Verses 2:1-7

Translation in English/Urdu, brief summary, detailed explanatory notes urdu links and their english translation at the end

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بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

الٓـمّٓ ۚ﴿۱﴾ ذٰلِکَ الۡکِتٰبُ لَا رَیۡبَ ۚۖۛ فِیۡہِ ۚۛ ہُدًی لِّلۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ ۙ﴿۲﴾ الَّذِیۡنَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡغَیۡبِ وَ یُقِیۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰہُمۡ یُنۡفِقُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۳﴾ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ وَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ ۚ وَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ ہُمۡ یُوۡقِنُوۡنَ ؕ﴿۴﴾ اُولٰٓئِکَ عَلٰی ہُدًی مِّنۡ رَّبِّہِمۡ ٭ وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُوۡنَ ﴿۵﴾ اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا سَوَآءٌ عَلَیۡہِمۡ ءَاَنۡذَرۡتَہُمۡ اَمۡ لَمۡ تُنۡذِرۡہُمۡ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۶﴾ خَتَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ وَ عَلٰی سَمۡعِہِمۡ ؕ وَ عَلٰۤی اَبۡصَارِہِمۡ غِشَاوَۃٌ ۫ وَّ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِیۡمٌ ٪﴿۷﴾

اللہ کے نام سے جو رحمان و رحیم ہے۔

الف،لام،میم¹ ۔یہ اللہ کی کتاب ہے ،اس میں کوئی شک نہیں² ہے۔ہدایت ہے اُن پرہیزگاروں کے³ لئے جو غیب پر ایمان لاتے⁴ ہیں،نماز قائم کرتے ہیں⁵،جو رزق ہم نے اُن کو دیا ہے ،اس میں سے خرچ کرتے ہیں⁶، جو کتاب تم پر نازل کی گئی ہے ﴿یعنی قرآن﴾ اور جو کتابیں تم سے پہلے نازل کی گئی تھیں ان سب پر ایمان لاتےہیں⁷، اور آخرت پر یقین رکھتے ہیں⁸، ایسے لوگ اپنے رب کی طرف سے راہ راست پر ہیں اور وہی فلاح پانے والے ہیں۔ جن لوگوں نے﴿ان باتوں کو تسلیم کرنے سے﴾ انکار کر دیا،⁹اُن کے لئے یکساں ہے،خواہ تم انہیں خبردار کرویا نہ کرو،بہر حال وہ ماننے والےنہیں۔اللہ نے اُن کے دلوں اور ان کے کانوں پر مُہرلگادی ہے¹⁰ اور ان کی آنکھوں پر پردہ پڑگیاہے۔وہ سخت سزا کے مستحق ہیں ۔ ؏١

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):

1. “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.
2. “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.
3. “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:

4. 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.
5. 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.

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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.

FOOT NOTES

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 1

These huruf al-muqatta’at (disjointed letters) are found at the beginning of some surahs of the Qur’an. In the era when the Qur’an was revealed, the use of such disjointed letters was a well-known feature of the prevailing styles of expression. Orators and poets alike made use of this device, and examples of it can still be found in the specimens of pre-Islamic (Jahiliyyah) speech that have been preserved.

Because of this common usage, these letters were not a riddle that no one but the speaker could understand; rather, listeners generally knew what was meant by them. This is why none of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) contemporary opponents ever raised the objection: “What are these meaningless letters you recite at the beginning of some surahs?” It is also why no report has been transmitted from the Companions that they ever asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about their meaning.

Later, this style gradually fell into disuse in the Arabic language, and as a result it became difficult for the commentators to determine their meanings with certainty. It is clear, however, that deriving guidance from the Qur’an does not depend on understanding the meaning of these letters, nor will a person’s attainment of the right path be deficient in any way if he does not know their meaning. Therefore, it is not at all necessary for the ordinary reader to wander about perplexed in researching them.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 2

One plain and simple meaning of this is: “Undoubtedly, this is the Book of Allah.” But it can also mean that this is a Book in which there is nothing doubtful.

All the books in the world that deal with metaphysical matters and with realities beyond human perception are based on conjecture and speculation. That is why even their own authors cannot be free of doubt about their statements, however much certainty they may profess. This Book, however, is based entirely on knowledge of the truth. Its Author is the One who has knowledge of all realities, so there is in fact no room for doubt in it. It is another matter if people, out of their own ignorance, entertain doubts about its statements.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 3

That is, this Book is guidance and direction through and through, but to benefit from it a person must possess certain qualities. The first of these is that he be muttaqi (“God-conscious” or “pious”): that he distinguishes between good and evil, wishes to avoid evil, seeks what is good, and is eager to act upon it.

