سورة البقرة

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Allah [in this verse] has censured the Jews and says: وَ لَمَّا جاءَهُمْ [And when there came to them], meaning the Jews who were mentioned in the previous verses, they and their Jewish brothers.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, Malik ibn al-Dayf, Wahb ibn Yahuda and Finhas ibn Azura said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Indeed Allah made a covenant with us in the Torah that we would not believe in any messenger until he brings us a sacrifice that fire consumes; if you claim that Allah has sent you to us, bring it for us so that we may confirm you." So this verse was revealed: وَ لَمَّا جاءَهُمْ کِتابٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ [And when there came to them a Book from Allah]...

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): [What is meant by the Book in this verse] is the Quran.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): This Book (the Quran) confirms their Book, the Torah — the same Torah in which it was made clear that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), the Ummi, from the descendants of Isma'il (peace be upon him), would be supported [and aided] by the best of Allah's creation after him, namely Ali (peace be upon him), the wali of Allah.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): They (the Jews and Christians) recognize the Messenger of Allah just as they recognize their own children. Allah the Exalted had described in the Torah, the Injil and the Zabur the traits of Muhammad and his companions for them ... These very Jews, before the coming of the Prophet, used to say to the Arabs continually: it is at this very time that a Prophet will arise from Makkah and migrate to Madinah; he is the last and the most excellent of the Prophets; in his eyes there is redness, and between his shoulders is the seal of prophethood; he wears a woollen cloak and is content, in food, with a piece of bread and a few dates; he rides a bare donkey and is smiling and a warrior; he places his sword upon his shoulder and has no fear of fighting others, and the fame of his power will reach [every low and high place] everywhere, and he will kill you disbelieving Arabs as the people of Ad were killed. Yet when Allah sent His Prophet with these traits, [these same Jews] envied him and disbelieved in him, just as Allah says: وَ کانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ یَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَی الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جاءَهُمْ ما عَرَفُوا کَفَرُوا بِهِ [And aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve, but when there came to them that which they did not recognize, they disbelieved in him].

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Before the mission of the Prophet, the Jews used to promise themselves victory over [the disbelievers of] Aws and Khazraj through the help of the Messenger of Allah. When Allah raised him up from among the Arabs and [the Jews saw that he] was not from the Bani Isra'il, they disbelieved and denied what they had previously said about him. Mu'adh ibn Jabal and Bishr ibn Bara' ibn Ma'rur said to them: "O Jews! Fear Allah and accept Islam. You yourselves previously considered yourselves victorious over us through Muhammad, while we were disbelievers, and you continually reminded us of his marks and characteristics, saying that he would be raised up in the future." In reply, Sallam ibn Muslim, who was from the tribe of Bani Nadir, said: "What we knew has not come to pass, and this is not the prophet we spoke to you about." Concerning this Allah revealed the above verse.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Jews had found in their books that the place of Muhammad's migration is between the mountain of "Ayr" and the mountain of "Uhud". Therefore they went out in search of him and reached that region, and they passed a mountain called "Hadad". They said: "Hadad" and "Uhud" are the same, and so they scattered around that mountain. Some of them settled in "Tayma", others in "Fadak", and others in "Khaybar". Those who were in Tayma longed to see their brethren. A bedouin from the tribe of Qays passed by them, and they hired a camel from him. That Qaysi man said to them: "I will take you through the region between the two mountains of Ayr and Uhud". They said to him: "When you reach those two, inform us". When he reached the middle of the land of Madinah, he said to them: "This is the mountain of Ayr and that other one is the mountain of Uhud". The Jews got down from the camel and said: "We have reached what we sought and we no longer need your camels; go wherever you wish". They wrote to their brethren in Fadak and Khaybar: "We have reached the place we wanted; you too hasten to us". They replied in writing: "We have built houses here and have acquired properties, and the distance between us and you is very close; whenever the matter of Muhammad's migration comes to pass, we will hasten to you". They acquired properties in the city of Madinah, and when their wealth grew, "Tubba" (the king of Yemen at that time) learned of their wealth and came to war with them. They took refuge in their fortresses, and they always felt pity for the weak individuals in Tubba's army, and when night came, from the top of the fortress they would drop down dates and barley for them. This matter reached Tubba's ears, and his heart softened towards them, and he granted them safety. The Jews came down from their fortresses and went to him. Tubba said to them: "I have come to like your city and I intend to stay among you". The Jews said to him: "You cannot do such a thing; because this is the place of migration of a Prophet, and no one before him can do this until he comes". Tubba said to them: "I will place some from my household among you so that when that Prophet comes, they may aid him". So he placed the two tribes of Aws and Khazraj among them. When the members of these two tribes grew in number there, they began to seize the properties of the Jews, and the Jews said to them: "When Muhammad is raised up, he will cut your hands short from our homes and properties". So when Allah the Mighty and Majestic raised up Muhammad, the Ansar (Aws and Khazraj of Madinah) believed in him, but the Jews disbelieved in him; and this is the very saying of the Lord: وَ کانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ یَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَی الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا [And aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve].

