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 62-712. Al-Baqarah Page 10اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedوَ الَّذِیْنَand those whoهَادُوْاbecame Jewsوَ النَّصٰرٰیand the Christiansوَ الصّٰبِـِٕیْنَand the Sabiansمَنْwhoاٰمَنَbelievedبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ الْیَوْمِand the Dayالْاٰخِرِ[the] Lastوَ عَمِلَand didصَلِحًاrighteous deedsفَلَهُمْso for themاَجْرُهُمْ(is) their rewardعِنْدَwithرَبِّهِمْ ۪ۚtheir Lordوَ لَاand noخَوْفٌfearعَلَیْهِمْon themوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیَحْزَنُوْنَ will grieve وَ اِذْAnd whenاَخَذْنَاWe tookمِیْثَاقَكُمْyour covenantوَ رَفَعْنَاand We raisedفَوْقَكُمُover youالطُّوْرَ ؕthe mountخُذُوْاHoldمَاۤwhatاٰتَیْنٰكُمْWe have given youبِقُوَّةٍwith strengthوَّ اذْكُرُوْاand rememberمَاwhatفِیْهِ(is) in itلَعَلَّكُمْperhaps youتَتَّقُوْنَ (would become) righteous ثُمَّThenتَوَلَّیْتُمْyou turned awayمِّنْۢfromبَعْدِafterذٰلِكَ ۚthatفَلَوْ لَاSo if notفَضْلُ(for the) Graceاللّٰهِ(of) Allahعَلَیْكُمْupon youوَ رَحْمَتُهٗand His Mercyلَكُنْتُمْsurely you would have beenمِّنَofالْخٰسِرِیْنَ the losers وَ لَقَدْAnd indeedعَلِمْتُمُyou knewالَّذِیْنَthose whoاعْتَدَوْاtransgressedمِنْكُمْamong youفِیinالسَّبْتِthe (matter of) SabbathفَقُلْنَاSo We saidلَهُمْto themكُوْنُوْاBeقِرَدَةًapesخٰسِـِٕیْنَ ۚdespised فَجَعَلْنٰهَاSo We made itنَكَالًاa deterrent punishmentلِّمَاfor thoseبَیْنَ(in) frontیَدَیْهَا(of) themوَ مَاand thoseخَلْفَهَاafter themوَ مَوْعِظَةًand an admonitionلِّلْمُتَّقِیْنَ for those who fear (Allah) وَ اِذْAnd whenقَالَsaidمُوْسٰیMusaلِقَوْمِهٖۤto his peopleاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیَاْمُرُكُمْcommands youاَنْthatتَذْبَحُوْاyou slaughterبَقَرَةً ؕa cowقَالُوْۤاThey saidاَتَتَّخِذُنَاDo you take usهُزُوًا ؕ(in) ridiculeقَالَHe saidاَعُوْذُI seek refugeبِاللّٰهِin AllahاَنْthatاَكُوْنَI beمِنَamongالْجٰهِلِیْنَ the ignorant قَالُواThey saidادْعُPrayلَنَاfor usرَبَّكَ(to) your Lordیُبَیِّنْto make clearلَّنَاto usمَاwhatهِیَ ؕit (is)قَالَHe saidاِنَّهٗIndeed Heیَقُوْلُsaysاِنَّهَا[Indeed] itبَقَرَةٌ(is) a cowلَّاnotفَارِضٌoldوَّ لَاand notبِكْرٌ ؕyoungعَوَانٌۢmiddle agedبَیْنَbetweenذٰلِكَ ؕthatفَافْعَلُوْاso doمَاwhatتُؤْمَرُوْنَ you are commanded قَالُواThey saidادْعُPrayلَنَاfor usرَبَّكَ(to) your Lordیُبَیِّنْto make clearلَّنَاto usمَاwhatلَوْنُهَا ؕ(is) its colorقَالَHe saidاِنَّهٗIndeed Heیَقُوْلُsaysاِنَّهَا[Indeed] it isبَقَرَةٌa cowصَفْرَآءُ ۙyellowفَاقِعٌbrightلَّوْنُهَا(in) its colorتَسُرُّpleasingالنّٰظِرِیْنَ (to) those who see (it) 2. Al-Baqarah Page 11قَالُواThey saidادْعُPrayلَنَاfor usرَبَّكَ(to) your Lordیُبَیِّنْto make clearلَّنَاto usمَاwhatهِیَ ۙit (is)اِنَّIndeedالْبَقَرَ[the] cowsتَشٰبَهَlook alikeعَلَیْنَا ؕto usوَ اِنَّاۤAnd indeed weاِنْifشَآءَwillsاللّٰهُAllahلَمُهْتَدُوْنَ (will) surely be those who are guided قَالَHe saidاِنَّهٗIndeed Heیَقُوْلُsaysاِنَّهَا[Indeed] itبَقَرَةٌ(is) a cowلَّاnotذَلُوْلٌtrainedتُثِیْرُto ploughالْاَرْضَthe earthوَ لَاand notتَسْقِیwaterالْحَرْثَ ۚthe fieldمُسَلَّمَةٌsoundلَّاnoشِیَةَblemishفِیْهَا ؕin itقَالُواThey saidالْـٰٔنَNowجِئْتَyou have comeبِالْحَقِّ ؕwith the truthفَذَبَحُوْهَاSo they slaughtered itوَ مَاand notكَادُوْاthey were nearیَفْعَلُوْنَ ۠(to) doing (it)

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Translation of Verse 62-71

(2:62) Whether they are the ones who believe (in the Arabian Prophet), or whether they are Jews, Christians or Sabians – all who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and do righteous deeds – their reward is surely secure with their Lord; they need have no fear, nor shall they grieve.⁸⁰

(2:63) And recall when We made a covenant with you and caused the Mount Sinai to tower above you,⁸¹ (saying): “Hold fast to the Book that We have given you, and remember the directives and commandments in it, that you be pious.”

