Al-Ma'idah: (44) "Indeed, We sent down the Torah..."
"Indeed, We sent down the Torah..." This is a resumed discourse presented to emphasize the extreme heinousness of the condition of those Jews, by clarifying the elevated status of the Torah in the most perfect manner.
"...in which is guidance..."—meaning, a form of direction for people toward the Truth.
"...and light..."—meaning, a radiance by which that which is ambiguous and obscure to them is illuminated. This was stated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). Al-Zajjaj said: "In it is guidance," meaning an exposition of the ruling regarding which they came to ask the Prophet (peace be upon him); and "light," meaning an exposition that the affair of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the Truth.
Perhaps it is more appropriate to generalize the recipient of this guidance, as is in the statement of Ibn Abbas, for the ruling mentioned by Al-Zajjaj is included in it as a primary inclusion. The application of the term "light" to what is in the Torah is metaphorical. Perhaps it is applied to that—but not to the Quran—based on the premise that it is a term spoken with varying degrees (of intensity). It may also be said: its application to that which clarifies the affair of the Prophet (peace be upon him), according to what Al-Zajjaj said, is in consideration of the fact that the clarified affair relates to the First of Lights, without whom the rotating celestial sphere would not have been created (peace be upon him). In that case, the difference between the two applications is as manifest as the morning.
"In it" (fiha) is a fronted predicate, and "guidance" (huda) is the subject. The sentence is a circumstantial clause (hal) describing the Torah—meaning, that it exists within it. Likewise is the sentence "...by which the prophets judged..." in the statement, except that it is a prospective circumstantial clause (hal muqaddara). The majority view is that it is a resumed sentence, constructed to highlight the high rank of the Torah and the loftiness of its stature.
The "prophets" intended are those from the time of Moses until Jesus (peace be upon them both), according to what Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Muqatil, and there were one thousand prophets between the two of them. Ibn Jarir narrated from Ikrimah that what is intended by them is our Prophet (peace be upon him) and the prophets of the Children of Israel who preceded him. Upon this, those who argue that the law of those before us is a law for us—unless it is abrogated—have built their reasoning.
The placing of the prepositional phrase before the subject is for a reason mentioned more than once. The meaning is: "The prophets judged with its laws, [those who submitted]..."—an adjective applied to the prophets as a form of praise. It appears to be praise for them, though Ibn al-Munir looked into this, noting that praise is often through specific qualities that distinguish the praised from others, and "submission" (Islam) is a general matter that encompasses the nations of the prophets and their followers. Do you not see that it is not considered eloquent in praising the Prophet (peace be upon him) to limit it to him being a "Muslim man," for the least of his followers is the same? Then he said: The perspective—and Allah knows best—is that an attribute may be mentioned for its own greatness and to exalt it when it is used to describe someone of great stature, just as it is mentioned to elevate the stature of the described. This is the style used to describe the prophets (peace be upon them) with righteousness in more than one verse, elevating the stature of righteousness by making it an attribute of the prophets and urging individuals to persevere in attaining it.
Similarly, it is said in His saying, "Those who carry the Throne and those around it exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed..."—so He, the Exalted, informed about the favored angels regarding their belief, to magnify its status and to incite humanity to enter into it so they might equal the favored angels in this attribute. Otherwise, it is known that the angels are believers, and nothing else—how could they not be, as they are with their Lord, as in the report? Then, He, the Exalted, says: "...and ask forgiveness for those who have believed," meaning from among humans, due to the established right of brotherhood in faith between the two groups. For this reason, and Allah knows best, the description of the prophets in this verse as "Muslims" was used to exalt the attribute.
