النص المفهرس

81
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 :1 - 7
too, He has also enumerated those of His servants who find special
favour with Him -- all of which argues that, in trying to understand
the Book of Allah and to act upon it, one cannot solely rely on one's
own study and judgment, but must turn to someone who knows.
The conclusion
Two things are necessary for the physical and spiritual well-being
and success of man -- the Book of Allah which contains guidance for
every sphere of human life, and the Men of Allah who help in making
this guidance effective. The way to profit from the Men of Allah is to
assess them according to the well-known principles of the Book of
Allah. Those who do not conform to these principles should just not be
regarded as Men of Allah. But, when one has found Men of Allah, in
the real sense, one should seek their guidance in order to understand
the meaning of the Book of Allah and act upon it.
Why the Schism?
As to the sectarian differences on this point, we may remark that
there are two kinds of deviations in this respect. Some people elected
to follow the Book of Allah alone, ignored the Men of Allah totally and
gave no value to their teachings and explanations. Conversely, others
adopted the Men of Allah as the only criterion of truth and became
indifferent to the Book of Allah. Both these ways lead to fatal error.
Injunctions and related considerations
To recapitulate, the Surah Al-Fatihah begins with the praise of
Allah. Then comes an affirmation on the part of man that he worships
Allah alone, and turns to him alone in the hour of need. That is, so to
say, the oath of allegiance man offers to his Lord and Master. Finally,
there is a prayer which covers all possible human needs and goals.
Beside these, there are some related secondary considerations also
which arise from the Surah. These are as follows:
The proper way of Praying to Allah
Through this particular mode of expression and through its
structure, the Surah teaches man how to pray and how to make a
request to Allah. The proper method is that one should begin by
fulfilling one's obligation to praise Allah. Then, one should offer the
pledge of complete allegiance to Allah to the effect that one does not
regard anyone except Allah as being worthy of adoration and worship,

82
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 :1 - 7
nor does one look upon anyone except Allah as having the real power
to give help in one's distress or need. Finally, one should pray for what
one wishes to have. And there is every hope that a prayer made in this
manner will be granted. (See Ahkam al-Jassās). The Surah also suggests
that, in praying to Allah, one should pray for something so
comprehensive that it includes in essence all possible human goals, for
example, pray for being guided in the straight path, because if one can
and does follow the straight path in everything that concerns this
world or the other, one's material life or spiritual, one need not be
afraid of stumbling or of being hurt.
Praising Allah is Man's Natural Demand
The first verse of the Surah teaches man to praise Allah. We praise
someone either for a quality inherent in him or for a favour received
from him. But the verse mentions neither. The implication is that the
blessings of Allah are limitless. The Holy Qur'an says: wie Bei 35
122% (If you try to count the blessings of Allah, you will never be able
to number them) (14:34 and 16:18). Leaving aside other things, if man
only considers his own being, he would find that it is a microcosm -- in
itself which contains in analogical form everything contained in the
macrocosm, his body offers a parallel to the earth, the hair on it to the
vegetation, his bones to the hills, his veins flowing with blood to the
springs underground.11
Man, again, is composed of two parts, spirit and body, of which the
spirit is obviously superior in value, while the body is subservient to it.
In this inferior part alone, there are thousands of anatomical and
biological wonders. There are supposed to be more than three hundred
joints, but Allah has made each of them so strong that during the sixty
or seventy years of an average man's life they are in perpetual motion
and yet do not need repairs. Of this Allah himself has reminded us:
11. It may not be out of place to remark that this analogical view of man's
relationship with the universe has been an essential feature of all
traditional cosmologies. The Copernican cosmology, whatever its merits
may otherwise be, has tended to dissolve this vision of things, leaving
man, at least in the West, to grow more and more alienated from the
universe -- till we have arrived at the viewers of the American television
who are reported to have been more interested in a ball game than in
man's first landing on the moon -- Translator

83
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 :1 - 7
نَحْنُ خَلَقْتُهُمْ وَ شَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمُ
It is We Who created them, and it is We Who endowed their
joints with strength (76:28).
Or, take the example of the eye. One may spend a life-time and yet
not fully know the manifestations of divine wisdom present in it. Or,
take a single movement of the eye, and see how many blessings of
Allah are involved in its functioning. Before the eye can see, internally
it requires physical energy which in its turn is provided by food, air,
water etc. And externally it requires the light of the sun which in its
turn depends on a thousand other factors. That is to say, all the forces
of the universe join together to make it possible for the eye to see even
once. Now, try to calculate how many times does the eye see in a day,
in a year, in a man's life-time. Similarly, the functions of the ears, the
tongue, the hands and the feet, each brings into action the forces of the
whole universe.
This is a kind of blessing which is equally available to every living
man, be he a king or a beggar. In fact, all the greatest blessings of
Allah are the common property of every living creature -- for example,
air, water, light, the sun, the moon, the stars, in fact, everything that
exists in the heavens and the earth, or between them, offers its
benefits to all without distinction.
Then there are special blessings which divine wisdom has chosen
to distribute unequally among men, some getting more and others
less. This category includes wealth, honour, health, peace, knowledge
and other acquisitions. Although the general blessings are obviously
much more important and essential for human life than the special
blessings, yet man in his naivete takes them for granted and never
realizes what great gifts they are in spite of being common.
Now, human nature itself requires that in recognition of the innu-
merable blessings that keep descending on him at every moment of his
life, man should, as far as he can, praise and continue to praise his
Benefactor. It is to indicate this basic need of human nature that the
Holy Qur'an employs the word Mi : 'Al-hamd' (Praise) as the first word
of the very first Surah. Thus, the praise of Allah has been accorded a
very high rank among the acts of worship. The Holy Prophet
has

84
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 :1 - 7
said that when, on receiving some kind of a blessing from Allah, His
servant says dwa: (Praise belongs to Allah), it is like giving some-
thing better in return for what he has taken (Qurtubi, from Ibn Majah, as nar-
rated by Anas ce dule) ). According to another hadith if a man, on receiving
all possible blessings of the world, says: ARdi (Alhamdulillah), his act
is superior to all those blessings. Commenting on this hadith and cit-
ing certain scholars, al-Qurtubi says, the ability to repeat the phrase
'Al-hamdulillah' with one's tongue is in itself a blessing of Allah. Ac-
cording to another authentic hadith, saying this phrase fills half the
scale on the side of good deeds in the Balance. As to what praising Al-
lah should actually mean, Shaqiq ibn Ibrahim explains that when one
receives some gift from Allah, one should first of all recognize the Ben-
efactor, then be content with what He has given, and finally never dis-
obey Him as long as one has some strength left in the body, which
again is a gift from Allah. (See Qurtubi)
The second element in the phrase is Lillah, which is composed of
the preposition Lam (Arabic equivalent of the letter L) and the noun
'Allah'. This preposition means 'for' and is used for particularization,
showing the exclusive possession of a thing or quality. So, the phrase
implies that not only is it the duty of man to praise Allah, but in
reality all praise belongs exclusively to Him, and no one else in the
universe is worthy of it. At the same time, and by way of a further
blessing, Allah has, for the purpose of teaching man how to behave
with his fellow beings, commanded him to thank those too through
whom the gifts of Allah come to him, for one who does not see the need
of thanking his human benefactor would not thank Allah too.
Self-Praise is not permitted
It is not permissible for a created being such as man to praise
himself. The Holy Qur'an says :فَلا تُزَكُوا أَنفُسَكُمُ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ أَتَّقَى Do not pretend
to be pure; He knows best who is really God-fearing) (53:32). That is to
say, a man can be praised only if he fears Allah, but Allah alone knows
to what degree a particular man possesses this quality, known as
Taqwa. As for Allah praising Himself, the reason is that man is not
capable of praising the glory and greatness of Allah in a befitting
manner. Not to speak of others, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has
. .

85
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 :1 - 7
exclaimed : ◌َلاَ أُحْصِيْ ثَنَاءً عَلَيْك (I cannot properly praise You!). Therefore,
Allah Himself has taught man the mode of praising Him.
Rabb is the exclusive attribute of Allah
The Arabic word 'Rabb' (Lord) is applied to a person who not only
possesses a certain thing, but is also fully capable of and responsible
for nurturing it properly. Obviously, no one can act as 'Rabb' with
regard to the whole universe except Allah. So, the word, used in an
absolute sense, is exclusive to Allah, and it is not permissible to
address or describe anyone other than Allah as 'Rabb.' A hadith in the
Şahih of Muslim explicitly forbids a slave or servant to call his master
a 'Rabb'. The word may, however, be employed in the case of a man too
in a relative sense -- that is, in relation to a particular thing, for
example, 'rabb al-dar' (master of the house) etc. (Qurtubi).
Seeking help from Allah
According to the great commentator and Companion 'Abdullah
ibn 'Abbas, the verse ◌ُإيّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِين :You alone we worship, and
from You alone we seek help' means that one worships Allah alone and
no one else, and that one turns for help to Allah alone and to no one
else. (Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Jarir)
It has been reported from certain great scholars and saints of the
earliest centuries of Islam that the Surah al-Fatihah is the secret (i.e.,
the gist) of the entire Holy Qur'an, and this verse is the secret of the
whole Surah, for the first sentence of the verse is a declaration of one's
being free from Shirk, or from all desire to associate anyone with
Allah, and the second sentence is an expression of one's being exempt
from all wish to trust in one's own power and will. Such an affirmation
would naturally lead to putting oneself in the hands of Allah in all
concerns. The Holy Qur'an again and again commands us to do so: Must
قل هو الرحمن ;(11:123) .'Worship Him, and put your trust in Him': وَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ
WE' RE El :'Say He is the All-Merciful. We believe in Him, and we
put all our trust in Him'(67:29); ( رَبُّ الْشَرِقِ وَالْغُرُبِ لَا إِلهَ إِلَّهْوَ فَاتَّخِذُّهُ وَكِيلًا :'He is
the Lord of the East and the West; there is no god but He; so take Him
for a guardian' (73:9). All these verses come to mean simply this -- a
true Muslim should, in anything that he undertakes, rely neither on
his own faculties nor on the help of a fellow creature, but should
entrust himself completely to Allah, for He alone is All-Powerful, and
He alone is the absolute helper.

