Shafaqna English- Commentary on the 2nd Chapter of the Holy Quran by Mohammad Sobhanie.
وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ ﴿٤١﴾ وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
2:41 And believe in what I have revealed, confirming the scriptures which is with you, and do not be the first to reject it. Do not trade my revelation for a small price; and fear (only) Me.
2:42 And do not mix truth with falsehood, and do not conceal the truth while you know.
2:41 Divine Advice to the Children of Israel (Part 1)
Commentary: The Qur’an asserts that the Divine Scriptures, Taurat/Torah and Injeel/Gospel, prophesied the coming of the prophet of Islam[1] (يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنجِيلِ) with the name of Ahmed[2] (وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَد). The Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH) was known by Ahmad and Mohammad[3].
His prophetic signs and characteristics were well known to the Children of Israel, who lived in the Arabian Peninsula. For instance, when the Prophet (PBUH) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, the Children of Israel recognized him like a parent who recognizes his Child[4], (يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ).
Open-minded individuals, like Abdullah Ibn Salam [Arabic: (عبدالله بن سلام)][5], (وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَىٰ مِثْلِهِ)] embraced the Prophet’s (PBUH) message and accepted Islam, whereas opinionated ones intentionally concealed the truth[6] (وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ) and denied his credentials.
The Verse/Ayah invited the Children of Israel to believe in the Prophet (PBYH) whose prophetic signs conformed with the biblical scriptures. It advised them to pause and reflect on his message instead of rushing to reject it.
يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ … ﴿٤٠﴾ وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ …. ﴿٤١﴾
2:40 O’ Children of Israel…
2:41 And believe in what I have revealed, confirming the scriptures which is with you, and do not be the first to reject it…
The Qur’an states that one must adhere to the truth at all costs, even if it goes against one’s interests[7] (كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّـهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ). Those who conceal or distort the truth to protect their illusive interests trade their life with the deceptive glory of this world. Hence, the above verse reprimands those who either calculatedly conceal the divine truth or mix it with wishful thoughts and desires:
… وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ ﴿٤١﴾ وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
2:41 …Do not trade my revelation for a small price and fear (only) Me.
2:42 And do not mix truth with falsehood, and do not conceal the truth while you know.
The Verse emphasizes “fear (only) Me (Allah (SWT))” (وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ) instead of fearing others. We are often inclined to compromise our faith to guard our worldly interests, though Allah (SWT) is the guardian of our interest, as stated in Chapter/Surah Yunus (10:107):
وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّـهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿١٠٧﴾
12:107 And if Allah (SWT) should afflict you with harm, then there is none to remove it but God; and if God intends good to you there is none to repel God’s grace; God brings it to whom God pleases of God’s servants; and Allah (SWT) is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Word-for-Word Translation:
2:41 [وَآمِنُوا] And believe [بِمَا] in what [أَنزَلْتُ] I have sent down [مُصَدِّقًا] conforming [لِّمَا] that which [مَعَكُمْ] is with you [وَلَا] and do not [تَكُونُوا] be [أَوَّلَ] the first [كَافِرٍ] disbeliever [بِهِ] of it [وَلَا] and do not [تَشْتَرُوا] exchange [بِآيَاتِي] My signs (for) [ثَمَنًا] a price [قَلِيلًا] small [وَإِيَّايَ] And Me Alone [فَاتَّقُونِ] fear Me.
2:41 [وَلَا] And do not [تَلْبِسُوا] mix [الْحَقَّ] the truth [بِالْبَاطِلِ] with the falsehood [وَتَكْتُمُوا] and conceal [الْحَقَّ] the truth [وَأَنتُمْ] while [تَعْلَمُونَ] you know.
Note:
[1]. The Qur’an, Al-Araf 7:157.
[2]. The Qur’an, As-Saff 61:6.
[3]. Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol. 24, P. 77.
[4]. The Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2:146, Al-An’am 6:20.
[5]. Tafser-e-Namoona, Vol. 21, P. 313, see also The Qur’an, Al-Ahqaf 46:10.
[6]. Al-Baqarah 2:146.
[7]. The Qur’an, An-Nisa, 4:135.
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Commentary on the Holy Quran (2:43-44)