Al-Jalalayn

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

The following was revealed regarding al-Walīd b. ‘Uqba whom the Prophet had sent to the Banū al-Mustaliq in order to ascertain their loyalty to Islam. He already feared them on account of an old feud between him and them from the time of pagandom before Islam and so upon seeing them come out to him he returned and claimed that they had refused to give the voluntary alms and intended to kill him. And just as the Prophet s was making plans to raid them they came to him to disavow what he al-Walīd had said about them O you who believe if a reprobate should come to you with some tiding some piece of information verify it ascertain his truthfulness from his mendacity fa-tabayyanū a variant reading has fa-tathabbatū from al-thabāt ‘to ascertain’ lest you injure a folk an tusībū qawman an object denoting reason that is to say for fear of this happening out of ignorance bi-jahālatin is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject of the verb that is to say while you are ignorant; and then become remorseful of what you have perpetrated erroneously against that folk. After they had returned to their homelands the Prophet s sent Khālid b. al-Walīd to them who observed only obedience and goodness in them and later informed the Prophet of this.

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

And know that the Messenger of God is among you so do not speak falsehood for God will inform him of the real state of affairs. If he were to obey you in many matters which you communicate contrary to reality so that the necessary evil consequences ensue you would surely be in trouble you would earn in addition to that sin the sin for the consequences that ensue from your error. But God has endeared faith to you adorning your hearts with it and He has made odious to you disbelief and immorality and disobedience an instance of suppletion with respect to import as opposed to lexical form; for the one to whom ‘faith has been endeared …’ and so forth will naturally be dissimilar in character to the mentioned reprobate. Those there is here a shift from the second to the third person address — they are the right-minded the ones firmly established upon the way of their religion;

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

that is a favour from God fadlan is a verbal noun in the accusative because of the implied verbal action that is afdala ‘He gives a favour’ and a grace from Him and God is Knower of them Wise in His bestowal of graces on them.

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

And if two parties of believers in tā’ifatāni mina’l-mu’minīna... to the end of the verse was revealed regarding a particular incident where the Prophet s was riding a donkey and happened to pass by Ibn Ubayy; the donkey urinated and so Ibn Ubayy held his nose whereupon ‘Abd Allāh Ibn Rawāhā said ‘By God the smell of the donkey’s urine is sweeter-smelling than your musk. Fighting then ensued between the two clans with fists sandals and palm branches being thrown about fall to fighting iqtatalū the plural is used on account of the plural import for each party is made up of several individuals; a variant reading has the dual form iqtatalatā make peace between them baynahumā the dual here takes into account the actual dual form of tā’ifatān ‘two parties’. And if one of them aggresses against the other fight the one which aggresses until it returns to God’s ordinance to the truth. Then if it returns reconcile them fairly and act justly. Surely God loves the just.

Al-Jalalayn — Al-Jalalayn

The believers are indeed brothers in religion. Therefore always make peace between your brethren when they fall into dispute with one another a variant reading for the dual form akhawaykum ‘your two brethren’ has ikhwatakum ‘your brothers’ and fear God so that perhaps you might receive mercy.