Tazkirul Quran, Qur’an 2:87–90

Translation

(87) To Moses We gave the Book and sent a succession of messengers after him. We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. But, whenever a messenger came to you with something which you did not desire, you grew arrogant, calling some liars and slaying others. (88) They say, ‘Our hearts are impenetrably wrapped [against whatever you say],’ but God has rejected them for their denial; they have but little faith. (89) And now that a Book has come to them from God, fulfilling that [predictions about the final prophet in their scriptures] which is with them, they deny it—whereas previously they used to pray for victory against the disbelievers—yet when there came to them that which they recognized as the truth, they rejected it. God’s rejection is the due of all who deny the truth. (90) What they have sold their souls for is evil: to the denial of God’s own revelation, grudging that He should reveal His bounty to whom He chooses from among His servants! They have incurred wrath upon wrath. Humiliating punishment awaits those who deny the truth.

Commentary

(a )The Torah was the Book of God revealed to the Jews. Gradually, however, they ceased to treat it as a source of divine guidance and came to regard it as a sacred relic of their national heritage, a symbol of ethnic superiority; it became more a guarantee of salvation than a guide as to how salvation could be earned. After Moses, several prophets arose among the Jewish people—Joshua, David, Zachariah, John the Baptist and finally Jesus, to name but a few—all of whom pointed out to the Jews that it was not enough just to revere the Torah as a holy book. Its teachings had to be actually practised. It is futile to believe in the sacredness of the holy scriptures if one does not implement their message in one’s everyday life. But the Jews, the very people who held the Torah in such high esteem, were extremely intolerant of the Prophet’s exhortations. The reason for such a reaction on their part was that they had allowed self-interest and worldly ambitions to rule their lives, while passing themselves off as bearers and upholders of the true faith. As long as religion served to consolidate their worldly status, they welcomed it, but were loath to accept the message of truth—presented to them in all its purity—which they saw as a threat to the hegemony they had secured for themselves on the basis of religion. It was their egoism which came in the way of true religiosity. Instead of being the first to believe in it, they rejected the message as well as the messenger, subjecting God’s prophets to scorn and victimisation. They called them impostors and even went to the extent of killing them.

(a) The Jews of Arabia behaved similarly with the Prophet Muhammad. They had seen prophecies of the coming of a final prophet in their scriptures, and had eagerly anticipated his arrival. When he comes, they used to say, we will join with him in a grand alliance against the pagans and idolators. But these proved to be empty words on their part, a pretence aimed at consolidating their status as undisputed guardians of divine faith. When the Prophet came, the truth of their position was exposed. They were shown to be steeped in bigotry, reluctant to believe in a prophet who did not come from the Jewish race. They could not dispute the authentic indications presented by the Quran in support of his prophethood; all they could say was, ‘It all sounds very impressive, but our ancestral religion is good enough for us. Our hearts are sealed and we will not accept anything besides the faith we have inherited from our forefathers.’