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 211-2162. Al-Baqarah Page 33سَلْAskبَنِیْۤ(the) Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَ(of) Israelكَمْhow manyاٰتَیْنٰهُمْWe gave themمِّنْofاٰیَةٍۭ(the) Sign(s)بَیِّنَةٍ ؕclearوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیُّبَدِّلْchangesنِعْمَةَFavorاللّٰهِ(of) Allahمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterمَا[what]جَآءَتْهُit (has) come to himفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahشَدِیْدُ(is) severeالْعِقَابِ in [the] chastising زُیِّنَBeautifiedلِلَّذِیْنَfor those whoكَفَرُواdisbelieve[d]الْحَیٰوةُ(is) the lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldوَ یَسْخَرُوْنَand they ridiculeمِنَ[of]الَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْا ۘbelieve[d]وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoاتَّقَوْاfear (Allah)فَوْقَهُمْ(they will be) above themیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ؕ(of) Resurrectionوَ اللّٰهُAnd AllahیَرْزُقُprovidesمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُHe willsبِغَیْرِwithoutحِسَابٍ measure كَانَWasالنَّاسُmankindاُمَّةًa communityوَّاحِدَةً ۫singleفَبَعَثَthen raised upاللّٰهُAllahالنَّبِیّٖنَ[the] Prophetsمُبَشِّرِیْنَ(as) bearers of glad tidingsوَ مُنْذِرِیْنَ ۪and (as) warnersوَ اَنْزَلَand sent downمَعَهُمُwith themالْكِتٰبَthe Bookبِالْحَقِّin [the] truthلِیَحْكُمَto judgeبَیْنَbetweenالنَّاسِ[the] peopleفِیْمَاin whatاخْتَلَفُوْاthey differedفِیْهِ ؕ[in it]وَ مَاAnd (did) notاخْتَلَفَdiffer[ed]فِیْهِin itاِلَّاexceptالَّذِیْنَthose whoاُوْتُوْهُwere given itمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterمَا[what]جَآءَتْهُمُcame to themالْبَیِّنٰتُthe clear proofsبَغْیًۢا(out of) jealousyبَیْنَهُمْ ۚamong themselvesفَهَدَیAnd guidedاللّٰهُAllahالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieve[d]لِمَاregarding whatاخْتَلَفُوْاthey differedفِیْهِ[in it]مِنَofالْحَقِّthe Truthبِاِذْنِهٖ ؕwith His permissionوَ اللّٰهُAnd AllahیَهْدِیْguidesمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُHe willsاِلٰیtoصِرَاطٍa pathمُّسْتَقِیْمٍ straight اَمْOrحَسِبْتُمْ(do) you thinkاَنْthatتَدْخُلُواyou will enterالْجَنَّةَParadiseوَ لَمَّاwhile notیَاْتِكُمْ(has) come to youمَّثَلُlike (came to)الَّذِیْنَthose whoخَلَوْاpassed awayمِنْfromقَبْلِكُمْ ؕbefore youمَسَّتْهُمُTouched themالْبَاْسَآءُ[the] adversityوَ الضَّرَّآءُand [the] hardshipوَ زُلْزِلُوْاand they were shakenحَتّٰیuntilیَقُوْلَsaidالرَّسُوْلُthe Messengerوَ الَّذِیْنَand those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedمَعَهٗwith himمَتٰیWhenنَصْرُ[will] (the) helpاللّٰهِ ؕ(of) Allah (come)اَلَاۤUnquestionablyاِنَّ[Indeed]نَصْرَhelpاللّٰهِ(of) Allahقَرِیْبٌ (is) near یَسْـَٔلُوْنَكَThey ask youمَا ذَاwhatیُنْفِقُوْنَ ؕ۬they (should) spendقُلْSayمَاۤWhateverاَنْفَقْتُمْyou spendمِّنْofخَیْرٍgoodفَلِلْوَالِدَیْنِ(is) for parentsوَ الْاَقْرَبِیْنَand the relativesوَ الْیَتٰمٰیand the orphansوَ الْمَسٰكِیْنِand the needyوَ ابْنِand (of)السَّبِیْلِ ؕthe wayfarerوَ مَاAnd whateverتَفْعَلُوْاyou doمِنْofخَیْرٍgoodفَاِنَّSo indeedاللّٰهَAllahبِهٖof itعَلِیْمٌ (is) All-Aware 2. Al-Baqarah Page 34كُتِبَIs prescribedعَلَیْكُمُupon youالْقِتَالُ[the] fightingوَ هُوَwhile itكُرْهٌ(is) hatefulلَّكُمْ ۚto youوَ عَسٰۤیBut perhapsاَنْ[that]تَكْرَهُوْاyou dislikeشَیْـًٔاa thingوَّ هُوَand itخَیْرٌ(is) goodلَّكُمْ ۚfor youوَ عَسٰۤیand perhapsاَنْ[that]تُحِبُّوْاyou loveشَیْـًٔاa thingوَّ هُوَand itشَرٌّ(is) badلَّكُمْ ؕfor youوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahیَعْلَمُknowsوَ اَنْتُمْwhile youلَا(do) notتَعْلَمُوْنَ۠know

