1. Ta Sin Mim. Allah knows best what the letters mean.

2. Those are the Signs of the Clear Book – ayats from the Book which distinguishes between truth and falsehood.

3. We recite to you with truth some news of Musa and Pharaoh for people who believe and so are able to benefit from it.

4. Pharaoh exalted himself arrogantly in the land of Egypt and divided its people into camps, oppressing one group of them (the tribe of Israel) by slaughtering their sons and letting their women live, because one of their priests had told Pharaoh that a child would be born among the tribe of Israel who would be the reason for the loss of his kingdom. He was one of the corrupters – by killing and in other ways.

5. We desired to show kindness to those who were oppressed in the land and to make them leaders to be followed as good examples and make them inheritors of the kingdom of Pharaoh,

6. …and establish them firmly in the land of Egypt and Syria and to show (read as nara and also yara, in which case the meaning becomes, “so that Pharaoh and Haman and their troops might see…”) Pharaoh the very thing that they were fearing from them – in the form of a child who would remove their kingdom.

7. We revealed – either by inspiration or in a dream – to the mother of Musa – who was the child anticipated by the priest, and only his sister was aware that he had been born – ‘ Suckle him and then when you fear for him cast him into the sea (the Nile). Do not fear that he will drown or grieve over parting from him; We will return him to you and make him one of the Messengers.’ She nursed him for three months, during which time he did not cry and she did not fear for him. Then she placed him in a box covered with pitch on the inside and made comfortable for him. She closed it and put it into the Nile one night.

8. The household of Pharaoh (his servants) picked him up in the box, and it was placed in front of Pharaoh and he opened it and lifted out of it Musa, who was sucking milk from his thumb – so that he (Pharaoh) might be an enemy – by killing their men – and a source of grief (read as hazn and huzn) to them – by enslaving their women. Certainly Pharaoh and Haman – the chief minister of Pharaoh – and their troops were in the wrong by disobeying Allah and would be punished at the hands of Musa.

9. The wife of Pharaoh, who was with the aides, said when Pharaoh wanted to kill him, ‘A source of delight for me and for you; do not kill him. It may well be that he will be of use to us or perhaps we could adopt him as a son.’ They obeyed her. They were not aware of what the final outcome would be.

10. Musa’s mother felt a great emptiness in her heart when she heard that he had been picked up, and she almost gave him away by admitting that he was her son; only We fortified her heart by making her steadfast and calm; so that she would be one of the believers who affirm the promise of Allah.

11. She said to his sister Maryam, ‘Go after him: follow him in order to obtain news about him.’ And she kept an eye on him from afar, but they were not aware that she was his sister and that she was watching him.

12. We first made him refuse all wet-nurses – until he was returned to his mother – so she (his sister) said, when she saw that they were concerned for him, ‘Shall I show you to a household who will feed him for you and be good to him?’ When Pharaoh agreed to her request, she brought her mother and Musa accepted her breast. When he asked her about that, she said that she had good milk with a good scent. He allowed her to nurse him in her house and she brought him back home with her. As Allah says:

13. That is how We returned him to his mother so that she might delight her eyes by having him returned to her and feel no grief; and so that she would know that Allah’s promise to return him to her is true. But most of them (people) do not know this promise and that those involved were his sister and mother. He remained with her until she weaned him, and she was paid a dinar every day for that. She took it because it was the money of a harbi, someone with whom they were at war. She brought him to Pharaoh and he grew up with him, as Allah Almighty reports in Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: “Did we not bring you up among us as a child and did you not spend many years of your life among us?” (26:17)

14. And when he reached his full strength – at the age of thirty or thirty-three years old – and maturity – at the age of forty – We gave him judgement (wisdom) and knowledge, in the form of understanding of the din, before sending him as a Prophet. That is how We recompense good-doers.

