[1]  The separately read letters in the beginning of some Surahs of the Qur’an are generally called ‘Huroof-e-Muqatta`aat’ (i.e. broken – separately read – letters). Although there are a number of explanations given for these letters, yet it seems that these are the Qur’anic names of the Surahs upon which they are placed.

[2]  i.e. those who fear God’s punishments, have faith in His promises, adhere to His directives and control themselves from transgressing against His commandments. The word is generally translated as ‘the God-Fearing’, which entails all the stated implications, as it is primarily the fear of God’s punishments and the desire of pleasing Him that is basis of pious behavior.

[3]  The prime addressees of this Surah are the Banu Israel. They have been directly addressed from verse 40 to 141. In the opening of the Surah, the Prophet (pbuh) is comforted and consoled for his distress and disturbance on the avoidance of the Banu Israel in response to his call to the path of God. In this opening part of the Surah, the Prophet (pbuh) is consoled by the fact that the Muttaqun (the God-fearing) in the Banu Israel, those who truly and sincerely upheld the guidance that God had given them previously, have accepted his message. They are the ones who shall benefit from the Qur’an. The others do not deserve to be guided to the path of eternal bliss.

[4]  The Qur’an has pointed out at other instances that the Israelites had generally become devoid of these qualities.

[5]  That is their main interest is to submit to what they have understood to be God’s directives. They are free of the Israelite prejudices, which according to the Qur’an was one of the major causes of their rejection of the Prophet (pbuh) and the Qur’an.

[6]  i.e. the Day of Judgment is not merely an article of faith for them, they are certain of its coming .This is the prime reason for their lack of prejudice and their surpassing others in accepting faith.

[7]  The setting of the seal upon the hearts, sight and vision of the rejecters implies that in response to their negative attitude toward the truth revealed by God, they have now been deprived of the very ability to recognize and submit to God’s truth and thereby find the way to eternal bliss.

[8]  In the first two paragraphs, those who have taken a clear stance – whether positive or negative – regarding the Prophet (pbuh) and the Qur’an have been referred to. In this paragraph, those who have neither clearly rejected nor clearly accepted the Prophet (pbuh) and the Qur’an are being referred to.

[9]  The context of these verses evidences the fact that the statement ‘We believe in God and the Day of Judgment’ is not merely a declaration of their faith, but actually a negation of the fact that they must also believe in the new prophet and the new revelation.

[10]  The day when they are made to face the consequences of their deceptions, they shall then realize that all their efforts of deceptions had succeeded only in deceiving themselves.

[11]  That is, their hearts were already burning with hatred and malice at the selection of the last prophet from the Banu Ishmael. God aggravated their pain by giving stability and by exalting the Prophet’s message.

[12]  That is, rather than being a source of guidance for the people by taking lead in believing in the Prophet and the Qur’an, you are deceiving and hindering them from following the messenger of God.  This, in effect, is the promotion of rebellion against God.

[13]  That is, in contrast to the two extreme groups – the proclaimed believers and the declared rejecters – we are a source of reconciliation between them by joining neither of the two groups and opting for a middle course.

[14]  That is the true Muslims among the Muhajireen (who came from Mecca) and the Ansaar (the residents of Medinah).

[15]  That is, these people who are willing to give up all their worldly possessions to help the Prophet (pbuh), without yet knowing, who would be successful among the two conflicting groups of the followers of the Prophet and his adversaries.

[16]  They will fully realize it when the believers are rewarded for their sincerity while they, themselves, are made to face the punishment of their actions.

[17] One of the groups among the Israelites would say that even though we accept that Muhammad (pbuh) is a true prophet of God, yet it is only essential for the Ishmaelites to believe in his prophethood. The Israelites are only obliged to believe in the prophets, who come from within themselves. Thus, they would say, that even though we believe that Muhammad (pbuh) is a true prophet of God, yet we are not obliged to follow him.

