2. Sūrat al-Baqarah (3/6)

٢۔ سُورَةُ البَقَرَة ص ٣

Qurʾān > Chapter 2
القرآن > كتاب ٢

The Cow (Medinan)

quran:2:101 –

And when a messenger from Allah came to them confirming that which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Scripture of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know ˹what it contained˺.  

When there came to them a messenger from God, namely, Muhammad (s), confirming what was with them, a party of them who were given the Scripture have cast away the Scripture of God, that is, the Torah, behind their backs, that is to say, they have not acted according to what it said about belief in the Messenger and otherwise; as though they did not know, what is contained in it, to the effect that he is a true Prophet, or that it is the Book of God.
القرآن:٢:١٠١ –

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ  

{ولما جاءهم رسول من عند الله} محمد {مصدق لما معهم نبذ فريق من الذين أوتوا الكتاب كتاب الله} أي التوراة {وراء ظهورهم} أي لم يعملوا بما فيها من الإيمان بالرسول وغيره {كأنهم لا يعلمون} ما فيها من أنه نبي حق أو أنها كتاب الله.
quran:2:102 –

And they followed ˹instead˺ what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve ˹by practicing magic˺." And ˹yet˺ they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.  

And they follow (wa’ttaba‘ū is a supplement to nabadha, ‘˹it˺ cast away’) what the devils used to relate, during the time of, Solomon’s kingdom, in the way of sorcery: it is said that they ˹the devils˺ buried these ˹books of sorcery˺ underneath his throne when his kingdom was taken from him; it is also said that they used to listen stealthily and add fabrications to what they heard, and then pass it on to the priests, who would compile it in books; this would be disseminated and rumours spread that the jinn had knowledge of the Unseen. Solomon gathered these books and buried them. When he died, the devils showed people where these books were, and the latter brought them out and found that they contained sorcery, and said, ‘Your kingdom was only thanks to what is in here’; they then took to learning them and rejected the Scriptures of their prophets. In order to demonstrate Solomon’s innocence and in repudiation of the Jews when they said, ‘Look at this Muhammad, he mentions Solomon as one of the prophets, when he was only a sorcerer’, God, exalted, says: Solomon disbelieved not, that is, he did not work magic because he disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching the people sorcery (this sentence is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person governing the verb kafarū); and, teaching them, that which was revealed to the two angels, that is, the sorcery that they were inspired to ˹perform˺ (al-malakayn, ‘the two angels’: a variant reading has al-malikayn, ‘the two kings’) who were, in Babylon — a town in lower Iraq — Hārūt and Mārūt (here the names are standing in for ‘the two angels’, or an explication of the latter). Ibn ‘Abbās said, ‘They were two sorcerers who used to teach ˹people˺ magic’; it is also said that they were two angels that had been sent to teach ˹sorcery˺ to people as a trial from God. They taught not any man, without them saying, by way of counsel, ‘We are but a temptation, a trial from God for people, so that He may test them when they are taught it: whoever learns it is a disbeliever, but whoever renounces it, he is a believer; do not disbelieve’, by learning it; if this person refused and insisted on learning it, they would teach him. From them they learned how they might cause division between a man and his wife, so that they would hate each other, yet they, the sorcerers, did not hurt any man thereby, that is, by this magic, save by the leave of God, by His will; and they learned what hurt them, in the Hereafter, and did not profit them, and this was sorcery. And surely (the lām ˹of la-qad, ‘surely’˺ is for oaths) they, the Jews, knew well that whoever (laman: the lām denotes ˹part of˺ the subject of the sentence and is semantically connected to what precedes it; the man introduces the relative clause) buys it, ˹whoever˺ chooses it and took it in place of God’s Book, he shall have no share in the Hereafter, that is, no portion of Paradise; evil then would have been, the thing, that they sold themselves for, those sellers, that is to say, the portion due for this ˹act˺ in the Hereafter, if they were to learn it; for it would have made the Fire obligatory in their case; if they had but known, the reality of the chastisement they would be destined for, they would not have learnt it.
القرآن:٢:١٠٢ –

وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ ۚ وَمَا هُمْ بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنْفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ  

{واتبعوا} عطف على نبذ {ما تتلوا} أي تلت {الشياطين على} عهد {ملك سليمان} من السحر وكانت دفنته تحت كرسيه لما نزع ملكه أو كانت تسترق السمع وتضم إليه أكاذيب وتلقيه إلى الكهنة فيدونونه وفشا ذلك وشاع أن الجن تعلم الغيب فجمع سليمان الكتب ودفنها فلما مات دلت الشياطين عليها الناس فاستخرجوها فوجدوا فيها السحر فقالوا إنما ملككم بهذا فتعلموه فرفضوا كتب أنبيائهم قال تعالى تبرئه لسليمان ورداً على اليهود في قولهم انظروا إلى محمد يذكر سليمان في الأنبياء وما كان إلا ساحراً: {وما كفر سليمان} أي لم يعمل السحر لأنه كفر {ولكن} بالتشديد والتخفيف {الشياطين كفروا يعلمون الناس السحر} الجملة حال من ضمير كفروا {و} يعلمونهم {ما أنزل على الملكين} أي ألهماه من السحر وقرئ بكسر اللام الكائنين {ببابل} بلد في سواد العراق {هاروت وماروت} بدل أو عطف بيان للملكين قال ابن عباس هما ساحران كانا يعلمان السحر وقيل ملكان أنزلا لتعليمه ابتلاء من الله للناس {وما يعلمان من} زائدة {أحد حتى يقولا} له نصحاً {إنما نحن فتنة} بلية من الله إلى الناس ليمتحنهم بتعليمه فمن تعلمه كفر ومن تركه فهو مؤمن {فلا تكفر} بتعلمه فإن أبى إلا التعليم علماه {فيتعلمون منهما ما يفرقون به بين المرء وزوجه} بأن يبغض كلا إلى الآخر {وما هم} أي السحرة {بضارين به} بالسحر {من} زائدة {أحد إلا بإذن الله} بإرادته {ويتعلمون ما يضرهم} في الآخرة {ولا ينفعهم} وهو السحر {ولقد} لام قسم {علموا} أي اليهود {لمن} لام ابتداء معلقة لما قبلها ومن موصلة {اشتراه} اختاره أو استبدله بكتاب الله {ماله في الآخرة من خلاق} نصيب في الجنة {ولبئس ما} شيئاً {شروا} باعوا {به أنفسهم} أي الشارين: أي حظها من الآخرة إن تعلموه حيث أوجب لهم النار {لو كانوا يعلمون} حقيقة ما يصيرون إليه من العذاب ما تعلَّموه.
quran:2:103 –

And if they had believed and feared Allah, then the reward from Allah would have been ˹far˺ better, if they only knew.  

Yet if only they, the Jews, had believed, in the Prophet and the Qur’ān, and been fearful, of God’s chastisement, by abandoning acts of disobedience towards Him, such as sorcery (the response to the ˹conditional clause beginning with˺ law, ‘if’, has been omitted, ˹but it is intimated to be˺ ‘they would have been rewarded’, and this is indicated by ˹His following words˺) verily, a reward from God would have been better, than that for which they sold themselves, if they had but known, that this is better they would not have preferred that over this (la-mathūbatun, ‘verily the reward’, is the subject; the lām is that of oaths; and min ‘indi’Llāhi khayrun, ‘from God, would have been better’, is the predicate).
القرآن:٢:١٠٣ –

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ ۖ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ  

{ولو أنهم} أي اليهود {آمنوا} بالنبي والقرآن {واتقوا} عقاب الله بترك معاصيه كالسحر، وجوابُ لو محذوف: أي لأثيبوا دل عليه {لمثوبة} ثواب وهو مبتدأ واللام فيه للقسم {من عند الله خير} خبره مما شروا به أنفسهم {لو كانوا يعلمون} أنه خير لما آثروه عليه.
quran:2:104 –

O you who have believed, say not ˹to Allah 's Messenger˺, "Ra'ina" but say, "Unthurna" and listen. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.  

