20 Taha -Taahaa

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful

[20.1] TaHa.

[20.2] We have not sent down the Koran to you for you to be tired,

[20.3] but as a reminder to he who fears.

[20.4] It is a sending down from Him who has created the earth, and the high heavens,

[20.5] the Merciful willed to the Throne.

[20.6] To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth, and all that lies between them, and underneath the soil.

[20.7] If you speak loudly; He has indeed knowledge of the secret and the hidden.

[20.8] Allah, there is no god except He. To Him belong the most Beautiful Names.

[20.9] Has the story of Moses reached you?

[20.10] When he saw a fire, he said to his family: 'Stay here, for I can see a fire. Perhaps I can bring you a lighted torch or find at the fire guidance. '

[20.11] When he reached it, he was called: 'O Moses,

[20.12] I am your Lord. Take off your shoes, for you are in Towa, the sacred valley.

[20.13] I have chosen you. Therefore, listen to what shall be revealed.

[20.14] Indeed, I am Allah. There is no god except Me. Worship Me, and establish the prayer of My remembrance.

[20.15] The Hour is coming. I almost conceal it, so that every soul will be recompensed for its labors.

[20.16] Do not let those who disbelieve in it and follow their desires bar you from it, or you will perish.

[20.17] What is that in your right hand, Moses? '

[20.18] 'It is my staff," Moses replied, "upon it I lean and with it I beat down leaves to feed my sheep and for me there are other uses in it. '

[20.19] He said: 'Moses, cast it down. '

[20.20] So he cast it down, and thereupon it turned into a sliding serpent.

[20.21] 'Take it, and do not fear, ' He said, 'We will restore it to its former state.

[20.22] Now, put your hand under your armpit. It shall come out white, without evil, a second sign.

[20.23] But We shall show you some of Our greatest signs. 24 Go to Pharaoh, he has become insolent. '

[20.25] 'Lord, ' said Moses, 'expand my chest,

[20.26] and ease my task for me.

[20.27] Unloose the knot upon my tongue,

[20.28] that they may understand my speech.

[20.29] Appoint for me a minister from my family

[20.30] Aaron, my brother.

[20.31] By him confirm my strength

[20.32] and let him share my task,

[20.33] so that we exalt You

[20.34] and remember You abundantly.

[20.35] You are surely seeing us. '

[20.36] He replied: 'Moses, your request is granted.

[20.37] We had already shown you favor

[20.38] when We revealed what was to be made known to your mother,

[20.39] saying: "Put him in the box and cast it into the river. The river will cast him on to the bank, and he shall be taken up by an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his." I lavished My Love on you, and to be formed in My Sight.

[20. 40] Your sister went (to them) and said: 'Shall I guide you to one who will nurse him? ' And so We restored you to your mother, so that her eyes might rejoice and that she might not sorrow. And when you killed a soul We saved you from grief and then We tried you with many trials. You stayed among the people of Midian for a number of years, and then, Moses, you came here according to a decree.

[20.41] I have chosen you for Me.

[20.42] Go, you and your brother with My signs, and do not be negligent of My Remembrance.

[20.43] Go to Pharaoh, for he has become insolent.

[20.44] Speak to him with gentle words; perhaps he will ponder or fear. '

[20.45] 'O our Lord, ' both said, 'We fear lest he may be excessive against us or become insolent. '

[20. 46] He replied: 'Have no fear I shall be with you, both hearing and seeing.

[20.47] Both of you go to him (Pharaoh) and say: "We are the Messengers of your Lord. Let the Children of Israel depart with us, and do not punish them. We have come to you with a sign from your Lord; peace be on him who follows guidance!

[20.48] It is revealed to us that a punishment will fall on those who belie and turn away."

[20.49] He (Pharaoh) said: 'Moses, who is the Lord of you both? '

[20.50] 'Our Lord, ' he replied, 'is He Who gave everything its creation and then guided it. '

[20.51] He (Pharaoh) asked: 'How was it then, with the former generations? '

[20.52] He (Moses) answered: 'The knowledge of them is in a Book with My Lord. My Lord neither goes astray, nor forgets.

[20.53] It is He who has made for you the earth as a cradle and threaded roads for you and sends down water from the sky with which We bring forth every kind of plant.

[20.54] You eat and let your cattle graze. ' Surely, in this there are signs for those of understanding.

[20.55] We created you from it (the earth), and to it We shall restore you; and from it We will bring you forth yet a second time.

[20.56] So We showed him (Pharaoh) Our signs, all of them, but he belied and refused them.

[20.57] He said: 'Moses, have you come to drive us from our land with your sorcery?

