Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I have a doubt about chapter 5 verse 77

chapter 2 verse 62. I want simple meaning of these 2 verses of the divine book.

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Meaning of quran verses

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Ref: Surah 5 Maidah verse 77:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 75-79:

75      Christ the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger (of Allah); many were the Messengers that passed away before him.  His mother was a woman of truth.  They had both to eat their (daily) food.  See how Allah doth makes His Signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the Truth!

76      Say: Will ye worship besides Allah something which hath no power either to harm or benefit you?  But Allah’ He it is that Hears and Knows all things."

77      Say: "O people of the Book! Exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper), trespassing beyond the Truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by: who misled many and strayed (themselves) from the even way.

78      Curses were pronounced on those among the Children of Israel who rejected faith by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary: because they disobeyed and persisted in excesses.

79      Nor did they (usually) forbid one another the iniquities which they committed: evil indeed were the deeds which they did.

 

In the above verse 5:77, although the verse is addressed to the ‘People of the Book’ (the Jews and the Christians) to ‘exceed not in their religion’…..the actual warning is to the believers who believe in this Message of the Glorious Quran that they too should not ‘exceed in their religion’ and become misguided like the nations who came before them.

 

To ‘exceed in the religion’ is to add or invent things from oneself and add them to the pure and perfect deen revealed by Allah Subhanah.

 

For example, Allah Subhanah never ever Commanded the followers of Jesus Christ (a.s.) that to be considered pious and righteous in the Sight of Allah Subahnah one had to renounce the world, follow celibacy, and become a ‘monk’!  That was and never is piety in the Sight of Allah Subhanah….where one leaves all the trials and temptations of the world, secludes himself in the mountains and caves, and worships Allah from there….but piety in the Sight of Allah is that one live their lives in full amidst all the trials and temptations…. work, earn, marry, obey parents, have children, strive one’s utmost in the Cause of Allah, etc.; but do so in the manner as guided by the Laws and Boundaries of Allah….giving the rights due to One’s Creator to the Creator in full, and also giving the due and full rights to the creation of Allah.  That would be piety in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

To seclude oneself from the temptations and trials of the world, become a monk and worship the Lord Creator from caves and mountains was never a part of their religion….but they invented this themselves, shoved it down the ‘throat of religion’ so to speak, and by doing so they ‘exceeded’ the bounds of their religion.

 

The absolute biggest excess made by the Christians was to declare from themselves and believe that the Noble Christ Jesus (a.s.) was (I seek refuge in Allah from even saying this!) the begotten son of Allah Subhanah….. when time and time again Prophet Jesus (a.s.) declared that he was no more than a Messenger and Slave of the Lord Who Created. 

 

The nations to whom the Divine Scriptures were revealed before the advent of Prophet Mohamed (saws) kept on innovating, inventing, and ‘exceeding’ the bounds of their religion until the religion which they invented and started following looked and felt absolutely nothing like the religion which was revealed by their Lord Creator.

 

And although the verse quoted above is addressed directly to the ‘People of the Book’, the actual warning is for the believers who have accepted and believed in the Glorious Quran as the Message of their Lord….that if they too invented and innovated in the pure and perfect deen revealed by Allah Subhanah and followed by the Messenger of Allah (saws)…..they too would become completely misguided and go absolutely astray from the Straight Path like the nations before them!  

 

And the truth is brother, if the ‘muslims’ today make a self assessment of how much the deen of Islam has been changed and altered and how many new self-invented rites and rituals they have themselves added in the practice of the deen as compared to the pure and perfect deen followed by the Noble Messenger (saws) and his companions…..one would have to admit that the ‘excesses’ the ‘muslims’ have invented is not too far from the ‘excesses’ of the nations of old!  

 

What are the celebrations and the commemorations of the ‘milad’, and the ‘quls’, and the ‘urs’, and the ‘matams of ‘ashura’’, and the ‘fateha’ over the dead, and the making of ‘tombs’ and ‘shrines’ and ‘dargahs’ over the graves of the pious, etc…but self-invented rites and rituals which have absolutely no basis or relevance in the pure and perfect deen of Islam!

 

Ref: Surah 2 Baqarah verse 62:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 62:

62      Those who believe (in the Qur'an) and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures) and the Christians and the Sabians and who believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.

 

The nations who received the Divine Scriptures before made it a habit to claim Paradise exclusively for themselves….in the above verse of 2:62 Allah Subhanah Reveals the Truth that no nation or peoples have exclusive rights to Paradise; but rather all those who sincerely believe in Allah, the Last Day, and work righteous deeds in accordance with the Guidance revealed by their Lord Creator will have their due and full reward from their Lord Most Gracious.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 111-112:

111    And they say: "None shall enter paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian."  Those are their (vain) desires!  Say: "Produce your proof if ye are truthful."

112    Nay! Whoever submits his whole self to Allah and is a doer of good he will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.

 

In spite of this categorical clarification from the Lord in His Glorious Quran that no nation or people have an exclusive right to Paradise, the absolute majority of even those who profess belief in Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah believe that the ‘muslims’ alone will enter Paradise!!!

 

No one will enter the Realms of Paradise merely for claiming that they are followers of a certain Prophet, or just because they happen to call themselves Jews, or Christians, or Muslims, or whatever…..but the criteria laid down by Allah Subhanah for entry into Paradise is whoever possesses sincere faith and does righteous good deeds in accordance with the Guidance revealed unto them will have their due and full reward from Allah Subhanah.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 32 Surah Sajdah verse 19:

19      For those who believe and do righteous deeds are Gardens as hospitable homes for their (good) deeds.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Surah Shura verse 22:

22      Thou wilt see the wrongdoers in fear on account of what they have earned and (the burden of) that must (necessarily) fall on them.  But those who believe and work righteous deeds will be in the luxuriant meads of the Gardens: they shall have before their Lord all that they wish for: that will indeed be the magnificent Bounty (of Allah).

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rome verse 45:

45      That He may reward those who believe and work righteous deeds out of His Bounty: for He loves not those who reject Faith.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 31 Surah Luqmaan verses 8-9:

8        For those who believe and work righteous deeds there will be Gardens of Bliss.

9        To dwell therein.  The promise of Allah is true: and He is Exalted in Power, Wise.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah Muhammad verse 12:

12      Verily Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds to Gardens beneath which rivers flow; while those who reject Allah will enjoy (this world) and eat as cattle eat; and the Fire will be their abode.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 107:

107    As to those who believe and work righteous deeds they have for their entertainment the Gardens of Paradise

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 85 Surah Buruj verse 11:

11      For those who believe and do righteous deeds will be Gardens Beneath which rivers flow: that is the Great Salvation

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 23:

23      Allah will admit those who believe and work righteous deeds to Gardens beneath which rivers flow: they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls; and their garments there will be of silk.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 56:

56      On that Day the Dominion will be that of Allah: He will judge between them: so those who believe and work righteous deeds will be in Gardens of Delight.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Mumin verse 40:

40      He that works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof: and he that works a righteous deed whether man or woman and is a believer such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): therein will they have abundance without measure.

 

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),   one can be assured of never ever being misled;   but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.  

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan