Explanation of the second surah from the quran al baqara. الٓمّٓۚ (2:1) Alif, Lam, Mim.1 1. The names of letters of the Arabic alphabet, called huruf muqattaat, occur at the beginning of several surahs of the Quran. At the time of the Quranic revelation the use of such letters was a well-known literary device, used by both poets and orators, and we find several instances in the pre-Islamic Arabic literature that has come down to us. Since the muqattaat were commonly used the Arabs of that period generally knew what they meant and so they did not present a puzzle. We do not notice, therefore, any contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be on him) raising objections against the Quran on the ground that the letters at the beginning of some of its surahs were absurd. For the same reason no Tradition has come down to us of any Companion asking the Prophet about the significance of the muqattaat. Later on this literary device gradually fell into disuse and hence it became difficult for commentators to determine their precise meanings. It is obvious, however, that deriving right guidance from the Quran does not depend on grasping the meaning of these vocables, and that anyone who fails to understand them may still live a righteous life and attain salvation. The ordinary reader, therefore, need not delve too deeply into this matter. ذٰ لِكَ الۡڪِتٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَۛۚۖ فِيۡهِۛۚ هُدًى لِّلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَۙ (2:2) This is the Book of Allah, there is no doubt in it;2 it is a guidance for the pious,3 2. One obvious meaning of this verse is that this Book, the Quran, is undoubtedly from God. Another possible meaning is that nothing contained in it can be subject to doubt. Books which deal with supernatural questions, with matters that lie beyond the range of sense perception, are invariably based on conjecture and their authors, despite their brave show of competence, are therefore not immune from a degree of scepticism regarding their statements. This Book, which is based wholly on Truth, a Book which is the work of none other than the All-Knowing God Himself is distinguishable from all other books. Hence, there is no room for doubt about its contents despite the hesitation some people might express either through ignorance or folly. 3. This means that while the Book is potentially for all, only those who possess certain qualities can benefit from it. The first such quality is piety: those who want to benefit should be disposed to distinguish between good and evil, and to shun evil and do good. Those who lead an animal existence, who never to consider whether their actions are either good or bad, whose cynically follow the prevailing winds, who are helplessly tossed about by the animal desires that dominate their minds, such persons are all together incapable of deriving any benefit from the guidance embodied in the Quran. الَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡغَيۡبِ وَ يُقِيۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰهُمۡ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَۙ (2:3) for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of perception,4 who establish Prayer5 and spend out of what We have provided them,6 4. This is the second prerequisite for deriving benefit from the Quran. Ghayb signifies the verities which are hidden from mans senses and which are beyond the scope of mans ordinary observation and experience, for example the existence and attributes of God, the angels. the process of revelation, Paradise, Hell and so on. Belief in the ghaib means having faith in such matters, based on an absolute confidence in the Messengers of God and despite the fact that it is impossible to experience them. According to this verse, Quranic guidance can prove helpful only to those prepared to affirm the truths of the suprasensory realm. People who make their belief in these questions conditional upon sensory perception of the object of belief, and who are not prepared even to consider the possibility of the existence of things that cannot be weighed or measured, cannot profit from this Book. 5. This is the third requirement. It is pointed out that those to whom belief means merely the pronouncement of a formula, who think that a mere verbal confession of faith is enough and that it makes no practical demands on them, can derive no guidance from the Quran. To benefit from the Quran it is essential that a mans decision to believe should be followed immediately by practical obedience to God. Prayer is the first and continuing sign of practical obedience. No more than a few hours can pass after a man has embraced Islam than the muadhin calls to Prayer and it becomes evident whether or not the profession of faith has been genuine. Moreover, the muadhin calls to Prayer five times every day and whenever a man fails to respond to his call it becomes clear that he has transgressed the bounds of practical obedience. An abandonment of Prayer amounts to an abandonment of obedience. Obviously, if a man is not prepared to follow the directives of his guide, it is immaterial whether or not true guidance is available to him. It should also be noted that the expression establishment of Prayer has a wider meaning than mere performance of Prayer. It means that the system of Prayer should be organized on a collective basis. If there is a person in a locality who prays individually but no arrangements are made for congregational Prayer, it cannot be claimed that Prayer is established in that locality. 