Al Baqarah, 2:51 2:52 & 2:53
Transliteration:
Wa 'Idh Wā`adnā Mūsá 'Arba`īna Laylatan Thumma Attakhadhtumu Al-`Ijla Min Ba`dihi Wa 'Antum Žālimūna
Thumma `Afawnā `Ankum Min Ba`di Dhālika La`allakum Tashkurūna
Wa 'Idh 'Ātaynā Mūsá Al-Kitāba Wa Al-Furqāna La`allakum Tahtadūna
Translation:
Yusuf Ali: And remember We appointed forty nights for Moses and in his absence you took the calf (for worship) and ye did grievous wrong.
Yusuf Ali: Even then We did forgive you; there was a chance for you to be grateful.
Yusuf Ali: And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the criterion (between right and wrong) there was a chance for you to be guided aright.
Dr. Mohsin: And (remember) when We appointed for Mûsa (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers,)
Dr. Mohsin: Then after that We forgave you so that you might be grateful.
Dr. Mohsin: And (remember) when We gave Mûsa (Moses) the Scripture [the Taurât (Torah)] and the criterion (of right and wrong) so that you may be guided aright.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn:
And when We appointed for (wā‘adnā or wa‘adnā) Moses forty nights, at the end of which We shall give him the Torah for you to implement, then you took to yourselves the calf, the one which the Samaritan fashioned for you as a god, after him, that is, after he departed for Our appointment, and you were evildoers, for taking it [in worship], because you directed your worship to the wrong place.
Then We pardoned you, erasing your sins, after that, act of worship, so that you might be thankful, for Our favour upon you.
And when We gave to Moses the Scripture, the Torah, and the Criterion (wa’l-furqān is an explicative supplement [of Torah]), that is, the one that discriminates (faraqa) between truth and falsehood and between what is licit and illicit, so that you might be guided, by it away from error.
Tafsir ibn Kathir:
(51. And (remember) when We appointed for Musa (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers).)
(52. Then after that We forgave you so that you might be grateful.)
(53. And (remember) when We gave Musa the Scripture (the Tawrah)) and the criterion (of right and wrong) so that you may be guided aright.)
The Children of Israel worshipped the Calf
Allah then said, "Remember My favor on you when I forgave you for worshipping the calf.'' This happened after Musa went to the meeting place with his Lord at the end of that period which was forty days. These forty days were mentioned in Surat Al-A`raf, when Allah said,
﴿وَوَعَدْنَا مُوسَى ثَلَـثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرٍ﴾
(And We appointed for Musa thirty nights and added (to the period) ten (more)) (7:142).
It was said that these days were during the month of Dhul-Qa`dah plus the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, after the Children of Israel were delivered from Fir`awn and they safely crossed the sea. Allah's statement,
﴿وَإِذْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ﴾
(And (remember) when We gave Musa the Scripture) means, the Tawrah,
﴿وَالْفُرْقَانِ﴾
(And the criterion) that is that which differentiates between truth and falsehood, guidance and deviation.
﴿لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴾
(So that you may be guided aright), after escaping the sea, as another Ayah in Surat Al-A`raf clearly stated,
﴿وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ مِن بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الاٍّولَى بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴾
(And indeed We gave Musa ـ after We had destroyed the generations of old ـ the Scripture (the Tawrah) as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that they might remember (or receive admonition)) (28:43).
وَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَى أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَة ً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِِ وَأَنْتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ
ثُمَّ عَفَوْنَا عَنْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
وَإِذْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَالْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
ثُمَّ عَفَوْنَا عَنْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
وَإِذْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَالْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
Transliteration:
Wa 'Idh Wā`adnā Mūsá 'Arba`īna Laylatan Thumma Attakhadhtumu Al-`Ijla Min Ba`dihi Wa 'Antum Žālimūna
Thumma `Afawnā `Ankum Min Ba`di Dhālika La`allakum Tashkurūna
Wa 'Idh 'Ātaynā Mūsá Al-Kitāba Wa Al-Furqāna La`allakum Tahtadūna
Translation:
Yusuf Ali: And remember We appointed forty nights for Moses and in his absence you took the calf (for worship) and ye did grievous wrong.
Yusuf Ali: Even then We did forgive you; there was a chance for you to be grateful.
Yusuf Ali: And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the criterion (between right and wrong) there was a chance for you to be guided aright.
Dr. Mohsin: And (remember) when We appointed for Mûsa (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers,)
Dr. Mohsin: Then after that We forgave you so that you might be grateful.
Dr. Mohsin: And (remember) when We gave Mûsa (Moses) the Scripture [the Taurât (Torah)] and the criterion (of right and wrong) so that you may be guided aright.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn:
And when We appointed for (wā‘adnā or wa‘adnā) Moses forty nights, at the end of which We shall give him the Torah for you to implement, then you took to yourselves the calf, the one which the Samaritan fashioned for you as a god, after him, that is, after he departed for Our appointment, and you were evildoers, for taking it [in worship], because you directed your worship to the wrong place.
Then We pardoned you, erasing your sins, after that, act of worship, so that you might be thankful, for Our favour upon you.
And when We gave to Moses the Scripture, the Torah, and the Criterion (wa’l-furqān is an explicative supplement [of Torah]), that is, the one that discriminates (faraqa) between truth and falsehood and between what is licit and illicit, so that you might be guided, by it away from error.
Tafsir ibn Kathir:
(51. And (remember) when We appointed for Musa (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers).)
(52. Then after that We forgave you so that you might be grateful.)
(53. And (remember) when We gave Musa the Scripture (the Tawrah)) and the criterion (of right and wrong) so that you may be guided aright.)
The Children of Israel worshipped the Calf
Allah then said, "Remember My favor on you when I forgave you for worshipping the calf.'' This happened after Musa went to the meeting place with his Lord at the end of that period which was forty days. These forty days were mentioned in Surat Al-A`raf, when Allah said,
﴿وَوَعَدْنَا مُوسَى ثَلَـثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرٍ﴾
(And We appointed for Musa thirty nights and added (to the period) ten (more)) (7:142).
It was said that these days were during the month of Dhul-Qa`dah plus the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, after the Children of Israel were delivered from Fir`awn and they safely crossed the sea. Allah's statement,
﴿وَإِذْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ﴾
(And (remember) when We gave Musa the Scripture) means, the Tawrah,
﴿وَالْفُرْقَانِ﴾
(And the criterion) that is that which differentiates between truth and falsehood, guidance and deviation.
﴿لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴾
(So that you may be guided aright), after escaping the sea, as another Ayah in Surat Al-A`raf clearly stated,
﴿وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ مِن بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الاٍّولَى بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴾
(And indeed We gave Musa ـ after We had destroyed the generations of old ـ the Scripture (the Tawrah) as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that they might remember (or receive admonition)) (28:43).
