English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 26: Al-Shuara — The Poets (Revealed at Makkah: 11 sections, 227 verses)
Section 4 (Verses 26:52–26:68): Moses is Delivered and Pharaoh Drowned
Translation:
وَ اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلٰی مُوۡسٰۤی اَنۡ اَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِیۡۤ اِنَّکُمۡ مُّتَّبَعُوۡنَ ﴿۵۲﴾
26:52 And We revealed to Moses, saying: Travel by night with My servants — you will be pursued.
فَاَرۡسَلَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ فِی الۡمَدَآئِنِ حٰشِرِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۵۳﴾
26:53 And Pharaoh sent heralds into the cities (proclaiming):
اِنَّ ہٰۤؤُلَآءِ لَشِرۡ ذِمَۃٌ قَلِیۡلُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۴﴾
26:54 These are indeed a small band,
وَ اِنَّہُمۡ لَنَا لَغَآئِظُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۵﴾
26:55 and they have surely enraged us,
وَ اِنَّا لَجَمِیۡعٌ حٰذِرُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۵۶﴾
26:56 and we are truly a vigilant multitude.
فَاَخۡرَجۡنٰہُمۡ مِّنۡ جَنّٰتٍ وَّ عُیُوۡنٍ ﴿ۙ۵۷﴾
26:57 So We turned them out of gardens and springs,
وَّ کُنُوۡزٍ وَّ مَقَامٍ کَرِیۡمٍ ﴿ۙ۵۸﴾
26:58 and treasures and goodly dwellings —
کَذٰلِکَ ؕ وَ اَوۡرَثۡنٰہَا بَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ ﴿ؕ۵۹﴾
26:59 Even so. And We gave them as a heritage to the Children of Israel.1
فَاَتۡبَعُوۡہُمۡ مُّشۡرِقِیۡنَ ﴿۶۰﴾
26:60 Then they pursued them at sunrise.
فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَ الۡجَمۡعٰنِ قَالَ اَصۡحٰبُ مُوۡسٰۤی اِنَّا لَمُدۡرَکُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۶۱﴾
26:61 So when the two groups saw each other, the companions of Moses cried out: Surely we are overtaken.
قَالَ کَلَّا ۚ اِنَّ مَعِیَ رَبِّیۡ سَیَہۡدِیۡنِ ﴿۶۲﴾
26:62 He said: By no means; surely my Lord is with me — He will guide me.
فَاَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلٰی مُوۡسٰۤی اَنِ اضۡرِبۡ بِّعَصَاکَ الۡبَحۡرَ ؕ فَانۡفَلَقَ فَکَانَ کُلُّ فِرۡقٍ کَالطَّوۡدِ الۡعَظِیۡمِ ﴿ۚ۶۳﴾
26:63 Then We revealed to Moses: March on to the sea with your staff.2 So it parted, and each side was like a huge mound.3
وَ اَزۡلَفۡنَا ثَمَّ الۡاٰخَرِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۶۴﴾
26:64 And there We brought the others near.
وَ اَنۡجَیۡنَا مُوۡسٰی وَ مَنۡ مَّعَہٗۤ اَجۡمَعِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۶۵﴾
26:65 And We saved Moses and those with him, all.
ثُمَّ اَغۡرَقۡنَا الۡاٰخَرِیۡنَ ﴿ؕ۶۶﴾
26:66 Then We drowned the others.
اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیَۃً ؕ وَ مَا کَانَ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۶۷﴾
26:67 Surely there is a sign in this, yet most of them do not believe.
وَ اِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَہُوَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الرَّحِیۡمُ ﴿٪۶۸﴾
26:68 And surely your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful.
Commentary:
- The pronoun them refers to gardens and springs, etc., in general, and not to the particular gardens, etc., from which the Egyptians were turned out. The heritage of gardens and treasures was given to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, the promised land flowing with milk and honey. ↩
- This expression is similar to the one occurring in 2:60: “March on to the rock with your staff”. Elsewhere the same idea is expressed by saying: “Strike for them a dry path in the sea, not fearing to be overtaken, nor being afraid” (20:77); see also 2:50. ↩
- The sea had gone back, thus leaving a dry path (20:77) for the Israelites. The meaning may be that each wave, as it receded, was like a huge mound. ↩