The Amazing Final Two Verses of Al-Baqarah: Tremendous Benefits

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BISMILLAH

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.””

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so aid us over the disbelieving people.””

Both Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim narrate in their Saheehs from Ibn Mas’ood (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) that the Messenger (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ قَرَأَ بِالْآيَتَيْنِ مِنْ آخِرِ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ كَفَتَاهُ

“Whoever recites the two verses at the end of Sooratul-Baqarah in the night, they will suffice him.”

(Bukhaaree 5009, Muslim 808)

The sufficing here refers to the fact that they will protect him from evil and despised matters, and the Shaytaan will not approach him in the night, and he will be accredited with virtue and reward. And all of these are gathered from this narration. (See Fat-hul-Baaree by Ibn Hajr 9/56)

Imaam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from Abu Dharr (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أُعْطِيتُ خَوَاتِيمَ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ مِنْ كَنْزٍ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ وَلَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ نَبِيٌّ قَبْلِي

“I was given the last two verses from Sooratul-Baqarah from the treasure that is just beneath the Throne that was not given to a Prophet before me.”

(No. 21564, Saheeh li-ghairihi, authentic due to supporting reports).

Imaam Muslim reports in his Saheeh (no. 173) from ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) that he said:

لَمَّا أُسْرِيَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ انْتُهِيَ بِهِ إِلَى سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى وَهِيَ فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ إِلَيْهَا يَنْتَهِي مَا يُعْرَجُ بِهِ مِنْ الْأَرْضِ فَيُقْبَضُ مِنْهَا وَإِلَيْهَا يَنْتَهِي مَا يُهْبَطُ بِهِ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا فَيُقْبَضُ مِنْهَا قَالَ إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَى قَالَ فَرَاشٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ قَالَ فَأُعْطِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثًا أُعْطِيَ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسَ وَأُعْطِيَ خَوَاتِيمَ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ وَغُفِرَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ شَيْئًا الْمُقْحِمَاتُ

“When the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) was taken on the Night Journey, he went as far as Sidratul-Muntahaa (The Lote Tree at the furthest boundary) which is in the Sixth Heaven. It is there where everything that ascends from the Earth stops, then it is taken from there. And it is there where everything that descends from above stops, then it is taken from there. Allaah says:

إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَى

“Then that which covered the Lote-tree did cover cover it.” (an-Najm 53:16) Moths of gold. And the Messenger of Allaah was given three things: He was given the five daily Prayers, he was given the final verses of Sooratul-Baqarah, and he was given forgiveness for the major sins of his nation for those who do not associate anything in worship with Allaah.”

Imaam an-Nawawee (rahimahullaah) said:

“What is intended by forgiveness is that the major sinner will not remain in Hellfire forever, and not that he will not be punished at all, but he may receive the punishment deserving upon the sinners. Or the intent [of forgiveness] could be that some of the Ummah is forgiven for their major sins – and that is something particular to this Ummah.”

(Sharh an-Nawawee 2/3)

Imaam Muslim (no. 806) narrates in his Saheeh from Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa) who said:

“While Jibreel was sitting with the Prophet, he heard a creaking sound from above him, so he raised his head and said: “This is a door in Heaven that has been opened today, and it has never been opened before today. An angel descended from it, and this angel has come down to the Earth. He has never descended before this day ever. So the angel gave the salautations of Salaam and said: ‘Receive glad tidings of two lights that have been given to you that were never given to a Prophet before you: The Opening Chapter of the Book (Al-Faatihah), and the closing verses at the end of Al-Baqarah. You will not recite a single letter from them but you will be given reward.”

The saying of Allaah:

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ

“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers.”

Ibn Katheer (rahimahullaah) said (2/525-526):

“His, the Most High’s saying: “the believers” is connected to the “the Messenger” [which occurs at the beginning]. Then He, the Most High, said concerning them all:

كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ

“All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.””

So the believers have true faith (Imaan) that Allaah is The Sole One (Al-Waahid), The Singularly Unique (Al-Ahad), Alone, Eternal and Self-Sufficient. There is no Ilaah (Deity) other than Him, and no Lord besides Him. They believe in all of the Prophets and Messengers, and the Books that were revealed from the Heavens to the servant Messengers and Prophets. They do not distinguish between any one of them by believing in some and disbelieving in others. Rather they were all truthful in their eyes, pious, rightly-guided, those who guided others to the path of goodness – and that is even if some Prophets would come and abrogate the Law (Sharee’ah) of others by Allaah’s permission until all of them were abrogated by the Law of Muhammad (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) who was the seal of the Prophets and Messengers. It is his Sharee’ah (Law) upon which the Hour will be established – and there will never cease to be a group from his Ummah, manifestly upon the Truth.”

