A Meccan sura which centres on the story of Moses and takes its title from the reference to the story told by Moses in verse 25. Its main theme is the bad end that comes to those who are arrogant and spread corruption, like Pharaoh and Qarun—polytheism is denounced at various points throughout the sura—and a link is made between these and the disbelievers of Mecca. The Prophet is reminded that he cannot make everyone believe (verse 56) and should remain steadfast (verse 87).
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1Ta Sin Mim
2These are the verses of the Scripture that makes things clear: 3We recount to you [Prophet] part of the story of Moses and Pharaoh, setting out the truth for people who believe. 4Pharaoh made himself high and mighty in the land and divided the people into different groups: one group he oppressed, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women—he was one of those who spread corruption— 5but We wished to favour those who were oppressed in that land, to make them leaders, the ones to survive, 6to establish them in the land, and through them show Pharaoh, Haman, and their armies the very thing they feared.
7We inspired Moses’ mother, saying, ‘Suckle him, and then, when you fear for his safety, put him in the river: do not be afraid, and do not grieve, for We shall return him to you and make him a messenger.’ 8Pharaoh’s household picked him up—later toa become an enemy and a source of grief for them: Pharaoh, Haman, and their armies were wrongdoers— 9and Pharaoh’s wife said, ‘Here is a joy to behold for me and for you! Do not kill him: he may be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ They did not realize what they were doing. 10The next day, Moses’ mother felt a void in her heart—if We had not strengthened it to make her one of those who believe, she would have revealed everything about him— 11and she said to his sister, ‘Follow him.’ So she watched him from a distance, without them knowing. 12We had ordained that he would refuse to feed from wet nurses. His sister approached them and said, ‘Shall I tell you about a household which could bring him up for you and take good care of him?’ 13We restored him to his mother in this way, so that she might be comforted, not grieve, and know that God’s promise is true, though most of them do not know.
14When Moses reached full maturity and manhood, We gave him wisdom and knowledge: this is how We reward those who do good. 15He entered the city, unnoticed by its people, and found two men fighting: one from his own people, the other an enemy. The one from his own people cried out to him for help against the enemy. Moses struck him with his fist and killed him. He said, ‘This must be Satan’s work: clearly he is a misleading enemy.’ 16He said, ‘Lord, I have wronged myself. Forgive me,’ so He forgave him; He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. 17He said, ‘My Lord, because of the blessings You have bestowed upon me, I shall never support those who do evil.’
18Next morning, he was walking in the city, fearful and vigilant, when suddenly the man he had helped the day before cried out to him for help. Moses said, ‘You are clearly a troublemaker.’ 19As he was about to attack the man who was an enemy to both of them, the man said, ‘Moses, are you going to kill me as you killed that person yesterday? You clearly want to be a tyrant in the land; you do not intend to put things right.’ 20Then a man came running from the furthest part of the city and said, ‘Moses, the authorities are talking about killing you, so leave—this is my sincere advice.’ 21So Moses left the city, fearful and wary, and prayed, ‘My Lord, save me from people who do wrong.’
22As he made his way towards Midian, he was saying, ‘May my Lord guide me to the right way.’ 23When he arrived at Midian’s waters, he found a group of men watering [their flocks], and beside them two women keeping their flocks back, so he said, ‘What is the matter with you two?’ They said, ‘We cannot water [our flocks] until the shepherds take their sheep away: our father is a very old man.’ 24He watered their flocks for them, withdrew into the shade, and prayed, ‘My Lord, I am in dire need of whatever good thing You may send me,’ 25and then one of the two women approached him, walking shyly, and said, ‘My father is asking for you: he wants to reward you for watering our flocks for us.’
When Moses came to him and told him his story, the old man said, ‘Do not be afraid, you are safe now from people who do wrong.’ 26One of the women said, ‘Father, hire him: a strong, trustworthy man is the best to hire.’ 27The father said, ‘I would like to marry you to one of these daughters of mine, on condition that you serve me for eight years: if you complete ten, it will be of your own free will. I do not intend to make things difficult for you: God willing, you will find I am a fair man.’ 28Moses said, ‘Let that be the agreement between us—whichever of the two terms I fulfil, let there be no injustice to me—God is witness to what we say.’