86
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 :1 - 7
Two doctrinal points emerge from this discussion. Firstly, it is
totally forbidden to worship anyone except Allah, and associating
anyone else with Him in worship is a deadly and unforgiveable sin. As
we have already explained, 'Ibadah (worship) signifies an utmost
humility and willing self-abasement before someone out of the deepest
love and veneration. If one behaves in this manner in relation to any
created being, it is called shirk (association) in Islamic terminology.
It basically follows from this definition of "worship" that "association"
does not merely consist in attributing divine power to figures made
out of stone or metal as idolators usually do; but obeying or loving
or venerating someone to the degree which is reserved for Allah is
also an "obvious association" (al-shirk al-Jalii). In recounting how the
Jews and the Christians indulge in shirk (association), the Holy
Qur'an says :ِإِنَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمُ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنٌ دُونِ اللَّه :"They have taken their
religious scholars and their monks as lords apart from Allah'. (9:31)
The Companion 'Adi Ibn Hatim, who was a Christian before
accepting Islam, asked the Holy Prophet @ with reference to this
verse as to why the Holy Qur'an should blame the Christians for
having taken their religious scholars as lords when they were never
guilty of worshipping them. The Holy Prophet & in his turn asked him
if it was not a fact that their scholars had declared many things as
forbidden although Allah had permitted men to eat them, and that
conversely they had declared as permissible what had been forbidden,
and that the Christians obeyed their scholars in both the respects. 'Adi
admitted that it was so. Therefore, the Holy Prophet & remarked that
this was exactly how they 'worshipped' their scholars. This goes to
prove that Allah alone has the right to establish what is permissible
and what is forbidden. If one associates somebody else with Allah in
this respect and, in spite of being familiar with the divine injunctions
regarding what is permissible (halal) and what is forbidden (haram),
goes against them, believing that someone other than Allah too can
demand obedience in these matters, one is virtually worshipping him
and being guilty of the sin of association (shirk). But, in order to guard
against a possible misunderstanding, we may remark that this verse
of the Holy Qur'an, which condemns the worship of religious scholars,
does in no way apply to the generality of Muslims who, not being

87
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 : 1 - 7
qualified to understand the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah by
themselves or to deduce the injunctions of the Shari'ah from them,
naturally depend on an Imam, a Mujtahid, a Mufti or a religious
scholar and follow his instructions in these matters. In fact, such
Muslims are only acting in accordance with the Holy Qur'an and the
Sunnah, and obeying divine commandments. For the Holy Qur'an
itself says:
فَاسْتَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْهُمُ لَا تَعْلَمُوُنَ 0
Ask the men of knowledge, if you yourselves do not know. (16:43)
Another thing which comes under the category of association
(shirk) is to make votive offerings to someone other than Allah; so does
praying to someone else in time of need or distress, for, according to a
Tradition (Hadith), praying is also an act of worship. Similarly, adopt-
ing such practices as are in general considered to be the signs or sym-
bols of association also constitute the same sin. For example, the Com-
panion 'Adi ibn Hatim as Ul >, relates that when he embraced Islam
and presented himself before the Holy Prophet & with a cross hanging
round his neck, the Holy Prophet & asked him to remove this idol. Al-
though at this time the cross did not have the kind of signification for
'Adi which it has for Christians, yet he was asked to shun a symbol of
'association' externally as well. Among the symbols of 'association' are
included practices like bowing (ruku') or prostrating (sajdah) oneself
before anyone except Allah, or going round a person or thing in the
prescribed manner of the tawaf (circumambulation) of the Ka'bah.
Avoiding all such symbols of 'association' is a necessary part of the
pledge of fidelity to Allah made in the phrase: 'You alone we worship'.
Seeking Allah's Help Directly and Indirectly
The other doctrinal point we mentioned is that one must turn to
Allah alone for help and to no one else. This requires some
clarification.
There is a kind of help which every man does seek from other men.
The physical aspect of the universal order being what it is, it has to be
so, and not otherwise. A tailor or tinker, a carpenter or a blacksmith,
each is serving others, and everyone is obliged to seek his help.
Seeking help of this kind neither is nor can be forbidden by any

88
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 :1 - 7
religion, for it is part and parcel of the network of physical means
provided to men by Allah. In the sphere of non-physical means too, it
is quite permissible for one to seek the help of a prophet or a saint by
asking him to pray to Allah in one's behalf, or to mention, while
praying directly to Allah, the name of a prophet or a saint by way of a
medium (wasilah) for drawing divine mercy upon oneself. Explicit
Traditions (ahadith) and implicit indications of the Holy Qur'an fully
justify this practice, and it would be wrong to condemn it as being
forbidden or to include it among the various forms of association
(shirk).
Now, what sort of supplication for help is it which can be addressed
exclusively to Allah and to no one else? And, when does one fall into
the sin of shirk (association) in asking someone other than Allah for
help? In reply to the second question, we may say that in this context
the sin of shirk or association arises in two forms. Firstly, one becomes
guilty of association, if one seeks the help of an angel or prophet or
saint or any creature believing him to be omnipotent like Allah. It is
such an obvious heresy that even idolaters and associators in general
consider it as such, for even they do not look upon their idols and gods
as being omnipotent like Allah. The second is the form adopted by
idolaters and associators. They admit that God alone is Omnipotent,
but also believe that He has delegated a part of His power to an angel
or a prophet or a saint or to a smaller god who exercises a full and
independent authority in that area, and to whom one may pray for
help in matters within his jurisdiction. This is the supplication which
the Holy Qur'an forbids, and against which it warns us in the phrase
325 5G) (to You alone we pray for help).
There is a simple reason for misunderstanding in this regard.
Allah appoints many angels to perform quite a large number of
functions even in the physical order of the universe; or, He makes
many things happen through the prophets which are beyond the
powers of man and which are called miracles (mu'jizat), as also other
incredible wonders through the saints which are called karamat. The
appearance may easily lead a careless observer to ignore the reality,
and to conclude from what he has seen that the angels or the prophets
or the saints could not have worked such wonders if Allah had not

89
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 : 1 - 7
given them the necessary power and authority. This faulty argument
which is no more than an illusion gives birth to the belief that the
prophets or the saints enjoy absolute power and authority in their own
degree. It is not so. Miracles and wonders are the direct acts of Allah,
but they are manifested through prophets and saints so that people
may recognize their spiritual station -- prophets and saints themselves
have no powers to make such things happen. This fact is borne out by
so many verses of the Holy Qur'an. For example, the verse: 2531 5255
Mai Esis: 'When you threw, it was not you that threw, but Allah
threw' (8:17) refers to a miracle of the Holy Prophet @ in which he
threw a handful of pebbles at an army of his enemies, and Allah willed
it so that they smote the eyes of the whole army. The Holy Qur'an
attributes the act of throwing pebbles, not to the Holy Prophet & but
to Allah Himself, which clearly shows that a miracle is manifested
through a prophet , but is in reality an act of Allah Himself.
Similarly, when the people of Nuh, or Noah, JI ale demanded that, in
order to establish his authenticity as a prophet, he should bring down
on them the punishment and wrath of Allah, he replied: 30 u
(W :'Allah will certainly bring it down to you, if He so wills' (11:33), in
other words, he declared that he himself could not bring down divine
punishment on them by way of a miracle. Another verse of the Holy
Qur'an reports what a group of prophets said to their people in reply to
a similar demand : ◌ِمَا كَانَ لَنَا أَنُ تَأْتِيَكُمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ إِلَّ بِإِذُنِ اللّه :'We cannot give you
proof, except by Allah's will' (14:11). This again was an admission that
it was not in their power to produce a miracle, for all power rests in
the hands of Allah. In short, it is not at all possible for a prophet or a
saint to show a miracle whenever he likes and whatsoever he likes.
The disbelievers used to demand specific miracles from the Holy
Prophet , and from the earlier prophets >J+ Je but Allah
manifested only those which He Himself pleased, and not others. The
Holy Qur'an presents many such instances.
An ordinary example will make the discussion clear. In your room,
you receive light from a lamp and air from a fan, but the lamp and the
fan do not possess in themselves an absolute power to give you light
and air, but need the electric current which they receive from the
power house, and without which they cannot function. Giving you light

