Session Twenty, Verses 58 and 59, Differences Between Verse 58 and Verse 161 of Surat al-A’raf

Session Twenty

Verses 58 and 59 – Differences Between Verse 58 and Verse 161 of Surat al-A’raf – The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Differences – The Two Parts of Verse 59 – Part One – Point One – Three Possibilities Regarding “Baddala” – First Possibility – Second Possibility

January 9, 2025

Summary of the Previous Session

One point remains from verse 58, which we shall now set forth, after which, God willing, we shall move on to a discussion of verse 59. We had been discussing the differences between this verse and its counterpart in Surat al-A’raf; we noted four differences and the basis for each. Verse 58 of Surat al-Baqarah reads: “And [recall] when We said: Enter this town, and eat freely therein wherever you wish; and enter through the gate prostrating, and say, ‘Hittah‘; 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»). In Surat al-A’raf, verse 161, the verse reads: “And [recall] when it was said to them: Dwell in this town, and eat freely therein wherever you wish, and say, ‘Hittah,’ and enter through the gate prostrating; We will forgive you your sins; We shall surely grant increase to those who do good” («وَإِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْكُنُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ وَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِيئَاتِكُمْ سَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ»). As the apparent text of these two verses shows, certain minor differences may be observed between them; we noted four such differences in the previous session.

The Fifth Difference

The fifth difference is that, in Surat al-Baqarah, the word “raghadan” is mentioned, whereas in Surat al-A’raf it is omitted. Why has “raghadan” been omitted in Surat al-A’raf?

The response given by some exegetes is that, in Surat al-Baqarah, God, Blessed and Exalted, attributes the verb to Himself, whereas in Surat al-A’raf, the verb is not attributed to God. Because of this, the word “raghadan” (meaning abundant and plentiful) is mentioned in Surat al-Baqarah, but this word does not appear in Surat al-A’raf. This is similar to the response we gave regarding the fourth difference; there, we noted that verse 58 of Surat al-Baqarah states “so that We may forgive you your sins” («نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ»), whereas Surat al-A’raf states “We will forgive you your sins” («نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِيئَاتِكُمْ»). There, we discussed the difference between “khati’at” and “khataya,” and the basis for this difference; the very same points may be cited here as well.

The Sixth Difference

The sixth difference lies in the reordering of two elements of this verse; in Surat al-Baqarah it states: “and enter through the gate prostrating, and say, ‘Hittah‘” («وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ»), whereas in Surat al-A’raf it states: “and say, ‘Hittah,’ and enter through the gate prostrating” («وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا»); here, the command to enter is given first, followed by the utterance of “hittah,” but in Surat al-A’raf the order is reversed. What is the reason for this reordering in Surat al-A’raf?

It has been said here that, given that the Children of Israel comprised two groups — one group consisting of sinners, and the other of non-sinners — the obligation incumbent upon the sinners and the non-sinners differs accordingly. Sinners must seek forgiveness and repent before engaging in worship, so that their sins might be removed, and only then engage in worship; it is, of course, also evident that repentance must precede sin’s removal. Hence, “and say, ‘Hittah,’ and enter through the gate prostrating” has been stated with this group in view: first repentance (we have already explained the meaning of “hittah“), and then entry through the gate in a state of prostration — that is, first repentance, and then worship. But those who were not reckoned as sinners — since a small number among the Children of Israel were not afflicted with sin and transgression — could engage in worship first; hence, for them, there is no difficulty in worship preceding repentance. Indeed, the very fact that repentance remains possible for them, and that even those given to worship may also repent, is a matter that is not only free of any difficulty but is, in fact, commendable.

In light of this point — that one group had to repent first and then worship, while the second group could worship first and repent afterward — in Surat al-A’raf, where it states “and say, ‘Hittah,’ and enter through the gate prostrating,” this relates to the group of sinners — that is, those who were sinful. They, naturally, had to seek forgiveness first and only then become people of worship. But in Surat al-Baqarah, it states “and enter through the gate prostrating, and say, ‘Hittah‘” — here, the addressee is presumed to be the group of non-sinners. Hence, it is as though the ruling for one group has been given in Surat al-Baqarah, while the ruling for the other group has been set forth in Surat al-A’raf.

The Seventh Difference

The final difference between these two verses occurs at the end of the verse; in Surat al-Baqarah it states: “and We shall surely grant increase” («وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ»), with the conjunction “wa” (“and”), whereas in Surat al-A’raf it states, without the “wa“: “We shall surely grant increase to those who do good” («سَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ»). Why has it been mentioned with “wa” in one place and without “wa” in the other?

