English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 20: Ta Ha — Ta Ha (Revealed at Makkah: 8 sections, 135 verses)
Section 3 (Verses 20:55–20:76): Moses and the Enchanters
Translation:
مِنۡہَا خَلَقۡنٰکُمۡ وَ فِیۡہَا نُعِیۡدُکُمۡ وَ مِنۡہَا نُخۡرِجُکُمۡ تَارَۃً اُخۡرٰی ﴿۵۵﴾
20:55 From it We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it raise you a second time.
وَ لَقَدۡ اَرَیۡنٰہُ اٰیٰتِنَا کُلَّہَا فَکَذَّبَ وَ اَبٰی ﴿۵۶﴾
20:56 And truly We showed him all Our signs but he rejected and refused.
قَالَ اَجِئۡتَنَا لِتُخۡرِجَنَا مِنۡ اَرۡضِنَا بِسِحۡرِکَ یٰمُوۡسٰی ﴿۵۷﴾
20:57 Said he: Have you come to us to turn us out of our land by your enchantment, Moses?
فَلَنَاۡتِیَنَّکَ بِسِحۡرٍ مِّثۡلِہٖ فَاجۡعَلۡ بَیۡنَنَا وَ بَیۡنَکَ مَوۡعِدًا لَّا نُخۡلِفُہٗ نَحۡنُ وَ لَاۤ اَنۡتَ مَکَانًا سُوًی ﴿۵۸﴾
20:58 We too can bring to you enchantment like it, so make an appointment between us and you, which we do not break, neither we nor you, in a central place.
قَالَ مَوۡعِدُکُمۡ یَوۡمُ الزِّیۡنَۃِ وَ اَنۡ یُّحۡشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًی ﴿۵۹﴾
20:59 (Moses) said: Your appointment is the day of the Festival, and let the people be gathered in the early forenoon.
فَتَوَلّٰی فِرۡعَوۡنُ فَجَمَعَ کَیۡدَہٗ ثُمَّ اَتٰی ﴿۶۰﴾
20:60 So Pharaoh went back and settled his plan, then came.
قَالَ لَہُمۡ مُّوۡسٰی وَیۡلَکُمۡ لَا تَفۡتَرُوۡا عَلَی اللّٰہِ کَذِبًا فَیُسۡحِتَکُمۡ بِعَذَابٍ ۚ وَ قَدۡ خَابَ مَنِ افۡتَرٰی ﴿۶۱﴾
20:61 Moses said to them: Woe to you! Do not fabricate a lie against Allah or He will destroy you by punishment, and he fails indeed who fabricates (a lie).
فَتَنَازَعُوۡۤا اَمۡرَہُمۡ بَیۡنَہُمۡ وَ اَسَرُّوا النَّجۡوٰی ﴿۶۲﴾
20:62 So they disputed among themselves about their affair and kept the talk secret.
قَالُوۡۤا اِنۡ ہٰذٰىنِ لَسٰحِرٰنِ یُرِیۡدٰنِ اَنۡ یُّخۡرِجٰکُمۡ مِّنۡ اَرۡضِکُمۡ بِسِحۡرِہِمَا وَ یَذۡہَبَا بِطَرِیۡقَتِکُمُ الۡمُثۡلٰی ﴿۶۳﴾
20:63 They said: These are surely two enchanters who would drive you out from your land by their enchantment, and destroy your excellent institutions.
فَاَجۡمِعُوۡا کَیۡدَکُمۡ ثُمَّ ائۡتُوۡا صَفًّا ۚ وَ قَدۡ اَفۡلَحَ الۡیَوۡمَ مَنِ اسۡتَعۡلٰی ﴿۶۴﴾
20:64 So settle your plan, then come (ranged) in ranks, and he will succeed indeed this day who is uppermost.
قَالُوۡا یٰمُوۡسٰۤی اِمَّاۤ اَنۡ تُلۡقِیَ وَ اِمَّاۤ اَنۡ نَّکُوۡنَ اَوَّلَ مَنۡ اَلۡقٰی ﴿۶۵﴾
20:65 They said: Moses, will you throw, or shall we be the first to throw?
قَالَ بَلۡ اَلۡقُوۡا ۚ فَاِذَا حِبَالُہُمۡ وَ عِصِیُّہُمۡ یُخَیَّلُ اِلَیۡہِ مِنۡ سِحۡرِہِمۡ اَنَّہَا تَسۡعٰی ﴿۶۶﴾
20:66 He said: No, you throw down. Then lo! their cords and their rods — it appeared to him by their enchantment as if they ran.1
فَاَوۡجَسَ فِیۡ نَفۡسِہٖ خِیۡفَۃً مُّوۡسٰی ﴿۶۷﴾
20:67 So Moses conceived fear in his mind.2
قُلۡنَا لَا تَخَفۡ اِنَّکَ اَنۡتَ الۡاَعۡلٰی ﴿۶۸﴾
20:68 We said: Do not fear, surely you are the uppermost.
