An Introduction to Surah Al-Baqarah: The Quran's Masterful Blueprint

 As the Opening Surah ( Al-Fatihah  ) sums up in seven beautiful verses the essence of the Quran, so this Surah sums up in 286 verses the whole teaching of the Quran. It is a closely reasoned argument, serving as a comprehensive guide for life. 

 A Journey Through the Themes of Al-Baqarah

 Summary. It begins (verses 1-29) by classifying men into three broad categories, depending on how they receive Allah's message.

 This leads to the story of the creation of man, the high destiny intended for him, his fall, and the hope held out to him (ii. 30-39).

  Israel's story is then told according to their own records and traditions-what privileges they received and how they abused them (ii. 40-86), thus illustrating again as by a parable the general story of man.

 In particular, reference is made to Moses and Jesus and their struggles with an unruly people: how the people of the Book played false with their own lights and in their pride rejected Muhammad, who came in the true line of Prophets (ii. 87-121).

 

They falsely laid claim to the virtues of Father Abraham: he was indeed a righteous Imam, but he was the progenitor of Ismä'il's line (Arabs) as well as of Israel's line, and he with Isma'il built the Ka'ba (the House of Allah in Makkah) and purified it, thus establishing a common religion, of which Islam is the universal exponent (ii. 122-141).

 The Ka'ba was now to be the Centre of universal worship and the symbol of Islamic unity (ii. 142-167).

Building a Righteous Community 

The Islamic Ummat (brotherhood) having thus been established with its definite Centre and symbol, ordinances are laid down for the social life of the community, with the proviso (ii. 177) that righteousness does not consist in formalities, but in faith, kindness, prayer, charity, probity, and patience under suffering. The ordinances relate to food and drink, bequests, fasts, Jihad, wine and gambling, treatment of orphans and women, etc. (ii. 168-242).  Lest the subject of Jihad should be misunderstood, it is taken up again in the story of Saul, Goliath and David, in contrast to the story of Jesus (ii. 243-253).

And so the lesson is enforced that true virtue lies in practical deeds of manliness, kindness, and good faith (ii. 254-283), and Allah's nature is called to mind in the sublime Ayat-ul-Kursi, the Verse of the Throne (ii. 255).

 The Sura ends with an exhortation to Faith, Obedience, a sense of Personal , Responsibility, and Prayer (ii. 284-286).. By the expression "Allah's nature" it is meant: Allah's attributes .

The Significance of the "Heifer"

  This is the longest Süra of the Qur-an, and in it occurs the longest verse (ii. 282). The name of the Sura is from the Parable of the Heifer in ii. 67-71. which illustrates the insufficiency of carping obedience. When faith is lost, people put off obedience with various excuses: even when at last they obey in the letter, they fail in the spirit, which means that they get fossilized, and their self-sufficiency prevents them from seeing that spiritually they are not alive but dead. For life is movement, activity, striving, fighting, against baser things. And this is the burden of the Süra. 

This is in the main an early Madinah Süra.