20:1  Tā hā!

20:2  We have not sent down the ‘Qur'ān’ unto you in order that you may feel distressed.

20:3  But only as a reminder for him who fears the (divine chastisement ),

20:4  A revelation from the one Who has created the earth and the high heavens .

20:5  The Most Beneficent (Allâh is the One) Who has established Himself on the (Mighty) Throne.

20:6  Unto Him belongs whatever is in the heavens, whatever is on the earth, whatever is between them and whatever is beneath the soil.

20:7  If you are to utter your supplication aloud (or silently), He definitely knows the secret and what is yet more hidden.

20:8  Allâh! There is no god but Him. His are the Most Honorable (& Glorious) Names.

20:9  Has there come to you the anecdote of ‘Moses’?

20:10  Behold, he saw a fire. Thus, he said unto to his family: "Wait here! Verily I perceive a fire. Perhaps I can bring you a burning torch or find guidance at the fire."

20:11  As soon as he came to it, he was called by name: "O’ ‘Moses’!

20:12  Indeed! I am your Lord! Thus, take off your sandals, for you are in the sacred valley of, Tuwā!

20:13  I have chosen you. Thus, listen attentively to what is going to be revealed (unto you)

20:14  Indeed! I am Allâh (Almighty) ! There is no god but Me. Therefore worship (& venerate) Me, and establish prayer for My remembrance!

20:15  Indeed, the “Hour” of (Reckoning) is coming. I would make it hidden so that every ‘Human Self’ may be remunerated for what it strives for.

20:16  Therefore, let not the one who disbelieves in It and who takes in his self-deceived beliefs for the epistemic, deviate you from it, lest you then perish!

20:17  What is that in your right hand, O’ “Moses’?"

20:18  He said: "This is my staff whereon I lean, wherewith I beat down leaves to feed my sheep, and wherein I find other uses.”

20:19  (Allâh) said: “Cast it down, O’ ‘Moses’!"

20:20  Thus he cast it down. It was (a living) serpent, slithering.

20:21  Allâh said: "Take hold of it and do not be afraid! We will bring it back to its original from.

20:22  Now, thrust your (right) hand under your armpit. It will come forth glittering white without any blemishes as another sign,

20:23  In order that We may show you some of Our greatest signs.

20:24  Go to ‘Pharaoh’, for he has indeed transgressed."

20:25  (‘Moses’) said: "O’ my Lord! Expand for me my breast,

20:26  And make my mission easy for me,

20:27  And untangle the knot from my tongue

20:28  So that they will be able to understand what I say clearly.

20:29  Appoint a helper for me from my family:

20:30  ‘Aaron’, my brother.

20:31  So I can invigorate my inner strength with him,

20:32  And let him share my mission;

20:33  So that we may frequently declare Your infinite glory,

20:34  Recall and show respect for You, frequently.

20:35  Indeed, You are of us Ever a Well-Seer."

20:36  (Allâh) said: "Your appeal has already been granted, O’ ‘Moses’.

20:37  Verily, We bestowed, at another time before, Our favor upon you,

20:38  When We inspired in your mother what it should be inspired, (saying):

20:39  ‘Place him (-the child-) into a chest, then cast it into the river, then the river will cast it up on the bank. He will be taken up by one who is both My enemy and his enemy.’ I showed My love for you in order to be brought up under My eye.

20:40  When your sister went (to the household of ‘Pharaoh’) and said: 'Shall I introduce you to one who can nurse him?' Thus, We brought you back to your mother so that she might rejoice and forget her sorrows. (Much later on) you killed a man (unintentionally), but We delivered you from the great distress and tested you with heavy trial. Then you stayed for years among the people of ‘Midian’, (‘Shu'ayb’ and his family). Then you came here as ordained, O’ ‘Moses’.

20:41  And I have attached you to My Own Self.

20:42  Go, you and your brother, with My signs (of power & glory) and slacken not in celebrating the Praises of our Lord, and declaring His divine glory!

20:43  Go, both of you, to ‘Pharaoh’! He has definitely transgressed.

20:44  But speak to him with kind words, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear.”

20:45  Both said: Our Lord! Indeed! We are afraid that he will hasten to punish us, or become (extremely) imperious."

20:46  Allâh said: “Do not be afraid! Surely I am with you, hearing and seeing.

