regarding the verse {Those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind}, this verse was abrogated by another verse, so Why should you write it or leave it in the Quran?, he said O son of my brother! I will not shift anything of it from its place" (Sahih Albukhari 4530). And Allah is Almighty who is Severe in His revenge on those who disobeyed Him, All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (241,242) "And for the divorced women is a provision in a reasonable manner, a duty upon the righteous, thus Allah makes clear to you His verses so that you may understand", that is, Allah obliged Mut'ah for the divorced women, so they should be given something as a compensation gift (Mut'ah) such as clothing, maintenance, or a slave. The scholars held that Mut'ah is obligatory for every divorced woman, whether her husband consummated the marriage with her or not, specified a dowry for her or not, but others said that this verse refers to the women who have consummated the marriage with their husbands for Allah has made clear the rights of the women who have been divorced before consummating the marriage with their husbands as shown above in Ayat (236,237) and in Aya (49) Surat Alahzab, but even if this is the case, women who are divorced before the consummation of marriage are included in the generality of this verse, and are not an exception of it. The woman is not entitled to Mut'ah when the divorce is due to her fault or when she redeemed herself with what her husband has given her in order to be divorced as shown above in Aya (229), then Allah assures that Mut'ah is a duty upon the righteous who fear Allah and fear His punishment, so they obey His commands and avoid His prohibitions, thus Allah makes clear to you His verses, so He has explained His obligations and what He has commanded you to do, and explained His limits and what He has forbidden you from, thus the rulings and rights that are due to you and your wives over each other had become clear to you, so that you may understand what will benefit you in the worldly life and the Hereafter and act according to it.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (243) "Do You not see those who left their homes in thousands out of fear of the death?, so Allah said to them Die, then He gave them life, indeed, Allah is a Possessor of bounty for the people, but most of the people do not give thanks", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying Do You not see those who left their homes in thousands out of fear of the death?, so Allah said to them Die, then He gave them life, and it was said that they were the people of a town in the time of the Children of Israel, and they were afflicted with a severe epidemic, so they fled to the wilderness to escape death, and they settled in a valley and filled the space between its two sides for they were thousands, then Allah sent to them two Angels, one from the bottom of the valley and the other from the top, and they both shouted at them with a single shout, so they all died, the death of one man, after some time, a Prophet from the Children of Israel called Ezekiel passed by them and asked Allah to revive them, and Allah agreed to that and gave them life again. Then Allah assures that He is a Possessor of bounty for the people, but most of the people do not give thanks, as in their revival is there a lesson and conclusive evidence of the occurrence of the day of resurrection, and Allah is full of bounty to mankind in what He shows them of decisive signs and arguments, but most of them do not give thanks for what Allah has bestowed upon them in their religion and their worldly life.

 This story is an evidence that caution will not suffice against the destiny and that there is no refuge from Allah except to Him, as these people fled from the epidemic in search for long life, but they were treated by the opposite of their intention, and death came to them at once, but belief in destiny does not negate taking the necessary measures to seek the best in the worldly life and the Hereafter, as Allah's Messenger (PBUH) commanded not to go to a land of epidemic if one hears of it there, and not to leave it for fear of it, where as narrated by Amir bin Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas that his father asked Usama bin Zaid What have you heard from Allah's Messenger about plague?,thereupon, Usama said that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Plague is a calamity which was sent to the Children of Israel or upon those who were before you, so when you hear that it has broken out in a land, Do not go to it, and when it has broken out in the land where you are, Do not run out of it" (Sahih Muslim 2218). So if there is an epidemic in a land, no one should approach it, rather, he should take precaution and avoid the places of harm; For protecting oneself from harm is obligatory, and if an epidemic breaks out in a land while he is in it, he should not leave it, fleeing from the epidemic for it is a martyrdom and mercy to the believers, where as narrated by Aisha: "I asked Allah's Messenger (PBUH) about plague, He told me that it was a punishment sent by Allah on whom He wished, and Allah made it a source of mercy for the believers, for if one in the time of an epidemic plague stays in his town patiently hoping for Allah's reward, believing that nothing will befall him except what Allah has decreed for him, he will get the reward of a martyr" (Sahih Albukhari 3474).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (244) "And Fight in the way of Allah and Know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower", that is, Allah urges His servants to persevere in fighting in His way (Jihad) and to be patient in fighting their enemy, as He reminds them in the previous verse that death and life are in His Hand and to Him alone, so fleeing from fighting in the way of Allah and meeting the enemy through fortresses and hiding in homes and buildings, will not save anyone from his destiny nor ward off the causes of death when they befall him just as it did not save those who fled from the plague from their destiny, so just as caution does not prevent the destiny, so too fleeing from Jihad and avoiding it does not bring one's death nearer or further away, so the inevitable death and provision are destined, cannot be increased or decreased, so Fight in the way of Allah the enemy of your religion who prevent the people from the way of Allah, and Do not be cowardly, and Let none be prevented from meeting them out of fear of death; For your life and death are in the Hand of Allah, and the death that you feared will come to you wherever you are, and Know that Allah is All-Hearing of what you say, All-Knower of what you declare, and what you conceal, so Fear Allah and fear His punishment if you disobey Him and abandon fighting in His way.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (245) "Who is the one who will loan Allah a goodly loan, so He will multiply it for him many times?, and Allah withholds and extends, and to Him you will be returned", that is, Allah urges His servants to spend in His way, and assures that He will multiply the reward for those who loan Allah a goodly loan by spending in His way, and the good loan that a servant lends his Lord has many aspects including equipping the army and the Mujaheddin (The warrior) in the way of Allah and helping the needy, seeking only Allah's pleasure, and desiring His reward, which will be multiplied for him many times over, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Every good deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed will receive a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward, Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, says except for fasting, which is for Me, and I shall reward for it" (Sahih Muslim 1151 e), and in another narration of Abu Hurayrah also: "A good deed will be multiplied ten times up to as many as seven hundred times, or as much as Allah wills" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1638). And the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "Every day two Angels come down from heaven and one of them says O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in your way, and the other says O Allah! Destroy every miser" (Sahih Albukhari 1442).

 So Allah has likened the believer's giving in the worldly life, by which he hopes to receive Allah's reward in the Hereafter to a loan and Allah assures that He withholds the provision from whom He wills, and extends it for whom He wills, so He makes whoever He wills rich, and whoever He wills poor, so Spend in the way of Allah, certain that you will have a reward from Allah for your loan and expenditure without limit or end, for Allah is the Provider, and He is not the poor one who cannot find what he can return to the lender nor is the unjust one who delays the return of loan to the lender, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Allah descends to the lowest heaven at half of the night or at the last one-third of the night and says Who is there to supplicate Me so that I answer him?, Who is there to ask Me so that I grant him?, and then says Who will lend to the One who is neither indigent nor tyrant?" (Sahih Muslim 758 d), and you will be returned to Allah on the day of resurrection and whatever you will send forth for yourselves of good, you will find it with Allah is better and greater in reward as He has stated in Aya (20) of Surat Almuzzammil. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (246) "Do You not see the chiefs of the Children of Israel after Moses when they said to a Prophet of theirs, Send to us a king so that we will fight in the way of Allah, He said so Would you then, if fighting was enjoined upon you, you will not fight?, they said and what is for us that we should not fight in the way of Allah while indeed, we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?, but when fighting was enjoined upon them, they turned away except for a few of them, and Allah is All-Knower of the wrongdoers", that is, Allah tells about the Children of Israel who were humiliated and defeated by their enemy, so they asked permission to fight in the way of Allah and to be commanded to do so, and asked a Prophet of theirs to appoint a King for them so that they will fight in the way of Allah, and that was a long time after the Prophet Moses, peace be upon Him, during the time of the Prophet David, peace be upon Him, and it was said that this Prophet was the Prophet Simeon, and when their Prophet said to them if Allah appoints a king for you, Would you then not fulfill your commitment to fight with Him, they said to Him and what is for us that we should not fight in the way of Allah while indeed, our homes have been taken from us and our children have been taken captives?.

 But when they were commanded to fight in the way of Allah, they turned away from fighting in the way of Allah, while the little were patient, so Allah granted them victory over their enemy, and they returned to their homes and children as will come in the following verses, and Allah is All-Knower of the wrongdoers who did not fulfill what they promised and refrained from Jihad in the way of Allah, therefore, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "Do not wish to meet the enemy, but when you meet the enemy, Be patient" (Sahih Albukhari 3026). Allah has decreed to the Children of Israel in the Torah that they will cause corruption on the earth twice, and Allah will send a people of strong fighting power, who will expel them from their homes and take their children from them, then Allah will give them victory over them the first time, but they will return to their corruption again, and Allah will send to them those who will do the same as the former ones, and Allah promised them that whenever they return to corruption, Allah will send to them those who will humiliate them and drive them out of their homes as mentioned in Ayat (4-8) of Surat Alisraa.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (247) "And their Prophet said to them indeed, Allah has sent to you Saul as a king, they said How would he have kingship over us while we are more entitled to the kingship than him, and he has not been given any measures of wealth?, He said indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and Allah gives His kingship to whom He wills, and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knower", that is, when the chiefs of the Children of Israel asked their Prophet to appoint a king from among them in order to fight in the way of Allah, He said to them that Allah has appoint Saul (Talout) as a king for them, who was a man from among their soldiers, and was not from the royal family nor from the family of prophecy, therefore they said to their Prophet How would Saul have kingship over us while we are more entitled to the kingship than him, and he has not been given any measures of wealth?, so he is poor and had no money to be king, and that was an objection from them to their Prophet and act of stubbornness, so their Prophet responded to their saying and assured them that Allah has chosen Saul over them, so Allah knows him better than you do, and I am not the one who appointed him from My accord, but Allah commanded me to do so, when you asked me for a king, moreover, he is more knowledgeable than you, stronger, and more patient in war, so Allah gave him knowledge that no one else from among you had been given, and physical strength that no one else had been given, even though you were of nobler lineage than him, but he is complete in knowledge and stature than you, and he deserves kinship by knowledge, religion, and strength not by lineage, and Allah gives His kinship to whom He wills, so He is the Sovereign who does whatever He wills, and He is not questioned about what He does due to His knowledge, wisdom, and compassion for His creation, and Allah is All-Encompassing in His bounty, Generous with His gifts, All-Knower of His creation as nothing of their affair is hidden from Him, so He knows wherever He places His bounty, and He knows who deserves the kingdom and who does not.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (248) "And their Prophet said to them indeed, the sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come to you in which is tranquility from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the Angels, indeed, in that there is a sign for you, if you are believers", that is, the Prophet of the Children of Israel said to them that the sign of the kingship of Saul is that the Ark of covenant that was taken from them will be returned to them, having therein tranquility from Allah, so it was a source of assurance for them and in it there is a remnant of what the family of Moses, peace be upon Him, and the family of Aaron, peace be upon Him, had left, and it was said that the Ark of covenant was in the hands of the Children of Israel, with which they defeated those who fought them until they were defeated and the Ark was stolen from them, and that it contained the staff of Moses, and the remnant of tablets that Allah has given Moses. And Allah returned the Ark of covenant to them as a sign of the kinship of Saul, and the Angels brought the Ark of covenant to Saul, and their Prophet said to them that in returning the Ark of covenant there is a sign for them of the truthfulness of His prophecy and of what he had brought them from His Lord, so if you believe in Allah and in His Messengers, you would then follow Allah's command and obey Saul.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (249,250) "And when Saul set out with the soldiers, he said indeed, Allah will test you with a river, so whoever drinks from it, then he is not of me, and whoever does not taste it, then indeed, he is of me, except for he who scooped in the hollow of his hand, and they drank from it except a few of them, then when he had crossed it and those who believed with him, they said there is no strength for us today against Goliath and his soldiers, but those, who were certain that they would meet Allah, said How many a small company has overcome a large company by the permission of Allah, and Allah is with the patient, and when they went forth to Goliath and his soldiers, they said our Lord Pour upon us patience and Make our feet firm, and Help us against the disbelieving people", that is, the Children of Israel believed their Prophet and acknowledged that Allah has sent Saul as a king over them when the Ark of covenant came to them, containing tranquility from Allah and a remnant of what the family of Moses and Aaron had left, so they submitted to Saul, and when Saul went forth with the soldiers in order to fight their enemy, he said to them that Allah will test them with a river, so that He may distinguish those who obey Him from those who disobey Him, and it was said that it was a river located in Palestine or between Jordan and Palestine. Then Saul informed them that the trial of river with which Allah has tested them is that whoever drinks from its water, then he is not from the people of his obedience nor from the believers in Allah and the Last Day, and whoever does not drink from the river, then he is from the people of his obedience and from the believers in Allah, and meeting with Him on the Day of resurrection, then he has made an exception for whoever drank a handful of water from the river, so whoever scoops a little with his hand, then he is from the people of obedience to Saul and from the believers, and the soldiers were many, but they drank from the river except for a few of them, and some of them would scoop a handful and that sufficed them and satisfied their thirst.  

