Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (150) Surah: Al-A‘rāf
وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ غَضۡبَٰنَ أَسِفٗا قَالَ بِئۡسَمَا خَلَفۡتُمُونِي مِنۢ بَعۡدِيٓۖ أَعَجِلۡتُمۡ أَمۡرَ رَبِّكُمۡۖ وَأَلۡقَى ٱلۡأَلۡوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأۡسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُۥٓ إِلَيۡهِۚ قَالَ ٱبۡنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱسۡتَضۡعَفُونِي وَكَادُواْ يَقۡتُلُونَنِي فَلَا تُشۡمِتۡ بِيَ ٱلۡأَعۡدَآءَ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡنِي مَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
(150) When Moses returned – enraged and exasperated[1769] – he said: “Awful indeed what you superseded me with after I was gone![1770] Did you seek to hasten your Lord’s decree?”[1771] He threw down the tablets[1772], seized his brother’s head tugging it towards him[1773]. He ˹Hārūn˺ said: “Son of my mother! The folks thought little of me and they almost killed me![1774] Do not then let the enemies rejoice on my account and do not count me among the wrongdoers!”
[1769] God told him what befell his people while he was away: “˹Allah said:˺ “Moses, what has made you come ahead of your people in such haste?” *He said: “They are following in my footsteps. I rushed to You, Lord, to please You” *He ˹Allah˺ said, “But We have tested your people after you ˹departed˺, and the Samaritan has led them astray”. *So Moses returned to his people, enraged and exasperated. He said: “My people! Had your Lord not made you a good promise? Has my absence been too long for you? Or have you wished for Wrath from your Lord to befall you, so you broke your promise to me?”” (20: 83-86).
[1770] He reminded them of what he had told them when they saw some idol worshippers deeply involved in their devotions and asked him to make them a god like the idolaters had (cf. Ayas 138-140 above).
[1771] In other words, “Could you not have waited until I came back to you with your Lord’s good Guidance?” (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[1772] That the tablets were ‘thrown down’ is symbolic of the context in which God’s Guidance was received; instead of one of cheeriness and thankfulness it was one of deviation and Association, much to the consternation of the Messenger. Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Hearing is not like seeing. Allah told Moses of what his people did with the calf and he did not throw down the tablets. Yet, when he actually saw what they did he threw them down!” (Imām Aḥmad: 2447; Ibn Ḥibbān: 6213)
[1773] “He said: “Hārūn, what prevented you, when you saw they had strayed *from following me? Why did you disobey my command?” (20: 92-93).
[1774] “Hārūn had already, before this said to them: “My people! You are being tested in this: for verily your Lord is ˹Allah˺ the Most Gracious; so follow me and obey my command”. *They said: “We will never cease being devoted to it ˹the calf˺ until Moses returns to us”” (20: 90-91).
[1770] He reminded them of what he had told them when they saw some idol worshippers deeply involved in their devotions and asked him to make them a god like the idolaters had (cf. Ayas 138-140 above).
[1771] In other words, “Could you not have waited until I came back to you with your Lord’s good Guidance?” (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[1772] That the tablets were ‘thrown down’ is symbolic of the context in which God’s Guidance was received; instead of one of cheeriness and thankfulness it was one of deviation and Association, much to the consternation of the Messenger. Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Hearing is not like seeing. Allah told Moses of what his people did with the calf and he did not throw down the tablets. Yet, when he actually saw what they did he threw them down!” (Imām Aḥmad: 2447; Ibn Ḥibbān: 6213)
[1773] “He said: “Hārūn, what prevented you, when you saw they had strayed *from following me? Why did you disobey my command?” (20: 92-93).
[1774] “Hārūn had already, before this said to them: “My people! You are being tested in this: for verily your Lord is ˹Allah˺ the Most Gracious; so follow me and obey my command”. *They said: “We will never cease being devoted to it ˹the calf˺ until Moses returns to us”” (20: 90-91).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (150) Surah: Al-A‘rāf
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.