Sūrah al-Baqarah

Overview

Sūrah al-Baqarah is a Madinan sūrah with 286 āyāt. The word baqarah means ‘cow’, and is the given name of this sūrah due to a unique story within it pertaining to a divine command given to Banī Isrāʾīl—the Children of Israel—to slaughter a particular cow. Sūrah al-Baqarah is the longest in the Qur’an, and can be thought of as a divine commentary on Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. Allah explains to us how we ought to worship Him and gives us many critical narratives and injunctions to do so properly. It begins with the Book itself—it is perfect and unblemished. Thereafter, a profoundly intricate communal analysis ensues, where Allah categorises mankind into three types: believers, disbelievers, and hypocrites. The story of the creation of Ādam also appears in the early stages of the sūrah. Sūrah al-Baqarah is replete with fundamental legislations of Islam, primarily discussing the five pillars of. There are also rulings concerning marriage and divorce, alms-giving and usury, and contracts related to loans, debts, and commerce. In terms of overarching qur’anic themes, the sūrah speaks in abundance about the Jews and the Christians and their contravening their covenant with Allah. This is done as a reprimand to these communities but also as an indirect admonishment for the believers.

Context

ʿIkrimah said: “The first sūrah to be revealed in Madinah was al-Baqarah.” The tone and style of Madinan Qur’an is distinct from that revealed before the Hijrah. This is because, for the first time, the Muslims had the autonomy to act at the command of their Leader and Messenger ﷺ. Thus, they needed to know and internalise the model of worshipping Allah in such a context. Accordingly, Sūrah al-Baqarah was revealed to provide just that. It laid down the foundations of the key Islamic systems related to worship as well as day-to-day dealings, while warning the Muslims from the pitfalls previous nations stumbled on.

Themes

• The creation of Ādam and the ultimate purpose of man: Allah knew what the angels recognised as the potential for the corruption of man. But they did not appreciate Ādam’s potential for divine connectitude the like of which even they are incapable of. Allah taught Ādam—and by extension all of us—the Names!
• The hypocrites and their dangers upon a cohesive society. When the truth becomes manifest, there will be those who follow it and those who deny it. The deniers—a clear and unmistakable enemy—are not the most pernicious hazard for a prosperous community, though, rather it is those who showcase allegiance to the truth while concealing hatred for it—the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
• There have been previous peoples who received messengers and revelations. The most notable of those were the Children of Israel with Mūsā. The law of Mūsā is a magnificent one, yet many among his followers defected and disobeyed due to worldly whims and desires.
• Establishing the prayer, giving in charity, fasting Ramadan, and performing pilgrimage are the foundations of a thriving, godly society.

Unique Features

• Sūrah al-Baqarah contains the greatest āyah in the Qur’an: Āyat al-Kursī (2:255). It emphatically and compendiously speaks of Allah, and has a plethora of authentically reported virtues. There are many occasions in the day when one is invited to recite Āyat al-Kursī as per the Sunnah: as part of the morning and evening adhkār, after every obligatory prayer, before one goes to sleep, and at times of spiritual unease.
• The last two verses of Sūrah al-Baqarah are incredibly virtuous. Along with Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, it holds one of the most powerful supplications in the whole Qur’an. It also has an incredibly unique revelation. Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever recites the last two verses of Sūrah al-Baqarah during the night, they will suffice him.”
• Sūrah al-Baqarah is not only the longest sūrah (almost 2.5 juzʾ), but it also contains the longest āyah. Āyat al-Dayn is the 282nd āyah of the sūrah, and spans a full page on some copies of the muṣḥaf.

Lessons

• Islam is a holistic and perfect system of worship. It balanced the nexus between the internal and the external, the individual and the communal, and the spiritual and the bodily.
• Do not mess about with Allah’s commands. The Children of Israel were simply commanded to slaughter a cow—any cow. They continued to pompously argue with Mūsā, until their stickling led to increasingly stringent conditions, such that only one specific cow satisfied the divine command. The slaughter of that particular cow led to the discovery of a conspiracy where some Israelites had murdered their cousin but were miraculously exposed through this ordeal.
• In the story of Ṭālūt, Jālūt, and Dāwūd, we are taught to never look for trials or ask for them, and to hold fast to truth and endure whenever they do befall us. The Children of Israel asked for a king so that they he may lead them into battle. When Allah sent them the king—Ṭālūt—and commanded them to fight, the majority failed the test. The successful, however, experienced the first divinely guided kingdom on earth—that ruled by Dāwūd and eventually his son Sulaymān.

Virtues and Valuable Information

• The Prophet ﷺ said: “Recite Sūrah al-Baqarah, for taking it is full of blessings, leaving it is full of regret, and magicians are incapacitated against it.”
• Along with Sūrah Āl ʿImrān, Sūrah al-Baqarah will offer shade for its reciter on the Last Day.
• Devils do not enter the household wherein it is oft-recited.