English - Chapter 20 - Ta-Ha

Ta, Ha

We have revealed to you this Qur´an, not to cause you distress

Rather, it is a memorandum _ (an advisory) _ for the one who fears

A communiqué from the Creator of the earth and the celestial heavens

Rehman, (the most magnificent), mounted the throne (and governs the universe majestically)

To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and on the earth, whatever lies between them, and whatever exists under (the surface of the earth)

You call Him out loud. (But remember), He knows even the most intimate thoughts _ thoughts that remain hidden (and unexpressed) forever

He is Allah! There is no god but He; His are all the beautiful names

Is the story of Musa known to you

When he spotted a campfire, he said to his family, "I notice a fire! Perhaps, I can bring a live coal from there (to start our own fire), or obtain directions (for the road ahead)

When he approached (the site of) the campfire, We called out to him, "Oh Musa

It is I, your Lord! Take your shoes off! You happen to be in the holy valley of Toah

I chose you! So listen to what is being revealed

Indeed, I am the One _ Allah! There is no god except Me! So obey Me and establish the ´salat´ (prayers) to remember Me

In fact, the hour (of Judgment) is sure to arrive! I want to keep (its time) undisclosed, so that every soul may be rewarded in accordance with its efforts

Hence, Do not ever let an unbeliever _ the one following his own whims _ dissuade you from it (the belief in the afterlife), lest you perish

And what is that (you hold) in your right (hand), oh Musa

Said, "It is my stick. I lean on it to rest my weight, and with it I chop off the leaves to feed my cattle. It also has other uses for me

Said, "Throw it down, Oh Musa

So he threw it down, and all of a sudden, it became a snake creeping around (swiftly)

(Allah) said, "Grab it, and do not be afraid. We will change it back to its earlier state

And place your hand in your armpit. (As you pull your hand out) it will appear dazzling white without any discomfort. Another sign

To show you (but just two of) Our great signs

Go to the pharaoh! He has exceeded (every) limit

(Musa) said, "Lord, unlock my heart

And make my task easy for me

And correct my speech impediment

(So) they understand my words

And appoint one of my family members (as an aide) to help me

My brother, Haroon

With him, bolster my strength

And make him a partner in my mission

So, we may glorify You a lot

And talk about You a lot

And certainly, You are watching over us

Said, "You are being granted your requests, oh Musa

We, in fact, conferred favors upon you at other times, too

When We inspired your mother by implanting an idea in her mind

(Saying) "Put (the child) in a box and push (the box) down the river. It will hurl (the box) ashore, where Our enemy _ his and Mine _ will pick him up." I bestowed love upon you, so you may be raised under My watchful eye

(Remember) when your sister walked (along the box) and said to those who found the child, "Shall I guide you to a wet nurse for him?" Thus We sent you back to your mother, to soothe her and to keep her from grieving. Then you killed a man. We rescued you from that distress. We had you go through a terrible ordeal. You lived with the people of Madyan a number of years. And now, you have arrived here at just the right (preordained) time

Oh Musa, I have selected you specifically for My sake

So proceed with My signs, both of you _ you and your brother. Do not become lax in remembering Me

Go to the pharaoh! Indeed, he has transgressed

But speak to him in an affable manner. Maybe he will heed, and fear (Allah)

They said, "Our Lord! We are afraid that he will let loose his rage upon us and will oppress us

Said, "Have no fear! I am with you, watching over and listening

So go to him and say, "We are the messengers of your Lord! Therefore, let the Israelites go with us and do not torture them. We have already brought you the proof from your Lord! Peace is upon him, who follows the guidance

Indeed, it has been revealed to us that punishment awaits the one who denies and turns away

Said, "The One Who gave each (existing) thing its nature and form, then guided it along

(The pharaoh) asked, "Then, what about the generations of yester years

Musa said, "The facts about them are known to my Lord and recorded in a book. He neither errs nor forgets

The same One Who made the earth your (safe) haven, carved roads in it for you, and sent water down from the sky." With that (water), We bring out vegetation of many diverse kinds

Eat! And feed your cattle, too. Indeed, in it is a sign for those who (accept) reason

We created you from this (very) earth. Into it We shall have you return, and from it We shall bring you out a second time

Surely, We had him look at all Our signs, but he rejected (them all) and refused (to believe)

(The pharaoh) said, "Are you here to drive us out of our land with your magic, oh Musa

And added, "Of course, we can perform that kind of magic too. So, go ahead! For our encounter pick a time and place _ a neutral location (accessible to all). We will not fail to show up. Nor should you

