Context from Tafheem: This section continues the direct admonition of the Children of Israel, but intensifies its focus. It moves from their general history of disobedience to a specific pattern: their rejection and mistreatment of the prophets sent to them for their own reform. It culminates in identifying their underlying disease—an arrogant preference for their own tribal biases over divine truth, a trait they inherited from their ancestor Iblis (Satan).
سورة البقرة (Surah Al-Baqarah)
آية 87
القرآن: 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
Translation: 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 (Gabriel). 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 [of messengers] you denied, and another party you killed.
Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):
Maududi explains this verse presents the ultimate indictment: their transgression was not just against the law but against the law-givers themselves—the prophets.
· Continuity of Guidance: God did not abandon them after Moses. He sent a chain (qaffayna) of prophets thereafter, culminating in Jesus, who was given clear miracles and divine support.
· The Consistent Response: Despite this, their response was consistently negative. The core reason is identified: “every time a messenger came to you with what your souls did not desire.” The prophets called them to equity, justice, and purity, challenging their tribal arrogance, class interests, and corrupt practices.
· The Result: Out of arrogance (istakbartum), they reacted by either denying the prophets or, in the ultimate crime, killing them. This historical pattern of prophet-killing (mentioned in 2:61) is reiterated as their gravest sin.
آية 88
القرآن: وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ ۚ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلًا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Translation: And they say, “Our hearts are wrapped.” (i.e., are uncircumcised / sealed). Rather, Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is it that they believe.
Explanation: When confronted with the truth, they offered a foolish excuse: “Our hearts are wrapped”—meaning they are incapable of understanding or accepting. The Quran refutes this. The sealing is not a natural state but a curse from God resulting from their own persistent disbelief (kufr). Their rejection is a conscious choice, and thus genuine belief from them is rare.
آية 89
القرآن: 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
Translation: 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.
Explanation: Maududi highlights the profound hypocrisy of the Jewish scholars of Medina.
· The Evidence They Knew: They recognized the prophecies of the coming Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ) in their own scriptures.
· Their Prior Hope: Before his advent, they even “used to pray for victory” against the pagan Arabs using his impending arrival, saying a prophet would come with whom they would destroy the disbelievers.
· The Ultimate Betrayal: Yet, when that same Prophet came, clearly matching the descriptions they knew, they disbelieved in him because he was not from Israelite lineage. This exposed that their allegiance was to tribe, not to truth. Such willful rejection after clear knowledge invites God’s curse.
آية 90
القرآن: 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
Translation: 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.
Explanation:
· The Wretched Trade: Again, the metaphor of a bankrupt trade. They “sold” their souls for the worst price: rejecting God’s revelation.
· The Root Motive – Baghyan (Resentment/Envy): The real reason for their rejection is pinpointed. It was “out of resentment that Allah would send down His grace upon whom He wills.” They believed prophethood was the exclusive right of the Israelites. That God would bestow this final, universal prophethood upon an Arab from Ishmael’s line was intolerable to their tribal chauvinism.
· Cumulative Anger: Their history of rejecting prophets had already accumulated God’s wrath. Now, by rejecting the final Prophet, they brought “wrath upon wrath.” Their punishment will be fittingly “humiliating.”
آية 91
القرآن: 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
Translation: 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?”
Explanation:
This verse exposes the contradiction in their claim to be true believers.
· Selective Belief: They claim to believe only in what was revealed to them (the Torah), rejecting any subsequent revelation (like the Gospel and the Quran).
· The Logical Refutation: The Quran challenges this by pointing to their own history. If they were true believers in the Torah and its God, why did they kill the very prophets God sent to them? Their actions prove their “belief” is a hollow claim of tribal possession, not sincere submission to God’s ongoing will.
آية 92
القرآن: وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكُم مُّوسَىٰ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ
Translation: And Moses certainly came to you with clear proofs; then you took the calf [in worship] after him, while you were wrongdoers.
