Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And when Moses said to his people: “O my people: you have wronged your souls by your taking up the calf. So turn to your Creator and kill yourselves; that is best for you in the sight of your Creator.” Then He turned towards you; He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.

وَاِذْ قَالَ مُوسٰى لِقَوْمِه۪ يَا قَوْمِ اِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ اَنْفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُٓوا اِلٰى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُٓوا اَنْفُسَكُمْۜ ذٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ بَارِئِكُمْۜ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْۜ اِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّح۪يمُ
Wa-ith qala moosaliqawmihi ya qawmi innakum thalamtumanfusakum bittikhathikumu alAAijla fatooboo ilabari-ikum faqtuloo anfusakum thalikumkhayrun lakum AAinda bari-ikum fataba AAalaykuminnahu huwa attawwabu arraheem
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-idhAnd when
2qālasaidقول
3mūsāMusa
4liqawmihito his peopleقوم
5yāqawmiO my peopleقوم
6innakumIndeed, you
7ẓalamtum[you] have wrongedظلم
8anfusakumyourselvesنفس
9bi-ittikhādhikumuby your takingاخذ
10l-ʿij'lathe calfعجل
11fatūbūSo turn in repentanceتوب
12ilāto
13bāri-ikumyour Creatorبرا
14fa-uq'tulūand killقتل
15anfusakumyourselvesنفس
16dhālikumThat
17khayrun(is) betterخير
18lakumfor you
19ʿindawithعند
20bāri-ikumyour Creatorبرا
21fatābaThen He turnedتوب
22ʿalaykumtowards you
23innahuIndeed He
24huwaHe
25l-tawābu(is) the-returningتوب
26l-raḥīmuthe Most Mercifulرحم
  • Aisha Bewley

    And when Musa said to his people, ‘My people, You wronged yourselves by adopting the Calf so turn towards your Maker and kill yourselves. That is the best thing for you in your Maker’s sight.’ And He turned towards you. He is the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And Moses said to his people: "O my people, you have wronged your souls by taking the calf, so repent to your Maker, and kill yourselves. That is better for you with your Maker, so He would forgive you. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful."

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    When Moses returned, he said to his people, "My people! You have hurt your own 'Selves' (by worshiping the calf (7:152)). Turn in repentance to your Maker and kill your slavish mentality. That will be best for you in the Sight of your Maker." Thereupon He accepted your repentance. Verily, He is the Acceptor of repentance, the Merciful.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And when Moses said to his people: “O my people: you have wronged your souls by your taking up the calf. So turn to your Creator and kill yourselves; that is best for you in the sight of your Creator.” Then He turned towards you; He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And Moses said to his people: "O my people, you have wronged your souls by taking the calf, so repent to your Maker, and kill yourselves. That is better for you with your Maker, so He would forgive you. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Moses said to his people, "O my people, you have wronged yourselves by taking the calf, so repent to your Maker, and face yourselves. That is better for you with your Maker, so He would forgive you. He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Recall that Moses said to his people, "O my people, you have wronged your souls by worshipping the calf. You must repent to your Creator. You shall kill your egos. This is better for you in the sight of your Creator." He did redeem you. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Remember, Moses said: "My people, by taking this calf you have done yourselves harm, so now turn to your Creator in repentance, and kill your pride, which is better with your Lord. " And (the Lord) softened towards you, for He is all-forgiving and merciful.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    And when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf . So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves. That is best for you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.

