The Heifer (Al-Baqarah)
Verses 104-108 GROUP_25 2.104-108
104
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَقُولُواْ رَاعِنَا وَقُولُواْ انظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُوا ْوَلِلكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Believers, do not say to the Prophet, ‘Ra‘ina’ but say, ‘Unzurna,’ and listen to him with attention.a For those who deny the truth, there is a painful punishment.
105
مَّا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَلاَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَاللّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ
They who deny the truth from among the People of the Book, or from among those who associate partners with God, do not desire that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But God singles out for His grace whom He wills—for God is limitless in His great bounty.
106
مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَلَىَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
If We abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten, We will replace it by a better one or one similar to it. Do you not know that God has power over all things?
107
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ
Do you not know that the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to God alone? And that there is no protector or helper for you besides God?
108
أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْأَلُواْ رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَى مِن قَبْلُ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ
Do you [all] want to question your messenger just as Moses was questioned previously? Anyone who exchanges faith for unbelief has strayed from the right path.
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Commentary
(a) Another gambit of those who deny the truth was to sit in the Prophet’s company and, by playing on words, make a mockery of his teachings. For instance, instead of using the unambiguous Arabic word for ‘May we have your attention’— ‘unzurna’—they would say ‘ra‘ina’. ‘Ra‘ina’, when pronounced properly, has much the same meaning as ‘unzurna’, but with the protraction of the second vowel, it becomes ‘raeena’, meaning ‘our shepherd,’ and with the protraction of the first it becomes ‘raaina’, which means idiot. (b) The Muslims were told therefore to avoid ambiguous words, and to be quite clear in their speech; words with a derisive shade of meaning should be especially avoided. Furthermore, they were enjoined to pay close attention to what the Prophet said and to try to understand it on their own, without resorting to excessive questioning; receptiveness rather than obstinacy was to mark their attitude to his instructions. This was the way to gain faith, and it was the consolidation and strengthening of faith that was to be sought. The believers were also told not to be jealous of another person’s valuable possessions, for it was God Himself who had bestowed that particular blessing on His servant. God Himself decreed that the Prophet be the recipient of divine revelation. If one were earnest in seeking to learn from him, one could share in the blessing he received.