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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 54of 286

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَٰقَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُم بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴿٥٤

Translation (Sahih International)

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. 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.

Word-by-word meaning

وَإِذْwa-idhAnd when
قَالَqālasaid
مُوسَىٰmūsāMusa
لِقَوْمِهِۦliqawmihito his people
يَـٰقَوْمِyāqawmiO my people
إِنَّكُمْinnakumIndeed, you
ظَلَمْتُمْẓalamtum[you] have wronged
أَنفُسَكُمanfusakumyourselves
بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُbi-ittikhādhikumuby your taking
ٱلْعِجْلَl-ʿij'lathe calf
فَتُوبُوٓا۟fatūbūSo turn in repentance
إِلَىٰilāto
بَارِئِكُمْbāri-ikumyour Creator
فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟fa-uq'tulūand kill
أَنفُسَكُمْanfusakumyourselves
ذَٰلِكُمْdhālikumThat
خَيْرٌۭkhayrun(is) better
لَّكُمْlakumfor you
عِندَʿindawith
بَارِئِكُمْbāri-ikumyour Creator
فَتَابَfatābaThen He turned
عَلَيْكُمْ ۚʿalaykumtowards you
إِنَّهُۥinnahuIndeed He
هُوَhuwaHe
ٱلتَّوَّابُl-tawābu(is) the-returning
ٱلرَّحِيمُl-raḥīmuthe Most Merciful

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Children of Israel kill each other in RepentanceThis was the repentance required from the Children of Israel for worshipping the calf. Commenting on Allah's statement; وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَـقَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ(And (remember) when Musa said to his people: "O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf...

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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