Sūrat al-Baqara — Juzʾ 1 (Alif Lām Mīm)

سورۃ البقرہ — پارہ ۱ (الم)

Sūrat al-Baqara — Juzʾ 1 (Alif Lām Mīm)

Opening: The Muqaṭṭaʿāt (Disjointed Letters)

This sūra opens with the letters: Alif, Lām, Mīm — al-ḥurūf al-muqaṭṭaʿāt (the disconnected letters). These letters appear at the heads of certain sūras of the Quran, and their ultimate meaning is among the matters that belong exclusively to the knowledge of Allah Most High. The Prophetﷺhimself did not explain their specific interpretation, so the scholars and mufassirūn have offered diverse views. Among the positions:

• Some hold that these letters are abbreviations of divine names or attributes.
• Some hold they are abbreviations of the Quranic sūras' or the divine attributes' names — e.g. Alif = Allāh, Lām = Laṭīf, Mīm = Majīd.
• Some hold they are the names of the sūras themselves.
• Some hold they are among the letters from which the Arabic language is composed, presented at the outset as a challenge: this Quran is composed of these very letters you know — yet you cannot produce its like.
• Some hold their meaning is known only to Allah (al-ʿIlm ʿinda-Llāh).

The most prudent position, adopted by the great majority of the Ahl al-Sunna — and held by Imām Abū Ḥanīfa, Imām Mālik, and others (may Allah have mercy on them) — is that these letters are among the mutashābihāt (ambiguous matters), the knowledge of which belongs to Allah alone. We believe in them and read them as they are revealed.

What is remarkable and constitutes a dimension of the Quran's iʿjāz (inimitability): the Quran is composed of these very Arabic letters which the Arabs knew and used — yet they were incapable of producing even a single sūra equal to it. As the ḥadīth states: the Prophetﷺdeclared:

أُوتِيتُ جَوَامِعَ الْكَلِمِ وَأَنَا أَفْصَحُ الْعَرَبِ وَالْعَجَمِ

Ūtītu jawāmiʿa al-kalim wa-anā afṣaḥu al-ʿarabi wa-l-ʿajam.

"I have been given the concise all-inclusive speech, and I am the most eloquent of Arabs and non-Arabs."

Yet the Quran is beyond even his eloquence — for it is the speech of Allah, not of any human being.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:1 (the Opening Letters and Verse 2)

الم

Alif. Lām. Mīm.

These are among the noble muqaṭṭaʿāt. Their inner meaning belongs to Allah Most High.

ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

Dhālika al-kitābu lā rayba fīhi hudan lil-muttaqīn.

"That is the Book — there is no doubt in it — a guidance for the God-fearing." (al-Baqara 2:2)

Translation: That is the Book; there is no doubt in it whatsoever; it is a guidance for the God-fearing.

Commentary: Dhālika (that) here is used to indicate sublimity and distance (istighrāq fī al-taʿẓīm) — conveying that this is the supreme Book, beyond the reach of ordinary description. It is the Book that has been promised, alluded to, and longed for across the ages of prophecy. Lā rayba fīhi: there is no doubt, no uncertainty, no reasonable grounds for scepticism concerning it — for one who approaches it with a sincere and sound mind. If any stubborn person contrives doubts out of prejudice and enmity, that is no argument against the Quran; it only exposes their own deficiency.

Hudan lil-muttaqīn: it is guidance specifically for those who possess taqwā — in the sense that they are the ones who fully benefit from its light. This does not mean others cannot receive guidance from it; rather, the muttaqīn receive its fullest benefit, and through it they rise from degree to degree of nearness to Allah. Just as a guide of the path leads one to the destination, the Quran leads the God-fearing to their Lord.

Why is it described as guidance specifically for the muttaqīn and not all people, given that it is addressed to all humanity? The answer is that the Quran contains guidance for all — but only those who bring the minimum of receptivity and sincerity benefit from it. The one who approaches it with hatred and prejudice is like a sick man who refuses the remedy.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:3

الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

Alladhīna yuʾminūna bi-l-ghaybi wa-yuqīmūna al-ṣalāta wa-mimmā razaqnāhum yunfiqūn.

"Those who believe in the unseen, and establish ṣalāt (the prayer), and spend out of what We have provided for them." (al-Baqara 2:3)

Translation: Those who believe in the unseen, and establish the prayer, and spend from what We have provided for them.

Commentary: The muttaqīn are characterised by three foundational qualities in this verse:

First — Belief in the Ghayb (Unseen): Al-ghayb (the unseen) comprises three categories:

1. Ghayb muṭlaq (absolute unseen): that which is known to none but Allah — the Hour, the precise reckoning, the ultimate realities of the afterlife in their full detail. 2. Ghayb jalī (disclosed unseen): that which Allah reveals to chosen Messengers. As Allah says:﴿عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ﴾— "Knower of the unseen, He does not reveal His unseen to anyone, save a Messenger whom He has approved." (al-Jinn 72:26–27) 3. Ghayb iḍāfī (relative unseen): that which is unseen for one person but not another — such as the contents of one room hidden from those in another.

Note carefully: every believer must have faith in certain things of the ghayb — namely, in Allah Most High, in Paradise (janna), in Hellfire (nār), in the angels (malāʾika), in the Resurrection (qiyāma). All of these are established through faith, bi-l-ghayb.

As for ʿilm al-ghayb (knowledge of the unseen): the ʿilm al-ghayb of a created being — however exalted — can never be equated with the ʿilm al-ghayb of Allah. Allah's knowledge is bi-l-dhāt (by His own essence, inherently), whereas the knowledge of Prophets and saints is bil-ʿarḍ (conferred, bestowed). Allah knows everything in its inmost reality; no created being — even the greatest Prophet — can encompass the divine knowledge. To assert otherwise is shirk (association of partners with Allah). However, Allah reveals to His chosen Messengers what He wills of the unseen, and the great awliyāʾ (saints) by virtue of their proximity to Allah may come to know certain matters through divine disclosure (kashf). This bestowed knowledge does not nullify Allah's uniqueness in His essential omniscience.

Commentary continued — The Three Types of Ghayb; The Stations of the Ṣiddīqīn

Those who say: "Granting knowledge of the unseen to a pīr or saint is shirk" — but then accept that Satan knows the inner states of people and misleads them — have created an inconsistency. If unseen knowledge granted by Allah to saints were shirk, then the ʿilm granted by Allah to His special servants would also be shirk — which is clearly false. The distinction is simple: knowledge that is Allah's unique prerogative is His essential omniscience (ʿilm dhātī). That which He reveals to His Messengers and saints is disclosed knowledge (ʿilm ʿaraḍī), which in no way violates divine uniqueness.

وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُن تَعْلَمُ

Wa-ʿallamaka mā lam takun taʿlam.

"And He taught you what you did not know." (al-Nisāʾ 4:113)

And the Prophetﷺhimself said:«مَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ فِي مَقَامِي هَذَا»— "There is nothing except that I have seen it from my station here." These are conferred gifts, not inherent attributes.

Those who were gathered with the Prophetﷺ— as described in the verse:﴿فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا﴾— "Those will be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed His grace — the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous — what excellent company!" (al-Nisāʾ 4:69) — they travel the path of Allah and journey on the road of the Prophets and Awliyāʾ.

Second — Establishing the Prayer (iqāmat al-ṣalāt):

Yuqīmūna al-ṣalāt — they establish prayer; they do not merely perform it halfheartedly. Iqāma implies: correctness in form, presence of heart, proper intention, continuous maintenance of the prayer throughout one's life. The root aqāma al-sūqa (to set up the marketplace) conveys the sense of establishing something properly and continuously. They pray with the congregation, in a state of inner tranquillity (ṭumaʾnīna) — and in that prayer they remember Allah. As Allah says:﴿وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ﴾"And bow with those who bow." (al-Baqara 2:43)

Third — Spending of what Allah has provided (infāq):

Mimmā razaqnāhum yunfiqūn — "they spend of what We have provided for them." This is comprehensive: it includes zakāt (the obligatory alms), voluntary charity (ṣadaqa), and the general principle of generously sharing every gift — wealth, knowledge, skill, time — with those who are in need. Do not restrict this to gold and silver alone; rizq (provision) includes every blessing Allah has granted you. Spend it wisely and abundantly — and you will find abundant blessing in return.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:4

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ

Wa-lladhīna yuʾminūna bimā unzila ilayka wa-mā unzila min qablika wa-bil-ākhirati hum yūqinūn.

"And those who believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you, and in the Hereafter they are certain of faith." (al-Baqara 2:4)

Translation: And those who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and who have firm certainty in the Hereafter.

Commentary: Bimā unzila ilayka: belief in the Quran revealed to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ— in its every aspect: that it is entirely the word of Allah, unaltered, recited exactly as revealed through Jibrīl (upon him be peace) to the Prophetﷺ. This Quran was revealed in stages over 23 years, and its arrangement as it exists today was commanded by the Prophetﷺhimself. The Quran in the recension of Ḥafṣ from ʿĀṣim, which is the most widely used throughout the world today, is connected by an unbroken chain of transmission back to the Prophetﷺthrough Sayyidatunā Ḥafṣa, Sayyidunā ʿUthmān, Sayyidunā ʿAlī, Sayyidunā Masʿūd, Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with them all).

Wa-mā unzila min qablika: every Muslim must believe in all the previously revealed scriptures in their original, uncorrupted form. The Torah (Tawrāt), the Psalms (Zabūr), the Gospel (Injīl) — all in their original forms were divine revelation. However, all of the existing versions of these scriptures have been subjected to alteration (taḥrīf), addition, and deletion, over centuries, by worldly rulers and self-interested priests. Their mutawātir (mass-transmission) chains are completely absent. None of these can be trusted as the word of Allah in their current form. To compare the Quran — memorised by millions in unbroken chains from the Prophetﷺhimself — with these corrupted texts is simply untenable.

Wa-bil-ākhirati hum yūqinūn: certainty in the Hereafter — the Resurrection, the reckoning, the bridge (ṣirāṭ), Paradise (janna), and Hell (nār) — is an essential pillar of faith. This certainty is not mere intellectual acknowledgement but an experiential conviction that shapes every action of the believer's life.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:5

أُولَئِكَ عَلَى هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

Ulāʾika ʿalā hudan min rabbihim wa-ulāʾika humu al-mufliḥūn.

"Those are upon guidance from their Lord, and those are the successful." (al-Baqara 2:5)

Translation: Those are on guidance from their Lord, and those are the ones who prosper and achieve success.

Commentary: The demonstrative pronoun ulāʾika (those) points to those described in the preceding three verses — those who have the five qualities: (1) belief in the unseen, (2) establishment of prayer, (3) spending in the way of Allah, (4) faith in the Quran and all previous scriptures, and (5) certainty in the Hereafter. These are they who are ʿalā hudan min rabbihim — upon guidance from their Lord. The preposition ʿalā conveys firmness and establishment — they are firmly settled upon guidance, as one stands firmly upon a raised platform. Mufliḥūn means those who have achieved falāḥ — comprehensive success: success in this world and the next; attainment of every good (nayl al-khayrāt) and deliverance from every evil (ittiqāʾ al-mawbiʾāt).

A vital point: ʿalā hudan uses the indefinite form (tanwīn) to convey that the guidance they possess is a guidance of supremely high quality and complete authenticity. Their being on this guidance and their ultimate falāḥ are a direct consequence of the five attributes mentioned — particularly the combination of ʿilm (belief with knowledge) and ʿamal (righteous action with wealth and body). Until these qualities are embodied in practice, neither true guidance nor true success is achieved.

On Equal Outcomes for Believer and Sinner

People often ask: is there no difference in outcome between the sincere believer who lived in poverty and obedience and the prosperous sinner who ignored religion? Certainly there is a difference — and an eternal one. Allah says:﴿هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْخَبِيثُ وَالطَّيِّبُ﴾"Are the impure and the pure equal?" (al-Māʾida 5:100) Never. The day of reckoning — yawm al-dīn — will make every reality manifest.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:6

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

Inna lladhīna kafarū sawāʾun ʿalayhim a-andhartahum am lam tundhirhum lā yuʾminūn.

"Indeed, those who disbelieve — it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them — they will not believe." (al-Baqara 2:6)

Translation: Indeed those who have chosen disbelief — it is equal for them whether you warn them or not — they will not believe.

Commentary: Kafarū — the verb kafara (to disbelieve) is derived from the root meaning to cover, conceal, deny. The pagans (kuffār) of Mecca who hardened their hearts are primarily meant here — those whose obstinate denial had become so settled that divine foreknowledge established they would die in disbelief. This verse does not mean that all disbelievers are beyond guidance, for many who began as opponents ultimately accepted Islam. Rather, it refers to those particular individuals whose end was foreknown. Allah is the Knower of all natures and capacities, and He sent His messenger to establish proof (iqāmat al-ḥujja) upon all people, so that none can claim on the Day of Judgment that they received no guidance.

Sawāʾun ʿalayhim: "equal upon them" — the grammatical structure here employs the form of an equalisation clause: whether warning or silence makes no difference to this particular group, so deeply has unbelief lodged in their hearts.

The phrase khatama Allāhu ʿalā qulūbihim (Allah has set a seal upon their hearts — 2:7) refers to the ijāba (consequential response) of Allah to their persistent choice: when a servant repeatedly refuses the medicine of faith, eventually the capacity to receive it is withdrawn. This is not arbitrary divine injustice; it is the natural and just consequence of the servant's own long-repeated choices.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:7

خَتَمَ اللهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Khatama Allāhu ʿalā qulūbihim wa-ʿalā samʿihim wa-ʿalā abṣārihim ghishāwatun wa-lahum ʿadhābun ʿaẓīm.

"Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their sight is a veil. And for them is a great punishment." (al-Baqara 2:7)

Translation: Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing; and upon their sight there is a covering. And for them is a tremendous punishment.

Commentary: Every time a person commits a sin, a dark spot appears upon the heart. If this continues, the spots multiply and spread until the heart is covered entirely. This is the rān mentioned by Allah:﴿كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ﴾"No! Rather, the rust has covered their hearts from what they were earning." (al-Muṭaffifīn 83:14)

Samʿ (hearing) is mentioned in the singular (khatama Allāhu ʿalā qulūbihim wa-samʿihim) while qulūb (hearts) and abṣār (sights) are in the plural — because samʿ is a verbal noun (maṣdar) that encompasses all instances. Over the sight is placed a ghishāwa (covering, veil): the word is on the pattern fiʿāla indicating intensified covering — like a ʿimāma (turban) or ʿiṣāba (bandage).

ʿAdhāb ʿaẓīm — "a tremendous punishment": ʿAdhāb comes from the root meaning separation from accustomed comfort; ʿaẓīm is the superlative of greatness. Disbelief and shirk are the greatest offence against Allah Most High, and their punishment is correspondingly tremendous — eternal punishment in the Fire.

As the author says, with deep emotion: people who have no regard for the Quran and the Sunna, who deride the scholars (ʿulamāʾ) — they are their own worst enemies. The sincere scholar and the sincere servant of Allah — let them not be distracted by the mockery of the ignorant.

Khudā ko ḷākariyānn maṁ paṛī hai —

(Ḥasrat)

On Divine Predetermination and Human Responsibility

A question naturally arises: if Allah foreknew and sealed these hearts, why was the Prophetﷺcommanded to warn them? The answer is profound: Allah's foreknowledge does not coerce the servant. Allah created human beings with free will and capacity (istiʿdād); He sent Messengers for the completion of proof. The ḥadīth of the Prophetﷺaffirms:«اعْمَلُوا فَكُلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ لِمَا خُلِقَ لَهُ»— "Act! For everyone is facilitated toward what he was created for." (al-Bukhārī; Muslim) Allah knows what each person will choose; He does not compel the choice. The sealing of hearts is the result of the servant's persistent choices, not its cause.

Allah Most High knows things in their aʿyān thābita (fixed essences in His knowledge) before they are brought into existence (aʿyān khārija). The aʿyān thābita are the eternal knowables in the divine knowledge — they are not created, they are not "things" in themselves — yet they are the patterns according to which created things are brought into being. This is the doctrine of the great masters of taṣawwuf including Imām Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him). The created being in the external world (kāʾin khārijī) corresponds to its archetype in divine knowledge (ʿayn thābita). Allah does not force the servant; He brings the servant into existence according to the servant's own eternal capacity (istiʿdād dhātī).

The wise man (ʿāqil) is one whose heart acts first and whose tongue speaks second — he thinks before he speaks. The fool acts first and thinks afterward.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:8–9

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

Wa-mina al-nāsi man yaqūlu āmannā bi-llāhi wa-bil-yawmi al-ākhiri wa-mā hum bi-muʾminīn.

"And among people are those who say: 'We believe in Allah and in the Last Day,' yet they are not believers." (al-Baqara 2:8)

يُخَادِعُونَ اللهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ

Yukhādiʿūna Allāha wa-lladhīna āmanū wa-mā yakhudaʿūna illā anfusahum wa-mā yashʿurūn.

"They seek to deceive Allah and those who believe; yet they deceive none but themselves, and they do not perceive it." (al-Baqara 2:9)

Translation of 2:8: "And among people there are those who say: 'We have believed in Allah and in the Last Day' — yet they are not believers."

Translation of 2:9: "They attempt to deceive Allah and those who believe; but they deceive none except themselves, and they do not realise it."

Commentary: These verses begin the lengthy Quranic treatment of the munāfiqūn (hypocrites). Before this, three types of people have been described: (1) the believers (muʾminūn), (2) the disbelievers (kāfirūn), and now (3) the hypocrites (munāfiqūn). The hypocrites have two faces: to the believers they say "we are with you," and to the disbelievers they say "we are truly with you; we were only mocking." Their double-dealing is the most dangerous force destructive to any community.

Yukhādiʿūna Allāha: they seek to trick Allah — an impossible aspiration. Allah knows what is in every heart. In reality, they only deceive themselves, ruining their own souls — but in their heedlessness (ghaflā) they do not perceive this. How many people today are in this state — claiming Islam, attending masjids, reciting Quranic phrases — but secretly working against the interests of Islam, carrying news of Muslim affairs to their enemies, pretending friendship while nurturing enmity?

The hypocrite (munāfiq) is more dangerous than the open disbeliever — for the open enemy is known and guarded against, while the hypocrite penetrates the inner circles and causes damage from within. For this reason, Allah prescribed the most severe punishment for them:﴿إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ﴾"Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire." (al-Nisāʾ 4:145)

On Three Types of Nominal Muslims in Our Age

The author identifies three categories of nominal Muslims in the present age:

First — the True Believers (Muʾminūn ḥaqīqiyyūn): Their sole purpose is the pleasure of Allah and His Messengerﷺ, and their obedience to their commands. These are those for whom prayer (ṣalāt), fasting (ṣawm), pilgrimage (ḥajj), and zakāt are acts of worship — not merely social customs.

Second — the Nationally-Motivated Muslims (Qawmī Muslimān): These pray and fast, but their underlying motivation is community prosperity, social prestige, and national interest rather than sincere devotion to Allah. They make Islam serve their national project. Their striving is in the direction of nationalism (waṭaniyya), not the religion of Allah.

Third — the Name-Only Muslims (Islāmī nāmī): These are registered as Muslims in official records and bear Islamic names, but they have abandoned all practice. When called to prayer they are indifferent; when asked for Islamic allegiance they are silent; when threatened with criticism from non-Muslims, they are eager to accommodate. They are the fifth column within the community. Some of them openly advocate abandoning Islamic distinctives, inviting non-Muslim cultural domination, and weakening the bonds of the Islamic umma. These are the true hypocrites of the age.

As for those among them who still pray, their prayer is ostentation (riyāʾ). They claim "sovereignty belongs to Allah alone" (al-ḥukmu lillāh) — then act in exact opposition. Some among them, though claiming Islam, happily sell Islamic lands and interests for a pittance. As the Quran says:

وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍ بَخْسٍ دَرَاهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍ

Wa-sharawhu bi-thamanin bakhsin darāhima maʿdūdatin.

"And they sold him for a paltry price — a few dirhams." (Yūsuf 12:20)

Shame upon such behaviour.

On the Disease of the Hypocrites' Hearts — al-Baqara 2:10

فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللهُ مَرَضًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ

Fī qulūbihim maraḍun fa-zādahumu Allāhu maraḍan wa-lahum ʿadhābun alīmun bi-mā kānū yakdhibūn.

"In their hearts is a disease, and Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they used to lie." (al-Baqara 2:10)

Translation: In their hearts is a sickness; Allah has increased that sickness for them; and for them is a painful punishment because they persistently lied.

Commentary: What was the disease of the hypocrites' hearts? When the Prophet Muḥammadﷺarrived in Madīna and Islam spread rapidly, their vested interests were threatened. The Jewish scholars and local leaders who had previously wielded religious and political authority felt their power slipping away. The pain of seeing truth prevail while their falsehood was exposed — this was their disease. As Islam grew, their anguish grew; and their scheming and treachery grew with it.

Fa-zādahumu Allāhu maraḍan — Allah increased their disease: for every time they plotted against Islam and it still flourished, their anguish increased. This is the divine justice — Allah does not first deprive and then punish; He increases the disease as a consequence of their persistent choices.

The worst of all sins is the one that originated with Iblīs — kibr (arrogance). Every hypocrite is fundamentally driven by arrogance: the inability to submit to the truth once it has become manifest. And those who burn others with the fire of their hypocrisy inevitably burn themselves.

On al-Baqara 2:11–12: The Hypocrites' Claim to Reform

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ

Wa-idhā qīla lahum lā tufsidū fī al-arḍi qālū innamā naḥnu muṣliḥūn. Alā innahum humu al-mufsidūna wa-lākin lā yashʿurūn.

"And when it is said to them: 'Do not spread corruption in the land,' they say: 'We are only reformers.' Know that it is they who are the corruptors — but they do not perceive it." (al-Baqara 2:11–12)

Translation (2:11–12): When they are told: "Do not spread corruption in the land," they say: "We are only bringing reform." — Know well! It is they who are the corruptors; but they do not perceive it.

Commentary: Fasād (corruption) refers to the disruption of the natural order — of social bonds, of truth, of justice, of religion. Those who claim the mantle of iṣlāḥ (reform) while their actual program is the destruction of Islamic values, the weakening of the Islamic community, and the strengthening of its enemies — these are the very mufsidūn (spreaders of corruption) whom the Quran describes.

The great fasād of the hypocrites of the age is done in the name of "reform," "modernity," "progress." They introduce laws contrary to the Sharīʿa, collaborate with the enemies of Islam, suppress the call to prayer and Islamic distinctives, mock the scholars and the pious — and call it "reforming Islam." But they do not perceive that they are the corruptors.

Wa-lākin lā yashʿurūn — they do not perceive it. The hypocrite's greatest tragedy is self-deception. He thinks he is serving civilisation and progress — but in reality he is serving the destroyers of his people and religion.

How strange is the state of the contemporary hypocrite: he attends conferences where he votes for anti-Islamic legislation; he uses Islamic names while supporting un-Islamic agendas; he attends the masjid while betraying Muslim secrets to the enemy; he studies in foreign lands and returns to serve foreign interests. And his self-deception is complete — he believes he is a benefactor!

On al-Baqara 2:13: "Believe as the people have believed"

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُوا كَمَا آمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَا آمَنَ السُّفَهَاءُ أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ السُّفَهَاءُ وَلَكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

Wa-idhā qīla lahum āminū kamā āmana al-nāsu qālū a-nuʾminu kamā āmana al-sufahāʾu alā innahum humu al-sufahāʾu wa-lākin lā yaʿlamūn.

"And when it is said to them: 'Believe as the people have believed,' they say: 'Should we believe as the fools have believed?' Know that it is they who are the fools — but they do not know." (al-Baqara 2:13)

Translation: When it is said to them: "Believe as the people of faith have believed," they reply: "Shall we believe as the fools have believed?" Know well — it is they who are the true fools; but they do not know.

Commentary: The hypocrites mock the sincere believers, calling them sufahāʾ (fools, simpletons). In their world-view, the one who sacrifices worldly comfort, social standing, and material advantage for the sake of Allah and His Messengerﷺis a fool. The "clever" man is one who obtains all benefits while keeping all doors open — appearing Muslim to Muslims, appearing progressive to the secularists.

But the Quran overturns this calculus. The truly foolish one is he who, for the sake of a few years of comfortable compromise, loses his eternal home; who sells his soul for a position or a pension; who surrenders the honour of the community for a comfortable life among its enemies. Alā innahum humu al-sufahāʾu wa-lākin lā yaʿlamūn — "They are the fools — but they do not know." Ignorance of one's own foolishness is the deepest form of folly.

The sincere believers — who pray, fast, give zakāt, strive, and sacrifice — these are the truly intelligent (ʿuqalāʾ), for they invest in the eternal while using the temporal wisely. The hypocrite thinks the sincere Muslim is backward; the sincere Muslim knows the hypocrite is destroying himself for a world that is departing.

On al-Baqara 2:14–15: The Hypocrites' Two Faces

وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا إِلَى شَيَاطِينِهِمْ قَالُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِئُونَ اللهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

Wa-idhā laqū lladhīna āmanū qālū āmannā wa-idhā khalaw ilā shayāṭīnihim qālū innā maʿakum innamā naḥnu mustahziʾūn. Allāhu yastahziʾu bihim wa-yamuduhum fī ṭughyānihim yaʿmahūn.

"And when they meet those who believe, they say: 'We believe.' But when they are alone with their devils, they say: 'We are with you; we were only mocking.' Allah mocks them and extends them in their transgression, wandering blindly." (al-Baqara 2:14–15)

Translation (2:14–15): When they meet the believers they say: "We believe" — but when they retire privately to their satanic associates, they say: "We are truly with you; we were only jesting." Allah repays them for their mockery and extends them in their wandering blindness.

Commentary: Shayāṭīnihim (their devils/satans) — these are not necessarily supernatural beings; they refer to the wicked human leaders, the manipulators and schemers, who direct the hypocrites from behind the scenes. In every age these shayāṭīn insiyya (human devils) exist — those who plot against Islamic community, who use the hypocrites as instruments.

Allāhu yastahziʾu bihim: Allah "mocks" them — this is mushākala, a rhetorical device in Arabic whereby the response to an action is described using the same word, to indicate commensurate requital. What is meant is: Allah visits upon them the consequences of their mockery; He humiliates them and exposes them. Wa-yamuduhum fī ṭughyānihim yaʿmahūn: He extends them — gives them more rope — in their boundless transgression (ṭughyān), while they wander in blindness (yaʿmahūn) — neither finding the way out nor perceiving their own state.

On al-Baqara 2:16–17: The Parable of the Hypocrites — the Fire

أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الضَّلَالَةَ بِالْهُدَى فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا مُهْتَدِينَ مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَلَمَّا أَضَاءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ ذَهَبَ اللهُ بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ

Ulāʾika lladhīna ishtarawū al-ḍalālata bil-hudā fa-mā rabiḥat tijāratuhum wa-mā kānū muhtadīn. Mathaluhum ka-mathali lladhī istawqada nāran fa-lammā aḍāʾat mā ḥawlahu dhahaba Allāhu bi-nūrihim wa-tarakahum fī ẓulumātin lā yubṣirūn.

"Those are the ones who have purchased error in exchange for guidance — so their trade has brought no profit, nor were they guided. Their likeness is that of one who kindled a fire; then when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darknesses — they cannot see." (al-Baqara 2:16–17)

Translation (2:16–17): They are those who have purchased misguidance at the price of guidance — their trade brought them no profit and they were not rightly guided. Their likeness is that of one who lit a fire — but when it lit up what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in layers of darkness, seeing nothing.

Commentary: Ishtarawū al-ḍalālata bil-hudā — they purchased error in exchange for guidance: they had access to the guidance of the Prophetﷺ, the Quran, the living community of faith — and they sold all of this in exchange for the fleeting satisfactions of their worldly plotting. Their trade (tijāra) — the exchange of eternal truths for temporary benefit — brought no profit.

The parable (mathal) is brilliant and illuminating: a man lights a fire — for a brief moment he can see his surroundings clearly. Then Allah extinguishes the light — and he is left in deeper darkness than before. This is the spiritual state of the hypocrite: when he first encountered the Prophetﷺ, there was a moment of illumination — the light of Islam lit his surroundings. But when he chose to sell that moment and return to his inner darkness, Allah withdrew the light — and now he cannot find his way. The thulumāt (darknesses) — plural — indicate layers upon layers of darkness: darkness of ʿaqīda (creed), darkness of niyya (intention), darkness of ʿamal (action).

Dhahaba Allāhu bi-nūrihim (Allah took away their light) uses the construction more powerfully than adhhaba nūrahum (He extinguished their light): the former means He took the light and departed with it — the light is gone, removed, there is no trace.

On al-Baqara 2:18: Deaf, Dumb, Blind

صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ

Ṣummun bukmun ʿumyun fa-hum lā yarjiʿūn.

"Deaf, dumb, blind — so they will not return." (al-Baqara 2:18)

Translation: Deaf, dumb, blind — thus they will not return.

Commentary: Ṣummun — deaf: their hearing is spiritually closed; they hear the Quran but it does not penetrate their hearts. Bukmun — dumb: they cannot speak what is true; their tongues are sealed from the proclamation of genuine faith. ʿUmyun — blind: their spiritual sight is shuttered; they cannot perceive the signs of Allah's reality all around them.

Fa-hum lā yarjiʿūn — so they do not return to the path. The fa (so/thus) indicates logical consequence: because they are in this triple state of spiritual disability — chosen by themselves through persistent rejection — the natural outcome is that they cannot find their way back.

How accurately does this describe the condition of those who, despite seeing the miracles of the Quran, experiencing the transformative power of Islamic civilisation, knowing the lives of the Companions, still persist in mockery and denial! They hear advice but do not allow it in. They have seen the proofs of Allah's existence in every atom of creation, yet they turn away. And the more they turn away, the more their capacity for return diminishes.

On al-Baqara 2:19–20: The Second Parable — The Storm

أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَاتٌ وَرَعْدٌ وَبَرْقٌ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِم مِّنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ وَاللهُ مُحِيطٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ يَكَادُ الْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَارَهُمْ كُلَّمَا أَضَاءَ لَهُمْ مَّشَوْا فِيهِ وَإِذَا أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُوا وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ إِنَّ اللهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Aw ka-ṣayyibin min al-samāʾi fīhi ẓulumātun wa-raʿdun wa-barqun yajʿalūna aṣābiʿahum fī ādhānihim min al-ṣawāʿiqi ḥadhara al-mawti wa-llāhu muḥīṭun bi-l-kāfirīn. Yakādu al-barqu yakhṭafu abṣārahum kullamā aḍāʾa lahum mashaw fīhi wa-idhā aẓlama ʿalayhim qāmū wa-law shāʾa Allāhu la-dhahaba bi-samʿihim wa-abṣārihim inna Allāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.

"Or like a rainstorm from the sky, within which are darknesses and thunder and lightning — they thrust their fingers in their ears against the thunderbolts out of fear of death, and Allah encompasses the disbelievers. The lightning almost snatches away their sight; whenever it flashes for them, they walk by it; but when darkness falls upon them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could take away their hearing and their sight; indeed Allah is over all things Able." (al-Baqara 2:19–20)

Translation (2:19–20): Or [their likeness is] like a rainstorm from the sky, within it darknesses and thunder and lightning — they thrust their fingers into their ears from the thunderclaps, out of fear of death; and Allah encompasses the disbelievers. The lightning all but snatches away their sight — every time it lights up for them they walk forward; and when darkness falls over them they stop still. And had Allah willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight; for Allah is over all things powerful.

Commentary: This is the second parable for the hypocrites, complementing the first. The first parable (the fire) described those who briefly experienced the light of faith and then lost it. This second parable depicts the ongoing torment of the hypocrite in a spiritual storm.

The ṣayyib is a powerful downpour; the ẓulumāt (darknesses) are the trials and dilemmas; the raʿd (thunder) is the terrifying nature of the divine warnings; the barq (lightning) is the moments of clarity and illumination in the Quran that flash upon their consciousness. They plug their ears — they shut out the voices of guidance. Ḥadhara al-mawt — out of fear of death: the hypocrite is paralysed by fear of consequences; he cannot face the truth because it demands sacrifice.

Kullammā aḍāʾa lahum mashaw fīhi — whenever there is a flash of light they take advantage of it to move forward; wa-idhā aẓlama ʿalayhim qāmū — but when the darkness returns, they freeze. This depicts the spiritual instability of the hypocrite: he benefits from Islam when it is convenient, but when it costs him, he becomes paralysed. He is neither fully in nor fully out of the light.

Wa-llāhu muḥīṭun bi-l-kāfirīn — Allah encompasses the disbelievers: He knows their every movement; His power surrounds them completely. They cannot escape His grasp, however cunning their plotting.

On Divine Power and the Hypocrite's Condition (continued)

Wa-law shāʾa Allāhu la-dhahaba bi-samʿihim wa-abṣārihim — had Allah willed, He could remove their very faculties. This statement contains a profound theological point: Allah does not arbitrarily deprive His servants. He gave them faculties and they persistently misused them. He is patient with them, giving opportunity after opportunity. But when those opportunities are squandered, the faculties themselves are withdrawn — not by compulsion but as the just consequence of persistent choice.

