Surah al Baqarah

Ayahs 49 – 59

RECAP• Last time we talked about the Bani Israel

Commands and Prohibitions given to them• Pray salaah; Give zakaah; bow down with

those who bow down• Warning: Do you tell others to be religious and

forget to practice it yourselves? • Seek help with patience and prayer • Have Khushoo• Bani Israel chosen nation of that time

Remember My favor

We saved you from the people of Pharaoh

And when we parted the sea for you

And drowned the people of

Pharaoh

And when we made and

appointment with Mosa (as) for 40 nights

Then we pardoned you

And when we gave Moses the book

Then we revived you after your

death

And we shaded you with clouds

And we sent down upon you

manna and quails

And when We said, "Enter this city and

eat from it wherever you will

in abundanceWe will forgive your sins for you, and We

will increase the good doers

Ayah 49And [recall] when We saved your

forefathers from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst torment,

slaughtering your [newborn] sons and keeping your females alive. And in that

was a great trial from your Lord.

Ayah 49 Context

• The Bani Israel lived in Egypt for a long time in prosperity but when they left the deen, they were made into a slave nation

• Musa A.S. came to their rescue• These favours were bestowed on the

ancestors of the Bani Israel

Firawn (Pharaoh)

• The title given to the kings of ancient Egypt

• Had political and religious authority

• Believed he was the incarnation of some god or God himself

• Could be Ramses the II of the 19th dynasty

Ayah 49 - Roots

• Noon Jeem Wow – literally a place that’s elevated; to help someone (Najaat)

• Seen Wow Meem – to take camels for pasture; pursuing something in order to get it– Imposing a difficult task/punishment/suffering

from humiliation and disgrace; you were like their animals

• Seen Wow Hamza – anything that a person dislikes or is disturbing

Ayah 49 - Roots

• Aa’in Dhaal Baa – restricting; confined; its called punishment because its restricts others from doing anything (also applies to torture)

• Firawn made the Bani Israel do hard labor; architectural work

• Dhaal Baa Haa – to slaughter an animal by cutting off its head; killing people at a mass scale; also includes planning– Systematically killed their baby sons

Ayah 49 (More roots

• Haa Yaa Yaa – to try and keep someone alive (many words are derived from this root i.e. shyness)

• Baa Laam Wow – a difficult test; it could be something evil OR a test through ease i.e. a blessing

• Dhaalikaa: Refers to the 1. persecution of Firawn or 2. being saved from the persecution

Killed their sons and kept women alive…

Persecution(Two Reasons)

Numbers were

GrowingDream

They did not have the Deen, nor Dunya.

Great Trial

Labor

No Say

Humiliated

Slave

Our Own

Actions

When We Disobey

To Elevate One’s Rank

In this for them was a great trial…

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “No tiredness, exhaustion, worry, grief, distress or

harm befalls a believer in this world, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allah expiates some of his

sins thereby.” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Expiation of Sins Higher Rank

Similarly, the trial upon the Muslim Ummah today is from Allah

Why? So that those who are sleeping can wake up, understand their reality and do those acts for which they

were sent upon this earth.

LESSONS

• Allah SWT tests people for different reasons – what is MY reaction?

• Mass massacres have happened in the past as well, and we are simply repeating history with things that are currently happening (i.e. genocides)

• People who bully others are actually insecure themselves – Do I put down other people because of my own insecurities?

Ayah 50

And [recall] when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the

people of Pharaoh while you were looking on.

Ayah 50 - Roots

• Faa Raa Qaaf – to divide something• Baa Haa Raa – a large body of water; salty

water (i.e. the sea); Red Sea• Gaain Raa Qaaf – to drown in water; Firawn’s

entire army drowned and the Bani Israel were saved

• Noon Dhaaw Raa – to look at something before your eyes (you were looking at your enemy drowning; looking with surprise)

Lessons

• If Allah is with us, don’t Lose hope• Only Allah can take us out of any difficulty• Blessing – that a person sees end of his enemy

in front of his/her own eyes• Drastic scene change– Firawn was the leader

and had power, but all of a sudden he lost it

Ayah 51

And [recall] when We made an appointment with Moses for forty nights.

Then you took [for worship] the calf after him, while you were wrongdoers.

Ayah 51 - Roots• Wow Aain Daal – A promise; making a

promise with each other. Appointment: 2 people agree to meet at a particular time and place – Musa A.S. promised Allah SWT that he would

come to get the Book (Torah)• Mu (River); Sha (Tree); he was found in the

river by Firawn’s family• Hamza Khaa Dhaal – adopted; seriously took• Aain Jeem Laam – 1 month old baby calf

Ayah 51- Context

• Musa A.S. went to the Mount Tur to get the Torah to educate his people because they had forgotten their deen

• Why 40 nights? The Book of Allah is very serious and sacred, therefore, it takes time to understand the book.

• Called to a mountain to be in seclusion while receiving the book

Ayah 51 - Context

• But while Musa A.S. was gone the Bani Israel took up a calf for worship

• They made a calf out of gold; Samri collected all of his gold and made the calf

• It was hollow and when the wind blew, it would make a noise

• Harun A.S. (the brother of Musa A.S.) warned them that they are being tested

Ayah 51

• Root: Dhaaw Laam Meem – 1. to deprive someone of their right; to reduce in giving their right and 2. to place something where it does not belong

• Ex. Placing socks in the kitchen cabinet• Bani Israel gave the right of worshipping to

someone else other than Allah SWT• How can you worship something you created?

