The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 187
PT. 1 AL-BAQARAH CH. 2 وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيُوةٍ } And thou shalt surely find. 97 them, of all people, the most وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ اشْرَكُوا يَوَدُّ اَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ covetous of life, even more than يُعَمَّرُ اَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِه b those who set up equals with God. Every one of them wishes مِنَ الْعَذَابِ اَنْ تُعَمَّرَ وَاللهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا that he may be granted a life of a thousand years, but his being granted such life "shall not keep him away from the punishment; and Allah sees all that they do. 103 11 R. 12. يَعْمَلُونَ قُلْ مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوّ الجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ Say, “Whoever is an enemy. 98 to Gabriel for he it is who has عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ caused it to descend on thy يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ heart by the command of Allah, which fulfils that which precedes "62:9. 26:194, 195. "See 2:90. to join with Muslims in what is termed a altor prayer contest. They are called upon to pray to God in the company of Muslims for the death or destruction of the party with which God is displeased on account of its espousal of the cause of falsehood. If Jews are really the favourites of God and Muslims are under His wrath, the latter, as a result of the prayer contest, will surely meet with ruin, and thus it will become clear which of the two parties is on the side of truth. The only evidence which in this world can prove the truth of any of the conflicting claims regarding the next life made by the different religious systems is that the promises held out about the next life should in part at least begin to fulfil themselves in this 187 very life. If, in such a prayer contest as the above, God were to show His favour to the Jews, it would furnish a clear proof that His favours would accompany them also in the next life. The Quran adds that Jews will never venture to accept the challenge, for they are well aware of their actions and the motives that guide them. For a fuller description of the institution of Mubahalah or prayer contest see under 3:62. 103. Commentary: The reason why Jews were more attached to the world than pagans is that the latter did not believe in any retribution after death and, therefore, though they loved this world as the