Surah 02 Al-Baqarah (The Cow) Intro & Overview – سورة البقرة

Starting of Surah Al Baqarah – سورة البقرة

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

الٓمٓ ١

Alif-Lãm-Mĩm.1

ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًۭى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ٢

This is the Book! There is no doubt about it1—a guide for those mindful ˹of Allah˺,2

ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ٣

who believe in the unseen,1 establish prayer, and donate from what We have provided for them,

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ٤

and who believe in what has been revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺1 and what was revealed before you, and have sure faith in the Hereafter.

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًۭى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ٥

It is they who are ˹truly˺ guided by their Lord, and it is they who will be successful.

Translation by: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran (Change)

Topics Discussed in Surah Al Baqarah

Intro & Overview – سورة البقرة

Al Baqarah, which means the cow, is the second chapter in the Quran. It’s also the longest. It’s named after a story described in verses 67 to 74. The story takes place during the time of Prophet Moses, peace be upon him and his people, the children of Israel. 

Surah Al Baqarah Verse 67 to 74

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُوا۟ بَقَرَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًۭا ۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ ٦٧

ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌۭ لَّا فَارِضٌۭ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌۢ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ فَٱفْعَلُوا۟ مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ ٦٨

قَالُوا۟ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا لَوْنُهَا ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌۭ صَفْرَآءُ فَاقِعٌۭ لَّوْنُهَا تَسُرُّ ٱلنَّـٰظِرِينَ ٦٩

قَالُوا۟ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ إِنَّ ٱلْبَقَرَ تَشَـٰبَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ ٧٠

قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌۭ لَّا ذَلُولٌۭ تُثِيرُ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَا تَسْقِى ٱلْحَرْثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌۭ لَّا شِيَةَ فِيهَا ۚ قَالُوا۟ ٱلْـَٔـٰنَ جِئْتَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ ٧١

وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًۭا فَٱدَّٰرَْٰٔتُمْ فِيهَا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌۭ مَّا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ ٧٢

فَقُلْنَا ٱضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْىِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ٧٣

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةًۭ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ٧٤

The Story About Propher Moses (PBUH) Verse 67  to 74 Summary

A wealthy man was killed by his nephew to inherit his money. The nephew then left his uncle’s body in another village, hoping someone else would be blamed for the murder.

When the villagers found the body, accusations began to fly as people started blaming one another. The elders in the village turned to the prophet Moses, and peace be upon him for guidance.

God then revealed his command to Moses, ordering his people to sacrifice a cow. They were doubtful of his command and accused Moses of mocking them.

They sarcastically asked him what kind of cow and color it should be. 

Revelation From The God

God revealed to Moses that it had to be a bright yellow cow that was neither old nor young.

After a long search, they finally found a cow that fit the description. It belonged to a young man who lived with his mother. They were both inferior, and the cow was the only thing his late father left them. Because of that, the price to sell the cow was very steep. He asked them for the cow’s size in gold. Out of desperation, they ended up paying. 

Moreover, After slaughtering the cow, God ordered them to strike the victim’s body with a portion of the cow. After doing that, the man came back to life and immediately identified his nephew as his killer and then died again. This was a stunning moment for all who witnessed it.

God was showing the children of Israel how he could resurrect the dead. This was important because many of Israel’s children at the time had begun to doubt the whole notion of life after death, and their belief in the day of judgment began to waver.

Children of Israel: Surah Al Baqarah

Much of this chapter talks about the children of Israel, particularly during the time of Prophet Moses. (Peace Be Upon Him). They are mentioned as an example of a nation that came before us that we should not emulate.

This is important because the primary goal of this chapter is to establish our role as the human authority responsible for this planet.

5 Main Parts of Surah Al Baqrah

Now, let’s look at the five main parts of this chapter that we will be looking at more closely:

1. The first part identifies three types of people and their key differences. 
2. We then learn about the importance of worshipping God and are introduced to the story of Adam, peace be upon him, and how humans came to exist. 
3. The chapter then focuses on the example we mentioned before, the children of Israel, some of their mistakes, and how to avoid them. 
4. We then learn about the story of Prophet Abraham: peace be upon him. He devoted his life to God, and his example is one we should all follow and try to emulate. 
5. Finally, we learn about what it means to be Muslim and the laws God has prescribed to help us live successful and fulfilling lives. 

These five parts come together to give us a blueprint for living our lives in a way that pleases God, keeps us on the straight path, and avoids the mistakes of those who came before us. 

What is Surah Al Baqarah’s Main Goal?

The main goal of al Baqarah, or the cow, is to establish our role as the human authority responsible for this planet. The chapter takes us through five main parts that help us understand who we are, how we came to exist, and how to stay on the straight path. 

