Surah Taha
Contents
T.H. [20:1]
We did not reveal the Recital to you that you should be distressed, [20:2]
but as a reminder for the wary, [20:3]
a revelation from the One who created the earth and the heavens on high, [20:4]
the Benevolent One, sitting firmly on the Throne, [20:5]
to Whom belongs what is in the heavens and what is on earth and what is in between, and what is under the ground. [20:6]
And if you proclaim the word, God knows the secret and the most hidden. [20:7]
God— there is no other deity! The most beautiful names pertain to God. [20:8]
Now has the story of Moses reached you? [20:9]
When he saw a fire he said to his family, “Wait, for I perceive a fire; perhaps I can bring you a live coal from it, or find direction at the fire.” [20:10]
Then when he reached it, he was called— “O Moses! [20:11]
“I am your Lord. So remove your sandals, for you are in the holy valley Tuwa. [20:12]
“And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed. [20:13]
“I am the God; there is no deity but Me; so serve Me, and practice prayer to remember Me. [20:14]
“For the end of time is coming, but I plan to conceal it, so that every soul be rewarded for its effort. [20:15]
“So do not let anyone who disbelieves in it and follows his own desires alienate you from it, for you would be destroyed. [20:16]
“And what is that in your right hand, Moses?” [20:17]
He said, “It is my staff: I lean on it, and beat down leaves for my livestock with it, and it has other uses for me too.” [20:18]
“Throw it, Moses!” [20:19]
So he threw it and behold!— it was a slithering serpent! [20:20]
“Pick it up without fear; We will restore it to its original state. [20:21]
“Now put your hand into your armpit; it will come out white without disease as another sign, [20:22]
“that We may show you some of Our major signs. [20:23]
“Go to Pharaoh, for he is tyrannical.” [20:24]
Moses said, “My Lord, expand my heart for me, [20:25]
“and ease my task for me, [20:26]
“and untie the knot in my tongue [20:27]
“that they may understand my speech. [20:28]
“And give me a counselor from my family, [20:29]
“my brother Aaron; [20:30]
“increase my strength through him, [20:31]
“and have him share in my task, [20:32]
“that we may glorify You greatly [20:33]
“and we may remember You much, [20:34]
“for You can see us.” [20:35]
“Your request is granted, Moses. [20:36]
“And We granted you a favor another time, [20:37]
“when We inspired your mother with the inspiration, [20:38]
“‘Toss him in the chest and throw it in the river; the river will cast it onto the shore, where it will be taken in by an enemy of Mine and his.’ But I cast love from Me over you, so you might be brought up under My eye. [20:39]
“When your sister went and said, ‘Shall I shorn you someone to nurse him?’ We returned you to your mother, so she would be relieved and not grieve. Then you killed someone, but we rescued you from distress, and We subjected you to trials. Then you sojourned for years among the Midianites; and now you have come, O Moses, according to destiny. [20:40]
“And I have selected you for My own purpose: [20:41]
“Go, you and your brother, with My signs; and let neither of you tire of remembering Me. [20:42]
“Both of you go to Pharaoh, for he has become tyrannical. [20:43]
“But speak to him softly, that he may take heed, or be afraid.” [20:44]
The two of them said, “Our Lord, we fear he may be peremptory with us, or he may go into a rage.” [20:45]
“Do not fear, for I am with you; I hear and I see. [20:46]
“So go to him and say, We are emissaries of your Lord; send the Israelites with us, and do not torment them. We have brought you a sign from your Lord. And peace upon those who follow guidance. [20:47]
‘“It has been revealed to us that agony is the lot of those who consider truth false and turn away.”’ [20:48]
[Pharaoh] said, “So who is your Lord, Moses?” [20:49]
He said, “Our Lord is the One who has given every thing its nature, and then provided direction.” [20:50]
[Pharaoh] said, “Then what was the case of earlier generations?” [20:51]
[Moses] said, “The knowledge of that is with my Lord, in a record. My Lord does not err, and does not forget. [20:52]
“The One who has made the earth a cradle for you, and let you travel on it along roadways, and has sent down rain from the sky.” And We have sent forth thereby species of various plants. [20:53]
Eat, and pasture your livestock; therein are signs for those with reason. [20:54]
We created you from earth, and We will return you to it too; and We will bring you forth from it another time. [20:55]
We did show Our signs to Pharaoh, all of them, but he disbelieved and disdained them. [20:56]
He said, “Have you come to drive us from our land with your magic, Moses? [20:57]
“We can certainly bring you magic like it; so make an appointment between us, which we will not fail to keep, neither we nor you, in a neutral place.” [20:58]
[Moses] said, “Your appointment is the day of the feast; let the people be assembled in the forenoon.” [20:59]
