വിശുദ്ധ ഖുർആൻ പരിഭാഷ - ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പരിഭാഷ - ഡോ. വലീദ് ബ്ലൈഹേഷ് ഉമരി - പ്രവൃത്തി പുരോഗമിക്കുന്നു. * - വിവർത്തനങ്ങളുടെ സൂചിക
وَلَقَدۡ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنۡ أَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِي فَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُمۡ طَرِيقٗا فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ يَبَسٗا لَّا تَخَٰفُ دَرَكٗا وَلَا تَخۡشَىٰ
﴾77﴿ [129]And verily We have revealed unto Mūsā: “Set forth by night with My servants,[130] and strike for them a dry path[131] through the sea; fear not overtaking, nor dread ˹drowning˺.”
[129] When God, Exalted is He, clarified Pharaoh’s arrogant defiance—manifest in His saying “he denied and disobeyed”—and concluded that He destroys the disobedient, whoever they may be, and saves the obedient, He then followed this with a tangible example to illustrate that Pharaoh’s power and arrogance availed him nothing (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar).
[130] The command to travel at night (asri) carries both strategic and symbolic significance. According to al-Rāzī, it ensured secrecy, lessened Pharaoh’s chances of interception, and prevented the Israelites from seeing the enemy during pursuit, thus reducing fear (cf. 26: 52, 44: 23). The designation “My servants” (ʿibādī) highlights their honoured status and God’s care, underscoring Pharaoh’s tyranny in oppressing those whom God had dignified (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[131] A path laid bare—dry and firm—untouched by water or mud, cleft through the sea by Divine command, so that not a trace of dampness hindered their steps (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Shinqīṭī).
[130] The command to travel at night (asri) carries both strategic and symbolic significance. According to al-Rāzī, it ensured secrecy, lessened Pharaoh’s chances of interception, and prevented the Israelites from seeing the enemy during pursuit, thus reducing fear (cf. 26: 52, 44: 23). The designation “My servants” (ʿibādī) highlights their honoured status and God’s care, underscoring Pharaoh’s tyranny in oppressing those whom God had dignified (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[131] A path laid bare—dry and firm—untouched by water or mud, cleft through the sea by Divine command, so that not a trace of dampness hindered their steps (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Shinqīṭī).
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
فَأَتۡبَعَهُمۡ فِرۡعَوۡنُ بِجُنُودِهِۦ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمۡ
﴾78﴿ Then Pharoah pursued them with his hosts, then there overwhelmed them from the sea that which overwhelmed them:[132]
[132] The phrase deliberately employs vagueness for rhetorical force. As al-Saʿdī and al-Shawkānī note, it suggests a terrifying and unquantifiable punishment that surpassed human comprehension—leaving the horror to the imagination. It is a classical Qur’anic device to intensify the impact by not naming the torment directly.
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
وَأَضَلَّ فِرۡعَوۡنُ قَوۡمَهُۥ وَمَا هَدَىٰ
[133] A stark conclusion. Not only did Pharaoh mislead his people (aḍalla), but “he did not guide” (wa mā hadā)—either as emphatic reinforcement or, as some exegetes observe, a rhetorical gesture of derision, alluding to his hollow claims of righteousness (cf. 40: 29). It confirms the totality of his failure: he neither possessed guidance nor delivered it.
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
يَٰبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ قَدۡ أَنجَيۡنَٰكُم مِّنۡ عَدُوِّكُمۡ وَوَٰعَدۡنَٰكُمۡ جَانِبَ ٱلطُّورِ ٱلۡأَيۡمَنَ وَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰ
﴾80﴿ [134]O Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy,[135] and We appointed for you a meeting on the right side of the Ṭūr ˹Mountain˺,[136] and We sent down upon you the manna and the quails.[137]
[134] According to Ibn ʿĀshūr’s considered view, this passage functions as a parenthetical address to the Jews living during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), being among the addressees who are concerned with his Call, serving as a reminder of Divine favours previously bestowed upon their community. Chief among these favours is the deliverance of their forefathers from the bondage and oppression of the Deniers—a reference to Pharaoh and his hosts. This view is echoed by both al-Bayḍāwī and al-Qinnawjī, who further emphasize that blessings granted to one’s ancestors are, in Qur’anic reckoning, considered blessings upon their descendants as well. Such continuity in Divine grace reinforces the notion of inherited moral responsibility and historical consciousness in scriptural discourse.
