2-62 Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.a
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ وَٱلصَّـٰبِـِٔينَ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحً۬ا فَلَهُمۡ أَجۡرُهُمۡ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡہِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (٦٢)
2:62a هَادُواْ – The meaning of ھَوۡد is to incline [to someone] with kindness (R). The meaning of ھدنا in إِنَّا هُدۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ (…for surely we turn to Thee) (7:156) is تبنا , that is, we repented. And the meaning of ھدفلان is that such a person adopted the way of the Jews.
ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ – is the plural of نصرانی and this name is derived from Nazareth, the Arabic name of which is ناصرہ ,the native town of Jesus. Some have tried to link it to the Arabic root word نصر , but this is a far-fetched derivation.
ٱلصَّـٰبِـِٔينَ – is the plural form of صابی which is derived from صباء which means leaving one faith and joining another faith (T), and its literal meaning is manifested (R). It is for this reason that the infidels called the Holy Prophet صابی . Who are the Sabians? Various explanations are given. Some say that they worshipped angels, some say they worshipped stars, some say that they followed the faith of Noah, and some say that they were a sect intermediate between Christianity and Judaism. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that they were a semi-Christian sect who were very similar to the disciples of John the Baptist. This opinion is close to the last explanation and compatible with their mention with Christians and Jews.
Belief in Allah and the Last Day: The Quran makes belief in Allah and the Last Day synonymous with being a Muslim. See 2:8a. Towards the end of Surah Al-Mujadilah, where it is says that a people who believe in Allah and the latter day cannot love those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, it is stated: ڪَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِہِمُ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ۬ مِّنۡهُۖ (These are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and strengthened them with a Spirit from Himself) (58:22). This goes to show that this is a party of perfect believers, and this is further confirmed by stating: رَضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ (Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him) (58:22) which is phraseology used only for perfect believers.
The expansiveness of Islam: At the end of the last section, it was stated that because of persistent disobedience, abasement and humiliation became the lot of Bani Israel and they incurred Allah’s wrath. This verse states that the doors of the mercy of Allah are never permanently shut for any people. Evil actions are punished, and the Jews can obtain salvation and gain distinction amongst nations provided they accept Islam. The real purport is to show to the Jews the way to Allah’s mercy, but it is put in the form of a generic principle here because the Jews believed that only they could receive salvation while all other nations were deprived of it. The general principle given here lays down that no nation is the sole custodian of salvation, and neither is any nation deprived of it. The tent of Islam is very expansive, and any nation can enter it. The necessary requisites are belief and righteous actions. By ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ (Those who believe) are meant those who only verbally confess to be Muslims and by associating them with Jews and Christians, it is clear that mere confession of faith is not very useful.
Perfect salvation is only in Islam: Islam does not deny that there is truth in other religions. However, this truth has been polluted with falsehoods. The full truth in its perfection is only found in Islam. Hence, the state of: لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡہِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (…there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve), which gives a person the taste of heaven in this very life and grants him complete nearness to Allah, is specific only to Islam. To interpret this as meaning that one can remain a Christian, with a belief in Trinity and atonement, and still achieve salvation runs counter to the teachings of the Quran as stated in: إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمُۗ (Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam) (3: 19) and وَمَن يَبۡتَغِ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِ دِينً۬ا فَلَن يُقۡبَلَ مِنۡهُ (And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him…) (3:85). There are scores of verses in the Quran which require belief in the Holy Prophet to achieve complete salvation. No person can achieve nearness to Allah now without going through the Last of the Prophets, but it is possible to purify oneself to a certain extent from sin [by following other religions]. If it is argued that by belief in Allah is meant belief in the unity of Allah, then first this is not what is written here, and this constraint would have to be imported from some other place. If such a constraint must be imported from some other place, then why not impose the same constraint that the Quran has imposed, namely that by belief in Allah and the Day of Requital is meant a Muslim. Secondly, even so, just doing good deeds is not enough. There are millions of people who believe in the Trinity, or believe in Allah along with practicing idol worship, or deny a Supreme deity, like the Buddhists, or are atheists. Thus, nothing much is gained by taking belief in Allah to mean just the unity of Allah, and perforce one would have to go against what is said at some other places in the Quran where Islam is declared as the true religion and the real path for reaching Allah.
