Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Which was revealed in Makkah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Qur'an and the Disbelievers turning away;
They could be compelled to believe if Allah so willed At the beginning of the explanation of Surat Al-Baqarah we discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs. Allah's saying:
تِلْكَ ءايَاتُ الْكِتَـبِ الْمُبِينِ
(These are the Ayat of the Book Mubin.) means, these are the verses of the Clear Qur'an, i.e. the clear and unambiguous Book which distinguishes between truth and falsehood, misguidance and guidance.
لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ
(It may be that you are going Bakhi` yourself,) means, destroy yourself -- because of your keenness that they should be guided and your grief for them.
Continue reading the tafsir of ayahs 1–9