Surah Al-Baqara 2:285 — Meaning, Translation & Reflection

ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

English: The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the faithful. They all believe in God, His angels, His scriptures, and His messengers. ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers,’ they say, ‘We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord. To You we all return!’-

Bengali: রসূল বিশ্বাস রাখেন ঐ সমস্ত বিষয় সম্পর্কে যা তাঁর পালনকর্তার পক্ষ থেকে তাঁর কাছে অবতীর্ণ হয়েছে এবং মুসলমানরাও সবাই বিশ্বাস রাখে আল্লাহর প্রতি, তাঁর ফেরেশতাদের প্রতি, তাঁর গ্রন্থসমুহের প্রতি এবং তাঁর পয়গম্বরগণের প্রতি। তারা বলে আমরা তাঁর পয়গম্বরদের মধ্যে কোন তারতম্য করিনা। তারা বলে, আমরা শুনেছি এবং কবুল করেছি। আমরা তোমার ক্ষমা চাই, হে আমাদের পালনকর্তা। তোমারই দিকে প্রত্যাবর্তন করতে হবে।

Meaning & Reflection

'The Messenger believes in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. Each believes in God, His angels, His Books, and His messengers, saying: We make no distinction between any of His messengers. And they say: We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord; and to You is the return.' al-Saadi and Ibn Kathir note the creed and the *posture* of true faith — 'sami'na wa ata'na': we hear and we obey, not 'we hear and we will consider'. Ask yourself: the mark of real belief in this verse is not merely *assenting* to the truth but *submitting* to it — 'we hear and we obey', the response of surrender rather than negotiation. So much of my relationship with what I know God commands is 'we hear and we'll see' — hearing the guidance and then deliberating whether it suits me. This verse models the believer's stance: to receive God's word with an immediate, wholehearted 'we obey', followed at once by the humble plea 'Your forgiveness' — knowing my obedience will still fall short. Is my instinctive response to God's clear command 'we hear and we obey' — or 'we hear, and let me think about it'?

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 2:285:

• 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?