^{Surah Name:} Al-Baqarah ^Meaning: The Cow

Key Points

Surah Al-Baqarah

Secrets Of Revelation

Two Nations

"O mankind! Worship your Rubb,... may remain conscious of Him."

After indicating the difference between faith and disbelief, and the corresponding qualities, Allaah^-SWT divides the entire human race in two nations; the believer and the non-believer. This is not just idle talk; rather, the criterion has been laid down. Those disbelievers have also been identified who claim to be Muslims but hold false beliefs and cause trouble in the name of reformation. This is the most dangerous form of disbelief. By no means are they a third nation, but are amongst the disbelievers. After the right and wrong have been manifested, there is a general invitation to the entire mankind. People are asked to give up their erroneous paths to embrace and practice what is true. And to worship the Creator, owing all their loyalties to Him alone. He is the Rubb, which means that He is fulfilling all needs of the entire creation continuously and simultaneously, and is gradually taking everything towards its climax.

The term those who believe refers to the Companions^-RAU. The worst non-believers were those, who inspite of taking Shahadah, failed to develop any relationship with them. And were jealous of the progress and prosperity of the Muslims. It is said here that this conduct of the hypocrites is not harming the believers, but is disastrous for their own selves. They just deceive themselves unwittingly. This means that the love for the Companions^-RAU or sincerity towards them is a criterion of a person’s faith; otherwise despite taking Shahadah, he will remain a hypocrite. And if he openly disparages them he becomes a non-believer. It is an open secret that all the pretenders of the Islamic faith have invariably targeted the Companions^-RAU for criticism. These may either be deniers of Hadith or the pretenders of Prophethood, who wanted, without exception, to interpret the Qura'an in a way that would serve their purpose. This could not be achieved without repudiating the Companions^-RAU who were the living interpretation of the Qura'an. The Companions^-RAU learnt the Qura'an directly from the Holy Prophet^-SW acted upon it in his^-SW presence and obtained his^-SW endorsement. So now any preacher of infidelity in the guise of Islam has to begin with raising objections against them, which indeed is the greatest proof of hypocrisy. Some fallacious sects have not only resorted to abuse the Companions^-RAU but have also given it the status of worship. They are indeed a mixture of disbelief and hypocrisy, because of holding common traits with the disbelievers and the hypocrites. This is because their hearts are maligned and a diseased heart cannot absorb love, it rather develops the stink of jealousy and malice. As a result, their opposition to the believers grows stronger by the day and Allaah^-SWT increases their disease. The hostility towards the Aulia ( Allaah's friend) is indeed hostility towards Allaah^-SWT, and failure to repent results in Divine Condemnation. Alas! If man, so caring about his body, would only have paid some attention to his spiritual health too, and looked for a healer, who could reform and enlighten his heart! But when the hearts remain afflicted, a painful doom is the natural consequence. In short, the standard or yardstick of belief and conduct are the Companions^-RAU and their contradiction is down right hypocrisy destined to a grievous retribution.

The essence of worship is obedience, and the basic instinct behind obedience is to acquire some gain or else, at a secondary level to avert a loss. This is indeed the stimulant behind all human activity. No one undertakes any venture without hoping to gain something out of it. In this pursuit, he obeys anyone who, can apparantly help him in attaining his goal. Although Allaah^-SWT deserves to be worshipped unconditionally as the Supreme Being yet to entirely grasp this is beyond the normal level of comprehension. Therefore, the invitation towards Allaah^-SWT is extended by introducing Him through His Attribute of Providence "Worship your Rubb as He is your Creator, and also the Creator of your ancestors." When He has created, He will certainly provide the means of sustenance. Here the Attribute of Creating is presented as evidence to His Providence. Besides, the emphasis on the point: "created all those before you," clarifies that this Ummah is the last to come, as it gives no hint about any succeeding Ummah. He alone is the Creator and the rest all are created. The ‘created’ is always dependent for its own existence, and cannot possibly provide for and sustain others. The best way for mankind is to realise His greatness as the only Creator and Sustainer, and obey Him alone. This will certainly help develop Taqwa, generally translated as fear. In fact it is a state of the heart, a deep-rooted devotion that compels a person to obey Allaah^-SWT, and the very idea of annoying Him becomes unbearable.

