Al-Qur'an Surah Taha Verse 86

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So, Mūsā went back to his people, angry and sad. He said, “O my people, did your Lord not promise you a good promise? Did then the time become too long for you, or did you wish that wrath from your Lord befalls you, and hence you broke your promise to me?”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

So Moses returned to his people, furious and sorrowful. He said, “O my people! Had your Lord not made you a good promise?[[ To reveal the Torah for their guidance. ]] Has my absence been too long for you? Or have you wished for wrath from your Lord to befall you, so you broke your promise to me?”[[ To worship Allah alone until Moses returned with the Tablets. ]] 

Ruwwad Translation Center

So Moses returned to his people, angry and sorrowful. He said, “O my people, did your Lord not promise you a good promise? Was my absence too long for you, or did you want the wrath from your Lord to befall you, so you broke your promise to me?”

A. J. Arberry

Then Moses returned very angry and sorrowful to his people, saying, 'My people, did your Lord not promise a fair promise to you? Did the time of the covenant seem so long to you, or did you desire that anger should alight on you from your Lord, so that you failed in your tryst with me?'

Abdul Haleem

Moses returned to his people, angry and aggrieved. He said, ‘My people, did your Lord not make you a gracious promise? Was my absence too long for you? Did you want anger to fall on you from your Lord and so broke your word to me?’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

So Musa returned unto his people, indignant and sorrowful. He said: O my people! promised there not your Lord unto you an excellent promise! Lasted then the covenant too long for you, or desired ye that the wrath from your Lord should alight on you, so that ye failed to keep my appointment?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So Moses returned to his people in a state of indignation and sorrow. He said; "O my people! did not your Lord make a handsome promise to you? Did then the promise seem to you long (in coming)? Or did ye desire that Wrath should descend from your Lord on you, and so ye broke your promise to me?"

Abul Ala Maududi

Moses returned to his people full of wrath and grief, and said: "My people! Has your Lord not made good an excellent promise He made to you? And has a long time passed since those promises were fulfilled? Or was it to incur the wrath of your Lord that you broke your promise with me?"

Ahmed Ali

So Moses returned to his people full of anger and regret. "O my people," he said, "did not your Lord make you a better promise? Did the time of covenant seem too long to you? Or did you wish the wrath of your Lord to fall upon you that you broke the promise you had made to me?"

Ahmed Raza Khan

So Moosa turned back to his people, angry and grieving; he said, “O my people, had not your Lord given you a good promise? Did a long time pass away for you, or did you wish that your Lord’s wrath come upon you, therefore you broke your promise with me?”

Ali Quli Qarai

Thereupon Moses returned to his people, indignant and grieved. He said, ‘O my people! Did your Lord not give you a true promise? Did the period [of my absence] seem too long to you? Or did you desire that your Lord’s wrath should descend on you and so you failed your tryst with me?’

Ali Ünal

So Moses returned to his people in anger and sorrow. He said: "My people! Did your Lord not make you a fair promise (that He would grant you the Torah for your happiness in both worlds and settle you in the land the environs of which He has blessed)? Did, then, the time appointed (for my absence) seem too long to you or did you desire that a condemnation from your Lord should fall upon you, that you broke your promise to me?"

Amatul Rahman Omar

So Moses returned to his people indignant and sorrowful. (Reaching there) he said, `My people! did your Lord not make you a gracious promise? Did then the promised time (of forty nights and days) seem too long to you. Rather you desired that displeasure from your Lord should descend upon you that is why you failed in (your) promise with me.´

English Literal

So Moses returned to his nation, angry sorrowfully/angrily. He said: "My nation, did not your Lord promise you a good/beautiful promise, did the promise/contract become long/last long on you, or you wanted/intended that anger (be) placed on you from your Lord, so you broke my appointment?"

Faridul Haque

So Moosa turned back to his people, angry and grieving; he said, "O my people, had not your Lord given you a good promise? Did a long time pass away for you, or did you wish that your Lord’s wrath come upon you, therefore you broke your promise with me?"

Hamid S. Aziz

Said He, "Verily, We have tested your people in your absence, and As-Samiri has led them astray."

