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 91–100 of 286

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ نُؤْمِنُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَآءَهُۥ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنۢبِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

And when it is said to them, "Believe in what Allah has revealed," they say, "We believe [only] in what was revealed to us." And they disbelieve in what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them. Say, "Then why did you kill the prophets of Allah before, if you are [indeed] believers?"

When this group of Jews was told to have faith in the truth and guidance that Allah revealed to His Prophet, they said that they believed in what had been revealed to their prophets, and denied anything besides this, and in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him), although the Qur’ān is the truth, confirming what Allah had already revealed to them. Had they truly believed in what had been revealed to them, they would have believed in the Qur’ān. So, ask them then, O Muhammad, why they killed the prophets of Allah before, if they really had faith in the truth they brought to them.

Al-Baqara 2:91Listen in Qur'an →

۞ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَكُم مُّوسَىٰ بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذْتُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَنتُمْ ظَٰلِمُونَ

And Moses had certainly brought you clear proofs. Then you took the calf [in worship] after that, while you were wrongdoers.

And also, your prophet Moses (peace be upon him), brought clear signs to you, proving that what he said was true. But after that you made the calf into a god and worshipped it, when Moses had gone to meet his Lord. You were wrongdoers for worshipping others alongside Allah, since only He is worthy of worship.

Al-Baqara 2:92Listen in Qur'an →

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَٰقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُوا۟ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍۢ وَٱسْمَعُوا۟ ۖ قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَأُشْرِبُوا۟ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِهِۦٓ إِيمَٰنُكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

And [recall] when We took your covenant and raised over you the mount, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and listen." They said [instead], "We hear and disobey." And their hearts absorbed [the worship of] the calf because of their disbelief. Say, "How wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if you should be believers."

Remember when you made a binding promise with God to follow Moses, peace be upon him, and to accept what he brought from God. God raised the mountain over you so that you were awestruck, and told you to hold tightly and seriously to the scripture He had sent you, and to listen and follow what was revealed to you, if not God would make the mountain fall upon you, you said that you heard with your ears and rebelled in your actions. The worship of the calf took hold of their hearts because of their denial and ingratitude. O Muhammad, what their faith commands them to do is evil: disbelieving and turning away from what Allah instructs them to do – if they have any faith at all – because if they truly had faith they would not disbelieve and turn away from it.

Al-Baqara 2:93Listen in Qur'an →

قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ ٱلدَّارُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَالِصَةًۭ مِّن دُونِ ٱلنَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا۟ ٱلْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ

Say, [O Muhammad], "If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is for you alone and not the [other] people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful.

Say, O Prophet: Jews, if Paradise in the Afterlife is just for you, and no other people will enter it, then wish for death, and ask for it, so that you reach this place quickly, and can rest from the burdens and worries of the life of this world, if you are truthful about what you claim.

Al-Baqara 2:94Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًۢا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.

They will never wish for death, because of what they have done in their lives: disbelieving in Allah, rejecting His prophets and distorting His scriptures. Allah knows the wrongdoers among them and other people: each person will be given what they have earned.

Al-Baqara 2:95Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَوٰةٍۢ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ ۚ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life - [even] more than those who associate others with Allah. One of them wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him in the least from the [coming] punishment that he should be granted life. And Allah is Seeing of what they do.

You will find, O Prophet, that the Jews are the most desirous for life, even if it is miserable and lowly. They are even greedier for it than the idolaters, who worship others alongside Allah, who do not believe in being brought back to life after death or in being held to account for what they have done. Despite being People of the Scripture, and believing in the resurrection and the reckoning, they would love to live a thousand years. Yet however long a life they might be given, it would not distance them from Allah’s punishment. Allah sees all that they do. Nothing is hidden from Him, and they will be given what they earn.

Al-Baqara 2:96Listen in Qur'an →

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّۭا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُۥ نَزَّلَهُۥ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًۭى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Say, "Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel - it is [none but] he who has brought the Qur'an down upon your heart, [O Muhammad], by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the believers."

Say, O Muhammad, to those of the Jews who say that Gabriel is their enemy among the angels, that whoever is against Gabriel – who revealed the Qur’ān to your heart, with Allah’s permission, affirming the sacred scripture that came before it, such as the Torah and the Gospel, showing the way to what is good, and bringing the good news to the believers of the bliss Allah has prepared for them – then he is misguided.

Al-Baqara 2:97Listen in Qur'an →

مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّۭا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَىٰلَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَدُوٌّۭ لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ

Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael - then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.

Whoever stands against Allah, His angels and His prophets, and against His two angels Gabriel and Michael, then certainly Allah is a rival to the disbelievers from among you, and from other than you. Certain defeat faces whoever has Allah as his rival.

Al-Baqara 2:98Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ءَايَٰتٍۭ بَيِّنَٰتٍۢ ۖ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَآ إِلَّا ٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ

And We have certainly revealed to you verses [which are] clear proofs, and no one would deny them except the defiantly disobedient.

I have revealed to you, O Prophet, clear signs proving the truth of your prophethood and revelation. The only people who reject these signs, despite its clarity, are those who have abandoned Allah’s path.

Al-Baqara 2:99Listen in Qur'an →

100

أَوَكُلَّمَا عَٰهَدُوا۟ عَهْدًۭا نَّبَذَهُۥ فَرِيقٌۭ مِّنْهُم ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

Is it not [true] that every time they took a covenant a party of them threw it away? But, [in fact], most of them do not believe.

Due to their corrupt state, a group of the Jews would always break any commitment that they made, including the duty to have faith in what the Torah revealed about the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Most of them do not really have faith in what Allah revealed, because faith leads to keeping to and honouring commitments and promises.

Al-Baqara 2:100Listen 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.