Surah 2. Al-Baqarah

---

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]

---

Quran Text of Verse 8-20وَ مِنَAnd ofالنَّاسِthe peopleمَنْ(are some) whoیَّقُوْلُsayاٰمَنَّاWe believedبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ بِالْیَوْمِand in the Dayالْاٰخِرِ[the] Lastوَ مَاbut notهُمْtheyبِمُؤْمِنِیْنَ ۘ(are) believers (at all) یُخٰدِعُوْنَThey seek to deceiveاللّٰهَAllahوَ الَّذِیْنَand those whoاٰمَنُوْا ۚbelieve[d]وَ مَاand notیَخْدَعُوْنَthey deceiveاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesوَ مَاand notیَشْعُرُوْنَ ؕthey realize (it) فِیْInقُلُوْبِهِمْtheir heartsمَّرَضٌ ۙ(is) a diseaseفَزَادَهُمُso has increased themاللّٰهُAllahمَرَضًا ۚ(in) diseaseوَ لَهُمْand for themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentاَلِیْمٌۢ ۙ۬painfulبِمَاbecauseكَانُوْاthey used (to)یَكْذِبُوْنَ [they] lie وَ اِذَاAnd whenقِیْلَit is saidلَهُمْto themلَا(Do) notتُفْسِدُوْاspread corruptionفِیinالْاَرْضِ ۙthe earthقَالُوْۤاthey sayاِنَّمَاOnlyنَحْنُweمُصْلِحُوْنَ (are) reformers اَلَاۤBewareاِنَّهُمْindeed theyهُمُthemselvesالْمُفْسِدُوْنَ(are) the ones who spread corruptionوَ لٰكِنْ[and] butلَّاnotیَشْعُرُوْنَ they realize (it) وَ اِذَاAnd whenقِیْلَit is saidلَهُمْto themاٰمِنُوْاBelieveكَمَاۤasاٰمَنَbelievedالنَّاسُthe peopleقَالُوْۤاthey sayاَنُؤْمِنُShould we believeكَمَاۤasاٰمَنَbelievedالسُّفَهَآءُ ؕthe foolsاَلَاۤBewareاِنَّهُمْcertainly theyهُمُthemselvesالسُّفَهَآءُ(are) the foolsوَ لٰكِنْ[and] butلَّاnotیَعْلَمُوْنَ they know وَ اِذَاAnd whenلَقُواthey meetالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieve[d]قَالُوْۤاthey sayاٰمَنَّا ۖۚWe believe[d]وَ اِذَاBut whenخَلَوْاthey are aloneاِلٰیwithشَیٰطِیْنِهِمْ ۙtheir evil onesقَالُوْۤاthey sayاِنَّاIndeed, weمَعَكُمْ ۙ(are) with youاِنَّمَاonlyنَحْنُweمُسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ (are) mockers اَللّٰهُAllahیَسْتَهْزِئُmocksبِهِمْat themوَ یَمُدُّهُمْand prolongs themفِیْinطُغْیَانِهِمْtheir transgressionیَعْمَهُوْنَ they wander blindly اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseالَّذِیْنَ(are) the ones whoاشْتَرَوُاboughtالضَّلٰلَةَ[the] astrayingبِالْهُدٰی ۪for [the] guidanceفَمَاSo notرَبِحَتْprofitedتِّجَارَتُهُمْtheir commerceوَ مَاand notكَانُوْاwere theyمُهْتَدِیْنَ guided-ones 2. Al-Baqarah Page 4مَثَلُهُمْTheir exampleكَمَثَلِ(is) like (the) exampleالَّذِی(of) the one whoاسْتَوْقَدَkindledنَارًا ۚa fireفَلَمَّاۤthen, whenاَضَآءَتْit lightedمَاwhatحَوْلَهٗhis surroundingsذَهَبَtook awayاللّٰهُAllahبِنُوْرِهِمْtheir lightوَ تَرَكَهُمْand left themفِیْinظُلُمٰتٍdarkness[es]لَّا(so) notیُبْصِرُوْنَ (do) they see صُمٌّۢDeafبُكْمٌdumbعُمْیٌblindفَهُمْso theyلَاnotیَرْجِعُوْنَ ۙ[they] will not return اَوْOrكَصَیِّبٍlike a rainstormمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyفِیْهِin it (are)ظُلُمٰتٌdarkness[es]وَّ رَعْدٌand thunderوَّ بَرْقٌ ۚand lightningیَجْعَلُوْنَThey putاَصَابِعَهُمْtheir fingersفِیْۤinاٰذَانِهِمْtheir earsمِّنَfromالصَّوَاعِقِthe thunderclapsحَذَرَ(in) fear (of)الْمَوْتِ ؕ[the] deathوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahمُحِیْطٌۢ(is) [the One Who] encompassesبِالْكٰفِرِیْنَ the disbelievers یَكَادُAlmostالْبَرْقُthe lightningیَخْطَفُsnatches awayاَبْصَارَهُمْ ؕtheir sightكُلَّمَاۤWheneverاَضَآءَit flashesلَهُمْfor themمَّشَوْاthey walkفِیْهِ ۙۗin itوَ اِذَاۤand whenاَظْلَمَit darkensعَلَیْهِمْon themقَامُوْا ؕthey stand (still)وَ لَوْAnd ifشَآءَhad willedاللّٰهُAllahلَذَهَبَHe would certainly have taken awayبِسَمْعِهِمْtheir hearingوَ اَبْصَارِهِمْ ؕand their sightاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلٰی(is) onكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرٌ ۠All-Powerful

---

Translation of Verse 8-20

8. Among the people, there are some¹⁷ who say: “We believe in Allah and the Last day”. But they are not believers.

9. They are trying to deceive Allah and the believers but they only deceive themselves, though (they) do not realise it.

10. In their hearts is a disease¹⁸ , which has been aggravated by Allah; and for the lies they utter they will incur grievous Punishment.

