Moses & the Struggle Against Tyranny

And after those [earlier prophets] We sent Moses and Aaron with Our messages unto Pharaoh and his great ones: but they gloried in their arrogance, for they were people lost in sin.

And Pharaoh commanded: "Bring before me every sorcerer of great knowledge!"

AND, INDEED, We sent Moses with Our messages and a manifest authority [from Us]

unto Pharaoh and his great ones: but these followed [only] Pharaoh's bidding - and Pharaoh's bidding led by no means to what is right.

And, indeed, [similar was the case when] We vouchsafed the divine writ unto Moses, and some of his people set their own views against it; and had it not been for a decree that had already gone forth from thy Sustainer, judgment would indeed have been passed on them [then and there]:139: for, behold, they were in grave doubt, amounting to suspicion, about him [who called them unto God]. 135 I.e., unless God wills to bestow on them a yet greater reward (Razi; also Manar XII, 161); or which to my mind is more probable - unless He opens up to man a new, yet higher stage of evolution. 136 I.e., "do not think that their beliefs are based on reason": a reference, primarily, to the pagan Arabs who - like the wrongdoers spoken of in the preceding passages - rejected God's message on the plea that it conflicted with their ancestral beliefs; and, more generally, to all people who are accustomed to worship.(in the widest sense of this word) false values handed down from their ancestors and who, consequently, observe false standards of morality: an attitude which must unavoidably - as the last sentence of this verse shows - result in future suffering, be it in this world or in the hereafter, or in both. 137 Lit., "We shall repay them their portion in full, undiminished". For an explanation of this sentence, see note 27 on verses 15- of this surah. 138 Lit., "and it was disagreed upon", or "discordant views came to be held about it": meaning that, like Muhammad's early contemporaries, some of Moses' people accepted the divine writ, whereas others refused to submit to its guidance. 139 Lit., "it would indeed have been decided between them" - i.e., they would have been punished, like those communities of old, by utter destruction, had it not been for God's decree (kalimah, lit., "word") that their punishment should be deferred until the Day of Resurrection (cf. the last sentence of 10:93 and the corresponding note 114). 140 Cf. 2:55 - "O Moses, indeed we shall not believe thee until we see God face to face!"

And [thus], indeed, have We sent forth Moses with Our messages [and this Our command]: "Lead thy people out of the depths of darkness into the light, and remind them of the Days of God!" Verily, in this [reminder] there are messages indeed for all who are wholly patient in adversity and deeply grateful [to God].

And, lo, Moses spoke [thus] unto his people: "Remember the blessings which God bestowed upon you when He saved you from Pharaoh's people who afflicted you with cruel suffering, and slaughtered your sons, and spared [only] your women - which was an awesome trial from your Sustainer.

And Moses added: "If you should [ever] deny the truth - you and whoever else lives on earth, all of you - [know that,] verily, God is indeed self-sufficient, ever to be praised!"

And [thus, too,] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses, and made it a [source of] guidance for the children of Israel, [commanding them:] "Do not ascribe to any but Me the power to determine your fate,

AND, INDEED, We gave unto Moses nine clear messages. Ask, then, the children of Israel [to tell thee what happened] when he came unto them, [and appealed to Pharaoh,121] and Pharaoh said unto him, "Verily, O Moses, I think that thou art full of sorcery!"

Answered [Moses]: "Thou knowest well that none but the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth has bestowed these [miraculous signs] from on high, as a means of insight [for thee]; and, verily, O Pharaoh, [since thou hast chosen to reject them;] I think that thou art utterly lost!"

AND LO!67, [In the course of his wanderings,] Moses said to his servant:68 "I shall not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas, even if I [have to] spend untold years [in my quest]!"

AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Moses. Behold, he was a chosen one, and was an apostle [of God], a prophet.

And [remember how] We called upon him from the right-hand slope of Mount Sinai and drew him near [unto Us] in mystic communion,

AND HAS the story of Moses ever come within thy ken?

Lo! he saw a fire [in the desert]; and so he said to his family: "Wait here! Behold, I perceive a fire [far away]: perhaps I can bring you a brand therefrom, or find at the fire some guidance."

and I have chosen thee [to be My apostle]: listen, then, to what is being revealed [unto thee].

