An Exegesis of Sura 98

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An Exegesis of Sura Ninety-Eight

Author(s): Yvonne Yazbeck HaddadSource: Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 97, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec., 1977), pp. 519530Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/598634

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AN EXEGESIS OF SURA NINETY-EIGHTYVONNE YAZBE(K HADDAD

HARTFORD SEMINARY FOUNDATION

The themes of Sura Ninety Eight in themselves contain little that had not been heardbefore by the companions of the Prophet. Dating from the Medinan period it seems tohave served as a kind of summary statement of earlier teachings. It contains an indictmentof Medinan Jews and Christians who rejected the bayyina of the Prophet, the clear evidenceon the basis of which man chooses obedience or rejection of God. The consequence ofsuch rejection, for the People of the Book as for the kuffdr, is a forfeiting of reward inthe hereafter and banishment to eternal fire.A. SURA 98 - TRANSLATION

Al-Bayyina: The Clear EvidenceIn the name of God, the compassionate, themerciful.1. Those who disbelieved1 of the People of theBook and the Polytheists2 did not disengage3

1 kafarl. This word is very widely used in the Qur'an.Its meaning seems to be to cover or conceal. It is usedas an opposite of belief, imdn. Kafara in relation tothe Creator means denial of Him. Kafara in terms ofthe grace of God means the renunciation of God's grace.See Muhammad Isma'il IbrShim, Qmuiis al-alfdz wal-a'ldm al-qur'dniyya (Cairo: 1961) p. 328. c.f. al-Husaynb. Muhammad al-Isbahani, al-muifraddt fi Gharib al-Qur'dn, (Cairo: 1970) p. 653 who explains kafara al-ni'maas concealing grace by abandoning the act of gratitudefor it. See S. 2:152. For a discussion of a possible deriva-tion from Hebrew or Syriac, see Arthur Jeffery, ForeignVocabulary of the Qur'dn (Baroda: 1938) p. 250. Thuskafarii is the act of those who show no gratitude to God.2 mushrikun. From the word shirk, assigning partnersto God, this term is usually associated with Muhammad'senemies who did not share his belief in monotheism. SeeJeffery, Foreign Vocabulary, p. 185. Cf. al-Isbahnim,al-Mufraddt, p. 381 where he distinguishes between twokinds of shirk, the great shirk, that of ascribing a partnerto God which is unforgivable (S. 4:48, 116) and the lessershirk, which is considering others with Him in somematters. (S. 7:190).3 munfakkina. This word appears in this form onlyin this verse of the Qur'an. It denotes separation aftera strong union and is used mostly in the negative form.Tusi, Tafsir al-tibydn (Najaf: 1963) p. 388, cf. Zamakhsha-ri, al-Kashshdf 'an .Haqa'iq al-tanzil (Cairo: 1966) vol.iv, p. 274 who compares it to separation of bone from

muscle. It has been given many explanations and inter-pretations because of its unique usage and vaguenessas it does not indicate what it is that they did not disen-gage from. One synonym given to it is (a) zd'ilina whichis explained as God blinded them to him. See Bukhari,Sahih (Cairo: 1305h.) vol. vii, p. 429; cf. M.al -Masri,Tafsir Gharib al-Qtr'dn (Cairo: 1934) p. 122 where heexplains it as their refusal to desist from that in whichthey were engaged. Another synonym offered is (b)tdrikina which then means that they did not let go oftheir religion as they were waiting for the PromisedProphet. See Zamakhshari, al-Kashshdf, p. 274. (c) Athird synonym is bdrihina, that they were not to leaveor depart this world before they received the evidence.And, finally, (d) hdlikina, that they were not persecutedor doomed to perdition except after the proof was estab-lished for them, with the sending of messengers and therevelation of books. See Qurtubi, al-Jdmi' li'ahkam al-Qur'tn (Cairo: 1967) p. 141.The ambiguity of the term has also given rise to severalattempts at an adequate translation. George Sale, TheKoran with Notes (Philadelphia: 1850) p. 495 translatesit as stagger. He also adds in the footnote that they"did not waver in their religion, or in their promises tofollow the truth, when an apostle should come to them."N. J. Dawood, The Koran (Penguin Books: 1956) p. 29translates it as "did not desist from their unbelief untilthe proof was given to them." Other translations readit as "Would never leave off", A. J. Arberry, The KoranInterpreted, (New York: 1955) p. 346; "Were not goingto be cast off", W. M. Watt, Companion to the Qur'an(London: 1967) p. 670; "Were not going to depart (fromtheir ways)", Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, (New York:1946) p. 1767; and "Could not have left off (erring) tillthe clear proof came to them," SI. M. Pickthall, TheMeaning of the Glorious Koran (Mentor: 1963) p. 446.

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Journal of the American Oriental Society 97.4 (1977)until the clear evidence4 came to them:

2. An Apostle5 from God reciting6 purified pages,73. Wherein are immutable books.8

4 bayyina. "The evident proof whether rational orconceived by the senses." Isbahani, Mufradat, p. 89-90. W. A. Bijlefeld in an unpublished lecture on Feb-ruary 7, 1972 distinguishes between ayat and bayyinat."Ayat whenever it appears usually means signs of God,whereas bayyindt is usually used with rasiul as a proofof his apostleship."It has been translated as "clear, evident" meaning,"Manifest proof" by R. Bruschvig in EIII Vol. I pp. 1150-1151; as, "Manifest sign" by E. H. Palmer, The Koran(Oxford: 1900) p. 338; as "proof" by Dawood, TheKoran, p. 29; as "clear proof": by Pickthall, The Glorious,p. 446; as "clear sign" by Arberry, Koran, p. 346, as"evidence" by Bell, Qur'an, p. 670; as "clear evidence"by Y. Ali, Qur'an p. 1767 and as the "clear sign" byWatt, Companion, p. 318.5 rasilun. "The messenger, the one that is sent."Isbahani, Mufradat, p. 248; cf. IbrShim, Qdmus, p. 144who adds that it is one sent with a message. The mes-senger can also be the message as in S. 26:16.For an excellent treatise on the rasuil as the apostle,see Bijlefeld, "A Prophet and more than a Prophet "TheMuslim World", LIX, 1969 p. 12ff.6 yatli. Translated inaccurately by Sale, Koran, p. 495as "rehearsing", yatli implies the reading of a message.7 suhufan mutahhara. The word suhuf, meaning sheets,"occurs several times in the Qur'Sn, usually in connectionwith the revelation . . . however, it probably refers tothe record of man's deeds. The word is South Arabian,but occurs in Arabic poetry before Muhammad's time."Bell, Introduction to the Qur'an (Edinburgh: 1939) p. 16;cf. Jeffery, Foreign, pp. 192-194. A study of the wordssuhuf in the Qur'an shows no justification for presumingthe probability that it refers to the record of man'sdeed. Rather, suhuf appears to refer to a revelationthat comes with an apostle as the proof of his apostleship.This passage has been translated as "pure books ofrevelation" by Sale, Koran, p. 495; as "pure pages"by Palmer, Koran, p. 338; as "sanctified pages" byDawood, Koran, p. 29; as "pages purified" Arberry,Koran, p. 346; as "sheets kept pure" by Bell, Companion,p. 670; and as "rehearsing scriptures kept pure and holy"by Y. Ali, Qur'an, p. 1767.8 qayyima. "True, abiding." This form of the wordappears only in S. 98; it is used there twice, once de-scribing books, and the other qualifying din.For Tuisi, Tafsir, p. 398 it means "consistent on theside of truth;" cf. al-Masri, M., Tafsir Gharibp. 122 where