This, in fact, returns to a literary point; in Surat al-A’raf it states “and say, ‘Hittah,’ and enter through the gate prostrating” — that is, first a reference to repentance, and then entry in a state of prostration, referring to worship. For these two commands, two corresponding consequences (jaza’) are likewise mentioned: one, “We will forgive you your sins,” and the other, “We shall surely grant increase to those who do good.” That is, it is as though “We will forgive you your sins” corresponds to “and say, ‘Hittah‘”; and “We shall surely grant increase to those who do good” corresponds to “and enter through the gate prostrating” — that is, two commands and two corresponding consequences. Each of these stands opposite the other. But in Surat al-Baqarah it states: “and enter through the gate prostrating, and say, ‘Hittah‘; so that We may forgive you your sins, and We shall surely grant increase to those who do good” — here, the combination of forgiveness and increase for those who do good stands, as a combined whole, opposite the combined whole of “and say, ‘Hittah‘; so that We may forgive you your sins.” Since this combined whole stands opposite that combined whole, the word “wa” is used here.

Hence, the reason that, in Surat al-Baqarah, the verse is given with “wa,” while in Surat al-A’raf it is given without “wa,” is that there, two consequences stand opposite two commands, whereas here, a combined whole stands opposite a combined whole.

These differences we have noted, of course, relate to verse 161 of Surat al-A’raf and verse 58 of Surat al-Baqarah; further on, between verse 162 of Surat al-A’raf and verse 59 of Surat al-Baqarah, there exist further similarities and differences as well. After the exposition and exegesis of verse 59, the similarities between these two verses will become clear; we shall likewise address the differences between these two verses later on.

This, then, is roughly the sum of the points we have set forth regarding verse 58.

The Two Parts of Verse 59

As for verse 59: “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»). This verse comprises two parts, and each part contains several points.

Part One: “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»). We must address at least three points regarding this part.

Part Two: “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»). This second part likewise contains four points.

That is, in verse 59 altogether, we must address seven points.

Part One

The meaning of this first part is clear; in verse 58, the discussion concerned God’s commands to the Children of Israel; after those preliminaries — the command to enter this town, the command to make use of the abundant blessings present there, and the manner of entering it, regarding which several possibilities were noted — verse 59 refers to the reaction of the Children of Israel in the face of these commands. Suppose that a directive comprising several commands has been issued by God, yet, in response, they opposed these commands. This opposition, moreover, was not directed against all of these commands; the first command, namely the command to enter the town, was obeyed. For compliance with that command involved no difficulty or hardship; they entered the town, particularly given that the obstacles and dangers that had threatened them had now been removed; there was no longer any danger or difficulty involved in entering this town (whether Jericho or Jerusalem). “And eat freely therein wherever you wish” — the second command — was likewise not obligatory, but was, in any case, a license to make use of the abundant blessings of that region; there was no reason for them to oppose this command; they were eager to make use of the foodstuffs and all the blessings of that place. But the command in which they could display their own obstinacy and contentiousness was the command to enter the gate prostrating and to say “hittah“; those first two commands were to their benefit and accorded with their own desires, and involved no hardship — hence there was no reason for obstinacy or contentiousness regarding them; obstinacy and contentiousness are usually displayed in matters that offer no benefit to the person themselves. Hence the verse states: “But those who did wrong substituted a saying other than that which had been said to them” — the first thing they did was to substitute the statement that had been told to them; they substituted this statement with another.

Point One: The Meaning of “Baddala”

The first point to be addressed here, following the general explanation, is “baddala” — what it means. Three possibilities may be cited here.

First Possibility

The first possibility is that this is a verbal substitution — that is, opposition with regard to the very word that God had commanded. We have already touched upon this in our discussion of the first part of verse 58.

Thus, one possibility is that they substituted that statement; for instance, instead of saying “hittah,” they said “hintah” (wheat) — whereas they were supposed to utter the very word itself. We have already explained what “hittah” means — whether it is an Arabic or a Hebrew word, and what was intended by it. For instance, they were supposed to say “hittatun,” but instead they said “hintah.” The Children of Israel were truly a remarkable people — that is, they took this very word “hittah” and turned it into wordplay, saying something else entirely. This was a verbal substitution.

Second Possibility

The other possibility is that this substitution was a practical one — that is, practical opposition. If what is meant is practical opposition, this means that they were supposed to seek forgiveness but did not seek forgiveness; they were supposed to repent but did not repent; they were supposed to enter that town in a state of humility and reverence, but instead held their heads high and entered the town with necks outstretched. This is a practical opposition. Verbal opposition means that, instead of saying “hittah,” they said “hintah” — they altered the word itself. Now, as to what exactly it was that they substituted in place of “hintah,” the exegetes themselves have here recorded several views. These are based on certain narrations, which we shall address later.

Topic of the Next Session

There exists a further possibility regarding “baddala.” As to which possibility carries the greater weight, we shall, God willing, pursue this in the coming session.