Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 55

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When you said, “Mūsā, we will never believe you till we see Allah openly!” So, the thunderbolt took you while you were looking on.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And ˹remember˺ when you said, “O Moses! We will never believe you until we see Allah with our own eyes,” so a thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on.

Ruwwad Translation Center

And [remember] when you said, “O Moses, we will never believe you until we see Allah openly,” but a thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on.

A. J. Arberry

And when you said, 'Moses, we will not believe thee till we see God openly'; and the thunderbolt took you while you were beholding.

Abdul Haleem

Remember when you said, ‘Moses, we will not believe you until we see God face to face.’ At that, thunderbolts struck you as you looked on.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And recall what time ye said: O Musa! we will not believe in thee until we see God openly; then a thunderbolt took hold of you while ye looked on.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And remember ye said; "O Moses! We shall never believe in thee until we see Allah manifestly," but ye were dazed with thunder and lighting even as ye looked on.

Abul Ala Maududi

Remember when you said, "O Moses, we are not going to believe you until we see with our own eyes Allah (talking to you)". At that very time a thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on and you fell lifeless.

Ahmed Ali

Remember, when you said to Moses: "We shall not believe in you until we see God face to face," lightning struck you as you looked.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when you said “O Moosa! We will not believe you till we clearly see Allah”; so the thunder seized you while you were watching.

Ali Quli Qarai

And when you said, ‘O Moses, we will not believe you until we see Allah visibly.’ Thereupon a thunderbolt seized you as you looked on.

Ali Ünal

And (despite all that had occurred and the manifest signs of your Lord that you witnessed over many years, a time came) when you said: "Moses, we will never believe in you (whether the commandments you have brought are really from God) unless we plainly see God (speaking to you)." Thereupon the thunderbolt (that you saw come unexpectedly) seized you. Motionless as if dead, you were gazing.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And when you had said, `O Moses! we shall, by no means, believe you unless we see Allâh openly (face to face).´ Thereupon the thunderbolt (of punishment) overtook you and you were beholding (the consequences of your conduct).

English Literal

And when you said: "You, Moses, we will never believe to you until we see God openly , so the death/cry of torture took/punished you, and you are looking/watching .

Faridul Haque

And when you said "O Moosa! We will not believe you till we clearly see Allah"; so the thunder seized you while you were watching.

Hamid S. Aziz

And remember when you said to Moses, "O Moses! We will not believe in you until we see Allah manifestly," and the thunderbolt caught you while you yet looked on.

Hilali & Khan

And (remember) when you said: "O Musa (Moses)! We shall never believe in you till we see Allah plainly." But you were seized with a thunderbolt (lightning) while you were looking.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And when you said: O Moses, we will not believe in thee till we see Allah manifestly, so the punishment overtook you while you looked on.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when you said: O Musa! we will not believe in you until we see Allah manifestly, so the punishment overtook you while you looked on.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when ye said: O Moses! We will not believe in thee till we see Allah plainly; and even while ye gazed the lightning seized you.

Muhammad Sarwar

When you argued with Moses, saying that you were not going to believe him unless you could see God with your own eyes, the swift wind struck you and you could do nothing but watch.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And when you said to Moses: 'We will not believe in you until we see Allah openly' a thunderbolt struck you whilst you were looking.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And (remember) when you said: "O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly." But you were seized with a bolt of lightning while you were looking.

Wahiduddin Khan

Remember when you said, "Moses, we will not believe in you until we see God with our own eyes," a thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on.

Talal Itani

And recall that you said, “O Moses, we will not believe in you unless we see God plainly.” Thereupon the thunderbolt struck you, as you looked on.

Tafsir jalalayn

And when you said, having gone out with Moses to apologise before God for your worship of the calf, and having heard what he had said [to you]; `O Moses, we will not believe you till we see God openly', with our own eyes; and the thunderbolt, the shout, took you, and you died, while you were beholding, what was happening to you.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Best among the Children of Israel ask to see Allah; their subsequent Death and Resurrection

Allah tells;

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَن نُّوْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً

فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ



And (remember) when you said;"O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly." But you were seized with a bolt of lightning while you were looking.

Ibn Jurayj commented that Allah said,

`Remember My favor on you for resurrecting you after you were seized with lightning when you asked to see Me directly, which neither you nor anyone else can bear or attain.'

Ibn Abbas said that the Ayah
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَن نُّوْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً
(And (remember) when you said;"O Musa ! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly") means,

"Publicly", "So that we gaze at Allah."

Also, Urwah bin Ruwaym said that Allah's statement,
وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ
(While you were looking) means,

"Some of them were struck with lightning while others were watching."

Allah resurrected those, and struck the others with lightning.

As-Suddi commented on,
فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ
(But you were seized with a bolt of lightning) saying;

"They died, and Musa stood up crying and supplicating to Allah, `O Lord! What should I say to the Children of Israel when I go back to them after You destroyed the best of them,

لَوْ شِيْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّـىَ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَأءُ مِنَّأ

If it had been Your will, You could have destroyed them and me before; would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us.' 7;155)

Allah revealed to Musa that these seventy men were among those who worshipped the calf. Afterwards, Allah brought them back to life one man at a time, while the rest of them were watching how Allah was bringing them back to life. That is why Allah's said,

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