Sura al-Baqarah (Arabic: سورة البقرة, Sūratu l-Baqarah, "The Cow") is the second and longest chapter of the Qur'an. It is a Medinan sura and comprises 286 verses, including the single longest verse in the Qur'an (2:282).[1] The sura's name references verses 67–73 which recall the story of a heifer sacrificed by the Israelites.
Other notable passages include the famous āyat al-kursī or "Throne Verse", as well as the closing two verses which outline the six articles of belief before forming a prayer for forgiveness, divine mercy, and help against the enemies of faith.
Title
This surah is entitled al-Bagarah (`The Cow') because at one point it mentions the anecdote of the cow (see verses 66-73). Each surah of the Qur'an covers such a wide range of subjects that comprehensive surah headings
are impossible. The titles suggested by the Prophet (peace be on him),
under instruction from God, are not so much headings as tags to
differentiate the surahs. The name of this surah, `The Cow', does not signify that the cow is its main theme, but merely marks it as the surah in which the cow is mentioned.
Period of Revelation
The greater part of this surah was
revealed in the early Madman period. soon after the migration of the
Prophet to Madina. A small portion was revealed later, and is included
here because its subject is in harmony with the earlier parts. Hence we
find the verses prohibiting interest (verses 275 ff.) included in this surah even
though they were revealed during the very last days of the Prophet's
life. Moreover, the concluding verses were revealed in Makka but have
been incorporated here because they fit into the overall framework.
Background
To appreciate this surah one must first grasp the historical background of its revelation:
(1) Until the time of migration (Hijrah), the
message of Islam was confined to Makka and was addressed mainly to the
polytheists of Arabia, for whom it was altogether new and foreign. After
his migration to Madina, however, the Prophet (peace be on him) found
the Jews living in nearby settlements. They affirmed the unity of God
and believed in prophethood, revelation, After-life and angels. They
also recognized the religious Law revealed by God to Moses (peace be on
him). In principle, their religion was the same as that being preached
by Muhammad (peace be on him). Over many centuries, however, they had
passed through a process of degeneration which had left them far
removed from their true religion.* Many non-Islamic concepts, for which
there was no basis in the Torah, had crept into their beliefs. Their
daily lives, too, had become overlaid with customs and usages which had
no place in their original religion and for which there was no
scriptural sanction.
In fact, they had totally distorted the
Scriptures by mixing the word of man with the Word of God. They had
mutilated whatever remained intact of the original Word of God by
resorting to arbitrary interpretations and hair-splitting legal
deductions and elaborations. Among them true religious spirit was
already dead. What was left was a soulless body of outward observances.
Their theologians and rabbis, their elite as well as their common men,
had all become so totally enmeshed in corruption that their beliefs were
warped, their moral standards in decline and their daily lives
degenerate. Furthermore, they cherished their corrupt ways far too much
to be prepared for any reform. This corruption had gone on for so many
centuries that whenever someone arose among them who was inspired by
religious ideals, who sought to lead them to a truly sincere religious
life, they looked upon him as their greatest enemy and spared no effort
to prevent him from succeeding in his mission.
The accretion of foreign elements, the
mutilation of the true teachings of their faith, the hair-splitting
interpretations and schismatic divisions, the preoccupation with the
letter and disregard of the spirit and substance of God's directives,
the heedlessness of God, and the worship of material benefits had all
made deep inroads
* Some nineteen centuries had then elapsed since
the time of Moses. According to Jewish historical sources, Moses died
in 1272 B.C. The Prophet Muhammad was entrusted with prophetic office in
610 C.E.
into their lives and had carried their
degeneration to a point where they had even forgotten that they were
`Muslims'. In short, they acquired the characteristic traits now
associated with the Jews and had turned their religion into a national
heritage of the Israelites.
When the Prophet arrived in Madina, God instructed him to call the Jews to their true and original faith. This call is embodied roughly in the first sixteen sections (ruku`) of this surah (i.e. from the opening verse of the surah to
verse 141). In these sections both the past of the Jews and their
present moral and religious condition are subjected to severe criticism.
Moreover, the principles of true faith are elucidated in contrast with
the corrupted forms of religion and morality. All this clearly shows the
kind of corruption that can overtake the followers of Prophets, and
what constitutes a true religiousness as distinct from a mere outward
observance of religious laws. It also demonstrates the
fundamentals-of-true religious life and the things of real value in the
sight of God.
With the arrival of the Prophet (peace be on
him) in Madina. the Islamic movement entered a new stage. In Makka the
Prophet devoted himself almost exclusively to expounding the basic
principles of the true faith and to the moral training of his followers.
After the migration, however, people belonging to different tribes and
are as of Arabia, and who had embraced Islam, began to concentrate in
Madina. When these people, in co-operation with the local Muslims (Ansar) (literally
meaning `Helpers'), laid the foundations of a small Islamic state God
began to issue fundamental directives on social, economic, legal and
political matters, explaining how a new order of life could be established on the basis of Islam. The last twenty-three sections of the surah (i.e. verse 141 to the end of this surah) consist
mainly of such directives. Most of them were issued in the very early
part of the Madinan period of the Prophet's life while the rest were
issued later and in response to different requirements.