 Thereupon, no one crossed the river with Saul except those who believed in Allah and obeyed the command of Saul, and they were a few in number, and as narrated by Albara' bin Azib: "We used to say that the warriors of Badr were over three hundred and ten, as many as the companions of Saul who crossed the river with Him, and none crossed the river with Him but a believer" (Sahih Albukhari 3959). So no believer stayed behind Saul, and no hypocrite followed him, and those who have never drunk from the river were more steadfast in faith than those who scooped a handful of it. When Saul had crossed the river and those who believed with him, the believers considered their number insufficient to confront their enemy because of their large number, those who are steadfast in faith and are certain that they would meet Allah on the day of resurrection knew that the promise of Allah is true and that victory is from Allah, not due to the large number, so they said to those who said we have no power today against Goliath (Jalout) and his soldiers, how many a small company has overcome a large company by the permission of Allah, and Allah is with the patient, so they were certain that Allah  will support them and will grant them victory over their enemy. So those who are firm in faith incite the others to fight in the way of Allah and to be patient in the battlefield. When Saul and those who believed with him faced Goliath and his soldiers, they supplicated Allah to pour patience upon them, to grant them steadfastness and firmness of their feet in the battlefield so that they would not flee from the battlefield and would not be defeated, and to help them against the disbelieving people.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (251,252) "So they defeated them by the permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingship and the wisdom and taught him from that which He willed, and had it not been for Allah repels the people some of them by others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is the Possessor of bounty to the worlds, these are the verses of Allah, We recite them to You in truth, and indeed, You are of the Messengers", that is, Allah responded to the supplication of the believers and granted them victory over their enemies, so they defeated them and the Prophet David (Dawood), peace be upon Him, killed Goliath, and it was said that Saul has chosen David from among his people to fight Goliath, and he promised him that if he killed Goliath, he would marry him to his daughter and make him a partner in his kingdom, so when David killed Goliath, Saul fulfilled his promise to David, and then the kingdom passed to David, along with the great prophethood that Allah has granted him, and Allah taught David from that which He willed such as teaching him how to make coats of armor in order to protect them in the battlefield as Allah has stated in Aya (80) of Surat Alanbiyaa. Then Allah assures that Were it not that He defends people by people, and removes the evil of people from others, the earth would have been corrupted, and the strong would have destroy the weak, so Allah has prescribed for the prophets and the believers to fight their enemies, and Allah defended the Children of Israel from Goliath and his soldiers through fighting, Had it not been for that, they would have perished, but Allah is the Possessor of bounty to the worlds. Then Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying These are the verses of Allah, We recite them to You in truth, so Allah has sent Gabriel with the revelation and the clear arguments to His Messenger Muhammad in the absolute truth as it was, with no addition, no distortion, and no change in anything of it, and indeed, You are of the Messengers, so these verse are clear arguments for your prophethood, as they are only known to a sent Messenger.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (253) "Those Messengers, We have favored some of them over others, among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degrees, and We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, the clear proofs, and We supported Him with the Holy Spirit, and if Allah had willed, those after them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them, but they differed, so among them were those who believed and among them were those who disbelieved, and if Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends", that is, Allah has favored some of the Messengers over others, and among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degrees, where Allah has taken Abraham as a friend, Allah has spoken to Moses in a conversation, and Allah has given Muhammad five things which were not given to any Prophet before Him, where as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: "The Prophet said, I have been given five things which were not given to any one else before Me, Allah made Me victorious by awe for a distance of one month's journey (by frightening My enemy), the earth has been made for Me a place for prayer and a thing to perform purification (Tayammum), therefore, anyone of My followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due, the spoils have been made lawful for Me, yet it was not lawful for anyone before Me, I have been given the right of intercession (on the day of resurrection), and every Prophet used to be sent to His nation exclusively, but I have been sent to all mankind" (Sahih Albukhari 335), and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "I shall be Pre-eminent amongst the Children of Adam on the day of resurrection, and I will be the first for whom the grave will split open, the first intercessor, and the first whose intercession will be accepted" (Sahih Muslim 2278).

 

 Assuredly, the prophethood is a single quality in which there is no differentiation, but Allah has favored some of His Prophets with some aspects of prophethood and some special virtues and miracles, and favoring some Messengers over others is a matter that belongs only to Allah, and it is not for human beings to make distinction between Allah's Messengers, rather they should believe in all of them without any distinction between them as shown above in Aya (136), and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "While a Jew was selling goods, he was given something which he did not accept or he did not agree that Abdul-Aziz "Sub-narrator" is doubtful about it. The Jew said By the One who has chosen Moses amongst mankind, a man from the Ansar heard him and gave him a blow at his face saying you say By the One who has chosen Moses amongst mankind whereas Allah's Messenger (PBUH) is living among us. The Jew went to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and said Abul-Qasim! I have a protection and a covenant (Dhimmi), and said so-and-so has given a blow upon my face, thereupon, Allah's Messenger said Why did you give a blow on his face?, he said Allah's Messenger! This man said By the One who has chosen Moses amongst mankind, whereas you are living amongst us. Allah's Messenger (PBUH) became angry and signs of anger could be seen on His face, and then said Do not make distinction amongst the Prophets of Allah. When the horn will be blown and whatever is in the heavens and the earth would swoon but he whom Allah grants exception, then another horn will be blown, and I would be the first amongst those who would recover, and Moses, peace be upon Him, would be catching hold of the Throne and I do not know whether it is a compensation for that when he swooned on the day of Tour, or he would be resurrected before Me, and I do not say that anyone is more excellent than Jonah "Yunus", son of Matta, peace be upon Him" (Sahih Muslim 2373), and as narrated by Abdullah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "None has the right to say that I am (Muhammad) better than Jonah, son of Matta" (Sahih Albukhari 46043).

 And Allah has sent the Prophet Jesus with the clear proofs and signs to the Children of Israel such as bringing the dead back to life by the permission of Allah, molding from the clay the form of a bird, and breathing into it and it becomes a bird by the permission of Allah, and healing the blind and the leper by the permission of Allah as mentioned in Ayat (49) of Surat Ali Imran, and (110) of Surat Alma'idah, and Allah supported the Prophet Jesus with Gabriel, the Holy Spirit, if Allah had willed, those after the Prophets would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them, but they differed after the Prophets, so among them were those who believed in Allah and in His Messengers, and among them were those who persist on disbelief in Allah and in His Messengers after Allah's signs and proofs had become clear to them, and if Allah has willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends, so He guides whom He wills, and lets go astray whom He wills.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (254) "O you who have believed! Spend from what We have provided for you before there comes a day in which there is no exchange and no friendship and no intercession, and the disbelievers are the wrongdoers", that is, Allah urges His servant to spend in His way from what Allah has provided for them, whether obligatory charity (Zakah) or alms, before the day of resurrection comes in which there will be no ransom for the disbelievers from Allah's punishment as the ransom will not be accepted from those who disbelieved, even if they have the full of the earth in gold as Allah has stated in Aya (91) of Surat Ali Imran, and there will be no friend nor intercessor for them in order to intercede for them before Allah as the disbelievers will say on the day of resurrection {So we have not any intercessors nor any close friend} as mentioned in Ayat (100,101) of Surat Alshu'araa. Then Allah assures that the disbelievers are the wrongdoers as they have wronged themselves with disbelief, stubbornness and tyranny, and no one is more unjust that he who meets Allah on the day of resurrection while he is a disbeliever.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (255) "Allah, there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence, neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, Who is the one who can intercede with Him except by His permission?, He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except for what He wills, His Chair extends to the heavens and the earth, and guarding both of them does not tire Him, and He is the Most High, the Most Great", that is, this verse is called Ayat Alkursi (The Chair), and it is the greatest verse in the Holy Quran, where as narrated by Ubayy bin Ka'b that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "O Abu Al-Mundhir! Do you know the verse from the Book of Allah which, according to you, is the greatest?, I said Allah and His Messenger know best, He again said O Abu Al-Mundhir! Do you know the verse from the Book of Allah which, according to you, is the greatest?, I said Allah, there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence, thereupon, He (PBUH) struck me on my breast and said may knowledge be pleasant for you O Abu Al-Mundhir" (Sahih Muslim 810).

 Ayat Alkursi is the greatest verse because it contains the fundamentals of the Divine Names and Attributes that are not contained in any other verse, as Allah assures that there is no true god other than Him, so He alone is worthy of worship, He is the Ever-Living: the One who does not die, the Sustainer of existence: the One who is in charge of his creation by managing their affairs, directing them, and preserving them, and Allah assures that He is not overcome by drowsiness nor sleep, where as narrated by Abu Musa: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was standing amongst us and He told us five things. He said indeed, Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, does not sleep and it does not befit Him to sleep, He lowers the scale and lifts it, the deeds of the night are taken up to Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night, His veil is the light, and in narration of Abu Bakr the fire (instead of the light), if He withdraws it, the splendor of His Countenance would consume His creation so far as His sight reaches" (Sahih Muslim 179).