Explanation: A reminder of their foundational act of betrayal immediately after receiving the greatest proof (Moses and the Torah)—the worship of the calf. This establishes that their propensity for rejecting truth in favor of their desires is not new but intrinsic to their historical pattern.
آية 93
القرآن: 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
Translation: And [recall] 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.”
Explanation:
Maududi explains this as a profound insight into their inner state.
· The Covenant Under Duress: At Sinai, they were compelled to accept the covenant under the terrifying sight of the raised mountain.
· The Inner Disobedience: Their outward submission hid an inner rebellion. The Quran reveals their true sentiment: “We hear and disobey” (Sami’na wa ‘asayna). This was not a verbal statement but the attitude of their hearts.
· The Ingrained Idol: Because of this inherent disbelief, love for the calf (symbolizing base desires and materialism) became “absorbed” (ushribu) into their very hearts. Their “faith” was thus a hollow shell. The final challenge—”How wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you”—mocks the outcome of such a “faith,” which leads only to idolatry and disobedience.
آية 94
القرآن: قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ عِندَ اللَّهِ خَالِصَةً مِّن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
Translation: 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.”
Explanation: A logical challenge to their claim of exclusive right to Paradise. If they truly believed only they were saved, they should wish for immediate death to hasten to that exclusive bliss. Their refusal to do so exposes the falsity of their claim.
آية 95
القرآن: وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ
Translation: But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.
Explanation: They will never wish for death because their own conscience, burdened by their misdeeds (what their hands have put forth), testifies against them. They know the truth in their hearts. God is fully aware of their wrongdoing.
آية 96
القرآن: 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
Translation: 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.
Explanation: Maududi notes this as a psychological observation. Their intense love for this worldly life, exceeding even that of polytheists, stems from their lack of true faith in the Hereafter and their fear of the accounting to come. Even a life of a thousand years would not save them from the punishment they have earned through their deeds. Their greed for life is a symptom of their spiritual sickness.
آية 97
القرآن: قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Translation: Say, “Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel – it is [none but] he who has brought it [the Quran] down upon your heart by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the believers.”
Explanation: This verse addresses a specific slander by some Jewish scholars who claimed that Muhammad’s (ﷺ) revelation came from an “evil angel” or that Gabriel was their enemy. The Quran refutes this:
· Gabriel is merely the agent of God’s will.
· He brought the Quran, which confirms previous scriptures, provides guidance, and gives glad tidings.
· Therefore, hostility to Gabriel is, in essence, hostility to this divine guidance itself.
آية 98
القرآن: مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ
Translation: 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.
Explanation: Maududi explains this as the ultimate conclusion. Rejecting the messengers and angels of God is tantamount to declaring enmity to God Himself. By their hostility to the means of revelation (Gabriel) and the final Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ), they have placed themselves in the camp of God’s enemies. The verse ends with a solemn declaration: God, in turn, is the enemy of such disbelievers. This connects their attitude directly back to the original enemy, Iblis.
Summary from Tafheemul Quran Perspective (Verses 87-98):
This passage, according to Maududi, exposes the spiritual roots of the Jewish opposition to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
- Pattern of Prophet Rejection: Their history is one of rejecting or killing prophets whose message challenged their desires.
- Tribal Arrogance as Idolatry: Their core sin is Baghya—resentment and arrogant tribal chauvinism that made them reject a prophet from outside their lineage, effectively making tribe an idol before God.
- Hollow Claims of Faith: Their “belief” is exposed as a tribalist claim, contradicted by their actions (killing prophets) and their extreme greed for worldly life.
- Inheritors of Iblis’s Arrogance: Their attitude mirrors that of Iblis, who refused to honor Adam out of arrogance regarding his origin. They refuse to honor the final Prophet out of arrogance regarding their lineage.
- Declaration of Enmity: By rejecting the final revelation and its bearer, they have chosen a side in the cosmic struggle, making God their enemy. This concludes the sustained, logical, and historical argument against their stance, preparing the ground for the subsequent lessons for the believers.
Messages from Quran 