Surah 2. Al-Baqara

And, lo, Abraham prayed: "O my Sustainer! Make this a land secure, and grant its people fruitful sustenance - such of them as believe in God and the Last Day." [God] answered: "And whoever shall deny the truth, him will I let enjoy himself for a short while - but in the end I shall drive him to suffering through fire: and how vile a journey's end!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Ibrahim said: "My Rabb make this (Makkah) a secure town and provide its people with plenty of food from fruits, those of them who believe in Allah and the Last Day." He answered, "As for those who do not, I shall also provide for them in this life, though in the Hereafter I shall drag them to the torture of Hellfire and it is an evil destination indeed!"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when Abraham prayed: My Lord! Make this a region of security and bestow upon its people fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day, He answered: As for him who disbelieveth, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the doom of fire--a hapless journey's end!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the Temple, [they prayed:] "O our Sustainer! Accept Thou this from us: for, verily, Thou alone art all-hearing, all-knowing!

  - Mohammad Asad

Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma`il (Ishmael) raised the foundations of the House and dedicated it by saying: "Accept this from us, O Rabb, You are the one who hears all and knows all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed): Our Lord! Accept from us (this duty). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"O our Sustainer! Make us surrender ourselves unto Thee, and make out of our offspring¹⁰⁵a community that shall surrender itself unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and accept our repentance: for, verily, Thou alone art the Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace!

  - Mohammad Asad

The expression "our offspring" indicates Abraham's progeny through his first-born son, Ishmael, and is an indirect reference to the Prophet Muhammad, who descended from the latter.

O Rabb, make us both Muslims (submissive to You); and make our descendants a nation that will be Muslims (submissive to You). Teach us our rites of worship and forbear our shortcomings; surely, You are the Acceptor of repentance, the Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Our Lord! And make us submissive unto Thee and of our seed a nation submissive unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and relent toward us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Relenting, the Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"O our Sustainer! Raise up from the midst of our offspring¹⁰⁶ an apostle from among themselves, who shall convey unto them Thy messages, and impart unto them revelation as well as wisdom, and cause them to grow in purity: for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "within them".

O Rabb, appoint from among them a Rasool who shall recite to them Your Revelations and teach them the Book and the Wisdom and sanctify them; surely, You are the All-Mighty, the Wise."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Our Lord! And raise up in their midst a messenger from among them who shall recite unto them Thy revelations, and shall instruct them in the Scripture and in wisdom and shall make them grow. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, Wise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And who, unless he be weak of mind, would want to abandon Abraham's creed, seeing that We have indeed raised him high in this world, and that, verily, in the life to come he shall be among the righteous?

  - Mohammad Asad

Who but a foolish man would renounce the faith of Ibrahim? We chose him in this worldly life while in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And who forsaketh the religion of Abraham save him who befooleth himself? Verily We chose him in the world, and lo! in the Hereafter he is among the righteous.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

When his Sustainer said to him, "Surrender thyself unto Me!" - he answered, "I have surrendered myself unto [Thee,] the Sustainer of all the worlds."

  - Mohammad Asad

When his Rabb asked him: "Be a Muslim," he answered: "I have become a Muslim to the Rabb of the worlds."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When his Lord said unto him: Surrender! he said: I have surrendered to the Lord of the Worlds.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And this very thing did Abraham bequeath unto his children, and [so did] Jacob: "O my children! Behold, God has granted you the purest faith; so do not allow death to overtake you ere you have surrendered yourselves unto Him."

  - Mohammad Asad

This was the legacy that Ibrahim left to his sons and so did Ya'qoob (Jacob), when he said: "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you this Deen (way of life), therefore, die not unless you are Muslims."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The same did Abraham enjoin upon his sons, and also Jacob, (saying): O my sons! Lo! Allah hath chosen for you the (true) religion; therefore die not save as men who have surrendered (unto Him).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nay, but you [yourselves, O children of Israel,] bear witness¹⁰⁷ that when death was approaching Jacob, he said unto his sons: "Whom will you worship after I am gone?" They answered: "We will worship thy God, the God of thy forefathers Abraham and Ishmael¹⁰⁸ and Isaac, the One God; and unto Him will we surrender ourselves."

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e. "In the religious traditions to which you adhere". It is to be noted that the conjunction am which stands at the beginning of this sentence is not always used in the interrogative sense ("is it that...?"): sometimes - and especially when it is syntactically unconnected with the preceding sentence, as in this case - it is an equivalent of bal ("rather", or "nay, but"), and has no interrogative connotation.

