Al-Bayan, Discourses on the Qur'an
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi

Surah Aal i Imran
Aayaat 100 to 104.

Gratitude is only for God,
the Lord of the World,

and may His peace and mercy
be on Muhammad, the trustworthy.

I seek refuge with God
from the accursed Devil.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious,
the Ever Merciful.

Ladies and Gentlemen, We are beginning

the study of Surah Aal I Imran from 
verse 100 in the Quran.

Earlier, the first section of the chapter
concluded on verse 99

This chapter is based on two sections,
one introduction and one conclusion.

This is the structure of its subject matter.

There is an introduction.

Then begins a section on the completion of 
proof on the People of the Book

and it reaches a conclusion on verse 99.

Now begins the second section which would 
finally lead to the conclusion of the chapter.

This verse onwards the address is 
directed towards the Muslims.

The direction of the address has changed.

In these verses of the Quran, this 
method is generally adopted.

Either the address is 
directed towards the Muslims,

as in Surah Nisa and then the 
People of the Book are discussed.

After the introduction of the chapter,
the chapter will either begin

by addressing the People of the Book
and then the Muslims.

If you look here, the proof has been
completed upon the People of the Book.

All proofs were given and as we 
say in the last lecture,

at the end of that topic, the Quran 
provided answers to the

three main objections raised by
the people of the book.

After providing answers to their 
objections

they were sternly reprimanded and
then they were also invited to Islam

and they were asked to not reject 
the Quranic verses

and not to stop people from Allah's
path

and not to malign those things that
they have been made witness to

because this is not the correct attitude.

Now the address is directed 
towards the Muslims,

Muslims are first warned of the 
deviant schemes of the People of the Book

which they would employ to turn away 
the Muslims from the path of the truth

But they should stay steadfast 
on the path of Allah.

After this, the subject of purification 
and cleanliness of the Muslims will begin

In other words, Muslims should 
reform themselves,

they should fulfil their obligation towards
islam,

they should hold on to the rope 
of Allah steadfastly,

they should follow the way of Allah
and the Prophet in difficult times.

So, these things which are important 
for their purification, eduction

the purification of their wisdom and
character will be discussed.

So, this is the structure of this
chapter.

Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo 
in tutee'oo fareeqam

minal lazeena ootul Kitaaba

Believers! If you yield to a group from 
among these People of the Book,

It is obvious that from all the things
that have been said,

one of these includes telling the 
people of the book

about things they have been 
doing wrong.

On the other hand, since they are
religious people

and they are at the forefront of religious
issues,

people look up to them with respect to
these issues,

in a way, they have the status 
of religious leaders,

the common people of Arabia,
those from the tribes of Aws and Khajraj

and people from other tribes think that
these people have the best understanding

of issues relating to Prophethood for
they have a whole history of Prophets.

We can make a mistake but

these people cannot make any 
mistakes in this regard.

So, these people would be influenced 
by them to an extent as well.

That is why this issue was introduced by
stating that:

Believers! If you yield to a group 
from among these People of the Book,

By 'a group', Quran refers to those
people who are stubborn

and these people usually include their
religious leaders,

something which the Quran tells us.

They are the leaders and hence trusted
by the common populace.

It is mostly those people.

By 'a group', Quran refers to those
people only.

And By 'a group', Quran also refers to those
people who are not part of this group.

It Is not as thought every one from 
among the people of the Book

has become an ingrate.

A group from among them which also 
plays the leadership role

indulges in such activities.

If you yield to this group from 
among the People of the Book,

then what will these people do?

yaruddookum ba'da eemaanikum kaafireen

Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo in 
tutee'oo fareeqam

minal lazeena ootul Kitaaba

Believers! If you yield to a group from 
among these People of the Book,

they will turn you back from belief to 
disbelief.

Their real intention is that you 
yield to these people

so that they will also lead the 
Muslims into disbelief like themselves.

I have already mentioned that the people
of justice from among them,

those people that the Quran will praise 
later on,

the Quran always mentions them by setting 
them apart from these people.

The Quran tells us that there are such 
people who talk of justice,

and don't act stubbornly at all.

Although it can be the case that

their minds may still lack 
clarity,

but they ask questions and they 
engage and then again

there are people who have a
clarity in their thoughts

but their still persists a dissonance
in their actions.

In other words, he pauses regularly
wondering if his decision was right of not.

Even those people that have such 
ambiguities are different.

But these people are the ones who are
in such a place because of their stubbornness

that if you listen to them, then you
should know their objective.

It is that they will also lead you into
disbelief

just as they disbelieve out of
their sheer stubbornness.

And you think that since they are 
believers

and hence they cannot lead you into
disbelief...

It is obvious that if religious leaders 
and believers are like that

then people feel that the leaders
have no reason to lead them away.