Alim - Islamic software for Quran and Hadith
Back arrow Back
Bookmark iconBookmarks
Bookmark iconReciters list
Bookmark iconArabic font settings
Bookmark iconEnglish font settings
Bookmark iconReset global font settings
  • Al-Qur'anKids Qur'anAl Qur'an RecitersAl Qur'an VideosAl Qur'an TranslationsAl Qur'an Compare TranslationAl Qur'an TafsirAl-Quran Surah InformationAppendix
  • Hadith CollectionAl-Muwatta HadithFiqh-us-SunnahSahih Bukhari HadithSahih Muslim HadithNawawi HadithAl-TirmidhiHadith QudsiSunan of Abu Dawood HadithSunan an-Nasai HadithSunan Ibn Majah Hadith
  • Islamic HistoryAbout IslamKhalifa Abu BakrKhalifa Umar bin al-KhattabKhalifa Uthman ibn AffanKhalifa Ali bin Abu TalibProphet CompanionsStories of ProphetsHistory TimelineIslam PostersIslamic Terms DictionaryProphet's Last SermonPilgrimage
  • Duas CollectionQur'anic DuasMasnoon (Prophetic) DuasRamadan Days
  • Discussions
  • Search
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
What's new Donate Contact Us Alim Mobile App
mobile app svg

Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 243

Home ➜
Translations ➜
Compare ➜
Alim - Islamic software for Quran and Hadith
Surahs
Ayahs
1. Al-Fatiha
2. Al-Baqara
3. Aal-Imran 4. An-Nisaa' 5. Al-Ma'ida 6. Al-An'am 7. Al-A'raf 8. Al-Anfal 9. Al-Tawba 10. Yunus 11. Hud 12. Yusuf 13. Ar-Ra'd 14. Ibrahim 15. Al-Hijr 16. An-Nahl 17. Al-Israa 18. Al-Kahf 19. Maryam 20. Ta-Ha 21. Al-Anbiya 22. Al-Hajj 23. Al-Muminun 24. An-Nur 25. Al-Furqan 26. Ash-Shuara 27. An-Naml 28. Al-Qasas 29. Al-Ankabut 30. Ar-Rum 31. Luqman 32. As-Sajdah 33. Al-Ahzab 34. Saba 35. Fatir 36. Yasin 37. As-Saffat 38. Sad 39. Az-Zumar 40. Ghafir 41. Fussilat 42. Ash-Shura 43. Az-Zukhruf 44. Ad-Dukhan 45. Al-Jathiya 46. Al-Ahqaf 47. Muhammad 48. Al-Fath 49. Al-Hujurat 50. Qaf 51. Az-Zariyat 52. At-Tur 53. An-Najm 54. Al-Qamar 55. Ar-Rahman 56. Al-Waqia 57. Al-Hadid 58. Al-Mujadilah 59. Al-Hashr 60. Al-Mumtahinah 61. As-Saff 62. Al-Jumu'ah 63. Al-Munafiqun 64. At-Taghabun 65. At-Talaq 66. At-Tahrim 67. Al-Mulk 68. Al-Qalam 69. Al-Haqqah 70. Al-Ma'arij 71. Nuh 72. Al-Jinn 73. Al-Muzzammil 74. Al-Muddaththir 75. Al-Qiyamah 76. Al-Insan 77. Al-Mursalat 78. An-Naba 79. An-Naziat 80. Abasa 81. At-Takwir 82. Al-Infitar 83. Al-Mutaffifin 84. Al-Inshiqaq 85. Al-Buruj 86. At-Tariq 87. Al-Ala 88. Al-Ghashiyah 89. Al-Fajr 90. Al-Balad 91. Ash-Shams 92. Al-Lail 93. Ad-Duha 94. Ash-Sharh 95. At-Tin 96. Al-Alaq 97. Al-Qadr 98. Al-Bayinah 99. Az-Zalzalah 100. Al-Adiyat 101. Al-Qariah 102. Al-Takathur 103. Al-Asr 104. Al-Humazah 105. Al-Fil 106. Quraish 107. Al-Ma'un 108. Al-Kauthar 109. Al-Kafirun 110. An-Nasr 111. Al-Masad 112. Al-Ikhlas 113. Al-Falaq 114. An-Nas
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242
243
244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286
Print
Print
Previous Next
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مُوتُوا۟ ثُمَّ أَحْيَـٰهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
Alam tara il a alla th eena kharajoo min diy a rihim wahum oloofun h a th ara almawti faq a la lahumu All a hu mootoo thumma a h y a hum inna All a ha la th oo fa d lin AAal a a l nn a si wal a kinna akthara a l nn a si l a yashkuroon a
ART THOU NOT aware of those who forsook their homelands in their thousands for fear of death - whereupon God said unto them, "Die," and later brought them back to life?232 Behold, God is indeed limitless in His bounty unto man - but most people are ungrateful.
  - Mohammad Asad