This subtle interjection aligns seamlessly with one of the overarching aims of the sura: to affirm the miraculous nature of the Qur’an. The Qur’an discloses with striking precision the accounts of previous nations—accounts that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), being unlettered and without access to previous scriptures, could not have known through natural means. This miraculous disclosure of historical knowledge will be explored in further detail shortly.
[135] “˹Remember˺ When We saved you from the people of Pharaoh who subjected you to the worst of suffering—they slaughtered your sons and kept your womenfolk alive—surely, this was a great tribulation from your Lord. *˹Remember˺ When We split the sea for you, delivered you, and drowned the people of Pharaoh before your eyes.” (2: 49-50)
[136] The “right side of the Ṭūr” is not to be understood as the mountain having a literal right or left. As al-Rāzī notes, it refers to the right-hand side of one travelling from Egypt to the Levant. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah adds that al-ayman may also denote blessedness, while Ibn ʿĀshūr explains it as the southern side relative to one facing the sunrise—thus indicating a specific, blessed slope of the mountain distinct from the western side where Moses (عليه السلام) first saw the fire (cf. 28: 44).
This “appointment” was for the sending down of the Torah so that they may be guided by it (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Zamakhsharī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī). Yet’ scholars differ on who the Divine appointment at the Ṭūr was made with. al-Wāḥidī and al-Saʿdī claim it was with Moses alone. al-Qurṭubī explains that though the promise was to Moses, it is addressed to the Israelites because it was for their sake. al-Biqāʿī affirms the covenant included all of Israel, while al-Zamakhsharī and Ibn ʿĀshūr say it was with Moses and those he selected to accompany him (cf. 7: 155).
[137] That is, they were sent wholesome provision, easy to obtain, acquired without toil or hardship (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī). al-Shinqīṭī says: “The majority of scholars contend that al-mann refers to al-taranjabeen—a substance that descends from the sky like dew and then solidifies, resembling white honey. As for al-salwā, it is a bird similar to quail, and some say it is quail itself. This is the dominant view regarding al-mann and al-salwā. … What appears stronger to me concerning al-mann is that it is a generic term for anything that God bestows upon His servant without effort or toil. It thus includes al-taranjabeen, which God granted the Children of Israel in the wilderness, and likewise anything similar to it. This is supported by the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ), authentically reported in both al-Bukhārī and Muslim: ‘Truffles are of the mann.’ As for al-salwā, what appears stronger to me is that it is a bird—whether we say it is quail or one resembling it—given the consensus of the majority of scholars, past and present.”
Linguistically al-mann derives from the root m-n-n which means the act of bestowing goodness. As for al-salwā, it stems from al-salwah (comfort or consolation), for due to its pleasantness, it serves as a delight that diverts and soothes one from other things (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; al-Sijistānī Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt; Ibn al-Jawzī, Tadhkirat al-Arīb).
This subtle interjection aligns seamlessly with one of the overarching aims of the sura: to affirm the miraculous nature of the Qur’an. The Qur’an discloses with striking precision the accounts of previous nations—accounts that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), being unlettered and without access to previous scriptures, could not have known through natural means. This miraculous disclosure of historical knowledge will be explored in further detail shortly.
[135] “˹Remember˺ When We saved you from the people of Pharaoh who subjected you to the worst of suffering—they slaughtered your sons and kept your womenfolk alive—surely, this was a great tribulation from your Lord. *˹Remember˺ When We split the sea for you, delivered you, and drowned the people of Pharaoh before your eyes.” (2: 49-50)
[136] The “right side of the Ṭūr” is not to be understood as the mountain having a literal right or left. As al-Rāzī notes, it refers to the right-hand side of one travelling from Egypt to the Levant. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah adds that al-ayman may also denote blessedness, while Ibn ʿĀshūr explains it as the southern side relative to one facing the sunrise—thus indicating a specific, blessed slope of the mountain distinct from the western side where Moses (عليه السلام) first saw the fire (cf. 28: 44).
