Verses 113–119
2. Al-Baqara · The Cow
Madinan286 verses
وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ ٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَقَالَتِ ٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ لَيْسَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
2:113The Jews say, ‘The Christians stand on nothing,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Jews stand on nothing,’ though they follow the [same] Book. So said those who had no knowledge, [words] similar to what they say. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that about which they used to differ.
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا ٱسْمُهُۥ وَسَعَىٰ فِى خَرَابِهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَآ إِلَّا خَآئِفِينَ ۚ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌۭ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ
2:114Who is a greater wrongdoer than those who deny access to the mosques of Allah lest His Name be celebrated therein, and try to ruin them? Such ones may not enter them, except in fear. There is disgrace for them in this world and a great punishment in the Hereafter.
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا۟ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
2:115To Allah belong the east and the west: so whichever way you turn, there is the face of Allah! Allah is indeed all-bounteous, all-knowing.1
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ ۖ بَل لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ كُلٌّۭ لَّهُۥ قَٰنِتُونَ
2:116And they say, ‘Allah has taken a son.’ Immaculate is He! Rather, to Him belongs whatever there is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient to Him,
بَدِيعُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًۭا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
2:117the Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decides on a matter, He just says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا ٱللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَآ ءَايَةٌۭ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۘ تَشَٰبَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يُوقِنُونَ
2:118Those who have no knowledge say, ‘Why does not Allah speak to us, or come to us a sign?’ So said those who were before them, [words] similar to what they say. Alike are their hearts. We have certainly made the signs clear for a people who have certainty.2
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ بَشِيرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا ۖ وَلَا تُسْـَٔلُ عَنْ أَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
2:119Indeed We have sent you with the truth, as a bearer of good news and as a warner, and you will not be questioned concerning the inmates of hell.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 113
1.As mentioned before, the Jews used to say that none will enter heaven except Jews and Christians. Here they begin to speak against the Christians also. It is the very nature of the people of disbelief that they remain united in opposition to others and also fight among themselves. If only the Muslims had this much sense that if at all you have to fight you must fight in your own house. They should atleast have remained united against the polytheist enemy.
Verse 114
2.Still they are using different tricks to prevent people from the Mosques. Such as vilification of Prayer, to make fun of the worshippers and accord them a low status in the community. By becoming a trustee of the mosque they begin to spend from it as if it is their personal property or to keep the mosques locked for no reason and in spite of there being possibilities they keep houses of prayers in ruins, or keep mosques in such a bad condition that respectable people fear to enter it. So Muslims should abstain from these methods of infidels.
Verse 115
3.This is the prescription for assuring Muslims that even if the mosques are occupied, they must not worry. Because both east and west are for Allah and He will see them wherever they pray. The worship of Islam is not restricted to a place as its God is not limited by space.
Verse 116
4.The Jewish mentality is that greatness is not by character but it is by relationship. Thus they even like to create a son of God among themselves and Islam wants to reject this idea because Allah is powerful and He can produce thousands of sons but He is needless of all these things. He does not want to allow these relationships to be the criteria for His nearness.
Verse 118
5.Polytheists, like Jews want Allah to fulfill their demands. These foolish people do not even have this much sense that Allah is a ruler and not a subject. Thus they have to follow His laws and He will not fulfill their demands.
Verse 119
6.The duty of an Apostle is only to announce the laws. After that he cannot be held responsible for the evil consequences of deviations.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
According to some traditions the sentence is used to prove the vastness of the Qibla (direction of prayer). And it is applied to the recommended prayers or prayers in helpless conditions. These traditions conform to the method of the Masoomeen (a.s.). That general or absolute denote recommended acts and particular and limited denotes obligatory acts. To understand this point one requires a sharp insight, research and study.
- 2
This denotes the polytheistic Arabs and the ‘previous ones’ denotes the People of the Book, Christians and Jews. Benefit: We should remember that a particular direction of prayers does not mean that God is in a particular place. It is due to the material limitations of man. If a particular direction is not stipulated the prostration will be dispersed and lost.
Benefit
Kun fayakoon indicates the power of Allah. The action will be like the intention and not that everything was created in a particular moment. If He desires that a child be born in 9 months it cannot come into being before that.
Benefit
Creation does not mean something which was not existing has come into existence that objection should be aimed that non-existence is not the root of existence. Creation is the changing of the condition of non-existence into the condition of existence. And in all cases it is very much possible.