With the migration to Madina, the struggle between Islam and unbelief entered a new
phase. Hitherto, the message of Islam had been spread in the very heart
of unbelief. People of various tribes stayed in their homelands even
after they had embraced Islam. carrying on their missionary work there,
even though they were persecuted and subjected to many wrongs. After the
migration all these scattered Muslims gathered in Madina, formed a
body-politic and established a small independent state. However,
although they held a tiny piece of land the whole of Arabia was pitted
against them, bent upon their extermination.
In these circumstances the very survival, let
alone the success of this small group of people depended upon several
factors. First, that they should propagate their beliefs with the utmost
conviction in order to convert others. Second, that they should
demonstrate the falsity of their opponents' standpoint so cogently and
convincingly that there could remain no justifiable ground for any
intelligent person to entertain any doubt on the question. Third, that
they as the followers of the Prophet should not lose their nerve or
become disheartened because they had been driven out of their homes and
were faced, through the hostility and opposition of the whole country,
with economic stringency, hunger, and constant insecurity and danger but
that they should confront the situation with patience and fortitude.
Fourth, that they should be prepared to resist with-both courage and the
force of arms the violent assault by which the enemy intended to
frustrate their movement, and that in this resistance they should not
heed the enemy's superiority in either numbers or material resources.
Fifth, that they should be inspired with the zeal and boldness needed to
establish the Islamic order; if they found the people of Arabia
unprepared to allow the Islamic order to be established by peaceful
means, they should not hesitate to smash their corrupt way of life,
based as it was on an inherited tradition of pagan Ignorance.
(4) In this phase of the development of the
Islamic movement a new element, the `hypocrites', began to emerge.
Although the first signs of hypocrisy had appeared during the last phase
of the Prophet's life in Makka, the nature of that hypocrisy was
different. The kind of `hypocrites' found then were those who while
recognizing the truth of Islam and claiming to believe in it were not
prepared to sacrifice their material interests, run the risk of severing
the relationship which bound them to others, and who shrank from the
persecution and trial which used to afflict all those who responded to
the call of Truth.
In Madina, we notice that in addition to
hypocrites of this sort other kinds also began to enter the body politic
of Islam. One group consisted of those who had no faith in Islam but
had entered the ranks of the Muslim community merely in order to create
mischief. Another group of hypocrites, conscious of the political
dominance of the Muslims, considered it advantageous to gain acceptance
as fellow Muslims. At the same time they maintained contacts with their
enemies so that they could enjoy the best of both worlds; in this way
they secured all the advantages of friendship with the two opposite
camps and thus remained safe from any hostilities. There was still
another group of hypocrites — those who were in a state of ambivalence
and indecision between Islam and Ignorance but who had embraced Islam
because the majority of their tribe or family had done so. The final
group consisted of those who, although they believed Islam to be true,
found it difficult to forsake their inherited way of life, their
superstitions, their customs and usages. and to discipline themselves to
observe the moral restraints and fulfil the obligations prescribed by
Islam.
At the time this surah was revealed these various kinds of hypocrites had just begun to appear and so God made only brief references to them. In the surahs revealed
in subsequent years. references to the hypocrites became more elaborate
and directives were issued regarding the members of each of their
category since by then the characteristics and activities of the hypocrites became clearer.
الم﴿2:1﴾
(2:1) Alif. Lam. Mim. *1
*1. The names of letters of the Arabic alphabet,
called huruf muqatta'at, occur at the beginning
of several surahs of the Qur'an. At the time of
the Qur'anic revelation the use of such letters
was a well-known literary device, used by both
poets and orators, and we find several instances
in the pre-Islamic Arabic literature that has
come down to us.
Since the muqatta'at were commonly used the Arabs of that period generally knew what they meant and so they did not present a puzzle. We do not notice, therefore, any contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be on him) raising objections against the Qur'an on the ground that the letters at the beginning of some of its surahs were absurd. For the same reason no Tradition has come down to us of any Companion asking the Prophet about the significance of the muqatta'at. Later on this literary device gradually fell into disuse and hence it became difficult for commentators to determine their precise meanings. It is obvious, however, that deriving right guidance from the Qur'an does not depend on grasping the meaning of these vocables, and that anyone who fails to understand them may still live a righteous life and attain salvation. The ordinary reader, therefore, need not delve too deeply into this matter.
Since the muqatta'at were commonly used the Arabs of that period generally knew what they meant and so they did not present a puzzle. We do not notice, therefore, any contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be on him) raising objections against the Qur'an on the ground that the letters at the beginning of some of its surahs were absurd. For the same reason no Tradition has come down to us of any Companion asking the Prophet about the significance of the muqatta'at. Later on this literary device gradually fell into disuse and hence it became difficult for commentators to determine their precise meanings. It is obvious, however, that deriving right guidance from the Qur'an does not depend on grasping the meaning of these vocables, and that anyone who fails to understand them may still live a righteous life and attain salvation. The ordinary reader, therefore, need not delve too deeply into this matter.
ذَلِكَ
الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى
لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ﴿2:2﴾
(2:2) This is the Book of Allah: there is no
doubt *2
about it. It is guidance to Godfearing people, *3
*2. One obvious meaning of this verse is that
this Book, the Qur'an, is undoubtedly from God.
