20. Sura Tāhā with Urdu Translation

Sura 20. Tāhā ():

In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Ever-Merciful.

1. Ta-Ha. (Only Allah and the Messenger know the real meaning.)

2. (O My Esteemed Beloved!) We have not revealed the Qur’an to you that you land in distress.

3. But (it) is (revealed as) admonition for him who fears (his Lord).

4. (This) has been revealed by (Allah) Who created the earth and lofty heavens.

5. (He is) Most Kind Who settled on the Throne (of Power and Supreme Authority over all the systems of the universe befitting His Glory).

6. (So) whatever is in the heavens (i.e. the upper divine and celestial spheres and spatial terrestrial spheres) and whatever is in the earth and whatever is in between the two (i.e. the atmospheric spheres) and whatever is beneath the soil to its bed, all are (functioning in compliance with) His (command and control system).

7. And (there is no harm) if, in remembrance and Prayer, you raise (louden your voice). He knows even the secrets (of hearts) and also the most hidden mysteries. (Then how He will not hear the loud supplications!)

8. Allah is (His Self-Name) besides Whom there is no God (i.e. believe in Him alone and deny all other false gods). There are (also) many other Beautiful Names for Him (that speak of His most beautiful and fascinating attributes).

9. And has the account of Musa (Moses) reached you?

10. When Musa (Moses) saw a fire (on his way back to Egypt from Madyan), he said to his family: ‘Stay here. I have seen a fire (or I have perceived a flash of love and cordiality in a fire). Perhaps I may bring a brand from it for you (also) or I find at that fire the guidance (which I am searching for).’

11. So when he reached that (fire), a call was made: ‘O Musa (Moses)!

12. Certainly I am your Lord, so take off your shoes. Verily you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa.

13. And I have chosen you (for my Messengership), so listen to what is being revealed to you with absolute attentiveness.

14. Verily I am Allah. There is no God other than Me. So always worship Me and establish Prayer for the sake of My remembrance.

15. Certainly the Last Hour is about to come. I want to keep it secret so that every soul may be rewarded for that (deed) for which it is exerting.

16. So let not someone who (himself) does not believe in it and follows his own lust (of the lower self) prevent you from (focusing) it, otherwise you (too) will perish.

17. And what is this in your right hand, O Musa (Moses)?’

18. He submitted: ‘This is my stick. I lean on it and beat down leaves with it for my goats, and in it there are also many other benefits for me.’

19. Allah said: ‘O Musa (Moses), cast it down (on the ground).’

20. So he cast it down (on the ground) and suddenly it became a serpent slithering (here and there).

21. Allah said: ‘Catch it and do not fear. We shall transform it to its former state just now.’

22. And (it was commanded:) ‘Press your hand in your armpit. It will come out radiant white without any disease. (This) is another Sign.

23. (We are doing) this so that We may show you greater Signs of Our (Might).

24. Go to Pharaoh. He has exceeded limits (in defiance and rebellion).’

25. Musa (Moses) prayed: ‘O my Lord, expand my breast for me.

26. And make my task (as a Messenger) easy for me.

27. And untie the knot from my tongue,

28. That people may understand (easily) what I say.

29. And appoint for me a minister from my family.

30. (That) is Harun (Aaron), my brother.

31. Provide me strength and backup with him.

32. And make him share my task (of Messengership),

33. So that we (both) may amply glorify You,

34. And amply remember You.

35. Surely You see us well (in the perspective of total scenario).’

36. (Allah) said: ‘O Musa (Moses), you are granted your every prayer.

37. And surely We graciously favoured you once (earlier as well),

38. When We revealed to your mother’s heart what was revealed —

39. That put him (Musa (Moses)) into a box and place that (box) in the river. Then the river will drift it to the bank. My enemy and his enemy will pick him up. And I cast on you from My Presence a reflection of My (Exceptional) love (i.e. We have made you so lovely and charismatic that whoever glance at you will be fascinated). And (this was done) so that you might be brought up before My eyes.

40. And when your sister, (posing as a stranger,) walking along, said (to Pharaoh’s family): Shall I point out to you (a woman) who will nurse this (infant)? Then We brought you back to your mother (on the pretext of nursing) so that she might cool her eyes and might not feel aggrieved as well. And you killed a man (a disbeliever of Pharaoh’s people). Then We delivered you from (that) agony (too) and tested and assessed you through many trials. Then you stayed among the people of Madyan for many years. Musa (Moses)! Then you came (here) at the time fixed (by Allah. He was then exactly forty years old).

41. And (now) I have chosen you for Myself (for the task of Messengership and the Exceptional Favour).

42. Go you and your brother (Harun (Aaron)) with My Signs and do not slacken in remembering Me.

43. Go both of you to Pharaoh; surely he has transgressed all bounds in rebellion.

44. So talk to him politely. He may perhaps accept admonition or fear (My wrath).’

45. Both of them submitted: ‘O our Lord, we fear lest he should commit some excess against us or become (more) rebellious.’

