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Q: What is the overall context of this passage (verses 99–103)?

A: This brief but powerful section concludes the sustained historical and theological argument against the obstinacy of the Children of Israel. It shifts from recounting their past failures to stating an eternal, objective truth about the Quran and its inevitable impact, while also warning against a final, desperate form of corruption — seeking magic instead of guidance.

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Verse 99 | آية ٩٩

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ ۖ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ
“And We have certainly sent down to you clear verses, and no one denies them except the defiantly disobedient.”

Q: Who is Allah addressing in this verse, and what is the significance of that address?

A: Allah is addressing Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) directly and, through him, all believers. It is a pivotal, declarative statement meant to reassure the Prophet and clarify the nature of those who reject the revelation.

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Q: What does “clear verses” mean here?

A: It refers to the Quranic revelations themselves — self-evident in their truth, wisdom, and miraculous nature. Their clarity is so complete that they leave no room for honest doubt.

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Q: Why does the verse say only “the defiantly disobedient” (al-Fasiqun) reject these verses?

A: Because denial of such clear signs is not an intellectual stance — it is a moral one. Fisq (disobedience) here implies willfully stepping outside the bounds of truth and righteousness. This categorically places those who reject the Quran in the category of moral transgressors, not sincere skeptics.

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Verse 100 | آية ١٠٠

أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُوا عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
“Is it not [true] that every time they took a covenant, a party of them threw it away? But, [in fact], most of them do not believe.”

Q: What does this verse reveal about the character of the Children of Israel?

A: It summarizes their historical character as covenant-breakers. Every time a covenant was made, a party among them would discard it. This was not a rare failing but an ingrained pattern.

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Q: Does this verse refer only to past covenants?

A: No. Maududi notes that it also includes their current breach — the covenant inherent in their own scriptures to believe in the final Prophet. The conclusion is damning: “most of them do not believe” — their disbelief is the norm, not the exception.

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Verse 101 | آية ١٠١

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And when a messenger from Allah came to them confirming that which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Scripture of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know [what it contained].”

Q: In what sense did the coming of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) “confirm” their scriptures?

A: His coming was the fulfillment of prophecies already contained in the Torah. Rather than a contradiction of their book, his arrival was a validation of it.

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Q: What does it mean that they “threw the Scripture of Allah behind their backs”?

A: Maududi explains this as a metaphor for willful abandonment. They consciously disregarded the very truths in their own book that testified to the Prophet’s truthfulness. It was not ignorance — it was deliberate rejection.

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Q: Why does the verse say they acted “as if they did not know”?

A: To expose the depth of their dishonesty. Their scholars knew exactly what their scriptures contained, yet they feigned ignorance. Their own knowledge condemned them, making their pretense all the more blameworthy.

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Verse 102 | آية ١٠٢

وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِه أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And they followed what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But they do not teach anyone unless they say, ‘We are a trial, so do not disbelieve.’ And they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And they learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But they certainly knew that whoever purchased it would have no share in the Hereafter. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.”

Q: Why does the verse begin by clearing Prophet Solomon (عليه السلام) of any connection to magic?

A: Because the corrupt sources attributed magical practices to Solomon’s reign to give them legitimacy. The Quran categorically refutes this. It was not Solomon who practiced or sanctioned magic — it was the devils, rebellious humans or jinn, who introduced this corruption and falsely associated it with his kingdom.

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Q: Who were Harut and Marut, and why were they sent?

A: Maududi explains that these two angels were sent to Babylon as a divine test. Their purpose was to teach people the difference between magic and a true miracle — so that people could distinguish one from the other — and crucially, they always warned before teaching: “We are a trial, so do not disbelieve.” Their mission was to separate those who would seek harmful sorcery from those who would turn to God.

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Q: What specifically did the Jewish tribes misuse this knowledge for?

A: Rather than heeding the warning, they learned from it specifically to cause harm — most vilely, to “cause separation between a man and his wife.” This represents the most malicious possible application, targeting the most sacred of social bonds.

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Q: Does magic have real, independent power according to this verse?

A: No. The verse is explicit: “they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah.” Magic has no autonomous power. Whatever effect it appears to have operates only within Allah’s permissive will as a test for humanity.

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Q: What is the ultimate consequence for those who pursue magic, according to this verse?

A: Three devastating consequences are stated. First, it is knowledge that harms and does not benefit. Second, whoever “purchases” it (i.e., chooses it over faith) will have no share in the Hereafter. Third, they knowingly made this choice — making their trade of their souls all the more “wretched.”

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Verse 103 | آية ١٠٣

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ ۖ لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And if they had believed and feared Allah, then a reward from Allah would have been better, if they only knew.”

Q: What does this closing verse offer as the alternative to all the failures described?

A: Simply this — iman (faith) and taqwa (God-consciousness). Had they believed and feared Allah, they would have received a divine reward far better than any worldly gain, tribal power, or corrupt knowledge they pursued instead.

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Q: What is the tone of the final phrase “if they only knew,” and what does it imply?

A: The tone is one of profound regret and lament. It implies that their catastrophic choices were rooted in spiritual blindness — not in any lack of outward information. Had they possessed true insight into reality, they would have seen that belief and piety lead to the only true and lasting good. The phrase functions as a final, sorrowful indictment of their priorities.

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Summary Q&A | الخلاصة

Q: What are the four key lessons Maududi draws from verses 99–103 as a whole?

A: Maududi identifies four closing lessons from this passage:

1. The clarity of the proof is absolute. The Quran’s verses are unequivocally clear. Rejecting them is therefore an act of willful transgression (Fisq), not intellectual confusion.

