Conclusion from Al-Tabari’s interpretation | Episode (2-1) | Surah Al-Baqarah

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:05 A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.

0:08 Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.

0:13 Surah al-Baqarah.

0:17 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:22 Alif Lam Mim.

0:32 Allah, whose praise is exalted, made these disjointed letters.

0:36 They are not connected to one another.

0:38 Unlike the rest of speech where letters are joined.

0:42 This is because He, the Exalted in remembrance,

0:44 intended by their articulation to signify, through each letter, many meanings,

0:49 not merely a single meaning.

0:52 “This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil).” (2:2)

0:56 Guidance for the God-fearing.

1:00 This which I have mentioned and clarified for you, O Muhammad,

1:04 is the Book in which there is no doubt that it is from Allah.

1:08 It is guidance away from misguidance for those who feared their Lord,

1:12 by obeying Him in what He commanded of His obligatory duties,

1:16 and avoiding what He forbade them of His acts of disobedience.

1:20 “Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them;” (2:3)

1:25 And from what We have provided them, they spend.

1:32 They are those who believe in what is unseen to them regarding Paradise and Hell,

1:36 the reward and the punishment, and the Resurrection.

1:39 And in what Allah mentioned in the Qur'an,

1:42 such as believing in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers.

1:46 They establish prayer by performing it with its limits and requirements,

1:51 just as it was ordained for them, with complete bowing and prostration,

1:55 recitation, and humility.

1:58 And from what We have provided them, they pay the zakat or provide maintenance

2:02 to those whose support is incumbent upon them, such as family and dependents.

2:18 They are those who believe you regarding what you brought from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,

2:23 and what the messengers before you brought.

2:27 They do not make distinctions between them,

2:29 nor do they deny what came to them from their Lord.

2:34 They believe in the matters of the Hereafter: the Resurrection and the gathering,

2:37 the reward, the punishment, the reckoning, and the Balance,

2:41 and all else that Allah has prepared for His creation on the Day of Resurrection; they are certain of it.

2:47 This is an allusion censuring the People of the Scripture,

2:50 who claimed to believe in what the messengers of Allah brought before Muhammad, peace be upon him,

2:58 while they disbelieve in Muhammad, peace be upon him.

3:15 Those are the God-fearing.

3:17 And those who believe in what was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him,

3:22 and to the messengers before him,

3:25 are upon light from their Lord and a clear proof,

3:28 and upon uprightness and correctness,

3:30 through Allah’s guidance and success granted to them.

3:34 Those are the successful ones, attaining what they sought from Allah, the Exalted, of reward,

3:41 and eternity in the Gardens,

3:43 and salvation from the punishment Allah has prepared for His enemies.

4:06 Indeed, those who deny what was revealed to you from your Lord,

4:11 it is all the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them,

4:15 because they do not believe.

4:17 Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and their hearing.

4:33 Allah has placed a seal upon their hearts,

4:35 so that faith has no path into them,

4:38 and disbelief has no way out of them.

4:41 And He has placed a covering over their vision,

4:44 preventing them from seeing the path of guidance,

4:46 so they do not recognize the ugliness of the misguidance and ruin they are upon.

4:51 And for them is a great punishment.

4:53 And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah."

4:59 “And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not.” (2:8)

5:05 And of the people—and they are the hypocrites—

5:08 are those who say, "We believe in Allah and in the Resurrection on the Day of Judgment,"

5:13 while they are not believers in what they claim to believe.

5:19 This is a refutation of their claim regarding their own beliefs,

5:23 and an informing of His Prophet, peace be upon him,

5:27 that what they manifest with their tongues

5:30 is contrary to what is in the depths of their hearts,

5:33 and the opposite of what is in the intentions of their souls.

5:37 “They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not.” (2:9)

5:41 “They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not.” (2:9)

6:07 He is deceiving himself,

6:09 because he shows his soul through his actions that he is granting it its desires,

6:14 and giving it the cup of its pleasure,

6:17 while he is actually leading it to the pools of its own destruction,

6:20 and making it taste of Allah’s wrath and painful punishment

6:24 that which it cannot withstand.

