Surah
2, Al-Baqarah (The Cow), Verses 142-252
Chapter 2 continues with Surah al-Baqarah and covers sections 17
to 33.
Surah 2, Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Section 17: The Kaaba fixed as the Qiblah of the Muslims, verses
142-147
"Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that ye may be
witnesses against mankind, and that the messenger may be a witness against you.
And We appointed the qiblah which ye formerly observed only that We might know
him who followeth the messenger, from him who turneth on his heels. In truth it
was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided. But it was not Allah's
purpose that your faith should be in vain, for Allah is Full of Pity, Merciful
toward mankind." (Verse
143)
Following on from earlier in the Surah, section 15 where the
construction of the Kaaba by Prophet Abraham is mentioned, here the Qiblah is
confirmed as the Holy Kaaba, towards which all Muslims pray. Originally the
Qiblah was towards Jerusalem, Baytul-Maqdis, the same as the Jews. At the
time the Jews used it as a display of their superiority over the Muslims and
there was much outcry from them when the direction changed. It was a test from
Allah to see who truly believed in the message of the Holy Prophet.
Section 18: House built by Abraham sanctified as the Qiblah,
verses 148-152
"And whencesoever thou comest forth (for prayer, O Muhammad)
turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship. Lo! it is the Truth from
thy Lord. Allah is not unaware of what ye do." (Verse
149)
The importance and the sanctity of the Holy Kaaba has been
established by binding all Muslims to turn their faces towards it, wherever and
in whatever circumstances they may be during prayer.
It was after these verses were revealed that the Holy Prophet
famously changed direction during his prayers. The Angel Gabriel visited him
during his prayers instructing him to change Qiblah towards the Mecca and the
Holy Kaaba. Only a few Muslims followed his change during the prayer, including
Imam Ali (as).
Section 19: Hard trials, necessity of patience, verses 153-163
"And call not those who are slain in the way of Allah
"dead." Nay, they are living, only ye perceive not. And surely We
shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives
and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast, Who say, when a misfortune
striketh them: Lo! we are Allah's and lo! unto Him we are returning." (Verses
154-156)
"Lo! Those who hide the proofs and the guidance which We
revealed, after We had made it clear to mankind in the Scripture: such are
accursed of Allah and accursed of those who have the power to curse. Except
those who repent and amend and make manifest (the truth). These it is toward
whom I relent. I am the Relenting, the Merciful." (Verses
159-160)
I think verses 154-156 are amongst the most powerful in the Holy
Quran and something that resonates throughout the early history of Islam and
especially during Muharrum when we commemorate the tragedy of Karbala, the
greatest test of patience and stead-fastness for Imam Husain (as) and his loyal
companions. Verse 156 serves as a great reminder of how
temporary our time on this Earth is and we shall all return to Allah sooner or
later.
Those who recognise falsehood and condemn it, undoubtedly revert
to the path of reality through repentance and true submission. Allah is
ever-available for those who turn away from their nafs. Allah will always
be there as a mercy for us if we turn towards him in repentance.
Section 20: Unity of God, Fate of the Polytheists, verses 164-167
"And those who were but followers will say: If a return were
possible for us, we would disown them even as they have disowned us. Thus will
Allah show them their own deeds as anguish for them, and they will not emerge
from the Fire." (Verse 167)
By the time the Day of Judgement arrives, those who turned away
from the Prophets, who deny the existence of Allah will be condemned to hell.
To highlight their folly, those who they worshipped will turn around and disown
them. It's clear that there will be no negotiation at that point, they've made
their bed and will be invited to lay in it.
Section 21: To take only lawful and clean food, verses 168-176
"O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome in the
earth, and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Lo! he is an open enemy for
you." (Verse 168)
"The likeness of those who disbelieve (in relation to the
messenger) is as the likeness of one who calleth unto that which heareth naught
except a shout and cry. Deaf, dumb, blind, therefore they have no sense. O ye
who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render
thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom ye worship." (Verse
171-172)
Allah makes it clear: Shaitan is our open enemy. Those who cover
themselves with the dark veil of ignorance are deaf, dumb and blind, therefore,
the impact of the call of the message of Allah is lost. There is no response.
The kafir is devoid of understanding.
