سورة Al-Qasas ( The Stories )

Ta. Sin. Mim.

These are the verses of the illustrious Book.

We recite to you some of the story of Moses and the Pharaoh for a genuine purpose, and for the benefit of the believing people.

The Pharaoh dominated the land and divided its inhabitants into different groups, suppressing one group by killing their sons and keeping their women alive. He was certainly an evil-doer.

But We have decided to grant a favor to the suppressed ones by appointing them leaders and heirs of the land,

give them power in the land and make the Pharaoh, Haman (his Minister), and their armies to experience from their victims what they feared most.

We inspired Moses' mother saying, \"Breast-feed your son. When you become afraid for his life, throw him into the sea. Do not be afraid or grieved for We shall return him to you and make him a Messenger.\"

The people of the Pharaoh picked him up (without realizing) that he would become their enemy and a source of their sorrow. The Pharaoh, Haman, and their army were sinful people.

The Pharaoh's wife said, \"He, (Moses), is the delight of our eyes. Do not kill him. Perhaps he will benefit us or we may adopt him.\" They were unaware of the future.

The heart of Moses' mother was relieved and confident. But she would almost have made the whole matter public had We not strengthened her heart with faith.

She told Moses' sister to follow her brother. His sister watched him from one side and the people of the Pharaoh did not notice her presence.

We had decreed that the infant must not be breast-fed by any nurse besides his mother. His sister said to the people of the Pharaoh, \"May I show you a family who can nurse him for you with kindness?\"

Thus did We return Moses to his mother that We would delight her eyes, relieve her sorrows, and let her know that the promise of God was true, but many people do not know.

When he become matured and grow to manhood, We granted him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the righteous ones.

He entered the city without the knowledge of its inhabitants and found two men fighting each other. One was his follower and the other his enemy. His follower asked him for help. Moses struck his enemy to death, but later said, \"It was the work of satan; he is the sworn enemy of the human being and wants to mislead him\".

(Moses) said, \"Lord, I have wronged myself. Forgive me!\" The Lord forgave him; He is All-forgiving and All-merciful.

He said, \"Lord, in appreciation for Your favor to me I shall never support the criminals\".

He remained in the city but very afraid and cautious. Suddenly the person who asked him for help the previous day asked him for help again. Moses said, \"You are certainly a mischievous person\".

When Moses was about to attack their enemy, he said, \"Moses, do you want to kill me as you slew a soul the other day? Do you want to become a tyrant in the land, not a reformer?\"

A man came running from the farthest part of the city saying, \"Moses, people are planning to kill you. I sincerely advise you to leave the city.

So he left the city afraid and cautious, saying, \"Lord, protect me against the unjust people\".

When he started his journey to Midian he said, \"Perhaps my Lord will show me the right path.\"

When he arrived at the well of Midian, he found some people watering (their sheep) and two women keeping the sheep away from the others. He asked the two women, \"What is the matter with you?\" They replied, \"We cannot water our sheep until all the shepherds have driven away their flocks. Our father is an old man\".

Moses watered their flocks and then sought shelter under a shadow praying, \"Lord, I need the means to preserve (the power) that You have granted me.\"

One of the women, walking bashfully, came to Moses and said, \"My father calls you and wants to pay you for your watering our flocks.\" When Moses came to the woman's father and told him his whole story, he said, \"Do not be afraid. Now you are secure from the unjust people.\"

One of the women said to her father, \"Father, hire him; the best whom you may hire is a strong and trustworthy one.\"

He (Shu'ayb) said to (Moses), \"I want to give one of my daughters to you in marriage on the condition that you will work for me for eight years, but you may continue for two more years only out of your own accord. I do not want it to become a burden for you. God willing, you will find me a righteous person\".

(Moses) said, \"Let it be a binding contract between us and I shall be free to serve for any of the said terms. God will bear witness to our agreement.\"

When Moses completed the term of the contract and departed from his employer with his family, he saw a fire (on his way) on one side of the Mount (Sinai). He asked his wife, \"Stay here. I can see some fire. Perhaps I will be able to bring some news of it or some fire for you to warm-up yourselves.\"

He was called from a tree of the blessed spot of the bank of the right side of the valley when he appraoched it, \"Moses, I am God, the Lord of the Universe.

