Do Not Befriend Hypocrites (3:118 – 3:120)

Do Not Befriend Hypocrites

[3:119] Here you are loving them, while they do not love you, and you believe in all the scripture. When they meet you they say, “We believe,” but as soon as they leave, they bite their fingers out of rage towards you. Say, “Die in your rage.” GOD is fully aware of the innermost thoughts.

How can a righteous person say “die in your rage”?
The disbelievers are angry people and have rage and they will die with their anger still inside them.

Violence & Belligerence: Signs of Disbelief

[22:72] When our revelations are recited to them, clearly, you recognize wickedness on the faces of those who disbelieve. They almost attack those who recite our revelations to them. Say, “Shall I inform you of something much worse? Hell is promised by GOD for those who disbelieve; what a miserable destiny.” 

Chapter 109 – The Disbelievers
[109:0] In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
[109:1] Say, “O you disbelievers. [109:2] “I do not worship what you worship.
[109:3] “Nor do you worship what I worship.
[109:4] “Nor will I ever worship what you worship.
[109:5] “Nor will you ever worship what I worship.
[109:6] “To you is your religion, and to me is my religion.”

These are people that if given the opportunity to inflict harm to the believers they would. God is letting us know that to these people it does not do them or us any good loving them. We can’t be wishy-washy on morality.

Moral Argument

These verses are good for believers to look into to make sure we do not harbor these kinds of feelings. Do we have hatred flowing out of our mouths? Do we rejoice in their misery?

Proverbs 24:15 – 18:
15. Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the home of the righteous; do no violence to the place where the righteous live; 16. for though they fall seven times, they will rise again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. 17. Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble, 18. or else the Lord will see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from them.

Righteous Jews & Christians & Advocating Righteousness and Forbidding Evil (3:113 – 3:117)

Righteous Jews & Christians

[3:114] They believe in GOD and the Last Day, they advocate righteousness and forbid evil, and they hasten to do righteous works. These are the righteous.
[3:115] Any good they do will not go unrewarded. GOD is fully aware of the righteous.
[3:116] Those who disbelieved can never be helped by their money or their children against GOD. They have incurred Hell, wherein they abide forever.
[3:117] The example of their accomplishments in this life is like a violent wind that hits the harvest of people who have wronged their souls, and wipes it out. GOD never wronged them; it is they who wronged themselves.

How do we advocate righteous and forbid evil?
We do this by leading a good example, making our stance be known, and reminding others. We can exhort and enjoin, but we can’t force people to be righteous.

What does enjoin mean?
Enjoin: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority

No Compulsion in Religion


[2:44] Do you exhort the people to be righteous, while forgetting yourselves, though you read the scripture? Do you not understand?

[7:145] We wrote for him on the tablets all kinds of enlightenments and details of everything: “You shall uphold these teachings strongly, and exhort your people to uphold them – these are the best teachings. I will point out for you the fate of the wicked.” 

[8:1] They consult you about the spoils of war. Say, “The spoils of war belong to GOD and the messenger.” You shall observe GOD, exhort one another to be righteous, and obey GOD and His messenger, if you are believers. 

[90:17] And being one of those who believe, and exhorting one another to be steadfast, and exhorting one another to be kind.


[5:63] If only the rabbis and the priests enjoin them from their sinful utterances and illicit earnings! Miserable indeed is what they commit. 

[5:79] They did not enjoin one another from committing evil. Miserable indeed is what they did.

Interesting that enjoin and exhort can be used for righteousness or evil.

[15:70] They said, “Did we not enjoin you from contacting anyone?”


God also tells us not to cooperate in matters that are sinful:

[5:2] O you who believe, do not violate the rites instituted by GOD, nor the Sacred Months, nor the animals to be offered, nor the garlands marking them, nor the people who head for the Sacred Shrine (Ka`bah) seeking blessings from their Lord and approval. Once you complete the pilgrimage, you may hunt.* Do not be provoked into aggression by your hatred of people who once prevented you from going to the Sacred Masjid. You shall cooperate in matters of righteousness and piety; do not cooperate in matters that are sinful and evil. You shall observe GOD. GOD is strict in enforcing retribution.

Anyone who commits a sin receives a portion

[4:85] Whoever mediates a good deed receives a share of the credit thereof, and whoever mediates an evil work, incurs a share thereof. GOD controls all things.

God uses the best psychology to promote righteousness. An example of this is with God’s prohibition of alcohol. In one verse God says to not do your Contact Prayer when you are intoxicated, but ultimately intoxicants are prohibited. This allows the person who may have a dependence on alcohol a way to stop their drinking habit in stages.

