20

1Ta Ha

2It was not to distress you [Prophet] that We sent down the Quran to you

3but as a reminder for those who hold God in awe

4a revelation from the One who created the earth and the high heaven

5the Lord of Mercy, established on the throne

6Everything in the heavens and on earth, everything between them, everything beneath the soil, belongs to Him

7Whatever you may say aloud, He knows what you keep secret and what is even more hidden

8God––there is no god but Him––the most excellent names belong to Him

9Has the story of Moses come to you [Prophet]

10He saw a fire and said to his people, ‘Stay here––I can see a fire. Maybe I can bring you a flaming brand from it or find some guidance there.’

11When he came to the fire, he was summoned, ‘Moses

12I am your Lord. Take off your shoes: you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa

13I have chosen you, so listen to what is being revealed

14I am God; there is no god but Me. So worship Me and keep up the prayer so that you remember Me

15The Hour is coming––though I choose to keep it hidden––for each soul to be rewarded for its labour

16Do not let anyone who does not believe in it and follows his own desires distract you from it, and so bring you to ruin.’

17‘Moses, what is that in your right hand?’

18‘It is my staff,’ he said, ‘I lean on it; restrain my sheep with it; I also have other uses for it.’

19God said, ‘Throw it down, Moses.’

20He threw it down and- lo and behold!- it became a fast-moving snake

21He said, ‘Pick it up without fear: We shall turn it back into its former state

22Now place your hand under your armpit and it will come out white, though unharmed: that is another sign

23We do this to show you some of Our greatest signs

24Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly become a tyrant.’

25Moses said, ‘Lord, lift up my heart

26and ease my task for me

27Untie my tongue

28so that they may understand my words

29and give me a helper from my family

30my brother Aaron

31augment my strength through him

32Let him share my task

33so that we can glorify You much

34and remember You often

35You are always watching over us.’

36God said, ‘Moses, your request is granted

37Indeed We showed you favour before

38We inspired your mother, saying

39“Put your child into the chest, then place him in the river. Let the river wash him on to its bank, and he will be taken in by an enemy of Mine and his.” I showered you with My love and planned that you should be reared under My watchful eye

40Your sister went out, saying, “I will tell you someone who will nurse him,” then We returned you to your mother so that she could rejoice and not grieve. Later you killed a man, but We saved you from distress and tried you with other tests. You stayed among the people of Midian for years, then you came here as I ordained

41I have chosen you for Myself

42Go, you and your brother, with My signs, and make sure that you remember Me

43Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has exceeded all bounds

44Speak to him gently so that he may take heed, or show respect.’

45They said, ‘Lord, we fear he will do us great harm or exceed all bounds.’

46He said, ‘Do not be afraid, I am with you both, hearing and seeing everything

47Go and tell him, “We are your Lord’s mes-sengers, so send the Children of Israel with us and do not oppress them. We have brought you a sign from your Lord. Peace be upon whoever follows the right guidance

48it has been revealed to us that punishment falls on whoever rejects the truth and turns his back on it.”’

49[Pharaoh] said, ‘Moses, who is this Lord of yours?’

50Moses said, ‘Our Lord is He who gave everything its form, then gave it guidance.’

51He said, ‘What about former generations?’

52Moses said, ‘My Lord alone has knowledge of them, all in a record; my Lord does not err or forget.’

53It was He who spread out the earth for you and traced routes in it. He sent down water from the sky. With that water We bring forth every kind of plant

54so eat, and graze your cattle. There are truly signs in all this for people of understand-ing

55From the earth We created you, into it We shall return you, and from it We shall raise you a second time

56We showed Pharaoh all Our signs, but he denied them and refused [to change]

57He said, ‘Have you come to drive us from our land with your sorcery, Moses

58We will confront you with sorcery to match your own: make an appointment between us which neither of us will fail to keep, in a mutually agreeable place.’

59He said, ‘Your meeting will be on the day of the feast, so let the people be assembled when the sun has risen high.’

