And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves [i.e., the guilty among you]. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
وَإِذْ
(And [recall] when)
وَإِذْword 1
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'and' that ties one statement to another. The prefix وَ joins this remembrance to the ones before it. L4 · R4
Time Adverb · ظرف زمانA time adverb is a naming word that anchors a sentence to the time its action happens. إِذْ means 'when — back then', pointing to a moment already past: Musa's words to his people. L16 · R9
قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ
(…Moses said to his people,)
Root قول — to say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran
Root قوم — to stand, establish; people, nation; straightness, uprightness · 660 times in the Quran
قَالَword 2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. قَالَ names an action — saying — from the root قول, to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes an action already completed; its base shape is the 'he' form with no ending added. قَالَ is exactly that bare base shape: 'he said', already done. L8 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters. قَالَ is a 'hollow' one — its middle root letter hides behind the long alif you see: the root is really قول, with و in the middle. L24 · R4
مُوسَىٰword 3
Noun · اسمA noun names a person, place, thing, or idea — including proper names. مُوسَىٰ is the proper name of the prophet Musa. L1 · R6
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject of its sentence, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. مُوسَىٰ ends in the bent letter ىٰ, which carries no vowel mark, so nothing shows on the page — the nominative is the role the name fills here. L2 · R10
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action in a verb-first sentence, standing in the nominative — the doer's form, usually a ḍammah ـُ above the last letter. Musa is the one who did the saying; his name's bent ending ىٰ shows no mark, so the nominative here is the role, not a visible sign. L9 · R2
لِقَوْمِهِۦword 4
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix لِ 'to/for' is one of the common prepositions: said 'to' his people. L4 · R2
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. قَوْمِ names a people, from the root قوم — people, nation. L1 · R5
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. قَوْمِ carries that kasrah ـِ because لِ stands before it. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending هِۦ on لِقَوْمِهِۦ is such a suffix, standing for 'his': HIS people. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The ending هِۦ fills that owner slot: 'the people OF him'; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5
يَـٰقَوْمِ
(…"O my people,)
Root قوم — to stand, establish; people, nation; straightness, uprightness · 660 times in the Quran
يَـٰقَوْمِword 5
Vocative Particle · حرف نداءA vocative particle is a calling word placed before a naming word to address someone directly. The prefix يَٰ is that 'O!' of calling: 'O my people!' L4 · R8
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. قَوْم names a people, from the root قوم — people, nation. L1 · R5
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is a role usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter. The called noun here fills that accusative role, but what is actually written on يَٰقَوْمِ is a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the م — which is the worn-down trace of 'my'; the accusative is the role, not a mark on show. L2 · R11
Vocative · المُنَادَىThe vocative is the person or thing being called after يَا 'O!'. قَوْمِ 'my people' is the one Musa calls out to, turning every ear to what follows. L21 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. Here the 'my' has worn down to its smallest trace: the kasrah ـِ — the small stroke below the final م of يَٰقَوْمِ — standing in for the fuller ending ـِي 'my'. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The shortened 'my' fills that owner slot: 'the people OF mine' — my people. L5 · R5
إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُم
(…indeed you have wronged yourselves)
Root ظلم — to do wrong or evil, to wrong, to treat unjustly, ill-treat, oppress, harm, suppress, tyrannise · 315 times in the Quran
Root نفس — soul, self, person; one's own self · 298 times in the Quran
إِنَّكُمْword 6
Accusative Particle (إنّ) · حرف مشبه بالفعلإِنَّ 'indeed' — one of the family of particles that sit at the front of a topic-plus-comment sentence, each carrying the doubling shaddah ـّ, seen here on its نَّ — adds weight to the statement: this wronging truly happened. L15 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُمْ on إِنَّكُمْ stands for 'you all' — the topic إِنَّ presses on; this particle family pushes its topic into the accusative, the form usually shown by a fathah ـَ, a small stroke above the letter, but a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so the accusative is the role it fills. L3 · R7
ظَلَمْتُمْword 7
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ظَلَمْ names an action — wronging — from the root ظلم, to do wrong, treat unjustly, oppress. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes an action already completed, and who did it is shown by an ending added to the verb. The ending تُمْ — the 'you all' marker — sits on ظَلَمْتُمْ: 'you have wronged', already done. L8 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending تُمْ on ظَلَمْتُمْ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all'. L3 · R7
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, standing in the nominative — the doer's form, usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending تُمْ is that doer, 'you all'; an attached pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
أَنفُسَكُمword 8
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. أَنفُسَ names selves — souls — from the root نفس: soul, self, person. L1 · R5
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she'. نَفْس 'soul' carries no visible marker like ة, yet is one of the words simply known to be feminine — it must be memorized; its plural here keeps that 'she'-hood. L2 · R2
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more, made either by adding an ending or by reshaping the word from the inside — a 'broken' plural. أَنفُسَ is such a reshaped plural of نَفْس 'soul': many selves, with no added plural ending. L2 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter. أَنفُسَ ends in that fathah ـَ. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, here the fathah ـَ above the س. Your own selves are what the wronging fell upon. L9 · R3
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُم on أَنفُسَكُم is such a suffix, standing for 'your': YOUR selves. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The ending كُم fills that owner slot: 'the selves OF you'; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said this is when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray — and Musa said to them, 'O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf.'