وَ اَلۡقِ مَا فِیۡ یَمِیۡنِکَ تَلۡقَفۡ مَا صَنَعُوۡا ؕ اِنَّمَا صَنَعُوۡا کَیۡدُ سٰحِرٍ ؕ وَ لَا یُفۡلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَیۡثُ اَتٰی ﴿۶۹﴾
20:69 And throw down what is in your right hand — it will eat up what they have produced. What they have produced is only the trick of an enchanter, and the enchanter does not succeed wherever he comes from.
فَاُلۡقِیَ السَّحَرَۃُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوۡۤا اٰمَنَّا بِرَبِّ ہٰرُوۡنَ وَ مُوۡسٰی ﴿۷۰﴾
20:70 So the enchanters fell down prostrate, saying: We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.
قَالَ اٰمَنۡتُمۡ لَہٗ قَبۡلَ اَنۡ اٰذَنَ لَکُمۡ ؕ اِنَّہٗ لَکَبِیۡرُکُمُ الَّذِیۡ عَلَّمَکُمُ السِّحۡرَ ۚ فَلَاُقَطِّعَنَّ اَیۡدِیَکُمۡ وَ اَرۡجُلَکُمۡ مِّنۡ خِلَافٍ وَّ لَاُصَلِّبَنَّکُمۡ فِیۡ جُذُوۡعِ النَّخۡلِ ۫ وَ لَتَعۡلَمُنَّ اَیُّنَاۤ اَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَّ اَبۡقٰی ﴿۷۱﴾
20:71 (Pharaoh) said: You believe in him before I give you permission! Surely he is your chief who taught you enchantment. So I shall cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides and I shall crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees, and you shall certainly know which of us can give the severer and the more lasting punishment.
قَالُوۡا لَنۡ نُّؤۡثِرَکَ عَلٰی مَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ الۡبَیِّنٰتِ وَ الَّذِیۡ فَطَرَنَا فَاقۡضِ مَاۤ اَنۡتَ قَاضٍ ؕ اِنَّمَا تَقۡضِیۡ ہٰذِہِ الۡحَیٰوۃَ الدُّنۡیَا ﴿ؕ۷۲﴾
20:72 They said: We cannot prefer you to the clear arguments that have come to us and to Him Who made us, so decide whatever you will decide. You can only decide about this world’s life.
اِنَّـاۤ اٰمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِیَغۡفِرَ لَنَا خَطٰیٰنَا وَ مَاۤ اَکۡرَہۡتَنَا عَلَیۡہِ مِنَ السِّحۡرِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ خَیۡرٌ وَّ اَبۡقٰی ﴿۷۳﴾
20:73 Surely we believe in our Lord that He may forgive us our faults and the magic to which you compelled us. And Allah is Best and Ever-abiding.
اِنَّہٗ مَنۡ یَّاۡتِ رَبَّہٗ مُجۡرِمًا فَاِنَّ لَہٗ جَہَنَّمَ ؕ لَا یَمُوۡتُ فِیۡہَا وَ لَا یَحۡیٰی ﴿۷۴﴾
20:74 Whoever comes guilty to his Lord, for him is surely hell. He will neither die in it, nor live.3
وَ مَنۡ یَّاۡتِہٖ مُؤۡمِنًا قَدۡ عَمِلَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمُ الدَّرَجٰتُ الۡعُلٰی ﴿ۙ۷۵﴾
20:75 And whoever comes to Him a believer, having done good deeds, for them are high ranks —
جَنّٰتُ عَدۡنٍ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡہَا ؕ وَ ذٰلِکَ جَزٰٓؤُا مَنۡ تَزَکّٰی ﴿٪۷۶﴾
20:76 Gardens of perpetuity, in which rivers flow, to abide in them. And such is the reward of him who purifies himself.
Commentary:
- The forces of untruth appear to carry the day for a while, but are soon vanquished; see v. 69. Also compare 7:117, where these cords and rods are described as their lies. ↩
- Moses feared that people might be misled. ↩
- Those in hell are not alive, because spiritually they are dead, and they are not dead because death would mean the cessation of their torments. ↩