Al-Baqarah 2:286
The Cow · Juz 3 · Page 49
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَعَلَيۡهَا مَا ٱكۡتَسَبَتۡۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡنَآ إِصۡرٗا كَمَا حَمَلۡتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلۡنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦۖ وَٱعۡفُ عَنَّا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَآۚ أَنتَ مَوۡلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٢٨٦
Allāh does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."1
1 translator’s note
- Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) concludes this sūrah by directing His servants how to supplicate Him, just as He taught them in Sūrah al-Fātiḥah how to praise Him and ask for guidance. ↩
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Commentary on 2:286
By way of response, Allah said: (Allah tasketh not a soul) in relation to acts of obedience (beyond its scope) beyond its capability. (For it (is only) that which it hath earned) of good, and of leaving the discourse of the soul, forgetfulness, error and coercion, (and against it (only) that which it hath deserved) of evil, the discourse of the soul, forgetfulness, and coercion. Allah taught the believers thereafter how they should pray to Him so as to lift the discourse of the soul, error, forgetfulness and coercion from them, saying that they should supplicate thus: (Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Condemn us not if we forget) to obey you, (or miss the mark!) regarding your command (Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Lay not on us such a burden) a covenant which, if we fail to honour, You will prohibit us from wholesome things (as Thou didst) as You made it unlawful (on those before us!) on the Children of Israel because they broke Your covenant regarding wholesome things: the meat of camels, the fat of bovines, small cattle and other things. (Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear!) that in which there is no comfort or benefit for us, and this is what is meant by coercion. (Pardon us) all this, (absolve us) from it (and have mercy on us) by means of it. (Thou, our Protector) You are more deserving of protecting us; (and give us victory over the disbelieving folk). It is also said that the meaning is as follows: (Pardon us) by not turning us into animals as you turned some of the people of Jesus into animals, (absolve us) from making the ground swallow us up as you made the ground swallow up Korah (Qarun); (and have mercy on us) by not being tossed up by the waves as you did to the people of Lot. When the believer called upon Allah with this supplication, Allah lifted from them the discourse of the soul, forgetfulness, error, coercion and absolved them from being turned into animals, making the ground swallow them or being tossed by the waves. All those who follow in their footsteps will be absolved from the same.
Page 49
2:283
۞ وَإِن كُنتُمۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٖ وَلَمۡ تَجِدُواْ كَاتِبٗا فَرِهَٰنٞ مَّقۡبُوضَةٞۖ فَإِنۡ أَمِنَ بَعۡضُكُم بَعۡضٗا فَلۡيُؤَدِّ ٱلَّذِي ٱؤۡتُمِنَ أَمَٰنَتَهُۥ وَلۡيَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّهُۥۗ وَلَا تَكۡتُمُواْ ٱلشَّهَٰدَةَۚ وَمَن يَكۡتُمۡهَا فَإِنَّهُۥٓ ءَاثِمٞ قَلۡبُهُۥۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٞ ٢٨٣
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit [should be] taken. And if one of you entrusts another, then let him who is entrusted discharge his trust [faithfully] and let him fear Allāh, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it - his heart is indeed sinful, and Allāh is Knowing of what you do.
2:284
لِّلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ وَإِن تُبۡدُواْ مَا فِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوۡ تُخۡفُوهُ يُحَاسِبۡكُم بِهِ ٱللَّهُۖ فَيَغۡفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٌ ٢٨٤
To Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allāh will bring you to account for it. Then He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills, and Allāh is over all things competent.
2:285
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ أَحَدٖ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦۚ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَاۖ غُفۡرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ٢٨٥
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allāh and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."
2:286
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَعَلَيۡهَا مَا ٱكۡتَسَبَتۡۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡنَآ إِصۡرٗا كَمَا حَمَلۡتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلۡنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦۖ وَٱعۡفُ عَنَّا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَآۚ أَنتَ مَوۡلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٢٨٦
Allāh does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."1
1 translator’s note
- Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) concludes this sūrah by directing His servants how to supplicate Him, just as He taught them in Sūrah al-Fātiḥah how to praise Him and ask for guidance. ↩