SURAH 2 – AL-BAQARAH VERSES 6-20

THE COW

Quran Study Sessions – Session 19

March 8, 2020

❑ In the previous verses 1-5, Allah discussed about the guidance of this book, the Quran.

❑He discussed who are the people who will be guided by it and what are their qualities.

❑Then, He told us the consequence of them following the guidance: success.

Previously

Overview – Ayaat 6-20

Disbelievers

• Their relationship to guidance

• Their consequence

Hypocrites

• Their qualities

• Their consequence

Parables

• Describing the hypocrites

❑ Kafaroo means to cover the truth and to hide it, either from others or from themselves. It comes from the meaning of a farmer who buries his seeds in the ground. The people who disbelieve are those who do not believe in the truth when it comes to them and instead hide it.

❑ In Arabic, it is a common expression to say a general phrase meaning a specific phrase. In this case, “those who disbelieve” is referring to those who have persisted in their disbelief so much so that Allah closed the door on their belief. Those people who are mentioned in this verse:

❑ “Indeed, those upon whom the word of your Lord has come into effect will not believe, Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful punishment.” (10:96-97)

Verse 6

❑ The reason the extreme group is mentioned is to lay down the boundaries of what is done with this book of guidance. Allah informs everyone first of the best people and then the worst people to let people choose with side to lean towards.

❑ Important to note that Allah did not force them to disbelieve the first time, but they choose to do it themselves. Allah does not punish a person for what they do not choose.

❑ Inzaar is warning. It means in this verse to tell people to fear Allah and His punishment. Allah tells the messenger that warning them or not warning them will not benefit them, because they will refuse to believe.

❑ Warning is part of the guidance, and Allah is saying that these people will gain absolutely no benefit from the guidance sent by Allah.

Verse 6

❑ Khatama means to seal.

❑ Allah closes the door on them getting guided by sealing their hearts and ears and putting a curtain over their eyes. They cannot hear guidance nor ponder over it, nor can they see the signs of Allah.

❑ Allah seals their heart after it has already been covered with sin.

❑ The consequence for those who are not guided is that they will have a great, long-lasting punishment meaning the punishment of Hell.

Verse 7

❑ This verse talks about the Munafiqoon (hypocrites) who pretend to be Muslim or pretend to accept Islam, then turn around and do evil in secret.

❑ They claim openly that they believe, but they do not actually believe in their heart.

❑ Hypocrites are worse that disbelievers because not only do they disbelieve, but they use deception as well. Allah says in the Quran:

❑ “Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire - and never will you find for them a helper.” (4:145)

Verse 8

❑ Some people used to claim: “The one who does not have knowledge or knows for certain about the beliefs is excused.” Meaning they thought that if a person does not know Allah exists, he is excused because he didn’t know any better.

❑ This verse shows that you do not need to know to be punished. Because Allah says clearly here that these people do not believe in Allah and the day of judgement, yet they will be punished. Not knowing Allah exists is not an excuse except when you had no access to the message of Islam.

❑ It is most likely that these verses are talking about the hypocrites among the polytheists of Madinah but it is also possible it is talking about some of the Jewish people of Madinah. The most famous of hypocrites is Abdullah ibn Ubay.

Verse 8

The Messenger of Allah ( ( ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص ) said, "Four are the qualities which, when found in a person, make him a sheer hypocrite, and one who possesses one of them, possesses one characteristic of hypocrisy until he abandons it. These are:

- When he is entrusted with something, he betrays trust;

- When he speaks, he lies;

- When he promises, he acts treacherously;

- And when he argues, he behaves in a very imprudent, insulting manner.“ (Agreed Upon)

❑ This is because no person who truly believes in Allah and the last day is able to do these things, so if a person does all of them, he is lying about believing in those. If a person has some of the qualities, his faith is in question.

Qualities of a Hypocrite

❑ The basic meaning of “Khada’a” is to hide or to conceal. They hid their disbelief by showing to the Muslims and showing openly that that they had faith, but in secret they did not have it.

❑ “Hid from Allah” does not mean Allah does not know it since Allah knows all secrets. It means they show (by praying, fasting, etc.) what they do not actually believe. So, they are doing deeds that are supposed to be done with belief, without belief.

❑ Allah says that the hypocrites concealed from themselves. Either they concealed or hid good or piety from themselves by putting themselves deeper into hypocrisy or they concealed themselves from realizing the truth.

Verse 9

❑ The sickness is a sickness of their religion. It is doubt, uncertainty, and hypocrisy. Because they kindled this sickness in their hearts Allah increases their sickness. The consequence is based on action. As they do more hypocritical actions, Allah increases their sickness as a consequence.

❑ The consequence they face in the hereafter is a painful punishment because of this lying they did.

Verse 10

❑ “Fasad” is to change something from its correct or regular state for profit or benefit to the person doing it. It is sometimes referred to as “corruption.”

❑ The possible meanings of “Fasad in the land” here:

❑ Showing disobedience to Allah when the rest of the universe shows obedience.

❑ Secretly conspiring with the disbelievers to defeat the Muslims from inside.