6. This, the fourth prerequisite for a person to benefit from the Quran, demands that the person concerned should neither be niggardly nor a worshipper of money. On the contrary, he should be willing to pay the claims on his property of both God and man, and should not flinch from making financial sacrifices for the sake of his convictions. وَالَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِمَۤا اُنۡزِلَ اِلَيۡكَ وَمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكَۚ وَبِالۡاٰخِرَةِ هُمۡ يُوۡقِنُوۡنَؕ (2:4) who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you,7 and have firm faith in the Hereafter.8 7. The fifth requirement is that one should believe in the Books revealed by God to His Prophets in the various ages and regions of the world, in the Book revealed to Muhammad (peace be on him) as well as in those revealed to the other Prophets who preceded him. The door of the Quran is closed to all those who do not consider it necessary for man to receive guidance from God. It is also closed to those who, even if they believe in the need for such guidance, do not consider it necessary to seek it through the channel of revelation and prophethood, but would rather weave their own set of ideas and concepts and regard them as equivalent to Divine Guidance. This door is also closed to those who believe in Divine books as such, but confine this belief to those books accepted by their forefathers, and spurn Divine Guidance revealed to anyone born beyond their own racial and national boundaries. The Quran excludes all such people and is prepared to open the source of its grace only to those who believe that mankind does require Divine Guidance, who acknowledge that this guidance does not come to people individually but reaches them through Prophets and Divine Books and who are not given to racial or national chauvinism but are devotees of Truth alone, and are therefore prepared to submit to Divine Guidance wherever it be found. 8. Belief in the After-life is the sixth and last requirement. The term al-Akhirah embraces a whole set of ideas: (i) that man is not an irresponsible being, but is answerable to God for all his conduct in this world; (ii) that the present order of the world is not timeless, but will come to an end at an appointed hour known only to God; (iii) that when this world comes to an end God will bring into being another world in which He will resurrect, at one and the same moment, all the human beings ever born on earth. He will gather them together, examine their conduct and grant each one just reward for his actions; (iv) that those who are accounted good in Gods judgement will be sent to Heaven, and those judged by Him as evil-doers will be consigned to Hell; (v) that the real measure of success and failure is not ones prosperity in the present life, but ones success or failure according to Gods judgement in the Next. Those who do not accept this set of beliefs can derive no benefit from the Quran. For if a man is merely in a state of doubt and hesitation with regard to these matters - let alone disbelieving them - he cannot advance even one step forward along the path charted out by the Quran. اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ عَلٰى هُدًى مِّنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ وَاُولٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُوۡنَ (2:5) Such are on true guidance from their Lord; such are the truly successful. اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا سَوَآءٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَاَنۡذَرۡتَهُمۡ اَمۡ لَمۡ تُنۡذِرۡهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ (2:6) As for those who have rejected (these truths),9 it is all the same whether or not you warn them, for they will not believe. 9. That is, those people who do not meet these six requirements, or reject all or any one of the fundamentals set out above. خَتَمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ وَعَلٰى سَمۡعِهِمۡؕ وَعَلٰىٓ اَبۡصَارِهِمۡ غِشَاوَةٌ وَّلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيۡمٌ (2:7) Allah has sealed their hearts10 and their hearing, and a covering has fallen over their eyes. They deserve severe chastisement. 