So Pharaoh withdrew and organized his strategy, and then showed up. [20:60]
Moses said to them, “Woe is you! Don’t make up a lie about God, lest God eradicate you for punishment; as whoever invents such fabrications is already in a hopeless state.” [20:61]
So they disputed their affair among them, though they kept the private conference secret. [20:62]
They said, “These two are certainly sorcerers, seeking to expel you from your land by their magic, and do away with your ideal culture. [20:63]
“So organize your strategy, then come in a group; the one who demonstrates mastery is the one who succeeds today.” [20:64]
They said, “Moses, will you throw, or shall we be the first to throw?” [20:65]
He said, “You throw.” And behold—their ropes and their staffs gave him the impression, by their magic, that they were wriggling. [20:66]
Then Moses became apprehensive in mind. [20:67]
We said, “Do not be afraid, for you’re the superior one: [20:68]
“Now throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow what they have made. They have only produced a magic trick; and the magician does not prosper wherever he may go.” [20:69]
So the magicians were cast down, prostrate: they said, “We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.” [20:70]
Pharaoh said, “You believe in that before I have given you permission? He must be your chief, who taught you magic! Then I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and have you crucified on the trunks of palm trees; and you will know which of us is more severe in punishment, and more persistent!” [20:71]
They said, “We will not choose you over the proofs that have come to us, or the One who created us; so decree what you will, for you can only rule on the life of this world. [20:72]
“As for us, we believe in our Lord, that the Lord may forgive us our errors and the magic to which you compelled us. For God is better and more permanent.” [20:73]
Indeed, anyone who comes to his Lord a sinner gets hell, where he will neither die nor live. [20:74]
But those who come to the Lord believers, who have done good works, theirs are the highest ranks— [20:75]
gardens of eternity, with streams running below, where they will abide forever. For that is the reward of those who purify themselves. [20:76]
And We inspired Moses, “Take off with My devotees by night, and forge a dry path for them through the sea, without fear of being overtaken, and without feeling dread.” [20:77]
Then Pharaoh pursued them with his troops, and the sea covered them. [20:78]
Pharaoh misled his people; he did not guide. [20:79]
O Children of Israel! We rescued you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you on the right side of Mt. Sinai; and We sent you manna and quails. [20:80]
Eat of the good things We have provided you, but not to excess, lest My anger descend on you. And whoever My anger settles upon has already fallen. [20:81]
Yet I am surely very forgiving to those who repent, believe, and do good, and accept guidance too. [20:82]
“Now what made you hasten ahead of your people, Moses?” [20:83]
He said, “They are after me; and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You might be pleased.” [20:84]
“We have tested your people in your absence; the Samaritan deceived them.” [20:85]
So Moses returned to his people, angered and grieved; he said, “My people! Did your Lord not make you a fair promise? Has the promise taken too long for you, or do you want wrath from your Lord to come down on you, so you broke your agreement with me?” [20:86]
They said, “As far as we were able, we broke no promise to you. But we were made to carry the load of the ornaments of the people, and then we cast them, as the Samaritan suggested. [20:87]
“And he produced of them a figure of a calf that lowed. Then they said, ‘This is your god, and the god of Moses, but he has forgotten.’” [20:88]
Didn’t they see that it did not answer them, and could neither harm nor benefit them? [20:89]
And Aaron had already told them before, “My people, you are only being tested by this! Your Lord is in fact the Benevolent One, so follow me and obey my command.” [20:90]
They said, “We will continue devotion to it until Moses comes back to us.” [20:91]
[Moses] said, “Aaron, what held you back, when you saw them go astray, [20:92]
“that you would not follow me? Have you disobeyed my directive?” [20:93]
Aaron said, “Son of my mother, don’t grab me by my beard, or by my head! For I feared you might say, ‘You have divided the Israelites, and did not regard my word.’” [20:94]
[Moses] said, “So what is your business, O Samaritan?” [20:95]
He replied, “I saw what they did not see, and so I took a handful from the footprint of the messenger, and threw that into the object, as my self convinced me to.” [20:96]
[Moses] said, “Then go away! Your lot in life will be to say, ‘Don’t touch me!’ And you have an appointment you won’t be allowed to miss. Now behold your deity, of which you have become a devotee: we will burn it and scatter its ashes in the sea!” [20:97]
Your only deity is God, other than which there is nothing that is worthy of worship. God comprehends all things in knowledge. [20:98]
Thus do We relate to you accounts of what has happened before; for We have brought you a message from Us. [20:99]
Whoever turns away from it will bear a burden on the day of resurrection, [20:100]
to be at it forever; and they will be miserably burdened on the day of resurrection, [20:101]
The day the trumpet is sounded, and We gather in the sinful that day, ashen. [20:102]
They will mutter to each other, “You stayed but ten days.” [20:103]
We know best what they will say when the most exemplary of them in conduct says, “You stayed but a day!” [20:104]
They ask you about the mountains; say, “My Lord will pulverize them to dust, [20:105]
“leaving them an empty plain [20:106]
“where you will see no roundness, no rolling.” [20:107]
On that day they will follow the caller without distortion, and all voices will fade before the Benevolent One, and you will hear nothing but shuffling of feet. [20:108]
On that day, no intercession will avail, except those whom the Benevolent One has permitted and accepted their word, [20:109]
knowing what is before them and what is behind them, which they do not comprehend, [20:110]
And faces will be humbled to the Living, the Self-Existent. And whoever carries injustice will be hopeless. [20:111]
But whoever does good deeds and is a believer has no fear of injustice or injury. [20:112]
Thus have We revealed this as a Recital in Arabic, in which We have detailed some of the threat and promise so that they might be conscientious, or it might provoke in them mindfulness. [20:113]
Exalted is God, the true ruler. Do not rush with the Recital before its revelation to you is concluded; but say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” [20:114]
We had commissioned Adam before, but he forgot, and We did not find resolve in him. [20:115]
When We told the angels to bow to Adam, they bowed, except Iblis, who refused. [20:116]
So We said, “Adam, this is an enemy to you and your wife; so don’t let him make you two leave the garden, for you will be miserable. [20:117]
“For the wherewithal is there that you not starve and not go bare, [20:118]
“and that you not thirst there, and not suffer from the heat of the sun.” [20:119]
But the devil whispered to him, “Hey, Adam! Shall I show you to the tree of eternal life, and a kingdom that never declines?” [20:120]
The couple ate from it, whereupon their private parts became conspicuous to them, and they began to sew together leaves from the garden to wear. Thus Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray. [20:121]
But then his Lord chose him, and turned to him and guided. [20:122]
“Get down from there, both of you, hostile to one another. But if guidance from Me comes to you, whoever follows My guidance will not go wrong and won’t be disappointed. [20:123]
“But for anyone who turns away from My reminder there is a wretched existence; and on the day of resurrection We will raise him up blind.” [20:124]
He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me up blind, when I used to be able to see?” [20:125]
“Thus did Our signs come to you, but you neglected them; and so you shall be neglected today.” [20:126]
Thus do We recompense one who goes beyond bounds and does not believe in the signs of his Lord. And the agony of the hereafter is more severe and more lasting. [20:127]
So then is it not instructive to them, how many generations We have destroyed before them, in whose settlements they are coming and going? Surely in that is a sign for those endowed with reason. [20:128]
Had it not been for a word that issued from your Lord before, the inevitable would have taken place; but there is an appointed term. [20:129]
So endure what they say, and celebrate praises of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset, and celebrate God’s praise at opportune times at night, and at the borders of the day, that you may be content. [20:130]
And don’t stretch your eyes to what We have allowed some classes of them to enjoy of the splendor of the world, as We might test them in that; for the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting. [20:131]
And direct your people to pray, and to be constant at it. We do not ask you for sustenance; it is We who sustain you. And the reward is for conscientiousness. [20:132]
Yet they say, “Why doesn’t he bring us a sign from his Lord?” Hasn’t there come to them proof of what is in the ancient scriptures? [20:133]
And if I had ruined them as a penalty before, they would have said, “Our Lord, why didn’t You send us a messenger, so we might have followed Your signs before being abased and disgraced?” [20:134]
Say, “Everything awaits, so watch: and you will know who is on the straight way, and who is guided.” [20:135]