2. Their pattern was consistent throughout history. Their habit of covenant-breaking ultimately manifested in the greatest betrayal of all — discarding their own scripture to avoid acknowledging the final Prophet.

3. Their deviation reached its lowest point. Their spiritual decline culminated when they forsook divine guidance entirely in favor of the malicious practice of magic, knowingly choosing what would harm their eternal souls.

4. The tragedy of the choice is total. Their entire history boils down to a single, foolish exchange — they traded the immense divine reward of belief and piety for the worthless pursuits of tribal pride, worldly gain, and corrupt power. Verse 103 stands as an eternal reminder of this catastrophic miscalculation.

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Based on Tafheemul Quran by Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi

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Q: What is the overall theme of this passage, and why does it intensify compared to earlier verses?

A: This section continues the direct admonition of the Children of Israel but sharpens its focus considerably. While earlier verses addressed their general history of disobedience, this passage zeroes in on a specific, recurring pattern: their rejection and mistreatment of the very prophets sent for their own reform. It culminates in identifying the root disease underlying all their failures — an arrogant, tribal preference for their own biases over divine truth, a trait the Quran links back to Iblis himself.

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Q: What does Verse 87 accuse the Children of Israel of, and what was the core reason for their behavior?

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَقَفَّيْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ بِالرُّسُلِ ۖ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ ۗ أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنفُسُكُمُ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ

“And We did certainly give Moses the Scripture and followed him with the messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit. But is it not that every time a messenger came to you with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party you denied, and another party you killed.”

A: Verse 87 presents the ultimate indictment. God reminds them that He did not abandon them after Moses — He sent a continuous chain of prophets, culminating in Jesus, who was granted clear miracles and supported by the Holy Spirit (Gabriel). Yet their response was consistently hostile. The core reason the Quran identifies is telling: “every time a messenger came to you with what your souls did not desire.” The prophets challenged their tribal arrogance, class interests, and corrupt practices. Out of that arrogance (istakbartum), they either denied the prophets or, in the gravest crime, killed them.

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Q: In Verse 88, they say “Our hearts are wrapped.” What does this mean, and how does the Quran respond?

وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ ۚ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلًا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“And they say, ‘Our hearts are wrapped.’ Rather, Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is it that they believe.”

A: When confronted with truth, they offered this as an excuse — claiming their hearts were naturally sealed or incapable of understanding. The Quran firmly rejects this. The sealing of their hearts is not a natural condition they were born with; it is a curse from God that resulted from their own persistent, willful disbelief (kufr). Their rejection was a conscious choice, not an incapacity. That is why genuine belief from them is described as rare.

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Q: Verse 89 describes a remarkable act of betrayal. What happened?

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ ۚ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

“And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming that which was with them – and before they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved – but when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it. So the curse of Allah will be upon the disbelievers.”

A: This verse highlights what Maududi considers a profound hypocrisy. The Jewish scholars of Medina were well acquainted with prophecies about a coming prophet in their own scriptures. Before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ arrived, they even used to invoke his impending appearance as a kind of threat against the pagan Arabs, praying for victory through him. Yet when that very Prophet came — clearly matching the descriptions they recognized — they rejected him. The reason? He was not from Israelite lineage. This exposed that their loyalty was to tribe, not to truth. Willful rejection after clear knowledge of this kind, the Quran declares, invites God’s curse.

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Q: What “wretched trade” does Verse 90 describe, and what was the real motive behind it?

بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بَغْيًا أَن يُنَزِّلَ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۖ فَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ عَلَىٰ غَضَبٍ ۚ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

“How wretched is that for which they sold themselves – that they would disbelieve in what Allah has revealed, out of resentment that Allah would send down His grace upon whom He wills of His servants. So they returned with wrath upon wrath. And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.”

A: The verse uses the metaphor of a disastrous transaction: they “sold” their souls for the worst possible price, which was rejecting God’s revelation. The Quran names the real motive precisely — baghyan, meaning resentment or envy. They could not tolerate that God would bestow the final, universal prophethood upon an Arab from the line of Ishmael rather than from their own people. They had considered prophethood their exclusive inheritance. This tribal chauvinism amounted to making their lineage an idol before God. The consequence is “wrath upon wrath” — their long history of rejecting prophets had already accumulated divine anger, and rejecting the final Prophet added to it. Their punishment will fittingly be one of humiliation.

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Q: In Verse 91, they claim to believe in what was revealed to them. How does the Quran expose this claim as hollow?

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا نُؤْمِنُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَاءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

“And when it is said to them, ‘Believe in what Allah has revealed,’ they say, ‘We believe only in what was revealed to us.’ 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?’”

A: They claim to believe only in the Torah and reject any subsequent revelation. The Quran turns their own history against them: if they were truly believers in the Torah and the God who gave it, why did they kill the prophets God sent them? Their actions expose the truth — their “belief” was never sincere submission to God’s ongoing will. It was a tribalist claim of ownership over a scripture, not genuine faith.

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Q: What do Verses 92 and 93 add to this argument?

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكُم مُّوسَىٰ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

“And Moses certainly came to you with clear proofs; then you took the calf in worship after him, while you were wrongdoers.”

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاسْمَعُوا ۖ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِهِ إِيمَانُكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

“And when We took your covenant and raised over you the mount, saying, ‘Take what We have given you with strength and listen.’ They said instead, ‘We hear and disobey.’ And their hearts absorbed the worship of the calf because of their disbelief. Say, ‘How wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if you should be believers.’”

