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 5 (Verses 2:40–2:46): Israelite Prophecies Fulfilled in the Quran
Translation:
یٰبَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ اذۡکُرُوۡا نِعۡمَتِیَ الَّتِیۡۤ اَنۡعَمۡتُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ وَ اَوۡفُوۡا بِعَہۡدِیۡۤ اُوۡفِ بِعَہۡدِکُمۡ ۚ وَ اِیَّایَ فَارۡہَبُوۡنِ ﴿۴۰﴾
2:40 O Children of Israel, call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and be faithful to (your) covenant with Me, I shall fulfil (My) covenant with you; and Me, Me alone, should you fear.1
وَ اٰمِنُوۡا بِمَاۤ اَنۡزَلۡتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَکُمۡ وَ لَا تَکُوۡنُوۡۤا اَوَّلَ کَافِرٍۭ بِہٖ ۪ وَ لَا تَشۡتَرُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِیۡ ثَمَنًا قَلِیۡلًا ۫ وَّ اِیَّایَ فَاتَّقُوۡنِ ﴿۴۱﴾
2:41 And believe in what I have revealed, verifying what is (already) with you, and do not be the first to deny it; nor take a small price for My messages;2 and keep your duty to Me, Me alone.
وَ لَا تَلۡبِسُوا الۡحَقَّ بِالۡبَاطِلِ وَ تَکۡتُمُوا الۡحَقَّ وَ اَنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۴۲﴾
2:42 And do not mix up truth with falsehood, nor hide the truth while you know.
وَ اَقِیۡمُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ اٰتُوا الزَّکٰوۃَ وَ ارۡکَعُوۡا مَعَ الرّٰکِعِیۡنَ ﴿۴۳﴾
2:43 And keep up prayer and give the due charity3 and bow down with those who bow down.
اَتَاۡمُرُوۡنَ النَّاسَ بِالۡبِرِّ وَ تَنۡسَوۡنَ اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ وَ اَنۡتُمۡ تَتۡلُوۡنَ الۡکِتٰبَ ؕ اَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُوۡنَ ﴿۴۴﴾
2:44 Do you tell people to be good and neglect your own souls while you read the Book? Have you then no sense?
وَ اسۡتَعِیۡنُوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَ الصَّلٰوۃِ ؕ وَ اِنَّہَا لَکَبِیۡرَۃٌ اِلَّا عَلَی الۡخٰشِعِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۵﴾
2:45 And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and this is hard except for the humble ones,
الَّذِیۡنَ یَظُنُّوۡنَ اَنَّہُمۡ مُّلٰقُوۡا رَبِّہِمۡ وَ اَنَّہُمۡ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ ﴿٪۴۶﴾
2:46 who know that they will meet their Lord and that to Him they will return.
Commentary:
- After speaking of the need of Divine Revelation, the Quran now speaks of a nation to whom this favour was granted, among whom many prophets were raised and who were also made rulers in the earth (see 5:20). The Jewish people who are addressed here are generally mentioned as Children of Israel, Israel being the other name of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham. For the covenants spoken of here, see Deuteronomy 26:17–19. The covenant included the acceptance of the revelation to the promised prophet of Deut. 18:18. ↩
- The verification referred to here is clearly the fulfilment of the promise contained in Deuteronomy 18:15–18: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear…”. No prophet ever claimed to have come in fulfilment of this prophecy except the Holy Prophet Muhammad. The religious leaders rejected the truth which the Holy Prophet brought, fearing to lose their high position as leaders. They thus sacrificed truth to the inducements of this life, and took “a small price” for it. ↩
- These are the two fundamental principles of religion: worship of God through prayer to Him, and service of humanity or helping the poor. ↩