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Those Jews, before the messengership of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), used to ask Allah for victory and triumph over their enemies and adversaries; and Allah would grant them victory and help them (because they professed faith in the Prophet).

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Allah the Exalted informed His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) of the faith of the Jews in Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) before his appearance, and of their victories over their enemies through the mention of his name and sending blessings upon him and his family. Allah commanded the Jews of the time of Musa (peace be upon him) and after him that whenever a matter troubled their minds and a calamity befell them, they should call upon Allah the Mighty and Majestic by the right of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his pure family (peace be upon them), and seek help from them. They continued to do so. The Jews of Medina, ten years before the appearance of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), were subject to the enmity of the tribes of Asad and Ghatafan and a group of polytheists who always intended to attack them. The Jews decided to ask their Lord, by the right of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his pure family, to ward off their evil and affliction. Until three thousand men from Asad and Ghatafan moved [and attacked] towards some of the Jews around Medina, and the Jews — while they had only three hundred fighters and were calling upon Allah by Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his family (peace be upon them) — engaged them and defeated them and destroyed them. Then a group of the Asadis and Ghatafanis said to one another: 'Come, let us seek help from the other tribes,' and so they did. Their numbers grew large; thirty thousand gathered and moved towards them in their village. Those three hundred took refuge in their houses, and they blocked the flowing waters that entered the Jews' villages, and cut off food from them. The Jews asked them for safety, but they refused, and said: 'No! Unless we kill you and take you captive and plunder your booty.' The Jews said to one another: 'What shall we do?' The one who was most eminent and had the best judgement among them said: 'Did not Musa (peace be upon him) command your predecessors and those after them to seek help through Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his family (peace be upon them)? Did he not command you, in times of hardship, to beseech Allah the Mighty and Majestic by resorting to them?' They said: 'Yes!' He said: 'Then do it.' They said: 'O Allah! By the right of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his pure family (peace be upon them), we ask You to give us water to drink! These oppressors have cut off water from us; our young men have become weak, our children have become lifeless, and we are on the verge of perishing.' Then Allah the Exalted sent down a heavy, torrential and copious rain, so much so that their cisterns, wells, rivers and vessels were all filled with water. They said: 'This is one of the two blessings of Allah.' Then they went up to the rooftops and looked at the armies that had lined up around them. The rain was severely tormenting them and was ruining their equipment, weapons and possessions. For this reason, a group of the soldiers turned away from the Jews and went back; the rain came upon them at an unseasonable time, at the height of the summer heat, at a time when Mecca did not see rain, yet it was pouring hard upon them. The remainder of the army said: 'Even if the downpour has given you drink, from where will you get food? If those ones have turned back, we will not leave until we overpower you and take your persons, your women, your children, your families and your possessions, and quench the rancour we hold against you.' The Jews said: 'The same One who gave us water to drink through our supplication by Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his family (peace be upon them) is able to feed us; and the same One who removed the evil of those [who left] from us is able to remove the evil of those remaining from us as well.' Then they supplicated to Allah through Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his family (peace be upon them) to provide food for them. Suddenly a huge caravan of about two thousand camels, mules and donkeys — all loaded with wheat and flour — arrived and passed by the armies without confronting them; those soldiers were all asleep and were not at all aware of them, because Allah the Exalted had thrown them into a heavy sleep, and thus the caravaneers entered the village and the soldiers did not stop them. In the middle of the village they laid down their loads and sold them, and [then] they returned and went far away, leaving the soldiers asleep, not even blinking. When the caravan had gone, the soldiers