46. (Allah) said: ‘Do not fear. I am indeed with you both. I hear and see (all).

47. So, go you both to him and say: We are (the Messengers) sent by your Lord. So (set free) the Children of Israel (from your slavery and) send them with us. And do not persecute them (anymore). Surely we have brought you a Sign from your Lord. And peace be upon him who follows Guidance!

48. Verily, it has been revealed to us that the torment will come upon (every) such person that rejects (the Messenger) and turns away from him.’

49. (Pharaoh) said: ‘O Musa (Moses), Who is the Lord of you both?’

50. Musa (Moses) said: ‘Our Lord is He Who brought everything into being (as most suitable it was), then guided it (according to its potential).’

51. (Pharaoh) said: ‘So, what was the fate of former people (who did not believe in your Lord)?’

52. (Musa (Moses)) said: ‘The knowledge about them is recorded (and saved) in a Book with My Lord. My Lord does not go wrong, nor does He forget.’

53. He is the One Who made the earth habitable for you and provided therein paths for you (to travel) and sent down water from the sky. Then by means of that (water) We bring forth (from the earth) pairs of various kinds of vegetation.

54. Eat and pasture your cattle. Surely, there are Signs in it for the wise.

55. We created you from this (very soil of the earth) and We shall return you into the same and shall bring you forth from the very same once more.

56. And surely We showed him (Pharaoh) all Our Signs (bestowed upon Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron)) but he belied and refused to believe.

57. He said: ‘Musa (Moses), have you come to us to drive us out of our land with your magic?

58. So we shall also bring to you magic resembling it. Therefore, settle an appointment between us and yourself (for the contest) which neither we nor you shall violate. (The place of contest) is to be an open and smooth ground.’

59. (Musa (Moses)) said: ‘The day of your promise is the Eid (‘Id) Day (the day of Annual Festival) and that (on that day) all the people are to assemble there early in the forenoon.’

60. Then Pharaoh went back (from the meeting), put together his (schemes of) pretension and deception and then came back (at the appointed time).

61. Musa (Moses) said (to the sorcerers): ‘Woe to you! (Beware!) Do not invent a lie against Allah lest He should eliminate you by torment. And surely he who fabricates a lie (against Allah) is a failure.’

62. Thereupon they (the sorcerers) disputed among themselves about their affair and started inaudible whispering.

63. They said: ‘These two are really magicians who have the intention to drive you out of your land with sorcery and put an end to your exemplary culture and religion.

64. (They mutually decided.) So collect all your tricks (of magic) and come into the arena (together) in a queue and the one who prevails today will be victorious.’

65. (The magicians) said: ‘O Musa (Moses), either you cast (your thing) or we become the first ones to cast.’

66. (Musa (Moses)) said: ‘Rather you cast down.’ Then the sight was that suddenly their cords and rods, by the effect of their magic, seemed to Musa (Moses) as if they were slithering (on the ground).

67. Now Musa (Moses) felt a sort of hidden fear in his heart.

68. We said (to Musa (Moses)): ‘Do not fear. Verily, you will have the upper hand.

69. And cast down (this staff) that is in your right hand (on the ground). It will swallow up that (craft) which they have contrived (artificially). Whatever they have wrought is but a deceitful trick of a sorcerer, and wherever a magician may come, he will not be successful.’

70. (Then things happened the same way.) So all the sorcerers fell down in prostration (and) said: ‘We embrace faith in the Lord of Harun (Aaron) and Musa (Moses).’

71. (Pharaoh) said: ‘You have embraced faith in Him before I grant you permission. Surely he (Musa (Moses)) is also your chief (trainer) who has taught you magic. So, (now) I shall certainly cut off your hands and your feet on the opposite sides and shall certainly crucify you on the palm trunks. Then you shall come to know for sure which of us is sterner in inflicting torture and lasts for a longer term.’

72. (The magicians) said: ‘We shall not at all prefer you to the Clear Signs that have come to us. By that (Lord) Who has created us, decide whatever you want to do, for you can decide merely about (this few days’) worldly life.

73. We have indeed believed in our Lord in order that He may forgive us our sins and also (may forgive) that sorcery to which you forced us, and Allah is the Best and Ever-Abiding.’

74. Surely whoever comes to his Lord as an evildoer, certainly for him is Hell. (And it is such a torment) wherein he will neither die nor survive.

75. And whoever comes to His Presence as a believer (and) has (also) done good deeds, it is they for whom are high ranks.

76. (Those) are evergreen gardens beneath which streams flow. (They) will dwell therein forever. And that is the reward for the one who purifies himself (of the impurity and indecency of disbelief and immorality).

77. And certainly We sent revelation to Musa (Moses): ‘Move out at night taking My servants with you. So, make a dry path in the river (by striking your staff). Have no fear to be overtaken (by Pharaoh), nor be afraid (of drowning).’

78. Then Pharaoh chased them with his troops. So, the (waves of the) river swept over them as much as they covered them up.

