Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 130-133

وَمَنۡ يَّرۡغَبُ عَنۡ مِّلَّةِ اِبۡرٰهٖمَ اِلَّا مَنۡ سَفِهَ نَفۡسَهٗ ​ؕ وَلَقَدِ اصۡطَفَيۡنٰهُ فِى الدُّنۡيَا ​ۚ وَاِنَّهٗ فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصّٰلِحِيۡنَ‏  ﴿2:130﴾ اِذۡ قَالَ لَهٗ رَبُّهٗۤ اَسۡلِمۡ​ۙ قَالَ اَسۡلَمۡتُ لِرَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏  ﴿2:131﴾ وَوَصّٰى بِهَآ اِبۡرٰهٖمُ بَنِيۡهِ وَ يَعۡقُوۡبُؕ يٰبَنِىَّ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اصۡطَفٰى لَـكُمُ الدِّيۡنَ فَلَا تَمُوۡتُنَّ اِلَّا وَاَنۡـتُمۡ مُّسۡلِمُوۡنَؕ‏‏  ﴿2:132﴾ اَمۡ كُنۡتُمۡ شُهَدَآءَ اِذۡ حَضَرَ يَعۡقُوۡبَ الۡمَوۡتُۙ اِذۡ قَالَ لِبَنِيۡهِ مَا تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِىۡؕ قَالُوۡا نَعۡبُدُ اِلٰهَكَ وَاِلٰهَ اٰبَآئِكَ اِبۡرٰهٖمَ وَاِسۡمٰعِيۡلَ وَاِسۡحٰقَ اِلٰهًا وَّاحِدًا ۖۚ وَّنَحۡنُ لَهٗ مُسۡلِمُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:133﴾

(2:130) And who but a fool would be averse to the way of Abraham? For it is We Who chose Abraham for Our mission in this world, and surely in the World to Come he shall be reckoned among the righteous. (2:131) Such was Abraham that when his Lord said to him: “Submit,”130 he said: “I have submitted to the Lord of the Universe.” (2:132) And Abraham enjoined the same upon his children, and so did Jacob:131 “My children! Behold, Allah has chosen this religion for you.132 Remain till death in submission (to Allah).”133 (2:133) Why, were you witnesses when death came to Jacob? He asked his children: “Whom will you serve after me?” They said: “We shall serve your God, the God of your forefathers, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, the One God, and unto Him do we submit.”

Notes

130. 'Muslim' signifies he who bows in obedience to God, who acknowledges God alone as his Sovereign, Lord and Master, and the only object of worship, devotion and service, who unreservedly surrenders himself to God and undertakes to live his life in accordance with the guidance that has come down from Him. Islam is the appellation which characterizes the above -mentioned belief and outlook which constitutes the core and kernel of the religion of all the Prophets who have appeared from time to time among different peoples and in different countries since the very beginning of human life.

131. Jacob is especially mentioned since the Children of Israel were his direct descendants.

132. Din is a Qur'anic technical term, signifying the way of life, the system of conduct, and the code on which man bases his entire mode of thought and action. (For the author's views on din see his Four Basic Qur'anic Terms, tr. Abu Asad, Lahore, 1979, pp. 93-103 - Ed.)

133. In the Bible the events connected with the death of Jacob (peace be on him) are narrated in detail. It is amazing that this narrative makes no reference to his testament. However, the contents of the detailed testament embodied in the Talmud greatly resemble the Qur'anic version. The Talmudic version reads as follows:

'Serve the Lord your God, and He will deliver ye from all trouble, even as He delivered your fathers.'

' . . . Teach your children to love God, and observe His commandments, in order that their days may be prolonged, for God will guard those who do justly and walk in righteousness through all His ways.'

And the sons of Jacob responded, 'All that you have commanded us, our father, we will do. May God be with us!'

And Jacob answered: 'The Lord will be with you if ye depart not from His ways to the right hand or to the left.'

(The Talmud Selections by H. Polano, London, Frederick Warne & Co., [1877], pp. 113-14.)