[[ Asad’s note to 57:27- 47 The term rahbaniyyah combines the concepts of monastic life with an exaggerated asceticism, often amounting to a denial of any value in the life of this world - an attitude characteristic of early Christianity but disapproved of in Islam (cf 2:143 - " We have willed you to be a community of the middle way" - and the corresponding note 118). ]]
2:143
And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way," 118 so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you."' And it is only to the end that We might make a clear distinction between those who follow the Apostle and those who turn about on their heels that We have appointed [for this community] the direction of prayer which thou [O Prophet] hast formerly observed: for this was indeed a hard test for all but those whom God has guided aright. 120 But God will surely not lose sight of your faith - for, behold, God is most compassionate towards man, a dispenser of grace.
[[Asad’s note - 118 Lit., "middlemost community" - i.e., a community that keeps an equitable balance between extremes and is realistic in its appreciation of man's nature and possibilities, rejecting both licentiousness and exaggerated asceticism. In tune with its oft-repeated call to moderation in every aspect of life, the Qur'an exhorts the believers not to place too great an emphasis on the physical and material aspects of their lives, but postulates, at the same time, that man's urges and desires relating to this "life of the flesh" are God-willed and, therefore, legitimate. On further analysis, the expression "a community of the middle way" might be said to summarize, as it were, the Islamic attitude towards the problem of man's existence as such: a denial of the view that there is an inherent conflict between the spirit and the flesh, and a bold affirmation of the natural, God- willed unity in this twofold aspect of human life. This balanced attitude, peculiar to Islam, flows directly from the concept of God's oneness and, hence, of the unity of purpose underlying all His creation: and thus, the mention of the "community of the middle way" at this place is a fitting introduction to the theme of the Ka
Sura-57 [Al Hadid madina 94]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:
ثُمَّ
قَفَّيْنَا
عَلَى آثَارِهِم
بِرُسُلِنَا
وَقَفَّيْنَا
بِعِيسَى ابْنِ
مَرْيَمَ وَآتَيْنَاهُ
الْإِنجِيلَ...
57:27. Then, in their wake, We followed them up with (others of) Our messengers: We sent after them Jesus the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel;
...وَجَعَلْنَا فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ رَأْفَةً وَرَحْمَةً...
and We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him Compassion and Mercy.
C5320. The chief characteristic of the teaching in the Gospels is humility and other- worldliness.
The first blessings in the Sermon on the Mount are on "the poor in spirit", "they that mourn", and they that are "meek" (Matt. 5:3-5).
Christ's disciples were enjoined to "take no thought for the morrow", and told "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (Matt. 6:34).
They were also commanded "that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:39).
These are fragmentary presentments of an imperfect philosophy as seen through monastic eyes. In so far as they represent pity, sympathy with suffering, and deeds of mercy, they represent the spirit of Christ.
...وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ ...
But the monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them:
C5321. But Allah's Kingdom requires also courage, resistance to evil, the firmness, law, and discipline which will enforce justice among men. It requires men to mingle with men, so that they can uphold the. standard of Truth, against odds if necessary. These were lost sight of in Monasticism, which was not prescribed by Allah.
... إِلَّا ابْتِغَاء رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ...
(We commanded) only the seeking for the Good pleasure of Allah;
...فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَا...
but that they did not foster as they should have done.
C5322. Allah certainly requires that men shall renounce the idle pleasures of this world, and turn to the Path which leads to Allah's Good Pleasure. But that does not mean gloomy fives, ("they that mourn"), nor perpetual and formal prayers in isolation. Allah's service is done through pure lives in the turmoil of this world. This spirit was lost, or at least not fostered by monastic institutions. On the contrary a great part of the "struggle and striving" for noble lives was suppressed.
...فَآتَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ ...
Yet We bestowed, on those among them who believed, their (due) reward,
C5323. Many of them lost true Faith, or had their Faith corrupted by superstitions. But those who continued firm in Faith saw the natural development of Religion in Islam. Their previous belief was not a disadvantage to them, but helped them, because they kept it free from false and selfish prejudices. These are the ones who are further addressed at the beginning of verse 28 below.
... وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾
but many of them are rebellious transgressors.
C5324. The corruptions in the Christian Church, the hair-splitting disputes, and mutual strife and hatred of sects had become a scandal by the time that the light of Islam came into the world. The pages of Gibbon's great History bear witness. Not only had the religion become void of grace, but the lives of the people, priests and laity, had fallen into great depths of degradation.
See remarks in my Appendix V, and the general picture in Kingsley's Hypatia.
Asad version
57:27 And thereupon We caused [other of] Our apostles to follow in their footsteps; and [in the course of time] We caused them to be followed by Jesus, the son of Mary, upon whom We bestowed the Gospel;" and in the hearts of those who [truly] followed him We engendered compassion and mercy. But as for monastic asceticism" - We did not enjoin it upon them: they invented it themselves out of a desire for God's goodly acceptance. 48 But then, they did not [always] observe it as it ought to have been observed: 49 and so We granted their recompense unto such of them as had [truly] attained to faith, whereas many of them became iniquitous. 50
[[Asad’s notes -
48 Or: "they invented it themselves, [for] We did not enjoin it upon them: [We enjoined upon them] only the seeking of God's goodly acceptance". Both these interpretations are equally legitimate, and are accepted as such by most of the classical commentators. The rendering adopted by me corresponds to the interpretation given by Sa'id ibn Jubayr and Qatadah (both of them cited by Tabari and Ibn Kathir).
49 I.e., not all of them observed it in the right spirit (Tabari, Zamakhshari, Iba Kathir), inasmuch as in the course of time many of them - or, rather, many of those who came after the early ascetics (Tabari) - corrupted their devotions by accepting the ideas of Trinity and of God's incarnation in Jesus, and by lapsing into empty formalism (Razi).
50 Sc., "and were deprived of Our grace". ]]