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Al-Baqarah 2: 1–4

Surah 2

Al-Baqarah

(The Cow)

(Madinan Period)

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

(1) Alif, Lam, Mim.1 (2) This is the Book of Allah, there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the pious, (3) for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of perception,2 who establish Prayer3 and spend out of what We have provided them, (4) who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and have firm faith in the Hereafter. ▶

1 The names of letters of the Arabic alphabet, called huruf muqatta[at, occur at the beginning of several surahs of the Qur’an. There is no consensus among the commentators of the Qur’an as to their precise meanings. It is obvious, however, that deriving the right guidance from the Qur’an does not depend on grasping the meaning of these vocables.

2 Ghayb signifies the verities which are hidden from man’s senses and are beyond the scope of man’s ordinary observation and experience such as God’s essence and attributes, the Angels, the process of revelation, Paradise, Hell, and so on.

3 The expression “establishment of Prayer” has a wider meaning than mere performance of Prayer. It means that the system of Prayer should be organized on a collective basis. If there is a person in a locality who prays individually but no arrangements are made for congregational Prayer, it cannot be claimed that Prayer is established in that locality.

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