سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 243
۞ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مُوتُوا۟ ثُمَّ أَحْيَـٰهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ ﴿243﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Did you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) not think of those who went forth from their homes in thousands, fearing death? Allâh said to them, "Die". And then He restored them to life. Truly, Allâh is full of bounty to mankind, but most men thank not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ أَلَمْ
alam
Did not
تَرَ
tara
you see
إِلَى
ilā
[to]
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
خَرَجُوا۟
kharajū
went out
مِن
min
from
دِيَـٰرِهِمْ
diyārihim
their homes
وَهُمْ
wahum
and they
أُلُوفٌ
ulūfun
(were in) thousands
حَذَرَ
ḥadhara
(in) fear
ٱلْمَوْتِ
l-mawti
(of) [the] death
فَقَالَ
faqāla
Then said
لَهُمُ
lahumu
to them
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مُوتُوا۟
mūtū
Die
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
أَحْيَـٰهُمْ ۚ
aḥyāhum
He restored them to life
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَذُو
ladhū
(is) surely Possessor
فَضْلٍ
faḍlin
(of) bounty
عَلَى
ʿalā
for
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
[the] mankind
وَلَـٰكِنَّ
walākinna
[and] but
أَكْثَرَ
akthara
most
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
(of) the people
لَا
lā
(are) not
يَشْكُرُونَ
yashkurūna
grateful
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
243. 1. This incident is from a previous nation, the details of which have not been mentioned in any hadith. The exegetical narrations mention it as an event from the time of Bani Israel, and the name of the prophet by whose supplication Allah brought them back to life. They had left their homes either out of fear of being killed in jihad or due to the fear of the epidemic disease, plague, so that they could escape the jaws of death. Allah caused them to die to show, firstly, that you cannot escape Allah’s decree; secondly, that the final refuge for humans is only Allah Himself; and thirdly, that Allah is capable of resurrecting, and He will bring all humans back to life in the same way as He brought them back to life after causing them to die. In the next verse, Muslims are being commanded to perform jihad. The wisdom in mentioning this incident before that command is that you should not shirk from jihad; life and death are in Allah’s control, and the time of death is also fixed, which you cannot delay by avoiding or fleeing from jihad.