20:47  So go you both to him, and say: 'Indeed, we are Messengers of your Lord, so let the ‘Children of Israel’ go with us, and stop torturing them. Verily, we have come to you with a sign from your Lord. Peace will be upon the one who follows the right guidance!

20:48  It has certainly been revealed unto us that punishment will overtake the one who rejects ( faith) and pays no heed (to the call of the Lord).' "

20:49  ‘Pharaoh’ said: "Who is this Lord of you two, O’ ‘Moses’?"

20:50  (Moses) said: "Our Lord is the One Who created everything and endowed each thing with its special feature, and then guided it."

20:51  (‘Pharaoh’) said: "What then is the condition of the preceding generations?"

20:52  Moses said: "My Lord holds the knowledge of them in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets."

20:53  He is the One Who has made the earth a cradle for you, paved therein for you roads and sent down water from the sky; then thereby We have brought forth pairs of various plants.

20:54  Eat thereof, and feed your cattle! Certainly, there are signs (of Allâh's power & glory) in this for people who possess high self-awareness.

20:55  From it, We created you, and into it, We shall return you, and out of it, We will raise you once again.

20:56  We verily showed him (‘Pharaoh’) all Our Signs (of power & glory), but he gave no credence to ( the signs of Allâh's of Power & glory), and refused to admit the Truth of Allah’s Oneness.

20:57  (‘Pharaoh’) said: "Have you come to drive us out from our land with your sorcery, O’ ‘Moses’?

20:58  "Then, We will definitely produce before you sorcery like it. Thus, make an appointment between us, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor you - in a place convenient (to both of us)."

20:59  (Moses) said: “The appointed meeting will be on the festival day, and let the people be gathered in the forenoon."

20:60  ‘Pharaoh’ then left, and put together his plot, then came.

20:61  ‘Moses’ said unto the magicians summoned by ‘Pharaoh’: "Woe unto you! Fabricate not lies against Allâh, lest He will wipe you out by some punishment. Whosoever fabricates a lie will certainly fail miserably."

20:62  They began to debate their affair among themselves and preferred to keep their talk secret.

20:63  They said: "Well, these two are (expert) sorcerers, who intend to drive you out from your land with their sorcery and eradicate your exemplary way of life.

20:64  Thus, orchestrate your plan, and then come in ordered ranks. Whosoever overcomes this day will definitely be the successful."

20:65  They said: "O ‘Moses’! Either you throw or we will be the first to throw."

20:66  He said: "Nay! You, do cast first! Then behold their ropes and their sticks, by their sorcery, appeared to him as though they were slithering.

20:67  ‘Moses’ conceived a fear within him.

20:68  We (-Allâh-) said: “Do not be afraid! Certainly, it is you who are the preponderant.

20:69  Cast down that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up all that they have contrived. Lo! What they have contrived is only a guile of a sorcerer. The sorcerer will not succeed whatever he may aim to do."

20:70  Thus, the sorcerers fell down prostrate, saying: “"We believe in the Lord of ‘Aaron’ and ‘Moses’."

20:71  (‘Pharaoh’) said: "Did you believe in him before I give you permission? Indeed! I see that he (-’Moses’-) is your chief who taught how to perform sorcery. I will certainly have your hands and feet cut off alternately. And I will certainly crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. Thus, you will certainly come to know which of us (the Lord of Aaron and Moses or I) is more stringent in chastisement and (whose chastisement is) more enduring!"

20:72  They said: “We will not prefer you over the appreciable signs that have come to us, nor above Him Who originated us. So decree whatever you intend to decree. You can only decree for this ‘worldly life’.

20:73  Verily! We come to believe in our Lord, that He may forgive our sins, and the sorcery which you compelled us to practise. Allâh is Better and Eternal."

20:74  Whosoever comes before his Lord as an ungodly sinner, then surely, for him is ‘Gehenna’ wherein he shall neither die nor live.

20:75  But whosoever comes before Him as a monotheistic believer having done righteous good deeds, for such are high ranks,

20:76  ‘Gardens of Eden’, beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide. That is the reward of him who purifies himself (from ‘Atheism’ & ‘Polytheism’) .

20:77  We revealed unto ‘Moses’: "Set forth with My servants by night, and strike for them a dry path through the sea, not fearing to be overtaken (by ‘Pharaoh’ & his soldiers), nor being afraid (of drowning)."

