you above all nations.19 (48) Fear the Day when no one shall avail another, when no intercession will be accepted, when no one will be ransomed, and no criminal will receive any help.
(49) And recall when We rescued you from the slavery of Pharaoh’s people20 who had afflicted you with dreadful suffering, slaying your males and sparing your females. That was a tremendous trial for you from your Lord.
(50) And recall when We split the sea, providing passage for you, and thus saved you and caused Pharaoh’s people to drown before your very eyes.
(51) And recall when We summoned Moses for a term of forty nights,21▶
19 This does not mean that their pre-eminence among nations was to last for ever; rather, it refers to that period of human history when, of all nations, only the Children of Israel possessed that knowledge of Truth which comes from God alone. At that time they were entrusted with the task of directing the nations of the world to righteousness; they were expected to serve God and to invite the rest of the world to do the same.
20 We have rendered Al-Fir[awn as “Pharaoh’s people”. This includes the members of the Pharaonic family as well as the aristocracy of Egypt of the time.
21 When the Israelites reached the Sinai peninsula after their exodus from Egypt, God summoned Moses to Mount Sinai for forty days and nights so that the nation which had now achieved independence could be given law and morality.
13
Al-Baqarah 2: 52–5
and then you set up the calf as your god in his absence. You indeed committed a grave wrong. (52) Yet We pardoned you that you might be grateful.
(53) And recall (that while you were committing this wrong) We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion22 that you are guided to the Right Way.
(54) And recall when (on returning with this favour) Moses said to his people: “My people! You have wronged yourselves by taking the calf for an object of worship, so turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves.23 This will be best for you in your Creator ’s sight.” Thereupon He accepted your repentance. Indeed He is Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate.
(55) And recall when you said: “O Moses, we will not believe in you until we clearly see Allah (speaking to you).” ▶
22 “Criterion” (furqan) here means that understanding of religion which differentiates truth from falsehood, making each stand out distinctly.
23 That is, they should put to death those of their own number who had made the calf an object of worship and actually worshipped it.
14
Al-Baqarah 2: 56–9
Thereupon a tremendous thunderbolt struck you before your very eyes. (56) Then We revived you after your extinc- tion, that you might be grateful.
(57) And We caused a cloud to comfort you with shade, and We sent down upon you manna and the quails, (saying): “Eat of the good wherewithal that We have provided you as sustenance.” And by their sinning (your forefathers) did not wrong Us: it is they them- selves whom they wronged.
(58) And recall when We said: “Go into this town and eat abundantly of its food; but enter the gate prostrate, saying, “Repentance”.24 We will forgive you your sins and shall bestow more favour on the doers of good.” (59) Then the wrong-doers substituted another saying for that which had been given them; and so We sent down a scourge upon the wrong-doers from the heavens for their transgression.
24 Hittah could either mean that when they entered the town they should seek God’s pardon for their sins or that instead of plundering and massacring people in the wake of their conquest, they should proclaim an amnesty.
15
Al-Baqarah 2: 60–1
(60) And recall when Moses prayed for water for his people and We replied: “Strike the rock with your staff.” And there gushed out from it twelve springs and each tribe knew its drinking-place.25 (Then you were directed): “Eat and drink of the sustenance provided by Allah, and do not go about acting wickedly on earth, spreading mischief.”
(61) And recall when you said: “O Moses, surely we cannot put up with one sort of food, so pray to your Lord to bring out for us what the earth produces – its herbs and its cucumbers and its corn and its lentils and its garlic and its onions.” Then Moses said: “Will you take a meaner thing in exchange for what is better? Go down to some city and there you shall get what you ask for.” And ignominy and wretchedness were pitched upon them and they were laden with the burden of Allah’s wrath. ▶
25 The number of springs was twelve because the Israelite tribes were also twelve in number. God provided one spring for each tribe so that they would not fight each other for water.
16
Al-Baqarah 2: 62–3
This was because they denied the Signs of Allah and slew the Prophets unrightfully. All this, because they disobeyed and persistently exceeded the limits (of the Law).
(62) Whether they are the ones who believe (in the Arabian Prophet), or whether they are Jews, Christians or Sabians – all who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and do righteous deeds – their reward is surely secure with their Lord; they need have no fear, nor shall they grieve.26
(63) And recall when We made a covenant with you and caused the Mount Sinai to tower above you, (saying): ▶
26 The context of the verse makes it clear that it does not seek to enumerate in detail all the articles of faith in which one should believe, or all the principles of conduct which one should follow in order to merit reward from God. The aim of the verse is merely to repudiate the illusion cherished by the Jews that, by virtue of their being Jews, they had a monopoly of salvation. They had long entertained the notion that a special and exclusive relationship existed between them and God. They thought, therefore, that all who belonged to their group were predestined to salvation regardless of their beliefs and actions, whereas all non-Jews were predestined to serve as fuel for Hell-fire.
To clarify this misgiving the Jews are told that what really matters in God’s sight is true faith and good deeds rather than formal affiliation with a certain religious community. Whoever has true faith and good deeds to his credit is bound to receive his reward, since God will judge people on the basis of merit rather than on the grounds that a person’s name happens to be listed in the world as a member of one religious