This “appointment” was for the sending down of the Torah so that they may be guided by it (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Zamakhsharī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī). Yet’ scholars differ on who the Divine appointment at the Ṭūr was made with. al-Wāḥidī and al-Saʿdī claim it was with Moses alone. al-Qurṭubī explains that though the promise was to Moses, it is addressed to the Israelites because it was for their sake. al-Biqāʿī affirms the covenant included all of Israel, while al-Zamakhsharī and Ibn ʿĀshūr say it was with Moses and those he selected to accompany him (cf. 7: 155).
[137] That is, they were sent wholesome provision, easy to obtain, acquired without toil or hardship (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī). al-Shinqīṭī says: “The majority of scholars contend that al-mann refers to al-taranjabeen—a substance that descends from the sky like dew and then solidifies, resembling white honey. As for al-salwā, it is a bird similar to quail, and some say it is quail itself. This is the dominant view regarding al-mann and al-salwā. … What appears stronger to me concerning al-mann is that it is a generic term for anything that God bestows upon His servant without effort or toil. It thus includes al-taranjabeen, which God granted the Children of Israel in the wilderness, and likewise anything similar to it. This is supported by the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ), authentically reported in both al-Bukhārī and Muslim: ‘Truffles are of the mann.’ As for al-salwā, what appears stronger to me is that it is a bird—whether we say it is quail or one resembling it—given the consensus of the majority of scholars, past and present.”
Linguistically al-mann derives from the root m-n-n which means the act of bestowing goodness. As for al-salwā, it stems from al-salwah (comfort or consolation), for due to its pleasantness, it serves as a delight that diverts and soothes one from other things (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; al-Sijistānī Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt; Ibn al-Jawzī, Tadhkirat al-Arīb).
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَٰكُمۡ وَلَا تَطۡغَوۡاْ فِيهِ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ غَضَبِيۖ وَمَن يَحۡلِلۡ عَلَيۡهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدۡ هَوَىٰ
﴾81﴿ So eat of the good things We have provided for you, but do not transgress therein, lest My Wrath rightfully descend upon you[138]—and whosoever My Wrath descends upon has indeed fallen ˹into ruin˺.[139]
[138] That is: do not transgress the bounds regarding what We have provided you—such transgression includes denying this blessing, neglecting to give thanks, using My provision in disobedience to Me, or withholding the dues that are incumbent upon you—lest My Wrath become due upon you, and My Punishment befall you (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Rāzī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Saʿdī). al-Rāzī says, regarding the Divine statement “but do not transgress therein,” that it holds several meanings: First: Ibn ʿAbbās (k) said: “Do not transgress”—that is, let none of you wrong another by taking what belongs to his fellow. Second: According to Muqātil and al-Ḍaḥḥāk, it means do not wrong yourselves by exceeding the limits of what is permitted. Third: al-Kalbī said: it means do not show ingratitude for the blessing—i.e., do not use My blessing to oppose Me, do not turn away from gratitude, and do not turn from the lawful to the unlawful.
[139] Hawā means he perished and fell into ruin. It is said, hawat ummuhu—“his mother has fallen”—meaning she has fallen in a way from which there is no recovery. The root meaning refers to falling from a mountain or something similar, plummeting toward the earth and thus perishing. The root h-w-y denotes emptiness and descent (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Samʿānī, Abū Ḥayyān, al-Shawkānī, al-Shinqīṭī).
[139] Hawā means he perished and fell into ruin. It is said, hawat ummuhu—“his mother has fallen”—meaning she has fallen in a way from which there is no recovery. The root meaning refers to falling from a mountain or something similar, plummeting toward the earth and thus perishing. The root h-w-y denotes emptiness and descent (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Samʿānī, Abū Ḥayyān, al-Shawkānī, al-Shinqīṭī).
