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Al-Baqarah - 2:96
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Disbelievers wish They could live longer
This is why Allah said next,
وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمينَ
وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيَاةٍ
But they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent before them (i.e. what they have done). And Allah is Aware of the Zalimin. And verily, you will find them (the Jews) the greediest of mankind for life.
Meaning, greedy to live longer, because they know their evil end, and the only reward they will have with Allah is total loss. This life is a prison for the believer and Paradise for the disbeliever. Therefore, the People of the Book wish they could delay the Hereafter, as much as possible. However, they shall certainly meet what they are trying to avoid, even if they are more eager to delay the Hereafter than the polytheists who do not have a divine book.
وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
And (even greedier) than those who ascribe partners to Allah. One of them wishes that he could be given a life of a thousand years.
وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ
But the grant of such life will not save him even a little from (due) punishment.
Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn Abbas commented, "Long life shall not save them from torment. Certainly, the polytheists do not believe in resurrection after death, and they would love to enjoy a long life. The Jews know the humiliation they will suffer in the Hereafter for knowingly ignoring the truth."
Also, Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "The Jews are most eager for this life. They wish they could live for a thousand years. However, living for a thousand years will not save them from torment, just as Iblis - Satan - long life did not benefit him, due to being a disbeliever."
وَاللّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ
And Allah is Seer of what they do.
Meaning, "Allah knows what His servants are doing, whether good or evil, and will compensate each of them accordingly.
Al-Baqarah - 2:97
The Jews are the Enemies of Jibril
Allah said,
قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُوْمِنِينَ
Say (O Muhammad):"Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission, confirming what came before it (i.e. the Tawrah and the Injil) and guidance and glad tidings for the believers.
Imam Abu Jafar bin Jarir At-Tabari said, "The scholars of Tafsir agree that this Ayah (2:97-98) was revealed in response to the Jews who claimed that Jibril (Gabriel) is an enemy of the Jews and that Mikhail (Michael) is their friend."
Al-Bukhari said, "Allah said,
مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ
(Whoever is an enemy of Jibril (let him die in his fury)).
Ikrimah said, "Jibr, Mik and Israf all mean, worshipper, while il means, Allah."
Anas bin Malik said, "When Abdullah bin Salam heard of the arrival of the Prophet in Al-Madinah, he was working on his land. He came to the Prophet and said, 'I am going to ask you about three things which nobody knows except a Prophet.
What will be the first portent of the Hour?
What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise?
Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle?'
Allah's Messenger said, (Jibril has just told me the answers).
Abdullah said, 'He (i.e. Jibril), among all the angels, is the enemy of the Jews.'
Allah's Messenger recited the Ayah,
قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ
(Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart).
Allah's Messenger then said, "The first portent of the Hour will be a fire that will bring together the people from the east to the west; the first meal of the people of Paradise will be the caudate lobe of the liver of fish.
As for the child resembling his parents:If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and his discharge is first, the child will resemble the father. If the woman has a discharge first, the child will resemble her side of the family.
On that Abdullah bin Salam said, 'I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and you are the Messenger of Allah.'
Abdullah bin Salam further said, 'O Allah's Messenger! The Jews are liars, and if they should come to know about my conversion to Islam before you ask them (about me), they will tell a lie about me.'
The Jews came to Allah's Messenger, and Abdullah went inside the house. Allah's Messenger asked (the Jews), 'What kind of man is Abdullah bin Salam?'
They replied, 'He is the best among us, the son of the best among us, our master and the son of our master.'
Allah's Messenger said, What do you think if he would embrace Islam?
The Jews said, 'May Allah save him from it.'
Then Abdullah bin Salam came out in front of them saying, 'I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'
Thereupon they said, 'He is the evilest among us, and the son of the evilest among us.' And they continued talking badly about him.
Ibn Salam said, 'This is what I feared, O Messenger of Allah!"'
Only Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith with this chain of narration.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this Hadith from Anas using another chain of narration.
Some people say that; 'il' means worshipper while whatever word that is added to it becomes Allah's Name, because 'il' is a constant in such conjunction.
This is similar to the names Abdullah, Abdur-Rahman, Abdul-Malik, Abdul-Quddus, Abdus-Salam, Abdul-Kafi, Abdul-Jalil, and so forth.
Hence, 'Abd' is constant in these compound names, while the remainder differs from name to name.
This is the same case with Jibril, Mikhail, Azra'il, Israfil, and so forth.
Allah knows best.
Choosing Some Angels to believe in over Others is Disbelief like choosing Some Prophets over Others
Allah commanded,
قُلْ
Say (O Muhammad):
مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ
Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission, meaning, whoever becomes an enemy of Jibril, let him know that he is Ruh Al-Qudus who brought down the Glorious Dhikr (Qur'an) to your heart from Allah by His leave. Hence, he is a messenger from Allah. Whoever takes a messenger as an enemy, will have taken all the messengers as enemies.
Further, whoever believes in one messenger, is required to believe in all of the messengers. Whoever rejects one messenger, he has rejected all of the messengers.
Similarly, Allah said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُواْ بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيقُولُونَ نُوْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ
Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, "We believe in some but reject others."
