Surah Al-Baqara

وَإِذْقُلْتُمْيَٰمُوسَىٰلَننَّصْبِرَعَلَىٰطَعَامٍۢوَٰحِدٍۢفَٱدْعُلَنَارَبَّكَيُخْرِجْلَنَامِمَّاتُنۢبِتُٱلْأَرْضُمِنۢبَقْلِهَاوَقِثَّآئِهَاوَفُومِهَاوَعَدَسِهَاوَبَصَلِهَاقَالَأَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَٱلَّذِىهُوَأَدْنَىٰبِٱلَّذِىهُوَخَيْرٌٱهْبِطُوا۟مِصْرًۭافَإِنَّلَكُممَّاسَأَلْتُمْوَضُرِبَتْعَلَيْهِمُٱلذِّلَّةُوَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُوَبَآءُوبِغَضَبٍۢمِّنَٱللَّهِذَٰلِكَبِأَنَّهُمْكَانُوا۟يَكْفُرُونَبِـَٔايَٰتِٱللَّهِوَيَقْتُلُونَٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَبِغَيْرِٱلْحَقِّذَٰلِكَبِمَاعَصَوا۟وَّكَانُوا۟يَعْتَدُونَ

And [remember] when you said: "O Moses, indeed we cannot endure but one kind of food; pray, then, to thy Sustainer that He bring forth for us aught of what grows from the earth - of its herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its lentils, its onions." Said [Moses]: "Would you take a lesser thing in exchange for what is [so much] better? Go back in shame to Egypt, and then you can have what you are asking for!" And so, ignominy and humiliation overshadowed them, and they earned the burden of God's condemnation: all this, because they persisted in denying the truth of God's messages and in slaying the prophets against all right: all this, because they rebelled [against God], and persisted in transgressing the bounds of what is right.

إِنَّٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟وَٱلَّذِينَهَادُوا۟وَٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰوَٱلصَّٰبِـِٔينَمَنْءَامَنَبِٱللَّهِوَٱلْيَوْمِٱلْءَاخِرِوَعَمِلَصَٰلِحًۭافَلَهُمْأَجْرُهُمْعِندَرَبِّهِمْوَلَاخَوْفٌعَلَيْهِمْوَلَاهُمْيَحْزَنُونَ

VERILY, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians -all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds-shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.

وَإِذْأَخَذْنَامِيثَٰقَكُمْوَرَفَعْنَافَوْقَكُمُٱلطُّورَخُذُوا۟مَآءَاتَيْنَٰكُمبِقُوَّةٍۢوَٱذْكُرُوا۟مَافِيهِلَعَلَّكُمْتَتَّقُونَ

AND LO! We accepted your solemn pledge, raising Mount Sinai high above you, [and saying;] "Hold fast with [all your] strength unto what We have vouchsafed you, and bear in mind all that is therein, so that you might remain conscious of God!"

ثُمَّتَوَلَّيْتُممِّنۢبَعْدِذَٰلِكَفَلَوْلَافَضْلُٱللَّهِعَلَيْكُمْوَرَحْمَتُهُۥلَكُنتُممِّنَٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ

And you turned away after that-! And had it not been for God's favour upon you and His grace, you would surely have found yourselves among the lost;

وَلَقَدْعَلِمْتُمُٱلَّذِينَٱعْتَدَوْا۟مِنكُمْفِىٱلسَّبْتِفَقُلْنَالَهُمْكُونُوا۟قِرَدَةًخَٰسِـِٔينَ

for you are well aware of those from among you who profaned the Sabbath, whereupon We said unto them, "Be as apes despicable!"

فَجَعَلْنَٰهَانَكَٰلًۭالِّمَابَيْنَيَدَيْهَاوَمَاخَلْفَهَاوَمَوْعِظَةًۭلِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

and set them up as a warning example for their time and for all times to come, as well as an admonition to all who are conscious of God.