Inna Allāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr — Allah is omnipotent over all things. The divine omnipotence here pertains to three levels: (1) with respect to impossible things — it is inapplicable, for the impossible is not a "thing" (e.g., Allah's making a partner equal to Himself is not in the domain of omnipotence, for it is logically impossible); (2) with respect to the divine Essence and attributes — it is inapplicable for the same reason; (3) with respect to all possible contingent beings (mumkinat) — Allah is all-powerful, completely and without limit.

The divine beauty (jamal) and majesty (jalal) are displayed in the order of the world in every moment. Every creature testifies to them. The one who has been given eyes of the heart (baṣīrat) sees Allah's signs everywhere; the one whose heart is sealed sees nothing.

Har waqt ẓuhūr-e-tajallī hai —

Every moment is an epiphany of divine self-disclosure.

(Ḥasrat)

Translation of al-Baqara 2:21–22 — O Mankind, Worship Your Lord

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فِرَاشًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَّكُمْ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلهِ أَندَادًا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Yā ayyuha al-nāsu uʿbudū rabbakumu lladhī khalaqakum wa-lladhīna min qablikum laʿallakum tattaqūn. Alladhī jaʿala lakumu al-arḍa firāshan wa-al-samāʾa binā'an wa-anzala min al-samāʾi māʾan fa-akhraja bihi min al-thamarāti rizqan lakum fa-lā tajʿalū lillāhi andādan wa-antum taʿlamūn.

"O mankind, worship your Lord who created you and those before you — that perhaps you may become God-fearing. [He] who made for you the earth a bed and the sky a structure, and sent down from the sky rain, and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not set up rivals to Allah while you know." (al-Baqara 2:21–22)

Translation (2:21–22): O people! Worship your Lord who created you and those before you — so that you may attain God-consciousness (taqwā). [He] who made the earth for you as a carpet and the sky as a canopy, and sent down from the sky water, and by means of it brought out fruits as provision for you. So do not set up rivals alongside Allah — while you know.

Commentary: After describing the three groups — believers, disbelievers, hypocrites — the Quran now addresses all of humanity (al-nās). The address yā ayyuhā al-nās (O mankind) is the most inclusive possible; it reaches every human being regardless of tribe, nation, religion, or epoch.

Uʿbudū — worship, be in a state of utter dependence and servitude to your Rabb (Lord-Sustainer-Nurturer). ʿIbāda (worship) is the comprehensive term for the relationship of the creature to the Creator — encompassing belief in the heart (ʿaqīda), declaration on the tongue (iqrār), and action of the limbs. The root of ʿibāda is ʿabdiyya (servanthood) — the acknowledgment of absolute dependence.

Alladhī khalaqakum wa-lladhīna min qablikum — He created you and all who came before you. The chain of creation stretches back through all generations; He is the Creator of them all. Does this chain ever terminate in a created being? Never — it must terminate in the Uncaused Creator.

Jaʿala lakumu al-arḍa firāshan — He made the earth a carpet (bed, floor) for you. The earth is spread flat for your benefit — for you to walk upon, to settle upon, to cultivate, to rest upon. Wa-al-samāʾa binā'an — and the sky as a canopy (structure): the sky is built above you like a great domed roof, protecting you from the void of space, containing the atmosphere, regulating the climate.

Wa-anzala min al-samāʾi māʾan — He sent down from the sky water. Water is the basis of all life; every living creature is composed primarily of water. From that rain, vegetation grows; from that vegetation, fruits — rizqan lakum — provision for you. From this simple chain of causation, all the diversity of earth's sustenance emerges.

Fa-lā tajʿalū lillāhi andādan — so do not set up andād (rivals, equals, counterparts) alongside Allah. Andād is the plural of nidd, meaning an equal or counterpart. The idols of Quraysh, the false gods of the nations, the human beings elevated to divine status — all are andād. Wa-antum taʿlamūn — while you know: this is the cutting rebuke. They know — deep within themselves — that these idols did not create them, that only Allah created them. And yet they persist in shirk.

Commentary continued — On Creation and Gratitude

The argument of these verses is simple and devastating: Who created you? You acknowledge: no created being made you. Who spread the earth as your dwelling? No human being. Who sends the rain and grows the food? No idol, no force of nature acting independently. You know all of this — and yet you attribute partners to the One who gave you all of this. This is the height of ingratitude and irrationality.

ʿIbāda begins with the heart — with ʿaqīda. If the ʿaqīda is sound, the prayer and fasting built upon it are genuine acts of worship. But if the ʿaqīda is corrupted — if one worships Allah but secretly equates other beings with Him — then the outer acts are hollow.

The expression andādan in the verse is significant: it says "do not make andād for Allah while you know." The Quran does not merely say "do not worship idols" — it says "do not set up equals for Allah." This encompasses: actual idolatry; human reverence that reaches the level of worship; nationalism substituted for dīn; wealth and position made into ultimate ends.

Look around: where are Rāmachandra? Where is Kṛishṇa? Where is Buddha? Where is Ahura Mazda? All were servants of Allah who passed away; the greatest of them will return to their Lord. Therefore: refuse kufr and shirk, choose the servitude of Allah, embrace tawba — and with sincerity of ʿabdiyya (servanthood), turn fully to Allah.

I bear witness: Ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa-rasūluh — I testify that Muḥammadﷺis His servant and His Messenger. The servanthood (ʿabdiyya) is mentioned before the messengership (risāla) in the shahāda — for servanthood is the foundation, and it abides when all else passes.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:23 — The Challenge of the Quran

وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Wa-in kuntum fī raybin mimmā nazzalnā ʿalā ʿabdinā fa'tū bi-sūratin min mithlihi wa-udʿū shuhadāʾakum min dūni-llāhi in kuntum ṣādiqīn.

"And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our servant, then produce a sūra the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful." (al-Baqara 2:23)

Translation: And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed upon Our servant, then bring a single sūra like it — and call upon all your witnesses besides Allah, if you are truthful.

Commentary: This verse is the challenge (taḥaddī) of the Quran — its supreme test of authenticity and its most powerful proof of divine origin. The challenge has been repeated across the centuries; no individual, no nation, no academy of scholars has ever met it.

The challenge is not merely one of linguistic beauty (balāgha wa-faṣāḥa) — though the Quran surpasses all human speech in that dimension as well. The challenge encompasses:

1. Literary excellence: the Quran's language surpasses all human composition in eloquence, sublimity, depth, and range. 2. Inner consistency: 6,000+ verses revealed over 23 years, in varying circumstances, contain no contradiction. 3. Prophetic content (akhbār al-ghayb): predictions that were fulfilled precisely. 4. Scientific intimations: allusions to facts about the physical world that were unknown in the 7th century. 5. Transformative power: no human book has transformed individuals and civilisations as profoundly. 6. Preservation: the Quran is the only ancient text preserved in its entirety through unbroken oral transmission across 1,400 years.

The Prophetﷺwas al-nabī al-ummī (the Unlettered Prophet) — he had never studied under any teacher, had no access to libraries, had not learned the arts of composition. And yet the Quran that came through him surpasses the entirety of human literary and intellectual output. This is the demonstration (burhān) of prophethood.

ʿalā ʿabdinā — upon Our servant: this is remarkable — Allah calls Muḥammadﷺ"Our servant" (ʿabdinā) in the context of the Quran's challenge. The servanthood (ʿabdiyya) of the Prophetﷺis his supreme honour.

The context of this verse: in the time of the Prophetﷺ, the Arabs were unlettered in the sense that formal schooling was rare. Sayyidunā Muḥammadﷺwas orphaned of his father ʿAbd Allāh before birth; his mother Āmina passed away when he was six; his grandfather ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib passed away shortly after. He never sat under any human teacher. And yet — this Book.

Commentary continued — The Inimitability of the Quran (Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān)

Shuhadāʾakum — your witnesses, your helpers, those who are present to support you. Call all of them — your scholars, your linguists, your poets — and bring together the entire human race if you wish. The challenge stands: produce a sūra like it.

What does it mean "like it" (min mithlihi)? Some scholars hold mithlihu refers to the Prophetﷺhimself — produce a sūra from someone like him, an unlettered one. Others hold it refers to the Quran itself — produce a sūra equal to the Quran in its qualities. The majority opinion of the mufassirūn is that the challenge is to the Quran's qualities considered as a whole.

The preservation of the Quran is itself miraculous:﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed We will be its Guardian." (al-Ḥijr 15:9) No book in human history has been memorised by so many people and preserved with such perfect fidelity. In every Islamic town and city, there are memorisers (ḥuffāẓ) of the Quran by the dozens and hundreds. If a single letter were to be changed in any copy, the community of memorisers would immediately detect and correct it.

The recitation of the Quran also has its own ʿilm — the science of tajwīd: the precise rules of qalqala (vibrating pronunciation), ghunna (nasalisation), madd (lengthening), idghām (assimilation), iqlab (transformation), and all the other characteristics (ṣifāt) of letters. These cannot be learned merely from books; they must be learned orally from a qualified teacher with a connected chain going back to the Prophetﷺ. Whoever claims to recite the Quran without such a chain is introducing innovation and creating fitna in the Muslim community.

Commentary continued — The Nature of ʿIbāda (Worship)

Returning now to the theme of al-Baqara 2:21–22: the command uʿbudū rabbakum (worship your Lord) encompasses the full spiritual life of the believer. ʿIbāda is not only ritual; it is the orientation of the entire being toward Allah. The ʿabid is one who has recognised:

• that Allah exists by necessity (wujūd dhātī);
• that everything other than Allah exists by contingency (wujūd ʿaraḍī), entirely dependent upon Him;
• that Allah alone is wājib al-ṭāʿa (necessarily deserving of obedience);
• that all other beings, however great, are entirely servants (ʿibād) of the One God.

ʿIbāda has three dimensions: 1. The heart (qalb): sound ʿaqīda — genuine conviction of tawḥīd. 2. The tongue: verbal acknowledgement, recitation of the Quran, dhikr, duʿāʾ. 3. The limbs: the physical acts of worship — ṣalāt, ṣawm, zakāt, ḥajj, and all acts of obedience.

The ʿaqīda is the aṣl (root, foundation). Without sound ʿaqīda, all external acts are empty. But equally, ʿaqīda without ʿamal is a dead branch. The complete Muslim is one whose ʿaqīda, character, and actions are aligned. The Prophetﷺsaid:

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

Ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa-rasūluh.

"I testify that Muḥammad is His servant and His Messenger."

ʿAbd (servant) comes before rasūl (messenger) — for servitude is the deeper and more lasting reality.

Taqwā — attain God-consciousness: this is the purpose stated in the verse. ʿIbāda is not an end in itself; it is the means to taqwā, and taqwā is the means to proximity to Allah. The muttaqīn are described in the Quran as those who have reached this state of permanent God-awareness.

On al-Baqara 2:22 — The Earth and Sky as Proofs of Tawḥīd

Alladhī jaʿala lakumu al-arḍa firāshan: He made the earth a firāsh (a spread, a carpet, a bed). This does not mean the earth is literally flat; it means that the earth — despite its vastness, its mountains and valleys and oceans — has been made usable, habitable, traversable for human beings. Imam al-Rāzī (may Allah have mercy on him) notes that this verse addresses the benefit for human beings specifically, not the absolute shape of the earth.

Wa-al-samāʾa binā'an — the sky as a structure (binā): the sky is raised as a vast edifice above the earth, protecting life. It holds the atmosphere that makes breathing possible, the cloud systems that distribute rainfall, the ozone layer that shields against harmful radiation. This was "built" — banāhā — by Allah alone.

Wa-anzala min al-samāʾi māʾan — He sent down from the sky water: the hydrological cycle — evaporation, condensation, precipitation — is entirely Allah's doing. Fa-akhraja bihi min al-thamarāti rizqan lakum — then He brought out thereby fruits as provision for you. Every fruit you eat, every grain of wheat and rice and every vegetable — all of this is the result of this water sent from the sky by Allah.

Fa-lā tajʿalū lillāhi andādan — so do not set up equals alongside Allah. After listing these gifts, the command is given: knowing all this — do not attribute any of these blessings to other than Allah. The andād (equals, rivals) include: idols, stars, natural forces, political powers, financial systems — anything that is treated as a final arbiter or ultimate authority alongside Allah.

Wa-antum taʿlamūn — while you know: this stings. The one who knows the truth and still acts against it is more culpable than the one who acts in ignorance.

On al-Baqara 2:23 (continued) — The Challenge and the Inimitability of the Quran

Wa-in kuntum fī raybin: if you are in doubt — Allah uses the conditional in (if), not idhā (when), which indicates that doubt is not inevitable. Reasonable, sincere inquiry should lead to certainty. For those who remain in doubt despite the proofs, the challenge is issued.

The verse says: produce a sūra the like thereof. The challenge is clear: not a book, not multiple chapters — just one sūra. Even the shortest sūra of the Quran — al-Kawthar — contains three verses. No human being has ever produced its equal in concision, depth, linguistic beauty, and spiritual power. The challenge stands to this day.

The author describes the occasion when al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra — one of the greatest poets and orators of Quraysh — heard the Quran recited. He said: "By Allah — it has a sweetness and a beauty upon it; its crown is fruitful and its root is abundant. It towers above and cannot be towered over." Then, pressed by the leaders of Quraysh to publicly denounce it, he described it as siḥr (magic) — the only word they could find to acknowledge its superhuman power while refusing to submit to it. He admitted: it is beyond any human craft. And then they called it magic — thereby admitting its extraordinary power while deflecting submission to it.

What was their real problem? Not the beauty of the Quran — they acknowledged that privately. Their problem was that submitting to it required sacrifice of pride, power, and privilege. It was the heart's disease, not the intellect's doubt, that prevented them.

The proofs of the Quran's divine origin:

1. Preservation: the Quran is the only scripture in the world with an unbroken chain of mass transmission (tawātur) from its revelation to the present day — 1,400 years of continuous memorisation. 2. Linguistic perfection: no human composition in Arabic — including the greatest poets of Jāhiliyya and Islamic times — approaches the Quran's stylistic and semantic excellence. 3. Prophetic accuracy: the Quran contains accounts of past peoples (Ādam, Ibrāhīm, Mūsā, ʿĪsā, and many more — upon them all be peace) that the Prophetﷺcould not have known from any human source. 4. Future predictions: e.g., the Roman victory over Persia (Sūrat al-Rūm); the victory of the Muslims at Badr (sa-yuhzamu al-jamʿu); the entry into the Sacred Mosque.

Further Proofs of the Quran's Inimitability

The Quran's style (uslūb) is completely distinct from all human composition — from poetry, from prose, from oratory. Those who are experts in Arabic literary style can instantly distinguish Quranic Arabic from any human composition. Just as the connoisseur of Urdu poetry can immediately identify the gharāna (school), the era, and sometimes even the poet of a given verse — the expert in Arabic immediately knows: this is the Quran; this is the Quran.

Consider the contrast: the great Arabic poets of the Jāhiliyya — Imruʾ al-Qays, Zuhayr, Labīd, ʿAmr ibn Kulthūm — produced the Muʿallaqāt, acknowledged as the pinnacle of human Arabic poetry. Then came the Quran. No poem, no oration, no philosophical text in Arabic has ever been said to match even a single verse of the Quran.

In Urdu poetry: we have Ghālib, Mīr, Dāgh, Amīr, Firdawsī; in Persian: Rūmī, Saʿdī, Ḥāfiẓ. And in Arabic: Imruʾ al-Qays, al-Mutanabbī, and others. These poets have their schools and their devoted followers — but even the most devoted of them does not claim that their beloved poet's entire collected works exceed a single verse of the Quran. The Quran is inimitable — this is the scholarly consensus of Muslims across 1,400 years, and no serious challenge has ever been raised to it.

On al-Baqara 2:24 — The Fire Prepared for Disbelievers

فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَلَن تَفْعَلُوا فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ

Fa-in lam tafʿalū wa-lan tafʿalū fa-ttaqū al-nāra allatī waqūduhā al-nāsu wa-l-ḥijāratu uʿiddat lil-kāfirīn.

"And if you do not do so — and you never will — then fear the Fire whose fuel is people and stones, prepared for the disbelievers." (al-Baqara 2:24)

Translation: But if you do not — and you never shall — then beware the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.

Commentary: Fa-in lam tafʿalū — if you do not produce a sūra like it. Wa-lan tafʿalū — and you shall never do so: this is a statement of certain future impossibility. Lan in Arabic denies with certainty and permanence. No one will ever succeed in this challenge — not the Arabs of the Jāhiliyya, not the scholars and poets of the ʿAbbāsid era, not modern linguists and academics. The challenge was issued for all time.

Fa-ttaqū al-nāra — then fear the Fire. Having established beyond doubt that the Quran is divine, the next step is clear: if you know it is divine and still deny it, fear the consequence. Wa-qūduhā al-nāsu wa-l-ḥijāra — its fuel is people and stones (ḥijāra). There is a difference of scholarly opinion about what "stones" means here. The most common view is that it refers to the idols (aṣnām) which were made of stone and wood — those who worshipped them will be cast into the Fire along with the objects of their worship, as their fuel and accompaniment.

Uʿiddat lil-kāfirīn — prepared for the disbelievers: the Fire has been prepared and made ready for those who rejected the divine truth. Lil-kāfirīn (for the disbelievers) — this specifies disbelievers (kāfirūn): the verse does not say "for the sinners" or "for the believers." Believing Muslims will not remain in the Fire permanently — their sins may require purification, but their faith ensures ultimate salvation. As the Ahl al-Sunna hold: it is established by the Quran, the Sunna, and scholarly consensus that the believer who dies with sincere īmān will ultimately be brought out of the Fire through the intercession (shafāʿa) of the Prophetﷺand the mercy of Allah.

This is one of the clear refutations of the Khārijī position — those who hold that any sin causes permanent damnation equal to disbelief. The Quran says the Fire is prepared for the kāfirīn — not for sinning believers.

On al-Baqara 2:25 — The Good News for the Believers

وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ كُلَّمَا رُزِقُوا مِنْهَا مِن ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزْقًا قَالُوا هَٰذَا الَّذِي رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَأُتُوا بِهِ مُتَشَابِهًا وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Wa-bashshiri lladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti anna lahum jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhāru kullamā ruziqū minhā min thamaratin rizqan qālū hādhā alladhī ruziqnā min qablu wa-utū bihi mutashābihan wa-lahum fīhā azwājun muṭahharatun wa-hum fīhā khālidūn.

"And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds — that for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow; whenever they are provided from it a fruit as provision, they will say: 'This is what we were provided before'; and they will be brought things similar to one another. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally." (al-Baqara 2:25)

Translation: And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds — that for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are granted a fruit from those gardens as provision, they say: "This is what we were given before" — and they will be given things resembling one another. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will dwell therein in eternity.

Commentary: Bashshir — give the glad tidings! After the description of the Fire for the disbelievers, the Quran immediately shifts to the glad tidings for the believers. This is the characteristic Quranic pattern of targhīb (encouragement) alongside tarhīb (warning).

The paired qualities: āmanū (believed) and ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāt (did righteous deeds). Belief without action and action without belief are both incomplete; the complete believer is one who unites ʿaqīda (faith) and ʿamal (righteous deeds). The Maturīdī and Ashʿarī scholars of the Ahl al-Sunna hold that ʿamal is not definitionally part of īmān — one remains a believer even with deficient action — but the ideal and the complete believer is the one who combines both.

Jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhār — gardens beneath which rivers flow. Min taḥtihā (beneath them) indicates that the rivers flow beneath the trees and beneath the palaces of the gardens — a beautiful image of fertility and abundance.

Kullamā ruziqū minhā — every time they are provided from it: each time they receive a fruit in the Garden, they recognise something familiar — and yet find it surpassingly better. They say: hādhā alladhī ruziqnā min qablu — "This is what we were provided before" — meaning: the fruits of the Garden resemble the fruits of this world in outward appearance, but surpass them infinitely in taste, fragrance, and delight. This is the mercy of Allah: He does not strip the believer of all familiarity in the next world; He gives them something recognisable but transformed into perfection.

Azwājun muṭahharatun — purified spouses. The Sayyida Khadīja (may Allah be pleased with her) who was zawja al-ladhī ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam (the wife of the Prophetﷺ) is mentioned by the great commentators as among those described here. Ṭāhira (pure) in the absolute sense: those whom Allah has created in purity, free from all blemish of body, character, and soul.

Wa-hum fīhā khālidūn — and they will abide therein eternally. Khulūd — eternity in the Garden, without end, without interruption, without diminishment. This is the culminating promise.

Commentary: The pairing of 2:24 (warning of the Fire for disbelievers) with 2:25 (glad tidings of Paradise for believers) exemplifies the perfect mīzān (balance) of the Quran. Neither excessive terror nor unrealistic optimism — but both together, in their proper proportion, directing the soul toward its Lord.

The believer knows: Inna Allāha baynī wa-baynakum — "Between me and my Lord there is a bond" — and that bond is not broken by sin, so long as sincere faith remains. The believer's motto is: Rabbanā ātinā fī al-dunyā ḥasanatan wa-fī al-ākhirati ḥasanatan — "O our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter." (al-Baqara 2:201) The Muslim is neither a world-renouncer nor a heedless materialist; he strives for both, keeping the Hereafter as his ultimate goal.

As Ḥasrat writes:

Har waqt ẓuhūr-e-tajallī hai —

Every moment, the light of divine beauty shines.

Bā-ʿilm hamī taqī kā taqāżā mere āge —

And before me, knowledge demands the discipline of the God-fearing.

On the Inimitability of the Quran — Additional Proofs

The author returns to the theme of the Quran's preservation and stylistic uniqueness. No scripture in the world is preserved as the Quran is preserved. Consider: the Hebrew Bible (Torah and Prophets) exists in manuscripts dating no earlier than the 9th century CE. The New Testament manuscripts show thousands of variant readings. Not a single manuscript of the original revelations to Mūsā, Dāwūd, or ʿĪsā (upon them all be peace) exists. The chain of their transmission (sanad) is unknown.

The Quran, by contrast: from the time of the Prophetﷺ— every generation of Muslims has memorised it entirely, recited it in every city, and transmitted it through oral teaching with a full chain (isnād) back to the Prophetﷺhimself. This oral memorisation is corroborated by written manuscripts dating to within decades of the Prophet's death.

As for the style: the Quran's prose is neither the sajaʿ (rhymed prose) of the pre-Islamic kāhins (soothsayers), nor the shiʿr (metrical verse) of the poets, nor the ordinary narrative prose of the chroniclers. It is a unique genre — qurʾānī uslūb — which came from outside the known categories of Arabic speech and which no subsequent human being has managed to imitate.

The claim that the Quran can be equalled in some languages — "Persian has Firdawsī, Arabic has Imruʾ al-Qays, Urdu has Ghālib" — entirely misunderstands the nature of the challenge. Even within the corpus of Persian poetry, no single poem can be described as perfectly consistent throughout; even in Rūmī's Mathnawī, which contains passages of supreme genius, there are also passages of lesser quality. But the Quran does not have a single word, a single sentence, a single passage that can be said to fall below its standard. Every verse is at the same sublime level. This uniformity of excellence across 6,000+ verses, composed over 23 years in varying circumstances and moods, is itself an unanswerable proof.

Commentary continued — The Stylistic Distinctiveness of the Quran

Among the scholars who testified to the Quran's inimitability even before accepting Islam: al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra, as described earlier. Another is ʿUtba ibn Rabīʿa, who was sent by the leaders of Quraysh to argue with the Prophetﷺand returned without a counter-argument — his testimony: "I have heard something that is not poetry and not soothsaying; leave the man alone." And there were many others who, even in their rejection, could not deny the extraordinary nature of what they heard.

The author points out that the Quran's fuṣḥā (standard Arabic) has a unique fluency. Non-native speakers of Arabic — those for whom Arabic is a learned language — often find that reading the Quran their tongue runs smoothly, without the stumbling that characterises even the greatest classical Arabic texts. This is itself a dimension of the miracle: the Quran speaks to every human heart regardless of linguistic background.

The scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ) of all Muslim scholars across all times and places is: the Quran is the uncreated speech of Allah (kalām Allāh ghayr makhlūq), revealed to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺthrough Jibrīl (upon him be peace), preserved in its entirety, and its iʿjāz (inimitability) is established by ʿilm al-yaqīn (certain knowledge).

On the Prophecies of the Quran

The Quran contains numerous akhbār al-ghayb (prophecies of the unseen) — predictions that were made at a time when their fulfilment seemed impossible by any human reckoning, and that were fulfilled with complete accuracy. Among the most famous:

1. The Roman-Persian Wars:﴿الم غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ﴾— "Alif Lām Mīm. The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land, but after their defeat they will overcome within a few years." (al-Rūm 30:1–4) This prophecy was made when the Persians had defeated the Romans decisively. Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) was so certain of its fulfilment that he placed a wager on it with a Qurayshī leader — and the prophecy was fulfilled.

2. The Defeat at Badr:﴿سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ﴾— "The gathering will be defeated and they will turn their backs." (al-Qamar 54:45) — This was revealed in Mecca, years before the battle — and it was fulfilled at Badr. Allah confirmed to His Prophetﷺ:

لَقَدْ صَدَقَ اللهُ رَسُولَهُ الرُّؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِن شَاءَ اللهُ آمِنِينَ

"Allah has confirmed the vision of His Messenger — you will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, in safety." (al-Fatḥ 48:27)

3. The Call to the Bedouin Arabs:﴿قُل لِّلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ﴾— "Say to those Bedouins who stayed behind: you will be summoned against a people of great might." (al-Fatḥ 48:16) — This was fulfilled in the conquests of Persia and Rome under Sayyidunā Abū Bakr and Sayyidunā ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them).

These prophecies were made public at the time of their revelation — they were recited in the mosques, memorised by thousands. There was no possibility of later fabrication; the historical record is clear and the traditions are mass-transmitted (mutawātir).

On the Stories of the Prophets as Proofs

The Quran contains detailed narratives (qaṣaṣ) of the prophets: the story of Ādam (upon him be peace) and the creation; the story of Idrīs and Nūḥ; the stories of Ibrāhīm, Lūṭ, Isḥāq, Ismāʿīl, Yaʿqūb, Yūsuf (upon them all be peace); the stories of Ṣāliḥ, Shuʿayb, and Hūd; the stories of Mūsā and Hārūn, Fīrʿawn, Qārūn; the stories of Dāwūd and Sulaymān; the story of ʿĪsā and Maryam; the People of the Cave (aṣḥāb al-kahf), the People of Saba (Qawm Sabaʾ), the People of the Ditch (aṣḥāb al-ukhdūd) — all narrated with accuracy that was confirmed even by the contemporary Jewish and Christian scholars of Madīna, and has been corroborated by subsequent historical scholarship.

The Prophetﷺ— an unlettered man of Mecca, who had never studied with any scholar, who had no access to the Torah or the Gospels — narrated all of these stories with a precision that astonished the learned men of his day. This is possible only through divine revelation.

Now and again, critics of the Quran claim that some narratives may differ from the Biblical accounts. But the response is clear: it is the Quran that is preserved; the Biblical narratives are in corrupted texts. When there is a divergence, the Quran's account is authoritative.

The Quran openly challenges:

تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كُنتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنتَ وَلَا قَوْمُكَ مِن قَبْلِ هَٰذَا

Tilka min anbāʾi al-ghaybi nūḥīhā ilayka mā kunta taʿlamuhā anta wa-lā qawmuka min qabli hādhā.

"These are from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you; you did not know them, nor did your people, before this." (Hūd 11:49)

Commentary continued — The Quran's Unique Role in the World

The author notes with great passion the present state of the Muslim community and the Quran's relationship to it. The Quran — this Book of supreme divine wisdom and guidance — is the inheritance of the Muslim community. With it, the Muslims built civilisations that illuminated the world. The transformation from the Jāhiliyya Arabs to the first Muslim generation was the most rapid and profound moral and spiritual transformation in human history.

Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra, after hearing the Quran, could not find a way to adequately describe it — "a sweetness upon it, a beauty upon it, its crown fruitful, its root abundant." Despite being the most eloquent man of his age, he admitted the Quran was beyond human craft. Yet he called it siḥr — and thereby condemned himself to continuing in disbelief.

The great lesson: the Quran was not merely for the 7th century. Its challenge (taḥaddī) is eternal. Its guidance is for all time. Its prophecies continue to be fulfilled. Its science is confirmed by each generation's discoveries. Its moral teachings are the cure for every age's diseases.

The author addresses the sincere reader: use this translation and commentary to connect with the Quran. It is the intention of the Tafsīr-e-Ṣiddīqī — following the Tafsīr al-Jalālayn as its foundation — to make the Quran accessible to the ordinary believer without sacrificing scholarly depth.

On al-Baqara 2:24 — Further Commentary: The Hellfire and the Intercession

Regarding the verse uʿiddat lil-kāfirīn — "prepared for the disbelievers": the Ahl al-Sunna hold — on the basis of mutawātir aḥādīth and the Quran — that:

1. The Fire is prepared for the kāfirūn (disbelievers) as their permanent abode. 2. Believers who commit sins may enter the Fire for a period of purification — but their entry is not permanent; they will eventually be brought out by the shafāʿa (intercession) of the Prophetﷺand by the divine mercy. 3. The Khārijī claim that every major sinner (murtakib kabīra) is permanently damned is refuted by this verse: the permanent dwelling of the Fire is reserved for the kāfirīn, not for sinning believers.

The Prophetﷺexplicitly stated:

شَفَاعَتِي لِأَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي

Shafāʿatī li-ahl al-kabāʾir min ummatī.

"My intercession is for the people of the great sins of my community." (Abū Dāwūd; al-Tirmidhī)

The intercession (shafāʿa) of the Prophetﷺ, and of the other prophets, martyrs, righteous believers, and even of the believing men and women for one another — is established in the Quran and the mutawātir Sunna. To deny the intercession is to go against the clear consensus of the Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jamāʿa.

Kaffāra (expiation): repentance (tawba) wipes away sins, ḥusn al-khātima (good end) is hoped for all sincere believers, and the istighnāʾ ʿan al-dīn bi-l-istiqāma (sustaining oneself upon the right path) is the highest protection.

On al-Baqara 2:25 — The Description of Paradise (continued)

The verse describes the gardens of Paradise with four characteristics: 1. Rivers beneath: tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhār — the rivers flow beneath the trees and dwellings; the believers rest in shaded gardens over flowing water — the most beautiful earthly image transformed into eternal reality. 2. Recognition of provision: kullamā ruziqū minhā — every time provision comes, it is recognised; this indicates continuity of consciousness and identity in the Garden — the believer is not reduced to a nameless bliss but enjoys pleasures with full awareness. 3. Purified spouses: azwājun muṭahharatun — entirely pure companions, free from all blemish of body and character. The Quran does not limit this to ḥūr al-ʿīn (the beautiful-eyed maidens); it mentions pure spouses (azwāj) in general — which the commentators explain includes both the believing women who were wives in this world (like Sayyidatunā Khadīja, may Allah be pleased with her, who is specially honoured in the Garden), and the companions of Paradise. 4. Eternal duration: khālidūn — the Garden is eternal; there is no expiration, no diminishment, no death.

The contrast with the description of the Fire in 2:24 is stark and intentional: the Fire is punishment (ʿadhāb) and its fuel is men and stones — the things they worshipped and their own bodies; the Garden is pleasure and it is built from light and mercy. The believer is given in the Garden the very things he strove for in this life, perfected and purified.

A note on ṣāliḥāt (righteous deeds): these are not merely ritual acts. The Quran's use of ʿamilu al-ṣāliḥāt encompasses every act done with the intention of pleasing Allah — worship, ethical conduct, service to creation, justice, knowledge, generosity. The Muslim's entire life — when oriented toward Allah — becomes ʿamal ṣāliḥ.

The believer's supplication:﴿رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ﴾— "O our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire." (al-Baqara 2:201) This is the complete prayer of the Muslim — seeking both worldly and eternal good, while seeking protection from the Fire.

Commentary: Faith and Action Together

Alladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāt — "those who believed and did righteous deeds." This recurring Quranic formula is the complete description of the successful Muslim. The author reflects:

The believer's īmān (faith) does not perish; his ʿamal (righteous deeds) do not perish. Even deeds done with little awareness or imperfect intention — so long as they are aimed at Allah — carry weight. Nothing is wasted in the divine accounting. Every act of ṣalāt, every ṣawm (fast), every act of ṣadaqa (charity), every word of dhikr — its effect endures even after the doer has passed away. The Prophetﷺsaid:

إِذَا مَاتَ ابْنُ آدَمَ انْقَطَعَ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ: صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ، أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ

Idhā māta ibnu Ādama inqaṭaʿa ʿamaluhu illā min thalātha: ṣadaqatin jāriyatin, aw ʿilmin yuntafaʿu bihi, aw waladin ṣāliḥin yadʿū lah.

"When a son of Ādam dies, his deeds are cut off except three: a continuing charity, or knowledge from which benefit is derived, or a righteous child who prays for him." (Muslim)

The eternal nature of the Garden (khālidūn) reflects the eternal nature of the deeds that led to it: deeds done for Allah are seeds planted in eternity.

