In the name of Allah, Most
Gracious, Most Merciful
Holy Quran
Surah 98 Al Bayyinah (The
Clear Evidence)
Interpretation of
the Meanings of the Noble Quran in English Language
by A.Yusuf Ali
1 Those who reject (Truth)
among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists were not going to depart
(from their ways) until there should come to them Clear Evidence 6221 6222 6223
2 An apostle from Allah rehearsing scriptures kept pure and holy: 6224 6225
3 Wherein are laws (or decrees) right and straight. 6226
4 Nor did the people of the Book make schisms until after there
came to them Clear Evidence. 6227
5 And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah
offering Him sincere devotion being True (in faith);
to establish regular Prayer; and to practice regular Charity; and that is the
Religion Right and Straight. 6228 6229 6230
6 Those who reject (Truth) among the People of the Book and among
the Polytheists will be in hell-fire to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures. 6231
7 Those who have faith and do righteous
deeds they are the best of creatures. 6232
8 Their reward is with Allah: Gardens of Eternity Beneath which
rivers flow; They will dwell therein for ever; Allah
well pleased with them and they with Him:
all this for such as fear their Lord and Cherisher. 6233 6234
Introduction
Name
The Surah is so designated after the word al-bayyinah occurring at the end of the first verse.
Period of Revelation
Where
it was revealed, at Makkah or Madinah,
is also disputed. Some commentators say it is a Makki
revelation according to most scholars; others say it is a Madani
revelation according to most scholars. Ibn Az Zubair and Ata bin Yasar hold the view that it is Madani.
Ibn Abbas and Qatadah are reported to have held two views, first that it
is Makki, second that it is Madani.
Hadrat Aishah regards it as
a Makki Surah. Abu Hayyan, author of Bahr al-Muhit,
and Abdul Munim ibn al-Faras, author of Ahkam al-Quran, alsa have preferred to
regard it as Makki. As for its contents, there is
nothing in it to indicate whether it was revealed at Makkah
or at Madinah.
Theme and Subject Matter
Its
having been placed after Surahs Al-Alaq and Al-Qadr in the
arrangement of the Quran is very meaningful. Surah Al-Alaq contains the very
first revelation, while Surah Al-Qadr
shows as to when it was revealed, and in this Surah
it has been explained why it was necessary to send a Messenger along with this
Holy Book.
First
of all the need of sending a Messenger has been explained, saying: The people
of the world, be they from among the followers of the earlier scriptures or
from among the idolaters, could not possibly be freed from their state of
unbelief, until a Messenger was sent whose appearance by itself should be a
clear proof of his apostleship, and he should present the Book of God before
the people in its original, pristine form, which should be free from every
mixture of falsehood corrupting the earlier Divine Books; and which should
comprise sound teachings.
Then,
about the errors of the followers of the earlier Books it has been said that
the cause of their straying into different creeds was not that Allah had not
provided any guidance to them, but they strayed only after a clear statement of
the Right Creed had come to them. From this it automatically follows that they
themselves were responsible for their error and deviation. Now, if even after
the coming of the clear statement through this Messenger, they continued to
stray, their responsibility would further increase.
In
this very connection, it has been stated that the Prophets who came from Allah
and the Books sent down by Him, did not enjoin anything but that the way of
sincere and true service to Allah be adopted, apart from all other ways, no one
else's worship, service or obedience be mixed with His, the salat
be established and the zakat be paid. This same
has been the true religion since ever. From this also it automatically follows
that the followers of the earlier scriptures, straying from this true religion,
have added extraneous things to it, which are false, and Allah's this Messenger
has come to invite them back to, the same original faith.
In
conclusion, it has been pointed out clearly that the followers of the earlier
Books and the idolaters who would refuse to acknowledge this Messenger are the
worst of creatures: their punishment is an everlasting Hell; and the people who
would believe and act righteously, and would spend life in the world in awe of
God, are the best of creatures: their reward is eternal Paradise wherein they
will live for ever. Allah became well pleased with them and they became well
pleased with Allah.
Notes
6221 The
People of the Book immediately referred to are the Jews and the Christians, who
had received scriptures in the same line of prophecy in which came our holy
Prophet. Their scriptures should have prepared them for the advent of the
greatest and last of the Prophets. For the Jewish scriptures promised to the
Jews, cousins or brethren to the Arabs, a prophet like Moses: "The Lord
thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy
brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" (Deut, xviii. 15). And
Christ promised a Comforter (John. xiv. 16; xv. 26; and xvi. 7; see my n. 5438
to lxi. 6) almost by name. The People of the Book
fell from the true, straight, and standard religion, into devious ways, and
would not come to the true Path until (they said) they were convinced by the
arrival of the promised Prophet. But when the promised Prophet came in the
person of Muhammad, they rejected him, because they really did not seek for
Truth but only followed their own fancies and desires. (98.1)
6222 The
Polytheists, the Pagans, had not previously believed in any scriptures. But
yet, when clear evidence came to them, they should have believed. Yet they
rejected the holy Prophet because they were not really searching for Truth, but
were only following their own fancies and desires. (98.1)
6223 The
Clear Evidence was the holy Prophet himself, his life, his personality, and his
teaching. (98.1)
6224 Cf.
ii. 15 1. (98.2)
6225 Cf. lxxx. 13-16. (98.2)
6226 Qaiyim. straight, as opposed to
crooked; standard as opposed to irregular; definite and permanent, as opposed
to casual or temporary. Cf. ix. 36; xii. 40; etc. (98.3)
6227 The
responsibility of the People of the Book is greater than that of Pagans,
because the People of the Book had been prepared for the standard and straight
Religion by the revelations which they had already received. Yet, when the
clear evidence came in Islam, they resisted it, And
what is this standard and straight Religion, free of all ambiguity, and free of
all casual rights and ceremonies? They are summed up in three eternal
principles, as explained in the next verse and the next note. (98.4)
6228 The
three eternal principles of Religion are: (1) sincere devotion to Allah; (2)
Prayer and Praise as drawing man nearer to Allah; and (3) the service of
Allah's creatures by deeds of practical charity. (98.5)
6229 Hanif: see n. 134 to ii. 135. (98.5)
6230 See
n. 6226 above. (98.5)
6231 To
be given the faculty of discrimination between right and wrong, and then to
reject truth and right, is the worst folly which a creature endowed with will
can commit. It must necessarily bring its own punishment, whether the creature
calls himself one of the children of Abraham or one of the redeemed of Christ,
or whether he goes by the mere light of nature and reason as a Pagan. Honour in the sight of Allah is not due to race or colour, but to sincere and righteous conduct (xlix. 13). (98.6)
6232 Contrast
this with the preceding verse. Human beings who live a life of faith and good
deed justify the purpose of their probation here. They attain the fulfilment of their highest hopes. (98.7)
6233 The
Good Pleasure of Allah is the final Bliss of Salvation. The good pleasure is
mutual; the truly saved is he whose will has become completely identified with
Allah's universal will. (98.8)
6234 The
fear of Allah is the fear to offend against His holy law, the fear to do
anything which is against His holy Will. Such fear is akin to love; for with it
dawns the consciousness of Allah's loving-care for all His creatures. (98.8)
End of Surah
Al-Baiyyinah