Quran Universe
2:63

وَإِذۡ أَخَذۡنَا مِيثَٰقَكُمۡ وَرَفَعۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيۡنَٰكُم بِقُوَّةٖ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ

Waith akhathna meethaqakum warafaAAna fawqakumu alttoora khuthoo ma ataynakum biquwwatin waothkuroo ma feehi laAAallakum tattaqoona

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."

Word by word
  1. وَإِذۡAnd when
  2. أَخَذۡنَاWe took
  3. مِيثَٰقَكُمۡyour covenant
  4. وَرَفَعۡنَاand We raised
  5. فَوۡقَكُمُover you
  6. ٱلطُّورَthe mount
  7. خُذُواْHold
  8. مَآwhat
  9. ءَاتَيۡنَٰكُمWe have given you
  10. بِقُوَّةٖwith strength
  11. وَٱذۡكُرُواْand remember
  12. مَاwhat
  13. فِيهِ(is) in it
  14. لَعَلَّكُمۡperhaps you
  15. تَتَّقُونَ(would become) righteous
Al-Baqarah · 2:63Madinah

Hold what you were given with both hands.

A promise made under the mountain

The covenant
Children of Israelgave their pledge
under
the raised mountlike a canopy overhead
told to
hold it firmlyread it, act on it
How to hold guidance
loosely, when convenienta book on a shelf
with strengthremember it, live it

Allah reminds the Children of Israel of the pledge He took from them to worship Him alone and follow His Messengers. The mountain was raised over their heads so they would take that pledge seriously. Hold firmly to what We gave you, and remember what is in it. The scholars explained this as reading the Torah and acting on it.

You downloaded the Quran app months ago. You opened it during a hard week, felt something, then let it slide. Guidance held with two fingers slips out easily. Holding it with strength looks like a small, steady habit, not a burst.

I believe in it, so that is enough.

Guidance has to be gripped and remembered, or it slips away.

Try this

Pick one verse you already know and act on it once today on purpose.

Related7:171
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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.