Verses 283–286
2. Al-Baqara · The Cow
Madinan286 verses
۞ وَإِن كُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ وَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ كَاتِبًۭا فَرِهَٰنٌۭ مَّقْبُوضَةٌۭ ۖ فَإِنْ أَمِنَ بَعْضُكُم بَعْضًۭا فَلْيُؤَدِّ ٱلَّذِى ٱؤْتُمِنَ أَمَٰنَتَهُۥ وَلْيَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّهُۥ ۗ وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَٰدَةَ ۚ وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُۥٓ ءَاثِمٌۭ قَلْبُهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌۭ
2:283If you are on a journey and cannot find a writer, then a retained pledge [shall suffice]. And if one of you entrusts [an asset] to another, let him who is trusted deliver his trust, and let him be wary of Allah, his Lord. And do not conceal your testimony; anyone who conceals it, his heart will indeed be sinful, and Allah knows well what you do.1
لِّلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِن تُبْدُوا۟ مَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ
2:284To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Whether you disclose what is in your hearts or hide it, Allah will bring you to account for it. Then He will forgive whomever He wishes and punish whomever He wishes, and Allah has power over all things.*
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
2:285The Apostle and the faithful have faith in what has been sent down to him from his Lord. Each [of them] has faith in Allah, His angels, His scriptures and His apostles. [They declare,] ‘We make no distinction between any of His apostles.’ And they say, ‘We hear and obey. Our Lord, forgive us, and toward You is the return.’
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
2:286Allah does not task any soul beyond its capacity. Whatever [good] it earns is to its own benefit, and whatever [evil] it incurs is to its own harm. ‘Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or make mistakes! Our Lord! Do not place upon us a burden as You placed on those who were before us! Our Lord! Do not lay upon us what we have no strength to bear! Excuse us, forgive us, and be merciful to us! You are our Master, so help us against the faithless lot!’2345
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 283
1.This is the last stage of loan and business. If there is no one to write the deed mortgage should be used instead and if that too is not possible one should rely on trust and one who is trusted, should not betray the trust placed in him.
Verse 284
2.According to law one is not accounted for his inner feelings and Allah forgives it but it was necessary to mention it so that a person should aim for purity of soul and should know that Allah is aware of what goes in their hearts. If the heart is purified the mischief of the deeds would be automatically removed.
Verse 285
3.If the apostle does not himself believe in his command how can he remain an apostle? Here it is necessary to point out that many guides advise others but themselves do not act upon it. The dignity of the apostle is higher and quite different from this. He has more faith than others on his commands and also acts upon them.
Verse 286
4.Omission and forgetfulness both are involuntary and unintentional. There is no question of penalty for them. But here the indication is to the fact that we should avoid carelessness that causes omission and forgetfulness. Otherwise if one careful there is no question of omission and forgetfulness.
5.First, the prayer to Allah was that do not put us in trouble like former disciples and then it was requested not to put us in difficulties that we cannot bear. Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.s.) has stated regarding these words that the Merciful Lord announces acceptance of every sentence. Therefore one should repeat these supplication again and again and should consider them main aim of their life. All praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Reyhaan - it is the plural of Rehan. Something which is kept as security of a loan. It indicates towards the fact that Rehan is complete only when possession is transferred.
Benefit
We should know in 284th ayat the subject of accounting are mental deeds and not intention otherwise in Islam there is no accounting of intentions.
- 2
Wasa’t - A grade lower than strength. That is in religious obligation strength is not the only consideration; ability is required and comfort is allowed. Otherwise the strength of man is much more than what his religious duties require.
- 3
One difference between Kasab and Iktisaab is that in Iktisaab one has to struggle more and the secret is that goodness is according to nature and its external evil is created due to this. Therefore it has to be obtained voluntarily.
- 4
Tough duty - like the fifty obligatory prayers for Bani Israel, 25% Zakat or according to some traditions in order to purity the body they bad to cut off their flesh.
- 5
Afw - To overlook the sins. Maghferat - To forgive and then veil the sins. Rahmat- To bestow blessings after veiling.