Surah Al-Baqarah 2:164-167 - Quran Translation Commentary

164. Indeed there are signs for people who have sense in the creation¹⁹⁶ of the Heavens and Earth; in the alternation of the night and day; in the sailing of the ship in the ocean carrying what is beneficial to mankind; in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies and thereby revives¹⁹⁷ the earth after its death and then He spreads animals of all kinds upon the earth ; in the blowing of the wind, and the clouds obedient (Musakh-khar)¹⁹⁸ between heaven and earth¹⁹⁹ ;

165. And yet there are men who set up others besides Allah as equal with Allah; they love them as they should love Allah; whereas those who believe are ardent in their love²⁰⁰ for Allah. If only the unrighteous could see now which they will see when punished that power belongs wholly to Allah and Allah is severe in punishment.

166. Then their leaders themselves would disown²⁰¹ those who followed (them); they would see the punishment and all relations between them would be cut off.

167. And those who followed would say: “If only we had one more chance, we would disown them as they have disowned us.” Thus will Allah show them their own deeds to cause anguish in them and they will not come out of the Fire.

Commentary

196. The creation of the earth and heavens speaks of the great Power of the Creator, His inimitable craftsmanship and His infinite Wisdom. Their being of profit for mankind shows His attributes of Kindness and the purposefulness of His actions and convinces us that this great workshop of the world was not created without a plan but that it has been created with some definite and grand purpose, which will appear on the Day of Judgment.

197. The rainwater which comes down from the skies and revives the dry and dead earth is a proof of a perfect co-ordination between the earth and skies. How do the people then believe that the God of the earth is different from the God of the skies? If there were two different Gods for the earth and the skies instead of one God, then how could the work of this world would have gone so harmoniously?

198. “Musakhkhar” means that Allah has made them obedient to His will so that they may serve mankind and benefit them.

199. The signs of a thing are the proof of the existence of that thing. Therefore, the meaning of these things being signs of Allah is that they prove the existence of Allah, His Oneness and His attribute of Mercifulness.

200. That is: even after these obvious proofs of oneness of Allah there are people who do not think intelligently and associate others with Allah in worship and love these false gods in the manner in which Allah alone should be loved. When the Creator of every thing is Allah alone and when He is the Ruler of the world and worship- worthily, then how can any other being be considered His equal and can be loved equally or more than Allah is loved. It is, therefore necessary that every love should be subjugated to the love of Allah as this is the spirit of Faith and demand of the belief in the Oneness of Allah.

201.That is: those for whom they are showing immense love, will disown them on the Day of the Judgement. Here are meant those chiefs and leaders who misguide their followers and for whom their followers show extreme love and regard, more than what they have for Allah.