Allaah^-SWT’s Cognition, the Reason for Human Superiority

Man has been blessed with the ability and the power to attain Allaah^-SWT’s cognition, while the rest of the creation is inherently obeying Him, whether it is the sun, the moon, the Earth, the seasons or the wind. In short, each and every particle of this Universe is busy observing its own pattern of obedience to Allaah^-SWT. They only follow the instructions and have no other choice. They have no knowledge of His Elegance, His Magnificence and His Splendour, because they have not been bestowed with the capacity to conceive it. This power is associated with Prophethood, and is an honour conferred upon mankind only.

Human personality has two aspects. In one, man is no different than other creations, for example, birth, death, sickness, health, appearance, gender, poverty or richness etc. These are beyond his control and he too flows with the decisions of destiny. However, the other aspect of his personality is the sense to appreciate beauty and employ various means to fulfil this instinct. This is the stimulating force behind his struggle for attaining an abode, raiment and food. Whereas the attractions and the beauty of this world lie bare before him, the capacity to attain Allaah^-SWT’s cognition has also been bestowed on him. If the latter is lost, all efforts are diverted to the attainment of mundane pleasures. However, if he manages to attain even an iota of Divine Cognition, he is ready to sacrifice the beauty of the entire world for it. Once he beholds the Divine Grace, he can never turn back to temporal desires. The spirit that keeps him anxious to sacrifice everything for Allaah^-SWT, is called Taqwa, attainable through worship. He is far beyond the access of human intellect, understanding and imagination. The physical eye cannot behold Him, and there is no simile, which can facilitate one's imagination. Then how can one attain His recognition and nearness? The only course open is of His worship and obedience. His Light illuminates the forehead, by performing Sajdaah (prostration) in submission before Him. And the heart that adores Him becomes the centre for receiving His Splendor. Worship is the only means to attain His cognition. And if a trace of His cognition is acquired, it leads to more worship, as one seeks to adore Him endlessly. Anyone who does not obey Allaah^-SWT or invents his own ways of worship and yet claims accomplishment is unreliable. Remember that only that worship is valid and sound, which leads to His cognition. And cognition shall pave the way for further worship eliminating the desire for momentary pleasures and temporary excellence such as Kashf and Karmah. Though these may be acquired automatically, but are not the goal. This is an important point, because some seekers, when blessed with Kashf, begin to believe that they have attained the goal and become less zealous towards their worship, which impedes progress. They some times get so engrossed in it that they eventually lose all that they had achieved. The seekers must be extremely cautious and must not settle for anything other than Allaah^-SWT. May Allaah^-SWT bless us with His love and with the love of His beloved Prophet^-SW!

Who has made the Earth your carpet

Allaah^-SWT is so Powerful, that He has created the Earth as a place of comfort for mankind, which inspite of its spherical shape is levelled for everyone. It is equipped with all the necessities and provisions of life for its inhabitants, soft enough to be scooped with a needle and hard enough to bear the weight of castles. It is so trustworthy that it gives every living being its due share, without depriving the other. It does not give away the share of the future occupants to the present dwellers and vice-versa. Full of treasures, the life-giving water flows through its veins. A beautiful resting-place equipped with all provisions of life. Nonetheless, it is not a place of permanent abode, only a break in the journey. We have to move on to the real destination.

