ISLAM COLUMN: Al-Baqarah (3)

As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.

This warning has given them every opportunity to ponder over what was being said to them. They had time to reason, to evaluate and assess the veracity or otherwise of the message, but they chose to remain obdurate. And that is why on the Day of Judgement, Allah will ask them:

37. And they cry for help there, (saying): Our Lord! Release us; we will do right, not (the wrong) that we used to do. Did not We grant you a life long enough for who reflected to reflect therein? And the warner came unto you. Now taste (the flavour of your deeds), for evil-doers have no helper. (Ghaafir)

As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.

Why will they not believe?

7 Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).

Another translation of the verse:

7. Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes, there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.

A seal or stamp is the last thing you do to a document to safeguard it from interpolation. The heart is used here as the pinnacle of the human body, the repository of intellect, reasoning and discernment. Now, since the heart was closed, sealed with kufr ensconced in it, belief will have no way to go into it, and the kufr will have no exit from it.

So, it is on their hearts and hearing that a seal is placed because the heart functions from all directions, just as the hearing. From whatever direction a sound comes, you will hear it. But the eyes work only from one direction. You cannot see what is behind you. It is only what you face that you see. You are blind to whatever is not within sight. That is why a veil, a covering, is placed on their eyes.

Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).

The verses in al-Baqarah started with the description of the Mu’mineen, then with that of the Kaafireen and ended with that of the Munaafiqeen. The believers were mentioned in 4 verses, the disbelievers in only two verses, but the hypocrites were described in 13 verses because of their treachery and deception. A disbeliever is distinct from a believer. The Muslims will relate with him as such, giving him his rights as appropriate and taking precautions when necessary. But the hypocrite is different. He comes to the Muslims in the garb of faith as one of them while concealing Kufr. By being with the Muslims, he knows every secret concerning them: their strength, weakness and whatnot.

8 Of the people, there are some who say: “We believe in Allah and the Last Day,” but they do not (really) believe.

Another translation is:

8. And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day when they believe not.

There is a difference between wa maa hum bi mu’mineen and wa maa aamanuu which would have meant they do not believe now, but there is the possibility of them being Mu’mineen at some time in the future, but He said wa maa hum bi mu’mineen to indicate that they have not believed now and will not believe at any other time in the future.

9 Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realise (it) not!

Another translation of the verse:

9. They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves, but they perceive not.

Were they trying to deceive Allah? No! They were not ignorant folk. They were the people of the Book among the Jews of Madinah. They knew it was not possible to deceive Allah. He was not deceivable. He knows what they reveal and what they conceal. Their aim was to deceive the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam. Whoever deceives Allah’s Messenger is as if he deceives Allah. The same goes for one who deceives the believers; he deceives Allah.

Deception is when you present the opposite of what you hide. So, they claimed to have professed Islam while they were disbelievers. They enjoyed all the benefits and privileges of being Muslims. They mingled with the Muslims, knew their secrets and revealed the same to the enemies of Islam. By Allah’s permission, the Messenger, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam related with them as he did any other Muslim, knowing that they were not Muslims. They thought that they had got away with their act of deception. Allah gave them a long rope to wander in their trespasses only to entrap them so that they cannot escape from His punishment on the Day of Judgement. That is Allah’s deception to them.

In the Qur’an, such words are attributed to Allah,, but the scholars explained that it is the punishment that took the appellation of the sin. It does not mean that Allah acted in like manner as the sinners.

40. The guerdon of an ill deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loveth not wrongdoers. (ash-Shuraa)

Alternative translation of the verse:

40 The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah: for (Allah) loveth not those who do wrong. (ash-Shuraa)

54. And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers. (Aali-Imraan)

142. Lo! The hypocrites seek to beguile Allah, but it is Allah who beguileth them. When they stand up to worship, they perform it languidly and to be seen of men, and are mindful of Allah but little; (an-Nisaa)

In all these cases, the punishment takes the form of sin, and it is not that Allah repays evil with evil, or schemes or deceives. This was an opinion. Another the verses say precisely what is mentioned; they received the fitting recompense for what they did, whether it was beguilement, deception, evil conduct and whatnot.

9 Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realise (it) not!

The deception returns against themselves because in the world, they thought they had the upper hand by deceiving the Muslims and enjoying the rights accorded believers. But on the Day of Judgement, when the hidden becomes apparent they are exposed for what they really are and plunged into the dungeon, thus their deception was only against themselves, and they realise it not. Whoever thought that they could deceive the undeceivable were receiving themselves.

‘…and realise (it) not.’ Also, means that they did not realise that even the Messenger, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam was not deceived because he knew them one by one, by their names. To some of his companions, he had mentioned such names.

10 In their hearts is a disease, and Allah has increased their disease: And grievous is the penalty they (incur) because they are false (to themselves).

Or:

10. In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom theirs because they lie.

The disease in their hearts is that of hypocrisy, which blinds them from seeing and accepting the truth. What they do is adorned to them by Satan, so they see it as good.