Surah Al-Baqarah 2:1-7 - Quran Translation Commentary

(2:4) And those, who believe in what has been revealed to you¹² (O Muhammad), and that which was revealed before you;¹³ and they believe in the Hereafter.¹⁴

(2:5) These are the ones who are on a Guidance (that is) from their Lord; and these are the ones that are successful.¹⁵

(2:6) Surely¹⁶ those who have disbelieved,¹⁷ it is alike to them whether you warned them or did not warn them¹⁸ - they will not believe.¹⁹

(2:7) Allah has set a seal on their hearts,²⁰ and on their hearing; and on their eyes is a covering.²¹ For them is a mighty chastisement.²²

Commentary

2. Most of the scholars are of the opinion that the exact meaning of these letter‑symbols Alif. Lam. Mim, and others of their kind are not known. They occur at the beginning of some chapters and are known as huruf al‑muqatta`at ( حُروف المُقَطَّعات ). Abu Bakr (ra) is reported to have said: "Every Book has its mysteries. The mystery of the Qur'an is at the beginning of its chapters" (Alusi).

That, however, has not prevented some scholars from speculating. The most widely quoted opinion is based on two sets of facts: firstly, all the words of the Arabic language are, in the root (masdar), composed of one to five letters, rarely more than five. These muqatta`at are also always composed of one, two, three, four or five letters. Secondly, all the chapters beginning with these huruf al muqatta`at begin with a direct or oblique reference to divine revelation (Asad, Appendix II). The conclusion is that the muqatta`at are meant to illustrate the wondrous nature of the Qur'anic revelation, which, although composed of the very sounds and letters of ordinary human speech, is yet inimitable.

Whatever the meaning, it is undeniable that these letter‑symbols draw the attention of the inattentive listener. When anyone who knows Arabic, hears these words recited by a qari (reciter), he is forced to lend his ear eagerly to know what will follow by way of explanation. Involuntarily, he becomes more attentive, and the first few verses that follow assault him in his complete unawareness, quickly penetrating his mind before his mind realizes that he has unconsciously submitted himself to their influence, and starts erecting barricades. But, until then, some message would have penetrated his mind (based on Qutrub's opinion (a language expert) as quoted by Razi and accepted by him as the preferred meaning).

3. That is, "this Book" is "the Book," par excellence, in the right and fullest sense of the word. The rest of what we know as books written by humans fall short of the definition of "the Book," being inexact, inauthentic, hypothetical, and unreliable in their content. They are books only in the very general and loose sense of the word.

"The Qur'an thus at its very beginning declares itself to be a written, not an oral, Revelation, passing only from mouth to mouth for generations. It is a 'Book' essentially, and not by accident. Unlike the 'sacred literatures' of the other religions, it is a single Book from the very start, and not a collection or a literature grown and developed and composed at different periods by different hands reflecting the history of their times" (Majid).

It is also the most widely read book in the world, despite the fact, as someone put it, that a book gets old in 5 years time (Au.).

4. The Book itself clears all doubts about it being from anyone other than Allah. Some say (Ibn Kathir), that what's meant is: "Do not doubt that it is Allah's revelation."

The phrase can also be translated as, "The book wherein there is no doubt," giving the meaning, "This is the Book in which nothing is doubtful but everything absolutely true and strictly accurate, not changeable like human knowledge" (Majid).

5. That is, a Book that guides ‑ individuals as well as nations ‑ in all the affairs of their lives, paves the way for them to eternal bliss in the Hereafter, and draws them nearer to Allah and His rida. This is the main function of the Book. Guidance therefore is what a reader should look for when he reads it.

Also see Raghib's discussion of the term hidayah under note 14 of al‑Fatiha.

Shanqiti writes: Hudan in this verse has been used in the sense of tawfiq (or divine inducement to "accept" the truth and the power to do as one intends: Au.), and not merely in the commonly understood sense of making the truth distinct (from falsehood).

Majid adds from Muhammad `Ali: "(It is) not a text Book of chronology or of physical sciences, but a Guidance, showing the right way to right beliefs and right conduct. 'Not a book meant to be read as most Europeans read it to‑day sitting comfortably in an arm‑chair with the critical faculties especially stimulated, ready to carp and cavil on the least provocation."

It is not a Book to be read for the sake of blessings alone, as most Muslims do today. Although there is nothing wrong in doing that. In fact, that is commendable. But that surely is not the reason of its revelation. That is not how the Companions of the Prophet, or those who followed them, treated the Book. They read it in order to structure their entire life on lines delineated by it. Whether the matter was trivial or serious, simple or complex, personal or national, they looked into this Book for guidance. It is reported of a Companion that he said that if he lost his camel's halter, he would look for it in the Qur'an.

