وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُم بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ 54
Translations
And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves [i.e., the guilty among you]. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
Transliteration
Wa-idh qala Musa li-qawmihi ya-qawmi innakum dhalamtum anfusakum bi-attikhadhikum al-'ijl fatubū ilā bāri'ikum fa-iqtulū anfusakum dhālikum khayrun lakum 'inda bāri'ikum fatāba 'alaykum innahu huwa al-Tawwāb al-Rahīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah recounts Musa's (Moses) rebuke to his people after they worshipped the golden calf during his absence on Mount Sinai. Musa commands them to repent to their Creator and instructs the believers among them to slay those who remained attached to idolatry, which Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain as a severe test and means of purification for the nation. Despite this severe command, Allah's mercy prevails as He accepts their repentance, demonstrating that His attribute of At-Tawwāb (The Ever-Returning to Mercy) and Ar-Rahīm (The Merciful) supersedes His justice when sincere repentance is made.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a Medinan surah that references events from the Torah regarding the children of Israel. It appears in the context of Allah addressing the Muslim community about the Jews and their historical transgressions, serving as a reminder of the consequences of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the importance of sincere repentance. The incident itself occurred after the Exodus when Musa left his people for forty nights to receive the Torah.
Related Hadiths
The incident of the golden calf is referenced in various hadith collections. Related to repentance is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Repentance wipes away all sins that came before it.' Additionally, Tirmidhi records that Allah loves those who repent and purify themselves.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even grave sins can be forgiven through sincere repentance to Allah, regardless of severity, and that Allah's mercy encompasses those who turn back to Him. It serves as a powerful reminder that wrongdoing harms oneself first and foremost, making immediate repentance the wisest course of action.
Related Ayahs
صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ
Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path].
مَّا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَلَا ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture [i.e., the Jews and Christians] nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But Allāh selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا۟ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
Those will have a share of what they have earned, and Allāh is swift in account.
كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَٰتًا فَأَحْيَـٰكُمْ ۖ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
How can you disbelieve in Allāh when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned.