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

Key Points

Surah Al-Baqarah

Secrets Of Revelation

Have you not seen him...Allaah^-SWT does not guide the wrongdoers.

Faith cannot be imposed on anyone as it is a state, a feeling, which enters the heart by Allaah^-SWT's will as a result of one's desire to turn to Him. If a heart is void of this desire altogether, no amount of effort or reasoning can bring about faith. Hence coercion is totally ruled out. The example being presented here is of a person who argued with Prophet Ibrahim^-AS over the Providence of Allaah^-SWT whereas it was Allaah^-SWT Who had given him the kingdom. In other words his own existence as well as the vast empire he ruled over was nothing but a manifestation of His Providence. What he really should have done was to be grateful to Allaah^-SWT but he opted for ingratitude and arrogance and proclaimed himself as God saying, 'O people I am your Rabb, so prostrate before me'.

When Prophet Ibrahim^-AS announced his Prophethood and broke all the idols the king summoned him to the court and inquired as to which Rubb was he inviting the masses to? The king claimed that he was the Rubb of all and his Government was looking after the needs of each subject in his kingdom. Prophet Ibrahirm^-AS asserted that he invited the masses to the Rubb Who gave life and death, and was the Creator. Everyone has to experience death at a predestined time including those who falsely claim to be Rubb. The system of the universe is least affected bythe birth or the death of such impostors. Had the king or others like him in the past been Rabbs, this universe would certainly not have survived without them. real Rubb is the one Who controls life as well as death.

King Nimrud obviously missed the point of Prophet Ibrahim’s^-AS argument altogether. He summoned two prisoners, released one and executed the other saying, "See I too can give life and death".

What a foolish argument it was! The king knew that the general public, who was to judge between the two, was primarily ignorant and would appreciate action instead of logic. But the Prophets^-AS are blessed with clear signs from Allaah^-SWT. Prophet Ibrahim^-AS reiterated that Allaah^-SWT is the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe. He has ordered the sun to rise from the East and to set in the West. If you are true in your claim, can you even for once alter this ordered course of His universe and make the sun rise from the West? The king was flabbergasted. He knew very well that if he put the same question to Prophet IbrahIm^-AS, the Creator, Who in reality makes the sun rise from the East can also make it rise from the West on his request. And if this happens, all his subjects will accept the true faith immediately.

Totally defeated Nimrud became furious and ordered that Prophet Ibrahim^-AS be thrown into fire. According to a report this dialogue took place when Nimrud had summoned Prophet Ibrahim^-AS from the jail to condemn him to fire. He was thrown in the fire and Nimrud, even after witnessing the transformation of fire into a beautiful garden, remained a non-believer. In fact Allaah^-SWT never blesses such remorseless sinners with guidance and faith. Is it not a great transgression to stun ones heart with the lust for temporal grandeur while its actual function is to seek Allaah^-SWT? Such malefactors are never guided.

Or such as the one who passed by a town... Allaah^-SWT has power over everything!

Prophet ‘Uzair’s^-AS Experience

Yet another strange incident is that of a person who passed by a desolate city. He was Prophet 'Uzair^-AS (Ezra) and the city was Jerusalem which had been totally destroyed by a king named Bakht Nasr (Nebuchadnezzar). When the Bani Israil crossed all limits of wickedness, Allaah^-SWT as a punishment, set on them Bakht Nasr, an arch tyrant who rampaged the city, set ablaze all the copies of Torah, committed large scale genocide and took the survivors as prisoners. Prophet 'Uzair^-AS escaped to the wilderness; it is a Divine rule that whenever nations are inflicted with collective punishment, the noble amongst them are separated. Once Bakht Nasr had departed from the city, after plunder, Prophet 'Uzair^-AS returned. He saw a completely destroyed city with no habitation, life, greenery, or tress, but only the rotten dead bodies, torn to pieces, scattered all over the ruins. Overwhelmed by the desolate sight, he exclaimed how could they be brought back to life from such a state of dilapidation. He did believe in Allaah^-SWT's Omnipotence, but was merely curious to know what would be the process of their resurrection. Beasts and scavengers had devoured the parts of their corpses. Some of the corpses had burnt to ashes and were blown away by the wind.

Pondering over the episode, he tied down his mount, laid aside some grape juice and figs etc. that he had collected from the jungle as food and stretched himself to rest. Allaah^-SWT let slumber overpower him, which was quite similar to death. Yet he did not actually die, because if a person returns miraculously from Barzakh, the rules of Shari'ah are no longer binding on him, whereas Prophet 'Uzair^-AS lived to perform his duty of inviting people to Allaah^-SWT. Neither did the Spirit leave his body, nor was he in any contact with the living. In fact, he remained in a suspended state between life and death.

