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1. From here the Jews are reminded of the breech of covenant they had been guilty of so that they become fully aware of the attitude they had adopted towards a covenant they were so proud of. 2. This refers to the initial covenant which was made with the Israelites regarding monotheism and discharging of duties. The words ‘لاَ تَعْبُدُونَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ’ have come right after referring to this covenant in direct speech much like way we say: ‘I have told you: you will not do this’. 3. Showing kindness to someone is not different from fulfilling one’s obligations to someone. It means that one should fulfill these obligations towards others in a very befitting manner. 4. After mentioning the obligation towards God, a mention of the obligation towards the parents shows that after God one’s greatest obligation is towards one’s parents. 5. A mention of orphans and the destitute right after a mention of the parents and kinsfolk show their importance in an Islamic society 6. These words are synonymous to (2 :262-3)  ‘قَوْلٌ مَعْرُوْفٌ وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ’,  (4 : 5 ‘ 8‘9)‘مَيْسُوْرَا  وَ قُوْلُوالَهُمْ قَوْلاَ’  (17 :28 )‘وَلْيَقُوْلُوا قَوْلاَ سَدِيْدَا’. The implied meaning is that besides fulfilling one’s obligations towards people, one should also be conscious of their self-respect. So whatever is said to them should be said in a decent and cultured way. They should not be scolded or ill-spoken to. If a person cannot talk decently to people to whom he owes obligations, then he has actually disobeyed the directive of showing kindness to them. 7. The implication is that this is not a sin which was committed by them accidentally: this was their constant attitude. 8. From here begins a mention of another covenant. 9. ie when this covenant was pledged a whole group of their forefathers was present with the Prophet Moses (sws). It is evident from the Torah that it was the way of the Prophet Moses (sws) that he would inform the Israelites of the directives of God in public and then take a pledge from the whole group to follow these directives. 10. It is evident from history that they would first conspire and have someone attack their brethren. When these brethren as prisoners in the hands of the enemy would come to them for help, they would have them set free as a show of kindness and sympathy for their brethren. 11. ie they gave preference to this world in relation to the Hereafter. This is a common style in most languages to connote preference. 12. The actual Qur’anic word used is ‘الرُسُل’. This word connotes a position higher than the position of Nabuwwah and it is also used as a general word to connote the messengers of the Almighty. It is in this second connotation that the word is used for archangel Gabriel. It is known that in its first connotation, for the Israelites it was solely used for Moses (sws) and after him for Jesus (sws). Consequently, it is certain that here this word is used in its second connotation signifying the Prophets that came to the Israelites. 13. The implication is that the Almighty sent Prophets towards the Israelites in succession to remind them of the covenant mentioned before. 14. The reason that the help of Gabriel for the Prophet Jesus (sws) is mentioned in various places in the Qur’an is that the Jews because of their wretchedness believed that the various miracles which emanated from the hands of Jesus (sws) were because of the help provided by Beelzebub the king of evil spirits: Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. (Matthew 12: 22-29) 15. In ancient scriptures the term ‘الرُوْحُ القُدُس’ refers to Gabriel. 16. The actual Qur’anic words are: ‘وَفَرِيقاً تَقْتُلُونَ’ It is evident from the clause to which they are co-ordinated that before these words too there is an elision of an incomplete verb (الفعل الناقص). 17. This declaration on their part means that their hearts are closed to the calls of the Messenger because these calls are so foolish that they cannot take roots in the heart of a sensible person. Had there been any sense in them, they would have been the first to accept them. 18. The implication is that what the Prophet (sws) is presenting before them are certainly not what they acclaim; he is presenting something very sensible but because of their own stubbornness and obduracy they have been deprived of the ability to accept them. So they are now indulging in disbelief and as a punishment for this, the Almighty has sent His curse on them. 19. ie the Qur’an. 20. On the basis of the predictions of the advent of Muhammad (sws) and of the revelation of the Qur’an which were with the Jews, they were hopeful that whenever these would arrive, their wretched days would end and they would be able to humble their enemies. It was with this reference that they would pray for victory. 21. The implication is that they persisted in their stubbornness and did not care that this attitude would lead them to Hell. In other words, this stubbornness became so dear to them that they preferred it to their own selves. 22. The actual Qur’anic words used are: ‘بَغْياً أَن يُنَزِّلُ اللّهُ’. Before the word ‘أَن’ there is an elision of the particle ‘عَلَى’ as per linguistic principles. That is their stubbornness was because of the fact that the Qur’an had been sent to the Ismaelites and to a Prophet belonging to them. 23. The expression ‘wrath upon wrath’ refers to the fact that first when they had broken the covenant with God they had pledged through the Prophet Moses (sws) they had already earned the wrath of God, but now after the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (sws) when they once again had a chance to revive this covenant they never made use of this chance and hence became worthy of further wrath. 24. ie they are not convinced of believing in any other book after the Torah. 25. ie as per the predictions of the Torah, it is now only the Qur’an which is the true scripture from God. 26. The actual Qur’anic words used are: ‘وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ’. Since the greatest ‘ظُلْم’ (injustice) according to the Qur’an is ‘شِرك’ (polytheism), the words ‘وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ’ actually mean ‘َأَنتُمْ مُشْرِكُوْن ’. The Israelites, in other words, are reprimanded that if they think that they are true in their belief in the Torah then why did they perpetrate this injustice by worshipping the calf in the very lifetime of the Prophet Moses (sws). The earlier Prophets while referring to this shameful infidelity of the Israelites have gone as far as to say: ‘O Israel, you are the one who committed infidelity the very first night’. 27. ie if only the Jews are entitled to the favours of the Hereafter. 28. Here the Qur’an has put the Jews to shame that if they think that they only will succeed in the Hereafter then they should desire to meet their Lord; however, they very well know themselves how greedy they are for the life of this world. This fact of course is very harsh and is instrumental in humiliating them in their own eyes. 29. ie the Idolaters of Arabia who the Jews considered very lowly since for a long time they never received any divine guidance. Here the Qur’an has made it amply clear that in spite of making tall claims of religiosity and piety they are morally inferior even to the Idolaters. 30. Here the implied meaning is that if He is watching them then He will definitely punish them for their crimes. 31. These suppressed words are but a requisite of the style that has been adopted in the apodosis. 32. The Jews in their foolishness had gone as far as to become the enemy of Gabriel merely because he had revealed the message of God to Muhammad (sws) and not to someone among them. 33. By presenting these details about the Qur’an, the intention is to tell them that their opposition to it is not merely an opposition to the Qur’an but in fact opposition to the Torah according to whose predictions the Qur’an was revealed. Also, it is not merely an opposition to a book but an opposition to guidance and glad tidings which the Almighty sent them. 34. Gabriel and Micheal are mentioned after referring to other angels just as the specific is mentioned after the general. It is evident from this mention that these two angels hold special status before the Almighty. 35. It is evident from this that opposing Gabriel is not merely opposing him; it is opposing the Almighty, all the angels and all the prophets. Also evident is the fact that opposing the Almighty, His angels and His prophets is a disgraceful form of disbelief and the result of such opposition is that the Almighty is also an enemy of such disbelievers. Obviously, there is no further need to say that those who make Allah as their enemy are the worthless of all. The concise and succinct manner of the Qur’an has thus made it possible to drive the point home without giving the Jews a chance to reject what it has said. 36. After mentioning the evasion and indifference of the Jews to the covenant that they had made with the Almighty regarding His final Book and His last prophet, this is an expression of amazement at their attitude viz: Will they always persist on their evasion?