The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 186
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH PT. 1 قُلْ إِنْ كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ عِنْدَ اللهِ Say, "If the abode of the. 95 خَالِصَةً مِنْ دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَدِقِينَ وَلَنْ يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّلِمِينَ b Hereafter, with Allah, is solely for you to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death, if you are truthful. ’101 96. But never shall they wish for it, because of what their own hands have sent on before them; and Allah knows the wrong- doers well. 102 "2:112; 62:7. 62:8. the love of such and such a person permeated his heart (Aqrab). The word is so used because love is like alcohol that intoxicates one who partakes of it. The clause, (lit. they were made to drink into their hearts the calf) must really be read as¿(lit. they were made to drink into their hearts the love of the calf), the word (love) being understood before the. (calf) عجل word Commentary: For an explanation of the expression, raised high above you the Mount, see under 2:64. The words, they said, We hear and we disobey, signify that they practically refused to obey God. They did not necessarily use these exact words; for the word, as pointed out under 2:31, sometimes conveys the sense not of actual speech but of practical conduct. Reference to calf-worship in verse 93 is not a mere reiteration of what has been already said in verse 55; the incident has been mentioned here as an illustration of what has been said 186 about the Jews in the previous verse. Their attention is drawn to their conduct in the days of Moses. When Moses was absent from them for a short time only, they took the image of a calf for their idol, although they had witnessed how God had helped Moses and had shown mighty Signs at his hands; and that at a time when they had given a solemn promise not to worship anything besides God. In spite of that promise, they showed active opposition to the commandments of God by their deeds. In the concluding portion of the verse, it is pointed out that the Jews professed to believe in what was revealed to them by God, but their belief was of a strange character for in spite of it, they persisted in their opposition to the Prophets. If this was believing, then their faith was only leading them astray. 101. Commentary: See under 2:96 below. 102. Commentary: In verses 95 and 96 Jews are invited