6:26 They do not perceive that Allah is deceiving them by granting them respite,

6:31 and gradually leading them to their ruin.

6:37 So Allah increased them in disease,

6:40 “In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.” (2:10)

6:46 in the conviction of their hearts regarding their religion,

6:51 and in their belief in Muhammad, peace be upon him,

6:55 and in what he brought from Allah.

6:58 It is a sickness and doubt.

6:59 Allah increased them—through the limits and obligations He ordained which they had not previously been bound by—

7:05 in doubt and confusion, added to the disease and doubt already in their hearts.

7:10 And for them is a painful punishment for the lies they told with their tongues.

7:16 “And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not.” (2:8)

7:20 “And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.” (2:11)

7:24 “And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.” (2:11)

7:29 And when it is said to the hypocrites, "Do not cause corruption on the earth,"

7:35 by disobeying your Lord upon it,

7:37 and by committing what He has forbidden you to commit,

7:41 and by neglecting His obligations,

7:43 and by doubting the religion of Allah,

7:45 and by supporting those who deny Allah, His books, and His messengers against the allies of Allah,

7:52 they say, "We are only reformers on the earth, and upon guidance and righteousness."

7:58 “Are not they indeed the mischief-makers? But they perceive not.” (2:12)

8:06 Unquestionably, it is they who are violating the command of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,

8:10 transgressing His limits,

8:12 committing acts of disobedience,

8:14 and abandoning His obligations,

8:16 and they know that they are as such.

8:19 “And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? are not they indeed the foolish? But they know not.” (2:13)

8:24 “And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? are not they indeed the foolish? But they know not.” (2:13)

8:29 “And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? are not they indeed the foolish? But they know not.” (2:13)

8:37 And when it is said to them,

8:39 "Believe in Muhammad and in what he brought from Allah,"

8:44 just as the believers have believed,

8:47 who believed in Muhammad, his prophethood, and what he brought from Allah,

8:52 they say, "Should we believe as the ignorant have believed?"

8:56 "And should we believe in Muhammad, peace be upon him,"

9:00 "as these people who have no intellect or understanding have believed?"

9:05 Unquestionably, it is they who are the ignorant in their religion,

9:09 weak in judgment regarding the beliefs and choices they have chosen for themselves,

9:15 consisting of doubt and suspicion regarding the command of Allah and His Messenger,

9:19 yet they think they are doing good.

9:22 That is the very essence of foolishness,

9:25 for the fool only causes corruption while thinking he is bringing about reform.

9:30 Likewise, the hypocrite

9:32 disobeys his Lord while thinking he is obeying Him,

9:36 and disbelieves in Him while thinking he is believing in Him,

9:40 and harms himself while thinking he is doing good to himself.

9:45 And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe."

9:50 But when they are alone with their devils, they say, "Indeed, we are with you;

10:03 we were only mocking."

10:09 When they meet the believers who believe in Allah, His Book, and His Messenger,

10:14 they say to them, "We believe and have faith in Muhammad and what he brought from Allah,"

10:20 as a deception to protect their lives, wealth, and offspring.

10:24 And when they are alone with their ringleaders and those of arrogance, evil, and malice among them,

10:29 they say to them, "Indeed, we are with you in your religion,

10:33 and we are your supporters against those who oppose you in it."

10:37 "We are only mocking the companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him,"

10:42 "by telling them when we meet them, 'We believe in Allah and the Last Day.'"

10:48 Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression, wandering blindly.

10:56 Allah’s mocking consists of granting the hypocrites in this world

11:01 rulings that include them in the count of those covered by the name of Islam,

11:06 even if they harbor the opposite in their hearts,

11:10 despite Allah’s knowledge of their lies and His awareness of the malice of their beliefs,

11:15 until they think He will gather them in the Hereafter with the believers.

11:20 But Allah has prepared for them His painful punishment and severe torment,

11:25 mocking, ridiculing, deceiving, and plotting against them.

