Mahad Ahmad, Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya UK
The commentaries of the Holy Quran produced by the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa are unique as they have not only given new insights into the Quran but also corrected mistakes made by classical commentaries (tafasir).
One such profound commentary is Tafsir-e-Kabir by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, a work which is vast and full of astonishing Quranic insights. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra also clarifies many mistakes made in past commentaries.
This article highlights Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra discussion of verses 73 and 74 of Surah al-Baqarah and gives his critiques of earlier interpretations – including some offered by scholars of our Jamaat – and presents a more accurate reading. (Taken from Tafsir-e-Kabir (new edition), Vol. 2, pp. 182-207)
The beginning verses of the ninth ruku of Surah al-Baqarah state:
وَاِذۡ قَتَلۡتُمۡ نَفۡسًا فَادّٰرَءۡتُمۡ فِیۡہَا وَاللّٰہُ مُخۡرِجٌ مَّا کُنۡتُمۡ تَکۡتُمُوۡن
“And [remember the time] when you slew a person and differed among yourselves about it; and Allah would bring to light what you concealed.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.73)
فَقُلۡنَا اضۡرِبُوۡہُ بِبَعۡضِہَا کَذٰلِکَ یُحۡیِ اللّٰہُ الۡمَوۡتٰی وَیُرِیۡکُمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَعۡقِلُوۡن
“Then We said: ‘Smite him (the murderer) for a part of [the offence against] him (the murdered person).’ Thus, Allah gives life to the dead and shows you His Signs that you may understand.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.74)
Classical commentaries and Hazrat Musleh Maud’s difference
The common classical reading of these verses refers to a miracle: a murdered man is struck with part of the slaughtered cow (mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah prior), the man briefly returns to life, identifies his killer and dies again.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra challenges this framing by showing a mistake in reading the context of these verses. He also argues that such interpretations do not align with Islamic teachings and have instead been adopted from Jewish scriptures.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains that classical commentators make a key mistake: they assume verses 73 and 74 are a continuation of the earlier “cow” narrative mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah in the previous ruku. They misunderstood verses 73 and 74 just because they were adjacent to the cow narrative verses.
Two examples (summarised) illustrate this mainstream approach in commentaries:
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir presents the episode as a literal miracle: after people dispute over a murder, the dead person is struck with a piece of the cow (the specific part is left unspecified), he returns to life, and the event is framed as evidence of Allah’s power to resurrect and as a proof against Jewish disputation. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, for Ch.2: V.73)
- Ma’arif al-Quran similarly treats the verses as part of the same story: the murderer’s supporters attempt to conceal the crime, but the truth is exposed through a miraculous sign in which the dead man identifies his killer after being touched with part of the sacrificial cow. (Tafsir Ma’arif al-Quran, Ch.2: V.73)
A structural key: The ninth ruku begins a new discourse
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra notes verses 73 and 74 open the ninth ruku of Surah al-Baqarah and though the addressees remain the Jews (as in the previous ruku), the time-frame and subject shift:
- In the eighth ruku, the Jews at the time of Prophet Mosesas are addressed.
- From the ninth ruku, a new discussion begins, addressing the Jews at the time of the Holy Prophetsa – this is the key change in the subject.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says many interpretations stumble here: they assume continuity with the “cow” narrative that the previous verses were referring to simply because the verses are close together, but a more careful reading shows otherwise.
A prior Jamaat interpretation and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s reservation
Before presenting his own reading, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra records how some Jamaat scholars had interpreted these verses:
- They took “And remember the time when you slew a person and differed among yourselves about it” as referring to Jesusas – that the Jews attempted to kill him and later differed over what occurred (whether he died on the cross, what happened to his body, and whether it was stolen or disappeared).
- They read “and Allah would bring to light what you concealed” as Allah revealing the truth through the Promised Messiahas, who argued – through the Holy Quran, Hadith, Bible and historical references – that Jesusas survived the crucifixion and later fulfilled his mission among the remaining tribes of Israel.
- They interpreted “Then, We said: ‘Smite him’” as a command to the angels to punish the Jews for trying to kill Jesusas.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra does not categorically reject this view. However, he raises a textual concern: if “and Allah would bring to light what you concealed” is anchored in the time of the Promised Messiahas, then later verses about the Jews after verse 74 such as “then your hearts became hardened” would appear to fall after or during that period of the Promised Messiahas – whereas the hardening of hearts of the Jews occurred long before.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s interpretation
In brief, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains the interpretation of these verses as follows:
- Verse 73 refers to the Jews attempting to kill the Holy Prophetsa.
- Verse 74 points to decisive action taken against the principal instigators of that hostility by the Jews – especially Ka’ab bin Ashraf and Abu Rafi – whom Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra identifies as central figures behind a broader conspiracy and escalation against the Holy Prophetsa.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra grounds this in the political and social realities around Medina after the Battle of Badr, when tension shifted into open incitement and conspiracy.
Background: Escalating hostility after Badr
Ka’ab bin Ashraf and Abu Rafi were the Jewish leaders in the Medina region. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains that the Jewish tribes did not initially see the Muslims as a serious threat, but after the Muslim victory at Badr, hatred and enmity became more visible.
He notes that the battle of Badr occurred in Ramadan, during 2 AH and Ka’ab bin Ashraf went to Mecca soon after the Battle of Badr and incited the people of Mecca against Islam and its founder. After returning to Medina, he began uttering inappropriate and filthy couplets about Muslim women and members of the family of the Holy Prophetsa. What followed was open hostility and rebellion against the treaty signed by the Jews as well when Islam came to Medina.
