Chapter 98:
Al-Bayyinah
The Clear Evidence
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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
- Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and
the idolaters could not have been freed till clear evidence came
to them
- A Messenger from Allah, reciting pure pages,
- Wherein are (all) right books.
- Nor did those to whom the Book was given become divided till
clear evidence came to them.
- And they are enjoined naught but to serve Allah, being sincere
to Him in obedience, upright and to keep up prayer and pay the
poor-rate, and that is the right religion.
- Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and
the idolaters will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein. They
are the worst of creatures.
- Those who believe and do good, they are the best of creatures.
- Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of perpetuity wherein
flow rivers, abiding therein forever. Allah is well-pleased with
them and they are well-pleased with Him. That is for him who fears
his Lord.
This chapter, Al-Bayinah (The Clear Evidence), was revealed
at Makkah. In the last chapter, Al-Qadr (The Majesty), it
was mentioned that the Holy Qur'an was revealed as a message of
peace to the whole world. In this chapter, the point is made that
mankind at the time of the Holy Prophet (sas) was so far
away removed from guidance that unless clear testimony had come
from Allah and unless the Holy Qur'an had been revealed, the world
would never have received guidance from any other source.
1. Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and
the idolaters could not have been freed till clear evidence came
to them
Here, by those who disbelieved from among the People of the
Book, the kind of unbelief meant is unbelief by way of evil
deeds and also by attributing parties to the one God, Allah. That
is, the People of the Book (the Jews and Christians) earned the
title of unbelievers because of their sinful actions and because
of their joining others in the worship of Allah and this, despite
being followers of revealed books.
Mushrikin (idolaters) refer to the unbelievers who were
not Jews or Christians but were worshippers of idols.
By al bayyinah (the clear evidence) is meant Allah's messenger
as is plainly stated in the next verse of this chapter. He is called
the clear evidence because the purity of his life, his exalted
teachings and the heavenly signs shown in his favour all provide
indisputable proof of the existence of Allah. With his advent, faith
became implanted in the hearts of men who could now find deliverance
from the burden of their sins.
This verse tells us that as a result of unbelief and polytheism,
vice and immorality, the condition of people had become so depraved
that those who were idol-worshippers had already fallen into such
a deep pit of misguidance that there was no hope of self-regeneration
for them. But even more reprehensible was the condition of the People
of the Book. They were inheritors of revealed scriptures, yet so
buried were they in unbelief and polytheism that they had become
deserving of being called unbelievers. So how could those who were
in error themselves, guide others to the true path?
Therefore, there was no way available to liberate man from such
a condition of slavery to sinfulness except one - that an apostle
of Allah should come and recite pure pages to the people
for so far had they fallen in the abyss of sin and iniquity that
it was beyond the power of an ordinary preacher to reclaim them.
It is a proven historical fact that two well-known groups of the
People of the Book, the Jews and the Christians, had tried for centuries
to woo the Arabs away from polytheism, but all their efforts to
effect a change in the morals and beliefs of the people of Arabia
had amounted to no more than the ripple of a gentle breeze on the
vast ocean. Sir William Muir provides eloquent testimony of this
when he writes:
"From time beyond memory, Mecca and the whole Peninsula
had been steeped in spiritual torpor. The slight and transient influences
of Judaism, Christianity, or philosophical inquiry upon the Arab
mind had been but as the ruffling here and there of the surface
of a quiet lake; all remained still and motionless below. The people
were sunk in superstition, cruelty and vice…. Their religion was
a gross idolatry; and their faith the dark superstitious dread of
unseen things…. Thirteen years before the Hejira, Mecca lay
lifeless in this debased state. What a change had these thirteen
years now produced!… Jewish truth had long sounded in the ears of
the men of Medina; but it was not until they heard the spirit-stirring
strains of the Arabian Prophet that they, too, awoke from their
slumber, and sprang suddenly into a new and earnest life"
(Muir's Life of Mahomet, ch. vii).
But retrogression from religion was not the lot of the People of
the Book alone. In fact, in every part of the world people with
scriptures had all become corrupted and debased as this verse of
the Holy Qur'an attests: Corruption has appeared in the land
and the sea on account of that which men's hands have wrought, that
He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that
they may return (30:41).