The sky is a canopy for the Earth, free from any support. Everyone benefits from it without ever having to worry for its repair and maintenance. It distributes to all what is ordained, however, does not take anything in return. It is a canopy, which by virtue of its creation will remain intact till the Yaum al-Qiyamah (day of judgement). Thither, the water descends on Earth. Allaah^-SWT is so Powerful that He diffuses the water in the atmosphere. Winds carry the clouds and as they begin to pour, water is splashed over the land, often spurting out of rivers and brooks. It is a demonstration of Allaah^-SWT’s Omnipotence that He keeps it suspended in the air. It is a famous proverb that anything descending from above is said to be coming from the heavens and it is quite possible that the water originally came from there. Stranger than the downpour are its effects on the soil, making flowers bloom in a spectrum, crops ready for harvest and fruits ready to be picked. Colourless and tasteless itself, water dispenses a wide range of tastes and colours all around us, and is vital for the production of food for us.

In short, the creation of mankind, the Earth and the sky with all their excellence and meritorious qualities are all manifestations of Allaah^-SWT’s Omnipotence, and symbols of His Greatness. Any excellence or virtue, whether personal or universal, is from Him. It is He, Who fashions human figures in the wombs in blood and filth. He has created the Earth and the sky, and dissipates greenery and fertility by showering water. Will man ignore Allaah^-SWT and begin to worship the clouds, the mountains, the trees and the stones instead? If he does so he will still fail to worship each and every one of them, and will not gain any thing, as these things are themselves dependant on Him. Therefore, do not ascribe partners to Allaah^-SWT, nor worship anyone besides Him, especially after witnessing these living manifestations of His Magnificence. Islam indeed is the acceptance of the Unity of Allaah^-SWT and His Attributes. It is the only way of attaining peace and tranquillity in life, so that no transition in life may ever depress man. Rather every upheaval begins to depict His Magnificence. Since no one but He becomes the focus of all hopes, there can be no frustration. Any one attaining this state can move the mountains with his toe as Allaah^-SWT’s support accompanies him. And if a relationship is not developed with Him, there is no peace at all. Be it a king or a pauper, anxiety becomes his lot.

And finally, who introduced the concept of Unity and acquainted humanity with Allaah^-SWT’s Greatness? Who delivered mankind from the worship of creation and adorned their foreheads with the light of the One and the Only Supreme Being^-SWT? And what was the panacea he^-SW had, which turned raw copper into pure gold? This auspicious personality is the Holy Prophet^-SW and that panacea is the Qura'an.

If someone thinks that like so many other fabricated religions, Islam is also an invention of the Holy Prophet^-SW he has to face the Divine challenge: If this Book, which the Holy Prophet^-SW has presented before mankind, is a human endeavour, then let all the non-believers unite to produce something similar to it or just one Ayaah like it. It was impossible for them, despite the fact that the Arabs living in the sparsely inhabited desert without any schools or educational institutions, rearing camels and goats, were naturally gifted with such eloquence and wisdom that their poetry and prose amazed the non-Arab writers.

Amongst these Arabs was a personality, born in a noble family, an orphan who experienced the tragic death of his^-SW mother in early childhood, and shortly thereafter the loss of his grandfather. By worldly standards, he^-SW was a destitute in childhood who never attended any literary congregation. His^-SW childhood was spent in a family of shepherds and when he^-SW grew up, he^-SW had to look after the herds on wages to help his^-SW poor uncle Abu Talib, who had a large family to support. He^-SW never indulged in poetry nor composed an ode, nor had any inclination towards such things. Being totally unlettered, he^-SW was blessed with the highest morals, and his^-SW honesty and trustworthiness were adorned with such wisdom and sagacity that he^-SW was honoured by all and became known as Saadiq (truthful) and Ameen (trustworthy).

Having spent forty years of such a noble life amongst his^-SW people, he^-SW begins to present a Scripture, which outclasses the literary skills of all poets and authors in term of its text and composition. At the same time, he^-SW declares it to be a Divine Message. His^-SW personal conduct, his^-SW nobility and his^-SW truthfulness were enough to make people accept it, as expressed by Walid bin Mughirah during a meeting of the Makkans. He said: “It is very difficult to accept that a person, who never lied about anyone in forty years, can suddenly begin to lie about Allaah^-SWT.”

And if you doubt... for those who do not believe

Nevertheless, those having doubts about the Qura'an being Allaah^-SWT’s Message are welcome to bring a single Ayaah similar to it, and to call anyone for their assistance in presenting an Ayaah of such eloquence and rhetoric, covering complete human civilisation, imparting guidance on politics and government, social norms as well as matters of trade and commerce, family relationships and standards of friendship and enmity.

Therefore, this Qura'an is certainly a Divine Message. Had it been a human brainchild people all over the world would have competed to possibly produce similar or a better version. But this is impossible because the man-made and the Divine creation are poles apart. Man can manufacture jetliners however he cannot make a fly. No machine can make a wisp of hay. When there is no comparison here, how can anyone possibly produce a Scripture like the Qura'an, which is an Attribute of Allaah^-SWT, His Personal Word, outside the pale of His creation? The most voluminous books of the world fail to discuss any single topic completely, despite the fact that their scope is limited to the span of human life from birth to death. The Qura'an not only reveals the period before human birth, but also the times prior to the very creation of the Universe. It converses at length over the creation of the Universe, of man and his requirements, and of the means of attaining them. It goes on discussing human culture, social norms and realities pertaining to death and its aftermath. The Qura'an presents this short span of worldly life as a foundation for the eternal life of Aakhirah and certainly that can only be done by a Divine Scripture alone.

While the human intellect laboured on many a stratagem in formulating various codes of life, yet no one could present an exemplary society like the one that emerged through the practice of the Qura'an's teachings. This is not a fable but a historical fact, which even the anti Islam forces are compelled to accept. The cultures of a society are the ramifications of the requirements of a particular time; as times change, the cultures also begin to distort. A man-made law can never remain applicable or useful forever; infact the very legislative agencies, which formulate a law, sooner or later are forced to amend it.

The civilisation based on Qura'an's laws is eternal. It is neither confined to geographical bound nor affected by the passage of time. Infact these laws are applicable, practicable and beneficial in every era, for every nation. Any virtue in a society, when carefully analysed, will owe its existence to its unperceived compliance to Qura'an's teachings in that particular field. The principles of the Qura'an are so wonderful that even if a non-believer adopts them, he gains worldly benefits, although his disbelief deprives him of eternal salvation. Then the spectacular historical events, which could be known only through the distinguished Jews and Christian scholars, were reported with flawless accuracy by a personality who^-SW had never stepped in a school in his^-SW life. Leaving the reports of past events aside, just see how true his^-SW prophecies proved to be. Like the prophecy about the Romans regaining power after their crushing defeat, seemingly impossible at that time, did come true and the disbelievers lost all their betting.

At the time of Hudaibiyah Truce, the tidings of the conquest of Makkah, and of the believers performing Umrah fearlessly in the company of the Holy Prophet^-SW, was given by the Qura'an. And a ‘Great Victory’ preceding the conquest of Makkah was also foretold. Here, a contingent of fourteen hundred souls denied permission to perform Umrah by the Makkans, were returning unhappy after signing a treaty, the terms of which were apparently favourable, to the disbelievers and the Qura'an proclaimed it to be a prelude to the conquest of Makkah and a great victory! History bears witness that this retreating contingent from Hudaibiyyah set off for Khyber, and after crushing the Jewish forces lodged in the fort, performed Sajdaah before Allaah^-SWT, thanking Him for blessing them with a great victory. Next, take a look at the conquest of Makkah that followed and see how true the prophecies of the Qura'an proved to be. Many secrets buried deep in people’s hearts that were never expressed, were revealed by the Qura'an and were later confessed by them. Moreover, the unexplainable pleasure and exhilaration derived from its recitation and audience is not only enjoyed by a believer but also mesmerizes a non-believer.

The knowledge of the Qura'an has not been completely encompassed by anyone to date, nor will this ever be possible, in the future. It holds a fathomless ocean of secrets and deep meanings only known to Allaah^-SWT. And its open challenge to the Jews on matters, apparently within their control, that they simply cannot do so. For example asking them to wish for death if they were so truthful, however the Jews, inspite of their extreme hostility, did not dare to accept this challenge. Not even a single punctuation mark could be altered, despite all the joint efforts of the enemies of Islam. Allaah^-SWT had made the hearts of the believers its abode, whereby even a child can correct the most erudite person making a mistake.

All these facts not withstanding, the Divine assertion that all human beings put together cannot produce even a single Ayaah comparable to the Qura'an, testifies that it is His Scripture. The entire Arabia failed to come up with anything remotely similar to the Qura'an, or even make a false claim to that effect. Had anything similar to the Qura'an ever been presented, it would have been recorded in history. And all those striving with their wealth and life over the past fourteen centuries to eliminate Islam, would certainly have capitalised on it, nevertheless they failed to outclass the Qura'an. Even today the Qura'an challenges each and every person to come up and offer a complete code of life if they can; which is pure and ideal for the human temperament, to which people convert willingly, abandoning their own customs and traditions, and it is enforced on the world in a short period... Never! Then beware of the Fire foretold by the Qura'an, of which the fuel is rocks and the people who refute the Qura'an's teachings. However, for the believers are the glad tidings.

And give good news to those who believe... therein they will live forever.

Those who accept the Unity of Allaah^-SWT and the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet^-SW and practise the Qura'an's teachings, shall reside in Gardens, beneath which streams flow. The Arabic word ‘Tahti-ha’ has been translated as ‘beneath’ here, but it may also mean that the streams will be under the command of the dwellers of Paradise.

The Meaning of ‘Mim Tahti-ha’ (beneath)

The plantation and growth of gardens depends on the availability of canals in this world. However in Paradise, the streams will have to flow wherever the gardens shall be. This is endorsed by a saying of the Holy Prophet^-SW that in Paradise the springs shall change course as commanded by the dwellers. The fruit offered to the residents would be similar to the fruit of this world in appearance, although different in taste. They will be blessed with chaste women, who would have either been created in Paradise or the believing women admitted to it. A married believing couple will be reunited in Paradise. The non-believer spouses will be accordingly replaced by a Divine plan, for instance believing women who had died as spinsters, or those whose husbands were non-believers, will be given into the marriage of those believing men who were either bachelor, or had non-believing wives. Chastity, cleanliness and purity are the characteristics of Paradise. There will be no excretions, neither will the Women go through any phase of impurity, nor will there be any impurity of morals, but there will be perfection of beauty, character and physical appearance. In short, the basic needs for food, abode and spouse, as well as all the desires of the fortunate ones entering Paradise, will be fulfilled in a splendid way, free of any form of pollution. There will be no continuation of posterity, nor will there be any need for it. All the bounties in Paradise shall be eternal, so much so that all the dwellers of Paradise will be permanently returned to youth. Even so, all these pleasures put together shall not match the pleasure of beholding Allaah^-SWT! The real meaning of the verse: 'The believers love Allaah^-SWT the most' will be practically demonstrated in Paradise. the place where desires are fulfilled and dreams realised.

These pure women will be the models of perfection in terms of their beauty, morals and temperament, and both spouses will together reside in Paradise forever. In other words, all the bounties that a human being covets in this world viz. palaces, affluence, health, best food, a noble companion, will be the hallmarks of eternal life in Paradise. To qualify for it, one must induct Qura'an in practical life both in letter and in spirit.

A brief account of Paradise and Hell is given here. The Qura'an's view is that the human being is immortal, this ephemeral existence being one of the stations of life, however a term of trial for the eternal life. If this span of life is lived in compliance with Divine Injunctions it will result in eternal salvation, which would be the ultimate triumph. Otherwise, it would be a tremendous loss! To prove that the result of this life will be seen in the eternal life of the Aakhirah, it has been argued that when a human being does not undertake any futile venture, how could it be expected of the Creator of this Universe to make something meaningless and in vain. So the end result of the creation of mankind would be His nearness for the obedient, manifested as Paradise, and His distance from the disobedient, manifested as Hell. From amongst His creation even the most insignificant insects like a fly or a mosquito bear witness to Allaah^-SWT’s Power, and He does not hesitate to quote them as examples.

