Quran Halaqa -- Thread 2 -- Jun 14 - 04

abc1234 · June 14, 2004, 5:11pm

bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim
*In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. *

** AL-BAQARA (THE COW) **
Total Verses: 286
Revealed At: MADINA
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran

**Translation – Yusufali **
002.001
YUSUFALI: A.L.M.
002.002
YUSUFALI: This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah;
002.003
YUSUFALI: Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them;
002.004
YUSUFALI: And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter.
002.005
YUSUFALI: They are on (true) guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.
002.006
YUSUFALI: As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.
002.007
YUSUFALI: Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).
002.008
YUSUFALI: Of the people there are some who say: “We believe in Allah and the Last Day;” but they do not (really) believe.
002.009
YUSUFALI: Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realise (it) not!
002.010
YUSUFALI: In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: And grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves).
002.011
YUSUFALI: When it is said to them: “Make not mischief on the earth,” they say: “Why, we only Want to make peace!”
002.012
YUSUFALI: Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realise (it) not.
002.013
YUSUFALI: When it is said to them: “Believe as the others believe:” They say: “Shall we believe as the fools believe?” Nay, of a surety they are the fools, but they do not know.
002.014
YUSUFALI: When they meet those who believe, they say: “We believe;” but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: “We are really with you: We (were) only jesting.”
002.015
YUSUFALI: Allah will throw back their mockery on them, and give them rope in their trespasses; so they will wander like blind ones (To and fro).
002.016
YUSUFALI: These are they who have bartered Guidance for error: But their traffic is profitless, and they have lost true direction,
002.017
YUSUFALI: Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire; when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in utter darkness. So they could not see.
002.018
YUSUFALI: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path).
002.019
YUSUFALI: Or (another similitude) is that of a rain-laden cloud from the sky: In it are zones of darkness, and thunder and lightning: They press their fingers in their ears to keep out the stunning thunder-clap, the while they are in terror of death. But Allah is ever round the rejecters of Faith!
002.020
YUSUFALI: The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time the light (Helps) them, they walk therein, and when the darkness grows on them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could take away their faculty of hearing and seeing; for Allah hath power over all things.
002.021
YUSUFALI: O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness;
002.022
YUSUFALI: Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye know (the truth).
002.023
YUSUFALI: And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.
002.024
YUSUFALI: But if ye cannot- and of a surety ye cannot- then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones,- which is prepared for those who reject Faith.
002.025
YUSUFALI: But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that their portion is Gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say: “Why, this is what we were fed with before,” for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure (and holy); and they abide therein (for ever).

abc1234 · June 14, 2004, 5:13pm

Maududi's Introduction

Name
Why the name AL-BAQARAH?
AL-BAQARAH (the Cow) has been so named from the story of the Cow occurring in this Surah (vv. 67-73). It has not, however, been used as a title to indicate the subject of the Surah. It will, therefore, be as wrong to translate the name Al-Baqarah into "The Cow" or "The Heifer" as to translate any English name, say Baker, Rice, Wolf etc., into their equivalents in other languages or vice versa, because this would imply that the Surah dealt with the subject of "The Cow". Many more Surahs of the Quran have been named in the same way because no comprehensive words exist in Arabic (in spite of its richness) to denote the wide scope of the subject discussed in them. As a matter of fact all human languages suffer from the same limitation.
Sequence
Though it is a Madani Surah, it follows naturally a Makki Surah Al- Fatihah, which ended with the prayer :"Show us the straight way". It begins with the answer to that prayer, "This is the Book (that) . . . is guidance. . ."
The greater part of Al-Baqarah was revealed during the first two years of the Holy Prophet's life at Al-Madinah. The smaller part which was revealed at a later period has been included in this Surah because its contents are closely related to those dealt with in this Surah. For instance, the verses prohibiting interest were revealed during the last period of the Holy prophet's life but have been inserted in this Surah. For the same reason, the last verses (284-286) of this Surah which were revealed at Makkah before the migration of the Holy Prophet to AI-Madinah have also been included in it.
Historical Background
In order to understand the meaning of this Surah, we should know its historical background:

