سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 51
وَإِذْ وَٰعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذْتُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَنتُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ ﴿51﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when We appointed for Mûsâ (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
وَٰعَدْنَا
wāʿadnā
We appointed
مُوسَىٰٓ
mūsā
(for) Musa
أَرْبَعِينَ
arbaʿīna
forty
لَيْلَةًۭ
laylatan
nights
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
ٱتَّخَذْتُمُ
ittakhadhtumu
you took
ٱلْعِجْلَ
l-ʿij'la
the calf
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِهِۦ
baʿdihi
after him
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
and you
ظَـٰلِمُونَ
ẓālimūna
(were) wrongdoers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
After being saved from Pharaoh, when the Children of Israel reached the desert of Sinai, they had no book with them. Until then, they had been following the revelation that had been sent to Musa (Moses) __QUR_ before the Torah. In other words, they were acting upon his teachings. Now Allah called Musa (Moses) __QUR_ to Mount Tur for forty days and nights so that the Torah could be given to him. But after he left, the Children of Israel made a calf and began to worship it. For this reason, they are called wrongdoers here, because they openly committed shirk, and what could be a greater wrongdoing than shirk? For details of the incident of the calf, see Surah Ta Ha (87 to 97) __XREF_N__.
