Al-Ma'idah 45: In the Torah, We have written to them the following: life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth and injuries are retaliated (also injuries are punished by the same). For those who forgive, it is atonement for them. Those who don’t rule with what Allah has sent down, they are the oppressors.

Let us continue our lesson.

In verse 45 of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Allah Almighty says: We wrote for them in the Torah as follows. What is written in the Torah — of course the same verses are written in the Quran too. The Torah, and the Gospel too, since they are in the Quran, I mean, we cannot think that this verse was in the Torah but is not accepted in the Quran, I mean. Yes, to those in the Torah — We wrote for them as follows: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth. Its recompense and punishment, it says. And wounds are retaliation too. Every wounding is punished with its like.

Whoever forgives it, the retaliation, it is an atonement for him. Whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, they are the wrongdoers. Now, in one verse it said as follows.

Whoever does not judge by the verses Allah has sent down, they are the unbelievers. Here it says they are the wrongdoers. Now there is a difference between unbelievers and wrongdoers. Let us look at these verses and the surah from here. If we explain the verses by comparing them, comparing them with one another, they take on a better meaning. Yes.

What does it say? Whoever — verse 44 — whoever does not abide by the rulings Allah has sent down, they are the unbelievers themselves. This verse says (?). What does it say here? Whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, they are the wrongdoers. Now the word wrongdoer is not equated with the word unbeliever. But in terms of actual deeds, wrongdoing is doing deeds Allah does not want. Unbelief too is doing deeds Allah does not want. But if one is within faith, a believer, and within faith follows his nafs and sins, does deeds outside Allah's verse, he has wronged his own nafs. He is a wrongdoer. But he is not an unbeliever.

He is a wrongdoer against his own nafs. And one who has not entered the religion of Islam, and again, for deeds Allah does not want, has become accountable — he too has wronged his nafs, but because he did not believe, he has become an unbeliever. Now in one, whoever does not judge by what Allah sent down is an unbeliever; in the other, whoever does not judge by what Allah sent down is a wrongdoer, says Allah Almighty. Whoever does not abide by the rulings Allah sent down, they are the unbelievers themselves. Whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, they are the wrongdoers, it says. Yes, now the situation between the wrongdoers and the unbelievers has become clear. If you don't understand, ask.

For example, we can also give an example like this. I am a Muslim, praise be to Allah. I drank alcohol. I have (?) the ruling Allah sent down. And it says: do not drink alcohol, do not gamble, do not commit adultery. In this case, because I did not leave the religion of Islam, I became a wrongdoer. I wronged my own nafs. Allah forbid, I am an unbeliever. I drank alcohol. This time, because I did not judge by Allah's command, I became an unbeliever. I neither entered the religion of Islam — I have no faith — and I also abided by what Allah does not want in the verse. That is, I abided by what He does not want.

Here the situations are well understood, I suppose. A moment ago — as I also said in our last lesson — people, according to this Surah Al-Ma'idah's 44th verse, say that when they don't pray, these are unbelievers. When they do not abide by Allah's verse, these are unbelievers, they say. Whereas unbelief is something else. (?) within Islam, wronging one's nafs is something else. That is why one must hear the verses very well, so that people grasp them well and explain them. So that they learn the beauty of the religion of Islam. So that they know that Allah's mercy is abundant. Yes. Here too it says: We wrote for them in the Torah as follows.

Since the Torah, the Torah and the Gospel are in the Quran, it is the same Quran verse. They were gathered in the Quran. This is the retaliation verse of the Quran. A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear; and woundings too are retaliation against one another. Whoever forgives, it says, it is an atonement for him. That is, it is an atonement in Allah's religion. How will he forgive? At the person Allah created, as a servant Allah created, he looks; that he followed his nafs — he realizes that people are created deficient and faulty, knows that our Lord willed it so, and if he forgives him in this sense, Allah Almighty makes it an atonement for his sins. It becomes an atonement for his sin.

What a beautiful thing. Yes.

What are we saying? Before explaining this verse, let us gather some information around us, then continue with the translation of the verse, we have said. The Torah consists of verses taken from the Quran.

The Torah consists of verses taken from the Quran, we have said. Actually, because the Torah is in the Quran, because the Quran came to all the worlds, we have said this within the binding authority of the Quran. First we said taken from the Quran. Actually it is among the rulings of the Torah found in the Quran. But they are rulings of the Quran. Now that is still an outward meaning; an inward meaning — the meaning here — now we come to the real core meaning. That is, the Torah consists of verses taken from the Quran. When we say that — Hodja, the Torah came first. And Allah Almighty says it is written like this in the Torah; how was it taken from the Quran here — this question may come to our minds.

