The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 648
CH. 18 AL-KAHF PT. 15 إِنَّهُمْ اِنْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ 21. 'For, if they should come to know of you, they would stone اَوْ يُعِيدُ وكُمْ فِي مِلَّتِهِمْ وَلَنْ تُفْلِحُوا you or make you return to their إِذَا أَبَدًا religion and then will you never prosper. "2061 وَكَذَلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ And thus did We disclose. 22 them to the people that they وَعْدَ اللهِ حَقٌّ وَانَّ السَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا might know that the promise of Allah was true, and that, bas to إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ : the Hour, there was no doubt أَمْرَهُ about it. And remember the time "31:34; 35:6. 15:86; 20:16; 22:8. eyes. It is a well-known historical fact that the foundations of British power in the east were laid in the beginning of the seventeenth century, in about 1611 A. D. , when a British commercial company was allowed to open its first industrial concern in Surat and began to do business in the Bay of Bengal (March of Man, published by Enc. Brit. Society). This period approximates to one thousand years after the Holy Prophet began to preach his Mission in 611 A. D. The secret of the British power in subsequent centuries lay in their success in obtaining a foothold in the East. Other European nations only followed in the wake of the British people. The word b (provisions) in the verse under comment does not mean 'cooked food' as is generally misunderstood. It possesses a much wider significance and may mean, wheat, barley, millet, dates or other articles of food (Lane). The words, and let him bring you provisions thereof, refer to the import of Indian articles of food, especially wheat, by 1856 European countries for about 200 years. European businessmen had a special knack of being gentle and courteous in their commercial dealings. To this characteristic of theirs the expression (and let him be courteous) refers. The words, and let him not inform any one about you, refer to the quiet and unobtrusive penetration of East, Western influence in the particularly in India—the undivided India of pre-Partition days. 2061. Commentary: The verse means to say that if the people to whom you are sending trade parties became acquainted with your real intentions, or before your feet became firmly established in their country some political quarrel or commercial disagreement arose and you were overpowered, then you would either have to quit their country or embrace their religion. In either ease you would fail to gain a permanent foothold and all your dreams of establishing a great empire in their country would come to naught.