While reading Quran, I and all of you must have come across the ayah 143 of the second surah of Al Quran, Al surah Al Baqarah.
Besides, what I’ve heard/read in the tafaaseer and various points of view on this ayah, I’d like to know what people at Gupshup have, that they can share with me regarding the understanding of it… It’s for my own understanding of things that I want to make clear myself.
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Translation:
2:143 => “Thus, have We made of you an Ummat justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves; and We appointed the Qibla to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (From the Faith). Indeed it was (A change) momentous, except to those guided by Allah. And never would Allah Make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people Most surely full of kindness, Most Merciful.”
Sadaqallah wa Ballaghana Rasoolohun nabi-ul-Ameen-ul-Kareem :saw:
I have some questions in this regard as well:
What is the meaning of when it is said: ye might be witnesses over the nations
and how can it be seen in the light of **Lakum deenokum walay Ya Deen **?
What does it tell us when ayah says: Messenger a witness over yourselves? It is very interesting for me when I hear people saying that Messenger of Allah was but just a ‘postman’ and on the other hand the ayah is taking the role of the Messenger to another level which is totally different than just a postman.
The rest of the ayah talks about the event of change of Qibla and interestingly there too “Following the Prophet” is emphasized. Again, I see a role that is far more greater than ‘just a postman.’ I take the mail from postman but he/she is not ought to be followed. If prophet was just a postman, why’d Allah :swt say: only to test those* who followed the Messenger** from those who would turn on their heels *???
ADD: I just remember.. when it is said "justly balanced" it is translated from the word "Wasata" that refers to that Muslim ummah is the gateway (it's in the middle) between the Messenger and the other nations.
There is one more instance of the same subject, I came across in Surah Al-Hajj:
22:78 “And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help!”
“middlemost community”-i.e., a community that keeps an equitable balance between extremes and is realistic in its appreciation of man’s nature and possibilities, rejecting both licentiousness(slefishness,wastefullness etc) and exaggerated asceticism (self denying way of life). In tune with its oft-repeated call to moderation in every aspect of life, the Qur’an exhorts the believers not to place too great an emphasis on the physical and material aspects of their lives, but postulates, at the same time, that man’s urges and desires relating to this “life of the flesh” are God-willed and, therefore, legitimate. On further analysis, the expression “a community of the middle way” might be said to summarize, as it were, the Islamic attitude towards the problem of man’s existence as such: a denial of the view that there is an inherent conflict between the spirit and the flesh, and a bold affirmation of the natural, God-willed unity in this twofold aspect of human life. This balanced attitude, peculiar to Islam, flows directly from the concept of God’s oneness and, hence, of the unity of purpose underlying all His creation: and thus, the mention of the “community of the middle way” at this place is a fitting introduction to the theme of the Ka`bah, a. symbol of God’s oneness.
"that your way of life be an example to all mankind, just as the Apostle is an example to you.
“whom He has given understanding” (Razi). The “hard test” (kabirah) consisted in the fact that ever since their exodus to Medina the Muslims had become accustomed to praying towards Jerusalem - associated in their minds with the teachings of most of the earlier prophets mentioned in the Qur’an -and were now called upon to turn in their prayers towards the Kabah, which at that time (in the second year after the hijrah) was still used by the pagan Quraysh as a shrine dedicated to the worship of their numerous idols. As against this, the Qur'an states that true believers would not find it difficult to adopt the Kabah once again as their giblah: they would instinctively realize the divine wisdom underlying this commandment which established Abraham’s Temple as a symbol of God’s oneness and a focal point of the ideological unity of Islam.
So I dont think Ummah means the political Ummah that we have been hearing lately. This is open for suggestion and thats why I stay away from Tafsir, cause some other tafsir states Ummmah as in Ummah(which we know about). BTW when I read 2:143 (just recently) to me it was medium not Ummah. As Shakir put it.
Am I a Maulana or What . Can you hear me Now --------Goood
I would also like to add that Most of the Surah 2 was revealed in Madinah and some parts which were revealed later/or before in Mecca were added to provide fluidity to Quraan surah 2.
In Madinah a small community of Muslims from all over Saudi Arabia "Ummah" had assembled. That is also the reason why Surah 2 also deals with social,cultural,political economic and legal issues. So While Shakir likes to call it the medium, I now also understand why Pickthal and YusufAli called it Ummah or community.
Brother Kaleem: we can not leave any part* unhighlighted from Quran anyway. There was a specific reason why I emphasized on certain aspect of the ayah. The essence of the topic is about *how a muslim is supposed to interact with fellow human beings and what are the rights and duties in this regard; whereas the part you are looking at is simply things a person can do him/herself.
If you recall, there was an event mentioned in hadeeth where a man who was very pious and religious was destroyed first because he did not call others to good and refrain them from wrong.
Verizon: interesting point of view..
i wonder why people are never interested in things that are most important. Had it been an issue where people had the potential to fight, we would be seeing so many scholars of Islam. It's about time we think what we are doing. Really!
It’s for my own understanding of things that I want to make clear myself.
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