[20.58] We will indeed bring sorcery similar to yours. Appoint a meeting place between us and you, in a place which is agreeable to both which neither we nor you shall not fail (to keep). '

[20.59] He (Moses) replied: 'Your meeting shall be on the day of the feast, and let the people be assembled by midmorning. '

[20.60] So Pharaoh withdrew and gathered his guile, then returned,

[20.61] and Moses said to them: 'Alas! Do not forge a lie against Allah lest He destroys you with a punishment. Indeed, whosoever forges has failed. '

[20.62] They disputed upon their plan with one another, and spoke in secret

[20.63] saying: 'These two are sorcerers whose aim is to drive you from your land by their sorcery and destroy your noble ways.

[20.64] Gather your guile and then lineup a rank those who gain the upper hand today shall indeed prosper. '

[20.65] They said to Moses: 'Will you throw down or shall we be the first?

[20.66] Moses replied: 'No, you throw first. ' And by their sorcery it seemed to him that their ropes and staffs were sliding.

[20.67] Moses became fearful within himself.

[20.68] But We said to him: 'Do not be afraid; you shall surely be the uppermost.

[20.69] Throw that which is in your right hand. It will swallow up that which they have made, for that which they made is but the guile of a sorcerer. Wherever he goes the sorcerer does not prosper. '

[20.70] Thereafter the sorcerers threw themselves down, prostrating, saying: 'We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses. '

[20.71] 'Have you believed him before I have given you permission! ' he (Pharaoh) said. 'Indeed, he (must be) your chief, the one who taught you sorcery. I will cut off on opposite sides a hand and a foot then crucify you on the trunks of palmtrees. Indeed, you shall know whose punishment is more stern, and more lasting! '

[20.72] Their reply was: 'We will not prefer you over the clear signs that have come to us, nor over Him who has created us. So decide upon whatever you decide, you can only decided upon things in this present life.

[20.73] We believe in our Lord so that He forgives us our sins and the sorcery you have forced us to practice. Allah is Better, and Everlasting. '

[20.74] Gehenna (Hell) awaits whosoever comes before his Lord as a sinner, there he shall neither die nor live.

[20.75] But for whosoever comes before Him as a believer and having done good works there awaits the most highest degree;

[20.76] living for ever in the Gardens of Eden, underneath which rivers flow. Such shall be the recompense of he who purifies himself.

[20.77] To Moses we also revealed: 'Set forth with My worshipers by night and strike for them a dry path in the sea. Do not fear that you will be overtaken, neither be afraid. '

[20.78] Pharaoh pursued them with his legions so they were overwhelmed from the sea with that which drowned them.

[20.79] For Pharaoh had misled his nation, and did not guide them.

[20.80] Children of Israel! We saved you from your enemies and made a covenant with you on the right side of the Mountain. We sent down manna and quails.

[20.81] 'Eat of the good things with which We have provided you and do not transgress therein lest My Anger should fall upon you, and upon whosoever My Anger falls has assuredly fallen,

[20.82] but to whosoever repents, believes and does good deeds, and is at last guided, I am Forgiving. '

[20.83] 'Moses, why have you come with such haste from your nation? '

[20.84] Moses replied: 'They are following me. My Lord, I made haste only so that I might please You. '

[20.85] He (Allah) said: 'We tempted your nation in your absence, and the Samaritan has misled them into error. '

[20.86] With great anger and sorrow, Moses returned to his nation. 'My nation, ' he said, 'did your Lord not make you a fine promise? Did the time of the covenant seem long to you? Or did you desire that the anger of your Lord should fall upon you so that you failed in your coming to my appointment? '

[20.87] They replied: 'We have not failed in our promise to you through our choosing. We were laden with fardels, even the ornaments of the nation, and threw them just as the Samaritan had thrown them (into the fire),

[20.88] and made a calf for them, a figure that lowed. "This," they said, "is your god and the god of Moses but whom he has forgotten."

[20.89] What! Did they not see that it did not speak a word to them in return, and for them it could own neither harm nor benefit?

[20.90] Aaron had said to them before: 'My nation, you have been tempted by it. Your Lord is the Merciful. Follow me and obey my order. '

[20.91] They replied: 'We will not stop; we will cling to it until Moses returns to us. '

[20.92] He (Moses) said to Aaron: 'When you saw them in error, what prevented you,

[20.93] from following after me, did you disobey my order? '

[20.94] 'Son of my mother, ' he replied, 'Do not seize my beard nor my head. I was afraid that you might say: "You have divided the Children of Israel and did not uphold my word."

