The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 306
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH PT. 2 وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ And do not devour your. 189 wealth among yourselves وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُمَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا فَرِيقًا through falsehood, and offer it not as bribe to the authorities مِنْ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالْإِثْمِ وَأَنْتُمْ that you may knowingly devour تَعْلَمُونَ a part of the wealth of other people with injustice. 195 ۲۳ "4:30, 162; 9:34. and abides therein till the end of the month, fasting from daybreak to sunset and occupying himself in prayer or recitation of the Quran or other religious study or meditation. During (I'tikaf), which is, as it were, the consummation of the spirit of fasting, intercourse with wives and preliminaries thereto are not allowed even at night time. The clause, these are the limits fixed by Allah, so approach them not, points to the very important principle that a man can attain true piety only if he refrains from even "approaching" the things that have been forbidden by God. "Some acts," says the Holy Prophet "are of doubtful character, one not knowing whether they are right or wrong. It is always better to avoid these. The forbidden things are like a pasture-land which the Wise God prohibits to the people. If you make your beasts graze on the borders of such land, i. e. allow your beasts to approach near them, there is danger of their trespassing upon the prohibited area" (Bukhārī, ch, on Iman). This is an extremely wise injunction which cuts at the root of all trespass. Only those can protect themselves against sin who give all 306 unlawful things a wide berth. The final clause, that they may become secure against evil, repeats the idea contained in 2:184 in which the subject of fasting was first introduced. In both verses the underlying object of fasting has been stated to be the attainment of i. e. piety, righteousness and protection against evil, which are all different forms of divine blessings. The reader may, with advantage, compare this idea with the belief of the Christians that the Law is a curse (Gal. 3:10, 13). 195. Important Words: ادلی offer it is derived from) تدلوا which again is derived from ». They say he let down the bucket (into the well), or he pulled it up. means, he let down the bucket (into means, he offered الى اليه بمال. the well or gave him money (Aqrab). Commentary: to The commandment relating fasting enjoined Muslims to refrain from lawful eating and drinking within specified periods with a view to attaining piety and righteousness. This was thus the most opportune time to remind the people that unlawful eating, i. e. unlawful acquisition of wealth, must be all the