Surah al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2 : 51
Translations
Pickthall
Yusuf Ali
Qur'an Dictionary
Click word/image to view Qur'an Dictionary | ||
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Word | Arabic word | |
(2:51:1) wa-idh And when |
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(2:51:2) wāʿadnā We appointed |
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(2:51:3) |
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(2:51:4) arbaʿīna forty |
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(2:51:5) laylatan nights |
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(2:51:6) |
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(2:51:7) ittakhadhtumu you took |
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(2:51:8) l-ʿij'la the calf |
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(2:51:9) |
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(2:51:10) baʿdihi after him |
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(2:51:11) |
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(2:51:12) ẓālimūna (were) wrongdoers |
Explanatory Note
The Jews have left Egypt and, through God’s grace and mercy, crossed the Red Sea safely. The sūrah picks up the story: “And [remember, too], when We appointed for Moses forty nights, and in his absence you took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers. Yet even after that We pardoned you, so that you might be thankful. We gave Moses the Scriptures and the Standard [by which to distinguish right from wrong], so that you might be rightly guided. Moses said to his people, ‘You, my people, have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf Turn, then, in repentance to your Maker and slay one another. That will be better for you in your Maker’s sight.’ Thus, He accepted your repentance; for He is the One to accept repentance, the Merciful.”
The episode of the calf is covered in more detail in verses 87-98 of Sūrah 20, revealed earlier in Makkah. It is a well-known chapter of Jewish history. When their Prophet left them for a while, they sank as low as worshipping an inanimate object, in total disregard of the instructions of the Prophet who saved them, by God’s grace, from Pharaoh and his army. Their attitude is described in its true colours: “You took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers.” Who could be a worse wrongdoer than one who worships the model of a calf after God had saved him from idolaters?
3. Surah Overview
The scholars are unanimous that Surah al-Baqarah is Madani and that it was the first Surah revealed in Madinah. [Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Fath al-Bari no. 160/8].
Despite it being the first Surah to be revealed in Madinah, it contains Ayaat from a later period also. In fact, according to Ibn Abbas [as mentioned in Ibn Kathir] the last Ayat revealed to the Prophet was Ayat no. 281 from Surah al-Baqarah and this occurred 8 days or so before his death [which corresponds to the year 11 Hijri].
In order to understand the meaning of this Surah, we should know its historical background:
1. At Makkah, the Quran generally addressed the polytheist Quraysh who were ignorant of Islam, but at Madinah it was also concerned with the Jews who were acquainted with the creed of Monotheism, Prophethood, Revelation, the Hereafter and Angels. They also professed to believe in the law which was revealed by God to their Prophet Moses, and in principle, their way was the same (Islam) that was being taught by Prophet Muhammad. But they had strayed away from it during the centuries of degeneration and had adopted many un-Islamic creeds, rites and customs of which there was no mention and for which there was no sanction in the Torah. Not only this: they had tampered with the Torah by inserting their own explanations and interpretations into its text. They had distorted even that part of the Word of God which had remained intact in their Scriptures and taken out of it the real spirit of true religion and were now clinging to a lifeless frame of rituals. Consequently their beliefs, their morals and their conduct had gone to the lowest depths of degeneration. The pity is that they were not only satisfied with their condition but loved to cling to it. Besides this, they had no intention or inclination to accept any kind of reform. So they became bitter enemies of those who came to teach them the Right Way and did their utmost to defeat every such effort. Though they were originally Muslims, they had swerved from the real Islam and made innovations and alterations in it and had fallen victims to hair splitting and sectarianism. They had forgotten and forsaken God and begun to serve material wealth. So much so that they had even given up their original name “Muslim” and adopted the name “Jew” instead, and made religion the sole monopoly of the children of Israel. This was their religious condition when the Prophet went to Madinah and invited the Jews to the true religion. That is why more than one third of this Surah has been addressed to the children of Israel. A critical review of their history, their moral degeneration and their religious perversions has been made. Side by side with this, the high standard of morality and the fundamental principles of the pure religion have been put forward in order to bring out clearly the nature of the degeneration of the community of a prophet when it goes astray and to draw clear lines of demarcation between real piety and formalism, and the essentials and non-essentials of the true religion.
2. At Makkah, Islam was mainly concerned with the propagation of its fundamental principles and the moral training of its followers. But after the migration of the Prophet to Madinah, where Muslims had come to settle from all over Arabia and where a tiny Islamic State had been set up with the help of the ‘local supporters’ (Ansar), naturally the Quran had to turn its attention to the social, cultural, economic, political and legal problems as well. This accounts for the difference between the themes of the Surahs revealed at Makkah and those at Madinah. Accordingly about half of this Surah deals with those principles and regulations which are essential for the integration and solidarity of a community and for the solution of its problems.