Another possible meaning is that nothing
contained in it can be subject to doubt. Books
which deal with supernatural questions, with
matters that lie beyond the range of sense
perception, are invariably based on conjecture
and their authors, despite their brave show of
competence, are therefore not immune from a
degree of scepticism regarding their statements.
This Book, which is based wholly on Truth, a
Book which is the work of none other than the
All-Knowing God Himself is distinguishable from
all other books. Hence, there is no room for
doubt about its contents despite the hesitation
some people might express either through
ignorance or folly.
*3. This means that while the Book is potentially for all, only those who possess certain qualities can benefit from it. The first such quality is piety: those who want to benefit should be disposed to distinguish between good and evil, and to shun evil and do good. Those who lead an animal existence, who never to consider whether their actions are either good or bad, whose cynically follow the prevailing winds, who are helplessly tossed about by the animal desires that dominate their minds, such persons are all together incapable of deriving any benefit from the guidance embodied in the Qur'an.
*3. This means that while the Book is potentially for all, only those who possess certain qualities can benefit from it. The first such quality is piety: those who want to benefit should be disposed to distinguish between good and evil, and to shun evil and do good. Those who lead an animal existence, who never to consider whether their actions are either good or bad, whose cynically follow the prevailing winds, who are helplessly tossed about by the animal desires that dominate their minds, such persons are all together incapable of deriving any benefit from the guidance embodied in the Qur'an.
الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ
الصَّلاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ﴿2:3﴾
(2:3) who believe in the unseen *4
, establish the Salats *5
and expend (in Our way) out of what We have
bestowed on them; *6
*4. This is the second prerequisite for deriving
benefit from the Qur'an. Ghayb signifies the
verities which are hidden from man's senses and
which are beyond the scope of man's ordinary
observation and experience, for example the
existence and attributes of God, the angels. the
process of revelation, Paradise, Hell and so on.
'Belief in the ghaib' means having faith in such
matters, based on an absolute confidence in the
Messengers of God and despite the fact that it
is impossible to experience them.
According to this verse, Qur'anic guidance can prove helpful only to those prepared to affirm the truths of the suprasensory realm. People who make their belief in these questions conditional upon sensory perception of the object of belief, and who are not prepared even to consider the possibility of the existence of things that cannot be weighed or measured, cannot profit from this Book.
*5. This is the third requirement. It is pointed out that those to whom belief means merely the pronouncement of a formula, who think that a mere verbal confession of faith is enough and that it makes no practical demands on them, can derive no guidance from the Qur'an. To benefit from the Qur'an it is essential that a man's decision to believe should be followed immediately by practical obedience to God.
Prayer is the first and continuing sign of practical obedience. No more than a few hours can pass after a man has embraced Islam than the mu'adhin calls to Prayer and it becomes evident whether or not the profession of faith has been genuine. Moreover, the mu'adhin calls to Prayer five times every day and whenever a man fails to respond to his call it becomes clear that he has transgressed the bounds of practical obedience. An abandonment of Prayer amounts to an abandonment of obedience. Obviously, if a man is not prepared to follow the directives of his guide, it is immaterial whether or not true guidance is available to him.
It should also be noted that the expression 'establishment of Prayer' has a wider meaning than mere performance of Prayer. It means that the system of Prayer should be organized on a collective basis. If there is a person in a locality who prays individually but no arrangements are made for congregational Prayer, it cannot be claimed that Prayer is established in that locality.
*6. This, the fourth prerequisite for a person to benefit from the Qur'an, demands that the person concerned should neither be niggardly nor a worshipper of money. On the contrary, he should be willing to pay the claims on his property of both God and man, and should not flinch from making financial sacrifices for the sake of his convictions.
According to this verse, Qur'anic guidance can prove helpful only to those prepared to affirm the truths of the suprasensory realm. People who make their belief in these questions conditional upon sensory perception of the object of belief, and who are not prepared even to consider the possibility of the existence of things that cannot be weighed or measured, cannot profit from this Book.
*5. This is the third requirement. It is pointed out that those to whom belief means merely the pronouncement of a formula, who think that a mere verbal confession of faith is enough and that it makes no practical demands on them, can derive no guidance from the Qur'an. To benefit from the Qur'an it is essential that a man's decision to believe should be followed immediately by practical obedience to God.
Prayer is the first and continuing sign of practical obedience. No more than a few hours can pass after a man has embraced Islam than the mu'adhin calls to Prayer and it becomes evident whether or not the profession of faith has been genuine. Moreover, the mu'adhin calls to Prayer five times every day and whenever a man fails to respond to his call it becomes clear that he has transgressed the bounds of practical obedience. An abandonment of Prayer amounts to an abandonment of obedience. Obviously, if a man is not prepared to follow the directives of his guide, it is immaterial whether or not true guidance is available to him.
It should also be noted that the expression 'establishment of Prayer' has a wider meaning than mere performance of Prayer. It means that the system of Prayer should be organized on a collective basis. If there is a person in a locality who prays individually but no arrangements are made for congregational Prayer, it cannot be claimed that Prayer is established in that locality.
