The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

b
a
Literally ‘his mischief’, kaydahu. This could refer to his sorcerers or to the plots he
made.
b
See note to 
5: 33.
20: 51
198
The Qur
an

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then crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. You will know for
certain which of us has the 
fiercer and more lasting punishment.’
72They said, ‘We shall never prefer you to the clear sign that has
come to us, nor to Him who created us. So decide whatever you will:
you can only decide matters of this present life –
–
73we believe in our
Lord, [hoping] He may forgive us our sins and the sorcery that you
forced us to practise –
– God is better and more lasting.’
74Hell will be the reward of those who return to their Lord as
evildoers: there they will stay, neither living nor dying. 
75But those
who return to their Lord as believers with righteous deeds will be
rewarded with the highest of ranks, 
76Gardens of lasting bliss graced
with
flowing streams, and there they will stay. Such is the reward of
those who purify themselves.
77We revealed to Moses, ‘Go out at night with My servants and
strike a dry path for them across the sea.
a
Have no fear of being
overtaken and do not be dismayed.’
78Pharaoh pursued them with
his armies and was overwhelmed by the sea. 
79Pharaoh truly led his
people astray; he did not guide them.
80Children of Israel, We rescued you from your enemies. We made
a pledge with you on the right-hand side of the mountain. We sent
down manna and quails for you, 
81‘Eat from the good things We have
provided for you, but do not overstep the bounds, or My wrath will
descend on you. Anyone on whom My wrath descends has truly
fallen. 
82Yet I am most forgiving towards those who repent, believe,
do righteous deeds, and stay on the right path.’
83[God said], ‘Moses, what has made you come ahead of your
people in such haste?’
b
84and he said, ‘They are following in my
footsteps. I rushed to You, Lord, to please You,’
85but God said, ‘We
have tested your people in your absence: the Samiri
c
has led them
astray.’
86Moses returned to his people, angry and aggrieved. He
said, ‘My people, did your Lord not make you a gracious promise?
Was my absence too long for you? Did you want anger to fall on
you from your Lord and so broke your word to me?’
87They said,
‘We did not break our word to you deliberately. We were burdened
with the weight of people’s jewellery, so we threw it [into the 
fire],
a
Bahr, ‘sea’, means any expanse of water, fresh or salty. Cf. 
35: 12.
b
Moses had left his people in the charge of Aaron to contemplate on Mount Sinai.
See
7: 142 ff.
c
Razi suggests various unsubstantiated identities for the Samiri.
199
20: 87
Ta Ha

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and the Samiri did the same,’
88but he [used the molten jewellery to]
produce an image of a calf which made a lowing sound, and they
said, ‘This is your god and Moses’ god, but he has forgotten.’
89Did
they not see that [the calf] gave them no answer, that it had no power
to harm or bene
fit them? 90Aaron did say to them, ‘My people, this
calf is a test for you. Your true Lord is the Lord of Mercy, so follow
me and obey my orders,’
91but they replied, ‘We shall not give up our
devotion to it until Moses returns to us.’
92Moses said, ‘When you realized they had gone astray, what pre-
vented you, Aaron, 
93from coming after me? How could you disobey
my orders?’
94He said, ‘Son of my mother–– let go of my beard and
my hair! –
– I was afraid you would say, “You have caused division
among the children of Israel and have not heeded what I said.”’
95Moses said, ‘And what was the matter with you, Samiri?’ 96He
replied, ‘I saw something they did not; I took in some of the teach-
ings of the Messenger but tossed them aside:
a
my soul prompted me
to do what I did.’
97Moses said, ‘Get away from here! Your lot in this
life is to say, “Do not touch me,”
b
but you have an appointment from
which there is no escape. Look at your god which you have kept on
worshipping –
– we shall grind it down
c
and scatter it into the sea.
98[People], your true god is the One God–– there is no god but
Him –
– whose knowledge embraces everything.’
99In this way We relate to you [Prophet] stories of what happened
before. We have given you a Qur
an from Us. 100Whoever turns away
from it will bear on the Day of Resurrection a heavy burden
101and
will remain under it. What a terrible burden to carry on that Day!
102When the trumpet is sounded and We gather the sinful, sightless,
d
103they will murmur to one another, ‘You stayed only ten days [on
earth]’–
–
104We know best what they say–– but the more perceptive of
them will say, ‘Your stay [on earth] was only a single day.’
105They ask you [Prophet] about the mountains: say, ‘[On that
Day] my Lord will blast them into dust 
106and leave a flat plain,
107with no peak or trough to be seen. 108On that Day, people will
follow the summoner from whom there is no escape; every voice will
be hushed for the Lord of Mercy; only whispers will be heard. 
109On