Throw down your staff.\" When Moses saw his staff moving on the ground like a living being he fled with no desire to step forward. He was told, \"Moses, step forward. Do not be afraid; you will be safe and secure.

Place your hand in your pocket; it will come out sheer white but not sick. Be humble for fear of God and show these two miracles of your Lord to the Pharaoh and his officials; they are an evil-doing people.\"

(Moses) said, \"Lord, I have killed a man from their people and I am afraid that they will kill me.

My brother Aaron is more fluent then I am. Send him with me to assist me and express my truthfulness; I am afraid they will reject me\".

The Lord said, \"We will support you by your brother and will grant you such prestige that no one will dare to approach anyone of you. By the help of Our miracles both you and your follower will certainly triumph.\"

When Moses came to them with Our miracles, they said, \"These are only invented magic. We have never heard of such things from our fathers\".

Moses said, \"My Lord knows best who has received guidance from Him and who will achieve a happy end. The unjust ones certainly will have no happiness.\"

The Pharaoh said, \"My people, I know no one who could be your lord besides myself. Haman, construct for me a tower of baked bricks so that I may climb on it and see the God of Moses; I think he is a liar.\"

The Pharaoh and his army were puffed-up with pride in the land for no true cause. They thought that they would never return to Us.

We sized him and his army and threw them into the sea. See how terrible was the end of the unjust people!

We made them the kinds of leaders who would invite people to the fire and who would receive no help on the Day of Judgment.

We made them to be mentioned with condemnation in this life and they will be disgraced on the Day of Judgment.

After destroying the people of the ancient towns We gave the Book to Moses to be a source of knowledge, a guidance, and mercy for mankind so that perhaps they would take heed.

(Muhammad), you were not present at the west bank to witness when We gave the commandments to Moses.

But We raised many generations after Moses and they lived for many years. You did not dwell with the people of Midian reciting Our revelations to them, but We had certainly sent Messengers to them.

You had not been present at the side of the Mount (Sinai) when We called Moses (from the tree), but through Our mercy we told you his story so that you might warn the people

to whom no warner had been sent that perhaps they might take heed, and that, on experiencing afflictions because of their own deeds, they may not say, \"Lord, would that You had sent to us a Messenger so that we could follow Your revelations and become believers\".

When the Truth from Us came to them they said, \"Would that he, (Muhammad), had received what was given to Moses (by his Lord).\" Did not they reject what Moses had brought to them saying, \"These two, Moses and Aaron, are two magicians who support each other. We do not have any faith in them.\"

(Muhammad), tell them, \"Bring a Book if you are able to, from God better in its guidance than the Torah and the Quran; I shall follow it\".

If they cannot meet such a challenge, know that they are only following their (evil) desires. Who strays more than one who follows his desires without guidance from God? God does not guide the unjust people.

We sent Our guidance to them so that perhaps they might take heed.

(Some of) the followers of the Bible believe in the Quran.

When it is recited to them, they say, \"We believe in it. It is the Truth from our Lord. We were Muslims before it was revealed\".

These will receive double reward for their forbearance, replacing evil by virtue, and for their spending for the cause of God.

When they hear impious words, they ignore them, saying, \"We shall be responsible for our deeds and you will be responsible for yours. Peace be with you. We do not want to become ignorant.\"

(Muhammad), you cannot guide whomever you love, but God guides whomever He wants and knows best those who seek guidance.

They, (the pagans), say, \"If we were to follow your guidance we would be snatched away from our land. Have We not given them the secure, holy precinct wherein all types of fruits are brought to them as a sustenance from Us? However, many of them do not know it.

How many nations, who had enjoyed great prosperity, had We destroyed? Those are their homes which were not inhabited thereafter except for a short time. Only We were their heirs.

Your Lord did not destroy the people of the towns without first sending a Messenger to the mother town who would recite His revelations to them. We did not want to destroy the towns if the people therein were not unjust.