O you who believe, do not say, to the Prophet (s), ‘Observe us’, (rā‘inā is an imperative form from murā‘āt) which they used to say to him, and this was a derogatory term in Hebrew, derived from the noun al-ru‘ūna ˹‘thoughtlessness’˺. They found this very amusing and used to address the Prophet (s) in this way, and so the believers were forbidden to use it; but say, instead, ‘Regard us’, that is, look at us, and give ear, to what you are commanded and be prepared to accept it; and for disbelievers awaits a painful chastisement, that is, the Fire.
القرآن:٢:١٠٤ –

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقُولُوا رَاعِنَا وَقُولُوا انْظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُوا ۗ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ  

{يا أيها الذين أمنوا لا تقولوا} للنبي {راعنا} أمر من المراعاة وكانوا يقولون له ذلك وهي بلغة اليهود سب من الرعونة فسُرُّوا بذلك وخاطبوا بها النبي فنُهى المؤمنون عنها {وقولوا} بدلها {انظرنا} أي انظر إلينا {واسمعوا} ما تؤمرون به سماع قبول {وللكافرين عذاب أليم} مؤلم هو النار.
quran:2:105 –

Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But Allah selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.  

Those disbelievers of the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, from among the Arabs (al-mushrikīna, ‘idolaters’, is a supplement to ahl al-kitābi, ‘People of the Scripture’, and the min, ‘of’, is explicative), do not wish that any good, any Inspiration, should be revealed to you from your Lord, out of envy of you, but God singles out for His mercy, ˹for˺ the office of His Prophet, whom He will; God is of bounty abounding.
القرآن:٢:١٠٥ –

مَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَنْ يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ  

{ما يود الذين كفروا من أهل الكتاب ولا المشركين} من العرب عطف على أهل الكتاب ومن للبيان {أن يُنَزَّلَ عليكم من} زائدة {خير} وحي {من ربكم} حسداً لكم {والله يختص برحمته} نبوته {من يشاء والله ذو الفضل العظيم}
quran:2:106 –

We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth ˹one˺ better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?  

When the disbelievers began to deride the matter of abrogation, saying that one day Muhammad enjoins his Companions to one thing and then the next day he forbids it, God revealed: And whatever verse (mā is the conditional particle), that has been revealed containing a judgement, We abrogate, either together with its recital or not ˹that is only its judgement, but its recital continues˺; there is a variant reading, nunsikh, meaning ‘˹Whatever verse˺ We command you or Gabriel to abrogate’, or postpone, so that We do not reveal the judgement contained in it, and We withhold its recital or retain it in the Preserved Tablet; a variant reading ˹of nunsi’hā˺ is nunsihā, from ‘to forget’: so ‘˹Whatever verse We abrogate˺ or We make you forget, that is, We erase from your heart’; the response to the conditional sentence ˹begun with mā˺ is: We bring ˹in place˺ a better, one that is more beneficial for ˹Our˺ servants, either because it is easier ˹to implement˺ or contains much reward; or the like of it, in terms of religious obligation and reward; do you not know that God has power over all things?, including abrogating and substituting ˹verses˺? (the interrogative here is meant as an affirmative).
القرآن:٢:١٠٦ –

مَا نَنْسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا ۗ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ  

ولما طعن الكفار في النسخ وقالوا إن محمداً يأمر أصحابه اليوم بأمر وينهى عنه غداً نزل: {ما} شرطية {ننسخ من أية} أي ننزل حكمها: إما مع لفظها أو لا وفي قراءة بضم النون من أنسخ: أي نأمرك أو جبريل بنسخها {أو ننسها} نؤخرها، فلا ننزل حكمها ونرفع تلاوتها أو نؤخرها في اللوح المحفوظ وفي قراءة بلا همز من النسيان أي ننسها، أي نمحها من قلبك وجواب الشرط {نأت بخير منها} أنفع للعباد في السهولة أو كثرة الأجر {أو مثلها} في التكليف والثواب {ألم تعلم أن الله على كل شئ قدير} ومنه النسخ والتبديل، والاستفهام للتقرير.
quran:2:107 –

Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and ˹that˺ you have not besides Allah any protector or any helper?  

Do you not know that to God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, doing what He pleases, and that you have none, besides God, other than God, neither protector, to safeguard you, nor helper?, to keep away His chastisement when it comes.
القرآن:٢:١٠٧ –

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ  

{ألم تعلم أن الله له ملك السموات والأرض} يفعل ما يشاء {وما لكم من دون الله} أي غيره {من} زائدة {وليٌ} يحفظكم {ولا نصير} يمنع عنكم عذابه إن أتاكم، ونزل لما سأله أهل مكة أن يوسعها ويجعل الصفا ذهباً.
quran:2:108 –

Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.  

When the Meccans asked ˹the Prophet˺ to enlarge the size of Mecca and make Safā full of gold, the following was revealed: Or do you desire to question your Messenger as Moses was questioned, by his people, aforetime?, when they asked him to show them God openly among other things; whoever exchanges belief for unbelief, taking the latter in place of the former by refraining from contemplating the clear proofs and by requesting others instead, has surely strayed from the even way, meaning, he has mistaken the proper path (al-sawā‘ essentially means al-wasat, ‘middle way’).
القرآن:٢:١٠٨ –

أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَسْأَلُوا رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۗ وَمَنْ يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ  

{أم} بل {تريدون أن تسألوا رسولكم كما سئل موسى} أي سأله قومه {من قبل} من قولهم: أرنا الله جهرة وغير ذلك {ومن يتبدل الكفر بالإيمان} أي يأخذ بدله بترك النظر في الآيات البينات واقتراح غيرها {فقد ضل سواء السبيل} أخطأ الطريق الحق والسواءُ في الأصل الوسط.
quran:2:109 –

Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves ˹even˺ after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allah delivers His command. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.  

Many of the People of the Scripture long that (law, ‘˹if only˺ that’, represents ˹the import of˺ the verbal noun) they might make you disbelievers, after you have believed, from the envy (hasadan is the object denoting reason), being, of their own souls, that is to say, their wicked souls have prompted them to this ˹attitude˺; after the truth, with regard to the Prophet (s), has become clear to them, in the Torah; yet pardon, leave them be, and be forgiving, stay away, and make no encroachments against them, till God brings His command, concerning fighting them; truly God has power over all things.
القرآن:٢:١٠٩ –

وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ ۖ فَاعْفُوا وَاصْفَحُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ  

{ودَّ كثير من أهل الكتاب لو} مصدرية {يردونكم من بعد إيمانكم كفارا حسدا} مفعول له كائنا {من عند أنفسهم} أي حملتهم عليه أنفسهم الخبيثة {من بعد ما تبين لهم} في التوراة {الحق} في شأن النبي {فاعفوا} عنهم أي اتركوهم {واصفحوا} أعرضوا فلا تجازوهم {حتى يأتي الله بأمره} فيهم من القتال {إن الله على كل شئ قدير}.
quran:2:110 –

And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do, is Seeing.  

And perform the prayer, and pay the alms; whatever good, in the way of obedience, such as ˹observing˺ kinship and charity, you shall offer for your own souls, you shall find it, that is, its reward, with God; assuredly God sees what you do, and will requite you for it.
القرآن:٢:١١٠ –

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ  

{وأقيموا الصلاة وآتوا الزكاة وما تقدموا لأنفسكم من خير} طاعة كصلة وصدقة {تجدوه} أي ثوابه {عند الله إن الله بما تعملون بصير} فيجازيكم به.
quran:2:111 –

And they say, "None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian." That is ˹merely˺ their wishful thinking, Say, "Produce your proof, if you should be truthful."  

And they say, ‘None shall enter Paradise except those who are Jews (hūd is the plural of hā’id) or Christians’: this is what the Jews of Medina and the Christians of Najrān said when they disputed with the Prophet (s), each party separately claiming Paradise for its members exclusively. Such, sayings, are their desires, their false passions. Say, to them: ‘Produce your proof, your evidence for this, if you speak truly’, in this matter.
القرآن:٢:١١١ –

وَقَالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ ۗ تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ ۗ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ  

{وقالوا لن يدخل الجنة إلا من كان هوداً} جمع هائد {أو نصارى} قال ذلك يهود المدينة ونصارى نجران لما تناظروا بين يدي النبي أي قال اليهود لن يدخلها إلا اليهود وقال النصارى لن يدخلها إلا النصارى {تلك} القولة {أمانيهم} شهواتهم الباطلة {قل} لهم {هاتوا برهانكم} حجتكم على ذلك {إن كنتم صادقين} فيه.
quran:2:112 –

Yes ˹on the contrary˺, whoever submits his face in Islam to Allah while being a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.  