90
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 : 1 - 7
and air is, in actual fact, not the work of the lamp and the fan, but of
the electric current which comes from the power house. Similarly,
saints, prophets and angels, all depend on Allah in everything they do;
it is Allah's power and will which makes things happen, though it
manifests itself through prophets and saints as the electric current
manifests itself through fans and lamps.
This example would also show that although prophets and saints
have no power to make these things happen or come to be, yet their
presence is not altogether irrevelant to what happens, you cannot have
light and air in your room without there being a lamp and a fan.
Likewise, you cannot have miracles or wonders without there being a
prophet or a saint. There is, of course, a certain difference between the
two situations. In spite of all the wirings and fittings being intact, you
cannot have light without a lamp, nor air without a fan. But, in the
case of miracles, Allah has the power, if He so wills, to manifest them
even without the medium of prophets and saints. The usual way of
Allah has, however, been that miracles are not manifested without the
medium of prophets and saints; otherwise miracles would not serve
the purpose for which they are intended.
To conclude, one must have firm faith in the doctrine that
everything that happens is made to happen by the power and will of
Allah, but it is also necessary to recognize the need for prophets and
saints, and to admit their importance. Without such an admission, one
would succeed neither in obeying divine commandments in the real
sense nor in attaining Allah's pleasure exactly like the man who, being
ignorant of the worth of lamps and fans, disregards them, and remains
deprived of light and air.
The problems we have discussed above perplex many a mind. But
the answer is essentially simple. Taking prophets and saints as a
medium (wasilah) for drawing divine mercy upon oneself is neither
absolutely permissible nor absolutely forbidden. There is a condition
attached to it. If one does so, believing a prophet or a saint to be
all-powerful, it becomes an act of shirk (association) and is hence
forbidden. But if one takes a prophet or a saint to be no more than a
medium.or a means, it is permissible. But one finds that in this matter
people generally adopt either of the two extreme positions, outright

91
Surah Al-Fatihah 1 :1 - 7
rejection of wasilah or exaggerated veneration. The truth, however,
lies between the two.
6. Success in this world and in the Hereafter
As we have said before, the prayer which the Holy Qur'an has
chosen to recommend to everyone, in every situation and for
everything one does, is the prayer for being guided in the straight
path. Just as success in the Hereafter depends on taking the straight
path which leads one to Paradise, in the same way, if you come to
think about it, success in all worldly concerns too depends on keeping
to the straight path -- that is, on using the means and methods which
habitually lead to the attainment of one's goal. Conversely, a little
reflection will reveal that failure is always due to having strayed from
the straight path. In view of the need for the straight path in worldly
and other worldly concerns both, this is the prayer which should
constantly be on the lips and in the heart of a true Muslim -- never as
an empty verbal exercise, but with a sincere intention and with the
meaning of the words fully present in the mind.
With Allah's help, the commentary on Surah Al-Fatihah ends here.

95
Surah Al-Baqarah
SURAH AL-BAQARAH
(The Cow)
MADINITE
بِسْمِ اللهِ الَّهُمِنِ الَّحِيمِ
286 VERSES
The name and the number of verses
According to the ahadith of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the
reports relating to his blessed Companions, the name of this Surah is
Al-Baqarah. The riwayah or narration which prohibits this name is not
authentic (Ibn Kathir). It comprises of 286 verses, 6201 words and 25500
letters (Ibn Kathir).
The period of revelation
The Surah is Madinite - that is to say, it was revealed at Madinah
after the Hijrah; some of the verses included here were revealed at
Makkah at the time of the last Hajj of the Holy Prophet , but, in
accordance with the terminology of the commentators, they too are
regarded as Madinite. This is the longest Surah in the Holy Qur'an.
It was the first Surah to be revealed at Madinah, but different verses
were revealed at different times, covering quite a long period so much
so that the verses with regard to riba ( interest or usury ) were
revealed in the last days of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم after the
conquest of Makkah. Actually, the verse:
وَأَتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُوْنَ فِيْهِ إِلَى اللهِ
Fear the day when you will return to Allah (2:281),
is the very last verse of the Holy Qur'an to be revealed - this happened
on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah 10 A.H., when the Holy Prophet @ was

96
Surah Al-Baqarah
in the course of performing his last Hajj, and only eighty or ninety
days later he departed from this world, and the process of Divine
Revelation came to an end for ever. (Qurtubi)
The merits of Surah Al-Baqarah
It is not only the longest Surah in the Holy Qur'an, but also
contains quite a large number of injunctions. The Holy Prophet & has
said: "Make a habit of reading the Surah Al-Baqarah, for reading it
brings down on you the barakah or blessings of Allah, and neglecting it
is a matter of regret, and a misfortune. And men of falsehood cannot
overcome it". Al-Qurtubi cites the blessed Companion Mu'awiyah to
the effect that the men of falsehood referred to here are sorcerers, and
the implication is that one who keeps reading this Surah becomes
immune to the effect of black magic (Qurtubi, from Muslim, as narrated by Abu
Umamah Bahili). The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has also said that Satan
flees from the house in which this Surah is read or recited. (Ibn Kathir
from Hakim). Another hadith says that this Surah is the apex of the Holy
Qur'an, and that a retinue of eighty angels had accompanied each of
its verses when it was revealed (Ibn Kathir from Musnad Ahmad). The
blessed Companion Abu Hurairaas Ul >, reports from the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that there is a verse in this Surah which enjoys a
superiority over all the other verses of the Holy Qur'an, and that verse
is the Verse of the Kursi (Ayat al-Kursi 2:255) (Ibn Kathir from Tirmidhi). The
blessed Companion Abdullah ibn Mas'ud says that ten verses of this
Surah have such an efficacy that if one recites them at night, neither
Satan nor jinn would enter one's house, nor would one and one's family
be afficted with illness or calamity or sorrow that night, and that if
they are recited over a man suffering from a fit of madness, his
condition will improve. The ten verses are these: the first four verses
of the Surah, three verses in the middle (that is, the Ayat al-Kursi, and
the two following verses), and the last three verses of the Surah.
This Surah enjoys, with regard to its contents as well, a special
distinction. Ibn al-'Arabi reports from his elders that in this Surah
there are one thousand injunctions, one thousand prohibitions, one
thousand subtle points of wisdom, and one thousand parables and
references to historical events (Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir). That is why the