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٞ لِّمَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا ثُمَّ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ
﴾82﴿ Yet truly, I am ever Forgiving to him who repents, Believes, does righteous deeds, and then remains rightly guided.[140]
[140] This aya opens a wide gate of hope: God Almighty is abundantly Forgiving to those who turn back from what they were upon—be it Denial, idolatry, hypocrisy, or disobedience—then Believe in all that must be Believed, devote their worship sincerely to Him, perform righteous deeds as a confirmation of their Faith, and thereafter remain steadfast: holding firm to repentance, upholding faith, and continuing in righteous action until their death (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī): “Say: ‘O My servants who have exceedingly transgressed against their own souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah—verily, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He—He alone—is the All-Forgiving, the Mercy-Giving.’” (39: 53)
Sufyān ibn ʿAbdillāh al-Thaqafī (h) said: “I said, O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam which I need not ask anyone else about after you.” He said: “Say: “I Believe in Allah”—then remain upright.” (Muslim: 38; Imām Aḥmad: 15416).
Sufyān ibn ʿAbdillāh al-Thaqafī (h) said: “I said, O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam which I need not ask anyone else about after you.” He said: “Say: “I Believe in Allah”—then remain upright.” (Muslim: 38; Imām Aḥmad: 15416).
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
۞ وَمَآ أَعۡجَلَكَ عَن قَوۡمِكَ يَٰمُوسَىٰ
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
قَالَ هُمۡ أُوْلَآءِ عَلَىٰٓ أَثَرِي وَعَجِلۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ رَبِّ لِتَرۡضَىٰ
﴾84﴿ [141]He replied: “Here they are following in my tracks,[142] but I hurried to You, my Lord, so that You might be pleased.”
[141] The story of Mūsā (عليه السلام) and the trials he faced in his Messengership commence with this question. God Almighty had appointed thirty nights for him to receive the Torah, then completed them with ten more (cf. 7: 142). Mūsā (عليه السلام) rushed to the meeting—driven by longing for his Lord and eagerness to receive the promised revelation (cf. al-Saʿdī).
Ibn ʿĀshūr explains that, as indicated by the exegetes and the verse itself, Mūsā left his people early to attend the Divine communion before the appointed time—acting on his own ijtihād (independent reasoning), out of zeal to receive the Law. This was even before the Children of Israel had gathered around Mount Ṭūr. His intent was purely to hasten toward what he believed was good for himself and his people. Yet God reproached him for overlooking the broader consequences of departing before instructing his people to uphold the covenant and warning them against the one whose deceit would soon lead them astray.
[142] Alā atharī (lit. following in my footprints) close to me, following my lead, and drawing near to where I am. “On my tracks” refers to the traces left by one walking on the ground—such as footprints, hoofprints, or other marks. The root meaning of the word athar denotes a lasting impression or residual mark left behind by something (cf. Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt; al-Samʿānī).
Ibn ʿĀshūr explains that, as indicated by the exegetes and the verse itself, Mūsā left his people early to attend the Divine communion before the appointed time—acting on his own ijtihād (independent reasoning), out of zeal to receive the Law. This was even before the Children of Israel had gathered around Mount Ṭūr. His intent was purely to hasten toward what he believed was good for himself and his people. Yet God reproached him for overlooking the broader consequences of departing before instructing his people to uphold the covenant and warning them against the one whose deceit would soon lead them astray.
[142] Alā atharī (lit. following in my footprints) close to me, following my lead, and drawing near to where I am. “On my tracks” refers to the traces left by one walking on the ground—such as footprints, hoofprints, or other marks. The root meaning of the word athar denotes a lasting impression or residual mark left behind by something (cf. Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt; al-Samʿānī).
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدۡ فَتَنَّا قَوۡمَكَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ ٱلسَّامِرِيُّ
﴾85﴿ He said: “Then We have certainly tested your people after you ˹left˺,[143] and the Sāmirī[144] has led them astray.”