10. This does not mean that their rejection of the Truth is a consequence of God sealing their hearts. What is meant is that God sealed their hearts and ears as a consequence of their decision to reject the fundamentals of faith, of their deliberate choice of a path divergent from that charted out by the Quran. Anyone who has worked for the dissemination of the Truth often finds that if, after full consideration, a person decides against a doctrine, his mind begins to move in a completely opposite direction so that he fails to appreciate anything that is explained to him. His ears become deaf, his eyes are blinded to the merits of that doctrine, and one gets the distinct impression that the persons heart has indeed been sealed. وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ يَّقُوۡلُ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَبِالۡيَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَمَا هُمۡ بِمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَۘ (2:8) There are some who say: “We believe in Allah and in the Last Day,” while in fact they do not believe. يُخٰدِعُوۡنَ اللّٰهَ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ۚ وَمَا يَخۡدَعُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُوۡنَؕ (2:9) They are trying to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they do not realize that in truth they are only deceiving themselves.11 11. These people delude themselves that their hypocritical behaviour will profit them when in fact it will prove harmful both in this world and the Next. A hypocrite may be able to fool people for a while, but it does not last long; his hypocrisy is ultimately seen through. As for the Next Life, it is obvious that his claim to be a true believer is contradicted by his own actions and is thus quite worthless. فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ مَّرَضٌۙ فَزَادَهُمُ اللّٰهُ مَرَضًا ۚ وَّلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِيۡمٌۙۢبِمَا كَانُوۡا يَكۡذِبُوۡنَ (2:10) There is a disease in their hearts and Allah has intensified this disease.12 A painful chastisement awaits them for their lying. 12. Disease here refers to the disease of hypocrisy. The statement that Allah has intensified this disease means that He does not punish the hypocrites immediately but allows them to indulge in their hypocrisy and exult in the success of their ruses. This feeling of success intensifies their hypocrisy. وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ لَا تُفۡسِدُوۡا فِىۡ الۡاَرۡضِۙ قَالُوۡاۤ اِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُصۡلِحُوۡنَ (2:11) Whenever they are told: “Do not spread mischief on earth,” they say: “Why! We indeed are the ones who set things right.” اَلَا ۤ اِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ الۡمُفۡسِدُوۡنَ وَلٰـكِنۡ لَّا يَشۡعُرُوۡنَ (2:12) They are the mischief makers, but they do not realize it. وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ اٰمِنُوۡا كَمَاۤ اٰمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوۡاۤ اَنُؤۡمِنُ كَمَاۤ اٰمَنَ السُّفَهَآءُ ؕ اَلَاۤ اِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ السُّفَهَآءُ وَلٰـكِنۡ لَّا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ (2:13) Whenever they are told: “Believe as others believe,”13 they answer: “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?”14 Indeed it is they who are the fools, but they are not aware of it. 13. They are being asked to become Muslims in the same manner as others of their community became Muslims 14. They think that those people who sincerely embraced Islam and thereby exposed themselves to all kinds of trials and persecutions, and confronted risks and dangers, were merely fools. To them it seems sheer folly to invite the hostility of the entire land merely for the sake of Truth and righteousness. In their view, wisdom consists not in bothering oneself with the distinction between truth and falsehood, but in remaining concerned only with ones own interests. وَاِذَا لَقُوۡا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا قَالُوۡاۤ اٰمَنَّا ۖۚ وَاِذَا خَلَوۡا اِلٰى شَيٰطِيۡنِهِمۡۙ قَالُوۡاۤ اِنَّا مَعَكُمۡۙ اِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُسۡتَهۡزِءُوۡنَ (2:14) When they meet the believers, they say: “We believe,” but when they meet their evil companions (in privacy),15 they say: “Surely we are with you; we were merely jesting.” 15. Satan in Arabic means refractory, rebellious and headstrong, and is used for both human beings and jinn. Although this word is generally used in the Quran for the satans amongst the jinn, it is also used occasionally for human beings possessing satanic characteristics. The context generally explains whether the word satan refers to jinn or to human beings. In this particular case the word satans refers to those influential leaders of the time who were in the vanguard of opposition and hostility to Islam اَللّٰهُ يَسۡتَهۡزِئُ بِهِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِىۡ طُغۡيَانِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُوۡنَ (2:15) Allah jests with them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their rebellion. اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ الَّذِيۡنَ اشۡتَرَوُا الضَّلٰلَةَ بِالۡهُدٰى فَمَا رَبِحَتۡ تِّجَارَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُوۡا مُهۡتَدِيۡنَ (2:16) These are the ones who have purchased