Surah Ali 'Imran, Ayah 75

How Trustworthy Are the Jews

Allah states that there are deceitful people among the Jews. He also warns the faithful against being deceived by them, because some of them,

مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ

(if entrusted with a Qintar (a great amount)) of money,

يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ

(will readily pay it back;) This Ayah indicates that this type would likewise give what is less than a Qintar, as is obvious. However,

وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لاَّ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا

(and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding,) and insisting on acquiring your rightful property. If this is what he would do with one Dinar, then what about what is more than a Dinar We mentioned the meaning of Qintar in the beginning of this Surah, while the value of Dinar is well known. Allah's statement,

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ

(because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs).") means, what made them reject the truth (or what they owed) is that they said, "There is no harm in our religion if we eat up the property of the unlettered ones, the Arabs, for Allah has allowed it for us." Allah replied,

وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

(But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it.) for they invented this lie and word of misguidance. Rather, Allah would not allow this money for them unless they had a right to it.

`Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Sa`sa`ah bin Yazid said that a man asked Ibn `Abbas, "During battle, we capture some property belonging to Ahl Adh-Dhimmah, such as chickens and sheep." Ibn `Abbas said, "What do you do in this case" The man said, "We say that there is no sin (if we confiscate them) in this case." He said, "That is what the People of the Book said,

لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ

(There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs).)

Verily, if they pay the Jizyah, then you are not allowed their property, except when they willingly give it up."

Allah then said,

بَلَى مَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَى

(Yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allah much,) fulfills his promise and fears Allah among you, O People of the Book, regarding the covenant Allah took from you to believe in Muhammad ﷺ when he is sent, just as He took the same covenant from all Prophets and their nations. Whoever avoids Allah's prohibitions, obeys Him and adheres to the Shari`ah that He sent with His Final Messenger and the master of all mankind.

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

(verily, then Allah loves the Muttaqin.)

Sequence

In the previous verses (70-72), breach of faith committed by the people of the Book was mentioned. This included disbelieving in the verses of Allah, confusing the truth with what is false, concealing the truth and conspiring to mislead Muslim believers.

In the verse cited above (75), their breach of trust in matters of property has been mentioned. Since some of them happened to be trustworthy, both types were identified.

Commentary

Praising good qualities in some non-Muslim is correct

In this verse (75), some people have been praised for their trustworthiness. If this 'some' refers to those among the people of the Book who had embraced Islam, praising them poses no problems. But, in case, it does not refer to Muslims particularly and instead, refers to the people of the Book in the absolute sense including non-Muslims as well, then the situation generates the question: When no act of a kafir (disbeliever) is acceptable why praise them?

The answer is that for an action or deed to become acceptable is a different matter and having a word of praise for it is something else. From praising something it does not follow that it is acceptable with Allah. The purpose is to point out that something good, even if it be that of a kafir (disbeliever), is good enough in a certain degree, the benefit of which he receives in the form of good reputation in the mortal world, and of course, in the Hereafter, in the form of a reduction in punishment for his disbelief.

This statement also makes it, clear that Islam does not resort to prejudice and short-sightedness. On the contrary, it shows open-hearted appreciation of the excellence of even its adversary in respect

of his achievements.

It is from this verse: إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا (unless you keep standing over him - 75) that Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) has deduced the ruling that the lender has the right to keep pursuing the borrower until he receives his due. (Qurtubi)

A community into which prophets and reformers have been born and in which religion has held sway for a considerable period of time, is often mistaken in thinking that their ethos and the truth are synonymous (that is, whatever they believe and practise is nothing but the truth). It comes to believe that guidance has something to do with a particular community rather than being a matter of principle, and is unwilling to accept such truth as has been revealed elsewhere. This was the case with the Jews. Under the influence of historical traditions, they began to believe that whoever was one of them was on the right path, and that whoever was not, was misguided. Even today, they tend to forget that truth is something that comes from God and not from an individual or a community. Although they are ostensibly adherents of a divine religion, in reality for them their community is supreme, while God is relegated to a secondary place. This mentality casts such a veil over their eyes that they become unable to see any merit outside their own fraternity. Even in the face of clear signs and arguments, they doubt the veracity of any outsider, and strongly oppose any call of truth which comes from without. In obedience to their false standards, they try to stifle such a call. They would not hesitate to adopt unjust methods to curb the activities of the preacher. They would even resort to spreading false propaganda to cast doubt upon his veracity. Going against God’s commandments, they adopt two separate criteria of behaviour, one for the members of their own community and another for outsiders.