29Once Moses had fulfilled the term and was travelling with his family, he caught sight of a fire on the side of the mountain and said to his family, ‘Wait! I have seen a fire. I will bring you news from there, or a burning stick for you to warm yourselves.’ 30But when he reached it, a voice called out to him from the right-hand side of the valley, from a tree on the blessed ground: ‘Moses, I am God, the Lord of the Worlds. 31Throw down your staff.’ When he saw his staff moving like a snake, he fled in fear and would not return. Again [he was called]: ‘Moses! Draw near! Do not be afraid, for you are one of those who are safe. 32Put your hand inside your shirt and it will come out white but unharmed—hold your arm close to your side, free from all fear. These shall be two signs from your Lord to Pharaoh and his chiefs; they are truly wicked people.’ 33Moses said, ‘My Lord, I killed one of their men, and I fear that they may kill me. 34My brother Aaron is more eloquent than I: send him with me to help me and confirm my words—I fear they may call me a liar.’ 35God said, ‘We shall strengthen you through your brother; We shall give you both power so that they cannot touch you. With Our signs you, and those who follow you, will triumph.’
36But when Moses came to them with Our clear signs, they said, ‘These are mere conjuring tricks; we never heard this from our forefathers.’ 37Moses said, ‘My Lord knows best who comes with guidance from Him and who will have the final Home: wrongdoers will never succeed.’ 38Pharaoh said, ‘Counsellors, you have no other god that I know of except me. Haman, light me a fire to bake clay bricks, then build me a tall building so that I may climb up to Moses’ God: I am convinced that he is lying.’
39Pharaoh and his armies behaved arrogantly in the land with no right—they thought they would not be brought back to Us— 40so We seized him and his armies and threw them into the sea. See what became of the wrongdoers! 41We made them leaders calling [others] only to the Fire: on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped. 42We made Our rejection pursue them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the despised. 43After We had destroyed the earlier generations, We gave Moses the Scripture to provide insight, guidance, and mercy for people, so that they might take heed.
44You [Muhammad] were not present on the western side of the mountain when We gave Our command to Moses: you were not there— 45We have brought into being many generations who lived long lives—you did not live among the people of Midian or recite Our Revelation to them—We have always sent messengers to people— 46nor were you present on the side of Mount Sinai when We called out to Moses. But you too have been sent as an act of grace from your Lord, to give warning to a people to whom no warner has come before, so that they may take heed, 47and may not say, if a disaster should befall them as a result of what they have done with their own hands, ‘Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we might have followed Your message and become believers.’ 48Even now that Our truth has come to them, they say, ‘Why has he not been given signs like those given to Moses?’ Did they not also deny the truth that was given to Moses before? They say, ‘Two kinds of sorcery, helping each other,’ and, ‘We refuse to accept either of them.’ 49Say [Muhammad], ‘Then produce a book from God that gives better guidance than these two and I will follow it, if you are telling the truth.’ 50If they do not respond to you, you will know that they follow only their own desires. Who is further astray than the one who follows his own desires with no guidance from God? Truly God does not guide those who do wrong.
51We have caused Our Word to come to them so that they may be mindful. 52Those to whom We gave the Scripture before believe in it,a 53and, when it is recited to them, say, ‘We believe in it, it is the truth from our Lord. Before it came we had already devoted ourselves to Him.’ 54They will be given their rewards twice over because they are steadfast, repel evil with good, give to others out of what We have provided for them, 55and turn away whenever they hear frivolous talk, saying, ‘We have our deeds and you have yours. Peace be with you! We do not seek the company of ignorant people.’
56You [Prophet] cannot guide everyone you love to the truth; it is God who guides whoever He will: He knows best those who will follow guidance. 57They say, ‘If we were to follow guidance with you [Prophet], we would be swept from our land.’ Have We not established for them a secure sanctuarya where every kind of produce is brought, as a provision from Us? But most of them do not comprehend. 58We have destroyed many a community that once revelled in its wanton wealth and easy living: since then their dwelling places have barely been inhabited—We are the only heir. 59Your Lord would never destroy towns without first raising a messenger in their midst to recite Our messages to them, nor would We destroy towns unless their inhabitants were evildoers. 60Whatever things you have been given for the life of this world are merely [temporary] gratification and vanity: that which is with God is better and more lasting—will you not use your reason?