How well said the poet: "The qualities of the noble are noble qualities." The poet was excellent in his praise of him (peace be upon him) when he said: "I have not praised Muhammad with my words, but I have praised my words with Muhammad." And Islam, even if it is among the most noble of qualities—as it results in knowing Allah the Exalted with what is required of Him, what is impossible for Him, and what is permissible in His decree—yet prophecy is more noble and magnificent because it includes the generality of Islam along with unique gifts that words cannot encompass. If we did not go toward the aforementioned benefit in mentioning Islam after prophecy, we would deviate from the known rule of rhetoric in the Noble Book and the speech of the eloquent Arabs, which is to ascend from the lower to the higher, not to descend in reverse. Do you not see how Abu al-Tayyib swerved from this path in his saying: "The sun of its forenoon, the crescent of its night, the pearls of its chambers, the chrysolite of it"—he descended from the sun to the crescent and from pearls to chrysolite, so tongues chewed the breadth of his rhetoric and tore the skin of his craftsmanship. Therefore, we must ponder the miraculous verses until our understanding clings to the fringes of their loftiness in the rhetoric known to them. And Allah is the One who grants success to the truth.
In al-Miftah and al-Talkhis, there is an indication of what he mentioned, and the objection raised by al-Tayyibi against it is not sound. Yes, it may be said that one who argues that it is a praise for whom it is applied might claim that there is no harm in this if, along with the praise, other benefits are intended—such as elevating the rank of Muslims here, and alluding to the Jews that they are isolated from Islam. Furthermore, it has occurred in eloquent speech—nay, in the most eloquent—to mention less-than-perfect attributes. Among that is "The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" (Al-Rahman al-Rahim), as it contains a subtle point.
'Isam al-Milla said: "Indeed, Islam for the Prophet is the perfection of praise, for the submission of the one being followed to the countless creatures is an attribute above which there is no attribute." It is possible that the description with it here is an intimation of the origin of the ruling, so that the Ummah may preserve it and not violate it, nor imagine that the ruling belongs only to prophecy, such that one other than the Prophet (peace be upon him) is excluded from this path. There is reflection in this, as the "ascending from the lower to the higher" has not yet appeared, and the end of the matter is a return to something like what preceded, so understand.
"...for those who were Jews..."—meaning, those who repented from disbelief, as said by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). They are intended to be the Jews, as Hassan said. The prepositional phrase is either attached to "judge"—meaning they judge among themselves—and the lam is either to clarify the specificity of the judgment to them, whether it is for them or against them, as if it were said: "for the sake of those who were Jews." Or, it is to signal its benefit for the one being judged against, by dropping the burden of responsibility from him. Or, it is to signal their complete satisfaction with it and submission to it, as if it were a matter beneficial to both parties; in this there is an allusion to the perverters. It is said: it is of the category of "garments to protect you from the heat." Or, it is attached to "We sent down"—perhaps the separation is not of a foreign nature such that it causes harm. It is said: "sent down" (unzila) in the passive voice, and it was omitted because the speech indicates it, and the sentence would then be parenthetical. Based on this, the verse is explicit in narrowing the "prophets" to the prophets of the Children of Israel, because it does not follow from its being sent down to them that it is exclusively for them. It is also said that the prepositional phrase is attached to "guidance" and "light," though there is a separation between the noun and its complement. It is also said: it is attached to a deleted element that acts as an adjective for them—meaning, "guidance and light existing for them." Al-Zajjaj’s words allow for this and what precedes it.
"And the rabbis and the scholars..."—meaning the worshippers and the scientists, said Qatadah. Mujahid said: "The rabbis are the learned scholars, and they are above the ahbar (scholars/doctors of law)." From Ibn Zayd: The rabbis are the governors and the ahbar are the scholars. The singular is hibr, with both the fath and kasr. Al-Farra’ said: "The most I have heard is the kasr." It is derived from tahbir (embellishment/improvement), for scholars embellish knowledge, adorn it, and clarify it. From this comes hibr (ink), with only kasr, which is used for writing. This is a conjunction to "prophets," meaning they also judge according to its laws. The interjection of those for whom the judgment is made, as the Sheikh al-Islam said, between the two conjoined elements, is to signal that the origin in judging by it and leading people to what is in it is the prophets, and the rabbis and scholars are merely successors and deputies for them in that, as indicated by His saying: "...by that which they were entrusted..."—meaning with that which they were entrusted with from the prophets, which is the Torah, as they asked them to preserve it from change and alteration entirely. There is no doubt that this from them (peace be upon them) signals their deputization in executing its laws without omitting anything from it. The prepositional phrase is attached to "judge," and "that" (ma) is a relative pronoun, and the plural pronoun returns to the rabbis and scholars.