Now we come to the core of the question. To its core. Allah Almighty says: there is a Book with Us, preserved in the Preserved Tablet, and after that nothing is added and nothing is taken away, He says. Does He say it? He does. What is this? The Quran. That is, our Lord's word in the first barzakh. So that word was taken from there and sent to the Torah. That is, this is the Quran. Taken from the Quran and sent to the Torah. Into the Torah. According to the understanding of that time, this verse is sent into the Torah. Where was it taken from beforehand? From the Quran. Where is it taken from? There is a Book with Us, which is the Preserved Tablet, preserved.

According to the secret of the verse that says after that nothing is added nor changed — that is, according to the origin of the Quran. Because it was written long before. Meaning this first state, we say this: it was taken from here and sent to the Torah. But in the world, over time, as people's minds developed, Allah Almighty, in a way they would understand, the verses He took from the Quran (?) (?). We do not say: We took it from there and sent it like this. He says: We wrote in the Torah as follows. Yes. Then as minds advanced, He says: here We wrote like this, in (?) We wrote like this. Then as they advanced further, He sends the Gospel.

In the Gospel We wrote as follows, He says. All of them taken — taken from the Quran. Taken from the verses of the Quran. Then the gathering of these, all of it — the sending down of the Quran to the Messenger of Allah, and Allah Almighty ensuring the validity of His word until the Day of Judgment, and so that all people be bound by the religion of Islam, to the Messenger of Allah, the mercy to the worlds, He sends the Quran too, as a light before them. Yes. I suppose the words are understood. What did we say? The Torah consists of verses taken from the Quran. Now what we mean is understood better.

The Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel are made up of verses taken from the Quran. Yes, here we mean the first barzakh. They are books. That is why Allah calls those bound by them People of the Book. That is, the book sent by Allah, the most masterful of books, without deficiency — the verses Allah, free from deficient attributes, sent without deficiency. (?) in it you would find many words that (?) one another — the verses in which He says that. Yes. That is, verses sent part by part by (?), and the people bound by them it calls People of the Book. These books are gathered in the Quran, so the four books are together. That is why the Prophet says whatever there is, wet or dry, is in the Quran, it says.

A person who deliberately denies a single verse of the Quran — deliberately —

if he denies a single verse, Allah protect us, he becomes an unbeliever. For example, Allah Almighty: interest is forbidden. That is, do not deal with it, it is forbidden. Whoever engages in interest has declared war on Allah and His Messenger, He says.

In one verse He says: whoever says interest is like trade becomes an unbeliever. If he says interest is like a trade good, this person is an unbeliever. That is, against the verse in which Allah has forbidden interest and of war on Allah and His Messenger, saying there is no such thing — sir, just as a person trades with money and goods, this is trade too — if he sees it this way and knowingly (?) against Allah's verse, he becomes an unbeliever. Yes.

That is why the Prophet says whatever there is, wet or dry, is in the Quran, it says. A person who denies (?) in the Quran, Allah protect us, becomes an unbeliever. Those outside Islam, those not bound by the Quran, those who do not recognize Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as prophet, even if they are of the People of the Book, are unbelievers. Even if they are of the People of the Book, they are unbelievers. Yes.

Other — even if of the People of the Book; for example, we explained this to you too. Earlier: I am bound by the book You sent, that is, by the book our Lord sent. Here: You sent me this. You sent me this prophet; if I am now bound by this — did I come to Your house (?), if he says, and does not recognize the Quran and the Prophet, he is still an unbeliever. The reason? The reason is that Allah Almighty sends prophets according to the time, sends a book, sends books. In those books there are fabrications with no basis. In this case, even if they did have a basis, if you are going to heed Allah Almighty's command — if Allah Almighty has sent as the last, the Seal of the Prophets, the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad, (?) the Messenger of Allah, and has sent all of (?) in the Quran and to all of mankind sent this as a light and guide, as evidence before them, you are obliged to be bound by it.

No, he follows his own (?). He is bound by the nonsense in it, sir, ascribes partners to Allah, calls Mary His wife, calls Jesus His son; on the other side they call Ezra His son, if they say we are Allah's close ones — since there is no such verse, since (?) in their hands, Allah Almighty says of them: if they are telling the truth, let them show the evidence in their hands, He says, or else, He says, do they have something to rely on, He says. Sir, in this case they become unbelievers, they are unbelievers. From the Quran, a person who denies even a single verse of it, Allah protect us, becomes an unbeliever.

Those outside Islam, those not bound by the Quran, those who do not recognize Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as prophet, even if they are of the People of the Book, are unbelievers. Because their own books have been distorted and the places of the verses changed. The essence of these three books has not remained. Perhaps, even if the essentials still existed, Allah, the creator of the universe, by sending the fourth book — in the form in which He sent all the books, without distortion and corruption befalling them — gathering them with their essentials in the Quran, by His divine command wanted all created people, humans and jinn, to heed this book.