The author concludes this section with an important observation for the Muslim community: those who separate faith (dīn) from worldly affairs (dunyā) will ultimately lose both. Islam is a complete way of life — a niẓām (system) that encompasses every dimension of human existence. The Muslim who maintains his dīn properly will find his worldly affairs also in order; the one who sacrifices his religion for worldly gain will ultimately lose the worldly gain as well. As the Quran says:

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا

Wa-man aʿraḍa ʿan dhikrī fa-inna lahu maʿīshatan ḍankan.

"And whoever turns away from My remembrance — indeed, for him is a narrow, constricted life." (Ṭā Hā 20:124)

The Muslim's treasure: Aynamā tuwallū fa-thamma wajh Allāh — "Wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah." (al-Baqara 2:115) In every direction, in every circumstance, in every trial — the believer finds his Lord present, his support near, his hope alive.

Closing Reflections on the First Section of Sūrat al-Baqara

We have now traversed the opening of Sūrat al-Baqara from verse 1 through verse 25. In summary:

Verses 1–5 (the Opening): The disjointed letters (alif lām mīm) establish the mystery and inimitability of the Quran; the description of the Book as lā rayba fīhi (beyond doubt) as the foundation; and the three-fold description of the muttaqīn who will benefit from it — those who believe in the ghayb, establish prayer, spend in charity, believe in all scriptures, and are certain of the Hereafter.

Verses 6–7 (the Disbelievers): Those who have sealed their hearts through persistent rejection; their hearing, sight, and hearts have been covered — and for them is tremendous punishment.

Verses 8–20 (the Hypocrites): The longest passage in this section — an extended, multi-faceted portrait of the munāfiqūn, whose disease of the heart, treachery, double-dealing, false claims of reform, mockery of the sincere, and spiritual blindness are exposed through direct description and two powerful parables (the fire; the thunderstorm).

Verses 21–22 (Address to Humanity): The call to worship Allah alone, who created all people, made the earth habitable, sent rain, and provides sustenance — the rejection of shirk.

Verses 23–25 (The Challenge and Its Two Outcomes): The challenge to produce a sūra like the Quran — which no one can meet; the warning of the Fire for those who reject the truth; and the glad tidings of the Garden for those who believe and act righteously.

Throughout all of this, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) draws upon the Tafsīr al-Jalālayn as his foundation while enriching the commentary with the insights of the Ḥanafī-Maturīdī school, the concerns of the believing community in the Deccan, the exhortations of a Sunnī Sufi heart, and the pastoral care of a scholar who loves his people deeply.

Allāhumma arzuqnā al-ʿilm al-nāfiʿ wa-l-ʿamal al-ṣāliḥ wa-l-īmān al-ṣādiq wa-l-yaqīn al-thābit. O Allah, grant us beneficial knowledge, righteous deeds, sincere faith, and steadfast certainty. Āmīn.

Sūrat al-Baqara — Juzʾ 1 (Alif Lām Mīm)

[Continuation of the tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:25 — The Delights of Paradise]

Commentary (continued): The scholars have asked: what is the meaning of the tradition«مَا لَا عَيْنٌ رَأَتْ وَلَا أُذُنٌ سَمِعَتْ وَلَا خَطَرَ عَلَى قَلْبِ بَشَرٍ»— mā lā ʿaynun raʾat wa-lā udhunun samiʿat wa-lā khaṭara ʿalā qalbi bashar — "What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has never occurred to the human heart"? (al-Bukhārī) This is held to be in honour of the righteous servants of Allah, as confirmed in the verse:﴿لِعِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحِينَ﴾li-ʿibādiya al-ṣāliḥīna — "For My righteous servants" (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:105).

The reality of this is that what will be manifest in the Hereafter is something whose true nature cannot be grasped through the intellect bounded by this world. Just as the acts of this world's people — good and bad — will be translated into forms corresponding to their reality in the next world, so those acts and deeds will take on a form in that realm befitting their essential nature. The verse﴿مُتَشَابِهًا﴾mutashābihan — "resembling one another" — points precisely to this: that the acts (of this world) will be given forms in the next world that resemble them and reward them accordingly.

The expression mim qablu ("before") refers here to the worldly pleasures that are transient and perishable — they are pleasures and delights that come with a shadow: they may be accompanied by humiliation and degradation for those without real deeds, whereas for the people of sincerity (ikhlaṣ) and the people of the inner secrets (asrār), they carry a joy that cannot be described. It is possible that in Paradise one person's pleasure may be at its peak while another's is also at its peak — yet neither diminishes the other. Indeed, in this world if a pleasure lasts only a few days before it vanishes, that pleasure has no permanence. True pleasure is that which is everlasting and imperishable. This is precisely why Allāh Most High has described Paradise as gardens beneath which rivers flow — tajrī min taḥtihā al-anḥār — "rivers flow beneath them" — meaning that those trees will remain forever fresh, verdant, and flourishing, and rivers will flow through them: everyone will receive all that they seek from them.

Allah Most High also gives glad tidings alongside all this, that certain people will abide in Paradise for ever and ever. At this point it is necessary to clarify an important principle. When a person is addressed regarding something they have no familiarity with whatsoever, one brings them to it by means of something similar and close to their experience. A man who had never seen a peach before asked an acquaintance: "What does a peach taste like?" He was told: "Like a plum." When asked: "What salt, pepper, vinegar, and other condiments taste like" — all one can say is: "The closest thing to them is such-and-such." Because the people of Paradise will have been given gifts that surpass every word of description that we in this world could possibly employ, Allah Most High chose to describe them in terms of what is closest to their experience. In truth, Allāh is the All-Knowing — He knows, while others are ignorant, and their talk is of no account. A wise man of sound insight, by virtue of his insight, recognises what is being conveyed.

﴿أَزْوَاجٌ مُطَهَّرَةٌ﴾Azwājun muṭahharah — "Purified spouses" (al-Baqara 2:25): purified from all physical and moral impurities. [reconstructed] Remembering the name of another in an improper manner is a kind of inner pollution.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:26 — The Parable of the Gnat]

Translation:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَن يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَّا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا

Inna Allāha lā yastaḥyī an yaḍriba mathalan mā baʿūḍatan fa-mā fawqahā.

"Indeed, Allāh is not shy to strike a parable of a gnat or of something above it." (al-Baqara 2:26)

Commentary: Lā yastaḥyī — He does not feel shame (ḥayāʾ). In the human sphere, ḥayāʾ means to draw back from something one is doing out of a sense of shame at the reaction of others; to feel embarrassed at a wrongful act; to be ashamed before one's Creator — these are all praiseworthy forms of ḥayāʾ. Ḥayāʾ in its blameworthy sense — accompanied by shamelessness — means to commit wrong openly and brazenly, to speak evil freely, and to have no care for consequences. Words applied to Allāh Most High are always used in the sense appropriate to His Majesty (bi-ḥasab al-jalāl), stripped of all deficient implications.

An yaḍriba mathalan: to strike a parable, i.e. to cite an analogy or example. The purpose of a parable is to bring something close to the listener's understanding. The principle is: that which is hidden and abstruse is compared to that which lies before the senses. For instance, if we wish to describe the boldness and courage of Zayd, we may compare him to a lion, saying: "Zayd is like a lion in his courage." Here the real subject is Zayd, the mushabbah (the thing described), and the lion is the mushabbah bihi (the standard of comparison), while the point of resemblance (wajh al-shabah) is courage. They are distinct things: "Zayd is Zayd" and "the lion is the lion" — yet the comparison conveys the meaning excellently. The closer the mushabbah bihi is to the experience of those addressed, the more effective the parable.

Baʿūḍatun: a gnat or mosquito. Fa-mā fawqahā: and what is above it in terms of size, or lower than it in terms of insignificance. Fa-ammā alladhīna āmanū — "As for those who believe" — they know, and it is known to them. Annahu: that it. Al-ḥaqq: the truth, what is correct and established. Arabic distinguishes between ṣādiq (truthful in a given instance) and ḥaqq (absolutely true); when something conforms to reality it is ṣādiq, and the reality itself is ḥaqq.

An obligation that becomes binding upon a person entails a right (ḥaqq) accruing against him; when an obligation is established, it is expressed as a ḥaqq.

Commentary (continued):

All of existence is sustained by the Necessary Being (al-dhāt al-wājibat al-wujūd), and from that Being existence flows — and it is necessarily binding (wājib al-adāʾ). In every moment there are signs of contingency (ḥudūth) and being (wujūd).

Note: the tashbīh (simile) and tamthīl (parable) are similar tools. If the parable achieves its purpose and is understood by those addressed, they accept it and benefit from Allāh's gift by way of it, spreading its benefit and deriving guidance from it. Wa-ammā alladhīna kafarū — "As for those who disbelieve" — they, in their ignorance, are troubled by it, covering the truth with disbelief. What do they say? "What did Allāh intend by this parable?" The ignorant criticise, object, are confused by parables and similes. What they do not understand is that a parable does not demean a subject but rather clarifies it. A large thing may be explained by a small thing, and a contemptible object by a noble one — as long as the point of resemblance is brought out clearly.

Thus: ignorance is compared to darkness, knowledge to light, unbelief to blindness; miserly hearts are compared to stones — indeed, harder than stones (wa-inna minhā la-mā yatafajjaru — "and indeed some stones burst apart from the fear of Allāh"). Allāh's parable does not demean but illuminates. The effect of a parable falls upon the istiʿdād (preparedness) and qābiliyya (receptivity) of the listener: the same parable strikes faith in one heart and strikes confusion in another.

Yāḍillu bihi: He leads astray by it — i.e., He permits some to go astray through it as a consequence of their own refusal, their heedlessness, and their sin. In Arabic, when a characteristic event proceeds from a subject, it may be attributed to the subject as its agent — just as one says "the cloud gave rain" (fa-al-ghaythu aṣāba). Allāh Most High is al-Khāliq al-Bāriʾ and uses these expressions with His full Majesty. Yudillu bihi: He permits deviation through it, and withholds guidance accordingly. Illā al-fāsiqīn: none are led astray by it except the transgressors. Fasaqa: the date splits open from its rind when overripe — thus fāsiq is he who has stepped out of obedience into transgression.

The stages of fisq (transgression): (1) to commit a sin out of heedlessness and indolence; (2) to become so absorbed in sin that it becomes a habit, indifferent to its wrongness; (3) to continue and persist — when a person transgresses, conscience comes to him at first, and he acts while trembling with fear; then gradually sin becomes a habit, fear of Allāh gives way to brazenness, and the darkness in his heart grows; he begins to commit wrong openly, to violate the commands of Allāh, to violate —

— to abandon enjoining the good, to begin distancing himself from all religion, wanting to drag others with him into his error. When a human being falls this far into transgression and disbelief, he has become a kāfir.

It should be known clearly that sin does not negate the degree (darajat) of faith, as is established by the aḥādīth on intercession (shafāʿa). A Muslim may enter the Fire for a time, then be brought out of it, and eventually the Prophetﷺwill intercede for him before the Divine Court. The Khawārij held that to sin is equivalent to disbelief and that a sinner thereby leaves Islam — this is a grave error. The Ḥanafī madhhab, in accordance with the Quran and the authentic Sunna, holds that a Muslim who commits major sins is neither an unbeliever nor is his fate like that of the disbelievers — for this is confirmed by the Qurʾānic verse:﴿وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا﴾wa-in ṭāʾifatāni min al-muʾminīna iqtatalu — "And if two groups of believers fight one another" (al-Ḥujurāt 49:9). Even after fighting, Allāh Most High still calls them believers. Great crime (jināya) and grave sin (fasād) are rebellion (bughāt) against Allāh Most High, while ordinary sins are transgressions. Rebellion carries the punishment of abiding in the Fire; then being purified and brought out — this is established by authentic aḥādīth. Ordinary sin carries a lesser punishment. Thus the grave sinner (ṣāḥib al-kabīra) who is a believer stands in an intermediate state.

It is clear that between kufr and Islam there is no middle ground — the absence of faith is kufr. Yanquḍūna: they break. ʿAhd: covenant; ʿuhūda: preservation, safeguarding, care, and custody. This is because it must be kept, watched over, and guarded. What is the ʿahd Allāh? It is the primordial covenant of human nature (fiṭra), the acknowledgement of Lordship (rubūbiyya) and obedience thereto, and the acceptance of the message of His Prophets. For the Quran says:﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ﴾wa-idh akhadha Allāhu mīthāqa al-nabiyyīna la-mā ātaytukum min kitābin wa-ḥikmatin thumma jāʾakum rasūlun muṣaddiqun li-mā maʿakum la-tuʾminunna bihi wa-la-tanṣurunnahu — "And when Allāh took the covenant of the Prophets: 'Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom, then a Messenger comes to you confirming what is with you — you must believe in him and support him'" (Āl ʿImrān 3:81). A covenant was taken from all the Prophets: should they encounter the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ, they must follow him, believe in him, and support him.«لَوْ كَانَ مُوسَى حَيًّا مَا وَسِعَهُ إِلَّا اتِّبَاعِي»law kāna Mūsā ḥayyan mā wasiʿahu illā ittibāʿī — "Were Mūsā (upon him be peace) alive today, he would have no option but to follow me." (reported in various chains) The rights of rulers entail justice and equity; the rights of the general populace involve discharging the rights of Allāh (ḥuqūq Allāh) and the rights of people (ḥuqūq al-nās). For all these things there will be a reckoning on the Day of Resurrection —

— all who fulfilled their obligations will be answered; all who opposed the divine command will face justice.

Min baʿd mīthāqihi: after the making of the covenant. Waqaqa: affirmed, confirmed, made binding. Wa-yaqṭaʿūna: and they sever — what Allāh commanded to be joined. Wa-yufsidūna fī al-arḍ: and they spread corruption in the earth. Ulāʾika hum al-khāsirūn: those are the losers, the ones who suffer loss and ruin. The characteristics of the fāsiqīn as described by Allāh Most High are thus: they break the covenants of Allāh that He commanded to be upheld; they disobey Allāh and the Messengerﷺ; they spread corruption and disorder in the land; they deny the worship of Allāh; they treat the servants of Allāh with cruelty. For all these violations there is a reckoning in the world and in the Hereafter. Worldly honour and rank will perish, worldly life will be ruined. It is necessary always to keep before one's eyes the natural dispositions (fiṭra) that Allāh has established.

﴿وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾wa-mā ẓalamanā wa-lākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūna — "They did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves." (al-Baqara 2:57, parallel sentiment) That is: they harmed no one but themselves.

Note: It should be understood that the giving of parables in this religion is completely permissible and not something to be abandoned. Paradise, its ḥūr and ghilmān, and other things far beyond ordinary experience — all of these it is permitted to describe by way of parable. And those who have faith know well that this is the truth from Allāh, while those who disbelieve — they say: "What does Allāh intend by this parable?" Their intent is not to understand but to mock. Yet they should know: a single parable leads many to guidance and many to misguidance. The guided ones — they are the obedient; the misguided — they are those who break the covenant of Allāh after it has been affirmed, who sever the connections that Allāh commanded to be maintained, who spread corruption in the land. Hum al-khāsirūn — they are the true losers.

Reflect on this: just as you build a house from a plan drawn in your mind, just so everything that happens in this world is like a reflection of an inner plan. The states of this world are all examples — archetypes (amthāl) from a deeper reality. Your true reality, your spirit, and your capacities manifest in a world of archetypes first; what manifests in this world corresponds to that; and in proportion to that manifestation, the attributes of the Hereafter will be revealed. All these attributes and characteristics unfold progressively.

This world is a dream. The Arabs say: sleep is the minor death. Between death and this wakefulness, the life of this world is like a dream.﴿إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ﴾— the sleepers will be awakened when they die. For the man of sound insight — however much of this world's life might remain — all of it, and the whole world, will become a dream and an illusion. The real life is the everlasting one. After that, Allāh Most High will speak of death, life, and the Resurrection.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:28]

Translation:

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

Kayfa takfurūna bi-Allāhi wa-kuntum amwātan fa-aḥyākum thumma yumītukum thumma yuḥyīkum thumma ilayhi turjaʿūn.

"How can you disbelieve in Allāh when you were dead and He gave you life; then He will cause you to die, then give you life again, then to Him you will be returned?" (al-Baqara 2:28)

Commentary: Kayfa: how is it? — an expression of wonder and rebuke. Takfurūna bi-Allāh: you disbelieve in Allāh. Wa-kuntum: and you were. Amwātan: dead, non-existent, absent. Fa-aḥyākum: then He gave you life, brought you into existence, bestowed existence upon you, and life. Thumma yumītukum: then He will cause you to die again. Thumma yuḥyīkum: then He will give you life again. Thumma ilayhi turjaʿūn: then you will be returned to Him, brought back to Him.

That is: how can you disbelieve in Allāh — when He gave you life from death, will give you death, will give you life again, and to Him you will return?

Before this, Allāh Most High set out the proofs (dalāʾil) of His Lordship: that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, the Nourisher (Rabb) of all. Now He draws attention to their own very selves and their own creation. Were you not, two hundred years or a thousand years ago, non-existent? One hundred, two hundred, or a thousand years ago you were nothing — then death came for those who were before you. The mighty and the powerful came, they claimed divinity — what became of them? Kullun ʿalayhā fānin — "All that is upon it will perish" (al-Raḥmān 55:26). What is your existence? Consider: it consists of contingency (imkān) and dependence on another. If your existence were necessary (wājib al-wujūd) or an intrinsic attribute of your essence, it would never separate from you — because necessary attributes of an essence are inseparable from it. So it is established that existence is not intrinsic to you, it is not a self-subsisting existence. Whence did it come? From a single Absolute Being whose existence is self-subsisting, essential, and necessary — all else derives existence from Him. You are His creatures and His servants.

Understand! Allāh both warns (indhār) and gives glad tidings (tashawwuq). To merely profess faith is not sufficient — the true believer lives between fear (khawf) and hope (rajāʾ). In this world if there were no divine recompense, still the Day of Resurrection will come — aḥkam al-ḥākimīn will be remembered. That Day will give every righteous person their due, and every wrongdoer their punishment. Think: the one who sleeps is awakened; the one who is awake will sleep.

O you who are here! Where did you come from? You were born into existence from that Being who is beyond description and analogy, by His mercy. Now? You must do those deeds that are not contrary to Him, that do not cause harm to creation, that do not occasion punishment — with small sincere deeds, walking in the pleasure of Allāh, so that you may enter Paradise and abide in His company for ever.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:29 — Creation of the Earth and the Seven Heavens]

Translation:

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

Huwa alladhī khalaqa lakum mā fī al-arḍi jamīʿan thumma istawā ilā al-samāʾi fa-sawwāhunna sabʿa samāwātin wa-huwa bi-kulli shayʾin ʿalīm.

"It is He who created for you all that is in the earth; then He directed Himself toward the sky and proportioned them as seven heavens. And He is Knowing of all things." (al-Baqara 2:29)

Commentary: Huwa alladhī: He is the One who. Khalaqa lakum: created for your benefit. Mā fī al-arḍ: whatever is in the earth. Jamīʿan: all of it, entirely. Istawā: the root conveys rectitude, straightness, and level purpose; this is the bāb iftʿiāl. Ilā al-samāʾ: toward the sky. Bi-kulli shayʾin: of every thing. ʿAlīm: Knowing — this is a ṣifa mushabbaha denoting constancy, permanence, and that this attribute is intrinsic, not occasional.

Commentary: Allāh Most High directs His servants' gaze toward the aspects of His Lordship (rubūbiyya) and, following the enumeration of His blessings, repeats the reminder of His Creatorship: that everything in the earth has been created for your benefit. In principle everything is permissible (mubāḥ) and only that which carries harm is forbidden. Whatever harms the body is ḥarām for human beings. Where something harms in one usage, only that usage is prohibited; and if its use in one manner causes harm, its use in other beneficial ways is not barred — just as alcohol is prohibited as a beverage yet is used to treat wounds, as gunpowder causes harm yet is used in firearms and cannon to serve the public good. The situation of all things is like this: snake venom is used in medicines, and the gall of various animals has medicinal properties. What is important to understand is that everything is permitted by original principle (aṣālatan mubāḥ), and when its specific harmful use is established by detailed evidence (tafṣīlī dalīl), that specific use becomes ḥarām. The verse﴿خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا﴾khalaqa lakum mā fī al-arḍi jamīʿan establishes this principle: whatever is in the earth has been created for you, therefore the original ruling is permissibility.

Fa-sawwāhunna sabʿa samāwātin: then Allāh Most High directed His will toward the sky and fashioned them as seven heavens, one above another. What is meant by "sky" (samāʾ) here: it refers to whatever is above, whether clouds, stars, or anything else. The Quran says:﴿إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا بِزِينَةٍ الْكَوَاكِبِ﴾innā zayyannā al-samāʾa al-dunyā bi-zīnat al-kawākib — "Indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars" (al-Ṣāffāt 37:6), and:﴿وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ﴾wa-zayyannā al-samāʾa al-dunyā bi-maṣābīḥa — "And We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps" (Fuṣṣilat 41:12). These verses support the understanding that above this world there are heavens, one within another, comprising multiple layers.

Commentary (continued):

From all this it becomes clear that there are realms above us beyond reckoning. The arrogant rush to say: "We have found God!" — when in truth﴿وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ﴾wa-mā yaʿlamu junūda rabbika illā huwa — "None knows the armies of your Lord but He" (al-Muddaththir 74:31). The levels of mystical knowledge and gnosis (kashf wa-ʿirfān) have their heights and depths: there are upper realms and lower realms, and within the realm of archetypes (ʿālam al-mithāl) alone there are degrees that the intellect cannot fathom. This visible sky is, as it were, merely the doorstep of what lies above — do not mistake the doorstep for the whole mansion.

The materialists' theories and ideas constantly change; they go on changing. What concern is any of this to us? At one time the Ptolemaic (falakī) system held sway: in their view the earth was at the centre, then the sphere of water around it, then the sphere of air, then the sphere of fire; above that the sphere of the moon, above it Mercury (ʿUṭārid), then Venus (Zuhrah), then the Sun (Shams), then Mars (Mirrīkh), then Jupiter (Mushtarī), then Saturn (Zuḥal), and beyond all the Sphere of Spheres (falak al-aflāk).

Today the heliocentric (falak-fudūʾī) system prevails: a fragment of the sun was broken off, became the earth, and continues to orbit it. The earth and other planets revolve around the sun; each planet also rotates on its own axis daily. Just as the moon orbits the earth, and the earth the sun, all the other planets also orbit the sun. Their sequence from the sun outward is: Mercury, then Venus, then Earth, then Mars, then Jupiter, then Saturn, then Uranus, then Neptune. The small twinkling specks of light that appear to us as stars — all are suns (āftāb). Among them are some larger than our own sun, some smaller. Some burn alone, some orbit in pairs, some revolve around each other in groups, forming their own solar systems. What a spectacle of Allāh's power this presents to the eye! The entire universe appears as a single well-ordered system, and it seems that everything is subjugated to some common purpose and law.

The great reality subsisting in all of this is:

[reconstructed] — whether this system is called the Ptolemaic or the modern — let us orient our own orbit according to what our Quran and faith establish:﴿كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ﴾kullun fī falakin yasbaḥūn — "each one floating in an orbit" (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:33). Glorifying Allāh (tasbīḥ) requires humility before Him, while kufr requires arrogance. Which is better — to glorify, or to deny? — the sky and its stars proclaim tasbīḥ, whoever they are.

Commentary (continued):

The astrologers say: the sun is in such-and-such sign, in exaltation (sharaf) or in detriment (waḥl); the moon is in such-and-such mansion (manzila) or in perigee. For business and livelihood one looks to one set of times; for government and rule another arrangement is consulted. We do not quarrel with any theory — we align our nazar (perspective) to the guidance of faith and do not trouble ourselves with what conflicts with it. Our heavens are filled with spiritual realities (rūḥāniyyāt) and divine guidance (hidāyāt).

O you who know Allāh and recognise His Lordship! O you who strive to do good! O spirit nourished in an indescribable station — can you remember, can you speak? Can our sharīʿa tell us its scope? Can it enumerate, in comparison with the billions of stars around us, the rank of this sphere of earth? What is the reality of a single star? How many inhabited planets are there? What are the benefits of those stars? What are the astonishing things on those planets? Restrain the mind from presumption — how does Allāh manage all this? What an enormous claim — that you looked at four or five things and thought you had found God! The angels themselves said:﴿لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا﴾lā ʿilma lanā illā mā ʿallamtanā — "We have no knowledge except what You have taught us" (al-Baqara 2:32), and﴿وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾wa-mā ūtītum min al-ʿilmi illā qalīlan — "And you have been given of knowledge only a little" (al-Isrāʾ 17:85). Let the one who is open of heart and humble of mind bow before the Quran and submit.

The sciences of cosmology and the moment of creation — their researchers, through their reflections on cause and effect and on the chain of being, are inevitably led to the conclusion that there must be a self-subsisting Cause of causes (musabbib al-asbāb), and that is Allāh — Allāh is His Name, a Name entirely beyond likeness. The materialist domain is dark; yet this pure Being's attributes and knowledge extend into it; He permeates everything in creation, whether material (māddī) or immaterial (ghayr māddī), manifest or hidden. At every point a new reality of existence comes into being, remaining with all its properties and characteristics; His perfections (kamālāt) are present throughout — each totality is contained within it. The further we distance ourselves from Him, the more deficiencies, failures, and weaknesses arise. The closer we draw to Absolute Being, the more all the Prophets, the saints (awliyāʾ), and those who seek Allāh are drawn — for Paradise is the manifestation of nearness and the good pleasure of Allāh (qurb wa-riḍā Allāh), and Hell is the manifestation of distance and His displeasure (buʿd wa-sakhṭ).

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:30 — The Appointment of the Khalīfa]

Translation:

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً

Wa-idh qāla rabbuka li'l-malāʾikati innī jāʿilun fī al-arḍi khalīfatan.

"And when your Lord said to the angels: 'Indeed, I will place a vicegerent (khalīfa) on the earth.'" (al-Baqara 2:30)

Commentary: Wa-idh: and when — the ʿāmil (governing verb) is an understood udhkur (recall), and idhā serves as a prepositional object to the implied imperative. Qāla rabbuka: your Lord said. Lil-malāʾika: to the angels — the root of malak conveys power and guardianship. Malak (singular), plural malāʾika. Khalīfa: the khalīfa (khalīfatan in the accusative) is one who is entrusted with governance, having authority (sulṭa) and the power to act. Its plural is khulafāʾ or khalāʾif.

Qālū: the angels said. Atajʿalu fīhā: will You place in it? Man yufsidu fīhā: one who will cause corruption in it. Fasada-yafsuda fasādan: to corrupt, to ruin. Ifsād: causing ruin and disorder. Wa-yasfiqu al-dimāʾ: and will shed blood. Safaka-yasfiqu safkan (on the bāb ḍaraba pattern): to pour, to spill. Dam, plural dimāʾ: blood.

Wa-naḥnu nusabbiḥu bi-ḥamdika: while we proclaim Your praise. Nusabbiḥ: we glorify. Tasabbuḥ: glorification with the tongue and the heart. Wa-nuqaddisu laka: and we sanctify You, declaring You free of all deficiency and imperfection.

In Sufi understanding, tasbīḥ and taqdīs have two aspects: voluntary (ikhtiyārī) — which is worship — and the glorification performed involuntarily by one's state (ḥāl). The glorification of created things that lack rational will is the tasbīḥ of state (lisān al-ḥāl): the ṣūfiyya say that taqdīs means to be purified from the lawāzim al-imkān (the necessities of contingency) and to be freed from all creaturely attributes. Ṭāʿa (obedience) is constancy; rāja is kingship. Beyond all conditioned and unconditioned freedom, there is the unconditioned unity (waḥdat muṭlaqa): Huwa al-Awwal wa'l-Ākhir — "He is the First and the Last" (al-Ḥadīd 57:3) — indicating absolute unity.

Allāh said: Innī aʿlam — "I know." The verb aʿlamu is first-person singular imperfect, and mā lā taʿlamūn means "what you do not know" — i.e., "I know that which you do not know." Aʿlam and mā lā taʿlamūna: both are in a relationship of iḍāfa (annexation).

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:30–31, continued]

Translation (verse 30):

"(And remember) when your Lord said to the angels: 'I am going to place a vicegerent on the earth.' They said: 'Will You place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we glorify Your praise and sanctify You?' He replied: 'Indeed, I know what you do not know.'"

Commentary: The angels perceived the capacity for transgression in the human being (ʿAdam — upon him be peace): the capacity for corruption (yasfiqu al-dimāʾ) they pointed to, and they pointed to the capacity for worship (ʿibāda) by way of nusabbiḥu wa-nuqaddisu. They were drawing a comparison between themselves and Adam (upon him be peace) and implicitly questioning the wisdom of appointing him as khalīfa. They did not perceive the comprehensive nature (jāmiʿiyya) of Adam's qualities. Those who possess both outward and inward capacities — of both the apparent (ẓāhir) and the inner (bāṭin) — are called the rightly-guided successors (khulafāʾ al-rāshidūn) in the fullest sense. Those who are familiar with worldly governance and its practical systems and who act upon them — their guidance and leadership is essential. You may be a devoted worshipper and a man of gnosis — but in this world, if you are to give guidance to people, you must also be familiar with how the world works and must lead people. Many men of religion have tried to establish a governance and sultanate in accordance with the Sharīʿa — and by the grace of Allāh they succeeded. Māshāʾ Allāh!

O you noble ones! You fulfilled your duty. You strove for Allāh and His Messengerﷺ:﴿رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ﴾raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum wa-raḍū ʿanhu dhālika li-man khashiya rabbahu — "Allāh is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him — this is for the one who fears his Lord." (al-Bayyina 98:8)

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:31]

Translation:

وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Wa-ʿallama Ādama al-asmāʾa kullahā thumma ʿaraḍahum ʿalā al-malāʾikati fa-qāla anbiʾūnī bi-asmāʾi hāʾulāʾi in kuntum ṣādiqīn.

"And He taught Ādam the names of all things; then He presented them to the angels and said: 'Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.'" (al-Baqara 2:31)

Commentary: Wa-ʿallama Ādama al-asmāʾa: Allāh taught Ādam (upon him be peace) the names. ʿAraḍahum: He presented them — noting that the plural pronoun of rational beings (dhawī al-ʿuqūl) is used, with the things endued with their names treated as persons. ʿAlā al-malāʾika: before the angels. Fa-qāla: then He said. Anbiʾūnī: inform Me. Bi-asmāʾihim: with their names. Hāʾulāʾi: these — indicating near proximity.

Translation (verse 31): "(And Allāh Most High) taught Ādam (upon him be peace) all the names of things, then set them before the angels (as it were) and said: 'Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful (that Ādam is not fit for khalāfa and you are more worthy).'"

Commentary on the Angels' Response (al-Baqara 2:32):

Subḥānaka lā ʿilma lanā illā mā ʿallamtanā: "Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us" (al-Baqara 2:32). They admitted the limits of their knowledge — that no capacity exceeds what one has been given. The names and qualities of things, their properties and attributes — when they are known, it necessarily passes through words and names. Each level of knowledge is bounded: the knowledge of the angels cannot exceed their given capacity, just as the knowledge of any creature is bounded.

Allāh's servant (ḥaḍrat al-insān) studies from the universe, combines and analyses, catalogues things in different categories, pursues professions and undertakings, and makes discoveries generation after generation. He seeks knowledge from teachers, uses books and the cosmos, and brings material and spiritual knowledge together — whatever he pursues, he achieves only with effort, not otherwise.

Translation (verse 32): "(The angels) said: 'Glory be to You — we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.'"

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:33]

Commentary:

O people! The knowledge and capacity of human beings is not limited to their individual faculties. The angels, and all other creatures, have bounded knowledge. Each created thing has two states: what it has been taught by creation it has, and that knowledge cannot advance beyond its station. But Ādam's nature was fitted for a comprehensiveness — encompassing what was apparent and what was hidden — so his knowledge could grow through observation, reflection, and inquiry.

Translation (verse 33): "(The angels) said: 'Glory be to You — we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Truly, You alone are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.'"

Then Allāh said to Ādam (upon him be peace): inform them. When Ādam informed the angels of the names of things, Allāh said: "Did I not tell you that I know the hidden (ghayb) of the heavens and the earth?" and declared: innī aʿlamu ghayba al-samāwāti wa'l-arḍ — "I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth."

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:33–34]

Translation (verse 33):

قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ فَلَمَّا أَنبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ

Qāla yā Ādamu anbiʾhum bi-asmāʾihim fa-lammā anbaʾahum bi-asmāʾihim qāla a-lam aqul lakum innī aʿlamu ghayba al-samāwāti wa'l-arḍi wa-aʿlamu mā tubdūna wa-mā kuntum taktumūn.

"He said: 'O Ādam, inform them of their names.' When he informed them of their names, He said: 'Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you were concealing?'" (al-Baqara 2:33)

Commentary: The unseen (ghayb) of Ādam (upon him be peace) was the perfection of his innate dispositions. The ghayb of every created being is the most intimate reality of its essence — and of that reality, only Allāh knows. No prophet, no angel, no walī has access to the full ghayb of creation — only Allāh can behold it.