97
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 1 - 5
great Caliph Umar رضى الله عنه spent twelve years in learning and
meditating over this Surah, and the blessed Companion Abdullah ibn
'Umar spent eight years to learn it. (Qurtubi)
As we have said, the Surah Al-Fatihah is the gist and the essence
of the Holy Qur'an. It deals with three basic themes - firstly, the
affirmation of Allah as the Lord (Rabb) of the universe; secondly, the
affirmation that Allah alone, and none else, is worthy of being
worshipped; thirdly, the prayer for guidance. Thus, the Surah
Al-Fatihah ends with the request for the straight path, and the whole
of the Qur'an is, in fact, an answer to this request - that is to say, the
man who seeks the straight. path will find it only in the Holy Qur'an.
Hence it is that the Surah Al-Fatihah is immediately followed by
the Surah Al-Baqarah which begins with the words, "That is the
Book", indicating that this book is the straight path one has been
seeking and praying for. Having defined the nature and function of the
Holy Qur'an, the Surah proceeds to state in a very brief manner the
basic principles of the Islamic faith - namely, oneness of God,
prophethood and hereafter (Tawhid, Risalah, Akhirah). These
principles have been presented in detail at the end of the Surah. In
between, the Surah lays down the basic principles, and sometime even
secondary rules in detail, for providing guidance to man in all spheres
of life, modes of 'ibadah (worship), ethics, individual and social
behaviour, economic relationships, ways and means of improving
oneself externally and internally.
Verses 1 - 5
الّ ◌َ ذُلِكَ الْكِتُبُ لَا رَيْبٌ فِيْدِةُ هُدَّى لِّلْمُتَّقِبْنَ ا الَّذِيْنَ
يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَ ◌ُقِيُمُونَ الصَّلَوةَ وَ مِمَّا رَزَقْتُهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ )
وَالَّذِيْنَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِمَآ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ
هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿ أُوَلَئِكَ عَللى هُدَّى مِنُّ ◌َّيِّهِمْ وَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ
الْمُفْلِحُونَ )
With the name of Allah,
The All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.
Alif. Lam. Mim. That Book has no doubt in it - a

98
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 1 - 5
guidance for the God-fearing, who believe in the
unseen, and are steadfast in salah, and spend out of
what We have provided them; and who believe in what
has been revealed to you and what has been revealed
before you, and do have faith in the Hereafter. It is
these who are on guidance given by their Lord; and it
is just these who are successful. (Verses 1-5)
The Surah begins with the Arabic letters Alif, Lam and Mim
(equivalents of A, L and M). Several Surahs begin with a similar
combination of letters, for example, Ha, Mim, or Alif, Lam, Mim, Sad.
Each of these letters is pronounced separately without the addition of
a vowel sound after it. So, the technical term for them is 366
(Mugatta'at: isolated letters).
According to certain commentators, the isolated letters are the
names of the Surahs at the beginning of which they occur. According
to others, they are the symbols of the Divine Names. But the majority
of the blessed Companions and the generation next to them, the
Tabi'in, and also the later authoritative scholars have preferred the
view that the isolated letters are symbols or mysteries, the meaning of
which is known to Allah alone or may have been entrusted as a special
secret to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم not to be communicated to
anyone else. That is why no commentary or explanation of these
letters has at all been reported from him. The great commentator
Al-Qurtubi has adopted this view of the matter, which is summarized
below:
"According to 'Amir Al-Sha'bi, Sufyan Al-Thawri and many
masters of the science of Hadith, every revealed book contains certain
secret signs and symbols and mysteries of Allah; the isolated letters
too are the secrets of Allah in the Holy Qur'an, and hence they are
among the 24us' (Mutashabihat: of hidden meaning), the meaning of
which is known to Allah alone, and it is not permissible for us even to
enter into any discussion with regard to them. The isolated letters are
not, however, without some benefit to us. Firstly, to believe in them
and to recite them is in itself a great merit. Secondly, in reciting them
we receive spiritual blessings from the unseen world, even if we are
not aware of the fact. Al-Qurtubi adds: "The Blessed Caliphs Abu