*6. This, the fourth prerequisite for a person to benefit from the Qur'an, demands that the person concerned should neither be niggardly nor a worshipper of money. On the contrary, he should be willing to pay the claims on his property of both God and man, and should not flinch from making financial sacrifices for the sake of his convictions.
والَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالآخِرَةِ هُمْ
يُوقِنُونَ﴿2:4﴾
(2:4) who believe in the Book We have sent down
to you (i.e. the Qur'an) and in the Books sent
down before you, *7
and firmly believe in the Hereafter. *8
*7. The fifth requirement is that one should
believe in the Books revealed by God to His
Prophets in the various ages and regions of the
world, in the Book revealed to Muhammad (peace
be on him) as well as in those revealed to the
other Prophets who preceded him. The door of the
Qur'an is closed to all those who do not
consider it necessary for man to receive
guidance from God. It is also closed to those
who, even if they believe in the need for such
guidance, do not consider it necessary to seek
it through the channel of revelation and
prophethood, but would rather weave their own
set of ideas and concepts and regard them as
equivalent to Divine Guidance.
This door is also closed to those who believe in Divine books as such, but confine this belief to those books accepted by their forefathers, and spurn Divine Guidance revealed to anyone born beyond their own racial and national boundaries. The Qur'an excludes all such people and is prepared to open the source of its grace only to those who believe that mankind does require Divine Guidance, who acknowledge that this guidance does not come to people individually but reaches them through Prophets and Divine Books and who are not given to racial or national chauvinism but are devotees of Truth alone, and are therefore prepared to submit to Divine Guidance wherever it be found.
*8. Belief in the After-life is the sixth and last requirement. The term al-Akhirah embraces a whole set of ideas:
(i) that man is not an irresponsible being, but is answerable to God for all his conduct in this world;
(ii) that the present order of the world is not timeless, but will come to an end at an appointed hour knon only to God;
(iii) that when this world comes to an end God will bring into being another world in which He will resurrect, at one and the same moment, all the human beings ever born on earth. He will gather them together, examine their conduct and grant each one just reward for his actions;
(iv) that those who are accounted good in God's judgement will be sent to Heaven, and those judged by Him as evil-doers will be consigned to Hell;
(v) that the real measure of success and failure is not one's prosperity in the present life, but one's success or failure according to God's judgement in the Next.
Those who do not accept this set of beliefs can derive no benefit from the Qur'an. For if a man is merely in a state of doubt and hesitation with regard to these matters - let alone disbelieving them - he cannot advance even one step forward along the path charted out by the Qur'an.
This door is also closed to those who believe in Divine books as such, but confine this belief to those books accepted by their forefathers, and spurn Divine Guidance revealed to anyone born beyond their own racial and national boundaries. The Qur'an excludes all such people and is prepared to open the source of its grace only to those who believe that mankind does require Divine Guidance, who acknowledge that this guidance does not come to people individually but reaches them through Prophets and Divine Books and who are not given to racial or national chauvinism but are devotees of Truth alone, and are therefore prepared to submit to Divine Guidance wherever it be found.
*8. Belief in the After-life is the sixth and last requirement. The term al-Akhirah embraces a whole set of ideas:
(i) that man is not an irresponsible being, but is answerable to God for all his conduct in this world;
(ii) that the present order of the world is not timeless, but will come to an end at an appointed hour knon only to God;
(iii) that when this world comes to an end God will bring into being another world in which He will resurrect, at one and the same moment, all the human beings ever born on earth. He will gather them together, examine their conduct and grant each one just reward for his actions;
(iv) that those who are accounted good in God's judgement will be sent to Heaven, and those judged by Him as evil-doers will be consigned to Hell;
(v) that the real measure of success and failure is not one's prosperity in the present life, but one's success or failure according to God's judgement in the Next.
Those who do not accept this set of beliefs can derive no benefit from the Qur'an. For if a man is merely in a state of doubt and hesitation with regard to these matters - let alone disbelieving them - he cannot advance even one step forward along the path charted out by the Qur'an.
أُوْلَـئِكَ عَلَى هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ
وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴿2:5﴾
(2:5) Such people are on the right way from
their Lord and such are truly successful.
إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ
أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لاَ
يُؤْمِنُونَ﴿2:6﴾
(2:6) As for those who have rejected *9
(these things), it is all the same to them
whether you warn them or do not warn them: they
are not going to believe.
*9. That is, those people who do not meet these
six requirements, or reject all or any one of
the fundamentals set out above.
خَتَمَ
اللّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهمْ وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ
وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ
عظِيمٌ﴿2:7﴾
(2:7) Allah has sealed up their hearts and ears
and a covering has fallen over their eyes, *10
and they have incurred the severest punishment.