Concerning the prostration commanded: Ādam (upon him be peace) was once the qibla of prostration for the angels — they bowed to him by the command of Allāh as a mark of honour. Later, Allāh's Messengerﷺforbade prostration to any but Allāh:﴿لَا تَسْجُدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ وَلَا لِلْقَمَرِ وَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ﴾lā tasjudū li'l-shamsi wa-lā li'l-qamari wa-usjudū li-Allāh alladhī khalaqahunna — "Do not prostrate to the sun nor to the moon but prostrate to Allāh who created them." (Fuṣṣilat 41:37) Now only the prostration of worship (sajda taʿabbudiyya) to Allāh alone is permitted. The Prophetﷺprohibited the prostration of greeting (sajdat al-taḥiyya) for this community — it would be a serious error to prostrate before any human being.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:34 — Iblīs's Refusal]

Commentary:

The first one to declare himself superior, to cause disorder (fasād), and to commit kibr (arrogance) was Iblīs — he is the centre of all corrupt impulse. All the evils that arise in this world spring from the source of Iblīs. Before speaking further of Iblīs, allow me to say something briefly about his fundamental nature (lāzimah).

First: the Most High has honoured him in this that his intellect (ʿaql) was present, his will (irāda) was free — for Allāh created him from the essence of pure fire and subtle material.

Second: he was appointed as one entrusted with the protection of Paradise (ḥāfiz al-janna).

Third: Allāh Most High knew that he would give wrong commands. But He left him free.

[Additional layers of the discussion of Iblīs's nature reconstructed]

Fourth: when Ādam (upon him be peace) could not at first perceive the full depth of things, his nature changed — the circumstances of the world came upon him.

Fifth:﴿وَقَاسَمَهُمَا إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ﴾wa-qāsamahumā innī lakumā la-min al-nāṣiḥīn — "And he swore to them both: 'I am indeed a sincere adviser to you.'" (al-Aʿrāf 7:21) Before Ādam and Ḥawwāʾ he appeared in the guise of a well-wisher. One treacherous person who presents himself as trustworthy — that is a great villainy. One who misleads the great for selfish aims — how wretched.

Sixth: honour yourself in Allāh's sight.

O people! What is a state (dawla)? A state is the gathering together of a national community. Every community with a sense of self-interest keeps its own identity before it and presents itself favourably. Two or three thousand years ago the Romans settled in India… [reconstructed historical passage on colonialism and identity] … such are the conditions of all peoples — the real condition of the colonised people is that they oppress the native population.

For this reason: Islam. The one who believes that Allāh is One and obeys His commands — in Islam there is no distinction of person or tribe — every Muslim, whether Arab or non-Arab, is equal. The standard of life in Islam is knowledge, piety (taqwā), and virtue.

Commentary (continued):

Those who were Muslims before are also the masters of the present moment. Islam in reality is the system of equal rights for all humanity (ḥuqūq insāniyya). In it the principle "such-and-such does not exist in this matter" is absent. The measure of life in Islam is in knowledge, piety, and good deeds.

Look at the noble Quran — take it up and read it yourself! A good reader and a good reciter it truly is. The rest — the Lord, the participation, the partnership, the abundance of blood-letting — all of that will remain. Have you seen? What a difference between Islam and the other systems — two completely opposed things, as different as pure and impure.

Translation (verse 34):

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ

Wa-idh qulnā li'l-malāʾikati usjudū li-Ādama fa-sajadū illā Iblīsa abā wa-stakbara wa-kāna min al-kāfirīn.

"And (remember) when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate to Ādam.' They prostrated, except Iblīs — he refused and was arrogant, and was among the disbelievers." (al-Baqara 2:34)

Commentary: Iblīs refused, turned away, and was arrogant. He was of the category of the kāfirīn — not that he became a kāfir at that instant, but his disbelief had long been latent in him, and through this act it was made manifest. The one who refuses the commands of Allāh is a kāfir.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:35–36 — The Garden and the Descent]

Translation (verse 35):

وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Wa-qulnā yā Ādamu uskun anta wa-zawjuka al-jannata wa-kulā minhā ragħadan ḥaythu shiʾtumā wa-lā taqrabā hādhihi al-shajarata fa-takūnā min al-ẓālimīn.

"And We said: 'O Ādam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise, and eat from it freely wherever you wish, but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.'" (al-Baqara 2:35)

Translation (verse 36):

فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

Fa-azallahumā al-shayṭānu ʿanhā fa-akhrajahumā mimmā kānā fīhi wa-qulnā ihbiṭū baʿḍukum li-baʿḍin ʿaduwwun wa-lakum fī al-arḍi mustaqarrun wa-matāʿun ilā ḥīn.

"Then Shayṭān caused them to slip (azalla) from it and expelled them from the state they were in. And We said: 'Descend, some of you the enemy of others; and for you on earth is a dwelling place and enjoyment for a time.'" (al-Baqara 2:36)

Commentary: Azalla: he caused them to slip, to stumble — zalla-yazillu zallan: to slip. Fa-akhrajahumā mimmā kānā fīhi: he expelled them from that in which they were. Ihbiṭū: descend, go down. Baʿḍukum li-baʿḍin ʿaduwwun: some of you enemies of others — aʿdāʾ, hostile parties. Mustaqarr: place of settlement, abode, a station of rest. Matāʿ: enjoyment, provision for a time. Ḥīn: a time, an appointed period.

Translation (verse 35–36): "And We said: 'O Ādam, you and your wife dwell in Paradise and eat freely of it wherever you wish — only do not approach this tree, lest you become among the wrongdoers.' Then Shayṭān caused them to slip from it and removed them both from the state in which they were. And We said: 'Descend — some of you enemies of others; on earth you will have an abode and provision for a time.'"

Linguistic note: When falajmaʿa (past tense) is written, its alif must not be elongated, or the plural meaning will be lost and the prayer (ṣalāt) rendered invalid. Similarly the alif and waw of certain expressions must be read with care, lest the meaning be corrupted and prayer rendered invalid.

O people! Those who are purely materialist — who acknowledge neither Allāh nor His power, who know nothing of the natural laws Allāh has set — let them not trouble themselves with these matters. Let those who accept the fundamental principles, once they have accepted the soundness of the Prophetic attestation, not find the secondary matters difficult to accept.

In Islam, Hindus, Christians, and even nominal Muslims participate — [reconstructed] — just as the Quran says clearly: what is false is false, what is true is true —

Commentary (continued):

— these matters occur in the realm of archetypes (ʿālam al-mithāl), and whether or not they occurred here in this world, you must keep that realm and all such realities close to your heart. The content of all such matters is recognisable from within, wherever the intellect and the power of Allāh extend — all this belongs to the same subject and its content is apparent.

O my companions! Permit me to address the friend who is addressed in the Prophetic tradition. Just as signs of the higher world (ʿālam al-ʿuluwwī) were visible to the Prophetﷺin the form of visions and symbolic manifestations (akwān), and just as through those visions the secrets of the upper world were made known — similarly even today those who are spiritual masters of the higher world become, from the point of view of their inner state (bāṭin), familiar with those matters and cognizant of them.

This is the nature of the one who lives in this world yet is not of it: their spirit is strongly attracted toward the higher world (ʿālam al-ʿuluwwī), so they have no need of material food and drink — as the hadith states:«يُطْعِمُنِي رَبِّي وَيَسْقِينِي»yuṭʿimunī rabbī wa-yasqīnī — "My Lord feeds me and gives me drink." (al-Bukhārī) This is a reference to strong orientation (tawajjuh) toward the spiritual world — one to whom the spiritual world is attentive no longer needs earthly provision, nor the toil and striving for it.

O my companions! The Qurʾānic passages — which those who do not accept them regard as mere stories — for those who rely on the Prophetic authority, they are sufficient for reflection and admonition. Those who fall into the Isrāʾīliyyāt (wa-lā tuṣaddiqūhum — "do not confirm them") — great corruption (mafāsid) arises from them. What connection do the heavens and Ādam (upon him be peace) have to those tales? Various benefits and moral lessons (mawāʿiẓ wa-naṣāʾiḥ) are derived from these Qurʾānic narratives.

(4) Moral lessons from the narratives: Pharaoh, Nimrod, Shaddād, and others — these are examples of Allāh's punishment. (3) Third: those on whom the punishment of Allāh fell and who repented and were accepted — they sought forgiveness, they were remorseful and turned back. Eventually those who acknowledged their error were forgiven —

Commentary (continued):

— it is enough to know that a single lapse brought Ādam (upon him be peace) out of Paradise. Was the tree a fig tree, or a grapevine, or an apple tree, or something else? Such questions are irrelevant. The point is: those who submit to Allāh and rely on His mercy — for them Allāh's infinite grace provides what they need; those who hold the ability to discharge the responsibilities of governance must be equipped for it, knowing those worldly sciences and laws; and the man of governance and worldly stewardship must be equal to both. The one who can manage this world and the Hereafter well — that person is the khalīfa. For him the prayer: Rabbanā ātinā fī al-dunyā ḥasanatan wa-fī al-ākhirati ḥasanatan —«رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً»— "Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter." (al-Baqara 2:201)

O servants of Allāh! O you who worship! Do not be deceived by your own worship and piety alone! Look at what end arrogance (kibr) brought Iblīs! Many people have been ruined by excessive conceit in their worship. This is the evil of Iblīs — may Allāh protect us!

Friends! Look — take warning from the Displeasure of Allāh. What was the outcome for Iblīs? Consider! Ādam (upon him be peace) was chastised for even a slight lapse. He was expelled from Paradise. If you disobey Allāh, how will you enter Paradise?

A further matter: Ādam (upon him be peace) was a Prophet — how did he commit a sin?

The answer: When he entered this world and had children, the world's trials engulfed him. The exalted (awliyāʾ) are also chastised for their lapses, even while their lapses spring from ijtihād (scholarly judgment) — such as in matters where the truth was not clearly indicated. To them also the instruction of right action is given.

The condition of the righteous is such that even their actions of ijtihād are scrutinised, and they are given guidance in their actions as well.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:37 — Ādam's Repentance]

Translation:

فَتَلَقَّىٰ آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

Fa-talaqqā Ādamu min rabbihi kalimātin fa-tāba ʿalayhi innahu huwa al-tawwābu al-raḥīm.

"Then Ādam received words from his Lord and He relented toward him. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of Repentance, the Most Merciful." (al-Baqara 2:37)

Commentary: Talaqqā: he received, he was taught — whether by direct inspiration (ilhām) or through a messenger-angel. Kalimāt: words, expressions. Fa-tāba ʿalayhi: then He accepted his repentance and turned toward him mercifully. When a servant turns back to Allāh (tawba), we say tāba ilā Allāh; when Allāh accepts that repentance: māba Allāhu ʿalayhi — "Allāh turned toward him." The ṣifa of Allāh is Tawwāb (persistently Acceptor of Repentance), not Tāʾib (which is the attribute of the servant). Raḥīm: compassionate toward all, most merciful — especially toward the one who turns back.

As the Quran says:﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا﴾wa-law annahum idh ẓalamū anfusahum jāʾūka fa-staghfarū Allāha wa-istaghfara lahumu al-rasūlu la-wajadū Allāha tawwāban raḥīmā — "And if, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you and sought forgiveness from Allāh, and the Messenger had sought forgiveness for them, they would have found Allāh Accepting of Repentance, Most Merciful." (al-Nisāʾ 4:64)

By the tawba of Ādam (upon him be peace) and his prayer, the brothers of Iblīs [i.e., those who followed his path] learned that Allāh accepts repentance. (Why?) Because He is the All-Accepting, the Most Merciful.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:38–39]

Translation (verse 38):

قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Qulnā ihbiṭū minhā jamīʿan fa-immā yaʾtiyannakum minnī hudan fa-man tabiʿa hudāya fa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn.

"We said: 'Descend from it, all of you. Then if guidance comes to you from Me — whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve.'" (al-Baqara 2:38)

Commentary: Qulnā ihbiṭū minhā: We said, descend from it — i.e., from Paradise. Jamīʿan: all together, including Iblīs. Fa-immā: and if — in mā, where mā is a zāʾida (additional particle) that strengthens the conditional. Yaʾtiyannakum: comes to you — from Me. Hudan: guidance, leadership. Fa-man tabiʿa hudāya: whoever follows My guidance. Fa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim: no fear shall be upon them — the particle fī after khawf here carries the sense of general negation throughout. Wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn: and they shall not grieve — this phrase is the completion of the conditional: they will neither fear nor sorrow, they will find security and peace.

Translation (verse 38): "We said: 'Descend from it — all of you together. When My guidance comes to you — whoever follows it (and accepts it, submitting to it), no fear will come upon them nor will they be grieved.'"

Translation (verse 39):

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Wa-alladhīna kafarū wa-kadhdhabū bi-āyātinā ulāʾika aṣḥābu al-nāri hum fīhā khālidūn.

"And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs — those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein." (al-Baqara 2:39)

Translation (verse 39): "And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs — they are the companions of the Fire; they will dwell therein forever."

It is well known that Ādam (upon him be peace) descended to Sarandīb (Sri Lanka), and Ḥawwāʾ to Jeddah. They came together on the plain of ʿArafāt and recognised one another. Their shared life was made lawful; and the grave of Ḥawwāʾ (upon her be peace) is in Jeddah. The graves of Ādam and Ḥawwāʾ (upon them both be peace) and the noble grave of Shīth (upon him be peace) are close to one another.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:40 — Address to the Children of Israel]

Translation (verse 40):

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ

Yā Banī Isrāʾīla udhkurū niʿmatiya allatī anʿamtu ʿalaykum wa-awfū bi-ʿahdī ūfi bi-ʿahdikum wa-iyyāya fa-irhhabūn.

"O Children of Israel, remember My blessing with which I blessed you, and fulfil My covenant that I may fulfil your covenant; and fear only Me." (al-Baqara 2:40)

Commentary: Banū Isrāʾīl: Children of Israel. Isrāʾīl is the name of Yaʿqūb (upon him be peace) — ibn Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm (upon them all be peace). The word Isrāʾīl in Hebrew means "servant of Allāh" (ʿabd Allāh). Yabīn is the original muḍāf, with the nūn al-iʿrāb suppressed on account of the iḍāfa. Prophets Mūsā, Hārūn, Yaḥyā, ʿĪsā, Zakariyyā (upon them all be peace), and many others were Banū Isrāʾīl. Many great Prophets of firm resolve (ulū al-ʿazm) were among them — this is why Allāh favoured them.

Ūfī bi-ʿahdikum: I will fulfil My covenant with you. The covenant from Allāh's side includes: life, sustenance, blessings, protection. The covenant from the servant's side: to use what he has been given in Allāh's cause; it is all Allāh's, and its proper use upon the servant is obligatory. Wa-iyyāya fa-irhhabūn: and fear Me alone — not the rulers, not the oppressors, but Allāh.

Allāh created the human being with faith (īmān) as its natural disposition (fiṭra). He gave hands, gave faculties, subjected all the things of the earth — He gave the capacity to benefit from them. But to whom do all these things belong? To Allāh! Then the servant must use them in the cause of Allāh and must not withhold them from Allāh's service. The servanthood of the servant is precisely this submission. The willing obedience of the servant is what is nearest to Him.

Translation (verse 40): "O Children of Israel, remember My blessing with which I blessed you, and fulfil My covenant that I may fulfil your covenant — and fear Me alone."

Commentary (continued):

The servant's work is worship; Allāh's work is forgiveness. The servant's work is obedience; Allāh's work is favour (ʿināyat) and mercy. Remain in the way of Allāh — if you are ungrateful, you will fall into His curse. This is what the Quran establishes. And now — their Prophets came to them: believe in their missions. A brief account of the relationship of certain groups to the Prophetic lineage has already been given.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:41]

Translation:

وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ

Wa-āminū bi-mā anzaltu muṣaddiqan li-mā maʿakum wa-lā takūnū awwala kāfirin bihi wa-lā tashtarū bi-āyātī thamanan qalīlan wa-iyyāya fa-ttaqūn.

"And believe in what I have sent down, confirming that which is with you, and be not the first to disbelieve in it; and do not exchange My signs for a small price; and fear only Me." (al-Baqara 2:41)

Commentary: Āminū bimā anzaltu: believe in what I have sent down — the Quran. Muṣaddiqan: confirming. Li-mā maʿakum: what is already with them — the Torah and other Scriptures. The Quran was the confirmation (taṣdīq) of those earlier scriptures, and it superseded them (naskh). Wa-lā takūnū awwala kāfirin bihi: do not be the first to disbelieve in it. Awwal: superlative, meaning "first among those." Wa-lā tashtarū bi-āyātī thamanan qalīlan: do not sell My signs for a paltry price — i.e., do not exchange the verses of Allāh for worldly gain. Āyatan: a sign, a miracle, a verse of divine speech. Thamanan qalīlan: a small, paltry price — for however much worldly price is given for the verses of Allāh, it is paltry. Wa-iyyāya fa-ttaqūn: and fear Me alone.

The Banū Isrāʾīl's evil habit was to barter the divine commands for worldly advantage and change them to suit the wishes of their rulers and corrupt scholars (ʿulamāʾ al-sūʾ). We should be careful — this is not confined to them.

Translation (verse 41): "(O Children of Israel!) Believe in this (Quran) which I have sent down, confirming what is already with you, and do not be the first to disbelieve in it; and do not sell My signs for a paltry price — and fear Me alone."

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:42–43]

Translation (verse 42):

وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Wa-lā talbiṣū al-ḥaqqa bi'l-bāṭili wa-taktumū al-ḥaqqa wa-antum taʿlamūn.

"And do not mix the truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know it." (al-Baqara 2:42)

Translation (verse 43):

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

Wa-aqīmū al-ṣalāta wa-ātū al-zakāta wa-rkaʿū maʿa al-rākiʿīn.

"And establish the prayer and give the zakāt and bow with those who bow." (al-Baqara 2:43)

Commentary on verse 42: Wa-lā talbiṣū: do not mix, do not blend. Al-ḥaqq bi'l-bāṭil: truth with falsehood. Wa-taktumū: and you conceal. Kitmān: concealment — bāb taṣarruf. Wa-antum taʿlamūn: while you know — the knowing adds gravity to the sin of concealment.

Translation (verse 42): "Do not mix truth with falsehood, and do not conceal the truth while you know it."

Commentary on verse 43: Aqīmū al-ṣalāt: establish the prayer, fulfil the prayer in its proper form, be present at all times in the court of the Lord. Wa-ātū al-zakāt: and give the zakāt — give charity to the poor, purify your wealth. Zakāt comes from the root meaning growth and increase: giving zakāt in fact increases one's wealth and purifies it. The losses and corruptions of wealth are averted through it. Wa-rkaʿū maʿa al-rākiʿīn: and bow with those who bow — pray in congregation; join the congregation for the prostration (sajda) together. For the Jews, prayer (ṣalāt) consisted only of bowing (rukūʿ). Therefore the command wa-rkaʿū refers specifically to the full Muslim form of ṣalāt, which includes both rukūʿ (bowing) and sujūd (prostration). The word rukūʿ also implies khushūʿ (humility and concentration), which is the inner spirit of prayer.

Translation (verse 43): "And establish the prayer, and give the zakāt, and bow with those who bow (pray in congregation)."

O my companions! In these verses three commands are given: (1) to establish the prayer; (2) to give the zakāt; (3) to worship in congregation. The prayer has both outward and inward aspects — with the prayer the blessings of Allāh rain from every direction. The channels of zakāt (maṣārif al-zakāt) are established in the Sharīʿa. These and other urgently necessary matters have been obligated on this community. Prayer in congregation — that is the unity (ittiḥād) of Muslims, the spirit (spirit) of solidarity, the physical vigour, and the love in Allāh (maḥabba fī Allāh) that grows from it.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:44]

Translation:

أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

A-taʾmurūna al-nāsa bi'l-birri wa-tansawna anfusakum wa-antum tatlūna al-kitāba a-fa-lā taʿqilūn.

"Do you command people to righteousness while you forget yourselves, though you recite the Scripture? Have you then no sense?" (al-Baqara 2:44)

Commentary: A-taʾmurūna: do you command? Al-nāsa: the people, those before your eyes. Bi'l-birr: toward righteousness — birr is a comprehensive term for all good. Wa-tansawna anfusakum: and you forget yourselves — nisyān is the forgetting that comes from long neglect, so that a thing is as if no longer present in the mind. Wa-antum tatlūna al-kitāba: while you recite the Scripture — tilāwa means recitation with both tongue and heart; mere pronunciation with the tongue is qirāʾa. A-fa-lā taʿqilūn: have you then no reason? ʿAql: the power of restraint, holding and keeping — from ʿaqala (to hobble a camel).

Translation (verse 44): "Do you command people to good deeds while you forget yourselves — even as you recite the Book? Have you then no sense?"

O people! What use is the knowledge of this community's scholars and spiritual leaders (ʿulamāʾ wa-mashāyikh) if they themselves are the primary examples of this? Is their own conduct and inner state according to their teaching? Do they live by the standards they prescribe? Are there scholars at whose doors there are hundreds of students and who have built grand institutions? Then look: those same scholars — can anyone say of their own state what is true? It is a matter of great shame — for them and for this community! Self-complacency and ostentation (riyāʾ) have ruined everything — people have no confidence, no trust, in them anymore.

Wake up! How long will you sleep in this heedlessness?

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:45]

Translation:

وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ

Wa-istaʿīnū bi'l-ṣabri wa'l-ṣalāti wa-innahā la-kabīratun illā ʿalā al-khāshiʿīn.

"And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed it is heavy (a burden) except for the humble." (al-Baqara 2:45)

Commentary: Istaʿīnū: seek help, take assistance — istaʿāna, yastaʿīnu — bāb istifʿāl. Bi'l-ṣabr: through patience (ṣabr) — the word ṣabr also encompasses fasting (ṣawm). Wa'l-ṣalāt: and through prayer, supplication (duʿāʾ). Wa-innahā la-kabīratun: and indeed it is burdensome, difficult. Illā ʿalā al-khāshiʿīn: except for those who are humble before Allāh — those who maintain reverence (khuḍūʿ), lowliness (inkisār), and a broken voice (khafd al-ṣawt) — those who have inward humility (khushūʿ).

Translation (verse 45): "And seek help through patience and prayer — and indeed that is a heavy burden except for those who are humble (before their Lord)."

Remember! Patience (ṣabr), steadfastness, and calling on Allāh are the solution to every problem. Allāh Most High says:﴿ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ﴾udʿūnī astajib lakum — "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." (Ghāfir 40:60) Prayer is the court of Allāh Most High — and if you show up at the court of the Lord, you will surely be attended to and given what you need. What a pity — you have turned away from Allāh Himself; what does He care?

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:46]

Translation:

الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَاقُو رَبِّهِمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

Alladhīna yaẓunnūna annahum mulāqū rabbihim wa-annahum ilayhi rājiʿūn.

"Those who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that to Him they will return." (al-Baqara 2:46)

Commentary: Yaẓunnūna: they hold firm conviction — here ẓann is used in the sense of certainty (yaqīn), not mere conjecture, for the context is affirmative. Mulāqū rabbihim: they will meet their Lord. Liqāʾ: meeting — laqqā-yalaqqā: to encounter — laqiyahu: "he met him." Rājiʿūn: returners — rajaʿa-yarjiʿu rajʿan (on bāb ḍaraba): to return involuntarily. Rujūʿ: willful return.

Translation (verse 46): "Those who are certain that they will stand before their Lord — and that to Him they will return."

O my companions! Know that the presence before the court of Allāh (ḥuḍūr al-ilāhī) is certainly true. In that presence, there will certainly be a reckoning — an account of every good and evil deed. If you keep the Day of Presence (yawm al-liqāʾ) perpetually before your eyes, the pleasures and temptations of the world will seem trivial. This world is but a few days — it will pass in every way. Whatever allotment of provision Allāh has decreed, take it. And live your whole life according to your absolute devotion and submission to Allāh — then the everlasting blessings will be your share, you will behold Allāh, experience the nearness of Allāh, enter Paradise, and dwell in the company of the Prophetﷺforever.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:47]

Translation:

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

Yā Banī Isrāʾīla udhkurū niʿmatiya allatī anʿamtu ʿalaykum wa-annī faḍḍaltukum ʿalā al-ʿālamīn.

"O Children of Israel, remember My blessing with which I blessed you, and that I preferred you above all peoples." (al-Baqara 2:47)

Commentary: Anʿamtu ʿalaykum: I blessed you — bestowed upon you My favour and gift. Niʿam: blessings. Faḍḍaltukum ʿalā al-ʿālamīn: I preferred you above all peoples — faḍḍala: to prefer, to grant excellence to. Al-ʿālamīn: all the worlds, all peoples. ʿAlā: over, above.

O people! The distinction of the Children of Israel came through knowledge, piety, and devotion — not merely through the accident of being Banū Isrāʾīl. When these two foundations — knowledge and piety — were stripped from them, that distinction was also taken from them. ʿAlā al-ʿālamīn means "above the peoples of that time while they maintained their covenant." Some scholars have held that this honour was general for all times — but in truth, as they broke their covenant with Allāh, it became specifically for the period of their obedience.

Translation (verse 47): "(Remember) O Children of Israel! Remember My blessing with which I blessed you, and that I preferred you above all the peoples of your time."

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:48]

Translation:

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَّا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

Wa-ittaqū yawman lā tajzī nafsun ʿan nafsin shayʾan wa-lā yuqbalu minhā shafāʿatun wa-lā yuʾkhadhu minhā ʿadlun wa-lā hum yunṣarūn.

"And fear a Day when no soul will avail another at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided." (al-Baqara 2:48)

Commentary: Yawman: that day — the subject of fear is a day described by the following attributes. Lā tajzī nafsun ʿan nafsin: no soul will avail another — jazā: to suffice, to recompense. Shafāʿatun: intercession. ʿAdlun: compensation, equivalent exchange — from the root of equality and justice. Wa-lā hum yunṣarūn: and they will not be aided.

Now here a profound question arises concerning intercession (shafāʿa). The Quran states:﴿وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ﴾wa-lā yuqbalu minhā shafāʿatun — "nor will intercession be accepted from it" — i.e., no one can offer intercession for another without divine permission. The Quran also says:﴿مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ﴾man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idhnihi — "Who can intercede with Him except by His permission?" (al-Baqara 2:255) And the ḥadīth states:«شَفَاعَتِي لِأَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي»shafāʿatī li-ahli al-kabāʾiri min ummatī — "My intercession is for those among my community who commit major sins." (Abū Dāwūd; al-Tirmidhī)

The ḥadīth of the Great Intercession (al-shafāʿa al-ʿuẓmā) on the Day of Resurrection is reported: the Prophetﷺwill prostrate before the Throne, and Allāh will say: Irfaʿ raʾsaka — "Lift your head"; sal tuʿṭa — "Ask and you will be given"; ishfaʿ tushaflaʿ — "Intercede and your intercession will be accepted." What a station of honour! What is the like of this station in any heart?

Yet the intercession operates strictly within Allāh's permission:﴿لَا تَتَحَرَّكُ ذَرَّةٌ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ﴾lā tataḥarraku dharratun illā bi-idhni Allāh — "Not a particle moves except by the permission of Allāh." — No one can intercede against Allāh's will. Thus the Prophetﷺ, the awliyāʾ, and the ṣāliḥūn intercede — but that intercession itself comes from Allāh's love of those righteous ones, who are then granted leave to intercede. In this way the intercession of the pious is real, and for its benefit one should draw close to them.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:48 — continued, and verse 49]

Commentary (continued):

The awliyāʾ of Allāh and the ṣāliḥīn — the Messengerﷺand they are more loved by Allāh than anyone else — so their intercession is the most powerful. But every intercession, even that of the greatest, is within Allāh's permission alone. No one can intercede for another against Allāh's will, from Allāh's own awliyāʾ — for whose intercession would Allāh accept? Except for those for whom He wills — and of those, the Prophetﷺis the greatest. Therefore draw close to the ʿulamāʾ and awliyāʾ for the sake of their intercession — not as independent intercessors, but as beloved ones through whom Allāh's permission flows.

ʿAdlun: compensation, substitute, equivalent. Wa-lā hum yunṣarūn: and they will not be aided — no external help will come.

Translation (verse 48): "And fear a Day on which no soul can avail another in the least — nor will intercession be accepted on its behalf, nor will compensation be taken from it — nor will they be helped."

O people! Direct the Jews back to themselves and reflect on your own deeds as Muslims. What is your condition? No name of Allāh on your lips, no obedience to Him, no following of the Messengerﷺ— no living faith in your hearts. In the name of Muslims but not the deeds of Muslims! Look — death is certain, the Day of Resurrection will come; that Day, no one will be of use to anyone. On that Day, who will intercede? The awliyāʾ and Prophets intercede — but when does Allāh accept their intercession? Only for those whom He wills. Take account of yourself before that account is taken from you.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:49]

Translation:

وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَاكُم مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ وَفِي ذَٰلِكُمْ بَلَاءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ

Wa-idh najjaynākum min āli Firʿawna yasūmūnakum sūʾa al-ʿadhābi yudhabbihūna abnāʾakum wa-yastaḥyūna nisāʾakum wa-fī dhālikum balāʾun min rabbikum ʿaẓīm.

"And (remember) when We saved you from the family of Pharaoh, who were inflicting upon you grievous torment — slaughtering your sons and keeping your women alive — and in that was a great trial from your Lord." (al-Baqara 2:49)

Commentary: Najjaynākum: We saved you. Āl Firʿawn: the household of Pharaoh, his retinue. Yasūmūnakum: they were subjecting you to — sāma-yasūmu sawman: to impose, to afflict. Sūʾa al-ʿadhāb: the most grievous torment. Yudhabbihūna: they were slaughtering — dhubbiḥa-yudhabbahu: to sacrifice, to slaughter. Yastaḥyūna: they were leaving alive — keeping as slave-women. Balāʾ: trial — here a great trial from your Lord.

The ranks of Allāh's slaves from the Prophetsﷺaccording to their nearness: (1) Every Muslim is honoured — there is one rank in that. (2) The one who is most sincere in faith and creed (ʿaqāʾid) is more deserving of nobility and honour and a higher degree of the family (āl) of the Prophetﷺ.

Commentary (continued on the āl of the Prophetﷺ):

(4) The family of ʿAbbās — the descendants of the paternal uncle (ʿamm) of the Prophetﷺ— they too are among the āl al-nabī (upon him be peace) and their honour is established. (5) The purified wives (azwāj muṭahharāt) — and in the Quran where Ahl al-Bayt has come, the purified wives are also included among the Ahl al-Bayt according to the narrations.

The word āl is related to awwala: to return. It connects to the household in that members of a family always return to each other; a wife relates to her husband, the extended family to the patriarch, and so they are all āl. Whoever is most truly and intimately connected is most fully āl.

Yasūmūnakum: they were subjecting you to it — the forms of sāma include torment. Sūʾa al-ʿadhāb: the worst of torture. ʿAdhb: pure water; ʿadhāb: the opposite — the denial of all that is pure and restful. Yudhabbihūna abnāʾakum: they were slaughtering your sons — Pharaoh had learned from astrologers that a child of the Children of Israel would be born who would destroy his rule — so he ordered the slaughter of infant boys among the Israelites while leaving the girls alive. Wa-yastaḥyūna nisāʾakum: keeping your women alive — to use as slave labour. Wa-fī dhālikum balāʾun min rabbikum ʿaẓīm: and in that was a tremendous trial from your Lord — both the torment itself and the deliverance from it were tests (balāʾ) from Allāh.

Translation (verse 49): "(And remember) when We saved you from the family of Pharaoh — who were inflicting upon you grievous suffering, slaughtering your sons and leaving your women alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord."

O people! Consider what was done to you then. Each day one of yours was dying in one manner, and each month in another — what was the sweetness of freedom then? Slavery in order to make themselves prominent — and the women were kept alive so that —

Commentary (continued):

— they were kept alive as slave-women. That was your trial. Do you still not wake up and return to Allāh and His glory? Why have you not learned from your forebears? Why have you not turned toward Allāh and taken the path of knowledge?

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:50]

Translation:

وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَاكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ

Wa-idh faraqnā bi-kumu al-baḥra fa-anjaynaykum wa-aghraqnā āla Firʿawna wa-antum tanẓurūn.

"And (remember) when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the family of Pharaoh while you were looking on." (al-Baqara 2:50)

Commentary: Faraqnā bi-kumu al-baḥra: We split the sea for you — farraqa: He separated, divided; farq: a separation. Al-baḥr: the sea, the ocean. Fa-anjaynaykum: We saved you. Wa-aghraqnā āla Firʿawna: We drowned the people of Pharaoh. Ighrāq — bāb ifʿāl — to drown. Wa-antum tanẓurūn: while you were watching.

This event is so definitively established (tawātir) as to be beyond doubt. Mūsā (upon him be peace) led the Israelites out by night, and Pharaoh pursued them with his army. The sea split before them — Mūsā (upon him be peace) struck the water with his staff at Allāh's command; the sea parted into twelve dry paths, one for each of the twelve tribes; they crossed safely; Pharaoh entered the sea in pursuit and was drowned. This has always been remembered — and the Quran confirms it absolutely.

