20Ṭā-HāṬ-Hسُورَةُ طه

Ṭā-Hā [Ṭ-H].

We did not present you, from on high, with this Qur’an to make you miserable [per se],

Rather [We presented the Qur’an to be] an exhortation to he who looks forward to Allah with concern,

A conveyance [of revelation] from He who created the earth and the elevated heavens —

The Mercy-Giver poised on the throne [of His exaltation].

To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth and whatever is between them and whatever is beneath the turf.

And were you to vocalize your words, [He not only hears them, but] He knows what is concealed [in your inner thoughts] as well as whatever is more secret [than that].

Allah: there is no divinity/authority except Him; to Him [alone] belong the attributes of perfection.

And have you [O Muhammad] been apprised of Mūsā’s conversation?

And so, when he [Mūsā] saw a fire, he then said to his people, “Remain here! I have perceived [sensed] a fire: [the outcome of which may be] I could possibly come back to you with a flicker from it, or I may find guidance by way of that fire.”

But when Mūsā approached it [the fire] a voice proclaimed, “O Mūsā!

“It is Me! I am your Sustainer! Take off your leather shoes; you are now in a valley of manifold blessings,

“And I have chosen you; therefore, listen to what is going to be revealed.

“Most emphatically and certainly I am Allah, there is no divinity/authority except Me; hence, conform to Me and build up devotions and litanies [so that their meanings become the social norms] for My commemoration.

“The [Final] Hour is approaching even though I have decreed [the timing of] it be hidden so that every human soul is compensated for its [lifelong] effort.

“Hence, do not let anyone who is in denial of it and chases after his lusts and then falls [into sin] divert you from it [the Final Hour’s inevitability].”

[Allah said], “What is that in your right hand, O Mūsā?”

He replied, “It is my staff — I lean on it, and I tend to my flock of sheep with it, and I use it for other things.”

[Allah] said, “Throw it down, O Mūsā!”

So Mūsā threw it down — and [wondrously] it became a stirring snake.

Said [Allah], “Take hold of it and do not be afraid: We will restore it [the snake] to its former state [the cane].

“And [now] position your hand under your armpit: it will come out looking pale but have no morbidity — another illustration [of Our power and authority] —

“So that We may show you [some of] Our grand power demonstrations.

“[And now] go to Pharaoh: he has certainly abused power.”

Said [Mūsā], “My Sustainer! Give me the heart and soul [to withstand what may come],

“And make my task easy for me,

“And undo the enunciation condition that I have —

“So that they will be able to [fully] understand my pronunciation —

“And appoint for me, from my kinsfolk, someone who will carry the burden with me —

“[May he be] Hārūn [Aaron], my brother.

“Have him reinforce me,

“And have him partake in my task —

“So that [together] we may extol You profusely,

“And be conscious of You abundantly.

“Indeed, You have always been vigilant with us.”

Said [Allah], “Verily, you have been granted whatever you [just] asked for, O Mūsā.

“And, indeed, We have done you yet another favor [in times past],

“As We inspired your mother with [what the time demanded of] inspiration:

“‘Put him in a strongbox and toss it into the flowing water — for the flowing water shall cast him ashore to be seized by an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his [Mūsā].’ And I blanketed you with My love so that you might become fully grown in My sight.

“[And you were in My sight] when your sister was walking along and then saying [to potential breastfeeding mothers], ‘Shall I point you to someone who will take care of him [while you were still a newborn]?’ In that manner, We returned you to your [biological] mother so that she may be at ease and not grieve [over losing you]. And [when you grew up] you killed a person; so We rescued you from the angst [of having killed a person] — although We subjected you to various [kinds of] tribulations. Then you stayed for years with the people of Madyan, and then [now] you came Our way in a manner calculated [by Us], O Mūsā.

“And I custom-made you for Myself.

“[Therefore] go, you and your brother, with My [potential] power demonstrations [to Pharaoh] and never be lax or negligent in thinking of Me,

“Go both of you to Pharaoh as he is undoubtedly abusing power.

“But speak to him in a lenient way — for there is a chance that he may come to his senses and be in awe of Us.”

They [Mūsā and Hārūn] said, “Our Sustainer! We are afraid that he [Pharaoh] may [pre- judge us] and hasten our sentencing [to prison, or death] with his abuse of power.”

Answered [Allah], “Both of you! Do not fear; I am certainly with both of you: I hear and see [all that will happen],

“So approach him [Pharaoh], then say to him, ‘We are two messengers [sent] to you by your Sustainer. Let the Children of Israel go with us and do not have them suffer [any longer]; we have come to you with a [potential] demonstration of your Sustainer’s power and authority; and peace be upon he who pursues the right direction.

