سورة البقرة
Surah Name: Al-Baqarah Meaning: The Cow
Key Points
- Revealed at Madinah
- The Longest Surah of the Qura'an.
- This Surah, with reference to its revelation, is Madni and some of its yat and injunctions pertain to the very last period of the revelation of the Qura'an, but in order of placement it is in the very beginning. The Qura'an, an answer to the prayer contained in al-Fatihah, begins with this Surah. There was a basic difference in the life patterns of Makkah and Madinah. The addressees of Divine Revelation at Makkah in general, were the pagans and the idolaters; but at Madinah there were also people who considered themselves to be the nearest to Allaah-SWT and the true followers of Prophet Musa-AS (Moses). Whereas, in reality, over the passage of time, they had not only forgotten his teachings, but had also distorted the Divine Scriptures. They had replaced worship with rituals, and true faith with absurd beliefs. Despite this they claimed to be on the right path. The Qura'an in the first place, highlighted the difference between belief and disbelief. Thus the very first yat of this Surah also spells out the fundamentals of Islam
- Total Number of Ruku / Sections 40
- Total Number of Ayat/ Verses 286
- Surah / Chapter number 2
- Ruku / Section 16 contains Ayat/ Verses 12
- Siparah/ Volume 1, 2 & 3
Surah Al-Baqarah
Surah Baqarah Ruku 16
|
وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلاَّ مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Waman yarghabu AAan millati ibraheema illa man safiha nafsahu walaqadi istafaynahu fee a(l)ddunya wainnahu fee alakhirati lamina a(l)ssaliheen(a) And who can turn away from the Deen of Ibraheem (Alaihi as-Salam) except the one who is extremely foolish? And indeed, We chose him in the world, and in the Hereafter too, he will surely be included among the righteous. |
|
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Ith qala lahu rabbuhu aslim qala aslamtu lirabbi alAAalameen(a) When his Rubb said to him, ‘Submit,’ he said, ‘I have submitted to the Rubb of the worlds.’ |
|
وَوَصَّى بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إَلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
Wawassa biha ibraheemu baneehi wayaAAqoobu ya baniyya inna Allaaha istafalakumu alddeena fala tamootunna illa waantum muslimoon(a) And Ibraheem (Alaihi as-Salam) and Yaqoob (Alaihi as-Salam) bequeathed this to their sons: ‘O my sons! Without doubt, Allaah has chosen (this very) Deen for you. Therefore, if death comes, it should come (to you) only while (you are) Muslims.’ |
|
أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاء إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُواْ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـهَكَ وَإِلَـهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَقَ إِلَـهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Am kuntum shuhadaa ith hadara yaAAqooba almawtu ith qala libaneehi mataAAbudoona min baAAdee qaloo naAAbudu ilahaka wailaha abaika ibraheema waismaAAeela waishaqa ilahan wahidan wanahnu lahu muslimoon(a) Were you present when death approached Yaqoob (Alaihi as-Salam), when he said to his sons, ‘Whom will you worship after me?’ So they said, ‘We will worship your Ilaha, and the Ilaha of your fathers and forefathers Ibraheem and Isma‘eel and Ishaq (Alaihim as-Salam); the Only Ilaha, and we are obedient to Him.’ |
|
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلاَ تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Tilka ommatun qad khalat laha ma kasabat walakum ma kasabtum wala tusaloona AAamma kano yaAAmaloon(a) This was a community that passed away; for them is what they earned, and for you is what you will earn, and you will not be questioned about their deeds. |
|
وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تَهْتَدُواْ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
Waqaloo koonoo hoodan aw nasara tahtadoo qul bal millata ibraheema haneefan wama kana mina almushrikeen(a) They say, ‘Become Jews or Christians and you will come on to the straight path.’ Say (to them), ‘(We) rather, (follow) the Deen of Ibraheem (Alaihi as-Salam), who had surrendered himself only to Allaah, and he was not of the polytheists.’ |
