Al-Baqarah: (58-59) And [recall] when We said, "Enter this town..."

This is the eighth blessing mentioned. This verse is connected to the preceding blessings.

Allah, the Exalted, having mentioned His blessings upon them concerning immediate worldly matters—such as shading them with clouds and sending down the Manna and the Quail—followed this up with blessings concerning religion. He commanded them with what would erase their sins and clarified the path to salvation from the punishment they deserved.

The discussion regarding this verse falls into two categories:

Category One: Matters Related to Exegesis (Tafsir)

The Almighty's saying: {And [recall] when We said, "Enter this town"} (Al-Baqarah: 58).

Know that this was a command of obligation (taklīf), evidenced by two points:

1. The Command to Enter Prostrating: Allah commanded them to enter the gate prostrating (sujjadan). This is a difficult act, thus it is an obligation. Entering the gate prostrating is conditional upon entering the town. Whatever is necessary for a required act to be complete is itself required. Therefore, the command to enter the town was an obligation, not merely permission.
2. Reference to the Holy Land: The saying of Allah in Surah Al-Mā’idah: {Enter the Holy Land which Allah has decreed for you} (Al-Mā’idah: 21) supports what we have mentioned.

Regarding the Town: The apparent text of the Qur'an does not specify which town it was; reference must be made to reports (akhbār). There are several opinions:

1. Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem): This is the view chosen by Qatādah, Al-Rabi', and Abū Muslim al-Iṣfahānī. They cite the verse in Al-Mā’idah: {Enter the Holy Land which Allah has decreed for you}, asserting that the town mentioned in both verses is the same.
2. Miṣr (Egypt): Some hold that the town was Egypt itself.
3. Jericho (Arīḥā’): This is the view of Ibn ‘Abbās and Abū Zayd. Jericho is near Bayt al-Maqdis. They argue that the town cannot be Bayt al-Maqdis because the particle fa (ف) in {Then the wrongdoers changed} implies immediate succession. This change must have occurred during the lifetime of Moses. Since Moses died in the wilderness (arḍ al-Tīh) without entering Bayt al-Maqdis, the intended town cannot be it.

The First Group's Response: They reply that the verse does not specify whether the command was given through Moses or Joshua. If we attribute the command to Joshua, the difficulty is resolved.

Regarding Eating Freely: The Almighty's saying: {then eat from it wherever you will, in ease and abundance} has already been explained in the story of Adam (peace be upon him); it is an order of permission (ibāḥah).

The Almighty's saying: {and enter the gate prostrating}. There are two points of discussion here:

First Point: The Gate

1. The Gate of Repentance (Bāb al-Ḥiṭṭah): This is the view of Ibn ‘Abbās, Al-Ḍaḥḥāk, Mujāhid, and Qatādah—that it was a gate in Bayt al-Maqdis called Bāb al-Ḥiṭṭah.
2. A Direction or Entrance: Al-Aṣamm narrated from some that the "gate" referred to a direction or an entrance to the town.

Second Point: The Meaning of Prostration (Sujūd)

1. Literal Prostration: Al-Ḥasan interpreted it as literal prostration (placing the face on the ground). This is considered distant (ba‘īd) because the apparent meaning implies that entering while prostrating was obligatory. If taken literally, this would be impossible.
2. Non-Literal Interpretation: Others interpreted it as something other than literal prostration, offering two views:
   • *Bowing (Rukū‘):* Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr narrated from Ibn ‘Abbās that rukū‘ was intended, because the gate was small and narrow, requiring the entrant to bend over. This is considered distant because if the gate were narrow, they would be compelled to enter bowing anyway, making a specific command unnecessary.
   • *Humility (Khuḍū‘):* This is the closest interpretation. Since literal prostration is impossible, it must be interpreted as humility. When one repents from sin, one must be humble and submissive.

