The Majestic Quran

virtues and spiritual values. 27 Since these prophets, and The Twelve Tribes until the time of Moses, lived before the revelation of the Torah, they could not have been Jews. 28 The phrase “Ummatan wastan” means “a middle nation” a metaphor for “moderate people”, far from extremism. 29 The primary meaning is “to know”, but since God knows everything, it is not an appropriate term to use here so we have used the term “distinguish”. 30 The phrase “Li-eemanikum” literally means “your faith”. However, commentators translate this as “prayer”. 31 The Quran pays a special tribute to the patience of Lady Hajar, the wife of Prophet Abraham, as she frantically searched for water between these two hillocks. Making these symbols of God teaches the reward of patience. 32 “Idols” refers not only to physical statues that people worship, but any material thing in which one puts trust instead of God. This can include wealth, career, family, technological gadgets and even gangs. 33 For example, if you hate the thought but are dying of hunger or thirst, are being force-fed by a captor, or told you will be killed if you refuse to do so, then consuming such meat is not a sin. 34 The testator is the person who has made the will. 35 Literally translated as: “they are your garments and you are their garments”. In other words, the sexual intimacy that husbands and wives enjoy helps cover them both in public like clothing, preventing them from acting indecently. 36 The white streak of dawn refers to the daybreak when the light is spread horizontally as the sun is 18° below the horizon. 37 This verse and others which permit fighting are giving permission for self-defence only. This is an agreed opinion of all commentators and jurists. Fighting can only be authorised by legitimately elected governments, not self-proclaimed leaders. This passage was revealed when Muslims were performing the Umrah and were anxious about what to do if they were attacked by the Makkans. 38 These six verses have four prohibitions; seven restrictions...The prevalent message of the Quran is one of peace and tolerance it allows self-defence (Abdal Haleem). 39 “Al-hars wanasl” is an idiom for human civilisation (Hans Wher), so they raid villages and towns destroying them. 40 “Mushrik” refers to the idolaters and idol worshippers, and therefore refers to a special kind of disbelief. 41 Mata’un is the post-divorce financial support a woman receives. According to Tabari it is an obligation on the husband: “Mut’ah is mandatory for all divorced women”. 42 This refers to the story below of a community of the Jews who refused to take part in Jihad as ordered by their king, Talut, known as Saul in the Bible. 43 The Ark was a wooden chest containing the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. The Israelites treasured it as a sacred sign of God’s presence among them. 44 I have used Ibn Abbas interpretation “what they have achieved” as what happened to them in this world, while “what they failed to do” points to what will happen to them in the Hereafter. 45 The occasion for its revelation is: some Ansar whose children died young would take an oath to devote their children to Judaism if they remained alive, so some of them converted to Judaism. After the Jewish tribe Banu Nadhir was expelled from Madinah, they wanted to convert them to Islam. 46 All manner of things can be “Taghut”, including an unhealthy appetite for money, power and unjust governments etc. 47 God multiplies the reward according to the sincerity and the donors love of God.