The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 240
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH PT. 1 قُلْ أَتُحَاجُونَنَا فِي اللهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا Say: “Do you dispute with. 140 us concerning Allah, while He وَرَبُّكُمْ ۚ وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ is our Lord and your Lord? And "for us are our works, and for you your works; and to Him alone we devoted. '146 are sincerely "28:56; 42:16; 109:7. وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ ) They say i. e. he dyed or coloured baptism which seeks to procure for a means, he immersed his صبغ يده في الماء. it hand in the water. means, he laboured in work and became notable therein. means, he became dyed or coloured with it. means, dye or colour; kind or mode of a thing; religion; code of laws; baptism. at a means, God's religion; man forgiveness of sins and everlasting life by the mere act of immersing him in water or sprinkling it on him at his christening ceremony. 146. Important Words: from (sincerely devoted) is derived which means, he or it became pure. all means, he was or became sincere in obedience. means, he was sincere in his اخلص له الحب the nature with which God has endowed men (Aqrab). Religion is called because it covers a man like a dye or colour. Commentary: love for him, lit. he made his love true for him (Aqrab). at means, he was sincere to God or he was sincere in his connection with Him (Lane & Mufradāt) Commentary: The Holy Prophet is here commanded to say to the People of the Book that it is God Who has sent His revelation to him and that they should not dispute God's choice, because He is as much the God of the In the verse the word a (religion) is used as an object, the subject of which is understood. According to the rules of Arabic grammar, sometimes when it is intended strongly to induce a person to do a certain thing, the verb is omitted and only the object is mentioned. Therefore words like (adopt) or (follow) will be taken to be understood before the words a Muslims as He is theirs, and He and the clause would mean, "adopt knows the works of both. He is the or follow the religion which God Creator of all and His grace is not wishes you to adopt or follow". This confined to any one tribe or country. indeed is the true baptism which can So, if God has now selected an make one acquire God's attributes Ishmaelite for the office of and become His living manifestation. prophethood and has chosen the Compare with it the Christian Arabs for His grace, they should not 240