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 Surah Al-Baqarah 2:47-56 [6/40] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
يَـٰبَنِىٓO Children
إِسْرَٲٓءِيلَ(of) Israel!
ٱذْكُرُواْRemember
نِعْمَتِىَMy Favor
ٱلَّتِىٓwhich
أَنْعَمْتُI bestowed
عَلَيْكُمْupon you
وَأَنِّىand that I
فَضَّلْتُكُمْ[I] preferred you
عَلَىover
ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَthe worlds.
﴿٤٧﴾
وَٱتَّقُواْAnd fear
يَوْمًاa day,
لَّا(will) not
تَجْزِىavail
نَفْسٌany soul
عَن نَّفْسٍ(another) soul
شَيْــًٔاanything,
وَلَاand not
يُقْبَلُwill be accepted
مِنْهَاfrom it
شَفَـٰعَةٌany intercession,
وَلَاand not
يُؤْخَذُwill be taken
مِنْهَاfrom it
عَدْلٌa compensation,
وَلَاand not
هُمْthey
يُنصَرُونَwill be helped.
﴿٤٨﴾
وَإِذْAnd when
نَجَّيْنَـٰكُمWe saved you
مِّنْfrom
ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ(the) people of Firaun
يَسُومُونَكُمْ(who were) afflicting you (with)
سُوٓءَhorrible
ٱلْعَذَابِtorment,
يُذَبِّحُونَslaughtering
أَبْنَآءَكُمْyour sons
وَيَسْتَحْيُونَand letting live
نِسَآءَكُمْ‌ۚyour women.
وَفِىAnd in
ذَٲلِكُمthat
بَلَآءٌ(was) a trial
مِّنfrom
رَّبِّكُمْyour Lord
عَظِيمٌgreat.
﴿٤٩﴾
وَإِذْAnd when
فَرَقْنَاWe parted
بِكُمُfor you
ٱلْبَحْرَthe sea,
فَأَنجَيْنَـٰكُمْthen We saved you,
وَأَغْرَقْنَآand We drowned
ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ(the) people of Firaun
وَأَنتُمْwhile you
تَنظُرُونَ(were) looking.
﴿٥٠﴾
وَإِذْAnd when
وَٲعَدْنَاWe appointed
مُوسَىٰٓ(for) Musa
أَرْبَعِينَforty
لَيْلَةًnights.
ثُمَّThen
ٱتَّخَذْتُمُyou took
ٱلْعِجْلَthe calf
مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦafter him
وَأَنتُمْand you
ظَـٰلِمُونَ(were) wrongdoers.
﴿٥١﴾
ثُمَّThen
عَفَوْنَاWe forgave
عَنكُمyou
مِّنۢ بَعْدِafter
ذَٲلِكَthat,
لَعَلَّكُمْso that you may
تَشْكُرُونَ(be) grateful.
﴿٥٢﴾
وَإِذْAnd when
ءَاتَيْنَاWe gave
مُوسَىMusa
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَthe Book
وَٱلْفُرْقَانَand the Criterion,
لَعَلَّكُمْperhaps you
تَهْتَدُونَ(would be) guided.
﴿٥٣﴾
وَإِذْAnd when
قَالَsaid
مُوسَىٰMusa
لِقَوْمِهِۦto his people,
يَـٰقَوْمِ`O my people!
إِنَّكُمْIndeed, you
ظَلَمْتُمْ[you] have wronged
أَنفُسَكُمyourselves
بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُby your taking
ٱلْعِجْلَthe calf.
فَتُوبُوٓاْSo turn in repentance
إِلَىٰto
بَارِئِكُمْyour Creator,
فَٱقْتُلُوٓاْand kill
أَنفُسَكُمْyourselves.
ذَٲلِكُمْThat
خَيْرٌ(is) better
لَّكُمْfor you
عِندَwith
بَارِئِكُمْyour Creator.`
فَتَابَThen He turned
عَلَيْكُمْ‌ۚtowards you.
إِنَّهُۥIndeed He!
هُوَHe
ٱلتَّوَّابُ(is) the Oft-returning,
ٱلرَّحِيمُthe Most Merciful.
﴿٥٤﴾
وَإِذْAnd when
قُلْتُمْyou said,
يَـٰمُوسَىٰ`O Musa!
لَنNever
نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ(will) we believe you
حَتَّىٰuntil
نَرَىwe see
ٱللَّهَAllah
جَهْرَةًmanifestly.`
فَأَخَذَتْكُمُSo seized you
ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُthe thunderbolt
وَأَنتُمْwhile you
تَنظُرُونَ(were) looking.
﴿٥٥﴾
ثُمَّThen
بَعَثْنَـٰكُمWe revived you
مِّنۢ بَعْدِafter
مَوْتِكُمْyour death,
لَعَلَّكُمْso that you may
تَشْكُرُونَ(be) grateful.
﴿٥٦﴾