Allaah^-SWT by His Omnipotence not only protected his body but also preserved his food. The lapse of one entire century could spoil nothing and Allaah^-SWT kept him and his provisions out of everyone's sight. No one spotted him or his food for a hundred years nor any dust gathered on them.

When Allaah^-SWT took him out of the slumber, he saw no change in himself or his dress. On one side a whole century had gone by and on the other it was as if only a moment had past. It was just like the Holy Prophet's^-SW journey in the Night of Ascension. He went to Bait al Maqdas, on to the heavens and onwards, witnessed Paradise and Hell and returned to his still warm bed while the chain on the door was still in motion. The time stood by and the clock did not tick even once.

In the meantime Allaah^-SWT had emancipated the Bani Israil from the clutches of Bakht Nasr after 70 years of captivity, who was killed and they returned to rebuild the city-In 30 years the city, duly rebuilt and flourished once again. WhenProphet 'Uzair^-AS woke up, Allaah^-SWT inquired of his sojourn. He^-AS replied that He^-AS had rested for a day or so. Allaah^-SWT informed him that he had slept a hundred years and because of His Omnipotence he did not even feel the duration. Likewise was his food preserved, unmolested by any living being or the weather. However his mount was not given the Divine Protection in order to provide him with a visual demonstration. He^-AS was shown the re-assembly of and how the missing particles of its flesh, whether devoured by the beasts and the birds or carried away by the wind, or washed away by the stormy waters were brought back to quicken animal. These miracles were wrought in answer to his query as to how the Resurrection will take place and above all, his own self became an evidence of Allaah^-SWT's Omnipotence for others.

Hearing by the Dead

Our times have ushered in a debate whether or not the dead can hear. Those who do not believe in hearing by the dead refer to this incident and argue that Prophet Uzair^-AS did not know anything about the time he had spent sleeping, therefore, those in ‘Barzakh’ cannot hear anything. This argument is irrelevant because he^-AS neither experienced the natural death nor did he^-AS enter ‘Barzakh’ nor did the episode progress to the extent of requital of his deeds. Regardless of whether the dead can hear or not, no inference can be drawn from this incident. The real issue is the denial of life after death, which was and still is, the reason for the non-believers' adherence to disbelief. This repudiation stems from the inability of human intellect to grasp the fact of life after life.

In the case of Prophet 'Uzair^-AS, Allaah^-SWT demonstrated His Omnipotence in many ways: He preserved the food and water in its original condition, concealed from the world; He also preserved his^-AS physical body, his^-AS garments and provisions and did not even let him^-AS feel the passage of a century. At the same time, his^-AS donkey died, decayed and scattered during the course of the century, Allaah^-SWT quickened in thepresence of His Prophet^-AS and said to him^-AS : "You^-AS are now a manifestation of My Omnipotence; see for yourself the desolate city that astonished you^-AS, flourishing once again!"

Now Prophet 'Uzair^-AS went to the city and announced that he^-AS was Allaah^-SWT's Prophet^-AS. Many reports show that the people demanded evidence from him^-AS. The greatest evidence was that the Bani Israil had been without a copy of Torah, for a hundred years, as Bakht Nasr burnt all. Allaah^-SWT put it in his^-AS ‘Qalb’ and he^-AS dictated it to them. The whole incident was indeed a great miracle and a source of guidance, but what happened really? The Bani Israil declared Prophet 'Uzair^-AS as Allaah^-SWT’s son, because they had perverted hearts and were incapable of receiving guidance. Allaah^-SWT deprived them of His cognition and nearness while Prophet 'Uzair^-AS proclaimed with full conviction that Allaah^-SWT is Omnipotent and can do whatever He pleases.

And recall when Ibrahim ^-AS said ... Allaah^-SWT is Mighty, Wise.”

Another strong evidence is the incident of Prophet Ibrahim^-AS, when he requested Allaah^-SWT to demonstrate how He would quicken the dead. Allaah^-SWT said: "Don't you believe in it." The Prophet^-AS replied that he did believe, but wished to see it with his physical eyes so as to attain the highest level of conviction.

This is a world of cause and effect. Therefore, the means are of vital importance. So much so that Allaah^-SWT Himself creates the means and manifests the results as their product. Similarly seeing is more effective for attaining inner satisfaction and feelings than listening.

When Prophet Musa^-AS heard about his nation's indulgence in the calf worship through revelation, he did not throw away the Tablets of Torah although aggrieved and annoyed. But as soon as he witnessed the wrong doing of his people, he threw them away in disgust and pulled his brother Prophet Harun^-AS by his beard. Similarly, Prophet Ibrahim^-AS requested Allaah^-SWT that though he did believe and know through Revelation, but the effects peculiar to seeing with physical eyes would strengthen his faith to perfection. Therefore, he may be shown Allaah^-SWT's Own way of reviving the dead.

The Etiquette of Supplication

The Divine Court is the most exalted, and the applicant ought to be extremely cautious. Just see the example of ProphetUzair^-AS. He wanted to witness the Resurrection but the words he chose were of amazement as to how it would take place. Allaah^-SWT kept him in a state of slumber, neither dead nor alive in the literal sense, for a hundred years and then enabled him to witness the Resurrection.

Here Prophet Ibrahim^-AS 's style is different. He requested Allaah^-SWT to demonstrate to him^-AS how He gives life to the dead, and his^-AS wish was granted right away. Therefore, while presenting one's motive before Allaah^-SWT, extreme care and reverence has to be observed. So Allaah^-SWT directed Prophet Ibrahim^-AS to take four birds and tame them as pets to an extent that they become attached with him^-AS and respond to his^-AS call immediately. Even here the employment of means was not ignored, and an affiliation with him^-AS was made a pre-requisite for the pets to respond to his^-AS call. Similarly faith cannot be attained without the development of an attachment with the Prophet^-AS. It is impossible that a person is an antagonist to the Holy Prophet^-SW and yet can remain a Muslim. This enmity, may it be in the form of animosity towards him^-SW, his^-SW relatives or his^-SW followers, leads to disbelief.

The same is true for receiving spiritual beneficence from a Shaikh. Until and unless the seeker does not develop an attachment with him, no spiritual beneficence can be drawn. Although enmity with the Aulia is not infidelity, for it’s neither obligatory to believe in them nor can anyone be termed with certainty as a Wali, yet Maulana Thanvi^-RUA has rightly observed that the holder of such an enmity usually dies a non-believer.

So Prophet IbrahIm^-AS was directed to first tame the four birds, slaughter them mince them together, scatter the flesh over different hillocks, then to call them and they would promptly come running to him^-AS. He^-AS did exactly what he^-AS was told and kept the birds' heads with him^-AS. He called for the birds one by one and its blood whether dropped on a rock or absorbed in the soil, or mixed with the blood of the other birds would begin to collect together, followed by its flesh, bones and feathers. All re-assembled under his^-AS direct observation and each body united to its head and all became alive once again. It must be absolutely clear that Allaah^-SWT is Mighty and can do anything He pleases. But at the same time He is also the Wisest, Who has predetermined the time for the occurrence of every event.

If only man contemplates how the ingredients of his body were scattered over the globe before he was born, he will realize that they would not possibly be more scattered after death! The food, the medicine, and whatever we eat are the various forms of four elements: clay, water, fire and air. Somewhere these elements are in the form of grains, rice, sugarcane, or spices at others they assume the shape of greenery and fodder consumed by animals, and come back to us as milk, butter and meat. All this process is not just a coincidence, but a thoroughly planned project with no element of chance. Each and every grain predestined by Allaah^-SWT for each individual is always heading towards its destiny, to an extent that after consumption by a person, if it is meant for his offspring, it is preserved in his loins. Similarly, out of the food consumed and digested by a mother, the portion destined for the unborn baby does not become a part of her body, but is passed on to the baby.

The matters of the ‘Akhirah’ are totally in His Control. He is fully capable of punishing or rewarding the scattered particles of a body even if these have become part of another body.

In this world although the physical body itself bears all responsibility but every pleasure and pain leaves an impact on the Spirit also. While in ‘Barzakh’ this is reversed and each and every particle of the physical body, irrespective of its location, feels the impact. On the Day of Judgment and thereafter both the Spirit and the body would become equally sentient.

The non-believers' antagonism to Allaah^-SWT's obedience is because of their denial of life after life, which is proved beyond any doubt in the above three incidents. Now the examples of those noble souls who spend in Allaah^-SWT's cause; who believe and believe in life after life, and exert in the best possible manner for the betterment of their eternal lives, is being presented in the Section that follows.