A striking detail used to show the severity of the threat is the report concerning the companion Talha bin Barara. He is described as having been ill for some time; on the night he expected to die, he asked his family not to inform the Holy Prophetsa of his death, fearing Jewish harm if the Prophetsa came out to lead his funeral.
His words were:
فَإِنِّیْ أَخَافُ عَلَیْہِ الْیَھُودَ وَأَنْ یُصَابَ فِیْ بِسَبَبِیْ
meaning: “I fear for him the Jews, and that he may be harmed because of me.”
From this chain of events, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra concludes that hostility had moved beyond rhetoric into treaty violation, incitement, sedition and conspiracy to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa. On this basis, he argues that Ka’ab bin Ashraf and Abu Rafi, though killed at different times, were guilty of the same overarching offence.
A close reading of the verses in Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s commentary
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains his view by breaking the verses into key phrases and reading each in light of Quranic usage and historical context.
1. “You slew a person…” (Ch.2: V.73)
وَاِذۡ قَتَلۡتُمۡ نَفۡسًا فَادّٰرَءۡتُمۡ فِیۡہَا
“And remember the time when you slew a person and differed among yourselves about it.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states this addresses the Jews at the time of the Holy Prophetsa, with particular reference to figures such as Ka’ab bin Ashraf and Abu Rafi and when they tried to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa.
He says nafsan (person) refers to the Holy Prophetsa, and although qatala typically means “to kill”, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra notes it can also encompass attempting to kill or plotting to kill.
To support this, he cites Quranic language where “slaying” appears in the context of threatened killing:
وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤۡمِنٌ مِّنۡ اٰلِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ یَکۡتُمُ إِيمَٰنَهُۥٓ اَتَقۡتُلُوۡنَ رَجُلًا اَنۡ یَّقُوۡلَ رَبِّیَ اللّٰہُ وَقَدۡ جَآءَکُمۡ بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ مِنۡ رَّبِّکُم
“And a believing man from among the people of Pharaoh, who concealed his faith, said, “Will you slay a man because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah,’ while he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord?” (Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.29)
Just as this verse speaks about plotting against Hazrat Musaas (not literally killing him), Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra argues chapter 2, verse 73 can indicate intent and attempt even where killing fails.
2. “Allah would bring to light what you concealed” (Ch.2: V.73)
وَاللّٰہُ مُخۡرِجٌ مَّا کُنۡتُمۡ تَکۡتُمُوۡن
“And Allah would bring to light what you concealed.”
In this verse, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra interprets the “concealed” matter as the Jews’ ultimate objective: not just general opposition, but the intention to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa. Even if that aim was not openly declared, Allah would expose it.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra supports this with two incidents: the attempt by Bani Nadhir to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa by dropping a rock after inviting him for a “discussion,” and the poisoning attempt in Khayber by the Jews. In both cases, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra argues, Allah exposed the danger and protected the Holy Prophetsa.
3) “Smite him […]” (Ch.2: V.74)
فَقُلۡنَا اضۡرِبُوۡہُ بِبَعۡضِہَا
“Then We said: ‘Smite him (the murderer) for a part of the offence against him (the murdered person).’”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra notes that daraba means “to strike”, and that expressions such as daraba bis-saif (to strike with the sword) can signify a fatal blow. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then explains that bi-ba‘diha (with a part of it) refers to the offences already described; treaty-breaking, rebellion, incitement, sedition, foul provocation, and conspiracy – through which the instigators became deserving of punishment.
This is the part where classical scholars have said bi-ba‘diha (with a part of it) means to strike with a part of the slaughtered cow, which is a clear misunderstanding.
4) “Thus, Allah gives life to the dead” (Ch.2: V.74)
کَذٰلِکَ یُحۡیِ اللّٰہُ الۡمَوۡتٰی
“Thus, Allah gives life to the dead.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains this part is an established divine practice: prophets are opposed and plotted against, yet Allah especially protects the first and the last prophet of a dispensation and does not allow enemies to kill them. From the opponents’ perspective, the prophet may appear “as good as dead,” yet Allah saves him even when escape seems impossible – thus “giving life to the dead.”
5) “And shows you His Signs […]”
وَیُرِیۡکُمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَعۡقِلُوۡن
“And shows you His Signs that you may understand.”
The “Signs” are not merely abstract proofs; they are also warnings for those inclined to disorder. Here, despite visible and hidden efforts to harm the Holy Prophetsa, Allah protected him and exposed the intent behind the hostility.
Classical commentaries commonly treat verses 73-74 as a continuation of the cow narrative, reading them as a literal miracle in which a murdered man is struck with part of the slaughtered cow, briefly revived, and made to identify his killer.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra clarifies the passage by shifting the key assumption: because these verses open a new ruku, he argues they begin a new discourse – addressing the Jews in the time of the Holy Prophetsa, not the Jews in the time of Prophet Mosesas.
On that basis, he reads the language of the verses in a Quranic and historical register rather than as a tale. “You slew a person” is understood as an attempt or plot to kill the Holy Prophetsa; “Allah would bring to light what you concealed” refers to the exposure of that hidden intent; and “Smite him” points to decisive punishment of the principal instigators behind treaty-breaking, sedition and conspiracy to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa.
In short, where classical works emphasise a miraculous reenactment tied to the cow story, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra presents a structurally grounded, context-driven reading that keeps the verses coherent within the realities of the life of the Holy Prophetsa and Quranic usage.
This was just one example out of the large corpus of Tafsir-e-Kabir. It is important we all study Tafsir-e-Kabir and derive benefits from the insights Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra provided for us.
