002:084

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                             002:084

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وَاِذۡ اَخَذۡنَا مِيۡثَاقَ بَنِىۡٓ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ لَا تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ اِلَّا اللّٰهَ وَبِالۡوَالِدَيۡنِ اِحۡسَانًا وَّذِى الۡقُرۡبٰى وَالۡيَتٰمٰى وَالۡمَسٰکِيۡنِ وَقُوۡلُوۡا لِلنَّاسِ حُسۡنًا وَّاَقِيۡمُواالصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتُوا الزَّکٰوةَ ؕ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا مِّنۡکُمۡ وَاَنۡـتُمۡ مُّعۡرِضُوۡنَ‏

Wa-iz-aa-khuz-naa-mee-thaa-qa-ba-nee-is-raa-ee-la
Laa-tau-bo-doo-na-il-lul-laa-ha
Wa-bil-waa-lay-dai-nay-aih-saa-nun
Wa-zil-qoor-baa-wul-ya-taa-maa-wul-ma-saa-kee-nay
Wa-qoo-loo-lin-naa-say-hoos-nun
Wa-aa-qee-moos-sua-laa-ta-wa-aa-tooz-za-kaa-ta
Thoom-ma-ta-wul-lai-toom-il-laa-qa-lee-lunm-min-koom
Wa-un-toom-moe-ray-dzoo-n.

And recall when We took the Pledge from all children of Israel
“You worship none except Allah.
And treat with kindness the parents
And the kindred and the orphans and the poor.
And speak to the people of good things.
And establish the prayer and bring about the purification of earnings.”
Then you turned away except a few of you.
And you were averse to fulfill the Covenant.