Then Allaah stated:

وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا

“And they (the believers) say: We hear and obey..” Meaning we heard your speech O our Lord, and we understood it. We stood firm with it and we acted in accordance to it, so:

غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا

“[We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord..” A request for forgiveness, mercy and kindness.

وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

“and to You is the [final] destination.” The return and end destination is to Him on the Day of Reckoning.

Then Allaah, the Most High, said:

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا

“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.”

Imaam Muslim reported from Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu ‘anhu):

“When Allaah revealed:

لِّلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِن تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللَّهُ ۖ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it. Then He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills, and Allah is over all things capable.”

The Companions of the Messenger were distressed by that. They came to the Messenger (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) and knelt down and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, we have been enjoined to do deeds that we are able to do, such as Salaah, Fasting, Jihaad, and Charity (Sadaqah). But now this verse has been revealed to you, and we cannot bear [the weight of] its burden.”  So the Messenger (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) said: “Do you mean to say what the People of the two Revealed Books before you said: “We hear and we disobey (sami’naa wa ‘asaynaa)?” Rather you should say:

سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

“We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.” When the people started saying that and it flowed easily upon their tongues, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed:

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.””

When they did that, Allaah, the Most High, abrogated it, and so revealed:

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا

“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.”

So Allaah said: “Yes (na’am).” 

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ

“Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us.”

So Allaah said: “Yes.” 

وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

“And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.”

So Allaah said: “Yes.”

(End of hadeeth, no. 125 in Saheeh Muslim and in a narration, Allaah said: “I have done so (qad fa’altu).” )

Allaah states:

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا

“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.” Meaning that no one is charged or burdened beyond his capacity and strength. This is from the kindness and goodness of Allaah upon his creation. His saying regarding each soul:

لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ

“It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained,”

وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ

“and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned.”

This is concerning the deeds that fall under what each individual is charged with and burdened with. Bukhaaree (5269) and Muslim (127) reported from Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

إنَّ اللهَ تجاوزَ عنْ أمتي ما حدَّثتْ بهِ أنفسَها ، ما لمْ تعملْ أو تتكلمْ

“Allaah has overlooked for my Ummah that which an individual utters to himself in his soul so long as he does not act upon it or speak with it.”

Then Allaah states:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا

“Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.”

Meaning: If we leave off an obligation due to forgetfulness, or if we commit a sin forgetfully. Or “if we have erred” from the truth out of ignorance of the Sharee’ah. Ibn Maajah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa) that the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

إنَّ اللَّهَ تجاوزَ لي عن أمَّتي الخطأَ والنِّسيانَ وما استُكرِهوا عليْهِ

“Indeed Allaah has forgiven my nation for me, for their mistakes, what they fall into forgetfully and what they are forced to do.”

(Ibn Maajah, no. 2043. Saheeh Ibn Maajah of Al-Albaanee, no. 1662)

The saying of Allaah:

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا

“Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us.” Meaning do not burden us with difficult deeds that are hard upon us, even if we are able to them as you did with the previous nations, since You have sent to us the Prophet Muhammad (salallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam), the Prophet of Mercy, the Prophet whom You sent with the Steadfast Religion of Tawheed of ease and lenience (sam’hun).

His saying:

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ

“Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear.” Meaning with hardships, trials and tribulations that we have no ability to face.

وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا

“And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us.” For that which is between us and between you from that which you are fully aware of of our deficiencies and slips. And forgive us for what occurs between us and your servants. And do not make manifest our hidden and ugly sins.

ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

“You are our protector, so give aid us over the disbelieving people.” So You are our Helper, Protector, One who aids us, and upon You we fully rely, and You are the One to whom we complain, and there is no movement or power for us except by You, so give us help over the disbelieving people” – over those who reject Your Religion, those who deny Your worship, and reject the Messengership of Your Prophet, and instead they worship other than You, and they associate partners with You in worship, so aid us against them.

See Ibn Katheer 2/521-528

Alhamdulillaahi Rabbil-‘Aalameen, wa salallaahu wa sallam ‘ala Nabiyyinaa Muhammad, wa ‘ala aalihi wa sahbihi ajma’een.

Abridged and edited from:

Ad-Durar al-Muntaqaat minal-Kalimaat al-Mulqaat, Duroos Yawmiyyah, vol. 6.