2. Surah Al Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُواْ هَـذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ ...

2: 58. And remember We said:

"Enter this town,

C72. This probably refers to Shittim.

It was the "town of acacias," just east of the Jordan, where the Israelites were guilty of debauchery and the worship of and sacrifice to false gods (Num. 25:1-2, also 8-9); a terrible punishment ensued, including the plague of which 24,000 died.

The word which the transgressors changed may have been a pass-word. In the Arabic text it is "Hittatun" which implies humility and a prayer of forgiveness, a fitting emblem to distinguish them from their enemies.

From this particular incident a more general lesson may be drawn;

- in the hour of triumph we are to behave humbly as in Allah's sight, and our conduct should be exemplary according to Allah's word; otherwise our arrogance will draw its own punishment.

These verses 58-59, may be compared with 7:161-162. There are two verbal differences.

Here (2:58) we have "enter the town" and in 7:161 we have "dwell in this town."

Again in 2:2:59 here we have "infringed (Our command)," and in 7:162, we have "transgressed."

The verbal differences make no difference to the sense.

... فَكُلُواْ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَداً...

and eat of the plenty therein as ye wish;

... وَادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّداً وَقُولُواْ حِطَّةٌ نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ...

but enter the gate with humility, in posture and in words, and We shall forgive you your faults

... وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٥٨﴾

and increase (the portion of) those who do good."

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ قَوْلاً غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ...

2: 59. But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them;

... فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ رِجْزاً مِّنَ السَّمَاء بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْسُقُونَ ﴿٥٩﴾

so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven, for that they infringed (our command) repeatedly.

Other versions:

2: 58

Asad And [remember the time] when We said: “Enter this land, (note 42) and eat of its food as you may desire, abundantly; but enter the gate humbly and say, ‘Remove Thou from us the burden of our sins’ (note 43), [whereupon] We shall forgive you your sins, and shall amply reward the doers of good.”

Yusuf Ali And remember We said: "Enter this town and eat of the plenty therein as ye wish; but enter the gate with humility in posture and in words and We shall forgive you your faults and increase (the portion of) those who do good."

Pickthall And when We said: Go into this township and eat freely of that which is therein, and enter the gate prostrate, and say: "Repentance." We will forgive you your sins and increase (reward) for the right-doers.

Transliteration Wa iz qulnad khulu_ ha_zihil qaryata fa qulu_ minha_ haisu syi'tum ragadaw wadkhulul ba_ba sujjadaw wa qu_lu_ hittatun nagfir lakum khata_ya_kum, wa sanazidul muhsinin(a).

[ Asad’s note 42: The word ‘qaryah’ primarily denotes a “village” or “town”, but is also used in the sense of “land”. Here it apparently refers to Palestine.]

2: 59

Asad But those who were bent on evildoing substituted another saying for that which had been given them (note 44): and so We sent down upon those evildoers a plague from heaven in requital for all their iniquity.

Yusuf Ali But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven for that they infringed (our command) repeatedly.

Pickthall But those who did wrong changed the word which had been told them for another saying, and We sent down upon the evil-doers wrath from Heaven for their evil doing.

Transliteration Fa baddalal lazina zalamu_ qaulan gairal lazi qila lahum fa anzalna_ 'alal lazina zalamu_ rijzam minas sama_'i bima_ ka_nu_ yafsuqu_n(a).

[Asad’s note 44: According to several Traditions ( extensively quoted by Ibn Kathir), they played, with a derisive intent, upon the word ‘hittah’, substituting for it something irrelevant of meaningless. Muhammad Abduh, however, is of the opinion that the “saying” referred to in verse 58 is merely a metaphor of an attitude of mind demanded of them, and that, correspondingly, the “substitution” signifies here a willful display of arrogance in disregard of God’s command ( see Manar I, 324f.).]

[ Ali’s note: 72 This probably refers to Shittim. It was the "town of acacias," just east of the Jordan, where the Israelites were guilty of debauchery and the worship of and sacrifice to false gods (Num. xxv. 1-2, also 8-9); a terrible punishment ensued, including the plague of which 24,000 died. The word which the transgressors changed may have been a pass-word. In the Arabic text it is "Hittatun" which implies humility and a prayer of forgiveness, a fitting emblem to distinguish them from their enemies. From this particular incident a more general lesson may be drawn; in the hour of triumph we are to behave humbly as in God's sight, and our conduct should be exemplary according to God's word; otherwise our arrogance will draw its own punishment. (2.58) ]