طه
O MAN! (1)
مَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقَىٰ
We did not bestow the Qur'ān on thee from on high to make thee unhappy, (2)
إِلَّا تَذْكِرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَىٰ
but only as an exhortation to all who stand in awe [of God]: (3)
تَنْزِيلًا مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ الْعُلَى
a revelation from Him who has created the earth and the high heavens (4)
الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىٰ
the Most Gracious, established on the throne of His almightiness. (5)
لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَىٰ
Unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, as well as all that is between them and all that is beneath the sod. (6)
وَإِنْ تَجْهَرْ بِالْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى
And if thou say anything aloud, [He hears it –] since, behold, He knows [even] the secret [thoughts of man] as well as all that is yet more hidden [within him]. (7)
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ
God – there is no deity save Him; His [alone] are the attributes of perfection! (8)
وَهَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰ
AND HAS the story of Moses ever come within thy ken? (9)
إِذْ رَأَىٰ نَارًا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى
Lo! he saw a fire [in the desert]; and so he said to his family: "Wait here! Behold, I perceive a fire [far away]: perhaps I can bring you a brand therefrom, or find at the fire some guidance." (10)
فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ يَا مُوسَىٰ
But when he came close to it, a voice called out: "O Moses! (11)
إِنِّي أَنَا رَبُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
Verily, I am thy Sustainer! Take off, then, thy sandals! Behold, thou art in the twice-hallowed valley, (12)
وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَىٰ
and I have chosen thee [to be My apostle]: listen, then, to what is being revealed [unto thee]. (13)
إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي
"Verily, I – I alone – am God; there is no deity save Me. Hence, worship Me alone, and be constant in prayer, so as to remember Me! (14)
إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ
"Behold, [although] I have willed to keep it hidden, the Last Hour is bound to come, so that every human being may be recompensed in accordance with what he strove for [in life]. (15)
فَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكَ عَنْهَا مَنْ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِهَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَتَرْدَىٰ
Hence, let not anyone who does not believe in its coming and follows [but] his own desires divert thee from [belief in] it, lest thou perish! (16)
وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ
"Now, what is this in thy right hand, O Moses?" (17)
قَالَ هِيَ عَصَايَ أَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَىٰ غَنَمِي وَلِيَ فِيهَا مَآرِبُ أُخْرَىٰ
He answered: "It is my staff; I lean on it; and with it I beat down leaves for my sheep; and [many] other uses have I for it." (18)
قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يَا مُوسَىٰ
Said He: "Throw it down, O Moses!" (19)
فَأَلْقَاهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَىٰ
So he threw it – and lo! it was a snake, moving rapidly. (20)
قَالَ خُذْهَا وَلَا تَخَفْ سَنُعِيدُهَا سِيرَتَهَا الْأُولَىٰ
Said He: "Take hold of it, and fear not: We shall restore it to its former state. (21)
وَاضْمُمْ يَدَكَ إِلَىٰ جَنَاحِكَ تَخْرُجْ بَيْضَاءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوءٍ آيَةً أُخْرَىٰ
"Now place thy hand within thy armpit: it will come forth [shining] white, without blemish, as another sign [of Our grace], (22)
لِنُرِيَكَ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا الْكُبْرَى
so that We might make thee aware of some of Our greatest wonders. (23)
اذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ
"[And now] go thou unto Pharaoh: for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of equity." (24)
- Lo! he saw a fire [in the desert];7 and so he said to his family: "Wait here! Behold, I perceive a fire [far away]: perhaps I can bring you a brand therefrom, or find at the fire some guidance."
- 7 From the sequence (here as well as in 27:7 and 28:29) it appears that Moses had lost his way in the desert: probably a symbolic allusion to his dawning awareness that he was in need of spiritual guidance. This part of the story relates to the period of his wanderings subsequent to his flight from Egypt (see 28:14 ff.). Regarding the allegory of the "fire" - the "burning bush" of the Bible see note 7 on 27:7-8.
- Behold, he saw a fire:2541 So he said to his family, "Tarry ye; I perceive a fire; perhaps I can bring you some burning brand therefrom, or find some guidance at the fire."2542
- 2541 A fire. It appeared like an ordinary fire, which always betokens the presence of men in a desert or a lonely place. Moses made for it alone, to fetch the wherewithal for making a fire for his family, and perhaps to find some direction as to the way, from the people he should meet there. But it was not an ordinary fire. It was a Burning Bush; a Sign of the Glory of Allah.
- 2542 The spiritual history of Moses begins here. It was his spiritual birth. His physical life, infancy, and upbringing are referred to later on, to illustrate another point. Moses, when he grew up, left the palace of Pharaoh and went to the Midianite people, in the Sinai peninsula. He married among them, and was now travelling with his family and his flocks, when he was called to his mission by Allah. He went to look for a fire for comfort and guidance. He found a higher and holier comfort and guidance. The whole passage is full of portent meaning, which is reflected in the short rhymed verses in the original. (R).
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Behold, he saw a fire: So he said to his family, "Tarry ye; I perceive a fire; perhaps I can bring you some burning brand therefrom, or find some guidance at the fire."
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
When he saw a fire and said unto his folk: Lo! Wait! I see a fire afar off. Peradventure I may bring you a brand therefrom or may find guidance at the fire.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
When he saw fire, he said to his family: Stop, for surely I see a fire, haply I may bring to you therefrom a live coal or find a guidance at the fire.
— M. Habib Shakir -
When he saw a fire, he said to his family: "Wait! Verily, I have seen a fire, perhaps I can bring you some burning brand therefrom, or find some guidance at the fire."
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Recall what time he saw a fire and said to his household, bide ye! verily I have perceived a fire! haply I may bring you from it a brand or may find at the fire a guidance.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
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. '
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
When he saw a fire, he said to his family, `stop, I observe a fire; may be I bring you a brand from it, or I find some guidance at the fire.'
— Ayub Khan -
When he saw a fire, and he said to his family, 'Tarry ye, I perceive a fire; perhaps I may bring you a brand therefrom or find guidance at the fire.
— Sher Ali -
Lo! he saw a fire [in the desert]; and so he said to his family: "Wait here! Behold, I perceive a fire [far away]: perhaps I can bring you a brand therefrom, or find at the fire some guidance."
— Muhammad Asad -
When he saw a tire, and said to his family, Tarry you here; I observe a fire. Perhaps I shall bring you a brand from it, or I shall find at the fire guidance.
— Arthur Arberry -
When he saw a fire{{5}} and said to his family: "Hold on! I have just perceived a fire; perhaps I will bring a brand from it for you, or I will find some guidance at the fire about the way to follow."{{6}}
— Abu'l Ala Maududi