quraninplainenglish

28 Sūrat al Qaṣaṣ ~ the Stories

In the name of God the Compassionate the Merciful 0

Ṭa Sīn Mīm 1

These are the signs of the clear book. 2

We recite to you from the story of Moses and Pharaoh 3

In truth, for people who believe.

Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land, 4

And made its people factions, oppressing a group among them,

Slaughtering their sons and letting their women live.

Surely he was among the corrupters.

And We wanted to bestow a favor 5

Upon those who were oppressed in the land,

And make them leaders and make them the heirs,

And to establish them in the land, 6

And show Pharaoh, Hāmān, and their hosts through them

What they were fearing.

And We inspired the mother of Moses thus: 7

Breastfeed him, but when you fear for him,

Then cast him in the river, and do not fear and do not grieve.

Indeed, We shall bring him back to you,

And make him among the messengers.

Then the family of Pharaoh retrieved him, 8

So that he might be to them an enemy and a grief.

Indeed, Pharaoh and Hāmān and their forces were offenders.

And said the wife of Pharaoh: 9

Restful to the eye for me and for you, do not kill him.

Maybe he profits us, or we take him as a son.

And they did not perceive.

And so the heart of the mother of Moses became empty, 10

That she was near to revealing about him,

If not that We bound over her heart,

So she would be of the faithful.

And she said to his sister: Follow him. 11

Then she watched him from the side, and they did not perceive.

And We forbade for him wet nurses earlier, 12

So she said: Shall I direct you to people of a household

To whom you can entrust him, and they to him will be sincere?

Thus We returned him to his mother, 13

So that her eye might rest and she not grieve,

And so she might know that the promise of God is true.

But most of them do not know.

And when he reached his maturity and established himself, 14

We gave him wisdom and knowledge.

And thus We reward those who do good.

And he entered the city at a time of its people’s heedlessness. 15

And he found in it two men fighting each other,

This one from his sect, and this one from his enemy.

And the one who was from his sect called him for help

Against the one who was from his enemy.

So Moses punched him and terminated him.

He said: This is from the doing of the shayṭān.

Indeed he is an enemy, one who clearly misleads.

He said: My Lord, truly I have wronged my soul, 16

So forgive me.

Then He forgave him.

Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

He said: O my Lord, in that You have bestowed grace on me, 17

So shall I not be a supporter of the criminals.

In the morning he was in the city, fearful, and he was vigilant. 18

When suddenly the one who sought his help yesterday called him for help.

Said Moses to him: Indeed, you are surely a clear misguider.

And when he wanted to strike the one who was an enemy to them both, 19

He said: O Moses, do you want to kill me as you killed a soul yesterday?

You want nothing but to be a violent tyrant on earth,

And you do not want to be among those who make peace.

And a man came running from the farthest city. He said: O Moses, 20

Indeed, the elders are deliberating about you to kill you. So leave.

Surely I am to you among the sincere advisors.

So he left from it fearful, and he was vigilant. 21

He said: My Lord, save me from the tribe, the oppressors.

And when he turned his face toward Madyan, he said: 22

Perhaps my Lord will guide me to the correctness of the way.

And when he came to the water of Madyan, 23

He found there a group of men who were watering.

And he found besides them two women, both keeping back.

He said: What is the matter with you two?

They replied: We cannot water until the shepherds remit,

As our father is an elderly old man.

So he watered for them, then turned back to the shade and said: 24

My Lord, surely I am in need of whatever good You send down to me.

Later, one of the two women came to him walking shyly. She said: 25

Lo, my father invites you that he may compensate you

With a reward for what you watered for us.

So when [Moses] came to him and narrated to him the story,

He said: Do not fear. You have been culled from the wrongdoing people.

Said one of the two women: O my father, hire him. 26

Surely the best whom you hire is the strong, the trustworthy.

He said: Indeed, I want to wed to you one of these, my two daughters, 27

On [the condition] that you work for me for eight years,

But if you complete ten, then it is from you.

And I do not wish to make it difficult for you.

You will find me, if God wills, among the virtuous.

[Moses] said: That is between me and you. 28

Whichever of the two terms I complete, then no transgression is upon me,

And God is a witness over what we say.