60Pharaoh withdrew and gathered his resources, then he returned

61Moses said to them, ‘Beware, do not invent lies against God or He will destroy you with His punishment. Whoever invents lies will fail.’

62So they discussed their plan among themselves, talking secretly

63saying, ‘These two men are sorcerers. Their purpose is to drive you out of your land with their sorcery and put an end to your time-honoured way of life

64So gather your resources and line up for the contest. Whoever wins today is sure to prosper.’

65They said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’

66‘You throw,’ said Moses, and––lo and behold!––through their sorcery, their ropes and staffs seemed to him to be moving

67Moses was inwardly alarmed

68but We said, ‘Do not be afraid, you have the upper hand

69Throw down what is in your right hand: it will swallow up what they have produced. They have only produced the tricks of a sorcerer, and a sorcerer will not prosper, wherever he goes.’

70[So it was, and] the sorcerers threw themselves down in submission. ‘We believe,’ they said, ‘in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.’

71Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in him before I have given you permission? This must be your master, the man who taught you witchcraft. I shall certainly cut off your alternate hands and feet, then crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. You will know for certain which of us has the fiercer and more lasting punishment.’

72They said, ‘We shall never prefer you to the clear sign that has come to us, nor to Him who created us. So decide whatever you will: you can only decide matters of this present life

73we believe in our Lord, [hoping] He may forgive us our sins and the sorcery that you forced us to practise- God is better and more lasting.’

74Hell will be the reward of those who return to their Lord as evildoers: there they will stay, neither living nor dying

75But those who return to their Lord as believers with righteous deeds will be rewarded with the highest of ranks

76Gardens of lasting bliss graced with flowing streams, and there they will stay. Such is the reward of those who purify themselves

77We revealed to Moses, ‘Go out at night with My servants and strike a dry path for them across the sea. Have no fear of being overtaken and do not be dismayed.’

78Pharaoh pursued them with his armies and was overwhelmed by the sea

79Pharaoh truly led his people astray; he did not guide them

80Children of Israel, We rescued you from your enemies. We made a pledge with you on the right-hand side of the mountain. We sent down manna and quails for you

81‘Eat from the good things We have provided for you, but do not overstep the bounds, or My wrath will descend on you. Anyone on whom My wrath descends has truly fallen

82Yet I am most forgiving towards those who repent, believe, do righteous deeds, and stay on the right path.’

83[God said], ‘Moses, what has made you come ahead of your people in such haste?’

84and he said, ‘They are following in my footsteps. I rushed to You, Lord, to please You,’

85but God said, ‘We have tested your people in your absence: the Samiri has led them astray.’

86Moses returned to his people, angry and aggrieved. He said, ‘My people, did your Lord not make you a gracious promise? Was my absence too long for you? Did you want anger to fall on you from your Lord and so broke your word to me?’

87They said, ‘We did not break our word to you deliberately. We were burdened with the weight of people’s jewellery, so we threw it [into the fire], and the Samiri did the same,’

88but he [used the molten jewellery to] produce an image of a calf which made a lowing sound, and they said, ‘This is your god and Moses’ god, but he has forgotten.’

89Did they not see that [the calf] gave them no answer, that it had no power to harm or benefit them

90Aaron did say to them, ‘My people, this calf is a test for you. Your true Lord is the Lord of Mercy, so follow me and obey my orders,’

91but they replied, ‘We shall not give up our devotion to it until Moses returns to us.’

92Moses said, ‘When you realized they had gone astray, what prevented you, Aaron

93from coming after me? How could you disobey my orders?’

94He said, ‘Son of my mother- let go of my beard and my hair!- I was afraid you would say, “You have caused division among the children of Israel and have not heeded what I said.”’

95Moses said, ‘And what was the matter with you, Samiri?’

96He replied, ‘I saw something they did not; I took in some of the teachings of the Messenger but tossed them aside: my soul prompted me to do what I did.’

