The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 77
PT. 3 ĀL-E-‘IMRĀN CH. 3 وَدَّتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتُبِ لَوْ A section of the People of. 70 the Book would fain lead you astray; but they lead astray none except themselves, only they perceive not. 358 يُضِلُّونَكُمْ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ يَاهْلَ الْكِتَبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِايْتِ اللهِ O People of the Book! why. 71 وَأَنْتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ do you deny the Signs of Allah, while you are witnesses thereof?359 يَهْلَ الْكِتُبِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُونَ الْحَقِّ O People of the Book why. 72 do you confound truth with بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَأَنْتُمْ falsehood and hide the truth تَعْلَمُونَ & R. 8. knowingly?360 وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتُبِ أَمِنُوا And a section of the People. 73 of the Book say, 'Believe in that a4:90. 3:99. 2:43. See 2:43. into existence, yet keeping in view the inner spirit of the faith he was certainly most nearly related to Islam and its Holy Founder. Jews and Christians had no right to claim him as their spiritual progenitor when all their beliefs and practices were at such variance with his teaching. 358. Commentary: The simplicity, straightforwardness and perfection of the faith of Islam very often create such strong feelings of appreciation in the hearts of the People of the Book that they feel irresistibly drawn towards it but, being inimical and jealous, their appreciation often takes the queer though not unpsychological course that they begin to wish that Muslims 517 may become like themselves. Taking the word in the sense of ruin (see 2:27), the expression (lead you astray) may also be rendered as "lead you to ruin" and the next clause, but they lead astray none except themselves, may in that case mean that by seeking to ruin the Muslims, they only ruin themselves, because the rise of one's enemy signifies one's own fall. 359. Commentary: Rejection of God's signs is a heinous crime for anyone, but it becomes still more heinous for him who is a direct witness thereof. 360. Commentary: By means of the signs mentioned in