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 83-86وَ اِذْAnd whenاَخَذْنَاWe tookمِیْثَاقَ(the) covenantبَنِیْۤ(from the) Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَ(of) IsraelلَاNotتَعْبُدُوْنَyou will worshipاِلَّاexceptاللّٰهَ ۫Allahوَ بِالْوَالِدَیْنِand with [the] parentsاِحْسَانًا(be) goodوَّ ذِیand (with)الْقُرْبٰیrelativesوَ الْیَتٰمٰیand [the] orphansوَ الْمَسٰكِیْنِand the needyوَ قُوْلُوْاand speakلِلنَّاسِto [the] peopleحُسْنًاgoodوَّ اَقِیْمُواand establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerوَ اٰتُواand giveالزَّكٰوةَ ؕthe zakahثُمَّThenتَوَلَّیْتُمْyou turned awayاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًاa fewمِّنْكُمْof youوَ اَنْتُمْand you (were)مُّعْرِضُوْنَ refusing 2. Al-Baqarah Page 13وَ اِذْAnd whenاَخَذْنَاWe tookمِیْثَاقَكُمْyour covenantلَاNotتَسْفِكُوْنَwill you shedدِمَآءَكُمْyour bloodوَ لَاand notتُخْرِجُوْنَ(will) evictاَنْفُسَكُمْyourselvesمِّنْfromدِیَارِكُمْyour homesثُمَّthenاَقْرَرْتُمْyou ratifiedوَ اَنْتُمْwhile youتَشْهَدُوْنَ (were) witnessing ثُمَّThenاَنْتُمْyouهٰۤؤُلَآءِ(are) thoseتَقْتُلُوْنَ(who) killاَنْفُسَكُمْyourselvesوَ تُخْرِجُوْنَand evictفَرِیْقًاa partyمِّنْكُمْof youمِّنْfromدِیَارِهِمْ ؗtheir homesتَظٰهَرُوْنَyou support one anotherعَلَیْهِمْagainst themبِالْاِثْمِin sinوَ الْعُدْوَانِ ؕand [the] transgressionوَ اِنْAnd ifیَّاْتُوْكُمْthey come to youاُسٰرٰی(as) captivesتُفٰدُوْهُمْyou ransom themوَ هُوَwhile itمُحَرَّمٌ(was) forbiddenعَلَیْكُمْto youاِخْرَاجُهُمْ ؕtheir evictionاَفَتُؤْمِنُوْنَSo do you believeبِبَعْضِin part (of)الْكِتٰبِthe Bookوَ تَكْفُرُوْنَand disbelieveبِبَعْضٍ ۚin partفَمَاThen whatجَزَآءُ(should be the) recompenseمَنْ(for the one) whoیَّفْعَلُdoesذٰلِكَthatمِنْكُمْamong youاِلَّاexceptخِزْیٌdisgraceفِیinالْحَیٰوةِthe lifeالدُّنْیَا ۚ(of) the worldوَ یَوْمَand (on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِof [the] Resurrectionیُرَدُّوْنَthey will be sent backاِلٰۤیtoاَشَدِّ(the) most severeالْعَذَابِ ؕpunishmentوَ مَاAnd notاللّٰهُ(is) Allahبِغَافِلٍunawareعَمَّاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَ you do اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseالَّذِیْنَ(are) the ones whoاشْتَرَوُاboughtالْحَیٰوةَthe lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldبِالْاٰخِرَةِ ؗfor the Hereafterفَلَاso notیُخَفَّفُwill be lightenedعَنْهُمُfor themالْعَذَابُthe punishmentوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیُنْصَرُوْنَ۠will be helped

---

Translation of Verse 83-86

83. And (recall) when we took a Covenant from the Children of Israel, (saying) : “Worship none save Allah, be good to parents¹⁰⁴ and kindred and orphans and those in need; and speak aright¹⁰⁵ and kindly to people, and establish Salat and pay Zakat” Then you turned away as is your wont except a few among you.

84. And (recall) We took your Covenant (saying) : “Shed no blood among you nor turn out your own people from your homes.” Then you ratified this and you were witnesses thereto.

85. After all this, you are the people who slay among yourselves and drive out a party from their homes, assist (enemies) against them in guilt and rancour; and if they (your own people) come to you as captives, you ransom them,¹⁰⁶ though in the first place their expulsion by you was forbidden. Do you then believe in a part of the Book and reject the rest?¹⁰⁷What then should be the punishment for those among you who behave like this save disgrace in this life and grievous punishment on the Day of Judgment? for Allah is not unaware of what you do.

86. These are the people who buy¹⁰⁸ the life of this world at the cost of the Hereafter; their torment will not be lessened, nor will they be helped (from any quarters).

---

Commentary

104. As ordained by Allah, parents have the greatest right on a man. But this right demands kind treatment to the parents and not their worship. When Allah has not allowed parents to be worshipped when according to Him they have the greatest right on men, then the question of worshipping others does not at all arise, as the rights of others come after the rights of the parents.

105. This command is general in its nature, i.e. a man must speak aright to every body and should treat everybody with kindness. Quran does not teach a Muslim that his kindness and good manner be reserved for Muslims alone but that a Muslim must speak kindly, avoid hurting the feelings of those with whomsover he may come in contact. He should treat graciously everyone he meets, irrespective of his community, country or religion.

106. Refers to the evil practice of the Jews who used to conspire against their own brethren and get them expelled from their towns and when they came to them as captives they used to show their nationalism by getting them released by paying ransom. Torah had enjoined on them to get their captive brethren released by paying ransom, but Torah had also prohibited their expulsion from their dwellings.What is then the meaning of acting on one command of the Torah and disregarding the other?

107. That is: to accept the things which suit their purpose and to reject which go against their desires. Such kind of “religiosity” is not acceptable to Allah. Those people who adopt this policy are disgraced in this life and attract a great punishment in the other world.

Mere recital of the holy Book and expression of belief in it is not sufficient. Its teachings are to be followed in practice and any change in its teachings is a negation of the Faith. It is also clear how wrong is their concept of religion and how great is the guilt who accept those commands and laws of the religion which concern their individual lives and reject those laws and commands which pertain to the social life and obligations.

108. That is: they preferred the material and wordly life to the happy life in the Hereafter.