Surah Al-Baqarah 2:62-71 - Quran Translation Commentary

(2:62) Verily, those who believed, as also the Jews,¹⁵³ the Christians,¹⁵⁴ and the Sabians¹⁵⁵ whosoever believed in Allah and the Hereafter, and worked righteousness for such is their reward with their Lord.¹⁵⁶ They shall neither fear nor shall they grieve.

(2:63) And (recall) when We took a compact with you and raised the Tur over your heads (saying): ‘Hold fast unto that which We have given you; and be mindful of that which is therein, haply that you may become godfearing'.

(2:64: Yet, you turned away thereafter. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy, surely you would have been of the losers.¹⁵⁷

(2:65) And you know well of those of you who broke the Sabbath.¹⁵⁸ We said unto them: ‘Be apes, despised and hated'.

(2:66) And We made it an example to their own and to succeeding generations and an admonition for the godfearing.¹⁵⁹

(2:67) And (recall) when Musa said to his people: ‘Allah commands you to slaughter a cow.'¹⁶⁰ They said: ‘Do you take us in mockery?' He said: ‘I seek Allah's refuge that I should be one of the ignorant.'

(2:68) They said: ‘Ask your Lord to make plain to us what (kind of a cow) is she to be.' He said: ‘Your Lord says she may be a cow neither old, nor too young: middling between the two. Therefore, do as you are ordered.'

(2:69) They said: ‘Ask your Lord to make plain to us what is her color.' He said: ‘He says she should be a golden colored cow, shining bright and pleasing to the observers.'

(2:70) They said: ‘Ask your Lord to make plain to us what she is (like). Indeed, the cow has become confusing to us. And Allah willing¹⁶¹ we should be rightly guided.'

(2:71) He said: ‘He says she shall be a cow not broken to plough the earth or to water the tillage, whole and without blemish.' They said: ‘Now¹⁶² you have brought the true (description).' Finally, they slaughtered her, although, they did not seem to be anywhere near about doing it.¹⁶³

Commentary

153. "The correct rendering of (alladhina hadu) can only be 'those who are Judaised or those who have become Jews.' 'It is for the first time that the Qur'an speaks of the 'Jew' as distinct from the 'children of Israel.' The two terms, though frequently used as synonymous, are not exactly coextensive or interchangeable. Israelites are a race, a nation, a people, a huge family, sons of a particular progenitor, conscious and proud of their high lineage. Jews are a religious community, a church, believers in particular tenets, members of a certain faith. The Holy Qur'an, regardful of the niceties of expression, has always observed this distinction. When speaking of the religious beliefs and practices of the Hebrews and those who had adopted their faith, it uses the term 'Jew': when alluding to their history and their national traits it keeps mentioning 'the children of Israel.' The Israelites ceased to exist as a nation with the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, and thenceforth they became a purely religious community. Many of the Arabs had, by the advent of Islam, adopted the Jewish faith and usage. Hence the significance of the Qur'anic expression 'those who are Judaised.' 'The children of Israel,' so frequently addressed in the Qur'an, says D.S. Margoliouth, 'were merely Arab tribes made Israelite by conversion.' (Torrey, Jewish Foundation of Islam, p.23) Most of the Arab Jews, like the Jews of Abyssinia, seem not to have been genuine children of Israel, but native converts to Judaism.' (HHW. VIII. p. 10) 'Judging by their proper nouns and the Aramaean vocabulary used in their agricultural life, these Jews must have been mostly Judaised clans of Arabian and Aramaean stock, though the nucleus may have been Israelites who fled from Palestine at the time of its conquest by the Romans, in the first century after Christ.' (Hitti, op.cit. p. 104)" Majid.

154. "(Nasara) is, in its proper sense, 'Nazarenes,' not Christians. A Nasrani is 'a Nazarene' in its original meaning and a Christian only 'in its secondary application.' (LL) Nazarene is derived from 'Nazareth,' the place where Jesus passed his youth. The Nazarenes or the primitive Christians were the followers of the original pre Pauline church, not quite like the present day Christians of the Pauline variety. Nor is the title `in itself disparaging.' (EBi. c. 3356) Rather, 'it was a primitive designation for Christians.' (ERE. II p. 374)" Majid.

155. Opinions vary over identity of the Sabians of this verse. Mujahid and Ibn Zayd believe that the allusion is to anyone who does not follow any of the well known religions of the world. It is in this sense that the Quraysh used to refer to the Prophet (saws) as a Sabe'i: since he did not follow either Judaism, Christianity, or the pagan religion of the Quraysh. Qatadah and Abu al `Aliyyah are of the opinion that those of the contemporaries of the Prophet (saws) are meant who inhabited the Southern Iraqi region, followed the Zabur, prayed five times a day but worshipped angels (Ibn Jarir).

Asad says: "The Sabians seem to have been a monotheistic religious group intermediate between Judaism and Christianity. Their name (probably derived from the Aramaic verb tsebha`, 'he immersed himself [in water'] would indicate that they were followers of John the Baptist in which case they could be identified with the Mandaeans, a community which to this day is to be found in Iraq. They are not to be confused with the so called 'Sabians of Harran', a Gnostic sect which still existed in the early centuries of Islam, and which may have deliberately adopted the name of the true Sabians in order to obtain the advantages accorded by the Muslims to the followers of every monotheistic faith."

Majid quotes: "They 'practiced the rite of baptism after birth, before marriage and on various other occasions. They inhabited the lower plains of Babylonia, and as a sect they go back to the first century after Christ ... Mentioned thrice in the Koran, these Babylonian Sabians acquired a dhimmi status and were classified by Moslems as `protected' sect ... The community still survives to the number of five thousand in the swampy lands near al Basrah' (Hitti)."

156. The reason for the revelation of this verse has been given in a hadith recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim (a second is related by Suddi, and a third by Sa`id ibn Jubayr), in which Salman al Farsi says he asked the Prophet about those of the people of the Book in whose company he happened to have spent a lot of time in Persia and other places prior to the Prophet's appearance. They were devoted to God, prayed and fasted, and were anticipating the appearance of the Final Prophet. What about them? What's likely to be their destination after death? Initially, the Prophet said they would go to Hellfire. But Allah (swt) revealed this verse. And the Prophet's concluding remarks were: "Whoever followed Christianity, submitting himself to Allah, and died before I appeared, would be granted salvation. But if he heard of me but would not believe in me, he will be denied salvation."

After reporting these ahadith, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir explain that what is meant is that those who believed in Musa (asws), for instance, and did good works will inherit Paradise. But after the appearance of `Isa (asws) it became necessary for them to believe in him along with Musa to achieve salvation. Similarly, with the appearance of our Prophet, Muhammad (saws), it became incumbent upon them to have faith in him along with `Isa and Musa for their devotion to be acceptable to Allah who demands belief in all of His Prophets without exception (Au.).

Majid writes: "Right belief and right conduct are the only sine qua non of salvation which every individual has thus in his own hands. Howsoever grave his disbelief or misconduct in the past, he is not past redemption. If he only accepts God's truth, and obeys His laws, however late in life, blessings both of this world and the Next are his. Not even the Jews with their centuries old record of crime and corruption, depravity and rebellion, are debarred from Allah's All embracing grace and mercy: provided they mend their ways."

A contemporary commentator remarks: "The above passage which recurs in the Qur'an several times lays down a fundamental doctrine of Islam. With a breadth of vision unparalleled in any other religious faith, the idea of 'salvation' is here made conditional upon three elements only: belief in God, belief in the Day of Judgment, and righteous action in life."

However, the introduction of the word 'only' in the above quotation can lead to some misunderstanding. Salvation does not depend on these three elements only. Belief in "the Prophet of the time" is an integral part of the system. The Prophet (saws) has said: "Even if Musa was alive, there would be no recourse for him but to follow me" (Au.).

157. The story behind this is that the Israelites made frequent demands on Musa that they be given a holy writ from which they could draw guidance for their lives. Aware of their rebellious nature, he advised them not to ask for something that they might or might not follow. But they insisted. So Musa took a firm compact from them that if revealed they would follow it to the best of their ability. Then he prayed to Allah (swt), who ordered him to spend 40 days and nights on Mount Tur: in complete seclusion, praying, fasting and preparing himself in other ways to receive the revelation. However, when he came down with the revelation and read it out to the Israelites, they went back on their promise. They said that the teachings and the laws therein were too difficult to follow. Now, Allah does not impose His religion on anyone. But in this case, since it was they who had demanded the Book, Mount Tur was raised over them and they were told: 'Either accept it or you will be destroyed.' So they accepted it willy nilly and promised that they would abide by it. Nonetheless, later they began to lead a life which was in total defiance of its teachings. (Based on opinions of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ata', `Ikrimah, Hasan al Busri, Dahhak, Rabi` b. Anas as reported by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi, and others).

Toeing the line of the "rationalists," some commentators of this century tend to express that this raising of the Mount Tur was not real, rather, "it was made to look like it." But such an interpretation defies a general principle of tafsir set by the scholars, viz.: whenever the apparent meaning is clearly worded, the metaphorical or figurative derivation is ruled out. In this case the Qur'an is very clear about Mount Tur being raised over their heads. In surah al A`raf, verse 171, the addition of the words "as if it was an umbrella" leaves no room for doubt.

Majid adds: "That the mount was actually inverted over the Israelites is what is expressly narrated in the Talmud. `The holy One, blessed be He, inverted mount Sinai over them like a huge vessel and declared, ‘If you accept the Tawrah, well and good; if not, here shall be your sepulcher.' (JE. IV, 321):

Qurtubi quotes Sha`bi and Ibn `Uyayna as saying: "Whenever it is said, 'Read the Book,' the meaning is that one must live by its dictates and implement its teachings, rather than recite it beautifully and then forget all about its teachings. He quotes a hadith from Nasa'i which says that the Prophet (saws) said: وَإِنَّ مِنْ شَرِّ النَّاسِ رَجُلا فَاجِرًا يَقْرَأُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ لا يَرْعَوِي إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ "The worst of the people is the corrupt man who reads the Qur'an but pays no attention to its commandments."

The authenticity of the above report could not be established (Au.).

According to another hadith of Tirmidhi, Qurtubi continues, the Prophet (saws) once looked up at the heaven and said: عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَشَخَصَ بِبَصَرِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَذَا أَوَانُ يُخْتَلَسُ الْعِلْمُ مِنْ النَّاسِ حَتَّى لا يَقْدِرُوا مِنْهُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ فَقَالَ زِيَادُ بْنُ لَبِيدٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ كَيْفَ يُخْتَلَسُ مِنَّا وَقَدْ قَرَأْنَا الْقُرْآنَ فَوَاللَّهِ لَنَقْرَأَنَّهُ وَلَنُقْرِئَنَّهُ نِسَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَنَا فَقَالَ ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ يَا زِيَادُ إِنْ كُنْتُ لأَعُدُّكَ مِنْ فُقَهَاءِ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ هَذِهِ التَّوْرَاةُ وَالإِنْجِيلُ عِنْدَ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى فَمَاذَا تُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ (قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ) "The time is close when knowledge will be withdrawn from the people." Ziyad b. Labid who was present enquired: "How will that happen O Messenger of Allah, when we recite the Qur'an and teach it to our children?" The Prophet (saws) replied: "Woe unto you Ziyad. I though you were one of the intelligent men of Madinah. Here are the Jews and Christians who recite their Scriptures, but it avails them not aught?"

Qurtubi also quotes `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud telling another man: "You are in a world in which there are many men of knowledge, but few reciters. The Qur'anic injunctions are closely followed though its letters are in neglect. Few are there who ask, but many who give. They lengthen their Prayers and shorten their sermons. They put the word of command into action and keep their desires under control. But a time will come when there will be many reciters of the Qur'an, but few who will understand it. They will know its word but neglect its demand. Many will ask but few will give. They will lengthen their sermons and shorten their Prayers. They will begin with their base desires before they would attempt (anything good)."

158. Majid writes: "The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week (Saturday), which in the Jewish law was to be devoted exclusively to religious observances, and a cessation of almost all the principal activities of life, such as field labour, business, cooking, hunting, was imperative: and the penalty of profaning the sacred day was death. `Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: everyone that defileth it shall surely be put to death'" (Ex. 31: 14)."

