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 21-29یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالنَّاسُmankindاعْبُدُوْاworshipرَبَّكُمُyour Lordالَّذِیْthe One Whoخَلَقَكُمْcreated youوَ الَّذِیْنَand those [who]مِنْfromقَبْلِكُمْbefore youلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتَتَّقُوْنَ ۙbecome righteous الَّذِیْThe One Whoجَعَلَmadeلَكُمُfor youالْاَرْضَthe earthفِرَاشًاa resting placeوَّ السَّمَآءَand the skyبِنَآءً ۪a canopyوَّ اَنْزَلَand sent downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterفَاَخْرَجَthen brought forthبِهٖtherewithمِنَ[of]الثَّمَرٰتِthe fruitsرِزْقًا(as) provisionلَّكُمْ ۚfor youفَلَاSo (do) notتَجْعَلُوْاset upلِلّٰهِto Allahاَنْدَادًاrivalsوَّ اَنْتُمْwhile youتَعْلَمُوْنَ [you] know وَ اِنْAnd ifكُنْتُمْyou areفِیْinرَیْبٍdoubtمِّمَّاabout whatنَزَّلْنَاWe have revealedعَلٰیtoعَبْدِنَاOur slaveفَاْتُوْاthen produceبِسُوْرَةٍa chapterمِّنْ[of]مِّثْلِهٖ ۪like itوَ ادْعُوْاand callشُهَدَآءَكُمْyour witnessesمِّنْfromدُوْنِother thanاللّٰهِAllahاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful فَاِنْBut ifلَّمْnotتَفْعَلُوْاyou doوَ لَنْand neverتَفْعَلُوْاwill you doفَاتَّقُواthen fearالنَّارَthe Fireالَّتِیْwhoseوَ قُوْدُهَا[its] fuelالنَّاسُ(is) [the] menوَ الْحِجَارَةُ ۖۚand [the] stonesاُعِدَّتْpreparedلِلْكٰفِرِیْنَ for the disbelievers 2. Al-Baqarah Page 5وَ بَشِّرِAnd give good newsالَّذِیْنَ(to) those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveوَ عَمِلُواand doالصّٰلِحٰتِ[the] righteous deedsاَنَّthatلَهُمْfor themجَنّٰتٍ(will be) Gardensتَجْرِیْflowمِنْ[from]تَحْتِهَاunder themالْاَنْهٰرُ ؕthe riversكُلَّمَاEvery timeرُزِقُوْاthey are providedمِنْهَاtherefromمِنْofثَمَرَةٍfruitرِّزْقًا ۙ(as) provisionقَالُوْاthey (will) sayهٰذَاThis (is)الَّذِیْthe one whichرُزِقْنَاwe were providedمِنْfromقَبْلُ ۙbeforeوَ اُتُوْاAnd they will be givenبِهٖtherefromمُتَشَابِهًا ؕ(things) in resemblanceوَ لَهُمْAnd for themفِیْهَاۤthereinاَزْوَاجٌspousesمُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۙۗpurifiedوَّ هُمْand theyفِیْهَاthereinخٰلِدُوْنَ (will) abide forever اِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahلَا(is) notیَسْتَحْیٖۤashamedاَنْtoیَّضْرِبَset forthمَثَلًاan exampleمَّا(like) evenبَعُوْضَةً(of) a mosquitoفَمَاand (even) somethingفَوْقَهَا ؕabove itفَاَمَّاThen as forالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedفَیَعْلَمُوْنَ[thus] they will knowاَنَّهُthat itالْحَقُّ(is) the truthمِنْfromرَّبِّهِمْ ۚtheir Lordوَ اَمَّاAnd as forالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedفَیَقُوْلُوْنَ[thus] they will sayمَا ذَاۤwhatاَرَادَ(did) intendاللّٰهُAllahبِهٰذَاby thisمَثَلًا ۘexampleیُضِلُّHe lets go astrayبِهٖby itكَثِیْرًا ۙmanyوَّ یَهْدِیْand He guidesبِهٖby itكَثِیْرًا ؕmanyوَ مَاAnd notیُضِلُّHe lets go astrayبِهٖۤby itاِلَّاexceptالْفٰسِقِیْنَ ۙthe defiantly disobedient الَّذِیْنَThose whoیَنْقُضُوْنَbreakعَهْدَ(the) Covenantاللّٰهِ(of) Allahمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterمِیْثَاقِهٖ ۪its ratificationوَ یَقْطَعُوْنَand [they] cutمَاۤwhatاَمَرَhas orderedاللّٰهُAllahبِهٖۤitاَنْtoیُّوْصَلَbe joinedوَ یُفْسِدُوْنَand [they] spread corruptionفِیinالْاَرْضِ ؕthe earthاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseهُمُtheyالْخٰسِرُوْنَ (are) the losers كَیْفَHowتَكْفُرُوْنَ(can) you disbelieveبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ كُنْتُمْWhile you wereاَمْوَاتًاdeadفَاَحْیَاكُمْ ۚthen He gave you lifeثُمَّthenیُمِیْتُكُمْHe will cause you to dieثُمَّthenیُحْیِیْكُمْHe will give you lifeثُمَّthenاِلَیْهِto Himتُرْجَعُوْنَ you will be returned هُوَHeالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoخَلَقَcreatedلَكُمْfor youمَّاwhatفِی(is) inالْاَرْضِthe earthجَمِیْعًا ۗallثُمَّMoreoverاسْتَوٰۤیHe turnedاِلَیtoالسَّمَآءِthe heavenفَسَوّٰىهُنَّand fashioned themسَبْعَsevenسَمٰوٰتٍ ؕheavensوَ هُوَAnd Heبِكُلِّof everyشَیْءٍthingعَلِیْمٌ ۠(is) All-Knowing

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Translation of Verse 21-29

21. Oh People: Worship²⁷ your Lord who has created you and those who were (born) before you²⁸ so that you may save yourself (from Hell).

