Surah 4:154
Show Full Scripture Context (4:153-154) — 2 Verses
يَسۡـَٔلُكَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ كِتَٰبٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ فَقَدۡ سَأَلُواْ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكۡبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوٓاْ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهۡرَةٗ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ بِظُلۡمِهِمۡۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُواْ ٱلۡعِجۡلَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتُ فَعَفَوۡنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَۚ وَءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَىٰ سُلۡطَٰنٗا مُّبِينٗا
The People of the Book ask you to bring down on them a Book from the sky. They had already asked Moses for (something) greater than that, for they said, ‘Show us God openly!’ So the thunderbolt took them for their evildoing. Then they took the calf, after the clear signs had come to them. But We pardoned them for that, and We gave Moses clear authority.
وَرَفَعۡنَا فَوۡقَهُمُ ٱلطُّورَ بِمِيثَٰقِهِمۡ وَقُلۡنَا لَهُمُ ٱدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡبَابَ سُجَّدٗا وَقُلۡنَا لَهُمۡ لَا تَعۡدُواْ فِي ٱلسَّبۡتِ وَأَخَذۡنَا مِنۡهُم مِّيثَٰقًا غَلِيظٗا
And We raised the mountain above them, with their covenant, and We said to them, ‘Enter the gate in prostration.’ And We said to them, ‘Do not transgress the sabbath.’ And We made a firm covenant with them.
Muhammad bin Rah Al-Qurazi, As-Suddi and Qatadah said that the Jews asked the Messenger of Allah to cause a book to come down to them from heaven, just as the Tawrah was sent down to Musa. Ibn Jurayj said that the Jews asked the Messenger to cause books to come down to them addressed to so-and-so among them, testifying to the truth of what he was sent with. The Jews only asked for this because of their stubbornness, defiance, rejection and disbelief. The disbelievers of Quraysh also asked for similar things from the Prophet, as is mentioned in Surat Al-Isra’,
Allah said,
ilndeed, they asked Musa for even greater than that, when they said, "Show us Allah in public," but they were struck with a bolt of lightning for their wickedness .}
injustice, transgression, defiance and rebellion. This part was explained in Surat Al-Baqarah,
Allah’s statement,
iTheti they worshipped the calf even after Al-Bayyinat had come to them.}
meaning, after they witnessed the tremendous miracles and unequivocal proofs at the hand of Musa in Egypt. They also witnessed the demise of their enemy, Fir’awn and his soldiers, when they all drowned in the sea. Yet soon after, when they passed by a people who were worshipping idols, they said to MUsa,
4 Make for us a god as they have gods.}
Allah explains the story of the Jews worshipping the calf in Surat Al-A‘raf (7) and Surah Ta Ha (20) after MQsa went to meet with his Lord. When Musa returned, Allah decreed that in order for the Jews to earn accepted repentance, then those meaning, We commanded them to honor the Sabbath and honor what Allah prohibited them on that day.
4And We took from them a firm covenant. ) meaning, strong covenant. They rebelled, transgressed and committed what Allah prohibited by using deceit and trickery, as is mentioned in Surat Al-A'raf (7),
4And ask them about the tenon that was by the sea.)