سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 153
يَسْـَٔلُكَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَـٰبًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا۟ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ سُلْطَـٰنًا مُّبِينًا ﴿153﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The people of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed they asked Mûsâ (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said: "Show us Allâh in public," but they were struck with thunderclap and lightning for their wickedness. Then they worshipped the calf even after clear proofs, evidence, and signs had come to them. (Even) so We forgave them. And We gave Mûsâ (Moses) a clear proof of authority.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَسْـَٔلُكَ
yasaluka
Ask you
أَهْلُ
ahlu
(the) People
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
(of) the Book
أَن
an
that
تُنَزِّلَ
tunazzila
you bring down
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
to them
كِتَـٰبًۭا
kitāban
a book
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ
l-samāi
the heaven
فَقَدْ
faqad
Then indeed
سَأَلُوا۟
sa-alū
they (had) asked
مُوسَىٰٓ
mūsā
Musa
أَكْبَرَ
akbara
greater
مِن
min
than
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
فَقَالُوٓا۟
faqālū
for they said
أَرِنَا
arinā
Show us
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
جَهْرَةًۭ
jahratan
manifestly
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ
fa-akhadhathumu
so struck them
ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ
l-ṣāʿiqatu
the thunderbolt
بِظُلْمِهِمْ ۚ
biẓul'mihim
for their wrongdoing
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
ٱتَّخَذُوا۟
ittakhadhū
they took
ٱلْعِجْلَ
l-ʿij'la
the calf (for worship)
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
مَا
mā
[what]
جَآءَتْهُمُ
jāathumu
came to them
ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ
l-bayinātu
the clear proofs
فَعَفَوْنَا
faʿafawnā
then We forgave them
عَن
ʿan
for
ذَٰلِكَ ۚ
dhālika
that
وَءَاتَيْنَا
waātaynā
And We gave
مُوسَىٰ
mūsā
Musa
سُلْطَـٰنًۭا
sul'ṭānan
an authority
مُّبِينًۭا
mubīnan
clear
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.
153. The People of the Book ask you to bring down to them a book from the sky. They demanded even greater things from Musa, for they said, “Show us Allah plainly.” So the thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing [202]. Then, even after clear [203] signs had come to them, they took the calf (as their god) [204]. Yet We forgave them for that, and We gave Musa a clear victory.
[202]
The Demand of the Jews for a Written Scripture to Believe:
There is a famous saying: "A bad habit finds many excuses." In accordance with this saying, the Jews of Madinah made this demand of you that if a written book is sent down to you from the sky, then we will believe in it, just as the tablets of the Torah were sent down to Moses. Allah has answered this demand of theirs in various ways at different places—both as a counter-argument and as a factual response. The counter-argument is that asking questions and continuing to ask has become second nature to the Jews. Now the question is: when the written Torah was sent down to them from the sky, did they believe in it?
The Demand to See Allah:
They even made a demand greater than this, which was that unless we see Allah and He Himself says that indeed it is I who have sent down this book, the Torah, how can we, O Moses, trust you? Although each of their demands was based on extreme rebellion, nevertheless, Mosesؑ took them to the foot of Mount Tur. How could these people possibly withstand the manifestation of Allah, which even Sayyiduna Musaؑ could not bear and fell unconscious? Thus, when the manifestations came upon them in the form of lightning, all of them died. Then, by the prayer of Sayyiduna Musaؑ, they were brought back to life, and this incident has already been mentioned in detail in Surah Al-Baqarah. Therefore, even now, if something is sent down according to their wish, they will do exactly what they did before.
[203]
The Miracles of Musa:
These were clear proofs: the staff of Musa, the shining hand, the plague of ticks, lice, frogs, and blood upon the people of Pharaoh, which would be removed by the prayer of Sayyiduna Musaؑ, yet still they would not believe. The clear victory of Sayyiduna Musa over the magicians and the magicians' acceptance of faith, the splitting of the sea and the drowning of Pharaoh and his people in it, and the salvation of the Children of Israel from the Pharaoh's people, etc. In short, there were countless such proofs or miracles. Even after seeing them, those who did not truly believe—if a book is sent down upon you, will these people believe?
[204]
The Worship of the Calf:
You were such unjust people that you did not understand that all of this happened by the mercy of Allah, but most of you thought that our salvation was due to the worship of the calf. Therefore, you started worshipping the calf again. And when you could not find an already made idol of a calf, you made one yourselves and began to worship it. This detail has already been mentioned before.
[202]
The Demand of the Jews for a Written Scripture to Believe:
There is a famous saying: "A bad habit finds many excuses." In accordance with this saying, the Jews of Madinah made this demand of you that if a written book is sent down to you from the sky, then we will believe in it, just as the tablets of the Torah were sent down to Moses. Allah has answered this demand of theirs in various ways at different places—both as a counter-argument and as a factual response. The counter-argument is that asking questions and continuing to ask has become second nature to the Jews. Now the question is: when the written Torah was sent down to them from the sky, did they believe in it?
The Demand to See Allah:
They even made a demand greater than this, which was that unless we see Allah and He Himself says that indeed it is I who have sent down this book, the Torah, how can we, O Moses, trust you? Although each of their demands was based on extreme rebellion, nevertheless, Mosesؑ took them to the foot of Mount Tur. How could these people possibly withstand the manifestation of Allah, which even Sayyiduna Musaؑ could not bear and fell unconscious? Thus, when the manifestations came upon them in the form of lightning, all of them died. Then, by the prayer of Sayyiduna Musaؑ, they were brought back to life, and this incident has already been mentioned in detail in Surah Al-Baqarah. Therefore, even now, if something is sent down according to their wish, they will do exactly what they did before.
[203]
The Miracles of Musa:
These were clear proofs: the staff of Musa, the shining hand, the plague of ticks, lice, frogs, and blood upon the people of Pharaoh, which would be removed by the prayer of Sayyiduna Musaؑ, yet still they would not believe. The clear victory of Sayyiduna Musa over the magicians and the magicians' acceptance of faith, the splitting of the sea and the drowning of Pharaoh and his people in it, and the salvation of the Children of Israel from the Pharaoh's people, etc. In short, there were countless such proofs or miracles. Even after seeing them, those who did not truly believe—if a book is sent down upon you, will these people believe?
[204]
The Worship of the Calf:
You were such unjust people that you did not understand that all of this happened by the mercy of Allah, but most of you thought that our salvation was due to the worship of the calf. Therefore, you started worshipping the calf again. And when you could not find an already made idol of a calf, you made one yourselves and began to worship it. This detail has already been mentioned before.
