Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page 4
4 Chapter 2 Al-Baqarah ة (Revealed after Hijrah) Title, Date of Revelation and Context This, the longest S u rah of the Qur’ a n, was revealed at Medina in the first four years after the Hijrah and is known as Al-Baqarah. The name was used by the Holy Prophet himself. The S u rah seems to have derived its title from vv. 68-72 where an important incident in the life of the Jewish nation is briefly mentioned. For a long time, the Jews had lived in Egypt as serfs and slaves under the cruelest bondage of the Pharaohs who were cow-worshippers. As is generally the case with subject races, they had borrowed from, and slavishly imitated, many customs and habits of the Egyptians and consequently had come to possess a strong liking, bordering on adoration, for the cow. When Moses told them to sacrifice a particular cow which symbolised their object of worship, they made a great fuss about it. It is this incident to which vv. 68-72 refer. Besides Al-Baqarah, the S u rah possesses another name—Az-Zahr a ’, and both this S u rah and A l-e-‘Imr a n are jointly known as Az-Zahraw a n—The Two Bright Ones (Muslim). The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: 'Everything has its peak, and the peak of the Qur’ a n is Al-Baqarah' (Tirmidh i ). The S u rah is placed next to Al-F a ti h ah because it embodies answers to all the important problems which at once confront the reader when he turns from Al-F a ti h ah to a study of the main Book. Though generally connected with all the other S u rahs , Al-F a ti h ah possesses a special relationship with Al-Baqarah which constitutes the fulfilment of the prayer, 'Guide us in the straight path. . . Thy displeasure. ' Indeed Al-Baqarah with its discourses upon the Signs, the Book, the Wisdom and the Means of purification (2:130), constitutes an appropriate and comprehensive reply to that great prayer. Subject-Matter It is sometimes said that the Qur’ a n starts with this S u rah as its very opening verse, viz. "This is a perfect Book; there is no doubt in it," shows; while Al-F a ti h ah being, as it were, the Qur’ a n in miniature though forming its integral part, possesses an independent and peculiar position of its own (15:88). The subject-matter of this long Chapter is epitomized in its 130th verse. This verse contains a prayer of the Patriarch Abraham in which he implores God to raise a Prophet among the Meccans who should (1) recite to them the Signs of God; (2) give the world a Scripture containing perfect laws of the Shar i ‘ah ; (3) explain the wisdom underlying them; and (4) should lay down principles and rules of conduct which should bring about complete