4. Nor did those who received the Book separateuntil they received the clear evidence.5. And they were not enjoined but to worshipGod, faithful to him in religion,9 hanifs,l1 prac-

he explains it as straight (or orthodox) expressing truth.Y. Ali, Qur'an, in footnote p. 1767 says, "straight as op-posed to crooked; standard as opposed to irregular; def-inite and permanent, as opposed to casual or temporary."It is related to the word qd'im or qayyum, used indescribing God as self-subsistent.It has been translated as "right discourses," Sale,Koran, p. 495; as "right scriptures" by Palmer, Koran,p. 338; as "right books" by Muhammad Ali, The HolyQur'dn (Lahore: 1951) p. 1196; as "abiding scripture"by Dawood, Koran, p. 29; as "correct scriptures" byPickthall, The Glorious, p. 446; as "true books" byArberry, Companion, p. 346; as "book true" by Bell,Qur'an, p. 670; and as "laws (or decrees) right andstraight" by Y. Ali, Qur'an, p. 1767.9 din. Widely used in the Qur'an, this term seems tohave several connotations: (a) as judgement similar toHebrew and Syriac usages, (b) as custom or usage as inpre-Islamic meaning, and (c) as religion, a corollary ofPresian usage. It implies the "obligations which Godimposes on his reasoning creatures." See EIII; cf. Jeffery,Foreign, pp. 131-132. See also Yvonne Haddad, "TheConception of the Term Din in the Qur'an," The MuslimWorld, LXIV, Nov. 2, 1974.10 hanif. Translated as "orthodox" by Sale, Koran,p. 495; as "men by nature upright" by Pickthall, TheGlorious, p. 446; as "men of pure faith" by Arberry,Koran, p. 346; and as "being true (in faith)" by Y. Ali,Qur'an, p. 1768.This word appears twelve times in the Qur'dn, ten inthe singular and twice in the plural form as hunafd'.There are several studies in English on this word, in-cluding Jeffery, Foreign, pp. 112-115; Bell, The Originof Islam in its Christian Environment (London: 1926) alsoby the same author, an article "Who were the Hanifs?"MW, xx (1930), 120-124; Faris and Glidden, "The De-velopment of the Meaning of Koranic Hanif," The Journalof the Palestine Oriental Society, xix (1939), 1-13; Lyall,C., "The Words 'Hanif' and 'Muslim"' JRAS, 1903,pp. 771-784; Margoliouth, D. S., "On the Origin andImport of the Names Muslim and Hanif" JRAS, 1903,pp. 467-493.The Arab exegetes explain it as referring to "him whoveers towards the truth," see Tfsi, Tafsir, p. 389; alsoas "he who avoids error and false doctrine," see Ibrahim,Qamus, p. 92, cf. Isbahani, Mufradat, p. 190 and al-Masri, Gharib, p. 122, and Baydawi, Tafsir, p. 614.Qurtubi, al-Jami' li-ahkdm al-qur'dn, (Cairo: 1967) p. 145

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HADDAD: An Exegesis of Sura Ninety-Eightticing prayer and giving alms for that is theimmutable religion.u6. Those who disbelieved of the People of theBook and the Polytheists are in the fire ofHell and will abide therein.

6. Those who disbelieved of the People of theBook and the Polytheists are in the fire ofHell and will abide therein.They are the worst'2 of the creation.ls7. Those who have believed and have done right-eous works, they are the best of the creation.8. Their reward is with their Lord, Gardens ofPerpetuityl4 beneath which rivers flow; they

discusses several meanings and connotations of the word.It means to keep away from other religions in favor ofIslam; also according to Ibn 'Abbas, it means followingthe religion of Abraham. Finally, it refers to the cir-cumcized and those who have performed the pilgrimage.Tabari, Tafsir, Cairo, 1957, vol. xxx, p. 145 recounts ahadith attributed to Qatada which says that hanafiyyais circumcision and the "prohibiting of mothers, daughters,sisters and aunts, and the performing of the rituals ofpilgrimage." Cf. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-qur'dn al-'azim,vol. vii (Beirut: 1966) p. 345 where he says that it isavoiding shirk and seeking unicity, tawhid.11 din al-qayyima. This is the only time this form ofthe word is used to define religion in the Qur'an. Itwas probably adopted to fit the rhyme of the sura. Themasculine adjectival form, and therefore, the more ac-curate appears four times in the Qur'Sn in conjunctionwith the word din, S. 9:36, 12:40, 30:30, 30:43. Theterm dinan qayyiman appears just once in S. 6:161.

Qayyima here, according to Bukhari, Qastalani's Com-mentary, vii, p. 429 means, "the established." He alsosuggests that din was modified by the feminine form eitherto explain din as a milla, or that the t ending was addedfor emphasis, mubalagha. Tabari, Tafsir, vol. xxx, p. 145agrees with the first explanation and adds that thiswas to distinguish this milla from that of the Jewsand the Christians.

It has been translated as "standard religion" by Palmer,Koran, p. 338; as "right religion" by Sale, Koran, p. 496;as "true religion" by Pickthall, The Glorious, p. 446; as"religion of the true" by Arberry, Koran, p. 346 and byBell, Qur'dn, p. 670 where he notes in the footnote thatit means eternal.12 sharru, "most evil."13 barriyati, "of all creation," from the word barr,earth. See Ibrdhim, Qamus, p. 35. Cf. IsbahSni, Mufra-ddt, p. 59.14 'adn, "staying or abiding in a place." 'Adana bi'l-makan, "dwelt in the place and settled therein." Jannat

shall abide therein for ever. God is wellpleased15 with them and they are well pleasedwith Him. That is for him who fears his Lord.16

B. REASONS FOR THE REVELATIONSura ninety eight is one of many suras for whichno traditional reason for revelation has beenrecorded.17 However, there appears early to havedeveloped some controversy concerning its reading.Several Muslim"8 exegetes recount hadiths claim-ing that this sura was revealed especially forUbay b. Kaebl9 at the explicit command of theangel Gabriel.20

'addn, "dwelling and immortality." See Ibrahim, Qdmis,p. 246; Qurtubi, Tafsir, p. 146; cf. Jeffery, Foreign,p. 212 for a discussion of a possible Hebrew or Syriacorigin.Western translators seem to insist on its Hebreworigin and translate it as "Gardens of Eden." See Palmer,Koran, p. 338; Bell, Qur'an, p. 671; Arberry, Koran,p. 346; Dawood, Koran, p. 29; Pickthall, The Glorious,p. 447. Of the English translations surveyed, only Sale,Koran, p. 496 translates it as "Gardens of perpetualabode." Both Y. Ali, Qur'an, p. 1769 and M. All, Qur'an,p. 1197 maintain the Muslim meaning, the former trans-lating it as "gardens of eternity" and the latter as "gar-dens of perpetuity." References in the Qur'an to 'adndo not seem to refer to the original garden of Adam andEve, which the word Eden seems to imply. Furthermore,the references to 'adn seem to be general.15 radiya. "accepted him and willed rewarding him."Ibrahim, Qdmis, p. 146; cf. Isbahani, Mufraddt, p. 286who says that the creature's pleasure with God is hisnot abhorring God's decree concerning him, whereasGod's pleasure with the creature is to see him obedientto His commandment, and to refrain from indulging inthat which is prohibited.16 khashiya. "Signifies fear with reverence" as trans-lated by Lane and quoted in Foster, F. H., "The Fearof God in the Koran," MW, xxi 1931, pp. 244-248.Foster goes on to say that "this root is used in closeconnection with the conditions a Muslim must meetif he will be saved."