[18]  That is, their leaders.

[19]  That is, according to the divine law of guidance, when a person refuses to accept the truth and adopt an attitude of mockery toward the truth, God lets him gather all the wrong that he can gather, so that on the Day of Judgment, he is neither left with any excuse nor is left with any chance of salvation. This is the joke that God is playing upon these people. But they realize it not.

[20]  Compare the ‘person who lights the fire in the dark of the night’ with the Prophet of God, who in the darkness of ignorance lit the environment with the ‘light’ of divine guidance. The ‘darkness’ symbolizes the ignorance of the path of eternal success.

[21]  Because these people refused to benefit from the light, God rendered them permanently incapable of benefiting from his guidance (also refer to footnote 7 of this Surah.

[22]  ‘Rain coming from the skies’ symbolizes the Qur’an coming from God.

[23]  The second example gives a picture of the confused avoidance that the group mentioned in verse 8 – 16 has resorted to.

[24]  That is, if they do not correct their behavior, they too, like the first group, shall be rendered incapable of accepting and submitting to the truth revealed by God.

[25]  The reference to “those, who have gone before you” may seem unnecessary to the common reader. However the knowledge that among other things, the Arabs used to worship their ancestors, makes it absolutely pertinent. The Qur’an has not only reminded the addressees of the fact that because they are the creation of God alone, therefore they should worship Him alone, but has also reminded them that those whom they worship, from amongst their ancestors, were naught but creations of the One God.

[26]  God is not only the Sole Creator but also the Sole source of all blessings for man. The polytheists held different gods for the earth and the sky. The verse points out the coherence in the whole universe, which can only be possible if it was planned and created by one God. After all, if the earth belongs to one god and the skies are owned by another, they why would the two be so interdependent on each other? Thus, if God is truly the Sole Creator and the Sole Provider for all that exists, Who, then, besides Him can qualify for our extreme reverence and our veneration (i.e. worship)?

[27]  That is the message of worshipping and serving the One God only.

[28]  It is clear from all related portions of the Qur’an that the verse is actually a response to those, who, in an attempt to reduce the importance that the Qur’an had started gaining in the eyes of its listeners, would arrogantly say that  Mohammed has himself forged it and is falsely ascribing it to God (see Yunus 10: 38, Hu’d 11: 13, Al-Israa 17: 88, and Al-Toor 52: 34) and would also sometimes go to the extent of declaring that they themselves can easily produce a book like the one which Mohammed says is revealed from God  (see: Al-Anfaal 9: 31).

[29]  Whether from among men or jinn or your worshipped deities. The Arabs had traditionally held that their most eloquent poets were taught by jinn. This is precisely the reason why some of the rejecters also proposed that Mohammed (pbuh) was taught by some eloquent jinn and, therefore, it was not possible for anyone else to match his production.

[30]  That is if, according to your claim, Mohammed (pbuh) has forged it on his own, then it should not be much of a problem for you to join together all your powers and abilities and produce, at least, one surah like the Surahs of the Qur’an. It may, however, be mentioned that, generally, the Arabs acknowledged the quality of the Qur’anic language and the effect that it had on its listeners, but were still not willing to submit to it. It was as an excuse for their aversion to submitting to it that they had started promoting the idea that Mohammed had himself forged it and then ascribed it to God. It is as a response to this criticism that the Qur’an has challenged them that if they truly believe that the Qur’an has been fabricated by Mohammed alone, then it should not be a problem for them – the eloquent Arabs – to produce at least one surah like its Surahs. These verse have generally, wrongly been construed as a universal challenge of the Qur’an. This is not correct. The stated challenge was given to the Arabs of the times of the Prophet, as a response to one of their criticisms. These were the Arabs, who not only deeply appreciated the depth and the beauty of the Qur’anic style but were also in the best position to produce anything like the Qur’an, had it been possible to do so.

[31]  That the Qur’an has been fabricated by Mohammed (pbuh) himself.

