إِنَّ هـٰؤُلاءِ مُتَبَّرٌ ما هُم فيهِ وَباطِلٌ ما كانوا يَعمَلونَ

“These people are doomed for their destruction, and what they do is futile.”

قالَ أَغَيرَ اللَّهِ أَبغيكُم إِلـٰهًا وَهُوَ فَضَّلَكُم عَلَى العالَمينَ

He said, “Would I seek for you a god other than God, while He has preferred you over the worlds?”

وَإِذ أَنجَيناكُم مِن آلِ فِرعَونَ يَسومونَكُم سوءَ العَذابِ ۖ يُقَتِّلونَ أَبناءَكُم وَيَستَحيونَ نِساءَكُم ۚ وَفي ذٰلِكُم بَلاءٌ مِن رَبِّكُم عَظيمٌ

And remember when We rescued you from Pharaoh’s people, who subjected you to the harshest torment, killing your sons and sparing your women. That was a severe trial from your Lord.

وَواعَدنا موسىٰ ثَلاثينَ لَيلَةً وَأَتمَمناها بِعَشرٍ فَتَمَّ ميقاتُ رَبِّهِ أَربَعينَ لَيلَةً ۚ وَقالَ موسىٰ لِأَخيهِ هارونَ اخلُفني في قَومي وَأَصلِح وَلا تَتَّبِع سَبيلَ المُفسِدينَ

We set a meeting with Moses for thirty nights, which We completed with another ten; so the term of his Lord was completed in forty nights. Moses instructed his brother Aaron, “Take my place among my people, act rightly, and don’t follow the way of the mischief-makers.”

وَلَمّا جاءَ موسىٰ لِميقاتِنا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قالَ رَبِّ أَرِني أَنظُر إِلَيكَ ۚ قالَ لَن تَراني وَلـٰكِنِ انظُر إِلَى الجَبَلِ فَإِنِ استَقَرَّ مَكانَهُ فَسَوفَ تَراني ۚ فَلَمّا تَجَلّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ موسىٰ صَعِقًا ۚ فَلَمّا أَفاقَ قالَ سُبحانَكَ تُبتُ إِلَيكَ وَأَنا أَوَّلُ المُؤمِنينَ

When Moses arrived for Our appointment, and his Lord spoke to him, he pleaded, “My Lord, allow me to see You.” He replied, “You won’t see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains in its place, you’ll see Me.” When his Lord revealed His glory to the mountain, He made it crumble to dust, and Moses fell down fainting. Upon regaining consciousness, he exclaimed, “Glory be to You, I turn to You in repentance, I am the first of the believers.”

وَكَتَبنا لَهُ فِي الأَلواحِ مِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ مَوعِظَةً وَتَفصيلًا لِكُلِّ شَيءٍ فَخُذها بِقُوَّةٍ وَأمُر قَومَكَ يَأخُذوا بِأَحسَنِها ۚ سَأُريكُم دارَ الفاسِقينَ

We inscribed for him on the Tablets comprehensive instructions and detailed explanation for everything. “Adhere to them, and instruct your people to uphold the best of them. I will show you the dwelling of the wicked.”

سَأَصرِفُ عَن آياتِيَ الَّذينَ يَتَكَبَّرونَ فِي الأَرضِ بِغَيرِ الحَقِّ وَإِن يَرَوا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لا يُؤمِنوا بِها وَإِن يَرَوا سَبيلَ الرُّشدِ لا يَتَّخِذوهُ سَبيلًا وَإِن يَرَوا سَبيلَ الغَيِّ يَتَّخِذوهُ سَبيلًا ۚ ذٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُم كَذَّبوا بِآياتِنا وَكانوا عَنها غافِلينَ

I will divert from My signs those who behave arrogantly without right on Earth. Even if they witness every sign, they won’t believe in it. If they see the path of righteousness, they won’t adopt it. But if they see the path of error, they will embrace it. This is because they denied Our signs and remained heedless of them.

وَالَّذينَ كَذَّبوا بِآياتِنا وَلِقاءِ الآخِرَةِ حَبِطَت أَعمالُهُم ۚ هَل يُجزَونَ إِلّا ما كانوا يَعمَلونَ

Those who deny Our revelations and the meeting in the Hereafter—their deeds will come to nothing. Won’t they be repaid for what they’ve done?

وَاتَّخَذَ قَومُ موسىٰ مِن بَعدِهِ مِن حُلِيِّهِم عِجلًا جَسَدًا لَهُ خُوارٌ ۚ أَلَم يَرَوا أَنَّهُ لا يُكَلِّمُهُم وَلا يَهديهِم سَبيلًا ۘ اتَّخَذوهُ وَكانوا ظالِمينَ

In Moses’ absence, his people fabricated a calf from their jewelry—a body that emitted a mooing sound. Couldn’t they see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them on a path? They took it as an object of worship and were in the wrong.

وَلَمّا سُقِطَ في أَيديهِم وَرَأَوا أَنَّهُم قَد ضَلّوا قالوا لَئِن لَم يَرحَمنا رَبُّنا وَيَغفِر لَنا لَنَكونَنَّ مِنَ الخاسِرينَ

And when regret overcame them and saw that they were astray, they lamented, “Unless our Lord bestows His mercy upon us and forgives us, we will surely be among the losers.”