15. He (Musa) entered the city of Pharaoh, which was Memphis, after he had been absent from it for a time – at a time when its inhabitants were unaware – at midday – and found two men, an Israelite and a Copt, fighting there – one from his party and the other from his enemy. The Copt was trying to force the Israelite to carry firewood to Pharaoh’s kitchen. The one from his party (the Israelite) asked for his support against the other from his enemy. Musa said, “Let him go.” It is said that he said to Musa, “You want me to attack you.” So Musa hit him – with his open palm – dealing him a fatal blow. He was very strong and so killed him when it had not been his intention to kill him. He buried him in the sand. He said, ‘This death is part of Shaytan’s handiwork who provoked my anger. He truly is an outright and misleading enemy to the sons of Adam, and clearly misleads people.’

16. He said in regret for having killed him, ‘My Lord, I have wronged myself. Forgive me.’ So He forgave him. He is the Ever Forgiving, the Most Merciful both before and after time.

17. He said, ‘My Lord, because of Your blessing upon me in forgiving me, You have protected me and I will never be a supporter of evildoers after this if You protect me.’

18. Morning found him in the city, fearful and on his guard – waiting to see what would happen to him on account of killing the Copt. Then suddenly the man who had sought his help the day before, shouted for help from him again against another Copt. Musa said to him, ‘You are clearly a misguided man because of what you did yesterday and today.’

19. But when he (Musa) was about to grab the man who was their common enemy, he (the one who asked for help) – thinking that he was going to hit him – said, ‘Musa! do you want to kill me just as you killed a person yesterday? You only want to be a tyrant in the land; you do not want to be a reformer.’ When the Copt heard him say that, he knew that it was Musa, he went to Pharaoh and told him that; and so Pharaoh commanded the executioners to kill Musa and they set out to arrest him.

20. A man – a believer of the family of Pharaoh – came running from the furthest part of the city by a shorter route than that Pharaoh’s men were taking, saying, ‘Musa, the Council of the people of Pharaoh are conspiring to kill you, so leave the city! I am someone who brings you good advice by telling you to leave.’

21. So he left there fearful and on his guard – about those looking for him or looking for Allah to help him – saying, ‘My Lord, rescue me from the people of the wrongdoers (the people of Pharaoh)!’

22. When turned his face in the direction of Madyan – the town of Shu‘ayb, which was an eight day journey from Egypt. In Madyan, he was called ‘the son of Ibrahim’. Musa did not know the route, and he said, ‘Perhaps my Lord will guide me to the right way – the easiest way to it.’ Allah sent an angel with a staff in his hand to direct him to it.

23. When he arrived at the water of the well of Madyan, he found a crowd of people drawing water there for their flocks. Standing apart from them, he found two women, holding back their sheep – from the water. He (Musa) said to them: ‘What are you two doing here? Why are you not drawing water?’ They said, ‘We cannot draw water until the shepherds have driven off (read as yusdira and yasduru) their sheep – out of fear of jostling with them. You see, our father is a very old man – too old to water the sheep.’

24. So he drew water for them – from another well close to them, removing from it a stone which it would normally have taken ten men to lift – and then withdrew into the shade of an acacia to escape the heat of the sun. He was hungry and said, ‘My Lord, I am truly in need of any good (food) You have in store for me.’ The two women returned to their father in less time than it usually took them. He asked them about it, and they told him about the man who had drawn water for them. He told one of them to invite him.

25. One of them came walking shyly up to him – and it is related that she veiled her face with the sleeve of her tunic out of modesty – and said, ‘My father invites you so that he may pay you your wage for drawing water for us.’ He responded to the invitation, even though he did not want to take a wage, since it appeared that she intended to offer recompense if he was the type of person who would want one. She walked in front of him and the wind began to blow aside her garment and expose her legs. He told her, “Walk behind me and direct me to the way.” She did that until he came to her father, Shu‘ayb, peace be upon him, who was having his evening meal. He said to him, “Sit and eat.” He answered, “I fear that it is compensation for getting water for them, and I come from the people of a family who do not seek recompense for good deeds.” He said, “No, but my custom and the custom of my fathers is to give hospitality to guests and to give them food.” When he came to him and told him the whole story – about killing the Copt and of their intention to kill him and his fear of Pharaoh – he (Shu‘ayb) said, ‘Have no fear, you have escaped from wrongdoing people.’ Pharaoh had no authority in Madyan.