So when people with divinely-inspired books were themselves engaged
in all kinds of debauchery, how could they purify others of their
vices? Those in need of a deliverer cannot liberate others from
the bondage of sin.
The world was crying out desperately for a reformer, that is, mankind
was in dire need of a messenger who, through his holy personality,
his spiritual powers and heavenly signs would revive faith in Allah
in the heart of people, rescue them from sins, provide them with
the principles of true guidance and establish purity and righteousness
on earth.
2. A Messenger from Allah, reciting pure pages,
3. Wherein are (all) right books.
In the verse, Wherein are (all) right books, instead of
bayyinah (evidence) the word rasul (messenger) is
used. In other words, by bayyinah (evidence) is meant the
Messenger of Allah because his presence is indisputable evidence
of the existence of Allah and so overwhelming a proof is he, that,
through him, faith in Allah is renewed and so man can achieve salvation
from a sinful life. Here the word rasul (messenger) refers
specifically to the Holy Prophet (sas).
This verse discloses to us that so degenerate had people become
because of polytheism and profligacy that the time had come when
that extraordinary Prophet, who had been prophesied by all the preceding
prophets, should make his appearance for the sake of reforming the
world. His life, which was replete with miracles and heavenly signs,
together with the manifestation of Divine help which was never absent
from him, was sufficient in itself for resuscitating faith in Allah.
However, in addition to that, the Messenger taught a holy scripture
to the people. This Book was called "holy" because it
was free from all impure doctrines and interpolations which self-serving
and unscrupulous people had themselves inserted in the earlier scriptures.
Thus, that prophet came and brought with him a Divine scripture
that was filled with pure, holy, exemplary and unadulterated guidance.
And this is why its teachings can purify people of sins and fill
them with piety and purity.
The verse, In which there are (all) right books, tells us
that in this Book, that is, the Holy Qur'an, all those teachings
which are of permanent value to mankind have been collected together
because they enjoy the status of eternal verities. In other words,
on the one hand, the message of this prophet is exempt of all kinds
of human admixture or interpolation. On the other hand, the book
he brought is a compendium of all permanent truths and perfect guidance
that are indispensable for mankind whether these truths existed
in previous Divine scriptures or elsewhere, or whether they were
not yet revealed until his advent.
4. Nor did those to whom the Book was given become divided till
clear evidence came to them.
In this verse, al bayyinah (the clear evidence) refers
to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) who brought explicit proofs
and heavenly signs in support of the truth of his message.
By ta-far-ra-qa (became divided) are meant those who differed
in their attitude to the faith. Some believed and others rejected,
while another group comprised those who were believers in the former
revealed books but rejected the Book of the Holy Prophet (sas)
in spite of the fact that it brought incontrovertible evidence from
the Almighty. In this way, they made a differentiation in their
belief in the prophets of Allah. In truth, their refusal to accept
the Holy Qur'an was really a rejection of the pure teachings which
were preserved in their own scriptures. They also made a division
in the universal concept of prophethood, for before the Holy Prophet's
advent, they used to believe in all their prophets, but now they
rejected him in spite of the fact that he had come with such incontestable
arguments and clear signs that he earned the title of al bayyinah
(the clear evidence).
5. And they are enjoined naught but to serve Allah, being sincere
to Him in obedience, upright, and to keep up prayer and pay the
poor-rate, and that is the right religion.
In this verse, the rejecters are told that they have no grounds
for disbelieving because there was no difference in the essential
message of the Holy Prophet and the teachings of the previous prophets.
In fact, it is through the Holy Qur'an that the teachings of the
former prophets have been revived and perfected. And what did they
teach? It is the same belief in the Oneness of the Almighty and
obedience to Him. Further, all of us are commanded to be sincere
to Allah and to worship Him and do deeds solely for His pleasure.
