The surah’s name (Al-Baqarah = The Female Cow) is in reference to the procrastinating of sacrificing a cow by the Israelites after the commandment of Allah. Ponder and learn from past mistakes of the first Muslim Nation, i.e. the Israelites. Guidance derived from the stories that we can manifest in our lives. The Israelites were supposed to continue the legacy of Ibraheem (a.s) by becoming as one Muslim Nation after the coming of the final Messenger for mankind but they decided otherwise. However throughout history since the time of the last Messenger of God, many Jews had since decided to revert back to the original teachings of their Prophets in submission to the One Lord, Allah. They had rejoin into the Muslim nation that they were supposed to be.
Note: There are two stories in this surah involving the cow.
One is about a Calf (a young cow) الْعِجْل and the other is about a full grown Female Cow البقرة.
The surah’s name is not referencing to the incident where Moses (a.s) prohibited worshiping a Calf idol but it is in reference to story of the Female Cow.
This is a Madani Surah. Ayaat upon ayaat were revealed bit by bit after the Prophet's (s.a.w) "hijrah" migration to Madinah. This is the largest Surah of the Quran consisting of 286 ayaat.
Some Hadiths on the Virtues of reciting Surah Al-Baqarah (extracted from Tafseer Ibn Katheer)
1. 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said, "Shaytan flees from the house where Surat Al-Baqarah is heard."
2. 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said, "Whoever recites ten Ayat from Surat Al-Baqarah in a night, then Shaytan will not enter his house that night. (Ayaat 1 to 4, 255, 256 to 257, 284 to 286)
3. Ibn Mas'ud said, "Then Shaytan will not come near him or his family, nor will he be touched by anything that he dislikes. Also, if these Ayat were to be recited over a senile person, they would wake him up."
4. Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Everything has a hump (or, high peek), and Al-Baqarah is the high peek of the Qur'an. Whoever recites Al-Baqarah at night in his house, then Shaytan will not enter that house for three nights. Whoever recites it during a day in his house, then Shaytan will not enter that house for three days.”
5. The Prophet ﷺ came to one of the youngest men among them and asked him, 'What have you memorized (of the Qur'an) young man?' He said, 'I memorized such and such Surahs and also Al-Baqarah.' The Prophet said, 'You memorized Surat Al-Baqarah?' He said, 'Yes.' The Prophet said, 'Then you are their commander.'
6. Usayd bin Hudayr saw some lights in a cloud at night while he was reciting Surah Al-Baqarah. He told the Prophet s.a.w the next day. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do you know what that was?" He said, "No." The Prophet ﷺ said, “They were the angels, they came close hearing your voice (reciting Surat Al-Baqarah), and if you had kept reading, the people would have been able to see the angels when the morning came, and the angels would not be hidden from their eyes”.
7. Prophet ﷺ said, “Learn Surat Al-Baqarah, because in learning it there is blessing, in ignoring it there is sorrow, and the sorceresses cannot memorize it”.
8. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “Read the Qur'an, because it will intercede on behalf of its people on the Day of Resurrection. Read the two lights, Al-Baqarah and Āl-'Imrān, because they will come in the shape of two clouds, two shades or two lines of birds on the Day of Resurrection and will argue on behalf of their people on that Day”.
9. Prophet ﷺ said, “On the Day of Resurrection the Qur'an and its people who used to implement it will be brought forth, preceded by Surat Al-Baqarah and Āl-'Imrān.
When we read the English translation of Surah Al-Baqarah, it seemed that the topics in this Surah are not connected to one another. This is because of our lack of knowledge of the Book.
If you look at the stars at night, it seems that the stars are scattered with no orderly importance but people with knowledge like the astronomers can “read” the stars.
Word by word English translations do not depict the actual classical Arabic speech and the context of each ayah. Here in Surah Al-Baqorah, we will see how the speeches were connected to one another.
The different sections of Surah al-Baqarah are having the same Theme which is Obedience to your LORD such as the story of Adam a.s, Ibrahim a.s, stories of the ancient Jews, etc. The Quran will not put in details that will distract the reader from the main Theme which are about obedience and disobedience and the consequences. General names of people, names of places, dates are not emphasized. Only the main characters are mentioned such as names of Messengers, etc.
(1) The first Surah (Al-Fatihah) = you asking for guidance, not from the path of the people who are angered upon (eg. the Jews) and not of the people who are lost (eg. the Christians).
(2) The second Surah (Al-Baqorah) = telling you how to get guidance and obeying guidance. Lessons of “Iman” (faith) from experiences of the Jews (the path of the Jews). The ancient Jews was the first failed Muslim nation while we are the second Muslim nation taking lessons not to follow in the corrupt footsteps of the first nation.
(3) The third Surah (Ali-Imran) = after gaining “Iman” from the 2nd surah, the next step is to follow a peaceful submissive way of life (Islam) to the Creator which is easier after you have solid “Iman” like the faith of Mary, mother of Jesus (as told in this 3rd Surah).
Stories told in this Surah with regards to the wife of Imran (mother of Mary), Mariam (Mary), Isa (Jesus, son to Mary), Yahya (Paul, cousin to Mary), Zakariah (uncle to Mary). They were all Muslims (people who submit to the will of God). These stories are all very familiar to the Christians. The Christians believed in the Trinity while this is the third Surah in the Qur’an which coincided with the path of the Christians.
The above is just a glimpse of how the Qur’an was orderly arranged.