Sura-2 [Al-Baqara medina 87]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:

وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْساً فَادَّارَأْتُمْ فِيهَا ...

2:72. Remember ye slew a man and fell into a dispute among yourselves as to the crime,

C81. In Deut. 21:1-9 it is ordained that if the body of a slain man be found in field and the slayer is not known, a heifer shall be beheaded, and the elders of the city next to the slain man's domicile shall wash their hands over the heifer and say that they neither did the deed nor saw it done, thus clearing themselves from the blood-guilt.

The Jewish story based on this was that in a certain case of this kind, every one tried to clear himself of guilt and lay the blame at the door of others. In the first place they tried to prevaricate and prevent a heifer being slain as in the last parable. When she was slain, Allah by a miracle disclosed the real person. A portion of the sacrificed heifer was ordered to be placed on the corpse, which came to life and disclosed the whole story of the crime.

The lesson of this parable is that men may try to hide their crimes individually or collectively, but Allah will bring them to light in unexpected ways.

Applying this further to Jewish national history, the argument is developed in the following verses that the Children of Israel played fast and loose which their rites and tradition, but they could thus evade the consequences of their own sin.

... وَاللّهُ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ ﴿٧٢﴾

but Allah was to bring forth what ye did hide.

فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا...

2: 73. So We said: "Strike the (body) with a piece of the (heifer)."

... كَذَلِكَ يُحْيِي اللّهُ الْمَوْتَى وَيُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٧٣﴾

Thus Allah bringeth the dead to life and showeth you His Signs, perchance ye may understand.

Asad’s Version:

2: 72 For, O children of Israel, because you had slain a human being and then cast the blame for this [crime] upon one another – although God will bring to light what you would conceal (note 56) -

Yusuf Ali Remember ye slew a man and fell into a dispute among yourselves as to the crime but Allah was to bring forth what ye did hide.

Pickthall And (remember) when ye slew a man and disagreed concerning it and Allah brought forth that which ye were hiding.

Transliteration Wa iz qataltum nafsan fadda_ra'tum fiha_, walla_hu mukhrijum ma_ kuntum taktumu_n(a).

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[Asad’s note 56: See note 53 above. The use of the plural “you” implies the principle of collective, communal responsibility stipulated by Mosaic Law in cases of murder by a person or persons unknown. God’s bringing the guilt to light obviously refers to the Day of Judgment.]

[ Ruby’s note: I disagree with Asad on the point that this idea of “bring to light” implies only to the “Day of Judgment”. This also implies consequences in this life. God exposes a wrong doing or a crime perpetrated by a person or a group, even if they try hard to conceal,. That is why the idea “truth prevails” or truth exposes itself are in currency. Exposing the guilt here in this incident is also an example of this taking place in this life.]

2: 73

Asad We said: “Apply this [principle] to some of those [cases of unresolved murder] (note 57): in this way God saves lives from death and shows you His will, so that you might [learn to] use your reason.” (note 58)

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[Asad’s note 57: The phrase “idribuhu bi-ba’diha” can be literally translated as “strike him [or “it”] with something of her [or “it”] “ – and this possibility has given rise to the fanciful assertion of many commentators……………………Neither the Quran, not any saying of the Prophet, nor even the Bible offers the slightest warrant for this highly imaginative explanation, which must, therefore be rejected……………………..On the other hand, the verb “daraba” (lit., “he struck”) is very often used in a figurative or metonymic sense, as, for instance, in the expression daraba fi’l-ard (“he journeyed on earth”), or “daraba “sh-shay bi sh-shay” (“he mixed one thing with another thing”), or “daraba mathal” (“he coined a similitude” or “propounded a parable” or “gave an illustration”), or ala darb wahid (“similarly applied” or “in the same manner”), or duribat alayhim adh-dhillah (“humiliation was imposed on them” or “applied to them”), and so forth. Taking all these into account, I am of the opinion that the imperative “idribuhu” occurring in the above Quranic passage must be translated as “apply it” ……………]