Surah 2. Al-Baqarah

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Verses [Section]: 1-7[1], 8-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-39 [4], 40-46 [5], 47-59 [6], 60-61 [7], 62-71 [8], 72-82 [9], 83-86 [10], 87-96 [11], 97-103 [12], 104-112 [13], 113-121 [14], 122-129 [15], 130-141 [16], 142-147 [17], 148-151 [18], 152-163 [19], 164-167 [20], 168-176 [21], 177-182 [22], 183-188 [23], 189-196 [24], 197-210 [25], 211-216 [26], 217-221 [27], 222-228 [28], 229-231 [29], 232-235 [30], 236-242 [31], 243-248 [32], 249-253 [33], 254-257 [34], 258-260 [35], 261-266 [36], 267-273 [37], 274-281 [38], 282-283 [39], 284-286 [40]

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Quran Text of Verse 152-163فَاذْكُرُوْنِیْۤSo remember MeاَذْكُرْكُمْI will remember youوَ اشْكُرُوْاand be gratefulلِیْto Meوَ لَاand (do) notتَكْفُرُوْنِ۠(be) ungrateful to Me یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُواbelieve[d]!اسْتَعِیْنُوْاSeek helpبِالصَّبْرِthrough patienceوَ الصَّلٰوةِ ؕand the prayerاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahمَعَ(is) withالصّٰبِرِیْنَ the patient ones 2. Al-Baqarah Page 24وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَقُوْلُوْاsayلِمَنْfor (the ones) whoیُّقْتَلُare slainفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahاَمْوَاتٌ ؕ(They are) deadبَلْNayاَحْیَآءٌ(they are) aliveوَّ لٰكِنْ[and] butلَّاyou (do) notتَشْعُرُوْنَ perceive وَ لَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْAnd surely We will test youبِشَیْءٍwith somethingمِّنَofالْخَوْفِ[the] fearوَ الْجُوْعِand [the] hungerوَ نَقْصٍand lossمِّنَofالْاَمْوَالِ[the] wealthوَ الْاَنْفُسِand [the] livesوَ الثَّمَرٰتِ ؕand [the] fruitsوَ بَشِّرِbut give good newsالصّٰبِرِیْنَۙ(to) the patient ones الَّذِیْنَThose whoاِذَاۤwhenاَصَابَتْهُمْstrikes themمُّصِیْبَةٌ ۙa misfortuneقَالُوْۤاthey sayاِنَّاIndeed, weلِلّٰهِbelong to Allahوَ اِنَّاۤand indeed weاِلَیْهِtowards Himرٰجِعُوْنَؕwill return اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseعَلَیْهِمْon themصَلَوٰتٌ(are) blessingsمِّنْfromرَّبِّهِمْtheir Lordوَرَحْمَةٌ ۫and Mercyوَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَAnd thoseهُمُ[they]الْمُهْتَدُوْنَ (are) the guided ones اِنَّIndeedالصَّفَاthe Safaوَ الْمَرْوَةَand the Marwahمِنْ(are) fromشَعَآىِٕرِ(the) symbolsاللّٰهِ ۚ(of) AllahفَمَنْSo whoeverحَجَّperforms Hajjالْبَیْتَ(of) the Houseاَوِorاعْتَمَرَperforms Umrahفَلَاso noجُنَاحَblameعَلَیْهِon himاَنْthatیَّطَّوَّفَhe walksبِهِمَا ؕbetween [both of] themوَ مَنْAnd whoeverتَطَوَّعَvoluntarily doesخَیْرًا ۙgoodفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahشَاكِرٌ(is) All-Appreciativeعَلِیْمٌ All-Knowing اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَكْتُمُوْنَconcealمَاۤwhatاَنْزَلْنَاWe revealedمِنَofالْبَیِّنٰتِthe clear proofsوَ الْهُدٰیand the Guidanceمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterمَا[what]بَیَّنّٰهُWe made clearلِلنَّاسِto the peopleفِیinالْكِتٰبِ ۙthe Bookاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseیَلْعَنُهُمُcurses themاللّٰهُAllahوَ یَلْعَنُهُمُand curse themاللّٰعِنُوْنَۙthe ones who curse اِلَّاExceptالَّذِیْنَthoseتَابُوْاwho repent[ed]وَ اَصْلَحُوْاand reform[ed]وَ بَیَّنُوْاand openly declar[ed]فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَThen thoseاَتُوْبُI will accept repentanceعَلَیْهِمْ ۚfrom themوَ اَنَاand I (am)التَّوَّابُthe Acceptor of Repentanceالرَّحِیْمُ the Most Merciful اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieve[d]وَ مَاتُوْاand die[d]وَ هُمْwhile theyكُفَّارٌ(were) disbelieversاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseعَلَیْهِمْon themلَعْنَةُ(is the) curseاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِand the Angelsوَ النَّاسِand the mankindاَجْمَعِیْنَۙall together خٰلِدِیْنَ(Will) abide foreverفِیْهَا ۚin itلَاNotیُخَفَّفُwill be lightenedعَنْهُمُfor themالْعَذَابُthe punishmentوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیُنْظَرُوْنَ will be reprieved وَ اِلٰهُكُمْAnd your Godاِلٰهٌ(is) Godوَّاحِدٌ ۚone (only)لَاۤ(there is) noاِلٰهَgodاِلَّاexceptهُوَHimالرَّحْمٰنُthe Most Graciousالرَّحِیْمُ۠the Most Merciful

