Al-Baqara
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| Classification : Madinian | ||
| Meaning of the name | The Cow | |
| Sura number | 2 | |
| Time of revelation | Early years of prophethood | |
| Statistics | ||
Sūrata’l-Baqarah (سورة البقرة "the Cow") is the second, and the longest, chapter of the Qur'an, with 286 verses.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The Sura's name is in reference to an argument between the Prophet Moses and the Israelites over a cow they should sacrifice in order to know the murderer of a slain man (see 2:67-74). (Not to be confused with the popular biblical incident where Moses clamped down on the Israelites' worshipping a cow idol - which is also pointed out in this sura.)
It is a Madinan sura; most of it was revealed during the first two years after the Hijra, but some sections (for instance, the verses prohibiting interest on loans) were revealed later, and the last three verses had been revealed in Mecca. It addresses a wide variety of topics, including substantial amounts of law, and retells stories of Adam and Moses and Abraham. A major theme is guidance: urging the pagans and Jews of Madina to become Muslim, and warning them and the hypocrites of the fate God had visited in the past on those who failed to heed his call.
It appears to be one of the earliest suras (with an-Nisa and some others) to be mentioned by name in a non-Muslim written source. John of Damascus (~730s) speaks of "the text of the Cow", and the Syriac Disputations of a Monk of Beth Hale and an Arab Notable (date hard to determine, but apparently post-710) has the monk saying "I think that for you, too, not all your laws and commandments are in the Qur'an which Muhammad taught you; rather there are some which he taught you from the Qur'an, and some are in surat albaqrah and in gygy (Injil?) and in twrh (Torah.)"
Surat Al-Baqarah contains several verses dealing with the subject of warfare. Verses 2:190-194 are often quoted on the nature of battle in Islam.
[edit] Selected Excerpts From This Sura
It begins with the letters Alif Lam Mim. A.L.M is usually spelled when the surah is being read, since the "word" is not a word that exists.
[edit] 2:2
- This Divine Writ – let there be no doubt about it – is [meant to be] a guidance for all the God-conscious who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception, and are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance; and who believe in that which has been bestowed from on high upon thee, [O Prophet,] as well as in that which was bestowed before thy time: for it is they who in their innermost are certain of the life to come!...Behold, as for those who are bent on denying the truth – it is all one to them whether thou warnest them or dost not warn them: they will not believe. God has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil; and awesome suffering awaits them. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:62
Verses 2:62, 5:69 and 22:17 addresses the Jews, Christians and Sabians: it states that along with Muslims, God will also save those Christians and Jews, who have believed in the true message of Jesus, Moses and the other prophets:
- Those who believe–Jews, Nazarenes, and Sabians–whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good deeds - shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have nothing to fear nor are they saddened.
the same verse:
- Verily, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians – all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds – shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:67-74
The Sura's name is in reference to an argument between the Prophet Moses and the Israelites over a cow they should sacrifice in order to know the murderer of a slain man.
From the Muslim perspective, the story is told to demonstrate that such idle argument is the wrong way to react to a direct commandment from God (Arabic Allah), as opposed to direct submission mandated by Islam.
