The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 359
PT. 2 AL-BAQARAH affair. means, he attributed to, or set up with, him a co-partner. means, a sharer, or a co-partner, or an associate, or a colleague, Thus means, one who attributes to, or sets up with, God a co-partner or co- partners, allotting to the latter all or some of the attributes of the former. ☺✰ means, attributing to, or setting up with, God co-partners idolatry CH. 2 well as on moral and social grounds. An idolatrous husband is bound to exercise an extremely baneful influence not only on his wife but on his children as well, whereas an idolatrous wife is sure to ruin the early training of the offspring. Moreover, when a believing man has an idolatrous wife or vice versa, their ideas, beliefs, culture and outlook on life being widely different, there | شرك عظيم is of two kinds شرك. (Lane) (the greater idolatry) signifying belief in a person or thing as being co- partner with God, and (the lesser idolatry), i. e. ascribing to some person or thing any of the attributes of God without looking upon him or it as His co-partner (Mufradāt). Other relevant terms are i. e. manifest idolatry, and i. e. hidden idolatry; and i. e. believing one to be a co-partner with God in i. e شرك في الصفات His person, and ascribing any of the attributes of God to someone. The term مشركين (idolaters) is generally confined to such peoples as set up co-partners with God and do not believe in any revealed Book. Commentary: The question of marriage with "idolatrous women" is intimately connected with the subject of war, for it is during war that Muslims, being away from their homes for a considerable time, are liable to be tempted to contract marriages with such women. This the Quran strictly disallows in the verse under comment, which also forbids the giving of believing women in marriage to idolatrous men. The prohibition is based on religions as 359 cannot possibly be harmony or concord between the two and their life is sure to become miserable, if they possess any attachment whatever for their religion. Again Islam, (submission to One God) and shirk (setting up partners with God) being poles apart, there can be no real contact or permanent intermixing between the two. In this connection, not it may be noted that Islam allows, though it certainly does encourage, the marriage of a Muslim with a woman belonging to the People of the Book who are decidedly nearer to Islam (5:6). But of this we will speak when we come to the relevant verses. The words, until they believe, appear to be redundant at first sight; for, if marriage with an idolatrous person is prohibited, it is evident that this prohibition will automatically cease to operate when an idolatrous person converted to Islam. On deeper thought, however, the words, until they believe, prove to be most rightly placed. They have indeed been used to remind Muslims of their duty pertaining to the conversion of idolatrous people to Islam. The words also contain a veiled prophecy that the time was fast coming when