A: These verses establish that this pattern of rejecting truth is not recent but historically ingrained. Verse 92 recalls the worship of the golden calf — their foundational act of betrayal committed almost immediately after receiving the greatest proof through Moses and the Torah. Verse 93 goes deeper, revealing their inner state at Sinai. When they accepted the covenant under the terrifying sight of the raised mountain, their outward submission concealed an inner rebellion. The Quran captures their true sentiment as “We hear and disobey” (sami’na wa ’asayna). Because of this inherent disbelief, love for the calf — symbolizing base desires and materialism — became absorbed (ushribu) into their very hearts. Their faith was a hollow shell, and the Quran mocks it accordingly: “How wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you.”

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Q: Verses 94–96 issue a challenge about the Hereafter. What is the logic of this challenge?

قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ عِندَ اللَّهِ خَالِصَةً مِّن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

“Say, ‘If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is exclusively for you and not for other people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful.’”

وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ

“But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.”

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا ۚ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَنْ يُعَمَّرَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

“And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life – even more than those who associate others with Allah. One of them wishes that he could be granted a life of a thousand years. But it would not remove him from the punishment that he should be granted a long life. And Allah is Seeing of what they do.”

A: The challenge is sharp and logical. They claimed exclusive right to Paradise, believing only they were destined for God’s favour. The Quran responds: if you truly believe this, then wish for death right now — hasten to that exclusive bliss you claim awaits you. Verse 95 answers for them: they will never wish for it, because their own conscience, burdened by what their hands have committed, testifies against them. They know the truth inwardly. Verse 96 then delivers a striking psychological observation — they are in fact the most intensely attached to worldly life, even more so than polytheists, driven by a deep fear of the reckoning to come. Even living a thousand years would not save them from the consequences of their deeds. Their desperate clinging to life is, Maududi notes, a symptom of their spiritual sickness.

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Q: Why does Verse 97 specifically mention Gabriel, and what was the claim being refuted?

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“Say, ‘Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel – it is none but he who has brought it down upon your heart by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the believers.’”

A: Some Jewish scholars had spread the slander that the revelation came through an evil angel, or that Gabriel was their enemy. The Quran addresses this directly: Gabriel is simply the agent of God’s will. He brought the Quran down upon the Prophet’s heart by God’s permission, confirming the scriptures that came before it and serving as guidance and glad tidings for believers. Hostility toward Gabriel, therefore, is not a theological nicety — it is hostility toward divine guidance itself.

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Q: How does Verse 98 bring the entire passage to a close?

مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ

“Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael – then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.”

A: This verse delivers the ultimate conclusion. Rejecting the messengers, the angels, and the instruments of revelation is not a dispute with intermediaries — it amounts to declaring enmity with God Himself. And the response is solemn and symmetrical: God, in turn, is the enemy of such disbelievers. Maududi draws the circle closed here: their attitude mirrors that of Iblis, who refused to honor Adam out of arrogance about his own origin. They refuse to honor the final Prophet out of arrogance about their lineage. In both cases, pride of origin was placed before obedience to God — and in both cases, the result was the same: becoming an enemy of God.

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Q: What is the overarching lesson Maududi draws from this entire passage?

A: Maududi identifies five interlocking points. First, the Children of Israel had a consistent historical pattern of rejecting or killing prophets whose message threatened their comforts. Second, their core sin was baghya — resentful tribal chauvinism that made the tribe itself an idol before God. Third, their claims of faith were exposed as hollow, contradicted both by their actions and by their extreme, fear-driven love of worldly life. Fourth, their arrogance is the spiritual inheritance of Iblis — refusing to submit because of pride in one’s own origins. Fifth, by rejecting the final revelation and its bearer, they had chosen their side in the cosmic struggle, making God their enemy. This sustained, logical, and historical argument concludes the case against them and prepares the ground for the lessons that follow for the believers.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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VERSE 75

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 75?

Arabic: أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

Translation: Do you (believers) still hope that they (the Jews) will believe in you, when a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort them knowingly after they had understood them?

Q: Who is this verse addressing?

This verse addresses the Muslims, particularly those who were optimistic about the Jews of Medina accepting Islam.

Q: What historical sin does this verse expose?

The verse reveals that their scholars and rabbis would receive the Torah and its teachings but then deliberately distort them after understanding them clearly.

Q: What two types of distortion does Maududi identify?

1. Tahrif Lafzi (Distortion of the Text): Altering the actual words of scripture
2. Tahrif Ma’nawi (Distortion of Meaning): Misinterpreting clear verses to suit their desires

Q: What is the significance of the word “knowingly” in this verse?

It indicates this was not an error or misunderstanding, but deliberate, culpable corruption. Given this ingrained practice of tampering with revelation, the verse questions how they could be expected to honestly accept the final, uncorrupted revelation (the Quran).

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VERSE 76

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 76?

Arabic: وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ قَالُوا أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُم بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَاجُّوكُم بِهِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

Translation: And when they meet those who believe, they say, “We believe.” But when they are alone with one another, they say, “Do you inform them of what Allah has revealed to you, so they may argue with you before your Lord? Have you no sense?”

Q: What dual-faced behavior does this verse expose?

Outwardly, they would claim belief to Muslims to avoid conflict. Privately, their scholars warned each other not to reveal prophecies about Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) found in their scriptures.

Q: What was their fear according to this verse?

They feared that Muslims would use these prophecies as evidence against them on the Day of Judgment.

Q: What absurdity does Maududi point out?

They were more concerned about losing an argument in the hereafter than about the truth itself. The rhetorical question “Have you no sense?” condemns this foolish prioritization.

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VERSE 77

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 77?

Arabic: أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

Translation: Do they not know that Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare?

Q: What fundamental principle does this verse remind us of?