[edit] 2:110
- And be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues; for, whatever good deed you send ahead for your own selves, you shall find it with God: behold, God sees all that you do. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:111
- And they claim, “None shall ever enter paradise unless he be a Jew” – or, “a Christian”. Such are their wishful beliefs! Say: “Produce an evidence for what you are claiming, if what you say is true! Yea, indeed: everyone who surrenders his whole being to God, and is a doer of good withal, shall have his reward with his Sustainer; and all such need have no fear, and neither shall they grieve. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:114
- Hence, who could be more wicked than those who bar the mention of God’s name from [any of] His houses of worship and strive for their ruin, [although] they have no right to enter them save in fear [of God]? (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:115
- And God’s is the east and the west: and wherever you turn, there is God’s countenance. Behold, God is infinite, all-knowing…His is all that is in the heavens and on earth; all things devoutly obey His will. The Originator is He of the heavens and the earth: and when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, “Be” – and it is. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:143
- And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:155
- And most certainly We shall try you by means of danger, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of [labor’s] fruits. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity – who, when calamity befalls them, say, “Verily, unto God do we belong, and, verily, unto Him we shall return.” It is they upon whom their Sustainer’s blessings and grace are bestowed, and it is they, they who are on the right path! (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:164
- Verily, in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and the succession of night and day: and in the ships that speed through the sea with what is useful to man: and in the waters which God sends down from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless, and causing all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon: and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses between sky and earth: [in all this] there are messages indeed for people who use their reason. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:173
- He has forbidden to you only carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that over which any other name other than God’s has been invoked, but if one is driven by necessity – neither coveting it nor exceeding his immediate need – no sin shall be upon him: for behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:177
- True piety does not consist in turning your faces to the east or the west – but truly pious is he who believes in God, and the Last Day, and the angels, and revelation, and the prophets; and spends his substance – however much he himself may cherish it – upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer , and the beggars, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage ; and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly pious are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they who are conscious of God. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:180
- It is ordained for you, when death approaches any of you and he is leaving behind much wealth, to make bequests in favor of his parents and [other] near of kin in accordance with what is fair: this is binding on all who are conscious of God. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:183
- Oh you who have attained to faith! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might remain conscious of God: [fasting] during a certain number of days. But whoever of you is ill, or on a journey, [shall fast instead for the same] number of other days; and [in such cases] it is incumbent upon those who can afford it to make sacrifice by feeding a needy person. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:186
- And if My servants ask thee about Me – behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:190-194
Verses 2:190-194 are often quoted on the nature of battle in Islam:
- Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors. And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith. And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression. But if they cease, Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. The prohibited month for the prohibited month,- and so for all things prohibited,- there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, transgress ye likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves. (Yusuf Ali's translation)
According to the well-known medieval tafsir of Ibn Kathir (who bases his statement on a hadith of Abul-Aliyah), ayat 190–1 were the first ayat regarding fighting revealed in Madina, and "ever since it was revealed, Allah's Messenger used to fight only those who fought him and avoid non-combatants." It mentions the minority opinion of Abd-al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam that this verse was abrogated by 9:5 "then kill the mushriks (polytheists) wherever you find them", but rejects this view as implausible. Ibn Kathir explains the "limits" that it says should not be transgressed as referring to "mutilating the dead, theft (from the captured goods), killing women, children and old people who do not participate in warfare, killing priests and residents of houses of worship, burning down trees and killing animals without real benefit", citing Ibn Abbas, Hasan al-Basri, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, and others in support. He interprets fitna (literally "disorder"; translated here "tumult or oppression") as referring to aggression against Muslims or polytheism (shirk). The "prohibited months" refers to the four "holy months" during which battle is normally forbidden, Dhu al-Qi'dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab (see Islamic calendar.)
[edit] 2:204-205
An incident occurred prior to these verses being revealed. A man named Al-Akhnas ibn Shuriq came to Muhammad to embrace Islam, but as he turned to leave, he happened to pass by a pasture and grazing animals. He set it alight and killed the cattle. These verses express disapproval [1].
[edit] 2:215
- They will ask thee as to what they should spend on others. Say: ‘Whatever of your wealth you spend shall [first] be for your parents, and for the near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer; and whatever good you do, verily, God has full knowledge thereof.’ (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:219
- They will ask thee about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: “In both there is great sin as well as some benefit for man; but the evil which they cause is greater than the benefit which they bring.” And they will ask thee as to what they should spend [in God’s cause]. Say: “Whatever you can spare.” In this way, God makes clear unto you his messages so that you might reflect on this world and the life to come. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:223
Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will; but do some good act for your souls beforehand; and fear Allah. And know that ye are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give (these) good tidings to those who believe.
