Last Two Verses of Surah Baqarah: Meaning and Virtues
The last two verses of Surah Baqarah (2:285-286) in Arabic and English, their meaning phrase by phrase, and the hadith that they suffice you at night.
The last two verses of Surah Baqarah are ayat 285 and 286 of Surah al-Baqarah, beginning āmana r-rasūl ("The Messenger has believed"). They affirm faith in Allah, His angels, books and messengers, then teach a du'a for pardon, forgiveness and mercy. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites them at night, they will suffice him.
This guide gives you both verses exactly as they appear on quran.com, the story of why they were revealed, every authentic narration about their virtue, what the scholars said "suffice" means, and a phrase-by-phrase table for understanding and memorising them.
What are the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah?
The last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah are 2:285 and 2:286, the closing passage of the longest surah in the Qur'an, which has 286 verses. The narrations call them khawātīm sūrat al-Baqarah, the concluding verses of al-Baqarah, and many people know them by their opening words, Āmana r-Rasūl, or simply as the last 2 ayat of al-Baqarah.
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allāh and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."”
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
“Allāh does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."”
خَوَاتِيمُ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ
khawātīm sūrat al-baqarah
The concluding verses of Surah al-Baqarah
The name used for 2:285-286 in the wording of Sahih Muslim 806 and 173. Khawātīm is the plural of khātimah, an ending.
Why were these two verses revealed?
These two verses were revealed to ease a worry that weighed on the Companions. The verse just before them (2:284) says that Allah will call people to account for what is within themselves, whether they show it or hide it. The Companions found this very hard and came to the Prophet ﷺ, kneeling, saying it was beyond them. He told them not to answer as earlier nations had, but to say "We hear and we obey". When they said it and it flowed on their tongues, Allah revealed 2:285 and then 2:286.
قُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَسَلَّمْنَا. قَالَ فَأَلْقَى اللَّهُ الإِيمَانَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا} قَالَ قَدْ فَعَلْتُ
“Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Say: We have heard and obeyed and submitted ourselves." Allah instilled faith in their hearts and He revealed this verse: "Allah burdens not a soul beyond its capacity. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. Our Lord, call us not to account if we forget or make a mistake." He (the Lord) said: "I indeed did it."”
In the rest of this narration Allah answers the later requests of the verse in the same way, and in Abu Hurayrah's narration of the event (Muslim 125) the answer is "Yes". Ibn Kathir explains in his tafsir of 2:286 that this ayah lifted the burden the Companions feared: a person is not punished for passing thoughts they cannot control.
What is the virtue of the last two verses of Surah Baqarah?
The best-known virtue of the last two verses of Surah Baqarah is that they suffice the one who recites them at night. It is reported in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, from the Companion Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari.
مَنْ قَرَأَ بِالآيَتَيْنِ مِنْ آخِرِ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ كَفَتَاهُ
“Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "If somebody recited the last two Verses of Surat Al-Baqara at night, that will be sufficient for him."”
Two lights no prophet was given before
Ibn 'Abbas reported that while Jibril was with the Prophet ﷺ, a gate of heaven opened for the first time and an angel came down with good news about these verses and al-Fatihah.
أَبْشِرْ بِنُورَيْنِ أُوتِيتَهُمَا لَمْ يُؤْتَهُمَا نَبِيٌّ قَبْلَكَ فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ وَخَوَاتِيمُ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ لَنْ تَقْرَأَ بِحَرْفٍ مِنْهُمَا إِلاَّ أُعْطِيتَهُ
“"Rejoice in two lights given to you which have not been given to any prophet before you: Fatihat al-Kitab and the concluding verses of Surah al-Baqara. You will never recite a letter from them for which you will not be given (a reward)."”
A gift from the Night Journey
These verses are also linked to the Isra and Mi'raj. When the Prophet ﷺ was taken up to Sidrat al-Muntaha on the Night Journey, he was given three things, and the concluding verses of al-Baqarah were one of them.
فَأُعْطِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثَلاَثًا أُعْطِيَ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسَ وَأُعْطِيَ خَوَاتِيمَ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ وَغُفِرَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ شَيْئًا الْمُقْحِمَاتُ
“"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was given three (things): he was given five prayers, he was given the concluding verses of Sura al-Baqara, and remission of serious sins for those among his Ummah who associate not anything with Allah."”
The Companions took this seriously. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said that he could not imagine a person of sound mind going to sleep without reciting the last three verses of al-Baqarah, and an-Nawawi said in al-Adhkar that the report's chain is authentic, as cited in the islamqa.info answer on which verses to recite before sleeping.
What does "they will suffice him" mean?
"They will suffice him" (kafatāhu) has more than one explanation, and the scholars did not limit it to one. An-Nawawi listed the main views, quoted in the islamqa.info answer on du'a for protection: that the two verses suffice in place of praying at night, or that they suffice against the Shaytan or against harm, and he said it may mean all of these.
| Explanation | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In place of night prayer | They take the place of night prayer (qiyam al-layl) for that night | An-Nawawi (via islamqa.info 12715) |
| Protection from the Shaytan | They guard you against the Shaytan through the night | An-Nawawi (via islamqa.info 12715) |
| Protection from harm and evil | They suffice you against any evil that might harm you | An-Nawawi; Ibn al-Qayyim in al-Wabil al-Sayyib (via islamqa.info 72591) |
| All of the above | The wording is general, so it may include every one of these | An-Nawawi (via islamqa.info 12715) |
None of these readings touches the five daily prayers, and night prayer keeps its own great reward for whoever can pray it. What the readings show is how much Allah gives for two short verses recited with attention.