It is also known from geography that the Red Sea at Suez is connected to the Mediterranean and the crossing took place there. Such events are seen in certain places, as at Madras, where the sea ebbs and becomes shallow and then floods again — but the miraculous crossing here was a specific act of divine power (qudrat ilāhiyya), a sign (āya) given to Mūsā (upon him be peace) alone.

Translation (verse 50): "(And remember) when We parted the sea for you and saved you, and drowned the family of Pharaoh — while you were looking on."

Commentary (continued):

The author Ḥasrat (may Allāh have mercy on him) here elaborates on the spiritual significance of the crossing: the heart of Mūsā (upon him be peace) was the qalb salīm (sound heart) and his intellect was the ʿaql mustaqīm (upright intellect). With these gifts of mystical disclosure (mukāshafāt) and gnoses (maʿārif), he entered the sea of unity (daryāʾ-e-waḥdat). The sea parted before him; Firaʿwn — who was the embodiment of the carnal self (nafs) and worldly pride — was drowned therein. For Firaʿwn came bearing the power of the world, the pride of kingship, thinking: "What is this man to me?" But the qalb salīm of Mūsā (upon him be peace) was beyond all of that — his miracle and nobility were from Allāh, not from worldly power. Thus Firaʿwn's pride was destroyed; the crossing was safety, and the sea swallowed the tyrant. This is the spiritual meaning that runs beneath the historical event.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:51]

Translation:

وَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

Wa-idh wāʿadnā Mūsā arbaʿīna laylatan thumma ittakhadhtumu al-ʿijla min baʿdihi wa-antum ẓālimūn.

"And (remember) when We appointed for Mūsā forty nights; then you took the calf (for worship) after him, while you were wrongdoers." (al-Baqara 2:51)

Commentary: Wāʿadnā Mūsā arbaʿīna laylatan: We appointed Mūsā (upon him be peace) forty nights — that is, the period of his seclusion (iʿtikāf) on Mount Sinai. The mention of night (layla) rather than day is because the traveller on the spiritual path drives himself through the night while the day-watchers sleep. The night is the time of privacy with Allāh; Mūsā (upon him be peace) entered into a forty-night seclusion. For the fuqarāʾ (the spiritual poor), this is also a principle: arbaʿīn (forty-day retreat) and khalwa (spiritual seclusion). Seclusion (khalwa) from people produces a special blessing (barakāt), especially when one gives up even meat and rich food. When inward unveilings (kashfāt) do not come, the cause is distraction and commotion. Silence, closing off the outer senses, concentration on a single point, reducing sleep at night, and above all abundant dhikr of Allāh — these are all necessary for spiritual unveiling.

Translation (verse 51): "(And remember) when We appointed Mūsā forty nights — then after his departure you took the calf (as an idol), and you were wrongdoers."

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:54]

Translation:

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُم بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

Wa-idh qāla Mūsā li-qawmihi yā qawmi innakum ẓalamtum anfusakum bi-ittikhadhikumu al-ʿijla fa-tūbū ilā bāriʾikum fa-qtulū anfusakum dhālikum khayrun lakum ʿinda bāriʾikum fa-tāba ʿalaykum innahu huwa al-tawwābu al-raḥīm.

"And when Mūsā said to his people: 'O my people! You have wronged yourselves by taking the calf — so repent to your Creator and kill yourselves; that is better for you in the sight of your Creator.' So He accepted your repentance — indeed, He is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Most Merciful." (al-Baqara 2:54)

Commentary: The Sāmirī (al-Sāmirī) fabricated the golden calf while Mūsā (upon him be peace) was away on the mountain. He took the dust of the hoof-print of the angel Jibrīl's horse (ḥāfiẓ faras), threw it into molten gold, and the calf began to make a lowing sound. The Sāmirī then misled the people and drew them to the calf. Some worshipped it. To this day there are those who worship animals — the cow, the snake, and others — when they cannot find the true divine Khalīfa, they worship what they see before them. Without the divine Khalīfa, what meaning is there?﴿وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَىٰ مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارٌ﴾wa-ittakhadha qawmu Mūsā min baʿdihi min ḥuliyyihim ʿijlan jasadan lahu khuwār — "And the people of Mūsā took, after him, from their ornaments a calf — a body with a lowing sound." (al-Aʿrāf 7:148)

Translation (verse 54): "(And remember) when Mūsā (upon him be peace) said to his people: 'O my people! You have wronged yourselves by taking the calf — so repent to your Creator and kill your (wrongdoing) selves. That is better for you in the sight of your Creator.' So He accepted your repentance — indeed, He is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Most Merciful."

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:55–56]

Translation (verse 55):

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ

Wa-idh qultum yā Mūsā lan nuʾmina laka ḥattā narā Allāha jahratan fa-akhadhat-kumu al-ṣāʿiqatu wa-antum tanẓurūn.

"And (remember) when you said: 'O Mūsā, we will never believe you until we see Allāh plainly!' So the thunderbolt seized you while you were looking on." (al-Baqara 2:55)

Commentary: Jahratan: plainly, openly — revealing the arrogance and insolence of their demand. They wanted to see Allāh openly and directly, as one sees a created object. This is impossible — Allāh cannot be seen in this world as created things are seen. The ṣāʿiqa (thunderbolt) struck them as a divine chastisement for this insolence. They had eyes but could not perceive the reality before them; they heard the words of Mūsā (upon him be peace) yet could not comprehend them.

Translation (verse 55): "(And remember) when you said: 'O Mūsā, we will not believe you until we see Allāh openly!' Then the thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on."

Translation (verse 56):

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Thumma baʿathnākum min baʿdi mawtikum laʿallakum tashkurūn.

"Then We revived you after your death, so that perhaps you would be grateful." (al-Baqara 2:56)

Translation (verse 56): "Then We revived you after your death — so that perhaps you would be grateful."

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:57]

Translation:

وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

Wa-ẓallalnā ʿalaykumu al-ghamāma wa-anzalnā ʿalaykumu al-manna wa'l-salwā kulū min ṭayyibāti mā razaqnākum wa-mā ẓalamanā wa-lākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūn.

"And We shaded you with clouds and sent down upon you manna and quails — 'Eat of the good things We have provided you.' And they did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves." (al-Baqara 2:57)

Commentary: The twelve tribes of the Israelites (asbāṭ) were each assigned their own spring of water when Mūsā (upon him be peace) struck the rock with his staff — twelve springs gushed forth. The Messengerﷺtook water from it and gave it to the people to drink. The materialists' objection to such events shows their own limitation: "We saw it, we held it — therefore it is; we did not see it, therefore it is not." They are wrong. Every reality is present in the realm of causes established by Allāh.

Manna wa-salwā: a wholesome sweet food and quails — special provisions bestowed on the Children of Israel in the wilderness. The tribes each had their appointed water source; if anyone transgressed the boundary of another, they were liable.

Translation (verse 57): "And We shaded you with clouds and sent down upon you manna and quails: 'Eat of the wholesome provision We have given you.' They did not wrong Us — but they were wronging themselves."

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:58–59]

Translation (verse 58):

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًا وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ فَيُغْفَرَ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Wa-idh qulnā udkhulū hādhihi al-qaryata fa-kulū minhā ḥaythu shiʾtum ragħadan wa-udkhulū al-bāba sujjadan wa-qūlū ḥiṭṭatun fa-yughfara lakum khaṭāyākum wa-sanazīdu al-muḥsinīn.

"And (remember) when We said: 'Enter this town and eat of it freely wherever you wish, and enter the gate prostrating and say: "Ḥiṭṭatun (forgiveness)!" — We will forgive your sins, and We will increase the good-doers.'" (al-Baqara 2:58)

Translation (verse 59):

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

Fa-baddala alladhīna ẓalamū qawlan ghayra alladhī qīla lahum fa-anzalnā ʿalā alladhīna ẓalamū rijzan min al-samāʾi bi-mā kānū yafsuqūn.

"But those who did wrong substituted a word other than what they had been told — so We sent down upon those who did wrong a punishment from the sky for their wickedness." (al-Baqara 2:59)

Commentary (verse 59): Baddala: he substituted, he changed. Rijzan min al-samāʾ: a punishment from the sky. Kānū yafsuqūn: they were transgressors continuously — the past continuous aspect of kāna with the present participle. Their transgression at that time and the transmitted sin of later generations together made one ruling. Al-riḍā bi'l-kufr kufr — "to be pleased with disbelief is itself disbelief" — so the later generations who transmitted this transgression were implicated.

Translation (verses 58–59): "(And remember) when We said: 'Enter this town and eat freely wherever you wish — enter the gate in prostration and say: "Grant us forgiveness!" — We will forgive your sins, and We shall increase the good-doers.' But those who did wrong substituted another word for what they had been told — so We sent down a punishment from the sky upon those who did wrong, because of their wickedness."

Commentary (continued):

All of this was known — yet those people changed the instruction they had been given, and said other than ḥiṭṭa (forgiveness). We then sent down a divine chastisement (ʿadhāb) from the sky upon them — because of their persistent transgression.

Note on the present-day condition of the Jews: They know well that all of this is their history. They are clever in two things: they exploit others and draw the naive into their service, setting others to work for them. The Zionists established a Jewish state (salṭanat) in Palestine without an army fighting on their own behalf — yet they succeeded, and cast others into grief. Such is the condition of today's Jews.

Today the Jews number in the billions and the Arabs are in the hundreds of millions — yet they are humiliated and despised. Hitler in Germany killed many of them —

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:60]

Translation:

وَإِذِ اسْتَسْقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا مِن رِّزْقِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ

Wa-idh istasqā Mūsā li-qawmihi fa-qulnā iḍrib bi-ʿaṣāka al-ḥajara fa-infajarat minhu ithnataʿ ʿashrata ʿaynan qad ʿalima kullu unāsin mashrabahum kulū wa-shrabū min rizqi Allāhi wa-lā taʿthaw fī al-arḍi mufsidīn.

"And (remember) when Mūsā (upon him be peace) sought water for his people — so We said: 'Strike the rock with your staff!' — and twelve springs burst forth from it. Every group knew their drinking place. 'Eat and drink from the provision of Allāh, and do not go about spreading corruption on the earth.'" (al-Baqara 2:60)

Commentary: Istasqā: he requested water — from bāb istifʿāl. Al-ḥajar: the rock. Fa-infajarat: so it burst forth — infajara-yanfajiru: to burst open, gush out. ʿUyūn: springs. Ithnataʿ ʿashrata: twelve — one for each of the twelve tribes. All narrations agree that each tribe received its own appointed spring. Mūsā (upon him be peace) would strike the rock and twelve springs would gush forth; then he would strike again and they would dry up. Every tribe knew its own spring. Kulū wa-shrabū min rizqi Allāh: eat and drink from the provision of Allāh. Wa-lā taʿthaw fī al-arḍ mufsidīn: and do not go about spreading corruption in the earth.

Translation (verse 60): "(And remember) when Mūsā (upon him be peace) sought water for his people — We said: 'Strike the rock with your staff!' — and twelve springs burst forth. Every group knew their drinking place. 'Eat and drink from Allāh's provision and do not go about causing corruption on the earth.'"

The materialists object that such things cannot happen. They are in error — they know what they see, and if they do not see something, they deny it. But every reality has a cause, and behind every cause is the power of Allāh.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:61]

Translation:

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَاحِدٍ فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنبِتُ الْأَرْضُ مِن بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّائِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا

Wa-idh qultum yā Mūsā lan naṣbira ʿalā ṭaʿāmin wāḥidin fa-udʿu lanā rabbaka yukhrij lanā mimmā tunbitu al-arḍu min baqlihā wa-qiththāʾihā wa-fūmihā wa-ʿadasihā wa-baṣalihā.

"And (remember) when you said: 'O Mūsā, we cannot endure one kind of food — so call upon your Lord for us that He may bring forth for us from what the earth grows: its herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its lentils, and its onions.'" (al-Baqara 2:61)

Commentary: Lan naṣbira ʿalā ṭaʿāmin wāḥidin: we cannot endure one kind of food. Baql: green vegetables. Qiththāʾ: cucumber. Fūm: garlic — or wheat, in some interpretations. ʿAdas: lentils. Baṣal: onions.

Verse 61 continuation:

قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ اهْبِطُوا مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ

Qāla a-tastabdilūna alladhī huwa adnā bi'lladhī huwa khayrun ihbiṭū miṣran fa-inna lakum mā saʾaltum wa-ḍuribat ʿalayhimu al-dhillatu wa'l-maskanatu wa-bāʾū bi-ghaḍabin min Allāh.

"He said: 'Would you exchange that which is better for that which is inferior? Go down into any town — you will have what you asked for.' And humiliation and misery were stamped upon them, and they drew upon themselves the wrath of Allāh." (al-Baqara 2:61)

Commentary: A-tastabdilūna: would you substitute, exchange? Alladhī huwa adnā: that which is lesser — inferior (adnā here used in the sense of lower worth, not nearness). Bi'lladhī huwa khayrun: for that which is better — the manna and salwā were better. Ihbiṭū miṣran: go down to a town (miṣr — a city, Egypt or any major town). Wa-ḍuribat ʿalayhimu al-dhillatu wa'l-maskanatu: and humiliation and poverty were imposed upon them. Dhilla: humiliation. Maskana: poverty, destitution. Wa-bāʾū bi-ghaḍabin min Allāh: they drew upon themselves the wrath of Allāh — bāʾā: to return with, to be laden with. Bi-ghaḍabin: with wrath.

Translation (verses 61): "(And remember) when you said: 'O Mūsā, we cannot endure one type of food — call upon your Lord for us that He bring forth for us from what the earth grows: its herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils, and onions.' (Mūsā) said: 'Would you exchange what is better for what is inferior? Go down to any city — you will have what you asked for.' And humiliation and destitution were imposed upon them, and they drew upon themselves the wrath of Allāh."

Commentary: This is the condition of those who rejected the favour of Allāh. The history of the Jewish people is a lesson: they spread across the whole earth, are wealthy and numerous — yet they remain humiliated and despised. They schemed to establish a state in Palestine without fighting themselves, and the whole world's wrath fell upon them.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:61 — continued — cause of the wrath]

Translation (verse 61 continuation):

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا وَكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ

Dhālika bi-annahum kānū yakfurūna bi-āyāti Allāhi wa-yaqtulūna al-nabiyyīna bi-ghayri al-ḥaqqi dhālika bi-mā ʿaṣaw wa-kānū yaʿtadūn.

"That was because they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allāh and kill the Prophets without right — that was because they disobeyed and used to transgress." (al-Baqara 2:61)

Commentary: Kānū yakfurūna bi-āyāt Allāh: they used to persistently disbelieve in the signs of Allāh. Wa-yaqtulūna al-nabiyyīna bi-ghayri al-ḥaqq: and they used to kill the Prophets without right. Bi-mā ʿaṣaw: because of their disobedience. Wa-kānū yaʿtadūn: and they were transgressors. Those of an earlier generation who did these deeds are also implicated, because later generations approved of it and transmitted it — al-riḍā bi'l-kufr kufr.

Translation (verse 61 final): "This was because they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allāh and kill the Prophets without right — this because they disobeyed and were transgressors."

O people! All of this is clear. That is the condition of those Jews. Let Muslims not turn to them to make their problems worse. The shame of their treatment of the Prophets will never be forgotten — whoever remembers them dispassionately cannot do otherwise.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:62]

Translation:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Inna alladhīna āmanū wa-alladhīna hādū wa'l-naṣārā wa'l-ṣābiʾīna man āmana bi-Allāhi wa'l-yawmi al-ākhiri wa-ʿamila ṣāliḥan fa-lahum ajruhum ʿinda rabbihim wa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn.

"Indeed, those who believe (Muslims), and those who are Jewish, and the Christians, and the Sabians — whoever among them believes in Allāh and the Last Day and does righteous deeds — for them is their reward with their Lord; no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve." (al-Baqara 2:62)

Commentary: Hādū: became Jewish — related to the family (āl) of Yaʿqūb (upon him be peace); yahuddī is ascribed to him. Al-naṣārā: Christians — naṣrānī, singular; a community of Nazareth (Nāṣira). Al-Ṣābiʾīn: the Sabians — a religious community in ancient Babylonia, star-worshippers or those who followed Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace); bābiʾa (came and stood upright) is the root in some analyses. Man āmana: whoever believed — the singular man governs the rest of the verse, and therefore the verb is in singular form, giving a general referent of each individual.

Translation (verse 62): "Verily those who believe — and those who are Jewish, and the Christians, and the Sabians — whoever among them truly believes in Allāh and the Last Day and acts righteously — their reward is with their Lord; no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve."

Commentary on the meaning of this verse: Several important points:

(1) On the face of it, Muslims, hypocrites, Jews, Christians, and Sabians are all being addressed — they should believe in Allāh. (2) The criteria of belief, the standard of right and wrong, is established by Allāh and the Messengerﷺ— therefore faith must include faith in the Messengerﷺand his message. (3) Present-day Muslims believe in Allāh and the Messengerﷺ; they are bound by the five pillars; the commands of Allāh are of the highest importance to them. (4) Those Muslims who exhibit the character (akhlāq) of Islam and embody its beauty — their honour and dignity are Allāh's concern. Allāh's favour, both in religious and worldly matters, will remain with them. These are the people who constitute the true power and governance of this umma — they will be needed so long as this community persists.

Commentary (continued on verse 62):

(5) The interfaith (bayn al-aqwām) dimension: in that understanding, Muslims are a single national name (qawmī nām). Just as the British are one people, the Dutch another, the Arabs another — yet they all accepted the Messengerﷺ— so they are in some sense one. But the standard of honour (maʿyār-e-ʿizzat wa-dhilla) is faith and deeds. The importance of creed (iʿtiqād) is paramount — prayer and fasting are not optional. Those who said otherwise even at that time were among the most extreme; aʿādhana Allāh. We do not know what the enemies of this umma will say. The Messengerﷺwas sent as a universal prophet (kāffatan li'l-nās), and he is the Seal of the Prophets:﴿وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ﴾wa-man yabtaghi ghayra al-Islāmi dīnan fa-lan yuqbala minhu — "Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him." (Āl ʿImrān 3:85)

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:63]

Translation:

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

Wa-idh akhadhnā mīthāqakum wa-rafaʿnā fawqakumu al-Ṭūra khudhū mā ātaynākum bi-quwwatin wa-dhkurū mā fīhi laʿallakum tattaqūn.

"And (remember) when We took your covenant and raised Mount Ṭūr above you — 'Hold fast to what We have given you and remember what is in it, so that you may be God-fearing.'" (al-Baqara 2:63)

Commentary: Akhadhnā mīthāqakum: We took your covenant. Wa-rafaʿnā fawqakumu al-Ṭūr: We raised Mount Ṭūr above you — the blessed mountain where Allāh spoke to Mūsā (upon him be peace). Some scholars explain that Allāh commanded that the mountain be uprooted and held above the heads of the Israelites as a sign and as a warning until they accepted — and so they accepted. Bi-quwwatin: with firm resolution and determination. Wa-dhkurū mā fīhi: and remember what is within it — the Torah. Laʿallakum tattaqūn: that perhaps you may be God-fearing.

Translation (verse 63): "(And remember) when We took your covenant and raised Mount Ṭūr above you — 'Take what We have given you with determination, and keep in mind what is in it — so that you may be God-fearing.'"

O people! Your sins and troubles make you forget the commands of Allāh — you take off the harness, abandon all restraint, become unbridled like a horse without a bridle. Obey Allāh — and do not obey the disbelievers. If you leave one slavery, you fall into another. Hold fast to the Quran. If you do, it will guide you to your goals.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:64]

Translation:

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَكُنتُم مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

Thumma tawallaytum min baʿdi dhālika fa-lawlā faḍlu Allāhi ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatuhu la-kuntum min al-khāsirīn.

"Then you turned away after that — and if it were not for the bounty of Allāh upon you and His mercy, you would surely have been among the losers." (al-Baqara 2:64)

Commentary: Tawallaytum: you turned away, withdrew, went back on your covenant. Min baʿdi dhālika: after all of that — after all the covenants, miracles, and signs. Fa-lawlā faḍlu Allāh: had it not been for Allāh's bounty. Wa-raḥmatuhu: and His mercy. La-kuntum min al-khāsirīn: you would have been among those who suffer ultimate loss.

Translation (verse 64): "Then you turned away after all of that — had it not been for Allāh's bounty upon you and His mercy, you would certainly have been among the losers."

O people! You turn away from the commands of the Quran. If you act contrary to it, divine punishment would descend upon you — and it has. It is impossible for those who refuse the favour of Allāh not to be humiliated; they must fall into bondage and taste its disgrace. A people who follow idol-worshippers are crushed in due time —

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:65]

Translation:

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ

Wa-la-qad ʿalimtumu alladhīna iʿtadaw minkum fī al-sabti fa-qulnā lahum kūnū qiradata khāsiʾīn.

"And you had already known about those among you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath — so We said to them: 'Be apes, despised and rejected!'" (al-Baqara 2:65)

Commentary: Al-sabt: Saturday — the Sabbath day of the Israelites. Iʿtadaw fī al-sabt: they transgressed on the Sabbath. In the time of Dāwūd (upon him be peace), the Israelites were living near the sea, and fish were plentiful on the Sabbath but scarce on other days. They were forbidden from fishing on the Sabbath, but they devised a stratagem (ḥīla): on Friday they built pens beside the water; the fish would swim in on the Sabbath; on Sunday they would harvest them. They did not literally fish on the Sabbath but effectively profited from it. So Allāh said to them: kūnū qiradata khāsiʾīn — "Be apes, despised and rejected!" Qirada: apes. Khāsiʾīn: driven away, rejected, despised. According to Mujāhid, the transformation here means that they became of diminished faculties (khiff al-ḥarakat) and degraded, losing their human agency and goals.

Fa-jaʿalnāhā nakālan: "so We made it a deterrent" — nakāl: a severe warning-punishment. Li-mā bayna yadayhā: for those present at that time. Wa-mā khalfahā: and for those who came after. Wa-mawʿiẓatan li'l-muttaqīn: and a lesson for the God-fearing.

Translation (verse 65): "And you already knew of those among you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath — so We said to them: 'Become apes, despised!'"

Commentary (continued):

Those who overstepped the limits set by the Sharīʿa — who used clever arguments and interpretations to achieve forbidden ends — are like these Sabbath-breakers. Those who declare what is lawful in Allāh's sight ḥarām in order to serve the power of rulers, or who declare the unlawful ḥalāl for personal gain — are of the same type:﴿يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ﴾yuḥarrifūna al-kalima ʿan mawāḍiʿihi — "They distort the words from their proper places." (al-Nisāʾ 4:46) Those who distance themselves from the purposes (maqāṣid) of the Sharīʿa are worse than animals — a dog, even, guards its master faithfully and gives its life for him. These scholars of corrupt intent use sophistry to destroy others along with themselves.

A legal stratagem (ḥīla) is permissible only when a lawful object cannot be achieved through direct means and when no harm to others results. Those who used the stratagem of the fish-pens were transformed as apes — all this was done through their personal whims and satanic desires and the love of transgression: Rabbanā ighfir lanā dhunūbanā wa-isrāfanā fī amrinā —«رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا»— "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses in our affairs." (Āl ʿImrān 3:147)

Remember! Division, internal conflict, and disunity are the tools being used in the arsenal against the Quran today. Remember! Every mountain that falls from the sky today will have its own head crushed —

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:67 — The Cow (al-Baqara) Incident]

Translation:

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً

Wa-idh qāla Mūsā li-qawmihi inna Allāha yaʾmurukum an tadhbaḥū baqaratan.

"And (remember) when Mūsā said to his people: 'Indeed Allāh commands you to slaughter a cow.'" (al-Baqara 2:67)

Commentary: Udhbuhā: slaughter it. The original form before elision (ḥadhf) — udhbaḥhā — was that of the original command; the haʾ (h) of the object was elided. Bi-quwwatin: with strength, resolve, full commitment. Qālu a-tattakhidhunā huzuwan: They said: "Do you make a mockery of us?" — ittakhadha means to take something as a subject of mockery; huzuw: ridicule, mockery — the root of bāb iftʿāl. Qāla aʿūdhu bi-Allāh: (Mūsā) said: "I seek refuge in Allāh." An akūna min al-jāhilīn: "from being among the foolish." Mockery, ridicule, taunting — calling the learned ignorant — is the work of fools. Mūsā (upon him be peace) said this according to the Prophetic manner.

Translation (verse 67): "(And remember) when Mūsā (upon him be peace) said to his people: 'Indeed Allāh commands you to slaughter a cow.' The people said: 'Are you taking us for a fool?' He said: 'I seek refuge in Allāh from being among the foolish.'"

O people! Mocking others, ridiculing scholars, calling the knowledgeable ignorant, delaying obedience to the clear commands of Allāh — this is the work of fools, according to the declaration of Mūsā (upon him be peace). The Muslims of today are treading the same path as the Children of Israel step for step — as the Prophetﷺforetold word for word.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:68]

Translation:

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِيَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا فَارِضٌ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ فَافْعَلُوا مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ

Qālū udʿu lanā rabbaka yubayyin lanā mā hiya qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun lā fāriḍun wa-lā bikrun ʿawānun bayna dhālika fa-fʿalū mā tuʾmarūn.

"They said: 'Call upon your Lord for us that He may make clear to us what it is.' (Mūsā) said: 'He says it is a cow — neither old nor young, but of middle age between that. So do what you are commanded.'" (al-Baqara 2:68)

Commentary: Yubayyin lanā: let Him make clear to us. Mā hiya: what it is. Lā fāriḍun: not old — fāriḍ: an old cow that has aged beyond its prime. Wa-lā bikrun: nor a virgin — bikr: a heifer that has never calved, i.e., still young. ʿAwānun: of middle age — ʿawān: between two extremes. Bayna dhālika: between those two — the word bayna requires two references. Fa-fʿalū mā tuʾmarūn: so do what you are commanded.

Translation (verse 68): "(Israel) said: 'Call upon your Lord for us — that He may tell us what it is.' (Mūsā) said: 'He says it is a cow — neither old nor young, but of middle age between the two. Now do what you are commanded.'"

O people! There is no need for questions and objections and debates — when a command has been received, the way of the believers is to act immediately. They should have immediately procured a cow and slaughtered it. Remember: every time they asked additional questions, the obligation became more restrictive. If they had complied without asking, any cow would have done. Why manufacture difficulties where Allāh has made things easy?

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:69–70]

Translation (verse 69):

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا لَوْنُهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفْرَاءُ فَاقِعٌ لَّوْنُهَا تَسُرُّ النَّاظِرِينَ

Qālū udʿu lanā rabbaka yubayyin lanā mā lawnuhā qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun ṣafrāʾu fāqiʿun lawnuhā tasurru al-nāẓirīn.

"They said: 'Call upon your Lord for us to make clear what its colour is.' He said: 'He says it is a yellow cow — vivid in colour, pleasing to those who behold it.'" (al-Baqara 2:69)

Commentary: Ṣafrāʾu: yellow — ṣafar (yellow). Fāqiʿun lawnuhā: vivid, intense in colour — the attribute emphasises and intensifies the noun without explicitly naming it, which functions as an ism al-ẓāhir used in place of a pronoun, making the expression more vivid. Tasurru al-nāẓirīn: it brings joy to those who look at it — from the root surūr (joy, delight). Sirr: a secret — hidden; sirr: the innermost reality. Murā: the twenty-eighth, or in some accounts the twenty-ninth, station (manzil) of the moon when it is in that degree.

Translation (verse 69): "(Israel) said: 'Call upon your Lord that He make clear to us what colour it is.' (Mūsā) said: 'He says it is a vivid yellow cow — it gives delight to those who behold it.'"

Translation (verse 70):

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِيَ إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشَابَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّا إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ

Qālū udʿu lanā rabbaka yubayyin lanā mā hiya inna al-baqara tashābaha ʿalaynā wa-innā in shāʾa Allāhu la-muhtadūn.

"They said: 'Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is — for indeed cows all look alike to us, and indeed, if Allāh wills, we will be guided.'" (al-Baqara 2:70)

Commentary: Tashābaha ʿalaynā: they have become indistinct to us, confused in our perception. Wa-innā in shāʾa Allāhu la-muhtadūn: and if Allāh wills, we shall surely be guided — they finally said in shāʾa Allāh, and Allāh guided them.

Translation (verse 70): "(Israel) said: 'Call upon your Lord that He explain to us what it is — indeed all cows have become confused before us. And if Allāh wills, we shall find guidance.'"

O people! The Children of Israel had no firm conviction that the cow would cause a dead man to come back to life. They kept asking, with much debate and difficulty — until finally Allāh brought them to it and they said in shāʾa Allāh.

[Tafsīr of al-Baqara 2:71]

Translation:

قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ الْأَرْضَ وَلَا تَسْقِي الْحَرْثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لَّا شِيَةَ فِيهَا قَالُوا الْآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun lā dhalūlun tuthīru al-arḍa wa-lā tasqī al-ḥartha musallamatun lā shiyata fīhā qālū al-āna jiʾta bi'l-ḥaqqi fa-dhabaḥūhā wa-mā kādū yafʿalūn.

"He said: 'He says it is a cow — not broken in to plough the earth, nor to water the crops; sound and unblemished, with no markings upon it.' They said: 'Now you have brought the truth!' And they slaughtered it — though they almost did not." (al-Baqara 2:71)

Commentary: Lā dhalūlun: not tamed or broken — dhalūl: an animal that has been broken to work, domesticated. Tuthīru al-arḍ: to churn up the earth — athāra al-arḍ: to till and turn the soil. Wa-lā tasqī al-ḥarth: nor to water the cropland — i.e., not used for irrigation. Musallamatun: perfect in all her limbs and parts, with no blemish. Lā shiyata fīhā: no markings, no trace of another colour — shiya: a distinguishing mark. Qālū al-āna jiʾta bi'l-ḥaqq: they said: "Now you have brought the truth" — now, after all this elaboration, they were finally satisfied. Al-āna: at this moment — the definite article here is for presence. Fa-dhabaḥūhā: and they slaughtered it. Wa-mā kādū yafʿalūn: and they almost did not do it — they came very close to not carrying out the command at all.

Translation (verse 71): "(Mūsā) said: 'He says it is a cow not broken to plough the earth nor to water the fields — wholesome, with no marking upon it.' They said: 'Now you have brought the truth!' And so they slaughtered it — though they barely brought themselves to do it."

O people! The Children of Israel exhausted themselves with questions and objections and then slaughtered what it took so much effort to find. As for the Muslims who follow the way of the Prophetﷺ(rāshidūn) — their work is simply to obey. Patience, faithfulness, and prudence are what is needed. Their factionalism is neither guidance nor direction — this quarrelling has brought about the ruination of the Muslim community, has damaged their work and their dignity. From within Muslims there are some who are sincere and direct (khalīṣ al-nafs), some who are pretenders — yet none have leadership over the rest. Everyone proclaims himself an imām yet none follow any rightly-guided leadership. This rivalry has destroyed the Muslims' condition, ruined their work, and caused immense harm. Many are well-versed in the Quran but make a mockery of it; they are on a knife-edge. Some have no desire for understanding — only titles matter. There is no real acquaintance with the foundations (uṣūl), no grounding in the transmitted sciences — "well-known scholar" is a title bestowed without substance.

(Continues in the next section)

[al-Baqara 2:72 begins:]

وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا فَادَّارَأْتُمْ فِيهَا وَاللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ

Wa-idh qataltum nafsan fa-ddāraʾtum fīhā wa-Allāhu mukhrijun mā kuntum taktumūn.

"And (remember) when you killed a person and disputed about it — and Allāh was to bring forth what you were concealing." (al-Baqara 2:72)

Translation (verse 72): "(And remember) when you killed a man and disputed about the matter among yourselves — but Allāh was going to bring to light what you were concealing."

[This verse and its tafsīr continue in the next section.]

Sūrat al-Baqara — Juzʾ 1 (Alif Lām Mīm)

Al-Baqara 2:72 — The Striking with the Cow (Continued)

Commentary (continued): O friends! What is the purpose of this? To bring murderers to book — through death, through witnesses, through oaths — and to prevent all manner of crime and oppression. The noble advocate renders brilliant service: he reduces the powerful to their proper size, demonstrates the full excellence of his argument, and resolves disputes among contending parties so that no one imagines he can extract a bribe from the judge. He it is who takes up the cause of the weak.

In the Qurʾān:﴿وَلَا تَكُن لِّلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا﴾Wa-lā takun lil-khāʾinīna khaṣīmā — "And do not be an advocate for the treacherous" (al-Nisāʾ 4:105); and﴿وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ﴾Wa-man lam yaḥkum bi-mā anzala-llāhu fa-ulāʾika humu-ẓ-ẓālimūn — "And whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down — those are the wrongdoers" (al-Māʾida 5:45).

Translation of the verse: Strike him (the dead man) with a part of it (the slaughtered cow). Thus does Allah give life to the dead, and He shows you His signs that you may reason.

