SURAH 2 – AL-BAQARAH - THE COW

VERSES 87-96

Quran Study Sessions – Session 33

July 12, 2020

Introduction

❑ Allah condemns the Bani Israel and the Jews and describes his anger towards them for their great crimes.

❑ Specifically, their biggest crime was the rejection of prophets sent to them in the past and today with the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). For this they got anger on top of anger.

❑ The Jews are challenged to wish death for the group that is lying if they truly believe in their claims. They never do so.

❑And We did certainly give Moses the book (Torah) and followed up after him with messengers (messengers were sent one after other).

❑And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs (miracles like bringing dead to life) and supported him with the Pure Spirit (Jibril AS).

❑But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire (with what you didn’t like), you were arrogant (from following the messenger)? And a party [of messengers] you denied (like Isa AS) and another party you killed (like Zakariyah and Yahya AS).

Verse 87 Basic Meaning

❑Allah describes Bani Israel with disobedience, stubbornness, opposition, and arrogance to their prophets. Instead of following the prophets, they follow their desires.

❑After Musa (AS), Allah sent hundreds of prophets to Bani Israel one after another. All of them followed the sharia of Allah in the Torah.

❑The prophets of Bani Israel ended with Isa (AS) who was sent with miracles because he brought some changes to the Sharia. However, they denied and tried to kill Isa (AS) because they didn’t like his message and the changes he brought from Allah to the Sharia.

❑Ruh-ul-Qudus (Pure Spirit) refers to Jibril (AS).

Verse 87 Elaboration

❑And they said (to the Prophet jokingly), "Our hearts are wrapped (so we cannot understand what you are saying)."

❑But, [in fact], Allah has cursed them (removed them from His mercy and prevented them from accepting Islam) for their disbelief (not because their hearts are wrapped), so little is it that they believe.

Verse 88 Basic Meanings

❑Them saying “Our hearts are wrapped” can be of two meanings:

❑They are sarcastically saying their hearts are covered in a curtain so they cannot understand what the Prophet is saying

❑They are claiming their hearts are covered in knowledge, so they can “obviously” see the Prophet is lying and don’t need his wisdom.

❑Allah responds to this and says He cursed them and removed them from his mercy and guidance because of their disbelief.

Verse 88 Elaboration

❑And when there came to them a Book from Allah (the Quran) confirming that which was with them (from the Torah)

❑ - although before (the prophethood) they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved (by using the coming prophet) –

❑but [then] when there came to them that which they recognized (the Prophet), they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah will be upon the disbelievers.

Verse 89 Basic Meanings

❑Allah informs us about the hypocrisy of the Jews that before Muhammad (SAW) became a prophet, they used to pray when fighting against the Arabs saying “O Allah help us over them with the prophet to be raised at the end of times.”

❑They knew and proudly told everyone of the final prophet. They used to boast to the Arabs that the Jews would become victorious over them with the help of the coming Prophet.

❑However, when the Prophet they recognized actually came, they disbelieved in him. Like the past prophets, they rejected him and tried to kill him.

Verse 89 Elaboration

❑How wretched is that for which they sold themselves - that they would disbelieve in what Allah has revealed (the Quran) through [their] outrage (and their envy) that Allah would send down His favor (revelation) upon whom He wills from among His servants.

❑So they returned having [earned] wrath (for disbelieving in this revelation) upon wrath (for distorting the Torah and disbelieving in Isa AS). And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.

Verse 90 Basic Meanings

❑The Jew’s rejection of Muhammad (SAW) was because of their outrage and refusal to accept that Allah can send revelation to those outside of Bani Israel. They rejected him on the grounds that only Bani Israel can have prophets.

❑They had assumed that the coming prophet was going to be from them which is why they were surprised when Muhammad (SAW) was from the Arabs.

❑So, they earned anger after anger. They only added Allah’s anger on themselves to the already existing anger for their rejection of previous prophets

Verse 90 Elaboration

❑And when it is said to them, "Believe in what Allah has revealed (of the Quran)," they say, "We believe [only] in what was revealed to us (the Torah)." And they disbelieve in what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them.

❑Say, "Then why did you kill the prophets of Allah before, if you are [indeed] believers (in the Torah, since killing them is forbidden according to it)?"

Verse 91 Basic Meanings

❑When the Jews are told to believe in the Quran, they say they only believe in what was sent to them.

❑In essence, they are disbelieving in everything else even if it is truth from Allah. Are they more concerned with their own status or what Allah commands?

❑In addition, Allah pokes holes in their claim that they believe in the Torah and what was sent to them specifically. If they did believe, why did they kill prophets before and try to kill Isa (AS) when he was from Bani Israel?

❑In essence, the Jews make the claim that they only believe in revelation sent to them, but they actually only follow what they wish to follow.

Verse 91 Elaboration

❑Moses brought you clear signs (like the staff, the hand, and splitting the sea), but then, while he was away (on Mount Tur), you chose to worship the calf- you did wrong.’

Verse 92 Basic Meanings

❑And [recall] when We took your covenant (to follow what was in the Torah) and raised over you Mount Tur, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and listen."

❑They said [instead], "We listen, and we disobey." And their hearts absorbed [the worship of] the calf because of their disbelief.

❑Say, "How wretched is what your faith (in the Torah) tells you to do (like worshiping the calf, rejecting prophets, and killing them), if you should be believers (like you claim to be)."

Verse 93 Basic Meanings

❑Allah mentions more holes in their claim that they believe in the Torah and what was revealed to them.

❑As soon as Musa (AS) turned his back to them, they turned to idol worship. Then, they were stubborn and disobedient while Allah was talking the covenant because of their love for the calf.

❑This all including their opposition to the prophets shows that they don’t actually follow the revelations of God even when given to them unlike what they claim.

Verse 92-93 Elaboration

❑Say, [O Muhammad], "If the home of the Hereafter (Jannah) with Allah is for you alone and not the [other] people (like you claim), then wish for death, if you should be truthful.

Verse 94 Basic Meanings

❑But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth (meaning their deeds like the denial of the prophet they recognize). And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.

Verse 95 Basic Meanings

❑In these verses, Allah tells the Prophet to invite the Jews to wish and pray for the death of either of the two groups which is lying and is incorrect.

❑As Allah says, they never accepted this offer because they knew they would be killed if they made this prayer. This discredited them and their claims since they were unable to do such a simple thing to prove they were correct.

❑The Prophet (SAW) is narrated to have said: “If the Jews ever wished for death, they would surely die. And they would be shown their seats from the Fire. If anyone comes to do Mubahalah with the messenger of Allah, they wouldreturn and not find their families and wealth.”

❑Mubahalah is when two groups pray to Allah to curse the one who is lying and their family and wealth.

Verse 94-95 Elaboration

Verse 96 Basic Meanings

❑And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life - [even] more than those who associate others with Allah (because they know the hereafter and the punishment in it).

❑One of them wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him in the least from the [coming] punishment that he should be granted life.

❑And Allah is Seeing of what they do.

❑Allah mentions the reason why they refused the challenge in the previous verses: they love life too much and want to live as long as possible

❑Even if disbelievers lived for thousands of years (like Iblis is living for), in the end, it will not save them from the punishment of the fire.

❑Believers should not have the quality of loving and being greedy for life. That is a quality of disbelievers. The Prophet (SAW) said: “The world is a prison-house for a believer and Paradise for a disbeliever.” (Sahih Muslim)

Verse 96 Elaboration

❑The Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص said: The people will soon summon one another to attack you aspeople when eating invite others to share their dish. Someone asked: Will that bebecause of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be numerous atthat time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, andAllah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and last Wahn (enervation)into your hearts. Someone asked: What is Wahn (enervation). Messenger of Allah ملسو هيلع هللا ىلصHe replied: Love of the world and dislike of death.

ثنا حمن عبد حد يمبن الر ،إ براه مشق ي ثناالد ،عبد أب وحدثن يجاب ر،ابن دثناحبكر،بن ب شر حد قالقالبان،ثوعنالسالم رس ول ك ”وسلمعليههللاصلىللا نقائ ل فقال.”قصعت هاإ لىة األكلتداعىكماعليك متداعىأناأل مم ي وش نحن ق لةوم نك مكث ير يومئ ذأنت مبل”قاليومئ ذ عنوالسيل كغ ثاء غ ثاء ولك نللا لينز د ور م ك م ص نك مالمهابةعد و فنولم ق ل وب ك م ف يللا يقذ

رس ولياقائ ل فقال.”الوهن ب”قالالوهن وماللا نياح ية الد .”لموت اوكراه

Grade : Sahih (Al-Albani) :حكم(األلباني)صحيح , Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4297, In-book reference : Book 39, Hadith 7,English translation : Book 38, Hadith 4284

Wahn

❑In these verses, Allah mentions many of the crimes of the Jews (Bani Israel). We can derive lessons for ourselves from some of their crimes

❑They rejected prophets in the past if they didn’t like what he brought. We should be careful that our desires and wishes do not get in the way of accepting what Allah sent in the Quran or what the Prophet taught in the Sunnah.

❑They reject the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) because he was not from the Jews, and he did not bring what they wanted.

❑They claim to follow only what was given to them but even that is false since they rejected their prophets and distorted their teachings.

❑They loved life and wished to live for as long as possible. Believers should not be attached to this life.

Summary

❑Sunnah.com for Hadith

❑Furqan.co for Tafsir in Arabic

❑Englishtafsir.com for Tafsir in English

References