Allah Almighty works like this. You will heed this, humans and jinn. You have gathered all four books here, it says. People who do not follow the Quran, since they do not heed their own books either, whose essence is in the Quran, and do not believe in them, are unbelievers. They do not believe in their own books either. They do not believe in Jesus either, (?). Yes, now if we move on to the verse: in the essence of Islam, according to the sharia ruling, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear. Woundings too are retaliation. Since all the books were sent from the Quran and taken in the first barzakh, those who, though they know Allah, because of their stubbornness, out of pride and arrogance, against what Allah knows stand, those who deny His verses, and people who rebel against Allah, saying we follow our books that have no basis in our hands, stand against the Quran Allah last sent and His Prophet — and even if the truth of the books in their hands were forgotten (?), with this pride and arrogance, with what Allah sent, yes, those who do not obey His command, have strayed from the right path. These are the ones who stray from the right paths.

Yes.

As made known in the verse, for such woundings and deeds done, taking their rights mutually, without excess or shortfall, is Allah's command over people. And people, without (?), will have taken their rights against one another too. If you stuck a needle one centimeter into me, I too will stick a needle one centimeter into you. If you stuck the needle five millimeters, I will stick it five millimeters. If you cut my finger, I will cut your finger. Yes. This is retaliation. But if you forgive, it says, that is an atonement for you, it says.

Whoever suffers such a wrong and does not take his right from it, and for Allah's sake forgives the other side — this person's forgiving the other side, for the wronged person, becomes an atonement for the sins he has committed.

How will a person forgive? O Allah, You created this person. Did You not create people deficient and faulty? He got angry. He lost his temper. He insulted me. Or he wounded me. If I follow my nafs and wound him like this, I too — though I have not fallen into the same error, and though I act by Your command — (?), I get no reward. No reward. So, in order to observe Your nearness and to attain Your mercy, because (?) deficient, heeding Your command, I forgive him — when he says this, it becomes an atonement for your sins. Yes.

Whoever does not abide by, does not judge by what Allah has sent down, they are the wrongdoers. Most people confuse this verse with the previous verse — we explained it already. Here we explained it from the beginning. What did we say? If these do not abide by the rulings Allah sent down, they are unbelievers. If they do not abide by the rulings Allah sent down, they are wrongdoers. We made this distinction. Here too we touch on it. What do we say? They are the wrongdoers. Most people confuse this verse with the previous verse and give the same ruling about both. Whereas there is a difference between the two.

For example, in the previous verse: whoever does not abide by what Allah has sent down, they are the unbelievers themselves. And in this verse: whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, they are the wrongdoers.

If we pay attention to the verse, one more meaning emerges here. Whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down; and in the other, whoever does not abide by what Allah has sent down. Judging is one thing, abiding by is another. The meanings change here. That's what it says. What does it say? Whoever does not judge by the rulings Allah has sent down; whoever does not abide by what Allah has sent down; if we read the verse from the start, the 44th verse: We sent down the Torah, in which there is guidance to the truth and light, and the prophets who had given themselves to Allah would judge the Jews by it.

Because they were asked to protect Allah's book, the ascetics who had surrendered to their Lord and the scholars also judged by them. They were all witnesses that it is the truth. So then, O Jews and judges, do not fear people, fear Me. Do not sell My verses for a small price. Look, here: those who do not fear Allah and sell the verses for a price. And those who go outside Allah's command, by their own minds: Allah is not like this, it's not what He said — patching words that suit their nafs onto Allah, into the book putting them. Whoever does not judge by the rulings Allah has sent down, they are the unbelievers themselves, it says.

(?) — in the Torah, it says, We wrote for them as follows. A life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth — recompense and punishment. Wounds are retaliation too. Every wounding is punished with its like. Whoever forgives it, the retaliation, it is an atonement for him. Whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, they are the wrongdoers. This is for Muslims. That is, for those who believe in Allah. Now in (?) there is a change, a difference. Yes.

In this verse, though, He says: whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, they are the wrongdoers. Between these two verses: in the previous verse, if they do not abide by it, they are unbelievers. In this verse, if they do not judge by it, they are wrongdoers, He says. But the difference is very clear and plain. In the previous verse, with what Allah sent down, (?) command — not listening to the commands that are the divine command, rebelling against Allah and turning one's back on what Allah sent down, that is, they are unbelievers. In this verse, though, whoever does not judge by what Allah sent down — here the meaning splits in two. In the first: a person who has accepted Islam, has not compromised on Islam, but could not reform his nafs and committed (?) sins, and in this way passed on to the hereafter — since he did not judge by Allah's ruling, he has both wronged people and wronged his own nafs.

Yes.

Such people are sinners. If his sins are more than his good deeds, he suffers punishment in hell as much as his sins deserve, and when his nafs is reformed he comes out of there and finally enters paradise. The other, second group are those who did not believe in Allah and His Messenger, that is, by what Allah sent down did not abide, and also (?) by what Allah sent down. As explained in the previous verse, such people are those to whom the verse saying they are the unbelievers themselves applies. Yes.