The Holy Prophet and the Holy Imams have enjoined to say Bismillah
before eating, and to say Alhamdulillah after eating. In this way eating, an
act of unification at the physical level, becomes a function of devotion. The
state of gratitude to Allah is bound to increase love for Allah, and thus
increases the quality of worship and devotion.
Section 22: Genuine righteousness & retaliation, verses
177-182
"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East
and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and
the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of
Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who
ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the
poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient
in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere.
Such are the Allah-fearing." (Verse
177)
"O ye who believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you in the
matter of the murdered; the freeman for the freeman, and the slave for the
slave, and the female for the female. And for him who is forgiven somewhat by
his (injured) brother, prosecution according to usage and payment unto him in
kindness. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord. He who
transgresseth after this will have a painful doom." (Verse
178)
"It is prescribed for you, when death approacheth one of you,
if he leave wealth, that he bequeath unto parents and near relatives in
kindness. (This is) a duty for all those who ward off (evil)." (Verse
180)
The true definition and application of righteousness is
highlighted in the above verse. According to the Holy Prophet, whoever puts verse
177 into practice attains perfection in faith. Faith in Allah and welfare of
mankind has been founded as the essence of the religion of Islam.
Islam promotes the values of justice, there is no 'turn the other
cheek' mentality that Christianity prescribes which leads to resentment.
Instead we are allowed to seek justice when wronged but to be able to forgive
is worthy of a great reward from Allah.
The Holy Quran instructs all believers to have a will. What one
leaves behind should be clearly defined, according to the law of inheritance as
well as one's own wishes. No vagueness is allowed in Islam, because the path is
that of awareness, discrimination, and knowledge. Was the Holy Prophet allowed
to state his own wishes at the time of his passing?
Section 23: Fasting during Ramadhan, Rights of property, verses
183-188
"O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it
was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil)" (Verse
183)
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a
guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of
right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and
whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of
other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and
(He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify
Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful." (Verse
185)
"And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then
surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me.
So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be
led aright." (Verse 186)
Fasting is one of the obligatory functions of the faith, next only
to the prescribed prayers, in importance. It trains the Muslims to guard
themselves against evil as well as conditions them to suffer physical
affliction and exercise self control in the defence of faith and the faithful.
The fasting of the pious man is to curb sensory desires, to refrain from
looking at the unlawful, hearing the harmful, and thinking about the
distasteful, or about what stimulates the lower nature.
The month of Ramadan is that in which the complete Quran was
revealed to the Holy Prophet in the night of Qadr. Thereafter he was intimated
to deliver it gradually to the people as and when Allah deemed it suitable. The
Quran is a guidance to mankind, and the Holy Prophet had been sent as a
messenger to all mankind; therefore, Islam is a universal religion.
Section 24: Fighting in self-defence, Pilgrimage under
restrictions, verses 189-196
"Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against
you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors. And slay them
wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you
out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the
Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they
attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. But if
they desist, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Verses
190-192)
Verse 191 is infamously known as the 'Verse of the Sword',
although there is no actual mention of a sword. It is one of the classic verses
taken completely out of context by ignoring the verse before and the verse
after. In these verses Muslims are only permitted to fight in self-defence -
when there is no option and in the face of persecution.
The order is to kill the enemy (against whom fighting has been
enjoined) wherever they are found, whilst the war goes on. It does not refer to
unbelievers in general. "...And drive them out of the
places whence they drove you out" refers to Mecca, wherein
the Holy Kaaba, the centre of Islam, is located, because it belonged to the
Muslims but was usurped by the infidels unlawfully. I have discussed this in
more detail in an earlier blog.
Section 25: No warfare during the Pilgrimage months, Warning
against the hypocrites, verses 197-210
"And of them (also) is he who saith: "Our Lord! Give
unto us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is
good, and guard us from the doom of Fire." (Verse
201)
"And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the
pleasure of Allah; and Allah hath compassion on (His) bondmen." (Verse
207)
"O ye who believe! Come, all of you, into submission (unto
Him); and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Lo! he is an open enemy for
you." (Verse 208)
Verse 201 is commonly recited in Qunoot during the 5 prayers. We
are reminded to glorify Allah and invoke Him to grant us good in this world,
and good in the hereafter. Islam guides man to achieve success in both the
worlds. This prayer, for both the lives taught to the Muslims by the Quran,
indicates that Islam wants man to adopt the middle course between materialism
and asceticism.
