Commentary on the Holy Quran (2:43-44)

Shafaqna English- Commentary on the 2nd Chapter of the Holy Quran by Mohammad Sobhanie.

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ… ﴿٤٠﴾ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ﴿٤٣﴾ أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾

2:43: And establish Salaat/Salaah and give Zakat and bow down before Me along with those who bow down.

2:44 Will you order others to piety and forget yourselves, while you recite the Book. Do you not exercise your reason?

2:43 Divine Commands (Part 1)

Commentary: The preceding Verses/Ayahs^[1] invited the Children of Israel to believe in the prophet of Islam (PBUH) whose prophetic signs conformed with the Judeo–Christian scriptures. The subsequent Verses (2:43-44) outline Islam’s principles of faith and invite the Children of Israel to practice them with the believers.

1) Salaat: The Verse/Ayah begins with salaat, a pillar of faith in Islam.

Salaat, if performed with proper etiquette, restrains humankind from indecent conduct^[2] (إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ). The etiquette begins with the clothes worn during prayer, the water used for ablution, and the place of worship. According to Islamic jurisprudence, the worshipper must obtain all these items through legal means. Furthermore, one should perform salat calmly, with care, and with the complete awe and reverence of Allah (SWT)^[3] (الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ) & (وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ)]. Establishment of such prayers indeed can keep humans away from indecent acts.

The Verse also directs the Children of Israel to participate with the believers in congregational prayers:

… وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ ﴿٤٣﴾

2:43 …and bow down before Me (pray) along with those who bow down.

Bowing in this Verse refers to salaat. Standing, prostration, and bowing down are the primary components of Salaat. Without these acts, prayer is considered invalid. Hence, the Qur’an, in some instances, uses the main elements of Salaat as synonymous to Salaat^[4] itself (يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا).

2) Zakat: It is mentioned next. The word “Zakat” is mentioned 37 times in the Qur’an. Out of those cases, Zakat is mentioned together with Salaat 27 times. This suggests a close relationship between Salaat and Zakat. According to Imam Ali Ridha (AS), the Salaat of those who do not pay Zakat will not be accepted^[5].

Salaat connects us to Allah (SWT) and ties us to God’s creation. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “All creations are Allah’s (SWT) dependents. Hence, the dearest one in the sight of the Almighty God is the one who helps God’s creations the most^[6]”.

3) Practice What You Preach:  Verse 2:44 reprimands those who advise people to do good deeds but disregard their own advice. It ends with a rhetorical question, “Do not you think ignoring your advice is the wrong attitude?”

أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ  أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾

2:44 Will you order others to piety and forget yourselves, while you recite the Book. Do you not exercise your reason?

The Qur’an commands scholars and community leaders to be role models in practicing what they preach. Individuals whose deeds do not correspond with their words are condemned in the sight of Allah (SWT)^[7]:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّـهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٣﴾

61:2-3 O’ you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? It is most hateful in the sight of Allah (SWT) that you say what you do not do.

Imam Sadeq (AS) stated: “The most painful punishment on the Day of Judgment is for those who praised justice but act with cruelty amongst people^[8].”

In another narration, Imam Ali (AS) stated, “O’ people, by Allah (SWT)! I did not advise you to a righteous deed unless I had already practiced it. And I did not forbid you from an indecency unless I had already renounced it^[9].”

Word-for-Word Translation:

2:43 [وَأَقِيمُوا] And establish [الصَّلَاةَ] the prayer [وَآتُوا] and give [الزَّكَاةَ] Zakat [وَارْكَعُوا] and bow down [مَعَ] with [الرَّاكِعِينَ] those who bow down.

2:44 [أَتَأْمُرُونَ] Do you order [النَّاسَ] the people [بِالْبِرِّ] the righteousness [وَتَنسَوْنَ] and you forget [أَنفُسَكُمْ] yourselves [وَأَنتُمْ] while you [تَتْلُونَ] recite [الْكِتَابَ] the Book? [أَفَلَا] Then, will not [تَعْقِلُونَ] you use reason?

Appendix:  Arabic Text of hadith

H.1

بحار الأنوار (ط – بيروت)، ج‏71، ص: 68

40- ل‏^[1]، الخصال ن، عيون أخبار الرضا عليه السلام مَاجِيلَوَيْهِ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنِ السَّيَّارِيِّ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ دِلْهَاثٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا(ع) قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَمَرَ بِثَلَاثَةٍ مَقْرُونٍ بِهَا ثَلَاثَةٌ أُخْرَى أَمَرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَ الزَّكَاةِ فَمَنْ صَلَّى وَ لَمْ يُزَكِّ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ مِنْهُ صَلَاتُهُ وَ أَمَرَ بِالشُّكْرِ لَهُ وَ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَشْكُرْ وَالِدَيْهِ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ وَ أَمَرَ بِاتِّقَاءِ اللَّهِ وَ صِلَةِ الرَّحِمِ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ لَمْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‏.

H.2

بحار الأنوار (ط – بيروت) ؛ ج‏93 ؛ ص118

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ (ص) الْخَلْقُ كُلُّهُمْ عِيَالُ اللَّهِ فَأَحَبُّهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْفَقُهُمْ لِعِيَالِهِ‏.

H.3

الكافي (ط – الإسلامية) ؛ ج‏2 ؛ ص300

2- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ قُتَيْبَةَ الْأَعْشَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إِنَّ مِنْ‏ أَشَدِّ النَّاسِ‏ عَذَاباً يَوْمَ‏ الْقِيَامَةِ مَنْ وَصَفَ عَدْلًا وَ عَمِلَ بِغَيْرِهِ.

H.4

نهج البلاغه خطبه 175

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي وَ اللَّهِ‏ مَا أَحُثُّكُمْ‏ عَلَى‏ طَاعَةٍ إِلَّا وَ أَسْبِقُكُمْ‏ إِلَيْهَا وَ لَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْ مَعْصِيَةٍ إِلَّا وَ أَتَنَاهَى قَبْلَكُمْ عَنْهَا

Note:

[1]. The Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2:40-42.

[2]. Al-Qur’an, Al-Ankabut 29:45.

[3]. Al-Qur’an, Al-Muminun 23:2 & 9.

[4]. Al-Qur’an, Al-Hajj 22:77.

[5]. Biharul-Anwar (Beirut), Vol. 71, P. 68, See Appendix, H.1 for the Arabic Text.

[6]. Biharul-Anwar (Beirut), Vol .93, P. 118, See Appendix, H.2 for the Arabic Text.

[7]. The Qur’an, As-Saff, 61:2-3.

[8]. Al-Kafi, (Al-Islamih) Vol.2, P.299, See Appendix, H.3 -3 for the Arabic Text.

[9]. The Nahjul-Balagha Sermon 175, See Appendix, H.4 for the Arabic Text.

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