The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 28
General Remarks CHAPTER 2 AL-BAQARAH (Revealed after Hijrah) This, the longest chapter of the Quran, is known as Al-Baqarah. The name was used by the Holy Prophet himself and is probably revealed. The Surah was given this name probably because the word Baqarah (Cow) symbolizes an important incident (related in this Surah) in the life of the Jewish nation and points to the fact that nations decay and fall not only on account of (manifest shirk) but also on account of (hidden shirk) which being likely to be overlooked is, in a sense, more dangerous than the former and spells the spiritual ruin of a people that do not properly guard themselves against it. The Surah has another name also, i. e. and both this Surah and the one that follows, viz. the Al-e- 'Imran are jointly known as i. e. the two bright ones (Muslim). The Holy Prophet is reported to have once said: "Everything has its peak, and the peak of the Quran is Al-Baqarah; and in this Surah there is a verse which is the most eminent among the verses of the Quran and that is Ayatul-Kursi" (Tirmidhī). Again, "Whosoever shall recite ten verses of this chapter the first four verses, the Ayatul-Kursi, along with the two verses which come after it, and the last three verses- -Satan will not enter his house. " This only means that these verses embody the essence of Islamic teaching, and that Satan cannot come near the man who faithfully acts on these teachings. Date of Revelation Al-Baqarah was revealed at Medina. It began to be revealed in the first year of the Hijrah and was completed only a short time before the death of the Holy Prophet. Place of the Surah in the Quran It is sometimes asked why this chapter, which, as stated above, began to be revealed after the Hijrah and was completed only a short time before the death of the Holy Prophet, was placed at the head of the Quran being second only to Al-Fatihah. The question forms part of the general question relating to the arrangement of the Quran, and will be found discussed in the General Introduction to this Commentary. Here it should suffice to say that Al-Baqarah has been placed next to Al-Fatihah, not because it is the longest, but because it deals with questions which at once confront a reader who turns from Al-Fatihah to a study of the main Book. The literary merit of this Surah is unparalleled. It is on record that Labīd bin Rabi'ah, one of the seven outstanding Arab poets of the pre-Islamic days, who later embraced Islam, was once asked by ‘'Umar, the Second 28