Surah Baqarah ayat 83 Tafsir Quran 2:83

﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مُّعْرِضُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 83]

2:83 And [recall] when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel, [enjoining upon them], "Do not worship except Allah; and to parents do good and to relatives, orphans, and the needy. And speak to people good [words] and establish prayer and give zakah." Then you turned away, except a few of you, and you were refusing.

And mention when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel in the Torah where We said ‘You shall not worship a variant reading for lā ta‘budūna has third person plural lā ya‘budūn ‘they shall not worship’ any other than God lā ta‘budūna illā Llāha is a predicate denoting a prohibition; one may also read lā ta‘budū Worship you not; and to be good and righteous to parents and the near of kin here kinship is adjoined to parents; and to orphans and to the needy; and speak well good words to men commanding good and forbidding evil being truthful with regard to the status of Muhammad (s) and being kind to them sc. orphans and the needy a variant reading for hasanan has husnan the verbal noun used as a hyperbolic description; and observe prayer and pay the alms’ which you actually accepted but then you turned away refusing to fulfil these obligations here the second person address is used but their forefathers are still meant; all but a few of you rejecting it like your forefathers.

Again, We entered into a Covenant with Bani Isra‘il, thus: “You worship no one but Allah,” We said, “and adore Him with appropriate rites and commit your parents to your kind care and express a friendly and kind disposition to your kindred, the orphans and the poor and talk to people with eloquence and forbearance and engage in worship and give zakat for zakat is but a vehicle of prayer.” Yet you counselled deaf and paid no attention, with exception of a few who opened their hearts’ ears and heeded Our ordinance

The Covenant that Allah took from the Children of Israel Allah reminded the Children of Israel of the commandments that He gave them, and the covenants that He took from them to abide by those commands, and how they intentionally and knowingly turned away from all of that.
Allah commanded them to worship Him and to associate none with Him in worship, just as He has commanded all of His creatures, for this is why Allah created them.
Allah said, وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ( And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but We revealed to him ( saying ): La ilaha illa Ana none has the right to be worshipped but I ( Allah ), so worship Me ( alone and none else )) ( 21:25 ), and, وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ ( And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation ) a Messenger ( proclaiming ): "Worship Allah ( alone ), and avoid the Taghut ( all false deities, )) ( 16:36 ). This is the highest and most important right, that is, Allah's right that He be worshipped alone without partners. After that comes the right of the creatures, foremost, the right of the parents.
Allah usually mentions the rights of the parents along with His rights.
For instance, Allah said, أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ ( Give thanks to Me and to your parents.
Unto Me is the final destination ) ( 31:14 ).
Also, Allah said, وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّـهُ وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً ( And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.
And that you be dutiful to your parents ) ( 17:23 ), until, وَءَاتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ ( And give to the kinsman his due and to the Miskin (poor ) and to the wayfarer) ( 17:26 ).
The Two Sahihs record that Ibn Mas`ud said, قُلْتُ: «يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أيُّ الْعَمَل أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ:
«الصَّلَاةُ عَلى وَقْتِهَا»
قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟ قَالَ:
«بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْن»
قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟ قَالَ:
«الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ الله»
( I said, `O Messenger of Allah! What is the best deed' He said, `Performing the prayer on time.' I said, 'Then what' He said, `Being kind to one's parents.' I said, `Then what' He said, `Jihad in the cause of Allah.' ) Allah then said, وَالْيَتَـمَى ( and to orphans ) meaning, the young who have no fathers to fend for them. وَالْمَسَـكِينُ ( and Al-Masakin (the poor )), plural for Miskin, the one who does not find what he needs to spend on himself and his family.
We will discuss these categories when we explain the Ayah of Surat An-Nisa` where Allah said, وَاعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئاً وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً ( Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship ); and do good to parents) ( 4:36 ). Allah's statement, وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا ( and speak good to people ) meaning, say good words to them and be lenient with them, this includes commanding good and forbidding evil.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented on Allah's statement, وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا ( and speak good to people ), ".`The good saying' means commanding good and forbidding evil, and being patient and forgiving.
The `good words to people', as Allah commanded, also includes every good type of behavior that Allah is pleased with." Imam Ahmad narrated that Abu Dharr said that the Prophet said,
«لَا تَحْقِرَنَّ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَالْقَ أَخَاكَ بِوَجْهٍ مُنْطَلِق»
( Do not belittle any form of righteousness, and even if you did not find any good deed except meeting your brother with a smiling face, then do so. ) This Hadith was also collected by Muslim in his Sahih and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih. Allah commands the servants to say good words to people, after He commanded them to be kind to them, thereby mentioning two categories of manners: good speech and good actions.
He then emphasized the command to worship Him and the command to do good, ordaining the prayer and the Zakah, وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلوةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ ( and perform As-Salah and give Zakah ).
Allah informed us that the People of the Book, except for a few among them, ignored these orders, that is, they knowingly and intentionally abandoned them.
Allah ordered this Ummah similarly in Surat An-Nisa' when He said, وَاعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئاً وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً وَبِذِى الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَـمَى وَالْمَسَـكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِى الْقُرْبَى وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّـحِبِ بِالجَنْبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـنُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُوراً ( Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship ); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masakin ( the poor ), the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer ( you meet ), and those ( servants ) whom your right hands possess.
Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful) ( 4:36 ). Of these orders, this Ummah has practiced what no other nation before it has, and all praise is due to Allah.