Nay, but, others will also enter Paradise, namely, whoever submits his purpose to God, that is, adheres to His commands (wajh, ‘face’ ˹sc. ‘purpose’˺, is here mentioned because it is the most noble part of the body, so that ˹when it has submitted˺ there is all the more reason for the other parts ˹to follow˺), being virtuous, affirming God’s Oneness, his reward is with his Lord, the reward of his deeds being Paradise, and no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve, in the Hereafter.
القرآن:٢:١١٢ –

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ  

{بلى} يدخل الجنة غيرهم {من أسلم وجهه لله} أي انقاد لأمره. وخص الوجه لأنه أشرف الأعضاء فغيره أولى {وهو محسن} موحد {فله أجره عند ربِّه} أي ثواب عمله الجنة {ولا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون} في الآخرة.
quran:2:113 –

The Jews say "The Christians have nothing ˹true˺ to stand on," and the Christians say, "The Jews have nothing to stand on," although they ˹both˺ recite the Scripture. Thus the polytheists speak the same as their words. But Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.  

The Jews say, ‘The Christians stand on nothing’, that can be used as support ˹for their claims˺, and they rejected Jesus; and the Christians say, ‘The Jews stand on nothing’, that can be used as support ˹for their claims˺, and they rejected Moses; yet they, both groups, recite the Scripture, revealed to them: in the Scripture of the Jews there is the confirmation of Jesus, and in that of the Christians there is the confirmation of Moses (yatlūna’l-kitāba, ‘they recite the Scripture’: the sentence is a circumstantial qualifier). Thus, in the way that these have said, the ignorant, from among the Arabs and others, say the like of what these say (this last phrase ˹mithla qawlihim, ‘the like of what they say’˺ is the explication of dhālika, ‘that ˹way˺’): that is to say, to every person of religion they would say, ‘You have no basis’; God shall decide between them on the Day of Resurrection regarding their differences, in religion and will admit the confirmer into Paradise and the falsifier into the Fire.1568039483
القرآن:٢:١١٣ –

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۚ فَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ  

{وقالت اليهود ليست النصارى على شئ} معتد به وكفرت بعيسى {وقالت النصارى ليست اليهود على شئ} معتد به وكفرت بموسى {وهم} أي الفريقان {يتلون الكتاب} المنزل عليهم، وفي كتاب اليهود تصديق عيسى، وفي كتاب النصارى تصديق موسى والجملة حال {كذلك} كما قال هؤلاء {قال الذين لا يعلمون} أي المشركون من العرب وغيرهم {مثل قولهم} بيان لمعنى ذلك: أي قالوا لكل ذي دين ليسوا على شئ {فالله يحكم بينهم يوم القيامة فيما كانوا فيه يختلفون} من أمر الدين فيدخل المحقُّ الجنة والمبطل النار.
quran:2:114 –

And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strive toward their destruction. It is not for them to enter them except in fear. For them in this world is disgrace, and they will have in the Hereafter a great punishment.  

And who does greater evil — that is, none does more evil — than he who bars God’s places of worship, so that His Name be not invoked in them, in prayer and praise, and strives to ruin them?, through destruction and impeding people from them: this was revealed to inform of the Byzantines’ destruction of the Holy House ˹sc. Jerusalem˺, or ˹it was revealed˺ when the idolaters barred the Prophet (s) from entering Mecca in the year of the battle of Hudaybiyya; such men might never enter them, save in fear (illā khā’ifīna is a predicate, also functioning as a command, that is to say, ‘Frighten them by threats of waging war against them, so that not one of them shall enter it feeling secure’); for them in this world is degradation, debasement through being killed, taken captive and forced to pay the jizya; and in the Hereafter a mighty chastisement, namely, the Fire.
القرآن:٢:١١٤ –

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ مَنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَىٰ فِي خَرَابِهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلَّا خَائِفِينَ ۚ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ  

{ومن أظلم} أي لا أحد أظلم {ممن منع مساجد الله أن يذكر فيها اسمه} بالصلاة والتسبيح {وسعى في خرابها} بالهدم أو التعطيل، نزلت إخباراً عن الروم الذين خربوا بيت المقدس أو في المشركين لما صدوا النبي عام الحديبية عن البيت {أولئك ما كان لهم أن يدخلوها إلا خائفين} خبر بمعنى الأمر أي أخيفوهم بالجهاد فلا يدخلها أحد آمناً. {لهم في الدنيا خزي} هوان بالقتل والسبي والجزية {ولهم في الآخرة عذاب عظيم} هو النار.
quran:2:115 –

And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you ˹might˺ turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.  

The following was revealed either when the Jews criticised the change of the direction of prayer ˹qibla˺, or concerning the supererogatory prayers on animal-back during journeys, which one may pray in any direction: To God belong the East and the West, that is, the entire earth, because these two ˹directions˺ represent both sides of it ˹the earth˺; whithersoever you turn, your faces in prayer by His command, there is the Face of God, the direction of prayer with which He is pleased. Lo! God is Embracing, His bounty embracing all things, Knowing, how to manage His creation.
القرآن:٢:١١٥ –

وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ  

ونزل لما طعن اليهود في نسخ القبلة أو في صلاة النافلة على الراحلة في السفر حيثما توجهت {ولله المشرق والمغرب} أي الأرض كلها لأنهما ناحيتها {فأينما تولوا} وجوهكم في الصلاة بأمره {فثمَّ} هناك {وجه الله} قبلته التي رضيها {إن الله واسع} يسع فضله كل شئ {عليم} بتدبير خلقه.
quran:2:116 –

They say, "Allah has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him,  

And they, the Jews and the Christians, and those that claim that the angels are God’s daughters, say (read wa-qālū or ˹simply˺ qālū) ‘God has taken to Himself a son’; God says: Glory be to Him!, as a way of exalting Himself above this; Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth, as possessions, creatures and servants, and this sovereignty contradicts having a child, and is expressed by ˹the particle˺ mā, ‘all that’, in order to include all ˹creation˺ that is not rational; all obey His will, submitting to that which is required from each one of them: here the emphasis is on rational beings.
القرآن:٢:١١٦ –

وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا ۗ سُبْحَانَهُ ۖ بَلْ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ كُلٌّ لَهُ قَانِتُونَ  

{وقالوا} بواو وبدونها اليهود والنصارى ومن زعم أن الملائكة بنات الله {اتخذ الله ولداً} قال تعالى {سبحانه} تنزيها له عنه {بل له ما في السماوات والأرض} ملكا وخلقا وعبيدا والملكية تنافي الولادة وعبر بما تغليبا لما لا يعقل {كل له قانتون} مطيعون كل بما يراد منه وفيه تغليب العاقل.
quran:2:117 –

Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.  

Creator of the heavens and the earth, making them exist without any exemplary precedent; and when He decrees, wills, a thing, to exist, He but says to it ‘Be’ and it is, that is to say, it becomes (fa-yakūnu: a variant reading has fa-yakūna, on account of it being the response ˹in the subjunctive mood˺ to the jussive statement).
القرآن:٢:١١٧ –

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ  

{بديع السماوات والأرض} موجدهم لا على مثال سبق {وإذا قضى} أراد {أمرا} أي إيجاده {فإنما يقول له كن فيكون} أي فهو يكون وفى قراءة بالنصب جوابا للأمر.
quran:2:118 –

Those who do not know say, "Why does Allah not speak to us or there come to us a sign?" Thus spoke those before them like their words. Their hearts resemble each other. We have shown clearly the signs to a people who are certain ˹in faith˺.  