|
قُولُواْ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Qooloo amanna bi(A)llahi wama onzila ilayna wama onzila ila ibraheema waismaAAeela waishaqa wayaAAqooba wa(a)lasbati wama ootiya moosawaAAeesa wama ootiya a(l)nnabiyyoona min rabbihim la nufarriqu bayna ahadin minhum wanahnu lahu muslimoon(a) Say, ‘We believe in Allaah and that which is revealed to us and that which was revealed to Ibraheem and Isma‘eel and Ishaq and Yaqoob (Alaihim as-Salam) and their descendants and that which was granted to Musa (Alaihi as-Salam) and Isa (Alaihi as-Salam) and that which was granted to the (other) Prophets from their Rubb. We do not make any distinction between any one of them and we are obedient only to Him (the One Allaah).’ |
|
فَإِنْ آمَنُواْ بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللّهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Fain amanoo bimithli ma amantum bihi faqadi ihtadaw wain tawallaw fainnamahum fee shiqaqin fasayakfeekahumu Allaahu wahuwa a(l)ssameeAAu alAAaleem(u) Then if they too believe as you have believed, then they have received guidance; and if they turn away, then they are your enemies. Thus, Allaah is Sufficient for you against them. He is the Hearer (and) the Knower. |
|
صِبْغَةَ اللّهِ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللّهِ صِبْغَةً وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدونَ
Sibghata Allaahi waman ahsanu mina Allaahi sibghatan wanahnu lahu AAabidoon(a) ‘Allaah has assigned a colour; and whose colour could be better than Allaah’s? And we are only His worshippers.’ |
|
قُلْ أَتُحَآجُّونَنَا فِي اللّهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ
Qul atuhajjoonana fee Allaahi wahuwa rabbuna warabbukum walana aAAmalunawalakum aAAmalukum wanahnu lahu mukhlisoon(a) Say, ‘Do you dispute with us concerning Allaah? And He is our Rubb and your Rubb; and for us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds; and we are purely His worshippers only.’ |
|
أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأسْبَاطَ كَانُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى قُلْ أَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللّهُ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِندَهُ مِنَ اللّهِ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Am taqooloona inna ibraheema waismaAAeela waishaqa wayaAAqooba wa(a)lasbata kanoo hoodan aw nasara qul aantum aAAlamu ami Allaahu waman athlamu mimman katama shahadatan AAindahu mina Allaahi wama Allaahu bighafilin AAamma taAAmaloon(a) Do you say that Ibraheem (Alaihi as-Salam) and Isma‘eel and Ishaq and Yaqoob (Alaihim as-Salam) and their descendants were Jews or Christian? Say, ‘Do you know better or does Allaah?’ And who could be more unjust than the person who hides the testimony that has reached him from Allaah? And Allaah is not Unaware of your deeds. |
|
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلاَ تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
Tilka ommatun qad khalat laha ma kasabat walakum ma kasabtum wala tusaloona AAamma kanoo yaAAmaloon(a) This was a community that passed away. For them is what they earned, and for you is what you earned; and you will not be questioned about their deeds. |
Secrets Of Revelation
And who turns away from the religion of Ibrahim-AS...in the Akhirah.
The noble model of Prophet Ibrahim-AS, his-AS religion, his-AS beliefs and practices are the pinnacle of humanity from whom only someone extremely stupid, totally devoid of human values, can turn away. Whereas anyone blessed with a sound disposition would strive to adopt his-AS model.
Prophet Ibrahim-AS is such a noble personality that Allaah-SWT conferred upon him-AS the Prophethood, and chose him-AS for Himself, and he-AS will also be amongst Allaah-SWT's closest and beloved personages in the Akhirah. So any sensible person cannot ignore a conduct, which ensures success in both the worlds, and is a source of attaining Allaah-SWT's nearness. In fact the wiser a person, the more will he value the example of Prophet Ibrahim-AS. Now see his conduct.
When his-AS Rubb said to him... I surrender myself to the Rubb of the Universe."
