2. Surah Al Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



وَآمِنُواْ بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ ...

2: 41. And believe in what I reveal, confirming the revelation which is with you,

C59. You receive revelations before: now comes one confirming it: its first appeal should be to you: are you to be the first to reject it?

And reject it for what?

Allah's Signs are worth more than all your paltry considerations. And the standard of duty and righteousness is to be taken from Allah, and not from priests and customs.

... وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ...

and be not the first to reject faith therein,

... وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ ﴿٤١﴾

nor sell My Signs for a small price: and fear Me, and Me alone.

وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾

2: 42. And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is).


Other versions:


2: 41

Asad Believe in that which I have [now] bestowed from on high, confirming the truth already in your possession, and be not foremost among those who deny its truth; and do not barter away My messages for a trifling gain [note 32]; and of Me, of Me be conscious!

Yusuf Ali And believe in what I reveal confirming the revelation which is with you and be not the first to reject faith therein nor sell My Signs for a small price: and fear Me and Me alone.

Pickthall And believe in that which I reveal, confirming that which ye possess already (of the Scripture), and be not first to disbelieve therein, and part not with My revelations for a trifling price, and keep your duty unto Me.

Transliteration Wa a_minu_ bima_ anzaltu musaddiqal lima_ ma'akum wa la_ taku_nuu_ awwala ka_firim bih(i), wa lu_ tasytaru_ bi a_ya_ti samanan qalila_(n), wa iyyaua_ya fattaqu_n(i).

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[ Asad’s note 32: A reference to the persistent Jewish belief that they alone among all nations have been graced by divine revelation. The “ trifling gain” is their conviction that they are “God’s chosen people” – a claim which the Quran consistently refutes. ]

[ Ruby’s note: “trifling gain” or “small price” etc. indicates the worldly gain such as creating a false identity that helps make one feel superior to others just by the virtue of belonging to a group, a tribe or a nation, and taking advantage of that idea, etc. ]

2: 42

Asad And do not overlay the truth with falsehood, and do not knowingly suppress the truth; (note 33)

Yusuf Ali And cover not Truth with falsehood nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is).

Pickthall Confound not truth with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the truth.

Transliteration Wa la_ talbisul haqqa bil ba_tili wa taktumul haqqa wa antum ta'lamu_n(a).

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[Ruby’s Note: This verse, through it is revealed in the context of the Jews, is general in its meaning and should appeal to all human beings to preserve-protect-and defend TRUTH.]


[Asad’s note 33: By “overlaying the truth with falsehood” is meant the corruption of the Biblical text, of which the Quran frequently accuses the Jews (and which has since been established by objective textual criticism), while the “suppression of the truth” refers to their disregard or deliberately false interpretation of the words of Moses in the Biblical passage, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy xviii, 15), and the words attributed to God Himself, “I will raise them up a prophet from among thy brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in his mouth” (Deuteronomy xviii, 18) …………the above Biblical passages must be taken as referring to his advent.]

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