QURʾĀNIC REFLECTIONS

Qurʾānic Reflections

Why the Name ‘Al-Baqarah’

June 28, 2016

The main topics included in Sūrat al-Baqarah are: Discussion of the fundamentals of our belief (īmān) and discussion of important rulings pertaining to our Dīn such as fasting, ḥajj, marriage, divorce and usury (physical acts worship.)

Yet the sūrah is called al-Baqarah. Why? (Note: the name of each sūrah in the Qurʾān is Divinely inspired as many scholars have stated.) 

Now people will swiftly point out that it’s called so because it mentions the story of the Children of Israel and the Cow. Yes, BUT that’s one incident relative to the whole sūrah. Then why is the entire sūrah called al-Baqarah?

There is a wisdom which scholars have uncovered. They say, perhaps it is to tell us that the core pillar of our Dīn which is īmān must be backed by actions. You cannot claim to have īmān without backing it by actions.

The sūrah gives an example of a group of people (the Children of Israel) who claimed to have believed yet when asked to deliver and prove so, failed. They failed to back their īmān with actions. They failed to sacrifice the cow in a timely manner when commanded to do so.

Thus the name al-Baqarah, a stark reminder for us to not become like those people who claimed to have believed but abandoned action.

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