[143] According to Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, the statement refers to God testing the Children of Israel through the actions of the Sāmirī, possibly by subjecting them to a trial that exposed their inclinations toward desire and internal division (Tafsīr Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, 4/57). Ibn ʿĀshūr clarifies that while the trial is attributed to Allah in the sense that He decreed it and created its remote causes, the direct agent of their misguidance was the Sāmirī, as explicitly stated in the verse: “and the Sāmirī led them astray”—making him the proximate cause of their fall into fitnah.
[144] The Sāmirī is identified as the man who led the Children of Israel astray during Mūsā’s absence. Scholars have differed regarding his origin, name, and the reason for his designation. Various accounts about his background exist, though none are definitive. Some, such as al-Qāsimī, caution that attempts to specify his identity are based merely on conjecture (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Qāsimī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[144] The Sāmirī is identified as the man who led the Children of Israel astray during Mūsā’s absence. Scholars have differed regarding his origin, name, and the reason for his designation. Various accounts about his background exist, though none are definitive. Some, such as al-Qāsimī, caution that attempts to specify his identity are based merely on conjecture (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Qāsimī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
فَرَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ غَضۡبَٰنَ أَسِفٗاۚ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ أَلَمۡ يَعِدۡكُمۡ رَبُّكُمۡ وَعۡدًا حَسَنًاۚ أَفَطَالَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡعَهۡدُ أَمۡ أَرَدتُّمۡ أَن يَحِلَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ غَضَبٞ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ فَأَخۡلَفۡتُم مَّوۡعِدِي
﴾86﴿ So Mūsā returned to his people, enraged and exasperated.[145] He said: “O my people! Did your Lord not make you a good promise?[146] Was the wait too long for you?[147] Or[148] did you want Wrath from your Lord to fall upon you, that you broke your word to me?”
[145] That is, in a state of intense anger toward them and sorrow over the misguidance and Denial they had fallen into during his absence (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Juzayy, al-Saʿdī).
[146] A good promise—of blessings for them in this world and the Hereafter, such as the revelation of the Torah, victory over their enemies, and other favours He bestowed upon them. He also promised to forgive their sins and admit them to Paradise if they obeyed Him (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr).
[147] That is: Did the wait for God’s promise seem too long, leading you to forget His blessings upon you? The appointed time was not so distant that you should despair of its fulfilment, turn ungrateful, worship others besides Him, and imagine you had some excuse for abandoning the worship of God (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Alūsī).
Others have understood the aya to mean: “Was my absence from you too long?”—a view supported by al-Wāḥidī, al-Zamakhsharī, and Ibn al-Jawzī.
al-Saʿdī comments: “Was it really my absence that felt prolonged—when in fact it was brief? This is the interpretation of many exegetes. Alternatively, the verse may be asking: Has the time since Prophethood and revelation felt so remote that you had no knowledge or trace of it, as though its signs had faded completely, leaving you with no access to its legacy? Did the long lapse cause you to worship other than Allah, driven by ignorance and detachment from the Message? That is not the case. Prophethood is still among you, knowledge is present, and no excuse can be accepted.”
[148] al-Shinqīṭī explains that in the phrase “Or did you want Wrath from your Lord to fall upon you?” the particle “am” (or) is understood by some scholars as a disjunctive (munqaṭiʿah), meaning “rather.” The intended sense, then, is: Rather, you wanted Wrath from your Lord to fall upon you. This “desire” for Wrath is interpreted as a choice to pursue its cause—namely, Denial through the worship of the calf. In choosing the cause, they are understood to have effectively chosen the consequence.
[146] A good promise—of blessings for them in this world and the Hereafter, such as the revelation of the Torah, victory over their enemies, and other favours He bestowed upon them. He also promised to forgive their sins and admit them to Paradise if they obeyed Him (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr).
[147] That is: Did the wait for God’s promise seem too long, leading you to forget His blessings upon you? The appointed time was not so distant that you should despair of its fulfilment, turn ungrateful, worship others besides Him, and imagine you had some excuse for abandoning the worship of God (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Alūsī).
Others have understood the aya to mean: “Was my absence from you too long?”—a view supported by al-Wāḥidī, al-Zamakhsharī, and Ibn al-Jawzī.
al-Saʿdī comments: “Was it really my absence that felt prolonged—when in fact it was brief? This is the interpretation of many exegetes. Alternatively, the verse may be asking: Has the time since Prophethood and revelation felt so remote that you had no knowledge or trace of it, as though its signs had faded completely, leaving you with no access to its legacy? Did the long lapse cause you to worship other than Allah, driven by ignorance and detachment from the Message? That is not the case. Prophethood is still among you, knowledge is present, and no excuse can be accepted.”
[148] al-Shinqīṭī explains that in the phrase “Or did you want Wrath from your Lord to fall upon you?” the particle “am” (or) is understood by some scholars as a disjunctive (munqaṭiʿah), meaning “rather.” The intended sense, then, is: Rather, you wanted Wrath from your Lord to fall upon you. This “desire” for Wrath is interpreted as a choice to pursue its cause—namely, Denial through the worship of the calf. In choosing the cause, they are understood to have effectively chosen the consequence.
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
قَالُواْ مَآ أَخۡلَفۡنَا مَوۡعِدَكَ بِمَلۡكِنَا وَلَٰكِنَّا حُمِّلۡنَآ أَوۡزَارٗا مِّن زِينَةِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ فَقَذَفۡنَٰهَا فَكَذَٰلِكَ أَلۡقَى ٱلسَّامِرِيُّ
﴾87﴿ They said: “We did not break ˹our˺ promise to you out of our own will,[149] but we were made to carry[150] burdens[151] of the ornaments of the folks, so we threw them away[152]—and so did the Sāmirī throw.”[153]
[149] They feigned a plea of compulsion, suggesting they lacked agency. However, al-Shinqīṭī dismisses this defence as spurious—clearly, they bore responsibility for following falsehood, even if the instigator was another.
[150] There are two well-known Quranic modes of reading (qirā’āt) regarding this word: ḥummilnā (we were made to carry), meaning that Moses (عليه السلام) made them carry it; and ḥamalnā (we carried), which means they carried it of their own accord, without anyone obligating them to do so. al-Ṭabarī comments then said: “In my view, both readings are well-known, and their meanings are close: for the people did carry it, and Moses (عليه السلام) did indeed command them to carry it.”
Ibn ʿĀshūr sees in this admission a sort of retrospective guilt — the Israelites realise that this material wealth became a source of fitnah.
[151] Awzār (burdens and/or loads) is the plural of wizr which means a weight or burden, and it is also used metaphorically to denote sin. The root meaning of w-z-r is heaviness in something (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; al-Sijistānī Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt).
Classical exegetes offer several interpretations for why the Israelites took the ornaments and how they became awzār (burdens): (1) Moses (عليه السلام) instructed them to borrow the ornaments from the Egyptians—either by Divine Command, as a Prophetic provision for an anticipated ruling on spoils, or as moral compensation for their long oppression—thus effectively obligating them to carry them (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, Ibn ʿĀshūr); (2) they viewed themselves as guarantors responsible for returning the ornaments until God commanded otherwise (cf. al-Rāzī); (3) God imposed on them the ruling of magnam (spoils), though it had not been permitted to earlier nations (cf. al-Qurṭubī); (4) awzār is interpreted as physical burdens due to their quantity, or moral burdens since spoils were prohibited to them, or symbolic of sin itself (cf. al-Shinqīṭī, Ibn ʿĀshūr); (5) Aaron (عليه السلام) deemed the ornaments impure and instructed purification from them, while the Sāmirī claimed they caused Moses’ delay (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr); (6) the ornaments were associated with pagan gatherings, hence described as awzār by their idolatrous usage (cf. al-Rāzī).
[152] This is interpreted as throwing the jewellery into the fire due to its burden (cf. al-Qurṭubī), or discarding it out of scrupulousness while ironically committing the greater sin of calf-worship (cf. Ibn Kathīr). al-Shinqīṭī suggests they melted it into a single mass for safekeeping until Moses’ return, unaware of the Sāmirī’s ulterior scheme.