When his-AS Rubb ordered him-AS to total submission, he-AS simply complied with. Mark his-AS words; he-AS did not just say that he-AS surrendered to Allaah-SWT, but keeping in view His Attributes of being the Provider, the Cherisher and the Sustainer of the universe, said that he-AS submitted to the Rubb of the worlds. His-AS words not only praise Allaah-SWT, but also constitute an acknowledgement of the fact that the capability to submit to Him is also bestowed by His Grace.
The apex of cognition is that one accepts his own goodness as a favour from Allaah-SWT.If he takes any of his virtues as his personal achievement, he is a stranger to this path and unacquainted with the pleasures of Divine Cognition. It is the ignorant who claim to qualify for high spiritual stations after doing a couple of Sujud, considering it a great effort on their part. They claim that they burnt the midnight oil in struggling for Allaah-SWT little realizing that the capacity to do Sajdah is after all given by Him.
The standard of excellence is not judged by ones powers of Kashf or Karamah, but by the extent of devotion and submission to Allaah-SWT.And the more one progresses in this, the more he should thank Him, and pray for steadfastness. However, if this fervour is missing, a few dreams or other such phenomena are no standard for excellence.
Kashf itself is a Karamah if accompanied by obedience to Allaah-SWT.A non-believer has no access to the heavens or realms beyond or the unseen realms such as Barzakh, Akhirah etc. The doors of the heavens do not open to non-believers (7:70). However, to tell about something located in another part of the world, or to tell a visitor his past, or to foretell about future by speculation, are skills that can be acquired even by a non-believer. Such things are popular among the ignorant and they take them as Kashf.
The real excellence is the inculcation of a spirit of submission, a deep-rooted total surrender to the will and purpose of Allaah-SWT. This was the virtue of Prophet Ibrahim-AS and all other Prophets-AS of Allaah-SWT, as well as of the righteous. And this is the most precious quality, which must be acquired from them.
And Ibrahim-AS enjoined...so do not die except as Muslims.
Prophet Ibrahim-AS himself, and in turn, his-AS grandson Prophet Y’aqub-AS personally advised their children, at the time of passing away. This is the time when a dying parent tells the offspring about the most precious possession he or she might have. For them the most valuable wealth was the faith and the spirit of total surrender to Allaah-SWT.They instructed their sons that Allaah-SWT had chosen for them the true religion; so they should not die save as Muslims. The earth may shift, the heavens may fall, the times may change; but they must hold fast to the true Din, and never even think of disobeying Allaah-SWT.
The Bani Israil claim to be the followers of Prophet Ibrahim-AS while sticking to their own vain desires instead of submitting to Allaah-SWT.Here is what Prophet Y’aqub-AS, from whom they derive the title Bani Israil, said:-
“Did you witness Y’aqub-AS’s hour of death?...And to Him do we surrender.”
Were you present at that time? No, you were not there to witness that, but We will tell you, that when Prophet Y’aqub-AS was breathing his-AS last, he-AS sent for his-AS sons. Whereas Prophet Ibrahim-AS had directed his-AS successors to remain steadfast on Islam; Prophet Y’aqub-AS adopted an interrogative style and asked his-AS sons, “Whom will you worship after me?” While the successors of Prophet Ibrahim-AS, namely Isma’il-AS and Ishaq-AS were themselves Prophets-AS, here only Prophet Yusuf-AS was a Prophet-AS amongst all the sons. So Prophet Y’aqub-AS adopted a more emphatic method, by putting them the question as to whom would they worship once he-AS is gone? They replied: We will worship your God; the God of your forefathers Ibrahim-AS, Ishaq-AS and Isma’il-AS, as He is the Only God, worthy of worship and praise. He is worthy of worship from the very beginning till the very end; we surrender unto Him and shall always remain as His obedient subjects.
In reality, Islam is the true faith, and has always been so since the advent of mankind on earth; though undoubtedly it assumed different names through different ages. Judaism, propagated by Prophet Musa-AS or Christianity propagated by Prophet ‘Isa-AS, are two names of the same reality, because the beliefs about Unity of Allaah-SWT, the Akhirah, the Day of Reckoning, the Paradise and the Hell, the angels, and all other basic teachings are common. The difference is only in the timings and methods of worship, but the object of worship is the same. And then this difference itself indicates excellence of obedience, that whenever and whatever was commanded, was obeyed. And now that the Last Prophet-SW is inviting the Bani Israil to rightfully submit to Islam, it is hard for them to swallow due to the false notion that a mere claim of being an Israili or an Ibrahimi will entitle them to a share in their noble deeds. Well, it will not happen to be so.