awoke and made ready to fight the Jews and said to one another: 'Make haste! Make haste! Hunger has now worn them down and they will fall into humiliation before us.' The Jews replied: 'Woe to you! While you were asleep, our Lord provided various kinds of food for us; and had we wished to attack you in your sleep, we could certainly have done so, but we did not consider it right to wrong you. Leave from here, otherwise we will supplicate through Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his family, against you, and seek help so that Allah, just as He fed and gave us drink, will humiliate you.' But they became arrogant and persisted in oppression. So the Jews supplicated to Allah through Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his family and sought help. Then three hundred men went out to confront thirty thousand and killed them and took them captive and crushed them, and by means of their captives [and in exchange for their release] took a covenant from them (their companions); they too, out of fear for the lives of their companions who were captives in the hands of the Jews, no longer caused them any harm. Nevertheless, when Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) appeared, since he was an Arab, the Jews envied him and called him a liar.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): In the interval between the mission of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and Isa (peace be upon him), there lived a community who used to threaten the idol-worshippers with the appearance of a Prophet, and they would say: 'A Prophet will come who will smash your idols to pieces and will do such and such to you.' And when the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) appeared, those same Jews disbelieved in him.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): When the signs and attributes of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) were made clear to these Jews, out of envy, oppression and rebellion against the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family), they denied him.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): When Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) appeared, since he was an Arab, the Jews envied him and called him a liar.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): We are the family of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) upon whom they envy... So this verse was about our Prophet: فَلَمَّا جاءَهُمْ ما عَرَفُوا کَفَرُوا بِهِ [But when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it], and this was because of the envy that was in their souls [envy that why did prophethood not go to Bani Israil], for Allah sends down [His verses] upon whichever of His servants He wills. From this people [a group] envy the preference of some of us over others.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Jabir (may Allah have mercy on him): I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the verse فَلَمَّا جَاءهُم مَّا عَرَفُواْ کَفَرُواْ بِهِ [But when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it]. He said: Its inner interpretation is this: "When what they knew about Ali (peace be upon him) came to them, they rejected him; so Allah the Exalted said about them: فَلَعْنَةُ اللهُ عَلَی الْکَافِرِین [So Allah's curse is on the unbelievers] — meaning, in the inner meaning of the Quran, the disbelievers are the Bani Umayyah."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The kufr (disbelief) mentioned in the Book of Allah is of five kinds: one is the kufr of denial, and another is kufr alone; the kufr of the deniers has two forms: the first is denial of the oneness [of Allah]... and the other is denial despite knowledge of its truth and reality; Allah [in this regard] said: "And they denied it out of injustice and arrogance, while in their hearts they were certain of it." And Allah the Glorified said: وَ کانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ یَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَی الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جاءَهُمْ ما عَرَفُوا کَفَرُوا بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللهِ عَلَی الْکافِرِینَ [And aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve, but when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so Allah's curse is on the unbelievers], meaning [denying something after recognizing it — that here] the disbelievers, despite recognizing it (the Prophet of Islam and the Book of the Quran), denied it.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): O son of Mas'ud! If someone learns knowledge for the sake of the world and through that knowledge chooses the love and adornment of the world, he deserves the wrath of Allah and his place is in the lowest level of Hell with the Jews and Christians; those very people who cast away the Book of Allah. Allah the Exalted has said: فَلَمّا جاءَهُمْ ما عَرَفُوا کَفَرُوا بِهِ [But when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it].