[32]  The stones, which the people held as gods and saviors, would also be thrown in the fire, as an eternal and continuous reminder of their stupidity.

[33]  Fuel is food for the fire. The statement signifies that the favorite food for the fire of hell shall be the rejecting people and the worshipped stones.

[34]  That is, whatever the pious are blessed with shall never cease to give them new and, yet, unknown pleasures. Even the fruits that may apparently resemble those given in previous servings shall have a new and improved taste in them, in each of their subsequent servings.

[35]  The Arabic word Mutahharah implies not only the purification and the chastity of these spouses, but also their suitability for the particular person who is blessed with their company. In other words, these spouses would be as if they were specially created, raised and trained to be spouses for the particular person, who is blessed with their companionship.

[36]  The Israelites were so averse to the Qur’an that they would try their best to find faults in it. This attitude led them to make fun of even the vague examples and the parables of the Qur’an. These parables and examples were primarily to give a broad idea about things and concepts, which could not be taught in a direct way. Such is generally the case with things and concepts that we are not directly exposed to and, therefore, do not have a designated word for them in our languages (details shall follow in the explanation of Aal Imraan 3: 7). The things and concepts so explained through these examples, generally pertained to the rewards and the punishments of the life hereafter. For instance, in the preceding paragraph, to give an idea of the continually renewing and evolving pleasures of the life in paradise, the Qur’an has given an example of fruits, the tastes of which are continually improving in every subsequent serving. Now, obviously, the message given in this example is quite clear. However, if one were to start making an in depth analysis of such examples and parables and seek detailed explanations for them (which due to the lack of direct exposure is not even possible), one could easily succeed in finding points, answers to which cannot be provided till one has a physical experience of the times to which such examples refer. It was this attitude of the Israelites of making fun of such examples, rather than being receptive to the message entailed in them, which the Qur’an has referred in the verse that follows. God has admonished the unlettered Arabs to avoid the attitude preferred by the Israelites, in this respect – the attitude, which had caused the Israelites to stray, rather than get guidance even from the Book of God. The correct attitude, on the contrary, would be to try and benefit from the broad idea given in such examples and parables.

[37]  This is a reference to the Jews, as is clear from the following attributes.

[38] The history of the Israelites, with special reference to their consistent attitude of breaking God’s covenants is referred to in the later part of this Surah.

[39] This is a reference to the maintenance, rather than the severing of relations. The Qur’an has used this phrase at a number of places for maintaining and strengthening mutual relations, especially close and direct (blood) relations. The Israelites were also guilty of severing their mutual relations, as is also referred in a later part of this Surah.

[40] Their action of breaking their covenants with God, when combined with severing relations results in spreading mischief in the land, as the basis of a sound society, according to the Qur’an, is obedience to God, on the one hand, and respect and sanctity of close relations, on the other.

[41] As is clear from the following arguments, the phrase ‘denial of God’ over here refers to ‘the denial of the hereafter’. The denial of the hereafter is, in fact, a denial of God’s most obvious attributes of power, wisdom, mercy, providence and knowledge, which in turn is the denial of the very existence of God. It is due to this reason that the denial of the hereafter is referred to with the phrase ‘denial of God’.

[42] If God has the power to bring man to life from the death of non-existence,  then why can He not do it a second time, after man’s death. This part is, in fact, an answer to one of the objections of the rejecters, which the Qur’an has recorded at various instances as: “When we have become dust and bones, how can we be returned back to life?”.

[43] After rejecting the impossibility of resurrection, the following part of the verse gives arguments for the necessity of resurrection. It refers to God’s providence, His power and wisdom and His knowledge of all things – all of which necessitate resurrection and the separation of the good from the bad.

[44] As is clear from Saad 38: 26, the word “Khaleefah”, as is used for a vicegerent and a deputy, is also used for one bestowed with authority and power.

