Al-Baqarah 2:201
The Cow · Medinan · Juz 2 · Page 31
A Beautiful Prayer
وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةࣰ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ حَسَنَةࣰ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ٢٠١
And of them (also) is he who saith: “Our Lord! Give unto us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and guard us from the doom of Fire.
Translation: Marmaduke Pickthall
Meaning
Some people pray: ‘Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’
Insight
According to Elmalılı, true ‘hasanah’ (good) is good whose end is safe. Many things that please at first can end in disaster, so it is not wise to ask only for the momentary good of this world.
Reflect
Think about whether something you want now will also be good in the long run.
This short note is based on Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır’s Turkish commentary and has not yet been reviewed by a scholar.
Elmalılı’s commentary
An English translation of Elmalılı’s full commentary is coming soon. Read the original Turkish ›