Moses, and Pharaoh

And [recall] when We saved you [i.e., your forefathers] from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst torment, slaughtering your [newborn] sons and keeping your females alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.

And [recall] when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on.

Then We sent after them Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his establishment, but they were unjust toward them.¹ 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."¹

[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.¹

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,¹ "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.¹

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 him¹ 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 patience¹ 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 seized¹ 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,¹ 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.

Then We sent after them Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his establishment with Our signs, but they behaved arrogantly and were a criminal people.

So when there came to them the truth from Us, they said, "Indeed, this is obvious magic."

Moses said, "Do you say [thus] about the truth when it has come to you? Is this magic? But magicians will not succeed."

They said, "Have you come to us to turn us away from that upon which we found our fathers and so that you two may have grandeur in the land? And we are not believers in you."

And Pharaoh said, "Bring to me every learned magician."

So when the magicians came, Moses said to them, "Throw down whatever you will throw."

And when they had thrown, Moses said, "What you have brought is [only] magic. Indeed, Allāh will expose its worthlessness. Indeed, Allāh does not amend the work of corrupters.

And Allāh will establish the truth by His words, even if the criminals dislike it."

But no one believed Moses, except [some] offspring [i.e., youths] among his people, for fear of Pharaoh and his establishment that they would persecute them. And indeed, Pharaoh was haughty within the land, and indeed, he was of the transgressors.

And Moses said, "O my people, if you have believed in Allāh, then rely upon Him, if you should be Muslims [i.e., submitting to Him]."

So they said, "Upon Allāh do we rely. Our Lord, make us not [objects of] trial for the wrongdoing people

And save us by Your mercy from the disbelieving people."

And We inspired to Moses and his brother, "Settle your people in Egypt in houses and make your houses [facing the] qiblah¹ and establish prayer and give good tidings to the believers."

And Moses said, "Our Lord, indeed You have given Pharaoh and his establishment splendor and wealth in the worldly life, our Lord, that they may lead [men] astray from Your way. Our Lord, obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment."

[Allāh] said, "Your supplication has been answered."¹ So remain on a right course and follow not the way of those who do not know."

And We took the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them in tyranny and enmity until, when drowning overtook him, he said, "I believe that there is no deity except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of the Muslims."

Now? And you had disobeyed [Him] before and were of the corrupters?

So today We will save you in body¹ that you may be to those who succeed you a sign. And indeed, many among the people, of Our signs, are heedless.

And We did certainly send Moses with Our signs and a clear authority¹

To Pharaoh and his establishment, but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was not [at all] discerning.

He will precede his people on the Day of Resurrection and lead them into the Fire; and wretched is the place to which they are led.

And they were followed in this [world] with a curse and on the Day of Resurrection. And wretched is the gift¹ which is given.

And We had certainly given Moses nine evident signs, so ask the Children of Israel [about] when he came to them and Pharaoh said to him, "Indeed I think, O Moses, that you are affected by magic."

[Moses] said, "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think,¹ O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."

So he intended to drive them from the land, but We drowned him and those with him all together.

And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?"

He said, "It is my staff; I lean upon it, and I bring down leaves for my sheep and I have therein other uses."

[Allāh] said, "Throw it down, O Moses."

So he threw it down, and thereupon it was a snake, moving swiftly.

[Allāh] said, "Seize it and fear not; We will return it to its former condition.

And draw in your hand to your side; it will come out white without disease - another sign,

That We may show you [some] of Our greater signs.

Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed [i.e., tyrannized]."

[Moses] said, "My Lord, expand [i.e., relax] for me my breast [with assurance]

And ease for me my task

And untie the knot from my tongue

That they may understand my speech.

And appoint for me a minister [i.e., assistant] from my family -

Aaron, my brother.

Increase through him my strength

And let him share my task

That we may exalt You much

And remember You much.

Indeed, You are of us ever Seeing."

[Allāh] said, "You have been granted your request, O Moses.

And We had already conferred favor upon you another time,

When We inspired to your mother what We inspired,

[Saying], 'Cast him into the chest and cast it into the river, and the river will throw it onto the bank; there will take him an enemy to Me and an enemy to him.' And I bestowed upon you love from Me¹ that you would be brought up under My eye [i.e., observation and care].

[And We favored you] when your sister went and said, 'Shall I direct you to someone who will be responsible for him?' So We restored you to your mother that she might be content and not grieve. And you killed someone,¹ but We saved you from retaliation and tried you with a [severe] trial. And you remained [some] years among the people of Madyan. Then you came [here] at the decreed time, O Moses.

And I produced you for Myself.¹

Go, you and your brother, with My signs and do not slacken in My remembrance.

Go, both of you, to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.

And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allāh]."

They said, "Our Lord, indeed we are afraid that he will hasten [punishment] against us or that he will transgress."

[Allāh] said, "Fear not. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see.

So go to him and say, 'Indeed, we are messengers of your Lord, so send with us the Children of Israel and do not torment them. We have come to you with a sign from your Lord. And peace¹ will be upon he who follows the guidance.

Indeed, it has been revealed to us that the punishment will be upon whoever denies and turns away.'"

[Pharaoh] said, "So who is the Lord of you two, O Moses?"

He said, "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]."

[Pharaoh] said, "Then what is the case of the former generations?"

[Moses] said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets."

[It is He] who has made for you the earth as a bed [spread out] and inserted therein for you roadways and sent down from the sky, rain and produced thereby categories of various plants.

And We certainly showed him [i.e., Pharaoh] Our signs - all of them - but he denied and refused.

He said, "Have you come to us to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Moses?

Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned."¹

[Moses] said, "Your appointment is on the day of the festival when the people assemble at mid-morning."¹

So Pharaoh went away, put together his plan, and then came [to Moses].

Moses said to them [i.e., the magicians summoned by Pharaoh], "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against Allāh or He will exterminate you with a punishment; and he has failed who invents [such falsehood]."

So they disputed over their affair among themselves and concealed their private conversation.

They said, "Indeed, these are two magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic and do away with your most exemplary way [i.e., religion or tradition].

So resolve upon your plan and then come [forward] in line. And he has succeeded today who overcomes."

They said, "O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw."

He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes].

And he sensed within himself apprehension, did Moses.

We [i.e., Allāh] said, "Fear not. Indeed, it is you who are superior.

And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have crafted. What they have crafted is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is."