His saying: "...of the Book of Allah..." is an explanation of "that," and the explanation by this, in terms of the ambiguity and then the clarification, contains what is not hidden of the glorification of the Torah’s affair, both in essence and attribution. In it is also an emphasis on the obligation of preserving it and acting upon what is in it. The ba (in bima) entering upon the relative pronoun denotes causation; thus, there is no requirement that two prepositions with a unified meaning be attached to one verb. That is: "And the rabbis and scholars also judge by the Torah because of what they preserved of the Book of Allah, according to what their prophets entrusted them with and asked them to preserve." It is not intended by its being the cause of their judgment that it is the cause in terms of its essence, but rather in terms of its being preserved; for the attachment of their judgment to the relative pronoun signals the causality of the preservation, which necessarily follows from what is in the scope of the relative clause of being entrusted with it. Some imagined that ma means "command" and min is for explaining a deleted object for "they were entrusted with." The estimation is: "due to a command they were entrusted with regarding something from the Book of Allah." This is something upon which the Book of Allah the Exalted should not be interpreted. It is said: It is better to make ma a verbal noun (masdariyah) so as to dispense with the estimation of a returning pronoun; in that case, the claim that min is an explanation for it does not hold. Some allowed bima to be a substitute for biha, and the preposition was repeated due to the long separation, which is permissible even if it were not long. Some returned the nominative pronoun to the prophets, and "the rabbis" is conjoined to them; therefore, the one who entrusted them is Allah the Exalted alone, and the mention of the prophets does not follow in that case. It is said: The rabbis are the subject of a deleted verb, and the ba is its connection, and the sentence is conjoined to what precedes it. "And the rabbis and scholars judge according to the ruling of the Book of Allah the Exalted, which their prophets asked them to preserve from change."
"...and they were witnesses over it"—conjoined to "they were entrusted." The meaning of "witnesses" is guardians who protect it from having change and alteration circle its sanctuary in any way, or witnesses to it that it is the Truth. The first is favored because it necessitates that the rabbis and scholars be guardians over themselves, not leaving themselves to change and distort the Torah, because the distorting one is only among them, not from the commoners. And that, as you see, does not have additional meaning. Returning the pronoun of "they were" to the prophets is something that is barely permissible. It is said: It is conjoined to the deleted "judge," intended to recount the past situation—meaning, "The rabbis and scholars judged according to the Book of Allah the Exalted, and they were witnesses over it." It is permissible in this, without ambiguity, for the witness to be borrowed for clarification—meaning, they clarify what is hidden of it. The matter of transitive usage with ala is easy, and perhaps it is intended by it something beyond the judgment. It is said: The nominative pronoun here, as in the previous, returns to the prophets and those conjoined to them. The conjunction is either to "they were entrusted" or to "they judge." The imagination of some expressions, where one said "and because of their being witnesses" that the conjunction is to the relative pronoun ma—so kanu is interpreted as a verbal noun—is meant to summarize the meaning, because what is mentioned is weak where the conjoined element is not an occurrence (hadath). As for the conjunction to the Book of Allah by estimating a verbal particle so that the conjoined element enters under the request, it is as you see. Returning the pronoun in alayhi (over it) to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) judgment by stoning, as narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), is something that the Arabic language rejects in some possibilities. While it might be permissible in terms of Arabic in some other possibilities, it is contrary to the manifest meaning, and there is no evidence for it. Perhaps the intent of the scholar is to clarify some of what the Book—to which they are witnesses—contains. In short, the possibilities of this verse are many.
"...so do not fear the people..."—an address to the leaders of the Jews and their scholars by way of turning (iltifat), as narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), al-Suddi, and al-Kalbi. The prohibition includes others besides those addressed by way of inference. The fa is for a deleted conditional answer—meaning, if the situation is as mentioned, O you scholars, do not fear the people, whoever they may be. And follow in observing the laws of the Torah and preserving it those who came before you from the prophets, the rabbis, and the scholars. Do not deviate from that and do not distort it for fear of anyone.