26. One of them – the one who had been sent, which might have been either the younger or the elder – said, ‘Hire him, father – take him on as an employee to tend to our sheep instead of us. The best person to hire is someone strong and trustworthy.’ He should be hired on account of his strength and trustworthiness. Shu‘ayb asked her about that, and she told him how he had lifted the stone from the well and had told her to walk behind him. When she went to him and he recognised her, he lowered his head and did not lift it. Shu‘ayb wanted to marry one of his daughters to him.

27. He said, ‘I would like to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine – either the elder or the younger – on condition that you work for me – tending my sheep – for eight full years. If you complete ten, that is up to you. I do not want to be hard on you by stipulating that you must stay for ten. You will find me, Allah willing, to be one of the righteous who fulfils his contracts.’

28. He (Musa) said, ‘That which you said is agreed between me and you. Whichever of the two terms I fulfil – eight or ten years – there should be no bad feeling towards me – no hostility by way of seeking more than that. Allah is Guardian over what we say.’ He completed that contract and Shu‘ayb instructed his daughter to give Musa a staff with which to drive away wild animals from his flock. He had the staff of the Prophets with him. The staff of Adam had come into his hand from the myrtle tree of Paradise, and Musa took it with Shu‘ayb’s knowledge.

29. When Musa had fulfilled the appointed term – possibly seven or eight years, although ten is more probable – and had set off with his family – his wife accompanied him, with the permission of her father, in the direction of Egypt – he noticed a fire from one side of the Mount. Tur (Sinai) was the name of the mountain. He told his family, ‘Stay here; I can see a fire. Perhaps I will bring you back some news from it of their route, since they had become lost, or a burning branch (read as jadhwa and jidhwa) from the fire to use to light a fire – so that you will be able to warm yourselves.’

30. But when he reached it a voice called out to him (Musa) from the right hand side of the valley, in the part which was full of blessing for Musa, since he heard the words of Allah there – from out of the bush, which was either jujube, bramble or boxthorn: ‘Musa, I am Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

31. Throw down your staff!’ He threw it down. Then when he saw it slithering like a small quick snake, he turned and fled and did not turn back again. ‘Musa, approach and have no fear! Come back! You are one of those who are secure.

32. Put your right hand inside your shirt front. It will emerge pure white, yet quite unharmed. He brought it out it and it was pure white, changed from its normal brownish colour, and shone like the sun so that it dazzled the eyes. And hug your arms to your sides to still your fear (read as rahb, rahab and ruhb). This refers to the fear he felt upon seeing the whiteness of his hand. He did as he was told and it returned to its normal state. The arm here is called “jannah” (lit.wing) since for a human being the arm is like what the wing is for a bird. These (read as dhnika and dhnnika) – referring to the staff and the hand – are two proofs from your Lord for Pharaoh and his ruling circle. They are a deviant people.’

33. He said, ‘My Lord, I killed one of them – meaning the Copt he had killed before – and I am afraid they will kill me…

34. …and my brother Harun is more eloquent than me – with clearer speech – so send him with me as a helper to support me (read as rid’an and ridan) and back me up (read as yusaddiquni and yusaddiqni). I am afraid they will call me a liar.’

35. He said, ‘We will reinforce you with your brother and by Our Signs will give you both authority, so that they will not be able to lay a hand on you. You and those who follow you will be the victors over them.’

36. But when Musa brought them Our Clear Signs they said, ‘This is nothing but trumped-up – invented – magic. We never heard anything like this among our earlier forefathers.’

