البقرة
The Cow
Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
walil'muṭallaqāti matāʿun bil-maʿrūfi ḥaqqan ʿalā l-mutaqīna
And for divorced women is a provision according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.
kadhālika yubayyinu l-lahu lakum āyātihi laʿallakum taʿqilūna
Thus does Allāh make clear to you His verses [i.e., laws] that you might use reason.
alam tara ilā alladhīna kharajū min diyārihim wahum ulūfun ḥadhara l-mawti faqāla lahumu l-lahu mūtū thumma aḥyāhum inna l-laha ladhū faḍlin ʿalā l-nāsi walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yashkurūna
Have you not considered those who left their homes in many thousands, fearing death? Allāh said to them, "Die"; then He restored them to life. And Allāh is the possessor of bounty for the people, but most of the people do not show gratitude.
waqātilū fī sabīli l-lahi wa-iʿ'lamū anna l-laha samīʿun ʿalīmun
And fight in the cause of Allāh and know that Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
man dhā alladhī yuq'riḍu l-laha qarḍan ḥasanan fayuḍāʿifahu lahu aḍʿāfan kathīratan wal-lahu yaqbiḍu wayabṣuṭu wa-ilayhi tur'jaʿūna
Who is it that would loan Allāh a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allāh who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.
alam tara ilā l-mala-i min banī is'rāīla min baʿdi mūsā idh qālū linabiyyin lahumu ib'ʿath lanā malikan nuqātil fī sabīli l-lahi qāla hal ʿasaytum in kutiba ʿalaykumu l-qitālu allā tuqātilū qālū wamā lanā allā nuqātila fī sabīli l-lahi waqad ukh'rij'nā min diyārinā wa-abnāinā falammā kutiba ʿalayhimu l-qitālu tawallaw illā qalīlan min'hum wal-lahu ʿalīmun bil-ẓālimīna
Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allāh"? He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if battle was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allāh when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when battle was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allāh is Knowing of the wrongdoers.
waqāla lahum nabiyyuhum inna l-laha qad baʿatha lakum ṭālūta malikan qālū annā yakūnu lahu l-mul'ku ʿalaynā wanaḥnu aḥaqqu bil-mul'ki min'hu walam yu'ta saʿatan mina l-māli qāla inna l-laha iṣ'ṭafāhu ʿalaykum wazādahu basṭatan fī l-ʿil'mi wal-jis'mi wal-lahu yu'tī mul'kahu man yashāu wal-lahu wāsiʿun ʿalīmun
And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, Allāh has sent to you Saul as a king." They said, "How can he have kingship over us while we are more worthy of kingship than him and he has not been given any measure of wealth?" He said, "Indeed, Allāh has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allāh gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And Allāh is all-Encompassing [in favor] and Knowing."
waqāla lahum nabiyyuhum inna āyata mul'kihi an yatiyakumu l-tābūtu fīhi sakīnatun min rabbikum wabaqiyyatun mimmā taraka ālu mūsā waālu hārūna taḥmiluhu l-malāikatu inna fī dhālika laāyatan lakum in kuntum mu'minīna
And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers."
falammā faṣala ṭālūtu bil-junūdi qāla inna l-laha mub'talīkum binaharin faman shariba min'hu falaysa minnī waman lam yaṭʿamhu fa-innahu minnī illā mani igh'tarafa ghur'fatan biyadihi fasharibū min'hu illā qalīlan min'hum falammā jāwazahu huwa wa-alladhīna āmanū maʿahu qālū lā ṭāqata lanā l-yawma bijālūta wajunūdihi qāla alladhīna yaẓunnūna annahum mulāqū l-lahi kam min fi-atin qalīlatin ghalabat fi-atan kathīratan bi-idh'ni l-lahi wal-lahu maʿa l-ṣābirīna
And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, Allāh will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand." But they drank from it, except a [very] few of them. Then when he had crossed it along with those who believed with him, they said, "There is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers." But those who were certain that they would meet Allāh said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allāh. And Allāh is with the patient."
walammā barazū lijālūta wajunūdihi qālū rabbanā afrigh ʿalaynā ṣabran wathabbit aqdāmanā wa-unṣur'nā ʿalā l-qawmi l-kāfirīna
And when they went forth to [face] Goliath and his soldiers, they said, "Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."
fahazamūhum bi-idh'ni l-lahi waqatala dāwūdu jālūta waātāhu l-lahu l-mul'ka wal-ḥik'mata waʿallamahu mimmā yashāu walawlā dafʿu l-lahi l-nāsa baʿḍahum bibaʿḍin lafasadati l-arḍu walākinna l-laha dhū faḍlin ʿalā l-ʿālamīna
So they defeated them by permission of Allāh, and David killed Goliath, and Allāh gave him the kingship and wisdom [i.e., prophethood] and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allāh checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allāh is the possessor of bounty for the worlds.
til'ka āyātu l-lahi natlūhā ʿalayka bil-ḥaqi wa-innaka lamina l-mur'salīna
These are the verses of Allāh which We recite to you, [O Muḥammad], in truth. And indeed, you are from among the messengers.
til'ka l-rusulu faḍḍalnā baʿḍahum ʿalā baʿḍin min'hum man kallama l-lahu warafaʿa baʿḍahum darajātin waātaynā ʿīsā ib'na maryama l-bayināti wa-ayyadnāhu birūḥi l-qudusi walaw shāa l-lahu mā iq'tatala alladhīna min baʿdihim min baʿdi mā jāathumu l-bayinātu walākini ikh'talafū famin'hum man āmana wamin'hum man kafara walaw shāa l-lahu mā iq'tatalū walākinna l-laha yafʿalu mā yurīdu
Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allāh spoke, and He raised some of them in degree. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Pure Spirit [i.e., Gabriel]. If Allāh had willed, those [generations] succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them disbelieved. And if Allāh had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allāh does what He intends.
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū anfiqū mimmā razaqnākum min qabli an yatiya yawmun lā bayʿun fīhi walā khullatun walā shafāʿatun wal-kāfirūna humu l-ẓālimūna
O you who have believed, spend from that which We have provided for you before there comes a Day in which there is no exchange [i.e., ransom] and no friendship and no intercession. And the disbelievers - they are the wrongdoers.
al-lahu lā ilāha illā huwa l-ḥayu l-qayūmu lā takhudhuhu sinatun walā nawmun lahu mā fī l-samāwāti wamā fī l-arḍi man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idh'nihi yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wamā khalfahum walā yuḥīṭūna bishayin min ʿil'mihi illā bimā shāa wasiʿa kur'siyyuhu l-samāwāti wal-arḍa walā yaūduhu ḥif'ẓuhumā wahuwa l-ʿaliyu l-ʿaẓīmu
Allāh - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
lā ik'rāha fī l-dīni qad tabayyana l-rush'du mina l-ghayi faman yakfur bil-ṭāghūti wayu'min bil-lahi faqadi is'tamsaka bil-ʿur'wati l-wuth'qā lā infiṣāma lahā wal-lahu samīʿun ʿalīmun
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become distinct from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in ṭāghūt and believes in Allāh has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
al-lahu waliyyu alladhīna āmanū yukh'rijuhum mina l-ẓulumāti ilā l-nūri wa-alladhīna kafarū awliyāuhumu l-ṭāghūtu yukh'rijūnahum mina l-nūri ilā l-ẓulumāti ulāika aṣḥābu l-nāri hum fīhā khālidūna
Allāh is the Ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. And those who disbelieve - their allies are ṭāghūt. They take them out of the light into darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein.
alam tara ilā alladhī ḥājja ib'rāhīma fī rabbihi an ātāhu l-lahu l-mul'ka idh qāla ib'rāhīmu rabbiya alladhī yuḥ'yī wayumītu qāla anā uḥ'yī wa-umītu qāla ib'rāhīmu fa-inna l-laha yatī bil-shamsi mina l-mashriqi fati bihā mina l-maghribi fabuhita alladhī kafara wal-lahu lā yahdī l-qawma l-ẓālimīna
Have you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord [merely] because Allāh had given him kingship? When Abraham said, "My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death," he said, "I give life and cause death." Abraham said, "Indeed, Allāh brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west." So the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
aw ka-alladhī marra ʿalā qaryatin wahiya khāwiyatun ʿalā ʿurūshihā qāla annā yuḥ'yī hādhihi l-lahu baʿda mawtihā fa-amātahu l-lahu mi-ata ʿāmin thumma baʿathahu qāla kam labith'ta qāla labith'tu yawman aw baʿḍa yawmin qāla bal labith'ta mi-ata ʿāmin fa-unẓur ilā ṭaʿāmika washarābika lam yatasannah wa-unẓur ilā ḥimārika walinajʿalaka āyatan lilnnāsi wa-unẓur ilā l-ʿiẓāmi kayfa nunshizuhā thumma naksūhā laḥman falammā tabayyana lahu qāla aʿlamu anna l-laha ʿalā kulli shayin qadīrun
Or [consider such an example] as the one who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. He said, "How will Allāh bring this to life after its death?" So Allāh caused him to die for a hundred years; then He revived him. He said, "How long have you remained?" He [the man] said, "I have remained a day or part of a day." He said, "Rather, you have remained one hundred years. Look at your food and your drink; it has not changed with time. And look at your donkey; and We will make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones [of this donkey] - how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh." And when it became clear to him, he said, "I know that Allāh is over all things competent."
wa-idh qāla ib'rāhīmu rabbi arinī kayfa tuḥ'yī l-mawtā qāla awalam tu'min qāla balā walākin liyaṭma-inna qalbī qāla fakhudh arbaʿatan mina l-ṭayri faṣur'hunna ilayka thumma ij'ʿal ʿalā kulli jabalin min'hunna juz'an thumma ud'ʿuhunna yatīnaka saʿyan wa-iʿ'lam anna l-laha ʿazīzun ḥakīmun
And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [Allāh] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied." [Allāh] said, "Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them - they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise."