20. Ta Ha · verses 53–67

ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مَهۡدٗا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمۡ فِيهَا سُبُلٗا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزۡوَٰجٗا مِّن نَّبَاتٖ شَتَّىٰ

Allathee jaAAala lakumu alarda mahdan wasalaka lakum feeha subulan waanzala mina alssamai maan faakhrajna bihi azwajan min nabatin shatta

"He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky." With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others.

كُلُواْ وَٱرۡعَوۡاْ أَنۡعَٰمَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلنُّهَىٰ

Kuloo wairAAaw anAAamakum inna fee thalika laayatin liolee alnnuha

Eat (for yourselves) and pasture your cattle: verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding.

۞ مِنۡهَا خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمۡ وَمِنۡهَا نُخۡرِجُكُمۡ تَارَةً أُخۡرَىٰ

Minha khalaqnakum wafeeha nuAAeedukum waminha nukhrijukum taratan okhra

From the (earth) did We create you, and into it shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again.

وَلَقَدۡ أَرَيۡنَٰهُ ءَايَٰتِنَا كُلَّهَا فَكَذَّبَ وَأَبَىٰ

Walaqad araynahu ayatina kullaha fakaththaba waaba

And We showed Pharaoh all Our Signs, but he did reject and refuse.

قَالَ أَجِئۡتَنَا لِتُخۡرِجَنَا مِنۡ أَرۡضِنَا بِسِحۡرِكَ يَٰمُوسَىٰ

Qala ajitana litukhrijana min ardina bisihrika ya moosa

He said: "Hast thou come to drive us out of our land with thy magic, O Moses?

فَلَنَأۡتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحۡرٖ مِّثۡلِهِۦ فَٱجۡعَلۡ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكَ مَوۡعِدٗا لَّا نُخۡلِفُهُۥ نَحۡنُ وَلَآ أَنتَ مَكَانٗا سُوٗى

Falanatiyannaka bisihrin mithlihi faijAAal baynana wabaynaka mawAAidan la nukhlifuhu nahnu wala anta makanan suwan

"But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor thou - in a place where both shall have even chances."

قَالَ مَوۡعِدُكُمۡ يَوۡمُ ٱلزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحۡشَرَ ٱلنَّاسُ ضُحٗى

Qala mawAAidukum yawmu alzzeenati waan yuhshara alnnasu duhan

Moses said: "Your tryst is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled when the sun is well up."

فَتَوَلَّىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيۡدَهُۥ ثُمَّ أَتَىٰ

Fatawalla firAAawnu fajamaAAa kaydahu thumma ata

So Pharaoh withdrew: He concerted his plan, and then came (back).

قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيۡلَكُمۡ لَا تَفۡتَرُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبٗا فَيُسۡحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٖۖ وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ

Qala lahum moosa waylakum la taftaroo AAala Allahi kathiban fayushitakum biAAathabin waqad khaba mani iftara

Moses said to him: Woe to you! Forge not ye a lie against Allah, lest He destroy you (at once) utterly by chastisement: the forger must suffer frustration!"

فَتَنَٰزَعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡ وَأَسَرُّواْ ٱلنَّجۡوَىٰ

FatanazaAAoo amrahum baynahum waasarroo alnnajwa

So they disputed, one with another, over their affair, but they kept their talk secret.

قَالُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَٰذَٰنِ لَسَٰحِرَٰنِ يُرِيدَانِ أَن يُخۡرِجَاكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِكُم بِسِحۡرِهِمَا وَيَذۡهَبَا بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ ٱلۡمُثۡلَىٰ

Qaloo in hathani lasahirani yureedani an yukhrijakum min ardikum bisihrihima wayathhaba bitareeqatikumu almuthla

They said: "These two are certainly (expert) magicians: their object is to drive you out from your land with their magic, and to do away with your most cherished institutions.

فَأَجۡمِعُواْ كَيۡدَكُمۡ ثُمَّ ٱئۡتُواْ صَفّٗاۚ وَقَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَعۡلَىٰ

FaajmiAAoo kaydakum thumma itoo saffan waqad aflaha alyawma mani istaAAla

"Therefore concert your plan, and then assemble in (serried) ranks: He wins (all along) today who gains the upper hand."

قَالُواْ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِمَّآ أَن تُلۡقِيَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنۡ أَلۡقَىٰ

Qaloo ya moosa imma an tulqiya waimma an nakoona awwala man alqa

They said: "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"

قَالَ بَلۡ أَلۡقُواْۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمۡ وَعِصِيُّهُمۡ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيۡهِ مِن سِحۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّهَا تَسۡعَىٰ

Qala bal alqoo faitha hibaluhum waAAisiyyuhum yukhayyalu ilayhi min sihrihim annaha tasAAa

He said, "Nay, throw ye first!" Then behold their ropes and their rods-so it seemed to him on account of their magic - began to be in lively motion!

فَأَوۡجَسَ فِي نَفۡسِهِۦ خِيفَةٗ مُّوسَىٰ

Faawjasa fee nafsihi kheefatan moosa

So Moses conceived in his mind a (sort of) fear.