2. Al-Baqara

The Cow · Medinan · 286 ayahs

سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ

Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies

Ayahs 31–40 of 286

وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلْأَسْمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِى بِأَسْمَآءِ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ

And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful."

To reveal the position of Adam, Allah taught him the names of everything, living things and objects, their pronunciation and meanings. Then he put them before the angels, instructing them to tell Him the names if they were telling the truth when they said that they were a nobler and better creation than Adam.

Al-Baqara 2:31Listen in Qur'an →

قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

They said, "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise."

Recognising their shortcomings and that everything comes from Allah, they said that they acknowledged that His judgement and sacred law could not be doubted, and that they had no knowledge except for the knowledge He had given them, accepting that He is the Knowing, from Whom nothing is hidden, and the Wise in His decrees and laws.

Al-Baqara 2:32Listen in Qur'an →

قَالَ يَٰٓـَٔادَمُ أَنۢبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَآئِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَنۢبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَآئِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ

He said, "O Adam, inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed."

Then Allah told Adam to tell them the names. When Adam told the angels the names of things, as he had been taught, Allah reminded the angels that He had told them that He knew everything hidden in the heavens and the earth, and what they made public and what they said inside of themselves.

Al-Baqara 2:33Listen in Qur'an →

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِءَادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.

Allah reveals that He told the angels to prostrate to Adam out of recognition and respect, so they prostrated to him, eager to do as He told them, except for Iblīs, or Satan, who was originally from the jinn. Due to the excellence of his worship, Allah had entered Iblīs into the company of the angels; but he then returned to his lowly nature, refusing to prostrate as Allah told him to, and becoming proud towards Adam, leading to him becoming a disbeliever.

Al-Baqara 2:34Listen in Qur'an →

وَقُلْنَا يَٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."

Allah told Adam to live with his wife, Eve, in the Garden, with nothing to ruin their bliss. They were instructed to consume the delightful food from anywhere in the Garden, but also to avoid going near a particular tree which they were forbidden to eat from. If they ate from the prohibited tree, they would become wrongdoers for disobeying Him.

Al-Baqara 2:35Listen in Qur'an →

فَأَزَلَّهُمَا ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ وَقُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّۭ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّۭ وَمَتَٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍۢ

But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been. And We said, "Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time."

Satan did not stop whispering to them, trying to trick them, until he made them slip and fall by eating from the tree which Allah had told them not to. For this Allah sent them out of the Garden, telling them and Satan to go down to the earth, some of them enemies to others, where they would stay and live, enjoying the good things there until their lifespan, and until the Final Hour arrived.

Al-Baqara 2:36Listen in Qur'an →

فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَٰتٍۢ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.

Adam received the words given to him by Allah, and was inspired to ask for forgiveness with them. These words of forgiveness are mentioned in Sūrah Al-A‘rāf: 23: ‘They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will certainly be of the losers”’. Allah accepted Adam’s turning to Him and forgave him, for He is always forgiving and Merciful towards His creation.

Al-Baqara 2:37Listen in Qur'an →

قُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِنْهَا جَمِيعًۭا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدًۭى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

Allah told them to go down together from the Garden to the earth, and said that when He sends guidance, through the prophets, those who follow it and have faith in His prophets will have nothing to fear in the world to come, and will not feel sorrow about what passed them by on earth.

Al-Baqara 2:38Listen in Qur'an →

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs - those will be companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally."

As for those who disbelieve and deny His signs, they are the people of the fire of Hell, who will live there eternally.

Al-Baqara 2:39Listen in Qur'an →

يَٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِىٓ أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ

O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and fulfill My covenant [upon you] that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me], and be afraid of [only] Me.

O Children of the Prophet Jacob, remember the many blessings He gave you and be thankful for them. Fulfil your contract to Him, having faith in Him, His prophets and His sacred laws. If you fulfil your contract, He will fulfil His contract to you, as well as His promises to you of a good life on earth and a beautiful reward on the Day of Judgement. Fear Him alone and do not break His contract.

Al-Baqara 2:40Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.