We are further directed to be upright, that is, to avoid extremes
as we walk along the straight path. We are also reminded that all
these virtues cannot become possible except through a strong connection
with Allah. To achieve this, we must establish regular prayer so
that respect for the commands of Allah can be embedded in our hearts;
we should also pay the zakah (poor-rate) to develop love
for our fellow-human beings and to win the approval of Allah thereby.
That is the authentic religion which all the prophets came to this
world to preach and this is the same message that the Holy Prophet
is expounding. Furthermore, in the verse, In it are all right
books, we are told that all the teachings of all the prophets
of the world are contained in a perfect form in the Holy Qur'an.
So there is no basis for showing indifference and hostility to this
Book.
6. Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and
the idolaters will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein. They
are the worst of creatures.
The people meant here are those People of the Book and the idolaters
who did not believe in the clear evidence, that is, the Holy
Prophet (sas), and so rejected him. In other words, in the
beginning of the chapter, the verse, Those who disbelieved from
among the People of the Book and the idolaters could not be freed…
refers to those People of the Book and the idolaters who were unbelievers
by virtue of their evil deeds and polytheistic beliefs. However,
when the Holy Prophet (sas) came, those who believed in him
were freed from unbelief and polytheism and were included in the
fold of Islam.
However, the later verse, Nor did those to whom the Book was
given become divided till clear evidence came to them, pertains
to those People of the Book who did not believe and showed indifference
to the Holy Prophet (sas). So in this verse under discussion,
(Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the
idolaters will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein. They are
the worst of creatures.), mention is made of those People of
the Book who stood aloof from the Holy Prophet (sas) and
refused to believe in him. Also included in the punishment mentioned
here are those idol-worshippers who rejected him.
In other words, in the beginning of the chapter, the words, Those
who disbelieve from among the People of the Book, speak of those
false beliefs and evil deeds that had already taken root in these
people before the advent of the Holy Prophet (sas). To liberate
them from this state of unbelief, Allah sent His apostle, the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (sas).
But here, in this verse the reference to those who disbelieve
from among the People of the Book is to those later ones who
rejected the clear evidence, that is, the messengership of
the Holy Prophet (sas) when it came to them. Therefore, as
they rejected the complete and perfect message that had come to
them, they made themselves deserving of punishment, and for this
reason they were called the worst of creation because they
deliberately refused to benefit from the Messenger of Allah and
the clear evidence he brought. Instead they increased in
unbelief and polytheism. So who can doubt that they truly earned
the description of the worst of creatures? Without doubt,
by their own evil deeds they made themselves asfala safilin (the
lowest of the low).
7. Those who believe and do good, they are the best of creatures.
In chapter 95, At-Tin (The Fig), we were told that man was
created fi ahsani taqwim (in the best make) but if he does
not believe in Allah and does not do good deeds then he becomes
asfala safilin (the lowest of the low). On the other hand,
if he has faith in Allah and follows it up with righteous actions,
then he rises to the rank of the best of creation. This latter point
is repeated in this verse, Those who believe and do good, they
are the best of creatures, that is, those who believe and do
good are the noblest of Allah's creatures.
At this juncture, there is a subtle point worthy of notice: One
can observe that there is a resemblance between the preceding verse,
Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the
idolaters will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein. They are
the worst of creatures, and this one, Those who believe and
do good, they are the best of creatures. In the former verse,
the deniers of the clear evidence are mentioned as the worst
of creatures and in the latter verse, those who accepted the
clear evidence are called the best of creatures. But
what is important here is that before naming the rejecters as the
worst of creatures, the verse describes the punishment they
will receive as a result of their denial, whilst in the next verse,
the acceptors of the truth are referred to as the best of creatures,
but their reward is not spoken of in this verse. In fact, their
recompense is described in the verses that follow and we may very
well ask why this is so.
The difference is this: when the punishment of an unbeliever becomes
public, only then do people realise that he is one of the worst
of creatures. Before this exposure, most times people do not have
the slightest intimation of the character of the wrong-doer. For
example, many officers of high rank and standing in the society
happen to be dishonest, but no one knows. However, when their dishonesty
is disclosed and punishment is meted out to them, then they lose
their erstwhile honour and prestige, and their true station of the
worst of creatures comes into full view.