In classical Arabic, as in ancient Hebrew usage, the term ab ("father") was applied not only to the direct male parent but also to grandfathers and even more distant ancestors, as well as to paternal uncles: which explains why Ishmael, who was Jacob's uncle, is mentioned in this context. Since he was the first-born of Abraham’s sons, his name precedes that of Isaac.

Were you present when death approached Ya'qoob (Jacob)? He asked his sons: "Who will you worship after me?" They replied: "We will worship the same One God Who is your Rabb and the Rabb of your forefathers Ibrahim, Isma`il and Ishaq (Isaac), and to Him we all submit as Muslims."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or were ye present when death came to Jacob, when he said unto his sons: What will ye worship after me? They said: We shall worship thy God, the God of thy fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, One God, and unto Him we have surrendered.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Now those people have passed away; unto them shall be accounted what they have earned, and unto you, what you have earned; and you will not be judged on the strength of what they did.¹⁰⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "you will not be asked about what they did". This verse, as well as verse {141} below, stresses the fundamental Islamic tenet of individual responsibility, and denies the Jewish idea of their being "the chosen people" by virtue of their descent, as well as - by implication - the Christian doctrine of an "original sin" with which all human beings are supposedly burdened because of Adam's fall from grace.

They were a people that have passed away. They shall reap the fruits of what they did, and you shall for what you do. You shall not be questioned about what they did.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those are a people who have passed away. Theirs is that which they earned, and yours is that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND THEY say, "Be Jews" - or, "Christians" - "and you shall be on the right path." Say: "Nay, but [ours is] the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false,¹¹⁰ and was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God."

  - Mohammad Asad

The expression hanif is derived from the verb hanafa, which literally means "he inclined [towards a right state or tendency]" (cf. Lane II, 658). Already in pre-Islamic times, this term had a definitely monotheistic connotation, and was used to describe a man who turned away from sin and worldliness and from all dubious beliefs, especially idol-worship; and tahannuf denoted the ardent devotions, mainly consisting of long vigils and prayers, of the unitarian God-seekers of pre-Islamic times. Many instances of this use of the terms hanif and tahannuf occur in the verses of pre-Islamic poets, e.g., Umayyah ibn Abi's-Salt and Jiran al-'Awd (cf. Lisan al-'Arab, art. hanafa).

Jews and Christians say: "Be Jews or Christians, you shall then be rightly guided." O Muhammad, say: "By no means! We follow the faith of Ibrahim, the upright one; and he was not one of the mushrikin."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And they say: Be Jews or Christians, then ye will be rightly guided. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Nay, but (we follow) the religion of Abraham, the upright, and he was not of the idolaters.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "We believe in God, and in that which has been bestowed from on high upon us, and that which has been bestowed upon Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and their descendants,¹¹¹ and that which has been vouchsafed to Moses and Jesus, and that which has been vouchsafed to all the [other] prophets by their Sustainer: we make no distinction between any of them.¹¹² And it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves."

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "the grandchildren" (al-asbat, sing. sibt) - a term used in the Qur'an to describe, in the first instance, Abraham's, Isaac's and Jacob's immediate descendants, and, consequently, the twelve tribes which evolved from this ancestry.

I.e., "we regard them all as true prophets of God".

Say: "We believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us; and what was revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qoob (Jacob) and their descendants, and that which was given to Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and other Prophets from their Rabb. We do not discriminate any of them, and to Allah we have surrendered ourselves (in Islam)."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the Prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And if [others] come to believe in the way you believe, they will indeed find themselves on the right path; and if they turn away, it is but they who will be deeply in the wrong, and God will protect thee from them: for He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing.

  - Mohammad Asad

So, if they accept Islam like you, they shall be rightly guided; if they reject it, they will surely fall into dissension (divide into differing factions); Allah will be your sufficient defender against them, and He hears and knows everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if they believe in the like of that which ye believe, then are they rightly guided. But if they turn away, then are they in schism, and Allah will suffice thee (for defence) against them. He is the Hearer, the Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Say: "Our life takes its] hue from God! And who could give a better hue [to life] than God, if we but truly worship Him?"

