Surah Baqarah ayat 73 Tafsir Quran 2:73

﴿فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْيِي اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَيُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 73]

2:73 So, We said, "Strike the slain man with part of it." Thus does Allah bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.

so We said ‘Smite him the slain man with part of it’ and so when he was struck with its tongue or its tail he came back to life and said ‘So-and-so killed me’ and after pointing out two of his cousins he died; the two killers were denied the inheritance and were later killed. God says even so is the revival for God brings to life the dead and He shows you His signs the proofs of His power so that you might understand that you might reflect and realise that the One capable of reviving a single soul is also capable of reviving a multitude of souls and then believe.

Their and then We commanded Mussa to say to you: Strike the corpse with a piece of the heifer’s carcass, and there the man was brought to life only for as long as he made known in a supernatural manner, the name of the man who had killed him. Thus, Allah exhibits His unlimited power to effect what He will, in any manner He will and to resurrect all the dead when He will. He displays to you His signs and His marvels demonstrating Omnipotence and Authority so that you may hopefully comprehend and lift to Him your inward sight

Bringing the murdered Man back to Life Al-Bukhari said that, فَادَرَأْتُمْ فِيهَا ( And disagreed among yourselves as to the crime ) means, "Disputed." This is also the Tafsir of Mujahid.
`Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ad-Dahhak said, "Disputed about this matter." Also, Ibn Jurayj said that, وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا فَادَرَأْتُمْ فِيهَا ( And (remember ) when you killed a man and disagreed among yourselves as to the crime) means, some of them said, "You killed him," while the others said, "No you killed him." This is also the Tafsir of `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam.
Mujahid said that, وَاللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ ( But Allah brought forth that which you were Taktumun ) means, "what you were hiding." Allah said, فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ( So We said: "Strike him (the dead man ) with a piece of it ( the cow )") meaning, "any part of the cow will produce the miracle ( if they struck the dead man with it )." We were not told which part of the cow they used, as this matter does not benefit us either in matters of life or religion.
Otherwise, Allah would have made it clear for us.
Instead, Allah made this matter vague, so this is why we should leave it vague.
Allah's statement, كَذَلِكَ يُحْىِ اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَى ( Thus Allah brings the dead to life ) means, "They struck him with it, and he came back to life." This Ayah demonstrates Allah's ability in bringing the dead back to life.
Allah made this incident proof against the Jews that the Resurrection shall occur, and ended their disputing and stubbornness over the dead person. Allah mentioned His bringing the dead back to life in five instances in Surat Al-Baqarah.
First Allah said, ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ ( Then We raised you up after your death ).
He then mentioned the story about the cow.
Allah also mentioned the story of those who escaped death in their land, while they were numbering in the thousands.
He also mentioned the story of the Prophet who passed by a village that was destroyed, the story of Abraham and the four birds, and the land that comes back to life after it has died.
All these incidents and stories alert us to the fact that bodies shall again become whole, after they were rotten.
The proof of Resurrection is also reiterated in Allah's statement, وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ الاٌّرْضُ الْمَيْتَةُ أَحْيَيْنَـهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبّاً فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ - وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّـتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَـبٍ وَفَجَّرْنَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْعُيُونِ - لِيَأْكُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِ وَمَا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ ( And a sign for them is the dead land.
We give it life, and We bring forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof.
And We have made therein gardens of date palms and grapes, and We have caused springs of water to gush forth therein.
So that they may eat of the fruit thereof ـ and their hands made it not.
Will they not then give thanks ) ( 36:33-35 ).

(2:73) So We commanded, "Strike the corpse of the murdered man with a part of the sacrificed cow. See how Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His Signs, so that you may understand". *85

So, We said, "Strike the slain man meaning

*85).
At least one thing becomes clear from this statement: that the slain person was restored to life at least long enough to indicate his assassins.
But the actual words in which the order 'smite the corpse with a part of it' is couche tend to create a measure of ambiguity.
Nevertheless, the meaning inferred by the early Qur'anic commentators - that the order was to smite the slain man's body with some part of the slaughtered cow - seems to me plausible.
Two birds were thus killed with one stone: first, they were made to behold a sign of God's power; and second, the notion that the cow possessed any holiness or sanctity was shattered.
For if the of the object of their worship - the cow - had any supernatural power, some calamity should have visited them as a consequenceof slaughtering it.
But no calamity took place.
On the contrary, killing the cow seemed to be beneficial insofar as striking a dead man with a part of it brought him back to life.

 

Bringing the murdered Man back to Life Al-Bukhari said that, فَادَرَأْتُمْ فِيهَا ( And disagreed among yourselves as to the crime ) means, "Disputed." This is also the Tafsir of Mujahid.
`Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ad-Dahhak said, "Disputed about this matter." Also, Ibn Jurayj said that, وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا فَادَرَأْتُمْ فِيهَا ( And (remember ) when you killed a man and disagreed among yourselves as to the crime) means, some of them said, "You killed him," while the others said, "No you killed him." This is also the Tafsir of `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam.
Mujahid said that, وَاللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ ( But Allah brought forth that which you were Taktumun ) means, "what you were hiding." Allah said, فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ( So We said: "Strike him (the dead man ) with a piece of it ( the cow )") meaning, "any part of the cow will produce the miracle ( if they struck the dead man with it )." We were not told which part of the cow they used, as this matter does not benefit us either in matters of life or religion.
Otherwise, Allah would have made it clear for us.
Instead, Allah made this matter vague, so this is why we should leave it vague.
Allah's statement, كَذَلِكَ يُحْىِ اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَى ( Thus Allah brings the dead to life ) means, "They struck him with it, and he came back to life." This Ayah demonstrates Allah's ability in bringing the dead back to life.
Allah made this incident proof against the Jews that the Resurrection shall occur, and ended their disputing and stubbornness over the dead person. Allah mentioned His bringing the dead back to life in five instances in Surat Al-Baqarah.
First Allah said, ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ ( Then We raised you up after your death ).
He then mentioned the story about the cow.
Allah also mentioned the story of those who escaped death in their land, while they were numbering in the thousands.
He also mentioned the story of the Prophet who passed by a village that was destroyed, the story of Abraham and the four birds, and the land that comes back to life after it has died.
All these incidents and stories alert us to the fact that bodies shall again become whole, after they were rotten.
The proof of Resurrection is also reiterated in Allah's statement, وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ الاٌّرْضُ الْمَيْتَةُ أَحْيَيْنَـهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبّاً فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ - وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّـتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَـبٍ وَفَجَّرْنَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْعُيُونِ - لِيَأْكُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِ وَمَا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ ( And a sign for them is the dead land.
We give it life, and We bring forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof.
And We have made therein gardens of date palms and grapes, and We have caused springs of water to gush forth therein.
So that they may eat of the fruit thereof ـ and their hands made it not.
Will they not then give thanks ) ( 36:33-35 ).

( And We said: Smite him ) the murdered person ( with some of it ) with an organ of the cow; and it is also said: with its tail or tongue. ( Thus ) just as He brought ’Amil back to life ( Allah bringeth the dead to life ) for the Resurrection ( and showeth you His portents ) bringing the dead to life ( so that ye may understand ) in order that you may believe in resurrection after death.

So We said: "Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow)." Thus Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) so that you may understand.

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