17 Both Suyfiti, Asbdb al-nuzal (Cairo: 1963) and al-Wahidi, Asbdb al-Nuzul (Cairo: n.d.) do not mentionany accepted reason for this revelation.18 See Qurtubi, al-Jdmi', p. 139; Bukhari, Sahih, pp.429-430, and Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, pp. 342-343. Also seeIbn Sa'd, Tabaqdt (ed. Sachau), (Leiden: 1904) Vol. iii,section ii, p. 60.19 Ubay b. Ka'b was one of Muhammad's secretaries,

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Journal of the American Oriental Society 97.4 (1977)Ubay had been engaged in recording and teach-ing the Qur'Sn during the life of Muhammad, andseems to be intimately involved in the life of themosque at Medina. Some hadith is ascribed tohim as he was considered an authority on the

Qur'an, a fact attested to by Uthman's choosinghim as one of the twelve to verify the readingsof the Qur'an.21The reports suggest several reasons why Ubaywas singled out for this revelation. They notethat this was to point out that he was the bestreciter among the Sahaba. (For if the Prophetin all his glory recited to him, others should befollowers of his.) In the second place, Ubay wasdesignated as the recipient of this revelation inorder to give him assurance and to increase hisfaith, because he had doubted as a result of acontroversy over the reading of a sura in thepresence of the Prophet. Thus this revelationwas recited to him for conveyance, iblagh, as-surance, tathbit, and warning, indhdr, not forlearning, ta'allum or memorization, istidhkdr.22Finally, it is possible that some people questionedthe adequacy of Ubay's reading and God therefore

Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Medina, (Oxford:1962) p. 165.20 Several hadiths report that it is God who askedMuhammad o recite it to Ubay.Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqdt,p. 60; cf. Qurtubi,al-Jami' p. 139.See also Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, vol. vii, pp. 342-343.21 Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat al-Kubra (Beirut: 1960) vol. I,pp. 316, 345, 244, 251, 252: vol. III Section II, pp. 59,60, 62; Vol. V, p. 508. These references nclude severalreportsthat show his closenessto Muhammad,who onceasked him to teach the Qur'sn to one of the Ansar. Heapparently was a witness of Badr, Uhud, Khandak andwas one of the seventy Ansar who witnessed al-'Aqaba.Furthermore, it is reported that he kept the branch ofthe vine towards which Muhammad used to pray priorto the erection of the pulpit in the mosque.22 There arc several hadiths that relate that whenIbn Mas'ud and Ubay arguedabout the correctreadingof a sura, Muhammad asked each of them to recite hisversion. When they did, he reassured both of them oftheir accuracy by saying to each, "You are right". WhenUbay appeared to begin to doubt in Muhammad, theProphet is reported to have beaten his chest and staredat him. Ubay, awed, began to sweat and felt as thoughhe was looking at God. Then Muhammad informed himthat sura ninety eight was revealed to him. Bukhari,Sahih, p. 439. cf. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, p. 343.

asked the Prophet to have Ubay recite the Qur'Snby chanting, tajwid.23That these are contrived reasons is apparentfrom the outset, and any effort to arrive at orig-inal causes becomes an exercise in the realm ofspeculation due to the difficulty of ascertainingthe authenticity of the hadiths, while a decisionto dismiss them as irrelevant fails to take into con-sideration the realities they attempt to cope with.These reports probably originated as an attemptto explain the legitimacy of the variant readingsof the Qur'an. That Muhammad reportedly ap-proved of two different versions, those of AbiiMusfid and of Ubay does not only validate thepossibility of differences in the text, but also itstamps them with Prophetic approval.24 How-ever, once the precedent was set and Ubay'sauthority was established because of divine favor,later exegetes found in him a useful means ofauthenticating some of their opinions. This be-comes apparent when a study of the differentreadings of Sura ninety eight is made. Moreconflicting variations are ascribed to Ubay thanany of the other Qur'an collectors.25 The varietyand content26 of the readings attributed to himsuggest later interpolations and interpretations.As for the other variant readings of the sura,27we have found that the differences are insignifi-

23 Otherreasons noted by other reportersas collectedby Qurtubi, al-Jdmi', p. 139 seem to emphasize theimportanceof learning. Thus the Prophet wanted thosewho have knowledge to teach. Others said that theProphet recited it to Ubay to teach people humilitylest someone not want to learn how to read and writefrom one below him in social status. Still others thoughtthat this was because Ubay was quick in learning andwould therefore disseminate his knowledge speedily.24 Two hadiths with different chains of isnad reportthat Muhammad told Ubay to recite the Qur'in to thecommunity in several letters up to the number of seven.Bukhari, Sahih, p. 430 Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, p. 343.25 Bukhari, Sahih, p. 429; Arthur Jeffery, Materialsfor the History of the Text of the Qur'an (Leiden; 1973)pp. 178-179. Compare with pp. 110-111, 312, 329, 355and 369. Also see Qurtubi, al-Jdmi', p. 140 who accusesIbn Masfid of incorporating tafsir in his variant readings.26 See Jeffery, Materials, pp. 178-179; cf. Bukhari,Sahih, p. 429; cf. also Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, p. 345 whoreports that al-Zuhri and al-Shafi'i and others quotedthis verse to show that works are part of iman.27 Of the four variations attributed to Ibn Mas'iud'scodex dealing with the first verse, there is an apparent

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HADDAD: An Exegesis of Sura Ninety-Eightcant and except in one case,28 there is no altera-tion in the meaning of the revelation; consequently,the present study will deal with the 'Uthmanic text.