وَإِذْقَالَمُوسَىٰلِقَوْمِهِۦٓإِنَّٱللَّهَيَأْمُرُكُمْأَنتَذْبَحُوا۟بَقَرَةًۭقَالُوٓا۟أَتَتَّخِذُنَاهُزُوًۭاقَالَأَعُوذُبِٱللَّهِأَنْأَكُونَمِنَٱلْجَٰهِلِينَ

AND LO! Moses said unto his people: "Behold, God bids you to sacrifice a cow." They said: "Dost thou mock at us?" He answered: "I seek refuge with God against being so ignorant!"

قَالُوا۟ٱدْعُلَنَارَبَّكَيُبَيِّنلَّنَامَاهِىَقَالَإِنَّهُۥيَقُولُإِنَّهَابَقَرَةٌۭلَّافَارِضٌۭوَلَابِكْرٌعَوَانٌۢبَيْنَذَٰلِكَفَٱفْعَلُوا۟مَاتُؤْمَرُونَ

Said they: "Pray on our behalf unto thy Sustainer that He make clear to us what she is to be like." [Moses] replied: "Behold, He says it is to be a cow neither old nor immature, but of art age in-between. Do, then, what you have been bidden!"

قَالُوا۟ٱدْعُلَنَارَبَّكَيُبَيِّنلَّنَامَالَوْنُهَاقَالَإِنَّهُۥيَقُولُإِنَّهَابَقَرَةٌۭصَفْرَآءُفَاقِعٌۭلَّوْنُهَاتَسُرُّٱلنَّٰظِرِينَ

Said they: "Pray on our behalf unto thy Sustainer that He make clear to us what her colour should be. "[Mopes] answered: "Behold; He says it is to be a yellow cow, bright of hue, pleasing to the beholder."

قَالُوا۟ٱدْعُلَنَارَبَّكَيُبَيِّنلَّنَامَاهِىَإِنَّٱلْبَقَرَتَشَٰبَهَعَلَيْنَاوَإِنَّآإِنشَآءَٱللَّهُلَمُهْتَدُونَ

Said' they: "Pray on our behalf unto thy Sustainer that He make clear to us what she is to be like, for to us all cows resemble one another; and then, if God so wills, we shall truly be guided aright!"

قَالَإِنَّهُۥيَقُولُإِنَّهَابَقَرَةٌۭلَّاذَلُولٌۭتُثِيرُٱلْأَرْضَوَلَاتَسْقِىٱلْحَرْثَمُسَلَّمَةٌۭلَّاشِيَةَفِيهَاقَالُوا۟ٱلْـَٰٔنَجِئْتَبِٱلْحَقِّفَذَبَحُوهَاوَمَاكَادُوا۟يَفْعَلُونَ

[Moses] answered: "Behold, He says it is to be a cow not broken-in to plough the earth or to water the crops, free of fault, without markings of any other colour."Said they: "At last thou hast brought out the truth!"-and thereupon they sacrificed her, although they had almost left it undone.

وَإِذْقَتَلْتُمْنَفْسًۭافَٱدَّٰرَْٰٔتُمْفِيهَاوَٱللَّهُمُخْرِجٌۭمَّاكُنتُمْتَكْتُمُونَ

For, O children of Israel, because you had slain a human being and then cast the blame for this [crime] upon one another -although God will bring to light what you would conceals

فَقُلْنَاٱضْرِبُوهُبِبَعْضِهَاكَذَٰلِكَيُحْىِٱللَّهُٱلْمَوْتَىٰوَيُرِيكُمْءَايَٰتِهِۦلَعَلَّكُمْتَعْقِلُونَ

We said: "Apply this [principle] to some of those [cases of unresolved murder]: in this way God saves lives from death and shows you His will, so that you might [learn to] use your reason."

