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 40-46یٰبَنِیْۤO Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَ(of) Israel!اذْكُرُوْاRememberنِعْمَتِیَMy FavorالَّتِیْۤwhichاَنْعَمْتُI bestowedعَلَیْكُمْupon youوَ اَوْفُوْاand fulfillبِعَهْدِیْۤMy CovenantاُوْفِI will fulfillبِعَهْدِكُمْ ۚyour covenantوَ اِیَّایَand Me Aloneفَارْهَبُوْنِ fear [Me] وَ اٰمِنُوْاAnd believeبِمَاۤin whatاَنْزَلْتُI have sent downمُصَدِّقًاconfirmingلِّمَاthat whichمَعَكُمْ(is) with youوَ لَاand (do) notتَكُوْنُوْۤاbeاَوَّلَ(the) firstكَافِرٍۭdisbelieverبِهٖ ۪of itوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَشْتَرُوْاexchangeبِاٰیٰتِیْMy Signs (for)ثَمَنًاa priceقَلِیْلًا ؗsmallوَ اِیَّایَand Me Aloneفَاتَّقُوْنِ fear [Me] وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَلْبِسُواmixالْحَقَّthe Truthبِالْبَاطِلِwith [the] falsehoodوَ تَكْتُمُواand concealالْحَقَّthe Truthوَ اَنْتُمْwhile youتَعْلَمُوْنَ [you] know وَ اَقِیْمُواAnd establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerوَ اٰتُواand giveالزَّكٰوةَzakahوَ ارْكَعُوْاand bow downمَعَwithالرّٰكِعِیْنَ those who bow down اَتَاْمُرُوْنَDo you orderالنَّاسَ[the] peopleبِالْبِرِّ[the] righteousnessوَ تَنْسَوْنَand you forgetاَنْفُسَكُمْyourselvesوَ اَنْتُمْwhile youتَتْلُوْنَ[you] reciteالْكِتٰبَ ؕthe BookاَفَلَاThen will notتَعْقِلُوْنَ you use reason وَ اسْتَعِیْنُوْاAnd seek helpبِالصَّبْرِthrough patienceوَ الصَّلٰوةِ ؕand the prayerوَ اِنَّهَاand indeed itلَكَبِیْرَةٌ(is) surely difficultاِلَّاexceptعَلَیonالْخٰشِعِیْنَ ۙthe humble ones الَّذِیْنَThose whoیَظُنُّوْنَbelieveاَنَّهُمْthat theyمُّلٰقُوْاwill meetرَبِّهِمْtheir Lordوَ اَنَّهُمْand that theyاِلَیْهِto Himرٰجِعُوْنَ ۠will return

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Translation of Verse 40-46

40. O Children of Israel⁵⁹ ! Recall the favour⁶⁰ which I bestowed on you and fulfil your Covenant⁶¹ with Me; I will fulfil My Covenant with you and fear⁶² none but Me.

41. And believe in what I reveal, confirming⁶³ the Revelation which is with you and be not the first to disbelieve in it and sell not my Signs for a small price⁶⁴ and fear Me and Me alone.

42. Confound not the truth with falsehood nor conceal the truth, when you know it.

43. Establish Salat (Prayers)⁶⁵ and give Zakat (Poor-rate) and bow down (Ruku) your heads with those who bow down (in worship)⁶⁶ .

44. Do you enjoin right conduct on the people and forget to practise it yourselves and you read the Divine Book! Will you not understand?

45. Seek help in patience and prayers; it is indeed hard except for those who are humble⁶⁷ .

46. Those who bear in mind that they have to meet their Lord and that they have to return to Him.

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Commentary

59. Israel is another name of Yaqoob who was a prophet and was the grandson of Ibrahim. His race (descendants) is called Bani Israel (Children of Israel). Ibrahim was a great leader of men and was a highly respected prophet, from whose progeny Allah raised a series of prophets. Ibrahim had two sons, Ismail and Ishaq. The line of descendants which started from Ismail was Called ‘Bani Ismail, i.e. Children of Ismail. The Arabs of Macca belonged to a branch of Bani Ismail. Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was born in a tribe of Quraish of this branch.

The second branch of the descendants started from Yaqoob (Jacob), son of Ishaq. This branch was .called Bani (or Bene)Israel. Their original native place was Palestine. In the race of Bani Israel highly respected prophets like Moosa (Moses), Dawood (David), Sulaiman (Soloman), and Issa (Jesus) were born.

The religion which Bani Israel received as their heritage from Ibrahim was the religion of Islam. Moosa to whom Torah was revealed, had also presented Islam to his followers. But later on his followers mutilated this religion and converted it into Judaism. Subsequently Bani Israel came to be called Jews, although their original religion was Islam. Here Quran is reminding them of the true position and recounting their crimes, so that they may take a warning and return to the original and pure religion Islam. and accept the call of Quran which is the real call towards the true religion, Islam.

60. Favour means that reward which Allah had granted to Bani Israel in the world’s leadership, so that they might lead the People of the world towards Islam.

61. Covenant with Allah means Allah’s Shariah or laws, which is really a contract or agreement between Allah and his slaves. But here a reference is specially made to that covenant which was agreed upon by Bani Israel in the time of Moosa. This covenant is mentioned in Torah in these words:

“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name I myself will require it of him, (Deuteronomy 18: 18,19).

By reminding them of this covenant, Qur’an demands them to accept the prophethood of Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wasallam.

62. This refers to the fact that no fear should come in the way of accepting Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) as the prophet of Allah and believing in his call. The concept of the grandeur and greatness of Allah should over come all fears and exigencies.

63. Quran confirms that the Torah and Injeel (Original Gospel) are Divine Books revealed by Allah. It does not question the original Torah and Gospel. It rejects those changes and alterations which people have effected in them subsequently.

This is a strong and irrefutable argument inviting Bani Israel to be the first to believe in prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) and the Quran. Torah contains prophecies about prophet Muhammad. (p.b.u.h.) For a believer in Torah the appearance of prophet Muhammad.(p.b.u.h.) and the revelation of Quran are really the proofs of the truth of the prophecies contained in Torah. Quran is thus confirming the truth of the prophecies of Torah on the one hand and supplying the inescapable conclusion on the other hand that Quran and its messenger must be believed in wholeheartedly.

64. That is do not sacrifice the commands of Allah for the wordly benefits and expediencies. However great the worldly benefits may be, they are very low compared to the benefits in the Hereafter. The man who prefers worldly benefits to the commands of Allah is accepting a very lowly thing in exchange for a highly valued and excellent thing.

65. (Salat) i.e. prayer and Zakat (Poor-rate) are the most important pillars of Islam. They were present in the Shariah of Bani Israel also but the Bani Israel gave them up in practice.

66. ‘Ruku’ means bending down and ‘Ruku’ in Salat means bending down in a particular manner in prayer, keeping hands on the knees. The reference to bend down with those who are bending down means offering prayers in congregation. While offering paryers in congregation in mosques, the rich and poor, high and low stand side by side, which creates a special atmosphere of humility before Allah. Such a congregation enhances the glory of mosques. Besides, it creates the noble feeling of human brotherhood and equality. Jews, particularly the rich among them, abandoned congregational prayers in their mosques considering it below their dignity. They are therefore addressed here in particular and asked to offer prayers with others in congregation.

67. The man who does not feel the desire to stand before Allah in prayers out of fear of Allah finds it a trouble to offer Salat. But those who tremble with His awe and the thought of appearing before Allah in the Hereafter, find Salat as the most desired and enjoyable experience.

In the ayah direction is given to take help from patience and salat. This help is to be sought to fulfil the covenant of obedience made with Allah. It means that internal strength required to fulfil the covenant of obedience made with Allah and to live the life of dutifulness to Him can be achieved by patience and salat. Patience means to keep oneself away from evil desires. So long as man does not control his desires, he cannot lead the life of obedience and dutifulness because in the path of Allah’s obedience desires and passions place obstructions at every step. Another thing which is needed is salat (prayer),for salat makes strong the relationship of the slave with God, provides the best training for the inner self and nurtures the human soul. Thus the strength which is obtained by man from the salat becomes his helper in the path of his obedience and worship of his God.

O Children of Israel ! Recall My favour which was bestowed on you and the fact that I had given you preference over all (the communities) of the world. And guard yourselves against the day when no soul will avail another, when no intercession will be accepted from it nor will any compensation be taken from it nor will they be helped. (Al-Quran)