>ُم:وَن7 َظ7اِل

By Associating

partners with Allah

By not listening to

the Messenger

Do we notice the favors of Allah?

Think of the latest blessing you have received

Lessons • Appointment for 40 nights; in order to gain

something valuable you have to give time in order to grasp it

• If we are not focused, we cant achieve our goals; example: when studying for exams, we live in the library, so how serious are we about studying the Qu’ran?

• Some say if Musa A.S. hadn’t left then they wouldn’t have done shirk, but Harun A.S. was still there these are tests

Ayah 52

Then We forgave you after that so perhaps you would be grateful.

Ayah 52 - Roots

• Aaain Faa Wow – to forgive; wiped off; not take revenge no matter how big or small the wrongdoing may be

• While they were worshipping the calf, they were not punished for it

• Sheen Kaaf Raa – to express gratitude

Gratitude

وَن7 :ُر: ُك D7ْش َت

Acknowledge Express Use

The fact that Allah forgives is a great blessing

Lessons

• Afw – to forgive those who had fault; do I forgive first even if it wasn’t my fault?

• Even if its a Major Sin, Allah forgives sins as long as u repent

Ayah 53

And [recall] when We gave Moses the Scripture and criterion that perhaps

you would be guided.

Ayah 53 - Roots• Faa Raa Qaaf – that which separates; over

here refers to the Torah because it distinguished between right and wrong

• Furqan:– 1. Could be the Torah; adjective to describe the

Torah– 2. Something other than the Torah: the help and

victory from Allah SWT that separated them from Firawn; miracles given to Musa A.S. that showed who was true and who wasn’t

– 3. Splitting of the sea

Ayah 53 - Roots

• Haa Daal Yaa – over here its knowledge of the deen; the reason behind sending the Book is for guidance

• The revelation of a scripture is also a big blessing

Lessons

• The purpose of sending a scripture is for telling us what’s right and wrong; what is morality

• The Qu’ran should not be just something that’s read and put on a shelf or just memorized

Ayah 54

And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged

yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill

yourselves. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted

your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.

Ayah 54

• O MY People! Musa A.S. says this out of affection, not “O sinful people”, but he still mentions the wrong they have done

• You have wronged yourselves (when we commit a sin, its harming only ourselves)

• So you should repent (Tawbah)• Baa Raa Raa – to create something flawlessly

and out of nothing

Ayah 54• You all kill yourselves (interpretations):• 1. They killed each other mercilessly and

without looking at family ties until Allah SWT sent down His mercy

• 2. Those who had worshipped the calf were supposed to kill each other

• 3. Those who did not do shirk were supposed to kill those who worshipped the calf

Ayah 54 - Lessons

• Why such a harsh punishment?• Kill each other because the ummah is like a

body (if one part starts doing shirk, then it will spread and other people will start doing it as well)

• The greatness of the Bani Israel; their repentance was difficult

• A serious sin (shirk) therefore, repentance was also serious

Ayah 54

• At Tawaab – Allah SWT accepts repentance even for great sins

• But part of reform is to compensate for their sin

• This was better for them • Lesson: Sometimes a difficulty is put upon us,

but its actually better for us

Conditions of Tawbah

Leave the sin Regret

Reform (make up for the wrong)

Resolve (firmly intend not to do it again)

Acknowledge the Sin

REFLECTIONS

UNTIL NEXT CLASS…

• Review the story of Bani Israel• Reflect and Share• Read ahead (Ayahs 55-59)• www.journeytothequran.com (Slides are

posted)

Ayahs 55 & 56And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we will

never believe you until we see Allah outright"; so the thunderbolt took you while

you were looking on.Then We revived you after your death that

perhaps you would be grateful.

Ayah 57And We shaded you with clouds and sent

down to you manna and quails, [saying], "Eat from the good things with which We have

provided you." And they wronged Us not - but they were [only] wronging themselves.

Allah

• Shelter• Food

• Security

• Shirk• Disobedience

• Mockery

Bani Israel

Ayah 58

And [recall] when We said, "Enter this city and eat from it wherever you will in [ease and] abundance, and enter the gate bowing humbly and say, 'Relieve

us of our burdens.' We will [then] forgive your sins for you, and We will

increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]."

Ihsan

Perfection Excellence

When Rasool Allah (s.a.w) was asked about Ihsan, He said“It is to worship Allah as

though you are seeing Him, and while you see Him not yet

truly He sees you”

[Muslim]

Ihsan in Ibadah

Ayah 59 But those who wronged changed [those

words] to a statement other than that which had been said to them, so We sent down upon those who wronged a filthy punishment from

the sky because they were defiantly disobeying.

Plague

When Allah gives us victory, we should show humility.

If we accomplish something, we shouldn’t be proud over this, we should do Istighfaar

Lessons

How do we celebrate Victory?

Do our Graduation Parties reflect our Obedience to Allah (s.w.t)?

REVIEW, REFLECT AND HAVE A GOOD BREAK