Session Eleven, Verses 58 and 59, The Five Parts of Verse 58, Part One

Session Eleven

Verses 58 and 59 – The Five Parts of Verse 58 – Part One: “And [Recall] When We Said: Enter This Town” – Point Three: The Four Possibilities Regarding the Town – The Preferred View – Reinforcement of the First Possibility – Point Four: The Application of “Town” to the Houses of the Household of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt) in Certain Narrations

November 6, 2024

Continuation of the Discussion on the Preferred View

The discussions that needed to be raised within the first part of the five parts of verse 58 have been addressed; there remains, however, one further point from the first part, which we shall now set forth. We had noted that, of the four possibilities regarding “town,” two possibilities are more acceptable: one, that what is meant is Jerusalem, and the other, that what is meant is Jericho.

Considered purely on the basis of this verse itself, setting aside the other verses and certain narrations that have been mentioned, the possibility that Jericho is intended may perhaps be the stronger one, as against Jerusalem. The possibility that what is meant is Jerusalem carries certain difficulties within this very verse itself on account of certain considerations; yet, at the same time, there may exist indications in other verses that reinforce this possibility. We noted in the previous session that there exists a narration in the exegesis attributed to Imam al-‘Askari, peace be upon him, on the basis of which Fayd Kashani reinforced this possibility. The narration, from Imam al-‘Askari, peace be upon him, states: “Enter this town… and it is Jericho, from the lands of Syria, and that was when they emerged from the wilderness of wandering” («ادْخُلُوا هذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ … وَهِيَ أَرِيحَا مِنْ بِلَادِ الشَّامِ وَذَلِكَ حِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنَ التِّيهِ»); that is, this town which they were commanded to enter is Jericho, from the lands of greater Syria (al-Sham of old), and this was at the time when they emerged from the land of wandering.

Reinforcement of the First Possibility

On the other hand, however, when we consider the entirety of the verses revealed concerning the holy land, it appears that what is meant by “town” is this very Jerusalem. Several passages in the Qur’an refer to the blessed land and the holy land, by which Jerusalem is meant.

1. Verse 71 of Surat al-Anbiya’ states: “And We delivered him and Lot to the land which We had blessed for the worlds” («وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَلُوطًا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا لِلْعَالَمِينَ»). This relates to the Prophet Abraham, the Friend of God, his deliverance, and his being brought to a land which God states He blessed for all the worlds. This is that very region of Jerusalem, which later also became the site of the Prophet’s, peace be upon him, ascension (mi’raj), the first direction of prayer (qiblah) of the Muslims, and the place from which other prophets arose — all of these relate to that same region. The term, however, has come to be applied predominantly to Jerusalem; now, Jericho too is near Jerusalem, or, more broadly, to those regions that were the site of the emergence of the prophets and the divine religions, from Abraham, the Friend of God, down to the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, and his descendants.
2. With regard to the Children of Israel, there is the verse that appears in Surat al-Ma’idah: “O my people, enter the holy land which God has ordained for you, and do not turn back, lest you become losers” («يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِكُمْ فَتَنْقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ») — we have already mentioned this. There, addressing the Children of Israel, the verse states: enter this holy land, which God has made obligatory and necessary for you; do not turn back to your past ways, lest you fall into loss and ruin. Here, it has been said that “the holy land” is this very Jerusalem; God commanded them to enter this land. There, they offered the excuse that the Amalekites were present in this land; their statement was: “Indeed, there is a powerful people therein, and we will not enter it until they leave it” («إِنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمًا جَبَّارِينَ وَإِنَّا لَنْ نَدْخُلَهَا حَتَّى يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا») — there is a powerful people here (referring to the Amalekites), and we will not enter until they leave. The Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, told them that they must fight there and drive them out; they said: you and your Lord go and fight them, and then we will come — “Go, then, you and your Lord, and fight; we will remain seated here” («فَاذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ») — once they have departed, we will enter. They put forward this excuse and did not enter that land. This was after their departure from Egypt and their deliverance from the sea. After Pharaoh and his retinue were destroyed and they were delivered, they were commanded to enter this holy and blessed land, yet they offered an excuse. It is remarkable! The Children of Israel are, in fact, regarded as an exemplary case when it comes to making excuses and engaging in defiance. This, of course, also serves as a standard and benchmark for every form of ingratitude and every ingrate. On account of this excuse and defiance, God Almighty caused them to wander in that wilderness for forty years; afterward, when He once again commanded their entry, this command was, in effect, entry into that very same land which they had previously been commanded to enter. “And [recall] when We said: Enter this town” («وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ») is, in fact, a separate command from the command to enter the holy land; there, they had defied the command, and we noted previously that they had offered an excuse and did not go; the punishment for that was forty years of wandering. Here, after that episode, a second command was issued. But the place into which they were commanded to enter is this same place, namely Jerusalem; on this basis, “this town” is likewise applied to Jerusalem.