يٰبَنِىۡٓ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ اذۡكُرُوۡا نِعۡمَتِىَ الَّتِىۡٓ اَنۡعَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَاَنِّىۡ فَضَّلۡتُكُمۡ عَلَى الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏  وَاتَّقُوۡا يَوۡمًا لَّا تَجۡزِىۡ نَفۡسٌ عَنۡ نَّفۡسٍ شَيۡـئًـا وَّلَا يُقۡبَلُ مِنۡهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَّلَا يُؤۡخَذُ مِنۡهَا عَدۡلٌ وَّلَا هُمۡ يُنۡصَرُوۡنَ‏  وَاِذۡ نَجَّيۡنٰکُمۡ مِّنۡ اٰلِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ يَسُوۡمُوۡنَكُمۡ سُوۡٓءَ الۡعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُوۡنَ اَبۡنَآءَكُمۡ وَيَسۡتَحۡيُوۡنَ نِسَآءَكُمۡ​ؕ وَفِىۡ ذٰلِكُمۡ بَلَاۤءٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّكُمۡ عَظِيۡمٌ‏  وَاِذۡ فَرَقۡنَا بِكُمُ الۡبَحۡرَ فَاَنۡجَيۡنٰکُمۡ وَاَغۡرَقۡنَآ اٰلَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَاَنۡتُمۡ تَنۡظُرُوۡنَ‏  وَاِذۡ وٰعَدۡنَا مُوۡسٰٓى اَرۡبَعِيۡنَ لَيۡلَةً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذۡتُمُ الۡعِجۡلَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِهٖ وَاَنۡـتُمۡ ظٰلِمُوۡنَ‏  ثُمَّ عَفَوۡنَا عَنۡكُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُوۡنَ‏  وَاِذۡ اٰتَيۡنَا مُوۡسَى الۡكِتٰبَ وَالۡفُرۡقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُوۡنَ‏   وَاِذۡ قَالَ مُوۡسٰى لِقَوۡمِهٖ يٰقَوۡمِ اِنَّكُمۡ ظَلَمۡتُمۡ اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الۡعِجۡلَ فَتُوۡبُوۡآ اِلٰى بَارِئِكُمۡ فَاقۡتُلُوۡٓا اَنۡفُسَكُمۡؕ ذٰ لِكُمۡ خَيۡرٌ لَّـكُمۡ عِنۡدَ بَارِئِكُمۡ ؕ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ​ؕ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏  وَاِذۡ قُلۡتُمۡ يٰمُوۡسٰى لَنۡ نُّؤۡمِنَ لَـكَ حَتّٰى نَرَى اللّٰهَ جَهۡرَةً فَاَخَذَتۡكُمُ الصّٰعِقَةُ وَاَنۡتُمۡ تَنۡظُرُوۡنَ‏  ثُمَّ بَعَثۡنٰكُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَوۡتِكُمۡ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَشۡكُرُوۡنَ‏  
Translation
(2:47) Children of Israel! Recall My favour which I bestowed upon you, exalting you above all nations.62 (2:48) Fear the Day when no one shall avail another, when no intercession will be accepted, when no one will be ransomed, and no criminal will receive any help.63 (2:49) And recall64 when We rescued you from the slavery of Pharaoh’s people65 who had afflicted you with dreadful suffering, slaying your males and sparing your females. That was a tremendous trial for you from your Lord.66 (2:50) And recall when We split the sea, providing passage for you, and thus saved you and caused Pharaoh’s people to drown before your very eyes. (2:51) And recall when We summoned Moses for a term of forty nights,67 and then you set up the calf as your god in his absence.68 You indeed committed a grave wrong. (2:52) Yet We pardoned you that you might be grateful. (2:53) And recall (that while you were committing this wrong) We gave Moses the Scripture69 and the Criterion that you are guided to the Right Way. (2:54) And recall when (on returning with this favour) Moses said to his people: “My people! You have wronged yourselves by taking the calf for an object of worship, so turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves.70 This will be best for you in your Creator’s sight.” Thereupon He accepted your repentance. Indeed He is Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate. (2:55) And recall when you said: “O Moses, we will not believe in you until we clearly see Allah (speaking to you).” Thereupon a tremendous thunderbolt struck you before your very eyes. (2:56) Then We revived you after your extinction, that you might be grateful.71
Commentary

62. This refers to that period of human history when, of all nations, only the Children of Israel possessed that knowledge of Truth which comes from God alone. At that time they were entrusted with the task of directing the nations of the world to righteousness; they were expected to serve God and to invite the rest of the world to do the same.

63. A major reason for the degeneration of the Israelites was the corruption of their beliefs about the After that since they were related to those venerable saints and pious men who had dedicated themselves entirely to the service of God in the past, the, would be forgiven by the grace of those great men. They believed that once they had bound themselves firmly to those men of God, it would become impossible for God to punish them. Such false reliance made them negligent of true religious piety and enmeshed them in a life of sin and wickedness. Hence, as well as reminding the Children of Israel of God's favour upon them, it was necessary to refute all the false ideas which they cherished.

64. From here on, through the several sections that follow, reference is made to the best

65. We have rendered 'Al Fir'awn' as 'Pharaoh's people'. This includes the members of the Pharaonic family as well as the aristocracy of Egypt.

66. The test was whether they would emerge from the crucible of persecution as pure gold, or as mere dross. The test also lay, in whether or not, after their miraculous deliverance from so great a calamity, they would become grateful servants of God.

67. When the Israelites reached the Sinai peninsula after their exodus from Egypt, God summoned Moses to the mountain for forty days and nights so that the nation which had now achieved independence could be taught law and morality. (See Exodus 24-3l.)

68. The cult of cow-worship was widespread among Israel's neighbours. It was particularly common in Egypt and Canaan. After the time of Joseph, when the Israelites fell prey to degeneracy and became the slaves of the Copts, they were contaminated by many of the corrupt practices prevalent among their rulers. Cow-worship was one of them. (There is a detailed account of the episode of calf-worship in Exodus 32.)

69. 'Criterion' here means that understanding of religion which differentiates truth from falsehood, making each stand out distinctly.

70. That is, they should put to death those of their own number who made the calf an object of worship and actually worshipped it.

71. The incident referred to here is the following. When Moses went to the mountain he had been ordered to bring with him seventy elders of Israel. Later, when God bestowed upon Moses the Book and the Criterion, he presented them to the people. Some mischief-makers, according to the Qur'an, began to complain that they could not believe in something just because Moses claimed that God had spoken to him. This invited the wrath of God and they were punished. The Old Testament, however, has the following account:

'And they saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank' (Exodus 24: 10-11),

Interestingly, it is stated later in the same book that when Moses requested God to show him His glory, God rejected the request and said: 'You cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live'. (See Exodus 33: 18-23)