Al-Baqarah · Madani · ayah 109 of 286

Al-Baqarah 2:109

وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَـٰنِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَٱعْفُوا۟ وَٱصْفَحُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allāh delivers His command. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Many wished, out of envy, to pull the believers back from faith; the believers were told to pardon, overlook and leave the outcome to Allah.

A reflection

Pardon, because He is able

An imam receives an anonymous letter full of abuse about his faith. He reads it once, files it in a drawer, and prays two units of prayer. In his prostration he asks Allah to guide whoever wrote it.

The ayah gives the believers a hard instruction: 'pardon and overlook'. The people in question wished to turn them back from their faith, out of envy. Then the ayah ends, not with a promise of revenge, but with a statement about Allah. 'Indeed, Allah is over all things competent'.

Why place His power there? A major early commentator explains. Allah is able to do whatever He wills with them. If He wills, He takes them to account for their stubbornness. If He wills, He guides them, as He guided you. The second possibility is easy to miss. The person you are told to forgive today may be your brother in faith tomorrow.

This is where the ego is asked to step down. Revenge rests on a quiet belief that if I do not settle this, no one will. The ayah answers that someone will, and that He is not you. Pardon is not weakness when the outcome rests with the One who is able. It is an act of trust.

A commentator links this ayah to another, spoken to the same community. 'You will hear much that hurts from those given the Book before you, and from the polytheists. If you are patient and mindful of Allah, that is of the firmest resolve' (3:186).

Does Allah mention His power to remind us He is great? He is free of all need (35:15). The reminder is for the one holding the anonymous letter. It frees him from having to win.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.