5. Surah Al-Ma'idah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّا
أَنزَلْنَا
التَّوْرَاةَ
فِيهَا هُدًى
وَنُورٌ...
5: 44. It was We who revealed the Law (to Moses);
therein was guidance and light.
C750. Guidance, with reference to conduct,
light, with reference to insight into the higher realms of the spirit.
... يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالأَحْبَارُ...
By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the Prophet who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah's Will, by the Rabbis and the doctors of Law:
C751. Rabbaniyyun may, I think, be rightly translated by the Jewish title of Rabbi for their learned men. Jewish learning is identified with Rabbinical literature.
Ahbar is the plural of hibr or habr, by which we may understand Jewish Doctors of Law.
Later the term was applied to those of other religions.
Query:
Is this word connected with the same root as "Hebrew", or "Eber" (Gen. 10:21), the ancestor of the Hebrew race?
This seems negatived by the fact that the Arabic root connected with the word "Hebrew" is 'Abar, not Habar.
... بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَابِ اللّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاء ...
for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto:
C752. They were living witnesses to the truth of Scripture, and could testify that they had made it known to the people:
... فَلاَ تَخْشَوُاْ النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً ...
therefore fear not men, but fear Me, and sell not My Signs for a miserable price.
C753. Two charges are made, against the Jews:
1. that even the books which they had, they twisted in meaning, to suit their own purposes, because they feared men rather than Allah:
2. that what they had was but fragments of the original Law given to Moses, mixed up with a lot of semi-historical and legendary matter, and some fine poetry.
The Tawrah mentioned in the Quran is not the Old Testament as we have it: nor is it even the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament, containing the Law embedded in a great deal of semi-historical and legendary narrative).
See Appendix II, on the Tawrah (printed at the end of this Surah).
... وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers.
Other versions:
5: 44
Yusuf Ali It was We who revealed the law (to Moses); therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews by the Prophet who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah's will by the Rabbis and the doctors of Law: for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not men but fear Me and sell not My Signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed they are (no better than) unbelievers.
Pickthall Lo! We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light, by which the Prophets who surrendered (unto Allah) judged the Jews, and the rabbis and the priests (judged) by such of Allah's Scripture as they were bidden to observe, and thereunto were they witnesses. So fear not mankind, but fear Me. And barter not My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are disbelievers.
Transliteration Inna_ anzalnat taura_ta fiha_ hudaw wa nu_r(un), yahkumu bihan nabiyyunal lazina aslamu_ lillazina ha_du_ war rabba_niyyu_na wal ahba_ru bimastuhfizu_ min kita_billa_hi wa ka_nu_ 'alaihi syuhada_'(a), fala_ takhsyaun na_sa wakhsyauni wa la_ tasytaru_ bi a_ya_ti samanan qalila_(n), wa mal lam yahkum bima_ anzalalla_hu fa ula_'ika humul ka_firu_n(a).