Quran 7:148 — Al-A'raaf, verse 148
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
In his absence, Moses’ people took to worshipping a mere shape that made sounds like a cow- a calf made from their jewellery. Could they not see that it did not speak to them or guide them in any way? Yet they took it for worship: they were evildoers.
وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَىٰ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَهُ خُوَارٌ ۚ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا ۘ اتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ
wa-ittakhadha qawmu mūsā min baʿdihi min ḥuliyyihim ʿij'lan jasadan lahu khuwārun alam yaraw annahu lā yukallimuhum walā yahdīhim sabīlan ittakhadhūhu wakānū ẓālimīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And the people of Moses took to them, after him, of their ornaments a Calf -- a mere body that lowed. Did they not see it spoke not to them, neither guided them upon any way? Yet they took it to them, and were evildoers.
- Muhammad Asad
- AND IN his absence the people of Moses took to worshipping the effigy of a calf [made] of their ornaments, which gave forth a lowing sound." Did they not see that it could neither speak unto them nor guide them in any way? [And yet] they took to worshipping it, for they were evildoers:
- Sahih International
- And the people of Moses made, after [his departure], from their ornaments a calf - an image having a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it [for worship], and they were wrongdoers.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَٱتَّخَذَwa-ittakhadha | And took | أخذ |
| 2 | قَوْمُqawmu | (the) people | قوم |
| 3 | مُوسَىٰmūsā | (of) Musa | — |
| 4 | مِنۢmin | from | — |
| 5 | بَعْدِهِۦbaʿdihi | after him | بعد |
| 6 | مِنْmin | from | — |
| 7 | حُلِيِّهِمْḥuliyyihim | their ornaments | حلي |
| 8 | عِجْلًۭاʿij'lan | a calf | عجل |
| 9 | جَسَدًۭاjasadan | an image | جسد |
| 10 | لَّهُۥlahu | [for] it | — |
| 11 | خُوَارٌ ۚkhuwārun | (had) a lowing sound | خور |
| 12 | أَلَمْalam | Did not | — |
| 13 | يَرَوْا۟yaraw | they see | رأي |
| 14 | أَنَّهُۥannahu | that it | — |
| 15 | لَاlā | (could) not | — |
| 16 | يُكَلِّمُهُمْyukallimuhum | speak to them | كلم |
| 17 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 18 | يَهْدِيهِمْyahdīhim | guide them | هدي |
| 19 | سَبِيلًا ۘsabīlan | (to) a way | سبل |
| 20 | ٱتَّخَذُوهُittakhadhūhu | They took it (for worship) | أخذ |
| 21 | وَكَانُوا۟wakānū | and they were | كون |
| 22 | ظَـٰلِمِينَẓālimīna | wrongdoers | ظلم |