At Makkah the Quran generally addressed the mushrik Quraish who were ignorant of Islam, but at Al- Madinah it was also concerned with the Jews who were acquainted with the creed of the Unity of Allah, Prophethood, Revelation, the Hereafter and angels. They also professed to believe in the law which was revealed by Allah to their Prophet Moses (Allah's peace be upon him), and in principle, their way was the same (Islam) that was being taught by Prophet Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). But they had strayed away from it during the centuries of degeneration and had adopted many un- Islamic creeds, rites and customs of which there was no mention and for which there was no sanction in the Torah. Not only this : they had tampered with the Torah by inserting their own explanations and interpretations into its text. They had distorted even that part of the Word of God which had remained intact in their Scriptures and taken out of it the real spirit of true religion and were now clinging to a lifeless frame of rituals. Consequently their beliefs, their morals and their conduct had gone to the lowest depths of degeneration. The pity is that they were not only satisfied with their condition but loved to cling to it. Besides this, they had no intention or inclination to accept any kind of reform. So they became bitter enemies of those who came to teach them the Right Way and did their worst to defeat every such effort. Though they were originally Muslims, they had swerved from the real Islam and made innovations and alterations in it and had fallen victims to hair splitting and sectarianism. They had forgotten and forsaken Allah and begun to serve mammon. So much so that they had even given up their original name "Muslim" and adopted the name "Jew" instead, and made religion the sole monopoly of the children of Israel.
This was their religious condition when the Holy Prophet went to Al-Madinah and invited the Jews to the true religion. That is why more than one third of this Surah has been addressed to the children of Israel. A critical review of their history, their moral degeneration and their religious perversions has been made; side by side with this the high standard of morality and the fundamental principles of the pure religion have been put forward in order to bring out clearly the nature of the degeneration of the community of a prophet when it goes astray and to draw clear lines of demarcation between real piety and formalism, and the essentials and non-essentials of the true religion.
At Makkah Islam was mainly concerned with the propagation of its fundamental principles and the moral training of its followers. But after the migration of the Holy Prophet to Al-Madinah, where Muslims had come to settle from all over Arabia and where a tiny Islamic State had been set up with the help of the Ansar (local supporters), naturally the Quran had to turn its attention to the social, cultural, economic, political and legal problems as well. This accounts for the difference between the themes of the surahs revealed at Makkah and those at Al- Madinah. Accordingly about half of this Surah deals with those principles and regulations which are essential for the integration and solidarity of a community and for the solution of its problems.
After the migration to Al-Madinah, the struggle between Islam and un-Islam had also entered a new phase. Before this the Believers, who propagated Islam among their own clans and tribes, had to face its opponents at their own risk. But the conditions had changed at Al- Madinah, where Muslims from all parts of Arabia had come and settled as one community, and had established an independent city state. Here it became a struggle for the' survival of the Community itself, for the whole of non- Muslim Arabia was bent upon and united in crushing it totally. Hence the following instructions, upon which depended not only its success but its very survival, were revealed in this Surah :-
The Community should work with the utmost zeal to propagate its ideology and win over to its side the greatest possible number of people.
It should so expose its opponents as to leave no room for doubt in the mind of any sensible person that they were adhering to an absolutely wrong position.
It should infuse in it's members (the majority of whom were homeless and indigent and surrounded on all sides by enemies) that courage and fortitude which is so indispensable to their very existence in the adverse circumstances in which they were struggling and to prepare them to face these boldly.
It should also keep them ready and prepared to meet any armed menace, which might come from any side to suppress and crush their ideology, and to oppose it tooth and nail without minding the overwhelming numerical strength and the material resources of its enemies
It should also create in them that courage which is needed for the eradication of evil ways and for the establishment of the Islamic Way instead.
That is why Allah has revealed in this Surah such instructions as may help achieve all the above mentioned objects.
During this period, a new type of "Muslims," munafiqin (hypocrites), had begun to appear. Though signs of duplicity had been noticed during the last days at Makkah, they took a different shape at Al-Madinah. At Makkah there were some people who professed Islam to be true but were not prepared to abide by the consequences of this profession and to sacrifice their worldly interests and relations and bear the afflictions which inevitably follow the acceptance of this creed. But at Al-Madinah different kinds of munafiqin (hypocrites) began to appear. There were some who had entered the Islamic fold merely to harm it from within. There were others who were surrounded by Muslims and, therefore, had become "Muslims" to safeguard their worldly interests. They, therefore, continued to have relations with the enemies so that if the latter became successful, their interests should remain secure. There were still others who had no strong conviction of the truth of Islam but had embraced it along with their clans. Lastly, there were those who were intellectually convinced of the truth of Islam but did not have enough moral courage to give up their former traditions, superstitions and personal ambitions and live up to the Islamic moral standards and make sacrifice in its way.
At the time of the revelation of Al-Baqarah, all sorts of hypocrites had begun to appear. Allah has, therefore, briefly pointed out their characteristics here. Afterwards when their evil characteristics and mischievous deeds became manifest, Allah sent detailed instructions about them.