Types of People in Surah Al-Baqarah

In Surah Al-Baqarah, we learn about three types of People which are given below:

1. The chapter first starts with three Arabic letters. Uh, then it says, which means this is the Book. There is no doubt “رَيْب” about it—a guide for those mindful of God. God answers our prayer in the opening chapter, where we ask him to guide us through the straight path. God tells us here that the Quran guides those mindful of him. It then describes the first type of people, the believers, as those who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and give charity.
2. The second type of people are the nonbelievers, who are open and transparent about their disbelief in God. Nothing you can show them or say to them would change their minds. 
3. The last type of people are the hypocrites, who are not easy to identify. They are essentially nonbelievers who are not open or transparent with their disbelief in God. Instead, they outwardly present themselves as believers when, in reality, they are not.

The Story of Adam

After establishing the types of people that exist and in the verses leading up to the story of Adam, peace be upon him, God addresses all human beings. He commands us to worship him and him alone and that he created us to be mindful of him and to follow his guidance. He created the earth for us to settle, make it our temporary home, and created the sky that brings rain to grow our fruits so that we can survive and prosper. 

All this to worship him and him alone, with no other partners. These verses establish early on the absolute oneness of God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. 

God then warns the nonbelievers of their eventual punishment in the hereafter, hellfire, and promises to reward the believers in heaven. This lays the foundation for the story of Adam, peace be upon him, which tells the story of our origin and how we came to exist on earth.

Kinds of Creations in Surah Al Baqarah

In this story, we are introduced to three kinds of beings:

1. The angels are made of light, are obedient by nature, and have no free will.
2. The Jinn, made of fire and free will, are represented by Iblees or Satan.
3. The Humans, made of clay and free will, are represented here by Adam, the first human being God created. 

The Creation of Adam: His Superiority Over Angels

The story begins with God announcing to the angels His new creation, Adam, that peace is upon him and He will place him on earth as a successive human authority.

The angels ask God, “Will you place someone who will spread corruption in the world and shed blood while we glorify “سَبِّحْ”  and praise “حَمْد” You (God)?” God says, “I know what you do not know.” 

God then teaches Adam the names of all things, presents them to the angels, and says to them, “Tell me the names of these if what you say is true.” “Glory be to you,” they replied, “we do not know what you have taught us.” You are truly the all-knowing, all-wise. 

God then says to Adam, O Adam, inform them of their names. And when Adam does so, God says to the angels, did I not tell you that I know the secrets of all the heavens and the entire earth and know what you reveal and conceal? 

God is showing the angels how uniquely different Adam is from them. God gave Adam intellect and the ability to learn things and acquire knowledge, something the angels do not have.

The Fall of Adam and Hawa – Surah Al Baqarah

God then asked the angels to bow to Adam to honour him as his new creation. They all obeyed God except for Iblees. He was arrogant and refused to bow down to Adam. He saw himself as a superior creature to this new human creation, Adam. 

The story then shifts into the future when Adam has a wife named Hawa. God says to Adam, O Adam, live with your wife in paradise, eat as freely as you please, but make sure not to approach this tree, or else you will be of the wrongdoers.

Iblis sees this as an opportunity to deceive Adam and Hawa, whom he despises, and over time, tempts them to eat from the tree, which they eventually do. They slipped up, which led to their fall from the blissful state they were in in paradise. God said to them, including Iblis, to descend from the heavens to this earth as enemies to each other. You will find a residence and provision for your appointed stay on earth.

This slip-up was an important and necessary lesson for Adam and Hawa. They learned that Iblis was their enemy and could not be trusted. God then inspired Adam with words of prayer to repent for his sin and to ask God for his forgiveness, which God accepted and forgave them. 

The Lesson of Repentance – Surah Al Baqarah

Through this example, we learn that humans are not perfect and will make mistakes the same way Adam and Hawa did. But what’s important here is recognizing our mistakes and not being arrogant like Iblis. We should always repent to God and ask him for forgiveness.

Who are The Children of Israel? 

The word Israel is a Hebrew word that means servant of God. Israel was also another name for Ya’aqub, or Jacob, who was a prophet. He was also the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons, and from them came twelve different tribes that formed a vast nation of people known as Banu Israil, or the children of Israel.

Why are Banu Israil mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah? 

The children of Israel are mentioned here as an example of an important nation that God favoured and blessed throughout their history. Yet many failed to submit themselves to God and follow his commandments, Similar to Iblees. 

