Surah 2

And (remember) when you said, "O Mûsâ (Moses)! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows, its herbs, its cucumbers, its Fûm (wheat or garlic), its lentils and its onions." He said, "Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!" And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allâh. That was because they used to disbelieve the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations etc.) of Allâh and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds (in their disobedience to Allâh, i.e. commit crimes and sins).

Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians,[15] whoever believes in Allâh and the Last Day and does righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.[16]

And (O Children of Israel, remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): "Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2).

Then after that you turned away. Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allâh upon you, indeed you would have been among the losers.

And indeed you knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected."

So We made this punishment an example to their own and to succeeding generations and a lesson to those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2).

And (remember) when Mûsâ (Moses) said to his people: "Verily, Allâh commands you that you slaughter a cow." They said, "Do you make fun of us?" He said, "I take Allâh’s Refuge from being among Al-Jâhilûn (the ignorant or the foolish)."

They said, "Call upon your Lord for us that He may make plain to us what it is!" He said, "He says, ‘Verily, it is a cow neither too old nor too young, but (it is) between the two conditions’, so do what you are commanded."

They said, "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us its colour." He said, "He says, ‘It is a yellow cow, bright in its colour, pleasing to the beholders.’ "

They said, "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us what it is. Verily, to us all cows are alike. And surely, if Allâh wills, we will be guided."

He [Mûsâ (Moses)] said, "He says, ‘It is a cow neither trained to till the soil nor water the fields, sound, having no other colour except bright yellow.’ " They said, "Now you have brought the truth." So they slaughtered it though they were near to not doing it.

And (remember) when you killed a man and fell into dispute among yourselves as to the crime. But Allâh brought forth that which you were hiding.

So We said: "Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow)." Thus Allâh brings the dead to life and shows you His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) so that you may understand.

Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split asunder so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down for fear of Allâh. And Allâh is not unaware of what you do.

Do you (faithful believers) covet that they will believe in your religion inspite of the fact that a party of them (Jewish rabbis) used to hear the Word of Allâh [the Taurât (Torah)], then they used to change it knowingly after they understood it?

And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe", but when they meet one another in private, they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allâh has revealed to you [Jews, about the description and the qualities of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, that which are written in the Taurât (Torah)][17], that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord?" Have you (Jews) then no understanding?

Know they (Jews) not that Allâh knows what they conceal and what they reveal?

And there are among them (Jews) unlettered people, who know not the Book, but they trust upon false desires and they but guess.

Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allâh," to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby.

And they (Jews) say, "The Fire (i.e. Hell-fire on the Day of Resurrection) shall not touch us but for a few numbered days." Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to them): "Have you taken a covenant from Allâh, so that Allâh will not break His Covenant? Or is it that you say of Allâh what you know not?"