al-Baqarah: A faithful rendition and annotated translation (original) (raw)

al-Baqarah (The Cow) is named after the incident of the cow, as related in Ayas 67-74, highlighting the lukewarm response of the Children of Israel to God’s commandments whereby He sought to test their Faith. Merit: the longest sura in the Grand Qur’an totaling 286 ayas, al-Baqarah has a number of merits. Firstly, it is a blessing for the Muslim household. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “Do not turn your homes into graveyards, the devil shuns the home in which Sura al-Baqarah is recited” (Muslim: 780), and Abu Umamah al-Bahili narrated that the Prophet said: “Read Sura al-Baqarah as owning it is a blessing and abandoning it is a loss, and the sorcerers cannot bear it”. (Muslim: 1910) Secondly, and very importantly, it, along with Al 'Imran– together known as ‘al-Zahrawin’ (lit. The Two Luminous Suras) – will come to intercede on behalf of a person who takes them as his own on the Day of Judgement. Abu Umamah al-Bahili narrated that the Prophet said: “Read the Qur’an for it comes on the Day of Judgement to intercede on behalf of those who associate themselves with it. Read al-Zahrawin, al-Baqarah and Ól ÑImrÉn, as they come on the Day of Judgement as if they were two clouds, or shades or two flocks of birds, keeping close together arguing on behalf of he who owns them”. (Muslim: 1910) al-Baqarah also contains some of the most meritorious ayas—the greatest aya in the Qur’an, the Aya of al-KursÊ (No. 255) and the last two ayas of the sura. 'Uqbah Ibn 'Amir narrated that the Prophet said: “Whoever recites the last two ayas of al-Baqarah, these will suffice him ˹as a shield from evil˺”. (al-Bukhari: 5008) The longest aya in the Qur’an, Aya Ad-Dayn (No. 282), also occurs in al-Baqarah. Theme: the main message of al-Baqarah is that true Believers receive God’s commandments with unequivocal acceptance and submission. The sura is meant to establish firm Belief that can stand the tests and trials to come in order to prevail over Denial. Key: in order to unlock the meaning for this sura one has to take it as a detailed answer from Allah to the Believers’ supplication to guide them to the Straight Path, found at the end of al-Fatihah—here Allah tells Believers how to find this Straight Path and true, unshakable Belief. The first five ayas capture the essence of the message: that true guidance is to be found in the Qur’an and that true Believers are those who submit themselves unquestioningly to Allah’s Will and have unshakable faith in all that Prophet Muhammad () came with. The many stories and incidents of disobedience and rebelling against Allah’s commands told here are given to highlight what lack of Belief and submission is like. Furthermore, it is a very early Madinan sura, which explains the many references given to the Children of Israel, who then resided in Madinah in their multitudes, and the gentle reminder they were given to the Straight Path of Allah. The sura also includes the admonishing of hypocrites lurking within the newly-formed community, and the introduction of new laws such as fasting during the month of Ramadan, how to perform Hajj and familial matters. Essentially, many new laws for the Muslims and their community at large are introduced in a very considerate manner: and whereby Believers are to obey these with total submission.