Session Six, Verses 58 and 59, General Explanation

Session Six

Verses 58 and 59 – General Explanation – The Connection of These Two Verses to the Preceding Verses

October 21, 2024

Verses 58 and 59

Verses 58 and 59 of Surat al-Baqarah read as follows: “And [recall] when We said: Enter this town, and eat freely therein wherever you wish; and enter through the gate prostrating, and say, ‘Hittah‘ [an entreaty for forgiveness], so that We may forgive you your sins, and We shall surely grant increase to those who do good” («وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًا وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ») * “But those who did wrong substituted a saying other than that which had been said to them, so We sent down upon those who did wrong a punishment from the sky on account of the transgression they used to commit” («فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ»).

Since these two verses are connected to one another and their content bears complete continuity, we have set them forth together so that we might offer their exegesis jointly. As is customary, we shall first present a general translation and explanation of these two verses, and then refer to the connection of this verse to the preceding verses, after which we shall set forth the individual terms of this verse. We shall then proceed to the exegesis of the various parts of these two verses.

General Meaning of Verse 58

In keeping with the pattern of recalling the blessings bestowed upon the Children of Israel in the preceding verses, God Almighty addresses this matter in this verse as well, saying: O Children of Israel, remember the time when We said to you, “Enter this town” («ادْخُلُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ») (we shall presently discuss what the meaning of “town” is here and to what land it applies, since there is disagreement on this point), after forty years of wandering and bewilderment in that land. We then commanded you to eat whatever you wished, since that town contained every variety of blessing. After those deprivations, God provided such an opening for them. We said to you: enter through this gate and this door in a state of humility and reverence, and seek from God, Blessed and Exalted, forgiveness and pardon for your sins and His covering mercy.

God, addressing the Children of Israel, recalls three commands — though, in fact, it amounts to four commands, the second of which derives its meaning from the first: “Enter this town” («ادْخُلُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ»), “then eat therein” («فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا»), “say” («قُولُوا»), “enter through the gate” («ادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ»). The command to enter that town is stated with a particular manner attached to it; hence, by one reckoning we may say there are three commands, and by another reckoning, four. If you do this, it will bring about the forgiveness of your sins; We shall forgive you your wrongs, and, moreover, toward those who were doers of good (muhsinin) rather than doers of evil (musi’in), We shall grant still greater bounty. Thus, as it were, that group (perhaps the majority were of this kind) who were wrongdoers and sinners will be forgiven; and those who were not given to error, disobedience, and rebellion will have Our bounty toward them increased still further.

This verse, in fact, refers to a further blessing bestowed upon the Children of Israel; if we reckon the sum of the preceding blessings as nine, this becomes the tenth blessing; if we count the preceding blessings as seven, as al-Razi has stated, this becomes the eighth bestowal. Thus, verse 58, in effect, refers to a blessing that continues the series of those blessings, namely the emergence of the Children of Israel from their bewilderment and wandering — which was itself a punishment for their prior conduct. This is the general explanation of verse 58, which requires further elaboration and exegesis.

General Meaning of Verse 59

Verse 59 refers to their ingratitude and disobedience following this bestowal of bounty; for although God, Blessed and Exalted, delivered them from that state of wandering and, after all that waiting, commanded their entry into that land, He nevertheless also gave them certain instructions: that they should enter in such a manner and say such words. Yet once again they showed ingratitude and altered the third command: “But those who did wrong substituted a saying other than that which had been said to them” («فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ») — those who did wrong refers to those who disobeyed and did not act in accordance with God’s command, namely, “and say, ‘Hittah‘” («وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ»). They entered the town and made use, as they wished, of its various and delightful blessings; they entered in a state of humility and reverence; but God had also asked of them that they say this — we shall presently discuss what “hittah” means. Were they obligated to utter this very word, or was what was intended a request for pardon and forgiveness of sin? In any case, they did not carry this out; the statement they were to make, they substituted with another statement. God had said: say this — yet they said something else. It was then that “So We sent down upon those who did wrong a punishment from the sky on account of the transgression they used to commit” («فَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ») — We sent down chastisement from the sky upon them, on account of the transgression and wrongdoing they had committed.

In verse 58, reference is made to God’s blessing upon the Children of Israel and His overlooking of their past errors for the eighth or tenth time; and in verse 59, reference is made to their opposition, disobedience, and wrongdoing, which led to the descent of God’s painful chastisement upon them.

The story of the Children of Israel is a remarkable story: all this blessing and all this beneficence on the part of God, and all this forbearance and overlooking of errors and acts of disobedience — yet still they engaged in disobedience and wrongdoing, and the result was that God’s chastisement descended upon them.

The Connection of These Two Verses to the Preceding Verses

From among these points, the connection of this verse to the preceding verses becomes evident. If we regard verse 57 as referring to the eighth and ninth blessings, this verse refers to the tenth blessing that God Almighty bestowed upon the Children of Israel. But as al-Razi has stated, if we regard the preceding verse as referring to the seventh blessing, this becomes the eighth blessing. Several verses in succession refer to these very blessings and to the conduct of the Children of Israel in the face of these blessings. Verse 59 refers to the ingratitude and wrongdoing of the Children of Israel in the face of this blessing. They were in that wilderness for forty years and had no right to enter this land; after this bewilderment and wandering, which constituted the punishment and penalty for their deeds, God granted them permission to enter, along with further blessings of which they could partake — abundant and delightful blessings for them to eat from — yet once again they defied the commands of God, Blessed and Exalted.

Question:

Professor: Indeed, this very point was set forth in the preceding verses; at times, this ingratitude and disobedience led to certain restrictions; they would turn to the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, and say: ask your Lord to do such-and-such for us. As in the preceding verse, when they were wandering in that desert, hungry and thirsty, they turned to Moses, peace be upon him, saying: we are perishing from the heat; ask God to deliver us from this heat — after which the matter of shade by means of clouds was introduced. They then complained of hunger and thirst, following which manna and quails were sent down. The same pattern holds with regard to the preceding blessings as well: a blessing would be given to them, followed by an act of disobedience, then deprivation — either following repentance or following their request to Moses, peace be upon him, to intercede with God on their behalf — and that deprivation would then be altered and removed. Yet although God, Blessed and Exalted, repeatedly overlooked their errors and encompassed them within His mercy and forgiveness, they nevertheless fell once again into this same ingratitude and wrongdoing.

Topic of the Next Session

Here we must explain certain terms; one is “town” (qaryah) — what is meant by “town” here. Then, what “hittah” means here — is it a specific word, or is it equivalent to seeking forgiveness? What does “rijz” (punishment) mean? The remaining terms require little explanation. These few words and terms we must, God willing, explain, and then proceed to the various sections contained within these two verses, since each of these verses comprises several parts, which we shall, God willing, explain.