English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 2: Al-Baqarah — The Cow (Revealed at Madinah: 40 sections, 286 verses)
Section 25 (Verses 2:197–2:210): The Pilgrimage
Translation:
اَلۡحَجُّ اَشۡہُرٌ مَّعۡلُوۡمٰتٌ ۚ فَمَنۡ فَرَضَ فِیۡہِنَّ الۡحَجَّ فَلَا رَفَثَ وَ لَا فُسُوۡقَ ۙ وَ لَا جِدَالَ فِی الۡحَجِّ ؕ وَ مَا تَفۡعَلُوۡا مِنۡ خَیۡرٍ یَّعۡلَمۡہُ اللّٰہُ ؕؔ وَ تَزَوَّدُوۡا فَاِنَّ خَیۡرَ الزَّادِ التَّقۡوٰی ۫ وَ اتَّقُوۡنِ یٰۤاُولِی الۡاَلۡبَابِ ﴿۱۹۷﴾
2:197 The months of the pilgrimage are well known; so whoever determines to perform pilgrimage in them, there shall be no immodest speech, nor abusing, nor altercation in the pilgrimage. And whatever good you do, Allah knows it.1 And make provision for yourselves, the best provision being to keep one’s duty. And keep your duty to Me, you people of understanding.
لَیۡسَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ جُنَاحٌ اَنۡ تَبۡتَغُوۡا فَضۡلًا مِّنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ ؕ فَاِذَاۤ اَفَضۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ عَرَفٰتٍ فَاذۡکُرُوا اللّٰہَ عِنۡدَ الۡمَشۡعَرِ الۡحَرَامِ ۪ وَ اذۡکُرُوۡہُ کَمَا ہَدٰىکُمۡ ۚ وَ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِہٖ لَمِنَ الضَّآلِّیۡنَ ﴿۱۹۸﴾
2:198 It is no sin for you that you seek the bounty of your Lord.2 So when you press on from Arafat,3 remember Allah near the Holy Monument,4 and remember Him as He has guided you, though before that you were certainly in error.
ثُمَّ اَفِیۡضُوۡا مِنۡ حَیۡثُ اَفَاضَ النَّاسُ وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرُوا اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۱۹۹﴾
2:199 Then hasten on from where the people hasten on, and ask the forgiveness of Allah.5 Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
فَاِذَا قَضَیۡتُمۡ مَّنَاسِکَکُمۡ فَاذۡکُرُوا اللّٰہَ کَذِکۡرِکُمۡ اٰبَآءَکُمۡ اَوۡ اَشَدَّ ذِکۡرًا ؕ فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یَّقُوۡلُ رَبَّنَاۤ اٰتِنَا فِی الدُّنۡیَا وَ مَا لَہٗ فِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ مِنۡ خَلَاقٍ ﴿۲۰۰﴾
2:200 And when you have performed your devotions, extol Allah as you extolled your fathers, rather a stronger extolling.6 But there are some people who say: Our Lord, give us (good) in the world. And for such there is no portion in the Hereafter.
وَ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّقُوۡلُ رَبَّنَاۤ اٰتِنَا فِی الدُّنۡیَا حَسَنَۃً وَّ فِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ حَسَنَۃً وَّ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿۲۰۱﴾
2:201 And there are some among them who say: Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.7
اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ نَصِیۡبٌ مِّمَّا کَسَبُوۡا ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ سَرِیۡعُ الۡحِسَابِ ﴿۲۰۲﴾
2:202 For those there is a portion on account of what they have earned. And Allah is Swift in reckoning.
وَ اذۡکُرُوا اللّٰہَ فِیۡۤ اَیَّامٍ مَّعۡدُوۡدٰتٍ ؕ فَمَنۡ تَعَجَّلَ فِیۡ یَوۡمَیۡنِ فَلَاۤ اِثۡمَ عَلَیۡہِ ۚ وَ مَنۡ تَاَخَّرَ فَلَاۤ اِثۡمَ عَلَیۡہِ ۙ لِمَنِ اتَّقٰی ؕ وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ وَ اعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّکُمۡ اِلَیۡہِ تُحۡشَرُوۡنَ ﴿۲۰۳﴾
2:203 And remember Allah during the appointed days. Then whoever hastens off in two days, it is no sin for him; and whoever stays behind, it is no sin for him, for one who keeps his duty.8 And keep your duty to Allah, and know that you will be gathered together to Him.
وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یُّعۡجِبُکَ قَوۡلُہٗ فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا وَ یُشۡہِدُ اللّٰہَ عَلٰی مَا فِیۡ قَلۡبِہٖ ۙ وَ ہُوَ اَلَدُّ الۡخِصَامِ ﴿۲۰۴﴾
2:204 And among people is he whose speech about the life of this world pleases you, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the most violent of adversaries.