"It is a book that guides:" A simple truth in which every Muslim thinks he believes, but few seem to be able to differentiate, and fewer realize the contradiction arising out of their efforts to seek guidance from other sources such as: religious writings, sayings of saintly persons or ideas of influential thinkers. The constant effort should be to seek guidance and inspiration from this Book, and its supplementary, the Sunnah, only seeking some help in its understanding from the "other sources." Further, it should not be forgotten that these "other sources" can help only to the extent that they contain the "sources proper": i.e. the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This means that it is necessary that they be subjected to hard scrutiny before their help is sought and accepted (Au.).

6. Taqwa is an oft‑occurring and very important concept of the Qur'an. We shall discuss its various aspects at various points. Here we shall quote a few definitions from Ibn Kathir.

Taqwa

Ibn `Abbas says: "Godfearing are those who do not adulterate their faith (with shirk), and are obedient to Allah at all times." Hasan al‑Busri has said: "(It is those) who refrain from all that has been forbidden and fulfill all that they have been commanded." Qatadah says the verses following it define it. And a hadith says: "A man does not become one of the muttaqin until he gives up that which is lawful in fear of (of stepping into) that which is unlawful" (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).

When asked by `Umar, Ubayy b. Ka`b illustrated this concept in the following manner. "Have you ever been through a path covered by thorny bushes?" he asked. "Yes," said `Umar. "How did you conduct yourself?" Ka`b asked him. "Well," `Umar said, "I gathered my clothes and maneuvered myself clear of them." K`ab said: "That is taqwa." (That is, to maneuver oneself clear of sins).

Taqwa however has various levels and functions. Accordingly, it can be variously defined depending upon its several levels and functions. For instance, another definition of Ibn `Abbas as reported by Tabari is: "Those who are (always) on their guard, fearing the punishment of Allah (which may befall them), if they neglect what they know to be His guidance: and are hopeful of winning His Mercy through affirmation of the truth that He has revealed."

This seems to be another way of saying that taqwa is a state of hope and fear, so that, obviously, the more intense the feeling, the more muttaqi the person becomes.

The Qur'an states that it is the source of guidance for the muttaqin. Does that mean that others cannot be guided? The answer is, 'Yes, those who do not have taqwa in any measure will not be guided.' It is the pre‑requisite for drawing any guidance from the Qur'an, as its opposites ‑ pride, arrogance, self‑conceit etc. ‑ disqualify a person from obtaining guidance.

7. The "imaan" that is required of a Muslim stands for "Attestation (of the faith in the heart), its utterance (with the tongue), and deeds (concordant with it). Further, it increases and decreases" (Ibn Kathir). It can also be differently put and said that, "Imaan is faith and utterance. Deeds affirm or negate (what one claims as one's belief)." Zuhri is reported by Tabari as saying that iman is nothing but din.

As for the meaning of the term "those who believe," Tabari reports Ibn `Abbas as of opinion: "Those who attest," (i.e. tasdiq as opposed to takdhib, denial).

8. In Islamic terminology, the unknown (al‑ghayb) is anything that human reason cannot lead to and the knowledge of which has come to us through the Prophet, such as, the signs of the Hour, the punishment in the grave, the details of the Questioning, the Bridge (Sirat), the Scales (al-Meezan), the Heaven and Hell (Qurtubi). `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud's definition, as stated in Ibn Kathir, is also very close to this.

Al‑Ghayb

Asad states: "In modern terminology Al‑ghayb is used in the Qur'an to denote all those sectors or phases of reality which lie beyond the range of human perception and cannot, therefore, be proved or disproved by scientific observation or even adequately comprised within the accepted categories of speculative thought: as, for instance, the existence of God, and of a definite purpose underlying the universe, life after death, the real nature of time, the existence of spiritual forces and their inter‑actions, and so forth. Only a person who is convinced that the ultimate reality comprises far more than our observable environment can attain to belief in God and, thus, to a belief that life has meaning and purpose. By pointing out that it is 'a guidance for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond human perception,' the Qur'an says, in effect, that it will ‑ of necessity ‑ remain a closed book to all those minds that cannot accept this fundamental premise."