*10. This does not mean that their rejection of
the Truth is a consequence of God sealing their
hearts. What is meant is that God sealed their
hearts and ears as a consequence of their
decision to reject the fundamentals of faith, of
their deliberate choice of a path divergent from
that charted out by the Qur'an. Anyone who has
worked for the dissemination of the Truth often
finds that if, after full consideration, a
person decides against a doctrine, his mind
begins to move in a completely opposite
direction so that he fails to appreciate
anything that is explained to him. His ears
become deaf, his eyes are blinded to the merits
of that doctrine, and one gets the distinct
impression that the person's heart has indeed
been sealed.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ آمَنَّا
بِاللّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَمَا
هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ﴿2:8﴾
(2:8) Then there are some who say,
"We believe in Allah and the Last
Day", whereas they do not believe at
all.
يُخَادِعُونَ اللّهَ وَالَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلاَّ
أَنفُسَهُم وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴿2:9﴾
(2:9) They thus try to deceive Allah
and the Believers, but they succeed
in deceiving none except themselves
and they realize it not *11
.
*11. These people delude themselves
that their hypocritical behaviour
will profit them when in fact it
will prove harmful both in this
world and the Next. A hypoctite may
be able to fool people for a while,
but it does not last long; his
hypocrisy is ultimately seen
through. As for the Next Life, it is
obvious that his claim to be a true
believer is contradicted by his own
actions and is thus quite worthless.
فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ
اللّهُ مَرَضاً وَلَهُم عَذَابٌ
أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ﴿2:10﴾
(2:10) In their hearts is a disease
which Allah has increased all the
more *12
and a painful doom is in store for
them for the lie they utter.
*12. ' Disease' here refers to the
disease of hypocrisy. The statement
that 'Allah has intensified this
disease' means that He does not
punish the hypocrites immediately
but allows them to indulge in their
hypocrisy and exult in the success
of their ruses. This feeling of
success intensifies their hypocrisy.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ
فِي الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا
نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ﴿2:11﴾
(2:11) Whenever it is said to them,
"Spread not disorder on the earth",
their reply is, "We only seek to put
things aright".
أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ
وَلَـكِن لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ﴿2:12﴾
(2:12) Beware! they do spread
disorder but they realize it not.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُواْ كَمَا
آمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُواْ أَنُؤْمِنُ
كَمَا آمَنَ السُّفَهَاء أَلا
إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ السُّفَهَاء وَلَـكِن
لاَّ يَعْلَمُونَ﴿2:13﴾
(2:13) And when it is said to them,
"Believe sincerely as the other
people have believed", *13
they reply, "Should we believe as
fools have believed?” *14
Beware! they themselves are the
fools, but they know it not.
*13. They are being asked to become
Muslims in the same manner as others
of their community became Muslims
*14. They think that those people who sincerely embraced Islam and thereby exposed themselves to all kinds of trials and persecutions, and confronted risks and dangers, were merely fools. To them it seems sheer folly to invite the hostility of the entire land merely for the sake of Truth and righteousness. In their view, wisdom consists not in bothering oneself with the distinction between truth and falsehood, but in remaining concerned only with one's own interests.
*14. They think that those people who sincerely embraced Islam and thereby exposed themselves to all kinds of trials and persecutions, and confronted risks and dangers, were merely fools. To them it seems sheer folly to invite the hostility of the entire land merely for the sake of Truth and righteousness. In their view, wisdom consists not in bothering oneself with the distinction between truth and falsehood, but in remaining concerned only with one's own interests.
وَإِذَا لَقُواْ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ
قَالُواْ آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْاْ
إِلَى شَيَاطِينِهِمْ قَالُواْ إِنَّا
مَعَكْمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ
مُسْتَهْزِؤُونَ﴿2:14﴾
(2:14) When they meet those who
believe, they say, "We, too, are
believers", but when they privily
meet their evil geniuses, *15
they say, "Indeed we are with you:
we are only mocking at these
people".
*15. 'Satan' in Arabic means
refractory, rebellious and
headstrong, and is used for both
human beings and jinn. Although this
word is generally used in the Qur'an
for the satans amongst the jinn, it
is also used occasionally for human
beings possessing satanic
characteristics. The context
generally explains whether the word
'satan' refers to jinn or to human
beings. In this particular case the
word 'satans' refers to those
influential leaders of the time who
were in the vanguard of opposition
and hostility to Islam
اللّهُ يَسْتَهْزِىءُ بِهِمْ
وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ
يَعْمَهُونَ﴿2:15﴾
(2:15) (Little do they realize that)
Allah is mocking at them. He gives
them rope enough, and they wander on
and on blindly in their mischief and
rebellion.
أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرُوُاْ
الضَّلاَلَةَ بِالْهُدَى فَمَا
رَبِحَت تِّجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا
كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ﴿2:16﴾
(2:16) These are the people who have
bartered away Guidance for error,
but this is a profitless bargain
that they have made, and they are
not at all on the right way.
مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي
اسْتَوْقَدَ نَاراً فَلَمَّا أَضَاءتْ
مَا حَوْلَهُ ذَهَبَ اللّهُ
بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِي
ظُلُمَاتٍ لاَّ يُبْصِرُونَ﴿2:17﴾
(2:17) Their condition may be
described in a parable: a man
kindled a fire and when it
illuminated all around him, Allah
took away the light from their eyes
and left them in utter darkness,
where they could not see anything. *16
*16. This means that two opposite
effects emerged when a true servant
of God radiated the light which made
it possible to distinguish true from
false and right from wrong, and made
the straight way distinct from the
ways of error. To those endowed with
true perception, all truths became
evident. But those who were almost
blinded by the worship of their
animal desires perceived nothing.