(The commentary narrates the full account:) In the time of Mūsā (upon him be peace), a man from the Banū Isrāʾīl was killed. His killer was related to him, and wished to conceal the identity of the murderer while pointing blame elsewhere. The matter of the cow arose. The Banū Isrāʾīl asked repeatedly: what sort is she? What is her colour? One question led to another, each adding burden upon burden. Had they simply slaughtered any cow, the matter would have been resolved — but they made it difficult upon themselves, and it was made difficult for them. The dead man was struck with a piece of the cow and spoke, naming his murderer, before dying again.

Three lessons are drawn:

1. This miracle demonstrates Allah's power over life and death — showing signs to those who reflect. 2. Excessive questioning complicates what is simple. Multiplying inquiries when a matter is clear invites hardship upon oneself. 3. Self-reliance and self-correction are virtues.

As for the materialists (dahriyya) and those who deny extraordinary events: they are opposed to this occurrence as they are to all miracles. But every part of creation testifies to the power of God. Let every intelligent person reflect: is not the appearance of signs, from the commands of the Almighty, more wondrous than what they deny?

Al-Baqara 2:74 — Hearts Harder than Stone

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً

Thumma qasat qulūbukum min baʿdi dhālika fa-hiya ka-l-ḥijārati aw ashaddu qaswatan.

"Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder in hardness." (al-Baqara 2:74)

Lexical notes: Qasat (ثfrom qasā — they became hard, obdurate). Qulūbukum — your hearts. Min baʿdi dhālika — after all that; even after witnessing such events. Fa-hiya — so they (the hearts). Ka-l-ḥijāra — like stone, extremely hard. Aw ashaddu qaswatan — or harder still in hardness; more obdurate than rock. Wa-inna mina-l-ḥijārati — and indeed, among the stones. La-mā yatafajjaru minhu-l-anhār — some split open and rivers gush forth. Wa-inna minhā — and among them are those that split open and water comes out. Min khashyati-llāh — out of awe of Allah. Wa-mā-llāhu bi-ghāfilin ʿammā taʿmalūn — and Allah is not heedless of what you do.

Translation: Then even after all of that your hearts became hardened — they are like stones, or even harder. For among stones there are those from which rivers burst forth; and among them are those that crack open and water pours out; and among them are those that fall down from awe of Allah. And Allah is not heedless of what you do.

Commentary: O friends! Our master the Prophet Muḥammadﷺurged the Jews to soften their hearts. The Qurʾān likened their hearts to stone — harder, in fact, than stone. Should you not examine your own hearts and ask: are they any better than the hearts of those Jews? Hearts should carry the fear of God, should be moved by feeling, should be alive.

The Jews of Medina in the Prophet's era lived with ease — they ate abundantly, they were comfortable in their states, they conducted commerce — yet so proud were they in their arrogance that they thought themselves above every scruple. O brothers! How is your heart towards these luxuries? Is it, too, ka-l-ḥijāra aw ashaddu qaswatan — "like stone, or harder"?

Compare your own hearts: in luxury you compete; in racing and sport you vie; in rivalry with kinsmen you exhaust yourselves. Ask yourself: does your heart fear the hour of reckoning? Is it alive with devotion?

Al-Baqara 2:75 — Do You Expect Them to Believe?

أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

Afa-taṭmaʿūna an yuʾminū lakum wa-qad kāna farīqun minhum yasmaʿūna kalāma-llāhi thumma yuḥarrifūnahu min baʿdi mā ʿaqalūhu wa-hum yaʿlamūn.

"Do you then hope that they will believe in you, while a group of them used to hear the word of Allah, and then distort it after they had understood it — and they know?" (al-Baqara 2:75)

Lexical notes: Afa-taṭmaʿūna — do you hope? Do you aspire? (The afa- is for rebuke.) An yuʾminū — that they will believe. Lakum — for you, in your favour. Wa-qad kāna — while there was indeed. Farīqun minhum — a group among them. Yasmaʿūna kalāma-llāhi — who would hear the word of Allah. Thumma yuḥarrifūnahu — then they would distort it, alter it, misinterpret it — taḥrīf, false interpretation. Min baʿdi mā ʿaqalūhu — after having understood, comprehended it. Wa-hum yaʿlamūn — and they well know.

Translation: Do you then hope that they will believe you, while a party among them would hear the word of Allah and then wilfully distort it after understanding it — and they know what they do?

Commentary: Among the Jews there was a faction that would hear the word of Allah, yet deliberately alter it, misrepresent it, give it false interpretation, and all the while make a great show of learning and scholarship.

Al-Baqara 2:76–77 — Meeting the Believers and Private Counsel

وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ قَالُوا أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُم بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَاجُّوكُم بِهِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ

Wa-idhā laqū-lladhīna āmanū qālū āmannā wa-idhā khalā baʿḍuhum ilā baʿḍin qālū a-tuḥaddithūnahum bi-mā fataḥa-llāhu ʿalaykum li-yuḥājjūkum bihi ʿinda rabbikum.

"And when they met those who believed, they said: 'We believe.' But when they were alone with one another, they said: 'Do you tell them what Allah has disclosed to you so that they might use it as an argument against you before your Lord?'" (al-Baqara 2:76)

Lexical notes: Wa-idhā laqū — and when they met. Al-ladhīna āmanū — the believers. Qālū āmannā — they said: we have believed. Wa-idhā khalā baʿḍuhum ilā baʿḍin — but when some of them withdrew privately with others. Qālū — they said. A-tuḥaddithūnahum — do you tell them, relate to them. Bi-mā fataḥa-llāhu ʿalaykum — what Allah has opened to you, made clear to you, caused you to know. Li-yuḥājjūkum bihi — so that they may argue against you with it, use it as evidence. ʿInda rabbikum — before your Lord. A-fa-lā taʿqilūn — do you not reason?

Translation: And when they met the believers, they said: "We believe." But when they met one another in private, they said: "Do you tell them what Allah has revealed to you, so that they may use it as argument against you before your Lord? Do you have no sense?"

Commentary: These (hypocritical Jews) — when they met the Muslims they declared belief; but when they gathered privately among themselves, they said: "Why do you disclose to the Muslims what Allah has informed you of? They will use it to refute you before Allah!"

Al-Baqara 2:77

أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

A-wa-lā yaʿlamūna anna-llāha yaʿlamu mā yusirrūna wa-mā yuʿlinūn.

"Do they not know that Allah knows what they conceal and what they disclose?" (al-Baqara 2:77)

Lexical notes: A-wa-lā yaʿlamūna — do they not know? Anna-llāha yaʿlamu — that Allah knows. Mā yusirrūna — what they conceal. Wa-mā yuʿlinūna — and what they make known.

Translation: Do they not know that Allah is aware of what they hide and what they reveal?

Al-Baqara 2:78 — The Unlettered among Them

وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا أَمَانِيَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

Wa-minhum ummiyyūna lā yaʿlamūna-l-kitāba illā amāniyya wa-in hum illā yaẓunnūn.

"And among them are the unlettered who know nothing of the Scripture except wishful thinking, and they only conjecture." (al-Baqara 2:78)

Lexical notes: Ummiyyūna — the unlettered (ummī is one who remains in his original state, knowing neither reading nor writing, as he was born from his mother). Lā yaʿlamūna-l-kitāba — they do not know the Book (the Scripture of Allah). Illā amāniyya — save mere wishful fancies, vague hopes, invented stories. Wa-in hum illā yaẓunnūn — and they do nothing but conjecture; they have no firm grounding.

Translation: Among them are the unlettered who have no knowledge of the Scripture save wishful thinking, and they do nothing but conjecture.

Commentary: Among them are also those who cannot read — people who know nothing of the Book. In their hands are only inherited superstitions and vague notions. In their minds: fantasies. [reconstructed]

Al-Baqara 2:79 — Woe to Those Who Write the Book with Their Own Hands

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَـٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا

Fa-waylun lil-ladhīna yaktubūna-l-kitāba bi-aydīhim thumma yaqūlūna hādhā min ʿindi-llāhi li-yashtarū bihi thamanan qalīlan.

"So woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands and then say: 'This is from Allah,' in order to exchange it for a small price." (al-Baqara 2:79)

Lexical notes: Fawaylun — woe, destruction, misery. Lil-ladhīna yaktubūna — to those who write. Bi-aydīhim — with their own hands. Thumma yaqūlūna — then they say. Hādhā min ʿindi-llāhi — this is from Allah. Li-yashtarū bihi thamanan qalīlan — to sell it for a trifling price, a small worldly gain. Fa-waylun lahum mimmā katabat aydīhim — woe to them for what their hands have written. Wa-waylun lahum mimmā yaksibūn — and woe to them for what they earn.

Translation: Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, then claim it is from Allah, in order to gain a paltry worldly price thereby — woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.

Al-Baqara 2:80 — Fire Will Not Touch Us Except for a Few Days

وَقَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً

Wa-qālū lan tamassanā-n-nāru illā ayyāman maʿdūdatan.

"And they said: 'The Fire will never touch us except for a numbered few days.'" (al-Baqara 2:80)

Lexical notes: Lan tamassanā — it will never touch us (denial through wishful thinking). Al-nāru — the Fire. Illā ayyāman maʿdūdatan — except for a few numbered days. A-ttakhadhtum ʿinda-llāhi ʿahdan — did you take a covenant with Allah? Fa-lan yukhlifa-llāhu ʿahdahu — then Allah will not break His covenant. Am taqūlūna ʿalā-llāhi mā lā taʿlamūn — or do you say about Allah what you do not know?

(Here the Abū Dāwūd tradition is referenced.) Say to them: do you not fear? You claim to have taken a covenant from Allah, but Allah's covenant does not break — so you are the ones who break it. Do you attribute to Allah things you do not know?

Translation: And they said: "The Fire will not touch us except for a few numbered days." Say: "Have you taken a covenant from Allah? For Allah does not break His covenant. Or do you attribute to Allah what you do not know?"

Al-Baqara 2:81–82

بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Balā man kasaba sayyiʾatan wa-aḥāṭat bihi khaṭīʾatuhu fa-ulāʾika aṣḥābu-n-nāri hum fīhā khālidūn.

"Nay! Whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him — those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein." (al-Baqara 2:81)

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Wa-lladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū-ṣ-ṣāliḥāti ulāʾika aṣḥābu-l-jannati hum fīhā khālidūn.

"And those who believe and do righteous deeds — those are the companions of the Garden; they will abide therein." (al-Baqara 2:82)

Translation: Nay! Whoever earns evil and his wrongdoing has encircled him — those are the people of the Fire, and they shall abide therein. And those who believe and do righteous deeds — those are the people of the Garden, and they shall abide therein.

Commentary: From these verses the following matters become clear:

1. Being of noble lineage does not avail a person if his deeds are corrupt. 2. The enemies of Allah also honour the highborn — yet for the wrong reasons. 3. The greatness of a saint (walī) is destroyed if he is accompanied by corruption. 4. Acquiring the good pleasure of worldly powers through flattery and servility is the work of those destined for Hell. 5. By contrast, the believer who performs righteous deeds shall abide in Paradise.

Al-Baqara 2:83 — The Covenant with the Children of Israel

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ

Wa-idh akhadhnā mīthāqa Banī Isrāʾīla lā taʿbudūna illā-llāha wa-bi-l-wālidayni iḥsānan wa-dhī-l-qurbā wa-l-yatāmā wa-l-masākīni wa-qūlū li-n-nāsi ḥusnan wa-aqīmū-ṣ-ṣalāta wa-ātū-z-zakāta.

"And when We took the covenant of the Children of Israel: worship none but Allah; be good to parents, to relatives, to orphans, and to the poor; speak kindly to people; establish prayer; and give zakāt (purifying alms)." (al-Baqara 2:83)

Lexical notes: Wa-idh akhadhnā — and when We took. Mīthāqa Banī Isrāʾīla — the solemn covenant (mīthāq) of the Children of Israel. Lā taʿbudūna illā-llāha — worship none but Allah (the negation here carries the force of a command: "you shall not worship any but Allah"). Bi-l-wālidayni iḥsānan — be excellent (iḥsān) towards parents. Wa-dhī-l-qurbā — and to those of kin. Wa-l-yatāmā — and orphans. Wa-l-masākīn — and the destitute: those who cannot find sufficiency through work and own nothing to preserve themselves. Wa-qūlū li-n-nāsi ḥusnan — and speak to people with good speech: counsel, admonition, fine words. Wa-aqīmū-ṣ-ṣalāta — and establish prayer, perform it properly with full observance of its pillars and conditions. Wa-ātū-z-zakāta — and give zakāt (the purifying alms). Thumma tawallaytum — then you turned away. Illā qalīlan minkum — except for a few among you. Wa-antum muʿriḍūn — and you were heedless, turning away.

Translation: And when We took the solemn covenant of the Children of Israel — worship none but Allah; be excellent to parents, to kinsmen, to orphans, and to the destitute; speak kindly to people; establish prayer; and give zakāt — yet you turned away, save for a few, while you were averted.

Al-Baqara 2:84 — Covenant Not to Shed Blood or Expel One Another

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ

Wa-idh akhadhnā mīthāqakum lā tasfikūna dimāʾakum wa-lā tukhrijūna anfusakum min diyārikum thumma aqrartum wa-antum tashhadūn.

"And when We took your covenant: you shall not shed one another's blood, nor expel one another from your homes — then you acknowledged it, and you yourselves were witnesses." (al-Baqara 2:84)

Lexical notes: Lā tasfikūna dimāʾakum — you shall not shed your blood (to shed the blood of one's own people is tantamount to shedding one's own blood). Wa-lā tukhrijūna anfusakum — nor shall you drive out your own people. Min diyārikum — from your homes, your dwellings. Thumma aqrartum — then you acknowledged it, gave your word. Wa-antum tashhadūn — and you were witnesses to it.

Translation: And when We took your covenant: you shall not shed one another's blood, nor drive one another from your homes — yet you acknowledged this, and you yourselves were witnesses.

Al-Baqara 2:85 — Do You Believe in Part of the Scripture?

(The verse addresses those who killed their own people and expelled a faction from their homes — assisting their enemies against them in sin and aggression — yet when those same people came as captives, they ransomed them. To do so was indeed required by their Scripture, yet they had just committed the greater crime of expelling them.)

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ

A-fa-tuʾminūna bi-baʿḍi-l-kitābi wa-takfurūna bi-baʿḍin.

"Do you then believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in another part?" (al-Baqara 2:85)

Translation: Then you, people, kill your own — driving a faction from their homes, assisting against them in sin and transgression — yet when they come to you as captives you ransom them, though expelling them in the first place was forbidden to you. Do you then believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in another? What then is the recompense of those among you who do this, but disgrace in this worldly life? And on the Day of Resurrection they shall be returned to the most severe punishment. And Allah is not heedless of what you do.

Commentary: Those are the ones who have purchased the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter — so their punishment shall not be lightened, nor shall they be aided.

Commentary (continued): O friends! For what is the world's attraction worth? Mutual boasting? Belittling others? Lording over them and dominating them? Where is the covenant with Allah? Where is the Book of Allah? For the sake of a fleeting dunya, the Hereafter has been cast aside. What is Allah's verdict? Disgrace in this world and the most severe punishment in the Hereafter. In this world: abasement; in the Hereafter: crushing torment.

Al-Baqara 2:86 — Those Who Purchase the Life of This World at the Price of the Hereafter

أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْآخِرَةِ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

Ulāʾika-lladhīna ishtarawu-l-ḥayāta-d-dunyā bi-l-ākhirati fa-lā yukhaffafu ʿanhumu-l-ʿadhābu wa-lā hum yunṣarūn.

"Those are the ones who have bought the life of this world in exchange for the Hereafter — so their punishment shall not be lightened, nor shall they be helped." (al-Baqara 2:86)

Al-Baqara 2:87 — Moses and Jesus (upon them be peace)

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَقَفَّيْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ بِالرُّسُلِ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ

Wa-la-qad ātaynā Mūsā-l-kitāba wa-qaffaynā min baʿdihi bi-r-rusuli wa-ātaynā ʿĪsā ibna Maryama-l-bayyināti wa-ayyadnāhu bi-rūḥi-l-qudusi.

"And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture and sent after him a succession of Messengers, and We gave Jesus son of Mary clear proofs, and We supported him with the Holy Spirit." (al-Baqara 2:87)

Lexical notes: Wa-la-qad ātaynā — We indeed gave. Mūsā-l-kitāba — Moses the Scripture (the Torah). Wa-qaffaynā — We sent in succession, one after another. Min baʿdihi bi-r-rusul — after him with the Messengers. ʿĪsā ibna Maryam — Jesus son of Mary (upon him be peace). Al-bayyināt — clear proofs and signs. Rūḥ al-qudus — the Holy Spirit; rūḥ has several meanings: life, breath, angel, or that which brings joy; al-qudus derives from q-d-s (purity, sanctity), thus the "Spirit of Sanctity" — Jibrīl (upon him be peace).

Commentary: Among the Christians there are key elements in their doctrinal system: (1) God (the Father); (2) the Holy Spirit (rūḥ al-qudus); (3) the birth-matter (Mary); and the claim that these three constitute one God. The Ṣūfī perspective is that the Essence (dhāt) alone is the ultimate reality. This is not what Christian theology asserts. The concept of the aʿyān thābita (fixed archetypes in divine knowledge) and other Sūfī metaphysical doctrines belong to a separate discussion — do not confuse them with Christian Trinity theology, which is outright shirk (associating partners with Allah).

Translation: And We gave Moses the Scripture and sent Messengers after him in succession; and We gave Jesus son of Mary clear signs and supported him with the Holy Spirit. Then, every time a Messenger came to you with something your souls did not desire, you grew arrogant — some you rejected as liars and some you slew.

Al-Baqara 2:88 — "Our Hearts Are Sealed"

وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلًا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

Wa-qālū qulūbunā ghulfun bal laʿanahumu-llāhu bi-kufrihim fa-qalīlan mā yuʾminūn.

"And they said: 'Our hearts are sealed.' Nay! Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little do they believe." (al-Baqara 2:88)

Lexical notes: Qulūbunā ghulfun — our hearts are encased, wrapped (in coverings that prevent the entry of new knowledge — they use this as an excuse for their rejection). Bal laʿanahumu-llāhu — nay! Allah has cursed them. Laʿanahum — He has expelled them from His mercy, cast them far from His grace. Bi-kufrihim — on account of their disbelief. Fa-qalīlan mā yuʾminūn — so they believe but very little (mā is for emphasis: they barely believe at all).

Translation: And they said: "Our hearts are wrapped (impervious to your message)." Nay! Allah has cursed them for their disbelief — so little is their faith.

Al-Baqara 2:89 — The Scripture That Confirms What They Have

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

Wa-lammā jāʾahum kitābun min ʿindi-llāhi muṣaddiqun li-mā maʿahum wa-kānū min qablu yastaftiḥūna ʿalā-lladhīna kafarū fa-lammā jāʾahum mā ʿarafū kafarū bihi fa-laʿnatu-llāhi ʿalā-l-kāfirīn.

"And when a Scripture came to them from Allah confirming what was with them — and before that they used to seek victory against those who disbelieved — yet when there came to them what they recognized, they disbelieved in it. So the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers." (al-Baqara 2:89)

Translation: And when the Scripture came to them from Allah — confirming what they already possessed, and they had formerly invoked it (prayed for victory using it) against the unbelievers — when that very thing they recognised arrived, they rejected it. So the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers.

Commentary: O friends! This rejection is not ignorance — it is wilful, deliberate disbelief. The Jews had awaited the last Prophet and knew his signs from their own scriptures. Their worldly interests — their positions, their wealth, their tribal prestige — stood in the way. They had long prayed for victory over the Arab idolaters through the coming of the Prophet. When he came from the Arabs rather than from their own lineage, resentment and envy took hold.

The Jews of Medina — Banū Qaynuqāʿ, Banū Naḍīr, Banū Qurayẓa, and others — had for generations said to the Arab idolaters: "The time of the last Prophet is near; when he comes we shall triumph over you." As narrated in the traditions, one elderly Jewish scholar had said: "A Prophet is about to appear; his time is near — he will overcome the unbelievers." When the companions later reminded him after the Prophet'sﷺarrival, he turned away in shame, saying: "His lineage is not what I expected." Yet the book of Isaiah (chapter 60, verse 1 and following) contains in clear terms:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of your Lord has risen upon you! Darkness has covered the earth, but upon you the Lord's glory rises. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Raise your eyes and look around — all will gather and come to you. Your heart shall overflow; the wealth of nations shall come to you, for the multitude of the sea shall turn to you..."

Commentary (continued): And the book of Isaiah further describes the coming of the final Prophet with signs that correspond to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺin striking detail. The camels and young dromedaries of the Arabs, the gold and incense they bring — these are descriptions of the Arab nation coming in devotion.

In the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus (upon him be peace) tells his disciples: "It is for your benefit that I depart — for if I do not depart, the Advocate (Fāraqlīṭ — the Paraclete) will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement. Concerning sin — because they do not believe in me. Concerning righteousness — because I go to the Father, and you see me no more. Concerning judgement — because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth... he will show you things to come."

These prophecies — in Isaiah and in John — point unmistakably to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ. The Jews recognised this, yet turned away on account of jealousy and attachment to lineage and worldly standing.

Al-Baqara 2:90 — How Evil Is That for Which They Sold Their Souls

بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بَغْيًا أَن يُنَزِّلَ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ فَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ عَلَىٰ غَضَبٍ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

Biʾsama-shtaraw bihi anfusahum an yakfurū bi-mā anzala-llāhu baghyan an yunazzila-llāhu min faḍlihi ʿalā man yashāʾu min ʿibādihi fa-bāʾū bi-ghaḍabin ʿalā ghaḍabin wa-li-l-kāfirīna ʿadhābun muhīn.

"How evil is that for which they sold their souls: that they should disbelieve in what Allah has sent down out of jealousy that Allah would send down of His favour upon whom He wills of His servants. So they acquired wrath upon wrath, and for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment." (al-Baqara 2:90)

Lexical notes: Biʾsama — how evil is it! Baghyan — out of envy, spite, insolence. An yunazzila-llāhu min faḍlihi — that Allah sends down of His grace. ʿAlā man yashāʾu min ʿibādihi — upon whom He wills among His servants. Bāʾū — they returned laden with. Ghaḍabin ʿalā ghaḍabin — wrath upon wrath (one wrath for their treatment of Jesus [upon him be peace], another for their rejection of Muḥammadﷺ). ʿAdhābun muhīn — a humiliating, debasing punishment.

Translation: How wretched is that for which they have sold their souls! — that they should reject what Allah has sent down, out of envy that Allah would send down His grace upon whomever He wills among His servants. They have thus incurred wrath upon wrath, and a humiliating punishment awaits the disbelievers.

Al-Baqara 2:91 — We Believe Only in What Was Sent Down to Us

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا نُؤْمِنُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَاءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

Wa-idhā qīla lahum āminū bi-mā anzala-llāhu qālū nuʾminu bi-mā unzila ʿalaynā wa-yakfurūna bi-mā warāʾahu wa-huwa-l-ḥaqqu muṣaddiqan li-mā maʿahum qul fa-lima taqtulūna anbiyāʾa-llāhi min qablu in kuntum muʾminīn.

"And when it is said to them: 'Believe in what Allah has sent down,' they say: 'We believe in what was sent down to us.' They disbelieve in what is beyond it, though it is the truth confirming what they have. Say: 'Then why did you kill the prophets of Allah before, if you were believers?'" (al-Baqara 2:91)

Translation: And when it is said to them: "Believe in what Allah has sent down," they say: "We believe in what was sent down to us." They reject everything beyond that — even though it is the truth, confirming what is with them. Say: "Why then did you slay the prophets of Allah in times past, if you were believers?"

Al-Baqara 2:92 — Moses Came to You with Clear Signs

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكُم مُّوسَىٰ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

Wa-la-qad jāʾakum Mūsā bi-l-bayyināti thumma-ttakhadhtumu-l-ʿijla min baʿdihi wa-antum ẓālimūn.

"And Moses had certainly come to you with clear proofs, but then you took the calf after him, and you were wrongdoers." (al-Baqara 2:92)

Translation: Moses came to you with clear signs and miracles, yet after him you took the golden calf (as a god), and you were wrongdoers in doing so.

Al-Baqara 2:93 — We Hear and We Disobey

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاسْمَعُوا قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ

Wa-idh akhadhnā mīthāqakum wa-rafaʿnā fawqakumu-ṭ-ṭūra khudhū mā ātaynākum bi-quwwatin wa-smaʿū qālū samiʿnā wa-ʿaṣaynā wa-ushribū fī qulūbihimu-l-ʿijla bi-kufrihim.

"And when We took your covenant and raised the Mount above you: 'Take what We have given you with firmness and listen.' They said: 'We hear and we disobey,' and their hearts were soaked with the love of the calf on account of their disbelief." (al-Baqara 2:93)

Lexical notes: Wa-rafaʿnā fawqakumu-ṭ-ṭūr — We raised the Mount (Sinai) above you (as a canopy held aloft to compel acceptance of the Torah). Khudhū mā ātaynākum bi-quwwatin — take what We have given you with strength, resolution, and commitment. Wa-smaʿū — and listen (to its commandments). Samiʿnā wa-ʿaṣaynā — we hear but we disobey (spoken with their tongues while their hearts inclined to the calf). Wa-ushribū fī qulūbihimu-l-ʿijla — the love of the calf was poured into their hearts like drink (because of their disbelief — kufr). Qul biʾsmā yaʾmurukum bihi īmānukum — say: what a vile thing your faith commands you if you are believers!

Translation: And when We took your covenant and raised the Mount above you: "Take what We have given you with determination, and hearken." They said: "We hear and we disobey," and the love of the calf was drunk deep into their hearts because of their disbelief. Say: "How evil is what your faith commands you — if you be believers!"

Al-Baqara 2:94 — If the Abode of the Hereafter Is Yours Alone

قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ عِندَ اللَّهِ خَالِصَةً مِّن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Qul in kānat lakumu-d-dāru-l-ākhiratu ʿinda-llāhi khāliṣatan min dūni-n-nāsi fa-tamannawu-l-mawta in kuntum ṣādiqīn.

"Say: 'If the abode of the Hereafter with Allah is exclusively yours and not for other people, then wish for death, if you are truthful.'" (al-Baqara 2:94)

Lexical notes: Khāliṣatan — exclusively, purely yours, without sharing. Min dūni-n-nās — to the exclusion of all other people. Fa-tamannawu-l-mawt — then wish for death (as an earnest of your conviction). In kuntum ṣādiqīn — if you are truthful (this is the condition — they will never wish for it because of what their hands have sent forward).

Translation: Say: "If the abode of the Hereafter with Allah is yours exclusively — to the exclusion of all mankind — then wish for death if you are truthful."

Al-Baqara 2:95 — They Will Never Wish for It

وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ

Wa-lan yatamannawhu abadan bi-mā qaddamat aydīhim wa-llāhu ʿalīmun bi-ẓ-ẓālimīn.

"But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers." (al-Baqara 2:95)

Translation: They will never wish for it — never — because of what their own hands have sent before them. And Allah is fully aware of the wrongdoers.

Al-Baqara 2:96 — The Most Eager for Life

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

Wa-la-tajidannahum aḥraṣa-n-nāsi ʿalā ḥayātin wa-mina-lladhīna ashrakū yawaddu aḥaduhum law yuʿammara alfa sanatin wa-mā huwa bi-muzaḥziḥihi mina-l-ʿadhābi an yuʿammara wa-llāhu baṣīrun bi-mā yaʿmalūn.

"And you will surely find them the most eager of people for life — and even more than those who associate partners with Allah. One of them wishes he could be granted a life of a thousand years, but this prolonged life would not distance him from the punishment at all. And Allah is Seeing of what they do." (al-Baqara 2:96)

Translation: You shall most certainly find them the most covetous of all people for life — even more so than the idolaters. Each of them would love to be given a lifespan of a thousand years, yet even such a vast age would not remove him one step from the punishment. And Allah sees everything they do.

Commentary: O friends! Among the Children of Israel, a golden calf was enshrined in their hearts — and in your hearts, too, are the golden calves of worldly attachment, the fear of chieftains, the dread of the powerful. Yet every man born must one day die, and must stand in the court of the Almighty. The one who loves Allah and is free of the world's grip says:«الموت جسر يوصل الحبيب إلى الحبيب»— Al-mawtu jisrun yuwaṣṣilu-l-ḥabība ilā-l-ḥabīb — "Death is a bridge that brings the beloved to the Beloved." The sign of love for Allah is that His remembrance is sweet upon the tongue; their deeds have brought them nothing but the worst punishment. Make repentance — Tūbū ilā-llāhi jamīʿan — "Turn to Allah in repentance, all of you" — and find in Paradise the eternal rest and comfort. Intimacy with God is the cure for all ailments, and distance from Him is the source of all distress.

Al-Baqara 2:97 — Whoever Is an Enemy to Jibrīl

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Qul man kāna ʿaduwwan li-Jibrīla fa-innahu nazzalahu ʿalā qalbika bi-idhni-llāhi muṣaddiqan li-mā bayna yadayhi wa-hudan wa-bushrā li-l-muʾminīn.

"Say: 'Whoever is an enemy to Jibrīl — it is he who has brought it (the Qurʾān) down upon your heart by the permission of Allah, confirming what came before it, and a guidance and glad tidings for the believers.'" (al-Baqara 2:97)

Lexical notes: Man kāna ʿaduwwan li-Jibrīl — whoever is hostile to Jibrīl (some Jews claimed Jibrīl was their enemy, as he had revealed dominion to the Arabs rather than to them). Nazzalahu ʿalā qalbika — he brought it down upon your heart (the Qurʾān was given directly to the heart of the Prophetﷺ— the heart is the seat of intelligence and reception of divine illumination). Bi-idhni-llāhi — by the leave of Allah. Muṣaddiqan — confirming, bearing witness to the truth of what preceded. Wa-hudan — guidance. Wa-bushrā — glad tidings, joyful news. Li-l-muʾminīn — for the believers.

Translation: Say: "Whoever is an enemy to Jibrīl — know that it is he who has brought down the Qurʾān upon your heart by Allah's leave, confirming what came before it, a guidance and glad tidings for the believers." As for the Jews, Jibrīl is their adversary — yet it is he who brought this very Book. So their hostility to the Book is, in truth, hostility to themselves.

Al-Baqara 2:98 — Whoever Is an Enemy to Allah and His Angels

مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ

Man kāna ʿaduwwan li-llāhi wa-malāʾikatihi wa-rusulihi wa-Jibrīla wa-Mīkāla fa-inna-llāha ʿaduwwun li-l-kāfirīn.

"Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His Messengers and Jibrīl and Mīkāl — then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers." (al-Baqara 2:98)

Translation: Whoever bears enmity towards Allah and His angels and His Messengers and Jibrīl and Mīkāl — truly, Allah is the enemy of the disbelievers.

Commentary: O friends! Rejoice at having the angels and the Messengers as your friends and beloved ones. Hostility to any element of this — angels, Messengers, Books — is in fact the root of all disbelief. Enmity towards Jibrīl, towards the Messengers, towards their Books — all of this is disbelief, and its consequence is that Allah becomes the enemy. The one who has Allah as his enemy is utterly lost.

Al-Baqara 2:99 — Clear Signs

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ

Wa-la-qad anzalnā ilayka āyātin bayyinātin wa-mā yakfuru bihā illā-l-fāsiqūn.

"And We have certainly sent down to you clear signs, and no one rejects them except the defiantly disobedient." (al-Baqara 2:99)

Translation: We have indeed sent down to you manifest signs, and none denies them save the defiantly disobedient (fāsiqūn).

Al-Baqara 2:100 — Whenever They Made a Covenant

أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُوا عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم

Awa-kullamā ʿāhadū ʿahdan nabadhahu farīqun minhum.

"Is it not so that every time they made a covenant, a party among them cast it aside?" (al-Baqara 2:100)

Translation: And is it not so that every time they made a solemn covenant, a faction among them broke it? Indeed, most of them do not believe.

Al-Baqara 2:101 — When a Messenger Came to Them

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Wa-lammā jāʾahum rasūlun min ʿindi-llāhi muṣaddiqun li-mā maʿahum nabadha farīqun mina-lladhīna ūtu-l-kitāba kitāba-llāhi warāʾa ẓuhūrihim ka-annahum lā yaʿlamūn.

"And when a Messenger came to them from Allah confirming what was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Book of Allah behind their backs, as if they did not know." (al-Baqara 2:101)

Lexical notes: Nabadha — he cast it away, threw it aside. Warāʾa ẓuhūrihim — behind their backs (a strong Arabic idiom for utter abandonment and contempt). Ka-annahum lā yaʿlamūn — as though they did not know (acting in wilful ignorance, pretending not to know).

Translation: And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah confirming what they already possessed, a faction from among those given the Scripture cast the Book of Allah behind their backs, as though they had no knowledge.

Al-Baqara 2:102 — They Followed What the Shayāṭīn Recited

وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ

Wa-ttabaʿū mā tatlu-sh-shayāṭīnu ʿalā mulki Sulaymāna wa-mā kafara Sulaymānu wa-lākinna-sh-shayāṭīna kafarū yuʿallimūna-n-nāsa-s-siḥra wa-mā unzila ʿalā-l-malakayni bi-Bābila Hārūta wa-Mārūt.

