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Draft:Verse 27 of Surah Al-Baqarah

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Verse 27 of Surah Al-Baqarah
Verse's Information
Suraal-Baqara (Qur'an 2)
Verse27
Juz'1
Content Information
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicEthical
AboutCharacteristics of the Transgressors (Fasiqun)
Related VersesQur'an 13:25


Qur'an 2:27 outlines three defining characteristics of the transgressors (Fasiqun): violating the covenant of God, severing divine ties, and spreading corruption on earth. Abdullah Jawadi Amuli, a prominent Qur'anic exegete, interprets the "Divine Covenant" as religion itself, asserting that God has established this pact through both reason and revelation. The majority of exegetes understand "severing ties" in this verse to refer specifically to the severing of kinship ties. Furthermore, Qur'anic manifestations of "corruption on earth" (fasad fi al-ard) are identified as disbelief, fraud in trade, and activities that undermine the Islamic system.

Introduction and Text

Qur'an 2:27 elaborates on the nature of the "Transgressors" (Fasiqun) mentioned at the end of the preceding verse. It is widely held that this verse categorizes transgressors based on three specific attributes: breaking the covenant, severing what God has commanded to be joined, and spreading corruption on earth.[1]

Muhammad Jawad Balaghi asserts that the "transgressors" referenced in the previous verse are the disbelievers and hypocrites.[2] According to Sayyid Mustafa Khomeini, the term Fasiq (in its uninflected form) is a Qur'anic designation for one who departs from the sphere of servitude to God through disbelief and atheism. This usage is distinct from its jurisprudential or colloquial application, which may simply denote a sinful believer.[3]

Interpretation of the Divine Covenant

Abdullah Jawadi Amuli interprets the "Divine Covenant" as religion itself, established by God through the dual faculties of reason and revelation.[4] From the perspective of Nasir Makarem Shirazi, transgressors violate all divine covenants—such as the covenant of Monotheism and the pledge to abstain from following Satan or the carnal soul. Rather, they choose instead to pursue their own desires and follow Satan.[5] In his seminal work Majma' al-bayan, al-Tabrisi enumerates four distinct interpretations from exegetes regarding the meaning of "God's Covenant" (ahd Allah) and what constitutes its violation:

  1. The innate and rational proofs for Tawhid, Divine Justice, and the truthfulness of God's messengers. According to this view, breaking the covenant entails a failure to acknowledge these fundamental proofs.
  2. The divine commands and prohibitions conveyed to humanity through the Prophets (a). Here, breaking the covenant signifies a failure to adhere to divine instructions.
  3. The scriptures of the Torah and the Gospel, which obligated the People of the Book to believe in Prophet Muhammad (s). In this theory, denying the prophethood of the Prophet of Islam (s) and concealing his description constitutes a breach of the divine covenant.
  4. The primordial covenant God took from the children of Adam (a) in the World of Al-Dharr (the world of pre-existence). Al-Tabrisi regards this view as weak, arguing that since servants possess no memory or recognition of this covenant, it cannot serve as a basis for legal or theological accountability.[6]

Severing Divine Ties

The majority of exegetes interpret the "severing of ties" mentioned in Qur'an 2:27 as a reference to the severing of kinship ties.[7] Nasir Makarem Shirazi broadens this interpretation by arguing that the verse encompasses all connections God has commanded to be maintained, including the bond with God, divine leaders, relatives, and society.[8]

In certain Shi'a narrations, severing kinship ties is identified as a factor that deprives both the individual and society of God's grace and mercy.[9] According to a tradition attributed to Prophet Muhammad (s), one who severs kinship ties will be denied entry into Paradise.[10] In a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (a) quoting Imam al-Baqir (a), his father, Imam al-Sajjad (a), warned him against befriending, conversing with, or traveling with five specific groups, one of which includes those who sever kinship ties. He cited their being cursed in three places in the Qur'an, including this very verse, as the reason for this prohibition.[11] Another hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a) links the breach of covenant to the rejection of the succession of Imam Ali (a) and interprets "severing ties" as cutting off connections with the Imams (a).[12]

Concept of Corruption on Earth

Abdullah Jawadi Amuli, referencing Qur'an 7:56, asserts that religion is the primary means for reforming the earth. Consequently, he categorizes those who oppose true belief, ethical conduct, and righteous deeds as spreaders of corruption (mufsid).[13] Drawing upon other verses, he identifies Qur'anic examples of corruption on earth, such as disbelief, fraud in trade, and activities directed against the Islamic system.[14]

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi outlines three theories regarding the interpretation of "corruption on earth": inviting others to disbelief, highway robbery (rendering roads unsafe), and committing any sin that inflicts harm upon others.[15] According to a hadith from Imam al-Baqir (a), the "corruptors on earth" are those who harbor enmity toward leaders whose Imamate has been mandated by God, while simultaneously adhering to the leadership of those whom God has commanded to be opposed.[16]

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 1, p. 153.
  2. ↑ Balāghī, Ālāʾ al-Raḥmān, 1420 AH, vol. 1, p. 79.
  3. ↑ Khumaynī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-karīm, 1418 AH, vol. 5, p. 15.
  4. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i tasnīm, 1379 Sh, vol. 2, p. 544.
  5. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 1, p. 153.
  6. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 169-170.
  7. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 1, p. 154.
  8. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 154-155.
  9. ↑ Nūrī, Mustadrak al-wasāʾil, 1408 AH, vol. 15, p. 184.
  10. ↑ Al-Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, al-Khiṣāl, 1362 Sh, vol. 1, p. 179.
  11. ↑ Al-Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, 1407 AH, vol. 2, pp. 376-377.
  12. ↑ Al-Baḥrānī, al-Burhān, 1416 AH, vol. 1, p. 158.
  13. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i tasnīm, 1379 Sh, vol. 2, p. 566.
  14. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i tasnīm, 1379 Sh, vol. 2, p. 566.
  15. ↑ Al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 1, p. 121.
  16. ↑ Al-Baḥrānī, al-Burhān, 1416 AH, vol. 1, p. 159.

References

  • Al-Baḥrānī, Sayyid Hāshim. al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran: Bi'that Foundation, 1416 AH.
  • Balāghī Najafī, Muḥammad Jawād. Ālāʾ al-Raḥmān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom: Bi'that Foundation, 1420 AH.
  • Jawādī Āmulī, ʿAbd Allāh. Tafsīr-i tasnīm. Edited by Ali Islami. Qom: Isra' Publications, 1379 Sh.
  • Khumaynī, Sayyid Muṣṭafā. Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-karīm. Institute for the Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works, 1418 AH.
  • Al-Kulaynī, Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb. al-Kāfī. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1407 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, 1374 Sh.
  • Nūrī, Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad Taqī. Mustadrak al-wasāʾil. Qom: Al al-Bayt Institute, 1408 AH.
  • Al-Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī. al-Khiṣāl. Edited by Ali Akbar Ghaffari. Qom: Jami'a Mudarrisin, 1362 Sh.
  • Al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan. al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
  • Al-Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran: Nasir Khosrow Publications, 1372 Sh.
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