Al Baqarah, 2:42 and 2:43
Transliteration:
Wa Lā Talbisū Al-Ĥaqqa Bil-Bāţili Wa Taktumū Al-Ĥaqqa Wa 'Antum Ta`lamūna
Wa 'Aqīmū Aş-Şalāata Wa 'Ātū Az-Zakāata Wa Arka`ū Ma`a Ar-Rāki`īna
Translation:
Yusuf Ali: And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is).
Yusuf Ali: And be steadfast in prayer; give Zakat, and bow down your heads with those who bow down (in worship).
Dr. Mohsin: And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth [i.e. Muhammad Peace be upon him is Allâh's Messenger and his qualities are written in your Scriptures, the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] while you know (the truth)
Dr. Mohsin: And perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât, and bow down (or submit yourselves with obedience to Allâh) along with Ar-Raki'ûn.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn:
And do not obscure, confuse, the truth, that I have revealed to you, with falsehood, that you fabricate; and do not conceal the truth, the description of Muhammad (s), wittingly, that is, knowing it to be the truth.
And establish prayer, and pay the alms, and bow with those that bow, that is, pray with those who pray, Muhammad (s) and his Companions: this was revealed concerning their religious scholars, who used to say to their kin from among the Muslims, ‘Stay firm upon the religion of Muhammad (s), for it is the truth’.
Tafsir ibn Kathir:
(42. And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth).)
(43. And perform As-Salah, and give Zakah, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in.)
The Prohibition of hiding the Truth and distorting It with Falsehood
Allah forbade the Jews from intentionally distorting the truth with falsehood and from hiding the truth and spreading falsehood,
﴿وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾
(And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth)).
So Allah forbade them from two things; He ordered them to make the truth known, as well as explaining it. Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas mentioned the Ayah,
﴿وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ﴾
(And mix not truth with falsehood) and said; "Do not mix the truth with falsehood and the facts with lies.'' Qatadah said that,
﴿وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ﴾
(And mix not truth with falsehood) means, "Do not mix Judaism and Christianity with Islam,
﴿وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
(while you know (the truth).) that the religion of Allah is Islam, and that Judaism and Christianity are innovations that did not come from Allah.'' It was reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said similarly.
Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn `Abbas said that,
﴿وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
(nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth).) means, "Do not hide the knowledge that you have of My Messenger and what he was sent with. His description, which you know about, can be found written in the Books that you have.''
It is possible that it means, "..although you know the tremendous harm that this evil will cause people, misguiding them and leading them to the Fire, because they will follow the falsehood that you mixed with the truth in your claims.''
﴿وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلوةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ ﴾
(And perform As-Salat and give Zakah, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in.)
Muqatil said, "Allah's statement to the People of the Book,
﴿وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلَوةَ﴾
(And perform As-Salah) commands them to perform the prayer behind the Prophet ,
﴿وَآتَوُاْ الزَّكَوةَ﴾
(and give Zakah) commands them to pay the Zakah to the Prophet , and
﴿وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ﴾
(and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in) commands them to bow down with those who bow down among the Ummah of Muhammad . Allah therefore commands the People of the Book to be with, and among the Ummah of Muhammad .'' In addition, Allah's statement,
﴿وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ﴾
(And bow down along with Ar-Raki`in) means, "And be among the believers performing the best deeds they perform, such as, and foremost, the prayer.'' Many scholars said that this Ayah (2:43) is proof for the obligation of performing the prayer in congregation (for men only). I will explain this ruling in detail in Kitab Al-Ahkam Al-Kabir, Allah willing.
وَلاَ تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ
Transliteration:
Wa Lā Talbisū Al-Ĥaqqa Bil-Bāţili Wa Taktumū Al-Ĥaqqa Wa 'Antum Ta`lamūna
Wa 'Aqīmū Aş-Şalāata Wa 'Ātū Az-Zakāata Wa Arka`ū Ma`a Ar-Rāki`īna
Translation:
Yusuf Ali: And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is).
Yusuf Ali: And be steadfast in prayer; give Zakat, and bow down your heads with those who bow down (in worship).
Dr. Mohsin: And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth [i.e. Muhammad Peace be upon him is Allâh's Messenger and his qualities are written in your Scriptures, the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] while you know (the truth)
Dr. Mohsin: And perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât, and bow down (or submit yourselves with obedience to Allâh) along with Ar-Raki'ûn.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn:
And do not obscure, confuse, the truth, that I have revealed to you, with falsehood, that you fabricate; and do not conceal the truth, the description of Muhammad (s), wittingly, that is, knowing it to be the truth.
And establish prayer, and pay the alms, and bow with those that bow, that is, pray with those who pray, Muhammad (s) and his Companions: this was revealed concerning their religious scholars, who used to say to their kin from among the Muslims, ‘Stay firm upon the religion of Muhammad (s), for it is the truth’.
Tafsir ibn Kathir:
(42. And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth).)
(43. And perform As-Salah, and give Zakah, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in.)
The Prohibition of hiding the Truth and distorting It with Falsehood
Allah forbade the Jews from intentionally distorting the truth with falsehood and from hiding the truth and spreading falsehood,
﴿وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾
(And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth)).
So Allah forbade them from two things; He ordered them to make the truth known, as well as explaining it. Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas mentioned the Ayah,
﴿وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ﴾
(And mix not truth with falsehood) and said; "Do not mix the truth with falsehood and the facts with lies.'' Qatadah said that,
﴿وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ﴾
(And mix not truth with falsehood) means, "Do not mix Judaism and Christianity with Islam,
﴿وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
(while you know (the truth).) that the religion of Allah is Islam, and that Judaism and Christianity are innovations that did not come from Allah.'' It was reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said similarly.
Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn `Abbas said that,
﴿وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
(nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth).) means, "Do not hide the knowledge that you have of My Messenger and what he was sent with. His description, which you know about, can be found written in the Books that you have.''
It is possible that it means, "..although you know the tremendous harm that this evil will cause people, misguiding them and leading them to the Fire, because they will follow the falsehood that you mixed with the truth in your claims.''
﴿وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلوةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ ﴾
(And perform As-Salat and give Zakah, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in.)
Muqatil said, "Allah's statement to the People of the Book,
﴿وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلَوةَ﴾
(And perform As-Salah) commands them to perform the prayer behind the Prophet ,
﴿وَآتَوُاْ الزَّكَوةَ﴾
(and give Zakah) commands them to pay the Zakah to the Prophet , and
﴿وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ﴾
(and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in) commands them to bow down with those who bow down among the Ummah of Muhammad . Allah therefore commands the People of the Book to be with, and among the Ummah of Muhammad .'' In addition, Allah's statement,
﴿وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ﴾
(And bow down along with Ar-Raki`in) means, "And be among the believers performing the best deeds they perform, such as, and foremost, the prayer.'' Many scholars said that this Ayah (2:43) is proof for the obligation of performing the prayer in congregation (for men only). I will explain this ruling in detail in Kitab Al-Ahkam Al-Kabir, Allah willing.