Surah Al-Baqara 2:24 — Meaning, Translation & Reflection
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 24 of 286
فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا۟ وَلَن تَفْعَلُوا۟ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱلنَّارَ ٱلَّتِى وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ ۖ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَٰفِرِينَ
English: If you cannot do this- and you never will- then beware of the Fire prepared for the disbelievers, whose fuel is men and stones.
Bengali: আর যদি তা না পার-অবশ্য তা তোমরা কখনও পারবে না, তাহলে সে দোযখের আগুন থেকে রক্ষা পাওয়ার চেষ্টা কর, যার জ্বালানী হবে মানুষ ও পাথর। যা প্রস্তুত করা হয়েছে কাফেরদের জন্য।
Meaning & Reflection
'But if you do not — and you will never be able to — then fear the Fire whose fuel is people and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.' al-Saadi and Ibn Kathir note the certainty of the prediction — 'lan taf'alu', you will *never* do it — a bold, permanent claim that has held, followed at once by a sober warning. Ask yourself: the verse pairs an intellectual proof (the unmeetable challenge) with a moral consequence (the Fire) — because truth is not merely to be admired but *responded to*. Once the case is made, indifference is not a neutral option. It confronts my tendency to treat matters of God as fascinating ideas to discuss rather than realities to act on. If the challenge truly stands unanswered — if the Book truly is what it claims — then it demands not just my agreement but my life. Am I treating the Qur'an as a settled proof to obey, or an interesting debate to enjoy?
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Saadi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ashur.
Reflect with the Five Lenses
Maani's framework for Tadabbur (heart-centred reflection) on Surah Al-Baqara 2:24:
- Wording. Look closely at the specific words and structure. Which word stands out, and why might Allah have chosen it here?
- Quranic Worlds. Place the verse in its context — what is happening around it, and what world does it open up?
- Personal Experience. Ask not just what this means, but what it means TO me and FOR me, right now in my life.
- Connections. How does this verse connect to other verses, to the Sunnah, or to themes across the Quran?
- General Lessons. What timeless lesson or action point can I carry away and live by?