Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 171

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When We raised the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they thought it was falling upon them, (We said,) “Adhere firmly to what We have given you and remember what is therein, so that you may become God-fearing.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And ˹remember˺ when We raised the mountain over them as if it were a cloud and they thought it would fall on them.[[ The mountain was raised over their heads when Moses came to them with the teachings of the Torah and was met with defiance. So the mountain was raised as a miracle and a display of Allah’s infinite power over them. ]] ˹We said,˺ “Hold firmly to that ˹Scripture˺ which We have given you and observe its teachings so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

And [remember] when We raised the mountain over them as if it were a dark cloud, and they thought that it would fall upon them, “Hold fast to what We have given you and observe its teachings, so that you may fear Allah.”

A. J. Arberry

And when We shook the mountain above them as if it were a canopy, and they supposed it was about to fall on them: 'Take forcefully what We have given you, and remember what is in it; haply you will be godfearing.'

Abdul Haleem

When We made the mountain loom high above them like a shadow, and they thought it would fall on them, We said, ‘Hold fast to what We have given you, and remember what it contains, so that you may remain conscious of God.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And recall what time We shook the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they imagined that it was going to fall on them; and We said: hold with firmness that which We have vouchsafed you, and remember that which is therein, that haply ye may fear.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When We shook the Mount over them, as if it had been a canopy, and they thought it was going to fall on them (We said); "Hold firmly to what We have given you, and bring (ever) to remembrance what is therein; perchance ye may fear Allah."

Abul Ala Maududi

And recall when We shook the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall over them; and We said: 'Hold firmly to that which We have given you, and remember what is in it, that you may guard against evil.

Ahmed Ali

The day We shook the mountain above them like an awning, and they feared it would fall over them, (We said): "Hold fast to what We have given you, and bear in mind what is (said) therein so that you may take heed."

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when We raised the Mount (Sinai) above them as if it were a canopy, and they thought that it would fall upon them; “Accept firmly what We have given you, and remember what is in it, so that you may become pious.”

Ali Quli Qarai

When We plucked the mountain [and held it] above them as if it were a canopy (and they thought it was about to fall on them): ‘Hold on with power to what We have given you and remember that which is in it, so that you may be Godwary.’

Ali Ünal

And (remember) when We shook the Mount above them as if it were a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said:) Hold firmly to (the Book) that We haven given you and be mindful of (the commands and warnings) that it contains, that you may attain piety and due reverence for God, so deserving His protection (against any kind of deviancy and its consequent punishment in both this world and the Hereafter.)

Amatul Rahman Omar

And (make them recall the time) when We shook (due to the quake) the Mount (Sinai) above them, as though it were to be a shade above them (like a wall) and they thought it was about to fall on them. (We said,) `Hold fast to that which We have given you and remember its contents that you might become secure against evil.´

English Literal

And if We shook off/rose/spread the mountain above them as if/though it (is) shade and they assumed/suspected that it (is) falling/landing with (on) them, take/receive what We gave/brought you with power/strength and mention/remember what (is) in it, maybe/perhaps you fear and obey.

Faridul Haque

And when We raised the Mount (Sinai) above them as if it were a canopy, and they thought that it would fall upon them; "Accept firmly what We have given you, and remember what is in it, so that you may become pious."

Hamid S. Aziz

And when We shook the mountain over them, as though it were a covering, and they thought it would fall upon them, We said, "Take you what We have given you with firmness, and remember what is therein; per chance (or possibly) you may fear Allah."

Hilali & Khan

And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): "Hold firmly to what We have given you [i.e. the Taurat (Torah)], and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And as for those who hold fast by the Book and keep up prayer -- surely We waste not the reward of the reformers.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when We shook the mountain over them as if it were a covering overhead, and they thought that it was going to fall down upon them: Take hold of what We have given you with firmness, and be mindful of what is in it, so that you may guard (against evil).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when We shook the Mount above them as it were a covering, and they supposed that it was going to fall upon them (and We said): Hold fast that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein, that ye may ward off (evil).

Muhammad Sarwar

When We raised the mount above them as a shadow and made it speak to them, they thought that it would fall on them. We told them to devote themselves decisively to what was given to them and follow its guidance so that they would have fear of God.

Qaribullah & Darwish

When We suspended the mountain over them as though it were a shadow and they feared that it was falling down on them: (We said): 'Take forcefully that which We have given you and remember what it contains, in order that you keep from evil'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And (remember) when We Nataqna the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): "Hold firmly to what We have given you [the Tawrah], and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him."

Wahiduddin Khan

When We suspended the mountain over them as if it were a canopy, and they thought it was going to fall down on them, We said, "Hold on firmly to what We have given you and remember what is in it, so that you may remain conscious of God."

Talal Itani

And when We suspended the mountain over them, as if it was an umbrella, and they thought it would fall on them: “Hold fast to what We have given you, and remember what it contains, so that you may be saved.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And, mention, when We wrenched the mountain above them, We lifted it up [unearthing it] from its root, as if it were a canopy, and they thought, they were certain, that it was about to fall upon them, because of God's threat to them that it would fall upon them if they refused to accept the rulings contained in the Torah, they had [initially] refused [to accept] them because of their being burdensome, but then accepted them, and We said to them; `Take firmly, seriously and earnestly, what We have given you, and remember what is in it, by acting in accordance with it, that you might be God-fearing'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Raising Mount Tur over the Jews, because of Their Rebellion

Allah tells;

وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ

خُذُواْ مَا اتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ



And (remember) when We Nataqna the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said);"Hold firmly to what We have given you (the Tawrah), and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him."

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah,
وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ
(And (remember) when We Nataqna the mountain over them),

"We raised the mountain, as Allah's other statement testifies,
وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَاقِهِمْ
(And for their covenant, We raised over them the mountain) (4;154)."

Also, Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that Al-A`mash said that, Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn Abbas said,

"The angels raised the Mount over their heads, as reiterated by Allah's statement,
وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ
(We raised over them the mountain) (4;154)."

Al-Qasim bin Abi Ayyub narrated that Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn Abbas said,

"Musa later on proceeded with them to the Sacred Land. He took along the Tablets, after his anger subsided, and commanded them to adhere to the orders that Allah ordained to be delivered to them. But these orders became heavy on them and they did not want to implement them until Allah raised the mountain over them,
كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ
(as if it had been a canopy), that is, when the angels raised the mountain over their heads."

An-Nasa'i collected it