Surah Al-Baqarah (البقرة) • The Cow

Quran 2:61

2:61

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَٰحِدٍ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ

wa-idh qul'tum yāmūsā lan naṣbira ʿalā ṭaʿāmin wāḥidin fa-ud'ʿu lanā rabbaka yukh'rij lanā mimmā tunbitu l-arḍu min baqlihā waqithāihā wafūmihā waʿadasihā wabaṣalihā qāla atastabdilūna alladhī huwa adnā bi-alladhī huwa khayrun ih'biṭū miṣ'ran fa-inna lakum mā sa-altum waḍuribat ʿalayhimu l-dhilatu wal-maskanatu wabāū bighaḍabin mina l-lahi dhālika bi-annahum kānū yakfurūna biāyāti l-lahi wayaqtulūna l-nabiyīna bighayri l-ḥaqi dhālika bimā ʿaṣaw wakānū yaʿtadūna

And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions." [Moses] said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked." And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allāh [upon them]. That was because they [repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allāh and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were [habitually] transgressing.

— Saheeh International

Remember when you said, ‘Moses, we cannot bear to eat only one kind of food, so pray to your Lord to bring out for us some of the earth’s produce, its herbs and cucumbers, its garlic, lentils, and onions.’ He said, ‘Would you exchange better for worse? Go to Egypt and there you will find what you have asked for.’ They were struck with humiliation and wretchedness, and they incurred the wrath of God because they persistently rejected His messages and killed prophets contrary to all that is right. All this was because they disobeyed and were lawbreakers.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

And (remember) when you said, "O Mûsâ (Moses)! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows, its herbs, its cucumbers, its Fûm (wheat or garlic), its lentils and its onions." He said, "Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!" And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allâh. That was because they used to disbelieve the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations etc.) of Allâh and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds (in their disobedience to Allâh, i.e. commit crimes and sins).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 1Page 9medinan

Word by Word

وَإِذْwa-idhAnd when
قُلْتُمْqul'tumyou said
يَـٰمُوسَىٰyāmūsāO Musa
لَنlanNever (will)
نَّصْبِرَnaṣbirawe endure
عَلَىٰʿalā[on]
طَعَامٍۢṭaʿāminfood
وَٰحِدٍۢwāḥidin(of) one (kind)
فَٱدْعُfa-ud'ʿuso pray
لَنَاlanāfor us
رَبَّكَrabbaka(to) your Lord
يُخْرِجْyukh'rijto bring forth
لَنَاlanāfor us
مِمَّاmimmāout of what
تُنۢبِتُtunbitugrows
ٱلْأَرْضُl-arḍuthe earth
مِنۢminof
بَقْلِهَاbaqlihāits herbs
وَقِثَّآئِهَاwaqithāihā[and] its cucumbers
وَفُومِهَاwafūmihā[and] its garlic
وَعَدَسِهَاwaʿadasihā[and] its lentils
وَبَصَلِهَاۖwabaṣalihāand its onions
قَالَqālaHe said
أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَatastabdilūnaWould you exchange
ٱلَّذِىalladhīthat which
هُوَhuwa[it]
أَدْنَىٰadnā(is) inferior
بِٱلَّذِىbi-alladhīfor that which
هُوَhuwa[it]
خَيْرٌۚkhayrun(is) better
ٱهْبِطُوا۟ih'biṭūGo down
مِصْرًۭاmiṣ'ran(to) a city
فَإِنَّfa-innaso indeed
لَكُمlakumfor you
مَّاmā(is) what
سَأَلْتُمْۗsa-altumyou have asked (for)
وَضُرِبَتْwaḍuribatAnd were struck
عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimuon them
ٱلذِّلَّةُl-dhilatuthe humiliation
وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُwal-maskanatuand the misery
وَبَآءُوwabāūand they drew on themselves
بِغَضَبٍۢbighaḍabinwrath
مِّنَminaof
ٱللَّهِۗl-lahiAllah
ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat (was)
بِأَنَّهُمْbi-annahumbecause they
كَانُوا۟kānūused to
يَكْفُرُونَyakfurūnadisbelieve
بِـَٔايَـٰتِbiāyātiin (the) Signs
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
وَيَقْتُلُونَwayaqtulūnaand kill
ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَl-nabiyīnathe Prophets
بِغَيْرِbighayriwithout (any)
ٱلْحَقِّۗl-ḥaqi[the] right
ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat
بِمَاbimā(was) because
عَصَوا۟ʿaṣawthey disobeyed
وَّكَانُوا۟wakānūand they were
يَعْتَدُونَyaʿtadūnatransgressing