Surah Al-Baqarah (252-260)
Qur’anic Exegesis
تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ مِّنْهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ اللّهُ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن
These are the verses of God which We are reciting to you in all truth, and doubtless, you are one of God’s Messengers. [The Israelites very well know this, but do not accept it because] among these messengers We have exalted some above others such that to some God spoke directly1, others He raised to a lofty status in some other capacity and [at the end] gave Jesus, son of Mary, manifest signs and helped him through the Holy Spirit2. [Consequently, it was because of this relative superiority of one messenger to the other that the followers of one started to reject the other3], and if God wanted, these who have succeeded them
بَعْدِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَلَـكِنِ اخْتَلَفُواْ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن كَفَرَ وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُواْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ (252-253)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لاَّ بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلاَ خُلَّةٌ وَلاَ شَفَاعَةٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ (254)
would not have fought against one another after manifest signs had been given to them. But [God did not want to force people to the right path, so] they disagreed among themselves; thus some among them professed faith [in these messengers] and some rejected them. [They are rejecting you, O Prophet, for this same reason] and had God pleased they would not have fought against one another but God [according to His wisdom] does what He pleases4. (252-253)
Believers [leave them to themselves and] spend of what We have given you [for the cause of God] before that day arrives when there shall be no bargaining, neither shall friendship [with someone] be of use nor shall intercession be of any avail. And [the fact is that] the rejecters [of that Day] are the one’s who wrong their souls. (254)
اللّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَاء وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ (255)
[On that day, man will have to face God only.] God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Sustainer5. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him6. All that is in the heavens and the earth belong to Him. Who can intercede with Him for someone except by His permission?7 He knows what lies before them and what is after them and without His will they cannot grasp any part of His knowledge8. His dominion9 prevails in the heavens and the earth, and their protection does not weary Him in the slightest way10and He is the Exalted and the Glorious One11. (255)
لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىَ لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (256)
اللّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّوُرِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (257)
[Let them adopt whatever path they want]; there is no compulsion [from God] in religion. The fact is [that after this Qur’an], guidance is now totally distinct from error. So he who renounces Satan12 and believes in God, it is as if he grasps a strong rope which can never break and [this is because] God hears all and knows all. (256)
[If they want to be guided] God helps the believers. He leads them from darkness to light13. [On the other hand], it is the devils who help the disbelievers, they lead them from light to darkness. It is these who are the inmates of the Fire. They shall abide in it forever14. (257)
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَآجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رِبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِـي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِـي وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ
[If you want to understand God’s law of providing guidance, there are several examples that can be cited]. Have15 you not seen the person who argued with Abraham about his Lord merely because God had bestowed sovereignty upon him16 when Abraham said [to him]: “My Lord is the One who gives life and death”.17 He replied: “I too have this power”.18 Abraham at once
يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ (258)
remarked: “God brings out the sun from the east; you bring it out from the west”.19 The unbeliever was confounded [at this remark]. And [in reality] God does not guide such evil-doers.20 (258)
أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىَ يُحْيِـي هَـَذِهِ
Or21 the example of him22, who was passing by a city which had fallen on its roofs23. He remarked with wonder: “After being destroyed in such a way, how can God give life to this city?”24
اللّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا فَأَمَاتَهُ اللّهُ مِئَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِئَةَ عَامٍ فَانظُرْ إِلَى طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ وَانظُرْ إِلَى حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَانظُرْ إِلَى العِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا
Thereupon, God made him die for a hundred years and then brought him back to life. [Upon his revival, He] asked: “How long did you stay in this state?”. “A day or a part of it” he replied. God said: “No you were in this state for a hundred years; look at your food and drink: they have not rotted. And [on the other hand] take a look at your ass how We bring it back to life so that you become certain that this city will be brought back to life and so that we make you a sign for mankind25, and see how
لَحْمًا فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (259)
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِـي الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قَالَ بَلَى وَلَـكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَى كُلِّ
We raise the bones and clothe them with flesh.” And when in this manner, the truth became manifest to him, he said: “[I have no apprehension]; I know that God has power over all things.”26 (259)
And [in this regard, another] incident should be kept in consideration27when Abraham said: “Show me, Lord, how You will raise the dead?” He replied: “Do you have no faith?” “Yes, but just to reassure my heart” said Abraham. God said: “Take four birds28 and tame them29, and [cut their bodies to pieces] and
جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ (260)
place a piece of them on each mountain-top, then call them back. They will [come back to life and] come swiftly to you, and [for the future] fully understand that God is mighty and wise.”30(260)
(Tr. by Shehzad Saleem)