سُوْرَةُ طٰهٰ
Surah Taa-Haa (20) — Ayah 86
فَرَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ غَضْبَـٰنَ أَسِفًا ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَلَمْ يَعِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا ۚ أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْعَهْدُ أَمْ أَرَدتُّمْ أَن يَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُم مَّوْعِدِى ﴿86﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then Mûsâ (Moses) returned to his people in a state of anger and sorrow. He said: "O my people! Did not your Lord promise you a fair promise? Did then the promise seem to you long in coming? Or did you desire that wrath should descend from your Lord on you, that you broke your promise to me (i.e disbelieving in Allâh and worshipping the calf)?"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَرَجَعَ
farajaʿa
Then Musa returned
مُوسَىٰٓ
mūsā
Then Musa returned
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
قَوْمِهِۦ
qawmihi
his people
غَضْبَـٰنَ
ghaḍbāna
angry
أَسِفًۭا ۚ
asifan
(and) sorrowful
قَالَ
qāla
He said
يَـٰقَوْمِ
yāqawmi
O my people
أَلَمْ
alam
Did not
يَعِدْكُمْ
yaʿid'kum
promise you
رَبُّكُمْ
rabbukum
your Lord
وَعْدًا
waʿdan
a promise
حَسَنًا ۚ
ḥasanan
good
أَفَطَالَ
afaṭāla
Then, did seem long
عَلَيْكُمُ
ʿalaykumu
to you
ٱلْعَهْدُ
l-ʿahdu
the promise
أَمْ
am
or
أَرَدتُّمْ
aradttum
did you desire
أَن
an
that
يَحِلَّ
yaḥilla
descend
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
غَضَبٌۭ
ghaḍabun
(the) Anger
مِّن
min
of
رَّبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
your Lord
فَأَخْلَفْتُم
fa-akhlaftum
so you broke
مَّوْعِدِى
mawʿidī
(the) promise to me
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.
So Moses returned to his people, angry and sorrowful. He said, "O my people! Did your Lord not make you a good promise? Did the time (of my absence) seem too long to you, or did you desire that wrath [60] from your Lord should descend upon you, so you broke your promise to me?"
[60]
Three Questions of Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) to Bani Israel Upon Returning from Tur:
When Musa (peace be upon him) returned with the Book of Torah, he was extremely angry. Upon arrival, he asked his people three consecutive questions. The first was: Allah had promised to give you a Book for your guidance, so why did you choose the path of misguidance on your own? Did you not like Allah’s guidance? The second question was: Was there any delay in the period after which Allah had promised to give the Book, or had a long time passed since that promise and you became weary of waiting, and then, thinking that you did not know when guidance would come from Allah or whether it would come at all, you devised a path for yourselves? And if both of these were true, then did you want to invite Allah’s wrath by committing such an evil act? Has the disease of calf-worship not yet left your hearts?
[60]
Three Questions of Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) to Bani Israel Upon Returning from Tur:
When Musa (peace be upon him) returned with the Book of Torah, he was extremely angry. Upon arrival, he asked his people three consecutive questions. The first was: Allah had promised to give you a Book for your guidance, so why did you choose the path of misguidance on your own? Did you not like Allah’s guidance? The second question was: Was there any delay in the period after which Allah had promised to give the Book, or had a long time passed since that promise and you became weary of waiting, and then, thinking that you did not know when guidance would come from Allah or whether it would come at all, you devised a path for yourselves? And if both of these were true, then did you want to invite Allah’s wrath by committing such an evil act? Has the disease of calf-worship not yet left your hearts?
