20:51
قَالَ
qala
He said
فَمَا
fama
Then what
بَالُ
balu
(is the) case
ٱلۡقُرُونِ
al-quruni
(of) the generations
ٱلۡأُولَىٰ
al-ula
(of) the former
٥١
He said, ‘What about former generations?’
Translation 1260
He said, ‘What about former generations?’
Translation 1260
Moses said, ‘My Lord alone has knowledge of them, all in a record; my Lord does not err or forget.’
Translation 1260
It was He who spread out the earth for you and traced routes in it. He sent down water from the sky. With that water We bring forth every kind of plant
Translation 1260
so eat, and graze your cattle. There are truly signs in all this for people of understand-ing
Translation 1260
From the earth We created you, into it We shall return you, and from it We shall raise you a second time
Translation 1260
We showed Pharaoh all Our signs, but he denied them and refused [to change]
Translation 1260
He said, ‘Have you come to drive us from our land with your sorcery, Moses
Translation 1260
We will confront you with sorcery to match your own: make an appointment between us which neither of us will fail to keep, in a mutually agreeable place.’
Translation 1260
He said, ‘Your meeting will be on the day of the feast, so let the people be assembled when the sun has risen high.’
Translation 1260
Pharaoh withdrew and gathered his resources, then he returned
Translation 1260
Moses said to them, ‘Beware, do not invent lies against God or He will destroy you with His punishment. Whoever invents lies will fail.’
Translation 1260
So they discussed their plan among themselves, talking secretly
Translation 1260
saying, ‘These two men are sorcerers. Their purpose is to drive you out of your land with their sorcery and put an end to your time-honoured way of life
Translation 1260
So gather your resources and line up for the contest. Whoever wins today is sure to prosper.’
Translation 1260
They said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’
Translation 1260
‘You throw,’ said Moses, and––lo and behold!––through their sorcery, their ropes and staffs seemed to him to be moving
Translation 1260
Moses was inwardly alarmed
Translation 1260
but We said, ‘Do not be afraid, you have the upper hand
Translation 1260
Throw down what is in your right hand: it will swallow up what they have produced. They have only produced the tricks of a sorcerer, and a sorcerer will not prosper, wherever he goes.’
Translation 1260
[So it was, and] the sorcerers threw themselves down in submission. ‘We believe,’ they said, ‘in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.’
Translation 1260
Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in him before I have given you permission? This must be your master, the man who taught you witchcraft. I shall certainly cut off your alternate hands and feet, then crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. You will know for certain which of us has the fiercer and more lasting punishment.’
Translation 1260
They said, ‘We shall never prefer you to the clear sign that has come to us, nor to Him who created us. So decide whatever you will: you can only decide matters of this present life
Translation 1260
we believe in our Lord, [hoping] He may forgive us our sins and the sorcery that you forced us to practise- God is better and more lasting.’
Translation 1260
Hell will be the reward of those who return to their Lord as evildoers: there they will stay, neither living nor dying
Translation 1260
But those who return to their Lord as believers with righteous deeds will be rewarded with the highest of ranks
Translation 1260