Transliteration:( Latajidanna ashad dan naasi 'adaawatal lillazeena aamanul Yahooda wallazeena ashrakoo wa latajidanna aqrabahum mawaddatal lil lazeena aamanul lazeena qaalooo innaa Nasaaraa; zaalika bi anna minhum qiseeseena wa ruhbaananw wa annahum laa yastakbiroon )
232. From this emerges one important issue: Infidelity due to enmity is worse than enmity due to love. Observe, that the Nasara became infidels due to their excessive love while the Yahud and polytheists became infidels because of their extreme hatred. But both are referred to here as "bitterest enemies".Â
233. In this verse, praise is accorded to the King of Abyssinia and his companions who were Nasara at first but later believed in the Message and of the Holy Prophet ? cried at listening to the Holy Quran, gave sanctuary to the early Muslims who had migrated from Makkah Mukarrama to Abyssinia and were of service to them, sent gifts and messages of loyalty to the Holy Prophet ? . Remember, that eleven men and four women migrated from Makkah to Abyssinia which included Hazrat Uthman bin Affan and his beloved wife Bibi Ruqayya (May Allah be pleased with them).
Daughter of the Holy Prophet. This migration took place in Rajab, in the fifth year of the Call. When they were granted peace and security more Muslims began to migrate there. Soon this group of Muslims increased to eighty-two men and a number of women. It was King Negus who was responsible for the marriage of Hazrat Umme Habeebah (May Allah be pleased with her) to the Beloved Prophet ?. This marriage was performed in proxy, as the Holy Prophet was in Madinah at the time of marriage and she was in Abyssinia. Umme Habeebah (May Allah be pleased with her) was the daughter of Hazrat Abu Sufyan. This verse: "It is near that Allah may create friendship between you and those of them who are your enemies" (S60 V7) refers to this. It is this marriage which was largely responsible for softening the heart of Abu Sufyan (Ruhul Bayaan, etc)
234. From this emerge two issues.Â
1. The presence of the learned and the pious among the people is a mercy of Allah for the people.Â
2. Arrogance and pride are terrible vices.
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82. Verily, you will find the strongest among men in enmity to the believers the Jews and those who commit Shirk, and you will find the nearest in love to the believers those who say: “We are Christians.” That is because among them are priests and monks, and they are not proud. 83. And when they listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognized. They say: “Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses.” 84. “And why should we not believe in Allah and in that which has come to us of the truth And we wish that our Lord will admit us along with the righteous people.” 85. So because of what they said, Allah awarded them with Gardens under which rivers flow, they will abide therein forever. Such is the reward of good-doers. 86. But those who disbelieved and belied Our Ayat, they shall be the dwellers of Hell.
Sa`id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi and others said that these Ayat were revealed concerning a delegation that An-Najashi (King of Ethiopia) sent to the Prophet in order to hear his words and observe his qualities. When the delegation met with the Prophet and he recited the Qur’an to them, they embraced Islam, cried and were humbled. Then they returned to An-Najashi and told him what happened. `Ata’ bin Abi Rabah commented, “They were Ethiopians who embraced Islam when the Muslims who migrated to Ethiopia resided among them.” Qatadah said, “They were some followers of the religion of `Isa, son of Maryam, who when they saw Muslims and heard the Qur’an, they became Muslims without hesitation.” Ibn Jarir said that these Ayat were revealed concerning some people who fit this description, whether they were from Ethiopia or otherwise. Allah said,
(Verily, you will find the strongest among men in enmity to the believers the Jews and those who commit Shirk,) This describes the Jews, since their disbelief is that of rebellion, defiance, opposing the truth, belittling other, people and degrading the scholars. This is why the Jews – may Allah’s continued curses descend on them until the Day of Resurrection – killed many of their Prophets and tried to kill the Messenger of Allah several times, as well as, performing magic spells against him and poisoning him. They also incited their likes among the polytheists against the Prophet . Allah’s statement,
(and you will find the nearest in love to the believers those who say: “We are Christians.”) refers to those who call themselves Christians, who follow the religion of the Messiah and the teachings of his Injil. These people are generally more tolerant of Islam and its people, because of the mercy and kindness that their hearts acquired through part of the Messiah’s religion. In another Ayah, Allah said;
(And We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him, compassion, mercy, and monasticism…) ﴿57:27﴾. In their book is the saying; “He who strikes you on the right cheek, then turn the left cheek for him.” And fighting was prohibited in their creed, and this is why Allah said,
(That is because among them are Qissisin (priests) and Ruhban (monks), and they are not proud.) This means that among them are Qissisin (priests). The word Ruhban refers to one dedicated to worship. Allah said,
(That is because among them are priests and monks, and they are not proud.) This describes them with knowledge, worship and humbleness, along with following the truth and fairness.
(And when they listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognized.) This refers to the good news that they have about the advent of Muhammad ,
(They say: “Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses.”) who testify to the truth and believe in it.
(“And why should we not believe in Allah and in that which has come to us of the truth And We wish that our Lord will admit us (in Paradise) along with the righteous people.”) Such sect of Christians are those mentioned in Allah’s statement,
(And there are, certainly, among the People of the Scripture, those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah.)﴿3:199﴾ and,
(Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, they believe in it (the Qur’an). And when it is recited to them, they say, “We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we were Muslims”)﴿28:52-53﴾, until,
(“We seek not the ignorant.”)﴿28:55﴾ This is why Allah said here,
(So because of what they said, Allah awarded them…) rewarding them for embracing the faith and recognizing and believing in the truth,
(Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), they will abide therein forever.) and they will never be removed from it, for they will dwell and remain in it forever and ever,
(Such is the reward of good-doers) who follow the truth and obey it wherever, whenever and with whomever they find it. Allah then describes the condition of the miserable.
(But those who disbelieved and belied Our Ayat,) defied and opposed them,
(they shall be the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire.) For they are the people of the Fire who will enter and reside in it (eternally).
(5:82) Of all men you will find the Jews and those who associate others with Allah in His divinity to be the most hostile to those who believe; and you will surely find that of ail people they who say: ‘We are Christians’, are closest to feeling affection for those who believe. This is because there are worshipful priests and monks among them, and because they are not arrogant.
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
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