سورة البقرة (Surah Al-Baqarah)
آية 1
القرآن: الم
Translation: Alif. Lam. Mim.
Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):
These are called the “Huruf al-Muqatta’at” (Disjointed Letters). Maududi explains that they are meant to draw attention and are a challenge of the Quran’s inimitable nature. They signify that this divine Book, though conveyed in the familiar letters of the Arabic language, is composed in a way no human can replicate. Their primary purpose is to alert the listener that what follows is of supreme importance.
آية 2
القرآن: ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
Translation: This is the Book! There is no doubt about it. It is a guidance for the God-fearing.
Explanation:
· “This is the Book!”: Refers specifically to the Quran. The word “Kitab” implies something written and permanent, indicating its status as a complete, preserved code of guidance.
· “There is no doubt about it”: Its divine origin and truth are absolute and unquestionable.
· “Guidance for the God-fearing”: Maududi emphasizes that the Quran’s guidance is fully effective only for those who have Taqwa (God-consciousness). Taqwa is the attitude of the heart that fears God’s displeasure, desires His pleasure, and is thus prepared to follow the truth when it comes. The Quran does not compel; it guides those who are sincerely seeking guidance.
آية 3
القرآن: الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
Translation: Those who believe in the unseen, establish the Prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.
Explanation:
This verse begins describing the key characteristics of “the God-fearing” (Al-Muttaqun):
- “Believe in the unseen”: This is the foundation of faith (Iman). It means believing in God, angels, revelation, the Last Day, and the hereafter—realities beyond ordinary human perception, confirmed only through divine revelation.
- “Establish the Prayer (Salah)”: This signifies the regular, devoted performance of the prescribed prayers, which is the practical manifestation of belief and the primary means of sustaining one’s connection with God.
- “Spend out of what We have provided”: This refers to Zakat (obligatory charity) and voluntary spending in God’s way. It purifies wealth and the soul, fostering social responsibility and combating greed.
آية 4
القرآن: وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ
Translation: And who believe in what has been sent down to you (O Prophet) and what was sent down before you, and have firm faith in the Hereafter.
Explanation:
Continuing the traits of the God-fearing:
- Belief in all revelation: They believe in the Quran revealed to Muhammad (ﷺ) and in the original, uncorrupted revelations sent to previous prophets (like the Torah, Psalms, Gospel). This establishes the principle of the unity of divine guidance throughout history.
- Certainty in the Hereafter: Their belief in the life after death, accountability, Paradise, and Hell is not superficial but a profound certainty that governs their entire worldview and actions.
آية 5
القرآن: أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
Translation: It is they who are upon (true) guidance from their Lord, and it is they who are the successful.
Explanation:
Maududi states that this is the conclusion about the aforementioned people. True guidance from God is what they are upon, and true success—in this world and the next—belongs to them alone. “Success” (Al-Falaah) here implies deliverance from loss and the attainment of eternal prosperity.
آية 6
القرآن: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Translation: Indeed, those who have rejected (the truth), it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them—they will not believe.
Explanation:
The discourse now shifts to the first category of people in relation to the Quran: the disbelievers who have deliberately chosen rejection. Maududi explains that this refers to those whose hearts and minds are so obstinately closed that they have resolved not to believe. For such people, the Prophet’s warning has no effect because the issue is not a lack of information, but a willful denial.
آية 7
القرآن: خَتَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ ۖ وَعَلَىٰ أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Translation: Allah has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their sight is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.
Explanation:
Maududi clarifies that the sealing and veiling are a consequence of their own persistent, willful rejection and denial of the truth, not an arbitrary act by God. When people repeatedly choose falsehood over clear truth, their hearts become spiritually insensitive, their ears deaf to guidance, and their eyes blind to signs. This state is then described as a “seal” from Allah—a divine judgment on their own choice. The verse ends with the inevitable outcome of such a state: a tremendous punishment.
Summary of the Tafheem Perspective (Verses 1-7):
These opening verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, according to Maududi’s exegesis, immediately establish the Quran’s divine authority and then categorize humanity in their response to it. They first define the successful believers (Al-Muttaqun) by their spiritual and moral traits. Then, they describe the incorrigible disbelievers whose stubbornness has rendered their hearts impervious to guidance, as a result of their own choices. The subsequent verses (after 7) will introduce a third, large group: the hypocrites. This sets the stage for the Quran’s comprehensive guidance for humanity.
Messages from Quran 