[45] The angels, desiring to know more details of God’s plan, pointed out a negative repercussion of giving authority to the new creation (i.e. man). Obviously, giving authority implied that man would also be allowed to misuse that authority, which will easily result in creating disturbance in the land and shedding each other’s blood.

[46] At this point, God introduced Adam to those among his progeny, who shall use the authority bestowed upon them in the promotion of righteousness and piety. Those who shall prove themselves to be an epitome of faithfulness, obedience and submission to God, even while they were given the freedom to loose themselves in the menial pleasures and ignore the call of their conscience as well as that of God. In fact, it is the selection of such souls, which constitutes one of the basic purposes of the test, during the life of this world.

[47] That is, the angels submit that whatever they said was not to challenge God’s decision, as God is absolutely clear of all wrong. All of God’s decisions are based on all-encompassing knowledge and absolute wisdom.

[48] That is, the desire to know more about the plan.

[49] This directive entailed a test for the angels on the one hand and a few lessons for Adam and his progeny, on the other. Through this directive, Adam was taught that greatness and success lie not in one’s ancestry or in one’s substance of creation, but in one’s obedience to the directives of God. Therefore, like the angels, Adam should also submit to the Truth and the directives that he receives from God and never allow his ego to hinder him in this submission. Furthermore, Adam should not forget that God had bestowed upon him a great honor by directing the angels to prostrate to him. Adam and his progeny should prove themselves deserving of this honor and never hold the angels or any other of God’s creation as deities. The Israelites, through this narration, are prompted to reconsider their rejection of the Prophet (pbuh) and to follow the example set by the angels in submitting to the directives and decisions of God, without allowing their ego in hindering them from it.

[50] Because this prostration was directed by God Himself, therefore, it can, by no means be termed a polytheistic prostration. In other words, because it was in response to God’s directive, therefore, it was, in fact, a prostration to God Himself. The Muslim prostration, while facing the Ka`bah is of the same nature. It is not the Ka`bah that the Muslims worship, but all their worship is directed toward the Ka`bah, according to the directives of the One God. Thus, it is the One God, Who is worshipped, while facing the Ka`bah.

[51] At other instances the Qur’an has clarified that Iblis refused prostration because he considered himself a nobler creation than man. Once again, the verse prompts the Israelites to refrain from following the example set by Satan. As has been stated earlier, the major reason for the rejection of the Israelites, according to the Qur’an, was the nobility that they ascribed to their ancestry. The considered the Ishmaelites far inferior to themselves and were, therefore, not prepared to accept Mohammed (pbuh) – an Ishmaelite – a prophet of God. Believing Mohammed to be a true prophet of God would actually have meant a refutation of their claim to be God’s loved ones as a nation.

[52] The Qur’an has not explained this prohibited tree. However, in view of some of the indications in the Qur’an, it seems that the forbidden tree is, in fact, a metaphor for sexual relations between a man and a woman.

[53] Man and satan can never be each others’ friends.  Their relationship is one of enmity, not of friendship. Therefore, man should always be mindful of satan’s hatred for him and never consider him to be his friend and be deceived once again.

[54] When, after committing a mistake, man sincerely regrets for his deeds, God not only gives him a chance seeks forgiveness but also inspires appropriate words for expressing his repentance and seeking God’s forgiveness.

[55] Man is indeed prone to errors. Nevertheless, salvation, even after committing grave mistakes, lies not in intercession (as is held by polytheism) nor in atonement, but in sincere repentance and correction.

[56] The institution of prophethood is nothing new. God had promised to open the door of His guidance for man, at the time of man’s inception. This is also an indication of the fact that even though man is bestowed with the great virtue of intellect and reason, yet the test in the life of this world, requires God to guide man to the path of His liking. This guidance, on the one hand, provides man the opportunity to succeed in this test and is, therefore, a manifestation of God’s abounding mercy. While, on the other hand, because the result of failing in this test is eternal punishment, it was only befitting that only those be considered as having failed, who persist in adhering to the wrong path even after the truth has become absolutely clear. Thus, this guidance is also a manfestation of God’s justice.