(Musa) said, "Let the coming festival day be the appointed date, and let the people gather at high noon

So, the pharaoh withdrew and with craftiness, put together a scheme, and then he arrived

Musa said to them. "Woe unto you! Do not make up lies against Allah. He will annihilate you (all) with a torment. Whoever invents lies against Allah fails

At that point, they began to dispute among themselves and held secret talks

At length they said, "These two are just magicians trying to evict you from your land by their spells. They want to deprive you of your exemplary way of life

So rally all your tricks, then act in unison. Whoever triumphs today will prosper

They said, "Oh Musa, either you cast (your spell) first, or else let us be the first to cast (the spell)

(Musa) said, "No! You go first. Then suddenly, because of their spell, it appeared to him that their ropes and sticks (were snakes and) were creeping about swiftly

A sense of fear came over Musa

We said, "Do not be afraid. You will be the one to triumph, for sure

Throw down the stick in your right hand. It will gobble up the spell they have cast. What they have conjured up is only a trick of the magicians, and magicians never succeed when they come (to face the truth)

The magicians lost out, threw themselves down on the ground prostrate, and said, "We accept the Lord of Haroon and Musa

The pharaoh said, "You believed him, even though I did not permit you? Obviously, he is your master who has taught you the magic! Now, I will definitely chop off your hands and feet on opposite sides and then crucify you on the trunk of the date-palm tree. You will soon know which one of us awards the severer and the more lasting punishment

They said, "In the face of the clear signs that have come to us, we will not prefer you to the One Who has created us. So do whatever you decree. Surely, you exercise control (only) in the life of this world

We have really believed in our Lord! So He may forgive our sins, as well as the magic you compelled us to perform. Allah is better, and the Immortal

Indeed, hell is for the one who comes to his Lord as a criminal. There, he will never die _ nor live

The exalted ranks are for those who come to their Lord as believers, having done righteous deeds

(As also) the elevated gardens, through which run the rivers. There, they shall live forever! This is the reward for those who endeavor to purify themselves

Indeed, We revealed to Musa, "Go and take My servants with you. Strike a dry path through the sea. Do not be frightened of being overtaken (by the Pharaoh in hot pursuit), nor be afraid (of the sea)

The pharaoh pursued them with his army. They were drowned by that which engulfed them from all sides

The pharaoh led his nation astray _ did not guide well

Oh Children of Israel! We rescued you from your enemy, granted you an audience by the right side of the mountain ´Toor´, and sent down the ´munna´ and the ´salwa´ for you

Eat the wholesome food We have provided, but do not be overly excessive. Else, My wrath will come down upon you. Surely, the one upon whom lands My fury, comes tumbling down

Yet, undoubtedly, I am the One Who grants forgiveness to anyone who repents, believes and acts righteously; and then stays steadfast (till death)

(Allah asked), "What made you come (to Me) ahead of your people, oh Musa

Said, "They´re coming right behind. I hurried towards You, Lord, so You may be pleased

(Allah) said, "After you left, We subjected your people to a test. Saamari led them astray

So Musa returned to his nation, angry and aggrieved, and said, "Oh my people, did your Lord not make you excellent promises? Has it been too long for you? Or do you just want the fury of your Lord to land on you? Is that why you broke your pledge with me

They said, "We did not willfully opt to break our promise to you. In fact, the burden of carrying people´s jewelry had worn us down. So we unloaded it (into the fire). Likewise, Saamari threw it down, too

Then, he shaped the gold into the figure of a calf, and it mooed like one! People cried out, "This is your God. The God of Musa. He forgot (to mention it)

Did they not see that it did not respond to them at all? Nor did it have the ability to hurt them, or help them

Even though Haroon had told them earlier, "Oh my people! You are being tested with it (the calf). Really, your Lord is the most Merciful. So follow me, all of you! And obey my command

They said, "We will not quit worshipping (the calf) until Musa comes back

Musa (when he returned) said, "Oh Haroon, when you saw them going astray, what held you back

Why did you not follow me? Did you disobey my instructions

Haroon said, "Oh son of my mother! Do not tug at my beard, nor pull my hair! I was afraid you would blame me and say ´You caused a split among the Israelites, and did not follow my instruction.´

Said, "And what about you, Oh Saamari

(Saamari) said, "I realized what others failed to. So I collected a handful (of dust) from the footmarks of the prophets and tossed it on the calf. That is what my self prompted me to do

(Musa) said, "Go! This is (the punishment) for you: in this life you will (continually) utter ´Do not touch me´, and you have an appointment (in the afterlife) which you cannot skip. Now watch that god of yours, upon whose worship you insisted. We will surely melt it down, then scatter it around in the ocean