What Nullifies Ablution

[4:43] O you who believe, do not observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) while intoxicated, so that you know what you are saying. Nor after sexual orgasm without bathing, unless you are on the road, traveling; if you are ill or traveling, or you had urinary or fecal-related excretion (such as gas), or contacted the women (sexually), and you cannot find water, you shall observe Tayammum (dry ablution) by touching clean dry soil, then wiping your faces and hands therewith. GOD is Pardoner, Forgiver.

Intoxicants and Gambling Prohibited

[5:91] The devil wants to provoke animosity and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to distract you from remembering GOD, and from observing the Contact Prayers (Salat). Will you then refrain?

Believers Set the Example


God Does Not Wish Any Hardship For The People (3:106 – 3:109)

[3:106] The day will come when some faces will be brightened (with joy), while other faces will be darkened (with misery). As for those whose faces are darkened, they will be asked, “Did you not disbelieve after believing? Therefore, suffer the retribution for your disbelief.”
[3:107] As for those whose faces are brightened, they will rejoice in GOD’s mercy; they abide therein forever.
[3:108] These are GOD’s revelations; we recite them to you, truthfully. GOD does not wish any hardship for the people.
[3:109] To GOD belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth, and all matters are controlled by GOD.

What does it mean that God does not “wish” any hardship for the people? 
[4:27] GOD wishes to redeem you, while those who pursue their lusts wish that you deviate a great deviation.
[4:28] GOD wishes to lighten your burden, for the human being is created weak.


[33:33] You shall settle down in your homes, and do not mingle with the people excessively, like you used to do in the old days of ignorance. You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and obey GOD and His messenger. GOD wishes to remove all unholiness from you, O you who live around the Sacred Shrine, and to purify you completely.

God wishes that all people are believers and redeemed back into His kingdom, and God’s system is that we have to make the choice ourselves.

God is the Doer of Everything*

[4:78] Wherever you are, death will catch up with you, even if you live in formidable castles. When something good happens to them, they say, “This is from GOD,” and when something bad afflicts them, they blame you. Say, “Everything comes from GOD.” Why do these people misunderstand almost everything?

Nothing Bad Comes From God

[4:79] Anything good that happens to you is from GOD, and anything bad that happens to you is from you. We have sent you as a messenger to the people,* and GOD suffices as witness. 


Does God allow hardship on people for their good? 

Blessings in Disguise

[7:94] Whenever we sent a prophet to any community, we afflicted its people with adversity and hardship, that they may implore.
[7:95] Then we substituted peace and prosperity in place of that hardship. But alas, they turned heedless and said, “It was our parents who experienced that hardship before prosperity.” Consequently, we punished them suddenly when they least expected.

[3:140] If you suffer hardship, the enemy also suffers the same hardship. We alternate the days of victory and defeat among the people. GOD thus distinguishes the true believers, and blesses some of you with martyrdom. GOD dislikes injustice.

[3:162] Is one who pursues GOD’s pleasure the same as one who incurs wrath from GOD and his destiny is Hell, the most miserable abode?


The Believers are United (3:103 – 3:105)

Believers are United



[3:105] Do not be like those who became divided and disputed, despite the clear proofs that were given to them. For these have incurred a terrible retribution. 

What makes believers united?
They hold fast to the rope of God, and they all share the same core belief. We are united behind the same idea. Even though we may attempt to get there in different ways the unifying factor is the universal belief in the same idea.

Unity of All Submitters

(1) believes in GOD, and
(2) believes in the Last Day, and
(3) leads a righteous life,

There is only one rope, there are not multiple ropes. If we are all holding fast to the rope of God then we should be united. When clear proofs come to a believer from God there should be no dispute.

God reconciles the hearts of the believers as long as we are advocating righteousness and forbidding evil. Division often happens because of personal differences that we morph into religious reasons to justify our division.

All division comes from ego. If we all stick to God and only God we would never be divided.

Just because a group of people share a building or geographic location does not make them united. Unity happens in the heart.

[59:14] They do not get together to fight you unless they are in well-shielded buildings, or behind walls. Their might appears formidable among themselves. You would think that they are united, when in fact their hearts are divided. This is because they are people who do not understand.

A good example of determining when the need to divide should occur is in the history of Moses and Aaron:

[20:92] (Moses) said, “O Aaron, what is it that prevented you, when you saw them go astray,

[20:93] “from following my orders? Have you rebelled against me?”