Qurtubi quotes from Nasa'i who recorded the following: عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ عَسَّالٍ قَالَ، قَالَ يَهُودِيٌّ لِصَاحِبِهِ اذْهَبْ بِنَا إِلَى هَذَا النَّبِيِّ قَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ لا تَقُلْ نَبِيٌّ لَوْ سَمِعَكَ كَانَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَعْيُنٍ فَأَتَيَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَسَأَلاهُ عَنْ تِسْعِ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ لا تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلا تَسْرِقُوا وَلا تَزْنُوا وَلا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلا بِالْحَقِّ وَلا تَمْشُوا بِبَرِيءٍ إِلَى ذِي سُلْطَانٍ وَلا تَسْحَرُوا وَلا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَا وَلا تَقْذِفُوا الْمُحْصَنَةَ وَلا تَوَلَّوْا يَوْمَ الزَّحْفِ وَعَلَيْكُمْ خَاصَّةً يَهُودُ أَنْ لا تَعْدُوا فِي السَّبْتِ فَقَبَّلُوا يَدَيْهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ وَقَالُوا نَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ نَبِيٌّ قَالَ فَمَا يَمْنَعُكُمْ أَنْ تَتَّبِعُونِي قَالُوا إِنَّ دَاوُدَ دَعَا بِأَنْ لا يَزَالَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِ نَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّا نَخَافُ إِنْ اتَّبَعْنَاكَ أَنْ تَقْتُلَنَا يَهُودُ Safwan b. `Assal said to another Jew, "Come. Let's go to this Prophet." The man said, "Don't use the word 'the Prophet,' for he may hear you. He has four eyes." They proceeded to the Prophet (saws) and asked him about the nine commandments. He told them: "Do not assign partners unto Allah, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not kill a person unless by law, do not hand over to the ruler one who has not committed a crime, do not indulge in magic, do not take interest, do not slander a woman, do not run away from the battle field, and for you especially, O Jews do not break the Sabbath." They kissed his hands and said: "We testify that you are a Prophet." "What prevents you from following me then?" he asked. "Because," they said, "David had supplicated to Allah that Prophethood remain in his progeny. Further, we are afraid the Jews will kill us if we followed you." Tirmidhi has also reported this hadith rating it as a trustworthy one.

159. The story behind this episode, as narrated by Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, Suddi, `Ata', Abu al `Aliyyah, is as follows. Allah (swt) appointed for the Israelites Friday as the weekly day of rest and devotional acts. But they argued with Musa (asws) and got the day changed to Saturday. That granted, they were asked to observe complete abstinence on that day from all economic activity, pleasures, and devote themselves to religious observances. But they broke the Sabbath in a variety of ways. A group of them who lived somewhere in Ailah or Eylah (near the modern town of Aqabah), at the tip of the Sinai, which was a fishing community at the time of Da'ud (asws), was ordered not to fish on Saturdays. But it would so happen and this was a test of their faith that the fish would appear in thick shoals just on the surface of water on Saturdays, but disappear on other days. Finally, the Israelites could not resist. They thought they would break the Sabbath and keep it. One of the strategies they adopted was to dig large holes near the sea connecting them with a thin line of water. When the fish showed up on Saturdays, and went across from the main waters to the holes, pushed forward by the tide, they plugged the path of return. Then they returned the next day to collect the trapped fish.

This deceptive act divided them into three groups to the extent that they divided their village into three camps. One that committed the deception, the other that warned them against it, and a third that stayed aloof of the two. When the deceptive practice continued, one night Allah (swt) sent His scourge which transformed the tricksters into apes who all died within three days. The punishment became an example of Allah's scourge on those who try to deceive Him. The story narrated briefly in surah al A`raf, verses 162 166, speaks of those who used to prohibit as having being spared the punishment, while the fate of the third group goes unmentioned Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir.

Majid says: "There is a similar tradition of a tribe becoming baboon in certain primitive communities like the Zulus (PC. I. p. 376). (And) the scornful epithet (khase'in) strikes at the root of monkey adoration and Hanuman worship of several polytheistic people."

Mujahid, however, is reported to have said that the transformation was not real; only their hearts were transformed. But Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir reject the opinion on grounds that the great majority of authorities before and after him have accepted the literal meaning of the Qur'anic text here.

That the story goes unmentioned in Jewish literature does not make its occurrence any less plausible. It may be recalled that when the Prophet (saws) laid siege to the forts of Banu Qurayzah he called out to them, saying: "يا إخوان القردة ويا إخوان الخنازير ويا عبدة الطاغوت" فقالوا: من أخبر هذا محمدا؟ "Listen, you cousins of apes and swine." The Jews turned to each other at the top of the wall and exclaimed: "Who informed Muhammad of this?" (Ibn Kathir, al Baqarah, verse 76).

Ibn Kathir reports a hadith recorded in Irwa' al Ghaleel narrated by Abu Hurayrah (ra) in which the Prophet (saws) said: "Do not do as the Jews used to do: making the unlawful lawful by devious means."

Interestingly, the National Geographic Magazine reports in one of its articles that in the modern day Israel, where the Rabbis have declared even the operation of an elevator as a breach of the Sabbath, the Jews set the elevator switches in such a manner, that from Friday evening until the next evening the lifts are operative all the time with the small inconvenience of halts at every floor.

