The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

The Ants
243
27: 88

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what you do: 
89whoever comes with a good deed will be rewarded
with something better, and be secure from the terrors of that Day,
90but whoever comes with evil deeds will be cast face downwards
into the Fire. ‘Are you rewarded for anything except what you have
done?’
91[Say Prophet], ‘What I am commanded to do is to serve the
Sustainer of this town,
a
which He has made inviolable. Everything
belongs to Him; I am commanded to be one of those devoted to
Him;
92I am commanded to recite the Quran.’ Whoever chooses to
follow the right path does so for his own good. Say to whoever
deviates from it, ‘I am only here to warn.’
93Say, ‘Praise belongs to
God: He will show you His signs so that you will recognize them.’
Your Lord is never unmindful of what you all do.
a
Mecca.
The Qur
an
27: 89
244

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28. THE STORY
A Meccan sura which centres on the story of Moses and takes its title from the
reference to the story told by Moses in verse 
25. Its main theme is the bad end that
comes to those who are arrogant and spread corruption, like Pharaoh and
Qarun –– polytheism is denounced at various points throughout the sura –– and a
link is made between these and the disbelievers of Mecca. The Prophet is
reminded that he cannot make everyone believe (verse 
56) and should remain
steadfast (verse 
87).
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1Ta Sin Mim
2These are the verses of the Scripture that makes things clear: 3We
recount to you [Prophet] part of the story of Moses and Pharaoh,
setting out the truth for people who believe. 
4Pharaoh made himself
high and mighty in the land and divided the people into di
fferent
groups: one group he oppressed, slaughtering their sons and sparing
their women –– he was one of those who spread corruption ––
5but We
wished to favour those who were oppressed in that land, to make
them leaders, the ones to survive, 
6to establish them in the land, and
through them show Pharaoh, Haman, and their armies the very
thing they feared.
7We inspired Moses’ mother, saying, ‘Suckle him, and then, when
you fear for his safety, put him in the river: do not be afraid, and do
not grieve, for We shall return him to you and make him a messen-
ger.’ 
8Pharaoh’s household picked him up––later to
a
become an
enemy and a source of grief for them: Pharaoh, Haman, and their
armies were wrongdoers ––
9and Pharaoh’s wife said, ‘Here is a joy to
behold for me and for you! Do not kill him: he may be of use to us, or
we may adopt him as a son.’ They did not realize what they were
doing. 
10The next day, Moses’ mother felt a void in her heart––if We
had not strengthened it to make her one of those who believe, she
would have revealed everything about him ––
11and she said to his
sister, ‘Follow him.’ So she watched him from a distance, without
a
Li here indicates consequence rather than purpose.

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them knowing. 
12We had ordained that he would refuse to feed from
wet nurses. His sister approached them and said, ‘Shall I tell you
about a household which could bring him up for you and take good
care of him?’
13We restored him to his mother in this way, so that she
might be comforted, not grieve, and know that God’s promise is
true, though most of them do not know.
14When Moses reached full maturity and manhood, We gave him
wisdom and knowledge: this is how We reward those who do good.
15He entered the city, unnoticed by its people, and found two men
fighting: one from his own people, the other an enemy. The one
from his own people cried out to him for help against the enemy.
Moses struck him with his 
fist and killed him. He said, ‘This must be
Satan’s work: clearly he is a misleading enemy.’
16He said, ‘Lord, I
have wronged myself. Forgive me,’ so He forgave him; He is truly
the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. 
17He said, ‘My Lord,
because of the blessings You have bestowed upon me, I shall never
support those who do evil.’
18Next morning, he was walking in the city, fearful and vigilant,
when suddenly the man he had helped the day before cried out to
him for help. Moses said, ‘You are clearly a troublemaker.’
19As he
was about to attack the man who was an enemy to both of them, the
man said, ‘Moses, are you going to kill me as you killed that person
yesterday? You clearly want to be a tyrant in the land; you do not
intend to put things right.’
20Then a man came running from the
furthest part of the city and said, ‘Moses, the authorities are talking
about killing you, so leave –
– this is my sincere advice.’
21So Moses
left the city, fearful and wary, and prayed, ‘My Lord, save me from
people who do wrong.’
22As he made his way towards Midian, he was saying, ‘May my
Lord guide me to the right way.’
23When he arrived at Midian’s
waters, he found a group of men watering [their 
flocks], and beside
them two women keeping their 
flocks back, so he said, ‘What is the
matter with you two?’ They said, ‘We cannot water [our 
flocks] until
the shepherds take their sheep away: our father is a very old man.’
24He watered their flocks for them, withdrew into the shade, and
prayed, ‘My Lord, I am in dire need of whatever good thing You
may send me,’
25and then one of the two women approached him,
walking shyly, and said, ‘My father is asking for you: he wants to
reward you for watering our 
flocks for us.’