The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 357
PT. 6 AL-MĀ'IDAH CH. 5 وَلَوْ اَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَبِ امَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا And if the People of the. 66 لَكَفَرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيَّاتِهِمْ وَأَدْخَلْتُهُمْ righteous, We would surely جَنَّتِ النَّعِيمِ Book had believed and been have removed from them their evils and We would surely have admitted them into gardens of bliss. 696 Commentary: a7:97. The expression: Their own hands shall be tied up, signifies that the Jews shall be suitably punished for their insolent saying expressed in the words, The hand of Allah is tied up. The sentence may also be taken as optative, meaning, "may their hands be tied up. " But as what Allah wills must come to pass, therefore the expression may be better rendered in the form of a positive statement, meaning that the Jews shall become miserly and stingy. The clause, Nay, both His hands are wide open, constitutes a crushing reply to the taunt of the Jews, that the hand of Allah is tied up. The Quran says that not only is the hand of God not tied up but that both His hands are wide open the one to give to the believers in plenty and the other to punish the Jews for their insolence. The sentences which follow the clause, Nay, both His hands are wide open, refer respectively to the work of the two hands of God, namely (1) the bestowal of special bounties upon believers, and (2) the exemplary punishment of Jews for their sins. It will be noted that the hand is used 797 both as an instrument for bestowing a favour or bounty and as a symbol of power and dominion for seizing and punishing an offender. The enmity and hatred referred to in the verse are to exist and continue not only among Jews themselves but also among Christians, as well as between Jews and Christians. The expression, Whenever they kindle a fire for war, refers to the attempts of Jews to incite the idolaters of Arabia to wage war against Muslims, as well as to their own hostile activities against Islam. 696. Important Words: They. نعم bliss) is derived from) النعيم or or نعمة saydi. e. his life was or became plentiful and easy; or it was pleasant. became good (na'mat) means, ease and plenty; pleasantness and softness of life; enjoyment of a life of ease; comfort and affluence; tenderness, bloom, or freshness. (ni'mat) means, benefit; favour; boon; blessing; bounty; grace or what God bestows on man. means, grace of God; ease and plenty; welfare; well-being; delight and pleasure; blessing (Lane). a