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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Moses in Qur'an and Bible (5) Selfish Rabbies and Doctors of Law The Israelite doctors of law had for their own selfish gains usurped the place of God and were obeyed and followed implicitly by their people against the injunctions of their scriptures.

The Qur'an points out this weakness of theirs in these words: "They have taken their doctors of law and -their priests for lords besides God." (9:31) They had forgotten their own responsibilities and lived for their own selfish ends, and their ignorant followers relied implicitly on their exposition of their religious responsibilities. "Why do their learned men and the doctors of law not prohibit them from their speaking of what is sinful and their eating of unlawfully acquired things?

Certainly evil be that which they do." (5:83) Their story does not end with this but they had totally neglected to forbid evil and were obsessed in promoting their own selfish interests and, if, on any occasion they had any impulse to admonish others, they would do so forgetting to set themselves aright.

The Qur'an asks them: "Will you enjoin righteousness on others and neglect to practice the same yourselves and yet you profess to follow the Book." (2:44) (6} Indifference towards the Law: In every affair of theirs whether it be temporal or spiritual, the rule of the devil was the order of the day. Even the few injunctions which had escaped their interference were only given lip profession and were never put into practice.

They were no doubt bearers of the Torah but no corner of their life's activities was illuminated with its light. The Qur'an refers to this in these words: "The likeness of those who were charged with the Torah then did not observe it is the likeness of an ass bearing a load of books." (62:5) They threw aside the Book of God and thereby invoked the curse of God. To them Qur'an says: "Say (to them O Prophet}: O people of the Book!

you follow no good till you keep up the Torah and the Gospel and that which is revealed to thee from thy Lord." (5:68) (7} Mutual Enmities: The Qur'an says that on account of interpolations in the word of God and breaking the covenants and neglecting the law, they are made to suffer the curse of mutual enmities.