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Characteristics of those who Deliberately Rejected Faith: Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:6-7, Part_1) – By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:6-7, Part_1)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Characteristics of those who Deliberately

Rejected Faith

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٦﴾ خَتَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ ۖ وَعَلَىٰ أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٧

Translation: Those who (deliberately) reject Faith1 will not believe whether you (O! Prophet) warn them or not. Allah has sealed their hearts and hearing. Their vision is veiled and a great punishment awaits them.

Commentary: Personality and attitude of those who have openly and deliberately, not due lack of knowledge, reject Faith is described in the above two verses. Excessive sins2, arrogance3 and disbelief4 have sealed their faculty of logic and power of rational thinking; consequently they do not benefit from divine guidance. The story of Firon and Prophet Musa illustrates this concept quite well.

Firon, the king of Egypt, was a cruel, arrogant and ruthless tyrant who imprisoned the Children of Israel.  His arrogance was visible as he anointed himself the “Supreme Lord of Egypt”. 5 During his time as ruler, Prophet Musa presented himself to Firon as the Prophet of the Lord and asked him to repent from his brutal ways.  Firon bristled at such a message, and demanded that Prophet Musa present to him “Miracles” to prove he is truly the messenger of the one and only Lord.

At that time, Prophet Musa presented his divine miracle by throwing his walking stick upon the ground, which became a serpent.  He placed his hands under his arms, and they illuminated as bright as sun without harming eyes.  Firon dismissed the celestial acts of Prophet Musa as sorcery, and had his own magicians appear to discredit Prophet Musa. 6

Firon’s magicians emerged and demonstrated their illusions, which consisted of turning their ropes and staffs into snakes.  Prophet Musa threw his staff, in the midst of the sorcerers’ snakes, and it became a serpent and swallowed the remaining snakes.  The magicians understood the difference between miracles and magic and they immediately fell into prostration and said “We believe in the Lord of Moses and Aaron”.  However, again due to his arrogance, Firon dismissed them all.

When Firon and his Army were chasing Prophet Musa and the Children of Israel out of Egypt, Prophet Musa and his people approached the sea, which was parted by the blessing of Allah so that they may cross. The parting of the sea, should have been enough of a sign to Firon that there is a being far more supreme than himself which can part a large body of water with ease, however due to his arrogance he did not recognize the blessing and sign of Allah, and Firon and his Army followed them through the parted river.  After the last member of the Children of Israel crossed the See, the parting immediately closed and Firon and his army met their fate and the bottom of the sea.

Allah many times presented His signs to Firon and each time Firon preferred blindness over guidance.7 Firon’s intellectual blindness made him to make an irrational decision. He crossed the river blindly and was drawn consequently. Firon is a fine example of this verse: “Those who (deliberately) reject Faith will not believe whether you (O! Prophet) warn them or not. Allah has sealed their hearts and hearing. Their vision is veiled and a great punishment awaits them”.

References:

1-       The word “Kuffar” means disbelievers and it comes from “Kufr”. The literal meaning of “Kufr” is to cover and to conceal. Farmers are called “Kuffar” (48:29) since farmers cover seeds lightly with soil after sowing. In the Quran concealing the truth and rejecting the Faith willfully due to ulterior motives or unreasonable bigotry is called “Kufr”, and “Kuffar” means those who deliberately reject the Faith.

2-       The Quran [45:23]

3-       [40:35]

4-       [4:155]

5-       [79:24]

6-       [20:10-78]

7-      [41:17]

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