سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 61
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَٰحِدٍ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ ﴿61﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when you said, "O Mûsâ (Moses)! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows, its herbs, its cucumbers, its Fûm (wheat or garlic), its lentils and its onions." He said, "Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!" And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allâh. That was because they used to disbelieve the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations etc.) of Allâh and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds (in their disobedience to Allâh, i.e. commit crimes and sins).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
قُلْتُمْ
qul'tum
you said
يَـٰمُوسَىٰ
yāmūsā
O Musa
لَن
lan
Never (will)
نَّصْبِرَ
naṣbira
we endure
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
[on]
طَعَامٍۢ
ṭaʿāmin
food
وَٰحِدٍۢ
wāḥidin
(of) one (kind)
فَٱدْعُ
fa-ud'ʿu
so pray
لَنَا
lanā
for us
رَبَّكَ
rabbaka
(to) your Lord
يُخْرِجْ
yukh'rij
to bring forth
لَنَا
lanā
for us
مِمَّا
mimmā
out of what
تُنۢبِتُ
tunbitu
grows
ٱلْأَرْضُ
l-arḍu
the earth
مِنۢ
min
of
بَقْلِهَا
baqlihā
its herbs
وَقِثَّآئِهَا
waqithāihā
[and] its cucumbers
وَفُومِهَا
wafūmihā
[and] its garlic
وَعَدَسِهَا
waʿadasihā
[and] its lentils
وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ
wabaṣalihā
and its onions
قَالَ
qāla
He said
أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ
atastabdilūna
Would you exchange
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
that which
هُوَ
huwa
[it]
أَدْنَىٰ
adnā
(is) inferior
بِٱلَّذِى
bi-alladhī
for that which
هُوَ
huwa
[it]
خَيْرٌ ۚ
khayrun
(is) better
ٱهْبِطُوا۟
ih'biṭū
Go down
مِصْرًۭا
miṣ'ran
(to) a city
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
so indeed
لَكُم
lakum
for you
مَّا
mā
(is) what
سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ
sa-altum
you have asked (for)
وَضُرِبَتْ
waḍuribat
And were struck
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
on them
ٱلذِّلَّةُ
l-dhilatu
the humiliation
وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ
wal-maskanatu
and the misery
وَبَآءُو
wabāū
and they drew on themselves
بِغَضَبٍۢ
bighaḍabin
wrath
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱللَّهِ ۗ
l-lahi
Allah
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That (was)
بِأَنَّهُمْ
bi-annahum
because they
كَانُوا۟
kānū
used to
يَكْفُرُونَ
yakfurūna
disbelieve
بِـَٔايَـٰتِ
biāyāti
in (the) Signs
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَيَقْتُلُونَ
wayaqtulūna
and kill
ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ
l-nabiyīna
the Prophets
بِغَيْرِ
bighayri
without (any)
ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ
l-ḥaqi
[the] right
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
بِمَا
bimā
(was) because
عَصَوا۟
ʿaṣaw
they disobeyed
وَّكَانُوا۟
wakānū
and they were
يَعْتَدُونَ
yaʿtadūna
transgressing
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
61. And (remember) when you said, "O Moses! We cannot endure one kind of food, so pray to your Lord for us to bring forth for us what the earth grows—its herbs, cucumbers, wheat, lentils, and onions." Mosesؑ said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is inferior? Go down to any town, and you will find what you have asked for." [78] So humiliation [79] and misery were imposed upon them, and they incurred the wrath of Allah. That was because they used to reject the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and transgressed beyond bounds.
[78]
The Children of Israel Not Being Content with Manna and Quails:
This is also an incident from the same wilderness where the Children of Israel were confined for a long period. They were receiving blessings like manna and quails without any effort. However, they became weary of eating these things and demanded produce from the earth. Musa (peace be upon him) explained to them, "What you are receiving here without effort is far better than what you are asking for, and that will only be obtained after toil." But when these people insisted on their demand, Musa (peace be upon him) finally accepted their request and said, "If this is what you want, then go to such-and-such city; there you will find these things available." Musa (peace be upon him) did not only mean that the manna and quails you are receiving without effort are better than the wheat and greens, etc., which require effort, but also that the free atmosphere of the wilderness is, in every case, better than the busy and comfort-seeking life of the city in terms of removing cowardice from you, instilling courage, preparing you for jihad, and allowing you to worship Allah in leisure. And you are demanding something inferior for yourselves instead of something better.
[79]
The Meaning of Humiliation and Misery:
In addition to humiliation and adversity, Allah's wrath was that the period of their training and upbringing was extended to forty years. Otherwise, if they had followed the will of Allah and His Messenger Musa (peace be upon him), it was possible that they could have conquered the land of Syria before forty years had passed. But it had become their habit that whenever they saw something against their own wishes, they would immediately resort to disobedience, to the extent that they even killed some of the prophets. Another form of Allah's wrath, humiliation, and misery is that the Jewish nation has been defeated by other nations many times. Despite being wealthy, even today they are facing a severe shortage of manpower, and even if their government has been established in a small region, it is maintaining its existence with the support of other nations. The moral decline is such that even today, shamelessness, obscenity, usury, and unlawful consumption are the distinguishing features of this nation.
[78]
The Children of Israel Not Being Content with Manna and Quails:
This is also an incident from the same wilderness where the Children of Israel were confined for a long period. They were receiving blessings like manna and quails without any effort. However, they became weary of eating these things and demanded produce from the earth. Musa (peace be upon him) explained to them, "What you are receiving here without effort is far better than what you are asking for, and that will only be obtained after toil." But when these people insisted on their demand, Musa (peace be upon him) finally accepted their request and said, "If this is what you want, then go to such-and-such city; there you will find these things available." Musa (peace be upon him) did not only mean that the manna and quails you are receiving without effort are better than the wheat and greens, etc., which require effort, but also that the free atmosphere of the wilderness is, in every case, better than the busy and comfort-seeking life of the city in terms of removing cowardice from you, instilling courage, preparing you for jihad, and allowing you to worship Allah in leisure. And you are demanding something inferior for yourselves instead of something better.
[79]
The Meaning of Humiliation and Misery:
In addition to humiliation and adversity, Allah's wrath was that the period of their training and upbringing was extended to forty years. Otherwise, if they had followed the will of Allah and His Messenger Musa (peace be upon him), it was possible that they could have conquered the land of Syria before forty years had passed. But it had become their habit that whenever they saw something against their own wishes, they would immediately resort to disobedience, to the extent that they even killed some of the prophets. Another form of Allah's wrath, humiliation, and misery is that the Jewish nation has been defeated by other nations many times. Despite being wealthy, even today they are facing a severe shortage of manpower, and even if their government has been established in a small region, it is maintaining its existence with the support of other nations. The moral decline is such that even today, shamelessness, obscenity, usury, and unlawful consumption are the distinguishing features of this nation.