11. When they are asked not to make mischief¹⁹ on the earth, they say: “We only seek to put things aright”.

12. Beware! definitely they are mischief-makers, but they do not realise it.

13. When they are told to believe in Allah as others believe,²⁰ they say: “Shall we believe as the fools believe?” Surely, they (themselves) are the fools²¹, but they do not know.

14. When they meet believers they say: “We believe” and when they secretly meet their Satans²² they say: “We are with you; in fact we were only making fun of them.”

15. Allah is making fun of them, and is allowing them (to persist) in their rebellion; (the fact is) they are wandering like blind men.

16. These are the people who have bartered guidance for darkness but their trade was not profitable and they have lost true direction.

17. Their likeness is of a man who has kindled a fire; when his surroundings were lighted, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness so they do not see²³.

18. Deaf, dumb and blind, so they will not return²⁴ (to the right path).

19. Or like the rain from the sky in which there are darknesses, thunder and lightning; they put their fingers in their ears on thunderclaps from fear of death; but Allah has completely surrounded the rejectors of Faith.

20. The lightning is about to snatch away their sight; when it shines, they walk in the light, and when darkness falls on them, they stand still²⁵ And if Allah willed, He would take away their faculties of hearing and seeing²⁶, Surely, Allah has power over all things.

---

Commentary

17. The first group to which reference is made in the earlier verses is the group of the true Faithful. The second group which is referred to in the verse 6 and 7 is the group of rejectors and the third ,group whose qualities are mentioned in verse 8 to 20 is the group of those who claim to be faithful but are not sincere in their faith. It is a pointer towards the group of Jews who had adopted a hypocritical attitude.

From this it becomes clear that sincere faith alone is reliable in the eyes of Allah. A man must believe in Allah and the Hereafter with all his heart and sincerity and must not reject or deny any of His prophets or Books. A mere verbal claim of being faithful or donning the mantle of faithfulness carries no weight with Allah.

18. ‘Disease’ here means insincerity in belief. Aggravation of this disease by Allah’ means that Allah created conditions which made them commit crime after crime as a result of avoiding the demands of truth, and their hypocrisy went on increasing.

19. Opposition to the call of the Holy Quran is referred as mischief on this Earth, because the betterment of the Earth depends on the fact that the Laws and Dictates of its real Creator and Master are followed. This would ensure a peaceful and just system of life in this world and every kind of good can result from such an arrangement. For this reason, the call to the worship of and obedience to the Creator of the Universe and all efforts to build up a social system on this basis is in fact for the betterment of the world. Any act in opposition to such efforts is nothing but mischief and cause of disturbance, and disharmony.

Being unaware of what is conducive and what is detrimental to social well-being, many confuse the constructive and the destructive aspects of the social system.

20. This is an exhortation to believe in Allah in the way in which the Companions of prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had belief in Allah. Sincere faith results in a man’s complete loyalty to Allah and makes him bear hardships and face dangers with equanimity in the way of Allah. The self seekers and opportunists regard such a devotion as folly and insanity. For them wisdom lies in promoting material advancement; for them a mere formal relation with God and his religion is enough.

21. Is it not a folly to claim, on the one hand belief in God and his guidance and on the other hand consider sincere attachment to Him as insanity?

22. Here satans stand for malicious leaders and religious heads.

23. By ‘Kindling a fire’ is meant the light of revelation. It is an apt simile. when the faithful slaves of Allah spread the light of the Quran, only such persons could discern the right path in that light who were gifted with sight (the inner sense). Those who were blind (in intellect) could not benefit from this light.

Taking away the light, means taking away their capacity to discern. This means that Allah did not grant the power of perceiving the truth to those who were not seeking it sincerely. Such people could not derive any benefit from the light of the Quran.

24. It means that they have been deprived of the capacity to hear, speak and see the truth. These people therefore cannot be expected to follow the path of guidance lighted by the Quran. This refers to the hypocrites who claimed to be Muslims for the sake of convenience but who completely rejected faith in their hearts.

25. This is the second example of those hypocrites who were in doubt and did not believe in accepting a Faith which required them to offer sacrifices.

In this simile, rain is symbolic of Revelation from Allah which was coming from the sky and was a great boon to mankind, Thunder and lightning are the warnings of the Quran and darknesses mean the difficulties in the path of the Truth. Their walking while the lightning shone and their standing still when there was darkness is meant to convey their wonderment and baffled state. The light of the Quran dazzled their eyes and they were baffled and did not know what to do.

If the lightning is to fall, putting fingers in one’s ears is not going to help in any way, It is like closing one’s eyes when one sees a lion attacking oneself It is obvious that it will not ward off the attack. Similar is the case of the disbelievers who disliked the Quran’s warnings.

26. This means Allah has not snatched away totally the faculties of hearing and seeing of this second group (of hypocrites) and therefore they have not been completely deprived of accepting the Truth.