"...and fear Me" in abandoning My command, for benefit and harm are in My hand, or in violating the rights of observing it, let alone attacking it with evil. "...and do not purchase with My signs..."—meaning, do not exchange My signs, which contain that [guidance and light], by removing them from it or leaving acting upon them, and take for yourselves "...a small price..." of bribery, status, and other worldly shares. For they, even if they appear great, are small and despicable in themselves, especially in comparison to what they lose by violating the command. Al-Hassan al-Basri went to the view that the address is to the Muslims, which is what the speech of al-Sha'bi indicates.
From Ibn Mas'ud—and it is the view, as in al-Kashshaf, that it is general—the fa in both views is eloquent, meaning: "And when you have known what the prophets and the scholars were upon, and what the successors conspired upon regarding the matter of distortion and alteration for bribery and fear, then do not fear the people and do not be like those who succeeded them." What the speech of some masters of Arabic requires is that it is eloquent on both views, and the discussion on such a structure has passed, so remember.
"And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed..." of rulings, "...then it is those..."—an indication to "whoever," and the plural is in consideration of its meaning, just as the singular in what preceded it was in consideration of its wording—it is the subject, and its predicate is the sentence of His saying, the Exalted: "...who are the disbelievers."
It is permissible for "they" (hum) to be a separating pronoun, and "the disbelievers" is the predicate. The sentence is an appositive (tadhyil) confirming the content of what preceded it, the most eloquent of confirmations, and a warning against violating it, the most severe of warnings. The Khawarij argued from this verse that the sinner (fasiq) is a disbeliever, not a believer. The manner of their reasoning from it is that the word "whoever" (man) in it is general, including everyone who did not judge by what Allah the Exalted revealed; thus, the corrupted believer is also included, because he is not judging and acting according to what Allah the Exalted revealed. The response is that the verse is left in its manifest meaning, for the judgment, even if it is inclusive of the action of the heart and the limbs, the intent here is the action of the heart, which is belief (tasdiq). There is no dispute regarding the disbelief of one who does not believe in what Allah the Exalted revealed. Also, the intent is the generality of negation by carrying "what" (ma) to the genus; there is no doubt that one who does not judge by anything of what Allah the Exalted revealed cannot be other than a non-believer, and there is no dispute in his disbelief. Also, Ibn Mansur, Abu al-Shaykh, and Ibn Marduyah narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that he said: "Allah the Exalted only sent down 'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, and whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed... then it is those who are the disbelievers, and the wrongdoers, and the disobedient' concerning the Jews specifically." Ibn Jarir narrated from Abu Salih that he said: "The three verses in Al-Ma'idah—'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed,' etc.—there is nothing in them regarding the people of Islam; they are concerning the disbelievers." Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Ikrimah and Ibn Jarir from al-Dahhak similar to that. Perhaps describing them with the three attributes is in consideration of different perspectives: because they denied it, they were described as disbelievers; if they placed the judgment in other than its place, they were described as wrongdoers; and for their departure from the truth, they were described as disobedient (fasiqin). Or, they were described with them in consideration of their stages and conditions that were added to the refusal to judge, so at one time they were in a condition necessitating disbelief, and at another time in another that necessitates wrongdoing or disobedience. Abu Humayd and others narrated from al-Sha'bi that he said: "The three verses in Al-Ma'idah, the first is for this Ummah, the second is concerning the Jews, and the third is concerning the Christians." It follows from this that the believers would be in a worse condition than the Jews and Christians! Except that it is said: that when disbelief is attributed to the believers, it is carried to intensity and exaggeration, and when the disbeliever is described with disobedience and wrongdoing, it signals his arrogance and rebellion therein.
