The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1)

The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 411

PT. 3 R. 36. AL-BAQARAH CH. 2 مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ The similitude of those. 262 who spend their wealth for the اللهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنْبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ cause of Allah is like the ۖ similitude of a grain of corn سُنْبُلَةٍ مِائَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللهُ يُضْعِفُ لِمَنْ which grows seven ears, in each يَشَاءُ وَاللهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies it further for whomsoever He pleases; and Allah is Bountiful, All- Knowing. 268 "2:266; 30:40. of the Israelites and of the posterity of Ishmael making the total number of such phenomena four may be interpreted in another way also. The Israelites were a fallen people before Moses and God raised them through him. They fell again before the time of Jesus and were again given new life through him. Similarly, the Ishmaelites were a fallen people before the advent of the Holy Prophet who gave them new life, and they are again a fallen people now when they are being given a new life by Aḥmad, the Promised Messiah. Many commentators have translated the word as, "cut them into pieces and mince them", but this is clearly wrong; for as explained under Important Words above (with, as the central root letter) means "inclining" and not "cutting", particularly when it is used with the preposition J. So the expression would mean "make them inclined towards thyself", so that they may become attached to thee. In this case 411 the placing of a of the four birds each on a hill would mean, putting each separate bird on a separate hill, and not placing portions of the minced meat thereon. The commandment to place the four birds separately on separate hills is to point to the fact that the rise and fall of the progeny of Abraham would take place at four distinct and separate times. The word has been used in this sense elsewhere also (15:45). 268. Commentary: In the foregoing verses, it was pointed out that it is a law of God that He gives new life to deserving nations after they have become dead, and the case of the Israelites was mentioned as an instance. It was further indicated that the progeny of Abraham would rise four times, the Israelites and the Ishmaelites each rising twice. Now, in order to prepare Muslims for the promised rise, God reverts to the means of national progress and exhorts the Faithful to