11:29 He grants them respite and leaves them to persist in their transgression and disbelief,

11:34 wandering in confusion and error,

11:38 finding no way to escape from it.

11:58 Those are the ones who have purchased misguidance and abandoned guidance,

12:02 so they have lost and have not gained,

12:04 nor were they guided in their choice of misguidance over guidance,

12:09 and their exchange of disbelief for faith.

12:35 The example of the hypocrites’ illumination

12:38 by what they manifest of affirmation of Allah and Muhammad, peace be upon him,

12:43 and what he brought—in speech, while they deny it in their hearts—

12:48 is like the illumination of one who kindles a fire;

12:51 once it lit up and he saw what was around him,

12:54 the fire died down and was extinguished,

12:56 so his light departed,

12:58 and the one who was illuminated by it returned to darkness and confusion.

13:03 Likewise are the hypocrites;

13:05 Allah has taken away their light,

13:07 and left them in darkness, unable to see after the light they were in during this world,

13:13 due to what they manifested with their tongues of affirmation of Islam,

13:17 while they harbored the opposite.

13:29 They are deaf to guidance and the truth,

13:31 so they do not hear them due to Allah’s abandonment of them.

13:35 They are dumb regarding speaking of them,

13:37 so they do not utter them.

13:39 They are blind to seeing them so as to understand them,

13:43 so they will not return to abandoning their misguidance.

14:01 “Or like a rainstorm from the sky, wherein is darkness, thunder and the flash of lightning. They thrust their fingers in their ears by reason of the thunder-claps, for fear of death, Allah encompasseth the disbelievers (in His guidance, His omniscience and His omnipotence).” (2:19)

14:13 And Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers.

14:20 The example of the hypocrites’ illumination by the light of their affirmation of Islam,

14:24 while concealing disbelief,

14:26 is like a rainstorm traveling by night

14:28 in a dark cloud and a dark night,

14:31 driven by thunder, with lightning flashing at its edges, intense in its brilliance.

14:37 The flash of its lightning almost takes away their sight and snatches it,

14:41 due to the intensity of its brightness and the light of its rays.

14:44 And from it, thunderbolts descend at times,

14:47 almost causing souls to perish from the intensity of their terror.

14:52 Allah struck the rainstorm as a parable for the outward faith of the hypocrite,

14:57 and the darkness within it as a parable for his misguidance,

15:01 and the light of the lightning as a parable for the light of his faith,

15:05 and his shielding himself from the thunderbolts by putting his fingers in his ears

15:10 as a parable for the weakness of his heart and the terror of his soul at the arrival of Allah’s punishment at his doorstep,

15:16 and his walking in the light of the lightning

15:18 as a parable for his steadfastness on the light of his faith,

15:21 and his standing still in the darkness

15:24 as a parable for his confusion in his misguidance and his relapse into his blindness.

15:28 And Allah is the Gatherer of the disbelievers,

15:32 so He will inflict His punishment upon them.

15:54 Then He, the Exalted in remembrance, returned to describing the hypocrites’ affirmation with their tongues,

16:06 and said:

16:08 The affirmation they manifested with their tongues regarding Allah, His Messenger, and what he brought

16:14 almost takes away their sight and snatches it due to the intensity of its brightness and the light of its rays.

16:20 Whenever the light of faith shines for them,

16:23 they see in it what pleases them in their immediate worldly life,

16:26 such as victory over enemies,

16:28 obtaining spoils in military expeditions,

16:31 and safety for their bodies, families, and children;

16:34 they remain steadfast upon it and persist in it.

16:37 But when it becomes dark,

16:39 and they do not see in Islam what pleases them,

16:42 they persist in their hypocrisy and remain steadfast in their misguidance,

16:46 just like the traveler walking in the darkness of the night and the darkness of the rainstorm;

16:50 when a flash of lightning occurs, he sees his path,

16:55 but when the light of the lightning departs from them,

16:58 he is confused in his path and does not know his way.

