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Al-Baqarah 54

Ayah 54 of 286 · Medinan

وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦ يَٰقَوۡمِ إِنَّكُمۡ ظَلَمۡتُمۡ أَنفُسَكُم بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ ٱلۡعِجۡلَ فَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمۡ فَٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ ذَٰلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمۡ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٥٤

And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves [i.e., the guilty among you]. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَإِذۡAnd whenwa-idh
  2. قَالَsaidqāla
  3. مُوسَىٰMusamūsā
  4. لِقَوۡمِهِۦto his peopleliqawmihi
  5. يَٰقَوۡمِO my peopleyāqawmi
  6. إِنَّكُمۡIndeed, youinnakum
  7. ظَلَمۡتُمۡ[you] have wrongedẓalamtum
  8. أَنفُسَكُمyourselvesanfusakum
  9. بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُby your takingbi-ittikhādhikumu
  10. ٱلۡعِجۡلَthe calfl-ʿij'la
  11. فَتُوبُوٓاْSo turn in repentancefatūbū
  12. إِلَىٰtoilā
  13. بَارِئِكُمۡyour Creatorbāri-ikum
  14. فَٱقۡتُلُوٓاْand killfa-uq'tulū
  15. أَنفُسَكُمۡyourselvesanfusakum
  16. ذَٰلِكُمۡThatdhālikum
  17. خَيۡرٞ(is) betterkhayrun
  18. لَّكُمۡfor youlakum
  19. عِندَwithʿinda
  20. بَارِئِكُمۡyour Creatorbāri-ikum
  21. فَتَابَThen He turnedfatāba
  22. عَلَيۡكُمۡۚtowards youʿalaykum
  23. إِنَّهُۥIndeed Heinnahu
  24. هُوَHehuwa
  25. ٱلتَّوَّابُ(is) the-returningl-tawābu
  26. ٱلرَّحِيمُthe Most Mercifull-raḥīmu

Tafsir

Also, remember that Allah’s allowing you to ask His forgiveness for worshipping the calf, when Moses (peace be upon him) told you that you had wronged yourselves by taking the calf as a god and worshipping it, were from the blessings of Allah. Moses told you to ask for forgiveness and repent to your Creator by some of you killing others, because turning to Him in this way was better for you than persisting in disbelief, which would lead to an eternity in the fire of Hell. So, you did this with Allah’s approval, and He forgave you, for He is Forgiving and Merciful with His servants.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran