Sūrat al-Baqara — Juzʾ 3 (Tilka al-rusul)

سورۃ البقرہ — پارہ ۳ (تلک الرسل)

Sūrat al-Baqara — Juzʾ 3 (Tilka al-rusul)

(Running header changes to:تلک الرسل ٣/البقرة ٢)

(Running header:تلى الرسل ٣/البقرة ٢. This is the transitional page — the new Juzʾ headerتلك الرسل(Tilka al-rusul) is clearly visible.)

Continuation of the Commentary on al-Baqara 2:253:

Those who disputed after the Prophets:

• Wa-law shāʾa-llāh — and if Allah had willed
• Mā iqtatala alladhīna min baʿdihim — those who came after them would not have fought one another
• Min baʿdi mā jāʾathum al-bayyināt — after the clear proofs had come to them
• Wa-lākini akhtalafū — but they differed
• Fa-minhum man āmana — among them were those who believed
• Wa-minhum man kafara — and among them those who disbelieved
• Wa-law shāʾa-llāhu mā iqtatalū — and if Allah had willed they would not have fought
• Wa-lākinna-llāha yafʿalu mā yurīd — but Allah does what He wills

Translation of al-Baqara 2:253 (continuation):

﴿…وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَلَٰكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن كَفَرَ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ﴾…wa-law shāʾa-llāhu mā iqtatala alladhīna min baʿdihim min baʿdi mā jāʾathum al-bayyinātu wa-lākini akhtalafū fa-minhum man āmana wa-minhum man kafara wa-law shāʾa-llāhu mā iqtatalū wa-lākinna-llāha yafʿalu mā yurīd. "…And had Allah willed, those who came after them would not have fought one another, after the clear proofs had come to them — but they differed. Among them were those who believed and among them those who disbelieved. And had Allah willed they would not have fought — but Allah does what He wills." (al-Baqara 2:253)

Commentary: Despite the prophets having been sent with clear signs, the nations that followed them split into factions and fought one another. This is not because Allah could not prevent it — for His will (mashīʾa) is absolute — but because His wisdom (ḥikma bālligha) wills that human beings exercise their free will (ikhtiyār) within the framework of their created nature (fiṭra). Those who are guided act in accordance with their nature; those who rebel act against it. Allah does what He wills — and what He wills accords with His all-encompassing wisdom, which in turn accords with the demands of human nature as He created it.

Verse on Spending Before the Day of Judgement (al-Baqara 2:254):

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لَّا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَاعَةٌ ۗ وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ﴾Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū anfiqū mimmā razaqnākum min qabli an yaʾtiya yawmun lā bayʿun fīhi wa-lā khullatun wa-lā shafāʿatun wal-kāfirūna hum al-ẓālimūn. "O you who believe! Spend of what We have provided for you before a Day comes in which there shall be no trading, no friendship (khulla), and no intercession (shafāʿa). And the disbelievers — they are the wrongdoers." (al-Baqara 2:254)

Lexical notes:

• Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū — O you who believe!
• Anfiqū — spend, give forth
• Mimmā razaqnākum — from what We have provided you
• Min qabli — before
• An yaʾtiya yawmun — that a Day comes
• Lā bayʿun fīhi — in which there is no trading (no ransom by exchange)
• Wa-lā khullatun — and no intimate friendship (that can help)
• Khulla: profound inner friendship; deep affectionate bond
• Wa-lā shafāʿatun — and no intercession (shafāʿa: intercession — lit. "pairing" someone with yourself to bring them up)
• Wal-kāfirūna hum al-ẓālimūn — the disbelievers — they are the wrongdoers (who deprive themselves of their due)

Commentary: From the verse it appears at first glance that no intercession will avail on the Day of Judgement. However, the next verse (illā bi-idhnihi — "except by His leave") reconciles this: intercession will be permitted, but only by Allah's own authorisation. This is the mujmal (general) resolved by the mufaṣṣal (specific). The Sunnī position, confirmed by mutawātir aḥādīth, is that the Prophet Muḥammadﷺwill intercede (shafāʿat al-kubrā) for the believers on the Day of Judgement by Allah's permission.

The disbelievers are called al-ẓālimūn (wrongdoers) because disbelief (kufr) is the greatest wrong — it denies the truth, extinguishes the light of tawḥīd, and places the blame for one's own ruin on oneself. Urge yourselves to spend before that Day overtakes you.

Commentary on al-Baqara 2:254 continued:

Translation (tarjuma): "O believers! Spend from what We have provided for you, before a Day arrives in which there will be no bargaining, no close friendship (khulla), and no intercession. The disbelievers — they are the wrongdoers (who brought harm upon themselves through their own ingratitude)."

The Verse of the Throne (Āyat al-Kursī) — al-Baqara 2:255:

Lexical analysis:

• Allāh — the proper name of the Divine Being: the Necessarily Existent (wājib al-wujūd bi-al-dhāt), the source of all existence, possessed of every attribute of perfection and beauty (ṣifāt kamāliyya).
• Lā ilāha illā huwa — there is no god but He (lā maʿbūda, lā maqṣūda, lā mawjūda fī al-ḥaqīqa siwāhu)
• Al-Ḥayyu — the Ever-Living (al-ḥayāt: eternal life, without beginning or end)
• Al-Qayyūm — the Self-Subsisting Sustainer of all (the one upon Whose existence all else subsists). The word is from qāma bi-amrihi and aqāma ghayrah — He stands independently and upholds all else. The wāw and nūn are merged in the form al-Qayyūm.
• Lā taʾkhudhuhū sinatun wa-lā nawm — neither slumber (sina: a light drowsiness) nor sleep (nawm: full sleep) overtake Him. Sina is the onset of drowsiness; nawm is its completion. These are impossible for Allah, for slumber presupposes the need for rest, and rest presupposes fatigue — all of which are impossible attributes for the Necessary Being.
• Lahu mā fī al-samāwāt wa-mā fī al-arḍ — to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth
• Man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idhnih — who is there that may intercede in His presence except by His permission?
• Yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa-mā khalfahum — He knows what lies before them and what lies behind them
• Wa-lā yuḥīṭūna bi-shayʾin min ʿilmihi illā bi-mā shāʾ — and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills
• Wasiʿa kursiyyuhu al-samāwāti wal-arḍ — His Kursī (Footstool/Throne-seat) encompasses the heavens and the earth
• Wa-lā yaʾūduhu ḥifẓuhumā — and the preservation of them does not weary Him
• Wa-huwa al-ʿAliyyu al-ʿAẓīm — and He is the Most High, the Supremely Great

Translation of Āyat al-Kursī (al-Baqara 2:255):

﴿اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ﴾Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa al-Ḥayyu al-Qayyūm lā taʾkhudhuhū sinatun wa-lā nawmun lahu mā fī al-samāwāti wa-mā fī al-arḍi man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idhnihi yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa-mā khalfahum wa-lā yuḥīṭūna bi-shayʾin min ʿilmihi illā bi-mā shāʾa wasiʿa kursiyyuhu al-samāwāti wal-arḍa wa-lā yaʾūduhu ḥifẓuhumā wa-huwa al-ʿAliyyu al-ʿAẓīm. "Allah — there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting Sustainer of all. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. Who is there that may intercede in His presence except by His permission? He knows what lies before them and what lies behind them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills. His Kursī encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them does not weary Him. He is the Most High, the Supremely Great." (al-Baqara 2:255)

Commentary on Āyat al-Kursī (continued):

A Ṣūfī incident cited by the author: A certain shaykh was delivering a sermon and a pious scholar asked him a question about divine knowledge. The shaykh replied: "I do not know." The scholar said: "You preach here and yet you do not know!" The shaykh answered: "The One who knows more than I do — more than the Throne — if I rise even higher than the Throne, I still know only what Allah has given me. The Lord says: Wa-mā ūtītum min al-ʿilmi illā qalīlā — 'And you have been given of knowledge only a little'" (al-Isrāʾ 17:85). That is why the greatest of the angels (al-kirām al-bararī) says: 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).

The Kursī (Footstool): Its vastness encompasses the heavens and the earth (wasiʿa kursiyyuhu al-samāwāti wal-arḍ) — it holds within its compass the upper and lower realms (ʿawālim al-ʿulwī wa-al-suflī). Allah, Glory be to Him, manages the affairs of day and night — He is the King (al-mālik) whose kingship never sleeps. Only the Kursī receives (ḥāmil) the great weight of governance — the governance of the cosmos is entirely in His hands.

Principles (uṣūl) derived from Āyat al-Kursī: 1. Allah is Self-Existing (bā-al-dhāt ḥayy) and All-Sustaining (Qayyūm). One who is dead, sleeping, or needing rest cannot be worshipped. 2. The entire administration of the cosmos rests in His hands alone. One who is incapable and without power cannot be a rightful object of worship. 3. Whoever acts contrary to His will — who can rebuke him? No tongue can speak against His authority. 4. To know Him fully is not the work of creatures; every ʿārif (knower of Allah) knows only what Allah has willed for him to know.

Commentary continuing on Āyat al-Kursī:

Intercession (al-shafāʿa): Intercession will be permitted only by Allah's leave (bi-idhnihi). This is not a negation of intercession but a condition imposed upon it. The proper rule of Qurʾānic interpretation (uṣūl al-fiqh): when one verse is absolute (muṭlaq) and another is qualified (muqayyad), the absolute is interpreted in the light of the qualified. Thus lā shafāʿata (no intercession) in 2:254 is absolute, while man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idhnih (who may intercede except by His leave) in 2:255 qualifies it: intercession is permitted but only with divine authorisation.

What is the difference between shafāʿa and kafāra? The atonement (kafāra) of Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace), as Christians claim — that he took all sins upon himself and descended into Hell to save others — this is entirely the Christians' own fabrication. Allah Most High declares: Lā taziru wāziratun wizra ukhrā — "No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" (al-Anʿām 6:164). This is a fundamental principle of Islamic theology.

The ʿilm (knowledge) of Allah: Yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa-mā khalfahum — He knows all that lies before His creatures and all that lies behind them. When two directions are combined (ittijāhān), all other directions are encompassed. Some scholars explain mā bayna aydīhim as what is before them (the future / the Hereafter) and mā khalfahum as what lies behind them (the past / this world). All events past, present, and future — all things in this world and the next — are encompassed in the divine knowledge.

From a remarkable account: A certain scholar was giving a lesson. A humble attendant said: "I know not." The scholar replied: "You sit here and yet know nothing?" He answered: "I know only what my Lord has given me — and even if I were raised to the level of the ʿArsh (Throne), I would still know only what Allah has given me. My teacher said: 'My Lord! I know only as much as You have shown me.'" [reconstructed from visible fragments]

Principles derived from Āyat al-Kursī continued: 5. The knowledge of Allah encompasses the past and future, the apparent and the hidden, the material and the spiritual. No one can challenge His knowledge. 6. The management of the upper and lower worlds (ʿālam ʿulwī wa-suflī), the material and the immaterial — their entire administration rests with Allah, and there is never a failure of vigilance, never a fatigue, never a moment of neglect. 7. All of these attributes point to the supreme majesty and transcendence (tanzīh) of Allah. He is al-ʿAliyyu al-ʿAẓīm — the Most High, the Supremely Great.

Allah has thus made clear: had He not repelled some people by means of others (2:251), the earth would have been corrupted. Now He says: the way to maintain this order and to confirm one's own conviction is not by compulsion but by sincere faith — which leads to the next verse.

The Verse of No Compulsion in Religion (al-Baqara 2:256):

Lexical notes:

• Lā ikrāha fī al-dīn — there is no compulsion in religion
• Qad tabayyana al-rushdu mina al-ghayy — the right course has been made distinct from error (rushd: right guidance, correctness; ghayy: misguidance, deviation)
• Fa-man yakfur bi-al-ṭāghūt — whoever disbelieves in the ṭāghūt (ṭāghūt: everything that has transgressed its proper limits; all false deities, all false objects of worship, all tyrannical powers that usurp divine prerogatives — from ṭaghā, "to exceed all bounds")
• Wa-yuʾmin billāh — and believes in Allah
• Fa-qad istamsaka bi-al-ʿurwati al-wuthqā — he has grasped the most firm handhold (ʿurwa al-wuthqā: the firmest grip, the most secure latch — a metaphor for Imān as the highest, most unbreakable bond)
• Lā infisāma lahā — it shall not break, it shall not give way
• Wallāhu samīʿun ʿalīm — and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing

Translation of al-Baqara 2:256:

﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾Lā ikrāha fī al-dīni qad tabayyana al-rushdu mina al-ghayyi fa-man yakfur bil-ṭāghūti wa-yuʾmin billāhi fa-qad istamsaka bil-ʿurwati al-wuthqā lā infisāma lahā wallāhu samīʿun ʿalīm. "There is no compulsion in religion. The right course has been made clearly distinct from misguidance. Whoever disbelieves in the ṭāghūt and believes in Allah has grasped the firmest handhold that shall never break — and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing." (al-Baqara 2:256)

Commentary: The previous verse (Āyat al-Kursī) established Allah's absolute sovereignty and knowledge. The present verse draws the consequence: this same Allah who maintains the entire cosmos without fatigue does not need or demand that His servants be compelled into religion. The truth (rushd) has been made so luminously clear, distinct from error (ghayy), that a sincere seeker can find his way. Whoever freely casts off false deities (ṭāghūt) and takes hold of the ʿurwa al-wuthqā — the firmest handhold of faith in the One God — has grasped an indestructible bond.

