2. Surah Al Baqarah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَا
بَنِي
إِسْرَائِيلَ
...
2: 40. O children of Israel!
... اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ...
call to mind the (special) favor which I bestowed upon you,
... وَأَوْفُواْ بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ ﴿٤٠﴾
and fulfil your Covenant with Me as I fulfil My Covenant with you and fear none but Me.
C58. The appeal is made to Israel subjectively in terms of their own tradition.
You claim to be a favoured nation; have you forgotten My favours?
You claim a special Covenant with Me: I have fulfilled My part of the Covenant by bringing you out of the land of bondage and giving you Canaan, the land "flowing with milk and honey" how have you fulfilled your part of the Covenant?
Do you fear for your national existence?
If you fear Me, nothing else will matter.
وَآمِنُواْ
بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ
مُصَدِّقاً
لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ
...
2: 41. And believe in what I reveal, confirming the revelation which is with you,
C59. You receive revelations before: now comes one confirming it: its first appeal should be to you: are you to be the first to reject it?
And reject it for what?
Allah's Signs are worth more than all your paltry considerations. And the standard of duty and righteousness is to be taken from Allah, and not from priests and customs.
... وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ...
and be not the first to reject faith therein,
... وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ ﴿٤١﴾
nor sell My Signs for a small price: and fear Me, and Me alone.
وَلَمَّا
جَاءهُمْ
كِتَابٌ مِّنْ
عِندِ اللّهِ
مُصَدِّقٌ
لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ
...
2: 89. And when there comes to them a Book from Allah, confirming what is with them-
C94. The Jews, who pretended to be so superior to the people without Faith - the Gentiles - should have been the first to recognize the new Truth - or the Truth renewed - which it was Muhammad's mission to bring because it was so similar in form and language to what they had already received.
But they had more arrogance than faith. It is this want of faith that brings on the curse, i.e., deprives us (if we adopt such an attitude) of the blessings of Allah.
Again the lesson applies to a much wider circle than the Jews. We are all apt, in our perverseness, to reject an appeal from our brother even more summarily than one from an outsider. If we have a glimmering of the truth, we are apt to make ourselves impervious to further truth, and thus lose the benefit of Allah's Grace.
... وَكَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ...
although from of old they had prayed for victory against those without faith,
فَلَمَّا جَاءهُم مَّا عَرَفُواْ كَفَرُواْ بِهِ ...
when there comes to them that which they (should) have recognized, they refused to believe in it;
... فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّه عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿٨٩﴾
but the curse of Allah is on those without Faith.
بِئْسَمَا
اشْتَرَوْاْ
بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ
أَن يَكْفُرُواْ
بِمَا أنَزَلَ
اللّهُ...
2: 90. Miserable is the price for which they have sold their souls, in that they deny (the revelation) which Allah has sent down,
... بَغْياً أَن يُنَزِّلُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ...
in insolent envy that Allah of His Grace should send it to any of His servants He pleases;
C95. Racial arrogance made the Jews averse to the reception of Truth when it came through a servant of Allah, not of their own race.
Again the lesson is wider.
Is that averseness unknown in our own times, and among other races?
Yet how can a race or a people set bounds to Allah's choice?
Allah is the Creator and Cherisher of all races and all worlds.
... فَبَآؤُواْ بِغَضَبٍ عَلَى غَضَبٍ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ ﴿٩٠﴾
thus have they drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath. And humiliating is the punishment of those who reject Faith.
2: 40
Asad O Children of Israel! (note 31) Remember those blessings of Mine with which I graced you, and fulfill your promise unto Me, [whereupon] I shall fulfill My promise unto you; and of Me, stand in awe!
Pickthall O Children of Israel! Remember My favor wherewith I favored you, and fulfil your (part of the) covenant, I shall fulfil My (part of the) covenant and fear Me.
Transliteration Ya_ bani isra_'ilaz kuru_ ni'matiyal lati an'amtu 'alaikum wa aufu_ bi 'ahdi u_fi bi 'ahdikum, wa iyya_ya farhabu_n(i).
[ Asad’s note 31: This passage connects directly with the preceding passages in that it refers to the continuous guidance vouchsafed to man through divine revelation. The reference to the Children of Israel at his point, as in so many other places in the Quran, arises from the fact that their religious beliefs represented an earlier phase of the monotheistic concept which culminates in the revelation of the Quran. ]
[ Ali’s note 58 : The appeal is made to Israel subjectively in terms of their own tradition. You claim to be a favored nation; have you forgotten My favors? You claim a special Covenant with Me: I have fulfilled My part of the Covenant by bringing you out of the land of bondage and giving you Canaan, the land "flowing with milk and honey" how have you fulfilled your part of the Covenant? Do you fear for your national existence? If you fear Me, nothing else will matter. (2.40) ]
[ Ruby’s note: The Quran addresses the Children of Israel many times and it does not address the Christians that way. My understanding is that it is the Jews who claim to be superior in terms of receiving God’s favor and it status among the human being. The Christians do not have similar claim. Here specifically God is addressing those who believe to be endowed with unique position, is addressed to tell that there is no inherent superiority except following God’s command. And if they want to be favored, they need to earn through good work………….]