The expression, 'Allah took away the light of their perception' should not create the impression that these people were not responsible for their stumbling into darkness. Only those who do not seek the Truth, who prefer error to guidance and who are adamantly disinclined to pursue the Truth despite its luminosity, are deprived, by God, of the light of their perception. God simply enables such people to do what they wish.
The expression, 'Allah took away the light of their perception' should not create the impression that these people were not responsible for their stumbling into darkness. Only those who do not seek the Truth, who prefer error to guidance and who are adamantly disinclined to pursue the Truth despite its luminosity, are deprived, by God, of the light of their perception. God simply enables such people to do what they wish.
صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لاَ
يَرْجِعُونَ﴿2:18﴾
(2:18) They are deaf; they are dumb;
they are blind *17
so they will not return (to the
right way).
*17. They have become deaf to hear,
dumb to utter and blind to perceive
the truth.
أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاء فِيهِ
ظُلُمَاتٌ وَرَعْدٌ وَبَرْقٌ
يَجْعَلُونَ أَصْابِعَهُمْ فِي
آذَانِهِم مِّنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ
الْمَوْتِ واللّهُ مُحِيطٌ
بِالْكافِرِينَ﴿2:19﴾
(2:19) Or (still another parable may
be cited to depict their condition):
heavy rain is falling from the sky,
accompanied by pitch darkness,
thunder and lightning. When they
hear the thunderclap, they thrust
their fingers into their ears for
fear of death, but Allah is
encircling the disbelievers on all
sides. *18
*18. By thrusting their fingers into
their ears they temporarily deceive
themselves into believing that they
can escape the catastrophic end that
awaits them. However, they cannot
escape that end since God with all
His might, encompasses them.
يَكَادُ الْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ
أَبْصَارَهُمْ كُلَّمَا أَضَاء لَهُم
مَّشَوْاْ فِيهِ وَإِذَا أَظْلَمَ
عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُواْ وَلَوْ شَاء
اللّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ
وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّه عَلَى
كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴿2:20﴾
(2:20) The lightning terrifies them
as if it were going to snatch away
their eyesight from them. When they
see light, they move on a little
further and When it becomes dark for
them, they stand still *19
. Had Allah so willed, He could have
deprived them totally of their
hearing *20
and their sight. Most surely Allah
has power over everything.
*19. The first parable refers to
those hypocrites who disbelieved
completely but had become Muslims
merely, to further their worldly
interests. The second parable refers
to those who were prone to doubt and
hesitation or whose faith was weak;
who believed in the Truth but not to
the extent of exposing themselves to
hardships for its sake. The 'violent
rainstorm' here alludes to Islam,
which came to the world as a
blessing. 'Pitch-dark clouds,
thunder and lightning' refer to
trials, tribulations and
difficulties which confronted the
Islamic movement, owing to the
violent opposition and resistance of
those committed to Ignorance. The
last part of the parable portrays
the state of mind of the hypocrites.
They move a little ahead when
circumstances seem favorable, but
when either difficulties cloud the
horizon, or when they are given
directives which run counter to
their desires or inherited
prejudices, they are seized with
alarm and come to a halt.
*20. Just as God has completely deprived the first category of hypocrites of their 'light of perception', He could have rendered these other hypocrites totally blind and deaf. But it is not God's way to deprive anyone of sight and hearing while he is willing to see and hear. Hence, God allowed them to retain their sight and hearing to the extent they were prepared to see and hear the Truth.
*20. Just as God has completely deprived the first category of hypocrites of their 'light of perception', He could have rendered these other hypocrites totally blind and deaf. But it is not God's way to deprive anyone of sight and hearing while he is willing to see and hear. Hence, God allowed them to retain their sight and hearing to the extent they were prepared to see and hear the Truth.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ
اعْبُدُواْ رَبَّكُمُ
الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ
وَالَّذِينَ مِن
قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَتَّقُونَ﴿2:21﴾
(2:21) O Mankind *21
, submit to your Lord
Who created you and
those who were before
you; in this way only
you may expect to save
yourselves *22
.
*21. Even though the
message of the Qur'an is
addressed to all,
benefiting from it
depends on ones
willingness and on God's
succour in relation to
that willingness. This
is why the Qur'an first
explained which kind of
people can and which
kind of people cannot
benefit from the Qur'an.
As this has been
explained in the
foregoing verses, the
quintessence of the
message to which the
Qur'an invites all
mankind is now put
forth.
*22. So that you are saved from false beliefs and unrighteous conduct in this life, and from the punishment of God in the Next.
*22. So that you are saved from false beliefs and unrighteous conduct in this life, and from the punishment of God in the Next.
الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ
الأَرْضَ فِرَاشاً
وَالسَّمَاء بِنَاء
وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاء
مَاء فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ
الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقاً
لَّكُمْ فَلاَ تَجْعَلُواْ
لِلّهِ أَندَاداً
وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴿2:22﴾
(2:22) It is He Who has
made the earth a bed for
you and the sky a
canopy; and it is He Who
sends down rain from
above for the growth of
every kind of food
products for your
sustenance. So, when you
know this, you should
not set up equals to
rank with Allah *23
.