On the claim that Islam was spread by the sword: The author addresses this controversy at length. He states: Islam gave explicit directions for jihād but those directions were about the defence of religious freedom and the preservation of all places of worship — not about forced conversion. Allah says:

وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا

Wa-lawlā dafʿu-llāhi al-nāsa baʿḍahum bi-baʿḍin la-huddimat ṣawāmiʿu wa-biyaʿun wa-ṣalawātun wa-masājidu yudhkaru fīhā ismu-llāhi kathīrā.

"And were it not for Allah's repelling some people by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which Allah's name is frequently mentioned would certainly have been destroyed." (al-Ḥajj 22:40)

This verse establishes two things: (1) jihād is conducted to preserve places of worship — not to destroy them; (2) Islam wills the preservation of the places of worship of all religious communities. The claim that "Islam was spread by the sword" is a great lie — it was spread by the lives (sīra), conduct (akhlāq), and exemplary character of the Muslims.

Commentary continued — the freedom of religion and the dhimmī (protected non-Muslim):

The religion does not compel: Lā ikrāha fī al-dīn — a definitive (qaṭʿī) ruling. Non-Muslims living under Muslim governance who accept the covenant of peace (amān) are to be protected by the Muslims. The Prophet Muḥammadﷺsaid:

مَنْ آذَى ذِمِّيًّا فَقَدْ آذَانِي

Man ādhā dhimmiyyan fa-qad ādhānī.

"Whoever harms a dhimmī has harmed me." (referenced in Sunnah texts)

Those who seek refuge (musta'min) are under protection: Wa-in aḥadun min al-mushrikīna stajahraka fa-ajirhu — "If any of the idolaters seeks your protection, grant him protection" (al-Tawba 9:6). The command is not: "Convert them by force" — but: "Convey them safely to a place of security."

On the question of jizya (poll-tax on protected non-Muslims): The author clarifies that jizya is levied on dhimmīs in lieu of the military service that Muslim men perform — it is a protection-tax, not a penalty for non-conversion. Non-Muslims who participate in military service are exempt from jizya. The author contrasts this with European colonialism's taxes and extractions.

On slavery in Islam: The author responds to the common objection about Islamic slavery. He states: Islam came into a world where slavery existed as a universal institution. It did not abolish it by sudden fiat — which would have been socially catastrophic — but placed extensive restrictions on it, provided numerous channels for emancipation (itq), and guaranteed slaves their rights. The Qurʾān says: Wa-mā malakat aymānukum — and their treatment was regulated by the same ḥudūd as for free persons in matters of worship and morality. Islamic slaves became kings; in the present age, nominally "free" people are more enslaved than Islamic slaves ever were.

The verse on the Guardianship of the Believers (al-Baqara 2:257):

﴿اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ﴾Allāhu waliyyu alladhīna āmanū yukhrijuhum mina al-ẓulumāti ilā al-nūri wal-ladhīna kafarū awliyāʾuhum al-ṭāghūtu yukhrijūnahum mina al-nūri ilā al-ẓulumāti ulāʾika aṣḥābu al-nāri hum fīhā khālidūn. "Allah is the Guardian of those who believe — He brings them out from darkness into light. And those who disbelieve — their guardians are the ṭāghūt, who bring them out of light into darkness. They are the companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein forever." (al-Baqara 2:257)

Commentary: Knowledge (ʿilm) is light; ignorance (jahl) is darkness. A person deprived of divine guidance has no knowledge. The disbelievers are under the guardianship of ṭāghūt — those satanic forces and false authorities that drag souls from the light of tawḥīd into the darkness of shirk. Disbelief (kufr) is the form that divine wrath takes — a wilful turning away from the clear light of tawḥīd. Hell (Jahannam) is the state of one who has not held to the ākhira as real; the disbeliever's eternal abiding in the Fire is the consequence of a choice freely made in this world.

Translation (tarjuma): "Allah is the Guardian and Protector of believers. He leads them out of darkness (of disbelief and ignorance) into light (of faith and knowledge). As for those who disbelieve — their guardians are the ṭāghūt: satanic forces and false authorities who drag them from the light into darkness. These are the companions of the Fire, wherein they shall permanently abide."

Further elaboration: Knowledge (ʿilm) is light; what is devoid of it has no illumination. And disbelief draws upon itself the divine wrath (ghaḍab ilāhī) — not in an arbitrary way, but because it is the rejection of the light that was freely extended. Whoever does not hold the ākhira as real, how can he be saved? Hell is the form of the culmination of disbelief and persistent transgression. Whoever repents — the door of tawba is always open before death. But kufr that extends to death, and transgression that continues until the end — fidāma bi-al-nār (permanent residence in the Fire).

The exchange of light and darkness in this verse echoes Āyat al-Kursī: there too, Allah leads the believers from darkness to light through His walāya (guardianship). The contrast is absolute: divine guardianship (walāya ilāhiyya) versus satanic false guardianship (walāya ṭāghūtiyya).

On the Verse: Fighting in Religion (al-Baqara 2:256 continued):

The author here addresses those who claim Islam enforces religion by violence. He argues:

Lā ikrāha fī al-dīn is not merely a "tolerance principle" — it is a statement about the nature of religion itself. True faith cannot be coerced. The divine message was made crystal clear: the way of guidance (rushd) was separated from the way of error (ghayy) by prophets, books, and miracles. After that, the human being's choice is his own.

Jihād in Islam is defensive and aimed at preserving the freedom of worship — not at forced conversions. The author quotes: Wa-lawlā dafʿu-llāhi al-nāsa baʿḍahum bi-baʿḍin la-huddimat ṣawāmiʿu wa-biyaʿ… (al-Ḥajj 22:40) — the preservation of churches, synagogues, monasteries, and mosques is a stated goal of jihād. The contemporary West has set mosques ablaze and murdered millions — can Islam's jihād be compared to this?

The author invites the reader to examine history: Sultān Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī (may Allah have mercy on him) was known for his chivalry and his merciful treatment of the Crusader captives. When have Islamic armies massacred civilians, children, the elderly? The Qurʾānic injunctions are explicit:

لَا تَقْتُلُوا شَيْخًا فَانِيًا وَلَا طِفْلًا وَلَا امْرَأَةً

Lā taqtulū shaikhan fāniyyan wa-lā ṭiflan wa-lā imraʾah.

"Do not kill an aged elder, nor a child, nor a woman." (Abū Dāwūd; transmitted from the commands of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may Allah be pleased with him)

Continuation — On the verse: Those who follow the light (al-Baqara 2:257 commentary extended):

The Qurʾān declares plainly: Inna alladhīna kafarū awliyāʾuhum al-ṭāghūtu yukhrijūnahum mina al-nūri ilā al-ẓulumāt — "The guardians of the disbelievers are the ṭāghūt, who drag them from light into darkness" (al-Baqara 2:257). What is their final programme? Is it not that Islamic missionary work is a form of force? Let the observer note: it is the enemies of religion (dushmānān-e-dīn) who use the sword of distortion (shamshīr-e-taḥrīf) to spread falsehood. The religion of Islam raised the sword of truth only to defend the oppressed — to protect the weak from tyranny.

The author states strongly: the allegation that Islam was spread by force is the single greatest lie told about it. The sīra (life of the Prophetﷺ), the akhlāq (moral character) of the Companions, the justice of the early caliphs — these were the instruments of the spread of Islam. A people that witnessed how Muslims treated their captives at Badr — giving them food before eating themselves — chose Islam not out of fear but out of love and recognition of truth.

Verse on the Dispute of Nimrūd with Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) (al-Baqara 2:258):

Lexical notes:

• Alam tara ilā alladhī ḥājja Ibrāhīma fī rabbihi — have you not considered the one who disputed (ḥājja — engaged in argument, insisted on his position) with Ibrāhīm concerning his Lord?
• An ātāhu-llāhu al-mulk — that Allah had given him (Nimrūd) sovereignty
• Idh qāla Ibrāhīmu — when Ibrāhīm said
• Rabbiya alladhī yuḥyī wa-yumīt — my Lord is He who gives life and causes death
• Qāla anā uḥyī wa-umīt — (Nimrūd) said: "I give life and I cause death" — and he released one prisoner and executed another as a crude mockery of this claim
• Qāla Ibrāhīmu fa-inna-llāha yaʾtī bi-al-shamsi mina al-mashriq — Ibrāhīm said: "Indeed, Allah brings the sun from the East"
• Fa'ti bihā mina al-maghrib — "then bring it from the West"
• Fa-buhita alladhī kafara — so the disbeliever was dumbfounded, confounded, speechless
• Wallāhu lā yahdī al-qawma al-ẓālimīn — and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people

Translation of al-Baqara 2:258:

﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ ۖ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾Alam tara ilā alladhī ḥājja Ibrāhīma fī rabbihi an ātāhu-llāhu al-mulka idh qāla Ibrāhīmu rabbiya alladhī yuḥyī wa-yumītu qāla anā uḥyī wa-umītu qāla Ibrāhīmu fa-inna-llāha yaʾtī bi-al-shamsi mina al-mashriqi fa'ti bihā mina al-maghribi fa-buhita alladhī kafara wallāhu lā yahdī al-qawma al-ẓālimīn. "Have you not considered the one who disputed with Ibrāhīm concerning his Lord, because Allah had given him kingship? When Ibrāhīm said: 'My Lord is He who gives life and causes death,' he replied: 'I give life and I cause death.' Ibrāhīm said: 'Indeed, Allah brings the sun from the East — then bring it from the West.' So the disbeliever was confounded. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people." (al-Baqara 2:258)

Commentary: This is a supreme example of Qurʾānic manṭiq (dialectical reasoning) and munāẓara (disputation). Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) first presented an argument that required an ontological answer — "My Lord gives life and causes death." Nimrūd countered with a sophistic parody. Ibrāhīm immediately shifted to an argument that admitted of no sophistic counter: the motion of the sun is a fixed cosmological fact — "Allah brings it from the East; bring it from the West." Nimrūd was confounded.

The lesson for Muslims engaged in munāẓara (theological debate): do not argue in circles; shift to clear, irrefutable demonstrations. And: Wa-law kunta faẓẓan ghalīẓa al-qalb la-infaḍḍū min ḥawlik — "If you had been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you" (Āl ʿImrān 3:159). The manner of the Prophet Mūsā (upon him be peace) with Firʿawn: Fa-qūlā lahu qawlan layyinan — "Speak to him with gentle words" (Ṭāhā 20:44). The author addresses his readership: our enemies cannot escape this argument; but we must make it with ḥikma (wisdom) and maʿrifa (knowledge), not with abuse.

The conduct of munāẓara (theological debate):

The author writes (addressing his Muslim readers directly): You have a desire for munāẓara (theological disputation) but do not know how to conduct it properly. Your Muslim opponent is no worse than Firʿawn, and you are not less than Mūsā (upon him be peace). Look at the prophetic method: Fa-qūlā lahu qawlan layyinan laʿallahu yatadhakkaru aw yakhshā — "Speak to him with gentle words — perhaps he will be reminded or will fear" (Ṭāhā 20:44). Our scholars conduct disputations with the proponents of falsehood. When they are on firm ground and truth is with them, they proceed without a hint of triumph or arrogance — one approach for one person, another approach for another. Each person has a different manner of arriving at conviction. The key is to say only what is the clear truth; avoid personal attacks; remember that Allah is watching. [reconstructed from visible Urdu fragments]

The Story of the Man Who Passed by a Ruined City (al-Baqara 2:259):

Lexical notes:

• Aw kal-ladhī — or (consider) the one who
• Marra ʿalā qaryatin — passed by a town
• Wa-hiya khāwiyatun ʿalā ʿurūshihā — which was lying in ruins — khawiya: empty, collapsed, fallen in upon its own structures
• ʿUrūsh: the rooftops and upper frameworks, the entire structure of buildings
• Qāla annā yuḥyī hādhihi-llāhu baʿda mawtihā — he said: "How will Allah give life to this after its death?"
• Fa-amātahu-llāhu miʾata ʿāmin — so Allah caused him to die for one hundred years
• Thumma baʿathahu — then He raised him up
• Qāla kam labithta — He asked: "How long did you remain?"
• Qāla labithu yawman aw baʿḍa yawm — he said: "A day or part of a day"
• Qāla bal labithta miʾata ʿām — He said: "No! You remained for one hundred years"
• Fanẓur ilā ṭaʿāmika wa-sharābika lam yatasannah — "Look at your food and drink — it has not changed (lam yatasannah: not deteriorated, not altered)"
• Wa-nẓur ilā ḥimārika — "And look at your donkey"
• Wa-li-najʿalaka āyatan lil-nāsi — "And that We may make you a sign for the people"
• Wa-nẓur ilā al-ʿiẓāmi kayfa nunshizuhā — "And look at the bones — how We set them up"
• Thumma naksūhā laḥman — "Then clothe them with flesh"
• Fa-lammā tabayyana lahu — when it became clear to him
• Qāla aʿlamu anna-llāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr — he said: "I know that Allah has power over all things"

Translation of al-Baqara 2:259:

﴿أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْيِي هَٰذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِئَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ ۖ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ ۖ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِئَةَ عَامٍ فَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ ۖ وَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ وَانظُرْ إِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾Aw kal-ladhī marra ʿalā qaryatin wa-hiya khāwiyatun ʿalā ʿurūshihā qāla annā yuḥyī hādhihi-llāhu baʿda mawtihā fa-amātahu-llāhu miʾata ʿāmin thumma baʿathahu qāla kam labithta qāla labithu yawman aw baʿḍa yawmin qāla bal labithta miʾata ʿāmin fanẓur ilā ṭaʿāmika wa-sharābika lam yatasannahi wanẓur ilā ḥimārika wa-li-najʿalaka āyatan lil-nāsi wanẓur ilā al-ʿiẓāmi kayfa nunshizuhā thumma naksūhā laḥman fa-lammā tabayyana lahu qāla aʿlamu anna-llāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr. "Or (consider) the one who passed by a town lying in ruins — its rooftops fallen in — and said: 'How will Allah give life to this after its death?' So Allah caused him to die for one hundred years, then raised him up. He asked: 'How long did you remain?' He said: 'A day or part of a day.' He said: 'No — you remained for one hundred years. Look at your food and drink — it has not altered. And look at your donkey. And that We may make you a sign for the people — look at the bones, how We set them up, then clothe them with flesh.' When it all became clear to him he said: 'I know that Allah has power over all things.'" (al-Baqara 2:259)

Three Levels of Certainty (yaqīn):

The author draws on the classical distinctions: 1. ʿIlm al-yaqīn (certainty of knowledge): knowing by reason and argument 2. ʿAyn al-yaqīn (certainty of sight): knowing by direct observation 3. Ḥaqq al-yaqīn (certainty of reality): the highest, most immediate knowing — experienced reality

Before the miracle the man had ʿilm al-yaqīn; after the experience of being raised from a hundred years' death — seeing his own bones reassembled and clothed with flesh, his food fresh, his donkey reconstituted — he attained ʿayn al-yaqīn. He declared: Aʿlamu anna-llāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr — "I know with complete certainty that Allah has power over all things."

Translation (tarjuma): "And likewise the story of the man who passed by a ruined, deserted town — rooftops collapsed — and said: 'How will Allah revive this after its death?' Allah caused him to die for one hundred years, then revived him. He was asked: 'How long did you remain?' He said: 'A day, or part of a day.' He was told: 'You remained a full hundred years. Look at your food and drink — it is still fresh and unaltered. And look at your donkey (its bones). — So that We may make you a sign for people — look at the bones: see how We set them up, then clothe them with flesh.' When this became manifest to him he said: 'I know that Allah has full power over all things.'"

Commentary on the story's deeper meaning: Allah demonstrated to this servant — in a direct, undeniable manner — the truth of resurrection (baʿth). Some scholars hold this to be a literal, miraculous event (kharq al-ʿāda) and the most natural reading is the literal one. Others suggest it refers to Bayt al-Maqdis being devastated and then rebuilt a century later — and that the "death and reviving" refers to the city's destruction and restoration. The literal reading, however, is more appropriate for a miracle intended as āyatan lil-nās — a sign for humanity. [reconstructed from the visible fragments]

Principles derived: 1. ʿIlm al-yaqīn (knowing by argument), ʿayn al-yaqīn (knowing by sight), ḥaqq al-yaqīn (direct experience of reality) — the three ascending stages of certainty. 2. Allah's creative power is not bound by natural causes; the preservation of food for a hundred years without decay is a direct demonstration of this. 3. Some scholars hold that "death and revival" here refers to the spiritual death of the soul lost in worldly preoccupation, and "revival" to spiritual awakening — but the literal miracle-narrative is the primary meaning.

The Story of Ibrāhīm and the Raising of the Dead Birds (al-Baqara 2:260):

(Page opens with the remnants of the Ibrāhīm narrative from 2:259 transition, then leads into al-Baqara 2:260.)

Translation of al-Baqara 2:260:

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ۖ قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن ۖ قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي ۖ قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا ۚ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ﴾Wa-idh qāla Ibrāhīmu rabbi arinī kayfa tuḥyī al-mawtā qāla a-wa-lam tuʾmin qāla balā wa-lākin li-yaṭmaʾinna qalbī qāla fa-khudh arbaʿatan mina al-ṭayri fa-ṣurhunna ilayka thumma ijʿal ʿalā kulli jabalin minhunn juzʾan thumma udʿuhunna yaʾtīnaka saʿyan waʿlam anna-llāha ʿazīzun ḥakīm. "And when Ibrāhīm said: 'My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.' He said: 'Do you not believe?' He said: 'Of course! But that my heart may be at rest.' He said: 'Take four birds and draw them to yourself, then place a portion of each of them on each mountain, then call them — they will come to you rushing. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.'" (al-Baqara 2:260)

Lexical notes:

• Arinī — show me, let me see
• Kayfa tuḥyī al-mawtā — how You give life to the dead
• A-wa-lam tuʾmin — do you not believe?
• Balā — indeed! Yes, certainly! (the affirmative answer to a negatively-phrased question)
• Wa-lākin li-yaṭmaʾinna qalbī — but that my heart may be at complete rest
• Fa-ṣurhunna ilayka — draw them towards you; train them to come to your call; slaughter and dismember them (ṣāra also means to incline, to draw to oneself — some say this means: cut them apart)
• Thumma ijʿal ʿalā kulli jabalin — then place on each mountain
• Minhunn juzʾan — a portion of them
• Thumma udʿuhunna — then call them
• Yaʾtīnaka saʿyan — they will come rushing to you, alive
• Inna-llāha ʿazīzun ḥakīm — Allah is All-Mighty (in His power over death and life), All-Wise (in His purposes)

Commentary: Ibrāhīm's request (alayhi al-salām) was not born of doubt but of a desire to advance from ʿilm al-yaqīn to ʿayn al-yaqīn. He said clearly: Balā — "Of course I believe" — but added: li-yaṭmaʾinna qalbī — "that my heart may attain perfect serenity and rest." This is the highest station of certainty — moving from abstract conviction to vivid, experiential certitude. The Qurʾān itself endorses the validity of this desire.

Allah commanded: take four birds; make them familiar with yourself; then dismember them and place their parts on separate mountains; then call them — and they came flying back, reassembled and alive. This demonstrated to Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) that the resurrection (baʿth) of the dead is not metaphorical but a vivid, real event — as real as the birds coming together from the four corners of the horizon. Waʿlam anna-llāha ʿazīzun ḥakīm — know that Allah is the All-Mighty and All-Wise.

Commentary continues: The process of resurrection: the bones are raised up (yunshazuhā) — re-assembled — and then clothed with flesh (naksūhā laḥman) — reminding us of the structure of the body: first the skeleton, then the muscles and flesh. Just as the birds' scattered remains came together at the divine call, so shall the scattered remains of humanity be reconstituted on the Day of Resurrection.

Translation of al-Baqara 2:260 (tarjuma): "And when Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) said: 'O my Lord, show me how You give life to the dead!' He said: 'Do you not believe?' He answered: 'Indeed I do! But I wish that my heart may attain perfect peace and certainty.' So He said: 'Take four birds, draw them to yourself and train them; then place a portion of each bird on each mountain; then call them — they will come to you rushing (alive).' And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise."

Commentary: This incident demonstrates — with definitive, tangible proof — the truth of resurrection and Allah's power over life and death. After witnessing this, Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) attained the highest degree of certainty (ḥaqq al-yaqīn): Aʿlamu anna-llāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.

Now after establishing the certainty of the ākhira, Allah invites the believers to translate that certainty into action by spending in His path — for the deeds of this world bear fruit sevenfold and more in the ākhira.

Verse on Spending in the Path of Allah (al-Baqara 2:261):

Lexical notes:

• Mathalu alladhīna yunfiqūna amwālahum fī sabīli-llāh — the likeness of those who spend their wealth in the path of Allah
• Ka-mathali ḥabbatin — is like that of a grain
• Anbatat sabʿa sanābil — that sprouts seven ears
• Fī kulli sunbulatin miʾatu ḥabbah — in each ear one hundred grains
• Wallāhu yuḍāʿifu — and Allah multiplies
• Li-man yashāʾ — for whom He wills
• Wallāhu wāsiʿun ʿalīm — Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing

Translation of al-Baqara 2:261:

﴿مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّائَةُ حَبَّةٍ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾Mathalu alladhīna yunfiqūna amwālahum fī sabīli-llāhi ka-mathali ḥabbatin anbatat sabʿa sanābila fī kulli sunbulatin miʾatu ḥabbatin wallāhu yuḍāʿifu li-man yashāʾu wallāhu wāsiʿun ʿalīm. "The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the path of Allah is as the likeness of a grain that grows seven ears, in each ear one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies for whom He wills — Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (al-Baqara 2:261)

Commentary: The divine arithmetic of infāq: one grain → seven ears → seven hundred grains. And beyond that, Allah says yuḍāʿifu li-man yashāʾ — He multiplies without limit for whom He wills. The traditional reports mention seven hundred times in this world and boundless reward in the Hereafter. Wallāhu wāsiʿun ʿalīm — His generosity knows no bounds; His knowledge ensures that the sincerity of the gift is fully reckoned.

The Verse on Charity Not Followed by Harm (al-Baqara 2:262):

﴿الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ لَا يُتْبِعُونَ مَا أَنفَقُوا مَنًّا وَلَا أَذًى ۙ لَّهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾Alladhīna yunfiqūna amwālahum fī sabīli-llāhi thumma lā yutbiʿūna mā anfaqū mannan wa-lā adhan lahum ajruhum ʿinda rabbihim wa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn. "Those who spend their wealth in the path of Allah, then do not follow what they have spent with reminders of their generosity or with harm — their reward is with their Lord, and no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve." (al-Baqara 2:262)

Commentary on mann (reminder of favour) and adhan (harm):

There are people who give ṣadaqa but then remind the recipient of it repeatedly — conveying the message: "Remember what I did for you." Or they give with the right hand while belittling the recipient's dignity with the left. Such giving is poisoned and its reward is nullified. The author addresses the reader directly: Give sincerely; give from the heart; give as though you yourself are the one eating and being nourished — as the Qurʾān says:

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا

"And they feed, out of love for Him, the poor, the orphan, and the prisoner." (al-Insān 76:8)

Give joyfully; give quietly; give twice and thrice; give at home and away; give in the manner of one who eats and feeds others together.

Translation (tarjuma): "Those who spend their wealth in the path of Allah and do not follow their spending with reminders of favour (mann) or with harm (adhan) — their reward is with their Lord. No fear shall touch them and they shall not grieve (in this world or the next, their investment is secure; their fear for the future and their grief over the past are both removed)."

The Verse Comparing Insincere Giving to Smooth Rock (al-Baqara 2:264):

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُم بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَىٰ كَالَّذِي يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā tubṭilū ṣadaqātikum bil-manni wal-adhā ka-alladhī yunfiqu mālahu riʾāʾa al-nāsi wa-lā yuʾminu billāhi wal-yawmi al-ākhiri fa-mathaluhu ka-mathali ṣafwānin ʿalayhi turābun fa-aṣābahu wābilun fa-tarakahu ṣaldan lā yaqdirūna ʿalā shayʾin mimmā kasabū wallāhu lā yahdī al-qawma al-kāfirīn. "O you who believe! Do not render your charities void by reminders of favour and by harm, like the one who spends his wealth to show off to people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His likeness is that of a smooth rock covered with dust — a heavy rain falls upon it and leaves it bare. They have no power over anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people." (al-Baqara 2:264)

Lexical notes:

• Lā tubṭilū — do not render void, do not ruin
• Ṣadaqātikum — your charities
• Bil-manni wal-adhā — by reminders of favour and by harmful words
• Riʾāʾa al-nās — showing off to people (riyāʾ — ostentation)
• Ṣafwān — a smooth, hard rock (ṣafwān: a polished, flat boulder)
• ʿAlayhi turāb — covered with a layer of soil
• Fa-aṣābahu wābil — a heavy rain (wābil: a heavy downpour) fell upon it
• Fa-tarakahu ṣaldan — and left it completely bare (ṣald: smooth, bare, utterly clean of any soil or growth)
• Lā yaqdirūna — they are unable; they shall not have power
• ʿAlā shayʾin mimmā kasabū — over anything of what they earned

Commentary: The image is devastating in its vividness: the hypocritical giver (murāʾī) is like a man who cultivates what he thinks is fertile soil. He works at it, people praise him — but underneath the thin coating of soil is bare rock. When the rain of scrutiny falls — in this world or at Judgement — the surface washes away and nothing remains. His deeds come to nothing. The believer's charity, by contrast, is like fertile high ground that receives the rain and doubles its yield — as described in the next verse.

The Verse of the Garden on High Ground (al-Baqara 2:265):

﴿وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ وَتَثْبِيتًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةٍ بِرَبْوَةٍ أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٌ فَآتَتْ أُكُلَهَا ضِعْفَيْنِ فَإِن لَّمْ يُصِبْهَا وَابِلٌ فَطَلٌّ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴾Wa-mathalu alladhīna yunfiqūna amwālahum ibtighāʾa marḍāti-llāhi wa-tathbītan min anfusihim ka-mathali jannatin bi-rabwatin aṣābahā wābilun fa-ātat ukulahā ḍiʿfayni fa-in lam tuṣibhā wābilun fa-ṭallun wallāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna baṣīr. "And the likeness of those who spend their wealth seeking Allah's pleasure, and for the confirmation of their souls, is as the likeness of a garden on high ground — a heavy rain falls upon it and it yields its produce twofold; and if no heavy rain falls upon it, then a light drizzle (suffices). And Allah sees all that you do." (al-Baqara 2:265)

Lexical notes:

• Ibtighāʾa marḍāti-llāh — seeking Allah's pleasure (marḍāt: approval, satisfaction)
• Wa-tathbītan min anfusihim — and for the strengthening and confirmation of their own conviction and faith
• Ka-mathali jannatin bi-rabwatin — like a garden on elevated, fertile ground (rabwa: high, well-drained land)
• Aṣābahā wābil — a heavy rain fell upon it
• Fa-ātat ukulahā ḍiʿfayn — so it brought forth its produce doubly
• Fa-in lam tuṣibhā wābilun fa-ṭall — and if no heavy rain, then even a light drizzle
• Wallāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna baṣīr — and Allah sees all that you do

Commentary: The pure-hearted giver (muttaqī munfiq) is like a garden on high, fertile ground. Whether the rain is heavy or light, the garden bears fruit. The sincere giver: whether his circumstances allow a large gift or only a small one — both bear fruit in proportion, for his intention (niyya) is pure and his faith (tathbīt) is firm. Tathbītan min anfusihim — the act of giving itself strengthens and confirms their inner conviction; it is a spiritual exercise as much as a social one.

Translation (tarjuma): "And the likeness of those who spend their wealth seeking Allah's pleasure, and for the strengthening and confirmation of their own conviction, is as a garden on high, fertile ground. If a heavy rain falls upon it, it gives double its produce. And if no heavy rain comes — then even a light drizzle will do. And Allah sees what you do."

Translation (tarjuma, continuation of al-Baqara 2:265): "Those who spend seeking Allah's pleasure, keeping their own conviction strong and firm — their likeness is that fertile high garden. Whatever amount of rain comes — much or little — it yields accordingly. Allah, who is All-Seeing, will reward them in proportion to their sincerity and effort."

The Verse of the Garden Struck by the Whirlwind (al-Baqara 2:266):

﴿أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاءُ فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾A-yawaddu aḥadukum an takūna lahu jannatun min nakhīlin wa-aʿnābin tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhāru lahu fīhā min kulli al-thamarāti wa-aṣābahu al-kibaru wa-lahu dhurriyyatun ḍuʿafāʾu fa-aṣābahā iʿṣārun fīhi nārun fa-ḥtaraqat kadhālika yubayyinu-llāhu lakum al-āyāti laʿallakum tatafakkarūn. "Would any of you wish to have a garden of palm trees and vines with rivers flowing beneath it, possessing every kind of fruit — while he himself is aged and his offspring are weak — and then a whirlwind containing fire sweeps through it and it is all burned up? Thus Allah makes clear His signs to you, that you may reflect." (al-Baqara 2:266)

Lexical notes:

• A-yawaddu aḥadukum — would any of you desire, love
• Jannatun min nakhīlin wa-aʿnāb — a garden of date palms and grape vines
• Tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhār — with rivers flowing beneath it
• Lahu fīhā min kulli al-thamarāt — in it every kind of fruit
• Wa-aṣābahu al-kibar — and he himself is stricken with old age
• Wa-lahu dhurriyyatun ḍuʿafāʾ — and he has weak, young offspring (ḍuʿafāʾ: feeble, unable to support themselves)
• Fa-aṣābahā iʿṣār — then a whirlwind (iʿṣār: a twisting, spiralling storm, from ʿaṣara — to squeeze, to twist)
• Fīhi nār — containing fire
• Fa-ḥtaraqat — and it burned up entirely

Commentary: Imagine: a man has tended his garden all his life — date palms, vines, fruit trees, streams. Now he is old; his children are young and incapable of caring for themselves. His entire wealth, his hope, his provision for his old age and for his children — all rests on this garden. And then one night a fire-bearing whirlwind destroys it entirely. What is his state?

This is the parable of the one whose ṣadaqāt are nullified by mann and adhā: he has laboured, he has invested, he has given — but at the moment when he would most need the reward of that giving (on the Day of Judgement, when he is old and his resources spent), he finds it all destroyed by his own ingratitude, ostentation, and harshness. Kadhālika yubayyinu-llāhu lakum al-āyāt laʿallakum tatafakkarūn — "Thus Allah makes clear His signs for you, that you may think deeply."

Translation (tarjuma): "Would any of you want to have a garden of date palms and vines — rivers flowing beneath it, bearing every fruit — and he himself grown old, his children young and weak — and then a fire-laden whirlwind comes and burns it all to nothing? Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you, so that you may reflect and understand."

Commentary on al-Baqara 2:266 continued:

The garden in this parable has every element of worldly completeness: nakhīl wa-aʿnāb (dates and grapes — staples), anhār (rivers — constant water supply), min kulli al-thamarāt (every kind of fruit — total abundance). The man is old (al-kibar: the weakness of old age); his children are ḍuʿafāʾ (weak, dependent). He has no alternative means of support. The whirlwind strikes in a single moment and destroys the entire investment of a lifetime.

This is the spiritual catastrophe of the one who gives with riyāʾ (ostentation) and mann (reminders of favour): his entire spiritual capital, built over a lifetime, is destroyed in an instant by the fire of insincerity. He stands before Allah on the Day of Judgement with nothing to show for all his apparent giving.

The conclusion: Give sincerely. Give quietly. Do not remind. Do not harm. Give seeking only Allah's pleasure (ibtighāʾa marḍāti-llāh) — and let your giving strengthen your own faith (tathbītan min anfusikum). Then your garden will be on high, fertile ground, watered by rain great or small, yielding double fruit — eternally.

(Note: The OCR of pages 358–359 is severely garbled with only fragmentary Arabic visible. The continuation, following al-Baqara 2:266, moves into the verses on good spending — 2:267 onwards. The following represents a reconstruction of the commentary from visible fragments.)

The Verse on Spending from Good Things (al-Baqara 2:267):

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ ۖ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ إِلَّا أَن تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ ۚ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ﴾Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū anfiqū min ṭayyibāti mā kasabtum wa-mimmā akhrajanā lakum mina al-arḍi wa-lā tayammamū al-khabītha minhu tunfiqūna wa-lastum bi-ākhidhīhi illā an tughmiḍū fīhi waʿlamū anna-llāha ghaniyyun ḥamīd. "O you who believe! Spend of the good things you have earned, and of what We have brought forth for you from the earth. And do not aim for the bad among them to spend, when you yourselves would not take it except with eyes closed. And know that Allah is Self-Sufficient (ghanī), All-Praiseworthy." (al-Baqara 2:267)

Commentary: The Qurʾān commands: give from ṭayyibāt — the good, the wholesome, the best of what you have. Do not select the inferior, the rotten, the second-rate for charity while keeping the best for yourself. Would you accept such a gift if someone gave it to you? You would take it only reluctantly, with your eyes closed. How then do you give it to Allah — the All-Sufficient, the All-Praiseworthy? Give your best, not your worst.

The author exhorts: let the believer ask himself: when I give, do I give my best or my discards? The man who gives ṭayyibāt — sincerely and from quality — Allah accepts it and multiplies it. Wallāhu ghaniyyun ḥamīd — Allah is in need of nothing; He is Praiseworthy in all His attributes. Our giving is for our own souls' benefit, not for His need.

The Verse Warning Against Shayṭān's Threat of Poverty (al-Baqara 2:268):

﴿الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾Al-shayṭānu yaʿidukum al-faqra wa-yaʾmurukum bil-faḥshāʾi wallāhu yaʿidukum maghfiratan minhu wa-faḍlan wallāhu wāsiʿun ʿalīm. "Shayṭān threatens you with poverty and commands you to commit indecency, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty — and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (al-Baqara 2:268)

Commentary: There are two voices that speak to the heart of the believer when he considers giving in charity: 1. The voice of Shayṭān: "If you give, you will become poor. Your wealth will diminish. Hold it back." And alongside this, Shayṭān urges faḥshāʾ — indecency, vile acts — for miserliness (bukhl) is the companion of moral degradation. 2. The voice of Allah: Yaʿidukum maghfiratan wa-faḍlan — "I promise you forgiveness of your sins and increase in your wealth and reward." Wallāhu wāsiʿun ʿalīm — His generosity has no limit; His knowledge encompasses every act of giving.

The verse on Ḥikma (al-Baqara 2:269):

﴿يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ﴾Yuʾtī al-ḥikmata man yashāʾu wa-man yūta al-ḥikmata fa-qad ūtiya khayran kathīran wa-mā yadhdhakkaru illā ulū al-albāb. "He grants wisdom (ḥikma) to whom He wills, and whoever is granted wisdom has been given a great good. And none receive the reminder except those of sound understanding (ulū al-albāb)." (al-Baqara 2:269)

Commentary on Ḥikma: Ḥikma here refers to the understanding of truth — the ability to place everything in its proper place, to act at the right time with the right manner and measure. It is the highest gift: not wealth, not beauty, not power — but ḥikma. Whoever is given ḥikma has been given a great good (khayran kathīran). It is the gift given to the Prophets, to the saints (awliyāʾ), to the true scholars (ʿulamāʾ al-rāsikhūn fī al-ʿilm). It is what leads to correct infāq, correct ʿibāda, correct governance of the soul.

Wa-mā yadhdhakkaru illā ulū al-albāb — only those of sound intellect (albāb, pl. of lubb — the pure kernel, the essence of intellect) truly receive the reminder. The outer intellect follows the ego; the lubb follows the truth. May Allah grant us ḥikma and make us of ulū al-albāb.

The Verse on Declaring and Concealing Charity (al-Baqara 2:270–271):

﴿وَمَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن نَّفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُم مِّن نَّذْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُهُ ۗ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ﴾Wa-mā anfaqtum min nafaqatin aw nadhartum min nadhrin fa-inna-llāha yaʿlamuhu wa-mā lil-ẓālimīna min anṣār. "Whatever you spend in expenditure or fulfil in vow — truly Allah knows it. And the wrongdoers shall have no helpers." (al-Baqara 2:270)

﴿إِن تُبْدُوا الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ ۖ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ﴾In tubdū al-ṣadaqāti fa-niʿimmā hiya wa-in tukhfūhā wa-tuʾtūhā al-fuqarāʾa fa-huwa khayrun lakum wa-yukaffiru ʿankum min sayyiʾātikum wallāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna khabīr. "If you declare your charities — that is good. But if you conceal them and give them to the poor — that is better for you. And He will remove from you some of your evil deeds. And Allah is aware of what you do." (al-Baqara 2:271)

Commentary: Public charity (iʿlān al-ṣadaqa) has its place — when the intention is sound, it may encourage others to give and demonstrate the vitality of the community's generosity. The Qurʾān does not condemn it. However, concealed charity (ikhfāʾ al-ṣadaqa) given quietly to the poor — with no witness, no audience, no desire for gratitude — is better (khayrun lakum). The Prophetﷺmentioned among the seven whom Allah will shade on the Day when there is no shade except His: "A man who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given." [reconstructed]

Three principles emerge from these two verses:

1. Every act of giving is known to Allah: Whether declared openly or given in secret, fa-inna-llāha yaʿlamuhu — Allah knows it in its entirety, with all its intentions and circumstances. No act of generosity, however small, is ever lost.

2. Secrecy in charity is nobler: Wa-in tukhfūhā wa-tuʾtūhā al-fuqarāʾ fa-huwa khayrun lakum — concealment preserves the dignity of the recipient and purifies the intention of the giver. The poor person is not made to feel publicly indebted; the giver is not tempted toward pride or display.

3. Charity expiates sins: Wa-yukaffiru ʿankum min sayyiʾātikum — spending for Allah's sake causes some of one's evil deeds to be forgiven and wiped away. Generosity is not merely a social virtue; it is a spiritual purifier.

Wallāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna khabīr — Allah is fully acquainted with what you do: the hand that opens, the heart that gives, the motive that drives. Let us give for His sake alone.

Sūrat al-Baqara — Juzʾ 3 (Tilka al-rusul)

Sūrat al-Baqara — Continuing the Tafsīr of Verses on Spending and Ribā

Āya 267

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ ۖ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ إِلَّا أَن تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ ۚ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ

Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū anfiqū min ṭayyibāti mā kasabtum wa-mimmā akhrajnā lakum mina al-arḍi wa-lā tayammamū al-khabītha minhu tunfiqūna wa-lastum bi-ākhidhīhi illā an tughmiḍū fīhi wa-iʿlamū anna Allāha ghaniyyun ḥamīd.

"O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have earned and of that which We have brought forth for you from the earth. And do not deliberately seek out the worst of it to spend, while you yourselves would not take it except with eyes half-closed. Know that Allah is Self-Sufficient, All-Praiseworthy." (al-Baqara 2:267)

Commentary:

Ṭayyibāt (good, wholesome, fragrant) refers to the best and finest of what one has lawfully earned. Mā kasabtum — "what you have earned" — refers to income acquired through trade and legitimate labour. Mimmā akhrajnā lakum mina al-arḍ — "what We have brought forth for you from the earth" — encompasses agricultural produce and natural resources with which Allah has blessed His servants.