2: 41
Asad Believe in that which I have [now] bestowed from on high, confirming the truth already in your possession, and be not foremost among those who deny its truth; and do not barter away My messages for a trifling gain [note 32]; and of Me, of Me be conscious!
Pickthall And believe in that which I reveal, confirming that which ye possess already (of the Scripture), and be not first to disbelieve therein, and part not with My revelations for a trifling price, and keep your duty unto Me.
Transliteration Wa a_minu_ bima_ anzaltu musaddiqal lima_ ma'akum wa la_ taku_nuu_ awwala ka_firim bih(i), wa lu_ tasytaru_ bi a_ya_ti samanan qalila_(n), wa iyyaua_ya fattaqu_n(i).
[ Asad’s note 32: A reference to the persistent Jewish belief that they alone among all nations have been graced by divine revelation. The “ trifling gain” is their conviction that they are “God’s chosen people” – a claim which the Quran consistently refutes. ]
2: 89
Asad And whenever there came unto them a [new] revelation from God, confirming the truth already in their possession – and [bear in mind that] aforetime they used to pray for victory over those who were bent on denying the truth-: whenever there came unto them something which they recognized [as the truth], they would deny it. And God’s rejection is the due of all who deny the truth.
Pickthall And when there cometh unto them a Scripture from Allah, confirming that in their possession though before that they were asking for a signal triumph over those who disbelieved and when there cometh unto them that which they know (to be the Truth) they disbelieve therein. The curse of Allah is on disbelievers.
Transliteration Wa lamma_ ja_'ahum kita_bum min'indilla_hi musaddiqal lima_ ma'ahum, wa ka_nu min qablu yastaftihuna 'alal lazina kafaru, fa lamma_ ja_'ahum ma_ 'arafu kafaru bih(i), fa la'natulla_hi 'alal ka_firin(a).
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[ Ruby’s note: Why this attitude and rejection is treated here so severely? Because thsi attitude of rejection of new revelation is a symptom of a deeper disease of human kind and not only of Jews. The Jews are mentioned here specifically because they were the case in point at the time of this revelation and they were giving Muhammad and his followers hard time. They were envious and rebellious to this suggestion that Muhammad was God’s Prophet. The acceptance of this idea means to let go of many of their existing ideas and lifestyles and most of all let go of the ego and pride they had as Jews being the chosen people. Ego, arrogance, inertia are the deeper causes of such symptom. And this symptom is demonstrated throughout human history not only towards God’s revelations but also towards ideas that were brought by ‘other than prophet’ visionaries and thinkers who brought solutions to the existing problems. Instead of accepting solution and truth behind it, people have shown rejection.
These attitudes also prevent a serious consideration to such new ideas and propositions that are supposed to be brought down through different personalities in different people belonging to all cultures and geographical locations. THeRE IS NO EXLUSIVE CLAIM ON TRUTH BY ANY GROUP OR RACE, TRUTH BELONGS TO GOD AND HE DECIDES WHO WOULD BE THE MESSAGE BEARER OF THAT TRUTH. That is why the Quran proclaims that there were no community on earth where a Messenger was not sent one time or another, only a few are known and many are not known in history. This in itself is the most profound universal message the Quran propagates.
As a creation and servant of God, all human beings in his/her right mind should be ready and conducive to such truth as it comes. And that requires faith and trust in God above all other considerations in life.
Rejection of truth defies the very purpose of life and its true meaning of existence. Therefore this is the essence of failure. People fail in this life and Hereafter because they reject truth and practice or take shelter in falsehood. Therefore, these attitudes become the reasons for God’s rejection and curse.]
[ Ali’s note: 94 The Jews, who pretended to be so superior to the people without Faith - the Gentiles - should have been the first to recognize the new Truth - or the Truth renewed - which it was Muhammad's mission to bring because it was so similar in form and language to what they had already received. But they had more arrogance than faith. It is this want of faith that brings on the curse, i.e., deprives us (if we adopt such an attitude) of the blessings of God. Again the lesson applies to a much wider circle than the Jews. We are all apt, in our perverseness, to reject an appeal from our brother even more summarily than one from an outsider. If we have a glimmering of the truth, we are apt to make ourselves impervious to further truth, and thus lose the benefit of Allah's Grace. (2.89) ]
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2: 90
Asad Vile is that [false pride] for which they have sold their own selves by denying the truth of what God has bestowed from on high, out of envy that God should bestow aught of His favor upon whomsoever He wills of His servants [note 75] : and thus have they earned the burden of God’s condemnation, over and over. And for those who deny the truth there is shameful suffering in store.
Pickthall Evil is that for which they sell their souls: that they should disbelieve in that which Allah hath revealed, grudging that Allah should reveal of His bounty unto whom He will of His bondmen. They have incurred anger upon anger. For disbelievers is a shameful doom.
Transliteration Bi'samasy tarau bihi anfusahum ay yakfuru bima_ anzalalla_hu bagyan ay yunazzilalla_hu min fadlihi 'ala_ may yasya_'u mim 'iba_dih(i), fa ba_'u bi gadabin 'ala_ gadab(in), wa lil ka_firina 'aza_bum muhin(un).