Ibn Kathir has the following to state: Once in the presence of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (ra) people were talking about the eminence and superiority of the Companions of the Prophet (saws) over the rest of the ummah. That status they rightly deserved (because of their great deeds in Islam, such as), being the first to believe in the Prophet. At that point Ibn Mas`ud interjected, saying: "You see, the fact is that the contemporaries of the Prophet saw the truth clearly, (hence no wonder that they believed in him). But, by Him besides whom there is no God, no one has a better faith than he who believed in the unknown." Then Ibn Mas`ud recited verses 3, 4 and 5 of this chapter.

Ibn Kathir also adds the following: The hadith of Ibn Muhayriz, recorded by Ahmad, conveys the same meaning as Ibn Mas`ud tried to express. عَنْ أَبِي مُحَيْرِيزٍ ، قَالَ : قُلْتُ لأَبِي جُمُعَةَ حَدِّثْنَا حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتَهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَ : نَعَمْ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا جَيِّدًا ، تَغَدَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَعَنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بن الْجَرَّاحِ ، فَقَالَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، أَحَدٌ خَيْرٌ مِنَّا آمَنَّا بِكَ وَجَاهَدْنَا مَعَكَ ؟ قَالَ : " قَوْمٌ يَجِيئُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِي وَلَمْ يَرَوْنِي ". Ibn Muhayriz said: "I said to Abu Jumu`ah, 'Tell us something that you (personally) heard from the Prophet.' He said, 'I shall, and a good one!' Then he said: 'Once we lunched with the Prophet. Abu `Ubaydah b. al‑Jarrah was with us. He asked the Prophet: 'O Messenger of Allah, can there be anyone better than us who believed in you and fought with you?' The Prophet replied: 'Yes, people after you who will believe in me even though they would not have seen me.'"

Ibn Kathir also relates Saleh b. Jubayr as saying: وفي رواية أُخرى عن صالح بن جبير قال: قدم علينا أبو جمعة الأنصاري صاحب رسول اللّه صلى اللّه عليه وسلم ببيت المقدس يصلي فيه ومعنا يومئذ (رجاء بن حيوة) رضي اللّه عنه، فلما انصرف خرجنا نشيِّعه فلما أراد الإنصراف قال: إنَّ لكم جائزة وحقاً، أحدثكم بحديث سمعته من رسول اللّه صلى اللّه عليه وسلم قلنا: هات رحمك اللّه، قال: كنا مع رسول اللّه صلى اللّه عليه وسلم - ومعنا معاذ ابن جبل عاشر عشرة - فقلنا يا رسول اللّه: هل من قومٍ أعظم منا أجراً؟ آمنا بك واتبعناك، قال: "ما يمنعكم من ذلك ورسول اللّه بين أظهركم يأتيكم بالوحي من السماء؟ بل قوم بعدكم يأتيهم كتاب من بين لوحين، يؤمنون به ويعملون بما فيه، أولئك أعظم منكم أجراً، أولئك أعظم منكم أجراً " (رواه أبو بكر بن مردويه في تفسيره عن صالح بن جبير عن بي جمعة (. "(We were in Jerusalem when) Abu Jumu`a al‑Ansari, the Prophet's Companion, visited (the city) to offer prayers in Bayt al‑Maqdis. Raja' b. Haywah was also with him. At the time of his departure we accompanied him for a short distance. When we had to part he said: "You have a right on me (that you have treated me well. In return) I will narrate to you a hadith that I heard directly from the Prophet." We said (with some excitement), "Do that please, may Allah enwrap you in His mercy." He said: "Well. Once we were with the Prophet. Mu`adh b. al‑Jabal, one of the Ten (given the good news of entry into Paradise) was also with us. We asked the Prophet: 'Will anyone be rewarded better than us, seeing that we believed in you and followed you?' The Prophet said: 'What could have prevented you from doing that when the Prophet of Allah is with you, and the revelations come down before you from the heavens? Indeed, a people will come after you who will receive the Book bound between two covers. They will believe in it and live by it. Theirs will be a reward greater than yours. Theirs will be a reward greater than yours.'"

Razi points out that the interpretation of the Shi`ah to the effect that "ghayb" is the "awaited Mahdi" is totally unfounded.

9. Primarily, salah in Arabic means supplication. The word has been used in the following hadith in this sense: عن عبد الله بن مسعود قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا دعي أحدكم إلى طعام فليجب فإن مفطراً فليأكل وإن كان صائماً فليدع بالبركة. رواه الطبراني في الكبير ورجاله ثقات (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد) "If one of you is invited to a meal, let him accept it. But if he is fasting, (let him still go) and pray (for the host)" ‑ Alusi

Ibn Jarir adds that whenever the Qur'an says yuqimuna al‑salah, it alludes to "the obligatory Prayers."