37. (The beginning of this ayat is read both with and without a waw) Musa said, ‘My Lord knows best who has come with guidance from Him and who will have (read as takuna and yakuna) the best Home in the end – a praiseworthy outcome in the Next World. The wrongdoers (the unbelievers) will certainly not be successful.’

38. Pharaoh said, ‘Council, I do not know of any other god for you apart from Me. Haman, kindle a fire for me over the clay and make bricks and build me a lofty tower so that perhaps I may be able to climb up to Musa’s god and look at Him! I consider him a blatant liar in saying that there is another god and that he is His Messenger.’

39. He and his troops were arrogant in the land of Egypt without any right. They thought that they would not return (read as yurja‘una and yarju‘una) to Us.

40. So We seized him and his troops and flung them into the salt sea where they were drowned. See the final fate – the destruction – of the wrongdoers.

41. We made them leaders – in this world – summoning to the Fire – by their shirk – and on the Day of Rising they will not be helped against the punishment from Allah.

42. We pursued them with a curse and disgrace in this world; and on the Day of Rising they will be hideous and spurned.

43. We gave Musa the Book (the Torah) after destroying the earlier nations – the peoples of Nuh, ‘Ad, Thamud and others – to awaken people’s hearts and as a guidance away from misguidance, for those who act by it, and a mercy for those who believe in it, so that perhaps they might pay heed and be admonished by the warnings which it contains.

44. You, Muhammad, were not on the western side of the mountain or the va l l ey when We gave Musa the command: the Message to Pharaoh and his people. You were not a witness so that you could know it.

45. Yet We produced further generations after Musa, and ages passed – so they forgot their contract with Allah, many knowledges disappeared, and Revelation ceased. Therefore We brought you as a Messenger and revealed to You the news of Musa and others. Nor did you live among the people of Madyan and recite Our Signs to them, enabling you to learn their story and report it, yet We have sent you news of them. We sent the Message to you with news of those who went before.

46. Nor were you on the side of the Mount when We called Musa to take hold of the Book with vigour; yet it is a mercy from your Lord that He sent you so that you may warn a people (the people of Makka) to whom no warner came before, so that perhaps they will pay heed.

47. If a disaster (punishment) had struck them because of what they (the unbelievers and others) had already done, they would have said, ‘Our Lord, why did You not send us a Messenger so that we could have followed Your Signs and been believers?’

48. But when the truth (Muhammad) did come to them from Us they said, ‘Why has he not been given the same signs as Musa was given – such as the white hand, staff and other things, or the Book all at once?’ Allah said: But did they not previously reject what Musa was given? They say about them, ‘Two magics – meaning the Qur’an and the Torah (also read as sahiran, meaning two magicians, referring to Muhammad and Musa) – who back each other up.’ And they say, ‘We reject both – Books and Prophets – of them.’

49. Say to them, ‘Bring a Book, then, from Allah which guides better than both of them – the Qur’an and the Torah – and follow it, if you are telling the truth.’

50. If they do not respond to you – to your invitation to bring a Book – then know that they are merely following their whims and desires (unbelief). And who could be further astray than someone who follows his whims and desires without any guidance from Allah? Allah does not guide the people of the wrongdoers (unbelievers).

51. We have conveyed the Word to them – and made the Qur’an clear to them – so that perhaps they may pay heed – be warned and then believe.

52. Those We gave the Book before this – before the Qur’an was revealed – believe in it. This was revealed about a group of the Jews who became Muslims, such as ‘Abdullah ibn Salam and others, and Christians who came from Abyssinia and from Syria.

53. When it (the Qur’an) is recited to them they say, ‘We believe in it; it is the truth from our Lord. We were already Muslims (believers in the Divine Unity) before it came.’

54. They will be given their reward twice over – for believing in both Books – because they have been steadfast in acting by both of them and because they ward off the bad with the good and give sadaqa from what We have provided for them.