[20.95] 'You, Samaritan, ' said he (Moses), 'what was your business? '

[20.96] He replied: 'I saw what they did not see and seized a handful of dust from the foot print of the messenger and so I cast it this my soul prompted me to do. '

[20.97] 'Begone! Your lot in this life is to cry: "untouchable!" ' said he (Moses). 'An appointment awaits you that you cannot fail to keep. Look at your god which you clung to indeed we will burn it and scatter its ashes upon the sea. '

[20.98] Your God is only One, Allah. There is no god, except He, alone. His knowledge encompasses all things.

[20.99] And so We narrate to you the stories of the past, and We have given you a remembrance from Us.

[20.100] Whosoever has turned away from it shall bear a burden on the Day of Resurrection.

[20.101] and live in it for ever; how evil will that burden be for them on the Day of Resurrection.

[20.102] The Day when the Horn shall be blown. On that Day, We shall assemble all the sinners with blued eyes,

[20.103] and they shall murmur among themselves: 'You have stayed away but ten (days and nights). '

[20.104] We know well what they will say. The most just among them in the matter will declare: 'You have stayed away but one day. '

[20.105] They will question you about the mountains. Say: 'My Lord will scatter them as ashes

[20.106] and leave them a desolate waste,

[20.107] with neither crookedness nor any curving to be seen therein. '

[20. 108] On that Day, they will follow the Summoner, who is not crooked, their voices hushed before the Merciful, and you shall hear nothing except a murmuring.

[20.109] On that Day intercession will not benefit them except him that has received the permission of the Merciful and whose words are pleased by Him.

[20.110] He knows what is before them and behind them, and they do not comprehend Him in knowledge.

[20.111] (All) faces shall be humbled before the Living One, the Eternal. Those who are burdened with wrong doing shall have failed,

[20.112] but those who have believed and done good works shall fear neither wrong nor injustice.

[20.113] As such We sent it down, an Arabic Koran, and explained in it threats in order that they be cautious, or, that it prompts the Remembrance in them.

[20.114] Highly exalted be Allah, the true King! Do not hasten with the Koran before its revelation has been completed to you, but say: 'Lord, increase me in knowledge. '

[20.115] We made a covenant with Adam, but he forgot and We found in him no constancy.

[20.116] And when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate yourselves before Adam, ' they all prostrated themselves except iblis, who refused.

[20.117] 'Adam, ' We said, 'This is you and your wife's enemy. Do not let him expel you from the Garden, so that you (Adam) will be tired.

[20.118] It has been given to you so that you shall neither become hungry nor naked therein;

[20.119] there, (you shall) neither thirst, nor suffer from the sun. '

[20.120] But satan whispered to him saying: 'Adam, shall I direct you the Tree of Eternity and a kingdom which never decays? '

[20.121] They both ate of it, and their shameful parts appeared to them, whereupon they began to stitch upon themselves leaves from the Garden. And so it was, Adam erred and disobeyed his Lord.

[20.122] But afterwards his Lord chose him; He turned again towards him and guided him.

[20.123] 'Both of you, together, go down out of it (the Garden) each of you an enemy to the other, ' He said: 'but, if My Guidance comes to you, whosoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray nor be unprosperous;

[20.124] but whosoever turns away from My remembrance, his life shall be narrow and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise him blind. '

[20.125] 'My Lord, ' he will say: 'why have You raised me blind when I was able to see? '

[20.126] He (Allah) will say: 'It is so, Our verses came to you and you forgot them. So this Day you are forgotten. '

[20.127] In this way We recompense the prodigal who disbelieves the verses of his Lord. But the punishment of the Everlasting Life is more terrible and everlasting.

[20.128] Is it not a guidance to them, how many generations We destroyed before them in whose dwelling places they walk? Surely, in this there are signs for those of reason.

[20.129] Except for a Word that preceded from your Lord, and a stated term, it had been fastened.

[20.130] Therefore, be patient with what they say, and exalt with the praise of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset. And in the watches of the night and at the edges of the day, exalt Him, so that you will be pleasing.

[20.131] Do not stretch your eyes at the flower of this life which We have given couples to enjoy, it is with this that We might try them; and the provision of your Lord is better, and more enduring.

[20.132] Order your family to pray and be patient in it. We do not ask you for provisions, rather, it is We who provide for you. And the final outcome is for the cautious.

[20.133] They say: 'Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord? ' Did not a clear sign come to them in the preceding Scrolls?

[20.134] Had We destroyed them with a punishment before this, they would have said: 'Our Lord, why did You not send us a Messenger so that we could have followed Your verses before we were humiliated and degraded. '

[20.135] Say: 'Everyone is waiting; so wait. Indeed, you shall know who are the companions of the Even Path, and those who are guided. '