Question:

Professor: That relates to the land of Egypt; this relates to after their deliverance from the sea… They came out of Egypt and crossed the sea; that, too, has a great deal of narrative associated with it. In the preceding verses, reference was made to the ingratitude of the Children of Israel in the face of God’s blessings. After their departure from Egypt and their deliverance from the sea, the command was given to enter the holy land… I cite these usages of “the holy land,” “the blessed land,” “which We blessed for the worlds,” as indications that “this town” is this very Jerusalem.

3. Or, for instance, in another verse it is stated: “And to Solomon [We subjected] the wind, blowing forcefully by his command, to the land which We had blessed” («وَلِسُلَيْمانَ الرِّيحَ عاصِفَةً تَجْري بِأَمْرِهِ إِلى الْأَرْضِ الَّتي بارَكْنا فيها»). With regard to the Prophet Solomon and the Prophet David, peace be upon them, this same place is referred to as a blessed and holy land. In the time of Jesus Christ and in the time of the Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him, this same place is likewise referred to as a blessed land.

In summary: if we consider this verse purely in itself, with regard to historical accounts and certain indications and evidence and that narration, the possibility that Jericho is intended is stronger; but when we consider it together with the entirety of the verses and the applications of the terms “holy land” and “blessed land,” perhaps the possibility of its applying to Jerusalem is stronger. For this very reason, perhaps, most exegetes have taken it to refer to Jerusalem, and fewer have understood it to mean Jericho.

Thus, what we stated in the previous session was based on the verse considered in itself, together with the narration cited from the exegesis attributed to Imam al-‘Askari, peace be upon him; if we were to confine ourselves to this verse, the narration transmitted in connection with it, and certain other indications we have mentioned, we might say that Jericho is a notable possibility; but when we consider the other verses and the applications of the terms “blessed land” and “holy land,” the possibility that it is Jerusalem appears stronger.

Response to an Objection

Only one objection remains: how can it be that God issued the command to enter this land through the speech of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, when the Prophet Moses himself never entered this land, but passed away and was buried in that very place? There presently exists, in that region, near Jerusalem, a site regarded as the burial place of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him. The Prophet Moses did not enter Jerusalem; it was his successor, Joshua, who entered Jerusalem. Hence, it is asked: how can this command have been conveyed through the speech of the Prophet Moses, when he himself did not go there?

We have noted that it is possible that this was conveyed through the speech of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, with reference to the future; the command to enter Jerusalem was announced through the speech of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, on behalf of God, but the conquest of Jerusalem and the entry of the Children of Israel into it was carried out by Joshua, the successor of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him. This, then, admits of a reasonable explanation.

Point Four: The Application of “Town” to the Houses of the Household of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt) in Certain Narrations

In this part, one point remains, which constitutes, in a sense, a fourth point, since it differs from the preceding points; namely, the application of “this town” in certain narrations to the houses of the Household of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt), peace be upon them, and to their guardianship. In a narration transmitted from Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, and Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, it is stated: “And it is not righteousness that you enter the houses…” («وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَنْ تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ…»), “and His statement, Most High: And [recall] when We said: Enter this town…” («وقوله تعالی وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ…»). The Imam, peace be upon him, applies these two verses together and says: “We are the houses which God has commanded should be entered through their gates” («نَحْنُ الْبُيُوتُ الَّتِي أَمَرَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُؤْتَى مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا») — we are those houses which God has commanded should be approached through their gate. “Town” is here applied to the houses of the Household of the Prophet, peace be upon them, though this does not constitute its exegesis, and this application does not conflict with the apparent meaning of the verse. It is as though the Imam, peace be upon him, intends to convey that the town, as a blessed and holy land — “which We blessed for the worlds” — and these houses are all, in effect, one region and one place; the essential matter is benefiting from the houses of the Household of the Prophet, peace be upon them, where all blessings reside. Whoever enters within this domain partakes of all these blessings.

Question:

Professor: That is something called Khutbat al-Bayan, which is not found in Nahj al-Balaghah and has been recorded in certain other books; some have raised objections to it, on the grounds that it has Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, say, “I am the First and the Last; I am the Manifest and the Hidden” — this requires a great deal of explanation and justification.

But as for the application of these examples to themselves, in the end, the essence of these blessings is indeed this blessing — albeit subject to its proper conditions and qualifications.