2-63 And when We made a covenant with you and raised the mountain above you: Hold fast that which We have given you, and bear in mind what is in it, so that you may guard against evil.a
وَإِذۡ أَخَذۡنَا مِيثَـٰقَكُمۡ وَرَفَعۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيۡنَـٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍ۬ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ (٦٣)
2:63a رَفَعۡنَا – Imam Raghib explains that رفع can be used in four different senses: i) for bodies when they are lifted up from their position ii) for a building when it is raised higher, as in: وَإِذۡ يَرۡفَعُ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمُ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدَ (And when Abraham raised the foundation…) (2:127) iii) about a reminder when it is given wide publicity iv) about the elevation of the status of a person. The meaning of رَفَعۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ (…raised the mountain above you:) is not that the mountain was lifted and raised from its position, but that you were at the foot of the mountain, and it was towering above you. In Bukhari’s Book of Al-Manaqab, the term فرفعت لنا صخرة is used, which is explained in Bihar al-Anwar as: ظھرت لابصارنا , that is, the rock appeared before our eyes, although its literal translation should have been, the rock was raised for us. In reality, the rock was not raised but its height became visible.
طُّورَ – means a mountain. It is also the proper name of a mountain.
The meaning of raising the Tur mountain: It is totally against the teachings of Islam to consider that this verse means that the mountain was suspended over the heads of Bani Israel and they were threatened with it dropping on them if they did not agree to the given commands. When Allah commands us: لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ (There is no compulsion in religion) (2:256), then how can Allah use compulsion? Besides this, the Bani Israel could easily argue that they did not enter any covenant, and their agreement was obtained under duress. Such an agreement would not be admissible in a court of law. The real purport of the verse is to remind Bani Israel that when the commandments were revealed to Moses, the elders of Bani Israel were present at the foot of the mountain, so they should hold the commandments firmly, that is, to follow them. The wordings in the Torah are: “And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.” (Exodus 19:17). Also “And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord,…) (Exodus 19:24).
2-64 Then after that you turned back; and had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, you had certainly been among the losers.
ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِكَۚ فَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهٗ لَـكُنۡتُمۡ مِّنَ الۡخٰسِرِيۡنَ ﴿۶۴﴾
2-65 And indeed you know those among you who violated the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.a
وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتُمُ الَّذِيۡنَ اعۡتَدَوۡا مِنۡكُمۡ فِىۡ السَّبۡتِ فَقُلۡنَا لَهُمۡ كُوۡنُوۡا قِرَدَةً خَاسِـِٔـيۡنَ ۚ ﴿۶۵﴾
2:65a: اعۡتَدَوۡا – is derived from عدا and the meaning of عَدۡو is to transgress, that is, to go beyond the limit. And اعتدا is to violate the truth.
سبت – Its meaning is to cut (R). In conventional phraseology, it is the name of a particular day. The Jews were required to abstain from work on Saturdays, and because they had to remain cut off from work on that day, the day came to be called sabbath. The meaning of اعتداء فی السبت is to break the command of Sabbath. One day a week was reserved for their Divine worship but when they failed to pay attention to God even on that day and chose to keep busy with worldly affairs, they slowly drifted away from moral excellence.
قِرَدَةً – is the plural of قِرۡد and means apes.
خَاسِـِٔـيۡنَ – is derived from خساء which means to go back after being disgraced (R). About the people of hell, it is stated: قَالَ اخۡسَـُٔـوۡا فِيۡهَا (He will say: Begone therein) (23:108), and in Surah Mulk, it is stated: يَنۡقَلِبۡ اِلَيۡكَ الۡبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا (…thy look will return to thee confused) (67:4) where the meaning of خَاسِئًا is taken as متحیراً (confused).
The Bani Israel become like apes: كُوۡنُوۡا قِرَدَةً خَاسِـِٔـيۡنَ : Imam Mujahid gives the following commentary on this: قال مسخت قلوبہم و لم یمسخوا قردة , that is, it was their hearts, not their faces that were metamorphosed into apes. It is also stated in Mufradat: قیل بل جعل اخلاقہم کا خلاقھا, that is, their disposition became like that of apes. This interpretation is supported by other parts of the Quran. In Surah Al-Nisa, it is stated: اَوۡ نَلۡعَنَهُمۡ كَمَا لَعَنَّاۤ اَصۡحٰبَ السَّبۡتِؕ (…or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers) (4:47). Now, the way in which the opponents of the Holy Prophet were cursed is the same as the way the Sabbath-breakers were cursed. The former were not metamorphosed into apes but were disgraced. Similarly, in another place, it is stated: جَعَلَ مِنۡهُمُ الۡقِرَدَةَ وَالۡخَـنَازِيۡرَ وَعَبَدَ الطَّاغُوۡتَ ؕ اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَّاَضَلُّ عَنۡ سَوَآءِ السَّبِيۡلِ (…and of whom He made apes and swine, and who serve the devil. These are in a worst plight and further astray from the straight path.) (5:60). Now, it is stated about those who became apes and swine that their plight is pitiable, and they have strayed far from the right path. This is a way to accuse a human not an animal. The Quran is replete with such idioms. Examples are given of some as donkeys: کمثل الحمار , some as dogs: کمثل الکلب. Apes are imitating animals, they copy the actions of humans but there is no realism behind their actions. The purport in calling them apes is that their actions are ritualistic and devoid of any veracity. Or they are likened to apes from the point of view of being disgraced as the word خَاسِـِٔـيۡنَ indicates. In the Arabic language, comparison to apes indicates an excess of debauchery: ازنی من قرد , and the Bible narrates excess of evil among the Jews: “In thee are men that … commit lewdness. In thee have they discovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. And one hath committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.” (Ezekiel 22:9-12). These examples indicate they had become apes.