C. NAME, NUMBER OF VERSESAND THE DATE OF SURA 98There appears to be some discrepancy as to thenumber of verses of the sura, some authors claim-

ing that there are nine, others insisting that thereare only eight.29 However, there seems to be noover-riding reason30 to dispute the eight versesthat are in the 'Uthmanic version.There are, however, several names for this sura.It is second only to the Fatiha in the variationof names ascribed to it.31 The most commonnames seem to be lam yakun and al-bayyina.Other names include ahl al-kitdb, al-qiydma,32 al-qayyima,33 and al-barriya.34revision and interpolation. Taking the codices of ar-Rabil b. Khuthaim al-A'mash and Ubay b. Ka'b, wenote that three delete the words al-ladhina kafarui, whilephrasing the verse to emphasize that ahl al-kitdb areof the mushrikin. See Jeffery, Materials, pp. 110-111,312, 329, 355 & 178-179.28 This deals with the term rasul which Ibn Mas'udreads as rasiilan, whereas in the 'Uthmanic version itappears as rasilun. This may explain some of the dif-ferences in opinion concerning the bayyina, whether itwas the Apostle himself, the Qur'an or the generalityof apostles reciting scriptures. Ibid., p. 110.29 Ibrahim Al-Abyari et al, al-Maws'l'a al-Qur'cniy-ya, vol. I (Cairo: 1966) Section II, p. 44. See also Tuisi,Tafsir al-Tibydn, vol. X, p. 387 which reports that itwas eight verses in the Kufic and Medinan Qur'an,while that of Basra had nine. It should also be noted thatIbn Kathir, Tafsir, vol. vii, p. 342 claims that this surahas five verses but he goes on to include verses 6-8 witha commentary. This should probably be dismissed as anerror in printing.30 A study of the variant readings, above, does not seemto justify the larger number as we have not been ableto find a deleted verse. The discrepancy may possiblybe ascribed to a variation in the numbering of the verses,or to the possibility of counting the bismilldh as a verse.31 The Fatiha has nine different names. See Suyfit.,Itqdn, p. 48. Sura ninety eight appears to have sixwhereas suras nine and seventy eight have four nameseach.32 These four names are given in Abyari, al-Mawsuta,p. 47.33 Zamakhshari, al-Kashshdf, p. 274.34 Suyfiti, Itqdn, p. 50.

As to the dating of sura ninety eight, a surveyof some Muslim and Western scholars revealsdisagreement, with the preponderant opinionfavoring Medina as the place of revelation. Ofthose consulted, Muhammad Ali is alone in hisinsistance that "there seems to be no doubt thatit is a Makkan revelation, such being the opinionof the majority."35 And although Zamakhshari36and Grimme favor a Meccan origin, the latterqualifies it as doubtful, whereas the former notesthat it is disputed, an opinion shared by severalscholars.37

Although agreeing with those who favor a Me-dinan origin,38 Richard Bell39 believes that it isa composite. He suggests that verses 4, 5, 7 and8 formed the original sura dating to the secondyear of the Hijra, about the time of the adoptionof the religion of Abraham. Thus verses 1-3 and 6are later. He then suggests that verses 4-5 wereprobably displaced by verses 1-3, while the lasttwo verses were kept in their revised form.Besides this theory being contrary to Muslimtradition,40 a careful study of the vocabulary andsentence structure of the sura fails to provideany evidence to support Bell's thesis. That versestwo and three provide exegetical problems is notcontested, but rather than being of a later datethan the rest of the sura, as Bell suggests, theyare possibly of an earlier period. The word suhufappears mainly in the early Meccan period. (SeeS. 87:18, 87:19, 80:13, 81:10, 53:36 and 74:52).

35 M. Ali, Qur'an,p. 1196.36 Zamakhshari, al-Kashshaf, p. 274.37 Sale, Koran, p. 495 says, "Where it was revealed isdisputed." Palmer, Koran, p. 337 says, "Place of origindoubtful." Their opinion seems to be based on that ofseveral Muslimscholars who note that there is a discrep-ancyin the reportsaboutits placeof revelation. Qurtubi,al-Jami', p. 138, reports that it is Meccan according toYahya b. Sallam and Miedinan according to Ibn 'Abbasand others. Bukh5rl, Sahih, vol. vii, p. 342 says it isMeccan or MIedinan. Cf. Bayd&wi, tafsir p. 613.38 These include Muir, Noldeke, Blachere, Pickthall,Y. Ali and the Uthmanic version of the Qur'an. Seealso Tfsi, Tafsir, p. 389 who reports that Ibn 'Abbasand al-Dahhak say that it is Medinan. C. F. Ibn Kathir,Tafsir, vol. vii, p. 342; Abduh, M., Tafsir, p. 133 & Watt,Companion, p. 318 who notes that sura ninety eight is"Medinlan presumably after Badr."39 Bell, Qur'dn, p. 670.40 Suyuft, Itqdn, p. 39 gives sura ninety eight as anexample of a sura that was revealed complete.

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Journal of the American Oriental Society 97.4 (1977)There is one reference to suhuf in the mid-Meccanperiod. (See S. 20:133). Thus S. 98:2 could beof an earlier period. (Furthermore, verses twoand three appear to have a different structurethan the rest of the sura and are shorter in form.And although frequently shorter and longer versesfollow each other in what seems to be a unit with-in a sura, if these two verses are taken together,they could possibly be considered as one verse.)The presence of the word yatlf with the wordrasil suggests a possible Medinan revision. Therasul in the Medinan period appears to be recitingayat. (There is only one late Meccan reference tothis function of the rasul. See S. 28:59). ForMedinan references see S. 2:129, 2:151, 62:2, 3:164,and 65:11. The last reference refers to the ayat asproviding the proof. Thus it is possible to con-sider S. 98:2 as a Medinan revision of a Meccanconcept. This, however, does not make it anyless Medinan; we therefore do not see the necessityof splitting the sura into earlier and later sections.Furthermore, Qur'anic evidence does prove thatBell's thesis concerning this verse in untenable.It is possible that when Bell presumed that suhufreferred to the record of man's deeds,41 he decidedthat it was a later addition to the sura. A studyof the context of the use of the word suhuf failsto reveal any association with the record of man'sdeeds. Rather, suhuf appears to refer to pages ofrevelation that have been given to Abraham andMoses from God. (See S. 53:36, 87:19). Theearliest reference to suhuf says they containedthe message and admonition to praise God. (SeeS. 87:18). They also appear to contain someteachings, such as that no one can bear the burdenof another. (See S. 53:36). However, we suspectthat Bell's Book theory and related assumptions,and possibly his Abraham religion theory, colored,in this instance, his judgement of the meaningand dating of the verses of this sura.Thus failing to find any justification for splittingthe sura, we shall deal with it for the purpose ofthis paper as a unit.Besides being Medinan in content, this suradealt with Medinan realities. Its attack on thePeople of the Book is consistent with other Me-dinan passages that accuse the People of theBook of kufr. (See S. 2:105, 3:70, 3:98, 59:2,59:11). What is more significant is that twoverses in this sura treat the People of the Bookas equals of the mushrikin both in kufr and in

41 See footnote (10).

the judgement that is awaiting them. There areonly two other verses in the Qur'an, S. 2:105 and3:185, that deal with the mushrikin and the Peopleof the Book in the same breath, and accuse bothgroups of desiring ill for the Muslim community.

