سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Ayahs 11–20 of 286
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."
When they are told not to ruin things on earth – through their rejection of the truth, their disobedience and so on – they deny doing so, claiming that they only correct things and put them right.
أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَٰكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ
Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.
The truth is that it is they who ruin things, but they do not admit this, nor do they know that their actions are the cause of all ruin.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ وَلَٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not.
When they are told to have faith as the companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him) did, they reply, looking down on people and making fun of them, saying “should we have faith like simple-minded people do?” In fact, it is they who are the fools, but they are unaware of this.
وَإِذَا لَقُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ شَيَٰطِينِهِمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِءُونَ
And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers."
When the hypocrites meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe what you believe’, as they think it will benefit them if they act like this; but when they are alone with their leaders, they say, ‘We are really with you and follow you. We are only making fun of them when we say that we believe’.
ٱللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِى طُغْيَٰنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
[But] Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression [while] they wander blindly.
Allah mocks the hypocrites for their mocking of the believers, and He will repay in equal measure for their behavior. They are treated as believers in this world, but will be repaid for their lying and deception in the next life. He allows them to become more and more lost and to do more and more wrong, so they remain confused and doubtful about the truth.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَٰرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهْتَدِينَ
Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.
It is they who are the fools, because they exchanged faith for disbelief; and this exchange did not help them in any way, because they lost their faith in Allah and lost the way to the truth.
مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًۭا فَلَمَّآ أَضَآءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُۥ ذَهَبَ ٱللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِى ظُلُمَٰتٍۢ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ
Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see.
They are like someone who lights a fire, but when it has lit up what is around him, Allah takes away the light from the flames: leaving them in the darkness, unable to see. Allah shows us what the hypocrites are like with two examples: one related to fire, and the other to water. In the example related to fire, He compares them to someone who lights a fire to illuminate things, but when it is lit and he thinks he will benefit from its light, it goes out, smoldering and leaving him in the dark. Such people then remain in the dark, unable to see anything or find a way.
صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌۭ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ
Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path].
They are deaf: unable to hear and accept the truth, or speak about it. They are blind to seeing the truth, so they do not turn back from their error.
أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَٰتٌۭ وَرَعْدٌۭ وَبَرْقٌۭ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِم مِّنَ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ مُحِيطٌۢ بِٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers.
In the example related to water, a storm full of darkness, thunder and lightning is described. Some people are terrified by it and put their fingers in their ears because of the strength of the thunderclaps, scared of death. Allah surrounds the disbelievers, and has absolute power over them, so they cannot escape Him.
يَكَادُ ٱلْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَٰرَهُمْ ۖ كُلَّمَآ أَضَآءَ لَهُم مَّشَوْا۟ فِيهِ وَإِذَآ أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُوا۟ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَٰرِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.
The brightness of the lightning almost blinds them. Whenever it flashes, lighting things up, they go forward and when there is no light they remain in darkness, unable to move. If God willed, He could take away their hearing and their sight, in His absolute power over all things; and not return it to them because they turn away from the truth. The rain in the storm could be likened to the Qur’ān, the thunderclap to its warnings, and the lightning to truths, appearing to them from time to time. The covering of their ears to the thunderclaps likened to their turning away from the truth, and not responding to it. The hypocrites are similar to the people in these examples because they receive no benefit from anything. In the example of the fire, all they receive is darkness and a smoldering fire. In the example of the storm-cloud, all they receive is fear and alarm because of the thunder and lightning. Similarly, the hypocrites see nothing in Islam except difficulty and harshness.
Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
