The Concessions of Traditional Exegetes and Maulana Farahi Ii

[6]. Explaining the verse 140 of Surah 4 that reads:

“He has certainly revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah’s revelations being denied and ridiculed, you must not sit with them until they engage in a talk other than that; otherwise, you would be like them. Surely, Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers, all together, into Hell”, Farahi writes:

This verse is pointing towards the matter mentioned in Surah An’am (6), as we have discussed earlier. However, exegetes believe that this verse has abrogated the verse in Surah An’am, as Ibn Jarir has mentioned despite that there is no such indication of any such abrogation. It is because this verse prohibits Muslims from sitting with them when they indulge in mocking and ridiculing divine verses till they change their topic¹.

[7]. The phrase “َ ال َّص ََوا ْل ُم ِقي ِمي” in verse 162 of Surah (4) has been translated as “praiseworthy are those who establish the daily prayers ” by Shah Abdul Qadir (RHA). According to him, the term “َا ْل ُم ِق ۡی ِم ۡی” is in the accusative case, in order to incorporate the sense of praise (مدح), as is the view of Sibawayh. However, it is worth noting that [the accusative] does not necessary add the sense of praise (مدح). Rather, the verb yaᶜnī, meaning “it means” is implied before it which is omitted [from expression.] It is the verb that leads to the declension of the word in the accusative. The reason is that it does not give the sense of praise only. Rather, it is used to connote both the praise and censure².

[8]. Interpreting the verse 35-36 of Surah al-Maidah (5) that read:

“O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek the means [of nearness] to Him and strive in His cause that you may succeed. Indeed, those who disbelieve—if they should have all that is in the earth and the like of it with it—by which to ransom themselves from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, it will not be accepted from them, and for them is a painful punishment.”³, Farahi writes:

“Sacrifice is also a form of ransom (diyah). Shah Abdul Qadir (RHA) states that the meaning of ‘Waseelah’ (means or intermediary) is obedience to the Prophet, and if a good deed is done solely based on intellect, it is not accepted by Allah⁴. “The statement is correct in its own context, but there is no relevance to it here, and there is doubt left to be addressed here. This is because obedience to the Prophet is an integral part of righteous deeds, and indeed, the Prophet was sent to deliver his message and clarify its truth effectively. Therefore, the possible interpretation of this verse according to the context is that a person reaches Allah through righteous deeds which is the true reality of the sacrifice⁵.””

[9]. Interpreting the verse 40 of Surah 5 that reads:

“Don’t you know that the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs to God only? He will punish whomsoever He intends and forgive whomsoever He intends [according to His law and wisdom]. God has power over all things.”, Farahi writes:

“Allama Abdul Qadir Dehlvi (RHA) states that if Allah wills, He can inflict severe punishment for a minor sin.”⁶

Nobody can object to it [inflicting severe punishment for a minor sin] . This is a misinterpretation of the verse. Because the meaning of the verse is that Allah Almighty punishes the wrongdoers and accepts the repentance of those who repent. … He is the absolute judge, just as He has the authority to punish, He is also free to forgive. This interpretation is consistent with the coherence of the verse⁷.

[10]. Interpreting verse the words ََب َل نَۡو َم ۢ in 19 of Surah (6) that reads:

“And this Quran has been revealed to me that I may warn you through it and those also whom it may reach (ََب َل نَۡو َم ۢ).”, Imam Farahi writes:

“Imam Razi’s opinion is that by ‘ََب َل نَۡم ۢ َ ,’ refers the person who reaches the age of maturity. In adopting this interpretation, the ambiguity related to the pronoun would also be resolved . However, Imam Razi’s interpretation is very weak. The correct interpretation of the verse is: ‘I warn you, and whoever this Qur’an reaches’ implying that I am here to warn you, and those to whom the Qur’an is conveyed should also warn their people and companions, as mentioned in Surah At-Tawbah, verse 122.’”⁸

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded his companions to convey the message by saying, ‘الغائب الشاہد فلیبلغ (those who hear should convey it to those not present here).’ It is evident that the duty of conveying the message is established as an absolute directive for the Ummah. Most commentators have understood the meaning of ‘ََب َل نَۡم ۢ َ ‘ as that I should warn those people to whom this Qur’an reaches⁹.