(4:150)
Allah decreed that they are disbelievers, because they believe in some Prophets and reject others. This is the same with those who take Jibril as an enemy, because Jibril did not choose missions on his own, but by the command of his Lord,
وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ
And we (angels) descend not except by the command of your Lord.
(19:64)
and,
وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الاٌّمِينُ
عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ
And truly, this (the Qur'an) is a revelation from the Lord of all that exists.
Which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down.
Upon your heart (O Muhammad) that you may be (one) of the warners.
(26:192-194).
Al-Bukhari reported that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ بَارَزَنِي بِالْحَرْب
Allah said, 'Whoever takes a friend of Mine as an enemy, will have started a war with Me.
Therefore, Allah became angry with those who took Jibril as an enemy. Allah said,
مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ
(Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission, confirming what came before it) meaning, the previous Books,
وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُوْمِنِينَ
(and guidance and glad tidings for the believers) meaning, as guidance to their hearts and bringer of the good news of Paradise, which is exclusively for the believers.
Similarly, Allah said,
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَأءٌ
Say:"It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing."
(41:44)
and,
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَأءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُوْمِنِينَ
And We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe. (17:82)
Al-Baqarah - 2:98
Allah then said
مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلّهِ وَمَليِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ
Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His Angels, His Messengers, Allah stated that whoever takes Him, His angels and messengers as enemies, then...Allah's messengers include angels and men, for Allah said,
اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِى مِنَ الْمَلَـيِكَةِ رُسُلً وَمِنَ النَّاسِ
Allah chooses Messengers from angels and from men.
(22:75)
Allah said,
وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ
Jibril (Gabriel) and Mikhail (Michael).
Allah mentioned Jibril and Mikhail specifically although they are included among the angels who were messengers only because this Ayah was meant to support Jibril the emissary between Allah and His Prophets.
Allah also mentioned Mikhail here, because the Jews claimed that Jibril was their enemy and Mikhail was their friend.
Allah informed them that whoever is an enemy of either of them, then he is also an enemy of the other as well as Allah.
We should state here that Mikhail sometimes descended to some of Allah's Prophets, although to a lesser extent than Jibril, because this was primarily Jibril's task, and Israfil is entrusted with the job of blowing the Trumpet for the commencement of Resurrection on the Day of Judgment.
It is recorded in the Sahih that whenever the Messenger of Allah would wake up at night, he would supplicate,
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرَايِيلَ وَمِيكَايِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيم
O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mikhail and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and earth and Knower of the seen and the unseen! You judge between Your servants regarding what they differ in, so direct me to the truth which they differ on, by Your leave. Verily, You guide whom You will to the straight path.
Allah's statement,
فَإِنَّ اللّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ
Then verily, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers. Informed the disbelievers that whoever takes a friend of Allah as an enemy, then he has taken Allah as an enemy, and whoever treats Allah as an enemy, then he shall be Allah's enemy.
Indeed, whoever is an enemy of Allah then he will lose in this life and the Hereafter, as stated earlier;
مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ اذَنْتُهُ بِالْمُحَارَبَة
Whoever takes a friend of Mine as an enemy, I shall wage war on him
Al-Baqarah - 2:99
Proofs of Muhammad's Prophethood
Allah says;
وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَأ إِلَيْكَ ايَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلاَّ الْفَاسِقُونَ
And indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayat and none disbelieve in them but Fasiqun (those who rebel against Allah's command).
Imam Abu Jafar bin Jarir said that Allah's statement,
وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَأ إِلَيْكَ ايَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ
(And indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayat) means, "We have sent to you, O Muhammad, clear signs that testify to your Prophethood."
These Ayat are contained in the Book of Allah (Qur'an) which narrates the secrets of the knowledge that the Jews possess, which they hid, and the stories of their earlier generations.
The Book of Allah also mentions the texts in the Books of the Jews that are known to only the rabbis and scholars, and the sections where they altered and distorted the rulings of the Tawrah. Since Allah mentioned all of this in His Book revealed to His Prophet Muhammad, then this fact alone should be enough evidence for those who are truthful with themselves and who wish to avoid bringing themselves to destruction due to envy and transgression.
Further human instinct testifies to the truth that Muhammad was sent with and the clear signs that he brought which he did not learn or acquire from mankind.
Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas said that,
وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَأ إِلَيْكَ ايَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ
(And indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayat) means, "You recite and convey this Book to them day and night, although you are an Ummi (unlettered) who never read a book. Yet, you inform them of what they have (in their own Books). Allah stated that this fact should serve as an example, a clear sign and a proof against them, if they but knew."
The Jews break Their Covenants
When the Messenger of Allah was sent and Allah reminded the Jews of the covenant that they had with Him, especially concerning Muhammad, Malik bin As-Sayf said, "By Allah! Allah never made a covenant with us about Muhammad, nor did He take a pledge from us at all."
Al-Baqarah - 2:100
Allah then revealed
أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُواْ عَهْداً نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم
Is it not (the case) that every time they make a covenant, some party among them throw it aside.
بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ
Nay! (the truth is:most of them believe not!
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that Allah's statement means, "There is not a promise that they make, but they break it and abandon it. They make a promise today and break it tomorrow."
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