Verse 207 was revealed in praise of Imam Ali (as) when he slept in
the bed of the Holy Prophet when his life was under threat by the Quraysh and
their allies.
"O ye who believe" are
those who know and believe in the religion but are unaware of the scope and
extent of the depth of iman, so they are invited to surrender and submit with
perfect belief and thorough conviction; then alone they will not follow the
footsteps of Shaitan, who is an open enemy.
Section 26: Rejection of the Signs and Apostles from God, verses
211-216
"Or think ye that ye will enter paradise while yet there hath
not come unto you the like of (that which came to) those who passed away before
you? Affliction and adversity befell them, they were shaken as with earthquake,
till the messenger (of Allah) and those who believed along with him said: When
cometh Allah's help? Now surely Allah's help is nigh" (Verse
214)
This verse was revealed during the Battle of Khandaq when the Muslim army where
becoming restless and nervous due to the ferocity of the enemies attacks, in
particular Amr bin Abdwud. The Holy Prophet repeatedly asked his army for
someone to engage in man-to-man combat and each time only Imam Ali (as)
accepted the challenge and duly struck him down. "Now
surely Allah's help is nigh" was revealed in praise of
the faith, strength and bravery of Imam Ali (as).
Section 27: Questions about various topics, verses 217-221
"Lo! those who believe, and those who emigrate (to escape the
persecution) and strive in the way of Allah, these have hope of Allah's mercy.
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. They question thee about strong drink and games
of chance. Say: In both is great sin, and (some) utility for men; but the sin
of them is greater than their usefulness. And they ask thee what they ought to
spend. Say: that which is superfluous. Thus Allah maketh plain to you (His)
revelations, that haply ye may reflect." (Verses
218-219)
Sections 28 & 29: Regulation about divorce & respect for
law verses 222-231
"Allah will not take you to task for that which is
unintentional in your oaths. But He will take you to task for that which your
hearts have garnered. Allah is Forgiving, Clement. Those who forswear their
wives must wait four months; then, if they change their mind, lo! Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful. And if they decide upon divorce (let them remember that)
Allah is Hearer, Knower." (Verses
225-227)
Before Islam, it was a custom among the Arabs that when a husband
avowed to discontinue conjugal relations with his wife, the wife was left in a
lurch - neither a married woman nor a divorcee. The Quran ignores the swearing
concerning disassociation with wives and gives four months for reconsideration
and reconciliation; after which, if the husband still desires separation he
should divorce his wife, otherwise the wife can refer the matter to the hakim
shara (competent authority on Islamic laws) and obtain freedom from
the bond of marriage to wed someone else.
According to the Holy Prophet, of all the permissible acts,
divorce is the one most disliked by Allah, so as to keep in check any
indiscriminate use of this pragmatic sanction. Therefore, in Islam, divorce is
the most loathsome of the permitted acts. Marriage is an alliance of two
individuals who love each other. Without love and understanding, it becomes a
soulless body. In this situation, the sooner it is undone the better.
"When ye have divorced women, and they have reached their
term, then retain them in kindness or release them in kindness. Retain them not
to their hurt so that ye transgress (the limits). He who doeth that hath
wronged his soul. Make not the revelations of Allah a laughing-stock (by your
behaviour), but remember Allah's grace upon you and that which He hath revealed
unto you of the Scripture and of wisdom, whereby He doth exhort you. Observe
your duty to Allah and know that Allah is Aware of all things." (Verse
231)
After the third, final and irrevocable pronouncement of divorce
the husband cannot take his divorced wife back until she marries another man
and the next husband agrees to divorce her. This is a sufficient reason to
conclude that all the three pronouncements of Talaq cannot be said at one time.
A husband has the right to divorce his wife but he cannot abuse
her or refuse to pay her dues. Whoever does this, exceeds the limits (disobeys
Allah's commandments). He must set her free with kindness and give her all her
entitlements. The laws of Allah should not be taken in mockery. It shows how
serious is the matter of divorce.
