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.
Verse 154 of Surah An-Nisa (4:154), a Medinan surah, is in juz 6, on page 102 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 154 of Surah An-Nisa
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Tafsir of verse 154
Al-Mukhtasar
I frightened them by raising the mountain over them in order to take a firm promise from them to practice what it contained and we said to them, ‘Enter the gate of Jerusalem in prostration by bowing your heads’. They entered dragging their buttocks. I also said to them, ‘Do not disobey Me by fishing on the Saturday’; but they rebelled and went against My command. I took a firm promise from them for this, but they broke their promise.
And We raised above them the Mount [to remind them] of their covenant, and We said to them, “Enter the gate [of Jerusalem] lowering your heads104”, and said to them: “Do not break the Sabbath”, and We took from them a solemn covenant.
Notes
[104] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It was said to Bani Israel, ‘Enter the gate (of the town) bowing with humility and say: ‘Repentance’, but they changed the word and entered crawling on their buttocks and said: ‘A wheat grain in the hair’." [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 615]. They said so just to ridicule Allah’s order, as they were disobedient to Him. So Allah punished them severely, most probably with a plague.
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 covenant41.
Notes
[41] (V.4:154) Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "It was said to Banî Israel, ‘Enter the gate (of the town) bowing with humility (prostrating yourselves) and say: ‘Repentance’, but they changed the word and entered the town crawling on their buttocks and said: ‘A wheat grain in the hair’*." (Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Vol.4, Hadîth No. 615).
*They said so just to ridicule Allâh’s Order as they were disobedient to Him. So Allâh punished them severely by sending on them punishment, most probably in the form of (an epidemic of) plague (See Tafsir At-Tabari ).
And We caused the Mount to tower above them at (the taking of) their covenant: and We bade them: Enter the gate, prostrate! and We bode them: Transgress not the Sabbath! and We took from them a firm covenant.
And for their covenant we raised over them (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai); and (on another occasion) we said: "Enter the gate with humility"; and (once again) we commanded them: "Transgress not in the matter of the sabbath." And we took from them a solemn covenant.
And We lifted the mountain (Sainai) over them at (the li taking of the covenant) and We said to them: Enter the door making obeisance; and We said to them: Do not exceed the limits of the Sabbath, and We made with them a firm covenant.
And We raised above them the Tur, (Mount) (taking) compact with them. And We said to them, "Enter in at the gate, constantly prostrating." And We said to them, "Do not be aggressors on the Sabbath, " (Mount) and We took from them a solemn compact.
And [mention] when We raised the mountain above them as if it was a dark cloud and they were certain that it would fall upon them, [and Allāh said], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that you might fear Allāh."
And ask them about the town that was by the sea - when they transgressed in [the matter of] the sabbath - when their fish came to them openly on their sabbath day, and the day they had no sabbath they did not come to them. Thus did We give them trial because they were defiantly disobedient. …
And We had certainly given Moses nine evident signs, so ask the Children of Israel [about] when he came to them and Pharaoh said to him, "Indeed I think, O Moses, that you are affected by magic."
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when We took from the prophets their covenant and from you and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus, the son of Mary; and We took from them a solemn covenant
