I. Meaning & Morphology (الصرف و
اللغة)
1. ‘مَرَضٌ’
The word ‘مَرَضٌ’
is generally used in the Qur’ān in two connotations: hypocrisy and jealousy.
Here it is evident from the context that the latter sense is most
appropriate. As the sūrah progresses, it will become evident that the Jews
were very jealous of the fact that a Prophet (sws) had come from the
Ismaelites and not from among them.
2. ‘شَيَاطِينِهِمْ’
It is evident from the context
that the word ‘شَيَاطِينِهِمْ’ connotes the
leaders of the rejecters among the Jews. (See ref. 12)
3. ‘اشْتَرَوْا’
The word ‘اشْتَرَوْا’
(they bought) in 2:15 is obviously used in the figurative sense. When we buy
something, we actually give preference to it over the money that one uses
for purchasing it. Thus, the meaning ‘to give preference to something’ is
incorporated in the word, as is pointed out by Ghamidi in ref. 14.
Consequently, Qurtubī, while referring to this usage says that it is used in
the same way as ‘اِسْتَحَبُّوا’ is in: ‘الْعَمَى
عَلَى الْهُدَى فاسْتَحَبُّوا’ (41:1)
.
II Syntax & Declensions (النحو و الاعراب)
1. ‘مَنْ’ in ‘وَمِنْ
النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ’
The word ‘مَنْ’
is used for both singular and plural entities. Here it is obvious that it is
used for the latter.
2. ‘ال’
in ‘النَّاسِ’
The ‘ال’
in ‘النَّاسِ’ is for ‘عِهد’.
‘النَّاسِ’ refers to those who rejected the Book
of God in its entirety. So, the words ‘… وَمِنْ النَّاسِ
مَنْ يَقُولُ’ refer to one category of rejecters. Another category
has already been referred to in verse 7 by the words ‘…إِنَّ
الَّّّذِينَ كَفَرُوا’.
3. Relationship of ‘فِي
طُغْيَانِهِمْ’
Verse 15 reads:
اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي
طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
The expression ‘فِي
طُغْيَانِهِمْ’ can be related to ‘َيَمُدُّهُمْ’
or to ‘يَعْمَهُونَ’. If the former construction is
preferred, ‘يَعْمَهُونَ’ would be ‘حَال’
and the meaning would be: ‘God increases them in their arrogance, such that
they wander about’. If the latter construction is preferred, the meaning
would be ‘God gives them respite and they wander in their arrogance’. The
author has preferred the former construction, as has Farāhī. Both give the same reason: ‘مَدَّ
ه فِيهِ’ is a more commonly used expression.
III Style & Eloquence (الاساليب و
البلاغة)
1. Subtle Choice of Words
Verse 9 reads:
يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا
يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا أَنفُسَهُمْ
While ‘يُخَادِعُونَ’
means to ‘to try to deceive, ‘يَخْدَعُونَ’ means
‘to deceive’. The former is used with God because man can only strive to
deceive God: he can never succeed. Hence this usage is very apt. On the
other hand, ‘يَخْدَعُونَ’, is appropriately used
for ‘humans’ because one may succeed in deceiving them.
2. Tadmīn in ‘خَلَوْا
إِلَى’
The inappropriateness of the
preposition with the verb in the expression ‘خَلَوْا
إِلَى’ shows that the verb encompasses another verb within its
meaning. Taking this aspect into consideration, the implied meaning is
إِلَى شَيَاطِينِهِمْ ذَهَبُوْا وَ الْمُسْلِمِيْن مِنْ
خَلَوْا’. Farāhī points out the implied meaning with the words ‘ذَهَبُوْا
اِلِيْهِمْ فَخَلَوْا مَعَهُمْ’.
IV. Exegesis and Explanation (الشرح و التفسير)
1. Verses 8-16
Most commentators opine that
these verses refer to the hypocrites among the Muslims. Ghāmidī differs with
them and says that they actually refer to a group among the Jews who wanted
to adopt a policy of compromise. Like some of their counterparts, they had
not opted to openly reject Islam; rather they wanted to strike some
compromise between it and own their religion.
The basic reason why they
cannot be called hypocrites is the following verse:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُوا كَمَا آمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوا
أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَا آمَنَ السُّفَهَاءُ
When it is said to them:
‘Accept faith as these people [before you] have accepted faith’, they
[vainly] say: ‘Shall we accept faith as these fools accepted faith?’
Hypocrites feign to be Muslims
while rejecting Islam in their hearts. On the other hand, this verse speaks
of open rejection. People who openly reject Islam thus cannot be termed as
hypocrites.
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