160. This is an episode from the history of the Israelites which depicts the national character of a people who listened to their Prophets but half seriously, followed the Law but unwillingly, and obeyed their God but dispiritedly.

The story behind it, as told by the first generation scholars, who probably relied on Jewish sources, is that a man was the sole heir to his very rich uncle. He killed him in order to inherit his wealth, threw his body in the neighborhood of another tribe, and began to make noise about justice, revenge and so forth. Arguments ensued between his tribe and the one alleged to be involved in the murder, leading to the drawing of swords when someone suggested that Musa be asked to intervene and give his judgment. When the case was referred to him he ordered them to slaughter a cow. They thought he was joking. But Prophets are dead earnest. So they decided they would slaughter it after all. But, like all those who care little for true piety, (which consists in immediate execution of an order in good spirit), and more for outward forms, (which is the reason of narration of this story in the Qur'an), they began to seek details, which, they should have known, cannot add elegance and beauty to a religious act if the spirit is lacking. Nonetheless, the details they asked for were provided so that, ultimately, it was as if the finger was placed precisely on a particular cow owned by an old woman. She in turn, when she learned that nothing short of her cow would do to meet a certain religious requirement, set an exorbitant price. Some versions suggest they had to weigh the beast in gold. They had no choice but to cough out the price. After all, they had originally been told to slaughter any cow. They could have grabbed the nearest one and be finished with it. But they kept seeking details that made the affair difficult for themselves. In any case, they slaughtered the cow. The corpse was struck with a piece of its flesh and the man rose up. He told the people who the real murderer was, and died again (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir and others).

161. Ibn `Abbas said: Had they not added insha Allah, the cow would never have been described to their satisfaction (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Zamakhshari).

162. "Now?!" As if it was not clear right in the beginning that all that was required was the slaughtering of an unspecified cow. Further, even when they had raised the first foolish question: "Ask your Lord to let us know what (kind of a cow) is she to be," Musa (asws) had told them not to be fussy about it, rather: "Do as you are ordered (and slaughter any cow)." Their questioning then was not because it was really unclear to them as to what kind of a cow was being demanded, rather, because they did not want to slaughter one. Probably, their reluctance stemmed from the concept of "holiness" of the cow that they had acquired through their long stay with the Egyptians who worshipped it. It was perhaps this influence that had led them to heifer worship during Musa's absence.

Further, as some commentators have pointed out, it is possible that although the murder became the occasion, the cow was chosen for slaughter shockingly to them because of their reverence for it. Hence the initial reaction: "Are you joking?" The concept of holiness of the cow, however, could not be slaughtered with the slaughtering of the animal. The worship of the Ba`l (a local deity) and the Bull figures again and again in the history of the Jews. See for instance 1 Kings, 16: 32; 2 Kings, 21: 3. In 1 Kings (18: 25) Prophet Elijah laments in words: ".. Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under?" (Au.).

163. In contrast, the Companions of the Prophet (saws) asked him few questions, following his advice to leave him alone as long as he left them alone. But when they were ordered to do a thing, they hastened to act, unmindful of the consequences. It is reported of a Companion that as he was approaching the mosque he heard the Prophet (saws) say: "Sit down." He sat down right on the road in the dirt, although, apparently the Prophet had addressed those within the mosque (Au.).

Zamakhshari notes: A hadith says that the vilest of men is the one who enquired (a Prophet) about a thing that had not been declared unlawful, but the unlawfulness of which came to light because of his enquiry.

Asad adds: "... their obstinate desire to obtain closer and closer definition of the simple commandment revealed to them through Moses had made it almost impossible for them to fulfill it. In his commentary on this passage, Tabari quotes the following remark of Ibn `Abbas: 'If [in the first instance] they had sacrificed any cow chosen by themselves, they would have fulfilled their duty; but they made it complicated for themselves, and so God made it complicated for them.' A similar view has been expressed, in the same context, by Zamakhshari. It would appear that the moral of this story points to an important problem of all (and, therefore, also of Islamic) religious jurisprudence: namely, the inadvisability of trying to elicit additional details in respect of any religious law that had originally been given in general terms for, the more numerous and multiform such details become the more complicated and rigid becomes the law. This point has been acutely grasped by Rashid Rida, who says in his commentary on the above Qur'anic passage (see Manar I, 345f): 'Its lesson is that one should not pursue one's [legal] inquiries in such a way as to make laws more complicated...This was how the early generations [of Muslims] visualized the problem. They did not make things complicated for themselves and so, for them, the religious law (din) was natural, simple and liberal in its straightforwardness."