Surah Nisa ayat 154 Tafsir Quran 4:154

﴿وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَاقِهِمْ وَقُلْنَا لَهُمُ ادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ لَا تَعْدُوا فِي السَّبْتِ وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُم مِّيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا﴾
[ النساء: 154]

4:154 And We raised over them the mount for [refusal of] their covenant; and We said to them, "Enter the gate bowing humbly", and We said to them, "Do not transgress on the sabbath", and We took from them a solemn covenant.

And We raised above them the Mount by the covenant with them that is on account of the covenant made with them that they might fear and so they accepted it; and We said to them while it cast a shadow hovering above them ‘Enter the gate the gate of the town bowing’; and We said to them ‘Transgress not a variant reading of lā ta‘dū is lā ta‘addū where the original tā’ of lā tata‘addū is assimilated with the dāl in other words it is similar in meaning to lā ta‘tadū ‘do not act unjustly in’ the Sabbath’ by fishing during it and We took from them a firm covenant over this but they broke it.

And We stabilized the Mount above them when it shook with such fits of awe for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah as We made a covenant with them, and We said to them: “Make entry into this town AL-Quds (Jerusalem) but humble yourselves and bow your knees to Me as you go through the gate. And We said to them: Do not break the Sabbath We set apart for rest and worship, and We entered with them into a paramount covenant and they, with a strong oath, expressed their obligation and solemn promise to bind themselves by it

The Stubbornness of the Jews Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, As-Suddi and Qatadah said that the Jews asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to cause a book to come down to them from heaven, just as the Tawrah was sent down to Musa.
Ibn Jurayj said that the Jews asked the Messenger to cause books to come down to them addressed to so-and-so among them, testifying to the truth of what he was sent with.
The Jews only asked for this because of their stubbornness, defiance, rejection and disbelief.
The disbelievers of Quraysh also asked for similar things from the Prophet, as is mentioned in Surat Al-Isra', وَقَالُواْ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الاٌّرْضِ يَنْبُوعًا ( And they say: "We shall not believe in you, until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us; ) ( 17:90 ) Allah said, فَقَدْ سَأَلُواْ مُوسَى أَكْبَرَ مِن ذلِكَ فَقَالُواْ أَرِنَا اللَّهِ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّـعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ( Indeed, they asked Musa for even greater than that, when they said, "Show us Allah in public," but they were struck with a bolt of lightning for their wickedness. ) injustice, transgression, defiance and rebellion.
This part was explained in Surat Al-Baqarah, وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـمُوسَى لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّـعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ - ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ( And (remember ) when you said: "O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly." But you were struck by a bolt of lightning while you were looking.
Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be grateful.) ( 2:55,56 ) Allah's statement, ثُمَّ اتَّخَذُواْ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ ( Then they worshipped the calf even after Al-Bayyinat had come to them. ) meaning, after they witnessed the tremendous miracles and unequivocal proofs at the hand of Musa in Egypt.
They also witnessed the demise of their enemy, Fir`awn and his soldiers, when they all drowned in the sea.
Yet soon after, when they passed by a people who were worshipping idols, they said to Musa, اجْعَلْ لَّنَآ إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ ( Make for us a god as they have gods. ) Allah explains the story of the Jews worshipping the calf in Surat Al-A`raf ( 7 ) and Surah Ta Ha ( 20 ) after Musa went to meet with his Lord.
When Musa returned, Allah decreed that in order for the Jews to earn accepted repentance, then those who did not worship the calf would have to kill those who worshipped it.
They complied with this command, and Allah resurrected them afterwards.
Allah said here, فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذلِكَ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى سُلْطَـناً مُّبِيناً ( (Even ) so We forgave them.
And We gave Musa a clear proof of authority.
) Allah then said, وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَـقِهِمْ ( And for their covenant, We raised over them the mount, ) This was when they refrained from implementing the rulings of the Tawrah and refused what Musa brought them from Allah.
So Allah raised the mountain above their heads and they were ordered to prostrate, which they did.
Even so, they were looking above when they were prostrating for fear that the mountain might fall on them, وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ ( 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.") Allah then said, وَقُلْنَا لَهُمُ ادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّداً ( and We said, "Enter the gate prostrating (or bowing ) with humility;") meaning that they also defied this command in word and action.
They were commanded to enter Bayt Al-Quds ( in Jerusalem ) while bowing and saying "Hittah", meaning: `O Allah! take from us our sin of abandoning Jihad.' This was the cause of their wandering in the desert of Tih for forty years.
Yet, they entered the House while crawling on their rear ends and saying `Hintah ( a wheat grain ) in Sha`rah ( the hair )'. وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ لاَ تَعْدُواْ فِى السَّبْتِ ( and We commanded them, "Transgress not the Sabbath (Saturday ).") meaning, We commanded them to honor the Sabbath and honor what Allah prohibited them on that day. وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُمْ مِّيثَـقاً غَلِيظاً t( And We took from them a firm covenant. ) meaning, strong covenant.
They rebelled, transgressed and committed what Allah prohibited by using deceit and trickery, as is mentioned in Surat Al-A`raf ( 7 ), وَسْئَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِى كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ ( And ask them about the town that was by the sea. ) فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مَّيثَـقَهُمْ وَكُفْرِهِم بَـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ الاٌّنْبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَلْ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً - وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَى مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَـناً عَظِيماً - وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِيناً - بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً

(4:154) and We raised the Mount high above them and took from them a covenant *184 (to obey the commandment), and ordered them: 'Enter the gate in the state of prostration.' *185 And We said to them: 'Do not violate the law of the Sabbath', and took from them a firm covenant. *186

And We raised over them the mount meaning

*184).
This 'manifest commandment' refers to the commandments hichhad been handed over to Moses on tablets.
( For a more detailed account of this incident see Surah al-A'raf 7, verses 143 ff. ) The covenant referred to here is that which had been entered into by the representatives of Israel in the valley of Mount Sinai.
( For this see Surah al-Baqarah 2: 63 and Surah al-A'raf 7l:171. )
*185).
See Towards Understanding the Qur'an.
vol.
I, Surah 2: 58-9 and n.
75.

*186).
See ibid., Surah 2: 65 and nn.
82-3.

 

The Stubbornness of the Jews Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, As-Suddi and Qatadah said that the Jews asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to cause a book to come down to them from heaven, just as the Tawrah was sent down to Musa.
Ibn Jurayj said that the Jews asked the Messenger to cause books to come down to them addressed to so-and-so among them, testifying to the truth of what he was sent with.
The Jews only asked for this because of their stubbornness, defiance, rejection and disbelief.
The disbelievers of Quraysh also asked for similar things from the Prophet, as is mentioned in Surat Al-Isra', وَقَالُواْ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الاٌّرْضِ يَنْبُوعًا ( And they say: "We shall not believe in you, until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us; ) ( 17:90 ) Allah said, فَقَدْ سَأَلُواْ مُوسَى أَكْبَرَ مِن ذلِكَ فَقَالُواْ أَرِنَا اللَّهِ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّـعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ( Indeed, they asked Musa for even greater than that, when they said, "Show us Allah in public," but they were struck with a bolt of lightning for their wickedness. ) injustice, transgression, defiance and rebellion.
This part was explained in Surat Al-Baqarah, وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـمُوسَى لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّـعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ - ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَـكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ( And (remember ) when you said: "O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly." But you were struck by a bolt of lightning while you were looking.
Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be grateful.) ( 2:55,56 ) Allah's statement, ثُمَّ اتَّخَذُواْ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ ( Then they worshipped the calf even after Al-Bayyinat had come to them. ) meaning, after they witnessed the tremendous miracles and unequivocal proofs at the hand of Musa in Egypt.
They also witnessed the demise of their enemy, Fir`awn and his soldiers, when they all drowned in the sea.
Yet soon after, when they passed by a people who were worshipping idols, they said to Musa, اجْعَلْ لَّنَآ إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ ( Make for us a god as they have gods. ) Allah explains the story of the Jews worshipping the calf in Surat Al-A`raf ( 7 ) and Surah Ta Ha ( 20 ) after Musa went to meet with his Lord.
When Musa returned, Allah decreed that in order for the Jews to earn accepted repentance, then those who did not worship the calf would have to kill those who worshipped it.
They complied with this command, and Allah resurrected them afterwards.
Allah said here, فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذلِكَ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى سُلْطَـناً مُّبِيناً ( (Even ) so We forgave them.
And We gave Musa a clear proof of authority.
) Allah then said, وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَـقِهِمْ ( And for their covenant, We raised over them the mount, ) This was when they refrained from implementing the rulings of the Tawrah and refused what Musa brought them from Allah.
So Allah raised the mountain above their heads and they were ordered to prostrate, which they did.
Even so, they were looking above when they were prostrating for fear that the mountain might fall on them, وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ ( 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.") Allah then said, وَقُلْنَا لَهُمُ ادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّداً ( and We said, "Enter the gate prostrating (or bowing ) with humility;") meaning that they also defied this command in word and action.
They were commanded to enter Bayt Al-Quds ( in Jerusalem ) while bowing and saying "Hittah", meaning: `O Allah! take from us our sin of abandoning Jihad.' This was the cause of their wandering in the desert of Tih for forty years.
Yet, they entered the House while crawling on their rear ends and saying `Hintah ( a wheat grain ) in Sha`rah ( the hair )'. وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ لاَ تَعْدُواْ فِى السَّبْتِ ( and We commanded them, "Transgress not the Sabbath (Saturday ).") meaning, We commanded them to honor the Sabbath and honor what Allah prohibited them on that day. وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُمْ مِّيثَـقاً غَلِيظاً t( And We took from them a firm covenant. ) meaning, strong covenant.
They rebelled, transgressed and committed what Allah prohibited by using deceit and trickery, as is mentioned in Surat Al-A`raf ( 7 ), وَسْئَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِى كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ ( And ask them about the town that was by the sea. ) فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مَّيثَـقَهُمْ وَكُفْرِهِم بَـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ الاٌّنْبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَلْ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً - وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَى مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَـناً عَظِيماً - وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِيناً - بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً

( And We caused the Mount to tower above them ) We uprooted and fixed the Mount above them ( at (the taking of ) their covenant: and We bade them: Enter the gate) the gate of Jericho, ( prostrate! ) bowing down ( and we bade them: Transgress not the Sabbath! ) by taking the fish ( and We took from them a firm covenant ) regarding Muhammad ( pbuh ).

And for their covenant, We raised over them the Mount and (on the other occasion) We said: "Enter the gate prostrating (or bowing) with humility;" and We commanded them: "Transgress not (by doing worldly works on) the Sabbath (Saturday)." And We took from them a firm covenant.

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