Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Baqara, Ayah 286
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Tafsir
God charges no soul save to its capacity that is what it is capable of bearing; for it is what it has merited of good and its reward and against it is what it has earned of evil and its burden no person shall be requited for another’s sin or for what he has not earned even if he was tempted to do it. Say Our Lord take us not to task by way of chastisement if we forget or err by straying from the right path unknowingly — as You used to take to task those before us God has lifted this burden from this community as reported in hadīth. The petition here then is a way of acknowledging God’s favour; our Lord burden us not with a load an affair which we cannot bear such as You did lay upon those before us namely upon the Children of Israel as for example the killing of oneself in repentance the paying of a quarter of one’s property for alms and the severing of the impure part. Our Lord do not burden us beyond what we have the power the strength to bear of obligations and trials; and pardon us effacing our sins and forgive us and have mercy on us with mercy added to Your forgiveness; You are our Patron our Master and the Guardian of our affairs; so grant us assistance against the disbelieving folk by establishing definitive proof for us and victory over them in battle for it is expected of a patron that he assist his clients against their enemies. In a hadīth it is stated that when this verse was revealed and the Prophet s was reciting it after each word it was said to him “Granted”.
Related Hadiths
To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and whether you disclose that which is in your mind or conceal it, Allah will call you to account according to it. Then He forg...
When this verse:" Whether you disclose that which is in your mind or conceal it, Allah will call you to account according to it" (ii 284), there entered in their minds something (of that fear) such as...
from As-Suddi who said: "Someone who heard from 'Ali, narrated about him saying: 'When this Ayah was revealed: "And whether you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to acc...
"When this Ayah was revealed: And whether you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it (2:284). Somethings entered their hearts that had not entered before. ...
"Allah has forgiven my nation for mistakes and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do."
" Take upon yourselves (the burden of the deeds) for which you have the strength to bear."
A person from people who lived before you was called to account (by Allah at the Day of Judgment) and no good was found in his account except this that lie being a rich man had (financial) dealings wi...
regarding: 'Allah will not call you to account for that which is unintentional in your oaths...' (2.225) This Verse was revealed concerning such oath formulas as: 'No, by Allah!' and 'Yes, by Allah!'...
A man said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we be punished for what we did in the Prelslamic Period of ignorance?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be punished for what he d...
`Aisha said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Anybody whose account (record) is questioned will surely be punished.' I said, 'Doesn't Allah say: 'He surely will receive an easy reckoning?' (84.8) The Prophet ...
Ibn Abbas Commentary
By way of response, Allah said: (Allah tasketh not a soul) in relation to acts of obedience (beyond its scope) beyond its capability. (For it (is only) that which it hath earned) of good, and of leaving the discourse of the soul, forgetfulness, error and coercion, (and against it (only) that which it hath deserved) of evil, the discourse of the soul, forgetfulness, and coercion. Allah taught the believers thereafter how they should pray to Him so as to lift the discourse of the soul, error, forgetfulness and coercion from them, saying that they should supplicate thus: (Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Condemn us not if we forget) to obey you, (or miss the mark!) regarding your command (Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Lay not on us such a burden) a covenant which, if we fail to honour, You will prohibit us from wholesome things (as Thou didst) as You made it unlawful (on those before us!) on the Children of Israel because they broke Your covenant regarding wholesome things: the meat of camels, the fat of bovines, small cattle and other things. (Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear!) that in which there is no comfort or benefit for us, and this is what is meant by coercion. (Pardon us) all this, (absolve us) from it (and have mercy on us) by means of it. (Thou, our Protector) You are more deserving of protecting us; (and give us victory over the disbelieving folk). It is also said that the meaning is as follows: (Pardon us) by not turning us into animals as you turned some of the people of Jesus into animals, (absolve us) from making the ground swallow us up as you made the ground swallow up Korah (Qarun); (and have mercy on us) by not being tossed up by the waves as you did to the people of Lot. When the believer called upon Allah with this supplication, Allah lifted from them the discourse of the soul, forgetfulness, error, coercion and absolved them from being turned into animals, making the ground swallow them or being tossed by the waves. All those who follow in their footsteps will be absolved from the same.