Surah Baqarah Ayah 1-2


Surah Baqarah: Ayah 1-2
الم
Transliteration: Alif-lam-meem;  
Translation: Alif, Lam, Meem.

Key Points:
  • Created question in Arab’s mind. Where is an unlettered person speaking alphabets of language from, and nobody spoke like this before, who is the teacher??? (pointed to it being a Divine Revelation from Allah)
  • Was a challenge – the Arabs who were so proud of their language – poetry and literature. This word of Allah uses same raw material (i.e. Arabic Alphabets), but created something the like of which you can never create
  • Was a means of grabbing attention: Like a siren is sounded to alert people! People – pay attention, what is going to be said is very important.
  • Orientation of intellectual humility: get used to the fact that you don’t know and can not know everything, learn that at times you might need to curb your intellectual curiosity which has no benefit (know the difference between useful and useless questions), come to this Book with humility, like a bankrupt beggar, like a person lost in a forest or a desert desperate for guidance. Open your mind and your heart to it. We don’t know meaning of these letters, but every letter of Quran has valuable lessons for us.
  • Orientation on approaching it through Sunnah: We can’t learn this book by using just an Arabic language dictionary. We need the hadith and sunnah i.e. we all learn from what and how the Prophet ﷺ taught us and has been passed over generations.  
  • Orientation of developing focus: Are we going to get lost in our curiosities or find purpose in the Book? 
ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
Transliteration: Dhalika alkitabu la rayba feehi hudan lilmuttaqeen;  
Translation: This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah –

Key Points:
  • Use of Word “dhalika” or “that” instead of “hadha” or “this” is a means of showing a high status and respect, it also reminds us that the Book was written in the heavens (originally in the divine preserved tablet) and then came to us. Alif Laam Meem made curious about a teacher and dhalikal kitaab tells us that the Book is from far away. 
  • Word “kitab” in Arabic means something in set order, there is no room for any edit, there have been no changes, every letter has been preserved. That is THE book - it is written yet you have never experienced and will never experience a writing like this.
  • “rayba” is a kind of doubt that causes disturbance inside a person. There is no doubt in this Book means:
    • Come to this book with no doubt in your heart that this is a guidance from your Creator, that this is from Allah SWT 
    • No doubt that it is divine knowledge. Everything in this world has opinions and counter-opinions, this book however has no doubts in it. No human being can claim that any of their information or knowledge is perfect, only God can make this claim and it get proven again and again and again. No doubt that this Quran is free from errors or contradictions, that it is divinely preserved and can never be corrupted.
    • it is no doubt that THIS is THE BOOK that you have been waiting for and asking of guidance (as asked by a person in their heart, and we asked in Surah Fatiha). There is no doubt that if you are thirsty for guidance and come to it like a humble seeker, Allah SWT will give you guidance through it. There is no way that He will leave you misguided. 
    • no doubt that this is THE BOOK that the whole mankind had been waiting for. The same book that was promised to Moses and Jesus AS (even Jews and Christians had been waiting for this. It says in Old testament, Deuteronomy 18:18, "I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him." No doubt that it is a guidance till end of times for whole humanity.
    • Doubts are removed when we witness a miracle – as we engage with this book, we will keep discovering its personal miracles for us and all doubts in our hearts will go away. Beautiful changes come in life after reading it.
    • No doubt that just like it transformed the society before, this is the Book which can transform hearts until the end of times. It also transforms the situations and status of people - it was when the Muslims were following the Quran that they became spiritual and intellectual leaders of the world. Today also our conditions will change when we turn towards it and make this book our leader.  
    • No doubt that it is the most read book.   
    • Doubt, when it creeps in, spoils every relationship, food, journey etc. Our intellectual and spiritual connection with the Quran is established with the foundation of "no doubt". So many things will come to put doubt in us, but we have no doubt that this Book is clear truth. It is when we do not have any doubt that we are then ready to follow and benefit from the guidance. 
  • “hudan” from “hidayat” or guidance – is a beautiful gift that is given lovingly. God has given this beautiful and beneficial gift to us out of His love for us. We are always seeking guidance. It is the most precious gift to someone who is lost. It’s not a dormant guidance or something that has a potential for guidance but it is actively guiding us. It will always give us guidance as though it just came down for us. No matter what we are going through in our lives, we will find guidance in the Quran for ourselves. 
  • Guidance for “muttaqeen” (those who have taqwa) - Although this “hidayat” is for whole mankind, it is no longer free. Quran is a miracle for the ears and hearts, but not for every ear. Not everyone will get the treasures from it. There is a cost associated with getting this guidance, a prerequisite, and that is – “Taqwa”. Yes, we come to this book to gain taqwa, but we also need to come with a basic level of God consciousness and humility to benefit from it. People who abstain from lying, cheating, bad manners etc display a level of taqwa.
  • By saying that this Book is a guidance for those who have Taqwa (as opposed to those who are Muslim or those are Mumin or Muhsin or any tribe or any colour etc.) the door for guidance has been opened far and wide. As long as we are careful and cautious and come with right attitude, the doors to guidance will be opened for us. 
  • “Taqwa” is a beautiful word which refers to over and excessive hyper protection. We are cautious of something that might be dangerous for us - like a open electrical wire. Eg a horse that has lost its horseshoe and exhibiting taqwa with every step. Walking very carefully. Muttaqeen is a pious and righteous person who fears God much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and loves God much (performs all kinds of good deeds which God has prescribed).
  • Taqwa in its initial stages would be fear of punishment but it matures into fear of disappointing Allah SWT. So, fear of God is not in the sense of being afraid of God but in the sense of loving Him so much that we are afraid of engaging in anything that might not be pleasing to Him.  
  • Taqwa should be our companion throughout our lives, not just something that we are willing to embrace only in our old age. It is our companion in all phases and moments of life - whether its day or night, happiness or sadness, onsite or online.
  • Taqwa is not an unattainable super-lofty status. It does not mean that a person is perfect. Perfection is reserved only for God. Just like others a person with Taqwa also commits mistakes, he also loses chances to do good, but he keeps trying his best.
  • We need to continuously assess our Taqwa status and levels. In my practical life, activities, challenges etc. what are my priorities? Am I afraid of people's opinions and approvals or am I continuously in the pursuit of trying to please Allah SWT.    

Whether you have become a Muslim an hour ago, or you are a Muslim from 50 years, whether you have lot of or little knowledge, whatever your gender, whatever your culture, whatever your level of piety, whatever your past - as long as you come to this Book with intellectual humility and God consciousness, it will guide you continuously and beautifully.