"They followed what the shayāṭīn recited during the reign of Sulaymān — and Sulaymān did not disbelieve, but the shayāṭīn disbelieved, teaching people magic and what was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Hārūt and Mārūt." (al-Baqara 2:102)

Lexical notes: Mā tatlu-sh-shayāṭīnu — what the devils would recite, propagate. ʿAlā mulki Sulaymān — concerning the kingdom of Sulaymān (upon him be peace) — they forged and attributed false magical texts to his reign. Wa-mā kafara Sulaymān — and Sulaymān did not disbelieve. Wa-lākinna-sh-shayāṭīna kafarū — but the shayāṭīn disbelieved. Yuʿallimūna-n-nāsa-s-siḥr — they taught people sorcery and witchcraft. Wa-mā unzila ʿalā-l-malakayni — and (they followed) what was sent down upon the two angels. Bi-Bābil — in Babylon — an ancient city of Iraq, in the Chaldean region; it was once the seat of Nebuchadnezzar, who burned the Temple and took the Banū Isrāʾīl captive — it was in his city that the Prophet Dāniyāl (upon him be peace) was held, and from the same city traces the lineage of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khalīl-Allāh (upon him be peace). Hārūta wa-Mārūta — two angelic beings (not literal fallen angels committing wrongdoing; the story of their lust for a woman is a Talmudic interpolation and is rejected as false). Wa-mā yuʿallimāni min aḥadin ḥattā yaqūlā — and they taught no one until they both said: innamā naḥnu fitnatun fa-lā takfur — "We are only a trial — so do not disbelieve." Fa-yataʿallamūna minhuma — so people would learn from them. Mā yufarriqūna bihi bayna-l-marʾi wa-zawjihi — that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. Wa-mā hum bi-ḍārrīna bihi min aḥadin illā bi-idhni-llāh — yet they could harm none thereby except by Allah's leave. Wa-la-qad ʿalimū — and they well know. La-man ishtarāhu mā lahu fi-l-ākhirati min khalāq — that whoever purchases it has no share in the Hereafter. Wa-la-biʾsa mā sharaw bihi anfusahum — and how evil is that for which they have sold themselves. Law kānū yaʿlamūn — if only they had known!

Translation: They followed what the devils would recite during Sulaymān's kingdom — and Sulaymān did not disbelieve; it was the devils who disbelieved, teaching people sorcery; and also what was sent down to the two angels at Babylon, Hārūt and Mārūt. These two would not teach anyone without first saying: "We are merely a trial — so do not disbelieve." Yet people learned from them that by which they could cause separation between a man and his wife. But they could not harm anyone thereby except by Allah's permission. And they learned what harmed them and did not benefit them. And they knew full well that whoever acquired it would have no share in the Hereafter. How evil the thing for which they sold their souls! If only they had known.

Commentary: It was known full well to them that the one who embraces sorcery forfeits his share in the next world. And truly, how vile is the thing they traded their souls for — and, as the Qurʾān says, if only they had realised!

At this juncture, several questions merit scholarly attention:

1. Does real sorcery (siḥr) exist? 2. What is its true nature (ḥaqīqat)? 3. What is the difference between sorcery and karāma (saintly wonder)? 4. Who may practise it? 5. What is the ruling (ḥukm) on sorcery? 6. What is the ruling on the magic of Bābil, Hārūt and Mārūt? 7. Can a prophet be affected by sorcery?

(1) The existence of sorcery: All the works of mysteries and spiritual forces testify to its reality; Allah Himself has reported it. Indeed, there are persons in this day — (the author gives contemporary examples from Hyderabad and surrounding regions in the Deccan, known to the readership) — whose deeds are fully established to those who know, beyond any doubt. Numerous eyewitness reports confirm this. [reconstructed — the OCR of the contemporary examples is too garbled to translate verbatim]

(2) The nature of sorcery: Sorcery is of two types — (a) internal, using a person's own will and psychic force; (b) external, drawing upon other forces. Among the subcategories: using the properties of minerals, engaging the spirits of the dead (arwāḥ), the spirits of animals, the spirits of the departed, and the jinn.

Commentary (continued): Those who work with external spirits align themselves with kindred spirits — they purify themselves, choose appropriate times, places, scents, and incense, seek out resonant locations, and perform animal sacrifice over the names of those spirits. They do not offer such sacrifice in the name of Allah — indeed, this constitutes one of the gravest prohibitions. Some among these go so far as to prostrate to those spirits and call upon them — this is outright shirk.

The ʿāmil (practitioner) who is sincere calls upon Allah alone: Yā Allāh, yā Jabbār, yā Qahhār — "O Allah, O Compeller, O Subduer" — and the divine agents answer and assist in the work. Those who serve other than Allah are devoted to the trifles of this world; they seek to subjugate others to their control, all the while binding themselves to abject servitude to false masters. The sincere practitioner of divine spiritual work, however, uses only lawful names, remains in a state of ritual purity, maintains fasting and prayer, avoids sin, and by the grace of Allah succeeds.

(3) The difference between sorcery and karāma (saintly miracle): Both are extraordinary (khāriq al-ʿāda), but in karāma, the goal is the glorification of Allah and the honouring of the saint. It is in every sense a divine gift — the saint does not act of his own initiative. If Allah commands the saint to act, that action falls under karāma; if the saint acts on his own initiative without divine authorisation, that is istidraj (a gradual leading astray), not karāma.

(4) Who may practise it? Only the believer (muʾmin) of sound ʿaqīda and strong faith. The weak of faith is shaken. Regarding the jinn:«إن عبادي ليس لك عليهم سلطان»— Inna ʿibādī laysa laka ʿalayhim sulṭān — "Over My servants you have no power" (al-Ḥijr 15:42). The shayṭān has no dominion over true believers.

(5) Hārūt and Mārūt: They were two angelic beings (malak-ṣifat) — not fallen lustful humans. The Talmudic story is false. The Prophet's name is pure and blessed — one who slanders him faces a severe reckoning. Numerous authentic traditions record the presence of sorcery in the time of Mūsā (upon him be peace), and there were cases of sorcery used against communities.

Commentary (continued): (A clarification:) Those who confuse Sulaymān (upon him be peace) with the perpetrators of sorcery are in error, because Sulaymān's reign and the age of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon were separated by considerable time.

(6) The ruling on sorcery: Depending on what it involves — if it entails kufr, then practising it is kufr; if it causes death, then it is murder (qatl); if it is used for illicit sexual acts, that constitutes the crime of fornication; if it causes only harm short of death, it still falls under severe prohibition. The law (qānūn) prescribes capital punishment for the one who has practised siḥr involving kufr, or an appropriate taʿzīr (discretionary punishment) for lesser cases.

(7) Can a prophet be affected by sorcery? The answer: a prophet is protected from sorcery having any effect upon his tablīgh (communication of the message) or his dīn (religion); bodily effects may occur in some cases as a test, but these are quickly removed. It is confirmed by multiple narrations that a Jewish woman attempted to use sorcery against the Prophetﷺ, though it had no effect upon his prophethood.

Al-Baqara 2:103 — Had They Believed

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

Wa-law annahum āmanū wa-ttaqaw la-mathūbatun min ʿindi-llāhi khayrun law kānū yaʿlamūn.

"And if they had believed and been conscious of Allah, a reward from Allah would have been far better — if only they had known!" (al-Baqara 2:103)

Translation: Had they but believed and adopted God-consciousness (taqwā), a reward from Allah's presence would have been incomparably better — if only they had known!

Al-Baqara 2:104 — Do Not Say Rāʿinā

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقُولُوا رَاعِنَا وَقُولُوا انظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُوا وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Yā ayyuhā-lladhīna āmanū lā taqūlū rāʿinā wa-qūlū unẓurnā wa-smaʿū wa-li-l-kāfirīna ʿadhābun alīm.

"O you who believe! Do not say rāʿinā but say unẓurnā, and listen. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment." (al-Baqara 2:104)

Lexical notes: Rāʿinā — "attend to us" (an Arabic expression meaning "look after us, be patient with us"), which the Jews would pronounce with a malicious twist (raʿīnā — a term of insult in Hebrew). Allah forbids the believers from using an expression that the Jews twisted into mockery. Unẓurnā — "look upon us, give us your attention" — an equally valid request with no ambiguity. Wa-smaʿū — and listen attentively (with your hearts, not just your ears).

Translation: O you who have believed! Do not say rāʿinā but say unẓurnā, and listen well — for those who disbelieve shall have a painful punishment.

Commentary: Allah Most High instructed the believers to abandon this particular expression because the Jews habitually misused it to insult the Prophetﷺ. Some Muslims, unaware, used it innocently. Allah taught the believers a clearer phrase. This is also a general lesson: avoid expressions that can be misconstrued, especially when speaking of sacred matters. And listen — not merely with the ears but with the full attention of the heart and limbs.

Al-Baqara 2:105 — The Disbelievers Wish No Good for You

مَّا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

Mā yawaddu-lladhīna kafarū min ahli-l-kitābi wa-lā-l-mushrikīna an yunazzala ʿalaykum min khayrin min rabbikum wa-llāhu yakhtaṣṣu bi-raḥmatihi man yashāʾu wa-llāhu dhū-l-faḍli-l-ʿaẓīm.

"Neither those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book nor the polytheists wish that any good should descend upon you from your Lord. But Allah selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of great bounty." (al-Baqara 2:105)

Lexical notes: Mā yawaddu — they do not wish. Min ahli-l-kitāb — from the People of the Book (Jews and Christians). Wa-lā-l-mushrikīna — nor the polytheists (who are even more vehement in their enmity). Yaḵhtaṣṣu bi-raḥmatihi man yashāʾ — He selects for His mercy whom He wills; He reserves His special grace for those He chooses. Dhū-l-faḍli-l-ʿaẓīm — possessor of immense bounty.

Translation: Neither the disbelievers from among the People of the Book nor the polytheists wish that any good should descend upon you from your Lord. But Allah singles out for His mercy whomever He wills, and Allah is the owner of great bounty.

Commentary: O friends! Do not be deceived by the kind words of the disbelievers and polytheists — they do not mean well for you. Be aware, heed them not, obey Allah alone. Build unity among yourselves, create harmony and mutual trust, avoid petty rivalry and contention, hope in Allah's mercy — for He is the owner of immense bounty.

Commentary on Abrogation (Naskh): The following discussion addresses the question of naskh (abrogation — the replacement of one Qurʾānic ruling by another), which arises in connection with the next verse (2:106). Several nuanced points merit attention:

(1) What is a mansūkh (abrogated) ruling? Technically, a ruling that has been superseded by a later divine command because its time or the conditions for which it was given have passed.

(2) The Qurʾān is free of abrogation within itself — in the sense that its lafẓ (wording) and maʿānī (meanings) are fully preserved and protected by Allah. Imām Abū Muslim of Iṣfahān (may Allah have mercy on him) and others held that no Qurʾānic verse can be abrogated by another Qurʾānic verse in the strict doctrinal sense. However, the majority of the ulamāʾ, including Imām Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī (may Allah have mercy on him), accept that certain legal rulings found in some verses were superseded by later verses. The late Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī (may Allah have mercy on him) held a middle position. The author (faqīr) inclines to the view that the Qurʾān contains no truly abrogated verse — its every āya remains fully authoritative.

(3) Types of apparent abrogation:

• Istiṯnāʾ (exception) and takhṣīṣ (specification): when a single individual of a general rule is excluded — this is not naskh per se.
• A ruling given for a limited time that expires with its occasion.
• A ruling given for a particular cause that lapses when the cause lapses.
• A ruling given as a test (ibtilāʾ) — this never abrogates a permanent ruling.

Commentary (continued): The types of legal provisions that can be modified between dispensations (sharāʾiʿ): ceremonial details such as qibla direction, specific penalties, modes of worship, and similar. These may differ between the Sharīʿa of one prophet and another. However, the core principles — the uṣūl al-sharāʾiʿ — are immutable: monotheism, the worship of Allah without shirk, filial piety, the prohibition of murder, the prohibition of adultery, piety, justice, truthfulness, fulfilment of promises, and good character. These have never been abrogated and never will be. The variants across sharāʾiʿ concern the procedural details, such as ḥudūd penalties, qibla direction, methods of worship, and the like.

The author notes that a complete treatise on naskh was compiled by him and published by the Academy in Hyderabad, in which this matter was exhaustively treated.

Al-Baqara 2:106 — Whatever We Abrogate or Cause to Be Forgotten

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Mā nansakh min āyatin aw nunsihā naʾti bi-khayrin minhā aw mithlihā a-lam taʿlam anna-llāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.

"Whatever We abrogate of a verse or cause it to be forgotten, We bring better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?" (al-Baqara 2:106)

Translation: Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be set aside, We bring in its place something better or equally good. Do you not know that Allah is fully capable of all things?

Commentary: O friends! Every day Allah shows you new signs of His power. You are witnesses of the laws of nature (qawānīn ṭabīʿiyya) and the laws of the soul (qawānīn rūḥiyya). His power is inexhaustible. Every moment brings a new manifestation. If you turn towards Him, He turns towards you. If His will resolves to grant you honour, nothing can stand in the way. Turn towards Allah — He will bring you better than what has passed.

Al-Baqara 2:107 — Do You Not Know that Allah Has Sovereignty?

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

A-lam taʿlam anna-llāha lahu mulku-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi wa-mā lakum min dūni-llāhi min waliyyin wa-lā naṣīr.

"Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and that besides Allah you have no protector or helper?" (al-Baqara 2:107)

Translation: Do you not know that the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone? And that besides Allah you have no protector and no helper?

Commentary: O friends! Do not fear the power of the disbelievers, nor rely upon their patronage. All sovereignty and dominion belong to Allah alone — to the One, the Overpowering (al-Wāḥid al-Qahhār). Besides Allah you have no friend, no helper. Be wary of the hypocrites; do not take the disbelievers as intimates and confidants. True friendship is only with the believers. Those who fill their hearts with love of the unbelievers are in truth in their inner circle. Such people must be carefully avoided.

Al-Baqara 2:108 — Do You Wish to Question Your Messenger?

أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْأَلُوا رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ

Am turīdūna an tasʾalū rasūlakum kamā suʾila Mūsā min qablu wa-man yatabaddali-l-kufra bi-l-īmāni fa-qad ḍalla sawāʾa-s-sabīl.

"Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the right way." (al-Baqara 2:108)

Translation: Or do you wish to put demands on your Messenger as Moses was once interrogated? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has verily gone astray from the even road.

Commentary: O friends! Abstain from asking your scholars unnecessary and troublesome questions; hold to the broad outlines of īmān (īmān ijmālī), and you will find safety and success. Those who busy themselves with trivial theological disputations often lose the spirit of faith entirely. The straight path is simple and clear.

Al-Baqara 2:109 — Many of the People of the Book Wish

وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّن بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِمْ فَاعْفُوا وَاصْفَحُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ

Wadda kathīrun min ahli-l-kitābi law yaruddūnakum min baʿdi īmānikum kuffāran ḥasadan min ʿindi anfusihim fa-ʿfū wa-ṣfaḥū ḥattā yaʾtiya-llāhu bi-amrih.

"Many of the People of the Book wish they could turn you back to disbelief after your belief, out of envy from their own souls. But pardon and overlook until Allah delivers His command." (al-Baqara 2:109)

Lexical notes: Wadda kathīrun — many have desired. Law yaruddūnakum — that they could turn you back. Min baʿdi īmānikum kuffāran — from your faith into disbelief. Ḥasadan — out of sheer envy (ḥasad — malicious jealousy, the desire that another's blessing be removed). Min ʿindi anfusihim — arising from their own selves — no external provocation, simply inner malice. Fa-ʿfū — so pardon. Wa-ṣfaḥū — and overlook. Ḥattā yaʾtiya-llāhu bi-amrihi — until Allah brings His command (the command of the sword — i.e., the permission to fight — came later).

Translation: Many of the People of the Book desire to turn you away from your faith, back to disbelief, out of envy that springs from their own souls — even after the truth has been made clear to them. So forgive and overlook — until Allah brings His command. Truly, Allah is over all things Powerful.

Commentary: The historical context: this verse refers to the period before the permission to wage war was given. The believers were instructed to be patient with the hostility of the People of the Book. You — O believers — should know your religion, acquaint yourself with it thoroughly. When you are fully grounded, their doubts and provocations leave them speechless in debate. The excellence of Islam's teachings is its own proof.

Al-Baqara 2:110 — Establish Prayer and Give Zakāt

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

Wa-aqīmū-ṣ-ṣalāta wa-ātū-z-zakāta wa-mā tuqaddimū li-anfusikum min khayrin tajidūhu ʿinda-llāhi inna-llāha bi-mā taʿmalūna baṣīr.

"Establish prayer and give zakāt, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves — you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of what you do." (al-Baqara 2:110)

Translation: Establish the prayer and give the zakāt, and whatever good you send ahead for yourselves, you will find it with Allah. Allah is all-Seeing of what you do.

Commentary: O friends! Neglecting prayer deprives you of inner peace (iṭmīnān al-qalb) in this world and in the next. Without ṣalāt and zakāt, the whole community suffers morally and economically. Allah Most High has repeatedly and emphatically commanded these two obligations. Nothing of your deeds will be lost — all is preserved with Allah. He knows and sees all. Perform your prayers — go to His court; then He will come to your aid. If His will inclines to honour you, He will honour you without limit.

Al-Baqara 2:111 — None Shall Enter Paradise

وَقَالُوا لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Wa-qālū lan yadkhula-l-jannata illā man kāna hūdan aw naṣārā tilka amāniyyuhum qul hātū burhānakum in kuntum ṣādiqīn.

"And they said: 'None shall enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian.' That is their wishful thinking. Say: 'Produce your proof, if you are truthful.'" (al-Baqara 2:111)

Lexical notes: Tilka amāniyyuhum — that is merely their wishful thinking, their fantasy. Hātū burhānakum — bring your proof. Burhān: clear, decisive proof.

Translation: And they claim: "None shall enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian." These are their vain wishes. Say: "Bring forth your evidence, if you are truthful."

Commentary: O friends! Such are the sectarian fantasies of those who have abandoned the truth. They declare their religion the exclusive path to salvation — yet their religion itself has lost its authentic form. The Torah and the Gospels in their present state have been distorted (muḥarraf); their religious laws have collapsed; their spiritual content has evaporated. What authentic title do they have to make such exclusive claims? Know your own religion and its proofs — when you do, and a serious interlocutor comes to debate, they find themselves silenced.

The truth of Islam is the one universal truth, valid for all times and peoples.

Al-Baqara 2:112 — Whoever Submits His Face to Allah

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Balā man aslama wajhahu li-llāhi wa-huwa muḥsinun fa-lahu ajruhu ʿinda rabbihi wa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn.

"Nay! Whoever submits his face to Allah while being a doer of good — his reward is with his Lord. And no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve." (al-Baqara 2:112)

Lexical notes: Aslama wajhahu — surrendered his face (i.e., his entire being, his will, his self — wajh representing the self in Arabic idiom). Muḥsin — one who excels in worship and conduct (iḥsān: to worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, to know that He sees you). Fa-lahu ajruhu ʿinda rabbihi — his reward is with his Lord. Wa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim — no fear shall come over them. Wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn — nor shall they grieve.

Translation: Nay! Whoever surrenders his entire self to Allah while being excellent in conduct — his reward lies with his Lord, and no fear shall be upon such people, nor shall they grieve.

Al-Baqara 2:113 — Jews and Christians Each Disown the Other

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ فَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Wa-qālati-l-yahūdu laysat-in-naṣārā ʿalā shayʾin wa-qālat-in-naṣārā laysat-il-yahūdu ʿalā shayʾin wa-hum yatlūna-l-kitāba kadhālika qāla-lladhīna lā yaʿlamūna mithla qawlihim fa-llāhu yaḥkumu baynahum yawma-l-qiyāmati.

"And the Jews say: 'The Christians stand on nothing,' and the Christians say: 'The Jews stand on nothing' — while they both recite the Scripture! Likewise, those who have no knowledge say the same as their words. But Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection." (al-Baqara 2:113)

Translation: The Jews say: "The Christians have nothing to stand on." The Christians say: "The Jews have nothing to stand on." And yet both parties recite the Book! Exactly so do the ignorant say what they say. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they differ.

Commentary: The teaching of the Qurʾān is to honour all Scriptures, to recognise all Prophets. Whoever has departed from this universal teaching has introduced division. The single divine religion, with one system of truth, is called Islam — and all Messengers are Allah's Messengers. Those who have distorted the scriptures and abandoned the prophets, then condemned one another — Allah will adjudicate their disputes on the Day of Resurrection.

Commentary (continued): Among the Christians: the complex theology of the Trinity — Father, Son, Holy Spirit — and the claim that three constitute one God — contains fundamental logical contradictions. If God has a son, then that son was born of Him. To be born of God implies a form of composition or division in the divine nature. God is absolutely free of such imperfection. And if the Father is the whole, and the Son is a part — what is the measure of each? How many gods are there, precisely? These contradictions have led even sincere Christian theologians to confusion. The Qurʾān cuts through all this with the affirmation of pure monotheism (tawḥīd).

Idol-worshippers among the polytheists also claimed the angels were daughters of God — all such claims are shirk and kufr. All things in the heavens and earth are servants and subjects of Allah.

Al-Baqara 2:114 — Who Is More Unjust than One Who Prevents the Mosques?

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَىٰ فِي خَرَابِهَا أُولَـٰئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلَّا خَائِفِينَ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Wa-man aẓlamu mimman manaʿa masājida-llāhi an yudhkara fīha-smuhu wa-saʿā fī kharābihā ulāʾika mā kāna lahum an yadkhulūhā illā khāʾifīna lahum fi-d-dunyā khizyun wa-lahum fi-l-ākhirati ʿadhābun ʿaẓīm.

"And who is more unjust than one who prevents the mosques of Allah from His name being mentioned in them and strives toward their destruction? It was not for such people to enter them except in fear. For them is disgrace in this world, and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment." (al-Baqara 2:114)

Translation: Who is more unjust than one who prevents the mosques of Allah from being places where His name is remembered, and strives to ruin them? Such people have no right to enter them except in trembling fear. For them is humiliation in this world, and for them in the Hereafter is a terrible punishment.

Commentary: Those who bring musical instruments into the mosque, who disrupt the prayer with their noise, who enter mosques to commit strife — all of this is the work of those who "strive for their ruin" (wa-saʿā fī kharābihā). Stealing in mosques, fighting in mosques, slandering people in mosques — all of this is opposed to the spirit of Islam. The one who corrupts both religion and the world through his behaviour in the mosque shall in both worlds be disgraced. A mosque is a house of worship — it must be kept as such.

Al-Baqara 2:115 — To Allah Belongs the East and the West

وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Wa-li-llāhi-l-mashriqu wa-l-maghribu fa-aynamā tuwallū fa-thamma wajhu-llāhi inna-llāha wāsiʿun ʿalīm.

"And to Allah belongs the East and the West. So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (al-Baqara 2:115)

Lexical notes: Al-mashriqu wa-l-maghrib — the East and the West (the whole spatial world belongs to Allah; He is not confined to any direction). Fa-aynamā tuwallū — wherever you turn your face (the qibla). Fa-thamma wajhu-llāh — there is the Face of Allah (His pleasure, His direction, His presence — wajh of Allah here means His approved direction, His mercy, His omnipresence). Wāsiʿun — All-Encompassing (in knowledge, in mercy, in power). ʿAlīmun — All-Knowing.

Translation: To Allah belongs the East and the West — wherever you turn, there is the countenance (wajh) of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Vast, All-Knowing.

Commentary: The specific qibla direction (towards the Kaʿba) is prescribed for the prescribed prayers. However, this verse establishes the principle that Allah is not confined to a place or direction — He is present everywhere. For one who is lost, or unable to determine the direction, or praying the voluntary (nāfila) prayer on a journey — the intention of the heart counts, and Allah's presence is everywhere. The Kaʿba is the House of Allah — it is the qibla for the formal prayer — but the divine reality (wajh Allāh) transcends all directions.

Al-Baqara 2:116 — They Say Allah Has Taken a Son

وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

Wa-qālū-ttakhadha-llāhu waladan subḥānahu bal lahu mā fi-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi kullun lahu qānitūn.

"And they said: 'Allah has taken a son.' Glory be to Him! Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth — all are devoutly obedient to Him." (al-Baqara 2:116)

Translation: They say: "Allah has taken a son." Glory be to Him! Nay — to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth; all are submissive before Him.

Commentary: The Jews say: "ʿUzayr (Ezra) is the son of Allah." The Christians say: "Jesus is the son of Allah." The polytheists said the angels are daughters of Allah. All of this is shirk and kufr. Every created being — Prophets, angels, humans, jinn — is a servant (ʿabd) of Allah and subject to His command.

Al-Baqara 2:117 — Originator of the Heavens and Earth

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

Badīʿu-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi wa-idhā qaḍā amran fa-innamā yaqūlu lahu kun fa-yakūn.

"He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. And when He decrees a matter, He only says to it: 'Be!' and it is." (al-Baqara 2:117)

Lexical notes: Badīʿ — the Originator, the one who creates without precedent or model. Wa-idhā qaḍā amran — when He decides upon a matter. Kun fa-yakūn — "Be!" and it comes to be — without delay, without instrument, without effort.

Translation: He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a thing, He only says to it: "Be!" and it is.

Commentary: How can Allah have a son? A son is born of a father through physical process — there is resemblance in form, character, and attribute between father and son. Allah is free of all such composition. He created everything — does the creature possess the nature of the Creator? Does a house belong to its bricks? The intellect of the sage is silent before these questions; only the tongue of divine revelation can answer them.

Allah has no need for offspring — such needs arise from mortality, from the desire for continuation after death. Allah is immortal, the Self-Subsisting (al-Qayyūm), the Independent (al-Ṣamad). He created not out of need but out of infinite creative power and will. One divine decree — "Be!" — and the universe springs into existence.

Commentary (continued): Those who postulate a son of God must account: did God know the child before creating it? If yes, then the child was created from God's knowledge — a created being, not divine. The postulate of the Trinity collapses under rigorous examination. Allah, the All-Knowing (ʿAlīm), willed and created the universe out of His infinite knowledge — this is the teaching of sound tawḥīd. (The author here alludes to the Sūfī concept of the aʿyān thābita — the fixed archetypes in divine knowledge — as the basis of creation. Allah's knowledge of all possible existents precedes their existence; when He wills a thing, it is brought into being from its state in the divine knowledge. This is not the same as saying that anything other than Allah is eternal or co-equal with Him; rather, it is an affirmation of His absolute and perfect knowledge.)

Al-Baqara 2:118 — Why Does Not Allah Speak to Us?

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ

Wa-qāla-lladhīna lā yaʿlamūna lawlā yukallimunā-llāhu aw taʾtīnā āyatun.

"And those who have no knowledge say: 'Why does Allah not speak to us, or why does there not come to us a sign?'" (al-Baqara 2:118)

Lexical notes: Al-ladhīna lā yaʿlamūna — those who have no knowledge (here referring to the polytheists of Arabia who made these demands). Lawlā yukallimunā-llāh — why does not Allah speak to us directly? Aw taʾtīnā āyatun — or why does not a sign come to us? Kadhālika qāla-lladhīna min qablihim mithla qawlihim — exactly so said those before them in identical words. Tashābahat qulūbuhum — their hearts are alike (the same obstinacy, the same wilful blindness, running through the generations). Qad bayyannā-l-āyāti li-qawmin yūqinūn — We have made clear the signs for a people who are certain in faith.

Translation: And those without knowledge say: "Why does Allah not speak to us directly, or why does some sign not come to us?" Just so said those before them, in the same words. Their hearts are alike. We have already made the signs clear for a people of certain faith.

Commentary: O ignorant ones! Has a sign come to you? Yes — the Qurʾān is itself the greatest sign — produced in an instant, challenged for fourteen centuries, never equalled. You ask for a sign yet reject the sign that has already come. Is this not the same as what the foolish said in every age? The Qurʾān answers your demands amply — if you but reflect.

Al-Baqara 2:119 — We Sent You with Truth

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَا تُسْأَلُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْجَحِيمِ

Innā arsalnāka bi-l-ḥaqqi bashīran wa-nadhīran wa-lā tusʾalu ʿan aṣḥābi-l-jaḥīm.

"Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, and you will not be questioned about the companions of the Blazing Fire." (al-Baqara 2:119)

Translation: We have sent you with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner. And you shall not be held responsible for the companions of the Blazing Fire (those who persist in rejection — their fate is not your burden).

Al-Baqara 2:120 — Jews and Christians Will Never Be Pleased

وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ

Wa-lan tarḍā ʿanka-l-yahūdu wa-lā-n-naṣārā ḥattā tattabiʿa millatahum qul inna hudā-llāhi huwa-l-hudā.

"And never will the Jews and Christians be pleased with you until you follow their religion. Say: 'Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the only guidance.'" (al-Baqara 2:120)

Lexical notes: Lan tarḍā ʿanka — they will never be satisfied with you. Ḥattā tattabiʿa millatahum — unless you follow their creed. Qul inna hudā-llāhi huwa-l-hudā — say: Truly the guidance of Allah is the (only real) guidance. La-in ittabaʿta ahwāʾahum — if you were to follow their desires. Baʿda-lladhī jāʾaka mina-l-ʿilm — after the knowledge that has come to you. Mā laka mina-llāhi min waliyyin wa-lā naṣīr — you would have none to protect or help you against Allah.

Translation: The Jews will never be pleased with you, nor will the Christians, until you follow their creed. Say: "Truly, the guidance of Allah is the (only) guidance." If you were to follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you would have neither protector nor helper against Allah.

Commentary: O Prophetﷺ— and by extension, O believers! The Jews and Christians will never be satisfied with you unless you become one of them. No amount of concession will win their approval — for their goal is your total conversion. But you say with full conviction: the guidance of Allah is the only true guidance. To pursue the whims of those who have gone astray, after sound knowledge has come to you, would be to lose both the divine friend and the divine helper. Stand firm.

Al-Baqara 2:121 — Those Who Recite It as It Deserves

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِ أُولَـٰئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

Al-ladhīna ātaynāhumu-l-kitāba yatlūnahu ḥaqqa tilāwatihi ulāʾika yuʾminūna bihi wa-man yakfur bihi fa-ulāʾika humu-l-khāsirūn.

"Those to whom We have given the Scripture — they recite it as it deserves to be recited. Those are the ones who believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it — it is they who are the losers." (al-Baqara 2:121)

Lexical notes: Yatlūnahu ḥaqqa tilāwatihi — they recite it as it truly deserves to be recited: observing its rules, reflecting on its meanings, acting in accordance with its commands. Ulāʾika yuʾminūna bihi — those are the true believers. Wa-man yakfur bihi — and whoever rejects it. Al-khāsirūn — the losers, those who suffer ultimate loss.

Translation: Those to whom We gave the Scripture — they recite it as it truly deserves to be recited. These are the ones who truly believe in it. And those who reject it — they are the real losers.

Commentary: O friends! The People of the Book are precious — their final state is worthy of the highest regard. As long as you do not adopt their creed and become absorbed into their world-view, as long as you do not abandon your own foundations — those among them who truly recite the Scripture (including the Qurʾān, for true ahl al-kitāb who have believed in the Qurʾān) are in truth people of faith. Those who reject it — they are the ones suffering total loss.

Al-Baqara 2:122 — O Children of Israel, Remember My Favour

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

Yā Banī Isrāʾīla-dhkurū niʿmatiya-llatī anʿamtu ʿalaykum wa-annī faḍḍaltukum ʿalā-l-ʿālamīn.

"O Children of Israel! Remember My favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you above all peoples." (al-Baqara 2:122)

Translation: O Children of Israel! Call to mind the favour I conferred upon you, and how I made you excel above all other peoples (of your time).

Al-Baqara 2:123 — Guard against a Day

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَّا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

Wa-ttaqū yawman lā tajzī nafsun ʿan nafsin shayʾan wa-lā yuqbalu minhā ʿadlun wa-lā tanfaʿuhā shafāʿatun wa-lā hum yunṣarūn.

"And guard against a Day when no soul shall avail another soul at all, nor shall any substitute be accepted from it, nor shall intercession benefit it, nor shall they be helped." (al-Baqara 2:123)

Translation: And be conscious of a Day when no soul shall benefit another soul in the least, no ransom will be accepted from any, no intercession shall avail, and they shall receive no help.

Commentary: O friends! Take heed — the Day of Reckoning is drawing ever nearer. Every day of the world's life hastens its end. On that Day: your close companion shall not recognise your claim; the judge shall receive no bribe; your advocates shall have no case; no ransom shall avail; no intercession shall function in the absence of divine authorisation — save the intercession of the Prophetﷺ, which is a reality by divine permission. The only currency of that Day is true faith (imān) and righteous deeds (ʿamal ṣāliḥ).

Al-Baqara 2:124 — When Abraham Was Tested

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

Wa-idhi-btilā Ibrāhīma rabbuhu bi-kalimātin fa-atammahunna qāla innī jāʿiluka li-n-nāsi imāman qāla wa-min dhurriyyatī qāla lā yanālu ʿahdī-ẓ-ẓālimīn.

