Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And when We took your agreement and raised the mount above you: “Hold fast what We give you, and listen,” they said: “We hear and we oppose”; and they were filled with drinking the calf in their hearts for their denial. Say thou: “Evil is what your faith enjoins upon you, if you be believers.”

وَاِذْ اَخَذْنَا م۪يثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَۜ خُذُوا مَٓا اٰتَيْنَاكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ وَاسْمَعُواۜ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَاُشْرِبُوا ف۪ي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْۜ قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِه۪ٓ ا۪يمَانُكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِن۪ينَ
Wa-ith akhathna meethaqakumwarafaAAna fawqakumu attoora khuthooma ataynakum biquwwatin wasmaAAoo qaloosamiAAna waAAasayna waoshriboo feequloobihimu alAAijla bikufrihim qul bi/sama ya/murukumbihi eemanukum in kuntum mu/mineen
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-idhAnd when
2akhadhnāWe tookاخذ
3mīthāqakumyour covenantوثق
4warafaʿnāand We raisedرفع
5fawqakumuover youفوق
6l-ṭūrathe mountطور
7khudhūHoldاخذ
8what
9ātaynākumWe gave youاتي
10biquwwatinwith firmnessقوي
11wa-is'maʿūand listenسمع
12qālūThey saidقول
13samiʿ'nāWe heardسمع
14waʿaṣaynāand we disobeyedعصي
15wa-ush'ribūAnd they were made to drinkشرب
16in
17qulūbihimutheir heartsقلب
18l-ʿij'la(love of) the calfعجل
19bikuf'rihimbecause of their disbeliefكفر
20qulSayقول
21bi'samāEvil (is) thatباس
22yamurukumorders you (to do) itامر
23bihiwith
24īmānukumyour faithامن
25inif
26kuntumyou areكون
27mu'minīnabelieversامن
  • Aisha Bewley

    Remember when We made a covenant with you and lifted up the Mount above your heads: ‘Take hold vigorously of what We have given you and listen. ’ They said, ‘We hear and disobey.’ They were made to drink the Calf into their hearts because of their kufr. Say, ‘If you are muminun, what an evil thing your iman has made you do.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    And We took your covenant, and raised the mount above you: "Take what We have given you with strength, and listen. " They said: "We hear and disobey!", and they had consumed the calf inside their hearts by their disbelief. Say: "Miserable indeed is what your belief orders of you if you are believers!"

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Recall again the Covenant We made with you in the Valley of the Mount Sinai, with the mountain towering over you, saying, "Hold firmly to what We have given you, and listen with your hearts!" They said, "We hear and we disobey". The desire to worship a tangible deity was so strong in them that their hearts were infused with the love of the calf, because of their persistent failure to see the Truth. Say, "If your faith teaches you to go back to the primitive ways of worship, then you are in a pitiable state of mind - if you are at all believers."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And when We took your agreement and raised the mount above you: “Hold fast what We give you, and listen,” they said: “We hear and we oppose”; and they were filled with drinking the calf in their hearts for their denial. Say thou: “Evil is what your faith enjoins upon you, if you be believers.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And We took your covenant, and raised the mount above you: "Take what We have given you with strength, and listen." They said: "We hear and disobey!" And they had consumed the calf inside their hearts by their disbelief. Say: "Miserable indeed is what your belief orders of you if you are believers!"

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    We took your covenant, and raised the mount above you, "Take what We have given you with strength, and listen." They said, "We hear and disobey!" and they had consumed the calf inside their hearts by their rejection. Say, "Miserable indeed is what your acknowledgement instructs you if you are those who acknowledge!"

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    We made a covenant with you, as we raised Mount Sinai above you, saying, "You shall uphold the commandments we have given you, strongly, and listen." They said, "We hear, but we disobey." Their hearts became filled with adoration for the calf, due to their disbelief. Say, "Miserable indeed is what your faith dictates upon you, if you do have any faith."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Although Moses had come to you with evidence of the truth, you chose the calf in his absence, and you transgressed.

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

    And when We took your covenant and raised over you the mount, , "Take what We have given you with determination and listen. " They said , "We hear and disobey." And their hearts absorbed the calf because of their disbelief. Say, "How wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if you should be believers."

  • Muhammad Asad

    And, lo, We accepted your solemn pledge, raising Mount Sinai high above you, "Hold fast with strength unto what We have vouchsafed you, and hearken unto it!" they say, "We have heard, but we disobey" - for their hearts are filled to overflowing with love of the calf because of their refusal to acknowledge the truth. Say: "Vile is what this belief of yours enjoins upon you-if indeed you are believers!"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And when We made with you a covenant and caused the Mount to tower above you, (saying): Hold fast by that which We have given you, and hear (Our Word), they said: We hear and we rebel. And (worship of) the calf was made to sink into their hearts because of their rejection (of the covenant). Say (unto them): Evil is that which your belief enjoineth on you, if ye are believers.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Recall the covenant We made with you and caused the Mount to tower above you, stressing: "Hold to what We have given you with full strength and give heed to it." But their forefathers said: “We hear, but we disobey” – for their hearts were overflowing with love for the calf because of their unbelief. Say: “If you are people of faith, then evil are the things that your faith enjoins upon you.”

