WHO WAS EZRA?

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Quran,Translation and Commentary in Brief (Vol. 02)
VERSE NO. 31IDOLATRY AMONG THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK (VERSE NO. 30)

WHO WAS EZRA?

      Ezra was a priest and scribe who obtained a decree from Artaxerxes (DطRYUSH THE FIRST) the king of Persia (458. B.C.) to introduce biblical law as the constitution of the restablished Jewish commonwealth in Palestine. There is a book in the Old- testament called Ezra, and ascribed to him which is sequel to chronicles, describing the return of some of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, and the restoration of life and Law in Jerusalem. These events are presented in the following stages:

      A- The first group of Jewish exiles return from Babylonia at the order of Cyrus, the Persian King of Kings.

      B- The Temple of Jerusalem is rebuilt and dedicated, and the worship of God restored in Jerusalem.

      C- Years later, another group of Jews return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra, who was an expert in the Law of God, and who helped the people to reorganize their religious and social life, in order to safeguard the spiritual heritage of Israel.

      The commands of Artaxerxes given to Ezra which is cited in the Bible (THE BOOK OF EZRA 7:12-15) is as follows:

      12- From ARTAXERXES, the Emperor to Ezra, the priest, and scholar in the law of the God of heavens.

13- I command that throughout my empire, all the Israelite people, priests, and levites that so desire, be permitted to go with you to Jerusalem.

      14- I together with my seven counsellors, send you to investigate the condition in Jerusalem and Judah in order to see how well the law of your God, which has been entrusted to you is being obeyed.

      15- You are to take with you the gold and the silver offering which I and my counsellors desire to give to the God of Israel whose Temple is in Jerusalem.

      Anyhow Ezra was a man of great reverence and eminence among the ancient Israelites; and the Jews know him as their Saviour for his intercession with Artaxerxes on their behalf, and in the life time of our prophet, as the Holy Quran testifies, there existed a group of Israelites who called Ezra (ARABIC OZAIR) the son of God, just like the Christain who say so about Jesus their prophet.

      This is where Jesus Christ himself did not utter such a title or claim to be the son of God. On contrary, we do see among his sayings in the Gospel that, he has called himself the son of MAN, although, he was neither the son of Man, nor the son of God, but the son of Mary the Sacred Virgin, Created under the special care of God the Creator of the universe.

      The Arabic `GHطTALAHOM- ALLAH' has a denotation which implies; fight, contest, challenge, contend and etc. The word has also a connotation which is `DOWN WITH THEM' or, `MAY ALLAH CURSE THEM.''

 

 

 

VERSE NO. 31IDOLATRY AMONG THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK (VERSE NO. 30)
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