abc1234 · June 14, 2004, 5:16pm

Theme: Guidance
This Surah is an invitation to the Divine Guidance and all the stories, incidents etc., revolve round this central theme. As this Surah has particularly been addressed to the Jews, many historical events have been cited from their own traditions to admonish and advise them that their own good lies in accepting the Guidance revealed to the Holy Prophet. They should, therefore, be the first to accept it because it was basically]y the same that was revealed to Prophet Moses (Allah’s peace be upon him).
Topics and their Interconnection
These introductory verses declare the Quran to be the Book of Guidance : enunciate the articles of the Faith – belief in Allah, Prophethood and Life-after-death; divide mankind into three main groups with regard to its acceptance or rejection – Believers, disbelievers and hypocrites. 1 - 20
Allah invites mankind to accept the Guidance voluntarily and to submit to Him, the Lord and the Creator of the Universe and to believe in the Quran, His Guidance, and in the Life-after-death. 21 - 29

Transliteration

Alif-lam-meem
Thalika alkitabu la rayba feehi hudan lilmuttaqeena
Allatheena yu/minoona bialghaybi wayuqeemoona alssalata wamimma razaqnahum yunfiqoona
Waallatheena yu/minoona bima onzila ilayka wama onzila min qablika wabial-akhirati hum yooqinoona
Ola-ika AAala hudan min rabbihim waola-ika humu almuflihoona
Inna allatheena kafaroo sawaon AAalayhim aanthartahum am lam tunthirhum la yu/minoona
Khatama Allahu AAala quloobihim waAAala samAAihim waAAala absarihim ghishawatun walahum AAathabun AAatheemun
Wamina alnnasi man yaqoolu amanna biAllahi wabialyawmi al-akhiri wama hum bimu/mineena
YukhadiAAoona Allaha waallatheena amanoo wama yakhdaAAoona illa anfusahum wama yashAAuroona
Fee quloobihim maradun fazadahumu Allahu maradan walahum AAathabun aleemun bima kanoo yakthiboona
Wa-itha qeela lahum la tufsidoo fee al-ardi qaloo innama nahnu muslihoona
Ala innahum humu almufsidoona walakin la yashAAuroona
Wa-itha qeela lahum aminoo kama amana alnnasu qaloo anu/minu kama amana alssufahao ala innahum humu alssufahao walakin la yaAAlamoona
Wa-itha laqoo allatheena amanoo qaloo amanna wa-itha khalaw ila shayateenihim qaloo inna maAAakum innama nahnu mustahzi-oona
Allahu yastahzi-o bihim wayamudduhum fee tughyanihim yaAAmahoona
Ola-ika allatheena ishtarawoo alddalalata bialhuda fama rabihat tijaratuhum wama kanoo muhtadeena
Mathaluhum kamathali allathee istawqada naran falamma adaat ma hawlahu thahaba Allahu binoorihim watarakahum fee thulumatin la yubsiroona
Summun bukmun AAumyun fahum la yarjiAAoona
Aw kasayyibin mina alssama-i feehi thulumatun waraAAdun wabarqun yajAAaloona asabiAAahum fee athanihim mina alssawaAAiqi hathara almawti waAllahu muheetun bialkafireena
Yakadu albarqu yakhtafu absarahum kullama adaa lahum mashaw feehi wa-itha athlama AAalayhim qamoo walaw shaa Allahu lathahaba bisamAAihim waabsarihim inna Allaha AAala kulli shay-in qadeerun
Ya ayyuha alnnasu oAAbudoo rabbakumu allathee khalaqakum waallatheena min qablikum laAAallakum tattaqoona
Allathee jaAAala lakumu al-arda firashan waalssamaa binaan waanzala mina alssama-i maan faakhraja bihi mina alththamarati rizqan lakum fala tajAAaloo lillahi andadan waantum taAAlamoona
Wa-in kuntum fee raybin mimma nazzalna AAala AAabdina fa/too bisooratin min mithlihi waodAAoo shuhadaakum min dooni Allahi in kuntum sadiqeena
Fa-in lam tafAAaloo walan tafAAaloo faittaqoo alnnara allatee waqooduha alnnasu waalhijaratu oAAiddat lilkafireena
Wabashshiri allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati anna lahum jannatin tajree min tahtiha al-anharu kullama ruziqoo minha min thamaratin rizqan qaloo hatha allathee ruziqna min qablu waotoo bihi mutashabihan walahum feeha azwajun mutahharatun wahum feeha khalidoona

Transliteration Table
[thumb=H]Tablee14535_2115908.JPG[/thumb]

** Audio**
http://www.quran.net/quran/Audio/Sudais/Sudais-S002a.ram

Ibn_Sadique · June 14, 2004, 7:57pm

Sister Irem May Allah (swt) reward you amply for your efforts. I would like to add the following. May Allah (swt) out of His Grace give all of us the tawfeek to recite the Quran and make it our guide.

