The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
This is implied in Arabic (Razi).
The Heights
101
7: 108

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behold! –
– it was white for all to see. 
109The leaders among Pharaoh’s
people said, ‘This man is a learned sorcerer! 
110He means to drive
you out of your land!’ Pharaoh said, ‘What do you suggest?’
111They
said, ‘Delay him and his brother for a while, and send messengers to
all the cities 
112to summon every learned sorcerer to you.’
113The sorcerers came to Pharaoh and said, ‘Shall we be rewarded
if we win?’
114and he replied, ‘Yes, and you will join my inner court.’
115So they said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’ 116He
said, ‘You throw,’ and they did, casting a spell on people’s eyes,
striking fear into them, and bringing about great sorcery. 
117Then
We inspired Moses, ‘Throw your sta
ff,’ and–– lo and behold!–– it
devoured their fakery. 
118The truth was confirmed and what they
had produced came to nothing: 
119they were defeated there and
utterly humiliated. 
120The sorcerers fell to their knees 121and said,
‘We believe in the Lord of the Worlds, 
122the Lord of Moses and
Aaron!’
123but Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in Him before I
have given you permission? This is a plot you have hatched to drive
the people out of this city! Soon you will see: 
124I will cut off your
alternate hands and feet
a
and then crucify you all!’
125They said,
‘And so we shall return to our Lord –
–
126Your only grievance against
us is that we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to
us. Our Lord, pour steadfastness upon us and let us die in devotion
to You.’
127The leaders among Pharaoh’s people said to him, ‘But are you
going to leave Moses and his people to spread corruption in the land
and forsake you and your gods?’ He replied, ‘We shall kill their male
children, sparing only the females: We have complete power over
them.’
128Moses said to his people, ‘Turn to God for help and be
steadfast: the earth belongs to God –
– He gives it as their own to
whichever of His servants He chooses –
– and the happy future
belongs to those who are mindful of Him,’
129and they replied, ‘We
were being persecuted long before you came to us, and since then
too.’ He said, ‘Your Lord may well destroy your enemy and make
you successors to the land to see how you behave.’
130We inflicted years of drought and crop failure on Pharaoh’s
people, so that they might take heed, 
131then, when something good
came their way, they said, ‘This is our due!’. When something bad
a
Left hand and right foot or vice versa.
The Qur
an
7: 109
102

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came, they ascribed it to the evil omen of Moses and those with him,
but their ‘evil omen’ was really from God, though most of them did
not realize it. 
132They said, ‘We will not believe in you, no matter
what signs you produce to cast a spell on us,’
133and so We let loose
on them the 
flood, locusts, lice, frogs, blood–– all clear signs. They
were arrogant, wicked people. 
134They would say, whenever a plague
struck them, ‘Moses, pray to your Lord for us by virtue of the
promise He has made to you: if you relieve us of the plague, we will
believe you and let the Children of Israel go with you,’
135but when
We relieved them of the plague and gave them a 
fixed period [in
which to ful
fil their promise]–– lo and behold!–– they broke it. 136And
so, because they rejected Our signs and paid them no heed, We
exacted retribution from them: We drowned them in the sea 
137and
We made those who had been oppressed succeed to both the east and
the west of the land that We had blessed. Your Lord’s good promise
to the Children of Israel was ful
filled, because of their patience, and
We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people were making and what
they were building.
138We took the Children of Israel across the sea, but when they
came upon a people who worshipped idols, they said, ‘Moses, make a
god for us like theirs.’ He said, ‘You really are foolish people: 
139[the
cult] these people practise is doomed to destruction, and what they
have been doing is useless. 
140Why should I seek any god other than
God for you, when He has favoured you over all other people?’
141Remember how We saved you from Pharaoh’s people, who were
subjecting you to the worst of su
fferings, killing your male children,
sparing only your females –
– that was a mighty ordeal from your
Lord.
142We appointed thirty nights for Moses, then added ten more: the
term set by his Lord was completed in forty nights. Moses said to his
brother Aaron, ‘Take my place among my people: act rightly and do
not follow the way of those who spread corruption.’
143When Moses
came for the appointment, and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My
Lord, show Yourself to me: let me see You!’ He said, ‘You will never
see Me, but look at that mountain: if it remains standing 
firm, you
will see Me,’ and when his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain,
He made it crumble: Moses fell down unconscious. When he
recovered, he said, ‘Glory be to You! To You I turn in repentance! I
am the 
first to believe!’ 144He said, ‘Moses, I have raised you above