97Moses said, ‘Get away from here! Your lot in this life is to say, “Do not touch me,” but you have an appointment from which there is no escape. Look at your god which you have kept on worshipping- we shall grind it down and scatter it into the sea

98[People], your true god is the One God- there is no god but Him- whose knowledge embraces everything.’

99In this way We relate to you [Prophet] stories of what happened before. We have given you a Quran from Us

100Whoever turns away from it will bear on the Day of Resurrection a heavy burden

101and will remain under it. What a terrible burden to carry on that Day

102When the trumpet is sounded and We gather the sinful, sightless

103they will murmur to one another, ‘You stayed only ten days [on earth]’

104We know best what they say- but the more perceptive of them will say, ‘Your stay [on earth] was only a single day.’

105They ask you [Prophet] about the mountains: say, ‘[On that Day] my Lord will blast them into dust

106and leave a flat plain

107with no peak or trough to be seen

108On that Day, people will follow the summoner from whom there is no escape; every voice will be hushed for the Lord of Mercy; only whispers will be heard

109On that Day, intercession will be useless except from those to whom the Lord of Mercy has granted permission and whose words He approves

110He knows what is before and behind them, though they do not comprehend Him

111and [all] faces will be humbled before the Living, Ever Watchful One. Those burdened with evil deeds will despair

112but whoever has done righteous deeds and believed need have no fear of injustice or deprivation.’

113We have sent the Quran down in the Arabic tongue and given all kinds of warnings in it, so that they may beware or take heed

114exalted be God, the one who is truly in control. [Prophet], do not rush to recite before the revelation is fully complete but say, ‘Lord, increase me in knowledge!’

115We also commanded Adam before you, but he forgot and We found him lacking in constancy

116When We said to the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam,’ they did. But Iblis refused

117so We said, ‘Adam, this is your enemy, yours and your wife’s: do not let him drive you out of the garden and make you miserable

118In the garden you will never go hungry, feel naked

119be thirsty, or suffer the heat of the sun.’

120But Satan whispered to Adam, saying, ‘Adam, shall I show you the tree of immortality and power that never decays?’

121and they both ate from it. They became conscious of their nakedness and began to cover themselves with leaves from the garden. Adam disobeyed his Lord and was led astray

122later his Lord brought him close, accepted his repentance, and guided him

123God said, ‘Get out of the garden as each other’s enemy.’ Whoever follows My guidance, when it comes to you [people], will not go astray nor fall into misery

124but whoever turns away from it will have a life of great hardship. We shall bring him blind to the Assembly on the Day of Resurrection

125and he will say, ‘Lord, why did You bring me here blind? I was sighted before!’

126God will say, ‘This is how it is: You ignored Our revelations when they came to you, so today you will be ignored.’

127This is how We reward those who go too far, and who do not believe in their Lord’s revelations. The greatest and most enduring punishment is in the Hereafter

128Do they not draw a lesson from the many generations We destroyed before them, through whose dwelling places they now walk? There truly are signs in this for anyone with understanding

129If it were not for a preordained Word from your Lord [Prophet], they would already have been destroyed. Their time has been set

130so [Prophet] be patient with what they say- celebrate the praise of your Lord, before the rising and setting of the sun, celebrate His praise during the night, and at the beginning and end of the day, so that you may find contentment

131and do not gaze longingly at what We have given some of them to enjoy, the finery of this present life: We test them through this, but the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting

132Order your people to pray, and pray steadfastly yourself. We are not asking you to give Us provision;We provide for you, and the rewards of the Hereafter belong to the devout

133The disbelievers say, ‘Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?’ Have they not been given clear proof confirming what was in the earlier scriptures

134If We had destroyed them through punishment before this Messenger came, they would have said, ‘Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we could have followed Your revelations before we suffered humiliation and disgrace!’

135[Prophet], say, ‘We are all waiting, so you carry on waiting: you will come to learn who has followed the even path, and been rightly guided.’