Wa-lā tayammamū al-khabīth — "do not deliberately seek out the khabīth (base, offensive, foul)." The khabīth here denotes every kind of wealth that has been acquired through unlawful means: usury (sūd), bribery (rishwat), oppression (jawr), gambling (juwaʾ), or any other form of unjust acquisition. The verse forbids one from intending to fulfil the obligation of charity (infāq) and zakāt with such tainted wealth.

The author draws the lesson: the wealth one earns in this world shall take shape in the Hereafter. Lawfully earned wealth shall appear in a beautiful, fragrant, and delightful form; unlawfully acquired wealth — ribā, bribery, and their like — shall appear in the ugliest, most foul-smelling and disgraceful form.

Wa-lastum bi-ākhidhīhi illā an tughmiḍū fīhi — "you would not accept it yourselves unless you averted your eyes." This is a telling analogy: you would not accept this inferior goods from a creditor except with reluctance and embarrassment — how then can you offer it to your Lord?

Al-ghaniyu — He is Self-Sufficient (bī-niyāz), having no need of your charity. Al-ḥamīd — He is praised and praiseworthy; all genuine praise (ḥamd) belongs to Him.

Translation:

O believers! Spend in the way of Allah from what you have lawfully earned, and from what We have brought forth for you from the earth; do not deliberately select the base and inferior of it for spending — you yourselves would not accept such a thing unless you shut your eyes to it. Know well that Allah is Self-Sufficient, All-Praiseworthy.

Āya 268

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Al-shayṭānu yaʿidukumu al-faqra wa-yaʾmurukum bi-al-faḥshāʾi wa-Allāhu yaʿidukum maghfiratan minhu wa-faḍlan wa-Allāhu wāsiʿun ʿalīm.

"Shayṭān threatens you with poverty and enjoins upon you indecency; but Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (al-Baqara 2:268)

Commentary:

Al-shayṭān yaʿidukumu al-faqra — Shayṭān makes his promise, too: he whispers to you that if you spend in the way of Allah you will become destitute and deprived. This is his device to hold you back from charitable giving.

Wa-yaʾmurukum bi-al-faḥshāʾ — And Shayṭān commands you to indecency — meaning every open, shameless immoral act. In the context of this verse, the faḥshāʾ referred to is miserliness (bukhl) itself, which in the Qurʾān is explicitly described as faḥshāʾ.

Wa-Allāhu yaʿidukum maghfiratan minhu wa-faḍlan — By contrast, Allah Most High makes the true promise: forgiveness (maghfira) of sins, and divine bounty (faḍl) — amplification of sustenance and blessing. Compare and weigh these two promises.

Wāsiʿ — Allah is vast and expansive in His giving, His mercy and His generosity. ʿAlīm — He knows all: He knows your states, your hidden intentions, and the truth of what you give and withhold.

Translation:

Shayṭān threatens you with poverty and enjoins upon you shamelessness; but Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and His bounty. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.

Āya 269

يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

Yuʾtī al-ḥikmata man yashāʾu wa-man yuʾta al-ḥikmata fa-qad ūtiya khayran kathīran wa-mā yatadhakkaru illā ulū al-albāb.

"He grants wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever is granted wisdom has certainly been given an abundant good. And none remember except those of understanding." (al-Baqara 2:269)

Commentary:

Ḥikma (wisdom) is the faculty of placing every thing in its proper station, acting with sound judgement, and distinguishing true benefit from false. The one upon whom Allah confers ḥikma has been granted khayran kathīran — an abundant and comprehensive good that outweighs the entirety of worldly wealth.

Wa-mā yatadhakkaru illā ulū al-albāb — Only those possessed of pure intellect (ʿaql-e-khāliṣ), those who think and reflect, take heed. Albāb is the plural of lubb, meaning the pure kernel of the intellect stripped of every husk of passion and illusion.

A brief exegetical note on the related verse (2:270): «Wa-mā anfaqtum min nafaqatin aw nadhartum min nadhrin fa-inna Allāha yaʿlamuhu» — whatever you spend and whatever vow you fulfil, Allah certainly knows it; and the wrongdoers (ẓālimūn) have no helpers.

Āya 271

إِن تُبْدُوا الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ ۖ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ

In tubdū al-ṣadaqāti fa-niʿimmā hiya wa-in tukhfūhā wa-tuʾtūhā al-fuqarāʾa fa-huwa khayrun lakum wa-yukaffiru ʿankum min sayyiʾātikum wa-Allāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna khabīr.

"If you disclose your charitable giving, it is well; but if you conceal it and give it to the poor, that is better for you; and He will remove from you some of your sins. And Allah is fully acquainted with what you do." (al-Baqara 2:271)

Commentary:

In tubdū al-ṣadaqāt — abdā, yubdī, ibdāʾan: to make something apparent, to reveal it openly. Al-ṣadaqāt here refers to voluntary charitable donations (nawāfil ṣadaqāt), not the obligatory zakāt.

Fa-niʿimmā hiya — literally, "how excellent it is!" — meaning that open giving has its own merit, particularly where it encourages others to give and removes the suspicion of miserliness.

Wa-in tukhfūhā wa-tuʾtūhā al-fuqarāʾ — but if you conceal it and give it privately to the poor and needy, fa-huwa khayrun lakum — that is better for you, because it is farther removed from ostentation (riyāʾ) and more conducive to sincerity (ikhlāṣ).

Wa-yukaffiru ʿankum min sayyiʾātikum — Allah will expiate (kaffāra) some of your sins on account of this charity. Note that the verse says min sayyiʾātikum — "some of your sins" — and not all; the scholars have noted this grammatical point. The word khayrun (better) is used here in its comparative meaning, indicating that concealed voluntary charity is superior to open giving, though both have virtue.

Wa-Allāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna khabīr — Allah is fully acquainted (khabīr) with all that you do, open and hidden.

Translation:

If you display your charitable donations openly, it is well; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, that is better for you, and He will expiate some of your sins. And Allah is fully acquainted with all that you do.

Āya 272

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ

Laysa ʿalayka hudāhum wa-lākinna Allāha yahdī man yashāʾu wa-mā tunfiqū min khayrin fa-li-anfusikum wa-mā tunfiqūna illā ibtighāʾa wajhi Allāhi wa-mā tunfiqū min khayrin yuwaffa ilaykum wa-antum lā tuẓlamūn.

"It is not upon you to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever good you spend is for your own souls; and you spend only seeking the countenance of Allah. And whatever good you spend shall be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged." (al-Baqara 2:272)

Commentary:

This verse was revealed in a context where some Muslims hesitated to give ṣadaqa to non-Muslims, feeling that guidance (hidāya) was a precondition. Allah Most High clarifies: it is not your responsibility to guide them; guidance rests with Allah. What you spend in charity is for your own souls' benefit.

Wa-mā tunfiqūna illā ibtighāʾa wajhi Allāh — you are to spend only seeking the Face (wajh) of Allah, i.e., for His sake alone, purified of worldly motives.

Yuwaffa ilaykum — it shall be paid back to you in full (wafā): the reward shall be given complete and undiminished.

Lā tuẓlamūn — not an atom's weight shall be lost to you; no injustice shall be done.

Translation:

(O Prophet,) it is not upon you to guide them; rather Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever good you spend is for your own souls — and you spend only seeking the Face of Allah. Whatever good you spend shall be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.

Āya 273

لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ضَرْبًا فِي الْأَرْضِ يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَاءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُم بِسِيمَاهُمْ لَا يَسْأَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ

Li-al-fuqarāʾi alladhīna uḥṣirū fī sabīli Allāhi lā yastaṭīʿūna ḍarban fī al-arḍi yaḥsabuhumu al-jāhilu aghniyāʾa mina al-taʿaffufi taʿrifuhum bi-sīmāhum lā yasʾalūna al-nāsa ilḥāfan wa-mā tunfiqū min khayrin fa-inna Allāha bihi ʿalīm.

"(Charitable giving is) for the poor who are confined in the way of Allah, unable to travel through the land (to earn). The ignorant person thinks them wealthy because of their restraint; but you shall know them by their appearance — they do not beg from people with insistence. And whatever good you spend, Allah is certainly fully aware of it." (al-Baqara 2:273)

Commentary:

Uḥṣirū fī sabīli Allāh — these are the poor who have been restrained (iḥṣār, hemmed in, prevented from movement) in the cause of Allah. They have devoted themselves to study of the religion, to jihād, or to other acts of worship in the way of Allah, and have been thus cut off from travelling abroad to earn their livelihood.

Lā yastaṭīʿūna ḍarban fī al-arḍ — they cannot journey through the land (ḍarb fī al-arḍ, travel for trade or livelihood).

Yaḥsabuhumu al-jāhilu aghniyāʾ — the uninformed person (jāhil, not one ignorant of faith but one who does not know their circumstances) thinks them wealthy on account of their self-restraint (taʿaffuf) from begging and their dignified bearing.

Taʿrifuhum bi-sīmāhum — you will recognise them by their outward signs: the marks of their poverty and deprivation on their faces and clothes, even though they maintain dignity.

Lā yasʾalūna al-nāsa ilḥāfan — ilḥāf means pestering, clinging, persistent importuning. These noble poor do not beg from people insistently. This is their mark of honour.

Translation:

(This charity is especially for) the poor who are confined in the way of Allah, unable to travel through the land (for livelihood). The uninformed thinks them wealthy because of their dignified restraint; you shall recognise them by their appearance. They do not pester people with begging. And whatever good you spend, truly Allah is fully aware of it.

Āya 274

الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُم بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Alladhīna yunfiqūna amwālahum bi-al-layli wa-al-nahāri sirran wa-ʿalāniyatan fa-lahum ajruhum ʿinda rabbihim wa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn.

"Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly — their reward is with their Lord; and no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve." (al-Baqara 2:274)

Commentary:

This verse praises those who spend with complete consistency — at all times (bi-al-layli wa-al-nahāri, by night and by day) and in all circumstances (sirran wa-ʿalāniyatan, secretly and openly). Their giving is not restricted to Ramaḍān, nor to occasions of public recognition; it flows naturally at all times.

Sirran — private giving; ʿalāniyatan — public giving. Both are praiseworthy when undertaken with sincerity.

Fa-lahum ajruhum ʿinda rabbihim — their reward is stored and secured with their Lord; no charity given in His way shall be wasted.

Wa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim — they shall have no fear, because they fulfilled their covenant with Allah. Wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn — they shall not grieve over anything lost, for their giving will be returned manifold.

The author notes the contrast with the usury-takers (ṣūd-khwārān) who follow: on one side, those who give and earn perpetual reward; on the other, those who take usurious interest and earn Divine wrath. This contrast forms the bridge to the great usury passage.

Translation:

Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly — their reward is with their Lord; no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.

Āya 275 — The Great Usury Passage (Ribā)

الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا ۗ وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا ۚ فَمَن جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَانتَهَىٰ فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ وَأَمْرُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Alladhīna yaʾkulūna al-ribā lā yaqūmūna illā kamā yaqūmu alladhī yatakhabbaṭuhu al-shayṭānu mina al-mass. Dhālika bi-annahum qālū innamā al-bayʿu mithlu al-ribā wa-aḥalla Allāhu al-bayʿa wa-ḥarrama al-ribā. Fa-man jāʾahu mawʿiẓatun min rabbihi fa-ntahā fa-lahu mā salafa wa-amruhu ilā Allāhi wa-man ʿāda fa-ulāʾika aṣḥābu al-nāri hum fīhā khālidūn.

"Those who consume usury shall not rise (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the rising of one whom Shayṭān has convulsed with his touch. That is because they said: 'Trade is just like usury.' But Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury. Whoever receives an admonition from his Lord and desists — whatever is past belongs to him, and his affair is with Allah. But whoever returns — those are the companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein." (al-Baqara 2:275)

Commentary:

Al-ribā means increase, excess; the word rubā also means hillocks or elevated ground. Yatakhabbaṭuhu al-shayṭān — khabṭ means to strike and knock about; like the striking of branches. The image is of the usury-consumer who is struck down like one whom Shayṭān has possessed (masīs, his touch). On the Day of Judgement the usury-consumer shall rise convulsed, disoriented — like one who has an evil spirit riding him, mad and crazed.

The cause of this terrible state? Qālū innamā al-bayʿu mithlu al-ribā — they argued that trade (bayʿ) and usury (ribā) are equivalent, merely different forms of profit. The Qurʾān responds with sovereign brevity: wa-aḥalla Allāhu al-bayʿa wa-ḥarrama al-ribā — "Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury." Both may involve a surplus over the original outlay, but the natures are entirely different. In trade (bayʿ) the buyer receives a good or service; in ribā the debtor pays a pure excess on money itself, without any corresponding exchange of value.

Fa-man jāʾahu mawʿiẓatun min rabbihi fa-ntahā — whoever receives a counsel (mawʿiẓa, a word combining exhortation and tenderness) from his Lord and desists, fa-lahu mā salafa — whatever was transacted in the past is forgiven; his affair is submitted to Allah. Salafa, yaslufu — to pass, to go by.

