Surah The Story [Al-Qasas] in English

Ta Sin Mim.

These are verses from the Book that makes things clear.

We shall narrate to you some of the story of Moses and Pharaoh, with truth, for people who would believe.

Pharaoh behaved arrogantly in the land, and divided the people into groups, seeking to weaken one section, slaying their sons and sparing their daughters, he was one of those who spread corruption,

We wished to favour those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders and make them inheritors [of Our bounties],

and to give them power in the land; and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts that very thing which they feared.

We inspired Moses' mother saying, \"Suckle him, and then, when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and have no fear and do not grieve, for We shall return him to you, and shall make him one of the Messengers.\"

Then Pharaoh's household picked him up -- later to become for them an enemy and a source of grief for them: Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were wrongdoers --

and Pharaoh's wife said, \"He will be a joy to the eye for me and you! Do not slay him: he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son.\" They did not realize what they were doing.

Moses' mother's heart was full of anxiety -- she would have disclosed his identity had We not strengthened her heart so that she might be a firm believer [in Our promise].

She said to Moses' sister, \"Go, and follow him.\" So she watched him from a distance, like a stranger, without anyone noticing her.

We had already made him refuse all wet nurses. So his sister said to them, \"Shall I tell you of a family who will bring him up for you and take good care of him?\"

Thus We restored him to his mother, so that she might be comforted and not grieve any more, and so that she would know that God's promise was true. But most of them do not realize this.

When Moses reached full manhood and maturity, We bestowed upon him wisdom and knowledge: this is how We reward those who do good.

He entered the city unnoticed by its people, and there he encountered two men fighting with one another -- one of his own people and the other one of his enemies. The one who belonged to his own people cried out to him for help against his foe -- whereupon Moses struck him down with his fist, thereby causing his death. Moses said, \"This is Satan's doing; he is an open foe, leading man astray.\"

He prayed, \"Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned against my soul.\" God forgave him; for He is the Forgiving One, the Merciful.

He said, \"My Lord, because of the favour that You have shown me, I vow that I will never be a helper of the guilty.\"

The next morning, when he was walking in the city, apprehensive, and watchful, and the man who had sought his help the day before cried out to him again for help. Moses said to him, \"You are clearly a misguided man.\"

When he wanted to catch the one who was an enemy to them both, the man said, \"Moses, do you want to kill me just as you killed a man yesterday? You only want to become a tyrant in the land; you do not want to set things right.\"

A man came running from the far side of the city, and said, \"Moses, the authorities are conspiring to kill you, so leave the city. I am one of your well-wishers.\"

So Moses departed from the city, fearful and vigilant, and prayed, \"My Lord, save me from these unjust people.\"

When he made his way towards Midian, he said, \"I am sure, my Lord will guide me to the right way.\"

And when he arrived at the well of Midian, he found around it a group of men watering their flocks, and he saw two women standing apart from them, who were holding back their flocks, so he asked, \"What is the matter with you?\" They replied, \"We cannot draw water until the shepherds take away their sheep. Our father is a very old man.\"

So Moses watered their flocks for them; and returned into the shade and prayed, \"Lord, I am truly in need of whatever blessing You may send down for me,\"

and then one of the two women came walking shyly up to him and said, \"My father is asking you to come so that he may reward you for watering our flocks for us.\" When Moses came to their father and gave him an account of himself, he said: \"Don't be afraid! You have escaped from those wrongdoing people.\"

One of the girls said, \"Father, hire him! For the best man to hire is someone strong and trustworthy.\"

The father said, \"I would like to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine on the condition that you stay eight years in my service. But if you wish it, you may stay ten. I do not want to impose any hardship on you. God willing, you will find me a fair person.\"

Moses said, \"That is agreed between me and you; whichever of the two terms I fulfil, there will be no blame on me. God is witness to what we say.\"

When Moses completed the term and set out with his family, he noticed a fire in the direction of Mount Tur. He said to his family: \"Stay here, I can see a fire. Perhaps I can bring you news, or a burning brand from the fire with which you may warm yourself.\"

And when he came to it, he was called by a voice from a bush in a blessed spot, on the right side of the valley: \"O Moses, I am God, Lord of the Universe.