Then when Moses completed the term, 29

And was travelling with his family,

He perceived from the direction of Mount Ṭūr a fire.

He said to his family: Stay here. Indeed, I perceive a fire.

Perhaps I will bring you some information from there,

Or a burning coal from the fire so that you may be warmed.

But when he reached it, 30

He was called from the right side of the valley,

In the blessed spot, from the tree, that:

O Moses, verily, I am Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds.

And that: Drop your staff. 31

But when he saw it moving as if it were a serpent,

He turned in retreat and did not look back.

O Moses, approach, and do not fear.

Surely, you are of the secure.

Insert your hand in your breast, it will emerge white without harm. 32

And draw to yourself your hand against fear.

So these are two proofs from your Rabb for Pharaoh and his council.

Indeed, they are a deviant people.

He said: My Rabb, indeed, I killed a man of theirs, 33

And I fear that they will kill me.

And my brother Aaron [Harūn], 34

He is more eloquent than me in speech,

So send him with me as a helper, who will affirm me.

Indeed, I fear that they will deny me.

He said: We will strengthen your arm by means of your brother, 35

And We will make for both of you an authority,

So they cannot reach to you both.

By Our signs, you two and who follows you shall be the victors.

But when Moses came to them with Our clear signs, 36

They said: This is not but fake sorcery,

And we have not heard of this among our ancestors.

And Moses said: 37

My Rabb knows best of who comes with guidance from Him,

And for whom there will be a good final home.

Indeed, the unjust do not succeed.

And Pharaoh said: O chiefs, I know not any god for you without me. 38

So kindle for me, O Hāmān, upon the clay, and make for me a tower,

So that I can look at the God of Moses.

And indeed, I surely think he is of the liars.

And he was arrogant, and his forces were in the land without right, 39

And they thought that they would not be returned to Us.

So We seized him and his forces and We cast them in the sea. 40

So see how was the end of the unjust.

And We made them leaders inviting to the fire. 41

And on the day of the standing they shall not be helped.

And so We made a curse follow them in this world. 42

And on the day of the standing they shall be of the rebuked.

And certainly We gave Moses the book, 43

After what we destroyed of the former generations,

As an enlightenment for humanity and a guidance and a mercy,

That they remember.

And you were not on the western side 44

When We declared to Moses the commandments,

And you were not among the witnesses.

But We produced generations and prolonged life for them. 45

And you were not a dweller among the people of Madyan,

Reciting to them Our signs, but We were senders.

And you were not on the side of the [Mount] Ṭūr when We called. 46

But [you are] a mercy from your Rabb so that you warn a people

To whom no warner had come before you,

So that they may remember.

And if not, should a disaster strike them for what their hands sent forth, 47

Then they would say: Our Lord, why did you not send to us a messenger,

So we had followed Your verses and had been of the faithful?

But when the truth came to them from Us, 48

They said: Why was he not given like what was given to Moses?

Did they not disbelieve in what was given to Moses before?

They said: Two manifest sorceries.

And they said: Indeed, we are disbelievers in all.

Say: Then bring a book directly from God, 49

Which is a better guide than both of them,

That I may follow it, if you are truthful.

But if they do not respond to you, 50

Then know that they follow only their desires.

And who is more astray than one who follows his desire

Without guidance from God?

Indeed, God does not guide the iniquitous people.

And certainly We have conveyed to them the word, 51

So that they may remember.

Those to whom We gave the book before this, they believe in it. 52

And when it is recited to them, they say: We believe in it. 53

Indeed, it is the truth from our Lord.

Indeed, before it we were Muslims.

Those will be given their reward twice, 54

Because they are patient, and they repel evil with good,

And they spend from what we have provided them.

And when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it and say: 55

For us our deeds and for you your deeds. Peace be upon you.

We do not seek the ignorant.

Indeed, you do not guide whom you like, 56

But Allāh guides whom He wills.

And He is most knowing of the guided ones.

And they say: If we follow the guidance with you, 57

We would be swept from our land.

Have We not established for them a secure sanctuary,

To which are brought fruits of all things, a sustenance from Us?

But most of them do not know.

And how many have We destroyed 58

Of a town which revelled in its way of living?

And those are their dwellings which have not been inhabited after them,

But a little.

And indeed We, We are the inheritors.

