2. Al-Baqara

The Cow · Medinan · 286 ayahs

سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ

Reading Lata'if al-Isharat by Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri

Ayahs 81–90 of 286

بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةًۭ وَأَحَٰطَتْ بِهِۦ خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

Yes, whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.

Not so; whoever earns evil and is encompassed by his transgression- those are the inhabitants of the fire therein abiding khālidūn. In the language of scholars168 the one who is encompassed by his trans- gression is the disbeliever. But the allusion in it is to one whose heart has ceased its perpetual calling for help. The possessors of realities are like grain in the frying pan in their moments of wakefulness ṣaḥw. Those [of them] who have become still are thus because of His excessive majesty not because they are listless. Whoever relies on obedience seeks favor from it and thinks that he [can] draw near by means of it but he should keep his distance from this [idea]. Whoever comes to know the truth of God's unity knows that there is no means to Him except through Him.

Al-Baqara 2:81Listen in Qur'an →

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

But they who believe and do righteous deeds - those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.

Those who have faith and do wholesome deeds-those are the companions of the Garden, and they shall be there forever. It has been said that those who have faith is an allusion to the tree of faith and its being planted in the heart of the faithful. Do wholesome deeds is an allusion to the branches of that tree and its nurturing and growing. Those are the companions of the Garden is an allusion to the produce of the tree and the ripening of its fruit. This is the tree about which the Lord of the Worlds speaks and reports in another place: “Its roots fixed, and its branches in heaven. It gives its fruit every season by the leave of its Lord” [14:24-25]. The fruit of this tree is not like the fruit of other trees, which bring forth fruit once year after year. Rather, this tree brings forth new fruit every hour, or rather every moment. Each has another color, another taste, and another fragrance. The sweetness of worshipers is a fruit of this tree, the feast of the desirers' heart is a fruit of this tree, the limpid- ness of the recognizers' present moment is a fruit of this tree. Today in the house of service on the carpet of obedience they have the paradise of recognition, neither turned aside from them nor veiled. Tomorrow in the house of union on the carpet of friendship they will have the paradise of approval, neither cut off nor withheld, and upraised carpets [56:33-34].

Al-Baqara 2:82Listen in Qur'an →

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَٰقَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًۭا وَذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينِ وَقُولُوا۟ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًۭا وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مُّعْرِضُونَ

And [recall] when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel, [enjoining upon them], "Do not worship except Allah; and to parents do good and to relatives, orphans, and the needy. And speak to people good [words] and establish prayer and give zakah." Then you turned away, except a few of you, and you were refusing.

Explained together with ayah 82

Al-Baqara 2:83Listen in Qur'an →

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَٰقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَآءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ

And [recall] when We took your covenant, [saying], "Do not shed each other's blood or evict one another from your homes." Then you acknowledged [this] while you were witnessing.

Explained together with ayah 82

Al-Baqara 2:84Listen in Qur'an →

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًۭا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِهِمْ تَظَٰهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَٰرَىٰ تُفَٰدُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍۢ ۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْىٌۭ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

Then, you are those [same ones who are] killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.

And when We made a covenant with the children of Israel: �You shall not worship any other than God; and be good to parents and the near of kin; and to orphans and to the needy; and speak well to men; and observe the prayer and pay the alms� then you turned away; all but a few of you rejecting. And when We made a covenant with you: �Shed no blood among you nor turn out your own people from your homes.� Then you confirmed it and you bore witness. Then there you are killing one another and expelling a party of you from their habitations conspiring against them in sin and enmity and if they come to you as captives you ransom them; yet their expulsion was forbidden you. What do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in partḍ And if they come to you as captives you ransom them that is �Just as you protect their rights by ransoming them so must you restrain your hands from them and forswear expelling them from their homelands. When you uphold some of what has been made obligatory for you what keeps you from doing the rest of what you have been commanded to doḍ Do you not know that whoever picks and chooses in what he has been commanded so that he believes in some parts and disbelieves in others has the reward for his deeds nullified because of what he has neglectedḍ� What shall be the requital of those of you who do that but degrada- tion in the life of this world; and on the Day of Resurrection to be returned to the most terrible of chastisementḍ And God is not heedless of what you do. That is they thought that what they did would benefit them but in the hereafter it will be disclosed to them that everything that they did when it was combined with what was damaging and stripped of sincerity and devotion was not accepted from them. The captives are of different types. The rescue of the captive drowning in the sea of whim hawā is to be directed to guidance. The ransom of the captive who remains in the hands of whisperings wasāwis is to show him the way to certainty by the glimmers of proofs.