These are the people who... you will not be asked about what they used to do.
This was a group, a class of noble people, who honoured this world for a while, and then shifted to the eternal abode. So whatever they did-their acts of piety and their endeavours-will earn Divine Rewards and Pleasure only for themselves. You will get what you earn, and for sure, you are not accountable for their actions. No one will be accountable for the actions of his ancestors, because he was not even born at that time. The best course is to follow the ancestors who were righteous in their beliefs and conduct. One should not only follow them personally, but also guide the progeny on their line of obedience to Allaah-SWT.
And they say, “Become Jews or Christians... was not among the polytheists.”
The Bani Israil claim that the true religion is Judaism or Christianity, and both claim to be rightly guided. The former renounce Prophet ‘Isa-AS and the latter repudiate Prophet Musa-AS, yet in their own way, they claim to be the followers of Prophet Ibrahim-AS. This is what even the idolaters claim. It is the greatness of Prophet Ibrahim’s-AS leadership, that even the polytheists respect him-AS, and the Jews and the Christians take pride in claiming to be his-AS followers. O Prophet-SW! Let them know that the figure that is at the centre of their claims is Prophet Ibrahim-AS, who was certainly not a polytheist, but was indeed the most righteous. He-AS can be the model of unity between us.
Certain people claim to be true devotees of their pious precursors, but devise their own beliefs and practices, but the preceding paragraph lays down the rule that a mere claim of devotion cannot build any relationship, for this the noble precursors must be followed in beliefs and conduct. If Allaah-SWT gives Muslims the comprehension of this point, many differences can be abridged. The followers of the truth should not lean towards falsehood; rather they should invite others to follow the truth.
Say, “We believe in Allaah...and to Him do we surrender”.
The Muslim should tell the non-believers, that the Holy Prophet-SW himself and all his-SW Companions-RAU who were the principal addressees of the revelation, believe in Allaah-SWT and accept Him as the only One worthy of worship and the Absolute Ruler. None can dare deviate from His Revelations. And all Muslims believe in all the Messengers-AS of Allaah-SWT and the revealed Books, may it be Prophet Ibrahim-AS or Isma’il-AS or Ishaq-AS or Y’aqub-AS or other Prophets-AS from their lineage such as Prophets Musa-AS or ‘Isa-AS, without any discrimination. This is because they have surrendered themselves to Allaah-SWT, and dare not deny any of His Prophets-AS or His Commands. And if the non-believers embrace Islam and believe like the Companions-RAU did, they are the rightly guided otherwise they are in schism. No matter even if such people exceed in number or power, they are worthless, and Allaah-SWT Alone is sufficient to take them to task, as He is all-Hearing, all-Knowing.
So if they believe, as you have believed...All-Hearing and the All-Knowing.
Exemplary Faith Of The Companions
Here the faith of the Companions-RAU has been declared as a standard; a criterion for righteousness. Although at the time of this revelation, the addressees were the natives, yet the Qura'an and its teachings are for all times to come. The criterion for righteousness will, therefore, always be the Companions-RAU. And anyone who would act contrary to their model would do so out of sheer contumacy. Allaah-SWT's Knowledge is all Encompassing and He is the Creator; Who instilled in them such a high standard of virtue that they are the yardsticks of truth forever and chosen to be Companions-RAU of the leader of all Prophets-AS. Now if someone is so callous that he considers himself to be a Muslim and the Companions-RAU non-believers and maligns them on various counts, it indeed would boomerang and he would become a non-believer himself, because Allaah-SWT pronounced them as the criterion of truth. We have just discussed that the People of the Book claimed to be believers in truth, whereas their conduct did not endorse it. Here Allaah-SWT declared the Companions-RAU as the standard of righteousness; had they not excelled in their conduct, they would never have been proclaimed as such. Just ponder over the Divine words: “and if they believe in the like of that which you believe.” Can faith, without practice be deemed as exemplary? Not at all! Also take note of the warning to the opponents of the Companions-RAU: “ Allaah-SWT will suffice you (for defence) against them”. Allaah-SWT will directly deal with the opponents of the Holy Prophet-SW, i.e. those who fail to believe in him-SW like the Companions-RAU did.