error in exchange for guidance. This bargain has brought them no profit and certainly they are not on the Right Way.16 16. This means that two opposite effects emerged when a true servant of God radiated the light which made it possible to distinguish true from false and right from wrong, and made the straight way distinct from the ways of error. To those endowed with true perception, all truths became evident. But those who were almost blinded by the worship of their animal desires perceived nothing. The expression, Allah took away the light of their perception should not create the impression that these people were not responsible for their stumbling into darkness. Only those who do not seek the Truth, who prefer error to guidance and who are adamantly disinclined to pursue the Truth despite its luminosity, are deprived, by God, of the light of their perception. God simply enables such people to do what they wish. مَثَلُهُمۡ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى اسۡتَوۡقَدَ نَارًا ۚ فَلَمَّاۤ اَضَآءَتۡ مَا حَوۡلَهٗ ذَهَبَ اللّٰهُ بِنُوۡرِهِمۡ وَتَرَكَهُمۡ فِىۡ ظُلُمٰتٍ لَّا يُبۡصِرُوۡنَ (2:17) They are like him who kindled a fire, and when it lit up all around him, Allah took away the light (of their perception) and left them in utter darkness where they can see nothing. صُمٌّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡىٌ فَهُمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُوۡنَ ۙ (2:18) They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind;17 they will never return (to the Right Way). 17. They have become deaf to hear, dumb to utter and blind to perceive the truth. اَوۡ كَصَيِّبٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ فِيۡهِ ظُلُمٰتٌ وَّرَعۡدٌ وَّبَرۡقٌ ۚ يَجۡعَلُوۡنَ اَصَابِعَهُمۡ فِىۡۤ اٰذَانِهِمۡ مِّنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الۡمَوۡتِؕ وَاللّٰهُ مُحِيۡطٌۢ بِالۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ (2:19) Or they are like those who encounter a violent rainstorm from the sky, accompanied by pitch-dark clouds, thunder-claps and flashes of lightning: on hearing thunder-claps they thrust their fingers into their ears in fear of death. Allah encompasses these deniers of the Truth.18 18. By thrusting their fingers into their ears they temporarily deceive themselves into believing that they can escape the catastrophic end that awaits them. However, they cannot escape that end since God with all His might, encompasses them. يَكَادُ الۡبَرۡقُ يَخۡطَفُ اَبۡصَارَهُمۡؕ كُلَّمَاۤ اَضَآءَ لَهُمۡ مَّشَوۡا فِيۡهِۙ وَاِذَاۤ اَظۡلَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ قَامُوۡاؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمۡعِهِمۡ وَاَبۡصَارِهِمۡؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ (2:20) It is as if the lightning would snatch their sight; whenever it gleams a while for them they walk a little, and when darkness covers them they halt.19 If Allah so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight.20 Surely Allah is All-Powerful. 19. The first parable refers to those hypocrites who disbelieved completely but had become Muslims merely, to further their worldly interests. The second parable refers to those who were prone to doubt and hesitation or whose faith was weak; who believed in the Truth but not to the extent of exposing themselves to hardships for its sake. The violent rainstorm here alludes to Islam, which came to the world as a blessing. Pitch-dark clouds, thunder and lightning refer to trials, tribulations and difficulties which confronted the Islamic movement, owing to the violent opposition and resistance of those committed to Ignorance. The last part of the parable portrays the state of mind of the hypocrites. They move a little ahead when circumstances seem favourable, but when either difficulties cloud the horizon, or when they are given directives which run counter to their desires or inherited prejudices, they are seized with alarm and come to a halt. 20. Just as God has completely deprived the first category of hypocrites of their light of perception, He could have rendered these other hypocrites totally blind and deaf. But it is not Gods way to deprive anyone of sight and hearing while he is willing to see and hear. Hence, God allowed them to retain their sight and hearing to the extent they were prepared to see and hear the Truth. يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعۡبُدُوۡا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ وَالَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُوۡنَ ۙ (2:21) O mankind,21 serve your Lord Who has created you as well as those before you; do so that you are saved.22 21. Even though the message of the Quran is addressed to all, benefiting from it depends on ones willingness and on Gods succour in relation to that willingness. This is why the Quran first explained which kind of people can and which kind of people cannot benefit from the Quran. As this has been explained in the foregoing verses, the quintessence of the message to which the Quran invites all mankind is now put forth. 