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Translation of Verse 211-216

(2:211) Ask the Children of Israel how many Clear Signs We gave them! And when a people tamper with Allah’s bounty after it has been bestowed on them – then indeed Allah is severe in punishment.²²⁹

(2:212) Worldly life has been made attractive to those who have denied the Truth. Such men deride the men of faith, but the pious shall rank higher than them on the Day of Resurrection. As for worldly livelihood, Allah grants it to whomsoever He wills without measure.

(2:213) In the beginning mankind followed one single way. (Later on this state ended and differences arose.) Then Allah sent forth Prophets as heralds of good tidings for the righteous and as warners against the consequences of evil-doing. He sent down with them the Book embodying the Truth so that it might judge among people in their disputes. And those who innovated divergent ways rather than follow the Truth were none other than those who had received the knowledge of the Truth and clear guidance; and they did so to commit excesses against each other.²³⁰ So by His leave Allah directed the believers to the Right Way in matters on which they disagreed. Allah guides whomsoever He wills onto a Straight Way.

(2:214) Do you suppose²³¹ that you will enter Paradise untouched by the suffering endured by the people of faith who passed away before you? They were afflicted by misery and hardship and were so convulsed that the Messenger and the believers with him cried out: “When will Allah’s help arrive?” They were assured: “Behold, Allah’s help is close by.”

(2:215) People ask you what they should spend. Say: “Whatever wealth you spend let it be for your parents and kinsmen, the orphans, the needy and the wayfarer; Allah is aware of whatever good you do.”

(2:216) Fighting is ordained upon you and it is disliked by you; it may well be that you dislike a thing even though it is good for you, and it may well be that you like a thing even though it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.

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Commentary

229. There are two reasons why this query is addressed to the Children of Israel. In the first place, a group of living human beings provide a better source of instruction and admonition than mute archaeological findings. In the second place, the Israelites were a people who, having been endowed with Scripture and prophethood, were entrusted with the leadership of the world. By falling prey to worldliness, hypocrisy and other errors of belief and conduct they subsequently lost God's favour. A people entrusted with the task of universal leadership could derive no better lesson from another people than this one.

230. When ignorant people attempt to trace the history of 'religion' they tend to the view that man began his life in the darkness of polytheisrn and that in the course of time, corresponding to man's progress, this darkness gradually receded and light increased till man arrived at monotheism.

The Qur'anic version, however, proclaims that man began his life in full light of the Truth. God revealed this Truth to the very first man He created, one to whom He intimated the right way of life for man. Thereafter the human race remained on the Right Way for some time and lived as one community. Later, however, people invented deviating ways. This did not happen because Truth had not been communicated to them. The cause was rather that some people wilfully sought to acquire privileges, benefits and advantages beyond their legitimate limits, and thus subjected others to injustices. It was in order to enable people to overcome this corruption that God sent His Prophets. These Prophets were not sent to found separate religions in their own names and bring new religious communities into existence. Rather the purpose of the Prophets was to illuminate before people the Truth which they had allowed to be lost, and once again make them into one community.

231. In between this verse and the one above comes a whole story which has been left untold, a story which is alluded to in the present verse and which is mentioned in some detail in the Makkan surahs of the Qur'an (these were revealed earlier than the present surah). The point emphasized here is that whenever the Prophets came into the world they, and their followers, were confronted with severe resistance from those in rebellion against God. At grave risk to themselves they strove to establish the hegemony of the true religion over the false ways of life. To follow this religion has, therefore, never been easy; it is not merely a matter of declaring one's faith and then sitting back in ease and comfort. On the contrary, the profession of faith has always demanded that one should strive to establish the religion, which one has adopted as one's faith, as a living reality and that one should spare no effort in undermining the power of the Devil who seeks to resist it.