Rest In The Shade 2 – Surah Al Baqarah 2:207
In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful
“And there is the type of man who would sell his life to earn the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Most Compassionate towards His devotees.” 2:207
These people are willing to dedicate their souls and bodies to Allah, for nothing in return other than His pleasure. It is a deal they conclude without a moment’s hesitation, desiring nothing else but divine blessing and approval.
The Arabic expression used in this verse may be interpreted differently to give the same message. The Arabic term denoting “sell” is also used to mean “buy”. Thus such people buy themselves by giving up all of the pleasures of this world, dedicating themselves purely to Allah. They are ready and willing to sacrifice all worldly success and pleasure so that they may be accepted by Allah and admitted into the divine fold.
In his commentary on the Qur’an, Ibn Kathir cites several reports suggesting that this verse was revealed with reference to one of the Prophet’s companions, Suhaib ibn Sinan, who was of Byzantine origin. He had accepted Islam when the Prophet [saw] was still in Makkah, but when the migration to Madinah took place and he wanted to join the Muslims, the Arab unbelievers prevented him from taking his belongings and money with him. He decided to give it all up in return for the right to leave Makkah.
He was met at the outskirts of Madinah by a group of Muslims, including Umar ibn Al Khattab, who greeted him with the words. “Well done! You have made a profitable bargain!” He returned the compliment by saying, “And may Allah make your trade always profitable. What’s the reason you’re congratulating me?” He was then given the good news that a verse of the Qur’an, a great honor, was revealed in tribute to his deal of leaving his wealth with the Arabs of Makkah.
It has also been reported that the Prophet [saw] had commented, “Suhaib has struck a profitable deal.”
This verse paints a portrait of a type of strong believer whose whole life is dedicated to the service of Allah, and who has conquered the temptations of this life. This, of the two portraits shown in the preceding verses, reveal some extraordinary aspects of the Qur’anic style, and are for us to study and marvel at. We cannot but stand in awe of Allah’s unmatched power of creation, as we learn how not to be taken in by soft-spoken words or false outward appearance. We are directed to look deeper into the essence of things, rather than be deceived by external appearance. This verse also draws our attention to the values of criteria, based on faith in Allah, which should be used to judge people.
[In the Shade of the Qur'an, volume 1, page 300-301]