 And Allah assures that He alone is the Owner of everything in the universe, so to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and no one dares to intercede except by His permission, so on the day of resurrection, the intercession will not benefit except to whom the Most Gracious has given permission, and has accepted a word for him as Allah has stated in Aya (109) of Surat Ta Ha, and Allah will grant intercession to His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) on the day of resurrection saying to Him O Muhammad! Raise Your head, and Speak for you will be listened to, and Ask for you will be granted, and Intercede for Your intercession will be accepted" (Sahih Albukhari 7510), and Allah will grant intercession on the day of resurrection to whom He wills from among the believers, so they will intercede for those who were fasting, praying, and performing pilgrimage along with them (Sahih Muslim 183). And Allah is the only One who knows all the affairs of His creation, so Allah knows what His servants did, what they are doing, and what they will do, and nothing of their affair is hidden from Him, while they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except for what He wills, so no one other than Allah knows anything of His Knowledge except what He taught them by His permission. Then Allah assures that His Chair (Kursi) extends to the heavens and the earth in a manner befitting His Majesty and Greatness that none of His creation can comprehend, and the scholars differed in defining the meaning of the Chair, some said that it refers to Allah's knowledge, other said that it is the Divine Throne, and a third group said that it is the place of Allah's Feet in relation to the Throne, and Allah assures that the preservation of the heavens and the earth does not tire Him, rather, it is easy and effortless for Him, so He is the Guardian over everything and the Watcher over all things, and He is the Most High who is Sublime over everything, and all things are below Him where every thing is under His authority and His power, and He is the Most Great who has greatness and pride, unlike any of His creation.

 One of the virtues of Ayat Alkursi is that it keeps Satan away from mankind, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "Allah's Messenger deputed me to keep the Zakah of Ramadan (The charity of Fitr), a comer came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff, I took hold of him and said By Allah! I will take you to Allah's Messenger (PBUH), he said I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need, so I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messenger asked me What did your prisoner do yesterday?, I said O Allah's Messenger! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go, Allah's Messenger said indeed he told you a lie and he will come again, so I believed that he would come again as Allah's Messenger had told me that he would come again. So I waited for him watchfully, when he started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said I will definitely take you to Allah's Messenger, he said Leave me for I am very needy and have many dependents, I promise I will not come back again, so I pitied him and let him go. 

 In the morning, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) asked me What did your prisoner do?, I replied O Allah's Messenger! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free, Allah's Messenger said indeed, he told you a lie and he will return, I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger as it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come, he said Let me and I will teach you some words with which Allah will benefit you, I asked What are they?, he replied whenever you go to bed Recite {Allahu la ilaha ella huwa alhayyu alqayyumu: Allah, there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence} till you finish the whole verse, if you do so, Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no Satan will come near you till morning, so I released him. 

 In the morning, Allah's Messenger asked me What did your prisoner do yesterday?, I replied he claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go, Allah's Messenger asked What are they?, I replied he said to me whenever you go to bed, Recite Ayat Al-Kursi from the beginning to the end {Allahu la ilaha ella huwa alhayyu alqayyumu: Allah, there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence}, he further said to me if you do so, Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no Satan will come near you till morning, Abu Hurayrah or another sub-narrator added that they were very keen to do good deeds, the Prophet (PBUH) said he really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute lair, Do you know whom you were talking to these three nights O Abu Hurayrah?, Abu Hurayrah said no, He (PBUH) said it was Satan" (Sahih Albukhari 2311).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (256) "There shall be no compulsion in the religion, the right guidance has become distinct from the error, so whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then indeed, he holds fast to the strongest bond with no break in it, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower", that is, Allah guides the believers that there is no compulsion in the religion, so Don't force anyone to embrace the religion of Islam, for the way of the right guidance has become distinct from the way of the error and falsehood, so the clear proofs and arguments had become clear and there is no need to force anyone to embrace Islam, rather, whoever Allah guides to Islam and illuminates his insight, he enters Islam with clear understanding, and whoever Allah has set a seal on his heart and on his hearing and sight, then it will not benefit him to enter the religion by force or coercion, and as narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas: "When the children of a woman in Pre-Islamic era did not survive, she took a vow on herself that if her child survives, she would convert him a Jew, when Banu Al-Nadir were expelled from Arabia, there were some children of the Ansar among them, they said we shall not leave our children, so Allah revealed {There shall be no compulsion in the religion, the right guidance has become distinct from the error}" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2682). 

 Then Allah assures that whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then indeed, he holds fast to the strongest bond with no break in it, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower, so whoever disbelieves in the Taghut, which is anything that is worshipped other than Allah such as the idols, false gods, and accursed Satan and believed that there is no God but Allah, then he adheres to the straight path and holds fast to the strongest bond from Allah which will not break, so he will be safe from Allah's punishment, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knower of those who believe in Him and disavow the false deities and idols, so He will reward them with the best reward in the Hereafter, and as narrated by Qais bin Ubada: "I was in the company of some persons, amongst whom some were the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) in Medina, that there came a person in whose face was a sign of piety. Some people said he is a person from among the people of Paradise, he is a person from among the people of Paradise, he observed two short Rak'ahs of prayer and then went out, I followed him and he got onto his house, and I also got in and we began to converse with each other, and when he became familiar with me, I said to him when you entered before (in the mosque), a person said such-and-such, whereupon, he said Glory to be Allah, it is not meet for anyone to say anything which he does not know, I shall tell you why they say this, I saw a dream during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and narrated it to Him, I seemed to be in a garden, he described its vastness, its rich fructification and its verdure, in the midst of it, there stood an iron pillar with its base in the earth and its summit in the sky, and upon its summit there was a handhold, it was said to me Climb up this, I said to him I am unable to do it, thereupon, a helper came to me, and he supported me by catching hold of my garment from behind and thus helped me with his hand and so I climbed up till I was at the summit of the pillar and grasped the handhold, it was said to me Hold it tightly, it was at this that I woke up when the handhold was in my hand, I narrated it to Allah's Messenger (PBUH), whereupon, He said that garden implies Islam, and that pillar implies the pillar of Islam, and that handhold is the strongest bond, and you will remain attached to Islam until you shall die, and that man was Abdullah bin Salam" (Sahih Muslim 2484).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (257) "Allah is the Protector of those who believe, He brings them out of the darknesses to the light, and those who disbelieve, their allies are Taghut, they bring them out of the light to darknesses, those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever", that is, Allah is the Protector of those who believe in Him, His Messengers, and His Books, so He brings them out of the darknesses of disbelief and misguidance to the light of faith and guidance, but as for those who disbelieve in Allah, His Messengers and His Books, their allies are the devils who bring them out of the light of belief and guidance to the darknesses of disbelief and misguidance, so they will be the companions of Hellfire, abiding therein forever. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (258) "Do You not see the one who argued with Abraham about His Lord because Allah has given Him the kingship, when Abraham said My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death, he said I give life and cause death, Abraham said indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so Bring it up from the west, so the one who disbelieved was overwhelmed, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger (PBUH) saying Do You not see the one who argued with the Prophet Abraham about the existence of His Lord because he denied that there is any god other than himself, and it was said that he was the king of Babylon and that his name was Nimroz bin Kan'an or Nimrod bin Falikh, and what drove him to this tyranny and disbelief is that Allah has given him the kingship, and it was as if he was asking the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, for a proof of the existence of the Lord to whom he was calling, so the Prophet Abraham said to him My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death, but he denied that Allah is the One who gives life and causes death and claimed this position for himself out of stubbornness and arrogance, imaging that he is the one who gives life and causes death and imagining that when the two men were brought before him, deserving of killing, so he pardoned one of them and ordered that the other to be killed, then he gave life to the first and caused the other to die. Then the Prophet Abraham said to him indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so Bring it up from the west, so if you are a god as you claim, giving life, and causing death, this sun appears every day from the east, then Bring it from the west, so when he realized his inability to argue with the Prophet Abraham about this matter, he was speechless and overwhelmed, for the proof was established against him, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people who wronged themselves with tyranny and disbelief, so He does not inspire them with any argument, but rather, their argument is invalid in the sight of Allah, and for them there is a severe punishment.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (259) "Or the one who passed by a town which had collapsed upon its trellises, he said How will Allah bring this to life after its death?, so Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then He raised him up, He said How long have you remained?, he said I have remained a day or part of a day, He said rather, you have remained one hundred years, Look at your food and your drink, it has not changed with time, and Look at your donkey, and We will make you a sign for the people, and Look at the bones, how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh, so when it became clear to him, he said I know that Allah is All-Powerful over everything", that is, or Do You see O Muhammad the one who passed by a town which has collapsed upon its trellises, so he stood pondering what had become of its severe ruin, and how far it was from returning to what it once was, so he said How will Allah bring this to life after its death?, so Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then He raised him up, and Allah has sent an Angel to him, and the Angle asked him How long have you remained?, he said I have remained a day or part of a day, the Angel said rather, you have remained one hundred years, and the Angel commanded him to look at his food and drink, it has not changed with time, so he found them exactly as he had left them, nothing had changed, neither the food nor the drink had spoiled, and then the Angel commanded him to look at his donkey and how Allah, Almighty, brings it back to life while he was watching, and informed him that Allah will make him a sign for the people who deny Allah's power to resurrect His creation after their death, so it is an evidence of the resurrection, and the Angel commanded him to look at the bones of his donkey, and how Allah raises them and places then one upon another, then He covers the bones with flesh, so when it became clear to him, he said I know that Allah is All-Powerful over everything. Allah did not specify the one who passed by the village nor the village he passed through, but He cites this example as an evidence of His power to resurrect the dead and that He is the only One who gives life and causes death, and Allah is All-powerful to do whatever He wills, and neither impediment nor inability can prevent Him from doing whatever He wills.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (260) "And when Abraham said My Lord Show Me how You give life to the dead, He said Do You not believe?, He said yes, but it is that My heart may be reassured, He said then Take four birds, and commit them to You, then Put on each mountain a part of them, then Call them, they will come to You in haste, and Know that Allah is Almighty, All-Wise", that is, the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon Him, never doubted Allah's ability to resurrect the dead, He acknowledged that Allah is the One who gives life and causes death as shown above in Aya (258), but He asked Allah to show Him How Allah gives life to the dead to increase His certainty; For the people yearn to see what they have been told, as Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) said in narration of Abdullah bin Abbas: "Hearing about something is not the same as seeing with one's own eyes" (Musand Ahmed 2447). If the Prophet Abraham had doubted Allah's ability to resurrect the dead, we would be deserving of doubt, and since we have no doubt, the Prophet Abraham is even more likely to have no doubt, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) refuted any doubt on Abraham's part when He said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "We have more right to be in doubt than Abraham when He said My Lord Show Me how You give life to the dead, He said Do You not believe?, He said yes, but it is that My heart may be reassured" (Sahih Albukhari 4537).