The Blessings and Miracles for the Israelites During Moses’ (PBUH) Time

The chapter mentions many of the blessings they received from God, particularly during the time of Moses (Peace Be Upon Him). Like when God saved them from Pharaoh and his people, who killed their sons and kept their women, and how God parted the sea to rescue them and drowned Pharaoh and his people right before their eyes. And how God forgave them for worshipping the calf after Moses left them for 40 nights, and how God gave them the scripture, the Torah, to help them distinguish between right and wrong and help guide them to the straight path. 

And when God shaded them with clouds and sent down food for them when they were hungry and lost in the desert. And when God commanded Moses to strike the rock with his staff, twelve springs gushed out, one for each of their twelve tribes. When God raised the mountain above them, he told them to hold firmly to the scripture he gave them and observe its teachings so they would be mindful of God.

All these blessings and miracles. Yet many were ungrateful and continued to reject God’s signs; their belief in God wavered, and they no longer feared the day of judgment. This was a recurring theme with Moses and many of the prophets who came after him.

The Example of Abraham’s Faith and Obedience in Surah Al-Baqarah

Their example is meant to serve as a warning to Muslims not to be arrogant and misguided and not to fall off the straight path as they did. The chapter then presents the example of Abraham, who was considered the father of all prophets and the patriarch of the children of Israel. 

Unlike them, he completely submitted himself to the will of God and followed His guidance. God tested Abraham in many difficult ways, yet each time, he succeeded in fulfilling God’s commandments.

One of the early examples of these tests was when he challenged his father and his entire community and called on them to stop worshipping idols and to worship their creator, Allah, the one and only God. As a result of his message, he was captured and thrown into a large fire. But God blessed and saved him from the fire, and he came out unharmed. 

Another major test he faced was later in his life when God ordered him to take his wife Hajar and their newborn son Ismail and leave them in an arid valley in the Arabian Peninsula alone with no food and water. As difficult as that was, he accepted God’s plan, and God took care of Hajar and Ismail. This valley would later become Mecca. 

Abraham’s Ultimate Test and His Legacy

Abraham would be tested again years later when God ordered him to go back to his family in Mecca and to sacrifice his son Ismail. When he told Ismail of God’s command, Ismail accepted his fate without hesitation. As a result of their faith in God and their willingness to follow His order, God blessed them both and rewarded them by placing a ram there to sacrifice instead. This was yet another difficult test from God that Abraham passed successfully. 

God then informs him that he will make him a role model and an example for people to follow. 

Abraham’s legacy and example would continue through the lives of his sons Ismail and Isaac and his grandson Jacob (Peace Be  Upon Them).

Who Was the Final Messenger Chosen in Response to Abraham’s Prayer?

Years later, Abraham and Ismail would build the Kaaba in Mecca, which was the first house of God. Abraham would then pray, “Our Lord, raise from among them a messenger who will recite Your revelations, teach them the Book and wisdom, then purify (يُنَقّي”)  them. Indeed “إنَّ”,  You alone are the Almighty, All-Wise.” 

Generations later, God would answer his prayer by choosing Muhammad (SAW), born in Mecca, to be God’s Final Messenger and Prophet.

Islam As a Way of Life: Surah Al Baqarah

So now that we’ve talked about the children of Israel and the story of Abraham, we have come to the final part of this chapter, which is Islam as a way of life. In this part, we learn about the laws God prescribes, which help guide us on the right path. These laws affect us on an individual, family, and societal level. 

5 Pillars of Islam

On an individual level, we learn about the five pillars of Islam: 

1. the Shahada, the belief that there is only one God; 
2. Establishing prayer.
3. Giving charity; 
4. Ramadan Fasting Month
5. Performing a Hajj, which is the pilgrimage to Mecca. 

5 Key Faith in Islam

We also learn about the articles of faith in Islam, such as:

1. Belief in Allah
2. Belief in the Ultimate Day of Judgment
3. Belief in the angels
4. Belief in the scriptures
5. Belief in all the prophets that came before us

This spiritual shift takes us back to the religion of Abraham and his children and their descendants, Moses and Jesus, all of whom were Muslim, which means one who submits to Allah.

Key Laws and Guidance in Surah Al-Baqarah

• Prohibition of certain foods, intoxicants, and gambling.
• Laws on marriage, divorce, and wills.
• Guidance on giving charity and prioritizing recipients.
• Laws on contracts, business, and finance.
• Laws on dealing with crimes, including murder.
• Importance of establishing justice.
• Rules of engagement in warfare, including justification and targets.
• Establishment of Islam as a way of life for a Muslim society.

Final Thoughts – Surah Al Baqarah

God is testing us the same way He tested Adam and Hawwa, the children of Israel and Abraham. The chapter ends with a prayer asking God to forgive and guide us to the straight path. Our Lord, do not punish us if we forget or make mistakes. “Our Lord, do not place a burden “وِزْر” on us like the one You placed on those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon “عَفْو” us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our only guardian, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”