2. Surah al-Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَى أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ...

2: 51. And remember We appointed forty nights for Moses,

C66. This was after the Ten Commandments and the Laws and Ordinances had been given on Mount Sinai:

Moses was asked up into the Mount, and he was there forty days and forty nights: Exod. 24:18.

But the people got impatient of the delay, made a calf of melted gold, and offered worship and sacrifice to it: Exod. 32:1-8.

... ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ...

and in his absence you took the calf (for worship),

... وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ ﴿٥١﴾

and ye did grievous wrong.

ثُمَّ عَفَوْنَا عَنكُمِ مِّن بَعْدِ ...

2: 52. Even then We did forgive you;

C67. Moses prayed for his people, and Allah forgave them. This is the language of the Quran.

The Old Testament version is rougher:

"The Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people": Exod. 32:14.

The Muslim position has always been that the Jewish (and Christian) scriptures as they stand cannot be traced direct to Moses or Jesus, but are later compilations. Modern scholarship and Higher Criticism has left no doubt on the subject. But the stories in these traditional books may be used in an appeal to those who use them: only they should be spiritualized, as they are here, and especially in 2:54 below.

... ذَلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾

there was a chance for you to be grateful.

Others version:

2: 51

Incident when God forgave SHIRK

Asad and when We appointed for Moses forty nights [on Mount Sinai], and in his absence you took to worshipping the [golden] calf, and thus became evildoers:

Pickthall And when We did appoint for Moses forty nights (of solitude), and then ye chose the calf, when he had gone from you, and were wrongdoers.

Transliteration Wa iz wa_'adna_ mu_sa_ arba'ina lailatan summat takhaztumul 'ijla mim ba'dihi wa antum za_limu_n(a).

2: 52

Asad yet, even after that, We blotted out this your sin, so that you might have cause to be grateful.

Pickthall Then, even after that, We pardoned you in order that ye might give thanks.

Transliteration Summa 'afauna_ 'ankum mim ba'di za_lika la'allakum tasykuru_n(a).

[ Ali’s notes : 66 This was after the Ten Commandments and the Laws and Ordinances had been given on Mount Sinai: Moses was asked up into the Mount, and he was there forty days and forty nights: Exod. xxiv. 18. But the people got impatient of the delay, made a calf of melted gold, and offered worship and sacrifice to it: Exod. xxxii 1-8. (2.51)

67 Moses prayed for his people, and God forgave them. This is the language of the Qur-an. The Old Testament version is rougher: "The Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people": Exod. xxxii. 14. The Muslim position has always been that the Jewish (and Christian) scriptures as they stand cannot be traced direct to Moses or Jesus, but are later compilations. Modern scholarship and Higher Criticism has left no doubt on the subject. But the stories in these traditional books may be used in an appeal to those who use them: only they should be spiritualized, as they are here, and especially in ii. 5 below. (2.52)]