2-66 So We made them an example to those who witnessed it and those who came after it and an admonition to those who guard against evil.a
فَجَعَلۡنٰهَا نَكٰلاً لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهَا وَمَا خَلۡفَهَا وَمَوۡعِظَةً لِّلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ ﴿۶۶﴾
2:66a: نکال – Is an exemplary punishment because the meaning of نکل is to imprison (R). And نکال means a punishment that would stop others from doing a similar action (R).
مَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهَا means contemporary people.
مَا خَلۡفَهَا means the generations to come.
مَوۡعِظَة – وعظ is to stop an action with a warning, that is, to stop a bad action by pointing out its bad consequences or to recall good actions that touch the heart. مَوۡعِظَة is its noun form.
2-67 And when Moses said to his people: Surely Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow. They said: Dost thou ridicule us? He said: I seek refuge with Allah from being one of the ignorant.a
وَاِذۡ قَالَ مُوۡسٰى لِقَوۡمِهٖۤ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَاۡمُرُكُمۡ اَنۡ تَذۡبَحُوۡا بَقَرَةً ؕ قَالُوۡآ اَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا ؕ قَالَ اَعُوۡذُ بِاللّٰهِ اَنۡ اَكُوۡنَ مِنَ الۡجٰـهِلِيۡنَ ﴿۶۷﴾
2:67a بَقَرَةً – Its plural is بقر and بَقَرَةً is a cow and ثَور is a bull. Another meaning of بقر is to tear or rip and the word باقر is used as a title [for a scholar] from the point of view of having the ability to rip open the finer points of knowledge.
ھزوا is humor done secretly [i.e. behind someone’s back].
جٰـهِلِيۡنَ – Imam Raghib explains جھل is of three types: First, self-ignorance, that is not having knowledge of a thing. In the term: يَحۡسَبُهُمُ الۡجَاهِلُ اَغۡنِيَآءَ (the ignorant man thinks them to be rich) (2:273), the meaning of جَاهِلُ is a person who is not aware of the circumstances. Second, to believe something about a thing that is contrary to its real condition. Third, to act in a way contrary to the right way to act. It is this third meaning that is meant here.
The command to slaughter the cow: Cow worship was a special kind of polytheism that was adopted by the Bani Israel. It was necessary to reform them. In the Mosaic dispensation, there were commands on special occasions to slaughter cows that were not used for ploughing (See Deuteronomy 21:1-9) “…shall take a heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke”. There is a command to slaughter such a cow to solve a murder. In Numbers 19:1-19, there is a command to slaughter three red cows “…without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.” These general commands had the objective of doing away with cow worship. Do the wordings of the Quran here reference these general commands or is this a narration of some specific event? I prefer the second possibility because the ending words of the verse indicate that the command was for the slaughter of a specific cow. It appears that the reverence for a specific, beautiful cow had reached an extent that there was a real danger of cow worship. For this reason, Allah commanded them to slaughter the cow.
2-68 They said: Call on thy Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is. (Moses) said: He says, Surely she is a cow neither advanced in age nor too young, of middle age between these (two); so do what you are commanded.a
قَالُوا ادۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنۡ لَّنَا مَا هِىَؕ قَالَ اِنَّهٗ يَقُوۡلُ اِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا فَارِضٌ وَّلَا بِكۡرٌؕ عَوَانٌۢ بَيۡنَ ذٰلِكَؕ فَافۡعَلُوۡا مَا تُؤۡمَرُوۡنَ ﴿۶۸﴾
2:68a مَا هِىَ – The question asks for the attributes of the cow, that is, what is its description.