Furthermore, it is apparent that both surastwo and three deal with similar subject matteras sura ninety-eight. (See especially S. 2:87,89-101, 98ff, 105-106, 112-113, 135, 159, 213, 159,213 and 253. Also S. 3:18, 63-79, 97-102 and 104).Both these suras deal with the break with theJewish community which came about in Medina.The attack on the People of the Book and theirtreatment as mushrikin suggest the probabilitythat sura ninety-eight was revealed around A.H.5, when Muhammad was dealing with the possibletreachery of the Bani Qurayzah. A preliminarysearch for a possible connection between thatevent and the tradition that this sura was revealedexplicitly for Ubay b. Ka'b failed to yield anysolid evidence. However, it is possible to speculatethat the condemnation of the People of the Bookcame as a result of some of the Ansar protestingthe treatment of the Jews whom they were boundto protect. This may have been the reason forthe designation of Ubay for the reception of therevelation, he being of the Ansar. There is alsothe possibility that Ubay b. Ka'b may havebeen related to Ibn Ubay42 who appears to bethe most outspoken protester against Muham-mad's treatment of the Jews in Medina. Finally,there is the remote possibility that this sura wasrevealed as an answer to Ibn Ubay's protests, butthat later traditionists confused the two men.More research is needed to find out if there is anyconnection between these events.D. TRADITIONAL MUSLIM EXEGESIS OF SURA 98

Considered by some Muslim exegetes as "oneof the most difficult in the Qur'an in regard toits composition and interpretation,"43 sura 98 hasprovoked several difficult questions and receivednumerous attempts at explanations, which haveranged over the years.42 Watt, Muhammad at Medina, pp. 174-177, 179, 181-187, 190, 197, 202, 209f, 212, 214, 216f, 229, 232f, 248and 284.43 al-Wahidi, Kitab al-basit as quoted by Razi, Mafa-tih al-ghayb (Cairo: 1308 h.) p. 449 who goes into ex-tensive details explainingthe grammaticaland linguistic

problems the structure of the sura poses. cf. Tabari,Tafsir, vol. xxx, p. 144.

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HADDAD: An Exegesis of Sura Ninety-EightA study of traditional Muslim exegesis of thesura has not revealed very much about its meaningto the first believers. Although most exegetesclaim to be interpreting it according to its originalmeaning, one notes in each work the distinctive

feature that the exegete is trying to get across tohis readers and students, which is colored by hismethodology and understanding of the issues ofhis time.To illustrate, the case of the commentary ofIbn al-'Arabi44 may be cited, where the wholesura is seen in the light of the sufi experience.The bayyina is seen as the evident proof thatleads to "that which is sought". The term hunafd'is interpreted as the avoidance of any path thatdoes not "lead to Him" and to attain unto Himthrough 'ibaddt. These 'ib&ddt are "both bodilyand monetary" in nature, achieved through the"performance of the physical acts of worship."These acts are "works of purification, armal muzak-kiya, like prayer, performing the truths of asceti-cism, haqd'iq al-zuhd: such as renunciation, tark,and divestment, tajrid-such as zakdt." Further-more, the fear of God is explained as when "Godunveils, tajalli, His majesty, which does not negatethe station, maqam, of God's good pleasure." Fearis thus one of the conditions of revelation.One may note, on the other hand, the exampleof Muhammad Abduh,45 the reformer who calledfor a return to true original Islam and saw inthe accretion of traditions a cause of the stateof degeneracy in Islam at his time. Even inhis attempt to shear off the mass of accumulatedinterpretations, he appears in his methodologyunable to avoid the pitfall he warns against.This sura affords him the opportunity to illus-trate his theories. Thus, he says that the Christiansand the Polytheists were in the darkness of igno-rance because they had depended, in what theybelieved, on imitating their forebears who hadinterpolated in them material, either for lack ofunderstanding or to disprove an opponent, andthus they had burdened the truth with falsehooduntil the Prophet came and cut through the dark-ness. Abduh called on Muslims to reject theteachings of the forebears and seek original Islam.The tendency to manipulate the material forteaching purposes, however, does not mean thatall exegetes attempted to preach through theircommentaries. Some did try to interpret the

44 Ibn al-'Arabi, Tafsir, pp. 833-836.45 Abduh, M., Tafsir, p. 136.

language and grammar of the suras, while othersconcentrated on the historical background of therevelations. Thus although there is no generalconsensus of opinion regarding the meaning ofsura ninety eight, there appears to be a numberof explanations accepted as plausible by severalorthodox exegetes. Al-Razi46 gives some of themextended treatment in his commentary.An apparent discrepancy between verses oneand four is noted. As the first verse does notspecify what the People of the Book and thePolytheists ceased from, it was suggested thatmunfakkina refers to their disbelief. This wouldmean that the People of the Book and the Poly-theists persisted in their disbelief until the comingof the clear evidence, bayyina, while the termhatti necessitates that they ceased disbelievingwhen the Apostle came. On the other hand, versefour implies that their disbelief increased withthe coming of the evidence. This seeming in-consistency is resolved through an example thatZamakhshari47 offered in his commentary. (A poorevil man when asked to reform, refuses to changehis ways unless he becomes rich; but once richesare bestowed on him, he persists in his evil.)Similarly, the Unbelievers, both of the People ofthe Book and the Polytheists used to say beforethe coming of the Apostle Muhammad that theywill not cease from their ways in religion untilthe coming of the Apostle as promised in theTawrat and Injil. Once Muhammad was sent,they refused him, thus separating themselves fromtruth and establishing themselves in disbelief.48Another question that was raised by al-Razi49concerns the reason for placing the People of theBook before the Polytheists in the verse. Thisorder, he suggests, was probably intended forseveral reasons. In the first place, because thesura is Medinan in origin, those condemned wereprimarily the People of the Book. They hadknowledge of the books, and their capacity toknow Muhammad's truth was more complete, thus

46 Razi, MIafdtih, pp. 449-460.47 Ibid., p. 449; cf. Zamakhshari, al-Kashshdf, vol. ivp. 274.48 Razi and Zamakhshari seem to view kuifr as therejection of the Apostle as the proof of the call of Godto the People of the Book to reform, while Baydawi refersto the Christians and the Jews who disbelieved and

apostated concerning the attributes of God. See Baydawi,Tafsir, vol. II, p. 613.49 Razi, Mafatih, p. 450.

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Journal of the American Oriental Society 97.4 (1977)their persistence in kufr was more evil. Further-more, because they had knowledge, they were anexample for others, thus their kufr was the causeof the kufr of others. Finally, because they hadlearning, they were considered more noble thanthe others.Further discrepencies in interpretation werenoted concerning the meaning of verse one byTabari.50 He reports that some exegetes haveexplained that the unbelievers of the People ofthe Tawrat and Injil and the Polytheists did notdesist until they had the Qur'an. Others havesaid that the People of the Book and the Poly-theists did not retain the description of Muham-mad in their books until he was sent, whereupon,they separated concerning him. Tabari believesthat the correct interpretation is that the Peopleof the Book "did not separate in the matter ofMuhammad until the clear evidence, bayyina, cameto them which is God's sending him as an Apostleto His creatures."51 A further refinement in inter-pretation offered in the Mawsfla al-Qur'fniyya52suggests that "The People of the Book and thePolytheists persisted in their kufr until thecoming of Muhammad who recited to them thepurified pages, purified from that which theyin their apostasy falsified."It is interesting to note that exegetes also dis-agreed concerning the object of the kufr, some53noting that it is disbelief in God, while otherssaw in it the rejection of the Apostle54 or his mes-sage.55 This also appears in their interpretationof what constituted the clear evidence, some sug-gesting that it is the Apostle,56 a few noting that

50 Tabari, Tafsir, vol. xxx, p. 144.51 Ibid., p. 145; cf. Zamakhshari,p. 274 who says,"Theydid not let go of their religionas they werewaitingfor the promised Prophet. This held them together andwhen he came, he was cause of their separation as somebelieved and others did not." See also Bukh5ri, Sathh,p. 429 who suggests that God blinded them to him.