  • Muhammad Asad

    and when Moses said unto his people: "O my people! Verily, you have sinned against yourselves by worshipping the calf; turn, then. in repentance to your Maker and mortify yourselves; this will be the best for you in your Maker's sight". And thereupon He accepted your repentance: for, behold, He alone is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Ye have wronged yourselves by your choosing of the calf (for worship) so turn in penitence to your Creator, and kill (the guilty) yourselves. That will be best for you with your Creator and He will relent toward you. Lo! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    And recall when (on returning with this favour) Moses said to his people: "My people! You have wronged yourselves by taking the calf for an object of worship, so turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves.* This will be best for you in your Creator’s sight." Thereupon He accepted your repentance. Indeed He is Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    "And that once when you idolised the calf and Mussa said to you: "My people, you have indeed characterised yourselves by perversity of judgement and perversed the divine command by idolising the calf, and this is an affront nothing but blood can expiate! Therefore, stand repentant in lowliest plight to Allah, your Creator, and slay the wrongful of action among you, then you will have pursued the acceptable course to Allah, your Creator. " Yet Allah give up resentment against you and pardoned your offence; it is He Who always accepts true repentance and people’s atonement and He is AL-Tawab (the Relenting) and AL-Rahim.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Also remember that when Moses said to his people: "O my people, you have betrayed your souls by worshiping the statue of a cow. Ask your Creator to forgive you and slay the guilty ones among you." Then God forgave you as He is the one Who accepts repentance and is the most merciful.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And (remember) when Mûsâ (Moses) said to his people: "O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf. So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves (the innocent kill the wrongdoers among you), that will be better for you with your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance. Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    And remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! Ye have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf: So turn (in repentance) to your Maker, and slay yourselves (the wrong-doers); that will be better for you in the sight of your Maker." Then He turned towards you (in forgiveness): For He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his people, "O my people! Surely you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf, so turn in repentance to your Creator and execute ˹the calf-worshippers among˺ yourselves. That is best for you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance. Surely He is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.

  • Taqi Usmani

    When Mūsā said to his people: "My people, you have wronged yourselves by your taking the calf (as God). So, turn in repentance to your Creator, and slay yourselves. That will be better for you in the sight of your Creator". Then, He accepted your repentance. Indeed He is the Most-Relenting, the Very-Merciful.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Moses said to his people, ‘My people, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf, so repent to your Maker and kill you. That is the best you can do in the eyes of your Maker.’ He accepted your repentance: He is the Ever Relenting and the Most Merciful.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And when Moses said to his people, 'My people, you have done wrong against yourselves by your taking the Calf; now turn to your Creator and slay one another. That will be better for you in your Creator's sight, and He will turn to you; truly He turns, and is All-compassionate.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    When Moses said to his people, 'O my people! Ye have wronged yourselves in taking this calf; repent unto your Creator and kill each other; that will be better for you in your Creators eyes; and He turned unto you, for He is the compassionate one easily turned. '

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And remember when Moses said to his people, "O my people! You have wronged yourselves in taking this calf; repent unto your Creator and kill the guilty yourselves; that will be better for you in your Creator's eyes; and He relented towards you, for He is the Oft Relenting, the Merciful.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And (remember) as Mûsa (Moses) said to his people, "O my people, surely you have done injustice to yourselves by taking the Calf to yourselves. So repent to your Initiator (and) so kill yourselves. (i.e., the unburdening of their sins; forgiveness) That (Literally: these "killings") is most charitable for you in the Providence of your Initiator; so He relented towards you. Surely He, Ever He, is The Superbly Relenting, The Ever-Merciful".

  • George Sale

    And when Moses said unto his people, O my people, verily ye have injured your own souls, by your taking the calf for your God; therefore be turned unto your Creator, and slay those among you who have been guilty of that crime; this will be better for you in the sight of your Creator; and thereupon He turned unto you, for He is easy to be reconciled, and merciful.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And (remember) when, Musa (Moses) said to his people: "O my people! You have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf: So turn in repentance to your Creator, and kill yourselves (the wrongdoers); That will be better for you in the sight of your Creator. " For He is the One Who Accepts Repentance (At-Tawwab), the Most Merciful (Ar-Raheem).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And when Moses said to his people, `O my people! you have indeed done injustice to your own selves by your taking (to the worship of) the calf so (you had better) turn (penitently) to your Creator Who gradually evolves you in your being, and kill your ring leaders. That indeed will be best for you in the sight of your Creator.' (Since you did as you were told,) He turned towards you with compassion. Verily, He alone is the Oft-Returning with compassion, and is the Ever Merciful.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    And when Moses said to his people, ‘O my people! You have indeed wronged yourselves by taking up the Calf . Now turn penitently to your Maker, and slay your folks. That will be better for you with your Maker.’ Then He turned to you clemently. Indeed He is the All-clement, the All-merciful.