Hilali & Khan

Then Musa (Moses) returned to his people in a state of anger and sorrow. He said: "O my people! Did not your Lord promise you a fair promise? Did then the promise seem to you long in coming? Or did you desire that wrath should descend from your Lord on you, so you broke your promise to me (i.e. disbelieving in Allah and worshipping the calf)?"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He said: Surely We have tried thy people in thy absence, and the Samiri has led them astray.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

So Musa returned to his people wrathful, sorrowing. Said he: O my people! did not your Lord promise you a goodly promise: did then the time seem long to you, or did you wish that displeasure from your Lord should be due to you, so that you broke (your) promise to me?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Then Moses went back unto his folk, angry and sad. He said: O my people! Hath not your Lord promised you a fair promise? Did the time appointed then appear too long for you, or did ye wish that wrath from your Lord should come upon you, that ye broke tryst with me?

Muhammad Sarwar

Moses, sad and angry, returned to his people saying, "My people, did not the Lord make you a gracious promise? Why did you disregard your appointment with me? Was it because of the long time or did you want to become subject to the wrath of your Lord?"

Qaribullah & Darwish

With great anger and sorrow, Moses returned to his nation. 'My nation' he said, 'did your Lord not make you a fine promise? Did the time of the covenant seem long to you? Or did you desire that the anger of your Lord should fall upon you so that you failed in your coming to my appointment'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Then Musa returned to his people in a state of anger and sorrow [Asif]. He said: "O my people! Did not your Lord promise you a fair promise Did then the promise seem to you long in coming Or did you desire that wrath should descend from your Lord on you, that you broke your promise to me"

Wahiduddin Khan

Moses returned to his people in anger and great sorrow. He said, "My people, did your Lord not make you a handsome promise? Was my absence too long for you? Did you desire that your Lord's wrath should descend upon you, when you broke your promise to me?"

Talal Itani

So Moses returned to his people, angry and disappointed. He said, “O my people, did your Lord not promise you a good promise? Was the time too long for you? Or did you want wrath from your Lord to descend upon you, so you broke your promise to me?”

Tafsir jalalayn

Thereupon Moses returned to his people, angry, with them, and sad, extremely grieved. He said, `O my people, did not your Lord promise you a fair promise?, that is, a true [promise] that He will give you the Torah? Did the period, the length of my absence from you, seem too long for you, or did you desire that wrath should become incumbent against you from your Lord, by your worship of the [golden] calf, and so you broke your tryst with me?', and failed to follow after me?

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَرَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا

Then Musa returned to his people in a state of anger and sorrow (Asif).

This means that after Allah informed him of what they were doing, he became extremely angry and upset with them. He was very worried for them. During this time he received the Tawrah, which contained their Shariah (Law), this was a great honor for them. For they were a people who used to worship other than Allah. Every person with sound reason and good sense could see that what they were doing was false and foolish. This is why Allah said that he (Musa) returned to them in a state of anger and sorrow. The word for sorrow used here is Asif, which is used to emphasize to the severity of his anger.

Mujahid said,

"In a state of anger and sorrow means worried."

Qatadah and As-Suddi said,

"Asif here means in a state of sadness because of what his people had done after him."

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَمْ يَعِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا

He (Musa) said;"O my people! Did not your Lord promise you a fair promise..."

This means, "Did He not promise you in that which I have spoken to you, every good in this life and in the Hereafter, and the good end in the final outcome of things You have already witnessed how He helped you defeat your enemy (Fir`awn) and He made you victorious over him and He blessed you with other bounties as well through His help."

أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْعَهْدُ

Did then the promise seem to you long in coming,

meaning, `in waiting for what Allah had promised you and forgetting His previous favors and the covenant that He made with you before.'

أَمْ أَرَدتُّمْ أَن يَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

Or did you desire that wrath should descend from your Lord on you,

The word `Or' here means `Nay, but.'

It is used here to separate between a previous item and a coming item. It is as if it is saying, "Nay, but you want to make permissible the anger of your Lord upon you by what you have done. Therefore, you have broken your promise to me."

فَأَخْلَفْتُم مَّوْعِدِي




that you broke your promise to me!"