Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 63
Quran 2:63 · The Cow · Madani · Para 1 · Page 10
وَاِذْ اَخَذْنَا مِیْثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّوْرَ ؕ خُذُوْا مَاۤ اٰتَیْنٰكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ وَّاذْكُرُوْا مَا فِیْهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Wa-ith akhathna meethaqakumwarafaAAna fawqakumu attoora khuthooma ataynakum biquwwatin wathkurooma feehi laAAallakum tattaqoon
Saheeh International
And [recall] when We took your covenant, [O Children of Israel, to abide by the Torah] and We raised over you the mount, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that perhaps you may become righteous."
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
Remember when Allah made a contract with you: that you should have faith in Allah and His prophets. He raised the mountain over you, inspiring awe and warning you against breaking the contract, commanding you to take what He had revealed to you of the Torah seriously and carefully, not taking it for granted or being lazy about it. He told you to remember and reflect upon it, so that you might be careful about what you earn from Allah.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) on 2:63–2:64
And (O Children of Isra'il, remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): "Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may acquire Taqwa (63)Then after that you turned away. Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah upon you, indeed you would have been among the losers (64)
Taking the Covenant from the Jews
Allah reminded the Children of Israel of the pledges, covenants and promises that He took from them to believe in Him alone, without a partner, and follow His Messengers. Allah stated that when He took their pledge from them, He raised the mountain above their heads, so that they affirm the pledge that they gave Allah and abide by it with sincerity and seriousness. Hence, Allah's statement,
وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
(And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): "Hold firmly to what We have given you (Tawrah), and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him.")(7:171).
The mount mentioned here is At-Tur, just as it was explained in Surat Al-A'raf, according to the Tafsir of Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, 'Ata', 'Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas and others. This is more obvious. There is another report from Ibn 'Abbas saying; 'The Tur is a type of mountain that vegetation grows on, if no vegetation grows on it, it is not called Tur.' And in the Hadith about the trials, Ibn 'Abbas said; "When they (the Jews) refused to obey, Allah raised the mountain above their heads so that they would listen."
Al-Hasan said that Allah's statement,
خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ
(Hold fast to that which We have given you) means, the Tawrah. Mujahid said that the Ayah commanded, "Strictly adhere to it." Abu Al-'Aliyah and Ar-Rabi' said that,
وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ
(and remember that which is therein) means, "Read the Tawrah and implement it." Allah's statement,
ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ
(Then after that you turned away. Had it not been for the grace of Allah) means, "Yet, after the firm pledge that you gave, you still deviated and broke your pledge";
فَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ
(Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah upon you), meaning, by forgiving you and by sending the Prophets and Messengers to you,
لَكُنتُم مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
(Indeed you would have been among the losers) meaning, in this life and the Hereafter due to their breach of the covenant.