English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 28: Al-Qasas — The Narrative (Revealed at Makkah: 9 sections, 88 verses)
Section 4 (Verses 28:29–28:42): History of Moses — Prophethood and Mission
Translation:
فَلَمَّا قَضٰی مُوۡسَی الۡاَجَلَ وَ سَارَ بِاَہۡلِہٖۤ اٰنَسَ مِنۡ جَانِبِ الطُّوۡرِ نَارًا ۚ قَالَ لِاَہۡلِہِ امۡکُثُوۡۤا اِنِّیۡۤ اٰنَسۡتُ نَارًا لَّعَلِّیۡۤ اٰتِیۡکُمۡ مِّنۡہَا بِخَبَرٍ اَوۡ جَذۡوَۃٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَصۡطَلُوۡنَ ﴿۲۹﴾
28:29 Then when Moses had completed the term, and was travelling with his family, he perceived a fire on the side of the mountain. He said to his family: Wait, I see a fire; maybe I will bring you from it some news or a brand of fire, so that you may warm yourselves.
فَلَمَّاۤ اَتٰىہَا نُوۡدِیَ مِنۡ شَاطِیَٔ الۡوَادِ الۡاَیۡمَنِ فِی الۡبُقۡعَۃِ الۡمُبٰرَکَۃِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَۃِ اَنۡ یّٰمُوۡسٰۤی اِنِّیۡۤ اَنَا اللّٰہُ رَبُّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۳۰﴾
28:30 And when he came to it, he was called from the right side of the valley in the blessed spot of the bush: O Moses, surely I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds:
وَ اَنۡ اَلۡقِ عَصَاکَ ؕ فَلَمَّا رَاٰہَا تَہۡتَزُّ کَاَنَّہَا جَآنٌّ وَّلّٰی مُدۡبِرًا وَّ لَمۡ یُعَقِّبۡ ؕ یٰمُوۡسٰۤی اَقۡبِلۡ وَ لَا تَخَفۡ ۟ اِنَّکَ مِنَ الۡاٰمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۳۱﴾
28:31 And throw down your staff. So when he saw it in motion as if it were a snake, he turned away retreating, and did not look back. O Moses, come forward and do not fear; surely you are secure (here).
اُسۡلُکۡ یَدَکَ فِیۡ جَیۡبِکَ تَخۡرُجۡ بَیۡضَآءَ مِنۡ غَیۡرِ سُوۡٓءٍ ۫ وَّ اضۡمُمۡ اِلَیۡکَ جَنَاحَکَ مِنَ الرَّہۡبِ فَذٰنِکَ بُرۡہَانٰنِ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ اِلٰی فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَ مَلَا۠ئِہٖ ؕ اِنَّہُمۡ کَانُوۡا قَوۡمًا فٰسِقِیۡنَ ﴿۳۲﴾
28:32 Insert your hand into your bosom, it will come forth white without harm, and remain calm in fear. These two are two arguments from your Lord to Pharaoh and his chiefs. Surely they are a transgressing people.1
قَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّیۡ قَتَلۡتُ مِنۡہُمۡ نَفۡسًا فَاَخَافُ اَنۡ یَّقۡتُلُوۡنِ ﴿۳۳﴾
28:33 He said: My Lord, I killed one of them, so I fear that they may kill me.
وَ اَخِیۡ ہٰرُوۡنُ ہُوَ اَفۡصَحُ مِنِّیۡ لِسَانًا فَاَرۡسِلۡہُ مَعِیَ رِدۡاً یُّصَدِّقُنِیۡۤ ۫ اِنِّیۡۤ اَخَافُ اَنۡ یُّکَذِّبُوۡنِ ﴿۳۴﴾
28:34 And my brother, Aaron, he is more eloquent in speech than I, so send him with me as a helper to confirm me. Surely I fear that they would reject me.
قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَکَ بِاَخِیۡکَ وَ نَجۡعَلُ لَکُمَا سُلۡطٰنًا فَلَا یَصِلُوۡنَ اِلَیۡکُمَا ۚۛ بِاٰیٰتِنَاۤ ۚۛ اَنۡتُمَا وَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَکُمَا الۡغٰلِبُوۡنَ ﴿۳۵﴾
28:35 He said: We will strengthen your arm with your brother, and We will give you both an authority, so that they shall not reach you.2 With Our signs, you two and those who follow you, will triumph.
فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ مُّوۡسٰی بِاٰیٰتِنَا بَیِّنٰتٍ قَالُوۡا مَا ہٰذَاۤ اِلَّا سِحۡرٌ مُّفۡتَرًی وَّ مَا سَمِعۡنَا بِہٰذَا فِیۡۤ اٰبَآئِنَا الۡاَوَّلِیۡنَ ﴿۳۶﴾
28:36 So when Moses came to them with Our clear signs, they said: This is nothing but fabricated deceit, and we never heard of it among our fathers of old!
وَ قَالَ مُوۡسٰی رَبِّیۡۤ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَنۡ جَآءَ بِالۡہُدٰی مِنۡ عِنۡدِہٖ وَ مَنۡ تَکُوۡنُ لَہٗ عَاقِبَۃُ الدَّارِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ لَا یُفۡلِحُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ ﴿۳۷﴾
28:37 And Moses said: My Lord knows best who comes with guidance from Him, and whose shall be the good end of the abode. Surely the wrongdoers will not be successful.
وَ قَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الۡمَلَاُ مَا عَلِمۡتُ لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ اِلٰہٍ غَیۡرِیۡ ۚ فَاَوۡقِدۡ لِیۡ یٰہَامٰنُ عَلَی الطِّیۡنِ فَاجۡعَلۡ لِّیۡ صَرۡحًا لَّعَلِّیۡۤ اَطَّلِعُ اِلٰۤی اِلٰہِ مُوۡسٰی ۙ وَ اِنِّیۡ لَاَظُنُّہٗ مِنَ الۡکٰذِبِیۡنَ ﴿۳۸﴾
28:38 And Pharaoh said: Chiefs, I know no god for you besides myself; so kindle a fire for me, Hāmān, on (bricks of) clay, then prepare for me a tower, so that I may reach the God of Moses, and surely I think him a liar.3
وَ اسۡتَکۡبَرَ ہُوَ وَ جُنُوۡدُہٗ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ بِغَیۡرِ الۡحَقِّ وَ ظَنُّوۡۤا اَنَّہُمۡ اِلَیۡنَا لَا یُرۡجَعُوۡنَ ﴿۳۹﴾
28:39 And he was unjustly proud in the land, he and his armies, and they thought that they would not be brought back to Us.
فَاَخَذۡنٰہُ وَ جُنُوۡدَہٗ فَنَبَذۡنٰہُمۡ فِی الۡیَمِّ ۚ فَانۡظُرۡ کَیۡفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۴۰﴾
28:40 So We caught hold of him and his armies, then We cast them into the sea, and see what was the end of the wrongdoers.
وَ جَعَلۡنٰہُمۡ اَئِمَّۃً یَّدۡعُوۡنَ اِلَی النَّارِ ۚ وَ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ لَا یُنۡصَرُوۡنَ ﴿۴۱﴾
28:41 And We made them leaders who call to the Fire, and on the day of Resurrection they will not be helped.4
وَ اَتۡبَعۡنٰہُمۡ فِیۡ ہٰذِہِ الدُّنۡیَا لَعۡنَۃً ۚ وَ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ ہُمۡ مِّنَ الۡمَقۡبُوۡحِیۡنَ ﴿٪۴۲﴾
28:42 And We made a curse to follow them in this world, and on the day of Resurrection they will be hideous.
Commentary:
- See 7:108, 20:20, 20:22. ↩
- The meaning is, so that they will not be able to injure you. ↩
- Pharaoh mocks at the idea of the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and derisively commands one of his ministers to prepare bricks — such being the significance of kindling a fire on clay — and to erect a tower so that he may look into the heavens to discover the Lord of the heavens and the earth. ↩
- Pharaoh is made a prototype of evil, and the opponents of the Prophet are warned that by walking in Pharaoh’s footsteps they will meet a similar fate. ↩