TRANSLATION
O People of Faith, do not attempt to perform prayer if you are under the influence of an intoxicant. Wait until you are aware of what you are saying; similarly, wait until you bathe if you are under obligation to bathe after sexual intimacy, unless you are traveling. If you are sick or on a journey, have satisfied a call of nature, or have had sexual intimacy and you cannot find water, then resort to Tayammum [instead of bathing (ghusl) and/or ablution (wudu)] by pure dust, and wipe your face and hands. God is always Pardoning and Forgiving!249
Have you seen those who were given their portion of the revelations? They barter for errors instead and desire that you also lose your way. God knows best who your adversaries are. God is sufficient as a Friend and as a Helper. There are those among the Jews who distort the meaning [and context] of words from their true meaning and say [as it were], “We hear but we disobey” or “We hear but are not moved by it” or “Lean toward us [Prophet Mohammad],” and so on by distorting meaning with their tongue twists and implying the guidance [as revealed in the Qur’an] as false. But if they had said instead, “He has heard, and we pay attention” or “Hear us, and have patience with us,”—that would have been better for them and closer to being truthful and righteous. God disapproves of their lack of faith and denial of truth. They believe but only a little.250
O People of the Book, believe in what has been revealed [in the Qur’an], which verifies what you already possess [the Torah and the Bible] before We fail your hopes and desires, bring an end to such [maneuvers] or reject in a manner similar to Sabbath-breakers. Know that God’s will is always done. God forgives not any assignment or assumption of divinity, but He forgives anyone or anything besides that as He pleases. Whoever assigns divinity to anyone other than God has conceived a grave transgression. Have you not seen those who claim purity for themselves, but it is God Who purifies whomever He pleases. None will be treated unjustly even a little! See how they bring false conjectures about God—these are sufficient as manifest transgressions!251
INTERPRETATION
249. These verses highlight two prerequisites for performing ritual prayer: (1) to be in a sound state of mind and not under any influence of intoxicant or drug that alters the state of mind and consciousness and (2) to be in a state of purity after ablution (wudu) as normally required or bathe (gusl) as required after sexual intimacy. At the same time, an alternative option is provided when water or the facility for ablution may not be available, such as being on a journey or when someone might be sick and doing ablution might be difficult; one can use pure soil or dust to wipe one’s face and hands to perform the equivalent of ablution or bath or both. Time and again, the Qur’an amplifies the physical and spiritual duality of our existence and provides ease of mechanism to fulfill such requirements or prerequisites. We need to be physically pure and mentally sound to perform our prayers and converse with God during our prayers.
250. Attention is being drawn to some of the followers of the Book, regarding their repeated attempts to disqualify the Prophet and to bring about doubt toward the revelations of the Qur’an, while they themselves had benefited from such revelations and had been witnesses to God and their prophets. Muslims have been asked to vouch for all previous revelations, to respect all prophets, to comprehend the Qur’an with genuine interest and sincerity, and to find common guidance in all revealed scriptures. It should be noted that some Muslims in our contemporary times also behave in a manner similar to what the Qur’an describes in some of the People of the Book; these people misinterpret the Qur’an to perpetuate their narrow and erroneous views and make a blanket judgment about people of other faiths, especially Jews and Christians, not to mention such judgment sometimes being rendered within the faith, such as the Shia-Sunni divide and conflicts.
251. Monotheism, as practiced by Prophet Abraham and all prophets throughout the ages, starting from Adam and ending with Mohammad, is the cornerstone of Islamic faith and faiths preached by Moses and Jesus. Islam takes a strong stance on monotheism. Any form of partnership with God or any claim of divinity to anything or by anyone is considered a major transgression or an offense against God. This is a major source of theological disagreement between Muslims and Christians (and other religions) where a prophet (such as Jesus) or a religious head (such as Buddha or Krishna) are considered some form of godhead. Differing views and ideologies are an acceptable outcome, given our God-given endowment of knowledge and free will. But deliberate attempts to distort the truth about our existence, especially failure to acknowledge God alone as the Creator is declared an unacceptable position to take and will be considered a manifest proof of human transgression against God. This is tantamount to denial of God or perhaps worse!
REFLECTION
Purity in faith by accepting monotheism and no partnership with God, purity in body and mind while performing prayer, and purity of revelations as in the Qur’an, the Bible, the Torah, and other books of antiquity are all prerequisites for one to achieve true faith in God and in God’s guidance. We should reflect on such a consonant and compelling call to God. People of all faiths should come to accept such concepts, adhere to such unified guidance, and respect each other to bring about peace and prosperity for all.
ACTION
Accepting truth in all books of revelations and finding mutual common ground is a call to Muslims and to people of other faiths (especially to Jews and Christians). Each one of us needs to champion such togetherness in all our interactions in our communities.
Key Arabic Terms
81. Tayammam: Mode of ablution when water is absent or inaccessible
82. Sa’idan Taiyyiban: Pure ground