When Caliph ‘Uthman-RAU was attacked by his assassins, he-RAU was reciting the Qura'an, and his-RAU blood fell on these Divine Words: “So Allaah-SWT will suffice you against them...” There indeed was bloodshed and a great turmoil for years to follow. According to a cautious estimate, almost seventy thousand people were killed. Obviously, the more one is against the Companions-RAU the greater is he within the sphere of Allaah-SWT's Wrath.
(Say) The colour of Allaah...and Him Alone do we worship.
Mere Colouring of Cloth does not make a religion just as the Christians dip the infant into coloured water and it is assumed that he has turned a Christian. This is absurd. The real colour is that of Allaah-SWT, which should be reflected in ones beliefs, ideology, actions and character and which should dominate the life of a person, as it did in case of the Companions-RAU. They are being commanded to tell the non-believers to take a look at the pattern of their lives; how they spend their days and nights, how they conduct the affairs in peace and war, in their business and politics. The non-believers will find the colour of Allaah-SWT predominant in the life of Companions-RAU. And most certainly there is no colour better than Allaah-SWT's. The Companions-RAU are the real devotees of Allaah-SWT; His worship and His obedience is the sole aim of their lives.
These few inviolable words repudiate all the false sects. Anyone who adds or deletes anything in His Being and Attributes, or in the status of the Prophets-AS, or the existence of angels would be considered a reprobate. This was not conceivable during the times of the Holy Prophet-SW. Neither the Prophets-AS can be made partners in Divine Attributes nor their status be compromised under any circumstances. There was no concept of any new shadow Prophet in the Companions-RAU era. Any such belief is reprobation. Or any false interpretations in the matters of Reckoning, such as twisting the concept of Resurrection of bodies and confining the reckoning to Spirits or distorting the belief about Scales and Accountability, is no service to Islam. In fact, to believe in the facts revealed about the Akhirah in Qura'an and the Sunnah, without making any false interpretation, is the right conduct. This was the practice of the Companions-RAU and a proof of their conformity and acceptability.
“Do you dispute with us about Allaah...And Allaah-SWT is not unaware of what you do.
So tell the non-believers: You indulge in arguments over Allaah-SWT, Who is our Sustainer and in Whose Providence, we believe and Whose disobedience is beyond our way. Whereas you too, benefit from His Blessings; He is your Provider too. We shall be accountable for our conduct and you shall be responsible for your actions. We act with utmost sincerity and devotion only to seek His Pleasure, while you argue and try to find faults just to maintain a face before the society. You say that Prophets Ibrahim-AS, Ismail-AS, Ishaq-AS and Y’aqub-AS, and their descendants were either Jews or Christians. Is your knowledge more authentic than Allaah-SWT's, Who has endorsed these Prophets-AS to be Muslims, through His Revelations? You are the transgressors who deliberately concealed the Divine evidence about the Holy Prophet-SW, his-SW noble era, his-SW disposition, his-SW teachings and his-SW faithful Companions-RAU, revealed in your Books. These facts you not only hesitate to accept out of sheer greed for temporal benefits, but also conceal them from others. And when you can maltreat such a great Prophet-SW who is amidst you, how can you then deter from speaking ill of those gone by? You must remember that Allaah-SWT is well aware of your activities.
These are the people who have gone by...about what they used to do.
This was the group of those noble souls who departed after successfully completing their mission. Their reward awaits them, and you (the Bani Israil) shall only get what you strive for. Surely you will not be held accountable for them, nor your claim of being their heirs is acceptable. The best course of action for you is to follow them in their beliefs and actions with steadfastness. You just cannot trick Allaah-SWT by false claims of loving them, while pursuing your own vain desires.