Divine omniscience—their secret plots and concealed truths are fully known to God. Their attempt to hide evidence is futile before the One who is the ultimate Witness.

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VERSE 78

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 78?

Arabic: وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا أَمَانِيَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

Translation: And among them are unlettered ones who do not know the Scripture except [empty] wishes, and they are only assuming.

Q: Who are the “unlettered ones” mentioned in this verse?

The common folk who were ignorant of the actual scripture, as distinguished from the corrupt scholars.

Q: What does “wishes” (Amanni) refer to?

Their “knowledge” was merely hearsay, folklore, and baseless traditions passed down by their leaders. Their religion was built on assumptions, not on direct understanding of the divine text.

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VERSE 79

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 79?

Arabic: فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۖ فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ

Translation: So woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands, then say, “This is from Allah,” in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.

Q: Who does this verse target?

The rabbis and scribes who physically forged scripture by literally writing things with their own hands.

Q: What three crimes does this verse identify?

1. They physically wrote forgeries (adding to or altering texts)
2. They attributed these forgeries to God, passing them off as divine revelation
3. They did this for worldly gain like wealth, status, and political influence

Q: Why is “Woe” (Wayl) mentioned twice?

The double “Woe” emphasizes the severity of the crime—both for the act of forgery itself and for the ill-gotten gains they acquired through it.

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VERSE 80

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 80?

Arabic: وَقَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً ۚ قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ عَهْدَهُ ۖ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Translation: And they say, “The Fire will never touch us except for a few numbered days.” Say, “Have you taken a covenant from Allah? For Allah will never break His covenant. Or do you say about Allah that which you do not know?”

Q: What false doctrine does this verse expose?

They believed that as descendants of Abraham, any punishment in Hell would be brief (e.g., 40 days).

Q: What logical challenge does the Quran present to this belief?

Two questions: (1) Do you have a covenant from God guaranteeing this? If so, God never breaks His word. (2) If not, then you are inventing lies against God, attributing to Him what you have no knowledge of.

Q: What does this verse condemn?

Religious beliefs based on wishful thinking and tribal chauvinism rather than authentic revelation.

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VERSE 81

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 81?

Arabic: بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Translation: Yes [on the contrary], whoever earns an evil deed and is enveloped by his sin – those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.

Q: What false belief does this verse overturn?

Their belief that punishment would be brief. The true criterion is not lineage but deeds.

Q: What does “enveloped by his sin” mean?

According to Maududi, this refers to the ultimate evil—Shirk (associating partners with God) and persistent Kufr (denial of truth). When one’s sin becomes their defining, unchanging state, their fate is eternal Hell.

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VERSE 82

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 82?

Arabic: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Translation: But those who believe and do righteous deeds – those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.

Q: What universal condition for salvation does this verse reaffirm?

True faith coupled with righteous action. Together with verse 81, these verses present the only two eternal destinations.

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VERSE 83

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 83?

Arabic: وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مُّعْرِضُونَ

Translation: And [recall] when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel, [enjoining upon them], “Do not worship except Allah; and to parents do good and to relatives, orphans, and the needy. And speak to people good [words] and establish prayer and give zakah.” Then you turned away, except a few of you, and you were refusing.

Q: What are the core elements of the covenant mentioned in this verse?

Pure monotheism, social responsibility (kindness to family, orphans, the poor), good speech, prayer, and charity.

Q: How does Maududi characterize this covenant?

As a microcosm of all divine law.

Q: How did the Children of Israel respond to this covenant?

They turned away from this comprehensive covenant, “except a few” righteous individuals. The majority were in a state of active refusal.

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VERSE 84

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 84?

Arabic: وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ

Translation: And [recall] when We took your covenant, [saying], “Do not shed your [i.e., each other’s] blood or evict one another from your homes.” Then you acknowledged [this] while you were witnessing.

Q: What specific covenant is recalled in this verse?

The prohibition against internal civil strife, murder, and exile among their own tribes, which they had solemnly agreed to.

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VERSE 85

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 85?

Arabic: ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَٰؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَارِهِمْ تَظَاهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِالْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَارَىٰ تُفَادُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

Translation: Then, you are those [same ones] who kill one another and evict a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.

Q: What breach of covenant does this verse describe?

They were doing the very things they covenanted against—killing and exiling fellow Jews, likely in tribal conflicts.

Q: What contradictory behavior is exposed?

While unlawfully exiling people, they would later ransom captives from those conflicts, treating the symptom while perpetuating the disease.

Q: What is the core accusation in this verse?

“So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part?” This is the defining sin—accepting laws that suited them (like ransom) but rejecting others (like the prohibition of civil strife).

Q: Why is selective obedience condemned?

Religion cannot be treated like a cafeteria; accepting divine authority must be total, not partial.

Q: What dual punishment does this verse mention?

“Disgrace in worldly life” (the historical humiliation and subjugation they suffered) and “the severest punishment” in the Hereafter.

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VERSE 86

Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of verse 86?

Arabic: أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْآخِرَةِ ۖ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

Translation: Those are the ones who have bought the worldly life [in exchange] for the Hereafter, so the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be aided.

Q: What “bankrupt trade” does this verse describe?

Choosing the fleeting gains of this world—tribal pride, wealth from forgery, political power—over the eternal rewards of the Hereafter.

Q: What will be their fate on the Day of Judgment?

They have incurred a debt that cannot be reduced. They will find no relief and no helper on the Day of Judgment.

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SUMMARY QUESTIONS

Q: What are the main themes of verses 75-86 according to Maududi?

1. Corruption of the Source: Deliberate distortion of divine revelation by religious elites for worldly gain
2. Hypocrisy and Concealment: Hiding the truth even from themselves
3. Invented Doctrines: Creating self-serving theologies based on wishful thinking
4. Selective Obedience: Accepting parts of the law while rejecting others
5. The Ultimate Loss: Selling eternity for temporary gain

Q: What warning does this passage provide to the Muslim community?

It serves as a grave warning to guard against all these maladies: corrupting revelation, hiding truth, inventing convenient doctrines, and practicing selective obedience to divine law.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

VERSES WITH TRANSLATIONS AND TAFSEER

https://voiceofquran5.com/verses-75-86-of-surah-al-baqarah/

Verse 62

Q: What is the universal criterion for salvation according to verse 62?

Arabic Verse:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

A: The verse establishes three universal conditions for salvation that applied before Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ): (1) Belief in Allah (true monotheism), (2) Belief in the Last Day (accountability), and (3) Righteous deeds. Any individual from any community who truly fulfilled these conditions would be saved. However, Maududi emphasizes that with the coming of the final Messenger, belief must now also include belief in Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Quran.

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Verse 63

Q: What dramatic event accompanied the giving of the Torah to the Israelites?

Arabic Verse:
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

A: The mountain (Mount Sinai) was raised over their heads as a solemn threat to ensure their obedience. They were commanded to hold fast to the Torah “with determination” and to internalize its teachings to achieve Taqwa (God-consciousness). This awesome circumstance set up the seriousness of their subsequent covenant-breaking.

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Verse 64

Q: What saved the Israelites from total ruin after they turned away from their covenant?

Arabic Verse:
ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَكُنتُم مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

A: Only God’s recurring patience and mercy saved them from immediate and total ruin. This mercy manifested through sending new prophets and accepting repentance, despite their persistent pattern of turning away from their covenant.

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Verses 65-66

Q: What was the punishment for those who transgressed the Sabbath, and what was its purpose?

Arabic Verses:
وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ

فَجَعَلْنَاهَا نَكَالًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

A: Those who violated the Sabbath through deceit underwent a transformation into apes—a moral and spiritual metamorphosis that left them devoid of higher purpose and dignity. This punishment served as an “exemplary punishment” for their own time and all future generations, and as an admonition for the God-fearing about the consequences of playing games with God’s clear commandments.

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Verses 67-71: The Story of the Cow

Q: What does the story of the cow reveal about the Israelites’ attitude toward divine commands?

Arabic Verses:
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا ۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِيَ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا فَارِضٌ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَافْعَلُوا مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا لَوْنُهَا ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفْرَاءُ فَاقِعٌ لَّوْنُهَا تَسُرُّ النَّاظِرِينَ

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِيَ إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشَابَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّا إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ

قَالَ إِنَّهُو يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ الْأَرْضَ وَلَا تَسْقِي الْحَرْثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لَّا شِيَةَ فِيهَا ۚ قَالُوا الْآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

A: The story illustrates their profound evasiveness and contentiousness. When given a simple command to slaughter a cow, they responded with insolent suspicion, accusing Moses of mocking them. They then raised endless trivial questions about the cow’s age, color, and characteristics—using pretended quest for detail as a tactic to avoid submission. Maududi explains the moral: when people are resolved to evade truth, they raise pointless objections until compliance becomes nearly impossible. They finally slaughtered the cow reluctantly, only after the description became so specific it identified a unique animal.

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Verses 72-73

Q: What was the purpose behind the command to slaughter the cow, and what greater truth did the miracle point to?

Arabic Verses:
وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا فَادَّارَأْتُمْ فِيهَا ۖ وَاللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ

فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْيِي اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَيُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

A: The command was connected to a murder mystery where tribes were disputing. The slain man was to be struck with a piece of the slaughtered cow, and through God’s miracle, he was revived and identified his killer. The ultimate lesson: “Thus does Allah bring the dead to life.” This physical miracle pointed to the greater reality of spiritual revival and the ultimate Resurrection, meant to make them reason and reflect.

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Verse 74

Q: How does Allah describe the condition of the Israelites’ hearts after witnessing such clear miracles?

Arabic Verse:
ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الْأَنْهَارُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

A: Their hearts became harder than stone. Maududi elaborates on the profound contrast: even hard stone can be a source of life (gushing water), can split to let water through, or can fall down in fear of Allah. But their hearts—despite receiving the “water” of revelation—remained barren, unmoved, and unyielding. The verse concludes with a solemn warning: “And Allah is not unaware of what you do”—their internal hardness and outward obstinacy are fully recorded.

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Summary Questions

Q: What are the core lessons Maududi draws from verses 62-74?

A: Four essential lessons emerge:

1. Universal Criterion for Salvation: Salvation has always been based on true faith and righteous action, not mere religious affiliation.
2. The Disease of Evasion: The parable of the Cow demonstrates how diseased hearts use quibbling, feigned confusion, and insincerity to avoid submitting to clear truth.
3. The Miracle and Its Rejection: God provides clear signs and miracles, but these only benefit receptive hearts. For others, they increase hardness.
4. A Warning to Muslims: The entire passage warns believers not to follow the path of those who turned religion into legalistic evasions and whose hearts became impervious to guidance. True faith requires immediate, sincere, and humble submission.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

VERSES WITH TRANSLATION AND TAFSEER

https://voiceofquran5.com/verses-62-74-of-surah-al-baqarah/

Introduction

Q: What is the main theme of verses 47-61?

A: These verses continue the direct address to the Children of Israel, reciting specific historical instances of God’s unparalleled favor to them and their subsequent ingratitude and rebellion. The tone becomes more forceful, using their own history as evidence against their current arrogance and rejection of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

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Verse 47

Q: What does verse 47 say?

