"AND WE MADE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TAKE A PLEDGE: "YOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP ANYONE BUT ALLAH; AND BE GOOD TO YOUR PARENTS, AND TO NEAR OF KIN AND TO ORPHANS AND THE NEEDY. AND SAY TO THE PEOPLE WHAT IS GOOD, AND BE STEADFAST IN SALAH, AND PAY ZAKAH..."(SURAH AL-BAQARAH:83)
This verse asks us to adopt a gentle tone and soft manner when talking to others, regardless of whether they are good or evil, or pious or sinners. However, in religious matters, one should not try to hide the truth for the sake of pleasing people or of winning their approval. The Holy Quran tells us that when Allah Ta'alah sent Sayyidna Musa and Sayyidna Haroon AS to the Pharaoh, He instructed them to use gentle and soft words (20:42). None of us who preaches to someone else today can be a better preacher than Sayyidna Musa AS, nor the person addressed can be a greater non-believer than the Pharaoh.
Talha Ibn Umar RE recounts that once he said to the great scholar of Tafsir (Interpretation the Holy Quran) and Hadith (sayings of the Holy Prophet SAW) Ata RE, "One can see around you people who are not quite orthodox in their beliefs. As for me, I am rather short-tempered. If such people come to me, I deal with them harshly." Ata RE replied, "Do not behave like this," and reciting the present verse he added, "Allah has commanded us to speak to people politely. When even non-Muslims are to be treated like this, would this commandment not apply to a Muslim, no matter what kind of a man he is?" (Qurtubi)
Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Baqarah, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE
This verse asks us to adopt a gentle tone and soft manner when talking to others, regardless of whether they are good or evil, or pious or sinners. However, in religious matters, one should not try to hide the truth for the sake of pleasing people or of winning their approval. The Holy Quran tells us that when Allah Ta'alah sent Sayyidna Musa and Sayyidna Haroon AS to the Pharaoh, He instructed them to use gentle and soft words (20:42). None of us who preaches to someone else today can be a better preacher than Sayyidna Musa AS, nor the person addressed can be a greater non-believer than the Pharaoh.
Talha Ibn Umar RE recounts that once he said to the great scholar of Tafsir (Interpretation the Holy Quran) and Hadith (sayings of the Holy Prophet SAW) Ata RE, "One can see around you people who are not quite orthodox in their beliefs. As for me, I am rather short-tempered. If such people come to me, I deal with them harshly." Ata RE replied, "Do not behave like this," and reciting the present verse he added, "Allah has commanded us to speak to people politely. When even non-Muslims are to be treated like this, would this commandment not apply to a Muslim, no matter what kind of a man he is?" (Qurtubi)
Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Baqarah, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE
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