10. The iqamah of the iqamah al‑salah is popularly rendered into English as "to establish." But linguistically it is "to do a thing properly, efficiently, and in good spirit." According to Ibn `Abbas, Iqama al‑salah is, "to do the deep bows (ruku`), prostration (sujud) and recitation (tilawah) well, and pay full attention in hope and anticipation (khushu` wa iqbal) ‑ Tabari.

It means to do it on time, preceded by a thorough ablution, and doing well the bows, prostrations, etc. (Qatadah ‑ Ibn Kathir).

"It means to perform all of its various elements (arkan) in proper measure and to take care that none of its obligatory acts (fara'id), non‑obligatory acts (sunan), nor the rules of decorum (adab) suffer from any defect" (Kashshaf).

Although a Muslim is required to create those conditions in the society in which salah can be performed well, the term "yuqimuna" does not mean here the "establishment" in the sense of establishing a system, a state, or a religion, as the Urdu‑speaking people tend to understand. The emphasis in "iqamat al‑salah" is on the individual to do the salah well. It does not call for efforts to make others also do it (although otherwise an obligation), nor does it allude to the efforts toward creating the conditions in the society in which it can be performed well (Au.).

11. Spending "applies to all that may be of benefit to man, whether it be something concrete (like food, property, offspring, etc.) or abstract (like knowledge, piety, etc.)" ‑ Asad

Ibn `Abbas said that the verse is speaking of the obligatory zakah (Ibn Jarir). However, Ibn Jarir is himself of the opinion that the term "spending" covers both the (obligatory) zakah as well as other forms of charity.

Ibn Kathir notes that Allah Most High invariably mentions salah and zakah together in the Qur'an. This is because one is Allah's due and the other the people's. Further, salah includes every devotional act such as to declare Allah's Oneness, His glory, His greatness, and supplications made to Him; as "spending" includes everything of benefit that one can do to others.

Alusi adds: Deeds are either the acts of the heart (qalbiyyah), the acts of the body (qalibiyyah), or they are of monetary nature (maliyyah). The act of the utmost importance of the heart is faith (iman), that of the body is salah, and that of the monetary zakah. Their importance is in the same order, and therefore, here they have been mentioned in the same order; for faith is obligatory at all the times, salah most of the times, and zakah at some of the times (condensed).

Razi notes: Allah Most High first mentioned taqwa ‑ which is to give up all that is forbidden ‑ and then He mentioned the deeds. Now, the deeds emanate either from the heart or from the body. The deed of the heart is to believe, while that of the body is salah and zakah. Taqwa has been mentioned first because the heart is like a tablet on which something can be engraved. The tablet therefore must be first erased (of old lines) before new lines of faith and deeds are drawn. Accordingly, taqwa precedes the deeds of the heart and the body.

12. That is, they believe in and attest as true, all that you have brought them (O Muhammad, whether they be of the nature of the news of the past nations, or of commands ‑ whether they come through the Qur'an or hadith) ‑ Sabuni.

13. That is, they accept as true all that you have brought, as well as all that other prophets before you brought from their Lord ‑ without making a distinction between them and without contesting anything that they brought (Ibn `Abbas, Ibn Kathir).

Thus, the Qur'an makes it clear that the sending down of the "guidance" by Allah is not entirely a new phenomenon in the history of mankind. It started with the very first man on earth and continued up to Prophet Muhammad (saws), with whom it culminated. It is not enough therefore, for a believer of today to believe in the last Prophet alone. He is rather required to believe in the whole series sent by Allah (Majidi, abridged).

"...The religion of the Qur'an can be properly understood only against the background of the great monotheistic faiths which preceded it, and which, ... culminate and achieve their final formulation in the faith of Islam" (Asad).

14. That is, they believe in the Resurrection, the Heaven and Hell, the Reckoning and the Scales (Ibn `Abbas: Tabari).

Yuqinun means they firmly believe in it, from the depth of their hearts and without nurturing any reservations or doubts.

Yaqin is the opposite of "doubt." Says Raghib: "Yaqin is an attribute which is one level above knowledge, understanding, appreciation, etc." And, according to Taj al‑`Arus, "Yaqin is removal of all doubt" (Majid).

