Verse 2:67 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

63 وَإِذۡ أَخَذۡنَا مِیثَـٰقَكُمۡ وَرَفَعۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُوا۟ مَاۤ ءَاتَیۡنَـٰكُم بِقُوَّةࣲ وَٱذۡكُرُوا۟ مَا فِیهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ ۝٦٣ wa-idh akhadhnā mīthāqakum warafaʿnā fawqakumu l-ṭūra khudhū mā ātaynākum biquwwatin wa-udh'kurū mā fīhi laʿallakum tattaqūn Remember when We took your pledge, and made the mountain tower high above you, and said, ‘Hold fast to what We have given you and bear its contents in mind, so that you may be conscious of God.’ 64 ثُمَّ تَوَلَّیۡتُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ ذَ ٰلِكَۖ فَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ لَكُنتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِینَ ۝٦٤ thumma tawallaytum min baʿdi dhālika falawlā faḍlu l-lahi ʿalaykum waraḥmatuhu lakuntum mina l-khāsirīn Even after that you turned away. Had it not been for God’s favour and mercy on you, you would certainly have been lost 65 وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتُمُ ٱلَّذِینَ ٱعۡتَدَوۡا۟ مِنكُمۡ فِی ٱلسَّبۡتِ فَقُلۡنَا لَهُمۡ كُونُوا۟ قِرَدَةً خَـٰسِءِینَ ۝٦٥ walaqad ʿalim'tumu alladhīna iʿ'tadaw minkum fī l-sabti faqul'nā lahum kūnū qiradatan khāsiīn You know about those of you who broke the Sabbath, and so We said to them, ‘Be like apes! Be outcasts!’ 66 فَجَعَلۡنَـٰهَا نَكَـٰلࣰا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡهَا وَمَا خَلۡفَهَا وَمَوۡعِظَةࣰ لِّلۡمُتَّقِینَ ۝٦٦ fajaʿalnāhā nakālan limā bayna yadayhā wamā khalfahā wamawʿiẓatan lil'muttaqīn We made this an example to those people who were there at the time and to those who came after them, and a lesson to all who are mindful of God

67 وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦۤ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَأۡمُرُكُمۡ أَن تَذۡبَحُوا۟ بَقَرَةࣰۖ قَالُوۤا۟ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوࣰاۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِینَ ۝٦٧ wa-idh qāla mūsā liqawmihi inna l-laha yamurukum an tadhbaḥū baqaratan qālū atattakhidhunā huzuwan qāla aʿūdhu bil-lahi an akūna mina l-jāhilīn Remember when Moses said to his people, ‘God commands you to sacrifice a cow.’ They said, ‘Are you making fun of us?’ He answered, ‘God forbid that I should be so ignorant.’

68 قَالُوا۟ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ یُبَیِّن لَّنَا مَا هِیَۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ یَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةࣱ لَّا فَارِضࣱ وَلَا بِكۡرٌ عَوَانُۢ بَیۡنَ ذَ ٰلِكَۖ فَٱفۡعَلُوا۟ مَا تُؤۡمَرُونَ ۝٦٨ qālū ud'ʿu lanā rabbaka yubayyin lanā mā hiya qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun lā fāriḍun walā bik'run ʿawānun bayna dhālika fa-if'ʿalū mā tu'marūn They said, ‘Call on your Lord for us, to show us what sort of cow it should be.’ He answered, ‘God says it should be neither too old nor too young, but in between, so do as you are commanded.’ 69 قَالُوا۟ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ یُبَیِّن لَّنَا مَا لَوۡنُهَاۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ یَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةࣱ صَفۡرَاۤءُ فَاقِعࣱ لَّوۡنُهَا تَسُرُّ ٱلنَّـٰظِرِینَ ۝٦٩ qālū ud'ʿu lanā rabbaka yubayyin lanā mā lawnuhā qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun ṣafrāu fāqiʿun lawnuhā tasurru l-nāẓirīn They said, ‘Call on your Lord for us, to show us what colour it should be.’ He answered, ‘God says it should be a bright yellow cow, pleasing to the eye.’ 70 قَالُوا۟ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ یُبَیِّن لَّنَا مَا هِیَ إِنَّ ٱلۡبَقَرَ تَشَـٰبَهَ عَلَیۡنَا وَإِنَّاۤ إِن شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ لَمُهۡتَدُونَ ۝٧٠ qālū ud'ʿu lanā rabbaka yubayyin lanā mā hiya inna l-baqara tashābaha ʿalaynā wa-innā in shāa l-lahu lamuh'tadūn They said, ‘Call on your Lord for us, to show us [exactly] what it is: all cows are more or less alike to us. With God’s will, we shall be guided.’ 71 قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ یَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةࣱ لَّا ذَلُولࣱ تُثِیرُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَلَا تَسۡقِی ٱلۡحَرۡثَ مُسَلَّمَةࣱ لَّا شِیَةَ فِیهَاۚ قَالُوا۟ ٱلۡءَـٰنَ جِئۡتَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا۟ یَفۡعَلُونَ ۝٧١ qāla innahu yaqūlu innahā baqaratun lā dhalūlun tuthīru l-arḍa walā tasqī l-ḥartha musallamatun lā shiyata fīhā qālū l-āna ji'ta bil-ḥaqi fadhabaḥūhā wamā kādū yafʿalūn He replied, ‘It is a perfect and unblemished cow, not trained to till the earth or water the fields.’ They said, ‘Now you have brought the truth,’ and so they slaughtered it, though they almost failed to do so