Surah 2
(Madinan Period)
Title
This surah is entitled al-Baqarah ("The Cow') because at one point it mentions the anecdote of the cow (see verses 66-73). Each surah of the Qur'an covers such a wide range of subjects that comprehen- sive surah headings are impossible. The titles suggested by the Prophet (peace be on him), under instruction from God, are not so much headings as tags to differentiate the surahs. The name of this surah, "The Cow', does not signify that the cow is its main theme, but merely marks it as the surah in which the cow is mentioned.
Period of Revelation
The greater part of this surah was revealed in the early Madinan period, soon after the migration of the Prophet to Madina. A small portion was revealed later, and is included here because its subject is in harmony with the earlier parts. Hence we find the verses prohibiting interest (verses 275 ff.) included in this surah even though they were revealed during the very last days of the Prophet's life. Moreover, the concluding verses were revealed in Makka but have been incorporated here because they fit into the overall framework.
Background
To appreciate this surah one must first grasp the historical background of its revelation:
(1) Until the time of migration (Hijrah), the message of Islam was confined to Makka and was addressed mainly to the polytheists of Arabia, for whom it was altogether new and foreign. After his migration to Madina, however, the Prophet (peace be on him) found the Jews living in nearby settlements. They affirmed the unity of God and believed in prophethood, revelation, After-life and angels. They also recognized the religious Law revealed by God to Moses (peace be on him). In principle, their religion was the same as that being preached by Muḥammad (peace be on him). Over many centuries, however, they had passed through a process of degener- ation which had left them far removed from their true religion.*
[*Some nineteen centuries had then elapsed since the time of Moses. According to Jewish historical sources, Moses died in 1272 B.C. The Prophet Muhammad was entrusted with prophetic office in 610 C.E.]
Many non-Islamic concepts, for which there was no basis in the Torah, had crept into their beliefs. Their daily lives, too, had become overlaid with customs and usages which had no place in their original religion and for which there was no scriptural sanction.
In fact, they had totally distorted the Scriptures by mixing the word of man with the Word of God. They had mutilated whatever remained intact of the original Word of God by resorting to arbitrary interpretations and hair-splitting legal deductions and elaborations. Among them true religious spirit was already dead. What was left was a soulless body of outward observances. Their theologians and rabbis, their élite as well as their common men, had all become so totally enmeshed in corruption that their beliefs were warped, their moral standards in decline and their daily lives degenerate. Further- more, they cherished their corrupt ways far too much to be prepared for any reform. This corruption had gone on for so many centuries that whenever someone arose among them who was inspired by religious ideals, who sought to lead them to a truly sincere religious life, they looked upon him as their greatest enemy and spared no effort to prevent him from succeeding in his mission.
The accretion of foreign elements, the mutilation of the true teachings of their faith, the hair-splitting interpretations and schisma- tic divisions, the preoccupation with the letter and disregard of the spirit and substance of God's directives, the heedlessness of God, and the worship of material benefits had all made deep inroads into their lives and had carried their degeneration to a point where they had even forgotten that they were 'Muslims'. In short, they acquired the characteristic traits now associated with the Jews and had turned their religion into a national heritage of the Israelites. When the Prophet arrived in Madina, God instructed him to call the Jews to their true and original faith. This call is embodied roughly in the first sixteen sections (rukū') of this surah (i.e. from the opening verse of the surah to verse 141). In these sections both the past of the Jews and their present moral and religious condition are subjected to severe criticism. Moreover, the principles of true faith are elucidated in contrast with the corrupted forms of religion and morality. All this clearly shows the kind of corruption that can overtake the followers of Prophets, and what constitutes a true religiousness as distinct from a mere outward observance of religious laws. It also demonstrates the fundamentals of true religious life and the things of real value in the sight of God.
(2) With the arrival of the Prophet (peace be on him) in Madina, the Islamic movement entered a new stage. In Makka the Prophet devoted himself almost exclusively to expounding the basic principles of the true faith and to the moral training of his followers. After the migration, however, people belonging to different tribes and areas of Arabia, and who had embraced Islam, began to concentrate in Madina. When these people, in co-operation with the local Muslims (Anṣār) (literally meaning 'Helpers'), laid the foundations of a small Islamic state God began to issue fundamental directives on social, economic, legal and political matters, explaining how a new order of life could be established on the basis of Islam. The last twenty-three sections of the surah (i.e. verse 141 to the end of this surah) consist mainly of such directives. Most of them were issued in the very early part of the Madinan period of the Prophet's life while the rest were issued later and in response to different requirements.
(3) With the migration to Madina, the struggle between Islam and unbelief entered a new phase. Hitherto, the message of Islam had been spread in the very heart of unbelief. People of various tribes stayed in their homelands even after they had embraced Islam, carrying on their missionary work there, even though they were persecuted and subjected to many wrongs. After the migration all these scattered Muslims gathered in Madina, formed a body-politic and established a small independent state. However, although they held a tiny piece of land the whole of Arabia was pitted against them, bent upon their extermination.
In these circumstances the very survival, let alone the success of this small group of people depended upon several factors. First, that they should propagate their beliefs with the utmost conviction in order to convert others. Second, that they should demonstrate the falsity of their opponents' standpoint so cogently and convincingly that there could remain no justifiable ground for any intelligent person to entertain any doubt on the question. Third, that they as the followers of the Prophet should not lose their nerve or become disheartened because they had been driven out of their homes and were faced, through the hostility and opposition of the whole country, with economic stringency, hunger, and constant insecurity and danger but that they should confront the situation with patience and fortitude. Fourth, that they should be prepared to resist with both courage and the force of arms the violent assault by which the enemy intended to frustrate their movement, and that in this resistance they should not heed the enemy's superiority in either numbers or material resources. Fifth, that they should be inspired with the zeal and boldness needed to establish the Islamic order; if they found the people of Arabia unprepared to allow the Islamic order to be established by peaceful means, they should not hesitate to smash their corrupt way of life, based as it was on an inherited tradition of pagan Ignorance.
(4) In this phase of the development of the Islamic movement a new element, the 'hypocrites', began to emerge. Although the first signs of hypocrisy had appeared during the last phase of the Prophet's life in Makka, the nature of that hypocrisy was different. The kind of 'hypocrites' found then were those who while recognizing the truth of Islam and claiming to believe in it were not prepared to sacrifice their material interests, run the risk of severing the relationship which bound them to others, and who shrank from the persecution and trial which used to afflict all those who responded to the call of Truth.
In Madina, we notice that in addition to hypocrites of this sort other kinds also began to enter the body politic of Islam. One group consisted of those who had no faith in Islam but had entered the ranks of the Muslim community merely in order to create mischief. Another group of hypocrites, conscious of the political dominance of the Muslims, considered it advantageous to gain acceptance as fellow Muslims. At the same time they maintained contacts with their enemies so that they could enjoy the best of both worlds; in this way they secured all the advantages of friendship with the two opposite camps and thus remained safe from any hostilities. There was still another group of hypocrites - those who were in a state of ambivalence and indecision between Islam and Ignorance but who had embraced Islam because the majority of their tribe or family had done so. The final group consisted of those who, although they believed Islam to be true, found it difficult to forsake their inherited way of life, their superstitions, their customs and usages, and to discipline themselves to observe the moral restraints and fulfil the obligations prescribed by Islam.
At the time this surah was revealed these various kinds of hypocrites had just begun to appear and so God made only brief references to them. In the surahs revealed in subsequent years, references to the hypocrites became more elaborate and directives were issued regarding the members of each of their category since by then the characteristics and activities of the hypocrites became clearer.