*23. That is, when man
recognizes that all
those things were done
by none but God, then
worship, devotion and
service must be
exclusively for Him. For
who besides the Creator
can legitimately claim
these things from man?
Not to set up others as rivals to Allah means not to make anyone other than God the object of worship, service and obedience that one owes to God alone. Later on we shall see, in some detail, how the Qur'an itself specifies the forms of worship and service which we owe exclusively to God, and wherein associating anyone else amounts to shirk (associating others with God in His divinity). This, the Qur'an seeks to eradicate.
Not to set up others as rivals to Allah means not to make anyone other than God the object of worship, service and obedience that one owes to God alone. Later on we shall see, in some detail, how the Qur'an itself specifies the forms of worship and service which we owe exclusively to God, and wherein associating anyone else amounts to shirk (associating others with God in His divinity). This, the Qur'an seeks to eradicate.
وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ
مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى
عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُواْ
بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ
وَادْعُواْ شُهَدَاءكُم
مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ إِنْ
كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴿2:23﴾
(2:23) And if you be in
doubt whether the Book
We have sent down to Our
Servant is from Us or
not, then produce, at
least, one Surah like
this *24
. You may call all your
associates to assist you
and avail yourselves of
the help of any one
other than Allah. If you
are genuine in your
doubt, do this.
*24. Before this, in
Makka, opponents had
often been challenged to
produce anything of
comparable merit if they
believed the Qur'an to
be the work of a human
being. In Madina the
same challenge was
reiterated. (For similar
challenges made
elsewhere in the Qur'an,
see 10: 38; 11: 13; 17:
88 and 52: 33
فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُواْ
وَلَن تَفْعَلُواْ
فَاتَّقُواْ النَّارَ
الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا
النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ
أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ﴿2:24﴾
(2:24) But if you do not
do this, and you can
never do this, then fear
the Fire which has been
prepared for the
disbelievers and which
shall have men and
stones for fuel *25
.
*25. This suggests, in a
subtle manner, that in
the Next Life not only
will the unbelievers
become the fuel of hell
وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِين
آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ
الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ
لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي
مِن تَحْتِهَا
الأَنْهَارُ كُلَّمَا
رُزِقُواْ مِنْهَا مِن
ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزْقاً
قَالُواْ هَـذَا الَّذِي
رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ
وَأُتُواْ بِهِ
مُتَشَابِهاً وَلَهُمْ
فِيهَا أَزْوَاجٌ
مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَهُمْ
فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ﴿2:25﴾
(2:25) And give good
news (O Muhammad), to
those who believe in
this Book and do good
deeds (in accordance
with its teachings). For
them there will be
gardens underneath which
canals flow. Their
fruits will so resemble
the fruits on the Earth
that every time they
will be provided with
fruits, they will say,
"Such fruits were
provided to us before on
the Earth *26
. " And there will be
pure spouses *27
for them and therein
they will live for ever.
*26. The fruits of
Paradise will not be so
exotic in appearance as
to be unfamiliar to
people. They will
resemble the fruits to
which human beings are
accustomed in this
world, though infinitely
excelling them in
delicacy of taste. In
appearance they may
resemble, say mangoes,
pomegranates and
oranges, and the people
of Paradise will be able
to identify them as
such. In taste, however,
there will be no
comparison between the
terrestrial and heavenly
fruits.
*27. The Qur'anic text has the Arabic word azwaj which means 'spouses' or 'couples', and embraces both husband and wife. The husband is the zawj of his wife, and vice versa. In the Next World, however, this relationship of spouses will be qualified by purity. If a man has been virtuous in this world while his wife has not, their relationship in the Next World will be sundered and the man will receive another spouse who will be pure and virtuous. On the other hand, if a virtuous woman has had an evil husband she will be tied in companionship with a virtuous man. Where husband and wife have both been virtuous their relationship will become everlasting.
*27. The Qur'anic text has the Arabic word azwaj which means 'spouses' or 'couples', and embraces both husband and wife. The husband is the zawj of his wife, and vice versa. In the Next World, however, this relationship of spouses will be qualified by purity. If a man has been virtuous in this world while his wife has not, their relationship in the Next World will be sundered and the man will receive another spouse who will be pure and virtuous. On the other hand, if a virtuous woman has had an evil husband she will be tied in companionship with a virtuous man. Where husband and wife have both been virtuous their relationship will become everlasting.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ
يَسْتَحْيِي أَن يَضْرِبَ
مَثَلاً مَّا بَعُوضَةً
فَمَا فَوْقَهَا فَأَمَّا
الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ
فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ
الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ
وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُواْ فَيَقُولُونَ
مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ
بِهَـذَا مَثَلاً يُضِلُّ
بِهِ كَثِيراً وَيَهْدِي
بِهِ كَثِيراً وَمَا
يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلاَّ
الْفَاسِقِينَ﴿2:26﴾
(2:26) Well, Allah is
not ashamed to cite the
similitude of a gnat or
of something even more
insignificant than this *28
. As for those who
believe, they come to
know from the same
similitude that it is
the Revelation from
their Lord; but those
who disbelieve, say,
"What does Allah mean by
such similitudes?" *29
Allah leads astray many
and guides many to the
right way by the same
thing *30
. And He leads astray
only those who disobey
Allah;
*28. Here an objection
is indirectly refuted.
