Al-Baqara (ٱلْبَقَرَة)

Surah Al-Baqarah (Al-Baqara) is the second and longest surah (chapter) in the Holy Quran. The literal translation of 'Al-Baqarah' is 'The Cow' or 'The Heifer.' However, its subject matter spans several significant topics, including fasting, interest, usury, Islamic law, and stories of previous prophets. Surah Al-Baqarah imparts several rules on Muslims, along with warnings about the people who came before them (such as the Jews). This surah also contains many of the most famous Quranic verses, including the Ayat-ul-Kursi (The Throne Verse), which is the longest verse in the Holy Quran. 

Scholars agree that this is mostly a Madni Surah, revealed after the Prophet's (ﷺ) Hijra (migration) to Medina. It contains 286 verses and 40 Rukus, which take up most of the first Juz of the Quran (excluding Surah Fatihah), all of the second Juz, and parts of the third Juz. The last few verses (282-286) were revealed in Makkah before the Prophet's (ﷺ) migration. Scholars also believe that the riba verses (275-280) were revealed in Makkah during the last and only pilgrimage (Hajj) of the Prophet (ﷺ). Verse 281 is said to be the very last Quranic verse revealed on 10h Dhul Hijjah, around 90 days before the Prophet (ﷺ) passed away. 

٢ - ٱلْبَقَرَة

2 - Al-Baqara

الۗمّۗ۝۱ۚ
Aliflammeem

English

Ahmed Ali

ALIF LAM MIM.

1

ذٰلِكَ الْكِتٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ۝۰ۚۖۛ فِيْہِ۝۰ۚۛھُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِيْنَ۝۲ۙ
Thalika alkitabu la rayba feehi hudan lilmuttaqeena

English

Ahmed Ali

This is The Book free of doubt and involution, a guidance for those who preserve themselves from evil and follow the straight path,

2

الَّذِيْنَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُـقِيْمُوْنَ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنٰھُمْ يُنْفِقُوْنَ۝۳ۙ
Allatheena yuminoona bialghaybi wayuqeemoona alssalata wamimma razaqnahum yunfiqoona

English

Ahmed Ali

Who believe in the Unknown and fulfil their devotional obligations, and spend in charity of what We have given them;

3

وَالَّذِيْنَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِمَاۗ اُنْزِلَ اِلَيْكَ وَمَاۗ اُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ۝۰ۚ وَبِالْاٰخِرَۃِ ھُمْ يُوْقِنُوْنَ۝۴ۭ
Waallatheena yuminoona bima onzila ilayka wama onzila min qablika wabialakhirati hum yooqinoona

English

Ahmed Ali

Who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed to those before you, and are certain of the Hereafter.

4

اُولٰۗىِٕكَ عَلٰي ھُدًى مِّنْ رَّبِّہِمْ۝۰ۤوَاُولٰۗىِٕكَ ھُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ۝۵
Olaika AAala hudan min rabbihim waolaika humu almuflihoona

English

Ahmed Ali

They have found the guidance of their Lord and will be successful.

5

اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا سَوَاۗءٌ عَلَيْہِمْ ءَاَنْذَرْتَھُمْ اَمْ لَمْ تُنْذِرْھُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ۝۶
Inna allatheena kafaroo sawaon AAalayhim aanthartahum am lam tunthirhum la yuminoona

English

Ahmed Ali

As for those who deny, it is all the same if you warn them or not, they will not believe.

6

خَتَمَ اللہُ عَلٰي قُلُوْبِہِمْ وَعَلٰي سَمْعِہِمْ۝۰ۭ وَعَلٰۗي اَبْصَارِہِمْ غِشَاوَۃٌ۝۰ۡوَّلَھُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيْمٌ۝۷ۧ
Khatama Allahu AAala quloobihim waAAala samAAihim waAAala absarihim ghishawatun walahum AAathabun AAatheemun

English

Ahmed Ali

God has sealed their hearts and ears, and veiled their eyes. For them is great deprivation.

