SURAH 28: AL QASAS (The Narrations).

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

¹ Ta. Sin. Mim.

² These are verses of Al-Kitab that makes clear.

³ We rehearse to these some of the story of Musa and Firaun in truth, for people who believe.

⁴ Truly Firaun elated himself in the land and broke up its people into sections, depressing a small group among them: their sons he slew, but he kept alive their females: for he was indeed a maker of mischief.

⁵ And we wished to be gracious to those who were being depressed in the land, to make them leaders and make them heirs,

⁶ To establish a firm place for them in the land, and to slow Firaun, Haman, and their hosts, at their hands, the very things against which they were taking precautions.

⁷ So we sent this inspiration to the mother of Musa: "Nurse your child, but when you have fears about him, cast him into the river, but fear not nor grieve: for we shall restore him to you, and we shall make him one of our messengers."

⁸ Then the people of Firaun picked him up from the river: it was intended that Musa should be to them an adversary and a cause of sorrow: for Firaun and Haman and all their hosts were men of sin.

⁹ The wife of Firaun said: Here is a joy of the eye, for me and for you: slay him not. It may be that he will be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a soon. And they were doing!

¹⁰ But there came to be a void in the heart of the mother of Musa: She was going almost to disclose his case, had we not strengthened her heart, so that she might remain a believer.

¹¹ And she said to the sister of Musa, Follow him. So she watched him in the character of a stranger. And they knew not.

¹² And we ordained that he refused suck at first, until his sister came up and said: Shall I point out to you the people of a house that will nourish and bring him up for you and be sincerely attached to him?

¹³ Thus did we restore him to his mother, that her eye might be comforted, that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true: but most of them do not understand.

¹⁴ When he reached full age, and was firmly established in life, we bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge: for thus do we reward those who do good.

¹⁵ And he entered the city at a time when its people were not watching: and he found there two men fighting, one of his own religion, and the other, of his foes. Now the man of his own religion appealed to him against his face, and Musa struck him with his fist and made an end of him. He said: This is a work of Iblis: for he is an enemy that clearly misleads!

¹⁶ He prayed: O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul! Forgive me! So Allah forgave him: for he is the oft-Forgiving, most merciful.

¹⁷ He said: O my Lord! For that you have bestowed your grace on me, never shall I be a help to those who sin!

¹⁸ So he saw the morning in the city, looking about, in a state of fear, when behold, the man who had, the day before, sought his help called about for his help again. Musa said to him: you are truly, it is clear, a quarrelsome fellow!

¹⁹ Then, when he decided to lay hold of the man who was an enemy to both of them, that man said: O Musa! Is it your intention to slay me as you slew a man yesterday? Your intention is none other than to become a powerful violent man in the land, and not to be one who sets things right!

²⁰ And there came a man, running, from the furthest end of the city. He said: O Musa! The chiefs are taking counsel together about you, to slay you: So get away, for I do give you sincere advice.

²¹ He therefore got away therefrom, looking about, in a state of fear. He prayed: O my Lord! Save me from people given to wrong doing.

²² Then, when he turned his face towards the land of Madyan, he said: I do hope that my Lord will show me the smooth and straight path.

²³ And when he arrived at the watering place in Madyan, he found there a group of men watering their flocks, and besides them he found two women who were keeping back their flocks. He said: What is the matter with you? They said: We can not water our flocks until the shepherds take back their flocks and our father is a very old man.

²⁴ So he watered their flocks for them; then he turned back to the shade, and said: O my Lord! Truly am I in need of any good that you send me!

²⁵ Afterwards one of the damsels came back to him, walking bashfully. She said: My father invites you that he may reward you for having watered our flocks for us. So when he came to him and narrated the story, he said: Fear not: you have escaped from unjust people.

²⁶ One of the damsels said: O my father! Engage him on wages: truly the best of men for you to employ is the man who is strong and trusty.

²⁷ He said: I intend to wed one of these my daughters to you, on condition that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten years, it will be grace from you. But I intend not to place you under a difficulty: you will find me truly one of the righteous, Insha Allah.

²⁸ He said: Let this be the agreement between me and you: whichever of the two terms I fulfil, let there be no ill will to me. Allah be witness to what we say.

²⁹ Now when Musa had fulfilled the term, and was travelling with his family, he perceived a fire in the direction of Mount Tur. He said to his family: Wait, I perceive a fire; I hope to bring you from there some information, or a burning firebrand, that you may warm yourselves.

