Surah Baqarah (163-177)
Qur’anic Exegesis
Tr. by Shehzad Saleem
وَإِلَـهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ لاَّ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ
[Believers! Let them decide][1] and [regardless of what they think you should now fully understand that] Your God is one God[2]. There is no god but Him. He is the Compassionate, the Ever-Merciful[3]. There is no doubt that in the creation of the heavens and
بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء مِن مَّاء فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخِّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاء
the earth[4] and in the alternation of night and day[5] and in the ships[6] that sail in the ocean with cargoes beneficial to man and in the water which God sends down from the sky with which He enlivens the earth after its death, dispersing over it all kinds of living beings[7] and in the manifestations caused by the winds[8], and in the obedient clouds[9] that are between sky and earth – surely
وَالأَرْضِ لآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ (163-164)
in these there are signs[10] for men of intellect [to understand this
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ أَندَاداً يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلّهِ وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلّهِ
reality]. (163-164)
Yet [in spite of these signs of the heavens and the earth], there are some who associate partners with God[11]. They love them as they should love God. And the believers love [their] God the most[12]. And if these wrongdoers see the time when they will face their punishment [it will become evident to them[13]] that all might
جَمِيعاً وَأَنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعَذَابِ (165)
إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُواْ مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُواْ وَرَأَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الأَسْبَابُ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُواْ لَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَبَرَّؤُواْ مِنَّا كَذَلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ اللّهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ حَسَرَاتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَا هُم بِخَارِجِينَ مِنَ النَّارِ (166-167)
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُواْ مِمَّا فِي الأَرْضِ حَلاَلاً طَيِّباً وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ
and power is God’s alone, and that [for such people] God is stern in retribution. (165)
At that time[14] when those who were followed will disown their followers and will face punishment and the ties[15] which now unite them will suddenly break asunder and those who followed them will say: ‘Could we but live again, we would disown them as they have now disowned us’. Thus will God show them their own deeds[16] as longings and they shall never be able to emerge from the Fire. (166-167)
People! [your concepts of what is lawful in eating and what is not – concepts which you have made under the influence of these leaders of yours – are absolutely baseless, so] eat[17] of what is lawful
إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَاء وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ (168-169)
and wholesome on the earth and do not walk in Satan’s footsteps[18], for he is your open enemy[19]. He only entices[20] you to sin[21] and lewdness, and to ascribe to God what you know not[22]. (168-169)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ قَالُواْ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءنَا أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يَهْتَدُونَ وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَاء وَنِدَاء صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ (170-171)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِلّهِ إِن كُنتُمْإِيَّاهُ
When they are asked [to leave aside these concepts and] follow what God has revealed, they reply: ‘We will follow the path trodden by our forefathers’. Would they follow their fathers even though they did not use their intellect and had no guidance?[23] And [in reality] the parable of these people who have rejected [in this manner to follow the path to which they were guided by the Almighty] is like that of a person who calls out those who can hear nothing but shouts and cries[24]. They are deaf, dumb, and blind so they understand nothing[25]. (170-171)
Believers [if they are not willing to abandon their religious innovations, leave them to themselves and] eat [without any hesitation] of the wholesome things with which We have provided you and be grateful to God alone if it is Him you worship[26]. He has forbidden you only carrion, blood, and the
تَعْبُدُونَ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ
flesh of swine, also any flesh that is slaughtered in the name of someone other than God[27]. But whoever is driven to necessity,
فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ فَلا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (172-173)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَشْتَرُونَ بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً أُولَـئِكَ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ إِلاَّ النَّارَ وَلاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلاَلَةَ بِالْهُدَى وَالْعَذَابَ بِالْمَغْفِرَةِ فَمَآ أَصْبَرَهُمْ عَلَى النَّارِ (174-175)
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللّهَ نَزَّلَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُواْ فِي الْكِتَابِ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ (176)
Indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful. (172-173)
[These People of the Book knew that this is the truth, but they concealed it]. In reality, those who conceal what God has revealed in His Book and for this they gain some meager wealth [of this world][30] shall swallow nothing but the Fire of Hell into their bellies. On the Day of Judgement, God will neither speak to them[31] nor purify them[32] and [besides this] a woeful punishment awaits them [there]. Such are those who bought guidance for error and forgiveness for punishment. How audaciously do they seek Hell![33] (174-175)
That will be because God has revealed this Book with the truth[34] and these people who have differed about it have gone
لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَالْمَلآئِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِي
far in their obstinacy[35]. (176)
[They think that the duty imposed on them of being loyal to God is fulfilled by merely observing certain rites and rituals. You should know that] loyalty to God[36] does not merely consist in facing towards the East or the West [in the prayer][37] but loyalty is the loyalty[38] of those who believe in God with all their heart[39] and in the Last Day[40] and in the angels of God[41] and in His
الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلاةَ
Books[42] and in His prophets[43] and who, though they love it dearly, give away their wealth[44] to kinsfolk[45], to orphans[46], to the
وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُواْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاء والضَّرَّاء
destitute, to the traveler and to those who ask[47] and for the liberation of necks[48] and who attend to the prayer and pay Zakah[49]; [and of those] when make a promise[50] fulfill it[51] and
وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ (177)
specially [of those] who are steadfast in adversity, illness and in times of war[52]. These are the people who are truthful [to God in fulfilling the promise of loyalty to Him] and these are the ones who are in fact God-conscious. (177)