20:78  ‘Pharaoh’ chased them with his armed hosts, then there engulfed them of the sea that which engulfed them.

20:79  ‘Pharaoh’ led his people astray instead of leading them aright.

20:80  O’ ‘Children of Israel’! We verily saved you from your enemy. And We made a covenant with you through ‘Moses’ on the right side of Mount (Sinai), and sent unto you the manna and the quails.

20:81  (Saying): "Eat of the wholesome good things We have provided for your sustenance, but exceed not therein, lest (my) wrath will justly fall upon you, and upon whosoever My wrath falls, is certainly hurled to ruin.

20:82  Yet I am definitely All-Forgiving to him who repents, believes (in the Oneness & Unity of Allâh) and does righteous good deeds, then continues to follow the right path.

20:83  (Allâh) said, "Moses’, What made you leave your people behind in such haste?"

20:84  He said: "They are close on my tracks; and I have shown haste to come to You so that You may be well-pleased."

20:85  (Allâh) said: Indeed! “We have tempted your people during your absence: the ‘Samaritan’ has led them astray."

20:86  Thus, ‘Moses’ returned to his people, angry and sorrowful. He said: "My people! Did your Lord not make you a good promise? Did then the time appointed seem too long to you, or did you desire that a condemnation from your Lord should fall upon you, that you broke (your) promise to me?”

20:87  They said: "We broke not our promise to you of our own free will, but we were laden with burdens of the ornaments of the people (of Egypt), then cast them (into the fire), for thus as the Samaritan suggested."

20:88  Then he produced for them a calf, a (mere) body, which had bellowing sound, and they said, "This is your god and the god of ‘Moses’, but ‘Moses’ has forgotten."

20:89  Did they not see that it could not return to them a word (for answer), and had no power to hurt or benefit them?

20:90  ‘Aaron’ indeed had already told them before: "O’ my people! You have been tempted by this thing, and indeed, your Lord is (Allâh) the Most Beneficent, so follow me and obey my command."

20:91  They said: "We shall by no means stop worshiping it until ‘Moses’ returns unto us."

20:92  (Moses) said: "O’ ‘Aaron’! What prevented you, when you saw them going astray,

20:93  From following me? Have you then disobeyed my command?"

20:94  ‘Aaron’ said: "O’ son of my mother! Seize me not by my beard, nor by my head! I was afraid lest you should say: 'You have caused a division among the Children of Israel, and paid no attention to my word!' "

20:95  (‘Moses’) said: "What is the reason for doing (what you did), O’ ‘Samaritan’?”

20:96  The ‘Samaritan’ said: “I saw what they were unable to see, (i.e. I saw ‘Archangel Gabriel’) so I took a handful from the footprints of the Messenger, (‘Gabriel’), and cast it (into the molten ornaments). This is what my Inner Self induced me to do."

20:97  (‘Moses’) said: "Then go away! Indeed, it is (decreed) for you in this present life to say, “Touch me not!” Certainly, there is also for you a promise (of punishment) that you will not be able to evade Now look at your deity of whom you become a devoted worshiper. We will definitely burn it, and scatter its ashes over the sea."

20:98  (O’ my people!) Your God is only Allâh. There is no god but Him. He encompasses all things in His Knowledge. "

20:99  Thus We relate to you some of the exemplary events which happened in the past. Absolutely, We have given you from Our Own Selves a 'Revealer of Truth' (-this ‘Qu’ān’-).

20:100  Whosoever takes no heed to It will definitely bear a heavy load on the ‘Day of Resurrection’,

20:101  Carrying it forever. How dreadful is that load for them on the ‘Day of Resurrection’!

20:102  The ‘Day’ will come when the Trumpet is blown. On that day, We shall gather the ungodly sinners , blear-eyed (with terror).

20:103  They whisper among themselves: “You have tarried no more than ten days!"

20:104  We have complete knowledge of what they talk about when the best of them in knowledge say: “You have tarried but a day.”

20:105  They ask you, (‘Prophet’), about the mountains (on the ‘Day of Resurrection’). Say: "My Lord will blow them up into scattered dust.”

20:106  Then He will leave the earth smooth without marked lumps.

20:107  You will see therein neither roundabout route nor ruggedness.