52 Abyari, al-Mawsu'a, vol. vi, p. 807, Note theinfluence of Abduh's interpretation on this modernEgyptian commentary.53 For an example, see Tfisi, Tafsir, p. 388.54 Qurtubi, al-Jami', p. 141. He says, "Kufr hererefers to kufr in relation to the Prophet Muhammad."55 Adbuh, Tafsir, p. 136. "Those who committed kufrare those who denied the message of the Prophet whenhe called them."

56 Tusi, Tafsir, p. 389; Abduh, Tafsir, p. 135; Qurtubial-Jami', p. 141: cf. Razi, Mafatih, p. 450 who notes

it is the totality of apostles,57 others insistingthat it is the Qur'an.58The use of the word purified, mufahhara, ratherthan pure, fahira, as an adjective with the word"pages" implied that they had been falsified ortampered with before and that the pages theApostle was bringing had been restored to theiroriginal purity. This Qurtubi saw as a referenceto umm al-kitfb, "the original book with Godfrom which the prophets received their books."59Thus the pages the Apostle was reciting werepurified "of fakery, of doubt, of treachery, ofgoing astray, and from falseness, lying, doubt andkufr;"60 which, it is implied, the People of theBook were guilty of.Thus the Apostle was reciting from an authenticsource in which are books that are straight andprecise, a possible reference, as seen by some, tothe Qur'an;61 which necessitated an explanationof why the word "books" (plural) and not "book"was used, a dilemma that was apparently solvedby the suggestion that this referred to the rhetoricsin the content of the Qur'an.62Having differed in their comprehension of whatthe bayyina was, the exegetes offered interpreta-tions of verse four that were consistent with thatthat several exegetes saw rasfl as the bayyina, "(a) hebeing a proof because of his Prophethood, (b) his charac-ter was perfect to the point of in-immitability, i'fdz, asJahi? said and was approved by al-Ghazzali in his bookal-Munqidh; (c) his miracles were very apparent." Hegoes on to say that some commentators have protestedthis explanation because there is no designation by thedefinite article al, whereas others have read it as rasilan.Those holding the view that it is the Apostle point tothe fact that the definite article is attached to the wordal-bayyina, this being a special distinction of the Apostle,as he is the one mentioned in the Tawrdt and Injil.57 Razi, Mafdtih, p. 451, quotes Abf Muslim's saying,"apostles from the angels of God reciting scripture."58 Ibid., p. 451 says that both Qatfda and Ibn Zaidhold to this view which is shared by Ibn Kathir, seeTafsir, p. 344.Also note that Baydawi, Tafsir, p. 614 says that the"bayyina is the apostle or the Qur'Sn for the evidencereveals the truth or a miracle, the apostle in his characterand the Qur'an in its eloquence."59 Qurtubi, al-Jami', p. 142.60 Ibn 'Abbas as quoted by Qurtubi, Ibid., p. 142.61 Here we note the confusion of whether the pagesor the books refer to the Qur'an.62 Ibid., p. 143.

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HADDAD: An Exegesis of Sura Ninety-Eightcomprehension. Whereas most of them associatedthe separation of the People of the Book to havecome about with the coming of the Apostle,63there was a suggestion that "they separated anddisagreed concerning what He (God) desired forthem in their Books,"64 or that the separationwas in regard to their relation to truth, as theywere not established in kufr.65That verse four did not mention the Polytheistsin conjunction with the People of the Book wasnoted by several exegetes. It was suggested thatthey were singled out "to point to their despicableposition for they should have known better."66The religion of the Polytheists was not acknowl-edged, those of them who believed were acceptedand those who disbelieved were killed, whereasthe People of the Book were acknowledged andallowed to apostate on the condition that theypay the jizya. Furthermore, the People of theBook had knowledge of Muhammad's Apostleshipas it was mentioned in their books. Thus thisverse was to console Muhammad that their rejec-tion was not due to any lack in the proof, butrather was due to their obstinacy.67It is interesting to note that this verse appearsto have been quoted as a proof against thosewho advocated a predestinarian theological posi-tion. Thus the disbelief and the separation cameabout through the acts of the People of the Book.

63 Al-Abyari,al-Mawsui'a,p. 807 says that the Peopleof the Book were united and agreed that Muhammadwill be sent by God as based on what is in their scriptureabout him, and when he came, they denied him, beliedhim and separated in the matter concerninghim.Cf. Tfisi, Tafsir, p. 389 who says that the unbelieversdid not disagreeconcerningthe prophethoodof Muham-mad for they were in consensus concerninghis prophet-hood according o their books dealingwith his attributes.But when he came to them with the clear evidence andthe powerful miracle, they separated and disagreed,some believed while others disbelieved.64 Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, p. 345. The implication here is

that the separation came after God had established theproofs for them.65 Zamakhshari,al-Kashshdf, vol. iv, p. 274. Theyused to promiseunity and concordon truth if the Apostlewas sent to them, however, what separated them fromtruth and established them in unbelief was the comingof the Apostle.66 Baydawi, Tafsir, p. 614.67 Razi, Mafdtih, p. 451.

They were not predestined to apostasy;68 nor werethey created in that condition from conception,for God had revealed that they did not disagreebefore the coming of the proofs and the miracles.69Furthermore, verse five proves the falsehood ofthe Mujbira in their claim that God created theKuffar in order that they may apostasize. Itis clear from this verse that "He created them toworship Him, and there is nothing in the verseto prove that the works of the limbs are of imanand not of din."70

Worship was conceived as the proclamationof the unicity of God, whereas being faithful toHim was interpreted as "pointing to the impor-tance of the intention of the heart."71Besides being central in theological discussionsconcerning free will and predestination and wheth-er works are part of faith, verse five added to theunderstanding of the term hanif to which severalinterpretations were offered. Here we will at-tempt to summarize Tabari's72 interpretation.After establishing that the word means straight,and that it refers to a person who has a crookedfoot, Tabari says that hanif is from Abraham.He also notes that there were differences of opin-ion concerning this word.In the first place, there were those who saidthat it referred to him who has performed thepilgrimage and thus followed in the way of Abra-ham and his milla. He quotes a hadith whichnames those who made the pilgrimage in pre-Islamic times as being called hunafa'. Further-more, he cited S. 22:31 as evidence. A secondgroup explained that a hanif is one who follows,muttabi', while a third group said that it referredto the religion of Abraham which is called hana-fiyya because he was the first imam who institutedcircumcision to mankind. Therefore, whoever iscircumcised in the way of Abraham, he is a fol-lower of Abraham in Islam. Therefore, he is ahanif in the milla of Ibrahim.A fourth group explained that the word hanifrefers to the person who is faithful in religion toGod alone. Finally, the term hanif was understood

68 Ibid., p. 451. Razi was an Ash'arite who advocatedman's responsibility.69 TiSsi, Tatsir, p. 389.70 Ibid., p. 390; c.f. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, p. 345 whonotes that this verse was quoted by Zuhriand al-Shafi'ito prove that works are essential for imrn.71 Qurtubi, al-Jdmi', p. 144.72 Tabari, Tafsir, vol. iii, pp. 104-108.

