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Qur'an 2:189

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Qur'an 2:189
Verse's Information
SuraSura al-Baqara (Qur'an 2)
Verse189
Juz'2
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Question asked from Prophet Muhammad (s) regarding the wisdom of the crescent moon
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicExplaining the wisdom of the crescent moon, negation of superstitions of the Age of Ignorance
Related VersesQuran 10:5, Quran 17:12


Qur'an 2:189, known as al-Ahilla Verse (Arabic: آية الأهلة) explains the philosophy of the existence of the crescent moon in the regulation of the calendar and religious rulings such as hajj and fasting. Additionally, while inviting people to God-wariness, this verse rejects the superstitious beliefs of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyya), such as entering houses from the back during the state of Ihram, and identifies righteousness in piety.

In hadiths, the reference to "entering from the door" in this verse is interpreted as a symbol of attending to the Ahl al-Bayt (a) as the path of guidance. In philosophical, social, and ethical commentaries (exegeses) of this verse, the connection between nature and Shari'a, as well as the importance of ethical principles, have been highlighted.

Role of the Crescent Moon in Determining Religious Times

Verse 189 of Sura al-Baqara, which has been named the al-Ahilla Verse,[1] refers to a jurisprudential and social issue and answers a question asked from Prophet Muhammad (s) regarding the reason for the existence of the crescent moon. It is stated that based on this verse, the philosophy of the existence of the crescent moon is timekeeping for people and determining the days of Hajj.[2]

According to Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, the al-Ahilla Verse introduces the crescent moon as a means for regulating religious affairs.[3] Shi'a jurists have relied on this verse in related jurisprudential discussions such as Moon Sighting,[4] determining the boundaries of the Lunar year,[5] and the month.[6] Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli, a Shi'a exegete, considers this verse to be similar in content to Qur'an 10:5 and Qur'an 17:12, which refer to the function of lunar changes in calculating days.[7]

After explaining the wisdom of the changes in the crescent moon for regulating religious affairs, the verse invites Muslims to avoid superstitions and baseless actions and to strengthen rational behaviors based on God-wariness.[8]

Authority of Ahl al-Bayt (a) in Religious Matters

Verse 189 of Sura al-Baqara is one of the fifteen verses of the Qur'an that begins with the phrase yasʾalūnaka ("They ask you"). The repetition of this expression in the Qur'an is considered a proof of the authority of the Prophet (s) to answer questions and his welcoming of this task.[9]

In Shi'a narrations concerning this verse, it is stated that "entering houses from their doors" in this verse refers to the Ahl al-Bayt (a). Ali b. Ibrahim al-Qummi, a Shi'a hadith scholar and exegete of the 3rd/9th century, referring to the Hadith Madinat al-Ilm, considers the intention of "door" in the verse to be Imam Ali (a).[10] Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Saffar (d. 290/902-3) also narrated a hadith from Imam al-Baqir (a), according to which the Prophet (s) and his family (Al) are the doors through which one must enter to move toward God.[11] Based on a report from Tafsir Furat al-Kufi (by Furat b. Ibrahim al-Kufi, d. 352/963), the Prophet (s) introduced himself as Bab Allah (Gate of God) and Ali (a) as his own door, stating that if anyone goes through another path, they will not reach the destination.[12] This verse has also been cited to prove the validity of the words of the Infallibles (a).[13]

Exegetical Approaches

Shi'a exegetes have employed various methods in interpreting this verse. In al-Mizan fi tafsir al-Qur'an, Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i adopted a philosophical approach, considering this verse as an expression of the connection between nature and Shari'a. He stated that the changes in the crescent moon are a manifestation of the divine order in nature which helps regulate religious and social affairs.[14] Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, among contemporary Shi'a exegetes, approached the verse with a social perspective, regarding it as an indication of reforming the traditions of the Age of Ignorance and replacing them with logical and ethical principles. According to them, the Qur'an teaches the Islamic society in this verse that beneficence depends on ethical and logical behaviors, not on baseless outward actions.[15] Furthermore, Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli and Muhsin Qara'ati, with an ethical approach to the verse, have clarified that God-wariness is introduced as the pivot of righteousness in this verse, and entering from the doors of the house is symbolically indicative of observing ethical principles and avoiding illogical shortcuts in life.[16]

Occasion of Revelation

Based on exegetical narrations, several occasions of revelation have been stated for Verse 189 of Sura al-Baqara:

  • According to a narration by al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi (d. 548/1153-54), this verse was revealed in response to a question by Jews regarding the philosophy and purpose of the creation of the crescent moon. They asked Prophet Muhammad (s) about the reason for the change in the crescent moon, and God defined the purpose of the crescent moon by revealing this verse.[17] Al-Fakhr al-Razi (d. 606/1209-10), a Sunni exegete, considered the question to be related to two of the Ansar, named Mu'adh b. Jabal and Tha'laba b. Ghanam, from the Companions of the Prophet (s).[18]
  • Based on the report of Tafsir-i Nimuna, in the Age of Ignorance, some believed that entering houses through doors during the state of Ihram was among the prohibitions of Ihram and must be abandoned. The Qur'an rejected this belief, emphasizing that goodness lies in God-wariness, not in following superstitious customs, and commanded them to enter houses through the ordinary way.[19]
  • According to another report, in the Age of Ignorance prior to Islam, if someone failed in a task, they would enter their house from the back instead of the door and would continue this habit for a year. God forbade such superstitious behavior in this verse and emphasized that righteousness lies in piety and reliance on God, not in following such baseless beliefs.[20]

See Also

Notes

  1. ↑ Hāshimī Shāhrūdī, Farhang-i fiqh, vol. 1, p. 183.
  2. ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, vol. 1, p. 297.
  3. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, vol. 2, p. 56.
  4. ↑ See: Sharīf al-Murtaḍā, Rasāʾil al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā, vol. 1, p. 158; Ḥillī, Mukhtalaf al-Shīʿa, vol. 3, p. 497 al-.
  5. ↑ See: Ṭūsī, Al-Mabsūṭ, vol. 3, p. 254 al-.
  6. ↑ See: Ṭūsī, Al-Khilāf, vol. 5, p. 60 al-.
  7. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i tasnīm, vol. 9, pp. 536-537.
  8. ↑ Researchers, Mawsūʿat al-fiqh al-Islāmī, vol. 3, pp. 339-340.
  9. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 2, pp. 13-14.
  10. ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, vol. 1, p. 68 al-.
  11. ↑ Ṣaffār, Baṣāʾir al-darajāt, vol. 1, p. 499 al-.
  12. ↑ Kūfī, Tafsīr Furāt al-Kūfī, pp. 63-64.
  13. ↑ Burūjirdī, Manābiʿ fiqh Shīʿa, vol. 1, p. 420.
  14. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, vol. 2, p. 56.
  15. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i tasnīm, vol. 9, pp. 546-547; Hāshimī Rafsanjānī, Tafsīr-i rāhnamā, vol. 1, pp. 477-478.
  16. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i tasnīm, vol. 9, pp. 549-550; Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, vol. 1, p. 299.
  17. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 2, p. 508 al-.
  18. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, Al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 5, p. 281.
  19. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 2, p. 12.
  20. ↑ Ibn Kaysān, Tafsīr Abī Bakr al-Aṣamm, p. 120.

References

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