Verses 106–112
2. Al-Baqara · The Cow
Madinan286 verses
۞ مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ءَايَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍۢ مِّنْهَآ أَوْ مِثْلِهَآ ۗ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ
2:106For any verse that We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring another which is better than it, or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things?1
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
2:107Do you not know that to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth? And besides Allah, you do not have any guardian or helper.
أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْـَٔلُوا۟ رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ ٱلْكُفْرَ بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ
2:108Would you question your Apostle as Moses was questioned formerly? Whoever changes faith for unfaith certainly strays from the right way.
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌۭ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَٰنِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًۭا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَٱعْفُوا۟ وَٱصْفَحُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
2:109Many of the People of the Book are eager to turn you into unbelievers after your faith, out of their inner envy, [and] after the truth had become manifest to them. Yet excuse [them] and forbear until Allah issues His edict. Indeed Allah has power over all things.2
وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ
2:110And maintain the prayer and give the zakat. Any good that you send ahead for your own souls, you shall find it with Allah. Indeed Allah watches what you do.
وَقَالُوا۟ لَن يَدْخُلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَٰرَىٰ ۗ تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ ۗ قُلْ هَاتُوا۟ بُرْهَٰنَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ
2:111And they say, ‘No one will enter paradise except one who is a Jew or Christian.’ Those are their [false] hopes! Say, ‘Produce your evidence, should you be truthful.’3
بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌۭ فَلَهُۥٓ أَجْرُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
2:112Certainly, whoever submits his will to Allah and is virtuous, he shall have his reward from his Lord, and they will have no fear, nor shall they grieve.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
1.Generally infidels do not like to see good for someone else and their aim is that no one else should gain any superiority. Sometimes they want that Muslim should also become Kafirs. So that their excellence is no more and they propagate that none would enter Paradise except Jews and Christians. This shows their jealousy and complete selfishness, which is one of the special characteristics of the Jews. Against these the Muslims have three things: (1) They should establish prayers (2) Spend in the way of Allah (3) and turn their attention to Allah with all sincerity. So that they may become eligible for Paradise that the Jews and Christians claim to be theirs.
2.The Jews were always waiting to object at the slightest chance. Thus on seeing the holy ayats abrogated they objected that if the ayat was correct in the first place why was it abrogated and if it was wrong why was it revealed? By this excuse they remained adamant on the Shari at of Moos a (a.s.). The Lord of the Worlds referred to His Power and said: We have no shortage of Ayats and laws. We reveal and abrogate the laws due to expediencies. And the new law is never worse than the previous one. Rather when the circumstances are similar We make outward changes or We send something better than that. Instead of sending only one guide against Shaitan the Almighty sent a series of prophets. A similar philosophy was working behind it. That if a community becomes suspicious or distrustful with one Apostle, or if the people get used to him and his respect decreases, a new Apostle replaced him who was to be equal or better than the first. This neither shows the weakness of the prior prophet nor the mistake of appointment.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Please note that this Nisyan (forgetting) does not denote that it is erased from the heart of the Prophet (s.a.). There is assurance in Surah Ala that: Soon we make you recite and you will never forget. Surah Ala is a Meccan Surah while this is Medinan.
- 2
Afw: Not punishing for a particular sin. Safh: To overlook absolutely and not to scold.
- 3
Hatoo: It is an imperative and its root is Ha.
Benefit
We should know that the word ‘ayat’ is used in the Quran to denote a verse as well as miracles. It denotes the command of Allah as well as the sign of Oneness and Creation. Here the word ayat is more applicable in the meaning of Allah’s command. Due to this Naskh is to end immediately and in Ansa Naskh it is in the meaning of delay as everything is accomplished in conformity with divine wisdom. And by the examples the question should not arise that what is then the need of Naskh? Because the clear import of this word is that just as the first command was effective in the previous conditions, the new command is for the later condition.
Benefit
Amani is the plural of Amina. Islam’s face is absolutely authentic so that even the face is not turned away. Mohsin indicates that the action is not merely a good deed, it has become a characteristic and the lesson is that a claim without proof is unacceptable.