According to the teachings of the Holy Imams, it is also
absolutely necessary that the pronouncement must be made by the husband in the
presence of two just witnesses; non-fulfilment of this condition renders the
divorce null and void.
Sections 30 & 31: Re-marriage negotiations & extra
provision for divorced women, verses 232-242
"Mothers shall suckle their children for two whole years;
(that is) for those who wish to complete the suckling. The duty of feeding and
clothing nursing mothers in a seemly manner is upon the father of the child.
No-one should be charged beyond his capacity. A mother should not be made to
suffer because of her child, nor should he to whom the child is born (be made
to suffer) because of his child. And on the (father's) heir is incumbent the
like of that (which was incumbent on the father). If they desire to wean the
child by mutual consent and (after) consultation, it is no sin for them; and if
ye wish to give your children out to nurse, it is no sin for you, provide that
ye pay what is due from you in kindness. Observe your duty to Allah, and know
that Allah is Seer of what ye do." (Verse
233)
"If ye divorce them before ye have touched them and ye have
appointed unto them a portion, then (pay the) half of that which ye appointed,
unless they (the women) agree to forgo it, or he agreeth to forgo it in whose
hand is the marriage tie. To forgo is nearer to piety. And forget not kindness
among yourselves. Allah is Seer of what ye do." (Verse
237)
Many Muslim women continue to breast-feed for the recommended two
years as mentioned above, but Allah clearly explains that it should not be to
the detriment of their well-being.
Throughout the discussion of divorce in the Holy Quran, Allah is
stressing the importance of treating the woman with kindness and ensuring that
she is given what is due to her and preferably more if possible. Despite the separation
it is the women's right to be adequately taken care of before both parties move
on.
Section 32: Fight in the cause of God, verses 243-248
"Fight in the way of Allah, and know that Allah is Hearer,
Knower. Who is it that will lend unto Allah a goodly loan, so that He may give
it increase manifold? Allah straiteneth and enlargeth. Unto Him ye will
return." (Verses 244-245)
"Their Prophet said unto them: Lo! Allah hath raised up Saul
to be a king for you. They said: How can he have kingdom over us when we are
more deserving of the kingdom than he is, since he hath not been given wealth
enough? He said: Lo! Allah hath chosen him above you, and hath increased him
abundantly in wisdom and stature. Allah bestoweth His Sovereignty on whom He
will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing." (Verse
247)
The rewards of a goodly loan, offered to Allah to seek His
pleasure only, are manifold. It brings about echoes of the goodness of the
creator. The return from the merciful Lord corresponds to the purity and
sincerity of the intention of the lender. This goodly loan, in this verse,
refers to the spending in the way of Allah and striving in the cause of Allah.
Although verse 247 actually refers to the story of Prophet Samuel
who was requested to appoint a King for the Jews, this verse highlights how
only Allah can appoint a true leader, true guide. It was Allah who appointed
Imam Ali (as) as the Holy Prophet's true successor regardless of what took
place following his demise.
Section 33: David's victory over Goliath, verses 249-253
"These are the portents of Allah which We recite unto thee
(Muhammad) with truth, and lo! thou art of the number of (Our) messengers; Of
those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom
there are some unto whom Allah spake, while some of them He exalted (above
others) in degree; and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's
Sovereignty) and We supported him with the holy Spirit. And if Allah had so
wiled it, those who followed after them would not have fought one with another
after the clear proofs had come unto them. But they differed, some of them
believing and some disbelieving. And if Allah had so willed it, they would not
have fought one with another; but Allah doeth what He will." (Verses
252-253)
The symbolic events that took place in ancient times have been
reported, in the Quran, to condition the minds of the Muslims for coping with
similar exigencies and occurrences, most likely to happen again and again.
Although all the Prophets of Allah are equally truthful and holy,
some of Allah's messengers are of a higher rank. Here both Prophet Musa and
Prophet Isa are mentioned to highlight their role as reformers. Prophet Musa
was directly addressed by Allah and Prophet Isa was assisted with the Holy
Spirit (more on this in later chapters). Both these prophets of Allah glorified
the Holy Prophet and gave to the people the glad tidings of his arrival.
That concludes Chapter 2, tomorrow sees the conclusion of Surah
al-Baqarah inshallah and the start of the 3rd Surah of the Holy Quran.
Thanks for reading.
