The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis ----- Follow us

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (51)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (115-116)


{ وَلِلّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ } [البقرة: 115]
115- The whole earth belongs to Allah; its east and west, and none has dominance or disposal over it but He (He may be Glorified). If you are prevented from practicing the acts of worship in Al Aqsa Mosque or in Al Masjid Al Haram, you can perform Salah anywhere and direct your face towards the Qiblah, there you will find the direction which Allah commanded. His Knowledge encompasses all things and by His Mercy He removes the burden from His Servants, for He is the All-Knowing with their best interests and their actions everywhere.

It was reported in a Hadith which is good according to similar Hadiths that a group of the Companions was in a detachment. At night, they differed about the direction of the Qiblah. In the morning, it was clear that they directed their faces to direction other than that of the Qiblah, thereupon this Ayah was revealed.

Ibn Al Jawzy said in "Nawasikh Al Qur'an": The ruling is still active and anyone was confused regarding the Qiblah and offered Salah according to his Ijtihad, his Salah will be correct and valid.

}وَقَالُواْ اتَّخَذَ اللّهُ وَلَداً سُبْحَانَهُ بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ } [البقرة: 116]
116- The Christians, the Jews and some of the Arab idolaters said: Allah has taken a son! Glorified and Exalted be He. Verily, they have lied and committed a great sin by that saying for He has the dominion of heavens and the earth, He is the Only Disposer of its animate and inanimate creatures. He is their Creator and their Sustainer and the One who administers them as He wills. So, everybody is His Servant and belongs to Him. Then, how could He have a child of them, whereas a child should be begotten from two harmonious couples and Allah does not have a parallel, a peer, or a wife. So, how could He have a child? He is the Lord to Whose Will everything subjects.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (52)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (117-118)
{بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ } [البقرة: 117]

117- The Creator of Heavens and Earth in a perfect way in cosmic unity, harmony, geometry, and in a supernormal, environmental, and animal balance that all indicate to the One and the Only because He is their Creator and Founder. His Command — Glorified be He — if He destines to create something, He would say: "Be" and it will be created in a model example as He did with Jesus (peace be upon him).





{وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ} [البقرة: 118]



118- The unlettered Pagans said to Muhammad (peace be upon him) in defiance and obstinacy: Let Allah speak to us or send down a sign to us. Their words were similar to that of the Jews who asked their Prophets to do supernatural matters for them out of their obstinacy and haughtiness. The people of Moses (peace be upon him) asked him to see Allah with their own eyes. Their hearts were alike in disbelief and misguidance. We have explained, with proofs, the truthfulness of the Messengers without doing supernatural things. These proofs are enough for those who want to have faith and obedience. As for the haughty rebellions, these proofs and supernatural things will not benefit.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (53)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (119-120)


{ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيراً وَنَذِيراً وَلاَ تُسْأَلُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْجَحِيمِ } [البقرة:119]

119- O honorable Prophet, we have sent you with the truth and sent to you the Qur'an therewith. So, your mission is to spread the religion, render trusts back, give glad tidings to the believers, and warn the disobedient ones with Hell; you shall not be asked why the disbelievers have rejected your religion. Certainly, they will be fully responsible for their own disbelief.

{ وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلاَ النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ } [البقرة:120]
120- The Jews and the Christians have never been pleased with you, O Prophet, even if you give them a proof after another or even if you treat them kindly. They do not need any proof to believe you, it is just their stubbornness and fanaticism. They will not be pleased with you until you embrace their religion, follow their sayings and whims and abandon the truth which you have been given. So, leave aside what pleases them and seek the pleasure of Allah by calling them to the truth. Verily, the true religion is that which Allah has sent down to you, whereas the other religions are not true. You should not ******* the true religion with anything, whether small or big; everyone has a free will to believe or not. If you had followed their false opinions, corrupt sayings, and their twisted ways after Allah had sent down the revelation to you and after you had known that your religion is the true one, you had turned away from the guidance and Allah will not be your Guardian, Helper, Supporter and shall not push away the punishment from you.


This is an exhortation to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to be firm. One cannot imagine that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have followed their religion but it is a warning to his nation to beware of the People of the Scriptures. They do not care for having dialogues and they only care for making you embrace their religion.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (54)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (121-122)

{ الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلاَوَتِهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ } [البقرة: 121]
121- Those to whom We had sent down the Scriptures have believed in them truly without distortion, disablement of its rulings and without interpreting them in a way not intended. They also believed the news reported therein, including the Prophet's mission and they knew for sure his attributes and the command of following and supporting him. That belief led them to follow the truth and those who did not abide by that belief and deviated will be the losers where they purchased disbelief for faith.

{ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ } [البقرة: 122]

122- O Children of Israel, remember the blessings that I have bestowed on you such as favoring you to mankind in a certain period of time. So, do not envy your cousins [i.e., the Arabs] for what Allah has provided them, such as sending the sealing Prophet to them. However, do not let envy hinder you from obeying and following him.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (55)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (123-124)


{ وَاتَّقُواْ يَوْماً لاَّ تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلاَ تَنفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ } [البقرة: 123]

123- Beware of reckoning on that day in which no soul shall avail another in terms of rights or retribution. Ransom shall not be accepted, intercession shall not be accepted, and they shall not be helped out of torment.

{ وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَاماً قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لاَ يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ } [البقرة: 124]
124- O Prophet, remind those polytheists and the People of the Scriptures, who claim to follow Abraham's religion, of the status of that great Prophet whom Allah had tested with instructions, legislations and prohibitions which he fulfilled. May Allah reward him for what he had done! Allah told him: I shall make you a role model for mankind in terms of in terms of monotheism. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked his Lord to make his nation a role model for people as well. He was answered: Some of them will neither obey the orders nor do the obligations, but some of them will rather oppress one another and become dissolute. Such people will not be a role example but only those whom shall be chosen by Allah will be.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (56)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (125)


{ وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ } [البقرة: 125]

125- O Prophet, remember that we have made the Sacred House a resort and a place for safety for mankind to which they come from everywhere eagerly. They will return to their families feeling that they did not fulfill their need from it. We have made it a place of safety for them, where no one will oppress them, even the wild animals are safe there and not hunted.


You may offer Salah in Abraham's Station which is the stone on which he used to stand while building the Ka`bah.


It was reported in the authentic Hadith of `Umar that was recorded in Sahih Al Bukhari that he said: "My Lord agreed with me in three things of which I said: "O Allah's Messenger, I wish we took the station of Abraham as a place for Salah. So, the following Ayah was revealed: (And take you (people) the Maqâm (place) of Ibrâhîm (Abraham) [or the stone on which Ibrâhîm (Abraham) peace be upon him stood while he was building the Ka'bah] as a place of prayer (for some of your prayers, e.g. two Rak'at after the Tawâf of the Ka'bah at Makkah)).



We had commanded Abraham and Ishmael (peace be upon them) to purify the Sacred House of harms and impurities and make it ready for the pilgrims, those who circulate around it, those who live nearby, those who stand during Salah, and those who kneel down and prostrate themselves to Allah.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (57)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (126-127)

{ وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَذَا بَلَداً آمِناً وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَى عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ } [البقرة: 126].


126- Remember also when Abraham (peace be upon him) invocated: O Lord, make this country secure of fear, and provide the believers with all kinds of fruits. Thereupon, Allah had responded and said to him: I shall provide those who disbelieved with sustenance and delay the torment for them. Surely, sustenance is for both the pious and the dissolute because it is one of the pleasures of the world in short time then the disbelievers shall be taken to the torment of Fire and what a worst place it is!



{ وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ } [البقرة: 127]


127- O Prophet, mention to your people Abraham and Ishmael's building of the Ka`bah and raising the foundations of the House while they were supplicating: O our Lord, accept from us these righteous deeds and obedience including the building of the House, for You hear the supplications and know the intention behind all actions.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (58)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (128-129)

{ رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ } [البقرة: 128]

128- O Allah, make us submissive to You, subject to You in obedience and sincere to You. We shall not associate anyone in worship with you and likewise our offspring shall do. Teach us our acts of worship, our rituals, and forgive our sins, for You are Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful.

{ رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ } [البقرة: 129]

129- O Lord, and send to the people of the Sacred Sites a messenger from among themselves, from the offspring of Abraham to teach them what will be sent to them of the clear signs. He shall teach them the Qur'an, the Sunnah, obedience and sincerity, and shall purify them of polytheism. Certainly, You are the All-Mighty Who can never be defeated or cannot be stopped and the All-Wise Who only does what is wise and beneficial.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (59)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (130-131)


{ وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلاَّ مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ } [البقرة: 130]

130- Those who turn away from the religion of Abraham are the fools who humiliate and belittle themselves because they prefer misguidance to the truth. Prophet Abraham is the leader of the devoted ones and whoever has disagreed with Abraham's religion has turned away from the explicit truth, the true religion, and guidance. We have chosen him for this prohethood and wisdom from among the people, and in the Hereafter people will attest for him with truthfulness and integrity.
It is a response to the infidels regarding the polytheism and idolatry which they invented in contradiction to the religion of Abraham (peace be upon him). Which error is greater than this, and which foolishness is greater than not following his religion which was based on the pure and sincere religion?


{ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ } [البقرة: 131]

131- Allah had commanded him to submit, devote, and obey His Orders, and so he did. He obeyed and was sincere in a perfect way and submitted his affairs to Allah.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Clear Qur'anic Exegesis (60)

Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf

Surat Al Baqarah (132-133)

{ وَوَصَّى بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إَلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ } [البقرة: 132]

132- Abraham, the Khalil (the closest chosen Prophet by Allah), enjoined his sons with this religion [i.e., Islam] saying: O my sons, the religion which Allah had chosen for you is the best religion. There is no other religion accepted but Islam, so be firm on it and do not turn away therefrom. Be keen to be on Islam until death by doing goodness in this life, obedience to Allah and good deeds. A person usually dies on the religion he used to adopt during his lifetime as he shall be resurrected on that either. Those who intend to do good, Islam will be easy for them and whoever intends good, Allah will make him firm on that.

{ أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاء إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُواْ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـهَكَ وَإِلَـهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَـهاً وَاحِداً وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ } [البقرة: 133]

133- Or were you witnesses, O Pagans and the People of the Scriptures, over what Jacob (peace be upon him) said to his sons when death approached him: What will you worship after my death? He wanted his sons to confess the Oneness of Allah, adhere to Islam and to take their covenant to be firm on that.
They said as their father wished: We shall worship Allah Whose Presence and Deity are confirmed; the god whom you, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac worship. He is the One, whom we worship alone without partners; we are obedient and submissive to Him.
Islam is the religion of all Prophets, even if their legislations were varied.
The Qur'an counted Ishmael of the forefathers of Jacob as he was the uncle of Jacob (peace be upon him).