And they, that is the disbelievers of Mecca, who do not know, say, to the Prophet (s): ‘Why does God not speak to us?, ˹to say˺ that you are His Messenger; Why does a sign not come to us?’, of the sort we have requested in order to show your sincerity. So, in the same way that these ˹disbelievers˺ have spoken, spoke those before them, from among past communities, to their prophets, the like of what they say, in ˹their˺ obstinacy and demand for signs; their hearts are much alike, in terms of unbelief and stubbornness: this is meant as consolation for the Prophet (s). Yet We have made clear the signs to a people who are certain, ˹a people˺ who know that these are ˹God’s˺ signs and so they believe in them, for to request other signs would be obduracy.
القرآن:٢:١١٨ –

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۘ تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ  

{وقال الذين لا يعلمون} أي كفار مكة للنبي {لولا} هلا {يكلمنا الله} بأنك رسوله {أو تأتينا آية} مما اقترحناه على صدقك {كذلك} كما قال هؤلاء {قال الذين من قبلهم} من كفار الأمم الماضية لأنبيائهم {مثل قولهم} من التعنت وطلب الآيات {تشابهت قلوبهم} في الكفر والعناد، فيه تسلية للنبي {قد بينا الآيات لقوم يوقنون} يعلمون أنها آيات فيؤمنون فاقتراحُ آية معها تعنُّت.
quran:2:119 –

Indeed, We have sent you, ˹O Muhammad˺, with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner, and you will not be asked about the companions of Hellfire.  

We have sent you, Muhammad (s), with the truth, the guidance, a bearer of good tidings, of Paradise, for those who respond to this ˹guidance˺, and warner, of the Fire, to those who do not respond to it. You shall not be asked about the inhabitants of Hell-fire, that is, about why the disbelievers did not believe, for your responsibility is only to deliver the Message (a variant reading of lā tus’al is lā tas’al, ‘do not ask’, with the final apocopation of the vowel on account of it being an imperative).
القرآن:٢:١١٩ –

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْجَحِيمِ  

{إنا أرسلناك} يا محمد {بالحق} بالهدى {بشيرا} من أجاب إليه بالجنة {ونذيرا} من لم يجب إليه بالنار {ولا تُسأل عن أصحاب الجحيم} النار، أي الكفار ما لهم لم يؤمنوا إنما عليك البلاغ، وفي قراءة بجزم تسأل نهيا.
quran:2:120 –

And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the ˹only˺ guidance." If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper.  

Never will the Jews be pleased with you, neither the Christians, not until you follow their creed, their religion, Say: ‘God’s guidance, that is, Islam, is the true guidance’, besides which there is only error. And if you were (wa-la-in: the lām is for oaths) to follow their whims, hypothetically speaking, ˹whims˺ to which they are calling you, after the knowledge, the Divine revelation, that has come to you, you shall have against God neither friend, to protect you, nor helper, to defend you against Him.
القرآن:٢:١٢٠ –

وَلَنْ تَرْضَىٰ عَنْكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ ۗ وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۙ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ  

{ولن ترضى عنك اليهود ولا النصارى حتى تتبع ملَّتهم} دينهم {قل إن هدى الله} أي الإسلام {هو الهدى} وما عداه ضلال {ولئن} لام قسم {اتبعت أهواءهم} التي يدعونك إليها فرضاً {بعد الذي جاءك من العلم} الوحي من الله {مالك من الله من ولي} يحفظك {ولا نصير} يمنعك منه.
quran:2:121 –

Those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital. They ˹are the ones who˺ believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it - it is they who are the losers.  

Those to whom We have given the Scripture (this is the subject of the sentence), and who recite it with true recitation, that is, who recite it as it was revealed (haqqa tilāwatihi, ‘its true recitation’, is a circumstantial qualifier; haqqa is in the accusative because it is the object of the verbal noun), they believe in it (this is the predicate): this was revealed concerning a group of Ethiopians that presented themselves ˹to the Prophet˺ and accepted Islam; and whoever disbelieves in it, that is, in the revealed Book, by distorting it, they shall be the losers, because they will be destined for the Fire, made everlasting for them.
القرآن:٢:١٢١ –

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِ أُولَٰئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ ۗ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ  

{الذين آتيناهم الكتاب} مبتدأً {يتلونه حق تلاوته} أي يقرؤونه كما أنزل والجملة حال وحق نصب على المصدر والخبر {أولئك يؤمنون به} نزلت في جماعة قدموا من الحبشة وأسلموا {ومن يكفر به} أي بالكتاب المؤتى بأن يحرفه {فأولئك هم الخاسرون} لمصيرهم إلى النار المؤبدة عليهم.
quran:2:122 –

O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds.  

O Children of Israel, remember My favour wherewith I favoured you, and that I have preferred you over all the worlds: a similar verse has already been mentioned.
القرآن:٢:١٢٢ –

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ  

{يابني إسرائيل اذكروا نعمتي التي أنعمت عليكم و أني فضَّلتكم على العالمين} تقدم مثله.
quran:2:123 –

And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided.  

And beware of, fear, a day when no soul shall for another, on this ˹Day˺ be requited, that is, ˹when no soul for another˺ shall be of any avail, and no compensation, no ransom, shall be accepted from it, nor any intercession shall benefit it, neither shall they be helped, against God’s chastisement.
القرآن:٢:١٢٣ –

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا تَنْفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ  

{واتقوا} خافوا {يوما لا تجزي} تغني {نفس عن نفس} فيه {شيئا ولا يُقبل منها عدل} فداء {ولا تنفعها شفاعة ولا هم يُنصرون} يمنعون من عذاب الله.
quran:2:124 –

And ˹mention, O Muhammad˺, when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he fulfilled them. ˹Allah˺ said, "Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." ˹Abraham˺ said, "And of my descendants?" ˹Allah˺ said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers."  

And, mention, when his Lord tested, tried, Abraham (Ibrāhīm: also read Ibrāhām) with certain words, with certain commands and prohibitions with which He charged him: it is said that these included the rituals of the Pilgrimage, the rinsing of the mouth, snuffing up water into the nostrils ˹to clean them˺, cleaning of the teeth, trimming facial hair, combing of the hair, trimming the fingernails, shaving armpit and pubic hair, circumcision and washing one’s private parts after elimination; and he fulfilled them, he performed them thoroughly; He, God, exalted, said, to him: ‘I make you a leader, an exemplar in religion, for the people.’ Said he, ‘And of my seed?’, my progeny, make leaders ˹from among them˺; He said, ‘My covenant, of leadership, shall not reach the evildoers’, the disbelievers from among them: this indicates that ˹the covenant˺ will reach only those who are not evildoers.
القرآن:٢:١٢٤ –

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ  

{و} اذكر {إذا ابتلى} اختبر {إبراهيم} وفي قراءة إبراهام. {ربُّه بكلمات} بأوامر ونواه كلَّفه بها، قيل هي مناسك الحج، وقيل المضمضة والاستنشاق والسواك وقص الشارب وفرق الرأس وقلم الأظافر ونتف الإبط وحلق العانة والختان والاستنجاء {فأتمهن} أداهن تامات {قال} تعالى له {إني جاعلك للناس إماما} قدوة في الدين {قال ومن ذرِّيتي} أولادي اجعل أئمة {قال لا ينال عهدي} بالإمامة {الظالمين} الكافرين منهم دل على أنه ينال غير الظالم.
quran:2:125 –

And ˹mention˺ when We made the House a place of return for the people and ˹a place of˺ security. And take, ˹O believers˺, from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, ˹saying˺, "Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying ˹there˺ for worship and those who bow and prostrate ˹in prayer˺."  

And when We appointed the House, the Ka‘ba, to be a place of visitation, to which they flock from every direction, for the people, and a sanctuary, of safety for them from the injustice and attacks that befall other places: a person could come across his father’s killer there, and yet not act violently against him; and: ‘Take (ittakhidhū is also read ittakhadhū, making it a predicate), O people, to yourselves Abraham’s station, the founding stone he used when building the House, for a place of prayer’, so that you perform two units of prayer for the circumambulation; And We made a covenant with Abraham and Ishmael, We commanded them: ‘Purify My House, of graven images, for those that shall go round it and those that cleave to it, in ritual residence, to those who bow and prostrate themselves’, that is, those who pray: (al-rukka‘ and alsujūd are the plurals of rāki‘, ‘one bowing’, and sājid, ‘one prostrated’, respectively).
القرآن:٢:١٢٥ –

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ  

{وإذ جعلنا البيت} الكعبة {مثابة للناس} مرجعا يثبون إليه من كل جانب {وأمنا} مأمنا لهم من الظلم والإغارات الواقعة في غيره، كان الرجل يلقى قاتل أبيه فيه فلا يهيجه {واتخذوا} أيها الناس {من مقام إبراهيم} هو الحجر الذي قام عليه عند بناء البيت {مصلى} مكان صلاة بأن تصلوا خلفه ركعتي الطواف، وفي قراءة بفتح الخاء خبر {وعهدنا إلى إبراهيم وإسماعيل} أمرناهما {أن} أي بأن {طهِّرا بيتي} من الأوثان {للطائفين والعاكفين} المقيمين فيه {والركع السجود} جمع راكع وساجد المصلين.
quran:2:126 –

And ˹mention˺ when Abraham said, "My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits - whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day." ˹Allah˺ said. "And whoever disbelieves - I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the destination."  