[57] This is a phrase used in the Qur’an for the everlasting bliss of the life hereafter. A close look at this phrase shows that in just a few words, the Qur’an has comprehensively described the eternal bliss that shall be bestowed upon those who succeed in the test of this world. ‘Fear of the future’ and ‘remorse of the past’ is a permanent feature of every person’s life in this world. In the hereafter, however, this feature shall be removed and man shall then be able to enjoy his present to the utmost.

[58] ‘Israel’ is an applation for Jacob (pbuh), the son of Isaac (pbuh) and the grandson of Abraham (pbuh). ‘Israel’ is a Hebrew word, which has the same connotation in Hebrew, as the phrase ‘Abd Allah’ in Arabic. The phrase ‘children of Israel’ is used for the Jews.

[59] As you have forgotten the great favors of your Lord and refuse to fulfill the responsibilities that these favors entailed.

[60] The word ‘blessings’, over here especially refers to prophethood, revelation of God’s laws and the vast rule that the Israelites were given. It was because of these ‘blessings’, that the Israelites remained a source of guidance for the rest of mankind. This ‘blessing’ upon the Israelites has been referred to in the Qur’an in Al-Baqarah 2: 47, Al-Maaidah 5: 7 and Al-Maaidah 5: 20.

[61] The phrase ‘which I bestowed upon you’ after the phrase ‘My blessings’ is to remind the Israelites that they should not construe these ‘blessings’ as their birth right. These ‘blessings’ were, in fact, a special favor of God upon them. Thus, rather than become proud and arrogant for being the chosen ones, they should be thankful to God for these ‘blessings’ and fulfill the responsibilities that these ‘blessings’ entail.

[62] The ‘covenant’ mentioned here refers to abiding by the directives of the Law, in general, and believing in the last Prophet (pbuh), in particular. The covenant regarding the last Prophet (pbuh) has been mentioned in Deuteronomy as:

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… I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (18: 15 – 19)

[63] That is, in fulfilling My covenant, you should have no other consideration. Nothing should be able to deviate you from My path and from fulfilling My covenant.

[64] That is, the Qur’an.

[65] By fulfilling the prophecies of the Torah, the Qur’an has testified that the Torah – and its prophecies – were true.

[66] That is, the Torah.

[67] You should have been the ones to excel in believing in it, but your behavior is absolutely contrary to what should have been.

[68] This is with particular reference to Abraham’s sacrifice, the place of that sacrifice and the center of worship built by Abraham (pbuh). These were the primary facts, which were altered and rendered into confusion by the Israelites for these facts provided irrefutable evidence of the last Prophet (pbuh), who was to emerge from the Ishmaelites. By rendering these facts into confusion, the Israelites tried to remove all evidence of the last Prophet from their scriptures.

[69] This is a call to the Israelites to accept Islam. Establishing Sala’h and payment of Zaka’h are the two apparent symbols of the acceptance of Islam. It is clear from the Qur’an that without these two symbols, one shall not be accepted as a Muslim, neither in this world nor in the hereafter. It should further be noted that the style of usage of these terms in the Qur’an evidences the fact that they were well known to its addressees. According to the Qur’an, Sala’h – the ritual prayer – and Zaka’h – the obligatory amount paid to the collectivity, for use in collective welfare – both have been an essential ingredient of God’s guidance and directives, at all times.

[70] It is clear from this verse that the addressees in these verses are the Jewish Rabbis, teachers and scholars, who used to teach God’s directives to others. This character of the Jewish Rabbis, Pharisees and scholars of the law has also been condemned by Jesus (pbuh). Luke reports Jesus (pbuh) as having said:

But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you. But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.” One of the lawyers said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too.” But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.” (11: 39 – 46)

[71] ‘It’ refers to submitting to God’s will and decisions.