After the migration to Madinah, the struggle between Islam and disbelief (Kufr) had also entered a new phase. Before this the Believers, who propagated Islam among their own clans and tribes, had to face its opponents at their own risk. But the conditions had changed at Madinah, where Muslims from all parts of Arabia had come and settled as one community, and had established an independent city state. Here it became a struggle for the survival of the Community itself, for the whole of non-Muslim Arabia was bent upon and united in crushing it totally. Hence the following instructions, upon which depended not only its success but its very survival, were revealed in this Surah:
a. The Community should work with the utmost zeal to propagate its ideology and win over to its side the greatest possible number of people.
b. It should so expose its opponents as to leave no room for doubt in the mind of any sensible person that they were adhering to an absolutely wrong position.
c. It should infuse in its members (the majority of whom were homeless and indigent and surrounded on all sides by enemies) that courage and fortitude which is so indispensable to their very existence in the adverse circumstances in which they were struggling and to prepare them to face these boldly.
d. It should also keep them ready and prepared to meet any armed menace, which might come from any side to suppress and crush their ideology, and to oppose it tooth and nail without minding the overwhelming numerical strength and the material resources of its enemies.
e. It should also create in them that courage which is needed for the eradication of evil ways and for the establishment of the Islamic Way instead. That is why God has revealed in this Surah such instructions as may help achieve all the above mentioned objects.
At the time of the revelation of Al-Baqarah, all sorts of hypocrites had begun to appear. God has, therefore, briefly pointed out their characteristics here. Afterwards when their evil characteristics and mischievous deeds became manifest, God sent detailed instructions about them. [REF: Mawdudi]
10. Wiki Forum
11. Tafsir Zone
Overview (Verses 51 - 57) Ingratitude at Its Worst The Jews have left Egypt and, through God’s grace and mercy, crossed the Red Sea safely. The sūrah picks up the story: “And [remember, too], when We appointed for Moses forty nights, and in his absence you took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers. Yet even after that We pardoned you, so that you might be thankful. We gave Moses the Scriptures and the Standard [by which to distinguish right from wrong], so that you might be rightly guided. Moses said to his people, ‘You, my people, have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf Turn, then, in repentance to your Maker and slay one another. That will be better for you in your Maker’s sight.’ Thus, He accepted your repentance; for He is the One to accept repentance, the Merciful.” (Verses 51-54) The episode of the calf is covered in more detail in verses 87-98 of Sūrah 20, revealed earlier in Makkah. It is a well-known chapter of Jewish history. When their Prophet left them for a while, they sank as low as worshipping an inanimate object, in total disregard of the instructions of the Prophet who saved them, by God’s grace, from Pharaoh and his army. Their attitude is described in its true colours: “You took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers.” (Verse 51) Who could be a worse wrongdoer than one who worships the model of a calf after God had saved him from idolaters? Nevertheless, God pardoned them and gave their Prophet, Moses, the Torah as a source of guidance for them. However, there was need for a thorough cleansing of ranks. Such a shaky nature could only be steadied by a very stringent atonement: “Moses said to his people: “You, my people, have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf Turn, then, in repentance to your Maker and slay one another. That will be better for you in your Maker’s sight.” (Verse 54) Thus, the order was given to kill those who went far astray as a means of cleansing for the whole community. No doubt it was a heavy responsibility, for killing members of their community was like killing themselves; but it was inescapable in order to preserve the purity and righteousness of the rest of the community. It was a punishment commensurate with the vile transgression perpetrated. Had they counselled one another against transgression, they would not have worshipped the calf. Hence, the punishment to reform their nature. Once punishment has been meted out, God’s mercy descends afresh. “Thus, He accepted your repentance; for He is the One to accept repentance, the Merciful.” (Verse 54) Yet, true to form, their stubbornness and obduracy had the better of the Israelites. They now demanded to see God Himself. The demand was made by the seventy individuals who, as detailed in the earlier Makkan sūrahs, had been chosen by Moses to represent his people. They went further than that, making their belief in Moses and his message conditional on their seeing God in person. Obviously, this is mentioned here for comparison with the attitude of the Prophet Muĥammad’s Jewish contemporaries, who were demanding impossible proof to verify the truth of his claim to prophethood. And [remember] when you said, Moses, we will not believe in you until we see God in person. ‘You were then struck by a thunderbolt while you were looking on. But We raised you again after you had been as dead, so that you might be thankful. We caused the clouds to provide shade for you, and sent down for you manna and quails. ‘Eat of the good things We have provided for you. ‘Indeed, to Us they did no harm, but themselves did they wrong. (Verses 55-57) Neither the signs and favours nor God’s forgiveness and generosity had any effect on the Israelites’ obdurate, materialistic and cynical nature. The prolonged and harsh persecution they had endured under the tyranny of the Pharaoh seems to have finally corrupted their souls, so that they would yield only to force. Nothing corrupts souls and natures than writhing under tyranny for a long time. They had acquired the slave characteristics of being submissive when overpowered and subjugated, but vicious and revengeful when not under threat. Over the centuries, this became, and remains today, a defining character of the Jewish people. While on Mount Sinai, the Israelites had the audacity to demand from Moses that they should see God in person, to which God responded by striking them with a thunderbolt that left