The Prophet said, 'The Qur'an and those who committed themselves to it will be presented on the Day of judgement, preceded by Surah al-Baqarah and Surah al Imran. [Muslim 805]

The Prophet said, 'Learn how to recite Surah al-Baqarah for there is a blessing in it, and there is sorrow for abandoning it, and it is unbearable for the idle' and that 'al Baqarah and al Imran are like two flowers which will shade their learner on the day of Judgement, as if there were two large clouds or two flocks of birds'. [Ahmad 21872 & Buraida al-Aslami Muslim 1/553]

The Prophet said, 'Recite Surah al Baqarah in your dwellings and do not keep them as tombs. He also said that whoever recited Surah al Baqarah at night would be crowned with a crown of paradise.'[Baihaqi in Al-Shuaib]

The Prophet said, 'Do not make your house as tombs, for satan averts a dwelling wherein Surah al Baqarah is recited' [Muslim 780]

The Prophet was asked, 'Which part of the Quran is the best?'. He replied, 'The Surah in which the cow is mentioned'. He was then asked 'Which part of that Surah?'. He replied, 'The verse of the Throne and the last pasrt of Surah al Baqarah came down from under the Throne' [Darimi 3248]

The Prophet said, 'Al Baqara is the top (or pinnacle) of the Qur'an. Eighty angels came down with each one of it's verses and extracted the verse of the throne from under the throne, and it was joined to the other verses' [Ahmad 5/26]

The Prophet said, 'Whoever recited the Verse of the Throne at the end of each obligatory prayer, nothing could prevent him from going to paradise except death' [Darimi 3249/A]

The Prophet said, 'Whoever recites 4 verses from the first part of Surah al Baqarah, the verse of the Throne, two verses after the verse of the Throne and three verses from the last part of Surah al Baqarah, Satan would never come near him or the members of his family on that day, and nothing he despises would come near him or the members of his family, and never are these verses recited over a madman without him regaining his consciousness' - [Darimi 3249/A in the Book of Excellence of the Quran; an-Nasai in the Deeds during the Day and Night]; Ibn Hibban & Tabrani]

Abdullah ibn Masud (radiAllahu anhu) said, 'Whoever recited ten verses from al-Baqarah in the night, Satan shall not have access to that house, during the night till he wakes in the morning. These are: Four from the first part of the Surah, followed by the verse of the Throne, two verses after the verse of the Throne and three from the last part of the Surah'. - [Darimi 3248/A]

Munni · June 15, 2004, 12:30am

irem, if you can clarify what type of halaqa's these are, that would be great. As in what is expected from us in terms of participation. I am noticing a lot of quoting of references, without much personal input. I ask because in my school halaqa's were not done like this, thats all. Am not trying to say one school's method is better than anothers. I guess every school does them differently. Shukria. smile

AQ · June 15, 2004, 3:18am

Listen to Ayah by Ayah urdu Transliteration and tafseer of Surah Al Baqarah (Ayaah: 1 - 29) in Urdu

To download right click and choose the option “Save Target As” >> HERE](http://www.brain.net.pk/~aasif/2001/001.rm)

abc1234 · June 15, 2004, 8:14pm

jazakallah everyone

Munni - you guys can contribute whatever you feel like contributing... :) so post whatever you think is appropriate, that you want to share... :)

Rukhsarbibi · June 15, 2004, 11:10pm

Salaam Ibn!

By the 'verse of the throne' is that referencing Ayat-al-Kursi ??

Ibn_Sadique · June 15, 2004, 11:39pm

^^ Wa 'Alaykum Salaam

Yes, the 'verse of the throne' is the reference for Ayat-al-Kursi.

bao_bihari · June 20, 2004, 3:08am

This Ayahs Cleasry shows that there will not be any revelation after App :saw: time….as there is mention of believing in Quran (*Revelation sent to thee *)
And believing in wahis in any form sent before App :saw: time but no mention of any wahi-revelation after quran – so it gives the clear understanding that any one claiming to get any wahi-revelation after app :saw: is just kazzib …the belief reaffermed with shabah killing aswad ansi and muslaima kazzab…..

abc1234 · June 22, 2004, 5:46am

when i read this surah it always puts me in a mode of self analysis and reflection and i wonder if i am also one of those on whose hearts there is a seal…subhanallah it is really scary…may Allah swt help us and guide us and keep us on the right path…aameen

**
jazakallah everyone for your participation :flower1:
thank you so much and may Allah swt reward you

brothers and sisters, for the future, we will not have transliteration links and the Surah introductions in the Halaqa threads, but ONLY the translation and audio link. if any of you feel that these are necessary though, please feel free to post those in the thread, as you are free to post whatever you like

the link for the next thread for our Halaqa is:
http://www.gupistan.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=153294

jazakallah
**