The Covenant that Allah took from the Children of Israel Allah reminded the Children of Israel of the commandments that He gave them, and the covenants that He took from them to abide by those commands, and how they intentionally and knowingly turned away from all of that.
Allah commanded them to worship Him and to associate none with Him in worship, just as He has commanded all of His creatures, for this is why Allah created them.
Allah said, وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ( And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but We revealed to him ( saying ): La ilaha illa Ana none has the right to be worshipped but I ( Allah ), so worship Me ( alone and none else )) ( 21:25 ), and, وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ ( And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation ) a Messenger ( proclaiming ): "Worship Allah ( alone ), and avoid the Taghut ( all false deities, )) ( 16:36 ). This is the highest and most important right, that is, Allah's right that He be worshipped alone without partners. After that comes the right of the creatures, foremost, the right of the parents.
Allah usually mentions the rights of the parents along with His rights.
For instance, Allah said, أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ ( Give thanks to Me and to your parents.
Unto Me is the final destination ) ( 31:14 ).
Also, Allah said, وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّـهُ وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً ( And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.
And that you be dutiful to your parents ) ( 17:23 ), until, وَءَاتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ ( And give to the kinsman his due and to the Miskin (poor ) and to the wayfarer) ( 17:26 ).
The Two Sahihs record that Ibn Mas`ud said, قُلْتُ: «يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أيُّ الْعَمَل أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ: «الصَّلَاةُ عَلى وَقْتِهَا» قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟ قَالَ: «بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْن» قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟ قَالَ: «الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ الله» ( I said, `O Messenger of Allah! What is the best deed' He said, `Performing the prayer on time.' I said, 'Then what' He said, `Being kind to one's parents.' I said, `Then what' He said, `Jihad in the cause of Allah.' ) Allah then said, وَالْيَتَـمَى ( and to orphans ) meaning, the young who have no fathers to fend for them. وَالْمَسَـكِينُ ( and Al-Masakin (the poor )), plural for Miskin, the one who does not find what he needs to spend on himself and his family.
We will discuss these categories when we explain the Ayah of Surat An-Nisa` where Allah said, وَاعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئاً وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً ( Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship ); and do good to parents) ( 4:36 ). Allah's statement, وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا ( and speak good to people ) meaning, say good words to them and be lenient with them, this includes commanding good and forbidding evil.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented on Allah's statement, وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا ( and speak good to people ), ".`The good saying' means commanding good and forbidding evil, and being patient and forgiving.
The `good words to people', as Allah commanded, also includes every good type of behavior that Allah is pleased with." Imam Ahmad narrated that Abu Dharr said that the Prophet said, «لَا تَحْقِرَنَّ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَالْقَ أَخَاكَ بِوَجْهٍ مُنْطَلِق» ( Do not belittle any form of righteousness, and even if you did not find any good deed except meeting your brother with a smiling face, then do so. ) This Hadith was also collected by Muslim in his Sahih and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih. Allah commands the servants to say good words to people, after He commanded them to be kind to them, thereby mentioning two categories of manners: good speech and good actions.
He then emphasized the command to worship Him and the command to do good, ordaining the prayer and the Zakah, وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلوةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ ( and perform As-Salah and give Zakah ).
Allah informed us that the People of the Book, except for a few among them, ignored these orders, that is, they knowingly and intentionally abandoned them.
Allah ordered this Ummah similarly in Surat An-Nisa' when He said, وَاعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئاً وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً وَبِذِى الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَـمَى وَالْمَسَـكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِى الْقُرْبَى وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّـحِبِ بِالجَنْبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـنُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُوراً ( Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship ); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masakin ( the poor ), the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer ( you meet ), and those ( servants ) whom your right hands possess.
Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful) ( 4:36 ). Of these orders, this Ummah has practiced what no other nation before it has, and all praise is due to Allah.

Allah then mentions His covenant with the Children of Israel, saying: ( And when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel: Worship none save Allah ) declare Him as the only true God and do not ascribe any partner to Him, ( and be good to parents ) be dutiful to them ( and to kindred ) and keep contact with relatives ( and to orphans ) and be kind to orphans ( and the needy ) and generous to the needy, ( and speak kindly to mankind ) say the Truth regarding Muhammad ( pbuh ); ( and establish prayer ) perfect the five daily prayers ( and pay the poor-due ) and give from your wealth what is due to the poor. ( Then, after that, ye slid back ) you turned back on this covenant, ( save a few of you ) from amongst your forefathers; as it is said that this refers to ’Abdullah Ibn Salam and his companions, ( being averse ) denying and leaving it aside.

And (remember) when We took a covenant from the Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none but Allah (Alone) and be dutiful and good to parents, and to kindred, and to orphans and Al-Masakin (the poor), [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 10, Page 158 (Verse 9:60)] and speak good to people [i.e. enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, and say the truth about Muhammad Peace be upon him], and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat. Then you slid back, except a few of you, while you are backsliders. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi, Vol. 2, Page 392).

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