Themes of Surah al-Baqarah

Surah al-Baqarah is perhaps the most comprehensive Surah in the Qur’an. Many people overlook this Surah due to its length. We are inclined to study the shorter Surahs and avoid longer Surahs. But this is a disservice to the order and structure of the Qur’an. The Qur’an begins with Surah al-Fatiha which summarizes the message of Islam in seven verses, teaching us that there is only One God, Perfect in His Name and Attributes, the only One worthy of worship, and that we must seek and follow the straight path that He has revealed.

Surah al-Baqarah is an expansion of this, an explanation of the straight path. Just as Surah al-Fatiha summarizes the entire message in seven verses, Surah al-Baqarah does the same more comprehensively in 286 verses. The theme of Surah al-Baqarah is Islam, all of it. In this Surah, you will find our core beliefs, stories of the prophets, every major law of Islam explained, the human origin story, the purpose of life, and categories of people in their response to the message.

This Surah is so important that the Prophet ﷺ referred to it as an intercessor, a bright light, a cloud, blessings (barakah) and a protection against sorcery. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Recite the Quran, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for its reciters. Recite the two brightly illuminated chapters, Surat al-Baqarah and Ali ‘Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection, they will come as two clouds, or two shades, or two flocks of birds pleading for their companions. Recite Surat al-Baqarah as there is blessing in it, sorrow in leaving it, and the sorcerers cannot defeat it.” (Sahih Muslim 804)

Surah al-Baqarah begins with a statement that there is no doubt in this book, it is a guidance to the righteous. This is a direst response to the supplication in Surah al-Fatiha “Guide us to the straight path”. The rest of the Surah expands upon this guidance. It begins with an explanation of the three responses people have to guidance, the believers, the disbelievers, and the hypocrites. The largest explanation is about the qualities of the hypocrites as this is the hidden enemy, and the hardest to detect and notice.

The Surah then states the first commandment “Oh Mankind, worship your Lord…” (Qur’an 2:21) which is followed by the human origin story, the story of Adam. This story gives us deep insight into our origin, purpose, and history, while also informing us about the struggle between good and evil. The bulk of the first portion of the Surah focuses on the story of the Israelites and the problems they caused for Prophet Moses. This gives us a deeper look at hypocrisy through a historical example. The hypocrites among the Israelites caused great harm to their community, and this serves as a warning for us all.

The second half of the Surah focuses primarily on the laws of Islam. In this Surah, we receive instructions regarding every major law of Islam, including Salah, Fasting, Zakah, Hajj, Jihad, criminal law, marriage law, divorce law, business law, and the prohibition of usury. The laws are detailed and their wisdom is explained as well. In between are multiple stories about righteousness to remind us of the importance of obeying the law righteously.

The Surah ends as it begins, with a reminder of the core beliefs of Islam and the correct attitude of the true believer. The closing verses of Surah al-Baqarah are considered among the greatest verses in the Qur’an about which it has been narrated:

Ibn Abbas reported that while the Angel Gabriel was sitting with the Prophet ﷺ he heard a creaking noise above him. Gabriel raised his head and he said, “This is a door of heaven that has been opened today and it has never been opened before today.” Then an angel descended from it, and Gabriel said, “This angel descended to the earth today and he has never descended until today.” The angel greeted him with peace and he said, “Rejoice in two lights you have been given, which were not given to any prophet before you: the opening of the Book, Surat al-Fatihah, and the last verses of Surat al-Baqarah. You will never recite a letter from them but that you will be given.” (Sahih Muslim 806)

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