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Journal of the American Oriental Society 97.4 (1977)by some to mean Islam. The millatu Ibrahim ishanif, as he who follows millatu Ibrdhim is ahanif. Tabari then offers a hadith attributed toAbui Jaefar which refutes the claim that pre-Islamic pilgrimage was called hanif. This issubstantiated by a quote from S. 3:67 whichstipulates that a hanif is a Muslim and not aMushrik, thus also refuting those who claim thatit refers to circumcision. In that case it wouldhave to include the Jews who are denied thattitle by S. 3:67. Thus, Tabari concludes thathanafiyya is not circumcision alone, nor pilgrimage,but rather is following in a straight forward waythe millatu Ibrdhim.The reintroduction of the People of the Bookin verse six was noted by the exegetes who saidthat this was to point to the wickedness of theircondition.73 However, Razi seems to suggest apossibility of a difference in the fate of the Mushri-kin and that of the People of the Book. For thePeople of the Book were not unbelievers at thebeginning, because they believed the Tawrat andthe Injil and they affirmed the coming of Muham-mad. They disbelieved after he came, in contrastto the mushrikin who were born to the worshipof idols and the denial of the Day of Judgementand of the resurrection. Thus the People of theBook will be on the upper levels of hell as theirkufr is less than that of the mushrikin who deniedthe Creator, prophethood and resurrection; where-as the People of the Book accepted all these anddenied the specific prophethood of Muhammad.Therefore the mushrikin will be relegated to thebottom of hell.74This interpretation strikes the reader as farfetched since sura ninety eight does not easilylend itself to it. However, a survey of the contextof some of the Medinan suras shows that S. 3:54promises 'Isa a better fate for his followers thanthe fate of the mushrikin. It also suggests thattheir case will come up for review on the Day ofResurrection. This verse must have also beenin Rtaz's75 mind when he suggested that sinceS. 98:6 does not specify that those who dis-

73Baydawi, Tafsir, p. 614.74 Razi, Mafatih, pp. 455-456. Cf. BaydawI, Tafsir,p. 614, who says that the participationof the two groups[Ahl al-Kitab and the Mushrikiin] n the genus of thepunishment does not necessitate their participation inits form. It is possible that it will be different becauseof the differenceof their disbelief.75 Razi, Mafatih, p. 456.

believed will abide in hell forever, whereas S. 98:8states that those who believe will abide in theGardens forever, that God's mercy is greater thatHis anger. This is not necessarily consistent withthe teachings of the Qur'an, as we find severalreferences to the punishment of the kafirin inhell forever. (See S. 72:23, 33:65 and 4:169) Inthe last reference the punishment most probablyrefers to the People of the Book.Verses seven and eight elicited very little com-ment and exegesis from Muslim scholars. Thisis probably because they are common in theQur'an and their contents were exegeted else-where. However, there appears to have been atheological controversy concerning verse seven.This seems to have been started by Abii Hurayrawho claimed that this verse showed that Godpreferred the believers to the angels and thereforeplaced them at a higher rank, a stance denied byother theologians.76E. SURA NINETY - EIGHT - AN INTERPRETATION

One of the shortest Medninan77 suras, suraninety-eight offers several structural problems.Its verses are of varying lengths and construc-tion,78 and its rhyme79 is so strained in severalplaces that it is almost tempting to entertain thepossibility of its being a medley of fragmentaryverses, brought together by similarity of subjectmatter by a conscientious editor, anxious to in-corporate all available material. Such a hypoth-esis must be rejected from the internal evidenceof the Qur'an, as these problems in constructionand rhyme are by no means unique to this sura,but are to be found in several places. Further-more, an editor, or a compiler most likely wouldhave paid more attention to consistency and bychanging a few letters in the words have renderedthe sura more lucid and consequently less contro-versial. That it has been preserved with itsexegetical problems might be considered as aproof of its authenticity and unity.

76 Ibn Kathir, Tafsir,p. 346; cf. Razi, Mafdtih,p. 457who denies that the believers are better than the angelsas Abf Hurayrais reportedto have said. Here it sayskhayrual-barriyati,creaturescreated of earth, and doesnot discuss angels.77 See pp. 4-8 above.78 Verses wo andthree aresimilar to S. 80:13 and 14.

79 Especially verse five where din is qualified by afeminine adjective, qayyima, probably for rhyme pur-poses.

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HADDAD: An Exegesis of Sura Ninety-EightThe sura deals with familiar Qur'anic themesand offers no startling new revelation, rather itcan be considered a refinement, or a summary ofearlier teachings. It was probably used to remindthe audience of what they already knew, or had

previously heard.It starts with an indictment of at least someof the People of the Book80 who seem to questionMuhammad's authority. They are clearly anddistinctly associated with the Polytheists as havingcommitted kufr and rejected the clear evidencethat was brought by the Apostle. The significanceof this for the listeners was that their allies, thePeople of the Book of Medina were destined tothe same fate, as their enemies, the Polytheistsof Mecca. Thus the community was to be re-stricted to those who obey the Apostle and accepthis book, and not based on tribal alliances orkinship ties.The People of the Book and the Polytheistshad persisted in their ways until they receivedthe bayyina.81 The bayyina in this context isthe rasil82 reciting scripture. There are severalreferences in the Qur'an to a rasil reciting ayat(S. 2:129, 2:151, 3:164, 28:59, 62:2, and 65:11).Only in the last reference is there a mention ofthese ayat providing a clear evidence. Meanwhile,S. 98:2 is the only reference to a rasil recitingsuhuf. These suhuf appear to be a special revela-tion that has been given to Abraham and Mosesand other apostles. They are honored (S. 8:13ff),exalted and purified. In the first Meccan period,83the suhuf are referred to in a very general way.By the mid-Meccan period, (S. 20:133) they arereferred to as containing the bayyina. Whilein the context of this sura, they are supposed tocontain immutable books. Here the reference isprobably to the Qur'an,84 but the presence of the

80 Of thirty references to ahl al-kitdb in the Qur'an,only one is probably Meccan in origin (see S. 29:46).Several accuse them of kufr (S. 2:105, 3:69, 3:98, 59:2and 59:11).81 The word bayyindt occurs nineteen times in the

Qur'an. The singularform occursfifty one times. Thesereferences are mostly late Meccanor Medinan. Only fourare of Mid-Meccanorigin.82 Bijlefeld, "A Prophet," p. 13.83 See pages 5-6 above.84 The apostle is supposed to have said to 'Umar,"Did I not bring it to you white and purified?" IbnKhaldun,ed. Bulaq, 1284 as referred o by A. S. Yahuda,"A contribution to Qur'an and Hadith Interpretation,"

plural, books, does not lend itself to that inter-pretation.Thus the bayyina in this context may be eithergeneral or specific in its reference. If the generalinterpretation is preferred, one can say thatpeople persist in their ways until the coming ofan apostle from God who brings scriptures withhim,85 proclaiming the message publicly. Mean-while, if explained in the specific sense, the bay-yina would then imply that, in the fulness of time,God sent Muhammad the seal of the prophetsand made His will known in the final revelationgiven in the Qur'an. With Muhammad and theQur'an, the special revelation has come to anend.The Qur'an in this case does not posit an ex-clusive choice between the specific and the generalmeaning. Rather, we feel that both interpretationsare valid and possible at the same time. God hasrevealed His truth through apostles with scrip-tures in the past,86 and He has sent Muhammadreciting scriptures as clear evidence to both themushrikin and the ahl al-kitib, to those who hadnot received His message before and to thosewho had full knowledge of it. For "the 'apostle'is a messenger from among his own people tobring to them in their own language the warningof God; he speaks for God and is so closely linkedwith God that obedience to the Almighty coin-cides with obedience to the messenger. He re-presents in (a particular phase of) the history ofhis community the great moment to decide: hiscoming forces a split in two opposing factions,one rejecting him and his message, the other oneaccepting him in faith and obedience."87This theme is repeated in several places in theQur'an (S. 3:105, 42:14) where the separationcomes at the moment of decision when the com-munity is faced with the clear evidence or thetrue knowledge (See S. 2:213, 2:253 and 3:19).The word tafarraqa comes from the same rootas furqdn (S. 2:53, 2:185, 3:4, 8:41, 21:48 and 25:1)which may be interpreted as another name forIgnace Goldziher Memorial Volume, Part I (Budapest:1948).85 Bijlefeld, "A Prophet," p. 19. Where he says that"Thereseems to be a close association between prophet-hood and scripture." (S. 29:27)86 Ibid., p. 21, footnote #88, where he says that "Themessage of all rasiil is identical-the difference s in thelanguagein which they bring it."87 Ibid., p. 26.

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Journal of the American Oriental Society 97.4 (1977)the Qur'an. It, too, serves to divide the com-munity into believers and unbelievers-into thosewho choose to do good and those who apostate-between those who choose the truth and thosewho opt for falsehood. But once the apostleconfronts the community with the evidence andthey make a choice, his mission seems to come toan end. It is God who deals with the people andmetes out their reward or punishment accordingto their initial choices that determine the paththey follow in life.That verse four singles out those who havereceived the book88 as separating may refer to thetwo groups within the community of the BanuIsra'il who are divided into Jews and Christians;89they disagreed concerning the truth.Yet all God wanted of them was that theyworship Him, faithful to Him in religion. Theimmutable religion is Islam, an undivided com-mitment to God; it is the natural religion, dinal-fitra (S. 30:30); it is an undefiled monotheism,the religion of the Hanifs.A hanif is one that is obedient to God andgrateful for His favors (S. 16:120 & 123). It isalso the natural religion to which man is born(30:30). It is a religion that is in contradistinctionto that of the Polytheists as it acknowledgesAllah as the only God to be worshipped (S. 10:105).It is faithfulness to God who is almighty (S.6:79). It is the straight path to which man isguided by God (S. 6:161). It is the religion ofAbraham, and not that of the Banu Isra'il, orthe Jews or the Christians. It is the belief inGod and His revelation to Abraham and the otherprophets, not making any distinction betweenthem, but being fully committed to God. (S.2:135ff). Further Medinan developments addedto the concept of commitment, the category ofgood works ('ibadat). Thus a hanif was not onlyfaithful to God, but he established prayer andgave zakat (S. 98:5, 4:125). See also (S. 3:95).90

88 There are twenty one referencesin the Qur'an to"those who have received the book." All except possiblyS. 74:31 are Medinan in origin.89 Verse four may also refer to the division at Medinawithin the Jewish community as some of them acceptedMuhammad and became Muslims, while the majorityremained attached to their own community. See Watt,Muhammad at Medina, p. 197.90 For a discussion of Muslim exegetes seeing the per-formance of the pilgrimage as part of being hanif, seeabove, pp. 17 & 18.

Finally, in its true sense, being a hanif is beinga Muslim.91 (S. 3:67)Thus those who have ignored God's guidancehave forfeited their reward in the hereafter.Having repeatedly dismissed His proofs, deniedHis apostles and differed concerning His revela-tion, they wavered from the true path which isthe worship of God and the unconditional com-mitment to Him. They have failed to express theirunceasing gratitude in their daily life and practices.Therefore they shall be banished to eternal fire.But those who have believed and done goodworks and lived in thankfulness and awe,92 theyshall be rewarded. (S. 41:8, 84:25, 95:6, see also18:88, 19:60, 20:86, 25:70. 28:67, 28:80, 34:37)They shall have a special treatment (S. 38:28).They shall be counted among the righteous (S.29:9). Though they are few in number (S. 38:24),God will cause them to dwell in His mercy. (SeeS. 45:30) For they shall be forgiven (S. 5:7, 22:50, 29:7, 48:29), and He shall take them out ofdarkness into the light (S. 65:11). They are bles-sed and will have a good reward (S. 13:29, 18:30,19:96) and they shall abide in the gardens ofperpetuity. (S. 98:8, 2:25, 2:82, 3:57, 14:23, 18:107, 22:14, 22:23, 22:56, 29:58, 30:15, 4:173, 4:57,31:8, 32:19, 85:11, 47:12, & 42:22).Thus the true Muslim is one who lives his lifein perfect harmony with God's will and is gratefulto God for all things.

91 Jeffery, Foreign Vocabulary, p. 112 notes that "ofthe twelve cases, where the word is used, eighteen havereference to the faith of Abraham, and in nine of themthere is an added phrase explaining that to be a Hanifmeans not being a polytheist, this explanatory phrase ap-parently showing that Muhammad felt he was using a wordwhich needed explanationinorderto be rightly understood."A careful reading of the hanif passages shows thatthe "explanatory" phrase by no means serves thatfunction, rather, it emphasizes the distinction betweenthe hanif and the polytheist, pointing to an un-wavering monotheism and a commitment to God andHis revelation. It is the daring to be different in fol-lowing the straight path, rather than being of the un-grateful polytheists.For further readings on hanifs by Western scholars,see footnote number 10.

92 Awe is the more correct translation of khashiya,contrary to E. Foster, "The Fear of God in the Koran,"MW, xxi (1931), 244-248, where he says that "The ap-peal to fear is most natural to the Arab; and no otherforce did Muhammadhave in his earlier career."

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An Exegesis of Sura 98

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