prevent people from disagreement by com- pulsion, hence) they differed among themselves whereby some attained faith and others denied the Truth. ▶
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Al-Baqarah 2: 254–5
Yet had Allah so willed they would not have fought one another. Allah does whatever He wills.
(254) O you who believe! Spend out of what We have provided you before there comes a Day when there will be no buying and selling, nor will friendship and intercession be of any avail. Indeed those who disbelieve are the wrong- doers.
(255) Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting by Whom all subsist, there is no god but He. Neither slumber seizes Him, nor sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Who is there who might intercede with Him save with His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to anything of His knowledge save what He wills them to attain. His Dominion88 overspreads the heavens and the earth, ▶
88 The Arabic term kursi signifies sovereignty, dominion and authority. This verse is generally known as the “Verse of the Throne” and it provides in one piece a knowledge of God without any parallel. No wonder it has been characterized in the Hadith as the most excellent verse of the Qur’an.
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Al-Baqarah 2: 256–7
and their upholding wearies Him not. He is All-High, All- Glorious.
(256) There is no compulsion in religion.89 The Right Way stands clearly distinguished from the wrong. Hence he who rejects the evil ones90 and believes in Allah has indeed taken hold of the firm, unbreakable handle. And Allah (Whom he has held for support) is All-Hearing, All- Knowing. (257) Allah is the Guardian of those who believe, He brings them out of every darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, their guardians are the evil ones;91 they bring them out of light into all kinds of darkness. These are destined for the Fire, and there shall they abide.
89 The verse means that the Islamic system, embracing belief, morals and practical conduct cannot be enforced by compulsion. These are not things to which people can be yoked forcibly.
90 Literally taghut (pl. tawaghit) means anyone who exceeds his legitimate limits. In the Qur’anic terminology, however, it refers to the creature who exceeds the limits of his creatureliness and arrogates to himself Godhead and lordship.
91 Here taghut (see n. 90 above) has a plural connotation. This implies that by turning away from God a man is subjected not to the tyranny of one, but to the tyranny of many tawaghit (evil ones).
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Al-Baqarah 2: 258–9
(258) Did you not consider the case of the person who remonstrated with Abraham92 about who was Abraham’s Lord just because Allah had granted him dominion? When Abraham said: “My Lord is He Who grants life and causes death,” he replied: “I grant life and I cause death.” Abraham said: “But surely Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; now you cause it to rise from the west.” Thereupon the denier of the Truth was confounded. Allah does not direct the wrong-doers to the Right Way.
(259) Or consider him by way of example who passed by a town that was fallen down upon its turrets. He exclaimed: “How will Allah restore life to this town that is now dead?” Allah then caused him to remain dead for a hundred years and then raised him to life, and asked him: “How long did you remain in this state?” He replied: “I remained so for a day or a part of a day.” ▶
92 Here the reference is to Nimrod, the ruler of the land of Abraham’s birth, Iraq.
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Al-Baqarah 2: 260
Allah rejoined: “No, you have rather stayed thus for a hundred years. But look at your food and your drink, there is no deterioration in them. And look at your ass (how its entire skeleton has rotted)! And We did all this so that We might make you a token of instruction for people. And see how We will put the bones (of the ass) together and will clothe them with flesh.” Thus when the reality became clear to him, he said: “I know that Allah has power over everything.”
(260) And recal l when Abraham said: “My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead,” Allah said: “Why! Do you have no faith?” Abraham replied: “Yes, but in order that my heart be at rest.”93 He said: “Then take four birds, and tame them to yourself, then put a part of them on every hill, and summon them; they will come to you flying. Know well that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.”
93 That is, the rest and inner peace that one attains as a result of direct personal observation.
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Al-Baqarah 2: 261–4
(261) The example of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is like that of a grain of corn that sprouts seven ears, and in every ear there are a hundred grains. Thus Allah multiplies the action of whomsoever He wills. Allah is Munificent, All-Knowing. (262) Those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah and do not follow up their spending by stressing their benevolence and causing hurt, will find their reward secure with their Lord. They have no cause for fear and grief. (263) To speak a kind word and to forgive people’s faults is better than charity followed by hurt. Allah is All-Sufficient, All- Forbearing. (264) Believers! Do not nullify your acts of charity by stressing your benevolence and causing hurt as does he who spends his wealth only to be seen by people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. The example of his spending is that of a rock with a thin coating of earth upon it: when a heavy rain smites it, the earth is washed away, leaving the rock bare; ▶
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Al-Baqarah 2: 265–6
such people derive no gain from their acts of charity. Allah does not set the deniers of the Truth on the Right Way.94 (265) The example of those who spend their wealth single- mindedly to please Allah is that of a garden on a high ground. If a heavy rain smites it, it brings forth its fruits twofold, and if there is no heavy rain, even a light shower suffices it. Allah sees all that you do.
(266) Would any of you desire that he should have a garden of palms and vines with rivers flowing beneath it –