There are several views on this:

1. The Judge's View (The Best View): The meaning is that after commanding them to enter with humility, Allah commanded them to utter a phrase indicating repentance. Repentance is an attribute of the heart, invisible to others. If someone known for sin repents, they must inform those who witnessed the sin, as repentance is not complete without this declaration (to remove suspicion of persisting in error). Thus, Allah obligated the Children of Israel, alongside the humility of the heart, to utter the word signifying this repentance: {and say, "Ḥiṭṭah"}. The summary is that they were commanded to enter humbly and verbally request the removal of sins, thus combining heart-felt remorse, bodily submission, and verbal supplication. This is the best and most accurate view.
2. Al-Aṣamm's View: This word is from the language of the People of the Book and its meaning is not known in Arabic.
3. The Author of Al-Kashshāf's View: Ḥiṭṭah is a noun form (fi‘lah) derived from ḥaṭṭ (to remove), like jalsah (sitting). It is the predicate of an omitted subject (e.g., "Our request is Ḥiṭṭah," or "Your command is Ḥiṭṭah"). The original form should be accusative (e.g., "Remove our sins from us!"), but it was raised to the nominative to convey permanence, like saying ṣabr jamīl (beautiful patience) instead of ṣabran jamīlan. Ibn Abī ‘Ablah recited it in the accusative.
4. Abū Muslim Al-Iṣfahānī's View: It means, "Command us to settle (naḥuṭṭa) in this town and reside here." Al-Qāḍī refuted this, arguing that if this were the meaning, the forgiveness of their sins would not be contingent upon it, as the verse states: {and say, "Ḥiṭṭah," and We will forgive you your sins}. The response is that forgiveness was linked to their act of settling in the town while prostrating with humility.
5. Al-Qaffāl's View: It means, "O Allah, remove our sins, for we have humbled ourselves solely for Your sake, so remove our sins."

Was the specific word Ḥiṭṭah required? It is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbās that they were commanded this exact word. However, the opposite is more probable for two reasons:

1. The word is Arabic, and they did not speak Arabic.
2. More importantly, they were commanded to utter a statement indicating repentance, remorse, and humility. If they had said, "O Allah, we seek Your forgiveness and repent to You" instead of Ḥiṭṭah, the objective would have been achieved, as the essence of repentance is remorse of the heart and a verbal expression indicating that remorse, which does not depend on a specific word.

The Almighty's saying: {We will forgive you your sins}. The discussion on forgiveness has preceded. Here are two points:

1. Gratitude vs. Obligation: Allah mentioned this forgiveness as a favor (imtinān). If accepting repentance were rationally obligatory (as the Mu‘tazilah claim), then mentioning it as a favor would be inappropriate; it would merely be fulfilling an obligation, which cannot be mentioned as a grace.
2. Recitations (Qirā’āt): There are various recitations for {We will forgive you} (Naghfiru, Yaghfiru, Taghfiru, Yaghfiru). However, Al-Qaffāl stated that the meaning is the same in all readings, as if Allah forgives the sin, it is forgiven, and only Allah forgives. When a verb precedes a feminine noun, and a barrier separates them from the agent, both masculine and feminine forms are permissible (like in {And the wrongdoers were seized by the blast} [Hūd: 67]). The term khaṭāyā refers to the genus of sins, not just the singular count.

Regarding {your sins (khaṭāyākum)}, there are also various recitations concerning the plural form (e.g., khaṭī’atukum, khaṭī’ā’ukum).

The Almighty's saying: {And We will surely increase the doers of good}.

This can mean:

1. Those who were good in this specific obligation: The promised increase could be in worldly benefits (e.g., expansion in life or conquest of other towns) or in religious benefits (rewarding their repentance with immense recompense, as in {For those who do good is the best [reward] and even more} [Yūnus: 26]).
2. Those who were generally good in all obligations: If they were good in other acts of obedience after this repentance, the meaning is that their entry and saying Ḥiṭṭah caused forgiveness, and then they would receive reward for subsequent good deeds.
3. Another Interpretation: The meaning is: We forgive the sinner for this act, and for those who were not sinners but already good, We increase their goodness (i.e., record this obedience as an extra good deed and grant further grace). Thus, forgiveness is for the believers, and the increase is for the obedient.