³⁰ But when he came to the fire, a voice was heard from the right bank of the valley, from a tree in hallowed ground: O Musa! Truly I am Allah, the Lord of the universe.

³¹ Now throw down your rod! But when he saw it moving as if it had been a snake, he turned back in retreat, and retraced not his steps: "O Musa! Draw near, and fear not: for you are of those who secure.

³² Move your hand into your bosom, and it will come forth white without stain, and draw your hand close to your side to guard against fear. Those are the two credentials from your Lord to Firaun and his chiefs: for truly they are a people rebellious and wicked."

³³ He said: O my Lord! I have slain a man among them, and I fear lest they slay me.

³⁴ And my brother Harun is more eloquent in speech than I: so send him with me as a helper, to confirm me: For I fear that they may accuse me of falsehood.

³⁵ He said: We will certainly strengthen your arm through your brother, and invest you both with authority, so they shall not be able to touch you: with our signs shall you triumph, you two as well as those who follow you.

³⁶ When Musa came to them with our clear signs, they said: This is nothing but sorcery faked up: never did we hear the like among our fathers of old!

³⁷ Musa said: My Lord knows best who it is that comes with guidance from him and whose end will be best in the hereafter: certain it is that the wrongdoers will not prosper.

³⁸ Firaun said: O chiefs! No god do I know for you but myself: therefore, O Haman! Light me a kiln to bake bricks out of clay, and build me a lofty palace, that I may mount up to the god of Musa: but as far as I am concerned, I think Musa is a liar!

³⁹ And he was arrogant and insolent in the land, beyond reason, he and his hosts: they thought that they would not have to return to us!

⁴⁰ So we seized him and his hosts, and we flung them into the sea: now behold what was the end of those who did wrong!

⁴¹ And we made them but leaders inviting to the fire; and on the day of judgment no help shall they find.

⁴² In this world we made a curse to follow them. On the day of judgment they will be among the loathed.

⁴³ We revealed Al-Kitab to Musa after we had destroyed the earlier generations, to give insight to men, and guidance and mercy, that they might receive admonition.

⁴⁴ You were not on the western side when we decreed the commission to Musa, nor were you a witness of those events.

⁴⁵ But we raised up new generations, and long were the ages that passed over them; but you were not a dweller among the people of Madyan, rehearsing our signs to them; but it is we who send messengers.

⁴⁶ Nor were you at the side of the mountain of Tur when we called to Musa. Yet you are sent as a mercy from your Lord, to give warning to a people to whom no warner had come before you: in order that they may receive admonition.

⁴⁷ If we had not sent you to the Quraysh, in case a calamity should seize them for the deeds that their hands have sent forth, they might say: "Our Lord! Why did you not send us a messenger? We should then have followed the signs and been among those who believe!"

⁴⁸ But when the truth has come to them from ourselves, they say, Why are not signs sent to him, like those which were sent to Musa? Do they not then reject the signs which were formerly sent to Musa? They say: Two kinds of sorcery, each assisting the other! And they say: for us, we reject all such things!

⁴⁹ Say: Then bring a book from Allah, which is a better guide than either of them, that I may follow it! Do it, if you are truthful!

⁵⁰ But if they listen not to you, know that they only follow their own lusts: and who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts: and who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance from Allah? For Allah guides not people given to wrong doing.

⁵¹ Now have we caused the word to reach them in order that they may receive admonition.

⁵² Those to whom we sent Al-Kitab before it, they believe in it;

⁵³ And when it is recited to them, they say: We believe in it, for it is the truth from our Lord: indeed we submitted to Allah before this.

⁵⁴ Twice will they be given their reward, for that they have persevered, that they avert evil with good, and that they spend in charity out of what we have given them.

⁵⁵ And when they hear vain talk, they turn away therefrom and say: To us our deeds, and to you yours, peace be to you: we seek not the ignorant.

⁵⁶ It is true you will not be able to guide every one whom you love; but Allah guides those whom he will. And he knows best those who receive guidance.

⁵⁷ They say: If we were to follow the guidance with you, we should be snatched away from our land. Have we not established for them a secure sanctuary, to which are brought as tribute fruits of all kinds, a provision from ourselves? But most of them understand not.

⁵⁸ And how many populations we destroyed, which exulted in their life! Now those habitations of theirs, after them, are deserted, all but a few, and we are their heirs!

