سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 155
وَٱخْتَارَ مُوسَىٰ قَوْمَهُۥ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا لِّمِيقَـٰتِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّـٰىَ ۖ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَهْدِى مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَا ۖ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْغَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿155﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Mûsâ (Moses) chose out of his people seventy (of the best) men for Our appointed time and place of meeting, and when they were seized with a violent earthquake, he said: "O my Lord, if it had been Your Will, You could have destroyed them and me before; would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us? It is only Your Trial by which You lead astray whom You will, and keep guided whom You will. You are our Walî (Protector), so forgive us and have Mercy on us: for You are the Best of those who forgive.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱخْتَارَ
wa-ikh'tāra
And chose
مُوسَىٰ
mūsā
Musa
قَوْمَهُۥ
qawmahu
(from) his people
سَبْعِينَ
sabʿīna
seventy
رَجُلًۭا
rajulan
men
لِّمِيقَـٰتِنَا ۖ
limīqātinā
for Our appointment
فَلَمَّآ
falammā
Then when
أَخَذَتْهُمُ
akhadhathumu
seized them
ٱلرَّجْفَةُ
l-rajfatu
the earthquake
قَالَ
qāla
he said
رَبِّ
rabbi
O my Lord
لَوْ
law
If
شِئْتَ
shi'ta
you (had) willed
أَهْلَكْتَهُم
ahlaktahum
You (could) have destroyed them
مِّن
min
from
قَبْلُ
qablu
before
وَإِيَّـٰىَ ۖ
wa-iyyāya
and me
أَتُهْلِكُنَا
atuh'likunā
Would You destroy us
بِمَا
bimā
for what
فَعَلَ
faʿala
did
ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ
l-sufahāu
the foolish
مِنَّآ ۖ
minnā
among us
إِنْ
in
Not
هِىَ
hiya
it (was)
إِلَّا
illā
but
فِتْنَتُكَ
fit'natuka
Your trial
تُضِلُّ
tuḍillu
You let go astray
بِهَا
bihā
by it
مَن
man
whom
تَشَآءُ
tashāu
You will
وَتَهْدِى
watahdī
and You guide
مَن
man
whom
تَشَآءُ ۖ
tashāu
You will
أَنتَ
anta
You
وَلِيُّنَا
waliyyunā
(are) our Protector
فَٱغْفِرْ
fa-igh'fir
so forgive
لَنَا
lanā
us
وَٱرْحَمْنَا ۖ
wa-ir'ḥamnā
and have mercy upon us
وَأَنتَ
wa-anta
and You
خَيْرُ
khayru
(are) Best
ٱلْغَـٰفِرِينَ
l-ghāfirīna
(of) Forgivers
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.
155. 1 The details of these seventy men are coming in the next footnote. Here it is mentioned that Prophet Musa (Moses) ﷺ selected seventy men from his people and took them to Mount Tur, where, as a punishment, they were destroyed, upon which Prophet Musa ﷺ said.
155. 2 Who were these seventy men of Bani Israel? There is a difference of opinion among the commentators regarding this. One opinion is that when Prophet Musa ﷺ recited the commandments of the Torah to them, they said, "How can we be sure that this book is indeed revealed from Allah?" They said, "We will not believe until we hear Allah speaking ourselves." So, they selected seventy chosen men and took them to Mount Tur. There, Allah spoke to Prophet Musa ﷺ, which those people also heard. But there, they made a new demand that, "We will not believe until we see Allah with our own eyes."
The second opinion is that these seventy men are those who, on behalf of the whole nation, were taken to Mount Tur to repent and apologize for the grave sin of worshipping the calf, and there they expressed the desire to see Allah.
The third opinion is that these seventy men are those who saw the Israelites worshipping the calf but did not stop them.
A fourth opinion is that these seventy men were those who were chosen by Allah's command to be taken to Mount Tur, and there they made supplications to Allah, among which one supplication was, "O Allah, grant us something that You have never granted anyone before, nor will You grant anyone in the future." Allah did not like this supplication, so they were destroyed by an earthquake.
Most commentators hold the second opinion and consider it to be the same incident mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 56, where it is mentioned that death was brought upon them by a thunderbolt (lightning). And here, death is mentioned by a tremor (earthquake). In explanation, it is said that perhaps both punishments came: a thunderbolt from above and an earthquake from below. In any case, after the supplication and plea of Prophet Musa ﷺ that if they were to be destroyed, You would have destroyed them earlier when they were engaged in the worship of the calf, Allah brought them back to life.
155. 2 Who were these seventy men of Bani Israel? There is a difference of opinion among the commentators regarding this. One opinion is that when Prophet Musa ﷺ recited the commandments of the Torah to them, they said, "How can we be sure that this book is indeed revealed from Allah?" They said, "We will not believe until we hear Allah speaking ourselves." So, they selected seventy chosen men and took them to Mount Tur. There, Allah spoke to Prophet Musa ﷺ, which those people also heard. But there, they made a new demand that, "We will not believe until we see Allah with our own eyes."
The second opinion is that these seventy men are those who, on behalf of the whole nation, were taken to Mount Tur to repent and apologize for the grave sin of worshipping the calf, and there they expressed the desire to see Allah.
The third opinion is that these seventy men are those who saw the Israelites worshipping the calf but did not stop them.
A fourth opinion is that these seventy men were those who were chosen by Allah's command to be taken to Mount Tur, and there they made supplications to Allah, among which one supplication was, "O Allah, grant us something that You have never granted anyone before, nor will You grant anyone in the future." Allah did not like this supplication, so they were destroyed by an earthquake.
Most commentators hold the second opinion and consider it to be the same incident mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 56, where it is mentioned that death was brought upon them by a thunderbolt (lightning). And here, death is mentioned by a tremor (earthquake). In explanation, it is said that perhaps both punishments came: a thunderbolt from above and an earthquake from below. In any case, after the supplication and plea of Prophet Musa ﷺ that if they were to be destroyed, You would have destroyed them earlier when they were engaged in the worship of the calf, Allah brought them back to life.