At several places in the
Qur'an, spiders, flies,
gnats and so on are
mentioned in order to
elucidate certain
points. Opponents
objected to this on the
grounds that such
objects were too lowly
to find a place in the
Book of God. They
indicated that had the
Qur'an indeed been a
revelation from God it
would not have mentioned
such trivial objects.
*29. Those who do not wish to understand things and are not motivated by the urge to seek the truth become enmeshed in superficial questions relating to the Book of God, draw altogether erroneous conclusions when they encounter references to apparently insignificant things such as gnats, and are thereby thrown further and further away from the Truth. Those who seek the Truth and possess true perception, on the other hand, penetrate through these superficialities and perceive the gems of wisdom that they embody. This appreciation makes their hearts attest that such wisdom could have no other source than God Himself.
*30. Fasiq means transgressor, disobedient. (See also n 33 below )
*29. Those who do not wish to understand things and are not motivated by the urge to seek the truth become enmeshed in superficial questions relating to the Book of God, draw altogether erroneous conclusions when they encounter references to apparently insignificant things such as gnats, and are thereby thrown further and further away from the Truth. Those who seek the Truth and possess true perception, on the other hand, penetrate through these superficialities and perceive the gems of wisdom that they embody. This appreciation makes their hearts attest that such wisdom could have no other source than God Himself.
*30. Fasiq means transgressor, disobedient. (See also n 33 below )
الَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ
عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِن
بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ
وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ
اللَّهُ بِهِ أَن يُوصَلَ
وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي
الأَرْضِ أُولَـئِكَ هُمُ
الْخَاسِرُونَ﴿2:27﴾
(2:27) who break Allah's
covenant after ratifying
it *31
; who cut asunder what
Allah has ordered to be
joined *32
, and who produce chaos
on the Earth *33
. These are the people
who are indeed the
losers.
*31. The injunctions or
ordinances issued by a
sovereign to his
servants and subjects
are termed 'ahd in
Arabic since compliance
with them becomes
obligatory for the
latter. 'Ahd has been
used here in this sense.
The 'ahd referred to
signifies God's eternal
command that all human
beings are obliged to
render their service,
obedience and worship to
Him alone. 'After its
binding' refers to the
promise made by mankind
to remain faithful to
the injunctions of God
at the time of Adam's
creation. (For details
see verse 7: 172)
*32. That is, the transgressors strike their blows at those very relationships upon which the individual and collective well-being of mankind depends, and which God wants maintained on a sound basis.This small sentence is of great import as it embraces the whole of human morality and social life, and extends from relationships between individuals to those between nations. 'To cut asunder what Allah has commanded should he joined' does not merely signify the disruption of relationships between man and man; it forbids the establishment of all forms of human relationship except the right and permissible ones. For wrong and prohibited bonds between people have the same consequences as the disruption of the bonds of human relationship as such
*33. In these three sentences the nature of transgression and the attitude of transgressors is fully defined. To debase the relationship between man and God, and between man and man necessarily leads to 'mischief'. Those who spread this 'mischief' on earth are transgressors.
كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ
بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ
أَمْوَاتاً فَأَحْيَاكُمْ
ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ
يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ
إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ﴿2:28﴾
(2:28) How is it that
you adopt the attitude
of disbelief towards
Allah when the fact is
that you were lifeless
and He gave you life,
and He will take away
life from you and wilt
again restore you to
life: then you shall
ultimately return to
Him.
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
لَكُم مَّا فِي الأَرْضِ
جَمِيعاً ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى
إِلَى السَّمَاء
فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ
سَمَاوَاتٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ
شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴿2:29﴾
(2:29) He it is Who
created for you all that
there is on the Earth;
He then turned to the
sky and ordered it into
seven heavens *34
. And He has full
knowledge of everything *35
.
*34. It is difficult to
explain precisely what
is meant by the 'seven
heavens'. In all ages
man has tried, with the
help of observation and
speculation, to
conceptualize the
'heavens', i.e. that
which lies beyond and
above the earth. As we
well know, the concepts
that have thus developed
have constantantly
changed. Hence it would
be improper to tie the
meaning of these words
of the Qur'an to any one
of these numerous
concepts. What might be
broadly inferred from
this statement is that
either God has divided
the universe beyond the
earth into seven
distinct spheres, or
that this earth is
located in that part of
the universe which
consists of seven
different spheres.
*35. In this sentence attention is drawn to two important facts. First, man is warned against disbelief and rebellion against God, for God knows all that man does and none of his actions are hidden from Him. Second, it is suggested to man that if he turns away from the All-Knowing God, from the One Who is the source of all knowledge, this can only leave him grouping in the darkness of ignorance and error. When there is no source of truth knowledge except God, and when that very light which alone can illuminate man's life can be obtained from none else but Him, what good can come out of deviation from the Truth?
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