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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear

 Surah Al-Baqarah 2:62-66 [8/40]
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
ءَامَنُواْbelieved
وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
هَادُواْbecame Jews
وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰand the Christians
وَٱلصَّـٰبِــِٔينَand the Sabians -
مَنْwho
ءَامَنَbelieved
بِٱللَّهِin Allah
وَٱلْيَوْمِand the Day
ٱلْأَخِرِ[the] Last
وَعَمِلَand did
صَـٰلِحًاrighteous deeds,
فَلَهُمْso for them
أَجْرُهُمْ(is) their reward
عِندَwith
رَبِّهِمْtheir Lord
وَلَاand no
خَوْفٌfear
عَلَيْهِمْon them
وَلَاand not
هُمْthey
يَحْزَنُونَwill grieve.
﴿٦٢﴾
وَإِذْAnd when
أَخَذْنَاWe took
مِيثَـٰقَكُمْyour covenant
وَرَفَعْنَاand We raised
فَوْقَكُمُover you
ٱلطُّورَthe mount,
خُذُواْ`Hold
مَآwhat
ءَاتَيْنَـٰكُمWe have given you
بِقُوَّةٍwith strength,
وَٱذْكُرُواْand remember
مَاwhat
فِيهِ(is) in it,
لَعَلَّكُمْperhaps you
تَتَّقُونَ(would become) righteous.`
﴿٦٣﴾
ثُمَّThen
تَوَلَّيْتُمyou turned away
مِّنۢ بَعْدِafter
ذَٲلِكَ‌ۖthat.
فَلَوْلَاSo if not
فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ(for the) Grace of Allah
عَلَيْكُمْupon you
وَرَحْمَتُهُۥand His Mercy,
لَكُنتُمsurely you would have been
مِّنَof
ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَthe losers.
﴿٦٤﴾
وَلَقَدْAnd indeed,
عَلِمْتُمُyou knew
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
ٱعْتَدَوْاْtransgressed
مِنكُمْamong you
فِى ٱلسَّبْتِin the (matter of) Sabbath.
فَقُلْنَاSo We said
لَهُمْto them,
كُونُواْ`Be
قِرَدَةًapes,
خَـٰسِــِٔينَdespised.`
﴿٦٥﴾
فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَاSo We made it
نَكَـٰلاًa deterrent punishment
لِّمَاfor those
بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا(in) front of them
وَمَا خَلْفَهَاand those after them
وَمَوْعِظَةًand an admonition
لِّلْمُتَّقِينَfor those who fear (Allah).
﴿٦٦﴾


اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَالَّذِيۡنَ هَادُوۡا وَالنَّصٰرٰى وَالصّٰبِـئِـيۡنَ مَنۡ اٰمَنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًـا فَلَهُمۡ اَجۡرُهُمۡ عِنۡدَ رَبِّهِمۡۚ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُوۡنَ‏  وَاِذۡ اَخَذۡنَا مِيۡثَاقَكُمۡ وَرَفَعۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمُ الطُّوۡرَؕ خُذُوۡا مَآ اٰتَيۡنٰكُمۡ بِقُوَّةٍ وَّ اذۡكُرُوۡا مَا فِيۡهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُوۡنَ‏  ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِكَ​​ۚ فَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهٗ لَـكُنۡتُمۡ مِّنَ الۡخٰسِرِيۡنَ‏  وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتُمُ الَّذِيۡنَ اعۡتَدَوۡا مِنۡكُمۡ فِىۡ السَّبۡتِ فَقُلۡنَا لَهُمۡ كُوۡنُوۡا قِرَدَةً خَاسِـِٔـيۡنَ ​ۚ‏  فَجَعَلۡنٰهَا نَكٰلاً لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهَا وَمَا خَلۡفَهَا وَمَوۡعِظَةً لِّلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ‏ 

Translation
(2:62) Whether they are the ones who believe (in the Arabian Prophet), or whether they are Jews, Christians or Sabians – all who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and do righteous deeds – their reward is surely secure with their Lord; they need have no fear, nor shall they grieve.80 (2:63) And recall when We made a covenant with you and caused the Mount Sinai to tower above you,81 (saying): “Hold fast to the Book that We have given you, and remember the directives and commandments in it, that you be pious.” (2:64) Then you turned away from your covenant, and had it not been for Allah’s grace and mercy upon you, you would have long been utter losers. (2:65) And you know the case of those of you who broke the Sabbath,82 how We said to them: “Become apes, despised and hated.”83 (2:66) And thus We made their end a warning for the people of their own time and for the succeeding generations, and an admonition to the God-fearing.

Commentary

80. The context of the verse makes it clear that it is not attempting to enumerate in detail all the articles of faith in which one should believe, or all the principles of conduct which one should follow in order to merit reward from God. These matters are mentioned elsewhere, in their appropriate places. The aim of the verse is merely to repudiate the illusion cherished by the Jews that, by virtue of their being Jews, they have a monopoly of salvation. They had long entertained the notion that a special and exclusive relationship existed between them and God. They thought, therefore, that all who belonged to their group were predestined to salvation regardless of their beliefs and actions,. whereas all non-Jews were predestined to serve as fodder for hell-fire.

To clarify this misgiving the Jews are told that what really matters in the sight of God is true faith and good deeds rather than formal affiliation with a certain religious community. Whoever has true faith and good deeds to his credit is bound to receive his reward, since God will judge people on the basis of merit rather than on the grounds that a man's name happens to be listed in the world as a member of one religious community or the other.

81. From the manner in which this incident is described at various places in the Qur'an it is obvious that, at that time, it was quite well known to the Israelites. It is difficult, however, after the Passage of many centuries to be able to speak with certainty about the precise nature of the incident. All we can say is that while the Children of Israel were making their covenant in the shadow of Mount Sinai, they witnessed an awesome phenomenon and felt as if the mountain was about to fall upon them. (Verse 171 of Surah al-A'raf) seems to portray this. See also (n. 132 in that surah.)

82. Sabbath, i.e., Saturday . It was laid down that the Israelite should consecrate that day for rest and worship. They were required to from abstain from all worldly acts, including cooking (which they might neither do themselves, nor have their servants do for them). The injunctions, in this connection were so strict that violation of the Sabbath was to be punished with death. (See Exodus 31:12-17. ) When religious and moral decadence, however, spread among the Israelites they indulged in open desecration of the Sabbath, so much so that in Jewish towns trade and commerce were carried out in broad daylight.

83. The details of this incident are mentioned later in (Surah 7, vv. 163) ff. The exact manner in which their transformation into apes took place is disputed. Some scholars are of the opinion that the transformation was a physical one, while others hold that they were invested with the attributes characteristic of apes. But both the words and the manner in which this incident is recounted in the Qur'an seem to suggest that what took place was a physical transformation of certain persons into apes rather than just a moral metamorphosis. What seems plausible to me is that while their minds were allowed to remain intact, their bodies were changed into those of apes.