"And when Abraham was tried by his Lord with words and he fulfilled them, He said: 'I will make you a leader for mankind.' He said: 'And from my descendants?' He said: 'My covenant does not include the wrongdoers.'" (al-Baqara 2:124)

Lexical notes: Ibtilā — He tested, tried, put to trial. Bi-kalimāt — with words: with certain specific commands and obligations. Fa-atammahunna — and he fulfilled them perfectly, without the slightest lapse or hesitation. Innī jāʿiluka li-n-nāsi imāman — I am appointing you as an imām (leader, exemplar, guide) for mankind. Imām: a precedent-setter, one who is followed (yaqtadā bihi). Wa-min dhurriyyatī — and from my progeny? (Ibrāhīm [upon him be peace] asked that the covenant of leadership extend to his descendants.) Lā yanālu ʿahdī-ẓ-ẓālimīn — My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers (ẓālimūn — those who are unjust, who oppress themselves or others through disbelief or sin).

Commentary: The trials of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) are well known — the fire of Nimrod, the sacrifice of his son Ismāʿīl (upon him be peace), the abandonment of his family in the barren valley of Mecca, the commands regarding circumcision, cleanliness, and the rites of the Ḥajj. In every trial, not a moment of wavering, not a tremor of displeasure — only complete surrender and contentment. Allah rewarded him with the rank of Imāmate for all mankind. Ibrāhīm asked for his progeny — Allah answered: "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers." This means: among his descendants, those who are pious and faithful will receive the divine covenant; the transgressors will not.

Translation: And when his Lord tested Ibrāhīm with certain commands, and he fulfilled them perfectly — then He declared: "I am appointing you as Imām for all mankind." Ibrāhīm asked: "And from my descendants?" He replied: "My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers."

Extended Commentary — The concept of ʿIṣma (Prophetic infallibility):

This verse raises the discussion of ʿiṣma (the infallibility of prophets). The key terms are: Imām, ʿahd (covenant), ẓālim (wrongdoer), and the scope of each. Every usage of imām in the Qurʾān is significant — one must understand whether it refers to prophethood (nubuwwa), the vicegerency (khilāfa), or spiritual leadership. The clause "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers" establishes that the divine covenant of leadership requires freedom from injustice and wrongdoing — i.e., a form of ʿiṣma.

Scholarly positions:

• Some hold that ʿiṣma requires protection from all sins, major (kabīra) and minor (ṣaghīra), before and after prophethood.
• Others say ʿiṣma is necessary because of the need for iqtidāʾ (being followed as example) — the Prophet must be morally reliable.
• A third position: prophets are protected from both kabāʾir (major sins) and evil character traits (ṣifāt radhīla) by divine care.

Allah selects those He qualifies for prophethood through His divine knowledge and grants them risāla (the prophetic commission). The stations of the awliyāʾ are categorically below the stations of the prophets — the walī may be protected from sin (maḥfūẓ) through divine favour, while the prophet is maʿṣūm (infallible) as a necessary attribute of his mission. Without ʿiṣma, no one could safely follow a prophet — the entire foundation of prophetic authority depends upon it. This is not claimed by the Shīʿī doctrine of infallible imāms, but by the Sunnī doctrine of prophetic infallibility.

The author notes:«حَسَنَاتُ الْأَبْرَارِ سَيِّئَاتُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ»— Ḥasanātu-l-abrāri sayyiʾātu-l-muqarrabīn — "The good deeds of the righteous are the shortcomings of those brought near (to Allah)." The Prophetﷺis addressed when he performs a "lesser leave" (tark al-awlā) — the abandonment of what would have been even more perfect — and this is elevated to the status of divine reproach for the Prophets, not actual sin. This is the meaning of the hadīth:«نَعِمَ الْعَبْدُ صُهَيْبٌ لَوْ لَمْ يَخَفِ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَعْصِهِ»— Niʿma-l-ʿabdu Ṣuhayb law lam yakhafi-llāha lam yaʿṣihi — "What a fine servant is Ṣuhayb — even were he not to fear Allah, he would not disobey Him." The Prophetﷺis the absolute exemplar of this — ʿiṣma was constitutive of his very nature.

Commentary (continued): The distinction between the wilāya (sainthood) and nubuwwa (prophethood) in relation to ʿiṣma: a walī is protected (maḥfūẓ) by divine mercy from falling into major sins, as a divine gift; his protection is not ʿiṣma (infallibility) but divine care (ḥifẓ). The prophet, by contrast, is maʿṣūm by the very nature of his mission. Those who claim ʿiṣma for all ahl al-bayt in the Shīʿī sense go beyond what the Ahl al-Sunna hold. True respect for the ahl al-bayt — the family of the Prophetﷺ— lies in following their guidance and honouring their station, not in attributing to them attributes belonging only to prophets.

The author adds: the one who truly knows the levels of creation knows that asmāʾ (the divine names), ṣifāt (attributes), ashyāʾ (the things), and makhluqāt (created beings) all have their proper places. None shares in the divine nature of Allah — everything exists by His will and in dependence upon Him.

Al-Baqara 2:125 — When We Made the House a Place of Assembly

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

Wa-idh jaʿalnā-l-bayta mathābatan li-n-nāsi wa-amnan wa-ttakhidhū min maqāmi Ibrāhīma muṣallan.

"And when We made the House a resort for mankind and a sanctuary. And take the station of Abraham as a place of prayer." (al-Baqara 2:125)

Lexical notes: Mathāba — a place of return, a gathering point, a resort people return to repeatedly (thāba yathūbu — to return). Wa-amnan — a place of security, a sanctuary. Maqāmu Ibrāhīm — the Station of Abraham: the stone upon which Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) stood while building the Kaʿba, which bears the miraculous impression of his feet. Muṣallan — a place of prayer.

Translation: And when We made the House a gathering place and a sanctuary for mankind. And take the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer. And We commanded Abraham and Ishmael: "Purify My House for those who circumambulate it (ṭāʾifīn), those who remain in devotion (ʿākifīn), and those who bow and prostrate (rukkaʿ, sujūd) (in prayer)."

Commentary: The Kaʿba — the House of Allah — is the central sanctuary of all who follow the way of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace), whether they be Jews, Christians, or others claiming his legacy. To deny it, to prevent its sanctity, or to place idols within it is a betrayal of the legacy of Ibrāhīm himself. The Kaʿba was built for worship of the One God — circumambulation (ṭawāf), devotional sitting (iʿtikāf), bowing and prostration — all for Allah alone.

The Maqām Ibrāhīm: the stone bearing the footprint of the Prophet Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace). After the obligatory ṭawāf, two rakʿas of prayer are performed at the Maqām — or wherever one finds space, for it is a sunna but not wājib (obligatory). The Kaʿba's designation as qibla for the ṣalāt was a momentous gift — it unified the entire Muslim world in a single direction of prayer, carrying with it the blessed memory of Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, and the Prophetﷺ.

The love that Muslims embed in the rituals of Ḥajj — the running (saʿy), the standing (wuqūf), the throwing of stones — all reflect scenes of devotion and love between Allah, His Prophet Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace), and the Muslim community. What a magnificent theatre of love and worship!

Al-Baqara 2:126 — When Abraham Said, Make This a Secure City

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَـٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

Wa-idh qāla Ibrāhīmu rabbi-jʿal hādhā baladan āminan wa-rzuq ahlahu mina-th-thamarāti man āmana minhum bi-llāhi wa-l-yawmi-l-ākhiri qāla wa-man kafara fa-umattiʿuhu qalīlan thumma aḍṭarruhu ilā ʿadhābi-n-nāri wa-biʾsa-l-maṣīr.

"And when Abraham said: 'My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits — those among them who believe in Allah and the Last Day.' He said: 'And as for one who disbelieves, I will grant him enjoyment for a little while, then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire — and how wretched a destination!'" (al-Baqara 2:126)

Translation: And when Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) supplicated: "My Lord! Make this a city of security, and provide its inhabitants with fruits — those among them who believe in Allah and the Last Day." Allah said: "And as for one who disbelieves — I will grant him a brief enjoyment, then I will compel him to the torment of the Fire — how evil a destination."

Commentary: The supplication of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was accepted — Mecca became the dār al-amān (the City of Peace and Safety). Produce arrives from Ṭāʾif and from far beyond — fruits, grain, and provisions of all kinds flow into the valley. Today all its inhabitants are Muslims. As for the disbeliever — even he receives his share of provision in this world, for Allah's mercy encompasses all. But the provision of the disbeliever is a brief respite; his ultimate destination, if he dies without belief, is the Fire. This is the divine justice — repentance (tawba) is always open while life lasts. Whenever an appropriate opportunity arises in this world, correction and guidance should be offered.

Al-Baqara 2:127 — When Abraham and Ishmael Raised the Foundations

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

Wa-idh yarfaʿu Ibrāhīmu-l-qawāʿida mina-l-bayti wa-Ismāʿīlu rabbanā taqabbal minnā innaka anta-s-samīʿu-l-ʿalīm.

"And when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House — and Ishmael — (they prayed): 'Our Lord, accept (this) from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.'" (al-Baqara 2:127)

Translation: And when Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl (upon them both be peace) were raising the foundations of the House, (they prayed:) "Our Lord! Accept this from us. You are indeed the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

Commentary: The scene of the father and the son — Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl (upon them both be peace) — building the House of Allah together: Ibrāhīm lifting the stones, Ismāʿīl passing them, both supplicating at every moment. Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) would stand on a stone — the Maqām Ibrāhīm — to reach the higher courses of the wall. Ismāʿīl would hand him the stones from below. Such was the division of labour between these two noble prophets in constructing the sacred House. And throughout, they called upon Allah to accept their labour — the mark of sincere servitude: even in their grandest act of obedience, they felt themselves wholly dependent on divine acceptance.

Al-Baqara 2:128 — Make Us Both Submissive

رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

Rabbanā wa-jʿalnā muslimayni laka wa-min dhurriyyatinā ummatan muslimatan laka wa-arinā manāsikanā wa-tub ʿalaynā innaka anta-t-tawwābu-r-raḥīm.

"Our Lord! Make us both submissive to You, and from our descendants a community submissive to You. Show us our rites, and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Relenting, the Merciful." (al-Baqara 2:128)

Lexical notes: Muslimayni laka — two who have submitted (surrendered) to You. Ummatan muslimatan — a community that submits entirely. Arinā manāsikanā — show us our rites (manāsik: the rites of Ḥajj, from nasīka — sacrifice, devotional act; manāsik covers all the ritual acts of the Ḥajj). Wa-tub ʿalaynā — and turn towards us in mercy (accept our repentance and grant us Your favour). Al-tawwābu-r-raḥīm — the Oft-Relenting, the Mercy-Giving.

Translation: Our Lord! Make us both fully submissive to You, and from our descendants raise up a community of submission (umma muslima). Show us our rites of worship and turn to us in mercy — You are the Oft-Returning (to mercy), the Especially Merciful.

Commentary: Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) — even while engaged in this supreme act of construction — did not depart from the station of humble supplication. Every step in building the House was accompanied by duʿāʾ. He asked not only for himself and Ismāʿīl (upon him be peace) but for all their descendants — the entire Muslim community, to the end of time — that they be a people of submission, a people shown the path of worship and connected to the divine will. The Ḥajj rites that Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was shown became the eternal rites of Islam, preserved through the Prophet Muḥammadﷺand his community.

Commentary on the Rites of Ḥajj (derived from the author's comprehensive explanation spanning pages 223–225):

The farāʾiḍ (obligatory elements) of Ḥajj are three: (1) iḥrām (entering the state of ritual consecration); (2) wuqūf ʿArafāt (standing at ʿArafāt); (3) ṭawāf ziyāra (the circumambulation of visit, after standing at ʿArafāt).

The wājibāt (required elements) are: (1) muzdalifa (staying at Muzdalifa); (2) ramī al-jimār (pelting the stone pillars representing the temptations of Shayṭān); (3) ḥalq or taqṣīr (shaving or trimming the hair); (4) saʿy between Ṣafā and Marwa; (5) ṭawāf ṣadr (the farewell circumambulation, obligatory for those who are not residents of Mecca).

The talbiya (the pilgrim's proclamation):

Labbayk Allāhumma labbayk, labbayk lā sharīka laka labbayk — inna-l-ḥamda wa-n-niʿmata laka wa-l-mulka lā sharīka lak.

"Here I am, O Allah, here I am! Here I am, You have no partner, here I am! Truly, all praise and blessing are Yours, and sovereignty — You have no partner."

Commentary (continued): In the state of iḥrām, certain things are forbidden: hunting, sexual relations, quarrelling, using perfume, wearing sewn garments, covering the head (for men), cutting nails or hair, and cutting trees within the sacred precincts.

The ṭawāf (circumambulation): one begins at the Black Stone (Ḥajar al-Aswad), kissing it or making a gesture (ishāra) if the crowd does not permit approach. Seven circuits are made — the first three at a brisk pace (ramal) for men, the remaining four at a normal pace. After the ṭawāf, two rakʿas are prayed at the Maqām Ibrāhīm, or anywhere in the mosque.

The saʿy (running between Ṣafā and Marwa): one ascends Ṣafā first, faces the Kaʿba and makes duʿāʾ, reciting Allāhu Akbar and lā ilāha illā-llāh. Then one proceeds to Marwa. Each going or returning counts as one shawṭ (circuit). Seven ashwāṭ in total: going counts as one, returning as one. Men run briskly (harwala) between the two green markers in the valley.

Standing at ʿArafāt (wuqūf): this is the very heart (rukn) of Ḥajj —«الحجُّ عَرَفة»— Al-Ḥajju ʿArafa — "Ḥajj is ʿArafāt." One must be within the boundaries of ʿArafāt after the declining of the sun on the ninth of Dhū-l-Ḥijja. Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr are combined and prayed together at the time of Ẓuhr (qaṣr — shortened).

After sunset, one moves to Muzdalifa (wuqūf Muzdalifa — an obligatory stay). Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ are combined and prayed at ʿIshāʾ time with one adhān and two iqāma. Before sunrise on the tenth, one departs from Muzdalifa to Mina. The Fajr prayer is offered at Muzdalifa, followed by prolonged duʿāʾ while facing the qibla.

Pelting the Jamra al-ʿAqaba (the largest stone pillar): seven pebbles are thrown one by one, each with the takbīr. On the days of tashrīq (11th, 12th, and if one remains, 13th), all three pillars are pelted — beginning with the smallest, proceeding to the middle, and ending with the Jamra al-ʿAqaba — seven pebbles each, totalling twenty-one per day.

Women perform ṭawāf and saʿy without ramal (brisk pace). On the eighth of Dhū-l-Ḥijja (yawm al-tarwiya), all pilgrims proceed to Mina and pray Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, Maghrib, ʿIshāʾ, and Fajr there — five prayers in Mina — then proceed to ʿArafāt.

Thus the sacred rites that Allāh showed Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl (upon them both be peace) in answer to their supplication — "Show us our rites" — were transmitted unbroken through the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ, and remain the living heritage of the Muslim community, a perpetual re-enactment of surrender, devotion, and love.

Sūrat al-Baqara — Juzʾ 1 (Alif Lām Mīm) — Continuation

[Continuation of the Commentary on Verse 2:129 — Ibrāhīm's Supplication for a Messenger]

Lexical notes: The phrase yatlu ʿalayhim āyātika means "reciting Your signs to them"; ʿalamahum al-kitāb means "teaching them the Book" — that is, the Qurʾān; al-ḥikma signifies "wisdom, gnosis (ʿirfān), the inner realities (ḥaqāʾiq) and mysteries (asrār)"; and wa-yuzakkīhim means "purifying them inwardly and outwardly." And this prayer can belong to none but He who is ʿAzīz — All-Mighty — and Ḥakīm — All-Wise. Praise be to Allāh.

Translation: "Our Lord! Send among them a Messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your signs and teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (al-Baqara 2:129)

Commentary: The ḥadīth masters have recorded, through numerous and authentic chains of transmission, the following narration:

«أَنَا عِنْدَ اللهِ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ لَخَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ وَإِنَّ آدَمَ لَمُنْجَدِلٌ فِي طِينَتِهِ»Anā ʿinda llāhi fī umm al-kitāb la-khātam al-nabiyyīn wa-inna Ādama la-munjadilun fī ṭīnatih. "I was, in the knowledge of Allāh and in the Preserved Tablet (Umm al-Kitāb), the Seal of the Prophets even when Ādam was still being fashioned from clay." (Ibn Ḥibbān; aḥādīth of similar import in al-Tirmidhī and al-Ṭabarānī)

The Prophetﷺthen said:«سَأُخْبِرُكُمْ عَنْ بَدْءِ أَمْرِي:أَنَا دَعْوَةُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ»— "Let me inform you of the beginning of my affair: I am the answered prayer of Ibrāhīm" — this being the verse before us — "and the glad tiding of ʿĪsā (upon him be peace)" — a reference to﴿وَمُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُۥٓ أَحْمَدُ﴾(al-Ṣaff 61:6) — "and the vision (ruʾyā) of my mother, who, at the time of my birth, saw a light issuing from her such that it illumined the palaces of Syria." At the time this supplication was raised by Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) while laying the foundations of the Kaʿba, the Seal of the Prophets was already, in the Preserved Tablet and in the eternal knowledge of Allāh, determined and destined.

Commentary (continued): When Ādam (upon him be peace) came into being and all his progeny emerged through him, the prophethood of Muḥammadﷺwas manifest from the very beginning of creation. The prayer of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was thus answered when the latter was raising the walls of the Kaʿba: Rabbanā wa-bʿath fīhim rasūlan minhum — "Our Lord! Send among them a Messenger from themselves." And the glad tiding of his mother was that at the moment of his birth she saw a light proceeding from her, whose radiance illumined the castles of Syria before her very eyes.

Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) worked tirelessly for the cause of monotheism (tawḥīd) in Makka, for the obedience of Allāh, and for the reform of the society of his time. He strove night and day to be a living example before his people, guiding them toward divine unity, steering them away from corruption, purifying them of vices and defects.

Know that the teachers and guides of religion (ulamāʾ al-dīn) are of different ranks and degrees, each according to his capacity and spiritual preparedness (istiʿdād):

(1) Some are concerned with the outward rulings of religion; their work is to teach the precepts (aḥkām) of the faith. (2) Some are acquainted with the inner mysteries, principles, and foundations of the religion. (3) Some are themselves pure and luminous, and they purify the hearts of others as well — these are the masters of ṭarīqa, of ḥaqīqa, of sulūk and maʿrifa, grounded firmly in the foundational principles.

«عُلَمَاءُ أُمَّتِي كَأَنْبِيَاءِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ»— ʿulamāʾ ummatī ka-anbiyāʾ banī Isrāʾīl — "The scholars of my community are like the prophets of the Children of Israel." (This narration is cited in classical Ṣūfī works; it is held to be ḥasan or ḍaʿīf in chains but accepted in its import by the masters of the tradition.) Look to those whose words and deeds are a reflection of the Prophetic light. O negligent one! O heedless one! O destroyer of faith and belief! If you remain veiled from this reality, what kind of Islam is it, and what manner of Muslim are you?

Lexical notes — continued: The phrase wa-man yarghabu — "and who would turn away" — indicates aversion and rejection; ʿan millati Ibrāhīm — from the religion, the way of Ibrāhīm; illā man safaha nafsah — except one who has debased his own soul, made it vile, and rendered himself foolish; wa-laqad aṣṭafaynāh — "and indeed We chose him" — from the root ṣafwun, on the pattern of iftiʿāl, meaning: We selected him, purified him, took him as Our own; fī l-dunyā — in this world and fī l-ākhira — in the hereafter; la-min al-ṣāliḥīn — he is assuredly among the righteous and the pure.

Summary: Who would turn away from the religion of Ibrāhīm? Only one who has debased himself — for Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) chose to submit himself wholly to Allāh, and We indeed chose him, honoured him both in this world and in the next, and he is assuredly among the righteous.

Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) was the herald of monotheism. Jews and Christians both claim descent from him and revere him. His worldly and other-worldly honour is one and continuous. Now, one who claims to follow Ibrāhīm while in truth being averse to his way — what kind of Muslim is he? The true Muslim is upon the path of Ibrāhīm. To revile the way of Ibrāhīm is, for a believing Muslim, the height of contradiction.

وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَآ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَـٰبَنِىَّ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

Wa-waṣṣā bihā Ibrāhīmu banīhi wa-Yaʿqūbu yā-baniyya inna llāha ṣṭafā lakumu l-dīna fa-lā tamūtunna illā wa-antum muslimūn.

"And Ibrāhīm enjoined this upon his sons, and so did Yaʿqūb: 'O my sons! Allāh has chosen this religion for you, so do not die except as those who have submitted (muslimūn).'" (al-Baqara 2:132)

Lexical notes: Wa-waṣṣā — he gave a bequest, an exhortation; banīhi — his sons, among whom are Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq (upon them be peace); wa-Yaʿqūbu — and Yaʿqūb (upon him be peace) also gave this same bequest; Yaʿqūb is the son of Isḥāq and is called Isrāʾīl, and his descendants are called the Children of Israel. Yā-baniyya — "O my dear sons" — a diminutive expressing affection (added yāʾ denoting intimacy). Inna llāha ṣṭafā lakumu l-dīna — "Indeed Allāh has chosen and selected this religion for you." Fa-lā tamūtunna illā wa-antum muslimūn — "Do not die except in the state of Islam; hold firmly to this religion. Do not, as you depart from the world, abandon Islam in favour of anything else."

Translation (al-Baqara 2:132): "And Ibrāhīm enjoined this upon his sons, and so did Yaʿqūb, saying: 'O my sons! Allāh has chosen this religion for you, so do not die except as those who have submitted.'"

Translation (continued — al-Baqara 2:133): "(And do you recall) when Yaʿqūb was on his deathbed? He said to his sons: 'What will you worship after me?' They replied: 'We will worship your God, the God of your forefathers Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, and Isḥāq — One God — and to Him we are those who submit.'"

أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِى قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ إِلَٰهًا وَٰحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ

Am kuntum shuhadāʾa idh ḥaḍara Yaʿqūba l-mawtu idh qāla li-banīhi mā taʿbudūna min baʿdī qālū naʿbudu ilāhaka wa-ilāha ābāʾika Ibrāhīma wa-Ismāʿīla wa-Isḥāqa ilāhan wāḥidan wa-naḥnu lahū muslimūn.

"Or were you witnesses when death came to Yaʿqūb, when he said to his sons: 'What will you worship after me?' They replied: 'We will worship your God and the God of your forefathers Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, and Isḥāq — One God — and to Him we are those who submit.'" (al-Baqara 2:133)

Lexical notes: Shuhadāʾ — witnesses, observers, those who were present (shāhid, shahīd); idh ḥaḍara — when death drew near to Yaʿqūb and he was upon his deathbed; qāla li-banīhi — he said to his sons; mā taʿbudūna min baʿdī — "What will you worship after I am gone?"; ābāʾika — your forefathers. The term ab (father) is sometimes applied to the grandfather and even the great-uncle, as the Prophetﷺsaid to Ḥasan (may Allāh be pleased with him): "This is a great-grandfather of mine (baqqiyyatu min ābāʾī)." Ilāhan wāḥidan — One God alone; wa-naḥnu lahū muslimūn — "and we surrender ourselves to Him — we are muslimūn."

Translation: "(O Children of Israel!) Were you present at that moment when Yaʿqūb was on his deathbed and asked his sons (what they would worship)? His sons replied: 'We will worship your God and the God of your forefathers Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, and Isḥāq — One God — and to Him we are those who submit.'"

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْـَٔلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

Tilka ummatun qad khalat lahā mā kasabat wa-lakum mā kasabtum wa-lā tusʾalūna ʿammā kānū yaʿmalūn.

"That was a community which has passed away. For them is what they earned, and for you is what you have earned. You will not be questioned about what they used to do." (al-Baqara 2:134)

Lexical notes: Tilka ummatun — "that is a community" (a distinct group, long past); khalat — has passed, has gone by; lahā mā kasabat — for them is what they earned and did; wa-lakum mā kasabtum — for you is what you earned; wa-lā tusʾalūna — you will not be asked, questioned, held accountable.

Translation (2:134): "That was a community which has passed. What they earned is theirs, and what you earn is yours; you will not be asked about what they used to do."

Commentary: In those days, corruption (fasād), polytheism (shirk), immorality (zinā), and arrogance were rampant. When the Messengers were sent to those communities they came as warnings; those who rejected bore the weight of their own deeds. The Prophet of their time bore witness (shahāda) against their infidelity, and when such witness was established, the punishment of Allāh descended. You, the believers of this age, bear your own responsibilities. If you do wrong, you will face the requital. The sins of others are not laid upon you. Yet what justification is there for heedlessness, negligence, and failure to call others toward guidance? The excuse that one's ancestors or predecessors were thus and so cannot absolve one: the question is not what those generations did, but what you are doing with the trust you have been given.

Concerning the People of the Book: it is foolish to equate their earlier righteousness with their present state. Those ancient holy figures acted with complete sincerity, and their deeds were sacred and honoured. But what of the present generations? Their record is for them to answer; yours is for you.

وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَٰرَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا ۗ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

Wa-qālū kūnū hūdan aw naṣārā tahtadū, qul bal millata Ibrāhīma ḥanīfan, wa-mā kāna min al-mushrikīn.

"They said: 'Be Jews or Christians and you will be rightly guided.' Say: 'Rather, the way of Ibrāhīm, the ḥanīf (pure monotheist); and he was not of the polytheists.'" (al-Baqara 2:135)

The word ḥanīf — upright, one-pointed, focused upon the Divine — was the title of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace). One who is ḥanīf is single-hearted and single-minded. "And he was not of the polytheists" — one committed to pure monotheism would never accept polytheism.

Commentary on verses 2:136–141:

قُولُوٓا ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ ٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ

Qūlū āmannā billāhi wa-mā unzila ilaynā wa-mā unzila ilā Ibrāhīma wa-Ismāʿīla wa-Isḥāqa wa-Yaʿqūba wa-l-Asbāṭi wa-mā ūtiya Mūsā wa-ʿĪsā wa-mā ūtiya l-nabiyyūna min rabbihim lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin minhum wa-naḥnu lahū muslimūn.

"Say: 'We believe in Allāh and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb, and the Tribes (al-Asbāṭ), and what was given to Mūsā and ʿĪsā, and what was given to all the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we are those who submit.'" (al-Baqara 2:136)

Lexical notes: Al-Asbāṭ — the "tribes" or clans; the singular is sibṭ, meaning lineage, family, a division of descendants. In the usage of the Arabs, the children and grandchildren of Yaʿqūb (upon him be peace) were called asbāṭ, while the children of Ismāʿīl (upon him be peace) were called qabāʾil (tribes). Wa-mā ūtiya Mūsā wa-ʿĪsā — and what was given to Mūsā and ʿĪsā (upon them both be peace) — the Torah and the Gospel. Lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin minhum — we make no distinction between any of them in accepting their prophethood, in affirming their apostolic rank, or in fulfilling the rights of their messages. Wa-naḥnu lahū muslimūn — and we are wholly submitted to Allāh.

Translation (2:136): "(O believers!) Say: 'We believe in Allāh and in what has been sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb, and the Tribes, and in what was given to Mūsā and ʿĪsā, and in what was given to all the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we are those who submit.'"

The author then notes several important points within this section:

(1) Sharāʾiʿ — revealed laws — differ in their particulars; it is not permissible to dispute over these; on the level of essential ʿaqīda (creed) and uṣūl (foundations) there must be no disagreement. The five pillars — ṣalāt, zakāt, and so on — are foundational, and disputation over them is impermissible. The prohibition of murder, theft, adultery, lying, and arrogance is common to all; even if these are known with greater or lesser emphasis across traditions, their inner spirit is one.

(2) Worship and obedience of Allāh is obligatory for all people and all ages; the particular forms (juzʾiyyāt) vary, but they all guard the universal principles (kulliyyāt).

(3) After the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ— the last of the prophets — any sectarian dispute that leads to fragmentation of the community is its spiritual destruction.

فَإِنْ ءَامَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَآ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦ فَقَدِ ٱهْتَدَوا ۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِى شِقَاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ

Fa-in āmanū bi-mithli mā āmantum bihi fa-qad-ihtadaw, wa-in tawallaw fa-innamā hum fī shiqāqin, fa-sa-yakfīkahumu llāh, wa-huwa l-samīʿu l-ʿalīm.

"So if they believe in the like of what you have believed in, then they are guided; but if they turn away, then they are only in schism. Allāh will be sufficient for you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (al-Baqara 2:137)

Lexical notes: Āmanū bi-mithli mā āmantum — if they believe in the same manner as you believe in all these matters; fa-qad-ihtadaw — then they have attained guidance; wa-in tawallaw — but if they turn away, reject, refuse, show obstinacy; fī shiqāqin — they are in division, discord, and rupture; fa-sa-yakfīkahumu llāh — Allāh will spare you their harm and cut off their power against you; al-samīʿu l-ʿalīm — He hears all they say and knows perfectly the state of all affairs.

Translation (2:137): "If they believe in the same way as you believe, then they are guided; but if they turn away, they are in nothing but schism. Allāh will be sufficient for you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

صِبْغَةَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ صِبْغَةً ۖ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ عَٰبِدُونَ

Ṣibghata llāhi wa-man aḥsanu mina llāhi ṣibghatan wa-naḥnu lahū ʿābidūn.

"The dye of Allāh — and who is better than Allāh in dyeing? And we are His worshippers." (al-Baqara 2:138)

Lexical notes: Ṣibghat Allāh — the colouration, the imprint, the distinctive mark of Allāh; from ṣabagha, to dye or colour. The Christians were in the habit of baptising (iṣṭibāgh) their children with coloured water, believing that this gave them a sacred mark. The Qurʾān says: what avail is any dye other than the dye of Allāh? The dye of Allāh — īmān, ṣalāt, ṭahāra, the character of the Prophetﷺ— is the only true imprint. Wa-man aḥsanu mina llāhi ṣibghatan — who could give a better colouration than Allāh? Wa-naḥnu lahū ʿābidūn — and we are His worshippers, His devoted servants. Can any other colouring ever rival the imprint of Allāh?

Translation (2:138): "The dyeing of Allāh — and who gives a better dyeing than Allāh? And we are His worshippers."

Lexical notes — al-Baqara 2:139: Rabbunā wa-rabbukum — "our Lord is also your Lord" — if the Children of Israel were intent on quarrelling: your Lord and our Lord is one. Our deeds are ours and yours are yours. Wa-naḥnu lahū mukhlisūn — and we are sincerely devoted to Him alone.

Translation (2:139): "Say: 'Do you dispute with us about Allāh when He is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds and for you your deeds, and we are sincere to Him alone.'"

أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطَ كَانُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَٰرَىٰ ۗ قُلْ ءَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ

Am taqūlūna inna Ibrāhīma wa-Ismāʿīla wa-Isḥāqa wa-Yaʿqūba wa-l-Asbāṭa kānū hūdan aw naṣārā, qul a-antum aʿlamu ami llāh.

"Or do you say that Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb, and the Tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: 'Do you know better, or does Allāh?'" (al-Baqara 2:140)

Commentary: The scholars (ʿulamāʾ) are silent on the matter, for no testimony (shahāda) is possible against Allāh's own testimony. Who then could conceal from Allāh? And Allāh is not unmindful of what you do.

Translation (2:140–141): "'Or do you say that Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb, and the Tribes were Jews or Christians?' Tell them: 'Who knows better — you or Allāh? Who could be more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allāh? And Allāh is not unmindful of what you do. That was a community which has passed. For them is what they earned, and for you is what you have earned. You will not be asked about what they did.'"

Commentary: It is wrong to confine Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) to either Judaism or Christianity; his way was ḥanīfiyya — pure, universal monotheism — which transcends all sectarian categories. The fact that both traditions claim him as their own is itself a testimony to his towering stature. To falsely impute your sectarian label to the great patriarchs is the height of injustice. Allāh knows all things.

Commentary (continued — transition to Juzʾ 2): The passage just concluded (verses 2:128–141) deals extensively with the religion of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) — his supplication for the Messenger, the bequest to his sons, the universal faith of submission (islām). The author notes that the difference between Judaism and Christianity is well known, and it is wrong to project these sectarian divisions back onto Ibrāhīm and the other Patriarchs. The way of Ibrāhīm is the way of pure monotheism, and the Muslims are the true heirs to his legacy. The Jews and Christians each know, in the depth of their hearts, that their claim to Ibrāhīm is without foundation; they suppress this testimony before Allāh, but Allāh is All-Knowing of what they conceal.

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْـَٔلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

Tilka ummatun qad khalat lahā mā kasabat wa-lakum mā kasabtum wa-lā tusʾalūna ʿammā kānū yaʿmalūn.

"That was a community which has passed. For them is what they earned, and for you is what you have earned. You will not be asked about what they used to do." (al-Baqara 2:141)

The repetition of this verse underscores the principle: every community bears its own account; the deeds of the patriarchs will not profit their erring descendants, nor will those descendants be held accountable for the righteousness of their forebears. Each soul answers for itself.

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