Wa-man ʿāda — but whoever reverts to usury after hearing this prohibition, knowing and wilful — fa-ulāʾika aṣḥābu al-nār — they are the inhabitants of Hellfire, to abide therein eternally. The author emphasises: those who take usury with full knowledge of the prohibition have earned permanent residence in the Fire.

The author also notes the spiritual dimension: those who are conversant with spiritual realities (rūḥāniyyāt) are able to perceive the connection between this worldly convulsing state and the reality of possession by evil spiritual forces. The greater the denial of such realities, the deeper the confusion.

Translation:

Those who consume usury will not rise (on the Last Day) except like the rising of one whom Shayṭān has convulsed through his touch — this is because they claimed that trade is nothing but usury. But Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury. Whoever receives an admonition from his Lord and desists, whatever is past is his, and his affair rests with Allah; but whoever returns — those are the companions of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.

Āya 276

يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ أَثِيمٍ

Yamḥaqu Allāhu al-ribā wa-yurbī al-ṣadaqāti wa-Allāhu lā yuḥibbu kulla kaffārin athīm.

"Allah destroys usury and gives increase to charitable donations. And Allah does not love every ungrateful, sinful person." (al-Baqara 2:276)

Commentary:

Yamḥaqu — to obliterate, to strip of blessing, to reduce to nothing. Maḥāq al-shahr — the twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth nights of the lunar month when the moon dwindles entirely; the money of the usurer is similarly destroyed and stripped of blessing.

Wa-yurbī al-ṣadaqāt — yurbī, from rabā, yarbū: to cause to grow, to increase, to nourish. Ṣadaqāt (charitable donations) are given growth and blessing by Allah; what is spent in His path multiplies and is enriched.

Kaffārin athīm — kaffār is a hyperbolic form: deeply, habitually ungrateful; one who persistently covers over (kafara) Allah's blessings through ingratitude and disobedience. Athīm — greatly sinful.

Āya 277

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Inna alladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti wa-aqāmū al-ṣalāta wa-ātawū al-zakāta lahum ajruhum ʿinda rabbihim wa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn.

"Truly, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish the prayer and give the zakāt — their reward is with their Lord; no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve." (al-Baqara 2:277)

Commentary:

Having established the warning against usury, the Qurʾān now sets before us the portrait of the true believer: āmanū (they believed), ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāt (they performed righteous deeds — all good deeds in their comprehensive sense), aqāmū al-ṣalāt (they established the prayer with its conditions, its inward presence, and its constancy).

The author draws attention to the importance of ṣalāt: «Inna al-ṣalāta tanhā ʿani al-faḥshāʾi wa-al-munkar» — "Truly, prayer restrains from indecency and wrongdoing" (al-ʿAnkabūt 29:45). The one who prays truly becomes intimately aware of Allah's nearness and cannot easily transgress.

Wa-ātawū al-zakāt — and they gave the zakāt, its word coupled with ṣalāt showing their inseparability in the Islamic structure of worship and society.

Their reward: lahum ajruhum ʿinda rabbihim — secure with their Lord. Wa-lā khawfun ʿalayhim — they committed nothing against Allah's covenant, so they have no fear of punishment. Wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn — they have no grief over past losses, for Allah shall give them incomparably better.

Translation:

Truly those who believed, performed righteous deeds, established the prayer and gave the zakāt — their reward is with their Lord; no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.

Āya 278

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū ittaqū Allāha wa-dharū mā baqiya mina al-ribā in kuntum muʾminīn.

"O you who believe! Fear Allah and relinquish what remains of usurious claims, if you are truly believers." (al-Baqara 2:278)

Commentary:

Ittaqū Allāh — adopt taqwā (God-consciousness and protective fear) of Allah; avoid all that He has forbidden. Wa-dharū — abandon, leave, relinquish. The command is directed at believers who had existing usurious loans outstanding: they are commanded to waive the ribā increment still owing to them, retaining only the principal.

Mā baqiya mina al-ribā — whatever surplus (ribā) remains outstanding on loans already made; i.e., the excess over the principal that has not yet been collected.

In kuntum muʾminīn — "if you are truly believers" — this conditional clause is a mark of tremendous Qurʾānic rhetorical severity: if your imān is real, if you truly submit to Allah's commands, then act accordingly.

Translation:

O believers! Fear Allah and waive what remains of usurious claims, if you are truly believers.

Āya 279

فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ

Fa-in lam tafʿalū fa-dhanū bi-ḥarbin mina Allāhi wa-rasūlihi wa-in tubtum fa-lakum ruʾūsu amwālikum lā taẓlimūna wa-lā tuẓlamūn.

"But if you do not, then be warned of war from Allah and His Messenger. And if you repent, your principal is yours — you shall not wrong others, nor be wronged." (al-Baqara 2:279)

Commentary:

Fa-dhanū bi-ḥarbin mina Allāhi wa-rasūlih — this is one of the most severe warnings in the entire Qurʾān. Adhana means to be informed, to be given notice, to be put on alert. The form here — "then be put on notice of war from Allah and His Messenger" — is a declaration of spiritual and cosmic war against the usurer who persists after the prohibition.

The scholars note that no other sin in the Qurʾān is described with such language. Usury is not merely a social transgression; it is rebellion against the Divine order, and those who persist in it after this prohibition have placed themselves in a state of open hostility to their Creator and His Prophetﷺ.

Wa-in tubtum — but if you repent and turn back, fa-lakum ruʾūsu amwālikum — you are entitled to recover your principals. Lā taẓlimūna — neither wrong your debtors by demanding the ribā increment, wa-lā tuẓlamūn — nor be wronged by your debtors refusing to repay the principal.

Translation:

But if you do not (relinquish the ribā), then be warned of war from Allah and His Messenger. And if you repent, your principal is yours — you shall neither wrong others nor be wronged.

Āya 280

وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍ ۚ وَأَن تَصَدَّقُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Wa-in kāna dhū ʿusratin fa-naẓiratun ilā maysaratin wa-an taṣaddaqū khayrun lakum in kuntum taʿlamūn.

"And if the debtor is in hardship, then grant him respite until ease; but if you give it as charity, that is better for you, if only you knew." (al-Baqara 2:280)

Commentary:

Dhū ʿusra — one afflicted with hardship, straitened circumstances, poverty. The word ʿusr (difficulty) is here contrasted with yusur and maysara (ease, spaciousness, facility).

Fa-naẓiratun ilā maysara — then grant him a reprieve (naẓira: respite, extension of time) until his condition becomes easy and he is able to repay. This is a Divine command; many jurists hold it obligatory (wājib) to grant such a reprieve to the genuinely poor debtor.

Wa-an taṣaddaqū khayrun lakum — but even better: if you remit (taṣaddaqa) the debt altogether by treating it as charity, that is superior still, in kuntum taʿlamūn — if only you understand the true accounting of profit and loss in the sight of Allah.

Translation:

And if your debtor is in straitened circumstances, then grant him respite until ease comes to him; but if you remit the debt as charity, that is even better for you, if only you knew.

Āya 281

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

Wa-ittaqū yawman turjaʿūna fīhi ilā Allāhi thumma tuwaffā kullu nafsin mā kasabat wa-hum lā yuẓlamūn.

"And fear a Day on which you will be returned to Allah; then every soul shall be paid in full what it has earned, and they shall not be wronged." (al-Baqara 2:281)

Commentary:

This concluding verse of the usury passage seals the argument with an eschatological reminder. Whatever you hoard through usury or fail to spend in charity shall be weighed on that Day. Every soul shall receive the precise recompense of its deeds — not a grain's weight more or less. Lā yuẓlamūn — none will be wronged; but the sinner should not mistake this equality for leniency: the usurer who persisted shall receive his full punishment as well.

The author addresses his readers directly at this point, noting that the preceding verses comprehensively treat the prohibition of ribā. He then proceeds to a broader discussion of the three economic systems dominant in the modern world, measuring each against the Divine criterion.

[Author's Extended Commentary on Ribā and Economic Systems]

Dear readers! These verses contain the prohibition of usury and its associated matters. Let me set out the principles in what follows.

The subject of usury rests upon three competing economic frameworks:

(1) Capitalism (Niẓām-e-Sarmāyah-Dārī)

(2) Socialism (Niẓām-e-Ishtirākiyyat)

(3) The Islamic System (Niẓām-e-Islām)

Capitalism: It is evident that wealth and capital are born of labour and industry. The capitalist employs his wealth by entrusting it to workers and agriculturalists; the labourer and farmer use his capital and do the work. When the agreed period expires, the capitalist — because he has set aside the pleasure of his wealth and left it at risk — considers himself entitled to receive back not only his principal but an additional fixed sum regardless of whether profit was actually made. If the payment is delayed, he charges a further penalty — and this is sūd (interest). Their argument is that without profit trade becomes impossible; if profit is cut off, commerce ceases; and so a fixed annual interest is charged. This compound interest (sūd-dar-sūd) multiplies with every passing year.

Socialism: It is equally clear that labour and energy belong to the worker; the capitalist who owns nothing but the raw materials gains disproportionately, while the labourer earns far less than the value he creates. The excess beyond fair compensation — without exchange and without labour — is precisely ribā. This inequality drives the conflict between capital and labour; the sword of the majority's fury eventually falls upon the minority. The socialists call for the nationalisation of all wealth: everything belongs to the state; the state is the master of capital and labour both. But this enforced equality has its own injustices.

The Islamic System: Islam alone resolves both extremes, giving each its due. Every year, one-fortieth (nisāb) of accumulated wealth is distributed to the poor through zakāt. Those engaged in warfare and public service are provided for through a dedicated fund (jihād fund). Relatives in need have a financial claim upon their wealthier kin. Islam forbids usury — the engine of capitalism — and commands qard ḥasan (the benevolent loan): «Aqriḍū Allāha qarḍan ḥasanan» — "Lend to Allah a goodly loan" (al-Muzzammil 73:20). To give a loan to one in need is to lend to Allah Himself.

Who truly borrows? The author observes with frank pastoral concern: it is the people chasing false fashions, hollow prestige, and extravagant customs borrowed from the disbelievers who stretch out their hands for loans. When Allah Most High has imposed zakāt on the wealthy, He has already provided for the needy. It is the person of modest means who bankrupts himself on weddings, feasts, anniversaries, and social show who creates the demand for usurious borrowing.

What is Ribā according to Islamic Law?

Ribā in Islamic jurisprudence falls in two categories:

First: In gold and silver, and by analogy in all currencies.

Second: In the six amwāl ribawiyya (commodities in which ribā applies) — gold, silver, wheat, barley, dates, and salt. The Prophetﷺdeclared:

الذَّهَبُ بِالذَّهَبِ، وَالفِضَّةُ بِالفِضَّةِ، وَالبُرُّ بِالبُرِّ، وَالشَّعِيرُ بِالشَّعِيرِ، وَالتَّمْرُ بِالتَّمْرِ، وَالمِلْحُ بِالمِلْحِ، مِثْلًا بِمِثْلٍ، سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ، يَدًا بِيَدٍ، فَمَنْ زَادَ أَوِ اسْتَزَادَ فَقَدْ أَرْبَى، فَإِذَا اخْتَلَفَتْ هَذِهِ الأَصْنَافُ فَبِيعُوا كَيْفَ شِئْتُمْ، إِذَا كَانَ يَدًا بِيَدٍ

Al-dhahab bi-al-dhahab wa-al-fiḍḍatu bi-al-fiḍḍati wa-al-burru bi-al-burri wa-al-shaʿīru bi-al-shaʿīri wa-al-tamru bi-al-tamri wa-al-milḥu bi-al-milḥi, mithlam bi-mithlin, sawāʾan bi-sawāʾin, yadan bi-yadin. Fa-man zāda aw istazdāda fa-qad arbā; fa-idhā ikhtalafat hādhihi al-aṣnāfu fa-bīʿū kayfa shiʾtum idhā kāna yadan bi-yad.

"Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, salt for salt — like for like, equal for equal, hand to hand. Whoever increases or seeks increase has engaged in ribā. When these categories differ from one another, then sell as you wish, provided it is hand to hand." (Muslim)

The Views of the Four Schools:

(1) According to Imām Abū Ḥanīfa (may Allah have mercy on him), the commodities in which ribā applies are those which are sold by weight (wazan) or by measure (kayl). If two items are of the same genus and both are measured by the same mode, then any excess (ziyādat) is ribā; if they are of different genera, excess is permitted but it must be a hand-to-hand transaction (dast ba-dast).

(2) According to Imām al-Shāfiʿī (may Allah have mercy on him), the cause (ʿilla) of ribā in foodstuffs is their being edible; in gold and silver, it is their being monetary values (thamaniyyat). If two items share this genus and type, then both excess and deferred payment are forbidden.

(3) According to Imām Mālik (may Allah have mercy on him), the cause in gold and silver is that they are currency (thamaniyyat); in foodstuffs it is their being staple foods (iqtiyāt). Items of the same genus that share this cause cannot be exchanged with excess or on credit.

(4) ʿAbd al-Malik ibn al-Mājishūn's view provides a wider application.

In all cases: any increment conditioned on time or deferral — without an equivalent exchange of value — constitutes ribā, and its transaction is absolutely forbidden.

The author continues: the claim of free-trade capitalism — "tijārat āzād hai" (trade is free) — has served the enrichment of the few and the ruin of the many. "National" corporations have arisen that, by price manipulation and deceptive advertising, draw the poor into dependency. The result: wealth concentrates in the hands of a small number of capitalists while the rest are impoverished.