"Now, what is this in thy right hand, O Moses?"

so that We might make thee aware of some of Our greatest wonders.

"[And now] go thou unto Pharaoh: for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of equity.

and appoint for me, out of my kinsfolk, one who will help me to bear my burden:18

when We inspired thy mother with this inspiration:

"[And thou wert under Mine eye] when thy sister went forth and said [to Pharaoh's people], 'Shall I guide you unto [a woman] who might take charge of him? And so We returned thee unto thy mother, so that her eye be gladdened, and that she might not sorrow [any longer]. "And [when thou camest of age,25] thou didst slay a man: but We did save thee from all grief, although We tried thee with various trials. "And then thou didst sojourn for years among the people of Madyan; and now thou hast come [here] as ordained [by Me], O Moses:

"Go forth, [then,] thou and thy brother, with My messages, and never tire of remembering Me:

go forth, both of you, unto Pharaoh: for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of equity!

AND, INDEED, We made Pharaoh aware of all Our messages - but he gave them the lie and refused [to heed them].

Thereupon Pharaoh withdrew [with his counsellors] and decided upon the scheme which he would pursue; and then he came [to the tryst].

Said [the sorcerers]: "O Moses! Either thou throw (thy staff first], or we shall be the first to throw."

AND, INDEED, [a time came when] We thus inspired Moses: "Go forth with My servants by night, and strike out for them a dry path through the sea; [and] fear not of being overtaken, and dread not [the sea]." 55 Or: "thou canst end [for us] only this worldly life". It is to be noted that the verb qada signifies, among other meanings, "he decreed" as well as "he ended [something]". 56 Pharaoh (a title borne by every indigenous ruler of Egypt) was considered to be a "god-king" and, thus, the embodiment of the Egyptian religion, in which occult practices and magic played a very important role; hence, every one of his subjects was duty-bound to accept magic as an integral part of the scheme of life. 57 Lit., "and the most abiding", i.e., eternal: cf. 55:26-27. 58 I.e., he will neither be reborn spiritually nor find peace through extinction (Baghawi, Baydawi). As is apparent from the juxtaposition, in the next verse, of the term mu'mim (rendered by me as "one who is lost in sin") with that of mu'min ("believer"), the former term is here applied to one who, in his lifetime, has consciously and persistently denied God (Baydawi). 59 Thus the Qur'an implies - here as well as in many other places - that the spiritual value of a person's faith depends on his doing righteous deeds as well: cf. the statement in 6:158 that on Judgment Day "believing will be of no avail to any human being... who, while believing, did no good works". 60 I.e., after all the trials which the Israelites had to undergo in Egypt, and after the plagues with which Pharaoh and his followers were afflicted (cf. 7:130 ff.). 61 Referring to the phrase "strike out (idrib) for them a dry path through the sea", Tabari explains it as meaning "choose (ittakhidh) for them a dry path". See also 26:63- and the corresponding notes 33 and 35.

And Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts: and they were overwhelmed by the sea which was destined to overwhelm them

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AND, INDEED, We vouchsafed unto Moses and Aaron [Our revelation as] the standard by which to discern the true from the false, and as a [guiding] light and a reminder for the God-conscious

and the dwellers of Madyan; and [so, too,] Moses was given the lie [by Pharaoh] . And [in every case] I gave rein, for a while, to the deniers of the truth: but then I took them to task - and how awesome was My denial [of them]!

AND THEN We sent forth Moses and his brother Aaron with Our messages and a manifest authority [from Us]

unto Pharaoh and his great ones; but these behaved with arrogance, for they were people wont to glorify [only) themselves.

Thus, they gave the lie to those two, and earned [thereby) their place among the doomed:24

AND, INDEED, [long before Muhammad] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses, and appointed his brother Aaron to help him to bear his burden;[

HENCE, [remember how it was] when thy Sustainer summoned Moses: "Go unto those evildoing people,

and then my breast will be straitened and my tongue will not be free: send, then, [this Thy command) to Aaron.

[And] Moses said unto them: "Throw whatever you are going to throw!"