55. When they hear worthless talk – abuse and criticism from the unbelievers – they turn away from it and say, ‘We have our actions and you have your actions. Peace be upon you – a blessed peace in which you are safe from abuse and other things. We do not desire the company of the ignorant.’

56. The following was revealed about the eagerness of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for his uncle, Abu Talib, to have faith. You cannot guide those you would like to but Allah guides those He wills. He has best knowledge of the guided.

57. They (his people) say, ‘If we follow the guidance with you, we shall quickly be forcibly uprooted from our land.’ Allah said: Have We not established a safe haven for them – where they are safe from the attacks and killing which regularly occur among the Arabs – to which produce of every kind is brought (read as yuhba and tuhba), provision for them direct from Us? But most of them do not know it: that what We say is the truth.

58. How many cities – referring to their inhabitants – We have destroyed which lived in insolent ingratitude – reflected in their lifestyle! There are their houses, never again inhabited after them, except a little – referring to those who pass through them and rest there for a day or part of a day. It was We who were their Heir.

59. Your Lord would never destroy the inhabitants of any cities for wrong action without first sending to the chief of them a Messenger to recite Our Signs to them. We would never destroy any cities unless their inhabitants were wrongdoers in rejecting their Messengers.

60. Anything you have been given is only the enjoyment of the life of this world and its finery, which you enjoy during your life and which will then vanish. What (reward) is with Allah is better and longer lasting; so will you not use your intellect (read as ta‘qiluna and ya‘qiluna) – and realise that that which lasts is better than that which vanishes?

61. Is someone whom We have promised good (the Garden) and who then obtains it the same as someone whom We have given enjoyment in the life of this world – which rapidly passes – and who then, on the Day of Rising, is one of those brought to punishment in the Fire? – a reference to believers and unbelievers. They are not equal.

62. On the Day when He summons them He will say, ‘Where are they, those you claimed were My associates?’

63. Those (the leaders of misguidance) against whom the Word has been justly carried out – by their entering the Fire – will say, ‘Our Lord, those people whom we misled we only misled as we too were misled. We did not force them into error. We disown responsibility to You for them. It was not us they were worshipping!’

64. They will be told, ‘Call on your partner-gods which you claimed were the partners of Allah!’ They will call on them but they will not respond to them or their supplication. They will see the punishment. Oh, if only they had been guided in this world!

65. On the Day when He summons them He will say, ‘How did you respond to the Messengers?’

66. That Day the facts – the answer to that question – will be unclear to them and they will find no way to save themselves and they will not be able to question one another and will remain silent.

67. But as for those who repent of shirk and believe in the unity of Allah and act rightly – by performing the actions obligatory for them – they will perhaps be successful – and be saved by Allah’s promise of mercy.

68. Your Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills. The choice is not theirs (the idolaters’) in anything. Glory be to Allah! He is exalted above anything they associate with Him.

69. Your Lord knows what their hearts conceal in terms of unbelief and other things, and what they divulge and say about that.

70. He is Allah. There is no god but Him. Praise be to Him in this world and the Next (Paradise). Judgement – which is carried out in respect of all things – belongs to Him. You will be returned to Him at the Resurrection.

71. Say to the people of Makka: ‘Tell me, what do you think? If Allah made it permanently night for you till the Day of Rising, what god is there other than Allah – as you claim – to bring you light – referring to daytime when people seek their livelihood? Do you not then hear – in other words, understand and thereby turn away from shirk?’

72. Say to them: ‘What do you think? If Allah made it permanently day for you till the Day of Rising, what god is there other than Allah – as you claim – to bring you night to rest in from your labours? Do you not then see – the error you are in regarding shirk and turn away from it?’

73. But part of His mercy is that He has made both night and day for you so that you can have your rest in the night and seek His bounty in the day and so that perhaps you will be thankful for His blessings upon you.