Regarding the question of ribā in Dār al-Ḥarb (non-Muslim territories): there is significant disagreement among the scholars. Some hold that financial dealings with non-Muslims in their own territory carry a degree of permissibility (ibāḥa) under the Ḥanafī principle of reciprocity — for instance, on the analogy of fa-man iʿtadā ʿalaykum fa-iʿtadū ʿalayhi bi-mithli mā iʿtadā ʿalaykum ("whoever aggresses against you, respond in kind"). But the author is emphatic that even this dispensation is not a licence for Muslims to involve themselves in usurious dealings, and those who use the Dār al-Ḥarb argument as a pretext to engage freely in ribā are mistaken. He firmly states: usury between Muslim and Muslim is prohibited without qualification.

The boundary between Dār al-Islām and Dār al-Kufr is a matter of scholarly debate. The author's considered view is that it is determined by sovereignty: if the Muslim ruler and his forces are dominant and capable of upholding the Islamic order, it is Dār al-Islām; otherwise not.

The Islamic alternative to usurious finance is muzāraʿa (sharecropping), muḍāraba (profit-sharing investment), mushāraka (partnership), and istiṣnāʿ (manufacturing contracts) — all of which are lawful and have been practised by the Muslims since the earliest times. The great Imām Abū Ḥanīfa (may Allah have mercy on him) himself was a distinguished merchant, conducting business in full compliance with the Islamic legal framework and demonstrating through his own life that a Muslim can prosper honourably without ribā.

The author concludes his extended discussion on usury with a direct pastoral address:

Dear readers! The prohibition of ribā has been firmly established. Let it never be imagined that Muslims are impoverished merely because they refrain from usury. The true cause of Muslim economic weakness is wasteful expenditure (iṣrāf) and needless extravagance. Allah Most High says:﴿إِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيَاطِينِ﴾"Verily the wasteful are the brothers of the shayāṭīn" (al-Isrāʾ 17:27).

When necessity demands a loan, take it — but on the basis of qard ḥasan (benevolent lending within the community), not on usurious terms. Calculate carefully. Ask yourselves: why do people of sound intellect and good character still need to borrow? It is largely the extravagance of false customs, hollow status-seeking, and the imitation of non-Islamic lifestyles. Weddings, parties, feasts, anniversaries, keeping up appearances — all of these impose unnecessary financial burdens, and when one cannot meet them from one's own resources, one reaches out for a usurious loan and ruins oneself.

Usury is a spiritual disease. Changing its name does not change its essence. Your prosperity cannot come from it; it can only come from reforming your spending and living within your lawful means. May Allah protect the Muslims from this destruction. Āmīn.

The discussion of the spiritual and juridical aspects of ribā continues. The author emphasises that the excess payment on a loan, regardless of what name it is given, is ribā. The Ḥanafī position is clear: any increment conditioned upon time (ziyādat mushruṭa ʿalā al-qard) without exchange is ribā. This is not restricted to high rates; even a single dirham of interest on a loan is prohibited.

Some scholars have maintained that taking ribā from non-Muslims in circumstances of genuine need or combat (ḥarb) may be permissible. However, the author cautions strongly: to engage in such reasoning carelessly is a dangerous presumption. It is better and safer to avoid all ribā entirely, to seek ḥalāl alternatives, and to trust in Allah's promise of barakah in honest trade.

He concludes: the previous passage has been a discussion of ribā in the context of those verses. Now let us proceed to the great "debt verse" (āyat al-mudāyana) where Allah Most High commands the documentary recording of transactions.

Further elaboration on the social harms of usury: the usury-consuming temperament makes a person lazy, comfort-seeking, and indifferent to productive labour. When money makes money without effort, the incentive to work disappears. The entire surplus of the productive classes is progressively absorbed by the capitalist class; the labourers and cultivators are reduced to perpetual penury. "Corporations" and "monopolies" have been invented for precisely this purpose — through them, both the marketplace and the political process are captured by a handful of capitalists.

The contrast Islam draws is sharp: those who give charity and those who take usury are on opposite sides of a moral divide. Yet among Muslims themselves, usurious transactions have been rationalised and given new names. The author warns: the people of knowledge among the Muslims know the Islamic alternatives; let them act upon them and live with dignity, neither capitulating to capitalism nor to socialism, but following the balanced, just, and merciful path of Islām.

The author now transitions from the general discourse on ribā back to the specific Qurʾānic text, noting that lawful commercial alternatives have now been enumerated. He introduces the next major passage.

Āya 282 — Āyat al-Mudāyana (The Debt/Documentation Verse)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا تَدَايَنتُم بِدَيْنٍ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَاكْتُبُوهُ ۚ وَلْيَكْتُب بَّيْنَكُمْ كَاتِبٌ بِالْعَدْلِ ۚ وَلَا يَأْبَ كَاتِبٌ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ كَمَا عَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ ۚ …

Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū idhā tadāyantum bi-daynin ilā ajalin musamman fa-ktubūhu wa-l-yaktub baynakum kātibun bi-al-ʿadli wa-lā yaʾba kātibun an yaktuba kamā ʿallamahu Allāh…

"O you who believe! When you contract a debt for a stated term, write it down. Let a scribe write it down between you with justice. No scribe should refuse to write as Allah has taught him…" (al-Baqara 2:282)

Commentary:

Idhā tadāyantum bi-daynin — the condition for the command is a dayn (debt) that carries a specified term (ajal musamman, a definite appointed time). This is the root of the Islamic law of financial documentation.

Fa-ktubūhu — "write it down": this command is strongly recommended (mustaḥabb, or according to some wājib when the parties are in disagreement-prone circumstances). The Islamic approach to financial transactions is not merely ethical but practically methodical; ambiguity is the mother of dispute.

Wa-l-yaktub baynakum kātibun bi-al-ʿadl — "let a just scribe write between you." The scribe is to be impartial — he serves neither party but the truth.

Wa-lā yaʾba kātibun — the scribe should not refuse his service; yaʾbā, yaʾbū means to refuse, to be unwilling. Just as Allah has taught him the skill of writing, he should use it in service of the community.

Kamā ʿallamahu Allāh — the reminder that literacy itself is a Divine gift imposes an obligation of service and accuracy.

The verse continues:

…وَلْيُمْلِلِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ وَلْيَتَّقِ اللَّهَ رَبَّهُ وَلَا يَبْخَسْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا ۚ فَإِن كَانَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ سَفِيهًا أَوْ ضَعِيفًا أَوْ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَن يُمِلَّ هُوَ فَلْيُمْلِلْ وَلِيُّهُ بِالْعَدْلِ…

…wa-l-yumlili alladhī ʿalayhi al-ḥaqqu wa-l-yattaqi Allāha rabbahu wa-lā yabkhas minhu shayʾan fa-in kāna alladhī ʿalayhi al-ḥaqqu safīhan aw ḍaʿīfan aw lā yastaṭīʿu an yumilla huwa fa-l-yumlil waliyyuhu bi-al-ʿadl…

"…And let the debtor dictate; let him fear Allah, his Lord, and not diminish anything from it. If the debtor is foolish, or weak, or unable to dictate himself, then let his guardian dictate with justice…" (al-Baqara 2:282, continued)

Commentary:

Wa-l-yumlili alladhī ʿalayhi al-ḥaqq — the one upon whom the financial obligation rests (i.e., the debtor) should dictate the terms to the scribe — for the document protects him as much as the creditor. Yumlī, yumlilu — to dictate.

Wa-l-yattaqi Allāha rabbahu — let him fear Allah, his Lord, and not omit or reduce (yabkhas) anything of the truth.

Safīhan — foolish, mentally unsound, incapable of responsible judgment. Ḍaʿīfan — weak, as in a minor or the physically incapacitated. In such cases, fa-l-yumlil waliyyuhu bi-al-ʿadl — let his legal guardian (walī) dictate on his behalf with justice.

The verse then commands calling of witnesses:

…wa-ishtashhidū shāhidayni min rijālikum fa-in lam yakūnā rajulayni fa-rajulun wa-mraʾatāni mimman tarḍawna mina al-shuhadāʾi an taḍilla iḥdāhumā fa-tudhakkira iḥdāhumā al-ukhrā…

"…And call to witness two witnesses from among your men; if there are not two men, then a man and two women from those whom you approve as witnesses — so that if one of them errs, the other may remind her…" (al-Baqara 2:282)

Commentary on Witnessing:

Shāhidayni min rijālikum — two adult Muslim men of sound character. They must be upright (ʿādil): not engaged in open sinful conduct, not known for lying or dishonesty, not suffering from a known impediment to reliable testimony, of sound mind and legal majority.

Fa-in lam yakūnā rajulayni fa-rajulun wa-mraʾatāni — if two men are not available, one man and two women serve together as witnesses. The reason: an taḍilla iḥdāhumā fa-tudhakkira iḥdāhumā al-ukhrā — if one of the two women forgets or errs, the other will remind her. This is a practical provision grounded in the social context of the time when women typically had less exposure to commercial transactions; it does not diminish the spiritual equality of men and women.

The acceptability of witnesses (mimman tarḍawna): a witness must be one whom you consider trustworthy — not a habitual evildoer, not a liar or deceiver, possessing good memory, free of known corruption.

The verse continues: the witnesses, when called, should not refuse — wa-lā yaʾba al-shuhadāʾu idhā mā duʿū — "and the witnesses must not refuse when they are called." It is a civic and religious duty to bear witness when summoned. Fear of cross-examination, social pressure, or personal inconvenience does not excuse a witness from his obligation. One who conceals testimony burdens his heart and soul.

Wa-lā tasʾamū an taktubūhu ṣaghīran aw kabīran ilā ajalihi — "And do not be weary of writing it, whether small or large, to its stated term." The documentation requirement applies regardless of the size of the transaction; do not think a small amount unworthy of recording.

Dhālikum aqsaṭu ʿinda Allāh wa-aqwamu li-al-shahādati wa-adnā allā tartābū — "That is more just in the sight of Allah, more reliable for testimony, and more apt to prevent doubt."

Illā an takūna tijāratan ḥāḍiratan tudīrūnahā baynakum — "unless it is a ready transaction conducted between you hand to hand" — for spot-cash transactions requiring no documentary record.

Wa-lā yuḍārra kātibun wa-lā shahīd — "let no scribe or witness be harassed or harmed." The scribe must not be pressured to write what is false; the witness must not be coerced into false testimony or put at risk.

The verse closes: wa-in tafʿalū fa-innahū fusūqun bikum — "if you do this (i.e. harass them), it is indeed an act of wickedness on your part" (fusūq — transgression, deviance from the straight path).

Translation of 2:282:

O believers! When you transact a debt for a stated term, write it down. Let a just scribe write it between you, and no scribe should refuse to write as Allah has taught him; let the debtor dictate, fearing Allah his Lord, and not diminishing anything. If the debtor is foolish, weak, or unable to dictate, then let his guardian dictate with justice. Call two men from among you as witnesses; if two men are not available, then one man and two women from those you approve as witnesses — so that if one of them errs the other may remind her. The witnesses must not refuse when called. Do not be weary of writing it down, whether small or large, up to its term; this is more just in Allah's sight, more reliable for testimony, and most apt to prevent doubt — except for ready transactions conducted hand to hand, in which case there is no blame on you for not writing. Obtain witnesses when you trade with one another; let no scribe or witness be harassed — and if you do so it is wickedness on your part. Fear Allah; Allah teaches you; and Allah knows all things.

[Continuation of commentary on 2:282 — Related Fiqh Issues]

The author now enumerates the Islamic commercial contracts that are Qurʾānically grounded in this verse:

Muzāraʿa (musāqāt / sharecropping): The landowner provides land and the cultivator provides labour; the crop is divided according to the agreed shares. Scholars have set specific conditions to prevent dispute and ensure validity.

Muḍāraba (profit-sharing investment): One party provides the capital (māl), the other provides labour and expertise (ʿamal); the profit is shared according to the agreed proportions, and losses fall on the capital-provider alone (unless caused by the worker's negligence). This is one of Islam's most elegant economic instruments, aligning the interests of capital and labour without exploitation.

Shirkat (partnership): Several forms exist.

• Shirkat ʿinān: where both parties contribute capital and share both profit and loss.
• Shirkat tafwīḍ: unlimited general partnership.
• Shirkat muḍāraba: capital by one, labour by another.
• Shirkat wujūh: partnership by credit reputation alone.

The permissible partnerships are those in which profit and loss are both shared according to the agreement. The impermissible ones are those structured so that one party bears all loss while the other takes guaranteed profit — which amounts to ribā in disguise.

Istiṣnāʿ (manufacturing contract): a buyer commissions an artisan or factory to produce a specific item in advance. This is permissible in the Ḥanafī school with appropriate conditions to prevent dispute. [reconstructed]

Āya 283

وَإِن كُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ وَلَمْ تَجِدُوا كَاتِبًا فَرِهَانٌ مَّقْبُوضَةٌ ۖ فَإِنْ أَمِنَ بَعْضُكُم بَعْضًا فَلْيُؤَدِّ الَّذِي اؤْتُمِنَ أَمَانَتَهُ وَلْيَتَّقِ اللَّهَ رَبَّهُ ۗ وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا الشَّهَادَةَ ۚ وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُ آثِمٌ قَلْبُهُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ

Wa-in kuntum ʿalā safarin wa-lam tajidū kātiban fa-rihānun maqbūḍatun fa-in amina baʿḍukum baʿḍan fa-l-yuʾaddi alladhī uʾtumina amānatahu wa-l-yattaqi Allāha rabbahu wa-lā taktumū al-shahādata wa-man yaktumhā fa-innahū āthimun qalbuhu wa-Allāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna ʿalīm.