[20:94] He said, “O son of my mother; do not pull me by my beard and my head. I was afraid that you might say, `You have divided the Children of Israel, and disobeyed my orders.’ “

In this example Aaron was concerned about causing division between the Children of Israel when they decided to worship the golden calf during Moses absence. This shows that we should always be overtly cautious not to cause division, but under extreme situations like such when people abandon God entirely it is no longer a matter of division, but fundamental belief.

Without a strong foundation there is no belief.


Becca and Mecca and Hajj (3:95 – 3:102)

[3:95] Say, “GOD has proclaimed the truth: You shall follow Abraham’s religion – monotheism. He never was an idolater.”
[3:96] The most important shrine established for the people is the one in Becca;* a blessed beacon for all the people.

*3:96 This is an M-initialed sura, and this peculiar spelling of “Mecca” as “Becca” causes the occurrence of “M” to conform to the Quran’s mathematical code. The normal spelling “Mecca” would have increased the frequency of occurrence of “M” (Appendix 1).

[3:97] In it are clear signs: the station of Abraham. Anyone who enters it shall be granted safe passage. The people owe it to GOD that they shall observe Hajj to this shrine, when they can afford it. As for those who disbelieve, GOD does not need anyone.
[3:98] Say, “O followers of the scripture, why do you reject these revelations of GOD, when GOD is witnessing everything you do?”
[3:99] Say, “O followers of the scripture, why do you repel from the path of GOD those who wish to believe, and seek to distort it, even though you are witnesses?” GOD is never unaware of anything you do.
[3:100] O you who believe, if you obey some of those who received the scripture, they will revert you, after having believed, into disbelievers.
[3:101] How can you disbelieve, when these revelations of GOD have been recited to you, and His messenger has come to you? Whoever holds fast to GOD will be guided in the right path.
[3:102] O you who believe, you shall observe GOD as He should be observed, and do not die except as Submitters. 

Some people think that the spelling of Mecca as Becca is a mistake, but this is clearly the ancient name of Mecca as seen in Psalm 84.

Psalm 84:1 – 7

1. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! 2. My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. 4. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. 5. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

Often times people look at God’s creations and when they don’t understand it they think that it is an error in design, but upon closer look we see that it is our error in understanding. A good example of this is the human eye. A good example of this is with the human eye where some individuals make the claim that it is poorly designed.

The Evolution of The Human Eye – Joshua Harvey

Inverted Retinas – Bad Design?

Abraham’s Shrine

Abraham's Shrine

Do Not Prohibit What Is Lawful (3:93 – 3:94)

Do Not Prohibit What Is Lawful

[3:93] All food used to be lawful for the Children of Israel, until Israel imposed certain prohibitions on themselves before the Torah was sent down. Say, “Bring the Torah and read it, if you are truthful.”
[3:94] Those who fabricate false prohibitions after this, and attribute them to GOD, are truly wicked.

Appendix 16 – Dietary Prohibitions 

The Quran teaches that God is extremely displeased with those who prohibit anything that was not specifically prohibited in the Quran (16:112-116). The upholding of any prohibitions not specifically mentioned in the Quran is tantamount to idolatry (6:142-152). Such prohibitions represent some other god(s) besides God. If you worship God ALONE, you will uphold His teachings ALONE and honor the commandments and prohibitions instituted only by Him.

The absolute specificity of dietary prohibitions in the Quran is best illustrated in 6:145-146. We learn from these two verses that when God prohibits “meat,” He prohibits “meat” and nothing else, and when He prohibits “fat,” that is what He specifically prohibits. These two verses inform us that “the meat” of pigs is prohibited, not “the fat.” Obviously, God knew that in many countries, lard would be used in baked goods and other food products, and that such usage does not render the foods Haraam (prohibited). The Quran specifically prohibits four meats (2:173, 5:3, 6:142-145, and 16:112):

Say, “I do not find in what was revealed to me anything prohibited for any eater unless it is (1) carrion, (2) running blood, (3) the meat of pigs, for it is unclean, and (4) meat blasphemously dedicated to other than God.” If one is forced to eat these without being malicious or deliberate, then your Lord is Forgiver, Most Merciful. [ 6:145 ]


Earthful of Gold & Give From What You Love (3:90 – 3:92)

When Repentance is Unacceptable

[3:90] Those who disbelieve after believing, then plunge deeper into disbelief, their repentance will not be accepted from them; they are the real strayers.
[3:91] Those who disbelieve and die as disbelievers, an earthful of gold will not be accepted from any of them, even if such a ransom were possible. They have incurred painful retribution; they will have no helpers.

How much is the value of an earthful of gold?
Mass of the Earth: 5.972×10^24 kg
Ounces per kg: 35.274
Price of one ounce of gold: $1,186.80
Total = $2.5×10^29

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