Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 173–177

2. Al-Baqara · The Cow

Madinan286 verses

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍۢ وَلَا عَادٍۢ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ

2:173He has forbidden you only carrion, blood, the flesh of the swine, and that which has been offered to other than Allah. But should someone be compelled, without being rebellious or transgressive, there shall be no sin upon him. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.123

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَيَشْتَرُونَ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًا ۙ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِى بُطُونِهِمْ إِلَّا ٱلنَّارَ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

2:174Indeed those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and sell it for a paltry gain—they do not take in, into their bellies, [anything] except fire, and Allah shall not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor shall He purify them, and there is a painful punishment for them.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْعَذَابَ بِٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚ فَمَآ أَصْبَرَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ

2:175They are the ones who bought error for guidance, and punishment for pardon: how patient of them to face the Fire!

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ نَزَّلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَفِى شِقَاقٍۭ بَعِيدٍۢ

2:176That is so because Allah has sent down the Book with the truth, and those who differ about the Book are surely in extreme defiance.

۞ لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ

2:177Piety is not to turn your faces to the east or the west; rather, piety is [personified by] those who have faith in Allah and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets, and who give their wealth, for the love of Him, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller and the beggar, and for [the freeing of] the slaves, and maintain the prayer and give the zakat, and those who fulfill their covenants, when they pledge themselves, and those who are patient in stress and distress, and in the heat of battle. They are the ones who are true [to their covenant], and it is they who are the Godwary.456

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 177

1.Some people think that doing two sajdahs (prostrations) towards east or west is enough for goodness and there is no need of good character or deeds. But the Holy Quran has refuted this view and described all the conditions of goodness and without it the claim of faith of none is true. The rest is all conjecture.

Of the conditions of righteousness the first is faith. He should believe in Allah, hereafter, Angels and the Book. The Prophet is not mentioned because it is a part of faith in Allah and without it the Book is meaningless. After belief there is monetary sacrifice which includes distributing ones excess wealth among the near relatives, the orphans, the beggars, the wayfarers and the slaves. It is other than the obligatory Zakat which shall be mentioned later. Along with the monetary sacrifice is to establish the prayer, which is a sign of servitude and is the pillar of faith and belief.

With an individual worship we have to take care of the collective vows and promises and after that are the perfection of the self that one has to be patient in every circumstance. Only after this would one be called as the one who is true in his faith. Faith includes worship, charity, community service and good ethics.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    Maita are all those animals that are not slaughtered according to the method prescribed by the Shariat. They may have died of their own or killed in an unIslamic way. Or they might not be fit for slaughter and after slaughtering it, it is considered a Zabiha (slaughtered correctly). Zabiha are of different types. In some cases, it is cutting of the throat, in others it is trapping and in still other cases it is taking out of the water, and also the plunging of a sharp object in the throat (Nahr). All of the above are called as Nahr.

  2. 2

    It is a confirmed fact now that pork has germs of skin diseases and it also causes shamelessness. Wine has made the western society shameless and pork has made it shameless. That is why they commit indecencies openly and magazines and videos carry nude pictures and sensual material.

  3. 3

    Ahlaal is in the meaning of seeing the moon and shouting. The Arabs used to be happy and scream in delight after slaughtering an animal. On the basis of this slaughtering itself began to be referred to as Ahlaal. Animal slaughtered on the name of anything other than Allah is haraam. Whether it is slaughtered for idols or for Hazrat Uzair or Isa (a.s.). That is why the animal slaughtered by the People of the Book is haraam.

  4. 4

    Masakeen are those poor people who have no means of subsistence but they do not beg also. Saeleen are those who beg. Ibne Sabeel is one who becomes helpless due to being away from his native place. Thus he is the son of the way and he has to remain like this.

  5. 5

    This indicates that it would be spent on the slave and not given to him. He is not the master.

  6. 6

    Sabereen are those who are having a special grade

  7. Benefit

    In the 168th ayat the addressee were all the people. That is why ‘Mimma fil arz’ (From all those who are in the earth), is said. But here the audience are believers, that is why they are ordered to eat the ‘pure sustenance that We have given’.