"And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a pledge in hand (serves as security). But if one of you entrusts another, let him who is entrusted fulfil his trust and fear Allah, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony; whoever conceals it — his heart is sinful. And Allah is fully aware of what you do." (al-Baqara 2:283)

Commentary:

Wa-in kuntum ʿalā safar — on a journey, in circumstances where a scribe is unavailable. Rihānun maqbūḍa — a pledge (rahn) physically taken into possession (maqbūḍa, received); this is the condition for the pledge to be legally valid in the Ḥanafī school — physical delivery (qabd) is required.

Fa-in amina baʿḍukum baʿḍan — "if one of you trusts the other" — if the creditor is willing to extend unsecured trust, then fa-l-yuʾaddi alladhī uʾtumina amānatahu — "let him in whom trust is placed discharge his trust." The word amāna (trust/trusteeship) is paramount: financial dealings rest ultimately not on documents and pledges alone, but on the sanctity of the word of a believer.

Wa-lā taktumū al-shahāda — "do not conceal testimony." Withholding material evidence when asked is gravely sinful. Wa-man yaktumhā fa-innahū āthimun qalbuhu — whoever conceals it, "his heart is sinful." Note: the sin is attributed to the heart (qalb), not merely to the tongue or hand — because concealment of truth is fundamentally a failure of inward integrity.

Translation of 2:283:

And if you are on a journey and do not find a scribe, then a pledge physically in hand (shall serve as security); but if one of you trusts another, let the trusted one discharge his trust and fear Allah his Lord. Do not conceal testimony; whoever conceals it — his heart is sinful. And Allah is fully aware of all that you do.

[Commentary on Commercial Transactions — continued]

The author returns to the broader discussion of Islamic finance and commercial law.

The verse 2:282, the longest single verse in the Qurʾān, relates to qard (loan), muḍāraba, and istiṣnāʿ. The key distinction upon which Islamic commercial law turns:

• Mushāraka ʿāmila (active partnership) — where all parties share both profit and loss — is permissible.
• Mushāraka where profit accrues to one partner but loss is borne by another disproportionately — is impermissible, for it conceals ribā.
• Sāda (simple) partnership where both profit and loss are shared equitably — permissible.

The crux is that any structure which guarantees a fixed positive return on capital regardless of whether the underlying activity generated profit is ribā. Islam permits — indeed encourages — every form of equitable risk-sharing (mushāraka), but forbids the guaranteed, riskless increment that is the essence of usurious lending.

The note on witnessing concludes with a practical observation on public knowledge (ʿilm ʿāmm): certain facts are so well-known in a community — such as the number of rakʿāt in each prayer — that they require only general report (tawātur), not formal sworn testimony. For such matters, two or four witnesses suffice; for others requiring the weight of proof (ḥudūd cases), four male witnesses are required. The wisdom of graduated requirements is itself a mark of the Qurʾān's legislative precision.

The section concludes: Allah has now completed, in Sūrat al-Baqara, the full range of matters from prayer through to commercial transactions. He now brings the sūra to its majestic close.

Āya 284

لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِن تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللَّهُ ۖ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Li-Llāhi mā fī al-samāwāti wa-mā fī al-arḍi wa-in tubdū mā fī anfusikum aw tukhfūhu yuḥāsibkum bihi Allāhu fa-yaghfiru li-man yashāʾu wa-yuʿadhdhibu man yashāʾu wa-Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.

"To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Whether you reveal what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it. He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills. And Allah is over all things Capable." (al-Baqara 2:284)

Commentary:

Li-Llāhi mā fī al-samāwāti wa-mā fī al-arḍ — all sovereignty belongs to Allah alone. This foundational declaration of Divine ownership (mulkiyyat) and sovereignty (ḥākimiyyat) opens the closing passage of Sūrat al-Baqara.

Wa-in tubdū mā fī anfusikum aw tukhfūhu — whether you reveal what is in your souls (your inward intentions, thoughts, and states) or conceal them, Allah takes account. This verse prompted the Companions to fear greatly — for it seemed to impose accountability even for passing involuntary thoughts.

The author carefully distinguishes three grades of inward movement:

(1) Waswās (whisper/passing thought): a thought that enters the mind and departs again, like a leaf in the wind. This carries no burden of accountability by scholarly consensus.

(2) Khaṭra (arising apprehension): a thought that forms into an inclination but has not yet crystallised into a firm resolve. Such a khaṭra, if it leads the person to repent and turn to Allah, is itself a means of spiritual progress; if it dissipates quickly on its own, it also carries no sin.

(3) ʿAzm (firm resolve): where the will firmly intends an act and the person resolves to carry it out. This does carry accountability, even if the act itself is not performed.

The Companions came to the Prophetﷺdistressed about this verse. He reassured them with the famous hadith narrated in Muslim: that every thought that comes and goes without being acted upon is forgiven. This verse concerns the ʿazm — the firm resolve — not the passing whisper.

Wa-Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr — Allah is over all things Capable. His forgiveness can cover the gravest sin; His punishment can reach the most hidden evil intention.

Translation of 2:284:

To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Whether you reveal what is in your hearts or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it; He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills. And Allah is over all things Capable.

Āya 285

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

Āmana al-rasūlu bi-mā unzila ilayhi min rabbihi wa-al-muʾminūna kullun āmana bi-Llāhi wa-malāʾikatihi wa-kutubihi wa-rusulihi lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin min rusulihi wa-qālū samiʿnā wa-aṭaʿnā ghufrānaka rabbanā wa-ilayka al-maṣīr.

"The Messenger believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and so did the believers. Each one believed in Allah, His angels, His Books and His Messengers — 'We make no distinction between any of His Messengers.' And they said: 'We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord; and to You is the return.'" (al-Baqara 2:285)

Commentary:

Āmana al-rasūl — the Prophet Muḥammadﷺpersonally believed in what was revealed to him; his imān was not merely formal proclamation but the profound, all-encompassing realisation of the realities he conveyed. The Companions follow in his wake.

Kullun āmana bi-Llāhi wa-malāʾikatihi wa-kutubihi wa-rusulih — the six pillars of faith (arkān al-imān) here enumerated: (1) Allah, (2) His angels (malāʾika), (3) His books (kutub), (4) His messengers (rusul), (5) the Last Day (mentioned in other verses), (6) Divine decree (qadar).

Lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin min rusulih — "We make no distinction between any of His Messengers." This is the defining mark of the Muslim: complete, undiscriminating imān in all the prophets. To accept some and reject others is kufr. To single out any prophet for special reverence to the exclusion of others is a distortion of this principle.

The author digresses on the spiritual stations of the prophets: each prophet has his own mashrab (station of spiritual drinking): Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) is Khalīl Allāh (the Friend of Allah); Sayyidunā Mūsā (upon him be peace) is Kalīm Allāh (the One who conversed with Allah); Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace) is Rūḥ Allāh (the Spirit of Allah); our Prophet Muḥammadﷺis Ḥabīb Allāh (the Beloved of Allah). Each occupies his own station; to compare them in terms of superiority without the qualification of Qurʾān and Sunna is dangerous. Those under the banner of the Prophet Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) are called "Ibrāhīmī al-mashhrab"; those under the Prophet Mūsā (upon him be peace) are "Mūsawī al-mashhrab"; those who follow the Muḥammadan path are "Muḥammadī al-mashhrab" — and the distinctive station of this last path is fanāʾ (annihilation of the ego-self), the supreme station in the Sufi understanding.

Wa-qālū samiʿnā wa-aṭaʿnā — "We hear and we obey." The distinction between this umma and the Banū Isrāʾīl is expressed precisely here: the Banū Isrāʾīl said samiʿnā wa-ʿaṣaynā ("we hear and we disobey") while this umma responds samiʿnā wa-aṭaʿnā ("we hear and we obey").

Ghufrānaka rabbanā — "Your forgiveness, our Lord!" — a beautiful, humble supplication placed on the lips of the entire believing community.

Wa-ilayka al-maṣīr — "and to You is the return (maṣīr)." Every journey ends at the threshold of the Lord.

Translation of 2:285:

The Messenger believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and the believers likewise. Each one believed in Allah, His angels, His Books and His Messengers — "We make no distinction between any of His Messengers." And they said: "We hear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord; and to You is the return."

Āya 286

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

Lā yukalliful-Lāhu nafsan illā wusʿahā lahā mā kasabat wa-ʿalayhā mā iktasabat rabbanā lā tuʾākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhṭaʾnā rabbanā wa-lā taḥmil ʿalaynā iṣran kamā ḥamal-tahū ʿalā alladhīna min qablinā rabbanā wa-lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bihi wa-ʿfu ʿannā wa-ghfir lanā wa-rḥamnā anta mawlānā fa-nṣurnā ʿalā al-qawmi al-kāfirīn.

"Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. For it is what it has earned, and against it is what it has acquired. Our Lord! Do not take us to task if we forget or err. Our Lord! Do not lay upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector; so grant us victory over the people who disbelieve." (al-Baqara 2:286)

Commentary:

Lā yukalliful-Lāhu nafsan illā wusʿahā — this is one of the foundational principles of Islamic theology and jurisprudence (uṣūl al-fiqh): Allah does not impose upon any soul an obligation beyond its capacity. Wusʿ means the extent, the capacity, the stretch of a person's ability. This is the mercy of the Divine Law.

Lahā mā kasabat wa-ʿalayhā mā iktasabat — the distinction between kasb (earning/exertion directed outward, with benefit for others) and iktisāb (earning/exertion directed inward, self-regarding) is subtle. The benefit of good deeds is attributed to the soul through kasb (lā with the dative), while the burden of evil is attributed through iktisāb (ʿalā with the accusative). Some scholars have distinguished the two as follows: kasb carries its reward widely, potentially benefiting others; iktisāb is more purely self-affecting — and since evil harms primarily the doer, the word iktisāb is apt.

Three Qurʾānic verses appear to present a tension regarding good and evil:

• Verse 1:﴿مَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِنْ نَفْسِكَ﴾— "Whatever good reaches you is from Allah; whatever evil afflicts you is from yourself." (al-Nisāʾ 4:79)
• Verse 2:﴿قُلْ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ﴾— "Say: All is from Allah." (al-Nisāʾ 4:78)
• Verse 3 (implied by the Maturīdī theology): Everything that exists is Allah's creation and manifestation.

The author reconciles these three: (1) Verse 1 addresses the sphere of causation and Desert — good is ultimately from Allah's grace; evil in its immediate occasion flows from the human soul's own deficiency. (2) Verse 2 addresses the sphere of Divine will and creation — Allah is the ultimate originator of all existence. (3) Verse 3 addresses the metaphysical ground — all being proceeds from the Divine existence; the human soul is created as a vessel that, by its own choosing, gives rise to evil through its inherent existential deficiency (ʿadam). Good is from Wujūd (Being, i.e. Divine reality); evil is from our ʿadam (non-being, deficiency). This is the classical Maturīdī resolution of the problem of evil: evil is not a positive creation of Allah but the negative shadow cast by our creaturely limitation.

The Supplications at the End of al-Baqara:

Rabbanā lā tuʾākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhṭaʾnā — "Our Lord, do not take us to task for forgetting or erring." The Ḥadīth confirms: «rufiʿa ʿan ummatī al-khaṭaʾ wa-al-nisyān wa-mā ustukrihū ʿalayhi» — "Lifted from my community (the burden of) error, forgetting, and what they are compelled to do." (Ibn Mājah)

Iṣran — a heavy burden, a constraint. The iṣr laid upon the Banū Isrāʾīl refers to the stringent laws imposed upon them — such as the obligation to cut away the contaminated part of one's garment rather than purify it, the prohibition on taking war-booty, and other heavy obligations. The Muḥammadan sharīʿa was sent as mercy, easing these burdens.

Wa-lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bih — "do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear" — this supplication encompasses every form of affliction, inward or outward, that would overwhelm the human soul. It is a petition for the Divine mercy to calibrate all trials within the range of endurable capacity.

Wa-ʿfu ʿannā — ʿafw (pardon) means to obliterate the trace of the sin entirely, as if it never occurred. Wa-ghfir lanā — ghufr means to cover the sin with a veil of concealment. Wa-rḥamnā — have mercy upon us, pouring over us the rain of Your compassion.

Anta mawlānā — "You are our Protector (Mawlā), our Master, our Guardian, our Friend."

Fa-nṣurnā ʿalā al-qawmi al-kāfirīn — "grant us victory over the people of unbelief" — a supplication covering both inward victory (over the nafs and Shayṭān) and outward victory (over those who oppose the word of Allah).

Translation of 2:286:

Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. For it is what it has earned, and against it is what it has acquired. Our Lord, do not hold us to account if we forget or err. Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden as You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector — grant us victory over the people who disbelieve.

[This concludes the Tafsīr of Sūrat al-Baqara in this volume.]