Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Chapter Al-Baqarah, the second and longest chapter in the Quran, holds a profound significance for Muslims worldwide. As a cornerstone of Islamic guidance, it encompasses a vast array of topics, from fundamental beliefs and laws to historical narratives and moral teachings. This chapter offers profound insights into the relationship between God and humanity, emphasizing the importance of faith, obedience, and social responsibility. Join us as we delve into the depths of Al-Baqarah, exploring its key themes and drawing timeless lessons for our lives.

overview

Surah: 2	Number of Verses: 286	Place of Revelation: Medina	Order of Revelation: 87
	Number of Words: 6,121 words	Number of Letters: 250,050 letters

Names

• Surah Al-Baqarah [1]
• The Tent of the Quran
• The Hump of the Quran
• The Radiant Surah
• The Surah of the Throne
• The Master of the Quran

Al-Baqarah

The word “Baqarah” means “cow.” It is a generic noun, referring to both male and female cattle. The “taa marbuta” at the end is for grammatical unity, not to indicate femininity.

Main Themes of the Surah

• Islamic thought
• Anthropology
• History
• Legal framework for society

Reasons for the Names

• “Al-Baqarah” (The Cow): This name is derived from the story of the cow of the Children of Israel and the profound wisdom contained within it.
• “The Tent of the Quran”: “Fustat” refers to a large tent. This name signifies the grandeur of the Surah, as it encompasses a vast array of rulings and legal principles not found elsewhere in the Quran.
• “The Hump of the Quran”: The “sanam” (hump) is the highest point of something. This name highlights the importance and elevated status of Surah Al-Baqarah.
• “The Radiant Surah”: Surah Al-Baqarah, along with Surah Al-Imran, are known as the “Zahrawain” (the two radiant ones), signifying their illuminating nature.
• “The Surah of the Throne”: This name comes from the inclusion of “Ayat al-Kursi” (The Verse of the Throne) within the Surah, which is considered the greatest verse in the Quran.
• “The Master of the Quran”: This title is based on a narration from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who described Surah Al-Baqarah with this attribute.

Objectives and Teachings of Surah Al-Baqarah

The main objectives of Surah Al-Baqarah are:

• To explain the fundamental principles of Islamic beliefs and the proofs for the Oneness of God (Tawhid) and the Day of Judgment (Ma’ad).
• To categorize people into three groups based on their response to the guidance of the Quran: believers, disbelievers, and hypocrites.
• To narrate the history of the prophets, particularly Moses (peace be upon him), and his debates with the Jews regarding their beliefs and practices.
• To outline the laws of Islam concerning worship and transactions.
• To establish a legal framework for the newly formed Islamic society in Medina and regulate their relationships with other communities, such as the Jews and Christians, who were present in the Arabian Peninsula.

Content and Themes

Surah Al-Baqarah, being one of the longest Surahs in the Quran, was not revealed all at once. It was revealed in stages, addressing the various needs of the Muslim community in Medina. However, its comprehensiveness in terms of Islamic beliefs and practical matters (worship, social, political, and economic) is undeniable.

This Surah covers:

• Discussions on the Oneness of God and recognizing Him, particularly through studying the wonders of creation.
• Discussions on the Day of Judgment and the afterlife, including tangible examples like the story of Abraham and the revival of birds, and the story of ‘Aziz (a man mentioned in the Quran).
• Discussions on the miraculous nature of the Quran and the importance of this divine book.
• Detailed and extensive discussions about the Jews and hypocrites, their stances towards Islam and the Quran, and their various attempts to hinder its progress.
• Discussions on the history of the great prophets, especially Abraham and Moses (peace be upon them).
• Discussions on various Islamic rulings, including prayer, fasting, striving in the cause of God, pilgrimage, changing the direction of prayer (qiblah), marriage and divorce, rulings on trade and debt, a significant portion of the rulings on usury (riba), extensive discussions on charity, the law of retaliation (qisas), the prohibition of certain meats, gambling and alcohol, and some rulings on wills and testaments.

Virtues, Benefits, and Rewards of Recitation

• Ubayy ibn Ka’b narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever recites Surah Al-Baqarah, may the peace and mercy of God be upon him, and he will be given the reward of those who guard the borders and those who sacrifice themselves in the way of God.
• The Prophet also said to Ubayy: “O Ubayy, tell the Muslims to learn Surah Al-Baqarah, for learning it is a blessing, and abandoning it causes regret, and sorcerers cannot overcome it.
• Sahl ibn Sa’d said: The Messenger of Allah said: “Every thing has a peak, and the peak of the Quran is Surah Al-Baqarah. In any house where it is recited, if it is during the day, Satan will not enter that house for three days, and if it is at night, they will be safe from Satan entering it for three nights.”
• It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent a group of people to a place. Then he followed them and asked each of them how much and which Surah of the Quran they had memorized until he reached a young man who was the youngest of them all. He replied that he had memorized part of the Quran and Surah Al-Baqarah. The Prophet turned to the group and said: “Now go, and this young man is your leader.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, he is the youngest of us all.” The Prophet said: “Yes, but he has memorized Surah Al-Baqarah.
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked: “Which Surah of the Quran is the best of Surahs?” He said: “Surah Al-Baqarah.” They asked: “Which verses of Surah Al-Baqarah are superior to the rest?” He said: “Ayat al-Kursi.
• Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever recites Surah Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran, on the Day of Judgment, those two Surahs will shade him like a cloud or a curtain.

