Oct 10, 2019

Tafsir 2:1-20

Al-Baqara, (chapter 2 or surah 2)

- 286 verses
- Contains the longest ayah (ayat-ul-kursi)
- Revealed in increments
- Wherever it is recited, shaitan will keep away for 3 days
- topics : monotheism,
Creation of world
Resurrection
How no one can mimic Allah SWT
Discusses hypocrites
Jihad
Charity
Prohibitions
- Contains the last verse to be revealed to the Prophet SWS (2:281) “Fear the day when
you will return to Allah” (revealed on 10th Dhul Hujjah 10 A.H.)
- Story of the cow
- Prophet SWS was asked which ayah is the best => ayatul kursi
- Prophet SWS said that whoever recites the first four ayahs of al-baqara and the middle
(ayah-tul kursi, the two ayahs after it), and last three ayahs of al-baqara, then that
person will be rewarded like he is on the path of jihad.
- These verses will cover him on the Day of Judgement
- Shaitan will not come between spouses and family etc if these verse are recited.

1. Alif Laam Meem - we do not know the meaning of these letters, or first ayah. They are a
mystery. Some scholars said that these letters were used to defy the preIslamic Arabs.
Some say they have a numerical role. Alif is the most used letter in the Quran, then
Laam is second, and Meem is third most common.

2. Dhalikal Kitabu = That Book

This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard (against evil).
-dha is used and not ‘haza’ because of the elevated status of the Quran
-muttaqin = to fear, or to refrain from
-the Quran is a Book of guidance for the God-Fearing
- one must become a muttaqi before becoming a muhsin (love for others as well)
-for those who believe in the unseen, and perform the best salah, ie those with
Iman and believe in the ‘ghayb’, and perform the best established prayer
- there were people in the past who were God-fearing, but they had no faith in
what the Prophet SWS was teaching...they were not muslim.
- there are those who are God-fearing, believe in what the Prophet SWS taught,
but do not believe in the unseen (ghayb)... these people are not muslim
 3. Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have
given them.
riqz= provisions or blessings, which includes time, health, money, knowledge, etc. and to
spend it - yunfiqoon
-God-fearing people will also spend money in Allah’s way, whether it is zakat,
and also extra sadaqah as well.
-having iman is most important, and no good deed will be validated without faith.
So we must have good intentions, to please Allah SWT, in all that we do, for our
deeds to benefit us in the Hearafter too.
-for the hypocrites who declare themselves to be muslim outwardly, but have no
faith internally, we can only deal with them as muslim, for that is what we see.
For these hypocrites, their sins are worse than those of regular disbelievers, but
Allah SWT will judge them accordingly.
-Iman starts in the heart, and is perfected when it reaches the outwardly deeds.
-Islam begins with the outwardly deeds, but is perfected when it reaches the
heart.
-Simple iman is not valid if it is not affirmed with outward or external deeds, and
simple Islam is not valid if it is affirmed by outwards deeds, but does not get
confirmed by the heart.
-important to note God-fearing also believe in the previous revealed Books and
prophets, and that the Prophet SWS is the last messenger, and will have faith in
the Hereafter (akhirah = everlasting abode)
-akhirah is mentioned first. We should have belief in it with yaqeen (certainty),
and work towards it, without seeing it… only seeing it when we die.
- Huda = guidance
- muflai - falla = farmer
- we are the farmers, and will reap what we sow
-many may have faith, and do good deeds, but have no faith in the Hearafter.
-having laws, may make people obedient, but only to the extent that they do not
get caught doing bad things. Muslims are God-fearing, with faith, and good
deeds, and the belief that we will be held into account for all our deeds with our
intentions too, even those done in secret.

4. And who believe in that which has been revealed to you and that which was revealed before
you and they are sure of the hereafter.
- yuminoona = those who believe
- yuqinoona = those who believe with complete certainty. The Quran uses yuqinoona
because the opposite of belief is denial (kufr), and the opposite of complete certitude is
doubt. So we must have complete certitude, to remove any doubts. It is not enough to
just outwards proclaim belief. We must always act or behave knowing that everything we
say or do will be judged by Allah.
5. Those who are guided with certitude, transforming their life, will be the ones that will reap the
rewards and will be successful.

6.7. Surely those who disbelieve, it being alike to them whether you warn them, or do not warn
them, will not believe. Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing and there is
a covering over their eyes, and there is a great punishment for them.
The Prophet SWS was concerned for all… even the Jews who passed away. He came
to warn everyone. This verse and the next deal with the open disbelievers. They
choose not to believe and denied their hearts. Allah SWT has covered their hearts, ears
and eyes.

8. And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at
all believers.
This verse refers to the hypocrites. They say they believe, and pretend, but then they go
and spy on others.They will never be of the believers.

9. They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and
they do not perceive.
They think they are fooling Allah SWT, but they do not feel that in their hearts, they are
only fooling themselves.

10.11. In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy) and Allah has increased their
disease. A painful torment is theirs because they used to tell lies. And when it is said to them, Do
not make mischief in the land, they say: We are but peace-makers.
Qalb = heart.
- In their hearts is a disease.
- Jihad = the great struggle to fight nafs.
- When they do not discipline themselves, the disease keeps growing.
- They are liars because they had testified to Allah SWT in the Time before time, that He
was their Lord, yet now they are denying it.

12. Now surely they themselves are the mischief makers, but they do not perceive
They are causing confusion and disorder, but claim to be reformers.

13.14 And when it is said to them: Believe as the people believe they say: Shall we believe as the
fools believe? Now surely they themselves are the fools, but they do not know. And when they
meet those who believe, they say: We believe; and when they are alone with their Shaitans, they
say: Surely we are with you, we were only mocking.
They (hypocrites) think that those who believe are fools and beneath them in
status/intelligence.
15. Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy,
blindly wandering on.
- Yamahoon = blinded
16. These are they who buy error for the right direction, so their bargain shall bring no gain, nor
are they the followers of the right direction.
- Fools are buying error and will have no profit.
- They are buying immediate satisfaction but are not using wealth to please Allah.
- They are investing a lot in trying to get muslims to be led astray.

17. Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindled a fire; then, when it lighted all around
him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness. (So) they could not see.
- They were in the cold/dark, someone put light/warmth for them.
- Prophet SWS is the one who kindled the light
- The kuffar saw the light but disbelieved.
- So Allah SWT took the light/knowledge away from them, and left them in the darkness,
and they will never see.

18. They are deaf, blind, and dumb and cannot regain their senses.
- They cannot use their intuition anymore.
- There is a type of bird in India that says these three words as their birdsong.

19. Or like abundant rain from the cloud in which is utter darkness and thunder and lightning;
they put their fingers into their ears because of the thunder peal, for fear of death, and Allah
encompasses the unbelievers.

20. The lightning almost takes away their sight; whenever it shines on them they walk in it, and
when it becomes dark to them they stand still; and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have
taken away their hearing and their sight; surely Allah has power over all things.
- They are hesitant to take the light/knowledge of right and wrong
- They hypocrites’ physical bodies will show outward signs of distress/alert/anxiety/fear