  - Mohammad Asad

Baptism is from Allah; and who is better than Allah in baptizing? Him do we worship.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(We take our) color from Allah, and who is better than Allah at coloring. We are His worshippers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say [to the Jews and the Christians]: "Do you argue with us about God?¹¹³ But He is our Sustainer as well as your Sustainer - and unto us shall be accounted our deeds, and unto you, your deeds; and it is unto Him alone that we devote ourselves.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., about God's will regarding the succession of prophethood and man's ultimate salvation. The Jews believe that prophethood was a privilege granted to the children of Israel alone, while the Christians maintain that Jesus - who, too, descended from the children of Israel - was God's final manifestation on earth; and each of these two denominations claims that salvation is reserved to its followers alone (see 2:111 and {135}). The Qur'an refutes these ideas by stressing, in the next sentence, that God is the Lord of all mankind, and that every individual will be judged on the basis of his own beliefs and his own behaviour alone.

Say, O Muhammad: "Would you dispute with us concerning Allah, who is our Rabb and your Rabb as well? We shall be accountable to Him for our deeds and you for yours; to Him alone we are devoted.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say (unto the People of the Scripture): Dispute ye with us concerning Allah when He is our Lord and your Lord? Ours are our works and yours your works. We look to Him alone.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Do you claim that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and their descendants were 'Jews' or 'Christians'?"¹¹⁴ Say: "Do you know more than God does? And who could be more wicked than he who suppresses a testimony given to him by God?¹¹⁵ Yet God is not unmindful of what you do.

  - Mohammad Asad

Regarding the term asbat (rendered here as well as in verse {136} as "descendants"), see note [111] above. In the above words the Qur'an alludes to the fact that the concept of "Jewry" came into being many centuries after the time of the Patriarchs, and even long after the time of Moses, while the concepts of "Christianity" and "Christians" were unknown in Jesus' time and represent later developments.

A reference to the Biblical prediction of the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (see note [33] on verse {42} of this surah), which effectively contradicts the Judaeo-Christian claim that all true prophets, after the Patriarchs, belonged to the children of Israel.

Do you claim that Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qoob (Jacob) and their descendants were all Jews or Christians? Are you more knowledgeable than Allah?" Who is more wicked than the one who hides the testimony he has received from Allah? Allah is not unaware of what you do.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or say ye that Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Do ye know best, or doth Allah? And who is more unjust than he who hideth a testimony which he hath received from Allah? Allah is not unaware of what ye do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Now those people have passed away; unto them shall be accounted what they have earned, and unto you, what you have earned; and you will not be judged on the strength of what they did."

  - Mohammad Asad

That was a nation who has already passed away. They are responsible for what they did and your are for what you do, you shall not be questioned about their deeds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those are a people who have passed away; theirs is that which they earned and yours that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

THE WEAK-MINDED among people will say, "What has turned them away from the direction of prayer which they have hitherto observed?"¹¹⁶ Say: "God's is the east and the west; He guides whom He wills onto a straight way."¹¹⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Before his call to prophethood, and during the early Meccan period of his ministry, the Prophet - and his community with him - used to turn in prayer towards the Ka'bah. This was not prompted by any specific revelation, but was obviously due to the fact that the Ka'bah - although it had in the meantime been filled with various idols to which the pre-Islamic Arabs paid homage - was always regarded as the first temple ever dedicated to the One God (cf. 3:96 ). Since he was aware of the sanctity of Jerusalem - the other holy centre of the unitarian faith - the Prophet prayed, as a rule, before the southern wall of the Ka'bah, towards the north, so as to face both the Ka'bah and Jerusalem. After the exodus to Medina he continued to pray northwards, with only Jerusalem as his qiblah (direction of prayer). About sixteen months after his arrival at Medina, however, he received a revelation (verses {142-150} of this surah) which definitively established the Ka'bah as the qiblah of the followers of the Qur'an. This "abandonment" of Jerusalem obviously displeased the Jews of Medina, who must have felt gratified when they saw the Muslims praying towards their holy city; and it is to them that the opening sentence of this passage refers. If one considers the matter from the historical point of view, there had never been any change in the divine commandments relating to the qiblah: there had simply been no ordinance whatever in this respect before verses {142-150} were revealed. Their logical connection with the preceding passages, which deal, in the main, with Abraham and his creed, lies in the fact that it was Abraham who erected the earliest structure of the temple which later came to be known as the Ka'bah.

Or: "He guides onto a straight way him that wills [to be guided]".

