28:1-441 Ta. Sin. Mim.
Trivia:
Surah 28
THE STORY (Al-Qasas)
Ta. Sin. Mim.
2 These are revelations of the Scripture that maketh plain.
This is scripture made plain.
3 We narrate unto thee (somewhat) of the story of Moses and Pharaoh with truth, for folk who believe.
Here's the story of Moses and the Pharaoh.
4 Lo! Pharaoh exalted himself in the earth and made its people castes. A tribe among them he oppressed, killing their sons and sparing their women. Lo! he was of those who work corruption.
5 And We desired to show favour unto those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them examples and to make them the inheritors,
6 And to establish them in the earth, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts that which they feared from them.
The Pharaoh oppressed a tribe by killing their sons.
7 And We inspired the mother of Moses, saying: Suckle him and, when thou fearest for him, then cast him into the river and fear not nor grieve. Lo! We shall bring him back unto thee and shall make him (one) of Our messengers.
8 And the family of Pharaoh took him up, that he might become for them an enemy and a sorrow, Lo! Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were ever sinning.
We [Allah] inspired Moses's mother, saying,
Throw him in the river.
We'll bring him back to you later.
And Pharaoh's family found him and took him in.
9 And the wife of Pharaoh said: (He will be) a consolation for me and for thee. Kill him not. Peradventure he may be of use to us, or we may choose him for a son. And they perceived not.
10 And the heart of the mother of Moses became void, and she would have betrayed him if We had not fortified her heart, that she might be of the believers.
11 And she said unto his sister: Trace him. So she observed him from afar, and they perceived not.
12 And We had before forbidden foster-mothers for him, so she said: Shall I show you a household who will rear him for you and take care of him?
Pharaoh's wife said to the Pharaoh,
Don't kill him.
13 So We restored him to his mother that she might be comforted and not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true. But most of them know not.
14 And when he reached his full strength and was ripe, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the good.
Sometime later, we returned Moses to his mother.
15 And he entered the city at a time of carelessness of its folk, and he found therein two men fighting, one of his own caste, and the other of his enemies; and he who was of his caste asked him for help against him who was of his enemies. So Moses struck him with his fist and killed him. He said: This is of the devil's doing. Lo! he is an enemy, a mere misleader.
16 He said: My Lord! Lo! I have wronged my soul, so forgive me. Then He forgave him. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
17 He said: My Lord! Forasmuch as Thou hast favoured me, I will nevermore be a supporter of the guilty.
One day when Moses was a young man, he saw two men fighting, one of which was from his tribe.
He killed the other man, and said,
The devil did this.
18 And morning found him in the city, fearing, vigilant, when behold! he who had appealed to him the day before cried out to him for help. Moses said unto him: Lo! thou art indeed a mere hothead.
The next morning the man from his tribe that was fighting the day before asked Moses for help.
Moses said to him, "Lo! You are indeed a mere hothead!"
19 And when he would have fallen upon the man who was an enemy unto them both, he said: O Moses! Wouldst thou kill me as thou didst kill a person yesterday. Thou wouldst be nothing but a tyrant in the land, thou wouldst not be of the reformers.
Another man, who was an enemy to them both, said to Moses, "Are you going to kill me like you did the other man yesterday?"
20 And a man came from the uttermost part of the city, running. He said: O Moses! Lo! the chiefs take counsel against thee to slay thee; therefor escape. Lo! I am of those who give thee good advice.
Another man came running, and said, "Hey Moses, you better run away because they're coming to kill you."
21 So he escaped from thence, fearing, vigilant. He said: My Lord! Deliver me from the wrongdoing folk.
22 And when he turned his face toward Midian, he said: Peradventure my Lord will guide me in the right road.
So Moses ran away to Midian.
23 And when he came unto the water of Midian he found there a whole tribe of men, watering. And he found apart from them two women keeping back (their flocks). He said: What aileth you? The two said: We cannot give (our flocks) to drink till the shepherds return from the water; and our father is a very old man.
When he arrived in Midian, he saw two women at a well, who had an old father and a thirsty flock.
24 So he watered (their flock) for them. Then he turned aside into the shade, and said: My Lord! I am needy of whatever good Thou sendest down for me.
So Moses watered their flock.
25 Then there came unto him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said: Lo! my father biddeth thee, that he may reward thee with a payment for that thou didst water (the flock) for us. Then, when he came unto him and told him the (whole) story, he said: Fear not! Thou hast escaped from the wrongdoing folk.
One of the women said to Moses,
My father would like to reward you for helping us.