Therefore, to establish the fact that the unbelievers are the worst
of creatures, it is important to make known the result of their
actions. That is why the punishment for their wrong-doing is mentioned
first and then their position of the worst of creatures is
expressed.
However, in contrast to them, the believers and doers of good,
that is, the truly righteous ones, begin to be noticed by all as
the best of people by reason of their good deeds, and there is no
need to wait for the consequences of their actions to confirm their
high standing. That is why only their belief and good works are
mentioned and straightaway they are named as the best of creatures.
In other words, a believer who is a doer of good deeds is quintessentially
one of the best of Allah's creatures regardless of whether the results
of his belief and actions are known to people or not. That is because
faith and good deeds are so intrinsically pure qualities that those
who choose that path in life are sure to become the most illustrious
of Allah's creation. This, in itself, is a glorious thing, but that
is not the end of the matter, for their Lord has in store for them
a more honourable reward.
8. Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of perpetuity wherein
flow rivers, abiding therein forever. Allah is well-pleased with
them and they are well-pleased with Him. That is for him who fears
his Lord.
Faith is compared with a garden whilst good deeds are likened to
rivers. Just as rivers give life to gardens and cause them to flourish,
so, too, good deeds keep faith perpetually alive. In addition, the
promise is given that this gift will be perfect and everlasting.
This is contrary to the Arya Samaj concept of salvation from which,
after a period of time, Parmeshwar will expel them for a sin that
was committed earlier but had remained hidden and will send them
back to earth. Peace and happiness that are ephemeral are really
a form of deceit and unkindness. If something is not lasting you
cannot enjoy true contentment from it. No happiness can be genuine
unless it is permanent. So, in this verse, in addition to the promise
of perfect happiness, the good news is also given that it will last
forever.
As regards Hell, the words used are: They will abide in it.
No mention of eternity is made there because after sinners have
undergone a period of punishment in Hell they will eventually be
taken out of it. But when Heaven is spoken of, the word abadan
(forever) is added to They will abide in it. And to underscore
the long period of time, or, in other words, the perpetuity of Heaven,
the words everlasting gardens are also added, thus making
clear that the sojourn in Heaven will be everlasting.
This is indeed a great favour from the Lord, Most High, to a servant
who is absorbed all through his life in the thought of pleasing
his Master through his good conduct, whether it is a matter of obeying
the Shari'ah (Law) or accepting the taqdir (decrees
of Allah).
Firstly, as regards the Law, he obeys all the commands of his Lord
solely for the sake of pleasing Him.
Secondly, as regards the decrees of Allah, that is, whatever his
Lord ordains for him, whether happiness or sadness, he accepts from
Him and submits willingly and cheerfully to Him and yet continues
to seek His pleasure. Therefore, for a person like this, it is the
essence of justice that his Lord should be pleased with him, and
even more, that He should be so happy as to give him never-ending
blessings. And this actually happens in two ways.
Firstly, if a servant tries his best to please his Lord in this
life by obeying all the commands of the Law, then in return, his
Lord will be pleased with Him and it is an evident truth that there
can be no greater happiness or success for a servant than to win
the pleasure of his Master.
Secondly, if a servant is not only pleased with the decrees of
his Lord and cheerfully accepts whatever conditions his Lord imposes
on him, but also willingly sacrifices his own pleasures and ambitions
to please his Lord, then as a reward, his Lord will be pleased with
him and what greater recompense can man conceive of than this?
When the Lord of all the worlds, the Supreme Master, the Best of
all Judges, is pleased with a servant, and not only pleased, but
makes provisions for the happiness of that servant, then what greater
manifestation of honour, love and favour can there be? Likewise,
if an individual or a community should attain this station as the
companions of the Holy Prophet (sas) did, then there can
be no good fortune to equal this.
That is for him who fears his Lord.
