2. Surah Al Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ...

2: 213. Mankind was one single nation, and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings;

... وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ...

and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed;

... وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ ...

but the People of the Book, after the clear Signs came to them, did not differ among themselves, except through selfish contumacy.

... فَهَدَى اللّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لِمَا اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ...

Allah by His Grace guided the believers to the truth, concerning that wherein they differed.

... وَاللّهُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿٢١٣﴾

For Allah guides whom He will to a path that is straight.

Other versions:

2: 213 [ AL-Baqarah, Medina 87 ]

Asad All mankind were once one single community; whereupon God raised up the prophets as heralds of glad tidings and as warners, and through them bestowed revelation from on high, setting forth the truth, so that it might decide between people with regard to all on which they had come to hold divergent views [note 197]. Yet none other than the self-same people who had been granted this [revelation] began, out of mutual jealousy, to disagree about its meaning after all evidence of the truth had come unto them. But God guided the believers unto the truth about which, by His leave, they had disagreed: for God guides onto a straight way him that will [to be guided] [note 198].

Yusuf Ali Mankind was one single nation and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed; but the People of the Book after the clear Signs came to them did not differ among themselves except through selfish contumacy. Allah by His Grace guided the believers to the truth concerning that wherein they differed. For Allah guides whom He will to a path that is straight.

Pickthall Mankind were one community, and Allah sent (unto them) Prophets as bearers of good tidings and as warners, and revealed therewith the Scripture with the truth that it might judge between mankind concerning that wherein they differed. And only those unto whom (the Scripture) was given differed concerning it, after clear proofs had come unto them, through hatred one of another. And Allah by His will guided those who believe unto the truth of that concerning which they differed. Allah guideth whom He will unto a Straight path.

Ka_nan na_su ummataw wa_hidah(tan), fa ba'asalla_hun nabiyyina mubasysyirina wa munzirin(a), wa anzala ma'ahumul kita_ba bil haqqi liyahkuma bainan na_si fi makhtalafu_ fih(i), wa makhtalafa fihi illal lazina u_tu_hu mim ba'di ma_ ja_'athumul bayyina_tu bagyam bainahum, fa hadalla_hul lazina a_manu_ limakhtalafu_ fihi minal haqqi bi iznih(i), walla_hu yahdi may yasya_'u ila_ sira_tim mustaqim(in).

[ bagyam – jealousy or hatred or contumacy all these are self created dissention among themselves. Bainahum [among themselves] – what it means is that they changed the revelations not because of any reason or logical problem or inconsistency of the revelation, but simply they dissention towards each other and their selfish reason and their own personal problem.]

[ Asad’s note 197 – By using the expression ‘ummah wahidah (“one single community”) to describe the original state of mankind, the Quran does not profound, as might appear at first glance , the idea of a mythical “golden age” obtaining at the dawn of man’s history. What is alluded to in this verse is no more than the relative homogeneity of instinctive perceptions and inclinations ………………it was bound to disintegrate in the measure of man’s subsequent development. As his thought-life became more and more complex……..]

[ Ruby’s note – With this verse the Quran is indicating that humankind evolved from one community. God gave a common origin for humanity and one ever true essence of religion propagated by innumerable prophets down through the time. Even though the Messages sent through different prophets were always the same, peoples’ own frailties and faults such as jealousy, contumacy, hatred or self-centeredness distorted the original Message. These are the character faults that human beings should remain conscious about to be vigilant against.

There is also an ever present human propensity to differ and diversify. This is written in human design and this is not necessarily bad because through this diversity the truth about reality is being manifested itself. No one has exclusive hold on the truth, but each is bringing its own understanding and angle to look at the truth. Different concept or mindsets is bringing or illuminating a specific side of truth, each having its narrow shed of light, but collectively, it is bringing a much fuller and complete dimension of truth. And since then this one community, as time passes and population expands, with the different needs and events, human beings started to spread in different directions with different ideas and different aspirations.

There is also a flip side [wrong side] of this diversity and differences that emerge out of self-centeredness, jealousy, contumacy and dissension. This side is of diversity is wrong and evil. It, instead of shedding light on the truth distorts it from whatever angle it is approaching. One should remain aware and vigilant about this human problem and work diligently to avoid or at least restraint this wrong inclinations.

This is to indicate that as human beings become more and more sophisticated and complex in their ability and thinking, they would differ and diversity, but still would retain the same substance and essence. This ‘fitra’ indicated in 30:30 would not change with time and space, but differences in terms of different lifestyles and modes opeandi would change.

This verse is also indicating a trend in humankind to diversify as it expands and progresses same as the Big Bang theory expresses that the universe is expanding, originally it started from a point. However in this process of spreading, expansion and complexities of progress, there a cyclical events also: crisis or war and normal peaceful condition, conservatism and liberalism, etc., pendulum of diversity and complexity of humanity swing back and forth but never can stay in one place very long. That is the nature of humanity and nature of a human being. ]