Surah Al-Baqarah 2:211-216 - Quran Translation Commentary

211. Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs³⁰⁴ we have sent them. But if anyone who alters Allah’s favour³⁰⁵after it has come to him; Indeed, Allah is severe in punishment (for him).

212. Charming has been made the life of this world for those who do not believe³⁰⁶; and they make a jest of those who believe. But those who fear Allah will be above them on the Day of Resurrection; and Allah bestows (His abundance) without measure on whom He will.³⁰⁷

213. Mankind were one community³⁰⁸. (But when they differed) then Allah sent messengers with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent the Book containing Truth, so that He may judge between people in matters wherein they differed; but only those people differed therein who were given the Book after clear teachings came to them out of spite among themselves. Allah by His Grace guided the believers to the Truth, concerning that where in they differed. And Allah guides whom He will to the path that is straight.³⁰⁹

214. Do you think that you will enter paradise without such trials as came to those who passed away before you? They experienced suffering and adversity and were so shaken in spirit that even the prophet and the faithful who were with him cried; “When will Allah’s help come ? ”Ah !Verily, Allah’s help is near.³¹⁰

215. They ask you what they should spend in charity. Say: Whatever good things you spend, it is for parents and kindred and orphans and those in want and for wayfarers. And whatever good you do, Allah knows it well.

216. War is enjoined upon you and you dislike it. And it is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing which is bad for you.³¹¹ And Allah knows and you do not know.³¹²

Commentary

304. The clear signs which were shown to the children of Israel have been referred to earlier, e.g. making a way for them in the sea, creation of twelve wells of water for them in the desert, provision of food in the form of Manna and Salwa in the desert, etc. Even after seeing these clear Signs from Allah they indulged in ungrateful acts.

All allusion to the history of Bani Israel at this place is made because the world- loving and the materialist people mentioned here belonged to the group of Bani Israel.

305. Here Favour of Allah means the Guidance that came from Allah and Laws of His Shariah, and altering this Favour means to be un grateful for it and to go astray instead of following it.

306. That is: When these people refused to accept the facts and truths which Quran was revealing and when they directed their attention exclusively towards the material world, then they came under the influence of the world’s allurement and the material world has so much pleased them and engulfed them that they are unable to even think of the next world. Not only this, but they even make fun of those persons whose aim is to achieve success in the life of the Hereafter and condemn them as narrow-minded.

307. Without measure means so much more than the expectations and desires that the man cannot even imagine it i.e. limitless and countless bounties, favours and pleasures of the next world.

308. Here are answered the most important questions which generally come up in one’s mind on seeing so many differences in the religions of the world, that is: What was the religion of man when man first started on this earth? and whether the history of man begins with groupism of men and different religions or whether this groupism is the product of later years? Quran answers these questions thus : Mankind in the beginning was only one community or one nation, that is all agreed on one point and on one origin, which is the religion of oneness of God known as Islam. Mankind opened its eyes in the light of the belief in one God and the caravan of mankind had started to travel on the highway of Islam. On this account the first chapter of the history of mankind is the brightest chapter.

This concept of the Quran about mankind’s first chapter of history is supported by the modern discoveries that in the most ancient times the religion of the human race was a belief in the oneness of God and not in polytheism or idolatry ;—

“The evidence of Anthropology, says a leading archaeologist of the day, Sir Charles Marston, will be cited in those columns to prove that the original religion of the early races was actually Monotheism or something very like it.” (The Bible is true P.25 vide commentary on, Holy Quran by Moulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi Vol. I, p. 33A)-

309. The fact which has been disclosed in this verse is that in the beginning the human race belonged to one origin and accepted one faith which was Allah’s religion, Islam, Accordingly, Allah favoured the First Man, who is the father of all men and whose name is Adam, with his guidance, his children, progeny remained on’ this original Guidance for a considerable time and remained as one community. Subsequently people differed and introduced new things and drifted away from the caravan of mankind which was on the right path of the original faith. Thus different communities were formed and every community invented a different religion. To reform mankind in this kind of situation, Allah has been sending His messengers and prophets to these communities. Accordingly, these prophets invited people to the right faith, and informed them of the bad consequences of drifting away from the right path and rejection of faith and gave glad tidings to those men who accepted their invitation to the right faith of the ultimate salvation and peace. These prophets who were sent to different people at different times and in different countries did not establish any new religion, but they presented only Islam to their people and on the basis of this original faith they had attempted to once again create one community. The Books which were revealed to them were the parts of only one Book, Al-Kitab. In the Book different religions were not presented but only one religion, Islam was presented. These Divine Books had decided all the religious disputes and removed the differences and had revived the Truth. But those communities to whom this Truth had come, later on only on account of their personal jealousies, prejudices, obstinacy and selfishness disagreed with the Truth and altered it. In this way people continued to differ from the Truth in spite of Allah sending down clear indications about what was the truth till at last Allah revealed the holy Quran which explained the Truth to the people in very clear terms and provided for this Truth to be preserved in its original and true form till the Doomsday. After this there is no reason that people should be misled or be in doubt about the differences in the religion and hesitate in accepting the Truth. But only those people accept the truth by the grace of Allah, who do not indulge in narrow-minded prejudices and obstinacy and in whom there is an inner readiness to accept what is true.

310. In this verse there is consolation for those who accept the Truth and have to face opposition difficulties and affliction in the path of Truth. To them is presented this history of the battle of truth and falsehood—that before you those who traversed this path of Truth had to encounter stiff opposition from the rebels of God and had to serve the cause of Truth at the risk of their life. The trials and tribulations that the earlier people had to suffer on account of accepting the right path can be judged by the following Hadith of prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ;- “Those who have passed before you had to experience such experiences: Someone used to be caught and placed in a hole dug in the earth and the saw used to be run over his head in such a way that he used to be cut into two; and iron combs used to be pricked into his body which used to cut through the flesh and reach the bones. He used to bear these tribulations, but did not use to give up his religion (Islam).” –(Al-Bukhari)

311. This is a basic fact of human nature, which is strange. The things which a man or his senses like are generally those which cause his downfall and the things which raise him higher are generally those which are not palatable to him or his senses. Therefore, if the act of deciding what is good and what is evil is left to man, there is every likelihood that man will come generally to a wrong decision. Man will consider a number of things as evil or wrong because they are not pleasant to him but actually those things may be such as to raise his moral stature and means of achieving true greatness. Man may like those things which may please his senses but in fact they may be such as to cause his moral downfall and degeneration. Therefore, in the problems of life, Allah his taken the responsibility of guiding man on Himself.

Fighting or warfare apparently is a horrible thing but sometimes it becomes inevitable to resort to warfare in order to achieve some higher purpose and to save mankind from destruction. In this verse, the fighting or the warfare which has been enjoined upon Muslims is to be undertaken in the cause of Allah because it is inevitable in the circumstances viz for freeing the House of Ka’aba from the possession of the infidels, for making Islam a ruling force and for protecting men of Faith.

312. That is: Man can form a wrong opinion or take a wrong decision and fall headlong. But Allah’s knowledge covers what is open and what is hidden. His guidance is the correct guidance and there is no possibility of any erorr in that guidance.

Upon (the affairs of ) this world and the Hereafter They ask you about orphans. Say: The best thing to do is what is for their good; if you live together, then they are your brethren; but Allah knows the man who means corruption from the man who means good. And if Allah had wished He could have put you to hardship. He is indeed Exalted in power and Wise. (Al-Quran)