Faith engenders fear, and fear generates good deeds, and good deeds
win the pleasure of Allah. Fearing Allah does not mean the same
thing as fearing that a wild beast will tear us to pieces and eat
us; nor is it akin to the fear we have for the punishment of a tyrant
if we dare to disobey his commands. But in using the expression
khashiya Rabba-hu (he fears his Lord), what is meant is that
there is an apprehension in the heart of man lest Allah's providence
be cut off. In other words, man is afraid that the source of his
support, advancement and perfection may be curtailed. In short,
the fear of Allah is similar to the trepidation one may have at
the thought that the sustenance and favours from a very kind and
loving benefactor may be interrupted.
Every human being yearns for blessings, progress and perfection
and so everyone is always careful to keep the person who provides
these things, happy. Similarly, people are always fearful lest the
patron becomes angry and so those favours and privileges that they
were enjoying and hoped to enjoy in the future may be discontinued.
This, then, is the meaning of fear and this is the kind of fear
that motivates man to try to keep his Lord always pleased. That
is why the Holy Qur'an tells us that a person who fears his Lord
will always be concerned about pleasing Him with the result that
his Lord will be pleased with the efforts of His servant and in
return He will make him happy.
Note
In the beginning of this chapter, the people of the world were
divided into two classes: the People of the Book and the polytheists.
The People of the Book were those who claimed to possess a revealed
scripture whilst the polytheists were those who did not have any
divine scripture with them even though according to the Qur'anic
verse, Every nation received a messenger (10:47), they, too,
had each been given a book before (but it was lost).
However, many nations claimed to be followers of a divine scripture
even though the text of their book had suffered interpolations and
alterations. These people were called People of the Book.
The other group, among whom neither trace nor remnant of a holy
book existed, and who followed all kinds of national customs, false
superstitions and polytheistic beliefs, were called idolaters.
These are the two technical terms used for them in the Holy Qur'an.
Thus, in the beginning of this chapter, the very first statement
made was an explanation of the necessity for the advent of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (sas). The verse states that both the People
of the Book and the idolaters of that era were so steeped in polytheistic
and atheistic doctrines and customs that there was no hope of salvation
for them except one - that Allah should send an outstandingly extraordinary
messenger whose coming was foretold by all the previous prophets,
and who would bring a perfect and comprehensive Book, that is, the
Holy Qur'an. That was the state of the world at the time of the
Holy Prophet's appearance. However, the same state of affairs obtains
in today's world. If we consider the present religions of the world,
we can find none that can truly teach the Unity of Godhead or lead
anyone along the straight path. That is because their original teachings
have been corrupted over the passage of time and they have lost
their authenticity.
Today, the only religion upon which the redemption of all the nations
of the world depends is Islam. There exist today many religions
whose present form has become so disfigured that they bear no resemblance
to their original likeness. For example, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity,
Magism and Sikhism are not true religions as such but are really
cradles of polytheism. Their adherents have tried to refashion and
reinterpret them from time to time but the more they do so, the
more they mutilate them. Similarly, Brahmo Samaj and Dev Samaj are
not the names of any religions. In fact, they are different forms
of atheism.
Only Judaism now remains to be considered. This poor religion is
so confined to a special nation and so limited to a particular place
and time that its followers are unable to practise it in its original
form, so now, not only Jews but all other nations are incorporating
the principles of Islam in their lives. This is because whenever
national, economic, cultural or social problems confront them, they
are forced to alter their principles, and whatever values they consider
necessary to solve their difficulties are, in fact, tenets borrowed
from Islam. So after much worldly tribulations and through trial
and error, the world is slowly beginning to accept those teachings
which have been mentioned in this chapter, and without which there
can be no deliverance, and for which purpose the clear evidence,
that is, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) and the Holy Qur'an
were sent.
Just as fourteen hundred years ago there was a crying need for
this clear evidence, so, too, today, the demand for this
message still exists in order to extricate the world from the clutches
of error and misguidance and rid it once again of polytheism and
all kinds of corrupt practices for no other religion can effect
this transformation. So, whoever rejects this message, in fact repudiates
the collective teachings and guidance of all the prophets of the
world, for today, the only beacon of the true, original and universal
teachings of all the prophets is the religion of Islam. The remaining
religions do not contain the authentic teachings of their prophets.
Therefore, in this age, no other religion except Islam can bring
about the regeneration of mankind.
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