The Almighty's saying: {Then the wrongdoers changed}. There are two views:

1. Abū Muslim's View: The word badala (changed) indicates they did not perform what they were commanded, not that they brought a substitute. He cites the verse about the hypocrites who intended to change Allah's word, meaning they intended opposition in action, not necessarily a literal substitution of words. Thus, they simply failed to comply with the command for humility and seeking forgiveness.
2. The Majority View: The meaning of tabdīl requires bringing a substitute (badal), as the root implies substitution (e.g., "So-and-so changed his religion" implies moving from one religion to another). This is reinforced by the phrase {a saying other than that which was said to them}.

What was the substitute?

• Ibn ‘Abbās narrated they entered the gate prostrating, crawling on their posteriors, saying, "Ḥinṭah (wheat) instead of barley."
• Mujāhid said they entered backward and said, "Ḥinṭah" mockingly.
• Ibn Zayd said they mocked Moses, saying, "Whatever Moses wishes, he plays with us—Ḥiṭṭah, Ḥiṭṭah (meaning, 'What is Ḥiṭṭah?')."

Regarding {The wrongdoers (alladhīna ẓalamū)}: Allah described them this way either because they sought to diminish their worldly and religious good, or because they harmed themselves, which is oppression (ẓulm).

The Almighty's saying: {So We sent down upon the wrongdoers a plague from the sky}. Two points:

1. Repetition: Repeating {the wrongdoers} emphasizes the ugliness of their act and indicates that the plague was sent down because of their wrongdoing.
2. The Plague (Rijz): Rijz means punishment (‘adhāb), supported by verses like {And when the plague befell them} (Al-A‘rāf: 134). Al-Zajjāj stated that rijz and rijs mean the same thing: torment.

The nature of the punishment is not specified in the verse. Ibn ‘Abbās said 24,000 of them died suddenly in one hour. Ibn Zayd said Allah sent a plague, and 25,000 died between morning and evening, leaving none remaining.

The Almighty's saying: {because they were persistently transgressing (yāsfiqun)}. Fisq means harmful departure. In religious terms, it means departing from obedience to Allah to disobedience.

Abū Muslim equated this fisq with the ẓulm mentioned earlier. However, the repetition is not redundant for two reasons:

1. Severity: Ẓulm can be minor or major (prophets even described their own actions as ẓulm, e.g., {Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves}). Since shirk is described as "great oppression," if ẓulm only meant great oppression, the word "great" would be redundant. Fisq, however, must be a major sin. By first describing them as ẓālimūn and then as fāsiqūn, Allah clarifies that their ẓulm was of the major kind, not minor.
2. Sequence: It is possible they deserved the title ẓālimūn because of that specific change, leading to the plague being sent down because of that change. However, the plague was sent down because of the fisq they had committed before the change. This resolves the redundancy.

Category Two: Comparison with Surah Al-A‘rāf

Allah mentioned this story in Surah Al-A‘rāf: {And [recall] when it was said to them, "Dwell in this town and eat from it wherever you will, and say, 'Ḥiṭṭah,' and enter the gate prostrating; We will forgive you your sins. We will surely increase..."} (Al-A‘rāf: 161-162).

Some use the verse {Then the wrongdoers changed a saying other than that which was said to them} to argue that divinely prescribed utterances (adhkār) cannot be altered or substituted. Shāfi‘ī scholars use this to argue against using words of glorification or praise other than those prescribed in prayer, or reading the Qur'an in Persian. Abū Bakr Al-Rāzī responded that they were condemned only for changing the statement to one whose meaning contradicted the original. Changing the wording while preserving the meaning is not blameworthy. The response is that the apparent meaning of {changed a saying other than that which was said to them} covers anyone who substitutes one saying for another, regardless of whether the meanings agree or disagree.

Here are several questions regarding the differences between the two accounts:

Q1: Why "We said" (Qulnā) in Al-Baqarah and "It was said to them" (Qīla lahum) in Al-A‘rāf? In Al-Baqarah, Allah explicitly states He is the speaker at the beginning of the discourse: {Recall My favor which I conferred upon you} (Al-Baqarah: 40), listing His favors sequentially. Thus, {And [recall] when We said} is appropriate. In Al-A‘rāf, since the context was already established in Al-Baqarah, the passive voice {And [recall] when it was said to them} removes ambiguity.