 So when the Prophet Abraham said to Allah Show Me how You give life to the dead, He asked about the state of something is existing and whose existence is established in His mind, so it is a question about the manner of resurrection and the resurrection is already established, so When Allah, the Most High, said to the Prophet Abraham Do You not believe?, He said yes I believe, so the Prophet Abraham disavowed any doubt and said that He only asked to reassure His heart, but it is that His heart may be reassured by seeing the resurrection His own eyes, thereupon, Allah said to Him Take four birds, and commit them to You, then Put on each mountain a part of them, then Call them, they will come to You in haste, so the Prophet Abraham did as Allah commanded Him, so He brought four birds and slaughtered them, then cut them into pieces and scattered them on the mountains, then He called to them and the four birds came running to Him on their feet after they had been scattered pieces on the mountains, then Allah addresses the Prophet Abraham saying and Know that Allah is Almighty who is Severe in His revenge on those who disobeyed Him, All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (261,262) "The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a grain which grows seven spikes, in each spike is a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies for whom He wills, and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knower, those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, then do not follow what they have spent with reminders of favor nor hurt, they will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve", that is, Allah assures that He makes good deeds grow for their doers just as He makes crops grow for those who sow them in good soil, so Allah has cited an example for those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and likened their expenditure to a grain that grows seven spikes, in each spike is a hundred grains, so whoever spends his wealth in one of the ways of goodness that Allah has commanded, such as fighting in the way of Allah and other ways, it will be written for him as seven hundred times, and Allah multiplies for whom He wills even more than that, and as narrated by Khuraim bin Fatik that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Whoever spends an expenditure in the way of Allah, it is recorded for him seven hundred fold" (Jami' Altirmidhi 1625), and as narrated by Abu Mas'ud Alansari: "A man brought a muzzled she-camel and said it is in the way of Allah, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said for this you will have seven hundred she-camels on the day of resurrection, all of which will be muzzled" (Sahih Muslim 1892), and Allah is All-Encompassing in His bounty, Generous with His gifts, All-Knower of His creation as nothing of their affair is hidden from Him, so He knows wherever He places His bounty. 

 Then Allah praises those who spend in His way, then they do not follow up what they spend with reminders of their generosity to whom they gave, so they do not remind anyone of their favor, neither in words nor in acts, and they also do not follow up what they spend with hurt, so they do not do anything unpleasant to those they have treated well that would nullify their good deeds. Allah promises those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah when they do not follow what they have spent with reminders of favor nor hurt a great reward and assures that their reward is with Him, not anyone else, so this ruling and reward is only for those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah when they do not follow what they have spent with reminders of favor and generosity nor harm; Because reminders of favor and harm invalidate his reward for he did not seek the Countenance of Allah by his spending as will come later in Aya (264), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Dharr: "There are three to whom Allah will not speak on the day of resurrection, nor will He look at them, nor will He purify them, and for them there is a painful punishment, the Messenger of Allah repeated it three times, Abu Dharr remarked they failed and they lost, Who are these persons Messenger of Allah?, He said the one who drags his garment (Out of arrogance and proud), the one who does a favor, then makes the other feel that he owed him a favor, and the seller of goods by false oath" (Sahih Muslim 106). Allah will reward those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah when they do not follow what they have spent with reminders of favor and generosity nor harm with the best reward in Paradise on the day of resurrection, and there will be no fear for them for what they will face later and they will not grieve for what they missed before.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (263,264) "Kind word and forgiveness are better than charity followed by hurt, and Allah is Free of need, Most Forbearing, O you who have believed! Do not nullify your charities with reminders of favor and hurt, like the one who spends his wealth, showing off to the people, and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day, so his example is like that of a smooth stone upon which there is dust and is struck by a heavy rain that left it barren, they are unable to control anything of what they have earned, and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people", that is, Allah assures that kind words, forgiving the people, and overlooking their injustice, whether in word or deed, are better than charity followed by hurt, so to say an appropriate word to the people and to forgive them is better than to give a charity that appears to be charity, but is worthless in reality because it followed by harm to the beggar, thereupon, speaking kindly and pardoning the people will bring reward while giving a charity followed by hurt bring no reward, and it is better for man to keep his money than to spend it and then follow it with reminders of favor and hurt, and as narrated by Abu Dharr: "The Messenger of Allah said to me Do not consider anything insignificant out of good things even if it is that you meet your brother with a cheerful countenance" (Sahih Muslim 2626), accordingly, it is better to meet the beggar with a smiling and cheerful face, not with a frowning face, than to give him a charity and hurt him with your giving, then Allah assures that He is Free of need, Most Forbearing, so all human beings need their Lord for He is the Creator and the Provider while He is Free of need of them, Most Forbearing for those who disobey him by not hastening His punishment. 

 Allah informs that charity is invalidated by what follows it of reminders of favor and hurt, likewise, the charity of one who gives it to be seen by people is invalidated, so Allah commands the believers not to invalidate their charities with reminders of favor and hurt, and also condemns those who spend of their wealth to show off before the people, so they do not seek the Countenance of Allah by their spending, rather, they seek to be praised with generosity, and they do not believe in Allah nor in the day of resurrection, and the one who spends of his wealth to show off before the people will be one of the three who are the first to be dragged into Hellfire on the day of resurrection, where Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Sulaiman bin Yasar from Abu Hurayrah: "Then will be brought a man whom Allah had made abundantly rich, and had granted every kind of wealth, he will be brought, and Allah will make him recount His blessings, and he will recount them, Allah will ask What have you done in it?, he will say I spent money in every cause in which You wished that it should be spent, Allah will say you are lying, you did so that it might be said he is a generous fellow, and so it was said, then Allah will pass orders, and he will be dragged with his face downward and thrown into Hell" (Sahih Muslim 1905).

 Then Allah cites an example of the one who spends of his wealth to show off before the people, and likened him to a smooth stone upon which there is dust and is struck by a downpour that left it barren, so there is no trace of that dust on it, so the charities of those who show off before the people will vanish, even if their deeds appear to people, but it is like dust in the Sight of Allah, then Allah assures that those who nullify their charity with reminders of favor and hurt and those who give charity to show off before the people will not be able to control anything of what they have earned, so they will not benefit from the reward of any of their spending when they need it, and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people who insisted on disbelief and turned away from the path of Allah.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (265) "And the example of those who spend their wealth, seeking the pleasure of Allah and certainty of themselves, is like a garden on a high ground which is struck by a heavy rain, so it brought forth its fruits in double, and if it is not struck by a heavy rain, then a drizzle, and Allah is All-seeing of what you do", that is, Allah cites an example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah without any reminders of favor or hurt, they only seek the pleasure of Allah and they are certain of the promise of Allah that He will reward them with the best reward, and likens them to a garden on a high ground which is struck by a downpour, so it brought forth its fruits twice as much in comparison to other gardens, and if it is not struck by a downpour, then it will still receive a drizzle that will suffice it, so this garden on this hill is better in planting and fruit than other gardens, and it will never perish, likewise, the spending of those who spend their wealth, seeking the pleasure of Allah and assuring themselves, whether it is little or much, will not be in vain or wasted, just as the garden that brought forth its fruits, whether it receives little or much rain, so its goodness will never be diminished, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do, so nothing of your expenditures is hidden from Him, and He knows who among you spends with reminders of favor and harm and who spends seeking the pleasure of Allah, and He will recompense each of you according to his deeds.

 The charity is only accepted if it is purely for the sake of Allah and if the money from which it was given is lawful, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Whoever gives charity equal to the value of a date from lawful earning, and Allah only accepts what is lawful, Allah will accept it with His Right Hand, then He will nurture it for its owner, just as one of you raises his foal until it becomes like a mountain" (Sahih Albukhari 1410).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (266) "Would one of you wish to have a garden of date-palms and grapes beneath which rivers flow, for him therein are all kinds of fruit?, but he is afflicted with old age and has a weak progeny, then it is struck by a whirlwind with fire therein, then it is burnt, thus Allah makes clear to you the verses so that you may give thought", that is, Allah cites an example of someone who did good deeds, then he did bad deeds, so the bad deeds had nullified his good deeds, and when he needed his good deeds in the most dire circumstances, he found nothing in order to save him from Allah's punishment, and as narrated by Ubaid bin Umair: "Once Umar bin Alkhattab said to the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) What do you think about this verse {Would one of you wish to have a garden?}, they replied Allah knows best, Umar became angry and said either Say that you know or Say that you do not know, on that Ibn Abbas said O chief of the believers! I have something in my mind to say about it, Umar said O son of my brother! Say and Do not under estimate yourself. Ibn Abbas said this verse has been set up as an example for deeds, Umar said What kind of deeds?, Ibn Abbas said for deeds, Umar said this is an example for a rich man who does good out of obedience of Allah and then Allah sends him Satan whereupon he commits sins till his good deeds are lost" (Sahih Albukhari 4538). 

 So Allah has likened the disbeliever and the hypocrite to a rich man who has a garden of date-palms and grapevines beneath which rivers flow, and Allah specifically mentioned date-palms and grapes because of their superiority over other trees, and he has all kinds of fruit in this garden, but then he grew old, and had young children, then Allah sent a wind containing fire upon his garden, so it burned its fruits and trees, but he had no strength to replant it, and his sons had no means to help their father, so What will be his condition when he is most in need of it?, likewise, the disbeliever and the hypocrite will nullify their good deeds with their evil ones on the day of resurrection, and they will have no choice to return to the worldly life to perform righteous deeds, just as the owner of the garden had no strength to replant his garden. Similarly, their offspring will not avail them against Allah's punishment on the day of resurrection, just as the owner of the garden had no benefit from his weak children. Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses so that you may give thought, so He makes clear to you what He accepts and what He does not accept of your deeds, so Beware of disobeying His commands lest you incur His punishment.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (267) "O you who have believed! Spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have brought forth for you from the earth, and Do not aim toward the bad therefrom to spend, while you would not take it unless you close your eyes, and Know that Allah is Free of need, Praiseworthy", that is, Allah commands His servants to spend from the best and finest of their wealth, and forbade them from giving the worst and most worthless of their wealth, so Allah ordered the believers to spend in His way from the good and lawful things which they have earned through trade and other means, and also to spend from what He has brought forth for them from the earth such as dates, grapes, wheat, barely, and whatever fruit or crop that requires the Zakah to be paid on, and Do no aim to spend from the bad of it, while if this were your right from people, you would not take it except with closed eyes, so you would gave up your rights while you hated and disapproved of it, so Do not give in charity what you would dislike if you were given it, but rather, Spend from what you love for yourselves, and Allah will reward you with the best reward as He has stated in Aya (92) of Surat Ali Imran {You will not attain the good until you spend from what you love}, and as narrated by Umamah bin Sahl from His father: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) prohibited to accept Ja'rur and Hubaiq dates as Zakah, Al-Zuhari said these are two kinds of dates of Medina" (Sunan Abi Dawood 1607). And Know that Allah is Free of need, Praiseworthy, as all human beings need their Lord for He is the Creator and the Provider while He is Free of need of them, and He is the Praiseworthy of all what He decrees, so Allah is not in need of your charity, but He has made it obligatory in your wealth as a mercy to you so that He may enrich your needy, and reward you generously in the worldly life and Hereafter.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (268) "Satan frightens you of poverty, and orders you to immorality, and Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty, and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-knower", that is, Allah warns against Satan saying that he frightens you of poverty so that you will be stingy with what you have and do not spend in the way of Allah, and that he commands you to commit immorality and evil acts, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty, and Allah is All-Encompassing in His bounty, Generous with His gifts, All-Knower of His creation as nothing of their affair is hidden from Him, so He knows wherever He places His bounty. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (269) "He gives the wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given the wisdom, then indeed, he has been given much good, and no one will be reminded except those of understanding", that is, Allah assures that He gives the wisdom to whom He wills, and the wisdom is the jurisprudence in religion, and whoever has been given the wisdom, then indeed, he has been given much good; Because whoever has been given the wisdom, he has been granted correctness in words and deeds through understanding, knowledge, and awareness, and then he will fear Allah in all of his affair, where as narrated by Mu'awiya: "I heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) saying if Allah wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend the religion" (Sahih Albukhari 71), and as narrated by Abdullah bin Mas'ud that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "There should be envy but only in the case of two persons: one having been endowed with wealth and power to spend it in the way of truth, and one having been endowed with wisdom and he decides cases with help of it and teaches it" (Sahih Muslim 816). Then Allah assures that no one will be reminded except those of understanding; Because they will ponder and understand Allah's verses and act in accordance with Allah's commands and prohibitions.