26 One of the two women said: O my father! Hire him! For the best (man) that thou canst hire in the strong, the trustworthy.
When they arrived at their father's house, the woman said,
This is the best man in the world. Hire him.
27 He said: Lo! I fain would marry thee to one of these two daughters of mine on condition that thou hirest thyself to me for (the term of) eight pilgrimages. Then if thou completest ten it will be of thine own accord, for I would not make it hard for thee. Allah willing, thou wilt find me of the righteous.
The father said,
I'll let you marry one of my daughters if you'll work for me for eight pilgrimages - or ten, if you want. [1]
28 He said: That (is settled) between thee and me. Whichever of the two terms I fulfil, there will be no injustice to me, and Allah is Surety over what we say.
Moses said, "OK. Whichever is fine with me."
29 Then, when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was travelling with his housefolk, he saw in the distance a fire and said unto his housefolk: Bide ye (here). Lo! I see in the distance a fire; peradventure I shall bring you tidings thence, or a brand from the fire that ye may warm yourselves.
When Moses completed the deal, he and his family left Midian.
As they were traveling, they saw a fire.
30 And when he reached it, he was called from the right side of the valley in the blessed field, from the tree: O Moses! Lo! I, even I, am Allah, the Lord of the Worlds;
31 Throw down thy staff. And when he saw it writhing as it had been a demon, he turned to flee headlong, (and it was said unto him): O Moses! Draw nigh and fear not. Lo! thou art of those who are secure.
Moses went to see the fire, and when he got there, Allah said,
Hi Moses, I'm Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Throw down your staff.
Moses did, and it became a writhing demon.
32 Thrust thy hand into the bosom of thy robe it will come forth white without hurt. And guard thy heart from fear. Then these shall be two proofs from your Lord unto Pharaoh and his chiefs. Lo! they are evil-living folk.
Allah said,
Put your hand in your robe and it will turn white.
Show these two proofs to the Pharaoh.
33 He said: My Lord! Lo! I killed a man among them and I fear that they will kill me.
34 My brother Aaron is more eloquent than me in speech. Therefor send him with me as a helper to confirm me. Lo! I fear that they will give the lie to me.
Moses said,
I've killed a man, and now they're trying to kill me.
My brother, Aaron, is a better speaker than I am. Send him.
35 He said: We will strengthen thine arm with thy brother, and We will give unto you both power so that they cannot reach you for Our portents. Ye twain, and those who follow you, will be the winners.
Allah said, "OK. You'll both go."
36 But when Moses came unto them with Our clear tokens, they said: This is naught but invented magic. We never heard of this among our fathers of old.
37 And Moses said: My Lord is Best Aware of him who bringeth guidance from His presence, and whose will be the sequel of the Home (of bliss). Lo! wrong-doers will not be successful.
When Moses showed them our clear tokens, they said,
This is just magic.
38 And Pharaoh said: O chiefs! I know not that ye have a god other than me, so kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake the mud; and set up for me a lofty tower in order that I may survey the God of Moses; and lo! I deem him of the liars.
39 And he and his hosts were haughty in the land without right, and deemed that they would never be brought back to Us.
The Pharaoh said to his chiefs,
Start a fire.
Haman, bake some mud and build a tower [2]
that I can stand on to see Moses's God.
40 Therefor We seized him and his hosts, and abandoned them unto the sea. Behold the nature of the consequence for evil-doers!
So we drowned them all. [3]
41 And We made them patterns that invite unto the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped.
42 And We made a curse to follow them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the hateful.
They are an example for others that we invite into the fire.
They won't be helped on resurrection day.
We made them a curse. They'll be among the hateful.
43 And We verily gave the Scripture unto Moses after We had destroyed the generations of old: clear testimonies for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that haply they might reflect.
We gave the scripture to Moses after we destroyed the old generations.
Hoepefully people will reflect on that.
Notes
- On condition that thou hirest thyself to me for (the term of) eight pilgrimages (v.27)
There's nothing in the Bible about Moses having to work for eight or ten years to marry Zipporah. Her father just gave her to him. (See Exodus 2:16-22)
Apparently, the Quran is confusing the story about Jacob and his wives (Genesis 29:1-35) with that of Moses.
- O Haman, to bake the mud; and set up for me a lofty tower v.38
No one knows who Haman is in the Quran, but he may be the Haman in the biblical book of Esther. It's as good a guess as any, I suppose.
- We seized him and his hosts, and abandoned them unto the sea. (v.40)