As a matter of fact, Allah (alone) is your God! Besides Him there is no other god, and His knowledge extends over all things

Thus, We narrate to you the tales of what went on earlier. We have granted you this (book of) advisement from Ourselves

Indeed, those ignoring it shall bear a burdensome punishment on the Day of Judgment

They shall forever remain in it _ (that condition of torment). Baneful shall be their burden on the Day of Judgment

The day the trumpet sounds will be the day We will gather the criminals, their eyes agape with fright

Among themselves they will whisper, "You stayed (on the earth) only ten days

Of course We know very well what they shall say. The most accurate among them will say, "You stayed there for just a day

They are asking you about the mountains. Tell them, "My Lord will blow them up into fine dust

He will turn (this earth) into a plain wasteland

You will not find any ridges or cracks on it

On that day, they will (meekly) respond to the convener _ (the angel) _ who shall face no hindrance. In the presence of Rehman, voices will drop to a subdued hush. You shall hear nothing but faint whispers

That day, mediation shall benefit no one, unless Rehman grants permission, and about whom He pleases to hear (favorable) remarks

He knows all that lies ahead of them as well as everything about their past. Others do not know at all

All heads will bow before the Eternally Alive and the Ever-lasting. Anyone carrying a burden of having committed an injustice shall fail miserably

(Whereas) those who had acted righteously _ provided they had believed _ shall have no fear of being wronged or short changed

Thus, We revealed this Qur´an in Arabic. In it We have defined sharply the promises and the threats. Maybe they will fear (Allah), or it _ (the Qur´an) _ will bring back the remembrance (of Allah)

Allah, the Genuine Emperor, is the most Exalted! Do not be in a hurry to repeat (the fresh verses of) the Qur´an before the revelations conclude. Say, "Lord, enhance me in knowledge

Earlier, We had entrusted Adam with a task, but his memory lapsed. We did not find in him the firmness of resolve

(Remember)! We said to the angels, "Fall down prostrate before Adam!" And they all fell prostrate, except Iblees (Shaitan). He refused

So We said, "Oh Adam, that one, surely, is your and your wife´s enemy. Now do not let him drive you out of paradise, lest you feel distressed

Of course, here (in paradise), it is your (privilege) that you do not go hungry, nor are you unclad

And here you are not thirsty, troubled by the (sultry sweltering) sun

Yet Shaitan whispered (and aroused) doubts in his mind saying, "Oh Adam, shall I show you the tree of immortality, and the domain that has no demise

Both of them _ (Adam and his wife) _ ate its fruit and their genitalia became visible to them. With the leaves of the Garden of Eden they began to cover themselves. Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray

Later, his Lord favored him, granted him forgiveness and guided him

(Allah) said, "Get down from here! Both of you _ (Adam and Shaitan)! You are each other´s enemy. Whoever follows the guidance _ when the guidance from Me arrives _ will not go astray, and will not be miserable

While a wretched (unwholesome) livelihood will be the lot of the one who turns away from My advice and warning. He will be blind when We round him up on the Day of Judgment

He shall say, "Lord, why did You raise me blind? I used to be endowed with eyesight

Allah will say, "Much the same as you ignored My signs when they came to you! Befittingly, today you are being ignored

This is how We chastise the one who exceeds the bounds, and ignores the signs of his Lord. The punishment of the afterlife is far worse and ever persisting

Many towns have We destroyed before them. Did that fact not teach them? They walk through those ruins! There are surely signs in it for those with intellect

The word of your Lord has been proclaimed! Had it not been, and if it wasn´t essential and for a specific period, (then their doom and demise would be instant)

Therefore, with patience bear their remarks and chant the praises of your Lord before the sun rises, before it sets, and during the night. Glorify Him in the morning and evening. Perhaps you will feel contented

Do not look (enviously) at the splendors of this life with which We have furnished some of their groups. It is (merely) to test them. The grants of your Lord (in the afterlife) are far better and ever lasting

Bid your family to observe the ´salat´, and stay steadfast upon it yourself. We do not seek sustenance from you. Indeed, We bestow sustenance. The final outcome hinges on piety

They say, "Why did he not bring us a sign?" Did clear proofs _ those narrated in the earlier scriptures _ not reach them

Had We, prior to sending him (Muhammad, SAW), ruined them with a disaster, they would have complained, "Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we would have followed Your signs instead of being disgraced and humiliated

Say, "Each (soul) is in a state of waiting. You wait, too! Soon you will find out who is on the right path, and well-guided