Al-Baqara 2:85Listen in Qur'an →

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۖ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

Those are the ones who have bought the life of this world [in exchange] for the Hereafter, so the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be aided.

Those are the ones who have purchased the life of this world at the price of the hereafter-for them the punishment shall not be lightened neither shall they be helped. Those who have preferred anything over [God] have lost in this world and the hereafter. As they have said: People turned away from us without cause or sense. If they have no need of us we have even less need of them.

Al-Baqara 2:86Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَقَفَّيْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ بِٱلرُّسُلِ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَا عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ وَأَيَّدْنَٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ ۗ أَفَكُلَّمَا جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۢ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰٓ أَنفُسُكُمُ ٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًۭا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًۭا تَقْتُلُونَ

And We did certainly give Moses the Torah and followed up after him with messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit. But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed.

And We gave Moses the scripture and after him We sent successive mes- sengers and We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear proofs and We confirmed him with the holy spirit and whenever there came to you a messenger with what your souls did not desire you became arrogant; and some you called liars and some you slayḍ The allusion is that �We [God] delivered the address to them and made one messenger follow after another all calling to the same thing. But they listened to the call of the callers with the ear of whim hawā; they accepted what their lower selves found pleasurable and rejected what their whims ahwāÌ found troublesome. They were characterized by this self-serving desire and moreover became servants ʿabadū to it. The [human] attributes of the worshiper ʿābid became the object of worship maʿbūd.� What a terrible affliction is upon them!

Al-Baqara 2:87Listen in Qur'an →

وَقَالُوا۟ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌۢ ۚ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلًۭا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

And they said, "Our hearts are wrapped." But, [in fact], Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is it that they believe.

And they say: �Our hearts are encased.� Nay but God has cursed them for their unbelief; and little will they believe. If there had been anything in them free of pretension it would have become easy to find meanings [from God's signs and scripture]. But when [they must] recognize the truth the fangs of pretenders are bared... It is said: When tears flow down cheeks The one who is crying is distinguished from the one who is only pretending.

Al-Baqara 2:88Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ كِتَٰبٌۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌۭ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا۟ كَفَرُوا۟ بِهِۦ ۚ فَلَعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming that which was with them - although before they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved - but [then] when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah will be upon the disbelievers.

\ When there came to them a Book from God confirming what was with them-and they formerly prayed for victory over the disbelievers; but when there came to them what they recognized they disbelieved in it; and the curse of God is on the disbelievers. Here the allusion is to one who resolves upon purity and clarity ṣafāÌ and promises his complete loyalty wafāÌ. He raises the banners of his vigor to step out to combat but when the call comes to line up and advance boldly into battle he breaks down at the rallying of the ranks and cuts himself off from the group afraid of dangerous attacks. God most high said �Then when the matter has been resolved upon if they are loyal to God it will be better for them� [47:21].

Al-Baqara 2:89Listen in Qur'an →

بِئْسَمَا ٱشْتَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ أَن يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بَغْيًا أَن يُنَزِّلَ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۖ فَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ عَلَىٰ غَضَبٍۢ ۚ وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌۭ مُّهِينٌۭ

How wretched is that for which they sold themselves - that they would disbelieve in what Allah has revealed through [their] outrage that Allah would send down His favor upon whom He wills from among His servants. So they returned having [earned] wrath upon wrath. And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.

Evil is that for which they sell their souls; that they disbelieve in that which God has revealed grudging that God should reveal of His bounty to whomever He will of His servants; and they were laden with anger upon anger; and for the disbelievers there shall be a humiliating chastisement. Envy caused them to descend from the abode of nobility to the lowland of ignominy. When they were not satisfied with what the decree brought they were reduced to a state of abasement. They invited upon themselves that which brings wrath upon wrath.

Al-Baqara 2:90Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Lata'if al-Isharat by Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.