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 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.
155. And for Our appointed meeting, Moses chose seventy men from his people. Then, when the earthquake seized them [152], Moses said: "My Lord! If You had willed, You could have destroyed them and me before this. Will You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is nothing but Your trial, by which You let whom You will go astray and guide whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the best of those who forgive."
[152]
The Demand of the Seventy Chosen Men to See Allah and Their Death:
When these tablets were given to them to make them a way of life, these people also expressed distrust towards Sayyiduna Musa ؑ and said, "How do we know that these are truly revealed from Allah?" Musa ؑ presented this question of his people before Allah, so Allah said, "Alright, select seventy men from among them and bring them to Mount Tur at such and such time." Musa ؑ selected six men from each tribe, making a total of seventy-two (72). He said that the two men who voluntarily stay behind will receive the same reward as those who go. Thus, two men voluntarily separated, and the remaining seventy (70) men set out towards Mount Tur with Sayyiduna Musa ؑ. When they arrived there, in the presence of all these people, Allah spoke to Sayyiduna Musa ؑ, so these people raised the objection, "How do we know that the One speaking to you (O Musa) is Allah? Unless we clearly see the One speaking, that is, Allah, how can we believe?" Their demand was impossible to fulfill. When Musa ؑ himself could not bear the manifestation of Allah, then what were these poor souls in comparison? Moreover, their stubbornness had reached its peak, and these were not people who would be convinced by words. Thus, Allah's wrath descended upon them. From above came the thunderbolt (as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah), and from below came the earthquake (as mentioned here), and all seventy of these men perished right there.
The Revival of These Seventy Men by the Prayer of Sayyiduna Musa ؑ:
Now Musa ؑ stood bewildered and perplexed, not knowing what to do; it was a situation of neither being able to go forward nor to stay. If he returned to his people, their first question would be, "Where are the men who went with you?" And there was no benefit in staying with the dead either. Finally, he pleaded to Allah, "O Allah, if You had to destroy them, or even me, then You should have done so in front of their people, so that no blame would fall upon me. Now, the demand for an open vision of You was made by a few ignorant ones, yet You destroyed all of them as a consequence. This entire incident was a trial in which some people went astray and others remained steadfast on the right path, so have mercy on us and forgive us." Thus, by his prayer, the sin of those who had perished was forgiven, and they were given life again, as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 56.
[152]
The Demand of the Seventy Chosen Men to See Allah and Their Death:
When these tablets were given to them to make them a way of life, these people also expressed distrust towards Sayyiduna Musa ؑ and said, "How do we know that these are truly revealed from Allah?" Musa ؑ presented this question of his people before Allah, so Allah said, "Alright, select seventy men from among them and bring them to Mount Tur at such and such time." Musa ؑ selected six men from each tribe, making a total of seventy-two (72). He said that the two men who voluntarily stay behind will receive the same reward as those who go. Thus, two men voluntarily separated, and the remaining seventy (70) men set out towards Mount Tur with Sayyiduna Musa ؑ. When they arrived there, in the presence of all these people, Allah spoke to Sayyiduna Musa ؑ, so these people raised the objection, "How do we know that the One speaking to you (O Musa) is Allah? Unless we clearly see the One speaking, that is, Allah, how can we believe?" Their demand was impossible to fulfill. When Musa ؑ himself could not bear the manifestation of Allah, then what were these poor souls in comparison? Moreover, their stubbornness had reached its peak, and these were not people who would be convinced by words. Thus, Allah's wrath descended upon them. From above came the thunderbolt (as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah), and from below came the earthquake (as mentioned here), and all seventy of these men perished right there.
The Revival of These Seventy Men by the Prayer of Sayyiduna Musa ؑ:
Now Musa ؑ stood bewildered and perplexed, not knowing what to do; it was a situation of neither being able to go forward nor to stay. If he returned to his people, their first question would be, "Where are the men who went with you?" And there was no benefit in staying with the dead either. Finally, he pleaded to Allah, "O Allah, if You had to destroy them, or even me, then You should have done so in front of their people, so that no blame would fall upon me. Now, the demand for an open vision of You was made by a few ignorant ones, yet You destroyed all of them as a consequence. This entire incident was a trial in which some people went astray and others remained steadfast on the right path, so have mercy on us and forgive us." Thus, by his prayer, the sin of those who had perished was forgiven, and they were given life again, as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 56.