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (270,271) "And whatever you spend of expenditures or whatever you vow of vows, then indeed, Allah knows it, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers, if you show the charities, then it is good, and if you conceal them and give them to the poor, then it is better for you, and He will expiate from you some of your evil deeds, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do", that is, Allah assures that He knows what a person spends voluntarily, and what he spends after obligating himself to a vow, so Allah knows he who is sincere in his intention and spends his wealth, seeking the pleasure of Allah and certainty of himself as mentioned above in Aya (265), Allah knows he who spends his wealth for showing off to the people, and Allah knows he who nullifies his spending with reminders of favor and hurt as mentioned above in Aya (264), so Allah knows best of the wrongdoers whose expenditures go to waste for they were in a way other than the way of Allah, therefore, Allah threatens them with a painful punishment saying that they will not find any helper in order to save them from His punishment on the day of resurrection.  

 Then Allah says if you disclose your charities, then it is good, but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, then it is better for you, so this verse indicates that giving charities secretly is better than giving openly; Because giving the charity secretly removes any suspicion of showing off, but if there is a greater benefit in giving it openly, such as encouraging people to follow the example of others and spend from their wealth in the way of Allah, in which case it would be better to disclose the charity, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Seven will be shaded by Allah on the day of resurrection in His shade, on a day when there is no shade except His shade: a just ruler, a young man who grew up in the worship of Allah, a man who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then overflowed with tears, and a man whose heart is attached to the mosque, two men who love each other for the sake of Allah, a man who is called by a woman of high status and beauty to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her, and he said I fear Allah, and a man who gave charity in secret so that his left hand does not know what his right hand had given" (Sahih Albukhari 6806). And Allah assures that He will expiate from His servants some of their evil deeds through their charities, especially if it is done secretly, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do, so nothing of your affairs is hidden from Him, and He will reward the good doers with the best reward and will recompense the wrongdoers with the painful punishment. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (272) "Not upon You is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills, and whatever you spend of good is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the Countenance of Allah, and whatever you spend of good, it will be paid in full to you, and you will not be wronged", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that not upon Him is the guidance of the polytheists, so Do not withhold the voluntary charity from them so that they may enter Islam if they need it, but rather, Allah guides whom He wills to Islam, so this verse indicates the permissibility of giving charity to Non-Muslims, and this ruling applies to the voluntary charity, but as for the obligatory charity, it is not permissible to give it to Non-Muslims, because when Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has sent Mu'adh bin Jabal to Yemen, He said to him: "Tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Zakah (obligatory charity) on their properties, and it is to be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor" (Sahih Albukhari 7372). Thereupon, Allah urges the believers to give charity to those who asked for it regardless of their religion as long as there was no enmity between them and the Muslims, as Allah did not forbid the believers from treating Non-Muslims kindly as long as they are not hostile to Islam and the Muslims as He has stated in Aya (8) of Surat Almumtahanah {Allah does not forbid you from those who did not fight you in the religion, and did not drive you out from your homes, that you treat them kindly, and deal justly with them, indeed, Allah loves those who act justly}. Then Allah clarifies that the expenditure that is considered valid to be accepted is only that which is done seeking Allah's pleasure, so Allah says and whatever you spend of good is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the Countenance of Allah, and whatever good you spend is for yourselves, and the reward of spending will be fully given to you and you will be not wronged as nothing will be withheld from your reward, and as narrated by Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to him: "You will be rewarded for whatever you spend, seeking the Countenance of Allah, even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife's mouth" (Sahih Albukhari 56).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (273) "For the poor who have been confined in the way of Allah, unable to travel throughout the land, an ignorant would think them rich because of their abstinence, but you will know them by their marks, they do not ask people importunately, and whatever you spend of good, then indeed, Allah is All-Knower of it", that is, Allah urges the believers to give their charity to the poor immigrants who came to Medina from Quraish and other tribes, as they have been confined in the way of Allah when they have immigrated in the way of Allah out of fear of their enemy, and they have no means to provide for themselves and they are unable to travel in order to seek a livelihood out of fear of the enemy. The ignorant one would think them rich because of their abstention from begging, so they do not big of people at all, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "The needy is not the one for whom a date or two or a morsel or two is sufficient, but the needy is he who does not ask the people and Recite if you wish, Allah's statement {they do not ask people importunately}" (Sahih Albukhari 4539). 

 Then Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying that He will know them by their marks as the effect of their need is apparent in them and is not hidden from those of understanding, but they do not beg from people importunately, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) commanded His companions not to exaggerate or persist in asking of a thing, where as narrated by Mu'awiya that the Messenger of Allah said: "Do not press in asking, for I swear by Allah none of you who asks Me for anything and manages to get his request while I desdain it, and then will be blessed in that which I give him" (Sahih Muslim 1038). But if something comes to a person without asking for it, he may accept it for it is a provision that Allah has provided, where as narrated by Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar from his father that he has heard Umar bin Alkhattab saying: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) gave me a gift, but I said Give it to one who needs it more than me, He gave me wealth for the second time, but I said Give it to one who needs it more than me, upon this, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said Take out of this wealth which comes to you without your being avaricious and without begging, but in other circumstances, Do not let your heart hanker after it" (Sahih Muslim 1045). Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) advised Umar bin Alkhattab that if something comes to him while he is not greedy for it, nor eager for it, nor striving for it, then he should take it and not return it, and if it does not come to him, he should not seek it.

 

 Insisting and being persistent in asking people when one is not in need of it is forbidden, and whoever seeks other's money to increase and multiply his wealth without any need, this money will be used as burning coals in the Hereafter, and he will be burnt with it, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said: "He who begs the riches of others to increase his own is asking only for live coals, so Let him ask a little or much" (Sahih Muslim 1041), and as narrated by Hamza bin Abdullah bin Umar from his father that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The person would continue begging from people till he would come on the day of resurrection and there would be no flesh on his face" (Sahih Muslim 1040). Then Allah assures that whatever good you spend in the way of Allah, then indeed, Allah is All-knower of it, as nothing of it is hidden from Him, so He will reward you with the best reward on the day of resurrection.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (274) "Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, they will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve", that is, Allah praises those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, seeking His pleasure at all times, by night and by day, and in all circumstances, secretly and publicly, and Allah gives them glad tidings of a great reward on the day of resurrection saying that they will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them for what they will face later and they will not grieve for what they missed before. 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (275) "Those who consume usury cannot stand except as the one whom Satan has driven to insanity stands, that is because they say the trade is like the usury, and Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden usury, so whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desisted, then for him is what has passed, and his affair is to Allah, but whoever returns, then those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever", that is, the Arabs used in Pre-Islamic era (Aljahiliyah) to lend one another with interest, so they take more than they give, and the longer the period, the greater the usury, so when the debt comes due, either they pay it off, or the lender will increase them in time, and increase the debt beyond the amount agreed upon, and so on every time the debt comes due, and year after year till the small amount of debt be doubled and multiplied, therefore, Allah says in Aya (130) of Surat Ali Imran {O you who have believed! Do not consume usury, doubled and multiplied, and Fear Allah so that you may succeed}. And the prohibition of usury was included in the law of the Prophets before the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as Allah says in Aya (161) of Surat Alnisa' about the Jews {And their taking of usury while indeed, they were forbidden from it}.

 The prohibition of usury (Riba) was the last verse revealed in the Holy Quran, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The last verse revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) was the verse dealing with usury (Riba)" (Sahih Albukhari 4544), and as narrated by Aisha: "When the last verses of Surat Albaqarah regarding usury (Riba) were revealed, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) recited them before the people and then He prohibited the trade of alcoholic liquors" (Sahih Albukhari 4540), and in another narration of Aisha also, she said that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) recited them in the mosque (Sahih Albukhari 4541).

 In the current verse, Allah tells about the state of those who consume usury (Riba) on the day of resurrection, saying that they will not rise from their graves on the day of resurrection except as an epileptic rises during an epileptic seizure, that is because they object to Allah's ruling saying the trade is like the usury, so Why did Allah forbid usury and permit trade?, but Allah assures that He has permitted trade and has forbidden usury. Allah has forbidden every sale that involves an increase, whether in the value of the goods, or in the benefit to one of the two parties driving from delaying payment or similar actions, and what Allah has permitted from sales is that which is like for like and hand to hand, and whoever adds to that anything, then he has engaged in usury, where as narrated by Ubadah bin Al-Samit that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Gold is to be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barely by barely, dates by dates, and salt by salt, like for like and equal for equal, payment being made hand to hand, if these classes differ, then Sell as you wish if payment is made hand to hand" (Sahih Muslim 1587 c), and in another narration of Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri: "Gold is to be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barely by barely, dates by dates, and salt by salt, like by like, payment being made hand to hand, he who made an addition to it, or asked for an addition, in fact dealt in usury, the receiver and the giver are equal i.e. guilty" (Sahih Muslim 1584 e). 

 But if the same kind differs in its quality and price, then it is permissible to sell the one you have, and then buy the other with its price, not to exchange one for the other, where as narrated by Abu Sa'id: "Bilah, may Allah be pleased with him, came with fine quality of dates, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said to him From where?, Bilal said we had inferior quality of dates and I changed two Sa's (of it) with one sa' (of good quality) as food for Allah's Messenger, whereupon, Allah's Messenger said Woe! It is in fact usury, therefore, Don't do that, but when you intend to buy dates, then Sell (the inferior quality) in a separate bargain and then Buy (the superior quality)" (Sahih Muslim 1594 a), and in another narration of Abu Sa'id also, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said" This is usury, so return it, and get your dates, then sell our dates and Buy for us such dates" (Sahih Muslim 1594 b).