22. It is He who has made the earth your floor and the sky your roof, who sends down rain from the sky, from which He provides fruits for your sustenance. So do not set up equals to rank with Allah²⁹ , when you know (the truth),

23. If you are in doubt about the Book which We have revealed to our slave, then produce a Surah like this, and call all your supporters, except Allah, if you are truthful³⁰.

24. But if you cannot do this and surely you will not, then fear that fire whose fuel will be men and stones³¹ and which has been prepared for those who reject Faith.

25. And (O Prophet !) give good tidings to those who believe and who are righteous in their deeds that for them there are gardens³². beneath which flow rivers. Everytime they will be given the fruits to eat, they will say: These are the same fruits we had been given before (in the world)” and they will be given similar fruits³³ .There will also be purified spouses for them in the gardens and they will live there eternally.

26. Allah does not feel shy of using similes of the lowly things, be it a mosquito or a still lower being³⁴ Those who are believers know that it is truth from their Lord. But those who are rejectors of Faith, they say: “What does Allah mean by such a simile? ” (Thus) By this He causes many to stray and many He leads to the right path, and He does not cause to stray except those who are transgressors³⁵.

27. Those who break Allah’s Covenant after agreeing to abide by it, and who tear asunder what Allah had ordered to be joined³⁶ and do mischief on the earth, these are the people to be in loss.

28. How can you reject³⁷ the belief in Allah, seeing that you were without life and He gave you life ? He will again cause you to die and will bring you to life again³⁸ And then to Him will you return.

29. It is He who has created for you all the things which are on the earth. Then He turned to the Heaven and fashioned it as seven Heavens,³⁹ And He has knowledge of all things.

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Commentary

27. This is the real call of Islam, which is addressed to the entire mankind. The call is that men must worship and obey Allah, who is the Creator, Master and Sustainer of all.

There are those who admit that Allah alone is worthy of being worshipped and yet worship other imaginary gods or include these gods in their worship of Allah. Such people do not really worship Allah. If they are sincere, they ought to worship Allah alone as taught by the Quran, and not include any other god or saint as worthy of being worshipped.

28. It points to the fact that some people consider their progenitors as partners in godship with Allah. They forget that it is Allah who has created their progenitors and that to consider them as partners with Allah and to worship them is therefore totally absurd. The one who deserves to be worshipped is Allah alone, who is the Creator of all including their progenitors.

29. Arabs of those days admitted that every thing was done by Allah. Yet, they included others as partners of Allah. The Qur’an addresses these people rhetorically: why do they consider others who have no share in creation as partners of Allah after admitting that every thing is done by Allah alone? This is really an invitation to accept monotheism pure and simple. Brief arguments are added here in favour of God’s oneness.

30. There is a challenge thrown to those who doubt that the Qur’an is the word of Allah. The challenge is for those who consider Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be really the author of the Qur’an. They are challenged to produce but one surah like that of the Qur’an. This challenge has not been met to this day. And this should not be surprising. There are many reasons for the unique greatness and grandeur of the Qur’an. It is most eloquent and appealing in style. Its diction is superb, each word perfectly fitted as a pearl in an inimitable necklace. Its teachings strike the right chords in the heart, and perfectly harmonise with man’s deepest craving, the best prescription for the purification of the soul, the noblest directions for man to enable him to reach the zenith of moral behaviour and good conduct. It presents a complete system for ordering individual and social human life and contains the most , suitable solution for the problems of life and conduct. It lays bare the mysteries of the universe and the secrets of the metaphysical realities. It is the source of authentic knowledge about the Creator and about what is divine and not a handiwork of any man. No man can produce a book of such excellence. All the men of the world pooling all their talents and resources cannot and in fact could not produce its equal. The challenge therefore is meant to convince men that they should believe in the Qur’an and its messenger prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

31. This refers to the stones which are worshipped. Those people will be the fuel of Hell who reject faith and consider others as partners of Allah. The stone images which are worshipped will also be fuel of Hell so that the worshippers may know what has befallen those on whom they were showering offerings and gifts for propitiating them and how they have become the cause of their doom.

32. These are the Gardens of Paradise which will be allotted to the Faithful.

33. The fruits in the paradise will be similar in shape to the fruits of this world but in their taste they will be much superior.

34. If facts are explained with the help of examples and simile they are easily understood. Therefore, the use of simile and examples is the speciality of the literature of the wise. Explaining the helplessness of the stone-gods the Qur’an gives the example that even if a fly takes away anything from them, they are unable to do anything against the fly. The non-believers criticised the use of such examples. The Qur’an answers this criticism in this verse.

35. “Fasiq” means disobedient. There are various degrees of disobedience. Here this word’ is used to refer to the case of that great disobedience which is incompatible with the observance of faith.

36. This mean cutting the relation of kinship with mankind. A person who cuts this relationship, strikes at the root of the society. It is, therefore considered to be an act of great sin and a cause of mischief.

37. To deny Allah’s attributes is equivalent to denying his existenece. One must believe duly in His attributes as His alone and worship worthy: His omnipotence, omniscience and so on. Without this, the claim to belief in Allah has no meaning or value.

38.This means that giving life, causing death, and bringing to life again are not the acts of any other gods or goddesses, but all these things are within the power of Allah Then how do people act ungratefully? In this verse the call is to accept the belief in the Hereafter.

39. This points to the fact that Allah has created not only firmaments and stars which can be discerned with our eyes but also the worlds beyond the stars.