Throw down your staff.\" And when he saw it move as though it were a serpent, he turned his back and fled, and did not look back. \"O Moses,\" said the voice, \"come forward and have no fear; you are quite safe.

Put your hand into your bosom; it will come out [shining] white, without blemish; now draw your arm close to your body to calm your fears. These are two credentials from your Lord for Pharaoh and his nobles. Surely, they are a rebellious people.\"

Moses said, \"My Lord, I have killed one of their people and fear that they may kill me.

My brother Aaron is more eloquent than I am. Send him with me to support me and back me up. For I fear that they will reject me.\"

God said: \"We shall strengthen your arm through your brother, We shall give you both power, so that they shall not be able to harm you. Set forth with Our signs. You, and those who follow you, will surely prevail.\"

When Moses came to them with Our clear signs, they said, \"This is nothing but contrived magic. We never heard of this among our forefathers.\"

And Moses replied, \"My Lord knows best who comes with guidance from Him and who will attain the heavenly abode in the hereafter. The wrongdoers shall never prosper.\"

Pharaoh said, \"O nobles, I know of no god for you other than myself. So, Haman, burn me bricks of clay, and build me a high tower, so that I may have a look at the God of Moses, though I consider him to be one of the liars.\"

He and his hosts behaved arrogantly in the land without any justification, thinking that they would not be recalled to Us,

so We seized him and his hosts and cast them into the sea. Consider the fate of the wrongdoers.

We had made them leaders, but they called people to the Fire; and on the Day of Judgement they will not be helped.

We have caused a curse to follow them in this world and, on the Day of Judgement, they will be among the wretched.

After We had destroyed the earlier generations, We gave Moses the Book to give men insight, and as guidance and a blessing for people, so that they might take heed.

You were not present on the western side of the Mount when We gave Our Command to Moses: nor were you among the witnesses,

We brought into being many generations who lived long lives, nor did you live among the people of Midian and recite our revelations to them, it is We who send messengers,

you were not on the side of the Mount when We called out to Moses, but We have sent you as a mercy from your Lord, so that you may warn people to whom no warner has been sent before you, so that they may take heed,

and may not say, if an affliction should befall them on account of their misdeeds: \"Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we might have followed Your message and become believers.\"

But when the truth came to them from Us, they said, \"Why has he not been given the like of what Moses was given?\" But did they not reject what Moses was given before? They said, \"Both [Moses and Muhammad] are kinds of sorcery, each assisting the other.\" And they add, \"We reject both of them.\"

Say to them, \"Bring down from God a scripture that is a better guide than these two and I will follow it, if what you say be true.\"

If they do not respond to you, then know that they follow only their own desires. Who could be more astray than he who follows his own likes and dislikes with no guidance from God? God does not guide the evil-doers.

We have conveyed Our Word to them, in succession, so that they may give heed.

Those to whom We gave the Book before this believe in it [the Quran],

and, when it is recited to them, they say, \"We believe in it. Indeed it is the truth from our Lord. Even before it came, we had submitted ourselves.\"

Such people as these will receive a double reward, because they are steadfast and repel evil with good, and give alms out of what We have given them,

and when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it and say, \"We have our actions and you have yours. We wish you peace. We will have nothing to do with the ignorant.\"

You cannot guide whoever you please: it is God who guides whom He will. He best knows those who would accept guidance.

They say, \"If we were to follow your guidance, we should be uprooted from our land.\" But have We not established for them a safe haven to which fruits of every kind are brought as a provision from Ourself? But most of them have no knowledge.

How many townships have We destroyed where the people had become arrogant on account of their affluence? Since then their dwelling-places have scarcely been inhabited -- We became their inheritors.