99
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 1 - 5
Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali, and most of the Companions like
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud رضى الله تعالى عنه firmly held the view that these
letters are the secrets of Allah, that we should believe in them as
having descended from Allah and recite them exactly in the form in
which they have descended, but should not be inquisitive about their
meanings, which would be improper". Citing Al-Qurtubi and others,
Ibn Kathir too prefers this view. On the other hand, interpretations of
the isolated letters have been reported from great and authentic
scholars. Their purpose, however, was only to provide symbolical
interpretation, or to awaken the minds of the readers to the indefinite
possibilities of meanings that lie hidden in the Holy Qur'an, or just to
simplify things; they never wished to claim that these were the
meanings intended by Allah Himself. Therefore, it would not be
justifiable to challenge such efforts at interpretation since it would go
against the considered judgment of veritable scholars.
The sentence "That Book has no doubt in it" raises a grammatical
and exegetical problem, for the first phrase in the Arabic text reads as
"¿sji suš" :Dhalikal kitab. Now, the word dhalika (that) is used to point
out a distant thing, while the word kitab (book) obviously refers to the
Holy Qur'an itself, which is present before us. So, this particular
demonstrative pronoun does not seem to be appropriate to the
situation. There is, however, a subtle indication. The pronoun refers
back to the prayer for the straight path made in the Surah Al-Fatihah,
implying that the prayer has been granted and the Holy Qur'an is the
answer to the request, which gives a detailed account of the straight
path to those who seek guidance and are willing to follow it.
Having indicated this, the Holy Qur'an makes a claim about itself:
"There is no doubt in it". There are two ways in which doubt or
suspicion may arise with regard to the validity or authenticity of
statement. Either the statement itself is erroneous, and thus becomes
subject to doubt; or, the listener makes a mistake in understanding it.
In the latter case, the statement does not really become subject to
doubt, even if someone comes to suspect it out of a defective or
distorted understanding - as the Holy Qur'an itself reminds us later in

100
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 1 - 5
the same Surah: 3223 :"If you are in doubt ... " (2:23). So, in spite of
the doubts and objections of a thousand men of small or perverse
understanding, it would still be true to say that there is no doubt in
this book - either with regard to it having been revealed by Allah, or
with regard to its contents.
Big" :"A guidance for the God-fearing": The Arabic word for the
God-fearing is Muttaqin, derived from Taqwa which literally means
"to fear, to refrain from", and in Islamic terminology it signifies fearing
Allah and refraining from the transgression of His commandments. As
for the Holy Qur'an being a guidance to the God-fearing, it actually
means that although the Holy Qur'an provides guidance not only to
mankind but to all existents in the universe, yet the special guidance
which is the means of salvation in the other world is reserved for the
God-fearing alone. We have already explained in the commentary on
the Surah "Al-Fatihah" that there are three degrees of divine guidance
- the first degree being common to the whole of mankind and even to
animals etc., the second being particular to men and jinns, and the
third being special to those who are close to Allah and have found His
favour, the different levels of this last degree being limitless. It is the
last two degrees of guidance which are intended in the verse under
discussion. With regard to the second degree, the implication is that
those who accept the guidance will have the hope of being elevated to
the rank of the God-fearing. With reference to the third degree, the
suggestion is that those who are already God-fearing may receive
further and limitless guidance through the Holy Qur'an. This
explanation should be sufficient to remove the objection that guidance
is needed much more by those who are not God-fearing, for now we
know that the specification of the God-fearing does not entail a denial
of guidance to those who not possess this qualification.
The next two verses delineate the characteristic qualities of the
God-fearing, suggesting that these are the people who have received
guidance, whose path is the straight path, and that he who seeks the
straight path should join their company, adopt their beliefs and their