Allaah^-SWT does not mind to quote... none to stray except the evildoers.

Now, when the disbelievers could not meet the Qura'an's challenge of producing a single Ayaah of its kind, they resorted to baseless objections: “Had it been a Divine Scripture, there would have been no mention of a fly and a mosquito”. The Qura'an makes a mention of these small insects to highlight the worthlessness and helplessness of the idols that cannot even ward off a fly, and to drive home to the idolaters that idol worship cannot give them any benefit. It is said ‘Why should Allaah^-SWT be embarrassed while mentioning a fly or a mosquito?’ Besides, this creation though tiny in structure, speaks volumes on His creative skills. A mosquito obtains its food, builds an abode, procreates and moves around at free will! Who has placed such understanding and sense in a tiny body having wonderful physical features? Take the example of a fly; look at its tiny head, its two eyes, each having approximately eighteen thousand eyes! Who teaches the bee to build a hive, obtain nectar for making honey, obey its queen and to protect and raise its young? All praise be to Him! Teachings of the Qura'an can be compared to rainfall, which brings many blessings with it. While the rain causes the flowers to bloom, it makes the piles of garbage stink. Similarly, the believers derive comfort and peace of mind from the Qura'an while the wrongdoers are left confused and led further astray because of their impiety and evil conduct.

Those who break their solemn promise... they who are the losers.

Such people break the Covenant taken from the entire mankind, in the Realm of Spirits. When asked, Am I not your Rubb ^{-SWT? All replied, Yes, we bear witness (7:172). However, once born in this world, physical self and spirit together, man violated this Covenant by obeying and pinning his hopes on those other than Allaah-SWT. Those who claim to be believers, but practically indulge in sin, also to some extent fall in the category of Covenant breakers. They disobey Allaah-SWT’s Commands, or break the ties He has ordered to maintain, thus they create mischief, irrespective of their claim of promoting peace. If the beliefs are against Islam, they are creating mischief in beliefs; and if their actions are contrary to Islam, they are causing mischief in the practical life. History bears witness to the fact that mankind only experienced peace and tranquillity under the benevolent rule of Islam. Elsewhere, firearms are always employed, in order to enforce peace! The effect of a sin does not remain confined to the sinner alone, but spreads over and becomes a source of destruction across the globe, for which he is responsible, proportionate to his contribution. Those who create trouble on Allaah-SWT’s land will never be exonerated before Him. He warns the deniers of His Greatness and His Attributes.}

How can you refuse to acknowledge Allaah,... ultimately be brought back

He brought you to life from a state of non-existence! Even after the creation of the Universe, you were no more than lifeless particles, scattered in the atoms of various foods and water in the world. He gathered the Four Elements of your physical body through various stages and stored the seed in the loins of your father and the bosom of your mother. Then, through various developmental stages, He fashioned the body and gave you life, which shall culminate in death and the body will scatter in elements once again. This is the rule in general, whereas the physical bodies of the Prophets^-AS and the martyrs remain intact.

The aim is not to discuss the life in Barzakh (interim period) here, because that too is a temporary abode. Neither is it the place for action, nor of recompense. Rather it is a waiting place till the Day of Resurrection and the nature of stay will be according to one’s status. Here only the permanent life is being discussed, that Allaah^-SWT will reassemble all the particles and bring mankind back to life. No one shall then be allowed respite for action, but all will return to and stand before Him for reckoning.

It is He Who has created...has the perfect knowledge of all things.

Allaah^-SWT is so kind that He created everything on Earth to serve mankind. Then He created the seven heavens with perfection. He indeed is the Knower of everything. The Earth, the heavens, and their bounties; like days and nights, sun, moon, fruits and flowers, crops, rivers and oceans, lightening and winds. These are all forces created by Allaah^-SWT, for the service of man. Then how can it be proper for him to forsake the Creator and worship any of the creations meant for his service? Above all the most enthralling part is that everything is under His observation and in the end everyone has to face Him for accountability.