Al-Baqarah: (200) And when you have completed your rites...

Issues Discussed Here:

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that after the days of Tashreeq, the Arabs would stand between the Mosque of Mina and the mountain. Each person would boast about the virtues of their ancestors—their generosity, bravery, and kinship ties—reciting poetry and prose. Their goal was to gain fame and exaltation through the merits of their forefathers.

When God blessed them with Islam, He commanded them to direct their remembrance toward their Lord as they directed it toward their fathers.

Al-Qaffal narrated in his Tafsir from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) performed Tawaf on his camel Al-Qaswa on the Day of the Conquest (of Mecca), touching the Corner (of the Ka'bah) with his curved stick. Then he praised and glorified God, saying: "O people! God has removed from you the arrogance of Jahiliyyah and its divisions. O people! Mankind is only two types: a righteous, pious, noble person before God, or a wicked, wretched, insignificant person before God." Then he recited: {O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female...} (Al-Hujurat: 13). "I say this, and I seek forgiveness from God for myself and for you."

Al-Suddi narrated that after finishing the Hajj rituals, one of the Arabs in Mina would say: "O God, my father was great in generosity, great in status, and rich in wealth; so grant me what you granted him." Then God Almighty revealed this verse.

When Qada' (to decree/finish) is linked to an action of the self, it means completion and finishing. When linked to the action of another, it means obligation/binding.

Examples of the first meaning (completion):

• His saying, the Almighty: {Then He completed them as seven heavens in two days...}
• His saying (peace be upon him): "Whatever you miss, then make it up (faqdu)."
• When a judge settles a dispute, it is said: Qudiya baynahuma (It has been judged between them).

Examples of the second meaning (obligation):

• His saying, the Almighty: {And your Lord has decreed (wa qada) ...} (Al-Isra: 23).

If used for conveying information, it means to inform, as in: {And We conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Scripture...} (Al-Isra: 4), meaning We informed them.

Based on this, the Almighty's saying, {And when you have completed your rites (qadaytum manasikakum)}, can only mean the completion of all of them, especially since much of the remembrance (related to the rites) was mentioned previously.

Some commentators suggested that it might mean: "Remember God during the rites," referring to the supplications commanded at Arafat, Al-Mash'ar Al-Haram, Tawaf, and Sa'i. In this view, {And when you have completed your rites, then remember God} would be like someone saying, "When you perform Hajj, then stand at Arafat," not meaning completion of Hajj, but the commencement of it.

This view is weak because we established that {And when you have completed your rites} implies completion of everything. This differs from the statement, "When you perform Hajj, stand at Arafat," where the intent is entering into Hajj, not finishing it. This verse, however, must mean completion of the Hajj.

Al-Manasik is the plural of Mansak, which is the verbal noun (masdar) equivalent to Nusk (worship/ritual). Thus, it means: "When you have completed your acts of worship commanded during the Hajj."

If Mansak is taken as the place of worship, the structure would imply: "When you have completed the actions of your places of worship," which involves omitting the mudaf (the possessed noun, i.e., 'actions').

Some commentators interpreted Al-Manasik here as the acts of worship God commanded people to perform during Hajj. Mujahid interpreted the completion of the rites as the shedding of blood (sacrificing animals).

The particle Fa (then) in {then remember God} indicates that the completion of the rites necessitates this remembrance. This led to differences regarding what specific remembrance is intended:

1. Remembrance related to the sacrifice: Some held it refers to the remembrance associated with the sacrificial animal.
2. Remembrance related to Takbir: Others held it refers to the Takbirat (utterances of "Allahu Akbar") after the prayers on the Day of Sacrifice and the Days of Tashreeq, depending on their differing views on the exact timing (beginning and end). Since there is no specific remembrance after completing Hajj except these Takbirat, this interpretation is favored by some.
3. Shifting from Jahiliyyah remembrance: Some said the intent is to shift people away from what they habitually did after Hajj—boasting about their ancestors' deeds. If God had not forbidden this by revealing this verse, they would not have abandoned this blameworthy practice. It is as if God said: "When you finish and complete the obligations of Hajj and become lawful again, then devote yourselves to the remembrance of God, not the remembrance of your fathers."
4. Supplication and Seeking Forgiveness: Others said the completion of Hajj necessitates turning to supplication, seeking forgiveness, and complete devotion to God. This is because whoever undertakes the hardship of leaving family and homeland, spending wealth, and enduring difficulties for Hajj, is truly deserving, upon completion, to turn to supplication, humility, abundant seeking of forgiveness, and attachment to God. The Sunnah followed this, involving many supplications after finishing the prayer.
5. Spiritual Purification (A Fifth View): The purpose of engaging in this worship is to conquer the self (nafs) and erase the traces of human nature and instinct. This effort is not an end in itself, but rather intended to clear the false impressions from the tablet of the spirit so that the light of God's Majesty may be revealed. The meaning is: "When you have completed your rites and removed the traces of humanity, and cleared the path of spiritual journey, then occupy yourselves with illuminating the heart through the remembrance of God." The first part is negation (removing the false), and the second is affirmation (establishing the true light).