them as dead. Nevertheless, God was again merciful towards them and restored them to consciousness, so that they might appreciate His kindness and show gratitude. God also recalls for them how He had taken care of their forefathers when they were lost in the wilderness, providing them with food and protecting them against the scorching heat of the sun. Historic records indicate that the Israelites, on leaving Egypt, crossed the Red Sea into the Sinai desert. It was hot and without water, which put them in danger of dying of starvation. But, God bestowed His grace on them and provided them with a special type of food, as sweet as honey, which they called manna. God also sent them flocks of quail which they could easily catch and eat. Clouds would gather above them to protect them from the heat of the desert sun. Thus God alleviated their suffering in the wilderness, but, as the verse comments, they showed no appreciation or gratitude. As such, they were the losers: “Indeed to Us they did no harm, but themselves did they wrong.” (Verse 57) |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 51 - 57) Ingratitude at Its Worst The Jews have left Egypt and, through God’s grace and mercy, crossed the Red Sea safely. The sūrah picks up the story: “And [remember, too], when We appointed for Moses forty nights, and in his absence you took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers. Yet even after that We pardoned you, so that you might be thankful. We gave Moses the Scriptures and the Standard [by which to distinguish right from wrong], so that you might be rightly guided. Moses said to his people, ‘You, my people, have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf Turn, then, in repentance to your Maker and slay one another. That will be better for you in your Maker’s sight.’ Thus, He accepted your repentance; for He is the One to accept repentance, the Merciful.” (Verses 51-54) The episode of the calf is covered in more detail in verses 87-98 of Sūrah 20, revealed earlier in Makkah. It is a well-known chapter of Jewish history. When their Prophet left them for a while, they sank as low as worshipping an inanimate object, in total disregard of the instructions of the Prophet who saved them, by God’s grace, from Pharaoh and his army. Their attitude is described in its true colours: “You took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers.” (Verse 51) Who could be a worse wrongdoer than one who worships the model of a calf after God had saved him from idolaters? Nevertheless, God pardoned them and gave their Prophet, Moses, the Torah as a source of guidance for them. However, there was need for a thorough cleansing of ranks. Such a shaky nature could only be steadied by a very stringent atonement: “Moses said to his people: “You, my people, have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf Turn, then, in repentance to your Maker and slay one another. That will be better for you in your Maker’s sight.” (Verse 54) Thus, the order was given to kill those who went far astray as a means of cleansing for the whole community. No doubt it was a heavy responsibility, for killing members of their community was like killing themselves; but it was inescapable in order to preserve the purity and righteousness of the rest of the community. It was a punishment commensurate with the vile transgression perpetrated. Had they counselled one another against transgression, they would not have worshipped the calf. Hence, the punishment to reform their nature. Once punishment has been meted out, God’s mercy descends afresh. “Thus, He accepted your repentance; for He is the One to accept repentance, the Merciful.” (Verse 54) Yet, true to form, their stubbornness and obduracy had the better of the Israelites. They now demanded to see God Himself. The demand was made by the seventy individuals who, as detailed in the earlier Makkan sūrahs, had been chosen by Moses to represent his people. They went further than that, making their belief in Moses and his message conditional on their seeing God in person. Obviously, this is mentioned here for comparison with the attitude of the Prophet Muĥammad’s Jewish contemporaries, who were demanding impossible proof to verify the truth of his claim to prophethood. And [remember] when you said, Moses, we will not believe in you until we see God in person. ‘You were then struck by a thunderbolt while you were looking on. But We raised you again after you had been as dead, so that you might be thankful. We caused the clouds to provide shade for you, and sent down for you manna and quails. ‘Eat of the good things We have provided for you. ‘Indeed, to Us they did no harm, but themselves did they wrong. (Verses 55-57) Neither the signs and favours nor God’s forgiveness and generosity had any effect on the Israelites’ obdurate, materialistic and cynical nature. The prolonged and harsh persecution they had endured under the tyranny of the Pharaoh seems to have finally corrupted their souls, so that they would yield only to force. Nothing corrupts souls and natures than writhing under tyranny for a long time. They had acquired the slave characteristics of being submissive when overpowered and subjugated, but vicious and revengeful when not under threat. Over the centuries, this became, and remains today, a defining character of the Jewish people. While on Mount Sinai, the Israelites had the audacity to demand from Moses that they should see God in person, to which God responded by striking them with a thunderbolt that left them as dead. Nevertheless, God was again merciful towards them and restored them to consciousness, so that they might appreciate His kindness and show gratitude. God also recalls for them how He had taken care of their forefathers when they were lost in the wilderness, providing them with food and protecting them against the scorching heat of the sun. Historic records indicate that the Israelites, on leaving Egypt, crossed the Red Sea into the Sinai desert. It was hot and without water, which put them in danger of dying of starvation. But, God bestowed His grace on them and provided them with a special type of food, as sweet as honey, which they called manna. God also sent them flocks of quail which they could easily catch and eat. Clouds would gather above them to protect them from the heat of the desert sun. Thus God alleviated their suffering in the wilderness, but, as the verse comments, they showed no appreciation or gratitude. As such, they were the losers: “Indeed to Us they did no harm, but themselves did they wrong.” (Verse 57) |