Al-Qasas, (The Story)

Mecca Period 49

28:52) As for those unto whom We have vouchsafed revelation aforetime - they [are bound to] believe in this one [as well]; 52

(28:53) and whenever it is [clearly] conveyed unto them, they [are bound to] profess, "We have come to believe in it, for, behold, it is the truth from our Sustainer - and, verily, even before this have we surrendered ourselves unto Him!"

28:54 These it is that shall receive a twofold reward for having been patient in adversity, and having repelled evil with good, 55 and having spent on others out of what We provided for them as sustenance,

(28:55) and, whenever they heard frivolous talk, 54 having turned away from it and said: "Unto us shall be accounted our deeds, and unto you, your deeds Peace be upon you - [but] we do not seek out such as are ignorant [of the meaning of right and wrong]."

[[Asad’s notes:

49 I.e., the Torah and the Qur'an. The Gospel is not mentioned in this context because, as Jesus himself had stressed, his message was based on the Law of Moses, and was not meant to displace the latter.

50 Lit., "if they do not respond to thee", implying that they are unable to accept the above challenge.

51 Lit., "We have caused this word to reach them gradually" : this meaning is implied in the verbal form wassalna; which - like the grammatically identical form nazzalna - points to the gradual, step-by-step revelation of the Qur'an during the twenty-three years of Muhammad's prophetic ministry. 52 This is both a statement of historical fact - alluding to conversions of Jews and Christians in Muhammad's lifetime - and a prophecy. It must, however, be understood that, in the above context, God's "vouchsafing" revelation implies a conscious, sincere acceptance of its teachings by those to whom it has been conveyed: for it is this sincerity that has enabled them - or will enable them to realize that the Qur'an preaches the same ethical truths as those forthcoming from earlier revelations. (Cf. 26:196-197 and the corresponding notes 83-85.)

53 See note 44 on the identical phrase in 13:22. In the present context, the reference to "patience in adversity" and "repelling evil with good" evidently relates to the loss of erstwhile communal links, social ostracism, and all manner of physical or moral persecution which is so often the lot of persons who accept religious tenets different from those of their own community.

54 This obviously refers to attempts, based on prejudice, at deriding the spiritual re-orientation of the person concerned.

55 Or: "God guides whomever He wills" - either of these two renderings being syntactically correct. According to several extremely well-authenticated Traditions, the above verse relates to the Prophet's inability to induce his dying uncle Abu Talib, whom he loved dearly and who had loved and protected him throughout his life, to renounce the pagan beliefs of his ancestors and to profess faith in God's oneness. Influenced by Abu Jahl and other Meccan chieftains, Abu Talib died professing, in

his own words, "the creed of Abd al-Muttalib" (Bukhari) or, according to another version (quoted by Tabari), "the creed of my ancestors (al-ashyakh)" . However, the Qur'anic statement "thou canst not guide aright everyone whom thou lovest" has undoubtedly a timeless import as well: it stresses the inadequacy of all human endeavours to "convert" any other person, however loving and loved, to one's own beliefs, or to prevent him from falling into what one regards as error, unless that

person wills to be so guided. ]]