T. S. M.
These are the signs of the clear Book.
We recite to you from the news of Moses and Pharaoh truthfully for a people who believe.
Pharaoh acted haughtily in the land, turning its people into sects and oppressing a group of them, slaughtering their children and shaming their women. He was one of the corruptors.
We willed to show kindness to those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them the inheritors,
and to grant them authority in the land, and to show Pharaoh, Haman and their soldiers, through them, that which they had feared.
And We inspired Moses' mother: "Suckle him, then if you fear for him, throw him into the river and do not fear nor grieve. We will return him to you, and We will make him one of the messengers."
Then, the family of Pharaoh picked him up, only to become an enemy and a source of grief for them. Indeed, Pharaoh, Haman and their soldiers were wrong-doers.
Pharaoh's wife said, "A source of joy for me and you! Do not kill him; perhaps he will be of benefit for us, or we could take him for a son." They were unaware!
Moses' mother felt a great emptiness in her heart that she almost revealed the matter, had it not been that We strengthened her heart so that she would be among the believers.
She said to his sister, "Follow him." So she kept an eye on him from a distance while they were unaware.
We forbade him from accepting all the nursing mothers beforehand, so she said, "Shall I lead you to a household who would feed him for you and who would take good care of him?"
And so We returned him to his mother so that she would be happy and not grieve, and that she would know that God's promise is truthful. However, most of them do not know.
When he reached his full strength and was mature, We granted him sound judgment and knowledge. We thus reward the good-doers.
He entered the town, unnoticed by its people, to find two men fighting: one was from his sect and the other from his enemy. The one from his sect called for his help against the one from his enemy. So Moses struck him and killed him. He said, "This is from the work of the devil; he is a clear misleading enemy."
He said, "My Lord, I have wronged myself, so forgive me," so He forgave him. He is the Forgiver, the Merciful.
He said, "My Lord, because of Your blessings upon me, I will never be a supporter of the criminals."
The next morning found him in the city, afraid and watchful, when suddenly the one who sought his help yesterday cried out for his help. Moses said to him, "You are clearly a trouble-maker."
Then, when he was about to strike their common enemy, he said, "O Moses, do you want to kill me as you killed a person yesterday? You want nothing other than to be a tyrant in the land, and you do not want to be among the reformers."
A man came running from the furthest part of the city, saying, "O Moses, the leaders are plotting against you in order to kill you, so get out. I am an adviser to you."
So he got out of it, afraid and watchful. He said, "My Lord, save me from the transgressing people."
And when he set out in the direction of Madyan, he said, "May my Lord guide me to the right way."
When he came to the water of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering. And he found two women standing apart from them and holding back. He said, "What is the matter with you?" They said, "We are not able to water until the shepherds have gone, and our father is an old man."
So he drew water for them, then turned away to the shade and said, "My Lord, I am in dire need of whatever good things You may bring down to me."
So one of the two women approached him, walking shyly. She said, "My father invites you in order to reward you for watering for us." So when he came to him and narrated to him the stories, he said, "Do not fear; you have been saved from the transgressing people."
One of the two women said, "O my father, hire him. The best you can hire is one who is strong and trustworthy."
He said, "I wish to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine, provided you work for me for eight pilgrimages. If you complete ten, then that would be extra from you. I do not wish to cause you hardship. You will find me, God willing, one of the righteous."
He said, "That is agreed between me and you. Whichever of the two periods I fulfil, there should be no reprisal against me. God is Trustee over what we say."
When Moses fulfilled the term and travelled with his family, he glimpsed a fire at the side of the mount. He said to his family, "Stay here. I have glimpsed a fire. Perhaps I could bring you some news from it or an ember from the fire so that you may warm yourselves."
Then, when he came to it, he was called from the right side of the valley, at the blessed spot, from the tree: "O Moses, indeed I am God, Lord of the Worlds.
Throw down your staff." When he saw it moving as if it were a jinn, he turned and fled and did not turn back. "O Moses, come forward and do not fear. You are among the safe ones.
Insert your hand into your pocket; it will come out white without blemish, and draw your wing towards you to ward off fear. These are two proofs from your Lord to Pharaoh and his leaders. They have been a wicked people."
He said, "My Lord, I killed a person from amongst them, so I fear they may kill me.
My brother Aaron is more eloquent than me, so send him with me for support and to back me up. I fear that they will deny me."
He said, "We will strengthen your arm with your brother, and We will grant the two of you authority, and so they will not be able to get to you. By virtue of Our signs, the two of you and those who followed you will be the victors."
So when Moses came to them with Our clear signs, they said, "This is nothing but fabricated magic, and we have not heard of this from our forefathers."
Moses said, "My Lord knows best who came with the guidance from Him, and for whom shall be the Abode for a homecoming. The transgressors will certainly not succeed."
Pharaoh said, "O leaders, I have not known you to have a god other than me. So ignite for me, O Haman, a fire over the clay, and build me a lofty tower so that I may look at the god of Moses, for indeed, I think he is of the liars."
He and his soldiers acted arrogantly in the land unjustly and thought that they would not be returned to Us.
So We seized him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea. So look what the outcome of the transgressors was.
We made them leaders who invite to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will not be supported.
We made a curse pursue them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be among the despised.
And We gave Moses the Book after annihilating the former generations, providing insights for the people, as well as guidance and mercy so that they may be reminded.
You were not on the western side when We issued the command to Moses, nor were you one of the witnesses.
Nevertheless, it was We who produced other generations, and their duration was prolonged. You did not reside among the people of Madyan, reciting to them Our revelations, but We were the Senders.