[72] The accountability of the Day of Judgment, when man shall meet the Lord is the basic source of true fear of the Almighty.

[73] That is nothing shall be able to save them from His justice. He alone shall pass judgment for their deeds, with absolute justice, and only those shall be successful, who prove themselves worthy of His mercy and forgiveness.

[74] Once again the Israelites are reminded of the great blessing that God bestowed upon them. In the previous paragraph (verse 40 – 46), they are reminded of the great blessing from the perspective that in return of this great blessing, they should accept the new Prophet of God (as they had promised to do so), as this would gurantee the continuation of God’s blessings upon them. In this set of verses, they are reminded of the great blessing from a slightly different perspective. In these and the following verses, they are reminded of the fact that God’s preferring them over the rest of mankind does not make them immune to God’s judgment and punishment. It should be kept in mind that one of the major psychological impediments for the Israelites in the way of believing in the Prophet (pbuh) was the Israelite belief that they are the chosen people of God and because of that even if they are guilty of rejecting the Prophet, they shall not be subject to the everlasting punishment of Hellfire. In the verses that follow, the Qur’an has refuted this belief of the Israelites.

[75] On that Day, each person shall only benefit from his/her own deeds. Thus, do not be led astray by the fact that God preferred you for His guidance over the rest of mankind, for on that Day, you too shall only benefit from your own deeds.

[76] The word ‘Aal’ in the Arabic language does not only refer to one’s progeny but is also used for the followers of a person.

[77] The ‘appointed term’ refers to the time when Moses (pbuh) was called upon the Mount to be delivered the law of God. The term of forty nights was for the mental and spiritual preparation of fulfilling the responsibility entailed in being delivered with the law of God. Initially, this term was set at thirty days. However, when, in his great desire to meet the Lord, Moses (pbuh) reached the appointed place ten days before the fixed time, God increased this time from thirty to forty days, for the purpose of his training. This has been clarified in Al-Aa`raaf 7: 142.

[78] This is a reference to the calf, which some of the Israelites made with their hands and started worshiping. Although the scribes of the Torah have implicated Aaron (pbuh) as one of the pioneers of this injustice, yet the Qur’an has emphatically refused Aaron’s involvement in the sin. The Bible has referred to the incident in the following words:

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”… The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.” (Exodus 32: 1 – 10)

[79] According to Al-Baqarah 2: 213 the purpose of the revelation of all books was to give the people the criterion of distinguishing between truth and falsehood in matters pertaining to beliefs and divine laws. The same aspect has been referred in Al-Hadeed 57: 25 in the words: ‘so that people may live their lives according to justice’.

[80] It should be kept in mind that if a people, among whom God sends His messenger (Rasu’l), persist in ascribing partners or equals to God, then they are punishable by death. The implementation of this death sentence may vary according to the circumstances of the messenger and his followers. If the messenger and his followers have not succeeded in establishing an independent rule, then the punishment is implemented through the direct intervention of God (as was the case with the people of Noah, Lot, Shu`aib etc.), while if the messenger and his followers succeed in establishing an independent rule, then this punishment is implemented through the swords of the believers (thus punishing the sinners, on the one hand, and testing the believer’s faith, on the other). At the time of the referred incident, because Moses (pbuh) and his followers enjoyed the privilege of an independent rule, after having been bestowed freedom from the Pharaoh, therefore, the punishment was implemented through the believers. Exodus refers to the referred incident in the following words:

then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. He said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.’“ The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day. Moses said, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the LORD [that is, revived your pledge of obedience to God], each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day.” (32: 26 – 29)

[81] Even though the desire, per se, to see God, is not condemnable, yet when a person refuses to believe in God, untill he sees the Almighty or if he rejects the belief in God, merely because he cannot see God, then that person, as the verses signify, deserves severe punishment.