After the conclusion of the injunctions relating to marital life, the Qur'an returns here to the problem of warfare in a just cause by alluding to people who - obviously under a hostile attack - "forsook their homelands for fear of death". Now, neither the Qur'an nor any authentic Tradition offers any indication as to who the people referred to in this verse may have been. The "historical" explanations given by some of the commentators are most contradictory; they seem to have been derived from Talmudic stories current at the time, and cannot be used in this context with any justification. We must, therefore, assume (as Muhammad 'Abduh does in Manar II. 455 ff.) that the above allusion is parabolically connected with the subsequent call to the faithful to be ready to lay down their lives in God's cause: an illustration of the fact that fear of physical death leads to the moral death of nations and communities, just as their regeneration (or "coming back to life") depends on their regaining their moral status through overcoming the fear of death. This is undoubtedly the purport of the elliptic story of Samuel, Saul and David told in verses {246-251}.

Have you reflected on the case of thousands of people (Israelites) who fled their homes for fear of death? Allah said to them: "Die" (gave them death). Then He gave them life again. Surely Allah is bountiful to mankind, but most of the people are ungrateful.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Have you 'O Prophet' not seen those who fled their homes in the thousands for fear of death?1 Allah said to them, 'Die!' then He gave them life. Surely Allah is ever Bountiful to humanity, but most people are ungrateful.
  - Mustafa Khattab

 They fled in the wake of a plague or an enemy attack.

Bethink thee (O Muhammad) of those of old, who went forth from their habitations in their thousands, fearing death, and Allah said unto them: Die, and then He brought them back to life. Lo! Allah is a Lord of Kindness to mankind, but most of mankind give not thanks.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Didst thou not turn thy vision to those who abandoned their homes though they were thousands (in number) for fear of death? Allah said to them: "Die." Then He restored them to life. For Allah is full of bounty to mankind but most of them are ungrateful. 274
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We now return to the subject of Jihad, which we left at n. 214-216. We are to be under no illusion about it. If we are not prepared to fight for our faith, with our lives and all our resources, both our lives and our resources will be wiped out by our enemies. As to life, God gave it, and a coward is not likely to save it. It has happened again and again in history that men who tamely submitted to be driven from their homes although they were more numerous than their enemies had the sentence of death pronounced on them for their cowardice, and they deserved it. But God gives further and further chances in His mercy. This is a lesson to every generation. The Commentators differ as to the exact episode referred to, but the wording is perfectly general, and so is the lesson to be learnt from it.

Loading Comments.
Please wait...
Your browser does not support the audio element.

Grammar

Alim logo

Related Islamic Resources

Resources

Insights

  • Funeral Services
  • Arabic Playhouse
  • Collaborations
  • Alim Mobile App
  • Get Involved
  • Ad Plans
  • Blog Pricing
  • Blogs
  • Insight of the Day
  • Hadith of the Day
  • Infographics
  • References
  • FAQ
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us