And so [the Egyptians] caught up with them at sunrise;

Thereupon We inspired Moses thus: "Strike the sea with thy staff!" - whereupon it parted, and each part appeared like a mountain vast.

when their brother Noah said unto them: "Will you not be conscious of God?

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LO! (While lost in the desert,6] Moses said to his family: "Behold, I perceive a fire (far away]; I may bring you from there some tiding [as to which way we are to pursue], or bring you tat least] a burning brand so that you might warm yourselves."

"Now place thy hand into thy bosom: it will come forth [shining] white, without blemish! "[And thou shalt go] with nine [of My] messages unto Pharaoh and his people - for, verily, they are people depraved!"

We [now] convey unto thee some of the story of Moses and Pharaoh, setting forth the truth for [the benefit of] people who will believe.

And so, [when he was born,] We inspired [thus] the mother of Moses: "Suckle him [for a time], and then, when thou hast cause to fear for him. cast him into the river, and have no fear and do not grieve - for We shall restore him to thee, and shall make him one of Our message-bearers!"

NOW WHEN [Moses] reached full manhood and had become mature [of mind], We bestowed upon him the ability to judge (between right and wrong] as well as [innatel knowledge: for thus do We reward the doers of good.

And (one day] he entered the city at a time when [most of] its people were [resting in their houses,] unaware of what was going on [in the streets]; and there he encountered two men fighting with one another - one of his own people, and the other of his enemies. And the one who belonged to his own people cried out to him for help against him who was of his enemies - whereupon Moses struck him down with his fist, and [thus] brought about his end. [But then] he said [to himself]: "This is of Satan's doing! Verily, he is an open foe, leading [man] astray!"

And as he turned his face towards Madyan, he said [to himself]: "It may well be that my Sustainer will [thus] guide me onto the right path!"

AND WHEN Moses had fulfilled his term, and was wandering with his family [in the desert], he perceived a fire on the slope of Mount Sinai:23 [and so] he said to his family: "Wait here. Behold, I perceive a fire [far away]; perhaps I may bring you from there some tiding, or [at least] a burning brand from the fire, so that you might warm yourselves."

And [then He said]: "Throw down thy staff!" But as soon as [Moses] saw it move rapidly, as if it were a snake, he drew back [in terror], and did not [dare to] return. [And God spoke to him again:] "O Moses! Draw near, and have no fear for, behold, thou art of those who are secure [in this world and in the next]!

"[And now] put thy hand into thy bosom: it will come forth [shining] white, without blemish. And [henceforth] hold thine arm close to thyself, free of all fear. "These, then, shall be the two signs [of thy bearing a message] from thy Sustainer unto Pharaoh and his great ones - for, behold, they are people depraved!"

And my brother Aaron - he is far better in speech than I am. Send him, therefore, as a helper, so that he might [more eloquently] bear witness to my speaking the truth: for I fear indeed that they will give me the lie."

NOW [as for thee, O Muhammad,] thou wert not present on the sunset slope (of Mount Sinai] when We imposed the Law upon Moses, nor wert thou among those who witnessed [his times]:44

And yet, now that the truth has come unto them from Us, they say, "'Why has he not been vouchsafed the like of what Moses was vouchsafed?" But did they not also, before this, deny the truth of what Moses was vouchsafed? [For] they do say, "Two examples of delusion, [seemingly] supporting each other!" And they add, "Behold, we refuse to accept either of them as true!"

[NOW,] BEHOLD, Qarun was one of the people of Moses; but he arrogantly exalted himself above them simply because We had granted him such riches that his treasure-chests alone would surely have been too heavy a burden for a troop of ten men or even more. When [they perceived his arrogance,] his people said unto him: "Exult not [in thy wealth], for, verily, God does not love those who exult [in things vain]!

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And [thus, too, did We deal with] Qarun and Pharaoh, arid Haman:35 to them had come Moses with all evidence of the truth, but they behaved arrogantly on earth [and rejected him]; and withal, they could not escape [Us].

