MORE QURANIC PROOF FOR THE TORAH’S PRESERVATION

After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes, assist (their enemies) against them, in sin and transgression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their expulsion was forbidden to you. Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. Hilali-Khan

Allah criticized the Jews who lived in Al-Madinah during the time of the Messenger of Allah. They used to suffer, because of the armed conflicts between the tribes of Al-Madinah, Aws and Khazraj. Before Islam, the Aws and Khazraj worshipped idols, and many battles took place between them. There were three Jewish tribes in Al-Madinah at that time, Banu Qaynuqa` and Banu An-Nadir, the allies of the Khazraj, and Banu Qurayzah, who used to be the allies of the Aws. When war erupted between Aws and Khazraj, their Jewish allies would assist them. The Jew would kill his Arab enemy, and sometimes they also killed Jews who were the allies of the other Arab tribe, although the Jews were prohibited from killing each other according to clear religious texts in their Books. They would also drive each other from their homes and loot whatever furniture and money they could. When the war ended, the victorious Jews would release the prisoners from the defeated party, according to the rulings of the Tawrah. This is why Allah said…

(Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest) Allah said…

(And (remember) when We took your covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your (people), nor turn out your own people from their dwellings.) meaning, “Do not kill each other, nor expel one another from their homes, nor participate in fighting against them.” Allah mentioned the word `your own’ here, just as He said in another Ayah…

(So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves, that will be better for you with your Creator) (2:54) because the followers of one religion are just like one soul. Also, the Messenger of Allah said…

(The example of the believers in their kindness, mercy and sympathy to each other is the example of one body, when an organ of it falls ill, the rest of the body rushes to its aid in fever and sleeplessness.) Allah’s statement…

(Then, (this) you ratified and (to this) you bore witness.) means, “You testified that you know of the covenant and that you were witnesses to it.”…

(After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes). Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah…

(After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes) “Allah mentioned what they were doing, and that in the Tawrah He had prohibited them from shedding each other’s blood, and required them to free their prisoners. Now they were divided into two camps in Al-Madinah, Banu Qaynuqa`, who were the allies of the Khazraj, and An-Nadir and Qurayzah, who were the allies of the Aws. When fighting erupted between Aws and Khazraj, Banu Qaynuqa` would fight along with the Khazraj, while Banu An-Nadir and Qurayzah would fight along with the Aws. Each Jewish camp would fight against their Jewish brethren from the other camp. They would shed each other’s blood, ALTHOUGH THEY HAD THE TAWRAH WITH THEM, and they knew their rights and dues. Meanwhile, the Aws and Khazraj were polytheists who worshipped idols. They did not know about Paradise, the Fire, Resurrection, Divine Books the lawful and prohibited. When the war would end, the Jews would ransom their prisoners and implement the Tawrah. Consequently, Banu Qaynuqa` would ransom their prisoners who were captured by the Aws, while Banu An-Nadir and Qurayzah would ransom their prisoners who were captured by the Khazraj. They would also ask for blood money. During these wars, they would kill whomever (Jews or Arabs) they could, while helping the polytheists against their brethren. Therefore, Allah reminded them of this when He said…

(Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest) This Ayah means, `Do you ransom them according to the rulings of the Tawrah, yet kill them while the Tawrah forbade you from killing them and from expelling them from their homes? The Tawrah also commanded that you should not aid the polytheists and those who associate with Allah in the worship against your brethren. You do all this to acquire the life of this world.’ I was informed that the behavior of the Jews regarding the Aws and Khazraj was the reason behind revealing these Ayat.”

These noble Ayat CRITICIZED the Jews for IMPLEMENTING THE Tawrah SOMETIMES and DEFYING IT AT OTHER TIMES, although they believed in the Tawrah and knew what they were doing was wrong. This is why they should not be trusted to preserve or convey the Tawrah. Further, they should not be believed when it comes to the description of the Messenger of Allah, his coming, his expulsion from his land, and his Hijrah, and the rest of the information that the previous Prophets informed them about him, all of which they hid. The Jews, may they suffer the curse of Allah, hid all of these facts among themselves, and this is why Allah said…

(Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world), because they defied Allah’s Law and commandments…

(And on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment) as punishment for defying the Book of Allah that they had. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/2/?ayah=84; emphasis mine)

Our scholars say that there are four clauses in the covenant: not to kill, not to expel, not to gang up against people, and the command to ransom captives. They turned away from all that they agreed to except for ransoming and so Allah rebuked them for that. That is why He asks: ‘Do you, then, believe in one part of the Book,’ referring to the Torah, ‘and reject another?’ (2:85)