⁵⁹ Nor was your Lord the one to destroy a population until he had sent to its centre a messenger, rehearsing to them our signs; nor are we going to destroy a population except when its members practise iniquity.

⁶⁰ The things which you are given are but the conveniences of this life and the glitter there of but that which is with Allah is better and more enduring: will you not then be wise?

⁶¹ Are these two alike? One to whom we have made a goodly promise, and who is going to reach its fulfilment, and one to whom we have given the good things of this life, but who, on the day of judgment, is to be among those brought up for punishment?

⁶² That day Allah will call to them, and say: Where are my partners whom you imagined to be such?

⁶³ Those against whom the charge will be proved, will say: Our Lord! These are the ones whom we led astray: We led them astray, as we were astray ourselves: we free ourselves from them in your presence: it was not us they worshipped.

⁶⁴ It will be said: Call upon your partners. They will call upon them, but they will not listen to them; and they will see the penalty before them; if only they had been open to guidance!

⁶⁵ That day Allah will call to them, and say: "What was the answer you gave to the messengers?"

⁶⁶ Then the story that day will seem obscure to them and they will not be able to question each other.

⁶⁷ But any that had repented, believed, and worked righteousness, will have hopes to be among those who achieve salvation.

⁶⁸ Your Lord does create and choose as he pleases: no choice have they: Glory to Allah! Far is he above the partners they ascribe to him!

⁶⁹ And your Lord knows all that their hearts conceal and all that they reveal.

⁷⁰ And he is Allah: there is no god but he. To him be praise, at the first and at the last: For him is the command, and to him shall you all be brought back.

⁷¹ Say: Do you see? If Allah were to make the night perpetual over you to the day of judgment, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you enlightenment? Will you not then listen?

⁷² Say: Do you see? If Allah were to make the day perpetual over you to the day of judgment, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you a night in which you can rest? Will you not then see?

⁷³ It is out of his mercy that he has made for you night and day, that you may rest therein, and that you may seek of his grace and in order that you may be grateful.

⁷⁴ The day that he will call on them, he will say: Where are my partners whom you imagined to be such?

⁷⁵ And from each people shall we draw a witness, and we shall say: Produce your proof: then shall they know that the truth is in Allah alone, and the lies which they invented will leave them in the lurch.

⁷⁶ Qarun was doubtless, of the people of Musa; but he acted insolently towards them: such were the treasures we had bestowed on him, that their very keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men. Behold, his people said to him: Exult not, for Allah loves not those who exult.

⁷⁷ But seek, with that which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the hereafter, nor forget your portion in this world: but do you good, as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land: For Allah loves not those who do mischief.

⁷⁸ He said: This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge which I have. Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations which were superior to him in strength and greater in the amount of riches they had collected? But the wicked are not called to account for their sins.

⁷⁹ So he went forth among his people in the pride of his worldly glitter. Said those whose aim is the life of this world: Oh, that we had the like of what Qarun has got! For he is truly a Lord of mighty good fortune!

⁸⁰ But those who had been granted knowledge said: Alas for you! The reward of Allah is best for those who believe and work righteousness: but this none shall attain, except those who steadfastly persevere in good.

⁸¹ Then we caused the earth to swallow up him and his house; and he had no party to help him against Allah, nor could he defend himself.

⁸² And those who had envied his position the day before began to say on the morrow: Ah! It is indeed Allah who enlarges the provision or restricts it, to any of his servants he pleases! Had it not been that Allah was gracious to us, he could have caused the earth to swallow us up! Ah! Those who reject Allah will assuredly never prosper.

⁸³ That home of the hereafter we shall give to those who intend not high handedness or mischief on earth: and the end is for the righteous.

⁸⁴ If any does good, the reward to him is better than his deed; but if any does evil, the doers of evil are only punished for their deeds.

⁸⁵ Truly he who ordained the Quran for you, will bring you back to the place of return. Say: My Lord knows best who it is that brings true guidance, and who is in clear error.

⁸⁶ And you had not expected that Al-Kitab would be sent to you except as a mercy from your Lord: therefore lend not support in any way to those who reject.

⁸⁷ And let nothing keep you back from the signs of Allah after they have been revealed to you: and invite men to your Lord, and be not of the company of those who join gods with Allah.

⁸⁸ And call not, besides Allah, on another god. There is no god but he. Everything that exists will perish except his own face. To him belongs the command, and to him will you be brought back.

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