Sura 2, Baqara, Medina 87
The Quranic text and 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.
ثُمَّ
قَسَتْ
قُلُوبُكُم
مِّن بَعْدِ
ذَلِكَ فَهِيَ
كَالْحِجَارَةِ
أَوْ أَشَدُّ
قَسْوَةً...
2:74. Thenceforth were your hearts hardened; they became like a rock and even worse in hardness.
... وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الأَنْهَارُ...
For among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth;
... وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاء...
others there are which when split asunder send forth water;
... وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللّهِ...
and others which sink for fear of Allah.
... وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٧٤﴾
And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.
C82. The sinner's heart gets harder and harder. It is even harder than rocks, of which a beautiful poetical allegory is placed before us.
In nature we think there is nothing harder than rocks. But there are rocks that weep voluntarily, like repentant hearts that come to Allah of their own accord; such are the rocks from which rivers and springs flow spontaneously, sometimes in small trickles, sometimes in big volumes.
Then there are rocks which have to be split or dug into or blown up with dynamite, and underneath we find abundant waters, as in wells beneath rocky soil. Such are the hearts of a less degree of fineness, which yet melt into tears when some great blow or calamity calls the mind to higher things. (R).
Other versions
2:72
Asad 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) -
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)
Pickthall And We said: Smite him with some of it. Thus Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His portents so that ye may understand.
Transliteration Fa qulnad ribu_hu bi ba'dihsa_, kazsa_lika yuhyillsa_hul mauta_ wa yurikum a_ya_tihi la'allakum ta'qilu_n(a).
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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” ……………]
2: 74
Asad And yet, after all this, your hearts hardened and became like rocks, or even harder: for, behold, there are rocks from which streams gush forth; and, behold, there are some from which, when they are cleft, water issues; and, behold, there are some that fall down for awe of God. (note 59) And God is not unmindful of what you do!
Pickthall Then, even after that, your hearts were hardened and became as rocks, or worse than rocks, for hardness. For indeed there are rocks from out which rivers gush, and indeed there are rocks which split asunder so that water flows from them. And indeed there are rocks which fall down for the fear of Allah. Allah is not unaware of what ye do.
Transliteration Summa qasat qulu_bukum mim ba'di za_lika fa hiya kal hija_rati au asyaddu qaswah(tan), wa inna minal hija_rati lama_ yatafajjaru minhul anhu_r(u), wa inna minha_ lama_ yasysyaqqaqu fa yakhruju minhul ma_'(u), wa inna minha_ lama_ yahbitu min khasy-yatilla_h(i), wa malla_hu bi ga_ilin 'amma_ ta'malu_n(a). 75.Afatatma'u_na ay yu'minu_ lakum wa qad ka_na fariqum minhum yasma'u_na kala_malla_hi summa yuharrifu_nahu_ mim ba'di ma_ 'aqalu_hu wa hum ya'lamu_n(a).
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[[Asad’s notes –
58 Lit., "God gives life to the dead and shows you His messages" (i.e., He shows His will by means of such messages or ordinances). The figurative expression "He gives life to the dead" denotes the saving of lives, and is analogous to that in 5:32. In this context it refers to the prevention of bloodshed and the killing of innocent persons (Manor 1, 351), be it through individual acts of revenge, or in result of an erroneous judicial process based on no more than vague suspicion and possibly misleading circumstantial evidence.
59 For an explanation of this allusion, see 7:143. The simile of "the rocks from which streams gush forth" or "from which water issues" serves to illustrate its opposite, namely, dryness and lack of life, and is thus an allusion to the spiritual barrenness with which the Qur'an charges the children of Israel. ]]
[ Ruby’s note: It is interesting to note why this analogy of rock is used here and what is it conveying. I think what is being said is that the hardness of a person’s heart in a state of arrogance and denial cannot be even analogous that of a rock. Because a rock, complies with God’s natural law and at times it is even penetrated by a soft substance like water and hardness give in to that softness through other natural process. A human heart in the state of denial, on the other hand, does not comply with the spiritual law.
Why the Quran compares the physical world with that of the spiritual world? see my explanation in my article “ The Twin worlds of reality: Physical world is a reflection of the Spiritual world” (so that the unseen can be understood and comprehended.) ]
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