Surah 2

Surah Al-Baqarah: The Heifer

Revealed at Madinah

2:241
And for the divorced women a provision with fairness; a duty on the reverent.


2:242
In this way Allah makes clear to you His Messages so that you may understand.

2:243
Have you not considered those who went out from their homes— and they were thousands— for fear of death? Then Allah said to them: “Die”, then He revived them. Allah is indeed Possessor of bounty upon mankind; but most of the people do not give thanks.

2:244
And fight in the way of Allah, and know that Allah is all-Hearing, all-Knowing.

2:245
Who is there that will lend to Allah a goodly loan? Then He will double it for him many a doubling. For, Allah receives and amplifies; and to Him you will be returned.

2:246
Have you not considered the Council of the Children of Israil after Musa: when they said to a nabi to them: “Appoint for us a king that we may fight in Allah’s way.” He said: “May it not be with you that if fighting is prescribed for you, you will not fight?” They said: “And what have we that we should not fight in the way of Allah, while we have indeed been expelled from our homes and of our children?” Yet when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned back except a few of them. But Allah is Knower of the wrongdoers.

2:247
And their nabi said to them: “Allah has indeed raised for you Talut to be a king.” They said: “How can he have the kingdom over us, while we have a better right to the kingdom than him, for he has not been given abundance of wealth?” He said: “Surely Allah has elected him over you, and He has increasingly given him abundance of knowledge and physique. And Allah gives His kingdom to whom He pleases; for Allah is all-Pervading, all-Knowing.”

2:248
And their nabi said to them: “Surely the sign of his kingdom is that there will come to you the Tabut in which there is Shekinah from your Rabb, and the best of what is left by the followers of Musa and the followers of Harun, the malaks bearing it. Certainly in that there is a Sign for you if you are Believers.”

2:249
So when Talut marched out with the forces, he said: “Surely Allah is going to test you by a river; so whoever drinks of it he is then not of me, while whoever does not taste it he is then of me indeed, except whoever takes a handful with his hand.” But they drank of it except a few of them. So that when he had crossed it— he and those who believed with him— they said: “We have no power today against Jalut and his forces.” Said those who know for certain that they were going to meet Allah: “How often has a small party defeated a large party with the authority of Allah. For Allah is with the steadfast”.

2:250
And when they confronted Jalut and his forces, they said: “Our Rabb! pour down upon us perseverance, and make our feet firm, and help us against the unbelieving people.”

2:251
Then they routed them with the authority of Allah, and Dawud killed Jalut. Thus Allah gave him the kingdom, and the wisdom; and taught him of what He pleased. And had there not been Allah’s repelling mankind— some of them by others— the earth would certainly be in disorder; but Allah is Possessor of bounty to all the worlds.

2:252
These are the Messages of Allah,— We recite them to you with the truth; and indeed you are certainly of the rasuls.

2:253
These rasuls,— some of them We have excelled over others. Of them are those to whom Allah has spoken, while some of them He has exalted in rank. And We gave ‘Isa, son of Mar-yam, clear proofs, and We strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. And if Allah had willed, those after them would not have fought with each other after the clear proofs had come to them, but they disagreed; so out of them some believed and out of them some rejected. And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought with one another; but Allah does what He desires.

2:254
O you who believe! spend out of what We have provided you with before there comes the Day in which there is no bartering, neither friendship nor any intercession. And the Unbelievers— they are the wrongdoers.

2:255
Allah— there is no deity but He, the ever-Living, the self-Subsisting; slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is there to intercede in His presence except with His authority? He knows what is in front of them and what is behind them. And they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He pleases. His Throne of Power extends over the heavens and the earth, and the management of these both does not tire Him; and He is the most High, the Supreme.

2:256
There is no compulsion in religion, the Right Path has indeed been made distinct from the wrong; so whoever rejects the Taghut, and believes in Allah, he has then grasped the firm handle,— no breaking for it. And Allah is all-Hearing, all-Knowing.

2:257
Allah is the Patron of those who believe, He brings them out of the darkness into the Light. But those who disbelieve, their patrons are the Taghuts, they bring them out of Light into the darkness; these are the companions of the Fire, in it they abide.

2:258
Have you not considered him who disputed with Ibrahim concerning his Rabb, because Allah had given him the kingdom? Behold! Ibrahim said: “My Rabb is He Who causes life and Who causes death.” He said: “I can cause to live and cause to die.” Ibrahim said: “But Allah surely brings out the sun from the East, so you bring it from the West.” Thus confounded was he who disbelieved. And Allah does not guide the unjust people.

2:259
Or the case of him who passed by a township, and it had fallen over its roofs? He said: “How will Allah revive this after her death?” Then Allah brought death upon him for a hundred years, then He raised him up. He said: “How long have you tarried?” He said: “I have tarried a day or part of a day.” He said: “Of course you have tarried a hundred years; yet look at your food and your drink, years have not affected it. And look at your ass! And that We may make you a Sign for mankind. And look at these bones, how We adjust them, then cover them with flesh!” Then when it became clear to him, he said: “I know that Allah is Possessor of power over all things.”

2:260
And behold! Ibrahim said: “My Rabb! show me how You give life to the dead.” He replied: “Do you not yet believe?” He said: “Not that, but in order to make tranquil my heart.” He said: “Take four numbers of birds, then tame them to respond to you, then put on every hill a portion of them, then call them, they will come to you swiftly. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might, most Wise.”