Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 61 Translation (2:61) and Analysis

Mathematical

According to the Hafs Mushaf order, this verse is verse 68 from the beginning and verse 6169 from the end; it is in surah 2 and is verse 61 of Surah Al-Baqarah. The word count of verse 61 of Surah Al-Baqarah is 60, its letter count is 254, and its total Abjad value has been calculated as 21242. The total Abjad value of Surah Al-Baqarah has been calculated as 1820072. Abjad counts include the letter ء (Hamza) where present. This surah begins with the muqatta'at letters الم. This verse contains ا (43) ل (27) م (16) occurrences.

Arabic Text

واذ قلتم يا موسى لن نصبر على طعام واحد فادع لنا ربك يخرج لنا مما تنبت الارض من بقلها وقثائها وفومها وعدسها وبصلها قال اتستبدلون الذي هو ادنى بالذي هو خير اهبطوا مصرا فان لكم ما سالتم وضربت عليهم الذلة والمسكنة وباؤ بغضب من الله ذلك بانهم كانوا يكفرون بايات الله ويقتلون النبين بغير الحق ذلك بما عصوا وكانوا يعتدون

Letter Count

SHF

واذقلتمياموسىلننصبرعلىطعامواحدفادعلناربكيخرجلنامماتنبتالارضمنبقلهاوقثائهاوفومهاوعدسهاوبصلهاقالاتستبدلونالذيهوادنىبالذيهوخيراهبطوامصرافانلكمماسالتموضربتعليهمالذلةوالمسكنةوباؤبغضبمناللهذلكبانهمكانوايكفرونباياتاللهويقتلونالنبينبغيرالحقذلكبماعصواوكانوايعتدون

Transliteration in Latin Letters

Ve-iż kultum yâ mûsâ len nasbira ‘alâ ta’âmin vâhidin fed’u lenâ rabbeke yuḣric lenâ mimmâ tunbitu-l-ardu min baklihâ vekiśśâ-ihâ vefûmihâ ve’adesihâ vebesalihâ(s) kâle etestebdilûne-lleżî huve ednâ billeżî huve ḣayr(un)(c) ihbitû misran fe-inne lekum mâ seeltum veduribet ‘aleyhimu-żżilletu velmeskenetu vebâû biġadabin mina(A)llâh(i)(k) żâlike bi-ennehum kânû yekfurûne bi-âyâti(A)llâhi veyaktulûne-nnebiyyîne biġayri-lhakk(i)(k) żâlike bimâ ‘asav vekânû ya’tedûn(e)

M. Pickthall (English)

And when ye said: O Moses! We are weary of one kind of food; so call upon thy Lord for us that he bring forth for us of that which the earth groweth of its herbs and its cucumbers and its corn and its lentils and its onions. He said: Would ye exchange that which is higher for that which is lower? Go down to settled country, thus ye shall get that which ye demand. And humiliation and wretchedness were stamped upon them and they were visited with wrath from Allah. That was because they disbelieved in Allah's revelations and slew the prophets wrongfully. That was for their disobedience and transgression.

Share Verse

Yusuf Ali (English)

And remember ye said: "O Moses! we cannot endure one kind of food (always); so beseech thy Lord for us to produce for us of what the earth groweth, -its potherbs, and cucumbers, Its garlic, lentils, and onions." He said: "Will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye down to any town(74), and ye shall find what ye want!" They were covered with humiliation(75) and misery; they drew on themselves the wrath of Allah. This because they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah and slaying His Messengers without just cause. This because they rebelled and went on transgressing.*

Share Verse

Description

74 The declension of the word Misr in the Arabic text here shows that it is treated as a common noun meaning any town, but this is not conclusive, and the reference may be to the Egypt of Pharaoh. The Tanwin expressing indefiniteness may mean "any Egypt ", i.e., any country as fertile as Egypt . There is here a subtle reminiscence as well as a severe reproach. The rebellious children of Israel murmured at the sameness of the food they got in the desert. They were evidently hankering after the delicacies of the Egypt which they had left, although they should have known that the only thing certain for them in Egypt was their bondage and harsh treatment. Moses's reproach to them was twofold: (1) Such variety of foods you can get in any town: would you, for their sake, sell your freedom? Is not freedom better than delicate food? (2) In front of the rich Promised Land, which you are reluctant to march to; behind is Egypt , the land of bondage. Which is better? Would you exchange the better for the worse? 75 From here the argument becomes more general. They got the Promised Land. But they continued to rebel against Allah. And their humiliation and misery became a national disaster. They were carried in captivity to Assyria . They were restored under the Persians, bus still remained under the Persian yoke, and they were under the yoke of the Greeks, the Romans, and Arabs. They were scattered all over the earth, and have been a wandering people ever since, because they rejected faith, slew Allah's messengers, and went on transgressing. The slaving of the Prophets begins with the murder of Abel, who was in the ancestry of Israel . The elder sons of Jacob attempted the murder of Joseph when they dropped him into the well, and if he was afterwards rescued by strangers, their blood-guilt was none the less. In later history they attempted to slay Jesus, in as much as they got the Roman Governor to crucify one in his likeness, and they attempted to take the life of Mustafa. But the moral goes wider than the Children of Israel. It applies to all nations and all individuals. If they are stiff-necked, if they set a greater value on perishable goods than on freedom and eternal salvation, if they break the law of Allah and resist His grace, their portion must be humiliation and misery in the spiritual world and probably even on this earth if a long view is taken.