وَ اِذَا تَوَلّٰی سَعٰی فِی الۡاَرۡضِ لِیُفۡسِدَ فِیۡہَا وَ یُہۡلِکَ الۡحَرۡثَ وَ النَّسۡلَ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ لَا یُحِبُّ الۡفَسَادَ ﴿۲۰۵﴾
2:205 And when he holds authority, he makes effort in the land to cause mischief in it and destroy crops and offspring; and Allah does not love mischief.
وَ اِذَا قِیۡلَ لَہُ اتَّقِ اللّٰہَ اَخَذَتۡہُ الۡعِزَّۃُ بِالۡاِثۡمِ فَحَسۡبُہٗ جَہَنَّمُ ؕ وَ لَبِئۡسَ الۡمِہَادُ ﴿۲۰۶﴾
2:206 And when it is said to him, Be careful of your duty to Allah, pride carries him off to sin — so hell is sufficient for him. And certainly evil is the resting-place.9
وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یَّشۡرِیۡ نَفۡسَہُ ابۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ رَءُوۡفٌۢ بِالۡعِبَادِ ﴿۲۰۷﴾
2:207 And among people is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is Compassionate to the servants.
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا ادۡخُلُوۡا فِی السِّلۡمِ کَآفَّۃً ۪ وَ لَا تَتَّبِعُوۡا خُطُوٰتِ الشَّیۡطٰنِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ لَکُمۡ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِیۡنٌ ﴿۲۰۸﴾
2:208 O you who believe, enter into complete peace and do not follow the footsteps of the devil. Surely he is your open enemy.
فَاِنۡ زَلَلۡتُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَتۡکُمُ الۡبَیِّنٰتُ فَاعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ عَزِیۡزٌ حَکِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۰۹﴾
2:209 But if you slip after clear arguments have come to you, then know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.
ہَلۡ یَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ یَّاۡتِیَہُمُ اللّٰہُ فِیۡ ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الۡغَمَامِ وَ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ وَ قُضِیَ الۡاَمۡرُ ؕ وَ اِلَی اللّٰہِ تُرۡجَعُ الۡاُمُوۡرُ ﴿۲۱۰﴾٪
2:210 They only wait that Allah should come to them in the shadows of the clouds with angels, and the matter has (already) been decided. And to Allah are (all) matters returned.10
Commentary:
- The pilgrimage represents the final stage of spiritual progress, and hence the pilgrim is told not to speak words which should be a source of annoyance to anybody. Perfect love of God requires perfect peace with fellow beings; hence no offence should be caused to anyone. The doing of good to others is recommended instead in the words whatever good you do, Allah knows it. ↩
- Seeking the bounty of the Lord here stands for trading. What is meant is that there is no harm in seeking an increase of wealth by trading in Makkah in the pilgrimage season. ↩
- ‘Arafāt is the place where the pilgrims assemble on the 9th of the month of Dhu-l-Ḥijjah, towards the close of the pilgrimage. Here the vast gathering from all countries and nations clad in one dress, with one utterance, labbaika Allāh-umma labbaika (here I am, O Allah, in Your Presence), declares the glory of God. The word ‘Arafāt is derived from ‘arafa, meaning he knew, or acquainted himself with, a thing, and there is undoubtedly a reference in this name to the fact that here people feel truly the august Divine presence. ↩
- This is the place known as Muzdalafah, or the ground bordering on it, where the pilgrims stop for the night after their return from Arafat on the evening of the 9th Dhu-l-Ḥijjah. ↩
- The Quraish and the Kananah used to stay at Muzdalafah, thinking it beneath their dignity to join other pilgrims in going to the plain of Arafat. As all distinctions were levelled by Islam, they were told to consider themselves on a par with others ↩
- In pre-Islamic times people used to boast among themselves of the greatness of their fathers after they had performed the pilgrimage. The Quran forbade people to boast of the greatness of their fathers, and told them to celebrate the praise of Allah instead. ↩
- This is the true Muslim’s prayer. As he is taught to pray for both the good of this life and that of the next, so he should exert himself to attain good in this life as well as in the Hereafter. ↩
- The appointed days are the three days following the day of Sacrifice, and are called the days of Tashrīq. Ordinarily pilgrims leave on the afternoon of the last day of Tashrīq days, but they are allowed to leave on the evening of the second day. ↩
- Mihād (“resting-place”) means a cradle, and also what a man has prepared for himself. Hell is a thing which a man prepares for himself; and for a new spiritual growth in the Hereafter in the case of those who retarded that growth in this world, it serves the same purpose as the cradle for a child. Elsewhere hell is called an umm or mother (101:9). ↩
- The coming of Allah stands for the coming of the threatened punishment for those who wanted to annihilate Islam. The matter has already been decided, because it was repeatedly made clear in the earliest revelations that all opposition to Islam would perish. ↩