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PART IV
SURAH AAL-E-IMRAN (continued)
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3:92 EXCELLENCE IN VIRTUE - SACRIFICING
3:92 “ You can never achieve excellence in virtue / goodness unless you spend /
sacrifice * (in the Way of Allah) what is dearest to you; and whatever you may
spend from the good things, Allah is All-Aware of it.”
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1. Without giving up the dearest thing, no one can become dear to Allah. This reminds us about the great sacrifice that Prophet Ibrahim made in the Way of Allah by showing his total readiness for sacrificing his son (Ismaeel) on receiving an indication / revelation through his dream.
2. Without developing the spirit of sacrifice, no one can abide by his commitment made with Allah. This Verse particularly points out to the Jews, who declared themselves as the followers of the Millat (nation) of Prophet Ibrahim, but broke all of their commitments with Allah, and totally avoided to make any sacrifice in His Way for the right cause. The Millat of Ibrahim demanded from them that they should believe in the Last Prophet and make sacrifices for the cause of Islam for which a promise was taken from them. (3:81;5:12;7:156,157)
3. The Virtue (Al-Birr) has been defined in Verse 2:177, where after stating the belief in the elements of faith, emphasis has been made on fulfilling commitments, spending on people for their betterment, and sacrificing wealth and lives in the Way of Allah. (See also strict warning in 9:24)
3:93 PERMISSIBILITY AND SUITABILITY OF FOOD:
3:93 “ Every type of (lawful) food was permissible to the Descendants
of Israel except that which Israel [i.e. Prophet Yaqub (Jacob)] made
impermissible for himself (due to its unsuitability for him) before the
revelation of Torah. Say [Holy Prophet
] (to the Jews): ‘ bring (and
recite) the Torah, if you are truthful [in your statement that the camel
meat was unlawful in the Millat of Ibrahim]’. *
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When the Jews failed to confuse the Muslims about their beliefs, they started criticizing their lawful and unlawful food.. They accused them of not following the Millat of Ibrahim because they made the camel meat as lawful. The above Verse 3:93 shuns off their accusation by indicating that it was not unlawful in the Millat of Ibrahim, but for the Jews only, as commanded in the Torah. The camel meat was also lawful to the Jews in the beginning, but was made unlawful to them for punishing them due to their disobedience. The above Verse challenges them to show in the Torah that the camel meat was unlawful in the Millat of Ibrahim. Before the Torah, Prophet Yaqub (Jacob) avoided to take the camel meat due to health reasons. (See Zia-ul-Quran, Tadabbur-e-Quran and Tafheem-ul-Quran under 3:93.)
3:94 “ Thus, whosoever fabricates a lie against Allah after this
(challenge), then they are the people, who are ‘zalimun’
(disbelievers,liars, rebels).”
3:95 MILLAT OF IBRAHIM
3:95 “ Say (Holy Prophet
are the People of the Book, who are making hue and cry just for the
sake of opposition)’. So (don’t care, at all, for them but) follow the Millat
of Ibrahim * ‘Haneefan’ (who strictly believed in the Oneness of Allah
and followed His Commandments with great devotion and sincerity).
And he was not from the polytheists.”
[2:124;4:125;6:161;14:123;22:78]
* [The Millat of Ibrahim is recognized by its Ka’ba (in Mecca) (built by Prophet Ibrahim) and for its Hajj (pilgrimage) etc., as stated in the next Verses.]
