وَإِذ أَخَذنا ميثاقَكُم وَرَفَعنا فَوقَكُمُ الطّورَ خُذوا ما آتَيناكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاسمَعوا ۖ قالوا سَمِعنا وَعَصَينا وَأُشرِبوا في قُلوبِهِمُ العِجلَ بِكُفرِهِم ۚ قُل بِئسَما يَأمُرُكُم بِهِ إيمانُكُم إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ

We made a covenant with you, as We raised the Mount above you, commanding, “Hold firmly to what We’ve given you, and listen.” Yet, they responded, “We hear, and we disobey.” Their hearts were soaked with the love of the calf because of their disbelief. Say, “How pitiful is what your faith compels you to do, if you are believers.”

قُل إِن كانَت لَكُمُ الدّارُ الآخِرَةُ عِندَ اللَّهِ خالِصَةً مِن دونِ النّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا المَوتَ إِن كُنتُم صادِقينَ

Say, “If the Final Home with God is exclusively yours, with no one else included, then wish for death, if you are truthful.”

وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوهُ أَبَدًا بِما قَدَّمَت أَيديهِم ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَليمٌ بِالظّالِمينَ

But they will never wish for it, because of what their hands have done. God is fully aware of the wrongdoers.

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُم أَحرَصَ النّاسِ عَلىٰ حَياةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذينَ أَشرَكوا ۚ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُم لَو يُعَمَّرُ أَلفَ سَنَةٍ وَما هُوَ بِمُزَحزِحِهِ مِنَ العَذابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بَصيرٌ بِما يَعمَلونَ

Of all people, you’ll find them most eager for life, even more so than the idolaters. Each one of them aspires to live a thousand years. Yet, a long life won’t nudge him from the punishment. God sees everything they do.

قُل مَن كانَ عَدُوًّا لِجِبريلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلىٰ قَلبِكَ بِإِذنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِما بَينَ يَدَيهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشرىٰ لِلمُؤمِنينَ

Say, “Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel—it was he who, by God’s will, brought it down upon your heart, confirming what preceded it, and providing guidance and good news for the believers.”

وَلَقَد أَنزَلنا إِلَيكَ آياتٍ بَيِّناتٍ ۖ وَما يَكفُرُ بِها إِلَّا الفاسِقونَ

We revealed to you clear verses, but none deny them except the sinners.

أَوَكُلَّما عاهَدوا عَهدًا نَبَذَهُ فَريقٌ مِنهُم ۚ بَل أَكثَرُهُم لا يُؤمِنونَ

Isn’t it true that whenever they enter into a covenant, a faction among them discards it? Indeed, most of them don’t believe.

وَلَمّا جاءَهُم رَسولٌ مِن عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِما مَعَهُم نَبَذَ فَريقٌ مِنَ الَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ كِتابَ اللَّهِ وَراءَ ظُهورِهِم كَأَنَّهُم لا يَعلَمونَ

And when there came to them a Messenger from God, confirming what was with them, a faction of those who were given the Scripture threw the Scripture of God behind their backs, as though they didn’t know.

وَاتَّبَعوا ما تَتلُو الشَّياطينُ عَلىٰ مُلكِ سُلَيمانَ ۖ وَما كَفَرَ سُلَيمانُ وَلـٰكِنَّ الشَّياطينَ كَفَروا يُعَلِّمونَ النّاسَ السِّحرَ وَما أُنزِلَ عَلَى المَلَكَينِ بِبابِلَ هاروتَ وَماروتَ ۚ وَما يُعَلِّمانِ مِن أَحَدٍ حَتّىٰ يَقولا إِنَّما نَحنُ فِتنَةٌ فَلا تَكفُر ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمونَ مِنهُما ما يُفَرِّقونَ بِهِ بَينَ المَرءِ وَزَوجِهِ ۚ وَما هُم بِضارّينَ بِهِ مِن أَحَدٍ إِلّا بِإِذنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمونَ ما يَضُرُّهُم وَلا يَنفَعُهُم ۚ وَلَقَد عَلِموا لَمَنِ اشتَراهُ ما لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِن خَلاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئسَ ما شَرَوا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُم ۚ لَو كانوا يَعلَمونَ

They followed what the devils attributed during Solomon’s reign. Solomon didn’t disbelieve, but the devils did. They taught people magic, and what was revealed to the two angels, Harut and Marut, in Babylon. They didn’t teach anyone without first cautioning, “We’re a test, so don’t lose faith.” They learned from them how to sow discord between a man and his wife. Yet, they can’t harm anyone without God’s permission. They learned what harms them and doesn’t benefit them, knowing well that whoever practices it will have no share in the Hereafter. How terrible is what they sold their souls for—if only they understood.

وَلَو أَنَّهُم آمَنوا وَاتَّقَوا لَمَثوبَةٌ مِن عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيرٌ ۖ لَو كانوا يَعلَمونَ

If they had remained faithful and righteous, a reward from God would’ve been far better—if only they knew.