Surah An-Nisa (النساء) • The Women

Quran 4:153

4:153

يَسْـَٔلُكَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَـٰبًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا۟ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ سُلْطَـٰنًا مُّبِينًا

yasaluka ahlu l-kitābi an tunazzila ʿalayhim kitāban mina l-samāi faqad sa-alū mūsā akbara min dhālika faqālū arinā l-laha jahratan fa-akhadhathumu l-ṣāʿiqatu biẓul'mihim thumma ittakhadhū l-ʿij'la min baʿdi mā jāathumu l-bayinātu faʿafawnā ʿan dhālika waātaynā mūsā sul'ṭānan mubīnan

The People of the Scripture ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. But they had asked of Moses [even] greater than that and said, "Show us Allāh outright," so the thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf [for worship] after clear evidences had come to them, and We pardoned that. And We gave Moses a clear authority.

— Saheeh International

The People of the Book demand that you [Prophet] make a book physically come down to them from heaven, but they demanded even more than that of Moses when they said, ‘Show us God face to face,’ and were struck by the thunderbolt for their presumption. Even after clear revelations had come down to them, they took the calf as an object of worship, yet We pardoned this, and gave Moses clear authority;

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

The people of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed they asked Mûsâ (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said: "Show us Allâh in public," but they were struck with thunderclap and lightning for their wickedness. Then they worshipped the calf even after clear proofs, evidence, and signs had come to them. (Even) so We forgave them. And We gave Mûsâ (Moses) a clear proof of authority.

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

Juz 6Page 102medinan

Word by Word

يَسْـَٔلُكَyasalukaAsk you
أَهْلُahlu(the) People
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِl-kitābi(of) the Book
أَنanthat
تُنَزِّلَtunazzilayou bring down
عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhimto them
كِتَـٰبًۭاkitābana book
مِّنَminafrom
ٱلسَّمَآءِۚl-samāithe heaven
فَقَدْfaqadThen indeed
سَأَلُوا۟sa-alūthey (had) asked
مُوسَىٰٓmūsāMusa
أَكْبَرَakbaragreater
مِنminthan
ذَٰلِكَdhālikathat
فَقَالُوٓا۟faqālūfor they said
أَرِنَاarināShow us
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
جَهْرَةًۭjahratanmanifestly
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُfa-akhadhathumuso struck them
ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُl-ṣāʿiqatuthe thunderbolt
بِظُلْمِهِمْۚbiẓul'mihimfor their wrongdoing
ثُمَّthummaThen
ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ittakhadhūthey took
ٱلْعِجْلَl-ʿij'lathe calf (for worship)
مِنۢminfrom
بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
مَاmā[what]
جَآءَتْهُمُjāathumucame to them
ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُl-bayinātuthe clear proofs
فَعَفَوْنَاfaʿafawnāthen We forgave them
عَنʿanfor
ذَٰلِكَۚdhālikathat
وَءَاتَيْنَاwaātaynāAnd We gave
مُوسَىٰmūsāMusa
سُلْطَـٰنًۭاsul'ṭānanan authority
مُّبِينًۭاmubīnanclear