القرآن: يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

Translation: O Children of Israel! Remember My favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you over all other peoples (of your time).

Q: What does “I preferred you over all other peoples” mean according to Maududi?

A: This refers to a specific historical period following their exodus. God chose them to be the bearers of His revelation and granted them political and religious supremacy for a time, making them the guiding nation. This was not due to any inherent superiority but a divine trust, making their subsequent corruption a greater betrayal.

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Verse 48

Q: What warning does verse 48 give?

القرآن: وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَّا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

Translation: And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.

Q: What false belief does this verse dismantle?

A: It dismantles their false sense of collective security and ancestral privilege. On the Day of Judgment, no one can bear another’s burden, no mediation will be accepted without God’s permission, no ransom will be taken, and no worldly power will help. This erases any notion of salvation through ethnicity or lineage.

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Verses 49-50: Deliverance from Pharaoh

Q: What favor is mentioned in verse 49?

القرآن: وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَاكُم مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكُم بَلَاءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ

Translation: And [remember] when We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.

A: Their national salvation: deliverance from the genocidal oppression of Pharaoh. This immense blessing was also a test of their gratitude and fidelity.

Q: What miracle is described in verse 50?

القرآن: وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَاكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ

Translation: And [remember] when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on.

A: The parting of the sea—a clear, supernatural act of divine intervention. The phrase “while you were looking on” emphasizes they were eyewitnesses to God’s power and their enemies’ destruction.

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Verses 51-52: The Golden Calf

Q: What sin did they commit in verse 51?

القرآن: وَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

Translation: And [remember] when We made an appointment with Moses for forty nights. Then you took the calf [for worship] in his absence, and you were wrongdoers.

A: Almost immediately after their miraculous salvation, while Moses was receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, they fell into idolatry by worshipping the golden calf. This was outright polytheism (Shirk) at the very moment of covenant-making.

Q: How did God respond according to verse 52?

القرآن: ثُمَّ عَفَوْنَا عَنكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Translation: Then We forgave you after that so that perhaps you would be grateful.

A: Despite their gross act, God accepted their repentance. This pattern—great favor, sin, divine forgiveness—was meant to instill profound gratitude and loyalty.

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Verse 53: The Torah

Q: What gift is mentioned in verse 53?

القرآن: وَإِذْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَالْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

Translation: And [remember] when We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion that perhaps you would be guided.

A: The gift of the Torah (Al-Kitab), which contained the Criterion (Al-Furqan) to distinguish truth from falsehood. Guidance was provided in the clearest form.

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Verses 54-56: Repentance and Revival

Q: What severe command did they receive in verse 54?

القرآن: وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُم بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

Translation: And [remember] when Moses said to his people, “O my people, you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves [the guilty among you]. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator.” Then He accepted your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.

A: This was a prescribed ritual of atonement for idolatry—a symbolic act where the guilty would be killed by the innocent, demonstrating collective repentance. Their willingness to submit led to God’s forgiveness.

Q: What arrogant demand did they make in verse 55?

القرآن: وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ

Translation: And [remember] when you said, “O Moses, we will never believe you until we see Allah outright,” so the thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on.

A: They demanded a direct, physical vision of God—an impossible and arrogant request. This met with a punitive lightning bolt as a lesson in humility.

Q: What happened in verse 56?

القرآن: ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Translation: Then We revived you after your death that perhaps you would be grateful.

A: Even after punishment, God restored them to life, continuing the cycle: sin, punishment, mercy, and repeated opportunity for gratitude.

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Verse 57: Sustenance in the Wilderness

Q: What provision did God give them in verse 57?

القرآن: وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ ۖ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

Translation: And We shaded you with clouds and sent down upon you manna and quails, [saying], “Eat from the good things with which We have provided you.” And they wronged Us not, but they were [only] wronging themselves.

A: Sustenance and protection in the wilderness: cooling clouds and miraculous food (manna and quail). The verse emphasizes that their disobedience didn’t harm God but only corrupted their own souls.

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Verses 58-59: Entering the City

Q: What command were they given in verse 58?

القرآن: وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًا وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ ۚ وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Translation: And [remember] when We said, “Enter this city and eat from it wherever you will in [ease and] abundance, and enter the gate bowing humbly and say, ‘Relieve us of our burdens,’ (Hittah). We will [then] forgive your sins for you, and we will increase the doers of good [in goodness].”

A: Upon reaching the Promised Land, they were to enter the city gate in prostration, uttering words of penitence (“Hittah”). This was a test of obedience and humility.

Q: How did they respond in verse 59?

القرآن: فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

Translation: But those who wronged changed [those] words to other than what they were told. So We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment from the sky because they were defiantly disobeying.

A: They failed the test. In mockery and defiance, they altered the words of penitence to something insolent, entering crawling on their buttocks while saying words of ridicule. This brought swift punishment (likely a plague).

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Verse 60: Water from the Rock

Q: What miracle is described in verse 60?

القرآن: وَإِذِ اسْتَسْقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ ۖ فَانفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا ۖ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ ۖ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا مِن رِّزْقِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ

Translation: And [remember] when Moses prayed for water for his people, so We said, “Strike the stone with your staff.” And there gushed forth from it twelve springs, and every people knew its drinking place. “Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption.”

A: The miracle of twelve springs from the rock, providing structured sustenance for all tribes. The command that follows links material provision to moral responsibility—they were not to use their sustenance for tyranny and corruption.

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Verse 61: The Climax of Ingratitude

Q: What complaint did they make in verse 61?

