وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى ٱللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ 55
Translations
And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we will never believe you until we see Allāh outright"; so the thunderbolt took you while you were looking on.
Transliteration
Wa-idh qultum ya Musa lan nu'mina laka hatta nara Allaha jahrah fa-akhdhattakumu al-saa'iqah wa-antum tanzurun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the incident when the Children of Israel demanded to see Allah directly and visibly before they would believe in Moses' message. As a consequence of their arrogance and unreasonable demand, Allah sent down a thunderbolt (al-saa'iqah) that struck them while they were watching, which was a severe punishment for their transgression. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this event occurred after the Israelites witnessed the parting of the sea and other miracles, yet still their faith wavered due to their stubbornness and demand for the impossible—seeing the Unseen with their own eyes.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Baqarah's narrative recounting the history of the Children of Israel and their repeated ingratitude and disobedience. The verse specifically references the incident that occurred during the time of Prophet Moses when the Israelites, despite witnessing numerous miracles, demanded to see Allah directly. This thematic context emphasizes the pattern of human rebellion against divine guidance and the consequences of such arrogance.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim records that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned that among the previous nations, seventy thousand were destroyed by a single thunderbolt due to their disobedience. Additionally, various hadith collections reference the severity of the punishment inflicted on those who reject clear signs, as seen in Surah Al-Baqarah 55.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that faith based on rational demands for supernatural proof, especially demands contrary to divine nature (like seeing the Unseen), reflects spiritual arrogance and a lack of true submission. For modern believers, it serves as a reminder that true faith requires accepting the limits of human perception and trusting in Allah's wisdom, rather than making unreasonable conditions for belief.