This is supported by what Ibn al-Mundhir and al-Hakim—who authenticated it—and al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said regarding the disbelief that occurs in the first of the three: "It is not the disbelief that you are going toward; it is not disbelief that removes one from the creed; it is 'disbelief below disbelief'." The view is that this, like the address, is general to the Jews and others, and it is framed in the language of exaggeration, or one of the two responses must be committed to, and the difference in attributes is due to the difference in perspectives. The intent of the latter two is also disbelief according to some researchers, and that is by carrying them to [mean] "complete disobedience" and "complete wrongdoing." And what al-Hakim—who authenticated it—and Abd al-Razzaq and Ibn Jarir narrated from Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the three verses were mentioned in his presence, and a man said: "This is in the Children of Israel," so Hudhayfah said: "What an excellent brother you have in the Children of Israel! If you have every sweet thing, and they have every bitter thing? No, by Allah, you will surely follow their path, step by step." It is possible that this is an inclination from him to the view of generality, and it is possible that it is as was said: an inclination to the view that this is in the Muslims. The first was narrated from Ali ibn al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both), except he said: "Disbelief that is not like the disbelief of polytheism, disobedience not like the disobedience of polytheism, and wrongdoing not like the wrongdoing of polytheism."
This is, and some gnostics have spoken regarding the indication in some of these verses, saying: "O you who believe, fear Allah"—meaning fear Him, the Exalted, by purifying your souls from despicable characters. "And seek to Him the means"—meaning seek to Him, the Exalted, intimacy by adorning them with pleasing characters. "And strive in His cause" by erasing attributes and annihilation in the Essence, "that you may succeed"—meaning that you may attain the desired. It is said: seeking the means is drawing near to Him through what preceded of His beneficence and great mercy, which is along the lines of his saying: "O generosity of Ma'n, save me with my need, for there is no intercessor to Ma'n other than him." "Indeed, those who disbelieve, even if they had what is in the earth"—meaning what is in the lower direction—"all of it and the like of it with it to ransom themselves from the punishment of the Day of the Great Resurrection, it will not be accepted from them," because it is a cause for increasing the veil and distance, and nothing avails there except what is in the upper direction of gnosis and luminous truths. "And the [thief], the male and the female"—meaning the one who takes, and the one who takes from the psychological powers, for desires that were forbidden to them—"cut their hands," meaning prevent them by crushing their ability with the sword of striving and the knife of discipline, "as a recompense for what they earned" from taking what is not lawful for them to take, "an exemplary punishment" from Allah the Exalted. "They are listeners to falsehood"—and the whispers of the satan of the self—"listeners to another people"—and they are the psychological powers—"who have not come to you," meaning they did not submit to you, or they are listeners to a people who establish evil practices. "They distort words," and they are the divine manifestations, "from their proper places," so they remove them from what they are in terms of indication toward the True Face, or they change the laws of the Sharia with the illusions of nature, like one who interprets the Quran and the Hadith according to his whim. It is not what we are in of this category, as those who are veiled imagine, because that only happens by denying that the manifest meaning is intended by Allah the Exalted, and limiting His intent, the Exalted, to these interpretations. We clear ourselves to Allah the Exalted from that, for it is clear disbelief. Rather, we say: The intent is the manifest meaning, and with it, Allah has made His creation worship Him, but in it is an indication to other things that the scope of enumeration can hardly encompass; it is likely that what is mentioned is a part of it. "And whoever Allah intends to test—you will never possess [power to do] for him a thing against Allah." Ibn Ata said: "Whoever Allah the Exalted veils from the benefits of his times, no one is able to bring it to him." "Those are the ones for whom Allah did not intend to purify their hearts"—meaning by surveillance and observance. Abu Bakr al-Warraq said: "The purity of the heart is in two things: removing envy and deceit, and having good thoughts of the group of Muslims." "They are avid listeners to what is unlawful," and it is what they consume by their religion. "So if they come to you, judge between them," while healing their ailment, if you see healing as a cause for their recovery, or turn away from them if you are certain that healing is lacking due to their wretchedness. "And if you judge, judge between them with justice"—meaning heal them according to what they deserve and what their medicine requires. The speech regarding the rest of the verses is manifest. And Allah the Exalted is the One who grants success.
