The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 272
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH PT. 2 اِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ وَاَنْ He only enjoins upon you. 170 تَقُوْلُوْا عَلَى اللهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ. what is evil and what is foul, and that you say of Allah what you do not know. 176 "2:269; 24:22. Islamic teaching on this subject that not only are conditions laid down as to when lawful things become prohibited, as in this verse, but also as to when even unlawful food becomes permissible (2:174; 5:4; 6:120, 146; 16:116). The prohibition against following Satan, coming immediately after the commandment with respect to food, alludes to the influence which physical actions exercise on the moral and spiritual conditions of man. The use of unlawful and unwholesome food tends to impair our moral and spiritual faculties, while lawful and wholesome food improves our morals and helps the development of our spiritual powers. This subject is also dealt with in 23:52. meaning, he or it became bad or means, the thing was ساء الامر فلانا evil disagreeable to such a one and made him sorrowful. means: (1) evil, bad or wicked; (2) mischief and corruption; (3) anything that makes a person sad and sorrowful (Aqrab & Mufradāt). . i. e فحش foul is derived from) فحشاء it became excessive or immoderate; or it became manifestly or excessively bad, evil or unseemly. Thus as means: (1) anything manifestly or excessively bad, evil, etc. ; (2) anything forbidden by God; (3) foul talk or saying; and (4) illegal intercourse or fornication (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: This verse speaks of the subtle ways by which Satan misleads man. He first prompts him to do deeds which do not appear to be manifestly wicked and the influence of which is confined to the person of the doer alone. Then, step by step, he makes the deluded person a hardened sinner, As explained under Important Words above, the word gives three different meanings. Thus would mean (1) that Satan is a manifest and open enemy of man; (2) that Satan is not only manifest himself but also makes his connections manifest-causing him to lose all sense of leaving a visible trace of wickedness wherever he treads; and (3) that he is always striving to create disunion among the Faithful and to cut asunder all such ties as God has ordered to be made firm. In this connection see also 2:28. modesty, till finally the man goes so far as to make innovations in religion for which he possesses neither knowledge nor authority. As Satan's promptings are never based on knowledge, SO the natural consequence is that those who follow him begin to attribute to God things (evil) is the noun-infinitive from without having the least authority for 176. Important Words: سوء 272