101
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 1 - 5
way of life. It is perhaps in order to enforce this suggestion that the
Holy Qur'an, immediately after pointing out the attributes peculiar to
the God-fearing, proceeds to say:
أُوْلِكَ عَلَى هُدِّى ◌ِّنٌ رَبِّهِمْ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُونَ )
It is these who are on guidance given by their Lord, and it is
just these who are successful.
The delineation of the qualities of the God-fearing in these two
verses also contains, in essence, a definition of Faith ('Iman) and an
account of its basic tenets and of the fundamental principles of
righteous conduct:
اَلَّذِيِّنَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبٍ وَ يُقِيمُوْنَ الصَّلْوَةَ وَ مِمَّا رَزَقْتُهُمْ يُنْفِقُوْنَ 0
Who believe in the unseen, and are steadfast in Salah and
spend out of what We have provided them.
Thus, the first of the two verses, mentions three qualities of the
God-fearing - belief in the unseen, being steadfast in Salah, and
spending in the way of Allah. Many important considerations arise out
of this verse, the most significant being the meaning and definition of
'Iman (Faith).
Who are the God-fearing
The Definition of 'Iman
The Holy Qur'an has provided a comprehensive defination of 'Iman
in only two words Ju 32'"Believe in the unseen". If one has fully
understood the meaning of the words 'Iman and Ghayb, one will have
also understood the essential reality of 'Iman.
Lexically, the Arabic word 'Iman signifies accepting with complete
certitude the statement made by someone out of one's total confidence
and trust in him. Endorsing someone's statement with regard to
sensible or observable facts is, therefore, not 'Iman. For example, if one
man describes a piece of cloth as black, and another man endorses the
statement, it may be called Tasdiq (confirmation) but not 'Iman, for
such an endorsement is based on personal observation, and does, in no
way, involve any confidence or trust in the man who has made the
statement. In the terminology of the Shari'ah, 'Iman signifies
accepting with complete certitude the statement made by a prophet

102
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 1 - 5
only out of one's total confidence and trust in him and without the
need of personal observation.1
As for the word Ghaib, lexically it denotes things which are not
known to man in an evident manner, or which are not apprehensible
through the five senses. The Holy Qur'an uses this word to indicate all
the things which we cannot know through the five senses or through
reason, but which have been reported to us by the Holy Prophet .
These include the essence and the attributes of Allah, matters
pertaining to destiny, heaven and hell and what they contain, the Day
of Judgment and the things which happen on that Day, divine books,
all the prophets who have preceded the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in
short, all the things mentioned in the last two verses of the Surah
Al-Baqarah. Thus, the third verse of the Surah states the basic creed
of the Islamic faith in its essence, while the last two verses provide the
details.
So, belief in the unseen ultimately comes to mean having firm faith
in everything that the Holy Prophet has taught us - subject to the
necessary condition that the teaching in question must have come
down to us through authentic and undeniable sources. This is how the
overwhelming majority of Muslim scholars generally define 'Iman (See
al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, 'Aqa'id al-Nasafi etc.).
According to this definition, 'Iman signifies faith and certitude,
and not mere knowledge. For, a mental knowledge of the truth is
possessed by Satan himself, and even by many disbelievers - for
example, they knew very well that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was
truthful and that his teachings were true, but they did not have faith
in him nor did they accept his teachings with their heart, and hence
they are not Muslims.
The Meaning of 'Establishing' Salah
2. The second quality of the God-fearing is that they are "steadfast
in the prayer." The verb employed by the Holy Qur'an here is
1. It would be helpful to note that in the everday idiom of the West, and even
in modern social sciences, "faith" has come to mean no more than an
intense emotional state or "a fixe emotion". As against this, the Islamic
conception of 'Iman is essentially intellectual, in the original signification
of "Intellect" which the modern West has altogether forgotten.

103
Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 1 - 5
Yuqim una (generally rendered in English translations as "they
establish", which comes from the word Iqamah signifying "to
straighten out"). So, the verb implies not merely saying one's prayers,
but performing the prayers correctly in all- possible ways and
observing all the prescribed conditions, whether obligatory (Fard) or
necessary (Wajib) or commendable (Mustahabb). The concept includes
regularity and perpetuity in the performance of Salah as also an
inward concentration, humility and awe. At this point, it may be noted
that the term does not mean a particular salah, instead, it includes all
fard, wajib and nafl prayers.
Now to sum up - the God-fearing are those who offer their prayers
regularly and steadfastly in accordance with the regulations of the
Shari'ah, and also observe the spiritual etiquette outwardly and
inwardly.
Spending in the way of Allah: Categories
The third quality of the God-fearing is that they spend in the way
of Allah. The correct position in this respect, which has been adopted
by the majority of commentators, is that it includes all the forms of
spending in the way of Allah, whether it be the fard (obligatory) Zak ah
or the Wajib (necessary) alms-giving or just voluntary and nafl
(supererogatory) acts of charity. For, the Holy Qur'an usually employs
the word Infaq with reference to nafl (suspererogatory) alms-giving or
in a general sense, but reserves the word Zakah for the obligatory
alms-giving. The simple phrase: f. : "Spend out of what We have
provided them" inspires us to spend in the way of Allah by drawing
our attention to the fact that anything and everything we possess is a
gift from Allah and His trust in our hands, and that even if we spend
all our possessions in the way of Allah, it would be proper and just and
no favour to Him. But Allah in His mercy asks us to spend in His way
"out of" what (L. ) he has provided - that is, only a part and not the
whole.
Among the three qualities of the God-fearing, faith is, of course,
the most important, for it is the basic principle of all other principles,
and no good deed can find acceptance or validity without faith. The
other two qualities pertain to good deeds. Now, good deeds are many;
one could make a long list of even those which are either obligatory or