Surah Al-Baqara 2:186 — translation and meaning

البقرة · Verse 186 / 286 · Page 28

ۖ ۖ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

Word by Word

ۖ
ۖ
وَإِذَا
wa-idha
And when
سَأَلَكَ
sa-alaka
ask you
عِبَادِي
ibadi
My servants
عَنِّي
anni
about Me
فَإِنِّي
fa-inni
then indeed I am
قَرِيبٌ
qaribun
near
أُجِيبُ
ujibu
I respond
دَعْوَةَ
da'wata
(to the) invocation
الدَّاعِ
al-da'i
(of) the supplicant
إِذَا
idha
when
دَعَانِ
da'ani
he calls Me
فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا
falyastajibu
So let them respond
لِي
li
to Me
وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا
walyu'minu
and let them believe
بِي
bi
in Me
لَعَلَّهُمْ
la'allahum
so that they may
يَرْشُدُونَ
yarshuduna
(be) led aright

Transliteration

Wa izaa sa alaka 'ibaadee 'annnee fa innee qareebun ujeebu da'wataddaa'i izaa da'aani falyastajeeboo lee walyu minoo beela 'allahum yarshudoon

Translation

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

If they ask you, O Prophet, about how close Allah is and about His answering of prayers, Allah is close to them and knows everything about them. He hears their prayer, and they do not need intermediaries or to raise their voices. Allah responds to the call of whoever calls Him sincerely, praying to Him; so, let them be devoted to Him and His sacred law, firm in their faith, as that is the best route to Allah’s response – perhaps in that way they might be rightly guided in worldly and sacred matters.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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