Surah Baqarah (122-141)
Qur’anic Exegesis
يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
Children of Israel[1], recall the favour I have bestowed upon you[2], and [recall] that I exalted you[3] above the nations of the world.
وَاتَّقُواْ يَوْماً لاَّ تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلاَ تَنفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ (122-123)
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِن
And fear the day[4] on which no soul shall stand for another: when no compensation shall be accepted from it and no intercession will avail it and people shall not be helped[5]. (122-123)
And recall when Abraham was put to trial[6] by His Lord in a few things[7] and he fulfilled them[8]. He said: ‘I have decided to
ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لاَ يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ (124)
وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى وَعَهِدْنَاإِلَى
appoint you the leader of mankind[9].’ ‘And what of my descendants?’ asked Abraham. ‘My covenant,’ said He ‘does not apply to the evil-doers[10].’ (124)
And recall when [in the land of Arabia] We made this sacred
إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ (125)
House[11] a resort and a sanctuary for mankind and commanded: ‘Make a place of worship in this place of Abraham’s residence[12]
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَـَذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَى عَذَابِ
and We obligated Abraham and Ishmael[13] to cleanse Our House[14] for those who will come to walk round it and who come to observe I‘tikaf in it and who kneel and prostrate themselves in it[15]. (125)
And recall, when Abraham prayed: ‘Lord! make this city a secure one[16] and bestow on, those of them who believe in God and
النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ(126)
the Last Day,[17] the livelihood[18] of [various kinds of] produce[19].’ [The Almighty] said: ‘As for those who are rejecters I shall let them benefit from [these things] awhile[20], and then shall drag them
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (127)
رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ
to the scourge of the Fire: an evil abode.’ (126)
And recall when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of [My] House. [At that time they implored the Lord, saying]: ‘Accept this [prayer] from us, Lord[21]. It is only you who hears all and knows all[22]. (127)
Lord, make both of us submissive to You[23]; make of our
إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ (128-129)
descendentsalso a community that will submit to You[24] and teach us our rites of worship[25] and accept our repentance[26]; You are the Forgiving One the Merciful. Lord, send forth to them a messenger from amongst them[27] who shall read out to them Your revelations[28], and shall instruct them in the law and in wisdom[29],
وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلاَّ مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّهُ
and [in this manner] shall purify them[30]. You are indeed the Mighty, the Wise One[31].’ (128-129)
And who but a foolish person would deviate from the religion of Abraham?[32] We chose him in this world[33], and in the world to come
فِي الآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (130-131)
وَوَصَّى بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إَلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ (132)
also, he shall be among the righteous. [The same Abraham who] when his Lord said to him: ‘Submit’, he answered forthwith: ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the Universe’[34]. (130-131)
And Abraham urged his children to [follow] this very religion and so did Jacob. [He had said:][35] ‘My children! God has chosen for you this religion[36] so you have to remain Muslims at all costs
أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاء إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُواْ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـهَكَ وَإِلَـهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَقَ إِلَـهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ (133)
till you die[37].’ (132)
Were you[38] then present when Jacob was about to die[39]? At the time when He said to his children: ‘Who will you worship after I die?[40]’ They replied: ‘We will worship your God the One God
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلاَ تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (134)
وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تَهْتَدُواْ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قُولُواْ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَوَإِسْحَقَ
the God of your forefathers Abraham and Ishmael[41] and Isaac. And to Him we will submit[42].’ (133)
That was a community which has passed away. Theirs is what they did and yours what you have done. You shall not be questioned about their actions[43]. (134)
[This is the tradition of their forefathers] and [contrary to this] they insist: ‘Accept Judaism or Christianity and you shall be rightly guided[44].’ Tell them: ‘Adopt, in fact, the religion of Abraham[45], who was fully inclined [to His Lord][46] and was not
وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ (135-136)
فَإِنْ آمَنُواْ بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللّهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (137)
صِبْغَةَ اللّهِ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللّهِ صِبْغَةً وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدونَ قُلْ أَتُحَآجُّونَنَا فِي اللّهِ
among the idolaters’. Tell them: ‘We believe in God and that which has been revealed to us and that which was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their children and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to all other prophets by their Lord.[47] We do not discriminate between them. [All of them are the Messengers of God], and to Him we submit.’ (135-136)
Then if they accept the way you have[48], they shall be rightly guided; if they turn away, they surely are obstinate. Against them God is sufficient for you. He hears all and knows all[49]. (137)
[Tell them that they should adopt] God’s colour.[50] And whose
وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ (138-139)
أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأسْبَاطَ كَانُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى قُلْ أَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللّهُ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِندَهُ مِنَ اللّهِ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ (140)
colour is better than God’s. We only worship Him in all circumstances. [Tell them:] ‘Would you dispute with us about God[51], whereas He is our Lord and yours also and [if this is not so, then] to us our deeds and to you yours and to Him alone we are devoted’[52]. (138-139)
‘Do you claim that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their children were all Jews or Christians?’[53] Ask them: ‘Who knows better, you or God?’[54] [Alas!] Who are more unjust than those who have an evidence given to them by God and they conceal it? And [in reality] God is not unaware of what you are doing. (140)
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلاَ تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ (141)
That was a community which has passed away. Theirs is what they did and yours what you have done. You shall not be questioned about their actions.[55] (141)
(Translated from Al-Bayan by Shehzad Saleem)