[edit] 2:224
- And do not allow your oaths in the name of God to become an obstacle to virtue and God-consciousness and the promotion of peace between men: for God is all-hearing, all-knowing. God will not take you to task for oaths which you may have uttered without thought, but will take you to task [only] for what your hearts have conceived [in earnest]: for God is much forgiving, forbearing. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:255
This is an important verse, termed the Throne Verse, ayat ul-kursi, and widely memorized and displayed in the Islamic world:
- Allah! There is no deity save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them (present) and that which is behind them (past), while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.
A hadith calls this "the greatest verse in the Book of Allah", and another says "It is never recited in a house but Ash-Shaytan leaves." [2]
[edit] 2:256
This verse notes that "there is no compulsion in religion.", a much quoted part of the verse. For example, a husband is required to respect the individuality of his non-muslim wife; he is therefore not ALLOWED to press her into embracing Islam.
[edit] 2:261
- The parable of those who spend their possessions for the sake of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains: for God grants manifold increase unto whom He wills; and God is infinite, all-knowing. They who spend their possessions for the sake of God and do not thereafter mar their spending by stressing their own benevolence and hurting [the feelings of the needy] shall have their reward with their Sustainer, and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. A kind word and the veiling of another’s want is better than a charitable deed followed by hurt. O you who have attained to faith! Do not deprive your charitable deeds of all their worth by stressing your own benevolence and hurting [the feelings of the needy], as does he who spends his wealth only to be seen and praised by men, and believes not in God and the Last Day….Such as these shall have no gain whatever from all their [good] works: for God does not guide people who refuse to acknowledge the truth. And the parable of those who spend their possessions out of a longing to please God, and out of their own inner certainty, is that of a garden on high, fertile ground: a rainstorm smites it, and thereupon it brings forth its fruit twofold; and if no rainstorm smites it, soft rain [falls upon it]. And God sees all that you do. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:267
- O you who have attained to faith! Spend on others out of the good things which you may have acquired, and out of that which We bring forth for you from the earth; and choose not for your spending the bad things which you yourselves would not accept without averting your eyes in disdain...Satan threatens you with the prospect of poverty and bids you to be niggardly, whereas God promises you His forgiveness and bounty…If you do deeds of charity openly, it is well; but if you bestow it upon the needy in secret, it will be even better for you, and it will atone for some of your bad deeds…And whatever good you may spend on others is for your own good, provided that you spend only out of a longing for God’s countenance; for whatever good you may spend will be repaid unto you in full, and you shall not be wronged…Those who spend their possessions [for the sake of God] by night and by day, secretly and openly, shall have their reward with their Sustainer, and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] 2:275
- Those who swallow down usury cannot arise except as one whom Shaitan has prostrated by (his) touch does rise. That is because they say, trading is only like usury; and Allah has allowed trading and forbidden usury. To whomsoever then the admonition has come from his Lord, then he desists, he shall have what has already passed, and his affair is in the hands of Allah; and whoever returns (to it)-- these are the inmates of the fire; they shall abide in it.
Al-Qurtubi is cited in support of the reality of possession by Jinn and the Devil (Shaitan). Commenting on this verse, he wrote:
- This verse contains proof against those who deny the possession by way of Jinn, claiming that it is a result of natural causes, as well as those who claim that Shaitan does not enter humans nor does he touch them.
[edit] 2:281
- And be conscious of the Day on which you shall be brought back unto God, whereupon every human being shall be repaid in full for what he has earned, and none shall be wronged. (Muhammad Asad's translation)
[edit] See also
| Previous Sura: Al-Fatiha |
The Qur'an | Next Sura: Al Imran |
| Sura 2 | ||
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[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Al-Baqara at Altafsir.com
- Sura 2, The Heifer (Al-Baqarah)
- Ayatul Kursi Learn Ayatul Kursi with Audio at MountHira.com
- Arabic and Transliteration along with translation in several languages