20:108  On that day, they will follow the ‘Caller’ straight forwardly without any perversion, and all voices will be humbled for the Most Beneficent (Allâh). You will hear nothing but a faint murmur.

20:109  On that day, no intercession will avail, except for one whom the Most Beneficent (Allâh) gives permission and with whose words He is pleased.

20:110  He knows what is before them and what is behind them, whereas they cannot encompass Him with their perception.

20:111  (All) faces will be humbled before (Allâh), the Ever-Living and the Sustainer of all that exists. Verily the one who bears iniquity is a failure.

20:112  Whereas whosoever does righteous good deeds while he is a monotheistic believer, then he should not fear any injustice or any curtailment (of his rights).

20:113  Thus, We have sent it down as a ‘Qur'an’ in Arabic, and have distinctly set forth therein of warnings in diverse contexts so that they may act piously, or that it may motivate them (to accept Allâh into their life).

20:114  Most High then is Allâh, the Sovereign, the Ultimate Truth. Show not haste, (O’ Muhammad), with (recitation of) the Qur’ān before its revelation is completed to you, and say: “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”

20:115  Verily, We had made a covenant with ‘Adam’ before, but he forgot. We found on his part no firm determination (to disobey).

20:116  (Recall) when We said unto the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before ‘Adam’." They all prostrated themselves, except ‘Iblīs’ (-Satan-); he refused ( to obey Allâh’s command).

20:117  Thus, We said "O’ ‘Adam’! Certainly this is an enemy to you and your wife; so let him not drive you both out of ‘Al-Jannah’, lest you suffer through considerable hardship.

20:118  Certainly it is provided for you that you will not feel hungry therein, neither will you be unclothed,

20:119  And that you will not feel thirsty therein, neither will you suffer from any heat.

20:120  Thus, ‘Satan’ whispered lies in his ear, saying: "O’ ‘Adam’, shall I lead you into the tree of eternity, and into a kingdom that never decays.”

20:121  They both ate of it, and so their shameful parts appeared to them. And they began to cover themselves with the leaves of the garden. Consequently, ‘Adam’ disobeyed his Lord and went astray.

20:122  Thereafter, his Lord chose him, turned unto him in forgiveness and guided him.

20:123  (Allâh) said: "Go down hence, both of you, together, some of you being the enemies of others. So there will certainly come to you divine guidance from Me. Then whosoever follows My divine guidance will not go astray nor suffer through considerable hardship.

20:124  But whosoever pays no heed to My remembrance,- for him is certainly a straitened life. And We will raise him up blind on the ‘Day of Resurrection’."

20:125  He will say: "O’ my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, when I used to be able to see?"

20:126  (Allâh) will say: “Even so it is. Our (Holy) ‘Verses’ came to you and you neglected them, and so this ‘Day’, you will be completely ignored.”

20:127  This is how We chastise him who is extravagant, and impious towards the ( Holy) ‘Verses’ of his Lord. The chastisement of the ‘Hereafter’ will be more intensive and more enduring.

20:128  Then, has it not become obvious to them how many generations, in whose dwellings they walk around, We annihilated before them? Indeed, there are signs for people who possess high self-awareness.

20:129  Had not a word gone forth from your Lord, and a term already fixed, they would have definitely been judged immediately.

20:130  So resort to patience to what they say, celebrate the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and declare His infinite glory during the hours of the night and parts of the day, so that you may be satisfied (with what Allâh will bestow upon you).

20:131  Stretch not your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to some groups among them, from the splendor of this ‘worldly life’, so that we may thereby tempt them. Consequently, the sustenance of your Lord is far better and more enduring.

20:132  Give an authoritative order to your family to establish prayer, and endure patiently in its observance. We ask not of you sustenance. We provide for you. But the (fruitful) end will be for righteousness.

20:133  They, (Pagan Arabs), say: "Why does he not bring us a sign, (a miracle), from his Lord?" Has not there come to them an intelligible sign of what is in the previous ‘Scriptures’?

20:134  If We had annihilated them with a retribution before this, they would definitely have said: "Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger, we should absolutely have followed Your ‘Revelations’ before we were humiliated and demeaned."

20:135  Say: "Every one (of us) is in a state of expectation (of the outcome), so keep on expecting! Soon you will come to know the ones who have been following the right path, and (the ones) who have been rightly guided.