Session Thirty-Five, Verse 60, The Five Parts of the Verse, Part Five

Session Thirty-Five

Verse 60 – The Five Parts of the Verse – Part Five: “And Do Not Commit Corruption Upon the Earth, Spreading Mischief” – Point Three

May 11, 2025

Point Three

Since we are now nearing the end of the current academic year, and entering into a discussion of verse 61 would leave that discussion incomplete for the remainder of this year, we shall set forth one further point concerning verse 60, and shall, God willing, begin the continuation of our discussion, relating to verse 61, at the start of the next academic year; this, then, is the final session of our exegesis course for the current academic year. We have noted that verse 60 comprises five parts; the fifth part was: “and do not commit corruption upon the earth, spreading mischief” («وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ»). Two points have been set forth regarding this part.

The third point is this: the prohibition against transgression and corruption upon the earth, addressed to the Children of Israel, is, in the main, directed at the disagreement, conflict, and strife that arose among this people even after knowledge and awareness had been attained; this was one of the characteristics of this people, indicative of their obstinacy and contentiousness. This is a very important point; God Almighty, after granting all these blessings (the verse here referring to water, with all the particular details it carries), states: “Eat and drink from the provision of God, and do not commit corruption upon the earth, spreading mischief” («كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا مِنْ رِزْقِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ») — eat and drink from God’s provision, and do not engage in corruption and transgression. Prior to this, too, reference had been made to disagreement and conflict; here too, the verse issues a general prohibition against transgression and corruption upon the earth, particularly conflict over water and food. It is true that we have given preference to this possibility, yet the possibility that this constitutes a general prohibition, forbidding transgression and corruption upon the earth in every form, is likewise not to be ruled out. Of the three possibilities we cited in the previous session, two possibilities are, in the end, acceptable here; although the second possibility appears stronger, given the indication provided by the context (siyaq) of the verse.

In any case, although this prohibition forbids, in a general sense, every form of transgression and corruption upon the earth, what is certain is that it refers to these very disagreements, conflicts, and clashes that arose among them even after the truth had become manifest and known to them. This, too, traces back to the prior history of the Children of Israel. Of course, since, in a certain sense, the Jews of the time of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, are also addressed here, and reference is made to them as well, the verse, in fact, forbids them most strongly from this kind of disagreement — that is, disagreement arising after clear proof and the clarification of the truth, and after attaining awareness — for disagreement occurring after knowledge can be understood in no other way than as obstinacy and rancorous contentiousness.

Reprehensible and Praiseworthy Disagreement

In certain verses of the Qur’an, reference is made to the disagreements and conflicts of the Children of Israel, which arose among them even after knowledge and awareness had been attained. Among these is verse 93 of Surat Yunus: “And We did certainly settle the Children of Israel in a worthy settlement and provided them with good things; and they did not differ until knowledge came to them” («وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا حَتَّى جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ»). The verse states: We settled them in a worthy settlement (referring to this very Jerusalem) and provided their sustenance from good things; yet they fell into disagreement and conflict. They did not disagree with one another except after they had come to benefit from knowledge and awareness. This is disagreement occurring after knowledge and awareness, which is highly reprehensible.

At times, disagreement serves the purpose of discovering the truth — that is, knowledge and awareness do not yet exist, and this gives rise to disagreement and conflict. Disagreement prior to knowledge and awareness is not, in itself, a reprehensible matter; this kind of disagreement, however, prior to knowledge and awareness, occurs within two distinct groups:

1. At times, this disagreement arises among people of reflection, those possessing opinion and thought — that is, those who possess the requisite competence; at times, this disagreement arises among those who are not people of thought and reflection — that is, those who fundamentally lack the standing to enter into these disputes and disagreements. Suppose a particular and important matter relating to one of the scholarly, doctrinal, or religious sciences, or relating to this world, nature, the heavens, and the galaxies; at times, disagreement arises among the specialists of a given field and its experts, and this, too, is on account of the matter being unknown and the truth of the affair not yet being apparent.
2. At times, this disagreement arises among those who fundamentally have no expertise whatsoever in that field or science; this kind of disagreement is reprehensible, for they have no standing at all to enter into this domain in order to engage in disagreement with one another. Disagreement that is praiseworthy and commendable is that which occurs among people of reflection, for the purpose of discovering the truth. The Children of Israel were neither of these two kinds; a third type of disagreement existed among them — disagreement occurring after knowledge and awareness, after the signs had become manifest and clear — and this is highly reprehensible; it can be understood in no other way than as obstinacy and contentiousness.

In verse 213 of Surat al-Baqarah, it states: “And none differed over it except those who were given it, after clear proofs had come to them, out of injustice among themselves” («وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ») — none differed over it except those who, after clear proofs had come to them, did so out of transgression, wrongdoing, and injustice toward one another. This disagreement is a highly reprehensible and condemnable disagreement. How can it be that human beings, after the clear signs of the truth have become manifest, should fall into disagreement over it? This is, in fact, a defining characteristic of the Children of Israel; numerous verses in the Qur’an address this very point — that the Children of Israel, although they had come to perceive a given matter, nevertheless began to engage in disagreement, conflict, and dispute.

When God states, “and do not commit corruption upon the earth, spreading mischief,” this, in fact, refers to precisely this matter; the verse says: now that everything has become clear to you — the blessing, the grace, and the miracle — do not, even now, fall into conflict and disagreement. This same meaning is referred to in certain other verses as well; among them, verse 81 of Surat Ta-Ha: “Eat of the good things We have provided for you, but do not transgress therein” («كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَلَا تَطْغَوْا فِيهِ») — eat of the good things which We have granted you, but do not transgress with regard to them. The verse continues: “lest My anger descend upon you; and whoever My anger descends upon has certainly fallen” («فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبِي وَمَنْ يَحْلِلْ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدْ هَوَى») — whoever transgresses becomes subject to divine wrath. Likewise, verses 16 and 17 of Surat al-Jathiyah state: “And We did certainly give the Children of Israel the Scripture and judgment and prophethood, and provided them with good things, and preferred them above the worlds” («وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ») — observe how it enumerates these blessings one by one; “And We gave them clear proofs of the matter, and they did not differ except after knowledge had come to them, out of jealous animosity among themselves; indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ” («وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ بَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ»). This, in fact, clearly and plainly points to the fact that God granted the Children of Israel the Scripture, judgment, and prophethood — the means of legislative guidance — sustenance from good things, and, more importantly, preferred them above all the worlds; yet, despite all this, and after the coming of clear proofs, they began to engage in disagreement, conflict, dispute, and denial, as though nothing had occurred and nothing had taken place.

With these explanations now set forth, the explanation and exegesis of verse 60 of Surat al-Baqarah is now complete; as I have noted, since time does not permit, and one of the upcoming sessions also coincides with the martyrdom anniversary of one of the Imams, peace be upon them, we shall, for now, temporarily suspend this discussion, so that, God willing, should we be granted life and success, we shall continue it at the beginning of the next academic year.