Surah Al-A'raf Verses 101–150

Those cities - We relate to you, [O Muḥammad], some of their news. And certainly did their messengers come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe in that which they had denied before.³⁸⁸ Thus does Allāh seal over the hearts of the disbelievers.

And We did not find for most of them any covenant;³⁸⁹ but indeed, We found most of them defiantly disobedient.

Then We sent after them Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his establishment, but they were unjust toward them.³⁹⁰ So see how was the end of the corrupters.

And Moses said, "O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds

[Who is] obligated not to say about Allāh except the truth. I have come to you with clear evidence from your Lord, so send with me the Children of Israel."³⁹¹

[Pharaoh] said, "If you have come with a sign, then bring it forth, if you should be of the truthful."

So he [i.e., Moses] threw his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent, manifest.³⁹²

And he drew out his hand; thereupon it was white [with radiance] for the observers.

Said the eminent among the people of Pharaoh, "Indeed, this is a learned magician

Who wants to expel you from your land [through magic], so what do you instruct?"

They said,³⁹³ "Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother and send among the cities gatherers

Who will bring you every learned magician."

And the magicians came to Pharaoh. They said, "Indeed for us is a reward if we are the predominant."

He said, "Yes, and, [moreover], you will be among those made near [to me]."

They said, "O Moses, either you throw [your staff], or we will be the ones to throw [first]."

He said, "Throw," and when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and they presented a great [feat of] magic.³⁹⁴

And We inspired to Moses, "Throw your staff," and at once it devoured what they were falsifying.

So the truth was established, and abolished was what they were doing.

And they [i.e., Pharaoh and his people] were overcome right there and became debased.

And the magicians fell down in prostration [to Allāh].

They said, "We have believed in the Lord of the worlds,

The Lord of Moses and Aaron."

Said Pharaoh, "You believed in him³⁹⁵ before I gave you permission. Indeed, this is a conspiracy which you conspired in the city to expel therefrom its people. But you are going to know.

I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then I will surely crucify you all."

They said, "Indeed, to our Lord we will return.

And you do not resent us except because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour upon us patience³⁹⁶ and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You]."

And the eminent among the people of Pharaoh said, "Will you leave Moses and his people to cause corruption in the land and abandon you and your gods?" [Pharaoh] said, "We will kill their sons and keep their women alive; and indeed, we are subjugators over them."

Said Moses to his people, "Seek help through Allāh and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allāh. He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous."

They said, "We have been harmed before you came to us and after you have come to us." He said, "Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy and grant you succession in the land and see how you will do."

And We certainly seized³⁹⁷ the people of Pharaoh with years of famine and a deficiency in fruits that perhaps they would be reminded.

But when good [i.e., provision] came to them, they said, "This is ours [by right]." And if a bad [condition] struck them, they saw an evil omen in Moses and those with him. Unquestionably, their fortune is with Allāh, but most of them do not know.

And they said, "No matter what sign you bring us with which to bewitch us, we will not be believers in you."

So We sent upon them the flood and locusts and lice and frogs and blood as distinct signs, but they were arrogant and were a criminal people.

And when the punishment descended upon them, they said, "O Moses, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you. If you [can] remove the punishment from us, we will surely believe you, and we will send with you the Children of Israel."

But when We removed the punishment from them until a term which they were to reach,³⁹⁸ then at once they broke their word.

So We took retribution from them, and We drowned them in the sea because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them.

And We caused the people who had been oppressed to inherit the eastern regions of the land and the western ones, which We had blessed. And the good word [i.e., decree] of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of what they had patiently endured. And We destroyed [all] that Pharaoh and his people were producing and what they had been building.

And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They [the Children of Israel] said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said, "Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.

Indeed, those [worshippers] - destroyed is that in which they are [engaged], and worthless is whatever they were doing."

He said, "Is it other than Allāh I should desire for you as a god³⁹⁹ while He has preferred you over the worlds?"

And [recall, O Children of Israel], when We saved you from the people of Pharaoh, [who were] afflicting you with the worst torment - killing your sons and keeping your women alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.

And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights and perfected them by [the addition of] ten; so the term of his Lord was completed as forty nights. And Moses said to his brother Aaron, "Take my place among my people, do right [by them],⁴⁰⁰ and do not follow the way of the corrupters."

And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You." [Allāh] said, "You will not see Me,⁴⁰¹ but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level,⁴⁰² and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first [among my people] of the believers."⁴⁰³

[Allāh] said, "O Moses, I have chosen you over the people with My messages and My words [to you]. So take what I have given you and be among the grateful."

And We wrote for him on the tablets [something] of all things - instruction and explanation for all things, [saying], "Take them with determination and order your people to take the best of it. I will show you the home of the defiantly disobedient."⁴⁰⁴

I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness,⁴⁰⁵ they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them.

Those who denied Our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter - their deeds have become worthless. Are they recompensed except for what they used to do?

And the people of Moses made, after [his departure], from their ornaments a calf - an image having a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it [for worship], and they were wrongdoers.

And when regret overcame them⁴⁰⁶ and they saw that they had gone astray, they said, "If our Lord does not have mercy upon us and forgive us, we will surely be among the losers."

And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, "How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you impatient over the matter of your Lord?" And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, indeed the people overpowered me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me⁴⁰⁷ and do not place me among the wrongdoing people."