17:02 If Allah had willed, He would have taken away the hearing and sight of the hypocrites.

17:06 Indeed, Allah is over all things competent,

17:09 and over inflicting His wrath upon them and sending down His vengeance upon them.

17:20 O all of mankind,

17:23 whether disbelievers, hypocrites, or others,

17:26 from among all of His creation who are held accountable:

17:29 Worship your Lord alone, He who created you and created your forefathers,

17:33 your ancestors, and all of creation besides you,

17:37 so that you may guard against His wrath and anger

17:40 from descending upon you,

17:42 and so that you may be among the righteous.

17:45 So that they may descend upon you,

17:48 and you may be among the righteous with whom their Lord is pleased.

17:53 “Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better).” (2:22)

17:58 And the sky as a canopy.

18:07 And He sent down water from the sky,

18:14 and thereby brought forth fruits as a provision for you.

18:18 “Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better).” (2:22)

18:27 Worship your Lord,

18:30 who made the earth a resting place and a foundation for you,

18:33 and a stable place for you to dwell upon.

18:36 And the sky as a structure above the earth,

18:39 in the form of a dome.

18:41 And He sent down rain from the sky,

18:43 and thereby brought forth from their crops and plantations

18:47 fruits as a provision for them,

18:49 as nourishment and sustenance.

18:51 So do not set up rivals or equals to Allah in obedience,

18:55 while you know that you have no lord who provides for you other than Him,

18:59 and that He is the Originator of creation and its Creator.

19:03 “And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are truthful.” (2:23)

19:07 “And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are truthful.” (2:23)

19:11 Then produce a surah.

19:13 “And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are truthful.” (2:23)

19:17 “And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are truthful.” (2:23)

19:23 “And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are truthful.” (2:23)

19:30 If you are truthful.

19:34 And if you, O polytheists, are in doubt

19:37 regarding what has been revealed to My servant of the Qur'an from Me,

19:42 then produce a surah similar to this Qur'an,

19:45 from your own speech that is comparable to it in the Arabic language,

19:49 since you are Arabs.

19:51 And call upon your helpers and witnesses to assist you in producing a surah like it,

19:57 those who observe you and aid you in your denial of Allah and His Messenger,

20:02 if you are truthful in your claim

20:05 that what Muhammad, peace be upon him, has brought you is a fabrication and a lie.

20:11 “And if ye do it not - and ye can never do it - then guard yourselves against the Fire prepared for disbelievers, whose fuel is of men and stones.” (2:24)

20:19 “And if ye do it not - and ye can never do it - then guard yourselves against the Fire prepared for disbelievers, whose fuel is of men and stones.” (2:24)

20:25 Prepared for the disbelievers.

20:29 But if you fail to produce a surah like it, even though you and your partners have conspired against it,

20:35 and you will never be able to produce a surah like it,

20:39 then fear the Fire whose fuel is people and stones,

20:44 prepared for those who deny that Allah is their Lord.

20:49 “And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.” (2:25)

21:06 “And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.” (2:25)

21:11 “And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.” (2:25)

21:16 And they are brought similar [fruits].

21:19 “And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.” (2:25)

21:24 And they will abide therein forever.

21:28 O Muhammad, give glad tidings to those who believe that you are My Messenger,

21:33 and who confirm that belief by performing righteous deeds,

21:38 that for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow.

21:42 Whenever they are provided with fruit from the trees of the gardens,

21:46 “And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.” (2:25)

21:51 and they are brought what they are provided with of its fruits, similar in appearance and color to the fruits of the world,

21:57 yet different in taste and flavor.

22:00 And for those who believe and do righteous deeds,

22:03 [there are] spouses purified from all filth, impurity, and doubt that may exist in the women of this world.

22:11 And they will abide in the gardens forever, remaining in the joy and everlasting bliss that Allah has granted them therein.

Conclusion from Al-Tabari’s interpretation | Episode (2-1) | Surah Al-Baqarah | Verses from (1) to (25)

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