The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 386
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH PT. 2 وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيْلِ اللهِ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللهَ And fight in the cause of. 245 سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ Allah and know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. 251 "2:191; 4:85. reverts to the original subject and by way of re-introduction cites the example of the Israelites who had left the land of the Pharaohs for fear of death. Trodden under the foot of the tyrant, the children of Israel were then in a most abject condition, and the wise God, in His eternal wisdom, decreed that they should lead a life of ordeals in the wilderness before becoming fit for the great life that awaited them in the Promised Land. The words, Allah said to them: 'Die', Promised Land, but they were afraid of the people that dwelt there and refused to march ahead, saying Go thou and thy Lord and fight and here we sit (5:25). The result was that they drew upon themselves the wrath of God, Who said to Moses, Verily, it shall be forbidden them for forty in distraction shall they years; wander through the land (5:27). The promise was thus put off for forty years and the children of Israel were left to wander in the wilderness until those who had refused to fight point to the great truth that all life perished in the desert, whereafter the must be preceded by death, i. e. great trials and extraordinary sacrifices. As mentioned above, the clause, those who went forth from their homes, refers to the Israelites who had gone forth from Egypt to escape persecution by Pharaoh. It was the fear of death which had made the Israelites migrate from the land (2:50). The words, they were thousands, contradict the Bible which represents the number of the Israelites migrating from Egypt as six hundred thousand. Recent researches favour the Quranic view (See History of the People of Israel, p. 145, by Ernest Renan, London, 1888, and History of Palestine and the Jews, i. 174 by John Kitto, London, 1844). See also. 2:55. The story of the exodus of the Israelites is briefly this. When, being persecuted by Pharaoh, they left Egypt and crossed over to Asia, Moses wanted them to enter the 386 younger generation led by Joshua conquered the land. Thus it was that the people whom God had caused to perish had new life breathed into them. It is with reference to these events that the Quran uses the word "die" in the verse under comment. This very death, i. e. destruction of the rebellious and training of the youth through trials and ordeals, proved the forerunner of life. Elsewhere, the Quran says about the Israelites: Then We raised you up after your death (2:57). It may also be noted here that from this verse onward, the Quran begins the description of ass or means of national progress spoken of in 2:130, reference to "Signs" and "the Book" and "Wisdom" having already been made. 251. Commentary: The clause, and fight in the cause of Allah, is addressed to Muslims, who