Q2: Why "Enter" (Udkhulū) in Al-Baqarah and "Dwell" (Iskunū) in Al-A‘rāf? Entering precedes dwelling. Since both are necessary, entering is mentioned in the earlier Surah, and dwelling in the later one.

Q3: Why the conjunction fa (then) in Al-Baqarah {then eat} and wāw (and) in Al-A‘rāf {and eat}? This is similar to the difference between {eat from it abundantly} (Al-Baqarah) and {eat from it} (Al-A‘rāf).

Q4: Why khaṭāyākum (plural of abundance) in Al-Baqarah and khaṭī’ātikum (plural of fewness) in Al-A‘rāf? In Al-Baqarah, since the verb is attributed directly to Himself ({And [recall] when We said, "Enter this town"}), it is fitting for His generosity to mention the forgiveness of abundant sins, hence the plural of abundance. In Al-A‘rāf, since the agent is not explicitly named ({And [recall] when it was said to them}), the plural of fewness is used.

Q5: Why is raghadan (abundantly) mentioned in Al-Baqarah but omitted in Al-A‘rāf? Similar to Q4: Since the action is attributed to Himself in Al-Baqarah, the greatest blessing—eating abundantly—is mentioned. In Al-A‘rāf, since the agent is not named, this specific emphasis is omitted.

Q6: Why are the commands ordered differently: {enter the gate prostrating and say, "Ḥiṭṭah"} in Al-Baqarah, versus {say, "Ḥiṭṭah" and enter the gate prostrating} in Al-A‘rāf? The wāw (and) implies general conjunction. The audience might be divided:

1. Sinners: For the sinner, seeking forgiveness (Ḥiṭṭah) must precede worship, as repentance precedes future acts of obedience. Thus, they were commanded to say Ḥiṭṭah first, then enter prostrating.
2. Non-Sinners: For the non-sinner, worship is primary. They should enter prostrating first, and then say Ḥiṭṭah second, perhaps as a means of self-abasement and removing self-admiration for performing the worship. Since the audience could be divided into these two groups, Allah mentioned the ruling appropriate for each group in a separate Surah.

Q7: Why is there a wāw (and) in {And We will surely increase the doers of good} in Al-Baqarah, but not in Al-A‘rāf? In Al-A‘rāf, two things were mentioned: saying Ḥiṭṭah (indicating repentance) and entering prostrating (indicating worship). Two rewards followed: forgiveness (corresponding to Ḥiṭṭah) and increase (corresponding to prostration). Omitting the wāw implies that each reward corresponds to each condition separately. In Al-Baqarah, the wāw implies that the forgiveness and the increase together constitute a single reward for the combination of the two actions (entering and saying Ḥiṭṭah).

Q8: Why the addition of minhum (from among them) in Al-A‘rāf: {Then the wrongdoers from among them changed a saying} when Al-Baqarah omits it? In Al-A‘rāf, the story began by specifying a subset: {And from the people of Moses is a community that guides with the truth and thereby establishes justice} (Al-A‘rāf: 159). After listing the favors and commands, the verse concludes by mentioning the wrongdoers {from among them} to match the opening specification. In Al-Baqarah, no such initial specification was made, so no concluding specification is necessary.

Q9: Why "We sent down" (Anzalnā) in Al-Baqarah and "We sent" (Arsalnā) in Al-A‘rāf? Anzalnā (sending down) implies the onset of the event. Arsalnā (sending) implies its persistence, overwhelming them, and complete annihilation, which happens later.

Q10: Why {because they were persistently transgressing (yāsfiqun)} in Al-Baqarah, and {because they were wronging (yaẓlimūn)} in Al-A‘rāf? Since Al-Baqarah already established that their ẓulm constituted fisq, Al-A‘rāf suffices with the term ẓulm due to the prior explanation.

Al-Baqarah: (60) And [recall] when Moses sought water for his people...

{And [recall] when Moses sought water for his people, so We said, "Strike with your staff the rock," and there gushed forth from it twelve springs. Each people knew its drinking place. [Then enjoy] of the provision of Allah and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption.}

This verse discusses the miracle of the twelve springs.