“‘We have been apprised by way of revelation [from Allah] that suffering and torment is the share of the one who refutes [Allah’s power and authority] and turns away [from considering Him as such].’”

[But when Allah’s message was conveyed to Pharaoh], he said, “So, who is the sustainer of both of you, O Mūsā?”

Said [Mūsā], “Our Sustainer is the One who imparts to everything a constitution and then guides [to what is best].”

Said [Pharaoh], “And what about the ancient civilizations, [who sustained them]?”

Said [Mūsā], “The information pertaining to them rests with my Sustainer in His record; my Sustainer does not deviate [in applying His will] nor does He forget [about such matters].”

[He is] the One who has made the earth a substructure, and within it [this substructure], He patterned means and methods [for survival] and He brought down water from the sky: and by this means, We brought forth pairs of assorted plants [and produce].

Eat, therefore, and tend to your droves [of livestock]: certainly, in that there are demonstrations [of Allah’s power and authority] for those whose reasoning entails caution [toward His power and authority].

Out of it [the earth] We have created you, and into it We will send you back, and out of it We will have you come alive again.

And, of course, We showed him [Pharaoh] demonstrations of Our power and authority but he [Pharaoh] accused Us of lies and he refused [to see the light].

He [Pharaoh] said, “Have you come to us to dislocate us from our land with your sorcery, O Mūsā?

“We will most certainly counter you with equal sorcery. Set, then, an agreed-upon time between us and you that both of us may not reschedule, along with a place suitable to both of us.”

[Mūsā] replied, “The appointed place and time is the Day of the Festival when people are amassed before noon.”

Thereupon, Pharaoh adjourned [with his intimates] to determine what scheme [conspiracy] he would bring into play; and then he finally showed up [at the appointed time and place].

Mūsā said to them, “Woe to you! Do not attach lies to Allah or else He will inflict suffering upon you — for whoever fabricates [lies] will be disappointed.”

[Hearing this], they [Pharoah’s team] were at odds as to what to do; but they kept it [their internal differences] a secret,

Saying [to one another], “These two [Mūsā and Hārūn] are actually two magicians, both of whom want you to leave your country [trying to convince you] with their magic, and [by their magic] to undo your idealistic time-honored lifestyle.

“Hence [O partisans of Pharaoh], consolidate your conspiracy and come forth in single-file formation [so as not to appear divided] — for on this day the successful ones are the winners.”

Said [Pharaoh’s wizards], “O Mūsā! Either you cast [your staff] or we shall be the first to cast [ours].”

Said [Mūsā], “Rather you cast [yours first]” — and then, all of a sudden, their ropes and sticks gave him the impression that they [the ropes and sticks] are in motion,

And thereby Mūsā, in his innermost self, felt panick.

[But] We said, “Do not fear; you most certainly have the upper hand.

“So, go ahead, toss down that which is in your right hand: it will devour their contrivance; indeed, their setup is a magician’s machination — and a magician cannot win regardless of his approach.”

And after [this demonstration of Allah’s miraculous power] the wizards fell down in prostration, saying “We devote ourselves [in faith] to the Sustainer of Hārūn and Mūsā.”

He [Pharaoh] said, “You mean to tell me you entrust yourselves to him [Mūsā] before I grant you permission; he [Mūsā] must be your senior who, hitherto, taught you magic [trade of the art]. I will, no doubt, because of your perverseness, cut off your hands and feet in a savage manner, and I will, in fact, crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees in a ghastly manner and then you will definitely come to know which one of us [Pharaoh or Mūsā] has [the capacity to deliver] sustaining punishment and has staying power.”

They [the wizards] answered, “We will not have a preference for you after the clear evidence that has come our way — [we say this as] an oath to He who sprouted us into life. Go ahead: dictate whatever shall be your diktat — what you in fact will be doing is concluding [terminating] this worldly life.

“We [have made up our minds and we] committed ourselves to our Sustainer who may well forgive us our faults and whatever magic you forced us to do; and Allah is better [than anything you may offer] and He is more lasting [than a mortal being like you].”

Verily he who approaches his Sustainer [on Judgement Day] as a criminal shall obtain Hell [as his compensation] — where he will not die, nor will he live.

Whereas whoever approaches Him as [having been] a committed muslim who always did what was right [according to Allah’s criteria], then those are the ones who will attain the highest degrees [and status]:

Gardens of bliss underneath which rivers flow, therein to abide forever — for, that is the compensation of he who grows in purity.

And, indeed, [at one time] We inspired Mūsā [through revelation], “Proceed along with My subjects by night and strike out for them a dry pathway through the sea; [in doing so] do not fear being overtaken and do not dread [the outcome].”

Consequently, Pharaoh pursued them [Mūsā and the Children of Israel] with his troops, and as a result the sea overwhelmed them [Pharaoh and his troops] with its overpowering [depths and waves],

For Pharaoh had misled his people and did not guide [them or anyone else].

