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 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 155) ➊ {وَ اخْتَارَ مُوْسٰى قَوْمَهٗ …: } At the appointed time set by Allah, Musa (peace be upon him) selected seventy men from his people to take with him. Obviously, Musa (peace be upon him) must have chosen the best men among them, but when they arrived there, such wrath from Allah befell them that all of them died due to an earthquake. What was the cause of this punishment? The commentators have mentioned various reasons, among which the most preferred is the one mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah (55): they had said, "O Musa! We will never believe you until we see Allah openly." For this insolence, a thunderbolt struck them, and they all died. Here, {’’ الرَّجْفَةُ ‘‘} (earthquake) is mentioned. It is evident that with the thunderclap, especially when it comes as a punishment, an earthquake is a usual occurrence.
➋ { قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ اَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِّنْ قَبْلُ وَ اِيَّايَ:} That is, if You had willed, You could have destroyed these seventy men before they left the Children of Israel, so that the Children of Israel would have seen their destruction with their own eyes and could not have blamed me for killing them. And if You had willed, You could have destroyed me as well for the insolence of my people. Since You did not do so at that time out of mercy for us, then forgive us now, have mercy on us, and do not destroy them.
➌ { اَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّا:} The act of the fools may refer to the worship of the calf, but the more apparent foolishness is the demand and condition made to Musa (peace be upon him) to show Allah openly, saying that without this, they would not believe his word.
➍ {بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّا:} It is understood that neither did all the Children of Israel worship the calf, nor did all seventy make the demand to see Allah. This was the act of their ignorant and foolish people. Musa (peace be upon him) said, "O Lord! Will You destroy all of us because of the actions of the foolish among us?"
➎ { اِنْ هِيَ اِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ:} That is, those who worshipped the calf or demanded to see You with their eyes, in reality, all these acts were a test from You. You test as You will, then through it, You misguide whom You will and guide whom You will. (Ibn Kathir) After this supplication, Allah brought them back to life. See Surah Al-Baqarah (56).
➋ { قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ اَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِّنْ قَبْلُ وَ اِيَّايَ:} That is, if You had willed, You could have destroyed these seventy men before they left the Children of Israel, so that the Children of Israel would have seen their destruction with their own eyes and could not have blamed me for killing them. And if You had willed, You could have destroyed me as well for the insolence of my people. Since You did not do so at that time out of mercy for us, then forgive us now, have mercy on us, and do not destroy them.
➌ { اَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّا:} The act of the fools may refer to the worship of the calf, but the more apparent foolishness is the demand and condition made to Musa (peace be upon him) to show Allah openly, saying that without this, they would not believe his word.
➍ {بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّا:} It is understood that neither did all the Children of Israel worship the calf, nor did all seventy make the demand to see Allah. This was the act of their ignorant and foolish people. Musa (peace be upon him) said, "O Lord! Will You destroy all of us because of the actions of the foolish among us?"
➎ { اِنْ هِيَ اِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ:} That is, those who worshipped the calf or demanded to see You with their eyes, in reality, all these acts were a test from You. You test as You will, then through it, You misguide whom You will and guide whom You will. (Ibn Kathir) After this supplication, Allah brought them back to life. See Surah Al-Baqarah (56).