Majid also writes: "Not a mere feeling, or suspicion, or opinion, but firm, unshakable adherence of mind to the truth of the Hereafter... Conviction, in its fullness, is not an exercise of the intellect, but the assent and consent of the entire human personality ‑ the recognition of a truth with heart, mind and soul. The reaction set up by the belief in the Hereafter in the minds of humble believers is far stronger than that due to sensible perceptions."

15. One opinion of Ibn `Abbas about "those who are successful" is that "they are the ones who attain what they seek and are delivered from the evil from which they flee" (Ibn Jarir).

Al‑muflihun: "There is not in the language of the Arabs any word more comprehensive in its significations of what is good in the present life and in the final state than al‑falah" (Lisan al‑`Arab, Majid).

16. Inna has been translated as "surely." It could also be rendered as "verily" or "indeed." But none of them carries the sense the original does, for inna has been used here to indicate the resolve of the unbelievers, or the state of the mind that is bent on denying the truth (Au.).

17. Kufr in Arabic stands for covering or concealing a thing.

Hence the "tiller" (57: 20) and the "night" are also known as kafir because one hides seeds in the earth and the other, everything under its darkness (Sabuni).

18. It does not mean that such a person should not be warned because, even if it is of no profit to them, it is of profit to those who warn (Bayan and Ma`arif).

19. That is, those who recognized the truth, knew it, understood it, but refused to acknowledge, rather worked against it. To such it is alike whether you warn them or not. They will not believe. Theirs is a well considered decision, which they are not going to alter. They are confirmed unbelievers, the hard‑core rejecters (Au.).

According to Ibn `Abbas the verse came down describing the Jewish rabbis of Madinah, who, despite their recognition of the Prophet, decided to reject him (Ibn Jarir).

Although it cannot be said of anyone with certainty that he is a kafir, since faith is hidden deep in the hearts, those will have to be treated as kuffar who do not announce their faith in Islam.

Qurtubi writes: Although the verse is general in application, it is specific in the case of someone whose sentence of punishment has already been passed, and who is, in Allah's knowledge, of those who will die on disbelief.

Generally speaking, that person is a kafir who expresses disbelief in anything that is well established as part of the religion of Islam (Ma`arif). That is, anything that the Prophet spoke of, whether it be concerning some act enjoined upon the Muslims, or simply an information such as concerning Heaven and Hell, and which has come to the Muslims through a report that cannot be doubted for its veracity, such as, a hadith of mutawatir status, then, its rejection is tantamount to kufr (Au).

20.Majid writes, "'Heart' in the Qur'an, as in the Bible, is the seat of all emotional, intellectual and volitional life, and the center of all moral and spiritual functions" (Majid).

21. Similar to the "reaction" to every "action" in the physical world, the sealing of the heart and hearing, and the covering of the eyes of the kuffar, is a result of their persistent disbelief after the truth became evident to them. In the words of Asad, it is, "… a reference to the natural law instituted by God, whereby a person who persistently adheres to false beliefs and refuses to listen to the voice of truth gradually loses the ability to perceive the truth, 'so that finally, as it were, a seal is set upon his heart' (Raghib). Since it is God who has instituted all laws of nature which, in their aggregate called sunnat Allah ('the way of God') ‑ this 'sealing' is attributed to Him: but it is obviously a consequence of man's free choice and not an act of 'predestination.'"

Majid says : "All this is the natural and inevitable sequel to the rejecters' obstinate refusal to open their hearts to receive, their ears to hear, and their eyes to see the good and true, and is only ascribable to God, as all acts, as such, are ultimately bound to be ascribed to Him. It is those who will not believe that are condemned to judicial blindness which portends the more awful punishment of Hell."

A hadith of Ahmad and Ibn Majah says: "When a believer commits a sin it leaves a black mark on his heart. If he repents, gives up the sin, and seeks forgiveness, his heart is cleansed. But if he adds (sins), then the black marks add up until they cover the entire heart. This is the raan that Allah the Praiseworthy spoke of in verse (14: 83): كَلا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ No indeed; but that which they have been earning has rusted their hearts." In these words, the Prophet (saws) has informed us that when a man covers his heart entirely with sins, Allah seals it, so that there is neither a way for iman to enter, nor for kufr to depart"' (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

22.It must not be imagined that since Allah has informed us about them that they will never embrace the truth, it means that it has been predetermined that way, and, therefore, they must be excused for their continued state of disbelief. Rather, it is similar to a doctor pronouncing about a man that he will not recover from an illness, because he is in such an advanced state of the disease. It cannot be said that the lack of recovery is because of the doctor's pronouncement. Rather, it is the fact of the man so fatally affected that evoked the doctor's pronouncement (Thanwi).