(2:64) Then you turned away from your covenant, and had it not been for Allah’s grace and mercy upon you, you would have long been utter losers.

(2:65) And you know the case of those of you who broke the Sabbath,⁸² how We said to them: “Become apes, despised and hated.”⁸³

(2:66) And thus We made their end a warning for the people of their own time and for the succeeding generations, and an admonition to the God-fearing.

(2:67) And then recall when Moses said to his people: “Behold, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow.” They said: “Are you jesting with us?” Moses answered: “I seek refuge in Allah that I should behave in the manner of the ignorant.”

(2:68) They said: “Pray to your Lord that He make clear to us what she is like.” Moses answered: “He says, she is a cow, neither old nor immature, but of an age in between the two. Do, then, what you have been commanded.”

(2:69) They said: “Pray to your Lord that He make clear to us of what colour she is.” Moses answered: “He says, she is a yellow cow, with a bright colour which is pleasing to those who see!”

(2:70) They said: “Pray to your Lord that He make clear to us what cow she is. Cows seem much alike to us, and if Allah wills, we shall be guided.”⁸⁴

(2:71) Moses answered: “Lo! He says, she is a cow unyoked to plough the earth or to water the tillage, one that has been kept secure, with no blemish on her!” Thereupon they cried out: “Now you have come forth with the information that will direct us aright.” And they slaughtered her although they scarcely seemed to do so.

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Commentary

80. The context of the verse makes it clear that it is not attempting to enumerate in detail all the articles of faith in which one should believe, or all the principles of conduct which one should follow in order to merit reward from God. These matters are mentioned elsewhere, in their appropriate places. The aim of the verse is merely to repudiate the illusion cherished by the Jews that, by virtue of their being Jews, they have a monopoly of salvation. They had long entertained the notion that a special and exclusive relationship existed between them and God. They thought, therefore, that all who belonged to their group were predestined to salvation regardless of their beliefs and actions,. whereas all non-Jews were predestined to serve as fodder for hell-fire.

To clarify this misgiving the Jews are told that what really matters in the sight of God is true faith and good deeds rather than formal affiliation with a certain religious community. Whoever has true faith and good deeds to his credit is bound to receive his reward, since God will judge people on the basis of merit rather than on the grounds that a man's name happens to be listed in the world as a member of one religious community or the other.

81. From the manner in which this incident is described at various places in the Qur'an it is obvious that, at that time, it was quite well known to the Israelites. It is difficult, however, after the Passage of many centuries to be able to speak with certainty about the precise nature of the incident. All we can say is that while the Children of Israel were making their covenant in the shadow of Mount Sinai, they witnessed an awesome phenomenon and felt as if the mountain was about to fall upon them. (Verse 171 of Surah al-A'raf) seems to portray this. See also (n. 132 in that surah.)

82. Sabbath, i.e., Saturday . It was laid down that the Israelite should consecrate that day for rest and worship. They were required to from abstain from all worldly acts, including cooking (which they might neither do themselves, nor have their servants do for them). The injunctions, in this connection were so strict that violation of the Sabbath was to be punished with death. (See Exodus 31:12-17. ) When religious and moral decadence, however, spread among the Israelites they indulged in open desecration of the Sabbath, so much so that in Jewish towns trade and commerce were carried out in broad daylight.

83. The details of this incident are mentioned later in (Surah 7, vv. 163) ff. The exact manner in which their transformation into apes took place is disputed. Some scholars are of the opinion that the transformation was a physical one, while others hold that they were invested with the attributes characteristic of apes. But both the words and the manner in which this incident is recounted in the Qur'an seem to suggest that what took place was a physical transformation of certain persons into apes rather than just a moral metamorphosis. What seems plausible to me is that while their minds were allowed to remain intact, their bodies were changed into those of apes.

84. Through contact with neighbouring peoples, the Israelites had become infested with the attitude of sanctifying the cow, in fact they had even become accustomed to cow-worship. In order to disabuse the Jews of this, they were ordered to slaughter the cow. Their professed belief that God alone was worthy of worship could be tested only by making them slaughter with their own hands what they had formerly worshipped. This test was indeed a hard one since their hearts were not fully imbued with faith. Hence, they tried to shelve the issue by resorting to enquiries about the kind of animal they were required to slaughter. But the more they enquired, the narrower the strait became for them, until the indications were as obvious as if someone had put his finger precisely on the particular animal they were required to slaughter - the animal which had for so long been an object of their worship. The Old Testament also mentions the incident, but there is no reference to the manner in which the Jews tried to evade the matter. (See Numbers 19: 1-10.)