القرآن: وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَاحِدٍ فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنبِتُ الْأَرْضُ مِن بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّائِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ اهْبِطُوا مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا وَّكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ

Translation: And [remember] when you said, “O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its lentils, and its onions.” He [Moses] said, “Would you exchange what is better for what is inferior? Go down to any settlement and indeed you will have what you have asked.” And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with wrath from Allah. That was because they [repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allah and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were [habitually] transgressing.

Q: What does this complaint symbolize?

A: Despite receiving heavenly manna, they complained and longed for the base vegetables of Egypt—the land of their bondage. This symbolizes preferring the lowly comforts of subservience to falsehood over the noble but simple sustenance of freedom under God.

Q: What was Moses’ response?

A: “Would you exchange what is better for what is inferior?”—highlighting their spiritual decline in trading spiritual elevation for worldly desire.

Q: What was their lasting fate?

A: Perpetual humiliation and poverty and divine wrath. This was the historical consequence of their accumulated crimes: rejecting God’s signs, killing prophets, persistent disobedience, and transgression.

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Overall Summary from Tafheemul Quran

Q: What is the purpose of this historical recitation according to Maududi?

A: It serves multiple purposes:

• Dismantles pride: Divine favor in the past is no guarantee if the covenant is broken
• Defines ingratitude (Kufr): The arrogance to demand different signs, mock commands, prefer the low over the high, and rebel despite blessings
• Establishes a universal law: Great Blessing → Ingratitude & Arrogance → Chastisement & Humiliation
• Warns the Muslim nation: To learn from this history and avoid the traps of arrogance, ingratitude, and preferring worldly gain over divine truth

VERSES WITH TRANSLATION & TAFSEER

https://voiceofquran5.com/verses-47-61-of-surah-al-baqarah/

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Ayat 172:

يٰٓاَ يُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُلُوۡا مِنۡ طَيِّبٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنٰكُمۡ وَاشۡكُرُوۡا لِلّٰهِ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ ﴿2:172﴾

“Believers! Eat of the pure things wherewith We have provided you for sustenance and give thanks to Allah if it is Him that you serve.”

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Ayat 173:

اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيۡکُمُ الۡمَيۡتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحۡمَ الۡخِنۡزِيۡرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ بِهٖ لِغَيۡرِ اللّٰهِ​ۚ فَمَنِ اضۡطُرَّ غَيۡرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَلَاۤ اِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ ﴿2:173﴾

“He has made unlawful to you only carrion and blood and the flesh of swine and that over which there has been pronounced the name of anyone other than Allah’s. But he who is constrained (to eat of them) – and he neither covets them nor exceeds the indispensable limit – incurs no sin: Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.”

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Q: What instruction does Allah give to believers in Ayat 172?

A: Allah commands the believers to eat from the pure and lawful things He has provided for their sustenance, and to give thanks to Him — on the condition that it is truly Him they worship and serve.

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Q: Why is this command significant in context?

A: It directly addresses those who had imposed unlawful taboos on themselves through ancestral traditions, priestly rulings, or superstitious practices. Believers are told that true faith in Allah means accepting what He has permitted without guilt, and abstaining only from what He has prohibited. Clinging to invented prohibitions is itself a sign that the influence of pre-Islamic ignorance remains.

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Q: What does the Prophetic tradition cited in the notes add to this understanding?

A: The Prophet is reported to have said that whoever prays in the Muslim manner, faces the qiblah, and eats of lawfully slaughtered animals is a Muslim. This indicates that a person is not fully assimilated into Islam if they retain pre-Islamic food taboos and superstitions, as these reflect that “the poison of Ignorance continues to flow in his veins.”

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Q: What four things has Allah explicitly prohibited in Ayat 173?

A: Allah has prohibited carrion (dead animals not properly slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and any animal over which a name other than Allah’s has been pronounced at the time of slaughter.

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Q: Why is pronouncing a name other than Allah’s over food considered prohibited?

A: Because Allah alone is the master and provider of all things. Invoking any other name at the time of slaughter or food preparation implies acknowledging another being as a lord or benefactor alongside or instead of Allah, which contradicts the foundation of monotheism.

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Q: Does Allah make any allowance for consuming prohibited things under necessity?

A: Yes. Ayat 173 grants a concession under three strict conditions: first, the person must be in a state of extreme compulsion where life itself is at risk; second, they must have no inclination or desire to violate Allah’s law; and third, they must not consume beyond the absolute minimum required to survive. Under these conditions, no sin is incurred.

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Q: How does Allah conclude Ayat 173, and what does it convey?

A: Allah concludes with His names “All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate,” conveying that He is not a harsh legislator seeking to burden His servants, but a merciful Lord who acknowledges human vulnerability and grants measured relief in genuine hardship.

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SURAH 2 AL-BAQARAH, AYAT 170-171

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Arabic Text:

وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوۡا مَآ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ قَالُوۡا بَلۡ نَـتَّبِعُ مَآ اَلۡفَيۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ اٰبَآءَنَا ؕ اَوَلَوۡ كَانَ اٰبَآؤُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ شَيۡـئًـا وَّلَا يَهۡتَدُوۡنَ ﴿2:170﴾

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِيۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا كَمَثَلِ الَّذِىۡ يَنۡعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسۡمَعُ اِلَّا دُعَآءً وَّنِدَآءً ؕ صُمٌّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡـىٌ فَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ ﴿2:171﴾

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Q: What do Ayat 170-171 address?

A: These two verses address the stubbornness of those who refuse to follow divine revelation, preferring instead to blindly follow the customs and practices of their forefathers, even when those forefathers lacked understanding and right guidance.