 Thereupon, Allah has permitted trade as long as it does not involve usury and taking an increase unjustly, and has prohibited any type of exploitation in transactions, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has cursed everyone who deals in usury, whether they take it or give it, where as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) cursed the one who accepts usury and the one who gives it, and the one who records it, and the two witnesses to it, and He said they are all equal" (Sahih Muslim 1598). The issues of usury are numerous and its branches are widespread, to the extent that Umar bin Alkhattab, may Allah be pleased with him, hoped that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) would clarify before His death some of the issues in which there was disagreement, and which had not been definitively resolved including the issue of usury, where as narrated by Umar bin Alkhattab: "I wish that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) had not left us before He had given us definite verdicts concerning three matters: the inheritance of a grandfather, the inheritance of Kalalah, and various types of usury" (Sahih Albukhari 5588).

 So this verse emphasizes the prohibition of usury, but the issue of usury involves many ambiguities, which are matters whose ruling is unclear in terms of permissibility and prohibition, so many do not know whether it is permissible or prohibited, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) explained that whoever avoids the doubtful matters, then he has sought to protect himself from imperfection, thus safeguarding his religion from deficiency and his honor from bad reputation, where as narrated by Alnu'man bin Bashir: "I heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) saying both legal and illegal are evident, but in between them there are doubtful things and most of the people have no knowledge about them, so whoever saves himself from these suspicious things, then he saves his religion and honor, and whoever indulged in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes near a protected area, and he is likely to get in it. Indeed, every king has a protected area, unquestionably, the protected area of Allah on His earth is His prohibitions, indeed, in the body, there is a piece of flesh, if it is good, then the whole body becomes good, and if it gets spoiled, the whole body gets spoiled, and that is the heart" (Sahih Albukhari 52).

 Then Allah assures that whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desisted, then for him is what has passed, and his affair is to Allah, so whoever is informed of Allah's prohibition of usury, then desists upon receiving the Divine law, he may keep what has already passed of transactions, and he is not commanded to return the interest taken during Pre-Islamic era, and His affair is to Allah, as He will forgive what has passed of usury before its prohibition, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has abolished the usury of His uncle Al-Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib, and did not order him to return the interest taken before that, where as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in Hajjat Alwada' (Farewell pilgrimage): "The usury of Pre-Islamic era (Aljahiliyah) is abolished, and the first of our usury I abolish is that of Al-Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib for it is all abolished" (Sahih Muslim 1218).

 But whoever returns to usury and takes it after Allah has forbidden it, so he deserves Allah's punishment, and those are the companions of the Fire, abiding therein forever, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) described their condition in the Hereafter saying in narration of Samura bin Jundab that He saw in a vision, and the visions of the prophets are true and a revelation from Allah, Almighty: "We proceeded on till We reached a river of blood and a man was in it, and another man was standing at its bank with stones in front of him, facing the man standing in the river, whenever the man in river wanted to come out, the other one threw a stone in his mouth and caused him to retreat to his original position, and so whenever he wanted to come out, the other would throw a stone in his mouth, and he would retreat to his original position" (Sahih Albukhari 1386), and when Allah's Messenger (PBUH) asked the two Angels What is that?, they said that they were those dealing in usury.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (276) "Allah eradicates usury and gives increase for charities, and Allah does not like every sinful, severe disbeliever", that is, Allah informs that He will destroy usury, either by taking it completely from its owner or depriving him from the blessings of his wealth, so that he does not benefit from it, so Allah will punish the one who deals in usury in the worldly life and the Hereafter, for he who increases his wealth through usury, his wealth will decrease, where as narrated by Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "There is no one who deals in usury a great deal, but he will end up with little" (Sunan Ibn Majah 2279). And Allah gives increase for charities, so He increases their blessings in the worldly life and multiplies their reward many times in the Hereafter as shown above in Ayat (245,261), and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Allah accepts Charity, and He accepts it with His Right Hand to nurture it for one of you, just like one of you would nurture his foal, until the morsel becomes as large as Uhud (mountain), the Book of Allah, the Almighty and Sublime, testifies to that {Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts the repentance from His servants, and receives the charities Aya (104) of Surat Altawbah}, and {Allah eradicates usury and gives increase for charities, the current Aya}" (Jami' Altirmidhi 662). Then Allah assures that He does not love every sinful, severe disbeliever in words and deeds, for he insisted on disbelief and did not accept Allah's admonition when He has forbidden usury, so the usurer is not content with what Allah has given him of lawful earnings, nor is satisfied with what Allah has prescribed for him of permissible gain, so he consumes people's wealth unjustly, and he is ungrateful for the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon him.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (277) "Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give Zakah, they will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve", that is, those who believed in Allah, His Messengers, and His books, and did righteous deeds in the worldly life, and they established the prayers in its prescribed times, and gave the Zakah (Obligatory charity), then they will have their reward with Allah, so He will reward them with the best reward in Paradise on the day of resurrection, and there will be no fear for them for what they will face later and they will not grieve for what they missed before.  

 Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (278,279) "O you who have believed! Fear Allah and Give up what remains of usury, if you are believers, but if you do not do, then Be informed of a war from Allah and His Messenger, and if you repent, you may have your principal, you do not wrong nor are you wronged", that is, Allah commands the believers to fear Him and fear His punishment if they disobeyed His command, and commands them to leave what they have with the people of the increase over their capital after this warning if they believe in Allah and believe in what He has prescribed for them of the permissibility of trade and the prohibition of usury and other things, so Put a shield between you and Allah's punishment by abandoning what remains of your usury, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has abolished the usury of His uncle Al-Abbas as shown above in Aya (275), then Allah threatens those who continue to engage in usury after being warned with a severe threat saying but if you do not give up usury and leave what you have with the people of usury, then Be certain of a war from Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH), so Beware of any usury that may be involved in your transactions for Allah has made the means to lawful transactions abundant, and if you repented and left what you have of usury, then Take your capital sums, so you will not wrong others by taking the usury, nor will you be wronged by leaving the capital sums as well, rather, you will have what you gave without any increase or decrease from it. This verse indicates that consuming and engaging in usury is a major sin, and eating up usury is one of the seven great destructive sins, and they are called destructive sins because they destroy their doer with the punishment in the worldly life and the Hereafter, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah Avoid the seven great destructive sins, and among them He mentioned eating up usury (Sahih Albukhari 2766). 

 So this verse indicates that the creditor has the right to demand his capital, and if he has the right to demand it, then the one who owes the debt is inevitably obligated to pay it, and if the debtor refuses to pay the debt while he is able or delays in the payment, then he is being unjust, where as narrated Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Delay (in the payment of debt) on the part of a rich man is injustice, so if the debt of one of you is transferred from your debtor to a rich man, he should agree" (Sahih Albukhari 2287).

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (280) "And if he is in hardship, then a postponement until ease, but if you give charity, then it is better for you if you know", that is, Allah commands the believers to be patient with the debtor who is unable to pay his debt saying if the debtor is in hardship, so he cannot pay his debt, then give him time until he finds that with which he can repay, so not be like the people of Aljahiliyah who sued to say to the debtor when the debt was due either you pay or you increase the debt, and if you give up your right, so you remit the debt as a way of charity, then it is better for you than you give him respite if you only know that if you should completely forgive the debt and release the debtor from it, Allah will reward you with a great reward, and in both cases, it is good as when the creditor postpones the payment of the debt of debtor, and makes the payment easy for him or releases him and cancels all his debt, he will be saved from the tribulations of the day of resurrection, and Allah will place Him under His shadow on the day of resurrection in order to save him from the heat of that day, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Abi Qatadah: "Abu Qatadah demanded the debt from his debtor, but he disappeared, later on, he found him and he said I am hard up financially, whereupon, he said By Allah!, he said By Allah, upon this, Abu Qatadah said I heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying he who loves that Allah saves him from the torment of the day of resurrection, Let him give respite to the one who is in hardship, or remit him" (Sahih Muslim 1563). And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Ubada bin Al-Walid bin Ubada bin Al-Samit from Abu Alyusr: "He who gives time to one who is financially hard up (in the payment of debt) or writes off his debt, Allah will provide him His shade" (Sahih Muslim 3006).

 And as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Whoever is easy with the one who is in difficulty, Allah will be Easy with him in this world and in the Hereafter" (Sunan Ibn Majah 2417), and as narrated by Buraidah Al-Aslami that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever gives respite to the one who is in difficulty, he will have the reward of an act of charity for every day, whoever gives him respite after payment becomes due, he will have the reward of an act of charity equal to the amount of debt for each day" (Sunan Ibn Majah 2418), and as narrated by Hudhaifa: "A man met his Lord (after death) and He said What did you do?, he said I did no good except that I was a rich man, and I demanded from the people (the repayment of the debt), and I used to accept that which the solvent gave and remitted the debt of the insolvent, whereupon, He said Ignore (the faults) of my servant, Abu Mas'ud said this is what I heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying" (Sahih Muslim 1560 b).

 It was said that this verse was revealed concerning the debtor who dealt in usury and was obligated to return the principal to the creditor, but he was unable to do so, but it is general in its application to all debts, so the creditor must give the insolvent respite to repay the debt or remit his debt, and it is permissible to collect charity to pay off the debtor's debt, where as narrated by Abu Sa'id Alkhudri: "In the time of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), a man suffered loss in fruits he had bought and his debt increased, so Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said Give him charity, and the people gave him charity, but that was not enough to pay the debt in full, whereupon, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said to his creditors Take what you find, you will have nothing but that" (Sahih Muslim 1556). And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) commanded Ka'b bin Malik to remit his debtor half of the debt due to him, where as narrated by Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik from his father that he pressed in the mosque Ibn Abu Hadrad for the payment of the debt that he owed to him during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (PBUH), their voices became loud until Allah's Messenger heard them, while He was on the house, so Allah's Messenger (PBUH) came out towards them, and He lifted the curtain of His apartment, and He called upon Ka'b bin Malik and said O Ka'b, he said Labaika O Allah's Messenger: At your service, Allah's Messenger pointed out with the help of His hand to remit half of the debt due to him, Ka'b said Allah's Messenger, I am ready to do that, whereupon, Allah's Messenger said to him (Ibn Hadred) Stand up and Make him the payment (the rest)" (Sahih Muslim 1558).

