Commentary

The Background of Revelation

Verse 77 beginning with the words: أَلَمْ تَرَ‌ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ (Have you not seen those to whom it was said, "Hold your hands { from fighting)...) was revealed in a particular background. Before their migration from Makkah, Muslims were regularly persecuted by disbelievers. Harassed Muslims used to visit the Holy Prophet ﷺ complaining to him about the high-handed treatment meted out to them and asking for his permission to fight back in self-defence and put an end to the Kafir reign of terror. He advised patience holding them back from direct confrontation on the plea that he has not been commanded to fight, in fact, he told them, he has been commanded to stay patient, forgo and forgive. He also told them to continue observing the instructions of salah and zakah, already given to them, consistently and devotedly. He impressed upon them the virtues of the present pattern of their behaviour, even though the odds were against them, for the simple reason that, unless man is conditioned to fight against his own evil desires in obedience to the command of Allah and is also used to bearing physical pain and financial sacrifice, he finds joining Jihad and sacrificing his life very difficult a proposition. This was an advice Muslims had accepted. But when they migrated from Makkah to Madinah, and Jihad was enjoined upon them, they should have been pleased with it, as it was something that had answered their own prayers. But, there were some infirm Muslims around who started fearing the prospects of a fight against the disbelievers as one would fear the punishment of Allah, rather more than this. Caught in that peevish state of mind, they started pining for a little more respite, a possible postponement of the command to fight to some later day which may have given them more time to live and to enjoy. Thereupon, these verses were revealed. (Ruh al-Ma` ani)

Why did the Muslims wish for the postponement of Jihad

The wish for respite expressed by Muslims following the command to fight was not an objection to the command of Jihad. It was, rather, a benign and subtle complaint. The reason may lie in the usual pattern of human psyche in such situations. When hurt and harassed to the extreme, one is very likely to flare up and go for a revenge. But, once man is used to a life of physical comfort and peace, he does not feel like going out to fight. This is no more than a simple human reaction. So, these Muslims, while they were in Makkah, all fed up with pains inflicted on them by the disbelievers at that time, were naturally looking forward most eagerly for the command of Jihad to come. But, when they reached Madinah, they found peace and comfort which they had missed for long. Now the command to fight, when it came in that state of theirs, found them no more moved by their old fire, therefore, they simply wished that it would have been better if the call for Jihad was just not there at that point of time. Now, to take this 'wish' as an 'objection' and to attribute an act of sin to those Muslims is not correct. However, this explanation is limited to the assumption that they had pronounced this complaint verbally. But, if they said nothing verbally, and it was simply a thought which crossed their mind, then, thoughts in the mind and doubts in the heart are happenings which the Shari’ ah of Islam simply does not count as sins. Here, both probabilities exist. Then, the word, قَالُوا "Qalu" (They say) in the verse should not lead one to presume that they had said this verbally, for it may be taken to mean that they may have said it within their hearts. (Abridged from Bayan al-Qur'an by Maulana Thanavi). According to some commentators, in which case, no explanation is, called for. (Tafsir Kabir).

Self-correction should precede collective reform

In وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ (verse 77), Allah Almighty has first mentioned the command to establish the prescribed prayers and pay the fixed zakah which are the medium of self-correction. The command of Jihad comes after that, which is the medium of political and collective correction, that is, through it the forces of coercion and injustice are eliminated as a result of which peace prevails in the country. From here we learn that, well before worrying about correcting others, one should start correcting himself. So, seen from the angle of a relative degree of importance, the first command is an absolute individual obligation (fard al-'ayn) while the second is an obligation which, if performed by some, will absolve others (fard al-kifayah). This highlights the importance of self-correction and makes its precedence obvious enough (Mazhari).

The difference between the blessings of the present world and those of the Hereafter

In this verse, the blessings of the Hereafter have been declared to be more bountiful and certainly better as compared with the blessings of the present world of our experience. Some reasons why this is so are given below:

1. The blessings of the present world are few, while the blessings of the Hereafter are many.

2. The blessings of dunya (the present world) are perishable, while the blessings of Akhirah (Hereafter) are eternal.

3. The blessings of dunya are laced with all sorts of botherations, while the blessings of Akhirah are free of such impurities.

4. The acquisition of the blessings of dunya is not certain, while the blessings of Akhirah will most certainly reach everyone who is God fearing (Muttagi: the observer of Taqwa). (al-Tafslr al-Kablr)

و لا خیر فی الدُّنیا لِمَ لَم یَکُن لَّہ مِنَ اللہِ فی دَارِ المقَامِ نَصِیبُ

فَاِن تعجِبُ الدُّنیا رِجَالاً فَاِنَّا مَتَاعُ قلیلُ وَ الزَّوالُ قَرِیبُ

There is no gain in dunya for the one who has no share in the eternal abode from Allah. Still, if dunya does attract some people, then (beware) it is a short-lived enjoyment and its decline is near (that is, once eyes closes in death, the Akhirah is there to see).