AND, INDEED, [O Muhammad,] We did vouchsafe revelation unto Moses [as well]: so be not in doubt of [thy] having met with the same [truth in the revelation vouchsafed to thee). And [just as] We caused that [earlier revelation] to be a guidance for the children of Israel,

AND LO! We did accept a solemn pledge from all the prophets" - from thee, [O Muhammad,] as well as from Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary -: for We accepted a most weighty, solemn pledge from [all of] them,

O YOU who have attained to faith! Be not like those [children of Israel] who gave offence to Moses, and [remember that] God showed him to be innocent of whatever they alleged [against him or demanded of him]:85 for of great honour was he in the sight of God.

THUS, INDEED, did We bestow Our favour upon Moses and Aaron;

And We gave them the divine writ that made [right and wrong] distinct,

To the truth gave the lie aforetime Noah's people, and (the tribe of] 'Ad, and Pharaoh of the [many] tent-poles,

THUS, INDEED, did We send Moses with Our messages and a manifest authority [from Us]

unto Pharaoh, and Haman, and Qarun; but they [only] said, "A spellbinder is he, a liar!"

And, indeed, We bestowed aforetime [Our] guidance on Moses, and [thus] made the children of Israel heirs to the divine writ [revealed to him]

Thus, too, have We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses aforetime, and thereupon disputes arose about it. And [then, as now,] had it not been for a decree that had already gone forth from thy Sustainer, all would indeed have been decided between them [from the outset). As it is, behold, they [who will not believe in this divine writ] are in grave doubt, amounting to suspicion, about what it portends.

In matters of faith, He has ordained for you that which He had enjoined upon Noah - and into which We gave thee [O Muhammad] insight through revelation - as well as that which We had enjoined upon Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus: Steadfastly uphold the [true] faith, and do not break up your unity therein. [And even though] that [unity of faith] to which thou callest them appears oppressive to those who are wont to ascnbe to other beings or forces a share in His divinity, God draws unto Himself everyone who is willing, and guides unto Himself everyone who turns unto Him.

THUS, INDEED, have We sent Moses with Our messages unto Pharaoh and his great ones; and he said: "Behold, I am an apostle of the Sustainer of all the worlds!"

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AND, INDEED, [long] before their time did We try Pharaoh's people [in the same way]: for there came unto them a noble apostle, [who said:]

[inflicted on them] by Pharaoh, seeing that he was truly outstanding among those who waste their own selves;

And yet, before this there was the revelation of Moses, a guide and a [sign of God's] grace; and this [Qur'an] is a divine writ confirming the truth [of the Torah15] in the Arabic tongue, to warn those who are bent on evildoing, and [to bring] a glad tiding to the doers of good:

They said: "O our people! Behold, we have been listening to a revelation bestowed from on high after [that of] Moses, confirming the truth of whatever there still remains [of the Torah]:39 it guides towards the truth, and onto a straight way.

and 'Ad, and Pharaoh, and Lot's brethren,

AND IN [the story of Pharaoh and) Moses, too, [We left the same message:26 for] when We sent him unto Pharaoh with [Our] manifest authority,

Or has he never yet been told of what was [said) in the revelations of Moses,

and of Abraham, who to his trust was true:30

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Now when Moses spoke to his people, [it was this same truth that he had in mind:] "O my people! Why do you cause me grief, the while you know that I am an apostle of God sent unto you?" And so, when they swerved from the right way, God let their hearts swerve from the truth:4 for God does not bestow His guidance upon iniquitous folk.

And for those who have attained to faith God has propounded a parable in [the story of] Pharaoh's wife as she prayed "O my Sustainer! Build Thou for me a mansion in the paradise [that is] with Thee, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me, from all evildoing folk!

And there was Pharaoh, too, and [many of] those who lived before him, and the cities that were overthrown [all of them] indulged in sin upon sin

BEHOLD, [O men,] We have sent unto you an apostle who shall bear witness to the truth before you, even as We sent an apostle unto Pharaoh:9

and then, lo, they will be fully awakened [to the truth]!

HAS THE STORY of Moses ever come within thy ken.

"Go unto Pharaoh - for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of what is right -

of Pharaoh, and of [the tribe of] Thamud?

the revelations of Abraham and Moses.