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Q: What is the response of the disbelievers when told to follow what Allah has revealed (2:170)?

A: They say, “No, we shall follow what we found our forefathers adhering to.” Their only justification for clinging to their taboos and practices was that they had been sanctioned by ancestral tradition passed down through generations — an argument they considered sufficient, despite its flimsiness.

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Q: What does Allah say in response to their appeal to ancestral tradition?

A: Allah challenges them with a rhetorical question: “What! Even if their forefathers were devoid of understanding and right guidance?” This exposes the irrationality of blindly following tradition regardless of whether it has any basis in reason or truth.

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Q: What parable does Allah use in Ayat 171 to describe the disbelievers?

A: Allah compares them to cattle being called by a shepherd — they hear only sounds and shouting but understand nothing of the meaning behind the call. They are described as deaf, dumb, and blind, and therefore incapable of comprehension.

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Q: What are the two aspects of this parable as explained in the notes?

A: The parable carries a dual meaning. First, it likens the disbelievers to irrational herd animals that follow their leaders without understanding where they are being led. Second, it describes their indifference to the Truth — when preached to, they are like animals that register only sounds but cannot grasp meaning. The expression deliberately lends itself to both interpretations.

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Q: What is the significance of the phrase “deaf, dumb and blind” in this context?

A: These terms are used spiritually rather than literally. The disbelievers have closed themselves off from hearing the truth, speaking it, and perceiving it — rendering them incapable of rational reflection or genuine understanding of divine guidance.

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Interviewer: Today, we’re discussing a very important verse from Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 158, which deals with the hills of Safa and Marwah. To help us understand its depth, we’ll refer to the explanation from Tafheemul Quran by Maulana Maududi.

Let’s begin by reading the verse itself.

Reciter:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”

القرآن: إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ۚ وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

Translation: “Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs Umrah – there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good – then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing.”

Interviewer: Thank you. This verse, while seemingly straightforward, addresses a very real and human concern for the early Muslims. To start, what is the significance of Safa and Marwah?

Scholar: The verse itself establishes their significance right away. Allah declares that these two hills, إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ (“Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah”). The term “sha’a’ir Allah” refers to the distinctive rites and landmarks of Islam that Allah has ordained as sacred. So, their importance comes directly from divine command.

Interviewer: So, why was there a need for Allah to explicitly say there is “no blame” in walking between them? The phrase فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ (“there is no blame upon him”) suggests some people might have thought there was.

Scholar: That’s an excellent observation, and it gets to the heart of Maududi’s explanation. The issue was historical and psychological. Before Islam, during the period of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), the pagan Arabs had placed idols on these very hills—an idol named Isaf on Safa and Na’ilah on Marwah—and they would perform their own rites there.

Now, imagine you are a new Muslim convert from Mecca. You have just rejected polytheism in its entirety. The thought of walking between these two hills, which were once centers of idol worship, might feel uncomfortable. You might worry that performing this act could be seen as continuing a pagan tradition.

Interviewer: That makes perfect sense. It was a matter of conscience for the new believers.

Scholar: Precisely. The revelation came to resolve this inner conflict. It clarifies that the act of walking between them, فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ (“for one who makes Hajj or performs Umrah”), is now an act of worship commanded by Allah. It has been purified and reclaimed from its pagan past. The “blame” or sin is not in the physical act, but in the intention. When done for Allah, it is a righteous deed.

Interviewer: So, it’s about purifying the act itself. But the verse also connects this ritual to a deeper, monotheistic history, doesn’t it?

Scholar: Yes, it implicitly redirects our focus from the recent pagan past to the original, pure legacy of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). This ritual, the Sa’i, commemorates the desperate search for water by Hajar (Hagar), the wife of Ibrahim. She ran between these two hills seven times looking for water for her infant son, Ismail (Ishmael). So, by performing Sa’i, Muslims are not following the pagans; they are following in the footsteps of a great mother and a prophet’s wife, connecting themselves to the authentic monotheistic tradition.

Interviewer: That’s a beautiful re-framing. Now, the verse ends with a broader principle: وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ (“And whoever volunteers good – then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing”). How does this fit in?

Scholar: This concluding part has a dual purpose, according to Maududi.

1. Encouragement: It encourages believers to not just do the obligatory acts, but to also volunteer extra good deeds. In this context, it encourages the performance of Sa’i and other rites with zeal and devotion, promising that Allah is “Appreciative” (Shakir) and will reward even the smallest effort.
2. Reassurance: More broadly, it serves as a final reassurance. It tells the believers that Allah is “Knowing” (Aleem)—He knows your intentions. If you perform an act that outwardly resembles a pre-Islamic practice, but your intention is pure and you are doing it solely because Allah has commanded it, He knows your heart and will accept it from you.

Interviewer: So, what are the core takeaways from this single, profound verse?

Scholar: We can summarize it in a few key points:

· Purification of Rites: Islam sanctifies and purifies rituals, separating them from any past association with polytheism. A place or act becomes sacred by divine command and sincere intention.
· Resolving Inner Conflicts: The guidance is compassionate and practical. It addresses the psychological hurdles of new believers, freeing them from doubt and allowing them to worship with a clear conscience.
· The Primacy of Intention: This verse beautifully illustrates the Islamic principle that the value of any action is judged by the intention (niyyah) behind it.
· Continuity with the Abrahamic Legacy: It connects the Ummah (community of believers) directly to its spiritual roots in the actions of Hajar and Ibrahim, strengthening their faith and identity.

Interviewer: A powerful lesson in intention and legacy. Thank you for this enlightening explanation.