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:54
بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ
(…by your taking of the calf [for worship].)
Root اخذ — to take, seize, grasp; to punish, hold accountable · 273 times in the Quran
Root عجل — to hasten, make haste; calf (idol) · 47 times in the Quran
بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُword 9
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ 'by/with' is one of the common prepositions: wronged yourselves 'by' the taking. L4 · R2
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. ٱتِّخَاذِ names a thing — the act of taking itself — from the root اخذ, to take, seize, grasp. L1 · R5
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. ٱتِّخَاذِ carries that kasrah ـِ because بِ stands before it. L2 · R12
Verbal Noun (Masdar) · المصدرA verbal noun (masdar) names the action itself as a thing — from 'took' you get 'taking'. Each verb family stamps its masdar in a fixed mold, and the family that tucks a ت after the first root letter molds it as اِفْتِعَال: ٱتِّخَاذ 'the taking' is exactly that mold, the deed itself held up as the cause of the wrong. L22 · R4
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُمُ on بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ is such a suffix, standing for 'your': YOUR taking. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The ending كُمُ fills that owner slot: 'the taking OF you' — it was your own deed; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5
ٱلْعِجْلَword 10
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ال attached to the front of a naming word to mean 'the' — one specific, known one. ٱلْعِجْلَ wears that prefix: 'the calf' — the specific, known one. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts ال — the prefix meaning 'the' — is a noun, a naming word. عِجْلَ names the calf. L1 · R1
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter. عِجْلَ ends in that fathah ـَ. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the thing the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, here the fathah ـَ above its last letter. The calf is what the taking named in ٱتِّخَاذِ fell upon. L9 · R3
So far: “And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship].”
فَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ
(…So repent to your Creator)
Root توب — to repent, accept repentance · 87 times in the Quran
Root برا — to be free from, innocent; create; disassociate · 31 times in the Quran
فَتُوبُوٓا۟word 11
Causal Particle · فاء السببيةThe causal فَ ties an action to the reason behind it — 'so'. Because you wronged yourselves, therefore: repent. L14 · R5
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. تُوبُ names an action — turning in repentance — from the root توب, to repent, accept repentance. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its opening prefix. تُوبُوٓا۟ is that command shape aimed at a group — its ending وٓا۟ points the order at 'you all': repent! L10 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters. The root of تُوبُ is توب: its middle letter is the weak letter و, standing here in plain view as the long و of تُوبُوٓا۟. L24 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وٓا۟ on فَتُوبُوٓا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all'. L3 · R7
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, standing in the nominative — the doer's form, usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وٓا۟ is that doer, 'you all' — the ones who must do the repenting; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L9 · R4
إِلَىٰword 12
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. إِلَىٰ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. إِلَى 'to/toward' is one of the common prepositions: repent 'to' your Creator. L4 · R2
بَارِئِكُمْword 13
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. بَارِئِ names the Creator, from the root برا — to create. L1 · R5
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. بَارِئِ carries that kasrah ـِ, seen under its ئِ, because إِلَىٰ stands before it. L2 · R12
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root on the pattern فَاعِل to name the doer of the action. بَارِئ follows that pattern — first letter, long ā, then a kasrah ـِ -carrying letter — naming the One who DOES the creating: your Creator. L11 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُمْ on بَارِئِكُمْ is such a suffix, standing for 'your': YOUR Creator. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The ending كُمْ fills that owner slot: 'the Creator OF you'; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5
'So turn in repentance to your Bari'' means 'to your Creator' — the wording alerts the Children of Israel to the enormity of their error: 'Repent to He Who created you after you associated others with Him in worship.'
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:54
فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ
(…and kill yourselves [i.e., the guilty among you].)