61Can the person who will see the fulfilment of the good promise We gave him be compared to someone We have given some enjoyments for this worldly life but who, on the Day of Resurrection, will be summoned?b 62The Day will come when God will call them, saying, ‘Where now are those you allege are My partners?’ 63and those [ringleaders] against whom the verdict will be passed will say, ‘Our Lord, these are the ones we caused to deviate. We caused them to deviate as we ourselves deviated, but now we disown them before You: they did not really serve us.’ 64It will then be said to them, ‘Now call those you worshipped as partners,’ and they will call them but receive no answer. They will see the suffering and wish they had followed guidance. 65On that Day He will call them, saying, ‘How did you respond to My messengers?’ 66All arguments will seem obscure to them on that Day; they will not be able to consult one another. 67Yet anyone who has repented, believed, and done good deeds can hope to find himself among the successful. 68Your Lord creates what He pleases and chooses those He will—they have no choice—so glory be to God, and may He be exalted above the partners they ascribe to Him! 69Your Lord knows what their hearts conceal and what they reveal. 70He is God; there is no god but Him; all praise belongs to Him in this world and the next; His is the Judgement; and to Him you shall be returned.
71Say [Prophet], ‘Just think, if God were to cast perpetual night over you until the Day of Resurrection, what god other than He could bring you light? Do you not listen?’ 72Say, ‘Just think, if God were to cast perpetual day over you until the Day of Resurrection, what god other than He could give you night in which to rest? Do you not see? 73In His mercy He has given you night and day, so that you may rest and seek His bounty and be grateful.’ 74The Day will come when He will call out to them, saying, ‘Where are the partners you claimed for Me?’ 75We shall call a witness from every community, and say, ‘Produce your evidence,’ and then they will know that truth belongs to God alone; the gods they invented will forsake them.
76Qarun was one of Moses’ people, but he oppressed them. We had given him such treasures that even their keys would have weighed down a whole company of strong men. His people said to him, ‘Do not gloat, for God does not like people who gloat. 77Seek the life to come by means of what God has granted you, but do not neglect your rightful share in this world. Do good to others as God has done good to you. Do not seek to spread corruption in the land, for God does not love those who do this,’ 78but he answered, ‘This wealth was given to me on account of the knowledge I possess.’ Did he not know that God had destroyed many generations before him, who had greater power than him and built up greater wealth? The guilty will not be questioned about their sins.a 79He went out among his people in all his pomp, and those whose aim was the life of this world said, ‘If only we had been given something like what Qarun has been given: he really is a very fortunate man,’ 80but those who were given knowledge said, ‘Alas for you! God’s reward is better for those who believe and do good deeds: only those who are steadfast will attain this.’ 81We caused the earth to swallow him and his home: he had no one to help him against God, nor could he defend himself. 82The next day, those who had, the day before, wished to be in his place exclaimed, ‘Alas [for you, Qarun]! It is God alone who gives what He will, abundantly or sparingly, to whichever He will of His creatures: if God had not been gracious to us, He would have caused the earth to swallow us too.’ Alas indeed! Those who deny the truth will never prosper.
83We grant the Home in the Hereafter to those who do not seek superiority on earth or spread corruption: the happy ending is awarded to those who are mindful of God. 84Whoever comes before God with a good deed will receive a better reward; whoever comes with an evil deed will be punished only for what he has done. 85He who has made the Qur’an binding on you [Prophet] will bring you back home.a So say, ‘My Lord knows best who has brought true guidance and who is blatantly astray.’ 86You yourself could not have expected the Scripture to be sent to you; it came only as a mercy from your Lord. So give no help to the disbelievers. 87Do not let them turn you away from God’s revelations after they have been revealed to you. Call people to your Lord. Never become one of those who ascribe partners to God. 88Do not call out to any other god beside God, for there is no god but Him. Everything will perish except His Face. His is the Judgement and to Him you shall all be brought back.