As for those who live in the world like animals, who are never troubled by the thought of whether what they are doing is right or not, and who simply go wherever the world is heading, wherever their desires push them, or wherever their feet happen to carry them, there is no guidance in the Qur’an for such people.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 4

This is the second condition for benefiting from the Qur’an. Al-Ghayb (“the Unseen”) refers to those realities that are hidden from human senses and never come directly within the experience and observation of ordinary people: for example, the Being and attributes of God, the angels, revelation, Paradise, Hell, and so on. To accept these realities without seeing them, and to accept them in reliance on the fact that the Prophet is informing us of them, is iman bil-ghayb (belief in the Unseen).

The meaning of the verse is that only a person who is prepared to accept these imperceptible realities can benefit from the guidance of the Qur’an. As for the one who makes seeing, tasting, and smelling a condition for belief, and who says, “I cannot accept anything that cannot be measured and weighed,” such a person cannot find guidance from this Book.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 5

This is the third condition. It means that those who merely profess belief and then sit idle cannot benefit from the Qur’an. To benefit from it, a person must, immediately after coming to faith, be ready for practical obedience. And the first and enduring sign of practical obedience is salah (prayer).

Not even a few hours pass after a person accepts faith before the mu’adhdhin calls to prayer, and at that very moment it is decided whether the one claiming faith is also ready to obey. Thereafter, the mu’adhdhin continues to call five times every day, and whenever a person fails to respond to his call, it becomes clear at that moment that the claimant of faith has stepped outside of obedience. Abandoning prayer, therefore, is in reality abandoning obedience. And it is obvious that for someone who is not even prepared to act upon another’s guidance, giving him guidance or not giving it is one and the same.

It should also be understood here that iqamat as-salah (“establishing the prayer”) is a comprehensive term. It does not merely mean that a person should perform the prayer regularly; rather, it means that the system of prayer should be properly established on a collective level. If in a community every individual observes prayer on his own, but there is no arrangement for performing this obligation in congregation, it cannot be said that the prayer is being established there.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 6

This is the fourth condition for benefiting from the guidance of the Qur’an: that a person not be narrow-hearted or a worshipper of wealth; that he be ready to fulfil the rights of God and of His servants that are prescribed in his wealth; and that he not hold back from making financial sacrifices for the sake of that in which he has believed.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 7

This is the fifth condition: that a person acknowledge as true all the Books that God revealed through wahy (revelation) to Muhammad (peace be upon him) and to the Prophets before him, in different ages and lands.

By virtue of this condition, the door to the Qur’an’s guidance is closed to all those who:

• do not believe at all that human beings need guidance from God; or
• accept this need, yet consider it unnecessary to turn to revelation and prophethood for it, and instead formulate certain theories of their own and declare these to be divine guidance; or
• do believe in heavenly Books, but believe only in the Book or Books that their forefathers have always accepted, while refusing to accept the other guidance that has issued from the very same source.

Setting all such people aside, the Qur’an opens its fountain of grace only to those who acknowledge that they stand in need of divine guidance, and who also accept that this guidance of God does not come to every human being separately, but reaches mankind only through the Prophets and the heavenly Books. Further, they are not afflicted with any racial or national prejudice, but are devoted to the truth alone, and so bow their heads before the truth wherever and in whatever form it has come.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 8

This is the sixth and final condition. Al-Akhirah (“the Hereafter”) is a comprehensive term that applies to a whole set of beliefs. It includes the following:

1. That man is not without responsibility in this world, but is answerable before God for all his deeds.
2. That the present order of the world is not eternal; rather, it will come to an end at a time known only to God.
3. That after the end of this world, God will create another world, and in it He will bring back to life, all at once, the entire human race that was born on earth from the beginning of creation until the Day of Resurrection. He will gather them all, take account of their deeds, and give each one the full recompense for what he did.
4. That, according to this judgment of God, those who are declared righteous will enter Paradise, and those who are judged wicked will be cast into Hell.
5. That the true criterion of success and failure is not prosperity or misery in the present life; rather, the truly successful person is the one who is found successful in God’s final judgment, and the failure is the one who fails there.

Those who do not have conviction in this set of beliefs cannot derive any benefit from the Qur’an. For, let alone denying these things, if a person harbors even doubt and hesitation about them in his heart, he cannot walk the path that the Qur’an has prescribed for human life.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 9

That is, they did not fulfil the six conditions mentioned above, and refused to accept all of them, or even any one of them.

Surah Al-Baqarah — Footnote No. 10

This does not mean that God had set a seal on them and that is why they refused to accept. Rather, it means that when they rejected the fundamental matters mentioned above, and chose for themselves a path opposed to the one presented by the Qur’an, God then set a seal upon their hearts and ears.

Anyone who has ever had occasion to engage in tabligh (conveying the message) will have experienced this state of being sealed. When a person, after examining the way you present, rejects it once, his mind starts moving in the opposite direction in such a way that nothing you say makes sense to him anymore. His ears become deaf to your call, and his eyes become blind to the merits of your way, and one clearly senses that his heart has, in fact, been sealed.