 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (281) "And Fear a day when you will be returned to Allah, then every soul will be paid in full for what it earned, and they will not be wronged", that is, Allah admonishes His servants and reminds them of the Hereafter saying and Fear a day when you will be returned to Allah, so Fear that you will meet Allah on the day of resurrection with your evil deeds and shameful acts that will destroy you and bring upon you a punishment that you can not bear, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Adi bin Hatim: "There is no man among you except that his Lord shall converse with him on the day of resurrection, there being no interpreter between him and Allah, then he will look to the right and will not see anything except the things he put forward, then he will look to the left and will not see anything except the things he put forward, then he will turn to look before him, and will find the Fire is facing him. Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said whoever among you is able to protect his face from the heat of the Fire even with a piece of a date, then Let him do so" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2415). So the day of resurrection is a day of recompense and reward not a day of seeking forgiveness and repentance, and Allah assures that every soul will be paid in full for what it earned of good and evil, and they will not be wronged, each according to his deeds, where the wrongdoers will be recompensed for their evil deeds and nothing will be added to their sins, whereas nothing will be deprived from the reward of the good doers.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (282) "O you who have believed! When you transact a debt for a specified time, then Write it down, and Let a scribe write between you in justice, and no scribe should refuse to write as Allah has taught him, so Let him write and Let the one who owes the debt dictate, and Let him fear Allah, his Lord, and he should not diminish anything of it, but if the one who owes the debt is of limited understanding or weak or unable to dictate himself, then Let his guardian dictate in justice, and Bring to witness two witnesses from among your men, and if they are not two men, then a man and two women from the witnesses whom you approve, so that if one of them errs, then one of the two reminds the other, and the witnesses should not refuse when they are called upon, and Do not be weary to write it, whether it is small or large, for its term, this is more just in the sight of Allah and more suitable for testimony and nearer that you have no doubt, except that it is a present transaction which you conduct among yourselves, then there is no blame upon you if you do not write it, and Take witnesses when you transact a sale, and neither scribe nor witness should be harmed, and if you do so, then indeed, it is disobedience on your part, and Fear Allah, and Allah teaches you, and Allah is All-Knower of everything", that is, Allah has defined the principals of transactions and sales so that no injustice or deception occurs between people, and this verse is the longest verse in the Holy Quran.

 Allah commanded the believers that if they engaged in deferred transactions, they should write them down, so that their amount and due times may be better preserved, so the deferred transactions with an indefinite term is not permissible, and the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) indicates the same meaning as this verse, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "The Prophet (PBUH) came to Medina, and the people used to pay in advance the price of dates to be delivered within two or three years, He said Whoever pays in advance the price of a thing to be delivered later, should pay it for a specific measure at specific weight for a specific period" (Sahih Albukhari 2240), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) prohibited transactions that were not known, and had no specific term, and as narrated by Ibn Umar: "The people of Pre-Islamic era used to sell the meat of the slaughtered camel up to Habal Al-Habala, and Habal Al-Habala implies that a she-camel should give birth and then the born one should grow young and become pregnant, so Allah's Messenger (PBUH) forbade them that" (Sahih Muslim 1514 b). So Let the thing they bought be a specific thing, of known quantity, with a fixed amount by measure and weight, with a known and specific term such as one or two years.

 And Let a scribe write between you in justice and fairness, without depriving the right of the one entitled to his due or obligating the one who owes the debt to anything he is not obligated to do, so he should not write except what they agreed upon without addition or subtraction, and no scribe should refuse to write as Allah has taught him how to write, so Let him write for those who do not know how to write and Let the one who owes the debt dictate to the scribe what he owes of the debt, and let him fear Allah in that, and he should not diminish anything of the debt, but if the one who owes the debt is of limited understanding or weak or unable to dictate himself, then Let his guardian dictate in justice, so if he one who owes the debt is ignorant of the correct way that he should dictate to the scribe, or he is weak and incapable of dictating either due to muteness or any other illness, or he is unable to dictate due to his absence or any other reason, Allah has relieved him of the obligation to dictate the debt and entrusted it to his guardian, so Let his guardian write it in justice, so he should not wrong any of them, neither the creditor nor the debtor. 

 Then Allah commanded witnessing along with writing down the debt to further guarantee the rights, saying and Bring to witness two witnesses from among your men, so it is stipulated that the two witnesses must be two Muslim men, and this is explicit in rejecting Non-Muslims, boys, women, and salves, and there is disagreement regarding the testimony of a blind man, some permit his testimony concerning matters he knew for certain or that he knew before becoming blind. And if they are not two men, then a man and two women from the witnesses whom you approve, so that if one of them errs, then one of the two reminds the other, so if you do not bring two men to witness, then Bring one man and two women from those whom you approve as witnesses, and whose religion and righteousness are well-known, so they should be upright and trustworthy witnesses, so Allah, Almighty, made the testimony of two women along with one man permissible in this verse, and He did not mention it elsewhere, therefore, it is permitted specifically in financial matters according to the majority of scholars, provided that a man is present with both of them, so that if one of the two women had forgotten and erred in her testimony, then one of the two will remind the other, and scholars have permitted the testimony of women alone, without the presence of a man, in matters that men cannot witness due to necessity.

 And Allah urges the Muslims to give their testimony when they are called upon saying and the witnesses should not refuse when they are called upon, but if there is ample opportunity due to the large number of witnesses and the assurance that the rights of people will not be neglected, he may give his testimony or may refrain from testifying for any reason, and if he refrains from testifying, then there is no sin upon him nor any reward for him, but if the necessity arises, and there is a fear that the rights of people will be lost, then the recommendation of testimony is strong and close to being obligatory, and he should produce his testimony even if he is not asked for it, and as narrated by Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Should I not tell you of the best witnesses?, he is the one who gives his testimony before he is asked for it" (Sahih Muslim 1719).  

Then Allah commanded the Muslims not be weary to write debt, whether it is small or large for its term, so not to say this is a small amount that I don't need to write down, so write the debt whether it is small or large for the term you agreed upon, and Allah assures that writing of a debt for its term is more just in the sight of Allah for if they do not write it down, they may forget it, and writing the debt is more suitable for testimony for it will be an evidence if the witness forgets his testimony, and it is nearer that you have no doubt, so in case of dispute, you will refer to the writing document, and it will settle the matter between you without any doubt because it contains the words by which the debtor and creditor have acknowledged against themselves. 

 Then Allah made an exception and permitted the Muslims to refrain from writing the transactions between them if the sale was for cash and hand to hand because the sellers receive what is due to them from the buyers before departing, so there is no need for either party to write it down, but Allah urges them to take witnesses when they transact a sale, so Have witnesses to your rights in all cases, whether the payment is in cash or deferred, so that there is no harm to either party, as for the buyer, if the seller denies the sale and he has a proof of his ownership of what he sold, while the buyer has no proof of the purchase from him, then the word of the seller will be accepted and judgment is given in his favor, and the buyer's money will be lost in vain, and as for the seller, if the buyer denies the purchase while he is entitled to the price of what he sold from the seller, then he swears that he has paid the price to the seller, then the seller's right to the price of what he sold will be nullified, so Allah commanded both parties to have witnesses so that the right of one party against the other would not be lost.

And as narrated by Umarah bin Khuzaymah from his uncle: "The Prophet (PBUH) bought a horse from a Bedouin, the Prophet took him with Him to pay him the price of his horse, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) walked slowly, the people stopped the Bedouin and began to bargain with him for the horse as they did not know that the Prophet (PBUH) has bought it, the Bedouin called the Messenger of Allah saying if You want to buy this horse, otherwise I shall sell it, the Prophet stopped when He heard the call of the Bedouin and said Have I not bought it from you?, the Bedouin said I swear by Allah, I have not sold it to You, the Prophet said yes, I have bought it from you, the Bedouin began to say Bring a witness, Khuzaymah bin Thabit then said I bear witness that You have bought it, the Prophet (PBUH) turned to Khuzaymah and said On what do you bear witness?, he said by considering You trustworthy O Messenger of Allah, so the Messenger of Allah made the witness of Khuzaymah equivalent to the witness of two men" (Sunan Abi Dawood 3607).

 Allah addresses those of rights, the creditors and the debtors, saying and neither scribe nor witness should be harmed, and if you do so, then indeed, it is disobedience on your part, so Allah commanded them not to harm the scribes or the witnesses when they asked them to write or witness for them while they are preoccupied with their own affair, or when they testify to what they have written or what you have called them to witness if it does not conform to your desires, and if you disobey what you have been commanded to do and do what you have been forbidden to do, then it is disobedience and sin on your part, so Fear Allah, and fear His punishment if you disobey His commands, and Allah teaches you what you did not know, and Allah is All-Knower of everything as He is All-Aware of the realities, interests, consequences of all things, so nothing is hidden from Him, and His knowledge encompasses all beings.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (283) "And if you are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit taken in the hand, and if one of you entrusts another, then Let the one who has been entrusted render his trust and Let him fear Allah, his Lord, and Do not conceal the testimony, and whoever conceals it, then indeed, his heart is sinful, and Allah is All-Knower of what you do", that is, if you are on a journey, and you have no way of having written down the debt you have incurred between you for a specific term, whether if you cannot find a scribe to write the debt for you or if you find a scribe but cannot find paper or pin, then Take a security deposit in the hand for your debts from the one to whom you are incurring the debt, so that you may be secure in your money, and this Aya is an evidence that the security deposit must be given to the creditor when the debt is received, and that the security deposit is permissible while traveling if you cannot find a way to write the debt, but if you can write the debt, then you are not permitted to give a security deposit to the creditor. But that does not mean that the security deposit is prohibited in other situations, as there are times when you are not traveling, but cannot find a way to write the debt, such as during times when people are busy or at night, and it is permissible in residence according to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), where as narrated by Aisha: "Allah's Messenger (PBUH) died while His iron armor was mortgaged to a Jew for thirty Sa's of barely" (Sahih Albukhari 2916). 

 Thereupon, the creditor has the right to demand a security deposit as a security for his debt, so that if the debtor does not pay the debt, the creditor will take the debt from the security deposit, and the creditor may benefit from the mortgaged property in exchange for what it needs in terms of maintenance, so if he spends on a riding animal, he may ride it, and if he spends on a milk-producing animal, he may drink its milk in return for his expenses, but he cannot benefit from what does not require maintenance such as clothing and land, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "The mortgaged animal can be used for riding as long as it is fed, and the milk of the milch animal can be drunk according to what one spends on it, the one who rides the animal or drinks its milk should provide the expenditures" (Sahih Albukhari 2512), so whoever spends on the mortgaged animal is the one who benefits from it, if its owner is the one who spends on it, then the creditor is not allowed to benefit from it in any way. 