❑ Secretly calling people to disbelieve in Islam..

Verse 11-12

❑ When they say we are only “Musliheen” (reformers or makers or peace) they are claiming that they were only trying to bring peace between Muslims and the Kafiroon of Makkah, or it means they believed in their minds that their religion of Shirk was true so bringing it back was a good thing.

❑ Because of their ignorance they do not realize what they think is peace is actually Fasad.

Verse 11-12

❑ Allah mentions that they are told to believe like the people believe, as in sincerely believing in the articles of faith and obeying the prophet’s command without lying and subverting the Muslims at every turn.

❑ In response, they insult the Muslims and say, “Should we believe like the fools believe” calling the sincere believers and the Prophet fools.

❑ Allah turns this on them, and states that they are in fact, the foolish but they don’t even know that they are foolish. They are foolish in terms of guaranteeing themselves Hell and punishment.

Verse 13

❑ “We believe” means here they are claiming sincerity. Whenever they do something according to hypocritical qualities and someone points it out to them, they say, “We are sincere, we believe.”

❑ Shayateen (plural of Shaitan) refers to evil people, both from the Jinn and humans. Here, Allah is referring to either the disbelievers that they were conspiring with or the leaders of the hypocrites.

Verse 14-15

❑ “Haza’a” means to mock someone by hiding something. They were trying to mock the believers by hiding their disbelief and taking the Muslim’s benefits.

❑ Allah returns like with like and guarantees that they will be mocked as well by being unable to realize the truth and being stuck in darkness.

Verse 14-15

❑ Allah says about the hypocrites, they traded guidance for misguidance. Meaning they gave up Islam and Imaan for disbelief.

❑ Continuing the metaphor of trade, Allah says that this trade brought them no benefit in this life or the next. This is in contrast with the believers who get the benefit of being the successful.

❑ And in the end, they were not guided either.

❑ Meaning, because of buying misguidance, they got no benefit, and because of selling guidance, they lost their chance to be the guided people. Both parts of the trade caused no profit.

Verse 16

❑Allah uses parables (Mithaal) many places in the Quran to elaborate his point and especially to describe different types of people.

❑Allah gives two parables here to describe the hypocrites.

❑The first example is about those that are completely disbelieving and there is no hope for their guidance.

❑The second example is for a group that has a bit more possibility of coming back to the right path.

❑There are different ways of understanding the second parable, and the one that is presented is not the only way. In sha Allah they are all correct and valid.

The Parables

Verse 17-18

Mathal (Example or Parable) Verse 17-18

The hypocrites’

example is like a

person lit a fire

The Prophet

brought guidance

Surroundings light up

Everyone around accepts

guidance, and the hypocrites

themselves outwardly accept

Allah takes away their light

Allah takes away their Imaan

and ability to be guided

(because of their hypocrisy)

And He leaves then in darkness out of

which they cannot see

And He makes them unable to be guided

They cannot hear, cannot speak, and cannot see so they cannot find their way back.

Verse 19-20

Mathal (Example or Parable) Verse 19-20Mathal (Example or Parable) Verse 19-20

They are surrounded by Islam and the revelation

that is coming from the sky.

Their example is like clouds with heavy rain

coming from the sky

And lightning and thunder

There is Darkness

They are in hardship

because of Islam’s

parts they find

difficult to do.

They cover their ears from

the loud sounds fearing

death

They try to protect themselves

from Islam and live in fear of it

They are scared of what they see of the

blessings Allah sends and victories of Islam

Mathal (Example or Parable) Verse 19-20

Lightning almost takes

away their sight

The Quran almost reveals the

true face of the hypocrites

When it is bright for them, they

walk in it

When a part of Islam is easy or

beneficial for them, they do it

When it is dark on

them, they stand

When a part of

Islam is difficult,

they refrain from it

If Allah wanted, he could take away their hearing and sight.

Allah is able to do all things.

Allah did not completely take this group’s ability to understand guidance, but

their actions make it likely that He might take it away. Allah is able to both

Forgive them if they repent and to Punish them if they continue.

❑In these verses, 1-20, Allah told us about three types of people:

❑The Muttaqoon (God-fearing),

❑The Kafiroon (disbelievers)

❑The Munafiqoon (hypocrites)

❑They relate to guidance respectively:

❑Follow it and believe in it.

❑Do not benefit from guidance

❑Pretend to follow guidance but do not actually follow it.

Summary

--- ---

--- --- ---

--- --- ---

Recognize with

knowledge

Recognizes Does not

recognize or

deny

Denies

(out of

ignorance)

Says words of

acceptance

Best Believer Complete

Hypocrite

Does not say

anything

Still deciding

Says words of

denialComplete

Disbeliever

Categories of a Person in Relation to Guidance

State of the Heart

Sta

te o

f th

e T

on

gu

e

Other Categories are also filled with different types of people, but until now, we looked at three types.

❑http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=2&verse=1&to=7

❑https://archive.org/stream/TafseerIbnKathirenglish114SurahsComplete

❑Arabic: https://furqan.co/alrazi/2/1

References