And you were not on the side of the mount when We called, but it is mercy from your Lord so that you would warn a people to whom no warner had come before you so that they may be reminded.
And if a disaster should strike them as a result of what their hands have put forth, they would say, "Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger so that we could have followed Your revelations and would have been among the believers!"
Then, when the truth came to them from Us, they said, "If only he was given the like of what was given to Moses!" Yet, did they not previously disbelieve in what was given to Moses? They said, "Two magicians who are backing each other up." And they said, "We reject both of them."
Say, "Then produce a Book from God with better guidance than both if you are truthful, and I will follow it."
If they do not respond to you, then know that they only follow their personal desires. And who is more misguided than one who follows his personal desire without guidance from God? Indeed, God does not guide the transgressing people.
We have conveyed the Word to them so that they may be reminded.
Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, they believe in it.
And when it is recited to them, they say, "We believe in it. It is the truth from our Lord. We have been Submitters from before it."
They will be given their reward twice over in return for being patient. They avert a bad deed with a good deed, and from what We have provided them, they give.
And if they hear idle talk, they disregard it and say, "For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace be upon you. We do not wish to be with the ignorant ones."
You cannot guide the ones you love, but it is God who guides whom He wills. God knows best who are the guided ones.
They said, "If we follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away from our land." Did We not establish for them a safe haven to which all kinds of fruits are brought as provision from Us? However, most of them do not know.
And how many a village We have annihilated whose lives turned insolent and unappreciative! Those are their dwelling places that have not been inhabited after them except rarely. Indeed, We are the Inheritors.
God was never to annihilate the villages until He sends a messenger to their mother village reciting to them Our revelations. And We were not to annihilate the villages except when its people are transgressors.
Whatever you are given is for the enjoyment of the worldly life and its zinat, while what is with God is better and longer lasting, so will you not reason?
Is one whom We promised a good promise, which he will surely obtain, the same as one whom We allowed to take pleasure in the enjoyments of the worldly life, then on the Day of Resurrection be among those arraigned?
And on the Day He calls them, He will say, "Where are My partners, those whom you used to claim?"
Those upon whom the Word was rightly deserved said, "Our Lord, these are the ones we have misled. We misled them just as we ourselves were misled. We declare our innocence before You. It was not us that they used to worship."
It was said, "Call upon your partners." So they called upon them, but they did not respond to them, and they saw the punishment. If only they had been guided!
And on the Day, He will call them and say, "How did you respond to the messengers?"
They will be blind to the news on that Day, and they will not ask one another.
As for the one who repents, believes and does good deeds, he does so in the hope of being among the successful.
Your Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills. The choice was not theirs. Glory to God, and exalted is He, far above what they associate with Him.
Your Lord knows what their chests conceal and what they declare.
And He is God; there is no god except Him. To Him belongs the praise in the First and in the Hereafter, and judgment belongs to Him, and to Him you shall be returned.
Say, "Have you considered: If God was to make the night perpetual over you until the Day of Resurrection, which god other than God can bring you the light? Do you not then hear?"
Say, "Have you considered: If God was to make the day perpetual over you until the Day of Resurrection, which god other than God can bring you a night in which you can rest? Do you not then see?"
It is out of His mercy that He devised for you the night and the day, allowing you to rest and seek from His bounty during them, so hopefully, you may give thanks.
And on the Day He calls them, He will say, "Where are My partners, those whom you used to claim?"
We pulled out a witness from every nation, and We said, "Produce your proof." They then realised that the truth belongs with God, and that which they used to fabricate has deserted them.
Qaroon was one of Moses' people, but he transgressed against them. We gave him such treasures that their keys alone would overburden a group of strong men. His people said to him, "Do not be boastful. Indeed, God does not like those who are boastful.
And seek, through what God has given you, the Abode of the Hereafter, and do not forget your share of this world. And do good as God has been good to you. And do not seek corruption in the earth. Indeed, God does not like the corruptors."
He said, "I have only been given this because of knowledge I possess." Did he not know that God had annihilated from the generations before him those who were greater than him in strength and greater in accumulated riches? The criminals will not be questioned about their sins.
He came out to his people draped in his zinat. Those who sought the worldly life said, " If only we had the same as what Qaroon was given! Indeed, he is one of great fortune."
And those who were given the knowledge said, "Woe to you, God's reward is better for those who believe and do good deeds. And none attains it except the patient ones."
So We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. He had no group to support him besides God, and he was not among the victorious.
Those who longed to be in his place the day before started saying, "Ah! Indeed, God extends the provision for whom He wills of His servants and restricts it. Had God not bestowed favour upon us, He would have caused us to be swallowed up. Ah! indeed, the disbelievers never succeed."
Such is the Abode of the Hereafter; We grant it to those who do not seek supremacy in the earth nor corruption. The outcome belongs to the reverent.
The one who comes with a good deed shall receive better than it. As for the one who comes with a bad deed; the ones who commit bad deeds will not be repaid except for what they used to do.
The One who ordained the Quran upon you will surely take you back to a place of return. Say, "My Lord knows best who comes with the guidance and who is in clear misguidance."
You were not hoping that a Book would be delivered to you. Rather, it was but mercy from your Lord. So do not be a supporter of the disbelievers.
And do not let them repel you from God's revelations after they were brought down to you. And invite to your Lord and do not be one of the mushrikeen.
And do not call upon another god besides God. There is no god except Him. Everything perishes except His Face. To Him belongs the judgment, and to Him, you shall be returned.