ثُمَّقَسَتْقُلُوبُكُممِّنۢبَعْدِذَٰلِكَفَهِىَكَٱلْحِجَارَةِأَوْأَشَدُّقَسْوَةًۭوَإِنَّمِنَٱلْحِجَارَةِلَمَايَتَفَجَّرُمِنْهُٱلْأَنْهَٰرُوَإِنَّمِنْهَالَمَايَشَّقَّقُفَيَخْرُجُمِنْهُٱلْمَآءُوَإِنَّمِنْهَالَمَايَهْبِطُمِنْخَشْيَةِٱللَّهِوَمَاٱللَّهُبِغَٰفِلٍعَمَّاتَعْمَلُونَ

And yet, after all this, your hearts hardened and became like rocks, or even harder: for, behold, there are rocks from which streams gush forth; and, behold, there are some from which, when they are cleft, water issues; and, behold, there are some that fall down for awe of God And God is not unmindful of what you do!

أَفَتَطْمَعُونَأَنيُؤْمِنُوا۟لَكُمْوَقَدْكَانَفَرِيقٌۭمِّنْهُمْيَسْمَعُونَكَلَٰمَٱللَّهِثُمَّيُحَرِّفُونَهُۥمِنۢبَعْدِمَاعَقَلُوهُوَهُمْيَعْلَمُونَ

CAN YOU, then, hope that they will believe in what you are preaching - seeing that a good many of them were wont to listen to the word of God and then, after having understood it, to pervert it knowingly?

وَإِذَالَقُوا۟ٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟قَالُوٓا۟ءَامَنَّاوَإِذَاخَلَابَعْضُهُمْإِلَىٰبَعْضٍۢقَالُوٓا۟أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُمبِمَافَتَحَٱللَّهُعَلَيْكُمْلِيُحَآجُّوكُمبِهِۦعِندَرَبِّكُمْأَفَلَاتَعْقِلُونَ

For, when they meet those who have attained to faith. they say, "We believe [as you believe]" - but when they find themselves alone with one another, they say. "Do you inform them of what God has disclosed to you, so that they might use it in argument against you, quoting the words of your Sustainer? Will you not. then, use your reason?"

أَوَلَايَعْلَمُونَأَنَّٱللَّهَيَعْلَمُمَايُسِرُّونَوَمَايُعْلِنُونَ

Do they not know, then, that God is aware of all that they would conceal as well as of all that they bring into the open?

وَمِنْهُمْأُمِّيُّونَلَايَعْلَمُونَٱلْكِتَٰبَإِلَّآأَمَانِىَّوَإِنْهُمْإِلَّايَظُنُّونَ

And there are among them unlettered people who have no real knowledge of the divine writ, [following] only wishful beliefs and depending on nothing but conjecture.

فَوَيْلٌۭلِّلَّذِينَيَكْتُبُونَٱلْكِتَٰبَبِأَيْدِيهِمْثُمَّيَقُولُونَهَٰذَامِنْعِندِٱللَّهِلِيَشْتَرُوا۟بِهِۦثَمَنًۭاقَلِيلًۭافَوَيْلٌۭلَّهُممِّمَّاكَتَبَتْأَيْدِيهِمْوَوَيْلٌۭلَّهُممِّمَّايَكْسِبُونَ

Woe, then, unto those who write down, with their own hands, [something which they claim to be] divine writ, and then say. "This is from God," in order to acquire a trifling gain thereby; woe, then, unto them for what their hands have written, and woe unto them for all that they may have gained!

وَقَالُوا۟لَنتَمَسَّنَاٱلنَّارُإِلَّآأَيَّامًۭامَّعْدُودَةًۭقُلْأَتَّخَذْتُمْعِندَٱللَّهِعَهْدًۭافَلَنيُخْلِفَٱللَّهُعَهْدَهُۥٓأَمْتَقُولُونَعَلَىٱللَّهِمَالَاتَعْلَمُونَ

And they say, "The fire will most certainly not touch us for more than a limited number of days." Say [unto them]: "Have you received a promise from God - for God never breaks His promise - or do you attribute to God something which you cannot know?"