Surah Al-Baqarah 2:84
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 84 of 286
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَٰقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَآءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ
Translation
We took a pledge from you, ‘Do not shed one another’s blood or drive one another from your homelands.’ You acknowledged it at the time, and you can testify to this.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
The verse, Surah 2:84, begins with Allah reminding the Children of Israel of a solemn covenant He took from them: "And [recall] when We took your covenant, [saying], 'You shall not shed your blood or expel yourselves from your homes.' Then you affirmed, and you were witnessing."
A Sacred Covenant
This divine address, "وإذ أخذنا ميثاقكم" (And [recall] when We took your covenant), speaks to the Jewish people, reminding them of a profound commitment made, rooted in the Torah. As Ibn Ashur explains, this covenant, taken from their forefathers, is a charge to all generations who follow. It wasn't merely a suggestion but a weighty promise that they accepted as binding.
The Power of "Your"
Ponder the profound wording: "لا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءَكُمْ" (you shall not shed your blood) and "ولا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ" (nor expel yourselves from your homes). At first glance, it might seem to warn against self-harm or self-exile, which are naturally avoided. However, as scholars like Ibn Ashur, Al-Zamakhshari, and Al-Razi clarify, the "your" here is a beautiful, powerful figure of speech. It means "do not shed the blood of *each other*," and "do not expel *each other* from their homes."
This choice of wording underscores an essential truth: in a unified community, individuals are so intertwined that harming another is akin to harming oneself. When one member suffers, the entire body feels the pain. Ibn Ashur notes this rhetorical device is common in the Quran, like "greet yourselves" meaning "greet one another." It reminds us that our collective well-being is interconnected. To attack a fellow human, especially one bound by faith or kinship, is to diminish our own humanity and invite harm upon ourselves, whether through direct retribution, as Al-Razi mentions, or through the erosion of communal bonds.
Acknowledged and Witnessed
The verse concludes, "ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ" (Then you affirmed, and you were witnessing). The particle "ثم" (thumma, meaning "then") signifies a progression in commitment, as Ibn Ashur notes. First, the covenant was taken, then they explicitly "أقررتم" (affirmed or accepted) it, and finally, they were "تشهدون" (witnessing) to this affirmation. This layering of commitment – acceptance followed by bearing witness – makes their responsibility undeniable. Whether witnessing upon themselves, or present generations witnessing the clear commitment of their ancestors, as Al-Zamakhshari suggests, the implication is clear: this was not a forgotten or obscure agreement, but a known and acknowledged truth they had wholeheartedly taken upon themselves.
This deliberate choice of words elevates the covenant from a mere directive to a deeply personal and collectively witnessed commitment, emphasizing the gravity of its subsequent violation.
Sources: Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:84 is discussed in 7 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Baqarah 2:84 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.