Surah Al Baqarah Tafseer

The Jews are the Enemies of Jibril

Allah said,

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُوْمِنِينَ

Say (O Muhammad):"Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission, confirming what came before it (i.e. the Tawrah and the Injil) and guidance and glad tidings for the believers.

Imam Abu Jafar bin Jarir At-Tabari said,

"The scholars of Tafsir agree that this Ayah (2:97-98) was revealed in response to the Jews who claimed that Jibril (Gabriel) is an enemy of the Jews and that Mikhail (Michael) is their friend."

Al-Bukhari said,

"Allah said,

مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ

(Whoever is an enemy of Jibril (let him die in his fury)).

Ikrimah said,

"Jibr, Mik and Israf all mean, worshipper, while il means, Allah."

Anas bin Malik said,

"When Abdullah bin Salam heard of the arrival of the Prophet in Al-Madinah, he was working on his land. He came to the Prophet and said, `I am going to ask you about three things which nobody knows except a Prophet.

What will be the first portent of the Hour?

What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise?

Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle?'

Allah's Messenger said, (Jibril has just told me the answers).

Abdullah said, `He (i.e. Jibril), among all the angels, is the enemy of the Jews.'

Allah's Messenger recited the Ayah,

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ

(Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart).

Allah's Messenger then said,

The first portent of the Hour will be a fire that will bring together the people from the east to the west;

the first meal of the people of Paradise will be the caudate lobe of the liver of fish.

As for the child resembling his parents:If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and his discharge is first, the child will resemble the father. If the woman has a discharge first, the child will resemble her side of the family.

On that Abdullah bin Salam said, `I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and you are the Messenger of Allah.'

Abdullah bin Salam further said, `O Allah's Messenger! The Jews are liars, and if they should come to know about my conversion to Islam before you ask them (about me), they will tell a lie about me.'

The Jews came to Allah's Messenger, and Abdullah went inside the house. Allah's Messenger asked (the Jews), `What kind of man is Abdullah bin Salam?'

They replied, `He is the best among us, the son of the best among us, our master and the son of our master.'

Allah's Messenger said, What do you think if he would embrace Islam?

The Jews said, `May Allah save him from it.'

Then Abdullah bin Salam came out in front of them saying, `I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'

Thereupon they said, `He is the evilest among us, and the son of the evilest among us.' And they continued talking badly about him.

Ibn Salam said, `This is what I feared, O Messenger of Allah!"'

Only Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith with this chain of narration.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this Hadith from Anas using another chain of narration.

Some people say that;

`il' means worshipper while whatever word that is added to it becomes Allah's Name, because `il' is a constant in such conjunction.

This is similar to the names Abdullah, Abdur-Rahman, Abdul-Malik, Abdul-Quddus, Abdus-Salam, Abdul-Kafi, Abdul-Jalil, and so forth.

Hence, `Abd' is constant in these compound names, while the remainder differs from name to name.

This is the same case with Jibril, Mikhail, Azra'il, Israfil, and so forth.

Allah knows best.

Choosing Some Angels to believe in over Others is Disbelief like choosing Some Prophets over Others

Allah commanded,

قُلْ

Say (O Muhammad):

مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ

Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission,

meaning, whoever becomes an enemy of Jibril, let him know that he is Ruh Al-Qudus who brought down the Glorious Dhikr (Qur'an) to your heart from Allah by His leave. Hence, he is a messenger from Allah. Whoever takes a messenger as an enemy, will have taken all the messengers as enemies.

Further, whoever believes in one messenger, is required to believe in all of the messengers. Whoever rejects one messenger, he has rejected all of the messengers.

Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُواْ بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيقُولُونَ نُوْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ

Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, "We believe in some but reject others." (4:150)

Allah decreed that they are disbelievers, because they believe in some Prophets and reject others. This is the same with those who take Jibril as an enemy, because Jibril did not choose missions on his own, but by the command of his Lord,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ

And we (angels) descend not except by the command of your Lord. (19:64)

and,

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الاٌّمِينُ

عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ

And truly, this (the Qur'an) is a revelation from the Lord of all that exists. Which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down. Upon your heart (O Muhammad) that you may be (one) of the warners. (26:192-194).

Al-Bukhari reported that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ بَارَزَنِي بِالْحَرْب

Allah said, `Whoever takes a friend of Mine as an enemy, will have started a war with Me.

Therefore, Allah became angry with those who took Jibril as an enemy. Allah said,

مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

(Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission, confirming what came before it) meaning, the previous Books,

وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُوْمِنِينَ

(and guidance and glad tidings for the believers) meaning, as guidance to their hearts and bringer of the good news of Paradise, which is exclusively for the believers.

Similarly, Allah said,

قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَأءٌ

Say:"It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing." (41:44)

and,

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَأءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُوْمِنِينَ

And We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe. (17:82)

Allah then said