Root قتل — to kill, slay, fight · 170 times in the Quran
Root نفس — soul, self, person; one's own self · 298 times in the Quran
فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟word 14
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word that ties one command to another. The prefix فَ 'and then' joins this command to the command to repent. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱقْتُلُ names an action — killing — from the root قتل, to kill, slay, fight. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its opening prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ shows that helping ٱ at its front, commanding a group — the ending وٓا۟ points the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وٓا۟ on فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all'. L3 · R7
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, standing in the nominative — the doer's form, usually a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وٓا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L9 · R4
أَنفُسَكُمْword 15
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. أَنفُسَ names selves — souls — from the root نفس: soul, self, person. L1 · R5
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she'. نَفْس 'soul' carries no visible marker like ة, yet is one of the words simply known to be feminine — it must be memorized; its plural here keeps that 'she'-hood. L2 · R2
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more, made either by adding an ending or by reshaping the word from the inside — a 'broken' plural. أَنفُسَ is such a reshaped plural of نَفْس 'soul': many selves, with no added plural ending. L2 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter. أَنفُسَ ends in that fathah ـَ. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, here the fathah ـَ above the س. Your own selves are what the commanded killing was to fall upon. L9 · R3
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُمْ on أَنفُسَكُمْ is such a suffix, standing for 'your': YOUR selves. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the owner comes second, taking the genitive — the owner's ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The ending كُمْ fills that owner slot: 'the selves OF you'; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so the genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R5
Ibn 'Abbas said that Allah told the Children of Israel that their repentance would be to slay by the sword every person they meet, be he father or son; those guilty admitted their sin and did as they were ordered, and Allah forgave both the killer and the one killed.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:54
ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ
(…That is best for [all of] you)
Root خير — good, better, best, goodness · 196 times in the Quran
ذَٰلِكُمْword 16
Demonstrative Pronoun · اسم إشارةA demonstrative pronoun is a pointing word that singles out a specific thing, near or far. ذَٰلِكُمْ points from afar to 'that' — the repenting and the killing just commanded — with an ending shaped for addressing 'you all'; pointing words keep one fixed shape whatever their role. L3 · R8
Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the naming word a statement opens by talking about — its topic — standing in the nominative, the topic's form usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. A pointing word can serve as this topic, and ذَٰلِكُمْ 'that' opens the statement 'that is best for you'; its written shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L6 · R2
خَيْرٌۭword 17
Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel marks ـٌ ـً ـٍ — is a noun, a naming word. خَيْرٌ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ and names the good — 'better' — from the root خير: good, better, best, goodness. L1 · R2
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Singular Noun · مفردA singular noun refers to exactly one and shows its ending with a single short vowel mark, doubled to tanwīn when the word is indefinite. خَيْرٌ names one thing — the good — its doubled ḍammah ـٌ carrying the ending. L2 · R4
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' — no particular one named — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. خَيْرٌ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject or its telling part in a sentence, shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter — doubled to tanwīn ـٌ when the word is indefinite. خَيْرٌ ends in that doubled ḍammah ـٌ. L2 · R10
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that tells you something about the topic; it stands in the nominative — shown here by the doubled ḍammah ـٌ on خَيْرٌ — and is typically a single indefinite word. The topic was ذَٰلِكُمْ 'that'; خَيْرٌ 'better' is what is said about it, with the 'is' simply understood. L6 · R3
لَّكُمْword 18
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix لَّ 'for' is one of the common prepositions: better 'for you'. L4 · R2
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA pronoun is a stand-in word for 'you/he/they'. كُمْ here stands for 'you all'; though the label reads it as a standalone word, it is written joined onto the little word لَّ and works like the glued-on 'you' endings, governed by that لَّ: 'for you'. L3 · R7
عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ
(…in the sight of your Creator.")
Root عند — near, with · 201 times in the Quran
Root برا — to be free from, innocent; create; disassociate · 31 times in the Quran
عِندَword 19
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is an ending shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the letter. عِندَ ends in exactly that fathah ـَ, the fixed ending this where-word always wears. L2 · R11
Place Adverb · ظرف مكانA place adverb is a naming word, frozen with a fathah ـَ ending, that tells where something stands — عِندَ means 'with/at': better for you 'with' — in the sight of — your Creator. L26 · R2
بَارِئِكُمْword 20
Noun · اسمA word whose final vowel mark changes with its job in the sentence is a noun, a naming word. بَارِئِ names the Creator, from the root برا — to create. L1 · R5
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes as the owner in an 'of' phrase, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. بَارِئِ carries that kasrah ـِ under its ئِ. L2 · R12
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains naming words into an 'of' phrase where the owner comes second in the genitive — the owner's ending, a kasrah ـِ below the last letter — and such chains can nest: بَارِئِ is the owner after عِندَ ('with the Creator'), shown by its kasrah ـِ, and the ending كُمْ is in turn the owner of بَارِئِ ('the Creator OF you'); a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so its genitive is the role it fills. L5 · R7
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root on the pattern فَاعِل to name the doer of the action. بَارِئ follows that pattern — first letter, long ā, then a kasrah ـِ -carrying letter — naming the One who DOES the creating: your Creator. L11 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُمْ on بَارِئِكُمْ is such a suffix, standing for 'your': YOUR Creator. L3 · R7
So far: “And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves [i.e., the guilty among you]. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator."”
فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ
(Then He accepted your repentance;)
Root توب — to repent, accept repentance · 87 times in the Quran
فَتَابَword 21
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive particle is a وَ or فَ that begins a fresh statement after a pause or shift. The prefix فَ here steps out of Musa's speech into what Allah then did: 'Then He turned…'. L14 · R1
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. تَابَ names an action — turning, accepting repentance — from the root توب, to repent, accept repentance. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes an action already completed; its base shape is the 'he' form with no ending added. تَابَ is exactly that bare base shape: 'He turned' toward you — the acceptance already given. L8 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters. تَابَ is a 'hollow' one — its middle root letter hides behind the long alif you see: the root is really توب, with و in the middle. L24 · R4
عَلَيْكُمْ ۚword 22
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. عَلَيْ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. عَلَى 'on/upon' is one of the common prepositions: He turned 'toward you' in acceptance. L4 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending كُمْ on عَلَيْكُمْ stands for 'you all'. L3 · R6
When they did as they were ordered, those who were killed among them were forgiven, and those who remained alive were also forgiven.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:54
إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
(…indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.)
Root توب — to repent, accept repentance · 87 times in the Quran
Root رحم — to have mercy on, have compassion upon, pity · 339 times in the Quran
إِنَّهُۥword 23
Accusative Particle (إنّ) · حرف مشبه بالفعلإِنَّ 'indeed' — one of the family of particles that sit at the front of a topic-plus-comment sentence, each carrying the doubling shaddah ـّ, seen here on its نَّ — adds weight to the closing statement about who He is. L15 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word. The ending هُۥ on إِنَّهُۥ stands for 'He' — the topic إِنَّ presses on; this particle family pushes its topic into the accusative, the form usually shown by a fathah ـَ, a small stroke above the letter, but a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so the accusative is the role it fills. L3 · R7
هُوَword 24
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA detached pronoun is a standalone word for 'I/you/he/they'. هُوَ is the standalone word for 'He' — one of the twelve detached forms. L3 · R2
Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the naming word a statement opens by talking about — its topic — standing in the nominative, the topic's form usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. هُوَ 'He' opens the inner statement 'He (is) the Ever-Returning'; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears — the nominative is the role it fills. L6 · R2
ٱلتَّوَّابُword 25
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ال meaning 'the' — one specific, known one. Its ل is written in ٱلتَّوَّابُ but not heard: ت is one of the fourteen 'solar' letters — letters made near where ل itself is made, which swallow the ل of ال — so the ت doubles instead, shown by the shaddah ـّ, the small w-shaped mark above it. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts ال — the prefix meaning 'the' — is a noun, a naming word. تَّوَّابُ names the One who ever returns in acceptance, from the root توب, to repent, accept repentance. L1 · R1
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Singular Noun · مفردA singular noun refers to exactly one and shows its ending with a single short vowel mark. ٱلتَّوَّابُ names One, its single ḍammah ـُ carrying the ending. L2 · R4
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject or its telling part in a sentence, shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. تَّوَّابُ ends in that ḍammah ـُ. L2 · R10
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that tells you something about the topic, and it stands in the nominative — shown here by the ḍammah ـُ on ٱلتَّوَّابُ. The topic was هُوَ 'He'; 'the Accepting of Repentance' is what is said about Him, the 'is' simply understood. L6 · R3
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root to name the doer of the action. تَوَّاب, built from the root توب — to repent, accept repentance — names the One who does the accepting of repentance. L11 · R1
ٱلرَّحِيمُword 26
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ال meaning 'the' — one specific, known one. Its ل is written in ٱلرَّحِيمُ but not heard: ر is one of the fourteen 'solar' letters — letters made near where ل itself is made, which swallow the ل of ال — so the ر doubles instead, shown by the shaddah ـّ, the small w-shaped mark above it. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts ال — the prefix meaning 'the' — is a noun, a naming word. رَّحِيمُ names the Most Merciful, from the root رحم, to have mercy on, have compassion upon. L1 · R1
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject or its telling part in a sentence, shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. رَّحِيمُ ends in that ḍammah ـُ, the same ending as ٱلتَّوَّابُ before it. L2 · R10
Adjective · صفةAn adjective is a describing word that comes after its naming word and copies its gender, number, ending, and 'the'-ness. ٱلرَّحِيمُ 'the Most Merciful' follows ٱلتَّوَّابُ and matches it in all four: both 'he'-words, both singular, both with ال, both ending in the ḍammah ـُ. L7 · R1
So far: “And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves [i.e., the guilty among you]. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.”