Surat Al-Baqara 159-160. Topic: hiding Islamic knowledge

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى مِن بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ أُولَئِكَ يَلعَنُهُمُ اللّهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ {البقرة/159} إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَأَصْلَحُواْ وَبَيَّنُواْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ {البقرة/160

Analytical Approach يكتمون: This term means to hide, Another scholar like Al-aloosee said that it literally means to deliberately not reveal something, when the situation requires exposing it. البينات: The explicit evidences that lead to truth, whether those evidences were logical or materialistic evidences. This word also means to reveal words that show the real meanings of things. Yet, in this verse it means the evidences and texts that were revealed in the Torah and Gospels that prophesized prophet Mohammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

الهدى: Anything that guides to goodness, the word originally means to guide or give a sign to something. يلعنهم الله: To expel and eschew from Allah’s mercy. تابوا: Repent. Yet, the context of the verse shows that they went back on hiding and revealed the truth that they used to hide. The word “taba” originally means to go back and regret doing something. أصلحوا: To fix what they have ruined, which is to reveal what they were hiding, since that was their sin.

General Meaning The people of the book (i.e. Jews and Christians) during the time of the prophet were hiding the information and rulings that were mentioned in the Torah and Gospels. They also hid prophecies that foretold the coming of prophet Mohammad-صلى الله عليه وسلم. This verse was revealed to reveal and admonish that action.

Reason for Revalation This ayah was revealed when the people of the book were asked about the prophecies their books contained about the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, in which they denied. It was narrated by Ibn Abas رضي الله عنه that Mu’ath Ibn Jabal and other companions asked Jewish rabbis about the prophecies in the Torah, yet they hid those prophecies and refused to reveal anything, which is when this ayah was revealed.

Rulings surrounding this ayah Does this ayah include Muslims that cover the rulings of Allah or even Islam? Answer: This Ayah was revealed originally about the people of the book that hid the prophecies, as mentioned in the reason for revelation. Yet, scholars say العبرة بعموم اللفظ لا بخصوص السبب, (i.e. What is considered is the general literal words and not the particular reason). And this ayah was generalizing those that hide and not revealed the words of Allah whether they were the people of the book or Muslims. Which is the opinion many scholars hold based on what the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Who ever is asked about knowledge and hides it, will have a bridle of fire on judgment day.” (narrated by Tirmithee # 2651, Abu Dawood # 3658) Many scholars ruled that this hadith was an authentic hadith) Abu Hurayra also used to say: “If it wasn’t for one ayah in the Quran I wouldn’t have narrated a single hadith, he then recited } إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى مِن بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ أُولَئِكَ يَلعَنُهُمُ اللّهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ {البقرة/159} . (This narration was mentioned in Sahih Albukhari #118 and Sahih Muslim)

Question “2” Is it permissible to get paid for teaching Quran or Islam? Answer: Scholars had three different opinions on this: Majority of the scholars from Madhab Maliki and Shafi’e and later scholars from the Hanafi Madhhab said that it is permissible to get paid for teaching Quran and Islam. Which is the opinion many modern scholars had taken such as the Committee for Fatwa and Ibn Baz and Ibn Othaimeen. 2nd opinion is that some scholars considered it forbidden. 3rd opinion was what Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiya said that it would be permissible only if that person was in need.

Continuing question “2” The encyclopedia of fiqh said: “there is no different opinion between scholars that it permissible to get paid but from the “bayt Al-mal” (i.e. The Muslim communities' money) whether it was for teaching Quran, or other useful sciences such as the science of Hadith and Fiqh. Yet, scholars had different opinions on hiring someone to teach Quran, Hadith, or fiqh and other Islamic sciences. Those scholars based this opinion on two hadiths: 1) narrated by Obada bin Al samit رضي الله عنه that said: “I taught some people from the people of Sufa (i.e. a group of poor companions that used to sleep in the masjid) Quran and writing. One of those men gifted me an arrow”, I said: an arrow and not money, so I said to myself I will use it for the sake of Allah (i.e. Jihad), I then told the story to the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and said: oh prophet of Allah a man from those that I used teach Quran and writing gifted me an arrow and it’s not money, I would use it for the sake of Allah. The prophet said: “If you wish to have it surrounding you with fire on judgement day then accept it”

Continuing question “2” 2) Another hadith they depended on was a hadith narrated by Ubay Bin Ka’ab رضي الله عنه that he taught a man a surah from the Quran, he then was gifted a cloak or a garment, he mentioned it to the prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, who told him: “If you would have worn it, Allah would have given you a garment of fire on judgment day”. Those scholars also said that one cannot be paid on something they are obligated to do. They also supported their idea by saying that it actually expels people away from learning Islam.

Continuing question “2” Other scholars from Madhhab Hanafi, Maliki and an opinion in Hanbali’s madhab said that it was permissible to hire someone to teach Quran and fiqh based on the following evidences: 1) The hadith that said: “The most thing that deserves taking a salary on is the book of Allah” (authentic hadith/ see Sahih Albukhari) 2) Aljabbar Ibn Omar narrated that he said: “Everyone I asked from the people of Madina had seen that there is nothing wrong with getting paid throught teaching children”. 3) They also said because if teachers are left without getting paid even from the communities money, they would end up busy trying to acquire their living and not be able to teach.

Continuing question “2” As for another opinion they said: “it is permissible to get paid for teaching Quran”. As for getting paid on teaching fiqh and other sciences such as Arabic grammer and sciences of inheritance, they considered it hated.

Continuing question “2” Preponderant ruling - The evidences that permit getting paid for teaching Islam and Quran are strong for the following reasons: 1) The hadith that said: “The most thing that deserves taking a salary on is the book of Allah” (authentic hadith from Bukhari and Muslim). They also said: what is not permitted is taking money on reciting the Quran 2) the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had considered a man giving a women dowry by teaching her the Quran. (authentic hadith) 3) Another companion got paid for doing a ruqya as narrated in an authetic hadith in sahih Albukhari. 4) As for the two hadiths that were mentioned by Obada bin Alsamit and Obay bin Ka’ab, both of the hadiths are not authentic. Imam Al-tahawi said: “saying that teaching people Quran is an obligation is not right to say, because learning the Quran initself is not an obligation, how can teaching it be obligatory. The only obligatory part in learning the Quran is what Salat is based on, other than that would be nafila”. To learn more see Almunajjed http://islamqa.com/ar/ref/120296