English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 43: Az-Zukhruf — Gold (Revealed at Makkah: 7 sections, 89 verses)
Section 5 (Verses 43:46–43:56): Pharaoh’s Opposition to Moses
Translation:
وَ لَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوۡسٰی بِاٰیٰتِنَاۤ اِلٰی فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَ مَلَا۠ئِہٖ فَقَالَ اِنِّیۡ رَسُوۡلُ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿۴۶﴾
43:46 And truly We sent Moses with Our messages to Pharaoh and his chiefs, so he said: I am the messenger of the Lord of the worlds.
فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ بِاٰیٰتِنَاۤ اِذَا ہُمۡ مِّنۡہَا یَضۡحَکُوۡنَ ﴿۴۷﴾
43:47 But when he brought them Our signs, lo! they laughed at them.
وَ مَا نُرِیۡہِمۡ مِّنۡ اٰیَۃٍ اِلَّا ہِیَ اَکۡبَرُ مِنۡ اُخۡتِہَا ۫ وَ اَخَذۡنٰہُمۡ بِالۡعَذَابِ لَعَلَّہُمۡ یَرۡجِعُوۡنَ ﴿۴۸﴾
43:48 And We did not show them a sign but it was greater than its fellow,1 and We seized them with punishment that they might turn.
وَ قَالُوۡا یٰۤاَیُّہَ السّٰحِرُ ادۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّکَ بِمَا عَہِدَ عِنۡدَکَ ۚ اِنَّنَا لَمُہۡتَدُوۡنَ ﴿۴۹﴾
43:49 And they said: O enchanter, call on your Lord for us, as He has made the covenant with you; we shall surely follow guidance.2
فَلَمَّا کَشَفۡنَا عَنۡہُمُ الۡعَذَابَ اِذَا ہُمۡ یَنۡکُثُوۡنَ ﴿۵۰﴾
43:50 But when We removed from them the punishment, lo! they broke the pledge.
وَ نَادٰی فِرۡعَوۡنُ فِیۡ قَوۡمِہٖ قَالَ یٰقَوۡمِ اَلَیۡسَ لِیۡ مُلۡکُ مِصۡرَ وَ ہٰذِہِ الۡاَنۡہٰرُ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِیۡ ۚ اَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۵۱﴾
43:51 And Pharaoh proclaimed amongst his people, saying: My people, is not the kingdom of Egypt mine and these rivers flowing beneath me? Do you not see?
اَمۡ اَنَا خَیۡرٌ مِّنۡ ہٰذَا الَّذِیۡ ہُوَ مَہِیۡنٌ ۬ۙ وَّ لَا یَکَادُ یُبِیۡنُ ﴿۵۲﴾
43:52 Rather I am better than this (fellow) who is contemptible, and can hardly express himself clearly.
فَلَوۡ لَاۤ اُلۡقِیَ عَلَیۡہِ اَسۡوِرَۃٌ مِّنۡ ذَہَبٍ اَوۡ جَآءَ مَعَہُ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ مُقۡتَرِنِیۡنَ ﴿۵۳﴾
43:53 Why, then, have bracelets of gold not been bestowed on him, or angels come along with him in procession?3
فَاسۡتَخَفَّ قَوۡمَہٗ فَاَطَاعُوۡہُ ؕ اِنَّہُمۡ کَانُوۡا قَوۡمًا فٰسِقِیۡنَ ﴿۵۴﴾
43:54 So he incited his people to levity and they obeyed him. Surely they were a transgressing people.
فَلَمَّاۤ اٰسَفُوۡنَا انۡتَقَمۡنَا مِنۡہُمۡ فَاَغۡرَقۡنٰہُمۡ اَجۡمَعِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۵﴾
43:55 Then when they displeased Us, We exacted retribution from them, so We drowned them all together.
فَجَعَلۡنٰہُمۡ سَلَفًا وَّ مَثَلًا لِّلۡاٰخِرِیۡنَ ﴿٪۵۶﴾
43:56 And We made them a thing past and an example for later generations.
Commentary:
- Each sign was greater than the one which preceded it. ↩
- Every time a sign was shown, Pharaoh entreated Moses to pray for the removal of the punishment, promising that he would not in that case oppose him. ↩
- Pharaoh’s suggestion is that if Moses were true he should have possessed much wealth like a king or he should have come with angels, as a king comes with his armies. ↩