SURAH ASH-SHU'ARA

Ṭā, Seen, Meem.[1043]

These are the verses of the clear Book.

Perhaps, [O Muḥammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers.

If We willed, We could send down to them from the sky a sign for which their necks would remain humbled.[1044]

And no mention [i.e., revelation] comes to them anew from the Most Merciful except that they turn away from it.

For they have already denied, but there will come to them the news of that which they used to ridicule.

Did they not look at the earth - how much We have produced therein from every noble kind?

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

And [mention] when your Lord called Moses, [saying], "Go to the wrongdoing people -

The people of Pharaoh. Will they not fear Allāh?"

He said, "My Lord, indeed I fear that they will deny me

And that my breast will tighten and my tongue will not be fluent, so send for Aaron.

And they have upon me a [claim due to] sin, so I fear that they will kill me."

[Allāh] said, "No. Go both of you with Our signs; indeed, We are with you, listening.

Go to Pharaoh and say, 'We are the messengers[1045] of the Lord of the worlds,

[Commanded to say], "Send with us the Children of Israel."'"

[Pharaoh] said, "Did we not raise you among us as a child, and you remained among us for years of your life?

And [then] you did your deed which you did,[1046] and you were of the ungrateful."

[Moses] said, "I did it, then, while I was of those astray [i.e., ignorant].

So I fled from you when I feared you. Then my Lord granted me judgement [i.e., wisdom and prophethood] and appointed me [as one] of the messengers.

And is this a favor of which you remind me - that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?"

Said Pharaoh, "And what is the Lord of the worlds?"

[Moses] said, "The Lord of the heavens and earth and that between them, if you should be convinced."

[Pharaoh] said to those around him, "Do you not hear?"

[Moses] said, "Your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers."

[Pharaoh] said,[1047] "Indeed, your 'messenger' who has been sent to you is mad."

[Moses] said, "Lord of the east and the west and that between them, if you were to reason."

[Pharaoh] said, "If you take a god other than me, I will surely place you among those imprisoned."

[Moses] said, "Even if I brought you something [i.e., proof] manifest?"

[Pharaoh] said, "Then bring it, if you should be of the truthful."

So [Moses] threw his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent manifest.[1048]

And he drew out his hand; thereupon it was white for the observers.

[Pharaoh] said to the eminent ones around him, "Indeed, this is a learned magician.

He wants to drive you out of your land by his magic, so what do you advise?"

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

Who will bring you every learned, skilled magician."

So the magicians were assembled for the appointment of a well-known day.[1049]

And it was said to the people, "Will you congregate

That we might follow the magicians if they are the predominant?"

And when the magicians arrived, they said to Pharaoh, "Is there indeed for us a reward if we are the predominant?"

He said, "Yes, and indeed, you will then be of those near [to me]."

Moses said to them, "Throw whatever you will throw."

So they threw their ropes and their staffs and said, "By the might of Pharaoh, indeed it is we who are predominant."

Then Moses threw his staff, and at once it devoured what they falsified.

So 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."

[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you all."

They said, "No harm. Indeed, to our Lord we will return.