7

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَّقُوْلُ اٰمَنَّا بِاللہِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ وَمَا ھُمْ ￀مِنِيْنَ۝۸ۘ
Wamina alnnasi man yaqoolu amanna biAllahi wabialyawmi alakhiri wama hum bimumineena

English

Ahmed Ali

And there are some who, though they say: "We believe in God and the Last Day," (in reality) do not believe.

8

يُخٰدِعُوْنَ اللہَ وَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا۝۰ۚ وَمَا يَخْدَعُوْنَ اِلَّاۗ اَنْفُسَھُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ۝۹ۭ
YukhadiAAoona Allaha waallatheena amanoo wama yakhdaAAoona illa anfusahum wama yashAAuroona

English

Ahmed Ali

They (try to) deceive God and those who believe, yet deceive none but themselves although they do not know.

9

فِىْ قُلُوْبِہِمْ مَّرَضٌ۝۰ۙ فَزَادَھُمُ اللہُ مَرَضًا۝۰ۚ وَلَھُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِـيْمٌۢ۝۰ۥۙ بِمَا كَانُوْا يَكْذِبُوْنَ۝۱۰
Fee quloobihim maradun fazadahumu Allahu maradan walahum AAathabun aleemun bima kanoo yakthiboona

English

Ahmed Ali

Sick are their hearts, and God adds to their malady. For them is suffering for they lie.

10

Themes and Subject Matter of Surah Al-Baqarah

The most overarching theme of Surah Al-Baqarah is guidance. Many of the verses are urging the Jews and the mushrikeen (the pagans) to come to the straight path. The guidance here is also an answer to the prayer in the preceding Surah Al-Fatihah. Along with urging, the surah also gives examples of what happened to people who did not heed God's word before this. In Surah Al-Baqarah, we often see admonishments, especially for the Jews residing in Madinah at the time. These were people who knew about the Oneness of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎, about prophets, the angels, and the Day of Judgment. 

Surah Al-Baqarah states that these people recognize the similarities between their religion and what the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) preached, i.e., Islam. However, they still ignore the message of Islam. Moreover, they strayed from the straight path and included many customs, rituals, and beliefs far removed from the true faith. Plus, they had made changes to the Torah and tweaked the interpretations to suit their own goals. As a result, they are especially warned and addressed in the Holy Quran.

Makkan Surahs are mostly about establishing the fundamental principles of Islam and moral training. After the Hijra, the Madni Surahs were more concerned with cultural, socio-economic, and legal issues. Additionally, the Muslim community had to deal with the munafiqin (hypocrites) in Madina.  These were people who claimed to accept Islam but didn't want to follow it wholeheartedly. Some wanted only the worldly benefits that Muslims had after migration. Others showed themselves to be in the fold of Islam but meant to harm it from within. Surah Al-Baqarah was sent partly to help Muslims, especially the Prophet (ﷺ), deal with all these problems. 

Virtues and Benefits of Surah Al-Baqarah

Surah Al-Baqarah has a variety of benefits and virtues for those who recite this surah. It contains the Ayat-ul-Kursi, which is widely believed to provide protection and blessings to any believer who recites it. The rest of Surah Al-Baqarah is useful for seeing Allah's (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ protection from evil and harm. 

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (R.A) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said: "Do not turn your houses into graves. Indeed, Ash-Shaitan (Devil/Satan) does not enter the house in which Surah Al Baqarah is recited." (Tirmidhi: 2877)

The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) also said: "Everything has a hump (or high peak), and the hump of the Quran is Surah Al Baqarah. If anyone recites it in his house during the night, no devil will enter it for three nights; if anyone recites it in his house during the day-time, no devil will enter it for three days." (Tirmidhi: 2878)

Another narration is about the last couple of verses in Surah Al-Baqarah. Here, Hazrat Abu Masud (R.A.) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said: "Whoever recites the last two Verses of Surah Al-Baqarah at night, that will be sufficient for him." (Sunan Ibn Majah: 1369)

Here, sufficient means that these two verses might be able to make up the blessings of Tahajjud on that night. Hence, if someone forgets to pray Tahajjud, he should make sure to recite the last two verses of this surah to get a similar level of Allah's (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) mercy. 'Sufficient' may also mean that reciting these verses will, insha’Allah, be enough to ward off calamities, harm, and trouble for the reciter.