[153] The Sāmirī cast in what he had of the dust from the hoofprint of Gabriel’s (عليه السلام) horse (cf. al-Tafsīr al-Muyassar, al-Tafsīr al-Mukhtaṣar).
Ibn Juzayy has it that: “The Sāmirī had seen Gabriel (عليه السلام), so he took a handful of dust from the spot trodden by his horse. God cast into his soul the notion that if he applied it to something lifeless, it would become animate. So, he cast it upon the calf, and the calf bellowed—that is, it cried out like calves do. The meaning, then, is just as we threw the ornaments into the pit, the Sāmirī cast the handful of dust.”
[150] There are two well-known Quranic modes of reading (qirā’āt) regarding this word: ḥummilnā (we were made to carry), meaning that Moses (عليه السلام) made them carry it; and ḥamalnā (we carried), which means they carried it of their own accord, without anyone obligating them to do so. al-Ṭabarī comments then said: “In my view, both readings are well-known, and their meanings are close: for the people did carry it, and Moses (عليه السلام) did indeed command them to carry it.”
Ibn ʿĀshūr sees in this admission a sort of retrospective guilt — the Israelites realise that this material wealth became a source of fitnah.
[151] Awzār (burdens and/or loads) is the plural of wizr which means a weight or burden, and it is also used metaphorically to denote sin. The root meaning of w-z-r is heaviness in something (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; al-Sijistānī Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt).
Classical exegetes offer several interpretations for why the Israelites took the ornaments and how they became awzār (burdens): (1) Moses (عليه السلام) instructed them to borrow the ornaments from the Egyptians—either by Divine Command, as a Prophetic provision for an anticipated ruling on spoils, or as moral compensation for their long oppression—thus effectively obligating them to carry them (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, Ibn ʿĀshūr); (2) they viewed themselves as guarantors responsible for returning the ornaments until God commanded otherwise (cf. al-Rāzī); (3) God imposed on them the ruling of magnam (spoils), though it had not been permitted to earlier nations (cf. al-Qurṭubī); (4) awzār is interpreted as physical burdens due to their quantity, or moral burdens since spoils were prohibited to them, or symbolic of sin itself (cf. al-Shinqīṭī, Ibn ʿĀshūr); (5) Aaron (عليه السلام) deemed the ornaments impure and instructed purification from them, while the Sāmirī claimed they caused Moses’ delay (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr); (6) the ornaments were associated with pagan gatherings, hence described as awzār by their idolatrous usage (cf. al-Rāzī).
[152] This is interpreted as throwing the jewellery into the fire due to its burden (cf. al-Qurṭubī), or discarding it out of scrupulousness while ironically committing the greater sin of calf-worship (cf. Ibn Kathīr). al-Shinqīṭī suggests they melted it into a single mass for safekeeping until Moses’ return, unaware of the Sāmirī’s ulterior scheme.
[153] The Sāmirī cast in what he had of the dust from the hoofprint of Gabriel’s (عليه السلام) horse (cf. al-Tafsīr al-Muyassar, al-Tafsīr al-Mukhtaṣar).
Ibn Juzayy has it that: “The Sāmirī had seen Gabriel (عليه السلام), so he took a handful of dust from the spot trodden by his horse. God cast into his soul the notion that if he applied it to something lifeless, it would become animate. So, he cast it upon the calf, and the calf bellowed—that is, it cried out like calves do. The meaning, then, is just as we threw the ornaments into the pit, the Sāmirī cast the handful of dust.”
അറബി ഖുർആൻ വിവരണങ്ങൾ:
വിശുദ്ധ ഖുർആൻ പരിഭാഷ - ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പരിഭാഷ - ഡോ. വലീദ് ബ്ലൈഹേഷ് ഉമരി - പ്രവൃത്തി പുരോഗമിക്കുന്നു. - വിവർത്തനങ്ങളുടെ സൂചിക
തർജമ ചെയ്തത് ഡോ. വലീദ് ബ്ലഹേശ് അൽ ഉമരി.