Quran 7:138 — Al-A'raaf, verse 138
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
We took the Children of Israel across the sea, but when they came upon a people who worshipped idols, they said, ‘Moses, make a god for us like theirs.’ He said, ‘You really are foolish people:
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰ أَصْنَامٍ لَهُمْ ۚ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى اجْعَلْ لَنَا إِلَـٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ
wajāwaznā bibanī is'rāīla l-baḥra fa-ataw ʿalā qawmin yaʿkufūna ʿalā aṣnāmin lahum qālū yāmūsā ij'ʿal lanā ilāhan kamā lahum ālihatun qāla innakum qawmun tajhalūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And We brought the Children of Israel over the sea, and they came upon a people cleaving to idols they had. They said, 'Moses, make for us a god, as they have gods.' Said he, 'You are surely a people who are ignorant.
- Muhammad Asad
- AND WE BROUGHT the children of Israel across the sea; and thereupon they came upon people who were devoted to the worship of some idols of theirs. Said [the children of Israel]: "O Moses, set up for us a god even as they have gods!" He replied: "Verily, you are people without any awareness [of right and wrong]!
- Sahih International
- And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They [the Children of Israel] said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said, "Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَجَـٰوَزْنَاwajāwaznā | And We led across | جوز |
| 2 | بِبَنِىٓbibanī | (the) Children | بني |
| 3 | إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَis'rāīla | (of) Israel | — |
| 4 | ٱلْبَحْرَl-baḥra | the sea | بحر |
| 5 | فَأَتَوْا۟fa-ataw | Then they came | أتي |
| 6 | عَلَىٰʿalā | upon | — |
| 7 | قَوْمٍۢqawmin | a people | قوم |
| 8 | يَعْكُفُونَyaʿkufūna | devoted | عكف |
| 9 | عَلَىٰٓʿalā | to | — |
| 10 | أَصْنَامٍۢaṣnāmin | idols | صنم |
| 11 | لَّهُمْ ۚlahum | of theirs | — |
| 12 | قَالُوا۟qālū | They said | قول |
| 13 | يَـٰمُوسَىyāmūsā | O Musa | — |
| 14 | ٱجْعَلij'ʿal | Make | جعل |
| 15 | لَّنَآlanā | for us | — |
| 16 | إِلَـٰهًۭاilāhan | a god | أله |
| 17 | كَمَاkamā | like what | — |
| 18 | لَهُمْlahum | they have | — |
| 19 | ءَالِهَةٌۭ ۚālihatun | gods | أله |
| 20 | قَالَqāla | He said | قول |
| 21 | إِنَّكُمْinnakum | Indeed, you | — |
| 22 | قَوْمٌۭqawmun | (are) a people | قوم |
| 23 | تَجْهَلُونَtajhalūna | ignorant | جهل |