This verse and the next one are complementaries to the foregoing verses, explaining the importance of TOWRطT, the Book which was sent down to Moses as a guidance and light.

      The learned Jews are addressed here saying:- ``Do not fear people and fear God only, and sell not the signs of Allah for a little price.''

      In fact the real source and main cause of concealing the truth and knowingly uttering falsehood, is the fear of people, or the fear of anything other than God, which is due to weakness of faith. The fear prevents to judge according to God's law or Judgement. One who fears people, may even keep quiet, when he should open his tongue to reveal a truth, and their silence is better than their utterance. The verse has counted the judgement which is against God's law and will as blasphemy. There are grades and classes of blasphemy, such as denying the existance of God or God's disobedience and etc. Quran invites mankind here to fear none but Allah, and to judge according to Allah's will and Law.

TOWRAT

      (We should know that TOWRطT which is frequently mentioned in Qurجn, is the Book that was sent down to Moses, but of surety it is not the OLD- TESTAMENT as we have it today; nor the first five principal books of the whole which is known as the BIBLE.

      In this voluminous book written by some unknown or known writers, there is a fragment of the original law given to Moses, mixed up with a lot of semi- historical and legendary stories, ethics, poetries, and other various matters. These are traditionally ascribed to Moses, but it is certain that neither Moses has written them nor AARON.

      The primitive TORAH, must have been in old HEBREW, but there is no HEBREW manuscript of the Old- Testament which can be dated with certainty earlier than 916. A.D.

      In the HEBREW BIBLE, there is a three fold division into the LAW or TORAH, containing the Pentateuch. The PROPHETS, containing also most of the historical books. Then there is the WRITTINGS, which contains the remainder.

      The total number of books in the HEBREW reckoning is 24. The Pentateuch was of first importance and by 444 B.C. was accepted by the Jewish community in its present form. The final edition of the PROPHETIC BOOKS was made at the latest by 200 B.C. and by the council of Jammia 90. A.D. the Hebrew Old- testament contained all these books which it now has. The original language of the Old- testament was Hebrew, with the exception of a few passage in the Books of EZRA, DANIEL and JEREMIAH.

      For further information please refer to International Encyclopedia

TRANSLALTOR'S NOTE)