Chapter 2: Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow), verses 78-82


Translation:

There are illiterate men among them who, ignorant of the Scriptures, know of nothing except lies and vague fancies. Woe to those that write the Scriptures with their own hands and then declare: ‘This is from God,’ in order to gain some paltry end. Woeful shall be their fate, because of what their hands have written, because of that which they have gained!’ They declare: ‘The fire shall never touch us—except for a few days.’ Say: ‘Did God make you such a promise—or do you assert about Him what you have no means of knowing?’ Truly, those that commit evil and become engrossed in sin are the heirs of Hell; in it they shall remain for ever. But those that have faith and do good works are the heirs of Paradise; for ever they shall abide in it.

Tafsir (Commentary):

The Arabic word for “vague fancies” is “Amani.” According to Ibn Abbas, Fara’ and Mujahid—among the most reliable of Quranic commentators—the word refers to those mythical tales, invented by Jewish scholars, which were designed to be as outwardly attractive as possible for popular effect. The overall aim of these stories was to prove that the fire of hell was for others—not for Jews. Added to this, statements in support of the theory that the Jews were God’s “chosen people” were attributed to venerated Jewish saints. It was made out that certain magical properties were inherent in their religion, ensuring salvation by virtue of mere adherence to the run-of-the-mill rites of Judaism.

Such recipes for cheap salvation are very attractive to the masses, for they give credence to the popular notion that there is no need to discipline oneself—no need to lead a responsible life; superstitious charms and magical remedies are enough to cure one’s spiritual ills and get one into heaven. The scholars who taught these tales became highly regarded; for the theories they expounded were designed to win popular support. Facilitation of eternal salvation became for them a lucrative source of worldly income. People flocked to their support. They were showered with offerings, for they ushered others along the path to a paradise that did not have to be earned; in return they received worldly wealth that they did not have to labour for.

This has always been a failing in people who want to live in a dream world, who think that they have no obligations save the perfunctory empty performance of certain rituals, who delude themselves into believing that they have certain inalienable rights before God. Such people cannot accept the call of true religion, for truth demolishes all their wishful thinking, and makes them face the stark realities of life.