Verse 243 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as part of the social and historical discussions of this noble chapter, narrates an instructive account of a people who, out of fear of death, abandoned their homeland and confronted divine will. This exegesis, employing a multifaceted and profound approach, analyses the lexical, rhetorical, doctrinal, and social dimensions of the verse, utilising refined metaphors and semantic linkages to offer lessons for contemporary societies. The present text, through a critical perspective on the social conduct and disbelief of the people, underscores the necessity of reliance, faith, and rationality when facing crises, while cleansing inauthentic narrations and providing an interpretation grounded exclusively in the Holy Quranic text. The structure of this writing is methodically segmented to elucidate the subtleties of the verse and to extract its meanings for scholars and devout practitioners.
Surah Al-Baqarah, as one of the most comprehensive chapters of the Holy Quran, transitions from individual rulings towards broad social and historical discourses. Verse 243, amidst this, recounts a cautionary story interwoven with nature, miracle, and revelation. Focusing on the social behaviour of a people who fled their land out of fear of death, the verse presents timeless lessons for human guidance.
The phrase أَلَمْ تَرَ combines the negation of the past particle لم with the present tense verb تر (meaning to see), forming an interrogative structure that invites the addressee to reflect and derive lessons. Although the address is explicitly directed at the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), its generality encompasses all humanity, much like the verse قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ, which, while ostensibly addressing the Prophet, conveys a universal message. This invitation to contemplation serves as a catalyst for intellectual and spiritual awakening.
Although the apparent addressee is the Prophet, the universality of the verse embraces all humans. This universality transforms the verse into a perennial lesson for all societies, enabling every individual, irrespective of time and place, to benefit from the story of this people.
The combination of أَلَمْ تَرَ with the present tense verb emphasises the continuity of learning from history, inviting individuals to engage in either deep or superficial, apparent or inner reflection. Such contemplation acts as a key that unlocks the doors of knowledge and guides one towards awakening.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ اللَّهُ مُوتُوا ثُمَّ أَحْيَاهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
Translation: Have you not seen those who left their homes while they were thousands, fearing death? Allah then said to them, "Die!" Afterwards, He revived them. Indeed, Allah is Most Gracious to mankind, yet most people are not grateful.
The phrase خَرَجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ denotes a collective and extensive departure of the people. أُلُوفٌ, derived from the root أَلْف meaning affinity and gathering, signifies multitude and apparent unity of the tribe. This exodus was so widespread that it encompassed the entire population of the region, as if even the city walls departed alongside them.
In ancient societies, where towns and villages were sparsely populated, أُلُوفٌ (thousands) implied the complete evacuation of an area, contrary to modern societies where thousands constitute a negligible fraction relative to millions. This distinction elucidates the magnitude of the people's exodus in its historical context.
The root أَلْف, connoting affinity and togetherness, in the term أُلُوفٌ emphasises the apparent unity of the people in their departure. Numerically, أَلْف is the highest unit of counting in the Arabic numeral system, indicating the multitude and pervasiveness of the tribe.
The conjunction وَ in وَهُمْ and the third-person plural pronoun in خَرَجُوا highlight the all-encompassing exodus of the people, without distinction between familiar and stranger. This structure evokes an image of an undifferentiated multitude united by a shared fear.
The phrase حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ (fear of death) reveals the primary motive of the people: fleeing from disease or calamity such as the plague. This motivation stems from the instinctive fear inherent in human nature; however, the absence of faith led to their failure.
The people's departure, likened to the scattering of sparrows upon throwing a pebble, was spontaneous and instinctive. This metaphor refers to their involuntary and unforced behaviour, as if fear, like a wind, carried them away collectively.
The Holy Quran states in verse 100 of Surah An-Nasr: يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا (people enter the religion of Allah in multitudes). This verse, referencing collective behaviour, likens people to animals who, devoid of reflection, enter or leave the religion. Religious scholars have similarly compared this conduct to the entering and exiting of beasts, demonstrating simplicity and susceptibility.
Due to gullibility and navet, people resemble straw in the wind, swiftly entering or exiting religion. This characteristic obstructs the steadfastness of faith and endurance amid trials.
The use of the intransitive verb خَرَجُوا, as opposed to the transitive أُخْرِجُوا, indicates the spontaneous nature of the people's departure. This lexical choice, like an inscription on a tablet, emphasises the instinctive character of their behaviour.
There was no coercion in the people's departure; like sparrows dispersed by a pebble, they fled of their own accord. This conduct was rooted in instinctive fear and lack of reason.
Instead of reliance and supplication to Allah, the people abandoned their homeland and even their faith, resorting to flight. This disbelief, like a dark shadow, influenced their behaviour.
The disease, such as the plague, resided within the people, not the city. Their flight, though a natural reaction to danger, proved futile due to the contagion carried with them.
The people fled bearing their possessions (food, clothing, etc.), which acted like chains on their feet, slowing their movement and exposing their attachment to the material world.
The crowding of the people and the lack of suitable roads made the route congested and movement difficult. This condition, akin to a bottleneck, exacerbated the ineffectiveness of their flight.
Ancient societies, due to filth and disorder, were prone to disease and death. This context justifies, but does not validate, the people's flight, as the disease was entrenched within them.
Advances in public health today, like a prophetic blessing, have reduced mortality and enhanced life quality. This transformation, compared to the past, resembles a divine miracle.
Currently, divorce rates surpass mortality rates, as hygiene has reduced death, but ethical and spiritual weakness has increased social problems. This situation serves as a
