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

(2:83) And recall when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel: “You shall serve none but Allah and do good to parents, kinsmen, orphans and the needy; you shall speak kindly to people, and establish Prayer and give Zakah (Purifying Alms). And yet, except for a few of you, you turned back on this covenant, and you are still backsliders.

(2:84) And recall when We made a covenant with you, that you shall not shed one another’s blood, and shall not turn out one another from your homelands; you confirmed it, and you yourselves are witnesses to it.

(2:85) And here you are, killing one another, turning out a party of your own from their homelands, aiding one another against them in sin and enmity, and if they come to you as captives you ransom them although the very act of expelling them was unlawful to you. Do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest?⁹² What else, then, could be the retribution of those among you who do this than that they should live in degradation in the present life, and that on the Day of Resurrection they should be sent to the severest chastisement? Allah is not heedless of what you do.

(2:86) These are the ones who have bought the present life in exchange for the World to Come. Their chastisement shall not be lightened, nor shall they be helped.

---

Commentary

92. Before the advent of the Prophet (peace be on him) the Jewish tribes who lived on the outskirts of Madina had concluded an alliance with the Arab tribes of Aws and Khazraj. When the Arab tribes fought against one another each Jewish tribe fought on the side of its allies, which led to fratricide and so to a flagrant violation of the Book of God. Moreover, when the war ended the captives were ransomed. This ransom was justified on the basis of scriptural arguments; they extolled the Word of God when it permitted the ransom of prisoners of war, but attached no significance at all to the same Word of God when it prohibited mutual feuding.