The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
2It was not to distress you [Prophet] that We sent down the Quran to
you, 
3but as a reminder for those who hold God in awe, 4a revelation
from the One who created the earth and the high heaven, 
5the Lord
of Mercy, established on the throne. 
6Everything in the heavens and
on earth, everything between them, everything beneath the soil,
belongs to Him. 
7Whatever you may say aloud, He knows what you
keep secret and what is even more hidden. 
8God––there is no god
but Him –– the most excellent names belong to Him.
9Has the story of Moses come to you [Prophet]?
b
10He saw a fire
and said to his people, ‘Stay here –– I can see a 
fire. Maybe I can bring
you a 
flaming brand from it or find some guidance there.’ 11When he
came to the 
fire, he was summoned, ‘Moses! 12I am your Lord. Take
o
ff your shoes: you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa. 13I have
chosen you, so listen to what is being revealed. 
14I am God; there is
no god but Me. So worship Me and keep up the prayer so that you
remember Me. 
15The Hour is coming––though I choose
c
to keep it
hidden –– for each soul to be rewarded for its labour. 
16Do not let
anyone who does not believe in it and follows his own desires distract
you from it, and so bring you to ruin.’
a
There is an opinion that ta ha are not isolated letters but ‘O man!’ in the Yemeni
dialect of 
 Akk (Razi). For the significance of the isolated letters as a whole, see note to 2:
1.
b
This construction is an idiom in Arabic implying ‘think well about it’ or ‘take a
lesson from this’.
c
Abu Muslim interprets akadu as uridu, ‘I wish’ or ‘I choose’ (Razi).

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17‘Moses, what is that in your right hand?’ 18‘It is my staff,’ he
said, ‘I lean on it; restrain my sheep with it;
a
I also have other uses
for it.’
19God said, ‘Throw it down, Moses.’ 20He threw it down
and –
– lo and behold! –
– it became a fast-moving snake. 
21He said,
‘Pick it up without fear: We shall turn it back into its former state.
22Now place your hand under your armpit and it will come out white,
though unharmed: that is another sign. 
23We do this to show you
some of Our greatest signs. 
24Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly become
a tyrant.’
25Moses said, ‘Lord, lift up my heart 26and ease my task for
me. 
27Untie my tongue, 28so that they may understand my words,
29and give me a helper from my family, 30my brother Aaron––
31augment my strength through him. 32Let him share my task 33so
that we can glorify You much 
34and remember You often: 35You are
always watching over us.’
36God said, ‘Moses, your request is granted. 37Indeed We showed
you favour before. 
38We inspired your mother, saying, 39“Put your
child into the chest, then place him in the river. Let the river wash
him on to its bank, and he will be taken in by an enemy of Mine and
his.” I showered you with My love and planned that you should be
reared under My watchful eye. 
40Your sister went out, saying, “I will
tell you someone who will nurse him,” then We returned you to your
mother so that she could rejoice and not grieve. Later you killed a
man, but We saved you from distress and tried you with other tests.
You stayed among the people of Midian for years, then you came
here as I ordained. 
41I have chosen you for Myself. 42Go, you and
your brother, with My signs, and make sure that you remember Me.
43Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has exceeded all bounds.
44Speak to him gently so that he may take heed, or show respect.’
45They said, ‘Lord, we fear he will do us great harm or exceed all
bounds.’
46He said, ‘Do not be afraid, I am with you both, hearing
and seeing everything. 
47Go and tell him, “We are your Lord’s mes-
sengers, so send the Children of Israel with us and do not oppress
them. We have brought you a sign from your Lord. Peace be upon
whoever follows the right guidance; 
48it has been revealed to us that
punishment falls on whoever rejects the truth and turns his back on
it.”’
49[Pharaoh] said, ‘Moses, who is this Lord of yours?’ 50Moses
a
Or ‘beat down leaves for my sheep with it’.
197
20: 50
Ta Ha

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said, ‘Our Lord is He who gave everything its form, then gave it
guidance.’
51He said, ‘What about former generations?’ 52Moses
said, ‘My Lord alone has knowledge of them, all in a record; my
Lord does not err or forget.’
53It 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, 
54so eat, and graze
your cattle. There are truly signs in all this for people of understand-
ing. 
55From the earth We created you, into it We shall return you,
and from it We shall raise you a second time.
56We showed Pharaoh all Our signs, but he denied them and
refused [to change]. 
57He said, ‘Have you come to drive us from
our land with your sorcery, Moses? 
58We 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.’
59He
said, ‘Your meeting will be on the day of the feast, so let the people
be assembled when the sun has risen high.’
60Pharaoh withdrew and gathered his resources,
a
then he
returned. 
61Moses said to them, ‘Beware, do not invent lies against
God or He will destroy you with His punishment. Whoever invents
lies will fail.’
62So they discussed their plan among themselves, talk-
ing secretly, 
63saying, ‘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. 
64So gather your resources and line
up for the contest. Whoever wins today is sure to prosper.’
65They
said, ‘Moses, will you throw 
first or shall we?’ 66‘You throw,’ said
Moses, and –– lo and behold! –– through their sorcery, their ropes and
sta
ffs seemed to him to be moving. 67Moses was inwardly alarmed,
68but We said, ‘Do not be afraid, you have the upper hand. 69Throw
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.’
70[So it was, and] the sorcerers threw themselves down in sub-
mission. ‘We believe,’ they said, ‘in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.’
71Pharaoh 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 o
ff your alternate hands and feet,