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Rules and Rituals of Hajj – Part 3: Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:200-202) By Mohammad Sobhanie

Commentary of the Quran

Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:200-202)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Rules and Rituals of Hajj – Part 3

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّـهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ آبَاءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا ۗ فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ﴿٢٠٠﴾ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿٢٠١﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا ۚ وَاللَّـهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٢٠٢

Translation:

2:200 And when you have completed your rites, remember Allah as you remember [previously] your fathers or even more. And among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” yet he has no share in the Hereafter.

2:201 And among them is he who says, “Our Lord, give us goodness in this world, and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.”

2:202 Those, for them is a share of what they earned. And God is Swift at reckoning.

Commentary:

In the pre-Islamic era after completing the pilgrimage of Hajj, the Bedouin got together and praised their tribe and ancestors’ virtues such as generosity, forgives, bravery, hospitability, etc. This is in contrast to the appropriate intentions for the pilgrimage of Hajj, a journey meant for seeking closeness to only Allah (SWT). Therefore, the verse 2:200 commands pilgrims, once they have completed the pilgrimage of Hajj (فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ), to remember the bounties and blessings of Allah (SWT) and celebrate His names (فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّـهَ) like they used to praise their forefathers virtues (كَذِكْرِكُمْ آبَاءَكُمْ), but they should praise Allah (SWT) even more fervently (أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا).

The verse classifies people in two categories: 1) A group whose minds are locked in the materialistic world, which they exclusively pray for. Consequently, they deprive themselves from divine blessings in the Hereafter:

… فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ﴿٢٠٠

2:200 ….And among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” yet he has no share in the Hereafter.

The second group view life on Earth as an opportunity to earn a prosperous life in the Hereafter. They invoke Allah (SWT) and ask Him for both goodness in this world and the Hereafter:

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿٢٠١

2:201 And among them is he who says, “Our Lord, give us goodness in this world, and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.”

The phrase “protect us from the torment of the Fire” implies that a believer prays that the materials and opportunities of this world do not become a source of eternal punishment. For instance, Quaroon at the time of Prophet Musa (AS) had an abundance of wealth. He put his sense of security in his wealth. He rebelled against the Lord and consequently, the Earth swallowed him along with his wealth [Al-Qasas, 28:76-81]. Quaroon’s wealth was a source of divine punishment for him.

The verse 2:202 asserts that the invocation of the latter group who asks for the goodness of this world and the Hereafter will receive a share of divine blessings in the Hereafter. Be sure, that Allah (SWT) is swift at reckoning:

أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا ۚ وَاللَّـهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٢٠٢

2:202 Those, for them is a share of what they earned (with the help of their invocation). And God is Swift at reckoning.

The phrase (مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا) implies what they have earned through their invocations:

A similar message is echoed in chapter Al-Isra 17:18, where it says:

مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَاءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَاهَا مَذْمُومًا مَّدْحُورًا ﴿١٨﴾ وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الْآخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا ﴿١٩﴾ كُلًّا نُّمِدُّ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ وَهَـٰؤُلَاءِ مِنْ عَطَاءِ رَبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا ﴿٢٠

17:20 Whoever desire this present life – We will grant him quickly, whatever We wish, to whomever We desire. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell, he will burn therein disgraced and rejected, (far away from Allah’s Mercy).

17:21 Those who do wish for the (things of) the Hereafter, and strive therefor with all due striving, and have Faith, they are the ones whose striving is acceptable (to Allah).

17:22 To each [category] We extend – to these and to those – from the gift of your Lord. The bounties of your Lord are not closed (to anyone).

Word-for-Word Translation:

2:200 [فَإِذَا] Then [قَضَيْتُم] when you completed [مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ] you acts of worship [فَاذْكُرُوا] then remember [اللَّـهَ] Allah [كَذِكْرِكُمْ] as you remember [آبَاءَكُمْ] your forefathers [أَوْ] or  [أَشَدَّ] with greater [ذِكْرًا] remembrance [فَمِنَ] And from [النَّاسِ] the people [مَن] who [يَقُولُ]  say  [رَبَّنَا] Our Lord [آتِنَا] grant us [فِي] in [الدُّنْيَا] the world [وَمَا] And not [لَهُ] for him [فِي] in [الْآخِرَةِ] the Hereafter [مِنْ] of [خَلَاقٍ] any share

2:201 [وَمِنْهُم] And from those [مَّن] who [يَقُولُ] say, [رَبَّنَا] Our Lord [آتِنَا] grant us [فِي] in [الدُّنْيَا] the world [حَسَنَةً] good [وَفِي] and in  [الْآخِرَةِ] the Hereafter [حَسَنَةً] good [وَقِنَا] and save us [عَذَابَ] form the punishment [النَّارِ] of the Fire

2:202 [أُولَـٰئِكَ] Those [لَهُمْ] for them [نَصِيبٌ] is a share [مِّمَّا] of what [كَسَبُوا] they earned [وَاللَّـهُ] and Allah [سَرِيعُ] is swift [الْحِسَابِ] in taking account

 

 

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