Whatever you (people) have been given are only the means for enjoyment and beauty of the worldly life, but the means of enjoyment (which you will receive from God) in the life to come will be better and everlasting. Will you then not take heed?

Is the case of those to whom We have promised good things - which they will certainly receive in the life to come - equal to the case of those to whom We have granted the means of enjoyment in the worldly life and who will certainly be questioned about them in the life to come?

On the day when He will ask (the latter group), \"Where are those whom you had considered equal to Me?\"

Those who have become subject to punishment will say, \"Lord, they seduced us.\" Their idols will say, \"We seduced them but we renounce their worshipping us for it was not us whom they worshipped\".

They will be told to call their idols. They will call them but will receive no answer. They will see the torment approaching and wish that they had sought guidance.

On the day when God will call them and ask them, \"What answer did you give to (Our) messengers?\"

The door to all answers will be closed to them and they will not even be able to ask one another.

However, those who have repented and have become righteously striving believers will perhaps have everlasting happiness.

Your Lord creates and chooses (to grant mercy) to whomever He wants. (In matters of guidance) they (unbelievers) do not have the choice to choose whatever they want. God is too exalted to be considered equal to anything else.

Your Lord knows all that their hearts hide or reveal.

He is the only God and it is only He who deserves to be given thanks in this world and in the life to come. Judgment is in His hands and to Him you will all return.

(Muhammad), ask them, \"Think, if God were to cause the night to continue until the Day of Judgment which Lord besides Him could bring you light? Will you then not listen to (His revelations)?\"

Say, \"Do you not think that if God were to cause the day to continue until the Day of Judgment, which Lord besides Him could bring you the night to rest. Do you not see (His signs)?\"

He has made the night and day for you to rest as a mercy to you and seek His favor and that perhaps you will give Him thanks.

God will call the unbelievers on the Day of Judgment and ask them, \"Where are your idols in which you had faith?

We shall call from every nation a witness and shall ask them to bring proof (in support of their belief). They will know that truth belongs to God and that whatever they had falsely invented has abandoned them.

Korah was a man from the people of Moses. This man rebelled against them. We had given him so much treasure that the keys of the stores of his treasures could hardly even be carried by a group of strong people. His people told him, \"Do not be proud of your wealth; God does not love those who are proudly happy of their wealth.

Seek the gains of the life to come through your wealth without ignoring your share of this life. Do favors to others just as God has done favors to you. Do not commit evil in the land for God does not love the evil-doers.\"

He said, \"I have received this wealth because of my knowledge.\" Did he not know that God had destroyed many generations that lived before him who were stronger than him in power and people? (There will be no need) to ask the criminals what sins they have committed, (for the angels already know them)

Korah would bedeck himself to show off his wealth. Those who wanted worldly gains would say, \"Would that we were given that which Korah has received. He has certainly received a great share.\"

The people who had received knowledge would tell them, \"Woe to you! The reward of God is far better for the righteously striving believers. No one can receive such reward except those who exercise patience.\"

We caused the earth to swallow up him and his home. No one besides God could help him nor could he himself achieve victory.

The people who the other day had wished to be like him, began saying, \"Woe to us! God gives abundant wealth only to those of His servants whom He wants and He determines everyone's share. Had it not been for God's favor to us, He would have caused the earth to swallow us up. Woe to the unbelievers who will have no happiness.\"

There is the life hereafter which We have prepared for those who do not want to impose their superiority over the others in the land nor commit evil therein. The happy end certainly belongs to the pious ones.

The reward for a good deed will be greater than the deed itself and the recompense for an evil deed will be equivalent to the deed.

(Muhammad), God, Who has commanded you to follow the guidance of the Quran, will certainly return you victoriously to your place of birth. Say, \"My Lord knows best who has brought guidance and who is in plain error.\"

You had no hope of receiving the Book except by the mercy of your Lord. Do not be a supporter of the unbelievers.

Let them not prevent you from following the revelations of God after they are revealed to you. Call (mankind) to your Lord and do not be a pagan.

Do not worship anything besides God. He is the only God. Everything will be destroyed except God. To Him belongs Judgment and to Him you will all return.