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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
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Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear

 Surah Al-Baqarah 2:113-119 [14/40] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَقَالَتِAnd said
ٱلْيَهُودُthe Jews,
لَيْسَتِ`Not
ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰthe Christians
عَلَىٰ(are) on
شَىْءٍanything,`
وَقَالَتِand said
ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰthe Christians,
لَيْسَتِ`Not
ٱلْيَهُودُthe Jews
عَلَىٰ(are) on
شَىْءٍanything,`
وَهُمْalthough they
يَتْلُونَrecite
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ‌ۗthe Book.
كَذَٲلِكَLike that
قَالَsaid
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
لَا(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَknow,
مِثْلَsimilar
قَوْلِهِمْ‌ۚtheir saying.
فَٱللَّهُ[So] Allah
يَحْكُمُwill judge
بَيْنَهُمْbetween them
يَوْمَ(on the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ(of) Resurrection
فِيمَاin what
كَانُواْthey were
فِيهِ[in it]
يَخْتَلِفُونَdiffering.
﴿١١٣﴾
وَمَنْAnd who
أَظْلَمُ(is) more unjust
مِمَّنthan (one) who
مَّنَعَprevents
مَسَـٰجِدَ(the) masajid
ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
أَنto
يُذْكَرَbe mentioned
فِيهَاin them
ٱسْمُهُۥHis name,
وَسَعَىٰand strives
فِىfor
خَرَابِهَآ‌ۚtheir destruction?
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَThose!
مَاNot
كَانَit is
لَهُمْfor them
أَنthat
يَدْخُلُوهَآthey enter them
إِلَّاexcept
خَآئِفِينَ‌ۚ(like) those in fear.
لَهُمْFor them
فِىin
ٱلدُّنْيَاthe world
خِزْىٌ(is) disgrace
وَلَهُمْand for them
فِىin
ٱلْأَخِرَةِthe Hereafter
عَذَابٌ(is) a punishment
عَظِيمٌgreat.
﴿١١٤﴾
وَلِلَّهِAnd for Allah
ٱلْمَشْرِقُ(is) the east
وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ‌ۚand the west,
فَأَيْنَمَاso wherever
تُوَلُّواْyou turn
فَثَمَّ[so] there
وَجْهُ(is the) face
ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ(of) Allah.
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱللَّهَAllah
وَٲسِعٌ(is) All-Encompassing,
عَلِيمٌAll-Knowing.
﴿١١٥﴾
وَقَالُواْAnd they said,
ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ`Allah has taken
وَلَدًا‌ۗa son.`
سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ‌ۖGlory be to Him!
بَلNay,
لَّهُۥfor Him
مَا(is) what
فِى(is) in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِthe heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ‌ۖand the earth.
كُلٌّAll
لَّهُۥto Him
قَـٰنِتُونَ(are) humbly obedient.
﴿١١٦﴾
بَدِيعُ(The) Originator
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ(of) the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ‌ۖand the earth!
وَإِذَاAnd when
قَضَىٰٓHe decrees
أَمْرًاa matter,
فَإِنَّمَا[so] only
يَقُولُHe says
لَهُۥto it
كُن`Be,`
فَيَكُونُand it becomes.
﴿١١٧﴾
وَقَالَAnd said
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
لَا(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَknow,
لَوْلَا`Why not
يُكَلِّمُنَا ٱللَّهُAllah speaks to us
أَوْor
تَأْتِينَآcomes to us
ءَايَةٌ‌ۗa sign?`
كَذَٲلِكَLike that
قَالَsaid
ٱلَّذِينَthose
مِن قَبْلِهِمbefore them
مِّثْلَsimilar
قَوْلِهِمْ‌ۘtheir saying.
تَشَـٰبَهَتْBecame alike
قُلُوبُهُمْ‌ۗtheir hearts.
قَدْIndeed,
بَيَّنَّاWe have made clear
ٱلْأَيَـٰتِthe signs
لِقَوْمٍfor people
يُوقِنُونَ(who) firmly believe.
﴿١١٨﴾
إِنَّآIndeed We!
أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ[We] have sent you
بِٱلْحَقِّwith the truth,
بَشِيرًا(as) a bearer of good news
وَنَذِيرًا‌ۖand (as) a warner.
وَلَاAnd not
تُسْــَٔلُyou will be asked
عَنْabout
أَصْحَـٰبِ(the) companions
ٱلْجَحِيمِ(of) the blazing Fire.
﴿١١٩﴾