Place and Time of Revelation

Place of Revelation:

The entire Surah Al-Baqarah was revealed in Medina, except for one verse: “And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah” (2:281), which was revealed in Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage.

Time of Revelation:

The revelation of Surah Al-Baqarah took place between the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) migration to Medina and the Battle of Badr.

Context of Revelation

Given that Surah Al-Baqarah is Medinan and was revealed during the formative period of the Islamic government and the widespread acceptance of Islam, its content has a specific orientation.

The content of Surah Al-Baqarah is primarily influenced by the social and cultural environment of Medina after the migration. At that time, the inhabitants of Medina consisted of four groups:

1. The Muslim emigrants (Muhajirun): They had left their homes and possessions in Mecca and were living in poverty in Medina.
2. The Muslim helpers (Ansar): They comprised two tribes, Aws and Khazraj, who, despite a long history of animosity, had united and become brothers under the banner of Islam.
3. The Jews: They possessed significant wealth and influence, but with the advent of Islam, they lost their dominance among the predominantly illiterate population.
4. The hypocrites (Munafiqun): They harbored enmity towards Islam but outwardly professed faith to protect their interests, as the Muslims held power in Medina.

Each of these groups and their activities contributed to the revelation of verses in Surah Al-Baqarah. For instance, the unique social composition of Medina during the period of revelation led to the revelation of verses describing these groups and their characteristics in verses 3 to 20, which outline the attributes of the righteous, the disbelievers, and the hypocrites. However, since hypocrisy had not yet fully manifested, the hypocrites are only mentioned in a few verses, using the phrase “min al-nas” (among the people). The Jews, being the most significant group opposing Islam and the Islamic system, are the subject of over 31 verses in Surah Al-Baqarah.

Furthermore, the establishment of the Islamic state and the people’s embrace of Islam created a conducive environment for the legislation of religious laws, resulting in the revelation of numerous verses concerning specific rulings. Consequently, Surah Al-Baqarah addresses a wide range of issues related to worship, family, economy, society, and penal laws (verses 168-284).

Within the verses of the Surah, some other topics are also discussed that seemingly have no connection to the context of revelation. However, according to commentators, this is not the case. For example, the story of Abraham (peace be upon him) in verses 124-141, according to Allamah Tabatabai, serves as an introduction and sets the stage for the verses concerning the change of the direction of prayer (qiblah) and the rulings related to pilgrimage.

Order and Structure

Order in the Mushaf (Quranic Compilation):

Surah Al-Baqarah is the second Surah in the current arrangement of the Quran.

Order of Revelation:

Surah Al-Baqarah is the 87th Surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Surah Al-Mutaffifin. (Note: There are differing opinions on the order of revelation of the Surahs in the Quran.)

Connection with the Previous Surah:

Surah Al-Fatihah concludes by seeking refuge from the path of those who have incurred God’s wrath (the Jews) and those who have gone astray (the Christians). Consequently, Surah Al-Baqarah begins by introducing the religion of Islam. Similarly, Surah Al-Imran addresses various questions and doubts regarding the Islamic faith.

Distinctive Features:

• Surah Al-Baqarah is the longest Surah in the Quran, comprising approximately two and a half out of the thirty parts (juz’) of the Quran.
• It is the first Surah revealed in Medina and was not revealed all at once but rather in stages, addressing the diverse needs of the Muslim community in Medina.
• It contains the longest verse in the Quran, known as “Ayat al-Dayn” (the verse of debt) (verse 282).
• Its most significant verse is “Ayat al-Kursi” (the verse of the Throne) (verse 255), which has a unique and profound message of Tawhid (Oneness of God).
• It begins with disconnected letters (muqatta’at) and is one of the seven long Surahs of the Quran (Sab’ al-Tiwal).
  • There are differing opinions on the seven long Surahs. Some say they are Al-Baqarah, Al-Imran, An-Nisa’, Al-Ma’idah, Al-An’am, Al-A’raf, and Al-Anfal, along with At-Tawbah. Others consider Yunus to be the seventh and believe that Al-Anfal and At-Tawbah are not included (This is the opinion of Sa’id ibn Jubayr).

Narration:

A narration from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) states: “God gave me the seven long Surahs in place of the Torah, and the Surahs of Mi’un (those with the letter ‘mim’ at the beginning) in place of the Gospel, and the Surahs of Mathani (those with pairs of verses) in place of the Psalms, and my Lord bestowed upon me an abundance by giving me the مفصّل Surahs (those with detailed narratives).