O Children of Israel! We, indeed, delivered you from your enemy and We made a covenant with you on the easily accessible side of the Mount [Sinai], and We brought down for you manna [choice vegetation] and quails [choice meat], [saying],

“Eat of the wholesome sustenance We have provided for you and do not transgress therein [My standards] lest you warrant My wrath — and whoever warrants My wrath is certainly bound to fall [from grace].”

Even so, [My wrath nothwithstanding] I am, indeed, more than forgiving to whoever repents and does what is right [in Allah’s Book] and thereafter, stays on track.

[And Allah inquired], “What caused you to part from your people post haste, O Mūsā?”

Said [Mūsā], “[But, I have not], for they are not far behind and they will stay the course; and [as for me] I have rushed to You hoping that You will be pleased [with me]!”

Said [Allah], “Then [know that] after you parted with them, We have tried [and tested] your people, and the Samaritan has led them astray.”

Thereupon, Mūsā returned to his people in a state of anger and regret. He said, “O my people! Did not your Sustainer promise you an exquisite promise? Has it been so long [since He promised you that you have forgotten] or are you intent on incurring the wrath of your Sustainer, thereby dishonoring your word with me?”

[In explanation of their behavior] they responded, “We did not break our promise to you in a deliberate way; [rather] we wound up coming under the influence of society’s fancies [the glitter of gold and the value of assets] after which we [came to our senses and] got rid of them [by casting them into the fire]; and likewise did the Samaritan cast [his gold and bullion into the fire].

But he, [the Samaritan, had his own plans because he] produced for them [out of the gold ingots and nuggets] a calf’s form [and figure], which made a bellowing sound — thereupon they said, “This is your god and the god of Mūsā” — for he [the Samaritan] had [already] stopped thinking [about who his God is].

Can they not see that this [venerated calf] cannot respond to them [by words] and it does not and cannot have the power to be of any harm or benefit?

And, indeed, even before [the return of Mūsā] Hārūn had said to them, “O my people! You are being tested [by the Almighty] by way of it [the calf]. And, truly, [you ought to realize that] your Sustainer is the Mercy-Giver; therefore, follow me and obey my order.”

They responded, “We will not break with each other by discontinuing our adulation for it [the calf] until Mūsā returns to us.”

[And now that he had come back, Mūsā] said, “O Hārūn! What stood in your way when you saw them go off course,

“And why did you not keep to my course [with them]? Did you [deliberately] disobey my command?”

He [Hārūn] answered, “O my mother’s son! Do not grab hold of me by my beard or my head. I was afraid [that when you return] you would say [to me], ‘You have caused a rift among the Children of Israel, and paid no attention to what I would have to say.’”

Said [Mūsā], “What made you do what you did, O Samaritan?”

He [the Samaritan] replied, “I could see and understand what [is in vogue] that they could not see and understand, so I selected a handful of the messenger’s [either Jibrīl’s or Mūsā’s] shibboleths1 and then I disregarded them — that is what my inferior-self incited me to do.”

Said [Mūsā], “Then, be gone! It shall be your destiny in life to say, ‘I am untouchable!’ You do have an appointment [with Allah] that you will not be exempt from. And [now] look at this, your deity, that you spent time worshiping: we will irrefutably torch it and then we will most surely dispose of it into the flowing waters!

“Your only deity is Allah — besides whom there is no deity. All things fall within the purview of His knowledge.”

In this manner do We narrate [recount] to you [O Muhammad] the relevant histories of those who preceded you and We have given you from Our presence a conscientious commemorative [the Qur’an].

Whoever turns away from it [this conscientious commemorative Qur’an] he will, indeed, carry a burden [of baseness] on the Day of Resurrection,

To dwell therein forever; and how appalling a load [burden of baseness] it shall be on the Day of Resurrection —

The day when the trumpet is blown: for on that Day, We shall corral the criminals, looking blue,

[As] they are whispering among themselves, “You were there [in the world, on earth] for only [about] ten [days and nights]!”

[But] We have more informed knowledge of what they are saying as the most perceptive among them will express [himself], “You were there [in the world, on earth] for [only] a day!”

And they will ask you about the mountains [after earthly life is over]? Say, “My Sustainer will pulverize them,

“And He will leave the earth dead flat and barren,

“So that you will see no contours or altitudes.”

On that Day all will respond and follow the Final Call from which there will be no prevarication; and [all] voices will be emotionally silent heading for the Mercy-Giver, and you will not hear anything but a murmur.

On that Day mediation will be of no utility except on whose behalf the Mercy-Giver allows [a mediator to mediate] and whose [the mediator’s] pronouncement is approved [by Him],

[For] He knows what is positioned ahead of them [their future] and what is situated behind them [their past], yet they cannot grasp Him with whatever knowledge they have.

