Surah 98. Al-Bayinah

IT IS NOT [conceivable] that such as are bent on [denying the truth - be they] from among the followers of earlier revelation or from among those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God¹ - should ever be abandoned [by Him] ere there comes unto them the [full] evidence of the truth:

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., idol-worshippers or animists (in the anthropological sense of this word) who have never had any revealed scripture to fall back upon.

Those who are unbelievers from among the people of the Book and from the Mushrikin were not going to desist from their unbelief until the clear proof came to them,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The disbelievers from the People of the Book and the polytheists were not going to desist 'from disbelief' until the clear proof came to them:

  - Mustafa Khattab

Those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters could not have left off (erring) till the clear proof came unto them,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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.

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.

The Clear Evidence was the holy Prophet himself, his life, his personality, and his teaching.

an apostle from God, conveying [unto them] revelations blest with purity,

  - Mohammad Asad

that is, a Rasool of Allah reciting to them holy scriptures from purified pages

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

a messenger from Allah, reciting scrolls of 'utmost' purity,

  - Mustafa Khattab

A messenger from Allah, reading purified pages

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

An apostle from Allah rehearsing scriptures kept pure and holy: ^{6224 6225}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 15 1.

Cf. lxxx. 13-16.

wherein there are ordinances of ever-true soundness and clarity.²

  - Mohammad Asad

This aggregate connotation is inherent in the adjective qayyimah as used here (Razi). - The above passage has caused some difficulties to the classical commentators on account of the participle munfakkin occurring in the first verse. It is generally assumed that this participle, in combination with the phrase lam yakun at the beginning of the verse, denotes "they did not [or "could not"] give up" or "separate themselves from" - i.e., supposedly, from their erroneous beliefs - "until there came to them the evidence of the truth" in the person of the Prophet Muhammad and in the revelation of the Qur'an: implying that after the evidence came, they did give up those false beliefs. This assumption is, however, deficient on two counts: firstly, it is well-known that not all of the erring ones from among the ahl al-kitab and the mushrikin accepted the message of the Qur'an when it was conveyed to them; and, secondly, the ahl al-kitab are spoken of in verse {4} as having "broken their unity [of faith]" - i.e., offended against the fundamental principles of that faith - after "the evidence of the truth" had come to them. This apparent contradiction has been convincingly resolved by no less an authority than Ibn Taymiyyah (see Tafsir Sitt Suwar, pp. 391 ff.); and it is his interpretation that I have followed in my rendering of the above three verses. According to Ibn Taymiyyah, the pivotal phrase lam yakun munfakkin does not denote "they did not give up" or "separate themselves from", but, rather, "they are not abandoned" - i.e., condemned by God - unless and until they have been shown the right way by a God-sent prophet, and thereupon have consciously refused to follow it: and this is in accord with repeated statements in the Qur'an to the effect that God does not take anyone to task for wrong beliefs and wrong actions unless the true meaning of right and wrong has previously been made clear to him (cf. {6:131-132} and the second paragraph of 17:15 , as well as the corresponding notes). Hence, the above reference to "the evidence of the truth" does not relate only to the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad but to all the earlier prophets and revelations as well (cf. 42:13 and the corresponding notes [12-14]- just as the "ordinances of ever-true soundness and clarity" (spelled out in verse {5} below) are common to all God-inspired messages, of which the Qur'an is the final, most perfect expression.

containing infallible books.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

containing upright commandments.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Containing correct scriptures.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Wherein are laws (or decrees) right and straight. ⁶²²⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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.

Now those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime³ did break up their unity [of faith] after such an evidence of the truth had come to them.⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

This definition is general, comprising the followers of all religious teachings revealed before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (Ibn Kathir), and not - as some commentators assume - only the Jews and the Christians. (See also notes [12] and [13] on 3:19 .)

I.e., most of them strayed from the teachings of the prophets sent to them, all of whom had preached the same fundamental truths (see next verse and note {6} below).

Those who were given the Book before this (Qur'an) did not divide into sects until after there came to them a clear proof.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It was not until this clear proof came to the People of the Book that they became divided 'about his prophethood'-

  - Mustafa Khattab

Nor were the People of the Scripture divided until after the clear proof came unto them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nor did the people of the Book make schisms until after there came to them Clear Evidence. ⁶²²⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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.

And withal, they were not enjoined aught but that they should worship God, sincere in their faith in Him alone, turning away from all that is false;⁵ and that they should be constant in prayer; and that they should spend in charity:⁶ for this is a moral law endowed with ever-true soundness and clarity.⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

For this rendering of hunafa' (sing. hanif), see surah {2}, note [110].

Since the term zakah has here obviously a wider meaning than the obligatory tax incumbent on Muslims (which, as its name indicates, is meant to purify their income and their possessions from the taint of selfishness), I am rendering the above phrase in the more general sense of "spending in [i.e., practicing] charity".

As regards the connotation of "moral law" in the term din, see note [3] on 109:6 the qualifying noun al-qayyimah (in the genitive case) has here the same meaning as the adjective qayyimah at the end of verse {3}. The above definition of moral law outlines, in a condensed form, all the basic demands of true religion: a cognition of God's oneness and uniqueness and, implicitly, of man's responsibility to Him; a turning-away from all false concepts, values and dubious beliefs, all over-estimation of oneself, and all superstition; and finally, kindness and charity towards all of God's creatures.

Yet they were commanded nothing but to worship Allah, with their sincere devotion to Him, being True in their faith; to establish Salah ( prayers); and to pay Zakah (poor due); and that is the infallible true Religion.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

even though they were only commanded to worship Allah 'alone' with sincere devotion to Him in all uprightness, establish prayer, and pay alms-tax. That is the upright Way.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And they are ordered naught else than to serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright, and to establish worship and to pay the poor due. That is true religion.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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.

Hanif: see n. 134 to ii. 135.

See n. 6226 above.

Verily, those who [despite all evidence] are bent on denying the truth⁸ - [be they] from among the followers of earlier revelation or from among those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God - will find themselves in the fire of hell, therein to abide: they are the worst of all creatures.

  - Mohammad Asad

Namely, the self-evident principles formulated in the preceding verse as the beginning and the end of all moral law.

Surely those who disbelieve from among the people of the Book and the Mushrikin shall be in fire of hell, to dwell therein forever. They are the worst of all creatures.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, those who disbelieve from the People of the Book and the polytheists will be in the Fire of Hell, to stay there forever. They are the worst of 'all' beings.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! those who disbelieve, among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, will abide in fire of hell. They are the worst of created beings.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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).

[And,] verily, those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds - it is they, they who are the best of all creatures.

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely those who believe and do good deeds, are the best of all creatures.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, those who believe and do good- they are the best of 'all' beings.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(And) lo! those who believe and do good works are the best of created beings.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who have faith and do righteous deeds they are the best of creatures. ⁶²³²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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.

Their reward [awaits them] with God: gardens of perpetual bliss, through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time; well-pleased is God with them, and well-pleased are they with Him: all this awaits him who of his Sustainer stands in awe!

  - Mohammad Asad

Their reward with their Rabb shall be the gardens of Eden, beneath which the rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. Allah shall be well pleased with them and they shall be well pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Rabb.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Their reward with their Lord will be Gardens of Eternity, under which rivers flow, to stay there for ever and ever. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. This is 'only' for those in awe of their Lord.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of Eden underneath which rivers flow, wherein they dwell for ever. Allah hath pleasure in them and they have pleasure in Him. This is (in store) for him who feareth his Lord.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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.

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.