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Translation of Verse 152-163

152. Therefore remember Me and I will remember you.¹⁸² Offer thanks to Me and be not ungrateful.

153. O you who believe! Seek help in Patience and ‘Salat.¹⁸³ Indeed Allah is with those who have patience¹⁸⁴ (And fortitude).

154. And say not about those who are slain in the way of Allah ( that they are ) ‘’dead” Nay, they are living but you perceive not.¹⁸⁵

155. And surely We will test you with some thing of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits ;¹⁸⁶ but give glad tidings to those who persevere patiently;

156. Who say, when a misfortune strikes them; “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return¹⁸⁷.”

157. These are the persons on whom are the blessings and mercy from thier Lord and they are the people who are rightly guided.

158. Indeed , Safa¹⁸⁸ and Marwa¹⁸⁹ are among symbols¹⁹⁰of Allah. So there is no sin for him who (swifty) walks between them while performing Hajj or Umra¹⁹¹ to the house of Allah. And if anyone does any good with a willing heart. Allah certainly knows and appreciates it

159. Those who conceal the clear¹⁹² (Signs) We have sent down and the Guidance, after We have made clear for the people in the Book– on them shall be Allah’s curse¹⁹³ and the curse of the cursers.

160. Yet those who repent and make amends and openly declare (the truth); their repentance I will accept. I am the Great Acceptor of Repentance and Most Merciful.

161. Verily, on those who disbelieved and died as disbelievers, there is the curse of Allah and of the angels and of all mankind.

162. They will remain accursed forever. Their punishment will not be lightened nor will they get respite.

163. And your God¹⁹⁴is one God; there is no God save Him, Most Gracious, Most Merciful¹⁹⁵.

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Commentary

182. The concept of ‘remembering Allah includes following the Laws of His Shariah and Allah’s promise that He will ‘remember you’ means that He will fulfill the promise made by Him.

183. After appointing the Muslim Ummah for the leadership of the world, the dangers it will have to face and the measures to be adopted to fight these dangers are being explained. Help is to be sought in patience and prayer (Salat). The Islamic prayer Salat, is a powerful way of establishing relation with Allah, and if relation with Allah is strongly established then the difficulties and misfortunes in the way of Truth are automatically removed. In the context in which the mention of prayer (Salat) is made, it is clear that Salat signifies not only rememberance and recitation of Allah’s name and His Revelation but also an expression of our gratitude to Him. It is also a source of strength and determination in the way of Truth.

184. Allah becomes the companion of those who keep patience in the way of Truth i.e who remain steadfast in their beliefs and face with fortitude the trials and tribulations that beset them in the observance of their Faith. This is not an ordinary matter. Whoever is fortunate to get the companionship and support of the Lord of the entire Universe cannot be daunted or vanquished by the mightiest power in the world. It may be pointed out that the mention of ‘patience’ occurs more than seventy times in the Quran, which also indicates its importance.

185. Those who are killed in the way of Allah are apparently dead. The Quran however wants to emphasise that for such persons the real life has started after their death because their souls are assigned to a very high position in the world beyond death, where they are blessed with such pleasures and bounties which the mortals cannot even imagine. The life of the unblemished happiness and contentment enjoyed by them is such that the pleasures and comforts of this world are nothing before it.

For Quran, death is not the end of life but merely the transfer of soul from the body to another world. Every man’s soul is kept in another world, “Barzakh” (temporary abode of soul) till the Day of Resurrection, irrespective of the fact that a soul belongs to a believer or a non-believer.

