Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:72-74)
By: Mohammad Sobhanie
A Dangerous Conspiracy
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَقَالَت طَّائِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ آمِنُوا بِالَّذِي أُنزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَاكْفُرُوا آخِرَهُ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿٧٢﴾ وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا إِلَّا لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ الْهُدَىٰ هُدَى اللَّهِ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ أَحَدٌ مِّثْلَ مَا أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَاجُّوكُمْ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٧٣﴾ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿٧٤﴾
3:72 And a faction of the People of the Scripture say (to each other): “Believe in that which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and reject it at its end that perhaps they will abandon their religion,
3:73 And do not trust except those who follow your religion.” Say, “Indeed, the (true) guidance is the guidance of Allah (SWT).” (Do not believe) that anyone will be given (privileges) the like of what you have been given or that they (believer) will argue with you in the presence of your Lord?” Say: “Indeed, (all) bounty is in the hand of Allah (SWT) – God grants it to whom God wills. And Allah (SWT) is all–Encompassing and Wise.”
3:74 God selects for Divine Mercy whom God Wills. And Allah (SWT) is the possessor of great bounty.
Commentary: Twelve Jewish scholars from the Khyber and elsewhere devised a plan to undermine Muslims’ belief in Islam and the Prophet’s (PBUH) ruling authority. They conspired to accept Islam in the Prophet’s (PBUH) presence at the beginning of the day and revert to Judaism shortly after. Then, they would publicly disseminate that they had observed the Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) characteristics and realized that they did not correspond to the Scripture. Hence, they reverted to Judaism.
Had they succeeded, the conspiracy would have sown seeds of confusion in the minds of the weak-minded Muslims. Just imagine the upheaval if hundreds of people who used to pray behind the Prophet (PBUH) suddenly refused to pray with him, believing that his signs did not match the foretold prophet’s characteristics in the Scripture. This conspiracy would undoubtedly have undermined some people’s beliefs in Islam. The conspiracy plan is echoed in Verses 3:72-73 Aal-e-Imran.
The Verse reads: “And a faction of the People of the Scripture (وَقَالَت طَّائِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ) say (to each other): “Believe in that which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day (آمِنُوا بِالَّذِي أُنزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ) and reject it at its end (وَاكْفُرُوا آخِرَهُ) that perhaps they (believers) will abandon their religion (لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ).”
The phrase “perhaps they will abandon their religion” (لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ) alludes to the Jewish scholars’ counting on the success of their plot.
The phrase “believe at the beginning of the day (آمَنُوا وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ) and reject it at its end (وَاكْفُرُوا آخِرَهُ)” implies that they planned to believe in Islam for a short period.
Verse 3:73 refers to the order of the Jewish scholars who asked the Jews to conceal the plot from others. The Verse reads: “And do not trust (وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا) except those who follow your religion (إِلَّا لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ).” The phrase “those who follow your religion” refers to the Jews.
The phrase “La Tu’minu” (لَا تُؤْمِنُوا) usually translates to “do not believe,” but it implies “do not trust” since belief is based on trust. In other words, “do not believe” is a subtle way of saying “do not trust.”
The Jewish scholars were afflicted with self-conceit and arrogance. They perceived that God loved them like parents love their children. Hence, they named themselves “the children of God and His beloved. [1]” Furthermore, they believed they were the sole inheritors of Paradise [2], and prophethood would remain amongst the Jews’ lineage [3]. The belief in exclusiveness was a cornerstone of their faith, reinforcing their sense of superiority.
According to Verse 3:73, they mislead their congregation by saying (Do not believe) that anyone will be given (the privileges – mentioned in the above paragraph) the like of what you have been given:”
) وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا( … أَن يُؤْتَىٰ أَحَدٌ مِّثْلَ مَا أُوتِيتُمْ … ﴿٧٣﴾
3:73 (Do not believe) that anyone will be given (the privileges) the like of what you have been given.
Furthermore, they assured their congregation if they did not expose the signs of the foretold prophet in the Scripture to the Muslims, the Muslims would have nothing to argue with them before their Lord in the Hereafter. This point echoed at the end of Verse 3:73:
)وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا… ( أَوْ يُحَاجُّوكُمْ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ ۗ ﴿٧٣﴾
3:73 (Do not believe) … that they (believer) will argue with you in the presence of your Lord?
Allah (SWT) instructs the Prophet (PBUH) to say: “Indeed, the (true) guidance is the guidance of Allah (SWT) (قُلْ إِنَّ الْهُدَىٰ هُدَى اللَّهِ),” and these conspiracies will not sway those who have received divine guidance.
The rest of Verse 3:73 and Verse 3:74 indicate that Allah (SWT) will grant the mission of prophethood to whomever God pleases. The Verse reads: “Indeed, (all) bounty is in the hand of Allah (SWT). (قُلْ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ) – God grants it to whom God Wills (يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ). And Allah (SWT) is all–Encompassing and Wise (وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ). God selects for Divine Mercy whom God wills (يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ). And Allah (SWT) is the possessor of great bounty (وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ).”
[1] Al-Ma’ida, 5:18 (نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ)
[2] Al-Baqarah,2:111 (لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ)
[3] Aal-e-Imran, 3,73 (أَن يُؤْتَىٰ أَحَدٌ مِّثْلَ مَا أُوتِيتُمْ)
Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:108-109)