Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:41

Al-Baqarah (The Cow): Verse 41

{وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ} (And believe in what I have sent down...)

Know that those addressed by the command {وَآمِنُوا} (And believe) are the Children of Israel. This is indicated by two points:

1. It is connected (conjoined) to the preceding statement: {اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ} (Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you), as if it were said: Remember My favor upon you, fulfill My covenant, and believe in what I have sent down.
2. The Almighty’s statement {مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ} (confirming what is with you) indicates this.

Regarding the phrase {بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ} (in what I have sent down), there are two opinions, the stronger of which is that it refers to the Qur'an. This is supported by two proofs:

1. It is described as being "sent down," which applies to the Qur'an, as Allah says: {نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ} (He sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel).
2. It is described as confirming what they possess (their scriptures), which is the Qur'an.

Qatadah said that what is meant is: "Believe in what was sent down—any book or messenger whose mention you find written in the Torah and the Gospel."

Regarding the phrase {مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ} (confirming what is with you), there are two interpretations:

1. The Qur'an affirms that Moses and Jesus were true, and that the Torah and the Gospel are true, revealed to Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them. Thus, believing in the Qur'an reinforces belief in the Torah and the Gospel. It is as if they were told: If you wish to be most sincere in believing the Torah and the Gospel, then believe in the Qur'an, for belief in it confirms your belief in the Torah and the Gospel.
2. The Torah and the Gospel contained glad tidings about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Qur'an. Therefore, believing in Muhammad and the Qur'an is a confirmation of the Torah and the Gospel, while disbelieving in them is a falsification of the Torah and the Gospel.

This second interpretation is preferable. According to the first interpretation, belief in Muhammad (PBUH) is not necessarily required, as merely affirming the truth of the Torah and Gospel does not mandate belief in his prophethood. However, according to the second interpretation, belief in him is obligatory, because if the Torah and Gospel contain confirmation that Muhammad (PBUH) is truthful, then belief in the Torah and Gospel inevitably necessitates belief in Muhammad being truthful. Since Allah mentioned this statement to serve as proof for them regarding the obligation to believe in Muhammad (PBUH), the second interpretation is established as superior.

Furthermore, this second interpretation proves the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) in two ways:

1. The testimony of the books of the Prophets (peace be upon them) can only be true.
2. He informed them about their books, and he could not have known this except through revelation.

Regarding the phrase {وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ} (and do not be the first to disbelieve in it), its meaning is: Do not be the first group or party to disbelieve in it, or let none of you be the first to disbelieve in it.

This raises two questions:

Question 1: How could they be designated as the first to disbelieve when the Arab polytheists preceded them in disbelief?

The answer involves several points:

1. This is an allusion to the fact that they should have been the first to believe in him, due to their prior knowledge of him and his description, and because they were the ones who announced the coming of Muhammad (PBUH) and challenged those who disbelieved in him. When he came, the situation reversed, as Allah says: {فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ} (But when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it).
2. It could mean: Do not be like the first disbelievers, meaning the polytheists of Mecca. That is, do not be like those who did not know him (the polytheists without a scripture) while you know he is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel.
3. It could mean: Do not be the first disbelievers among the People of the Book. Although the Quraysh disbelieved before them, these Jews were the first among the Children of Israel to disbelieve in the Qur'an.
4. It could mean: Do not be the first among your own people to disbelieve in him, addressing their scholars. Your disbelief in Muhammad (PBUH) necessitates the disbelief in your own Book.
5. It signifies the severity of their disbelief. Since they witnessed miracles proving his truthfulness and recognized the prophecies about his arrival in the Torah and Gospel, their disbelief was more severe than that of someone who only had one type of evidence. The first to commit a sin bears a greater burden, as the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever initiates a bad practice bears its burden and the burden of everyone who acts upon it." Since their disbelief was great, and the disbelief of the first disbeliever is great, they share this aspect, making it permissible metaphorically to apply the name of one to the other.
6. It means: Do not be the first to deny with knowledge, as the disbelief of the Quraysh was based on ignorance, not knowledge.
7. It means: Do not be the first disbelievers among the Jews. When the Prophet (PBUH) arrived in Medina, Banu Qurayza and Banu Nadir disbelieved, and then the rest of the Jews followed. It is as if it means: the first to disbelieve among the People of the Book, similar to the verse: {وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ} (And that I preferred you over the worlds), meaning the worlds of their time.
8. It means: Do not be the first to disbelieve upon hearing of him; rather, investigate and use your intellect.
9. The word 'awwal' (first) is superfluous, meaning: Do not be disbelievers in it. (This is weak.)

Question 2: If they were not the first, would disbelief have been permissible for them?

The answer involves several points:

1. Mentioning a specific thing does not imply that what is contrary to it is permissible.
2. The statement {وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ} implies that their disbelief, whether early or late, is forbidden.
3. The verse {رَفَعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا} (Allah is the One Who raised the heavens without pillars you can see) does not imply the existence of unseen pillars. Similarly, {وَقَتْلُهُمُ الْأَنبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ} (and their killing of the Prophets unjustly) does not imply that Prophets were killed justly. Likewise, the following verse, {وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا} (And do not exchange My signs for a small price), does not imply that exchanging them for a large price is permissible. The purpose of this structure is to emphasize the enormity of denial and rejection from someone who has read in the scriptures the description of the Prophet (PBUH).
4. Al-Mubarrid said: This address was directed to a people who were addressed before others. They were told: Do not disbelieve in Muhammad, for disbelievers will come after you, so do not be the first disbelievers. This priority incurs greater sin because if they are the first to disbelieve, others might follow their example, or they might not. If others follow them, they bear the sin of that disbelief and the sin of everyone who disbelieves until the Day of Judgment. If no one follows them, they accumulate two things: precedence in disbelief and being unique in it, which is undoubtedly a great defect. Thus, {وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ} points to this meaning.

Regarding the phrase {وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا} (And do not exchange My signs for a small price):

We have explained in the commentary on {أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الضَّلَالَةَ بِالْهُدَى} (Those are the ones who have bought error in exchange for guidance) that ishtirā' (buying/exchanging) is used metaphorically for substitution. Similarly, thaman (price) is used for the substitute or compensation for something. When something from this world is chosen over the reward of Allah, that thing is made the price in the view of the doer.

Ibn Abbas (RA) said that the leaders of the Jews, such as Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf and Huyayy ibn Akhtab and their like, used to receive gifts from the poor Jews. They knew that if they followed Muhammad (PBUH), these gifts would cease. So, they persisted in disbelief so that this meager amount would not stop. This is because the entire world, relative to the religion, is extremely small—its proportion is like the finite compared to the infinite. Moreover, those gifts were extremely small relative to the world. What proportion does the very small of the very small have to the infinite great?

This prohibition is valid whether some of them did this or not. If it were established that their scholars accepted bribes for concealing the truth about the Messenger (PBUH) and distorting what indicated it in the Torah, the argument would be clearer.

Regarding the phrase {وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ} (and fear Me alone):

Its meaning is close to the preceding statement {وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ} (and fear Me alone). The difference is that rahbah (awe/fear) is fear, whereas ittiqā' (guarding/piety) is needed when the occurrence of what is being guarded against is certain. It is as if Allah commanded them rahbah because the possibility of punishment exists, and then commanded ittiqā' because the certainty of punishment exists.

{وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ} (And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know.)