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And Recall when you camped at the foot of Mount and heaven thundered and the awe inspiring echoes thundered in your ears as We entered with you into a Covenant and We stabilized the mountain above you when it shook with such fits for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and We said: "Adhere to all that We have imparted to you in AL-Tawrah and observe and esteem the code of discipline and regulations, hold to your promise, pay attention and regard". And your people said: "We have opened our hearts' ears " But their actions did not accord to their words. They impiously took the calf and drank with delight, to tame their wicked feelings. Say to them, O Muhammad: "If these are the principles of your faith steering your course of action, then how worthless is your apprehension of divine truth and system of religious belief, if you truly represent yourselves as people of faith?"

  • Bijan Moeinian

    I took a solemn pledge from you while raising the Mount Sinai over your heads: "Follow my revelations to the point and be obedient. " They promised to believe but they rebelled. They were such phonies that they worshipped a cow! Tell them (O Mohammad): “If yours is belief, it is indeed a strange belief that makes you to do such evil things.”

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And (remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying), "Hold firmly to what We have given you and hear (Our Word)." They said, "We have heard and disobeyed." And their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf because of their disbelief. Say: "Worst indeed is that which your faith enjoins on you if you are believers."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    And remember We took your covenant and We raised above you (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai): (Saying): "Hold firmly to what We have given you, and hearken (to the Law)": They said:" We hear, and we disobey:" And they had to drink into their hearts (of the taint) of the calf because of their Faithlessness. Say: "Vile indeed are the behests of your Faith if ye have any faith!"

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    And when We took your covenant and raised the mountain above you ˹saying˺, "Hold firmly to that ˹Scripture˺ which We have given you and obey," they answered, “We hear and disobey.” The love of the calf was rooted in their hearts because of their disbelief. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “How evil is what your ˹so-called˺ belief prompts you to do, if you ˹actually˺ believe ˹in the Torah˺!”

  • Taqi Usmani

    And when We took a pledge from you, and raised high the (mount of) Tūr above you: "Hold fast to what We have given you, and listen"! They said, “We have heard and disobeyed.” And, on account of their denial, they were soaked with love for the calf in their hearts. Say: “Evil is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if you are believers.”

  • Abdul Haleem

    Remember when We took your pledge, making the mountain tower above you, and said, ‘Hold on firmly to what We have given you, and listen to .’ They said, ‘We hear and we disobey,’ and through their disbelief they were made to drink the calf deep into their hearts. Say, ‘How evil are the things your belief commands you to do, if you really are believers!’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And when We took compact with you, and raised over you the Mount: 'Take forcefully what We have given you and give ear. ' They said, 'We hear, and rebel'; and they were made to drink the Calf in their hearts for their unbelief. Say: 'Evil is the thing your faith bids you to, if you are believers.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And when we took a covenant with you and raised the mountain over you, 'Take what we have given you with resolution and hear;' they said, 'We hear but disobey;' and they were made to drink the calf down into their hearts for their unbelief. Say, 'An evil thing is it which your belief bids you do, if ye be true believers.'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And remember when We took a covenant with you and raised the mountain (Sinai) over you, "Take what We have given you with resolution and hear (the Law);" they said, "We hear but disobey;" and they were made to drink (the sin of) the calf down into their heart for their faithlessness. Say, "A vile thing is it which your faith bids you do, if you have any faith."

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And as We took compact with you (Literally: took your compact) and raised above you the Tûr (i. e. the Mount): "Take powerfully what We have brought you and give ear to (Our Word)." They said, "We have heard, and we disobey." And they were made to drink the Calf in their hearts (i.e., their hearts were filled with love for it) for their disbelief. Say, "Miserable is that to which your belief commands you, in case you are believers!"

  • George Sale

    And when we accepted your covenant and lifted the mountain of Sinai over you, saying, receive the law which we have given you, with a resolution to perform it, and hear; they said, we have heard, and have rebelled: And they were made to drink down the calf into their hearts for their unbelief. Say, a grievous thing hath your faith commanded you, if ye be true believers.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And (remember) when, We took your Promise and We raised above you Mount (Sinai, saying): "Hold firmly to what We have given you, and obey:" They said: "We hear, and we disobey:" And they had to take into their hearts the worship of the calf because they have no Faith. Say: "The commands of your Faith are truly not enough— If you have any faith!"

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And (recall) when We took a covenant from you, (while you had encamped at the foot of Sinai) with (the summits of) the Mount towering above you, (and We had said,) `Hold fast to that which we have given you and obey. ' (But) those (of you who were given this commandment) said, `We hear and we disobey.' Their hearts were, in fact, permeated with (the love of) the calf (worship) due to their disbelief. Say, `Evil is the way to which your faith leads you, if you are believers at all.'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    And when We took covenant with you and raised the Mount above you , ‘Hold on with power to what We have given you, and listen!’ They said, ‘We hear, and disobey,’ and their hearts had been imbued with the Calf, due to their faithlessness. Say, ‘Evil is that to which your faith prompts you, should you be faithful!’