There are several interpretations for this phrase:

1. The Majority View: As mentioned, after completing Hajj, people would exaggerate in praising their fathers' merits and virtues. God commanded: {then remember God like your remembrance of your fathers}, meaning: Devote yourselves to the remembrance of God just as you devoted yourselves to the remembrance of your fathers. Exert your utmost effort in praising God, detailing His favors and blessings, just as you exerted yourselves in praising your fathers. This is more fitting and rational than praising fathers, because praising fathers, if false, leads to disgrace in this world and punishment in the Hereafter; if true, it leads to conceit, arrogance, and excessive self-admiration—all primary causes of ruin. Thus, engaging in the remembrance of God is superior to engaging in the boasting of ancestral glories. If not superior, it is at least equal.
2. Al-Dahhak and Al-Rabi' View: Remember God like you remember your fathers and mothers, with the father being mentioned as representative of both. This is like a child's first words: "Abba, Abba; Umma, Umma." The meaning is: Be constant in remembering God as a child is constant in remembering his parents.
3. Abu Muslim's View: The mention of fathers is used as an analogy for the perpetuity of remembrance. Just as a man never forgets the mention of his father, so too must he never neglect the remembrance of God.
4. Ibn Al-Anbari's View: Arabs in the Jahiliyyah era frequently swore oaths by their fathers (e.g., "By my father, and your father, and my grandfather..."). God commanded: "Glorify God as you glorify your fathers (by swearing by them)."
5. The Unity View (A Fifth View): Remember God with Oneness (Tawhid) as you remember your fathers with oneness (i.e., attributing singularity to them). If one of them were attributed to two parents, he would be offended and refuse it, yet they would attribute multiple gods to themselves. God told them: "Remember God with Oneness, as you remember your fathers with oneness." Indeed, emphasizing Tawhid here is more appropriate than there. This is what is meant by {or stronger in remembrance}.
6. The Child's Reliance View (A Sixth View): Just as a child turns to his father for all needs and remembers him with reverence, so too should you be in your remembrance of God.
7. Intercession View (A Seventh View): Perhaps they used to mention their fathers to seek intercession through their memory for the acceptance of their supplications before God. God informed them that their fathers do not hold this rank, as their good deeds are disregarded due to their polytheism. He commanded them instead to enumerate God's favors and blessings and increase praise to Him, making this the means for continuous blessings in the future. The Prophet (PBUH) forbade swearing by fathers, saying: "Whoever is going to swear, let him swear by God or remain silent," because everything other than God is for God and by God, so glorifying God is more appropriate, and there is no god but Him.
8. The Anger View (An Eighth View): Narrated from Ibn Abbas: It means you should become angry for God when He is disobeyed, more intensely than your anger when your father is insulted.

Conclusion: Although these views are plausible, the first view is the most definitive. All views share one common element: the servant must be constantly remembering his Lord, constantly glorifying Him, constantly turning to Him for his needs, and constantly detached from all others.

This involves two issues:

Issue 1: Grammatical Analysis of Ashadd (Stronger)

It is said that the Kaf (in kathikrikum) governs the case, making Ashadd in the genitive case. Or, it is said that the verb Udhkurū (Remember) governs the case, making Ashadd in the accusative case. The implied structure is: "Remember God like your remembrance of your fathers, and remember Him stronger in remembrance than your fathers."

Issue 2: The Meaning of Ashadd Dhikran

This means "rather, stronger in remembrance." This is because the glories of their fathers were limited, whereas the attributes of perfection for God Almighty are infinite. Therefore, their engagement in remembering God's perfect attributes must be stronger than their engagement in remembering their fathers' merits.

Al-Qaffal said: The linguistic idiom for such a construction is well-known. A man might tell another: "Do this within a month, or faster than that." He does not intend doubt; rather, he intends to transition from the first level to something closer (i.e., faster than a month).