The foolish will ask: "Why did they turn away from the Qiblah (the direction in prayer) towards which they used to face?" O Muhammad, say: "East and West belong to Allah; He guides whomever He wishes to the Right Way."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The foolish of the people will say: What hath turned them from the qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto Allah belong the East and the West. He guideth whom He will unto a straight path.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way,¹¹⁸ so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you.¹¹⁹ And it is only to the end that We might make a clear distinction between those who follow the Apostle and those who turn about on their heels that We have appointed [for this community] the direction of prayer which thou [O Prophet] hast formerly observed: for this was indeed a hard test for all but those whom God has guided aright.¹²⁰ But God will surely not lose sight of your faith - for, behold, God is most compassionate towards man, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "middlemost community" - i.e., a community that keeps an equitable balance between extremes and is realistic in its appreciation of man's nature and possibilities, rejecting both licentiousness and exaggerated asceticism. In tune with its oft-repeated call to moderation in every aspect of life, the Qur'an exhorts the believers not to place too great an emphasis on the physical and material aspects of their lives, but postulates, at the same time, that man's urges and desires relating to this "life of the flesh" are God-willed and, therefore, legitimate. On further analysis, the expression "a community of the middle way" might be said to summarize, as it were, the Islamic attitude towards the problem of man's existence as such: a denial of the view that there is an inherent conflict between the spirit and the flesh, and a bold affirmation of the natural, God-willed unity in this twofold aspect of human life. This balanced attitude, peculiar to Islam, flows directly from the concept of God's oneness and, hence, of the unity of purpose underlying all His creation: and thus, the mention of the "community of the middle way" at this place is a fitting introduction to the theme of the Ka'bah, a symbol of God's oneness.

I.e., "that your way of life be an example to all mankind, just as the Apostle is an example to you".

I.e., "whom He has given understanding" (Razi). The "hard test" (kabirah) consisted in the fact that ever since their exodus to Medina the Muslims had become accustomed to praying towards Jerusalem - associated in their minds with the teachings of most of the earlier prophets mentioned in the Qur'an - and were now called upon to turn in their prayers towards the Ka'bah, which at that time (in the second year after the hijrah) was still used by the pagan Quraysh as a shrine dedicated to the worship of their numerous idols. As against this, the Qur'an states that true believers would not find it difficult to adopt the Ka'bah once again as their qiblah: they would instinctively realize the divine wisdom underlying this commandment which established Abraham's Temple as a symbol of God's oneness and a focal point of the ideological unity of Islam. (See also note [116] above.)

We have made you a moderate Ummah (nation) so that you may testify against mankind and that your own Rasool may testify against you. We decreed your former Qiblah only to distinguish those who are the real followers of the Rasool from those who would back away from the faith. It was indeed a hard test except for those whom Allah has guided. Allah wants not to make your faith fruitless. Allah is Compassionate and Merciful to mankind.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that ye may be witnesses against mankind, and that the messenger may be a witness against you. And We appointed the qiblah which ye formerly observed only that We might know him who followeth the messenger, from him who turneth on his heels. In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided. But it was not Allah's purpose that your faith should be in vain, for Allah is full of pity, Merciful toward mankind.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

We have seen thee [O Prophet] often turn thy face towards heaven [for guidance]: and now We shall indeed make thee turn in prayer in a direction which will fulfil thy desire. Turn, then, thy face towards the Inviolable House of Worship; and wherever you all may be, turn your faces towards it [in prayer]. And, verily, those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime know well that this [commandment] comes in truth from their Sustainer; and God is not unaware of what they do.

  - Mohammad Asad

O Muhammad, many a time We noticed you turning your face towards heaven; now We will make you turn towards a Qiblah that will please you. Turn your face during Salah towards the Sacred Mosque (Ka'bah); wherever you are turn your face in that direction. The people of the Book know this to be the truth from their Rabb. Allah is not unaware of what they do.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We have seen the turning of thy face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad). And now verily We shall make thee turn (in prayer) toward a qiblah which is dear to thee. So turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye (O Muslims), wheresoever ye may be, turn your faces when ye pray) toward it. Lo! those who have received the Scripture know that (this Revelation) is the Truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And yet, even if thou wert to place all evidence¹²¹ before those who have been vouchsafed earlier revelation, they would not follow thy direction of prayer; and neither mayest thou follow their direction of prayer, nor even do they follow one another's direction. And if thou shouldst follow their errant views after all the knowledge that has come unto thee, thou wouldst surely be among the evildoers.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "every sign (ayah)", i.e., of its being a revealed commandment.

Even if you give every proof to the people of the Book, they will not accept your Qiblah, nor will you accept theirs. Neither of them (the Jews and Christians) are the followers of each other's Qiblah. If, after all the knowledge you have been given, you yield to their desires then surely you will be among the wrongdoers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And even if thou broughtest unto those who have received the Scripture all kinds of portents, they would not follow thy qiblah, nor canst thou be a follower of their qiblah; nor are some of them followers of the qiblah of others. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, then surely wert thou of the evil doers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall