Every surah of the Quran possesses some unique and specific virtues that distinguish it from the rest of the surahs.
Therefore whenever benefits or blessings of any Quranic surah are mentioned, it in no way means that the surah is
more important or beautiful than the others. Every surah revealed according to a context and deals with a
particular issue and hence represents the epitome of that particular matter.
In this article, I will discuss the virtues of Surah Al Baqarah in the light of the confirmed sayings (sahih hadith) of
the beloved Prophet. Before moving on, some salient facts about surah Baqarah should be noted.
Surah Al Baqarah is the second surah of the Quran according to the final compilation (Mushaf). However
chronologically, its revelation started after the beloved Prophet migrated to Medina. It is the longest surah of the
Quran with 286 ayahs. Interestingly, it not revealed at a time but revealed gradually over 10 years till the
prophets passing away.
Moreover, according to the majority of the scholars, the final Ayah of the glorious Quran to revealed was ayah
number 281 of this surah. Moreover, the longest ayah of the Quran is in this surah i.e. ayah 282.
After knowing all these facts about surah Baqarah, now let us move on to its virtues and benefits that standout
5 most prominent and unique aspects of Surah al Baqarah
- It is the only surah a portion of which was revealed outside the physical world. According to a sahih narration
- of the prophet, the last two ayahs of this surah were gifted to the prophet on the sixth heaven during his spiritual journey of Mi’raj (Sahih Muslim: 173). Further, the beloved prophet also said regarding these two ayahs that whosoever recites them at night, it would suffice for him (Sahih Bukhari: 5009).
- “Ayat ul Kursi”, which is the 255th ayah of this surah, was given the status of being the “greatest ayah of the Quran” by the prophet himself (Sahih Muslim: 810). Regarding it, the beloved prophet also said that Allah appoints a protector with whosoever recites it at night (Sahih Bukhari 4723).
- Allah has bestowed in its recitation the power to drive away from the evil force of Shaitan and the effects of sorcery. According to the beloved prophet, Shaitan flees from a house in which surah baqarah is recited (Sahih Muslim: 780).
- As mentioned earlier, this surah began to be revealed immediately after the migration of Muslims to Medina. It was here in the holy city of Medina that the corner-stone of the first Islamic state was laid. This surah deals comprehensively with the foundation of a new Muslim ummah and the forthcoming challenges. In this surah, the blueprint or sketch of the socio-politico-economic system of Islam was drawn.
- One of the most important aspects of surah Baqarah is the guidelines and responsibilities that it lays upon Muslims as an ummah or a cohesive community. This is the most dominant theme of this surah. The events and happenings of the ‘Bani Israel’ mentioned in detail. The Muslims asked to take heed from their history and not to repeat the mistakes that they committed earlier.
It is imperative to mention here that before the advent of our beloved prophet (ﷺ), Bani
Israel were the chosen people of the Lord. They were the most loved and honored nation among all the nations of
the world. Several prophets sent down towards them from time to time for their guidance. However, despite all
this, they did not pay much attention to the message of Allah and hence deposed from their position of honor.
In their place, the ummah of the beloved prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) have honored
as the chosen and most favored community of the Lord. Surah Baqarah lays down the do’s and don’ts for us so that
we do not tread on the same path as the Bani Israel did.
Conclusion
As mentioned at the very outset of this article that every surah of the Holly Quran deals with a specific matter and
possesses some unique significance. In this article, I have attempted to highlight some prominent aspects of surah
Baqarah. I might also have missed some of the benefits because no matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to
quantify all the virtues of any Quranic surah. My main aim is to develop a sense of interest and fascination among
the readers to study and understand surah Baqarah objectively.