And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, make this, place, a land secure, in which there is safety: God granted him his request, making it a sanctuary in which no human blood is shed, no injustice is committed towards anyone, no prey is hunted and which is never deserted in any of its parts; and provide its people with fruits: something which actually happened when there came itinerants from as far as Syria, whereas before, it had been devoid of any vegetation or water; such of them as believe in God and the Last Day’ (this phrase stands in place of its people, and they are here singled out for mention in the request in accordance with God’s saying My covenant shall not reach the evildoers); He, exalted, said, ‘And whoever disbelieves, I will also provide with fruits, to him I shall give enjoyment (read either umti‘uhu or umatti‘uhu), by granting him sustenance in this life, a little, the length of his life, but then I shall compel him, I shall drive him in the Hereafter to the chastisement of the Fire, so that he cannot find an escape — how evil a journey’s end!’, a place to which to return.
القرآن:٢:١٢٦ –

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ قَالَ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ  

{وإذا قال إبراهيم رب اجعل هذا} المكان {بلدا آمنا} ذا أمن وقد أجاب الله دعاءه فجعله حرما لا يسفك فيه دم إنسان ولا يظلم فيه أحد ولا يصاد صيده ولا يختلي خلاه {وارزق أهله من الثمرات} وقد فعل بنقل الطائف من الشام إليه وكان أقفر لا زرع فيه ولا ماء {من آمن منهم بالله واليوم الآخر} بدل من أهله وخصهم بالدعاء لهم موافقة لقوله لا ينال عهدي الظالمين {قال} تعالى {و} ارزق {من كفر فَأُمَتِّعُهُ} بالتشديد والتخفيف في الدنيا بالرزق {قليلا} مدة حياته {ثم أضطره} ألجئه في الآخرة {إلى عذاب النار} فلا يجد عنها محيص {وبئس المصير} المرجع هي.
quran:2:127 –

And ˹mention˺ when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and ˹with him˺ Ishmael, ˹saying˺, "Our Lord, accept ˹this˺ from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.  

And, mention, when Abraham raised up the foundations, the supports or the walls, of the House, building it (min al-bayt, ‘of the House’, is semantically connected to yarfa‘u, ‘raises up’), and Ishmael with him (waIsmā‘īlu is a supplement to Ibrāhīmu), both of them saying: ‘Our Lord! Receive this, building, from us. Truly You are the Hearing, of words, the Knowing, of deeds.
القرآن:٢:١٢٧ –

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ  

{و} اذكر {إذ يرفع إبراهيم القواعد} الأسس أو الجدر {من البيت} يبنيه متعلق بيرفع {وإسماعيل} عطف على إبراهيم يقولان {ربنا تقبل منا} بناءنا {إنك أنت السميع} للقول {العليم} بالفعل.
quran:2:128 –

Our Lord, and make us Muslims ˹in submission˺ to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation ˹in submission˺ to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.  

Our Lord! And make us submissive, compliant, to You and, make, of our seed, our progeny, a community, a people, submissive to You (min ˹in the phrase min dhurriyyatinā, ‘of our seed’˺ here is partitive, and is used here in accordance with God’s above-mentioned saying My covenant shall not reach the evildoers); and show us, teach us, our holy rites, our ceremonies for worship or for the pilgrimage, and relent to us. Surely You are the Relenting, the Merciful: they asked Him to turn towards them, despite their ˹moral˺ impeccability, out of humbleness and in order to teach their progeny.
القرآن:٢:١٢٨ –

رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُسْلِمَةً لَكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ  

{ربنا واجعلنا مسلمَيْن} منقادين {لك و} اجعل {من ذرِّيتنا} أولادنا {أمة} جماعة {مسلمة لك} ومن للتبعيض وأتى به لتقدم قوله لا ينال عهدي الظالمين {وأرنا} علِّمنا {مناسكنا} شرائع عبادتنا أو حجنا {وتب علينا إنك أنت التواب الرحيم} سألاه التوبة مع عصمتهما تواضعا وتعليما لذريتهما.
quran:2:129 –

Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise."  

Our Lord! And send among them, the people of this House, a messenger, one of them and God granted him this petition with ˹the sending of˺ Muhammad (s), who shall recite to them Your signs, the Qur’ān, and teach them the Book, the Qur’ān, and Wisdom, that is, what the former contains of judgments, and purify them, cleanse them of idolatry; You are the Mighty, the Victor, the Wise, in His creation.
القرآن:٢:١٢٩ –

رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ  

{ربنا وابعث فيهم} أي أهل البيت {رسولا منهم} من أنفسهم وقد أجاب الله دعاءه بمحمد {يتلو عليهم آياتك} القرآن {ويعلمهم الكتاب} القرآن {والحكمة} أي ما فيه من الأحكام {ويزكيهم} يطهرهم من الشرك {إنك أنت العزيز} الغالب {الحكيم} في صنعه.
quran:2:130 –

And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous.  

Who therefore, meaning ‘none’, shrinks from the religion of Abraham, abandoning it, except he who fools himself?, that is to say, either the one who ignores that his soul has been created for God, and that it is obliged to worship Him, or the one who treats it with frivolity and degrades it. Indeed We chose him, We elected him, in this world, for prophethood and friendship, and in the Hereafter he shall be among the righteous, those of the high stations ˹al-darajāt al-‘ulā, cf. Q. 20:75˺.
القرآن:٢:١٣٠ –

وَمَنْ يَرْغَبُ عَنْ مِلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلَّا مَنْ سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ ۚ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ  

{ومن} أي لا {يرغب عن ملة إبراهيم} فيتركها {إلا من سفه نفسه} جهل أنها مخلوقة لله يجب عليها عبادته أو استخف بها وامتهنها {ولقد اصطفيناه} اخترناه {في الدنيا} بالرسالة والخلة {وإنه في الآخرة لمن الصالحين} الذين لهم الدرجات العلى.
quran:2:131 –

When his Lord said to him, "Submit", he said "I have submitted ˹in Islam˺ to the Lord of the worlds."  

And mention: When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit’, obey God and devote your religion purely to Him, he said, ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the Worlds’.
القرآن:٢:١٣١ –

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ  

واذكر {إذ قال له ربه أسلمْ} انقد لله وأخلص له دينك {قال أسلمت لرب العالمين}.
quran:2:132 –

And Abraham instructed his sons ˹to do the same˺ and ˹so did˺ Jacob, ˹saying˺, "O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."  

And Abraham enjoined (wassā; may also be read awsā) upon his sons this, creed, and ˹so did˺ Jacob, upon his sons, saying: ‘My sons, God has chosen for you the ˹true˺ religion, the religion of submission ˹to God˺ (islām), see that you die not save in submission: he forbade them from abandoning this submission ˹to God˺, and enjoined them to adhere firmly to it until death overtook them.
القرآن:٢:١٣٢ –

وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ  

{ووصَّى} وفي قراءة أوصى {بها} بالملة {إبراهيم بنيه ويعقوب} بنيه قال: {يا بني إن الله اصطفى لكم الدين} دين الإسلام {فلا تموتنَّ إلا وأنتم مسلمون} نهى عن ترك الإسلام وأمر بالثبات عليه إلى مصادفة الموت.
quran:2:133 –

Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Muslims ˹in submission˺ to Him."  

