سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 93
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَـٰقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُوا۟ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَٱسْمَعُوا۟ ۖ قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَأُشْرِبُوا۟ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِهِۦٓ إِيمَـٰنُكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿93﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying), "Hold firmly to what We have given you and hear (Our Word)." They said, "We have heard and disobeyed." And their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf because of their disbelief. Say: "Worst indeed is that which your faith enjoins on you if you are believers."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
أَخَذْنَا
akhadhnā
We took
مِيثَـٰقَكُمْ
mīthāqakum
your covenant
وَرَفَعْنَا
warafaʿnā
and We raised
فَوْقَكُمُ
fawqakumu
over you
ٱلطُّورَ
l-ṭūra
the mount
خُذُوا۟
khudhū
Hold
مَآ
mā
what
ءَاتَيْنَـٰكُم
ātaynākum
We gave you
بِقُوَّةٍۢ
biquwwatin
with firmness
وَٱسْمَعُوا۟ ۖ
wa-is'maʿū
and listen
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
سَمِعْنَا
samiʿ'nā
We heard
وَعَصَيْنَا
waʿaṣaynā
and we disobeyed
وَأُشْرِبُوا۟
wa-ush'ribū
And they were made to drink
فِى
fī
in
قُلُوبِهِمُ
qulūbihimu
their hearts
ٱلْعِجْلَ
l-ʿij'la
(love of) the calf
بِكُفْرِهِمْ ۚ
bikuf'rihim
because of their disbelief
قُلْ
qul
Say
بِئْسَمَا
bi'samā
Evil (is) that
يَأْمُرُكُم
yamurukum
orders you (to do) it
بِهِۦٓ
bihi
with
إِيمَـٰنُكُمْ
īmānukum
your faith
إِن
in
if
كُنتُم
kuntum
you are
مُّؤْمِنِينَ
mu'minīna
believers
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 93) ➊ { ”سَمِعْنَا وَ عَصَيْنَا“ } If they uttered these two words with their tongues, it is not surprising; the nation that can say «{ فَاذْهَبْ اَنْتَ وَ رَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَاۤ }» is not far from having said { ”سَمِعْنَا“ } at the time of the raising of the Mount, and later plainly said, "We do not accept." Some scholars have said that their verbal acknowledgment is described by { ”سَمِعْنَا“ } and their failure to act is described by { ”عَصَيْنَا“ }, as if they said this with the tongue of their state, just as Allah Almighty said to the heavens and the earth: «{ ائْتِيَا طَوْعًا اَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَاۤ اَتَيْنَا طَآىِٕعِيْنَ }» [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۱۱ ] "Come both of you, willingly or unwillingly." Both said, "We come willingly." This interpretation is also possible, but when it is possible, rather quite evident, that they said it with their actual tongues, then what is the need to say it was with the tongue of their state? In the previous verse: «{ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِ ذٰلِكَ }» [ البقرۃ : ۶۴ ] their turning away from the covenant and pledge after making it has already been mentioned.
➋ {وَ اُشْرِبُوْا فِيْ قُلُوْبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ:} Just as water permeates every vein, in the same way, the love of this calf permeated their every fiber. Before {’’ الْعِجْلَ ‘‘}, the word {’’ حُبٌّ ‘‘} is implied. In { ”الْعِجْلَ“ }, the definite article is for specification, which is why it is translated as "this calf." The words of { ”اُشْرِبُوْا“ } indicate that their love for this calf reached such an extent that they had no control over it; rather, it was as if someone else had poured the love of it into their hearts.
➌ { بِكُفْرِهِمْ: } Their love and worship of the calf to such an extent was also disbelief, but its cause was their previous disbelief, which has been mentioned since the beginning of the surah. It is understood that disbelief leads to more disbelief, and faith leads to more faith.
➍ {اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ:} This is a further blow to their claim that "We believe in what has been revealed to us," meaning, in reality, you do not even believe in the Torah, otherwise, faith in the Torah would never command you to say {”سَمِعْنَا وَ عَصَيْنَا“} or to commit blatant polytheism like worshiping the calf, and if it does, then your faith commands you to do very evil things.
➋ {وَ اُشْرِبُوْا فِيْ قُلُوْبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ:} Just as water permeates every vein, in the same way, the love of this calf permeated their every fiber. Before {’’ الْعِجْلَ ‘‘}, the word {’’ حُبٌّ ‘‘} is implied. In { ”الْعِجْلَ“ }, the definite article is for specification, which is why it is translated as "this calf." The words of { ”اُشْرِبُوْا“ } indicate that their love for this calf reached such an extent that they had no control over it; rather, it was as if someone else had poured the love of it into their hearts.
➌ { بِكُفْرِهِمْ: } Their love and worship of the calf to such an extent was also disbelief, but its cause was their previous disbelief, which has been mentioned since the beginning of the surah. It is understood that disbelief leads to more disbelief, and faith leads to more faith.
➍ {اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ:} This is a further blow to their claim that "We believe in what has been revealed to us," meaning, in reality, you do not even believe in the Torah, otherwise, faith in the Torah would never command you to say {”سَمِعْنَا وَ عَصَيْنَا“} or to commit blatant polytheism like worshiping the calf, and if it does, then your faith commands you to do very evil things.
