Perfidy: Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:99-101) By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:99-101)
By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Perfidy

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ ۖ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ ﴿٩٩﴾ أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُوا عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٠٠﴾ وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّـهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّـهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٠١﴾

Translation:
2:99 We have revealed to you manifest signs, and no one rejects them except transgressors.
2:100 Is it not that whenever they made a covenant, some of them would cast it away? Rather, the majority of them do not believe.
2:101 And when there came to them a messenger from Allah, confirming that which is with them, a faction of those who were given the Book threw the Book of Allah behind their back, as if they did not know [that it is Allah’s Book].

Commentary: Allah (SWT) had sent manifested signs and miracles to affirm divine mission of the Prophet (SAW). Amongst them, the praiseworthy personality of the Prophet and his noble everlasting miracle deserves mentioning.
The life and legacy of the Prophet, his morals, traits and characteristics are, in themselves, indicative that he is a divine messenger of God. The Quran confirms his noble personality and calls him a “mercy to mankind”.
The Quran is his everlasting miracle; no human could ever write a chapter analogous to any chapters of the Quran that matches its eloquence, content, depth of expression and sheer truthfulness. It is indeed the book of guidance, good news, healing and mercy for the believers. Contemplating its verses can lead an open-minded individual to eternal prosperity. However, perpetual sinners and perverse-minded individuals [Arabic: (الْفَاسِقُونَ)] will not and cannot benefit from its guidance. Within this context, the verse 2:99 states:

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ ۖ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ ﴿٩٩﴾

2:99 We have revealed to you manifest signs, and no one rejects them except transgressors.

The Arabic word “فاسق” comes from the word “فسق”. When a fresh ripe date fruit falls from a palm tree, its core (seed) is thrown out from the fruit upon impact with the ground. This is called “فسقت النواة”. An individual who thus takes off the clothes of obedience and servitude to his Lord is called “فاسق”, since he is analogous to a seed that it has been thrown of a date fruit.

The next verse (2:100) asserts that whenever the Israelites made a covenant with either Allah (SWT) or His messenger, a group of them breached the covenant. It was as if majorities of them did not have faith.

أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُوا عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٠٠﴾

2:100 Is it not that whenever they made a covenant, a part of them would cast it away? Rather, the majority of them do not have faith.

For instance, Allah (SWT) took a covenant from the Israelites at Mount Sinai, which they pledged to abide by. Shortly after that, they forsook the covenant and disregarded the divine teachings of Torah (See commentary of 2:91-92).

In Medina, tribes of Banu Nadir [Arabic :(بنو نضیر)] and Banu Qurayza [Arabic:(بنو قریظه)] signed a treaty with the Prophet and pledged not to collaborate with the Prophet’s adversaries. Nevertheless, in the Battle of Ahzab [Arabic: (احزاب)], they betrayed their pledges and joined the idolaters of Mecca in their fight against the Prophet.

In particular, they pledged to believe in the foretold prophet in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel). When the divine messenger came to them, his traits and characteristics matched with the prophesied prophet in the scriptures. Hence, they should believe in the Prophet. Nevertheless, a group of them denied the Prophet’s credential. It was as if they did not know that the scriptures is Allah’s divine words.

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّـهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّـهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٠١﴾

2:101 And when there came to them an apostle from Allah, confirming that which is with them, a part of those who were given the Book cast the Book of Allah (the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)) behind their back, as if they did not know [that it is Allah’s Book].
Word-for-Word Translation:
2:99 [وَلَقَدْ] and indeed [أَنزَلْنَا] we sent down [إِلَيْكَ] to you [آيَاتٍ] Ayat (proofs, verses) [بَيِّنَاتٍ] manifest [وَمَا] and non [ يَكْفُرُ] disbelieve [ بِهَا] in them [ إِلَّا] except [ الْفَاسِقُونَ] disobedient ones.
2:100 [أَوَكُلَّمَا] Is it not so that whenever [عَاهَدُوا] they contract [عَهْدًا] a covenant [نَّبَذَهُ] threw it away [فَرِيقٌ] a party [مِّنْهُم] of them; [بَلْ] nay [ أَكْثَرُهُمْ] most of them [ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ] do not believe.
2:101 [وَلَمَّا] and when [ جَاءَهُمْ] came to them [رَسُولٌ] a Messenger [مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّـهِ] from Allah [مُصَدِّقٌ] confirming [لِّمَا] what was [ مَعَهُمْ] with them [نَبَذَ] threw away [ فَرِيقٌ] a party [ مِّنَ] of [ الَّذِينَ] those who [ أُوتُوا] were given [ الْكِتَابَ] the Scripture [ كِتَابَ اللَّـهِ] the Book of Allah [ وَرَاءَ] behind [ ظُهُورِهِمْ] their back [كَأَنَّهُمْ] as if they [ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ] do not know