Your Lord would never destroy a people until He had sent messengers to their capital cities, reciting to them Our revelations. Nor did We destroy a town unless their people became wrongdoers.

Whatever you are given in this life is nothing but a temporary provision of this life and its glitter; what God has is better and more lasting. Will you not then understand?

Can someone to whom We have made a gracious promise and who will see it fulfilled, be compared to someone We have allowed to enjoy a worldly life, awhile, and who will be brought up [before God] for his accounting on the Day of Resurrection?

On that Day He will call to them, and say, \"Where are those whom you claimed to be My partners?\"

And those on whom sentence has been passed, will say, \"Our Lord, these are the ones who led us astray. We led them astray as we ourselves were led astray. We now dissociate ourselves from them before You; it was not us that they worshipped.\"

Then they will be told, \"Call upon your partners.\" And they will call upon them, but will receive no answer. They shall witness the punishment. If only they had allowed themselves to be guided.

On that Day God will call out to them, saying, \"What answer did you give to Our messengers?\"

They will be left speechless on that Day, and they will not be able to consult each other.

But as for him who repents and believes and does good deeds, he can hope to find himself among the successful.

Your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses whomsoever He pleases. They have no choice. Praise be to God -- exalted is He over anything they may associate with Him!

Your Lord knows what they conceal in their hearts and what they disclose.

He is God: there is no god but Him. All Praise is due to Him in this world and the hereafter. His is the Judgement and to Him you shall be returned.

Ask them, \"Tell me, if God were to extend perpetual night over you till the Day of Judgement, is there any deity other than God that could bring you light? Will you not listen?\"

Say, \"Tell me, if God were to extend perpetual day over you till the Day of Judgement -- is there any deity other than God that could bring you night, in which to rest? Will you not then see?\"

In His mercy He has made for you the night and the day, during which you may rest, and seek His bounty and be grateful.

And on the Day He shall call out to them and say, \"Where are those whom you alleged were My partners.\"

And We shall bring forth from every people a witness and We shall say to them: \"Bring your proof.\" Then they will know that truth belongs to God alone, and that which they used to invent will fall away from them.

Korah was one of Moses' people, but he behaved arrogantly towards them. We had given him such treasures that their very keys would have weighed down a band of strong men. His people said to him, \"Do not exult in your riches, for God does not love the exultant.

But seek the Home of the Hereafter by means of that which God has bestowed on you; do not forget to take your portion [of the Hereafter] in this world.\" Be good to others as God has been good to you and do not strive for evil in the land, for God does not love the evil-doers.\"

But he said, \"I have been given it only because of the knowledge I possess.\" Did he not know that God had destroyed before him people who were stronger than he and possessed even greater resources? The guilty are not required to offer explanations of their sins.

Then he went forth before his people in all his pomp. Those who were eager for the life of this world said, \"If only we had the like of Korah's fortune! He really is a very fortunate man,\"

but those who had been given knowledge said, \"Woe to you, God's reward is better for those who believe and do good deeds: and it is awarded only to those who are steadfast.\"

Then We caused the earth to swallow up him and his home: there was no one to help him against God, nor could he defend himself.

Those who had coveted his position the day before now began to say, \"Ah! It is indeed God alone who gives abundantly to whom He will and sparingly to whom He pleases. Had not God been gracious to us, He would have caused us to be swallowed up also.\" Alas indeed! Those who deny the truth will never prosper.

As for the abode of the Hereafter, We shall assign it to those who seek neither self-aggrandisement on the earth nor corruption. The righteous shall have a blessed end.

He who does good shall be rewarded with something better. But he who does evil shall be requited according to his deeds.

He who has entrusted you with the responsibility of the Quran, will surely lead you to a successful end. Say, \"My Lord knows best who is rightly guided and who is in gross error.\"

You never expected that this Book would be revealed to you. Yet, by the grace of your Lord, you have received it. So do not support those who reject the truth.

And let no one divert you from God's revelations, once they have been sent down to you. Call people to your Lord. Never be of those who ascribe partners to God.