By Allah, we ourselves, the Muslims, have turned from all good in the course of the troubles that have beset us and we too gang up against one another. Would that it was with other Muslims but in many cases it is with unbelievers! We leave our brothers in abasement and degradation under the rule of the idolaters when it is an obligation for all Muslims to fight to free them. There is no power or strength except by Allah, the Immense! (Tafsir al-Qurtubi: Juz’ 1: Al-Fātiḥah & Sūrat al-Baqarah 1-141, translated by Aisha Abdurrahman Bewley [Diwan Press, 2019], Volume 1, p. 335; emphasis mine)

Then there you are killing one another and expelling a party of you from their habitations conspiring tazzāharūna the original ta’ has been assimilated with the zā’; a variant reading has it without the assimilation that is tazāharūna assisting one another against them in sin in disobedience and enmity injustice and if they come to you as captives a variant reading for usārā has asrā you ransom them a variant reading for tafdūhum has tufādūhum that is to say you deliver them from captivity with money etc. and this ransoming was one of the things to which they were pledged; yet their expulsion was forbidden you muharramun ‘alaykum ikhrājuhum is semantically connected to wa-tukhrijūna ‘and expelling’ and the statement that comes in between is parenthetical that is expulsion was forbidden you in the same way that non-ransoming was forbidden you. Qurayza had allied themselves with the Aws and the Nadīr with the Khazraj but every member of an alliance would fight against a fellow ally thus destroying each other’s homes and expelling one another taking prisoners and then ransoming them. When they were asked ‘Why do you fight them and then pay their ransom?’ they would reply ‘Because we have been commanded to ransom’; and they would be asked ‘So why do you fight them then?’ to which they would say ‘For fear that our allies be humiliated’; God exalted says What do you believe in part of the Book that is the part about ransom and disbelieve in part? namely the part about renouncing fighting expulsion and assistance against one another; What shall be the requital of those of you who do that but degradation disgrace and ignominy in the life of this world they were disgraced when Qurayza were slewn and the Nadīr were expelled to Syria and ordered to pay the jizya; and on the Day of Resurrection to be returned to the most terrible of chastisement? And God is not heedless of what you do ta‘malūna or read ya‘malūna ‘they do’. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=2&tAyahNo=85&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; emphasis mine)

(Yet ye it is who slay each other and drive out a party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against them by sin) contravention (and transgression) offence-(and if they came to you as captives) captives who belong to your religion (ye would ransom them) free them by paying a ransom to the enemy (-whereas their expulsion was itself unlawful for you) whereas their expulsion and killing were unlawful in the first place. (Believe ye in part of the Scripture) the part that stipulates freeing your captives from the enemy (and disbelieve ye in part thereof?) and leave the captives of your friends without ransoming them. It is also said that this verse means: do you believe in those parts of the scripture that suit your whim and disbelieve in those parts that do not? (And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world) by being killed or captured as slaves, (and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom. For Allah is not unaware) He is not reducing your punishment because (of what ye do) in terms of transgression; and it is also said: because of what they concealed. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=2&tAyahNo=85&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; emphasis mine)

And when there cometh unto them a messenger from Allah, confirming that which they possess, a party of those who have received the Scripture fling the Scripture of Allah behind their backs as if they knew not, Pickthall

As-Suddi commented on…

(And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah (i.e. Muhammad) confirming what was with them), “When Muhammad came to them, they wanted to contradict and dispute with him using the Tawrah. However, the Tawrah and the Qur’an affirmed each other. So the Jews gave up on using the Torah, and took to the Book of Asaf, and the magic of Harut and Marut, which indeed did not conform to the Qur’an. Hence Allah’s statement…

(As if they did not know!).”

Also, Qatadah said that Allah’s statement…

(As if they did not know!) means, “They knew the truth but abandoned it, hid it and denied the fact that they even had it.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/2/?ayah=99; emphasis mine)

They tossed it behind them by rejecting the Messenger. As-Suddī said, ‘They cast aside the Torah and adopted the book of Āṣaf and the magic of Hārūt and Mārūt.’ It is said that it can refer to the Qur’an. Ash-Sha‘bī said that they used to read it but rejected acting by it. Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah said, ‘They covered the Book in silk and brocade and adorned it with gold and silver but did not make lawful what it made lawful or unlawful what it made unlawful.’ (Bewley, Tafsir al-Qurtubi, p. 347; emphasis mine)

When there came to them a messenger from God namely Muhammad confirming what was with them a party of them who were given the Scripture have cast away the Scripture of God that is the Torah behind their backs that is to say they have not acted according to what it said about belief in the Messenger and otherwise; as though they did not know what is contained in it to the effect that he is a true Prophet or that it is the Book of God. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=2&tAyahNo=101&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; emphasis mine)

(And when there cometh unto them a messenger from Allah, confirming) conforming in traits and description (that which they possess) of the Book, (a party of those who have received the Scripture fling the Scripture of Allah) i.e. the Torah (behind their backs) disbelieving in what it contains of the traits and description of Muhammad nor did they exposit this (as if they knew not) as if they were ignorant people who knew nothing. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=2&tAyahNo=101&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; emphasis mine)