When the Jews said to the Prophet (s), ‘Do you not know that on the day of his death Jacob charged his sons with Judaism?’, the following was revealed: Or, were you witnesses, present, when death came to Jacob? When (idh, ‘when’, substitutes for the preceding idh) he said to his sons, ‘What will you worship after me?’, after I die?; They said, ‘We will worship your God and the God of your fathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac (in recognition of the predominant ˹mention of the father figures˺ Ishmael is also counted as a father, and also because the status of an uncle is akin to that of a father), One God (ilāhan wāhidan, ‘One God’, substitutes for ilāhaka, ‘your God’), to Him we submit’ (the initial am ˹of the phrase am kuntum, ‘Or, were you …’˺ is similar to the hamza of denial ˹sc. a-kuntum˺, the sense being, ‘You were not present at his death, so how do you ascribe to him what does not befit him?’).
القرآن:٢:١٣٣ –

أَمْ كُنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ  

ولما قال اليهود للنبي ألست تعلم أن يعقوب يوم مات أوصى بنيه باليهودية نزل: {أم كنتم شهداء} حضورا {إذ حضر يعقوب الموتُ إذ} بدل من إذ قبله {قال لبنيه ما تعبدون من بعدي} بعد موتي {قالوا نعبد إلهك وإله آبائك إبراهيم وإسماعيل وإسحاق} جد إسماعيل من الآباء تغليب ولأن العم بمنزلة الأب {إلها واحدا} بدل من إلهك {ونحن له مسلمون} وأم بمعنى همزة الإنكار أي لم تحضروه وقت موته فكيف تنسبون إليه ما لا يليق به.
quran:2:134 –

That was a nation which has passed on. It will have ˹the consequence of˺ what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.  

That (tilka, is the subject of this sentence and denotes Abraham, Jacob and his sons, and is feminine because it agrees with the gender of its predicate) is a community that has passed away, has gone before; theirs is what they have earned, the reward for their deeds (lahā mā kasabat, theirs is what they have earned’, constitutes the commencement of a new sentence) and yours (the Jews are being addressed here) is what you have earned; you shall not be asked about what they did, in the same way that they will not be asked about what you did, this latter statement being an affirmation of the former.
القرآن:٢:١٣٤ –

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُمْ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ  

{تلك} مبتدأ والإشارة إلى إبراهيم ويعقوب وبينهما وأُنِّث لتأنيث خبره {أمة قد خلت} سلفت {لها ما كسبت} من العمل أي جزاؤه استئناف {ولكم} الخطاب لليهود {ما كسبتم ولا تُسألون عما كانوا يعلمون} كما لا يسألون عن عملكم والجملة تأكيد لما قبلها.
quran:2:135 –

They say, "Be Jews or Christians ˹so˺ you will be guided." Say, "Rather, ˹we follow˺ the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth, and he was not of the polytheists."  

And they say, ‘Be Jews or Christians (the particle aw is for detail; the first of these is the saying of the Medinan Jews, while the second is that of the Christians of Najrān), and you shall be guided’. Say, to them: ‘Nay, we follow, rather the creed of Abraham, a hanīf (hanīfan is a circumstantial qualifier referring to Ibrāhīma, that is to say, one that inclines away from all other religions to the upright religion); and he was not of the idolaters’.
القرآن:٢:١٣٥ –

وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا ۗ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ  

{وقالوا كونوا هودا أو نصارى تهتدوا} أو للتفضيل وقائل الأول يهود المدينة والثاني نصارى نجران {قل} لهم {بل} نتبع {ملة إبراهيم حنيفا} حال من إبراهيم مائلا عن الأديان كلها إلى الدين القيّم {وما كان من المشركين}.
quran:2:136 –

Say, ˹O believers˺, "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims ˹in submission˺ to Him."  

Say: (this address is to the believers) ‘We believe in God, and in that which has been revealed to us, the Qur’ān, and revealed to Abraham, the ten scrolls, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, his sons, and that which was given to Moses, the Torah, and Jesus, the Gospel, and the prophets, from their Lord, of Books and signs, we make no division between any of them, believing in some and disbelieving in others in the manner of Jews and Christians, and to Him we submit’.
القرآن:٢:١٣٦ –

قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ  

{قولوا} خطاب للمؤمنين {آمنا بالله وما أنزل إلينا} من القرآن {وما أنزل إلى إبراهيم} من الصحف العشر {وإسماعيل وإسحاق ويعقوب والأسباط} أولاده {وما أوتي موسى} من التوراة {وعيسى} من الإنجيل {وما أوتي النبيُّون من ربهم} من الكتب والآيات {لا نُفرِّق بين أحد منهم} فنؤمن ببعض ونكفر ببعض كاليهود والنصارى {ونحن له مسلمون}.
quran:2:137 –

So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then they have been ˹rightly˺ guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension, and Allah will be sufficient for you against them. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.  

And if they, the Jews and the Christians, believe in the like (mithl, ‘the like’ is extra) of what you believe in, then they are truly guided; but if they turn away, from belief in it, then they are clearly in schism, in opposition to you; God will suffice you, O Muhammad (s), against them, and their schisms; He is the Hearer, of their sayings, the Knower, of their circumstances: God sufficed him ˹with regard to them˺ by killing Qurayza, expelling Nadīr and exacting the jizya from them.
القرآن:٢:١٣٧ –

فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنْتُمْ بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوْا ۖ وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ  

{فإن آمنوا} أي اليهود والنصارى {بمثل} زائدة {ما آمنتم به فقد اهتدوا وإن تولوا} عن الإيمان به {فإنما هم في شقاق} خلاف معكم {فسيكفيكهم الله} يا محمد شقاقهم {وهو السميع} لأقوالهم {العليم} بأحوالهم وقد كفاه إياهم بقتل قريظة، ونفي النضير وضرب الجزية عليهم.
quran:2:138 –

˹And say, "Ours is˺ the religion of Allah. And who is better than Allah in ˹ordaining˺ religion? And we are worshippers of Him."  

The mark of God (sibghata’Llāhi: a verbal noun reaffirming the earlier āmannā, and it is in the accusative, because of the verbal construction implied, that is to say, sabaghanā’Llāhu, ‘God has marked us’): this denotes His religion, the one towards which He made human beings naturally inclined, as it leaves its mark on a person, in the same way that a dye leaves its mark on a garment; and who has, that is, none ˹has˺, a better mark (sibghatan, ‘marking’, is for specification) than God? And Him we worship: the Jews said to the Muslims, ‘We are the people of the first Book and our direction of prayer (qibla) is more ancient, and prophets were never sent from among the Arabs; if Muhammad were a prophet, he would have been one of us’. Thus, the following was revealed:
القرآن:٢:١٣٨ –

صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ صِبْغَةً ۖ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدُونَ  

{صِبْغَةَ الله} مصدر مؤكد لآمنا ونصبه بفعل مقدر، أي صبغنا الله والمراد بها دينه الذي فطر الناس عليه لظهور أثره على صاحبه كالصبغ في الثوب {ومن} أي لا أحد {أحسن من الله صبغة} تمييز {ونحن له عابدون} قال اليهود للمسلمين نحن أهل الكتاب الأول وقبلتنا أقدم ولم تكن الأنبياء من العرب ولو كان محمد نبيا لكان منا فنزل.
quran:2:139 –

Say, ˹O Muhammad˺, "Do you argue with us about Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are sincere ˹in deed and intention˺ to Him."  

Say, to them: ‘Would you then dispute with us concerning God, that He chose a prophet from among the Arabs, and He is our Lord and your Lord?, and so it is for Him to choose whom He will, Our deeds belong to us, for which we will be requited, and to you belong your deeds, for which you will be requited, so that it is not improbable that among our deeds there will be those for which we will deserve to be honoured; and to Him we are sincerely devoted, in religion and in deed, unlike you, hence, we are more worthy to be chosen (the hamza ˹of a-tuhājjūnanā, ‘would you then dispute’˺ is for rejection, and the three clauses that follow it are all circumstantial qualifiers).
القرآن:٢:١٣٩ –

قُلْ أَتُحَاجُّونَنَا فِي اللَّهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ  

{قل} لهم {أتحاجوننا} تخاصموننا {في الله} أن اصطفى نبيا من العرب {وهو ربنا وربكم} فله أن يصطفي من عباده ما يشاء {ولنا أعمالنا} نجازى بها {ولكم أعمالكم} تجازون بها فلا يبعد أن يكون في أعمالنا ما نستحق به الإكرام {ونحن له مخلصون} الدين والعمل دونكم فنحن أولى بالاصطفاء، والهمزة للإنكار والجمل الثلاث أحوال.
quran:2:140 –

Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, "Are you more knowing or is Allah?" And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.  

