سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 61
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَٰحِدٍ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ ﴿61﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when you said, "O Mûsâ (Moses)! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows, its herbs, its cucumbers, its Fûm (wheat or garlic), its lentils and its onions." He said, "Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!" And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allâh. That was because they used to disbelieve the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations etc.) of Allâh and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds (in their disobedience to Allâh, i.e. commit crimes and sins).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
قُلْتُمْ
qul'tum
you said
يَـٰمُوسَىٰ
yāmūsā
O Musa
لَن
lan
Never (will)
نَّصْبِرَ
naṣbira
we endure
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
[on]
طَعَامٍۢ
ṭaʿāmin
food
وَٰحِدٍۢ
wāḥidin
(of) one (kind)
فَٱدْعُ
fa-ud'ʿu
so pray
لَنَا
lanā
for us
رَبَّكَ
rabbaka
(to) your Lord
يُخْرِجْ
yukh'rij
to bring forth
لَنَا
lanā
for us
مِمَّا
mimmā
out of what
تُنۢبِتُ
tunbitu
grows
ٱلْأَرْضُ
l-arḍu
the earth
مِنۢ
min
of
بَقْلِهَا
baqlihā
its herbs
وَقِثَّآئِهَا
waqithāihā
[and] its cucumbers
وَفُومِهَا
wafūmihā
[and] its garlic
وَعَدَسِهَا
waʿadasihā
[and] its lentils
وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ
wabaṣalihā
and its onions
قَالَ
qāla
He said
أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ
atastabdilūna
Would you exchange
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
that which
هُوَ
huwa
[it]
أَدْنَىٰ
adnā
(is) inferior
بِٱلَّذِى
bi-alladhī
for that which
هُوَ
huwa
[it]
خَيْرٌ ۚ
khayrun
(is) better
ٱهْبِطُوا۟
ih'biṭū
Go down
مِصْرًۭا
miṣ'ran
(to) a city
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
so indeed
لَكُم
lakum
for you
مَّا
mā
(is) what
سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ
sa-altum
you have asked (for)
وَضُرِبَتْ
waḍuribat
And were struck
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
on them
ٱلذِّلَّةُ
l-dhilatu
the humiliation
وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ
wal-maskanatu
and the misery
وَبَآءُو
wabāū
and they drew on themselves
بِغَضَبٍۢ
bighaḍabin
wrath
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱللَّهِ ۗ
l-lahi
Allah
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That (was)
بِأَنَّهُمْ
bi-annahum
because they
كَانُوا۟
kānū
used to
يَكْفُرُونَ
yakfurūna
disbelieve
بِـَٔايَـٰتِ
biāyāti
in (the) Signs
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَيَقْتُلُونَ
wayaqtulūna
and kill
ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ
l-nabiyīna
the Prophets
بِغَيْرِ
bighayri
without (any)
ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ
l-ḥaqi
[the] right
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
بِمَا
bimā
(was) because
عَصَوا۟
ʿaṣaw
they disobeyed
وَّكَانُوا۟
wakānū
and they were
يَعْتَدُونَ
yaʿtadūna
transgressing
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
61. 1 This story is also from the plain of Tih. Here, "Egypt" does not mean Egypt itself, but rather any city. The meaning is: go to any city from here, do farming there, grow and eat the vegetables and lentils of your choice. Since this demand was an act of ingratitude, it was said to them that the things you desire are available there for you. 61. 2 Where are those favors and blessings, the details of which have already been mentioned? And where is that humiliation and misery which was later imposed upon them, and they became the recipients of Allah's wrath? Wrath, like mercy, is an attribute of Allah, and it is not correct to interpret it as merely the intention of punishment or the punishment itself. Allah became angry with them. 61. 3 The reason for this humiliation and Allah's wrath is being stated. That is, denial of Allah's signs and the humiliation and insult of the prophets (AS) who called towards Allah—this is the cause of Allah's wrath. If all the Jews committed this and became accursed and humiliated, then how can those who commit this today be honored and successful, whoever and wherever they may be? 61. 4 This is the second reason for humiliation and misery. The meaning of عَصَوْ (disobeyed) is that they committed the acts from which they were forbidden. Obedience and submission is to do as commanded. Any addition or omission from oneself is excess (اعتداء), which Allah greatly dislikes.
