سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 54
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُم بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿54﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when Mûsâ (Moses) said to his people: "O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf. So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves (the innocent kill the wrongdoers among you), that will be better for you with your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance. Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
قَالَ
qāla
said
مُوسَىٰ
mūsā
Musa
لِقَوْمِهِۦ
liqawmihi
to his people
يَـٰقَوْمِ
yāqawmi
O my people
إِنَّكُمْ
innakum
Indeed, you
ظَلَمْتُمْ
ẓalamtum
[you] have wronged
أَنفُسَكُم
anfusakum
yourselves
بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ
bi-ittikhādhikumu
by your taking
ٱلْعِجْلَ
l-ʿij'la
the calf
فَتُوبُوٓا۟
fatūbū
So turn in repentance
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
بَارِئِكُمْ
bāri-ikum
your Creator
فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟
fa-uq'tulū
and kill
أَنفُسَكُمْ
anfusakum
yourselves
ذَٰلِكُمْ
dhālikum
That
خَيْرٌۭ
khayrun
(is) better
لَّكُمْ
lakum
for you
عِندَ
ʿinda
with
بَارِئِكُمْ
bāri-ikum
your Creator
فَتَابَ
fatāba
Then He turned
عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ
ʿalaykum
towards you
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed He
هُوَ
huwa
He
ٱلتَّوَّابُ
l-tawābu
(is) the-returning
ٱلرَّحِيمُ
l-raḥīmu
the Most Merciful
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.
(Ayah 54) Just as the punishment for a married adulterer among the Children of Israel was stoning, likewise, for committing shirk, they were sentenced to death, and this was carried out. In our Ummah as well, the punishment for apostasy is death. Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِيْنَهٗ فَاقْتُلُوْهُ ] "Whoever becomes an apostate, kill him." [ أبو داوٗد، الحدود، باب الحکم فیمن ارتد : ۴۳۵۱، و صححہ الألبانی رحمہ اللہ ] However, so much leniency has been granted that if the apostate repents, he will be forgiven, but the punishment of stoning will be carried out even if repentance is made.
Tabari has narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Musa (peace be upon him), by Allah's command, ordered his people to kill themselves, so those who had become devotees of the calf sat down with their necks exposed, and those who had not become devotees stood up and took daggers in their hands. A severe darkness descended upon them, and they began to kill each other. Then the darkness was lifted, and when light appeared, seventy thousand had been killed. The repentance of the one who was killed was also accepted, and the repentance of the one who survived was also accepted. The author of "Al-Tafsir Al-Sahih" states that the chain of narration up to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is Sahih, but it is apparent that this is taken from the People of the Book, regarding whom the ruling is that neither affirm them nor deny them. The forgiveness mentioned above in Ayah (52) is after this killing.
Tabari has narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Musa (peace be upon him), by Allah's command, ordered his people to kill themselves, so those who had become devotees of the calf sat down with their necks exposed, and those who had not become devotees stood up and took daggers in their hands. A severe darkness descended upon them, and they began to kill each other. Then the darkness was lifted, and when light appeared, seventy thousand had been killed. The repentance of the one who was killed was also accepted, and the repentance of the one who survived was also accepted. The author of "Al-Tafsir Al-Sahih" states that the chain of narration up to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is Sahih, but it is apparent that this is taken from the People of the Book, regarding whom the ruling is that neither affirm them nor deny them. The forgiveness mentioned above in Ayah (52) is after this killing.
