Al-Baqarah 2:20
The Cow · Juz 1 · Page 4
يَكَادُ ٱلۡبَرۡقُ يَخۡطَفُ أَبۡصَٰرَهُمۡۖ كُلَّمَآ أَضَآءَ لَهُم مَّشَوۡاْ فِيهِ وَإِذَآ أَظۡلَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ قَامُواْۚ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمۡعِهِمۡ وَأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ ٢٠
The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.
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Al-Mukhtasar
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Commentary on 2:20
L’éblouissement provoqué par la lumière intense de l’éclair manque de les aveugler. Chaque fois qu’un éclair apparaît, ils avancent alors qu’en l’absence d’éclair, ils restent immobile dans l’obscurité, incapables de se mouvoir. Si Allah l’avait voulu de par Son pouvoir absolu, Il leur aurait, en raison du déni qui est le leur de la vérité, ôté définitivement l’ouïe et la vue. La pluie symbolise le Coran, le tonnerre symbolise les avertissements qu’il contient et la lumière des éclairs symbolise la vérité qui se manifeste parfois à eux. Quant à l’obstruction des oreilles avec les doigts en raison du bruit terrifiant fait par le tonnerre, cela symbolise leur déni et leur refus d’accepter la vérité. Le parallèle entre les hypocrites et les personnes citées dans les deux paraboles, est qu’ils ne tirent aucun profit de ce dont ils disposent. Ainsi, les personnes qui allumèrent un feu ne récoltèrent que brûlures et obscurité et celles qui se trouvaient sous un orage ne récoltèrent que des désagréments dus au tonnerre et aux éclairs. Il en est ainsi des hypocrites : ils ne voient dans l’Islam que dureté et cruauté.
Page 4
2:17
مَثَلُهُمۡ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِي ٱسۡتَوۡقَدَ نَارٗا فَلَمَّآ أَضَآءَتۡ مَا حَوۡلَهُۥ ذَهَبَ ٱللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمۡ وَتَرَكَهُمۡ فِي ظُلُمَٰتٖ لَّا يُبۡصِرُونَ ١٧
Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allāh took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see.
2:18
صُمُّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡيٞ فَهُمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُونَ ١٨
Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path].
2:19
أَوۡ كَصَيِّبٖ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَٰتٞ وَرَعۡدٞ وَبَرۡقٞ يَجۡعَلُونَ أَصَٰبِعَهُمۡ فِيٓ ءَاذَانِهِم مِّنَ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ حَذَرَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۚ وَٱللَّهُ مُحِيطُۢ بِٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ١٩
Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allāh is encompassing1 of the disbelievers.
1 translator’s note
- Allāh states in the Qur’ān that He has certain attributes such as hearing, sight, hands, face, mercy, anger, coming, encompassing, being above the Throne, etc. Yet, He has disassociated Himself from the limitations of human attributes or human imagination. Correct Islāmic belief requires faith in the existence of these attributes as Allāh has described them without applying to them any allegorical meanings or attempting to explain how a certain quality could be (while this is known only to Allāh) and without comparing them to creation or denying that He (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) would have such a quality. His attributes are befitting to Him alone, and "There is nothing like unto Him." (42:11) ↩
2:20
يَكَادُ ٱلۡبَرۡقُ يَخۡطَفُ أَبۡصَٰرَهُمۡۖ كُلَّمَآ أَضَآءَ لَهُم مَّشَوۡاْ فِيهِ وَإِذَآ أَظۡلَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ قَامُواْۚ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمۡعِهِمۡ وَأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ ٢٠
The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.
2:21
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعۡبُدُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُمۡ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ ٢١
O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous -
2:22
ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فِرَٰشٗا وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءٗ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزۡقٗا لَّكُمۡۖ فَلَا تَجۡعَلُواْ لِلَّهِ أَندَادٗا وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٢
[He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allāh equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him].
2:23
وَإِن كُنتُمۡ فِي رَيۡبٖ مِّمَّا نَزَّلۡنَا عَلَىٰ عَبۡدِنَا فَأۡتُواْ بِسُورَةٖ مِّن مِّثۡلِهِۦ وَٱدۡعُواْ شُهَدَآءَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٢٣
And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down [i.e., the Qur’ān] upon Our Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)], then produce a sūrah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses [i.e., supporters] other than Allāh, if you should be truthful.
2:24
فَإِن لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلُواْ وَلَن تَفۡعَلُواْ فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱلنَّارَ ٱلَّتِي وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡحِجَارَةُۖ أُعِدَّتۡ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٢٤
But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is people and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.