Surah Baqarah ayat 208 Tafsir Quran 2:208

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ﴾
[ البقرة: 208]

2:208 O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.

The following verse was revealed regarding ‘Abd Allāh b. Salām and his companions who after converting to Islam still observed the Sabbath with reverence and were averse to the consumption of camels O you who believe come all of you into submission read al-salm or al-silm that is Islam; kāffatan is a circumstantial qualifier referring to al-silm meaning into all of its precepts; and follow not the steps the ways of Satan that is his temptations to you by way of creating divisions; he is a manifest foe to you one whose enmity is obvious.

O you people whose hearts truly believe, enter into friendly relations with one another and promote Allah’s requirement of peace and virtuous order and do not follow AL-Shaytan’s footsteps nor walk in the footsteps of those with AL- Shaytan’s characteristics; he is indeed your avowed enemy

Entering Islam in its Entirety is obligated Allah commands His servants who believe in Him and have faith in His Messenger to implement all of Islam's legislation and law, to adhere to all of its commandments, as much as they can, and to refrain from all of its prohibitions.
`Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said, and also Mujahid, Tawus, Ad-Dahhak, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said that Allah's statement: ادْخُلُواْ فِي السِّلْمِ ( Enter Silm ) means Islam.
Allah's statement: كَآفَّةً ( ...perfectly ) means, in its entirety.
This is the Tafsir of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Abu Al-`Aliyah, `Ikrimah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi, Muqatil bin Hayyan, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak.
Mujahid said that the Ayah means, `Perform all the good works and the various pious deeds, this is especially addressed to those from among the People of the Scripture who embraced the faith.' Ibn Abu Hatim reported that Ibn `Abbas said that: يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ادْخُلُواْ فِي السِّلْمِ كَآفَّةً ( O you who believe! Enter Silm perfectly ) refers to the believers among the People of the Scripture.
This is because they believed in Allah, some of them still followed some parts of the Tawrah and the previous revelations.
So Allah said: ادْخُلُواْ فِي السِّلْمِ كَآفَّةً ( Enter Islam perfectly. ) Allah thus commanded them to embrace the legislation of the religion of Muhammad in its entirety and to avoid abandoning any part of it.
They should no longer adhere to the Tawrah. Allah then said: وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَتِ الشَّيْطَـنِ ( ...and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan ) meaning, perform the acts of worship and avoid what Satan commands you to do.
This is because: إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَآءِ وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ ( He (Shaytan ) commands you only what is evil and Fahsha' ( sinful ), and that you should say about Allah what you know not.) ( 2:169 ) and: إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُواْ مِنْ أَصْحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ ( He only invites his Hizb (followers ) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.) ( 35:6 ) Hence, Allah said: إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ ( Verily, he is to you an open enemy. ) Allah said: فَإِن زَلَلْتُمْ مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْكُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ ( Then if you slide back after the clear signs have come to you ) meaning, if you deviate from the Truth after clear proofs have been established against you, فَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ ( ...then know that Allah is All-Mighty ) in His punishment, and no one can escape His vengeance or defeat Him. حَكِيمٌ ( All-Wise ) in His decisions, actions and rulings.
Hence Abu Al-`Aliyah, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said, "He is Mighty in His vengeance, Wise in His decision."

(2:208) O Believers, enter completely into Islam *226 and do not follow in" the footsteps of Satan, for he is your avowed enemy.

O you who have believed, enter into meaning

*226).
God demands that man should submit, without reservation, the whole of his being to His will.
Man's outlook, intellectual pursuits, behaviour, interaction with other people and modes of endeavour should all be completely subordinate to Islam.
God does not accept the splitting up of human life into separate compartments, some governed by the teachings of Islam and others exempt.

 

Entering Islam in its Entirety is obligated Allah commands His servants who believe in Him and have faith in His Messenger to implement all of Islam's legislation and law, to adhere to all of its commandments, as much as they can, and to refrain from all of its prohibitions.
`Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said, and also Mujahid, Tawus, Ad-Dahhak, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said that Allah's statement: ادْخُلُواْ فِي السِّلْمِ ( Enter Silm ) means Islam.
Allah's statement: كَآفَّةً ( ...perfectly ) means, in its entirety.
This is the Tafsir of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Abu Al-`Aliyah, `Ikrimah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi, Muqatil bin Hayyan, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak.
Mujahid said that the Ayah means, `Perform all the good works and the various pious deeds, this is especially addressed to those from among the People of the Scripture who embraced the faith.' Ibn Abu Hatim reported that Ibn `Abbas said that: يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ادْخُلُواْ فِي السِّلْمِ كَآفَّةً ( O you who believe! Enter Silm perfectly ) refers to the believers among the People of the Scripture.
This is because they believed in Allah, some of them still followed some parts of the Tawrah and the previous revelations.
So Allah said: ادْخُلُواْ فِي السِّلْمِ كَآفَّةً ( Enter Islam perfectly. ) Allah thus commanded them to embrace the legislation of the religion of Muhammad in its entirety and to avoid abandoning any part of it.
They should no longer adhere to the Tawrah. Allah then said: وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَتِ الشَّيْطَـنِ ( ...and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan ) meaning, perform the acts of worship and avoid what Satan commands you to do.
This is because: إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَآءِ وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ ( He (Shaytan ) commands you only what is evil and Fahsha' ( sinful ), and that you should say about Allah what you know not.) ( 2:169 ) and: إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُواْ مِنْ أَصْحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ ( He only invites his Hizb (followers ) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.) ( 35:6 ) Hence, Allah said: إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ ( Verily, he is to you an open enemy. ) Allah said: فَإِن زَلَلْتُمْ مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْكُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ ( Then if you slide back after the clear signs have come to you ) meaning, if you deviate from the Truth after clear proofs have been established against you, فَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ ( ...then know that Allah is All-Mighty ) in His punishment, and no one can escape His vengeance or defeat Him. حَكِيمٌ ( All-Wise ) in His decisions, actions and rulings.
Hence Abu Al-`Aliyah, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said, "He is Mighty in His vengeance, Wise in His decision."

( O ye who believe! Come, all of you, into submission ) come all of you to the prescriptions of the Religion of Muhammad ( pbuh ); ( and follow not the footsteps of the devil ) follow not the embellishments of the devil regarding the unlawfulness of the Sabbath, the meat of camels and other things. ( Lo! He is an open enemy for you ) whose enmity is quite manifest.

O you who believe! Enter perfectly in Islam (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islamic religion) and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Verily! He is to you a plain enemy.

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