Surah Al-Baqara 2:118 — Meaning, Translation & Reflection
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 118 of 286
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا ٱللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَآ ءَايَةٌۭ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۘ تَشَٰبَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يُوقِنُونَ
English: Those who have no knowledge also say, ‘If only God would speak to us!’ or ‘If only a miraculous sign would come to us!’ People before them said the same things: their hearts are all alike. We have made Our signs clear enough to those who have solid faith.
Bengali: যারা কিছু জানে না, তারা বলে, আল্লাহ আমাদের সঙ্গে কেন কথা বলেন না? অথবা আমাদের কাছে কোন নিদর্শন কেন আসে না? এমনি ভাবে তাদের পূর্বে যারা ছিল তারাও তাদেরই অনুরূপ কথা বলেছে। তাদের অন্তর একই রকম। নিশ্চয় আমি উজ্জ্বল নিদর্শনসমূহ বর্ণনা করেছি তাদের জন্যে যারা প্রত্যয়শীল।
Reflect with the Five Lenses
Maani's framework for Tadabbur (heart-centred reflection) on Surah Al-Baqara 2:118:
- 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?