2. Al-Baqarah Page 10 اِنَّ Indeed الَّذِیْنَ those who اٰمَنُوْا believed وَ الَّذِیْنَ and those who هَادُوْا became Jews وَ النَّصٰرٰی and the Christians وَ الصّٰبِـِٕیْنَ and the Sabians مَنْ who اٰمَنَ believed بِاللّٰهِ in Allah وَ الْیَوْمِ and the Day الْاٰخِرِ [the] Last وَ عَمِلَ and did صَلِحًا righteous deeds فَلَهُمْ so for them اَجْرُهُمْ (is) their reward عِنْدَ with رَبِّهِمْ ۪ۚ their Lord وَ لَا and no خَوْفٌ fear عَلَیْهِمْ on them وَ لَا and not هُمْ they یَحْزَنُوْنَ will grieve وَ اِذْ And when اَخَذْنَا We took مِیْثَاقَكُمْ your covenant وَ رَفَعْنَا and We raised فَوْقَكُمُ over you الطُّوْرَ ؕ the mount خُذُوْا Hold مَاۤ what اٰتَیْنٰكُمْ We have given you بِقُوَّةٍ with strength وَّ اذْكُرُوْا and remember مَا what فِیْهِ (is) in it لَعَلَّكُمْ perhaps you تَتَّقُوْنَ (would become) righteous ثُمَّ Then تَوَلَّیْتُمْ you turned away مِّنْۢ from بَعْدِ after ذٰلِكَ ۚ that فَلَوْ لَا So if not فَضْلُ (for the) Grace اللّٰهِ (of) Allah عَلَیْكُمْ upon you وَ رَحْمَتُهٗ and His Mercy لَكُنْتُمْ surely you would have been مِّنَ of الْخٰسِرِیْنَ the losers
(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.
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.)