وَقَالَتِ الۡيَهُوۡدُ لَـيۡسَتِ النَّصٰرٰى عَلٰى شَىۡءٍ وَّقَالَتِ النَّصٰرٰى لَـيۡسَتِ الۡيَهُوۡدُ عَلٰى شَىۡءٍۙ وَّهُمۡ يَتۡلُوۡنَ الۡكِتٰبَؕ كَذٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ مِثۡلَ قَوۡلِهِمۡ​ۚ فَاللّٰهُ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ فِيۡمَا كَانُوۡا فِيۡهِ يَخۡتَلِفُوۡنَ‏  وَمَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنۡ مَّنَعَ مَسٰجِدَ اللّٰهِ اَنۡ يُّذۡكَرَ فِيۡهَا اسۡمُهٗ وَسَعٰـى فِىۡ خَرَابِهَا ​ؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمۡ اَنۡ يَّدۡخُلُوۡهَآ اِلَّا خَآئِفِيۡنَ ؕ لَهُمۡ فِى الدُّنۡيَا خِزۡىٌ وَّلَهُمۡ فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيۡمٌ‏  وَلِلّٰهِ الۡمَشۡرِقُ وَالۡمَغۡرِبُ​ فَاَيۡنَمَا تُوَلُّوۡا فَثَمَّ وَجۡهُ اللّٰهِ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏  وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ وَلَدًا ۙ​ سُبۡحٰنَهٗ ​ؕ بَل لَّهٗ مَا فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ كُلٌّ لَّهٗ قَانِتُوۡنَ‏  بَدِيۡعُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ وَ اِذَا قَضٰٓى اَمۡرًا فَاِنَّمَا يَقُوۡلُ لَهٗ كُنۡ فَيَكُوۡنُ‏  وَقَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ لَوۡلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللّٰهُ اَوۡ تَاۡتِيۡنَآ اٰيَةٌ ​ ؕ كَذٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِهِمۡ مِّثۡلَ قَوۡلِهِمۡؕ​ تَشَابَهَتۡ قُلُوۡبُهُمۡ​ؕ قَدۡ بَيَّنَّا الۡاٰيٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ يُّوۡقِنُوۡنَ‏  اِنَّاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنٰكَ بِالۡحَـقِّ بَشِيۡرًا وَّنَذِيۡرًا ۙ​ وَّلَا تُسۡـئَـلُ عَنۡ اَصۡحٰبِ الۡجَحِيۡمِ‏ 
Translation
(2:113) The Jews say: “The Christians have no basis for their beliefs,” and the Christians say: “The Jews have no basis for their beliefs.” They say so even though they read the Scripture. The claim of those who have no knowledge (of the Scripture) is similar.113 Allah will judge between them concerning their differences on the Day of Resurrection. (2:114) Who is more iniquitous than he who bars Allah’s places of worship, that His name be mentioned there, and seeks their destruction? It does not behove such people to enter them, and should they enter, they should enter in fear.114 There is degradation for them in this world and a mighty chastisement in the Next. (2:115) The East and the West belong to Allah. To whichever direction you turn, you will be turning to Allah.115 Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.116 (2:116) They say: “Allah has taken to Himself a son.” Glory to Him! Nay, whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him; to Him are all in obeisance. (2:117) He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth; whenever He decrees a matter He (merely) says: “Be”, and it is. (2:118) The ignorant say: “Why does Allah not speak to us?117 Why does no Sign come to us?” The same was said by people before them. Their hearts are all alike.118 We have made the Signs clear for people of firm faith.119 (2:119) (What greater Sign can there be than that) We sent you with the Truth as a bearer of good tidings and a warner!120 And you will not be answerable about the people of the Blazing Flame!
Commentary

113. The reference is to the polytheists of Arabia.

114. Places of worship should properly remain in the custody of devout and God-fearing people, so that even if bad people did go there they would be deterred from committing misdeeds through fear of punishment. This is a subtle reference to the wrong perpetrated by the unbelievers of Makka, who had barred their own compatriots - the Muslims - from worshipping in the House of God.

115. God is neither eastern nor western. East and west, north and south, and indeed all places and directions are His, though He is not confined to any particular place or direction. Hence, if any place or direction is fixed for worship this does not mean that God dwells there. Likewise, changes in the direction of Prayer is not a proper subject for controversy and dispute.

116. That is, God is neither limited, mean, narrow-minded, nor poor in resources. All such notions about God, which arise from considering Him as essentially similar to human beings, are erroneous. God's realm is boundless and so is His vision and the range of His benevolence and mercy. Moreover, God's knowledge is all-embracing. He knows who remembers Him, as well as where, when and why he does that.

117. What they meant was that God should either appear before them Himself, tell them plainly that the Qur'an was a revelation from Him, and proclaim His injunctions, or cause them to see some extraordinary sign that would convince them that whatever Muhammad (peace be on him) told them was from Him.

118. The fact is that the misguided people of the time of the revelation of the Qur'an did not raise any objection or make any demands essentially different from those of the misguided people of the past. From the remote past till today, error and misguidedness seem to have the same character, so the same doubts and objections are repeated over and over again.

119. The demand that God should speak to them directly was too absurd even to be answered. The question dealt with here concerns the demand for a sign that would convince them of the Truth. In response to this it is pointed out that many signs do exist, but all such signs are of profit only to those who are inclined to believe. As for those who are bent on disbelief, what sign can be shown to them, and to what avail?

120. Why speak of other signs when the most conspicuous sign of Truth is the very person of Muhammad? Let us recall his life before the commencement of his prophethood, the conditions existing in the area where, and the people among whom, he was born, the manner in which he was brought up and spent the first forty years of his life, and then his glorious achievements as a Prophet. What further signs could we want in support of his message?