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An-Nisa 153

Ayah 153 of 176 · Medinan

يَسۡـَٔلُكَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ كِتَٰبٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ فَقَدۡ سَأَلُواْ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكۡبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوٓاْ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهۡرَةٗ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلصَّٰعِقَةُ بِظُلۡمِهِمۡۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُواْ ٱلۡعِجۡلَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتُ فَعَفَوۡنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَۚ وَءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَىٰ سُلۡطَٰنٗا مُّبِينٗا ١٥٣

The People of the Scripture ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. But they had asked of Moses [even] greater than that and said, "Show us Allāh outright," so the thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf [for worship] after clear evidences had come to them, and We pardoned that. And We gave Moses a clear authority.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. يَسۡـَٔلُكَAsk youyasaluka
  2. أَهۡلُ(the) Peopleahlu
  3. ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ(of) the Bookl-kitābi
  4. أَنthatan
  5. تُنَزِّلَyou bring downtunazzila
  6. عَلَيۡهِمۡto themʿalayhim
  7. كِتَٰبٗاa bookkitāban
  8. مِّنَfrommina
  9. ٱلسَّمَآءِۚthe heavenl-samāi
  10. فَقَدۡThen indeedfaqad
  11. سَأَلُواْthey (had) askedsa-alū
  12. مُوسَىٰٓMusamūsā
  13. أَكۡبَرَgreaterakbara
  14. مِنthanmin
  15. ذَٰلِكَthatdhālika
  16. فَقَالُوٓاْfor they saidfaqālū
  17. أَرِنَاShow usarinā
  18. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  19. جَهۡرَةٗmanifestlyjahratan
  20. فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُso struck themfa-akhadhathumu
  21. ٱلصَّٰعِقَةُthe thunderboltl-ṣāʿiqatu
  22. بِظُلۡمِهِمۡۚfor their wrongdoingbiẓul'mihim
  23. ثُمَّThenthumma
  24. ٱتَّخَذُواْthey tookittakhadhū
  25. ٱلۡعِجۡلَthe calf (for worship)l-ʿij'la
  26. مِنۢfrommin
  27. بَعۡدِafterbaʿdi
  28. مَا[what]mā
  29. جَآءَتۡهُمُcame to themjāathumu
  30. ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتُthe clear proofsl-bayinātu
  31. فَعَفَوۡنَاthen We forgave themfaʿafawnā
  32. عَنforʿan
  33. ذَٰلِكَۚthatdhālika
  34. وَءَاتَيۡنَاAnd We gavewaātaynā
  35. مُوسَىٰMusamūsā
  36. سُلۡطَٰنٗاan authoritysul'ṭānan
  37. مُّبِينٗاclearmubīnan

Tafsir

The Jews ask you, O Messenger, to bring down to them at once a Book from the heaven, as it occurred with Moses, to prove your truthfulness. Do not be surprised at them as their predecessors had asked Moses for something much greater when they asked him to show them Allah openly. As a consequence for what they said they were seized by a thunderbolt. Then Allah brought them back to life and they went on to worship the calf instead of Allah after clear proofs came to them indicating Allah’s Oneness and Him being the only One worthy of worship. Then He forgave them and gave Moses clear evidence against his people.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran