Surah Al-Baqarah 2:27
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 27 of 286
ٱلَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مِيثَٰقِهِۦ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰسِرُونَ
Translation
those who break their covenant with God after it has been confirmed, who sever the bonds that God has commanded to be joined, who spread corruption on the earth- these are the losers.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'Who break the covenant of God after its binding, sever what God has commanded to be joined, and spread corruption on the earth, it is they who are the losers.' al-Saadi and Ibn Kathir note the three marks of the misguided, breaking the covenant with God, severing the bonds He commanded to be kept (kinship, community, all rightful ties), and corrupting the earth. Ask yourself: notice that alongside breaking faith with God stands severing human bonds, the two are linked, because a heart cut off from God cuts off from His creation too. It presses me on the ties I am commanded to join and keep: family I've let drift, relationships I've severed in pride, communities I've abandoned. Am I a joiner of what God commanded to be joined, or a severer? The health of my vertical bond with God shows in the horizontal bonds I either keep or cut.
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Saadi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ashur.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:27 is discussed in 12 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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