When should you recite the last two verses of Surah Baqarah?
You should recite the last two verses of Surah Baqarah at any point during the night, which begins at Maghrib and ends at dawn, as the islamqa.info answer on when to read the evening adhkar explains. The hadith says "in a night", so reciting them once is enough to act on it. Many people recite them as part of their bedtime routine, alongside Ayat al-Kursi, the greatest verse in the Qur'an, and the two surahs of refuge.
If you tend to fall asleep before you get to them, recite them straight after Maghrib or Isha instead. The night has already begun, so the hadith applies, and the habit survives tired evenings. Some people pair them with Surah al-Mulk in the same sitting.
What do the last two verses of Surah Baqarah mean?
The last two verses of Surah Baqarah move from belief to du'a. Verse 285 describes what the Messenger ﷺ and the believers believe and how they answer Allah's command. Verse 286 begins with a mercy and then gives a series of short requests every Muslim can make their own.
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ | āmana r-rasūlu bimā unzila ilayhi min rabbihī wal-mu'minūn | The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. |
| كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ | kullun āmana billāhi wa malā'ikatihī wa kutubihī wa rusulih | All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers |
| لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ | lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin min rusulih | [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." |
| وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا | wa qālū sami'nā wa aṭa'nā | And they say, "We hear and we obey. |
| غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ | ghufrānaka rabbanā wa ilayka l-maṣīr | [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." |
| لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا | lā yukallifu llāhu nafsan illā wus'ahā | Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. |
| لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ | lahā mā kasabat wa 'alayhā mā ktasabat | It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. |
| رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا | rabbanā lā tu'ākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhṭa'nā | "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. |
| رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا | rabbanā wa lā taḥmil 'alaynā iṣran kamā ḥamaltahū 'alā lladhīna min qablinā | Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. |
| رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ | rabbanā wa lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bih | Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. |
| وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ | wa'fu 'annā waghfir lanā warḥamnā | And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. |
| أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ | anta mawlānā fanṣurnā 'alā l-qawmi l-kāfirīn | You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people." |
Verse 285: what the believers affirm
Verse 285 names four things the believers have faith in: Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers. Ibn Kathir explains that "we make no distinction between any of His messengers" means the believers do not accept some prophets and reject others. Then comes the reply the Companions were taught, sami'nā wa aṭa'nā, "we hear and we obey", followed straight away by a request for forgiveness.
سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا
sami'nā wa aṭa'nā
We hear and we obey
سَمِعْنَا (sami'nā): we have heard. وَأَطَعْنَا (wa aṭa'nā): and we have obeyed. The answer the Prophet ﷺ taught the Companions to give (Muslim 125).
Verse 286: a mercy, then a du'a
Verse 286 opens with a promise: Allah does not charge a soul beyond its capacity. The believers then ask not to be blamed for forgetting or honest mistakes, not to carry burdens like those of earlier nations, and not to be loaded with what they cannot bear. Ibn Kathir explains the last three requests this way: pardon us for our shortcomings between us and You, forgive us by covering our faults from others, and have mercy on us in what comes next so we do not fall into another error. Anta mawlānā, "You are our protector", means You are our supporter and helper.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
lā yukallifu llāhu nafsan illā wus'ahā
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.
نَفْسًا (nafsan): a soul. وُسْعَهَا (wus'ahā): its capacity, what it is able to do. The opening words of 2:286.
How can you memorise the last two verses of Surah Baqarah?
You can memorise the last two verses of Surah Baqarah in short daily sessions by learning them phrase by phrase, using the table above. Most of the phrases are short and many begin with rabbanā (our Lord), which makes the second verse easier to hold than its length suggests.
Memorise 2:285-286 in five steps
- 1
Listen first
Play 2:285-286 on quran.com several times while following the Arabic, so the sound is in your ear before you try to recall it.
- 2
Learn one phrase at a time
Take one row of the table, read it aloud five or six times from the mushaf, then say it without looking. Move on only when it comes out cleanly.
- 3
Chain the phrases
Join each new phrase to the ones before it and recite the whole chain from the start. Verse 285 first, then verse 286.
- 4
Recite to someone
Recite both verses to a teacher or someone who knows them well, so mistakes in letters or vowels are caught before they settle.
- 5
Use them every night
Once memorised, recite them each night. That acts on the hadith and keeps the verses fresh.
If you want a full method for memorising longer passages, our beginner's method for memorising the Qur'an builds on the same steps. And if you would like someone to check your recitation, you can find a Qur'an teacher of your choice for one-to-one lessons.
Key takeaways
- The last two verses of Surah Baqarah are 2:285 and 2:286, the closing verses of the longest surah in the Qur'an.
- The Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites them at night, they will suffice him (al-Bukhari 5009, Muslim 807).
- They are one of two lights given to the Prophet ﷺ that no earlier prophet received, and a gift from the Night Journey (Muslim 806, Muslim 173).
- An-Nawawi said "suffice" may mean in place of night prayer, protection from the Shaytan, protection from harm, or all of these.
- Recite them once at any time between Maghrib and dawn, and leave aside invented formulas about numbers of repetitions.
Further reading
My Tijarah
Ready to take this beyond reading?
Articles build understanding. A teacher builds you. Learn 1:1 with vetted Qur’an and Arabic teachers, matched to your goals and schedule.
Find your teacherMore on qur’an in context
Virtues of Surah al-Fatiha: The Greatest Surah in the Quran
Importance of Learning Arabic in Islam: What the Salaf Said
