Surah 2, Al Baqarah, Medina 87

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Translation:

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ...

2: 285. The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith.

... كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَمَلآئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ...

Each one (of them) believeth in God, His angels, His books, and His Messengers.

... لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ...

"We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His Messengers."

... وَقَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا...

And they say: "We hear, and we obey:

... غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿٢٨٥﴾

(we seek) Thy forgiveness, Our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."

Asad’s Translation:

2: 285 The Apostle, and the believers with him, believe in what has been bestowed upon him from on high by his Sustainer: they all believe in God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, making no distinction between any His apostles, and they say : “ We have heard, and we pay heed. Grant us thy forgiveness, O Sustainer, for with Thee is all journeys’ end !

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Ali’s comments:

337. This Surah started with the question of Faith (2:3-4), showed us various aspects of Faith and the denial of Faith, gave us ordinances for the new People of Islam as a community, and now rounds off the argument again with a confession of Faith and of its practical manifestation in conduct ("we hear and we obey"), and closes on a note of humility, so that we may confess our sins, ask for forgiveness, and pray for Allah's help and guidance.

338. Cf. 2:136 and 2:253, n. 289.

It is not for us to make any distinction between one and another of Allah's Prophets: we must honor them all equally, though we know that God in His wisdom sent them with different kinds of mission and gave them different degrees of rank.

339. When our faith and conduct are sincere, we realize how far from perfection we are, and we humbly pray to Allah for the forgiveness of our sins. We feel that Allah imposes no burden on us that we cannot bear, and with this realization in our hearts and in the confession of our lips, we go to Him and ask for His help and guidance.