Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) in English

1. وإذ قال ربك للملائكة إني جاعل في الأرض خليفة قالوا أتجعل فيها من يفسد فيها ويسفك الدماء ونحن نسبح بحمدك ونقدس لك قال إني أعلم ما لا تعلمون

   30

   When your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed I am going to set a viceroy on the earth,’ they said, ‘Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it and shed blood, while we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your sanctity?’ He said, ‘Indeed I know what you do not know.’

   wa-ʾidh qāla rabbuka li-l-malāʾikati ʾinnī jāʿilun fī l-ʾarḍi khalīfatan qālū ʾa-tajʿalu fīhā man yufsidu fīhā wa-yasfiku d-dimāʾa wa-naḥnu nusabbiḥu bi-ḥamdika wa-nuqaddisu laka qāla ʾinnī ʾaʿlamu mā lā taʿlamūna

2. وعلم آدم الأسماء كلها ثم عرضهم على الملائكة فقال أنبئوني بأسماء هؤلاء إن كنتم صادقين

   31

   And He taught Adam the Names, all of them; then presented them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these, if you are truthful.’

   wa-ʿallama ʾādama l-ʾasmāʾa kullahā thumma ʿaraḍahum ʿalā l-malāʾikati fa-qāla ʾanbiʾūnī bi-ʾasmāʾi hāʾulāʾi ʾin kuntum ṣādiqīna

3. قالوا سبحانك لا علم لنا إلا ما علمتنا إنك أنت العليم الحكيم

   32

   They said, ‘Immaculate are You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed You are the All-knowing, the All-wise.’

   qālū subḥānaka lā ʿilma lanā ʾillā mā ʿallamtanā ʾinnaka ʾanta l-ʿalīmu l-ḥakīmu

4. قال يا آدم أنبئهم بأسمائهم فلما أنبأهم بأسمائهم قال ألم أقل لكم إني أعلم غيب السماوات والأرض وأعلم ما تبدون وما كنتم تكتمون

   33

   He said, ‘O Adam, inform them of their names,’ and when he had informed them of their names, He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, and that I know whatever you disclose and whatever you conceal?’

   qāla yā-ʾādamu ʾanbiʾhum bi-ʾasmāʾihim fa-lammā ʾanbaʾahum bi-ʾasmāʾihim qāla ʾa-lam ʾaqul lakum ʾinnī ʾaʿlamu ghayba s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍi wa-ʾaʿlamu mā tubdūna wa-mā kuntum taktumūna

5. وإذ قلنا للملائكة اسجدوا لآدم فسجدوا إلا إبليس أبى واستكبر وكان من الكافرين

   34

   And when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they prostrated, but not Iblis: he refused and acted arrogantly, and he was one of the faithless.

   wa-ʾidh qulnā li-l-malāʾikati sjudū li-ʾādama fa-sajadū ʾillā ʾiblīsa ʾabā wa-stakbara wa-kāna mina l-kāfirīna

6. وقلنا يا آدم اسكن أنت وزوجك الجنة وكلا منها رغدا حيث شئتما ولا تقربا هذه الشجرة فتكونا من الظالمين

   35

   We said, ‘O Adam, dwell with your mate in paradise and eat thereof freely whencesoever you wish, but do not approach this tree, lest you should be among the wrongdoers.’

   wa-qulnā yā-ʾādamu skun ʾanta wa-zawjuka l-jannata wa-kulā minhā raghadan ḥaythu shiʾtumā wa-lā taqrabā hādhihi sh-shajarata fa-takūnā mina ẓ-ẓālimīna

7. فأزلهما الشيطان عنها فأخرجهما مما كانا فيه وقلنا اهبطوا بعضكم لبعض عدو ولكم في الأرض مستقر ومتاع إلى حين

   36

   Then Satan caused them to stumble from it, and he dislodged them from what [state] they were in; and We said, ‘Get down, being enemies of one another! On the earth shall be your abode and sustenance for a time.’

   fa-ʾazallahumā sh-shayṭānu ʿanhā fa-ʾakhrajahumā mimmā kānā fīhi wa-qulnā hbiṭū baʿḍukum li-baʿḍin ʿaduwwun wa-lakum fī l-ʾarḍi mustaqarrun wa-matāʿun ʾilā ḥīnin

8. فتلقى آدم من ربه كلمات فتاب عليه إنه هو التواب الرحيم

   37

   Then Adam received certain words from his Lord, and He turned to him clemently. Indeed He is the All-clement, the All-merciful.

   fa-talaqqā ʾādamu min rabbihī kalimātin fa-tāba ʿalayhi ʾinnahū huwa t-tawwābu r-raḥīmu