فَارِضٌ – is derived from فرض which means cutting a hard thing. In the context of commandments, فرض is an abrogated order. فَارِضٌ is an old cow which has lost the ability to bear calves by virtue of age (R).
بِكۡرٌؕ – بُکۡرة – اول النھار is the name of the first part of the day, and the first born is called بکر عَوَانٌۢ and by بِكۡرٌؕ here is meant that which has not given birth previously.
عَوَانٌۢ – The meaning of عون is to help, and عَوَانٌۢ as used in animals is one that has passed the half way point of life viz. neither too young nor too old.
2-69 They said: Call on thy Lord for our sake to make it clear to us what her color is. (Moses) said: He says, She is a yellow cow; her color is intensely yellow delighting the beholders.a
قَالُوا ادۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنۡ لَّنَا مَا لَوۡنُهَاؕ قَالَ اِنَّهٗ يَقُوۡلُ اِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفۡرَآءُۙ فَاقِعٌ لَّوۡنُهَا تَسُرُّ النّٰظِرِيۡنَ ﴿۶۹﴾
2:69a فَاقِعٌ- A dark yellow color is called اصفر فاقع or . صفراء فاقع. Thus, the word evidences the intensity of the yellow color. Similarly, a dark black color is called اسود حالك , dark red is called احمر قان , bright white is called ابیض ناصع and dark green is called اخضر ناضر .
2-70 They said: Call on thy Lord for our sake to make it clear to us what she is, for surely to us the cows are all alike, and if Allah please we shall surely be guided aright.
2-71 (Moses) said: He says: She is a cow not made submissive to plough the land, nor does she water the tilth, sound, without a blemish in her. They said: Now thou hast brought the truth. So they slaughtered her, though they had not the mind to do (it).a
قَالُوا ادۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنۡ لَّنَا مَا هِىَۙ اِنَّ الۡبَقَرَ تَشٰبَهَ عَلَيۡنَا ؕ وَاِنَّـآ اِنۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ لَمُهۡتَدُوۡنَ ﴿۷۰﴾
قَالَ اِنَّهٗ يَقُوۡلُ اِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا ذَلُوۡلٌ تُثِيۡرُ الۡاَرۡضَ وَلَا تَسۡقِى الۡحَـرۡثَ ۚ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لَّا شِيَةَ فِيۡهَا ؕ قَالُوا الۡــٴٰــنَ جِئۡتَ بِالۡحَـقِّؕ فَذَبَحُوۡهَا وَمَا كَادُوۡا يَفۡعَلُوۡنَ ﴿۷۱﴾
2:71a – ذَلُوۡلٌ – ذُلّ means oppressed and refers to a broken or tamed animal.
تُثِيۡرُ – ثار is used to describe the spreading out of a cloud or a dust cloud, and the meaning of اثار is to create a tumult or excitement. In agriculture, اثارة means turning over the soil (R), as in:وَّاَثَارُوا الۡاَرۡضَ (dug up the earth) (30:9).
شِيَةَ – the full form is وِشیة and وشی means to stain a thing in contrast to its original color.
كَادُوۡا – کاد – is afal muqariba (verb of borderline action). It is borderline acceptance or rejection. From one point of view, its rejection is confirmation, and its confirmation is rejection. Thus, دیفعل means was about to do it but did not do it, and ماکا دیفعل means was near to not doing it but did it (R). But sometimes, the meaning of کاد is اراد that is, he made an intention, and the examples given are: كَذٰلِكَ كِدۡنَا لِيُوۡسُفَ (Thus did We plan for the sake of Joseph). (12:76) and اَكَادُ اُخۡفِيۡهَا (I am about to make it manifest) (20:15). And in Arabic poetry, there is a verse: دت وکدت و تلك خیر ارادة where the meaning of کادت is he made an intention and the meaning of کدت is I made an intention (T).
This description shows that this was a special cow, and because of the reverence and love that people had in their hearts for this cow, they did not want to slaughter it. Their repeated questioning was an attempt to have the order rescinded. Some commentators have opined that this was not an ordinary cow but rather, it descended from heaven, although Allah states that: وَاَنۡزَلَ لَـكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡاَنۡعَامِ ثَمٰنِيَةَ اَزۡوَاجٍ (And He sent down for you eight of the cattle in pairs) (39:6). All quadrupeds are sent down by God. So, just like all the other quadrupeds are sent down, this cow was also sent down, that is, was born on this earth.
Bayan-ul-Quran 