• وَ — Wa — And   *  (= Conj., Connects words, phrases or clauses; also; but; additionally; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اِذۡ — Iz — When (= Behold; call to mind, recall; remember or think of the time, event, occasion, opportunity or time)
• اَخَذۡ — Aa-khuz — Took (= Caught; confirmed; drew; grabbed; held; obtained; received; secured; seized)
• نَآ — Naa — We (= pr., pl., m & f., 1st person. Used with God’s name it is the authoritative way a higher-up talks to a subordinate)
• مِيۡثَاقَ — Me-thaa-qa — Pledge (= n., An arrangement, assurance, promise or undertaking made unilaterally (by-one-side) vouching that its maker will always honor it. For an arrangement or agreement between 2-or-more-parties, see Note 003:188)
• بَنِىۡٓ — Ba-nee — All children (= Followers; nation; tribes.  The vowel ‘mudd’ refers to all)
• اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ — Is-raa-ee-la — Israel (= The vowel ‘mudd’ refers to the Israelites, i.e., All tribes or descendants of the 12 sons of Prophet Jacob)
• لَا — Laa — No (= Never; neither; nor; not; absolute and total denial; not at all; negation without exception)
• تَعۡبُدُونَ — Tau-bo-doona — You worship (= v. pl., Appreciate; serve; the manner and the way you appreciate, praise, serve and thank. What you worship)
• اِلَّا — Il-la…(ul) — Except (= Apart from; besides; excluding; save; unless)
• اللّٰهَ — Laa-ha — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• بِ — B…(il) — With (= This word in Arabic literally means ‘with’)
• الۡوَالِدَيۡنِ — Waa-lay-dai-nay — Parents (= Mother and father how high-so-ever)
• اِحۡسَانًا — Aih-saa-nun(w) — Kindness (= Be good.  Do good.  Love with no expectation of any gain.  Show and treat with kindness.  Behave kindly.  Be dutiful)
• وَّ — Wa — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• ذِى الۡقُرۡبٰى — Zil-qoor-baa — Kindred (= Combination of two words.   The first ذِى (zee) or ذ و (zoo) means ‘master, of, owner; possessor.   The second قُرۡبٰى (qor-baa) means closeness.   Jointlyذِى الۡقُرۡبٰى (zil-qur-baa) refers to close relatives.  Kinsfolk. Near of kin)
• وَ  — Wa…(ul) — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• الۡيَتٰمٰى — Ya-ta-maa — The orphans (= pl., Kids with no parent; Children without one or both parents. Generally refers to the helpless or destitute)
• وَ — Wa…(ul) — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• الۡمَسٰکِيۡنِ  — Ma-saa-kee-nay — The poor (= Destitute; needy; hungry with no food to eat; unable to fend for themselves)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• قُوۡلُوۡ ا — Qoo-loo — You speak (= Advise; admonish; announce; broadcast; convey; inform; preach; profess; say; specify; speak; state; tell; urge; utter; exhort)
• لِ — L…(in) — To ( = For the benefit or purpose of; with intent to or object of; directed towards)
• ٱلنَّاسِ — Naa-say — The people (= Factions; folks; groups; human beings; mankind; men; nations; tribes)
• حُسۡنًا — Hoos-nun(w) — Good things (= Appropriately, gently, graciously and kindly say of the best, fair, pious, righteous, and virtuous things. Forbid evil. Righteousness)
• وَّ — Wa — And ** (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اَقِيۡمُوا — Aa-qee-moo…(s) — You establish (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person. Attend, comply with, perform, or observe all dictates fully, properly and regularly. See 002:044)
• الصَّلٰوةَ — Sua-laa-ta — Prayer (= n., Praying night and day. Worship. See 002:044)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اٰتُوا — Aa-too…(z) — Bring about ** (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person. Deliver; hand over; pay; remit. See 002:044)
• الزَّكٰوةَ — Za-kaa-ta — Purification (= n., Purifying alms; charity; donation. See 002:044)
• ثُمَّ — Thoom-ma — Then (= After that; subsequently; thereafter)
• تَوَلَّي — Ta-wul-lai — Turned away (= v., Broke the agreement, compact, Covenant or pact; changed; deviated; paid no heed; reversed; slid back; took wrong road; turned back; went in the opposite direction)
• تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pl., m., 2nd person. You.   The reference is to the بَنِىۡٓ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ. The Holy Qor-aan and other scriptures state that way when they address both men and women)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Apart from; besides; excluding; save; unless)
• قَلِيۡلًا — Qa-lee-lun — A few (= Less, little or small in number, quality or quantity)
• مِّنۡ  — Min — Among (= From the class, category, count, kind, persons or out of)
• کُمۡ — Koom — You (= pl., m., 2nd person. You.  The reference is to the بَنِىۡٓ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ. The Holy Qor-aan and other scriptures state that way when they address both men and women)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اَنَّ — Un — Absolutely (= Certainly; definitely; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed; in all seriousness; positively; really; surely; truly; verily)
• تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pl., m., 2nd person. You.    The reference is to the بَنِىۡٓ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ. The Holy Qor-aan and other scriptures state that way when they address both men and women)
• مُّعۡرِضُونَ — Moe-ray-dzoo-n — Averse (= Backslider; being against, hostile or opposed; decliner; paying no heed; turning away or back from guidance and virtuous ways. Withdrawn

* Note 002:084a.   The first 5 words وَاِذۡ اَخَذۡنَا مِيۡثَاقَ  in verses 002:064, 002:085 and 002:094 are the same.   They remind the addressees of a Covenant whereby the Almighty God conferred certain special favors upon the Children of Israel and mandated on them specific task to perform.   Nearly 2,600 years history as of today shows that the House of Israel has been blessed time and again even after their violating their Covenant and not doing the assigned tasks.   Some terms of the pledge with added perfections (005:004) are mandated on Moslems (002:178, 031:015/016).

** Note 002:084b.   Two of the tasks اَقِيۡمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتُوا الزَّکٰوةَ mentioned in verse 002:044 and repeated and repeated several times (See Note to verse 002:044 and our Commentary “Islam – Zakaat“) are to establish the prayers and purify one’s earnings by paying a part thereof for good causes.   Jews were commanded that way first.  Moslems are commanded exactly that way too.    The logical question raised in our Commentary Are Jews and Moslems alike, therefore, is that should not Moslems be also subject to  similar rewards and retributions.   Our answer is a big YES.

The Covenant besides the above-mentioned two components included the following.
1. Worship none except Allah.
2. Treat with kindness the parents, relatives, orphans and the poor.
3. Speak to the people of good things.