سورة البَقَرَة
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:51
The Cow · Verse 51 of 286
وَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَنْتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ
Abdul Mannan Omar
And when We made an appointment with Moses (that) of (spending) forty nights, (on Mount Sinai), then you took (to worship) the (golden) calf in his absence, and you were transgressors (in doing so).
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
And remember We appointed forty nights for Moses, and in his absence ye took the calf (for worship), and ye did grievous wrong.
Ahmed Ali
Yet, remember, as We communed with Moses for forty nights you took the calf in his absence (and worshipped it), and you did wrong.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
And when on another occasion We appointed with Moses forty nights, then (during the time he stayed on Mount Sinai; ) you adopted the (golden) calf as deity and worshipped it after him; and you were wronging yourselves thereby with a most heinous wrong.
Daryabadi
And recall what time We treated with Musa forty nights, then ye betook the calf after him, and ye were wrong-doers.
Faridul Haque
And when We made a commitment with Moosa (Moses) for forty nights - then behind him you started worshipping the calf, and you were unjust.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
And when We appointed a time of forty nights with Moses, then you took the calf (for a god) after him, and you were unjust.
Maulvi Sher Ali
And when WE made Moses a promise of forty nights, then you took the calf for worship in his absence and you were the transgressors.
Muhammad Asad
and when We appointed for Moses forty nights [on Mount Sinai], and in his absence you took to worshipping the [golden] calf, and thus became evildoers:
Muhammad Musin Khan
And (remember) when We appointed for Musa (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.).
Muhammad Pickthall
And when We did appoint for Moses forty nights (of solitude), and then ye chose the calf, when he had gone from you, and were wrong-doers.
Muhammad Sarwar
Then We called Moses for an appointment of forty nights. You began to worship the calf in his absence, doing wrong to yourselves.
Muhammed ali Shakir
And when We appointed a time of forty nights with Musa, then you took the calf (for a god) after him and you were unjust.
Rashad Khalifa
Yet, when we summoned Moses for forty nights, you worshipped the calf in his absence, and turned wicked.
Shabbir Ahmed
(Instead of being grateful, you did something bizarre.) While We summoned Moses for forty nights to reveal Our commandments, you took to worshiping the (golden) calf in his absence. You became once again those who hurt themselves.
Commentary 2:51 Four hundred years of slavery left deep impacts on the minds of the Israelites. Since cow-worship was common in the Egypt of the Pharaohs, when the…
وَإِذْ وَعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةًۭ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذْتُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَنتُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ
2:51 Four hundred years of slavery left deep impacts on the minds of the Israelites. Since cow-worship was common in the Egypt of the Pharaohs, when the Israelites left Egypt, some repeatedly requested Moses to sanction similar worship for them (7:138,148). So eager was their desire, that when Moses went to Mount Sinai, they could not resist this temptation.