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Dark Fate of Corruptors of Earth: Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:204-206) By Mohammad Sobhanie

Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:204-206)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Dark Fate of Corruptors of Earth

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيُشْهِدُ اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا فِي قَلْبِهِ وَهُوَ أَلَدُّ الْخِصَامِ ﴿٢٠٤ [1]﴾ وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَسَادَ ﴿٢٠٥ [2]﴾ وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللَّـهَ أَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْإِثْمِ ۚ فَحَسْبُهُ جَهَنَّمُ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ ﴿٢٠٦ [3]

Translation:

2:204 There is the type of man whose speech in this life pleases you, and he calls on Allah to witness as to what (he pretends) is in his heart, yet he is most fierce adversaries.

2:205 And when he turns away from you, he strives to spread corruption in the land, and destroys the crops and cattle. And Allah (does) not love [the] corruption.

2:206 And when he is told, Be fearful of your duty to God (and so follow His commands),his pride leads him to more sin. Hell is enough for him—a dreadful abode.

Commentary:

“Al-Akhnas ibn Shurayq” [Arabic:( اخنس بن شریق)] was contemporary with the Prophet (SAWA) who became a Muslim but remained a hypocrite in the heart. He disguised his hatred and animosity toward the Islam by expressing his loyalty, love and friendship towards the Prophet (SAWA). The Prophet (SAWA) took his words at face value and treated him with kindness.

Al-Akhnas ibn Shurayq lived in disguise until one day he was passing by a Muslim’s pasture and grazing animals. Out of envy and hatred, he set the meadow on fire and killed the animals. These verses were revealed regarding this incident [TafseereNamoona, Vol.2, P. 72]:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا …. ﴿٢٠٤ [1]

2:204 There is the type of man whose speech in this life pleases you,

“And he calls on Allah to witness as to what (he pretends) is in his heart”, (وَيُشْهِدُ اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا فِي قَلْبِهِ). O Prophet! Contrary to what he pretends, “he is (your) most fierce adversaries”, (وَهُوَ أَلَدُّ الْخِصَامِ).

The sign of his esoteric animosity is that “When he turns away from you, he strives to spread corruption in the land, and destroys the crops and cattle,” knowing that “Allah (does) not love [the] corruption.”

وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَسَادَ ﴿٢٠٥ [2]

The word (الْحَرْثَ) means the crops and (النَّسْلَ) means offspring in general; this includes human offspring as well as animal offspring. Hence, the phrase (وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَ) means destruction of the crops, and the living being (human being and animals).

Many commentators have expressed the possibility that the phrase (وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ) implies when they gained power over the people. Hence, the meaning of the verse becomes: “When they ruled over the people, they strive to spread corruption in the land, and destroys life” [TafseereNamoona, Vol.2, P. 74].

The verse continues and states, when he is advised: “Be fearful of your duty to God,” unfortunately “his pride (arrogance) leads him to further sin”:

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللَّـهَ أَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْإِثْمِ … ﴿٢٠٦ [3]

2:206 And when he is told, Be fearful of your duty to God (and so follow His commands),his pride (arrogance) leads him to more sin.

Hence, “Hell is enough for him, (فَحَسْبُهُ جَهَنَّمُ), a dreadful abode.” (وَلَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ)

Word-for-Word Translation:

2:203 [وَمِنَ] And of [النَّاسِ] the people [مَن] is the one who [يُعْجِبُكَ] pleases you [قَوْلُهُ] with his speech [فِي] in [الْحَيَاةِ] the life [الدُّنْيَا] of the world [وَيُشْهِدُ] and he calls to witness [اللَّـهَ] Allah [عَلَىٰ] on [مَا] what [فِي] is in [قَلْبِهِ] his heart [وَ] and he [هُوَ] [أَلَدُّ] is the most quarrelsome [الْخِصَامِ] of opponents.

2:204 [وَإِذَا] And when [تَوَلَّىٰ] he turns away [سَعَىٰ] he strives [فِي] in [الْأَرْضِ] the earth [لِيُفْسِدَ] to spread corruption [فِيهَا] in it [وَ] and [يُهْلِكَ] to destroy [الْحَرْثَ] the crops [وَ] and [النَّسْلَ] progeny [وَ] and [اللَّـهُ] Allah [لَا] does not [يُحِبُّ] like [الْفَسَادَ] [the] corruption

2:204 [وَإِذَا] And when [قِيل] it is said [لَهُ] to him [اتَّقِ] fear [اللَّـهَ] Allah [أَخَذَتْهُ] takes him [الْعِزَّةُ] his pride [بِالْإِثْمِ] to the sin [فَحَسْبُه] Then enough for him [جَهَنَّمُ] is Hell [وَ] and [لَبِئْسَ] surely an evil [الْمِهَادُ] the resting place