Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 157–164

2. Al-Baqara · The Cow

Madinan286 verses

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ

2:157It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and [His] mercy, and it is they who are the [rightly] guided.

۞ إِنَّ ٱلصَّفَا وَٱلْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنْ حَجَّ ٱلْبَيْتَ أَوِ ٱعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ۚ وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًۭا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

2:158Indeed Safa and Marwah are among Allah’s sacraments. So whoever makes hajj to the House, or performs the ‘umrah, there is no sin upon him to circuit between them. Should anyone do good of his own accord, then Allah is indeed appreciative, all-knowing.1

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَآ أَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ وَٱلْهُدَىٰ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّٰهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ ۙ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ ٱللَّٰعِنُونَ

2:159Indeed those who conceal what We have sent down of manifest proofs and guidance, after We have clarified it in the Book for mankind—they shall be cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers,2

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ وَبَيَّنُوا۟ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنَا ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

2:160except such as repent, make amends, and clarify—those I shall pardon, and I am the All-clement, the All-merciful.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ

2:161Indeed those who turn faithless and die while they are faithless—it is they on whom shall be the curse of Allah, the angels and all mankind.

خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۖ لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ

2:162They will remain in it [forever] and their punishment shall not be lightened, nor will they be granted any respite.

وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

2:163Your god is the One God; there is no god except Him, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.

إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلَّتِى تَجْرِى فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍۢ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍۢ وَتَصْرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَءَايَٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَ

2:164Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, and the ships that sail at sea with profit to men, and the water that Allah sends down from the sky—with which He revives the earth after its death, and scatters therein every kind of animal—and the changing of the winds, and the clouds disposed between the sky and the earth, there are surely signs for a people who exercise their reason.34

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 157

1.Those who are patient in calamities become eligible for blessings, Salawat and Mercy, so there can no doubt regarding the Salawat on Aale Muhammad. Because no one is more patient than them. And this word was first uttered by Ali (a.s.) which the Holy Quran preserved as the standard of patience.

Verse 158

2.Safa and Marwa are the two hills besides Masjidul Haram. When Hajra (s.a.) ran between these two hills in search of water for her son Ismail (a.s.). The same Sayy is included among the rituals of Hajj which proves that the effort made in the protection of a prophet deserves that its memory should be preserved. Safa and Marwa are the signs of Allah, that they remind us of Allah and one is attracted towards His mercy and kindness. That He was so very kind on Hajra (a.s.) that the spring of Zam Zam began to gush out from the desert. The place of Sayy is the spot of the acceptance of prayer that just as Allah bestowed a special favour on Hajra (a.s.) He would be similarly kind on other people also.

Verse 160

3.The mention of reformation and expression with repentance shows that taubah (repentance) is not only the name of words and thoughts. The correction of mistake and the expression of the facts that were concealed is necessary. That is why it has been recorded in traditions Taubah is the regret for the past, the correction of the present and the intention of doing good in the future. Slapping oneself after shaving the beard every morning is not the way to do Taubah, Taubah is that by which one fears that he will be slapped by Allah.

Verse 161

4.The final accounting of the deeds and faith of man is at the time of death, If one comes to the right path at the last moments of life one becomes a Hurr and one who gets deviated at the last moment becomes Ibne Sa’ad, We should wony about the good end and for, that we must pray to Allah. Otherwise we will become eligible for an everlasting curse.

Verse 164

5.Those who see the bounties that are spread from the earth to the sky merely as material bounties their eyes are lost in the horizon and they are only busy in research on those material aspects. They do not get the Tawfeeq and they do not think about Creator of the universe. And actually Aql (intellect) is that very understanding. Just as Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s,) said: Aql is that by which Allah is worshipped and Paradise is obtained. Aql does not mean that one gets lost in the world of perception and feelings. Aql removes all these veils and shows the splendour of the Almighty. On one hand this universe is a proof of Allah’s existence, And on the other hand it shows that Allah is One and that except for Him none as capable to originate such creatures. And those who have such views will see in the day of Qiyamat that the whole power is in Allah’s hands alone. But then it would be too late. So, it is better to realize it in this life itself which is said to be the harvest field of the Hereafter.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    Le ajna shows that some true monotheists were opposed to showing respect to the signs of Allah, Their excuse was that before the breaking of the idols there was a statue of Asaaf on Safa Mountain and of Naila on Marwa Mountain. Therefore, even after breaking the idols we must refrain from paying respect to these mountains. Thus the Holy Quran has given the justification. Now its obligatory nature will be proved by some other argument and this is also a favour of an idol breaker on the Muslim nation.

  2. 2

    This and the ayat following it prove that la‘nat (cursing) is a sacred act. The angels accompany the people in cursing and Allah also lays curse with His slaves. Thus no Muslim has the right to label it as abuse, Otherwise they would lose faith in Allah and the angels also.

  3. 3

    The spread of population is due to procreation and birth, otherwise there would not have been any increase.

  4. 4

    Tasreef-e-Riyah is the blowing of different kinds of winds. south, north, warm, cold, swift, slow, barren, boisterous cold, morning, evening and Simoom etc.