Here, Imam Farahi has criticized the interpretation of Imam Razi as extremely weak. Upon studying Tafsir Razi, it becomes apparent that Imam Razi mentions the aforementioned opinion in the context of the verse. However, he himself considers this opinion as one of the plausible interpretations and has preferred the interpretation of the majority of the scholars¹⁰. Perhaps this is the reason why in the Urdu translation of Farahi’s Taliqat, Imam Razi’s above-mentioned statement has been omitted¹¹.

[11]. Explaining the verse 126 of Surah (6) that reads:

“In reality, this path is the straight path of your Lord. [To clarify it,] We have explained Our revelations to those who pay heed.”, The author writes:

According to Allama Abdul Qadir, the term ‘ٍُم ۡس َت ِق ۡی ُِص َرا’ (straight path) refers to acknowledging obedience and neglecting reason. This interpretation is not correct. In the Noble Quran, the phrase ‘ٍُم ۡس َت ِق ۡی ُِص َرا’ (straight path) is used in various places in the context of monotheism. Here, this statement can be understood to mean the specification of obedience for Allah Almighty… It indicates that the intellect of a believer is not suspended but works in the right direction¹².

Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani has also explained in the footnote of ‘Mawzih al-Quran’ that Shah means that having faith in the matters related to the unseen is sufficient; reason has nothing to do with it. As for the commandments of the Shariah, they are replete with wisdom. Using intellect and understanding to identify them is the command of the Quran in the words: will not you ponder (afalataqiluna)? Will not you deliberate (afalatatafakkaruna)? Shah Waliullah has extensively discussed the need to contemplate and ponder over the wisdom of the religious teachings in the introduction to ‘Hujjatullah al-Balighah¹³.’

[12]. Explaining the verse 127 of Surah (7) that reads: The chiefs of the Pharaoh’s nation said to him:

“Will you leave Moses and his people in this manner to spread disorder in the land and forsake you and the deities [set up] by you.”, He writes:

“‘Aalihatuka’ refers to those idols of Pharaoh that he had set up for his subjects so that they would prostrate before them, displaying the grandeur of Pharaoh. This is an incident whose historical testimony is present in the history, and it clarifies the ambiguity that scholars such as Imam Razi could not avoid¹⁴. Hazrat Hasan, Zamakhshari, and Abu Bakr Anbari, misunderstood this matter. The reason for the misunderstanding is that they understood ‘Aalihatuka’ in a way that it contradicted Pharaoh’s statement mentioned in the Quran when he said, ‘I know of no god for you other than myself.’ (Quran 28:38) and also when he said, ‘I am your most exalted lord.’ (Quran 79:24)¹⁵“

[13]. Interpreting the word ‘َال َّس ا ِئ ُح ۡو’ mentioned in Surah At-Tawbah, verse 112, Farahi writes:

According to most of the general commentators, the term ‘َال َّس ا ِئ ُح ۡو’ is understood to refer to those who observe fasting. Hazrat Ikrimah and Wahb ibn Munabbih have interpreted it to mean those who travel in search of knowledge. Abu Muslim suggests that it may signify those who put up their best efforts for the sake of jihad. However, there is a complication in that in Surah At- Tahrim, verse 5, this term is used as a unique quality for women. It is possible that the term refers to those who contemplate and ponder over the verses of Allah. The coherence and the context also hint towards this explanation¹⁶.

[14]. Explaining the verse

(We were not unjust to them. In fact, they had been unjust to themselves)

وَمَا ظَلَمْنَٰهُمْ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

In Surah Hud, verse 101, Farahi writes:

“After this verse and similar verses, how can anyone doubt that Allah does not wrong His servants, but rather prefers to show forgiveness and grace? He has commanded us to do the same. However, some Muslims believe that Allah cannot commit any injustice because He is all-powerful. If He punishes all creatures without their sin or rewards them without any good deeds, it will not be injustice. Surely, they have made this conclusion in good intention. But may Allah have mercy on them for making such a belief about Allah, which He is not deserving of. When they are confronted with the fact that Allah puts small children and animals in distress in this world, they justify it by saying that if He does so without considering any benefit or mercy, it will not be unjust, and indeed He has done so.