And [all] faces [on that Day] shall be mesmerized as they face the Ever-Living, the Ever-Responsible; and whoever carries the burden of injustice shall be disappointed,

Whereas, whoever does what is right [according to Allah’s criteria] while he is committed [to Allah’s power and authority] need not fear unfairness or deprivation [of rights].

And in that manner have We imparted this [revelation] as an Arabic Qur’an within which We listed and detailed [some of Our] warnings in the hope that they [the people] may become guardedly conscious [of Our power and authority], or as a means [the Qur’an] to stir in them cognizance [of Us].

Exalted is Allah, the True and Just Sovereign — [and knowing this] do not rush to conclusions [based on wrong or insufficient information] before the Qur’anic text runs its revealed course, but [always] say, “O my Sustainer! Increase my knowledge.”

And in times past We counseled Adam but he eventually became oblivious [of it] — and We found no deliberate [premeditated] intention [to disobey Us].

And bear in mind [the event] when We said to the malā’ikah, “Pay respect to Adam” — and they paid respect except for Iblīs: he refused [to do so].

Thereupon We said, “O Adam! Definitely this [Iblīs] is an enemy of yours and of your spouse; so let him not [influence you two and] cause the two of you to be expelled from Paradise and render you miserable.

“Behold, [it is Our word to you that] you will not suffer hunger or exposure [to the elements],

“And you will surely not experience thirst in it [Paradise], nor the heat of the Sun.”

But Satan whispered [suggested by way of internal notions/thoughts] to him, saying “O Adam! Shall I show you the tree of eternity and an estate that will never decline?”

[Eventually] both of them [Adam and his spouse] ate from it [the tree of eternity], and thereupon they became aware of their private parts and they began to attach pieced-together leaves from the Garden to their bodies [to cover their nudity] — and [thus] did Adam disobey his Sustainer and fall into grave error.

Thereafter, his Sustainer selected him by offering him forgiveness; and then guided him [from then onward],

Saying, “Down with you all from it [Paradise, or state of innocence, and be henceforth] mutual enemies of each other; but if guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever follows My guidance shall not go astray nor be distressed.

“And whoever veers away from a consciousness of Me, his livelihood shall be phobic and We shall collect him [with others] on the Day of Resurrection as a sightless person.”

[And so, on that Day, the sightless person] will ask, “My Sustainer! Why have you brought me together [with others] as a sightless person, when I had my vision [in the world, on earth]?”

[Allah] will say, “To each [what he deserves]: Our demonstrations of power had come to you, but you eventually became oblivious of them, as such you are made oblivious today!”

For, thus shall We pay back he who squandered [his life] and did not commit himself [even as he was] seeing the demonstrations of his Sustainer’s power and authority — for, indeed, the infliction of the very last life is more severe and more persistent!

Could they [who are averse to Our messages] not be guided by [considering] how We destroyed, before their time, many a society — [societies] in which they [now] traverse through the [erstwhile] habitations of those [who preceded them]? Verily, in that [fact of life] there are illustrations [of Allah’s power and authority] for people of reasoning [that deters from such aftereffects].

And had it not been for your Sustainer’s ruling [of mercy] that preceded [their folly] it would have been mandatory [to doom them immediately] but [this affair] is one of [a divine] and noted timing.

Thus, be patient with what they say and extol the praise of your Sustainer before sunrise and before it sets; and during the intervals of night do extol [Him] as well as at the thresholds of the day: [in doing so] you may arrive at [an inner state of] contentment.

And do not let your eyes wander into whatever delight [and ecstasy] of this world We may have allowed other couples to revel in so that We might test them thereby — [knowing that] the provisions [and wherewithal] of your Sustainer are better and more lasting.

And demand of your family [and folks] to be observant of ṣalāh and persist with it [the ṣalāh]. [But remember that] We do not ask you to provide provision [for Us]; [rather] it is We who offer you sustenance. And the end result [of the endeavors of life] belongs to [people of] taqwā.

Now they [the mushriks] would say, “If only he [Muhammad] would bring about a miracle from his Sustainer!” Have they not been presented with evidence from the contents of previous [primal] scripts?

And if it was We who ruined them with infliction before his [Muhammad’s] advent, they would be [justified in] saying, “O our Sustainer! If only you would have sent us a messenger so that we may have gotten an idea of your illustrations [of power and authority] before we ended up humiliated and abashed.”

Say [O Muhammad, to them], “Everyone is waiting [for the details of an unknown future]: so wait [like everyone else]. In time you will come to know who the trekkers of the straight passageway [in life and death] are, and the ones who are guided [through this whole affair].”2