22. So that you are saved from false beliefs and unrighteous conduct in this life, and from the punishment of God in the Next. الَّذِىۡ جَعَلَ لَـكُمُ الۡاَرۡضَ فِرَاشًا وَّالسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً وَّاَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَخۡرَجَ بِهٖ مِنَ الثَّمَرٰتِ رِزۡقًا لَّـكُمۡۚ فَلَا تَجۡعَلُوۡا لِلّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا وَّاَنۡـتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ (2:22) It is He Who has made the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy, and sent down water from above wherewith He brought forth fruits for your sustenance. Do not, then, set up rivals23 to Allah when you know (the Truth). 23. That is, when man recognizes that all those things were done by none but God, then worship, devotion and service must be exclusively for Him. For who besides the Creator can legitimately claim these things from man? Not to set up others as rivals to Allah means not to make anyone other than God the object of worship, service and obedience that one owes to God alone. Later on we shall see, in some detail, how the Quran itself specifies the forms of worship and service which we owe exclusively to God, and wherein associating anyone else amounts to shirk (associating others with God in His divinity). This, the Quran seeks to eradicate. وَاِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ فِىۡ رَيۡبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلۡنَا عَلٰى عَبۡدِنَا فَاۡتُوۡا بِسُوۡرَةٍ مِّنۡ مِّثۡلِهٖ وَادۡعُوۡا شُهَدَآءَكُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِيۡنَ (2:23) If you are in any doubt whether it is We Who have revealed this Book to Our servant, then produce just a surah like it, and call all your supporters and seek in it the support of all others save Allah. Accomplish this if you are truthful.24 24. Before this, in Makka, opponents had often been challenged to produce anything of comparable merit if they believed the Quran to be the work of a human being. In Madina the same challenge was reiterated. (For similar challenges made elsewhere in the Quran, see (10: 38); (11: 13); (17: 88) and (52: 33) فَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلُوۡا وَلَنۡ تَفۡعَلُوۡا فَاتَّقُوۡا النَّارَ الَّتِىۡ وَقُوۡدُهَا النَّاسُ وَالۡحِجَارَةُ ۖۚ اُعِدَّتۡ لِلۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ (2:24) But if you fail to do this – and you will most certainly fail – then have fear of the Fire whose fuel is men and stones25 and which has been prepared for those who deny the Truth. 25. This suggests, in a subtle manner, that in the Next Life not only will the unbelievers become the fuel of hell-fire, but that the same fate will befall the idol-stones they worshipped and before which they had prostrated themselves. They will then know, for sure, how far their idols had any share in godhead. وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ اَنَّ لَهُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُؕ ڪُلَّمَا رُزِقُوۡا مِنۡهَا مِنۡ ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزۡقًا ۙ قَالُوۡا هٰذَا الَّذِىۡ رُزِقۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَاُتُوۡا بِهٖ مُتَشَابِهًا ؕ وَلَهُمۡ فِيۡهَآ اَزۡوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۙ وَّهُمۡ فِيۡهَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ (2:25) (O Prophet), announce glad tidings to those who believe in this Book and do righteous deeds (in accordance with its teachings), that for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow. Their fruits will have such resemblance to those of the earth that whenever they will be provided with those fruits they will say: “It was this which was granted to us on earth before.”26 For them there shall be pure spouses,27 and there they shall abide forever. 26. The fruits of Paradise will not be so exotic in appearance as to be unfamiliar to people. They will resemble the fruits to which human beings are accustomed in this world, though infinitely excelling them in delicacy of taste. In appearance they may resemble, say mangoes, pomegranates and oranges, and the people of Paradise will be able to identify them as such. In taste, however, there will be no comparison between the terrestrial and heavenly fruits. 27. The Quranic text has the Arabic word azwaj which means spouses or couples, and embraces both husband and wife. The husband is the zawj of his wife, and vice versa. In the Next World, however, this relationship of spouses will be qualified by purity. If a man has been virtuous in this world while his wife has not, their relationship in the Next World will be sundered and the man will receive another spouse who will be pure and virtuous. On the other hand, if a virtuous woman has had an evil husband she will be tied in companionship with a virtuous man. Where husband and wife have both been virtuous their relationship will become everlasting.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 21:23:29 +0000
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