And your Lord is not the Destroyer of towns, 59

Until he has sent in their mother a messenger reciting to them Our signs.

And We are not the Destroyer of towns

Except when their people are transgressors.

And whatever you are given of things 60

Is an enjoyment of the life of the world and its adornment.

And what is with God is better and enduring.

Then will you not use intellect?

Then is he whom We have promised a good appointment, 61

And he will meet it,

Like one whom We provided enjoyment of the life of the world?

Then is he on the day of the standing among those presented?

And the day He will call them and say: 62

Where are My partners whom you used to claim?

Those against whom the word has come true will say: 63

Our Lord, these are those whom we led astray.

We led them astray as we strayed.

We disown [that] before You. They did not serve us.

And it will be said: Call your partners. 64

And they will call them, but they will not respond to them.

And they will see the punishment.

If only that they had been guided.

And the day He will call and say: 65

What did you answer the messengers?

But obscured to them will be the information that day, 66

So they will not ask one another.

But as for him who repented and believed and did righteousness, 67

Then perhaps he will be of the successful.

And your Rabb creates what He wills and chooses. 68

The choice is not for them.

Glory to God and exalted is He above what they associate.

And your Rabb knows what their breasts conceal and what they reveal. 69

And He is God. There is no god but He. 70

To Him is all praise in the first [life] and the last.

And to Him is the decision and to Him you shall be returned.

Say: Have you seen if Allāh made for you the night continuous 71

Until the day of the standing?

Who is a god other than God Who brings you light?

So do you not hear?

Say: Have you seen if Allāh made for you the day continuous 72

Until the day of the standing?

Who is a god other than God Who brings you night you rest in?

So do you not see?

And from His mercy He made for you the night and the day 73

For you to rest in it,

And for you to seek from His bounty,

And so that you may be grateful.

And the day He will call them and say: 74

Where are My partners whom you used to claim?

And We will draw from evey nation a witness, 75

And We will say: Bring your proof.

Then they will know that the truth is for God,

And lost from them is what they used to invent.

Indeed, Qārūn was from the people of Moses, but he oppressed them. 76

And We gave him of the treasures, the keys of which would indeed

Burden a company of men who are possessors of great strength,

When he said to his people: Do not revel.

Indeed, Allāh does not love the revelers.

But seek in what Allāh has given you the home of the hereafter, 77

And do not forget your portion of the world.

And do good as Allāh has done good for you.

And do not crave wickedness in the earth.

Indeed, Allāh does not love the corrupters.

[Qārūn] said: I have been given it only on knowledge I have. 78

Did he not know that indeed Allāh destroyed of the generations before him

Ones who were stronger than him in strength and greater in accumulation?

And the criminals will not be asked about their sins.

So he went out to his people in his adornment. 79

Said those who want the life of the world:

O would that we had the like of what was given to Qārūn.

Indeed, he surely is a possessor of great wealth.

But said those who were given knowledge: Woe to you. 80

The reward is greater for who believes and does virtuous deeds.

And it is not granted except to the patient ones.

Then We caused the earth to swallow his home. 81

Then there were no forces helping him besides Allāh,

And he was not of those able to help themselves.

And those who desired his position the day before began to say: 82

And being that Allāh extends sustenance to whom He wills

Of his servants, and restricts it, if not that Allāh had graced us,

He would have made it swallow us, and thus the unfaithful do not succeed.

We assign that home of the hereafter to those who do not want 83

Exaltedness in the earth, nor corruption.

And the succession is for people of taqwā.

Whoever comes with a good deed, then for him is better than it. 84

And whoever comes with an evil, then for those who do evil deeds,

Then they will not be recompensed except with what they used to do.

Indeed, He who ordained upon you the Qur’ān 85

Shall certainly take you back to a place of return.

Say: My Rabb is most knowing of who comes with guidance,

And who is in evident error.

And you were not expecting that the book would be sent down to you, 86

Except as a mercy from your Rabb,

So do not be an assistant to the faithless.

And do not be diverted from the signs of Allāh 87

After they have been revealed to you.

And invite people to your Lord,

And do not be of the polytheists.

And do not invoke with Allāh another god. 88

There is no God but He.

Everything will be destroyed except His face.

His is the judgement and to Him shall you be returned.