Al-Baqarah: (100) Or whenever they made a covenant...

Issue 1:

Regarding His saying: {Or whenever they made a covenant} (أو كلما عاهدوا عهدا). The Waw (و) here is one of conjunction, entered upon by the interrogative Hamza (أ). Some say the Waw is superfluous, but this is not correct, because if the meaning is sound, one should not rule that it is superfluous.

Issue 2:

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: The Waw is for conjunction with an omitted phrase, meaning: "Did they disbelieve in the signs and clear proofs, and whenever they made a covenant..." (أكفروا بالآيات والبينات وكلما عاهدوا). Abu as-Simak recited the Waw with sukūn (stillness) based on the interpretation that al-fāsiqūn (the wicked ones) means "those who have transgressed." It is as if it is said: "And none disbelieve in it except those who transgressed, or they broke God's covenant many times." It has also been recited as ʿūhidū (were covenanted with) and ʿahadū (they covenanted).

Issue 3:

The purpose of this interrogation is reproach and to emphasize the gravity of what they are undertaking. This is because when such a matter is stated with this wording, it is more emphatic in denunciation and rebuke. His saying: {Or whenever they made a covenant} (أو كلما عاهدوا) indicates a covenant after a covenant that they broke and cast aside. Rather, it indicates that this is their usual habit. It is as if the Almighty intended to console the Messenger concerning their disbelief in the signs revealed to him, by showing that this is not something new for them, but rather their nature, their custom, and the custom of their forefathers, as explained in the preceding verses regarding their breaking of covenants and pacts time after time. This is because for one whose habit is this manner of action, opposing him is not as difficult for the soul as opposing someone whose habit is not like that.

Issue 4:

There are several interpretations regarding the covenant:

1. When God Almighty demonstrated the proofs indicating the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) and the soundness of his Law, this was like a covenant from Him (SWT), and their acceptance of those proofs was like a covenant from them to God (SWT).
2. The covenant is what they used to say before his (PBUH) mission: "If the Prophet emerges, we will surely believe in him and expel the polytheists from our dwellings."
3. They used to make many covenants with God and then break them.
4. The Jews had covenanted with God not to support anyone against him among the disbelievers, but they broke that and supported Quraysh on the Day of the Trench.

Al-Qadi said: If this narration is authentic, it is not impossible for it to be included under the verse, but it is not permissible to restrict the verse to this alone. It is more likely that the intended meaning relates to what was previously mentioned concerning their disbelief in God's signs. If that is the case, then applying it to the breaking of the covenant contained in the preceding Scriptures and the rational proofs regarding the truthfulness of the saying and the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) is stronger.

Issue 5:

He only said: {a party cast it away} (نبذه فريق) because among those who made the covenant, there were those who believed or might believe. Since this quality did not apply to all of them, the party was specified. Then, because it might be assumed that this party was the minority, He clarified that they were the majority by saying: {Nay, most of them do not believe} (بل أكثرهم لا يؤمنون). There are two opinions regarding this:

1. The majority of those transgressors will never believe in you due to their envy and malice.
2. "Do not believe" means they do not believe in their own Book, because among their people, they were like the hypocrites concerning the Messenger: they showed belief in their Book and their Messenger to their people, yet they did not act according to its requirements and implications.

7 < {And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah, confirming what was with them, a party of those who were given the Scripture cast the Book of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know } > 7 !

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