July-2023

It was made clear with certainty in the previous verses (91-93) that the claim made by the Jews of believing in the Torah and the Bible is wrong in a scholarly sense because they abandoned the teachings of both these books. They responded to the instructions of Hazrat Musa AS with outright rejection and didn’t comply with them wholeheartedly.

A practical example is presented in verses (94-96) to prove that claim of the Jews is wrong. People who abide by Divine instructions do so with the concept of success in the hereafter. Those who remain true to their belief in thought and practice, do so only to appease Allah and expect with certainty its reward in the hereafter, they do not fear death. These verses invite them to fight against the oppression to rise from their state of distress and humiliation, even if this struggle leads to their death. They would have done so if they truly believed in the teachings of the Torah and the Bible.

Say, [O Muhammad], "If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is for you alone and not the [other] people

The Jews used to assert that because of their faith, Allah will grant Heaven only to them in the hereafter. Those who are aware of Divine Revelations but fail to act upon them in their entirety, are bound to end up making such false claims to convince themselves of success in the form of heaven. Allah disassembles their false claim by saying.

then wish for death, if you should be truthful.

Here desiring death, means to strive according to the divine instructions. So, if you are true in your claim, then instead of living in persecution and suffering, enslaved to your oppressors, you should obey Allah and fight your enemies even if it means death. This will lead you to heaven. It is always easier for a person to accept death if he truly believes in his cause being just. But when he’s not ready to fight the enemies of humanity and does not want to die in the cause of truth, this only means that he doesn’t believe nor accept the righteousness of his faith.

But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth.

They would never dare to follow such a path that led to death because of their god and inhuman practices. They are well aware of their illusive thoughts and faulty practices in contradiction with the teachings of the Torah. They disobeyed the revelations of Allah, breached their promises to Hazrat Musa AS, killed prophets, and exploited the instructions of religion for their personal and social gains. They are fully aware of the consequences of these crimes. This is why they’d never opt for a path of struggle that ends up in death. Instead, they want to flourish and luxuriate in the worldly wealth that they have acquired by compromising on their religious beliefs. They preferred the short and limited pleasures of earthly life over the hereafter. They are very cruel indeed.

And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.

Allah is well-informed of the atrocities and wrongdoings of these tyrants. How they disobeyed the teachings of their religion by first having their brothers of Bani Israel enslaved by the enemies and then in the name of granting them freedom gathered money in the form of “Fidya”. The way they let innocent humans bleed and breached the fundamental societal contracts of religious collectiveness. It has been explained in detail in the previous verses from 84-85.

And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life - [even] more than those who associate others with Allah.

Jews claim to follow the teachings of Musa AS, but every person who thoroughly observes their practices, intuitively feels that the Jews and the nonbelievers are the most greedy and miserly among humans.

One of them wishes that he could be granted life for a thousand years,

Their condition is such that without exception every single one of them desires to live a thousand years so that they can luxuriate themselves with earthly gains, and humiliate and oppress other people to feel better and superior about themselves.

but it would not remove him in the least from the [coming] punishment that he should be granted life. And Allah is Seeing what they do.

Their prolonged life will not save them from Allah’s wrath. This is because they have committed such crimes, disobeyed the instructions of Allah and His prophet, distressed humanity, tormented and tortured them, Allah knows them all very well. They are bound to be questioned for their deeds.

The truth is, when any party claiming to be following a divine religion, lacks the ideology to establish the order of justice, they are bound to become diseased with cowardice and inaction, they end up in religious factions and each faction claims to be on the right path and therefore believes that heaven is rightfully theirs. And hell is the fate of all the other factions. Then no one can save them from humiliation both in this life and the hereafter. Their religious claim is false. People who indulge in such delusions and corrupt practices will never dare to stand and struggle against the oppressors and the tyrants. They end up in dismay politically and financially, while being enslaved by others.

(Translation:Hassan Shahbaz, Lahore.)

  Hazrat Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived in Madinah, he observed that the Jews were fasting on the day of Ashura (the tenth of Muharram). The Prophet (peace be upon him) inquired about the significance of that day, and they informed him that it was the day when Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) achieved victory over Pharaoh. The Prophet (peace be upon him) responded by saying, "We have more right to Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) than them, so we should fast on this day as well."

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) highlighted the importance of fasting on the day of Ashura and also emphasized another significant aspect. He noted that the Israelites celebrated Ashura as a day of freedom from the bondage of Pharaoh and expressed their gratitude through fasting. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, "I am the true successor of Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him), so I have a greater right to express my gratitude to Allah for the true blessing of freedom."

Throughout history, slavery has been considered the greatest curse for nations, and the liberation of nations has always been a crucial mission of the Prophets. An important event described in the Holy Qur'an is the liberation of the Israelites by Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) from the Pharaoh of their time. After receiving the prophethood, Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) said to the Pharaoh, "Set the Children of Israel free and let them accompany me." (Quran 7:105) The same responsibility was also bestowed upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Describing various qualities of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Holy Qur'an states, "The Prophet loosens the shackles of slavery on his people." (Quran 7:105) The Prophet's (peace be upon him) struggle was based on this principle. He established guiding principles and set practical examples for the liberation not only of the Arab nation but also of the entire world.

In the light of the Qur'an and the life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), we need to reflect on why our nation and other nations around the world are deprived of true freedom today. What forms of slavery do they endure, and how can they break free from these chains? After fulfilling our religious obligations, the most significant duty is to attain national independence. Without true freedom, it becomes challenging for individuals to adhere to various Sharia laws and religious practices. In other words, such practices remain ineffective and fruitless in society. All the prophets have experienced this struggle to break free from slavery and achieve genuine freedom.

(Translation: Shahid Kiani, China)

 Hazrat Hakeem ibn Hizam al-Qurashi al-Asadi, also known as Abu Khalid Maki, was deeply devoted to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He embraced Islam during the Conquest of Makkah and participated in the Battle of Hunayn alongside the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) donated 100 camels to him. When he asked for more Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him more. However, when he requested further assistance, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “This wealth is apparently sweet, whosoever acquires it with generosity of heart will find it fulfilling and whosoever would acquire it with greed will not find it fulfilling and he will be like a person who would eat but will not be satiated.”

Upon hearing this advice, Hazrat Hakeem vowed not to accept any favors from anyone after the Prophet (peace be upon him). Consequently, he refrained from accepting any favors or holding any official positions during the times of Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with them). Despite this, he remained wealthy and influential among the people.

Hazrat Hakeem was renowned for his generosity and wisdom. The Prophet (peace be upon him) supplicated for Allah to bless his possessions. During a period of restrictions on marriage and trade between Banu Hashim and Banu Abd al-Muttalib due to a boycott, Hazrat Hakeem acted as a merchant on behalf of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He would transport goods, along with food and clothing, to the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a gesture of respect and to honor his aunt, Hazrat Khadijah. Additionally, Hazrat Hakeem purchased Hazrat Zaid ibn Harithah and presented him to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who subsequently freed him.

Hazrat Hakeem possessed extensive knowledge and wisdom in personal and national affairs. He belonged to the influential Quraysh tribe and was known for his righteous deeds even before embracing Islam. His good deeds continued after his conversion. He once inquired whether his previous good deeds held any value after becoming a Muslim, to which the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied that those deeds were what led him to Islam.

Hazrat Hakeem ibn Hizam passed away at the age of 120 in the year 54 AH. (Source: Ibn Kathir's Tarikh, Vol. 4, p. 406; Asad al-Ghabah; Tabari; Al-Khasa'is al-Kubra)

(Tanslation: Shifa Ullah, Bhakkar)