74. On the Day when He summons them He will say, ‘Where are they, those you claimed to be My associates?’

75. We will drag out a witness from each nation – and that will be their Prophet who will testify against them regarding what they said – and We will say to them, ‘Produce your evidence for the shirk which you espouse!’ They will know then that the truth regarding divinity is with Allah and that there is no partner with Him, and that what they invented in this world about Allah having a partner has forsaken them.

76. Qarun was one of the people of Musa – he was the cousin of Musa and believed in him – but he lorded it over them because of his pride, height and great wealth. We gave him treasures, the keys to which alone were a heavy weight for a party of strong men. It is said that the number of men who carried the keys was seventy, forty, ten, or some other number. So remember when his people – the believers of the tribe of Israel – said to him, ‘Do not gloat about your wealth. Allah does not love people who gloat.

77. Seek the abode of the Next World with what Allah has given you – by spending the wealth which Allah has given you in obedience to Allah – without forgetting your portion of this world. Do not forget to work in this world for the Next World. And do good – by giving sadaqa – as Allah has been good to you. And do not seek to cause corruption in the earth by doing acts of disobedience. Allah does not love corrupters and will punish them.’

78. He said, ‘I have only been given it (wealth) because of knowledge I have.’ He had the greatest knowledge of the Torah among the tribe of Israel, after Musa and Harun. Allah said: Did he not know that before him Allah had destroyed generations (nations) with far greater strength than his, and far more possessions? He knows that and knows that Allah destroyed them. The evildoers will not be questioned about their sins; since He knows them, but they will enter the Fire without reckoning.

79. He (Qarun) went out among his people in his finery: with his many followers, who were mounted and adorned with clothing of gold and silk on decorated horses and mules. Those who desired the life of this world said, ‘Oh! If only we had the same as Qarun has been given in this world! What immense good fortune he possesses.’

80. But those who had been given knowledge of what Allah has promised in the Next World said to them: ‘ Woe to you! This is a rebuke. Allah’s reward of Paradise in the Next World is better than what Qarun was given in this world for those who believe and act rightly. But only the steadfast – in respect of holding to obedience and avoiding disobedience – will obtain it.’

81. We caused the earth to swallow up both him (Qarun) and his house. There was no group to come to his aid and defend him from destruction besides Allah, and he was not someone who is helped.

82. Those who had longed to take his place the day before woke up saying, ‘Allah expands the provision of any of His slaves He wills, or restricts it. If Allah had not shown great kindness to us, we would have been swallowed up as well. Ah! Truly the unbelievers who are ungrateful for Allah’s blessing are not successful.’

83. That abode (the Garden) of the Next World – We grant it to those who do not seek to exalt themselves in the earth through insolence or to cause corruption in it by acts of disobedience. The successful outcome is for those who are godfearing – who fear the punishment of Allah and do righteous actions.

84. Anyone who does a good action will get something better – a reward for ten like it. As for anyone who does a bad action, those who have done bad actions will only be repaid for what they did.

85. He who has imposed the Qur’an upon you – and sent it down – will most certainly bring you back home to Makka again. The Prophet yearned for that. Say: ‘My Lord knows best who has brought true guidance and who is plainly misguided.’ This was revealed to answer the unbelievers of Makka who said, “You are misguided.” Allah knows who brings guidance, while they are in truth misguided.

86. You did not expect to be given the Book (the Qur’an). It is nothing but a mercy given to you from your Lord. So do not lend support to the unbelievers in their din, to which they invite you.

87. Do not let them debar you from Allah’s Signs after they have been sent down to you. Do not revert to them in that respect. Call people to the unity of your Lord and His worship, and on no account be one of the idolators by helping them.

88. Do not call on – and worship – any other god along with Allah. There is no god but Him. All things are passing except His Face. Effective judgement belongs to Him. You will be returned to Him by being resurrected from your graves.