[82] In the Arabic language, if the context and the construction of the sentence so allows, the word ‘death’ may be used for stupor, slumber, sleep or unconsciousness.

[83] That is, in the desert, where there was no shade from the scorching heat of the sun.

[84] According to the Bible, Munn would fall on the earth like dew and, subsequently, would become like flaky frost. The Israelites were required to collect it before it melted by the heat of the sun. ‘Munn’ means blessing. It seems that it was given the name because of the great blessing it entailed for the Israelites, when in the wilderness of the desert, it provided them food, without having to work for it. According to Exodus:

… and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat…” Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. (16: 13 – 21)

[85] This is a reference to the birds, which God sent as a blessing for the Israelites, during their stay at the Sinai. These birds resembled quails. According to Exodus:

The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” … The LORD spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’” In the evening quails came up and covered the camp… (16: 3 – 13)

[86] This seems to be a reference to one of the Palestinian towns.

[87] It seems that the directive to seek forgiveness from God was later altered and replaced by other words by some of the transgressors.

[88] This is probably a reference to the time when the Israelites started having sexual relations with the women of Moab and worshiping their idols (see: Numbers 25). In retribution, over twenty-four thousand men and women were killed in a great plague (Numbers 25: 9).

[89] According to the Bible, this incident took place at the wilderness of Zin. Numbers, Chapter 20 reads as follows:

The Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh… Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron. The people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had died when our kindred died before the LORD! Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to bring us to this wretched place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; and there is no water to drink.” Then Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting; they fell on their faces, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and command the rock before their eyes to yield its water. Thus you shall bring water out of the rock for them; thus you shall provide drink for the congregation and their livestock. So Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he had commanded him. Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff; water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank. (1 – 12)

[90] Of Munn and Salwa.

[91] This demand of the Israelites has been referred to in the Bible in the following passage:

The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” (Numbers 11: 4 – 6)

[92] The ‘exalted’ refers to the simple food granted to them with their freedom from the Pharaoh’s shackles; while ‘mean’ refers to the various foods that they used to eat under the bonds of slavery.

[93] That is, every time God granted them an opportunity to prove themselves deserving of His abounding mercy and His increased blessings, they consistently responded with an attitude that made them deserving of nothing but God’s wrath.

[94] Unjustly taking life, in itself, is a big crime. The Israelites committed this crime against the prophets of God, which makes this crime even graver.

[95] Some of the well known prophets killed by the Israelites were Zechariah (2Chronicles 24: 20 – 22), John the Baptist (Mark 6: 17 – 20), Uriah (Jeremiah 26: 20 – 23). This great crime of the Israelites is also mentioned in 2Chronicles 36: 16, Jeremiah 2: 29 – 30, Nehemiah 9: 26, Matthew 23: 31 – 36, Matthew 23: 37 and Luke 13: 34.

[96] It is clear from the Gospels that initially the Christians were called by the name ‘Nazarenes’ (Acts 24: 5). In fact, according to the Gospels, even the Christ was called ‘Nazarene’ (Matthew 2: 23). However, the title was considered derogatory by the early Christians. Albert Barnes in his NT Commentary, while explaining Acts 24: 5 writes:

This [i.e. ‘Nazarene’] was the name usually given to Christians by way of contempt. They were so called because Jesus was of Nazareth.

Later on, during the times of disciples that the title ‘Christian’ was first used for them (Acts 11: 26). However, it seems that unlike the Pauline Christians, the Arab Christians did not consider it derogatory to be called ‘Nazarene’ but, on the contrary, they liked the referred appelation for themselves (See: Al-Maaidah 5: 14, 82)

[97] This seems to be a reference to a religious group, which was quite well known among the Arabs, at the time of the revelation of the Qur’an. However, with the passage of time, we seem to have lost such authentic information, on the basis of which the beliefs and practices of this group could have been described with any degree of certainty.

[98] Refer to note 57 .