A true believer’s soul however is provided with all the pleasures and blessings, while that of the non-believer is subjected to chastisement, When the Day of Resurrection would dawn, all bodies would be created again and the souls would be instilled in the respective bodies. In this way everybody would be present in the court of Allah with his /her body and would get his/ her due share of reward or punishment according to what he / she deserves. That is the world of the Hereafter. So the “Barzakh” is the world between this world and the world of the Hereafter.

186.That is: the caravan of the men of Faith and Truth will have to pass through the storms of oppositions and to face various types of adversities. These trials are inevitable according to the Divine and Natural Law, in order that the Truth may be judged from the Falsehood and the men of Truth may be distinguished from the followers of false gods and rewarded.

Fear indicates the state which results from the attack of the enemy etc. Hunger signifies financial difficulties. Loss of wealth and lives indicates loss of property and lives in ‘’Jihad’’ (war in the way of Allah). Loss of fruits indicates loss of crops and production.

187. That is: in every adversity these invigorating words come out from the mouths of the faithful which shows their total submissiveness to Allah reliance on Him and complete abdication of self for Allah, This is the spirit which makes them face bravely the severe adversities in the way of Allah.

188. The discussion was about the Qibla. In between, the difficulties that would arise as a result of the transfer of Qibla were ‘mentioned. Now more light is being thrown concerning Qibla.

189. Safa and Marwa are the names of the two hillocks which are near the House of Ka’aba in Makka. On the occasions of Hajj and Umra people have to walk seven times between these hillocks, which is known as “Sa’ee” Marwa is that historical hillock on which the great event of the sacrifice of Ismail (p.b.u.h.) had taken place. There is a mention of Marwa in the Torah. But the Jews changed the word “Marwah” into “Mawra” (Moreh) and tried to prove that it was situated near Palestine so that the signs which prove the existence of the Qibla of Ibrahim and the last Prophethood of Muhammad (p.b.u.h) might be kept concealed. Accordingly in the changed Torah it is mentioned as under :-

“Abraham passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the Land.Then the Lord appeared to Abraham, and Said, “To descendants I will give this Land” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. Thence he removed to the mountain on the east of Bettel and pitched his tent with Bettel on the west and Ai on the east and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.’’ ( Genesis, 12: 6 to 8 )

190. The word “Sha‘air” is used in the Text which means those symbols of Shariah which are fixed as indications and signs of God-worship. It is necessary to respect these symbols. But respect is to be paid to them in the same way in which it has been fixed by the Shariah. We have no right to introduce any innovations (Bidat) in these matters, which will open the way for Shirk and Bidat.

It must be borne in mind that in the Quran the instructions are to pay respects to the symbols of Allah and not to worship them. In Islam worship is permissible only for Allah and therefore there should be no misunderstanding about the symbols fixed by Allah. During the Jahiliya i.e. before the Prophethood of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) two idols were placed by the Meccans on the hillocks of Safa and Marwa.

By mentioning that these “hillocks themselves are among the symbols of Allah, it was pointed out that the idols should be removed so that these hillocks may appear as pure symbols of God-worship.

191. Umra is to pay a visit to the House of Ka’aba.’ One who wants to perform the Umra has to put on “Ahram” before entering the limits of the Haram. In Umra one has to go round the House of Ka’aba (Tawaf) and to walk between the Safa and Marwa hillocks (Sa’ee) seven times. Umra can be performed at any time but Hajj can be performed during the season of Hajj only. During the Hajj attendance at Arafat is compulsory. Those who go for Hajj, generally perform Umra also and there after they perform the Hajj.

192. The reference is particularly to those symbols which Allah had mentioned in Torah in connection with the Qibla of Ibrahim and the appearance of the last Prophet. But the Jews tried to hide them. Note No.189 above shows how they changed the name of Marwa .into Mawra (Moreh).

193. It is mentioned in Tohrah:-

“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.” (Deuteronomy 28: 15)

Sa’ee between the hillocks of Safa and Marwah

194. From here starts a new discussion, in which instructions regarding Shariah are being given. These instructions are according to the needs of the time of the Revelation. It starts with the mention of oneness of Allah.

195. The great reason for men to fall into the sin of polytheism (Shirk) is the wrong conception that Allah has ceased to care for the world once he created it. To contradict this concept, mention is made of His attributes of being Gracious and Merciful along with His attribute of Godhood. Allah is Kind and Merciful towards his slaves. He is showering His blessings on His slaves and the Revelation of this Book of Guidance is nothing but a manifestation of His Blessings.