Quran Garden

Session 384

Chapter 3

Verses 50 & 51

"And to confirm that which is before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of the things that were forbidden. I have brought you a sign from your Lord, so be mindful of God and obey me." (Chapter 3: Verse 50)

Prophet Jesus' new message of Christianity reemphasized the teachings of the Torah.  It was identical to the Torah in many aspects, which begs the question of whether there was even a need for his message.  More broadly, if the heavenly books confirm one another, what is the benefit of having more than one?

We answer that it is true that Jesus' message confirmed God's teachings to Moses and David, but it also introduced some changes, as evident in the second part of the verse: "and to make lawful for you some of the things that were forbidden." Thus, confirmation was not the only purpose. 

Second, heavenly books serve as reminders for those who strayed away from the previous messages.  And, third, new heavenly books bring provisions that are more suitable for the times.  Creed never changes, neither does historical narrations, but some of the rules governing people's movements in life do. 

             There is always wisdom behind what God allows and what He forbids, but His wisdom is not according to what you think.  Thus, we caution against assuming that everything God forbids is harmful.  He may prohibit things for other reasons, such as to discipline people.  A believer may live his or her life while never understanding the harm behind what God has forbidden.  If someone questions, "Why did God forbid that?" say, "It is the Lord's wisdom, not mine."  God says:

So, because of the wrongs committed by the Jews, We made unlawful for them many pure, wholesome things which had been lawful for them, and because of their barring many from God's way. (4:160)

And the details are explained in the followed verse:

We forbade for the Jews every animal with claws, and the fat of cattle and sheep, except what is on their backs and in their intestines, or that which sticks to their bones. This is how We penalized them for their disobedience: We are true to Our word. (6:146)

Jesus, son of Mary, was sent to the Children of Israel to bring them ease and mercy, unburden them from previous sins, and "to make lawful for you some of the things that were forbidden."

The verse ends with Jesus' words, "I have brought you a sign from your Lord, so be mindful of God and obey me." As a messenger and a human being, Jesus brought God's teachings to the Israelites who were mired in materialism and corruption.  Thus, Allah armed him with miracles to support His message.  Glory be to Him Who caused these marvels to occur on the hands of His servant!  Jesus, in turn, ordered his people to fear God and to follow his example in implementing God's commands, which brings us to the next verse in Al-Imran:

"Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path."

(Chapter 3: Verse 51)

Jesus said to the Israelites, "I did not bring the Gospel and perform miracles so I can rule over you.  You and I are equal in servitude to the Almighty God."  Jesus' words, "Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path," reemphasized to his people that he shared their humanity.  He, peace be upon him, had been delivering this message since he was an infant.  God says:

Mary pointed to him. They said, "How can we talk to one in the cradle, an infant boy?"  He said, "I am a servant of God. He has granted me the scripture, made me a prophet, and made me blessed wherever I may be.  He commanded me to pray and to give alms as long as I live." (19:29-34)

A straight path is the shortest distance between you and your goal.  There are no detours, distractions, or crookedness.  To stay on track, you have to be mindful of God at all times.  In other words, you must keep your eye on the prize. 

Our beloved Jesus wanted his people always to be mindful of God's teachings because they are the best guard against conflicts and desires. God's teachings are the short and straight path that leads directly to Him.  The further people go from the Lord, the more conflicts arise.  That is why Jesus advised, "Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him." This is the summit of all heavenly religions. 

God's teachings revolve around the commands of "do" and "do not do," but most people find that difficult.  Why? Because, on the surface, such orders limit your freedom.  The command "do" takes away from your free time and forces you to do something that you may otherwise choose not to do, and the command "do not do" prevents you from doing something you enjoy.  There is apparent hardship in both commands. 

Thus, religion is a hardship and an assault on personal freedom, right? Not exactly.  Sadly, most people look at religion as rituals, and they lose sight of the actual goal.  When you take your eye off the prize, you fail to appreciate God's teachings.  In such cases, it becomes easy for anyone to tempt you away from the path. 

Let's look at a student who gets up early every morning to go to school, then comes home and spends hours studying before going to bed again.  That is a hard life with very few hours of freedom, right?  Before giving this hasty judgment, we should ask, what is the goal of this student?  It is to graduate with a respectable degree, enter a good profession, and live comfortably, enjoying decades of financial freedom.  Now let's analyze the student's behavior based on this defined goal.  Does waking up early in the morning bring him closer to his destination or away from it? How about studying for hours every day? Every action that brings him closer to becoming a highly paid professional is good, while activities like watching TV for hours or sleeping till noon are not. 

This brings us back to religion.  Your goal is to live in God's company, enjoying the eternal pleasures of paradise, right?  Now, every action you take can be evaluated through the prism of this goal.  If the action brings you closer, then it is good; likewise, every step that takes you away from your goal is a waste.  By allowing you to reach your destination, religion is not a burden; it is eternal freedom.    

Unfortunately, people often have different goals.  They want money, fame, and instant gratification.  Many chase after partners of the opposite sex and maximize pleasure through eating and drinking.  For people with such goals, religion is a burden as it distracts them from their desires, so they often abandon it altogether.  As long as people chase after goals different from the one Allah set for them, there will be turmoil and conflict in life.  God says:

The life of this world is merely an amusement and a diversion; the true life is in the Hereafter, if only they knew. (29:64)

If your true goal is to be in God's company in paradise, then you should use that lens to evaluate all of life's events, even death.  Should we grieve when a loved one dies?  Yes, we are sad because we feel lonely and miss their company, but we are also happy because they moved closer to the ultimate goal.  Genuine grief should only be over the person who wasted their life and missed the target altogether.