 Then Allah says And if one of you entrusts another, then Let the one who has been entrusted render his trust and Let him fear Allah, his Lord, so if the debtor is trustworthy in the sight of the creditor, so he does not take from him a security deposit during their travel as a security for his debt because of his confidence in him, then Let the debtor pay the debt that he entrusted to him, and Let him fear Allah, his Lord, regarding what he owes his friend, lest he deny the debt or try to take it away. whoever takes people's money as a loan or other form of transaction, intending and determined to repay his debt, Allah will make it easy for him to repay it, but as for he who takes people's money, intending and determined not to return it, Allah will destroy him, so he will not benefit from it in the worldly life, and Allah will punish him for it in the Hereafter, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever takes the money of the people with the intention of repaying it, Allah will repay it on his behalf, and whoever takes it in order to destroy it, then Allah will destroy him" (Sahih Albukhari 2387). And Allah commanded the witnesses not to conceal the testimony, so they must testify whenever they are called upon, and tell the truth whenever they are asked, and Allah threatens whoever conceals it, and assures that if he conceals his testimony, then indeed, his heart is sinful and wicked for he has disobeyed Allah's command, and Allah is All-Knower of what you do, and He knows what you declare and what you conceal, so He knows whether you carry your testimony out or conceal it when you are called to witness, and He will recompense you for your deeds, either with good or evil, according to what you deserve.

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (284) "To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and whether you declare what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it, then He will forgive whom He wills, and punish whom He wills, and Allah is All-Powerful over everything", that is, to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, so He is the Creator of everything, and the Disposer of all affairs, and His knowledge encompasses everything in all conditions and all times, so He knows what His servants conceal in their breasts and what they declare and nothing of their affairs is hidden from Him, then Allah tells that He would hold His servants accountable for what they did and what they conceals in their hearts, so He would held them accountable for their deeds, and will forgive whom He wills, and punish whom He wills, and Allah is All-powerful to do whatever He wills, and neither impediment nor inability can prevent Him from doing whatever He wills.

 When this verse was revealed, it greatly distressed the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and feared Allah's reckoning for their deeds, great and small, and that was due to the strength of their faith and conviction, so Allah decreed in the last verse that the soul is responsible for what it has earned, and bears the consequences of what it has acquired in words and deeds, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "When it was revealed to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) {To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and whether you declare what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it, then He will forgive whom He wills, and punish whom He wills, and Allah is All-Powerful over everything}, the companions of the Messenger of Allah felt it hard and severe and they came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and sat down on their knees and said Messenger of Allah! We were assigned some duties which were within our power to perform such as prayer, fasting, Jihad, and charity, and this verse was revealed to You and it is beyond our power to live up to it. The Messenger of Allah said Do you intend to say what the people of the two Books (Jews and Christians) said before you we hear and disobey?, you should rather say we hear and we obey Your forgiveness our Lord, and to You is the final return, and they said we hear and we obey Your forgiveness our Lord, and to You is the final return, when the people recited it, it smoothly flowed on their tongues, then Allah revealed immediately afterwards {The Messenger has believed in what was sent down to Him from His Lord, and the believers, all have believed in Allah, and His Angels, and His Books, and His Messengers, we do not make distinction between any of His Messengers, and they say we hear and we obey, Your forgiveness our Lord, and to You is the final return, Aya 285}, when they did that, Allah the Great and Majestic, abrogated it, then Allah revealed {Allah does not burden a soul except its capacity, it will have what it has earned, and it will bear what it has earned, our Lord! Do not call us to account if we have forgotten or made a mistake, Aya 286}, He said yes i.e. I have done, {Our Lord! And Do not place upon us a burden like that which You have placed on those before us Aya 286}, He said yes, {Our Lord! And Do not burden us with that for which we have no strength, Aya 286}, He said yes, {And Pardon us, and Forgive us, and Have mercy upon us, You are our Protector, so Help us against the disbelieving people, Aya 286}, He said yes" (Sahih Muslim 125). And as narrated by Marwan Al-Asfar from a man from the companions of Allah's Messenger who I think was Ibn Umar said the verse (And whether you declare what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it) was abrogated by the verse following it" (Sahih Albukhari 4546). 

 Thereupon, Allah assures that He will not hold His servants accountable for the evil thoughts that one of them had harbored within himself, so He will forgive them, and no sin is incurred as long as they did not commit this evil with their limbs, or speak of it with their tongues, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Allah forgave My Ummah (Muslims) the evil promptings which arise within their hearts as long as they did not speak about them or did not act upon them" (Sahih Muslim 127), and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Allah, Blessed and Most High has said, and His saying is the truth, when My servant considers doing something good, then Write it as one good for him, if He acts upon it, then Write ten times the like of it for him, and when he considers doing something evil, then Do not Write it, if he acts upon it, then Write it the like of it, if he leaves it, and perhaps He said if he does not act upon it, then Write a good deed for him, then He (PBUH) recited {Whoever comes with the good deed will have ten times the like of it, Aya (160) of Surat Alan'am }" (Jami' Altirmidhi 3073). 

 

 But scholars have differed regarding this verse, some said that it specifically refers to concealing the testimony, and that Allah will hold those who conceal the testimony accountable for concealing it, and for what they hid within themselves, some said that it refers to doubt and hypocrisy that arose in the minds, not to inner thoughts, so Allah will hold His servants accountable for the doubt and hypocrisy that they have hidden in their minds, and some said that it is not abrogated, and that Allah will hold His servants accountable for what they did and for what they conceal and intend in their hearts, and He will forgive the believers and punish the disbelievers and hypocrites. 

 However, all these opinions agree that Allah does not hold His servants accountable for their thoughts and whispers, but rather, for the faith and certainty or disbelief and doubts that resided within their hearts, so He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills, and as narrated by Safwan bin Muhriz Almazini: "While I was walking with Ibn Umar holding his hand, a man came in front of us, and asked What have you heard from Allah's Messenger about Alnajwa?, Ibn Umar said I heard Allah's Messenger saying Allah will draw the believer near Him and shelter him with His screen and ask him Do you know the sin of such-and-such?, Do you know the sin of such-and-such?, so he will say yes O Lord! Until he confesses his sin and thinks that he is perished, Allah will say I did screen it for you in the world, and I will forgive them for you today, and then he will be given the book of his good deeds, but as for the disbelievers and the infidels, {The witnesses will say these are the ones who lied against their Lord, Aya (18) of Surat Hud}" (Sahih Albukhari 2441). 

 Allah Almighty says in the next verse (285) "The Messenger has believed in what was sent down to Him from His Lord, and the believers, all have believed in Allah and His Angels, and His Books, and His Messengers, we do not make distinction between any of His Messengers, and they say we hear and we obey, Your forgiveness our Lord, and to You is the final return", that is, this verse and the verse that follows it are called the concluding verses of Surat Albaqarah (Khawateem Surat Albaqarah), and they are one of the two lights given to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) which have not been given to any Prophet before Him, where as narrated by Ibn Abbas: "While Gabriel was sitting withe the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), He heard a creaking sound above Him, He lifted His head and said this is a gate opened in heaven today which had never been opened before, then when an Angel descended through it, He said this is an Angel who came down to the earth who had never come down before. He greeted and said Rejoice in two lights given to You which have not been given to any Prophet before You Fatihat Al-Kitab (Surat Alfatihah), and Khawateem Surat Albaqarah (the concluding verses of Surat Albaqarah), You will never recite a letter from them for which You will not given i.e. a reward" (Sahih Muslim 806). And as narrated by Abu Mas'ud Albadri that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "It is sufficient for one to recite the last two verses of Surat Albaqarah at night" (Sahih Albukhari 4008). So the last two verses of Surat Albaqarah will protect whoever recites them at night from evil and harm, for they contain all meaning of faith, seeking refuge in Allah, seeking His help, relying on Him, and asking His forgiveness and mercy.

 Since it was established in the previous verse that it was difficult for the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) to be held accountable for what they declare and what they conceal in their hearts, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) commanded them to say we hear and we obey, and when they did so, Allah has praised them in the current verse, and relieved them of the difficulty in the matter of thoughts, and that was the consequence of their obedience and devotion to Allah, Almighty. Thereupon, Allah assures that His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) believed in what Allah has revealed to Him of the Holy Quran, and in what it contains of the lawful and the unlawful, promises and warnings, and commands and prohibitions, and the believers, all of them, believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers, and they do not disbelieve in any of them, nor do they differentiate between any of them as the Jews and the Christians did, when they believe in some Messengers and disbelieve in others. And the believers said we have heard and obeyed, so we have understood Your words, and we have acted upon them, and complied with the actions required by them, then they asked Allah's forgiveness and acknowledged that they will return to Him on the day of resurrection.

 Allah Almighty says in the last verse (286) "Allah does not burden a soul except its capacity, it will have what it has earned, and it will bear what it has earned, our Lord! Do not call us to account if we have forgotten or made a mistake, our Lord! And Do not place upon us a burden like that which You have placed on those before us, our Lord! And Do not burden us with that for which we have no strength, and Pardon us, and Forgive us, and Have mercy upon us, You are our Protector, so Help us against the disbelieving people", that is, Allah shows His kindness, compassion, and benevolence to the believers saying that He does not charge a soul except its capacity, so He will only punish them for what they are capable of, and will not hold them accountable for what they cannot prevent such as the whispers and the inner thoughts of the soul. Repelling the evil whispers of the soul or that which Satan casts into the heart, and aversion to uttering them is part of the sincerity of faith, where as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "Some people from amongst the companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came to Him and said indeed, we perceive in our minds that which everyone of us considers it too grave to express, He (PBUH) said Do you really perceive it?, they said yes, upon this He said that is the faith manifest" (Sahih Muslim 132).   

 So every soul will have what it has earned of good, and it will bear what it has earned of evil and sin, then Allah has guided His servants to ask Him, and He guaranteed to answer their supplication as mentioned above in Aya (284), so He has taught them to say our Lord! Do not call us to account if we have forgotten or made a mistake, so Do not hold us accountable if we neglect an obligation due to forgetfulness or do something forbidden due to our ignorance of its legal aspect, and as narrated by Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Allah has forgiven My Ummah (Muslims) for mistake and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do" (Sunan Ibn Majah 2045). And Allah has taught the believers to say our Lord! And Do not place upon us a burden like that which You have placed on those before us, so Do not impose upon us a covenant that we are unable to fulfill as You placed it upon those before us from among the Jews and the Christians, who were given covenants to perform certain deed, but they did not perform them and were punished for that. 

 Allah has taught the believers to say our Lord! And Do not burden us with that for which we have no strength, and Pardon us, so Do not burden us with what we cannot bear of obligations, calamity, and afflictions, and Do not test us with what we cannot endure. And the believers asked Allah to pardon them if they fall short in some of the obligations that He has commanded them to perform, so that He may pardon them and not punish them for that, and to forgive them their evil deeds and not to expose them before the people, and they asked Allah to have mercy on them for what is to come, and protect them from falling in sins, therefore, the scholars said that the sinner needs three things: he wants Allah to pardon him in private, he wants Allah to conceal his sin from His servants, so that He does not expose him before them, and he wants Allah to protect him so that he does not fall into the same sin. And the believers addresses Allah saying You are our Protector, so Help us against the disbelieving people, so You are the One from whom we seek help, and upon You we put out trust, and there is no power or strength for us except through You, so Grant us victory over the disbelieving people who reject Your religion, denied Your Oneness and associated partners with You, and opposed Your Messenger (PBUH). 

No one Knows its interpretation except Allah