Or, nay, do you say (taqūlūna, also read yaqūlūna, ‘do they say?’): ‘Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes — they were Jews, or they were Christians?’ Say, to them: ‘Have you then greater knowledge, or has God?, that is, God has greater knowledge; He dissociated Abraham from both ˹groups˺, when He said, Abraham was not a Jew, nor a Christian ˹Q. 3:67˺; and those mentioned with him ˹Abraham˺ are his followers ˹in not belonging to either group˺. And who does greater injustice than he who conceals, hides from people, a testimony, he has, received from God?, that is, there is none more unjust than him: these are the Jews, for they concealed God’s testimony about Abraham’s pure faith in the Torah; And God is not heedless of what you do’: ˹this is˺ a threat for them.
القرآن:٢:١٤٠ –

أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطَ كَانُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ ۗ قُلْ أَأَنْتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللَّهُ ۗ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِنْدَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ  

{أم} بل {تقولون} بالتاء والياء {إنَّ إبراهيم وإسماعيل وإسحاق ويعقوب والأسباط كانوا هودا أو نصارى قل} لهم {أأنتم أعلم أم الله} أي الله أعلم وقد برأ منهما إبراهيم بقوله (ما كان إبراهيم يهوديا ولا نصرانيا) والمذكورون معه تبع له {ومن أظم ممن كتم} أخفى عن الناس {شهادة عنده} كائنة {من الله} أي لا أحد أظلم منه وهم اليهود كتموا شهادة الله في التوراة إبراهيم بالحنيفية {وما الله بغافل عما تعملون} تهديد لهم.
quran:2:141 –

That is a nation which has passed on. It will have ˹the consequence of˺ what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.  

That is a community that has passed away; theirs is what they have earned, and yours is what you have earned; you shall not be asked about what they did: a similar ˹verse˺ has already been mentioned above.
القرآن:٢:١٤١ –

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُمْ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ  

{تلك أمة قد خلت لها ما كسبت ولكم ما كسبتم ولا تُسألون عما كانوا يعملون} تقدم مثله.
quran:2:142 –

The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" Say, "To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path."  

The fools, the ignorant, among the people, that is, the Jews and the idolaters, will say, ‘What, matter, has turned them, the Prophet (s) and the believers, from the direction they were facing in their prayers formerly?’, this being the Holy House (bayt al-maqdis, sc. Jerusalem); the sīn ˹of sa-yaqūlu, ‘they will say’˺ denotes the future tense and informs of the Unseen. Say: ‘To God belong the East and the West, that is, all directions. Thus He commands that they face whichever direction He wills, and there can be no objection. He guides whomever He will, His guidance being, to a straight path’, that is, the religion of Islam, and you are among these ˹guided ones˺.
القرآن:٢:١٤٢ –

سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَنْ قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُلْ لِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ  

{سيقول السفهاء} الجهال {من الناس} اليهود والمشركين {ما ولاّهم} أي شيء، صرف النبي والمؤمنين {عن قبلتهم التي كانوا عليها} على استقبالها في الصلاة وهي بيت المقدس، والإتيان بالسين الدالة على الاستقبال من الإخبار بالغيب {قل لله المشرق والمغرب} أي الجهات كلها فيأمر بالتوجه إلى أي جهة شاء لا اعتراض عليه {يهدي من يشاء} هدايته {إلى صراط} طريق {مستقيم} دين الإسلام أي ومنهم أنتم دل على هذا.
quran:2:143 –

And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.  

Thus, in the same way that We guided you to it, We appointed you, O community of Muhammad (s), a midmost community, excellent and upright, that you might be witnesses to the people, on the Day of Resurrection, that their messengers delivered ˹the Message˺ to them; and that the Messenger might be a witness to you, that he delivered ˹the Message˺ to you, and We did not appoint, make, the direction, for you now, the direction, you were facing, that is the Ka‘ba: the Prophet (s) used to face it in prayer, but when he emigrated he was commanded to face the Holy House ˹of Jerusalem˺, in order to win the hearts of the Jews. He prayed in this direction for sixteen or seventeen months before he changed direction; except that We might know, ˹that it become˺ manifest knowledge, who followed the Messenger, and believed in him, from him who turned on his heels, and returned to unbelief doubting the religion and thinking that the Prophet (s) was confused about this issue; and a number of them apostatised as a result of this— though it, the change of direction, were (wa-in, ‘though’, is softened, and its noun apocopated, originally being: wa-innahā) a grave thing, troublesome for people, save for those, of them, whom God has guided; but God would never cause your faith, that is, your prayers towards the Holy House ˹of Jerusalem˺, to be wasted, but He will reward you for them (the reason that this ˹verse˺ was revealed was that some had asked about the status of those that had died before the change of direction ˹of prayer˺); truly, God is Gentle with, believing, people, Merciful, when He does not let their deeds go to waste (al-ra’fa means ‘intensity of mercy’, and is mentioned first to allow for the end rhyme of the verse ˹with the preceding one˺).
القرآن:٢:١٤٣ –

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا ۗ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَنْ يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّنْ يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ ۚ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ  

{وكذلك} كما هديناكم إليه {جعلناكم} يا أمة محمد {أمة وسطا} خيارا عدولا {لتكونوا شهداء على الناس} يوم القيامة أنَّ رسلهم بلَّغتهم {ويكون الرسول عليكم شهيدا} أنه بلغكم {وما جعلنا} صيرنا {القبلة} لك الآن الجهة {التي كنت عليها} أولا وهي الكعبة وكان يصلى إليها فلما هاجر أمر باستقبال بيت المقدس تألُّفا لليهود فصلى إليه ستة أو سبعة عشر شهرا ثم حول {إلا لنعلم} علم ظهور {من يتبع الرسول} فيصدقه {ممن ينقلب على عقبيه} أي يرجع إلى الكفر شكا في الدين وظنا أن النبي في حيرة من أمره وقد ارتد لذلك جماعة {وإن} مخففة من الثقيلة واسمها محذوف أي وإنها {كانت} أي التولية إليها {لكبيرة} شاقة على الناس {إلا على الذين هدى الله} منهم {وما كان الله ليضيع إيمانكم} أي صلاتكم إلى بيت المقدس بل يثيبكم عليه لأن سبب نزولها السؤال عمن مات قبل التحويل {إن الله بالناس} المؤمنين {لرؤوف رحيم} في عدم إضاعة أعمالهم، والرأفةُ شدة الرحمة وقدَّم الأبلغ للفاصلة.
quran:2:144 –

We have certainly seen the turning of your face, ˹O Muhammad˺, toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you ˹believers˺ are, turn your faces toward it ˹in prayer˺. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.  

We have indeed (qad, ‘indeed’, is for affirmation) seen you turning your face about in the, direction of the, heaven, looking around for the Revelation and longing for the command to face the Ka‘ba: he ˹the Prophet˺ wished for this because it was the prayer-direction of Abraham and would be more conducive to the submission of the Arabs ˹to Islam˺; now We will surely turn you to a direction that shall satisfy you, that you will love. Turn your face, in prayer, towards the Sacred Mosque, that is, the Ka‘ba, and wherever you are (addressing the ˹Muslim˺ community) turn your faces, in prayer, towards it. Those who have been given the Scripture know that it, the change towards the Ka‘ba, is the, fixed, truth from their Lord, on account of the description in their Scripture of how the Prophet (s) would re-orient himself to it; God is not heedless of what you do, O believers, when you obey His command (alternatively, ta‘malūna, ‘you do’, can be read ya‘malūna, ‘they do’, in other words ˹it would be referring to˺ the Jews’ denial of the matter concerning the direction of prayer).
القرآن:٢:١٤٤ –

قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ  

{قد} للتحقيق {نرى تقلُّب} تصرف {وجهك في} جهة {السماء} متطلعا إلى الوحي ومتشوقا للأمر باستقبال الكعبة وكان يود ذلك لأنها قبلة إبراهيم ولأنه دعى إلى إسلام العرب {فلنولينك} نحولنك {قبلة ترضاها} تحبها {فولِّ وجهك} استقبل في الصلاة {شطر} نحو {المسجد الحرام} أي الكعبة {وحيثما كنتم} خطاب للأمة {فولُّوا وجوهكم} في الصلاة {شطره وإن الذين أوتوا الكتاب ليعلمون أنه} أي التولي إلى الكعبة {الحق} الثابت {من ربهم} لما في كتبهم من نعت النبي من أنه يتحول إليها {وما الله بغافل عما تعملون} بالتاء أيها المؤمنون من امتثال أمره وبالياء أي اليهود من إنكار أمر القبلة.
quran:2:145 –

And if you brought to those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your qiblah. Nor will you be a follower of their qiblah. Nor would they be followers of one another's qiblah. So if you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, indeed, you would then be among the wrongdoers.  

Yet if (wa-la-in: the lām is for oaths) you should bring to those who have been given the Scripture every sign, about your truthfulness in the matter of the direction of prayer, they will not follow your direction, out of obduracy, and you are not a follower of their direction (this is a categorical negation of his ˹the Prophet’s˺ desire that they become Muslims and of their desire that he return to their direction of prayer; neither are they, the Jews and the Christians, followers of one another’s direction. If you were to follow their whims, the ones to which they summon you, after the knowledge, the revelation, that has come to you, then you, if, hypothetically, you were to follow them, will surely be among the evildoers.
القرآن:٢:١٤٥ –

وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مَا تَبِعُوا قِبْلَتَكَ ۚ وَمَا أَنْتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَةَ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۙ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ  

{ولإن} لام قسم {أتيت الذين أوتوا الكتاب بكل آية} على صدقك في أمر القبلة {ما تبعوا} أي لا يتبعون {قبلتك} عناداً {وما أنت بتابع قبلتهم} قطع لطمعه في إسلامهم وطمعهم في عوده إليها {وما بعضهم بتابع قبلة بعض} أي اليهود قبلة النصارى وبالعكس {ولإن اتبعت أهواءهم} التي يدعونك إليها {من بعد ما جاءك من العلم} الوحي {إنك إذا} إن تبعتهم فرضا {لمن الظالمين}.
quran:2:146 –

Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him as they know their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know ˹it˺.  

Those to whom We have given the Scripture, they recognise him, Muhammad (s), as they recognise their sons, because of the descriptions of him in their Scripture: ˹‘Abd Allāh˺ Ibn Salām said, ‘I recognised him the moment I saw him, as I would my own son; but my recognition of Muhammad (s) was more intense’; even though there is a party of them that conceal the truth, that is, his description, while they know, this ˹truth˺ which you ˹Muhammad (s)˺ follow.
القرآن:٢:١٤٦ –

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ  

{الذين آتيناهم الكتاب يعرفونه} أي محمداً {كما يعرفون أبناءهم} بنعته في كتبهم قال ابن سلام: لقد عرفته حين رأيته كما أعرف ابني ومعرفتي لمحمد أشد {وإن فريقا منهم ليكتمون الحق} نعته {وهم يعلمون} هذا الذي أنت عليه.
quran:2:147 –

The truth is from your Lord, so never be among the doubters.  

The truth comes from your Lord; then be not among the doubters, who doubt it, that is to say, ‘˹be not˺ of such a disposition’, which is more eloquent than merely saying, ‘do not waver’.
القرآن:٢:١٤٧ –

الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ  

{الحق} كائنا {من ربك فلا تكوننَّ من الممترين} الشاكين فيه أي من هذا النوع فهو أبلغ من أن لا تمتر.
quran:2:148 –

For each ˹religious following˺ is a direction toward which it faces. So race to ˹all that is˺ good. Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you forth ˹for judgement˺ all together. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.  

Every person, of every community, has his direction (wijha), ˹his˺ qibla, to which he turns (muwallīhā, ‘he turns to it’, is also read as muwallāhā, ‘he is made to turn to it’), in his prayers, so vie with one another in good works, strive with acts of obedience and acceptance of these. Wherever you may be, God will bring you all together, gathering you on the Day of Resurrection and requiting you for your deeds; surely God has power over all things.
القرآن:٢:١٤٨ –

وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا ۖ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ ۚ أَيْنَ مَا تَكُونُوا يَأْتِ بِكُمُ اللَّهُ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ  

{ولكل} من الأمم {وجهة} قبلة {هو موليها} وجهه في صلاته وفي قراءة مُوَلاَّهَا {فاستبقوا الخيرات} بادروا إلى الطاعات وقبولها {أينما تكونوا يأت بكم الله جميعا} يجعلكم يوم القيامة فيجازيكم بأعمالكم {إن الله على كل شيء قدير}.
quran:2:149 –

So from wherever you go out ˹for prayer, O Muhammad˺ turn your face toward al- Masjid al-Haram, and indeed, it is the truth from your Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.  

From whatever place you issue, on a journey, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; it is the truth from your Lord. God is not heedless of what you do (ta‘malūna, ‘you do’, may also be read as ya‘malūna, ‘they do’, as already appears above ˹sc. 2:144˺; its repetition is intended to point out that the stipulation applies equally to being on a journey or otherwise).
القرآن:٢:١٤٩ –

وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۖ وَإِنَّهُ لَلْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ  

{ومن حيث خرجت} لسفر {فولِّ وجهك شطر المسجد الحرام وإنه للحق من ربك وما الله بغافل عما تعلمون} بالياء والتاء تقدم مثله وكرره لبيان تساوي حكم السفر وغيره.
quran:2:150 –

And from wherever you go out ˹for prayer˺, turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you ˹believers˺ may be, turn your faces toward it in order that the people will not have any argument against you, except for those of them who commit wrong; so fear them not but fear Me. And ˹it is˺ so I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided.  

From whatever place you issue, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it (all of which is being repeated for emphasis), so that there be not any argument from the people, the Jews or the idolaters, against you, ˹so that there be not˺ any cause for contention regarding the change to a different direction of prayer. In this way, their contentions against you will cease to exist, both ˹the contentions˺ of the Jews when they say, ‘He ˹Muhammad (s)˺ rejects our religion, but follows our direction of prayer’, and of the idolaters when they say, ‘He ˹Muhammad (s)˺ claims to follow the creed of Abraham, but he contravenes his ˹Abraham’s˺ qibla’; excepting the evildoers among them, acting in obstinacy, who will say, ‘He ˹Muhammad (s)˺ only changed to this direction because of his ˹natural˺ inclination towards the ˹idolatrous˺ religion of his forefathers’. The exceptive statement ˹indicated by illā˺ is a continuous one, the meaning being: ‘No one will have anything to say against you, except for what these people say’; and do not fear them, do not fear their arguing ˹with you˺ regarding the change to it ˹the Ka‘ba˺, but fear Me, by complying with My command; and that I may perfect My grace upon you, by guiding you to the principal rituals of your religion, and that you may be guided, to the truth (wa-li-utimma, ‘that I may perfect’, is a supplement to li-allā yakūna, ‘that there be not’).
القرآن:٢:١٥٠ –

وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِي وَلِأُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ  

{ومن حيث خرجت فولِّ وجهك شطر المسجد الحرام وحيثما كنتم فولوا وجوهكم شطره} كرره للتأكيد {لئلا يكون للناس} اليهود أو المشركين {عليكم حجة} أي مجادلة في التولي إلى غيره أي لتنتفي مجادلتهم لكم من قول اليهود يجحد ديننا ويتبع قبلتنا وقول المشركين يدعي ملة إبراهيم ويخالف قبلته {إلا الذين ظلموا منهم} بالعناد فإنهم يقولون ما تحول إليها إلا ميلا إلى دين آبائه والاستثناء متصل والمعنى: لا يكون لأحد عليكم كلام إلا كلام هؤلاء {فلا تخشوهم} تخافوا جدالهم في التولي إليها {واخشوني} بامتثال أمري {ولأتم} عطف علي لئلا يكون {نعمتي عليكم} بالهداية إلى معالم دينكم {ولعلكم تهتدون} إلى الحق.