This response is contrary to the Quran, contradictory to its verses, and disrespectful to the compassionate and merciful God. They hold a belief that blurs the distinction between the unjust and evil gods of some polytheists and our just, forgiving, accepting, loving, and merciful God. There can be nothing more detrimental to faith than speaking falsely about Allah and making false accusations against Him. The response to the suffering of the righteous, small children, and animals has already been elaborated upon in its appropriate context. Then why do you not turn to Allah for the knowledge of something you do not know, as mentioned in the Quran in response to a question about the soul? Saying ‘I do not know’ in response to a question is a safer approach.”¹⁷

[15]. In the beginning of his commentary on Surah Yusuf, Farahi writes:

“Our scholars have noted that there was no hidden disagreement in the interpretation between both prophets (Prophet Joseph, peace be upon him, and Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) … Ibn Jarir’s interpretation is closer to what we have mentioned above. However, it is not correct to consider the polytheists as the audience of this verse because, in the beginning of the Surah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is explicitly addressed, and at the end, it is clearly stated that this narrative has been presented for people of understanding to derive lessons from¹⁸.”

[16]. Maulana Farahi, while criticizing Imam Razi’s explanation of the term¹⁹‘ٌُم َع ِّق ٰب’ in Surah ArIn this context, Imam Razi has quoted two statements. The first statement, which Imam Farahi does not consider accurate, is transmitted as a consensus among scholars. On the other hand, Imam Farahi acknowledges another understanding of the term, which is narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)²⁰. Here, Maulana Farahi expresses his uncertainty about Imam Razi’s viewpoint in this regard. However, he does not conclusively indicate what the correct interpretation might be.

[17]. While critiquing Shah Abdul Qadir’s interpretation of Surah Ar-Ra’d, verse 27:, Farahi writes:

“The meaning of this verse has been misunderstood by Shah Abdul Qadir. The verse implies that the disbelievers say why Allah has not sent down any sign to the Prophet so that they could believe upon seeing it. Allah Almighty, rejecting their argument, has said that no divine sign can lead a person whom Allah has put astray to the right path. It is because guidance and ignorance are in the hands of Allah. He gives it to whomsoever He deems worthy. Therefore, He guides those who are inclined towards Him and leads astray those who turn away.”²¹

[18]. Interpreting the verse 112 of Surah (16) that reads:[People of the Quraysh!] God cites [for you] the example of that settlement which was passing its days with peace and contentment. Its sustenance was reaching it with abundance from all sides. After that, it showed ingratitude to God’s favors. Then, God made it taste the flavor of hunger because of its misdeeds and made it wear the apparel of fear, Imam Farahi writes:

Our commentators have faced difficulties in understanding this similitude. Here, the mention of the town of Sabā’ is given as an example of those Jews who objected to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding his declaring permissible what had been forbidden in the Torah. When Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) came to them, he also declared some things permissible, but the Jews rejected him.²²

Ra’d, verse 11, writes:

“Imam Razi has explained the term ‘ٌُم َع ِّق ٰب’ to mean angels who take turns, one after another, in guarding during the night and day. However, this interpretation does not seem correct to me .”

Here, Imam Farahi refers to the principle of “Tafsir al-Quran bil-Quran” (explanation of the Quran by the Quran) and cites references from Surah Al-e-Imran verse 50, Surah al-Saba verses15-20, and Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 106, where the clarity of this similitude is explicitly mentioned.

[19]. Explaining the word ‘حسبا ًنا” in verse 40 of surah (18), Farahi writes:

The word has been taken to mean small spears, and it is the plural form of’ ‘حسبا ًنة’. It has also been concluded the word ‘حسبان’ refers to the decisions God executes. Some people have also taken it to mean punishment. Additionally, it has been interpreted in the sense of ants, worms, maggots, dust, strong winds, and clouds. All these meanings are mentioned merely for illustrative purposes.²³

In this context, Imam Farahi does not provide a clear explanation of the mentioned meanings of ‘ُح ۡس َبا ًنا,’ and he considers them as mere guesses. However, he does not offer conclusive evidence to support one particular interpretation. If he had lived longer, he could use the opportunity to review these interpretations and made a significant effort to find a conclusive interpretation.

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