Surah Baqarah ayat 63 Tafsir Quran 2:63

﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 63]

2:63 And [recall] when We took your covenant, [O Children of Israel, to abide by the Torah] and We raised over you the mount, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that perhaps you may become righteous."

And mention when We made a covenant with you your pledge to act according to what is in the Torah and We had raised above you the Mount which We uprooted from the earth and placed above you when you refused to accept it sc. the Torah and We said ‘Take forcefully seriously and with effort what We have given you and remember what is in it acting in accordance with it so that you might preserve yourselves’ from the Fire or acts of disobedience.

Also, recall to the mind that once when you camped at the foot of the Mount and heaven thundered and the awe –inspiring- echoes thundered in your ears as We entered with you into a covenant and We stabilized the Mount above you when it shook with such fits of awe for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, and We said: Adhere to all that We have imparted to you AL-Tawrah and observe the code of discipline and body of regulations and hold them in esteem and hold to your promise, pay attention and regard to it and be mindful of Our commandments so that you may hopefully entertain the profound reverence dutiful Allah

Taking the Covenant from the Jews Allah reminded the Children of Israel of the pledges, covenants and promises that He took from them to believe in Him alone, without a partner, and follow His Messengers.
Allah stated that when He took their pledge from them, He raised the mountain above their heads, so that they affirm the pledge that they gave Allah and abide by it with sincerity and seriousness.
Hence, Allah's statement, وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ( And (remember ) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them.
( We said ): "Hold firmly to what We have given you ( Tawrah ), and remember that which is therein ( act on its commandments ), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him.") ( 7:171 ). The mount mentioned here is At-Tur, just as it was explained in Surat Al-A`raf, according to the Tafsir of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ata', `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others.
This is more obvious.
There is another report from Ibn `Abbas saying; `The Tur is a type of mountain that vegetation grows on, if no vegetation grows on it, it is not called Tur.' And in the Hadith about the trials, Ibn `Abbas said; "When they ( the Jews ) refused to obey, Allah raised the mountain above their heads so that they would listen." Al-Hasan said that Allah's statement, خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـكُم بِقُوَّةٍ ( Hold fast to that which We have given you ) means, the Tawrah.
Mujahid said that the Ayah commanded, "Strictly adhere to it." Abu Al-`Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` said that, وَاذْكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ ( and remember that which is therein ) means, "Read the Tawrah and implement it." Allah's statement, ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذلِكَ فَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ ( Then after that you turned away.
Had it not been for the grace of Allah ) means, "Yet, after the firm pledge that you gave, you still deviated and broke your pledge"; فَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ ( Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah upon you ), meaning, by forgiving you and by sending the Prophets and Messengers to you, لَكُنتُم مِّنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ ( Indeed you would have been among the losers ) meaning, in this life and the Hereafter due to their breach of the covenant.

(2:63) Call to mind the time when We raised above you the Tur and made a covenant with you, *81 saying, "Hold fast to the Book which We are giving you and bear in mind the commands and precepts contained therein. It is expected that this will lead you on to the paths of virtue and piety."

And [recall] when We took your covenant, meaning

*81).
From the manner in which this incident is described at various places in the Qur'an it is obvious that, at that time, it was quite well known to the Israelites.
It is difficult, however, after the Passage of many centuries to be able to speak with certaintainty about the precise nature of the incident.
All we can say is that while the Children of israeI were making their covenant in the shadow of Mount Sinai, they witnessed an aweseme phenomenon and felt as if the mountain was about to fall upon them.
Verse 171 of Surah al-A'raf seems to portray this.
( See also n.
132 in that surah. )
 

Taking the Covenant from the Jews Allah reminded the Children of Israel of the pledges, covenants and promises that He took from them to believe in Him alone, without a partner, and follow His Messengers.
Allah stated that when He took their pledge from them, He raised the mountain above their heads, so that they affirm the pledge that they gave Allah and abide by it with sincerity and seriousness.
Hence, Allah's statement, وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ( And (remember ) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them.
( We said ): "Hold firmly to what We have given you ( Tawrah ), and remember that which is therein ( act on its commandments ), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him.") ( 7:171 ). The mount mentioned here is At-Tur, just as it was explained in Surat Al-A`raf, according to the Tafsir of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ata', `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others.
This is more obvious.
There is another report from Ibn `Abbas saying; `The Tur is a type of mountain that vegetation grows on, if no vegetation grows on it, it is not called Tur.' And in the Hadith about the trials, Ibn `Abbas said; "When they ( the Jews ) refused to obey, Allah raised the mountain above their heads so that they would listen." Al-Hasan said that Allah's statement, خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـكُم بِقُوَّةٍ ( Hold fast to that which We have given you ) means, the Tawrah.
Mujahid said that the Ayah commanded, "Strictly adhere to it." Abu Al-`Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` said that, وَاذْكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ ( and remember that which is therein ) means, "Read the Tawrah and implement it." Allah's statement, ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذلِكَ فَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ ( Then after that you turned away.
Had it not been for the grace of Allah ) means, "Yet, after the firm pledge that you gave, you still deviated and broke your pledge"; فَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ ( Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah upon you ), meaning, by forgiving you and by sending the Prophets and Messengers to you, لَكُنتُم مِّنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ ( Indeed you would have been among the losers ) meaning, in this life and the Hereafter due to their breach of the covenant.

Allah then mentions the covenant He undertook with them, saying ( And when We made a covenant with you ) took your consent ( and caused the Mount to tower above you ) pulled out and fixed high above your heads the mountain for taking the covenant: ( Hold fast that which We have given you ) comply with what We have given of the scripture in earnestness and diligence, ( and remember that which is therein ) of reward and chastisement, and recollect what is in it of the lawful and unlawful, ( that ye may ward off (evil )) in order that you may ward off Allah’s wrath and torment and so that you may obey Him.

And (O Children of Israel, remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): "Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2).

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