79. And Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide them to the right path.

80. O Children of Israel! (Realize!) Certainly We delivered you from your enemy and gave you the promise of (coming to) the right of (Mount) Tur and (there) We sent down to you the manna and the quails.

81. (And He said to you:) ‘Eat of the pure things that We have provided for you and do not exceed limits in that, or My wrath will become inevitable for you. And he on whom My wrath comes due is in truth destroyed.’

82. And I am surely Most Forgiving to him who repents and affirms faith and behaves piously, then sticks to guidance (firmly).

83. And, O Musa (Moses), why did you hasten (in coming to Tur ahead of) your people?

84. (Musa (Moses)) submitted: ‘They too are coming behind me, and I have hastened to appear before Your Presence (possessed by love and ecstasy) in order that You may be pleased, O my Lord!’

85. (Allah) said: ‘We have indeed put your people in trial after you (came away) and Samiri has led them astray.’

86. So, Musa (Moses) returned to his people angered and grieved (and) said: ‘O my people, did your Lord not give you a fair promise? Had a long time lapsed on you in (the fulfilment of) the promise? (Or) did you wish that the wrath of your Lord should come due (and befall) you? So you have violated (your) promise to me.’

87. They said: ‘We have not violated our promise to you of our own will, but (what happened is that) we were loaded with the heavy burden of the ornaments of the people, so we cast them (into the fire); then similarly Samiri (too) cast them away.’

88. Then he (Samiri) moulded (out of the molten ornaments) a statue of a calf for them which produced sound like that of a cow. Then they said: ‘This is your Lord and the Lord of Musa (Moses too). So he (Samiri) forgot (at this point).’

89. Well, did they not see (even this much) that this (calf) could not answer them a word, nor had it any power to cause them any loss or profit?

90. Earlier, Harun (Aaron also) had said to them, (warning): ‘O people, you have undergone a trial by virtue of this (calf) while your Lord is (not this,) but surely (He,) the Most Kind One. So follow me and obey my command.’

91. They said: ‘We shall hold fast to its (worship) until Musa (Moses) comes back to us.’

92. Musa (Moses) said: ‘Harun (Aaron), when you saw them erring, what stopped you,

93. From following me (and communicating to me)? Or who prohibited you from following my way, (in forbidding them fiercely). Did you disobey me?’

94. (Harun (Aaron)) said: ‘O son of my mother, seize me not by my beard or my head. (In being harsh) I feared you would say: You have created division among the Children of Israel and have not safeguarded my word.’

95. (Musa (Moses)) said: ‘Samiri, (tell me,) what is the matter with you?’

96. He said: ‘I saw what these people had not seen. I took a handful (of dust) from the footstep of the angel (that visited you); then I cast it (into the model of the calf) and this way my (lower) self made (it) attractive to me.’

97. Musa (Moses) said: ‘So (get out from here and) go away. There is for you a lifelong (punishment) that you will keep saying (to everyone): Touch (me) not, (touch me not). And there is yet another promise (of punishment) for you which will not be averted at all. And look at this (self-made) god of yours to which you held fast (in worship). We will surely burn it and scatter (its dust) well over the river.

98. (O my people! He) Allah alone is your God apart from Whom there is no god. He has encompassed everything in (His) knowledge.’

99. (O Esteemed Beloved!) Thus We communicate to you news about the (communities) who have passed away, and We have surely given you from Our Exclusive Presence the Reminder (i.e. an Admonishing Book).

100. Whoever turns away from it will certainly carry an unmanageable burden on the Day of Rising.

101. They will (remain) in this (torment) forever, and it will be a very evil burden for them on the Day of Rising.

102. The Day when the trumpet will be blown, We shall assemble the evildoers with their bodies and eyes turned blue (due to intense fear and loss of sight),

103. Inaudibly whispering to one another: ‘You stayed in the world for hardly ten days.’

104. We know best what they will be saying while one of them better in wisdom and deeds will say: ‘You have not stayed (in the world) for more than a day.’

105. And they ask you concerning mountains. So say: ‘My Lord will blow them off as dust particles,

106. Then will change it into a levelled, barren land,

107. In which you will find neither any depression nor any elevation.’

108. On that Day people will tread on behind the caller and there will be no deviation in (following) him. And all voices will be hushed due to the Majesty of the Most Kind (Lord). So you will not hear anything except a faint sound of a stir.

109. On that Day no intercession shall be fruitful except his (intercession) whom the Most Kind (Lord) has granted leave (and permission) and with whose word He is pleased (such as Prophets and Messengers, Allah’s chosen and fearing servants, Godwary slaves, innocent children and many other devoted servants of Allah whose intercession is validated).

110. He knows all those (things) which are ahead of them and which are behind them, and they cannot encompass His (knowledge) with (their) knowledge.

111. And (all) faces will bow down before the Holy Presence of the Ever-Living (and) Self-Subsisting (Lord), and surely he who bears the burden of wrongdoing will crumble to failure.

112. And whoever does righteous deeds and is also blessed with faith will fear neither any injustice nor any harm.

113. And in this way have We sent down (this last Revealed Book) in the Arabic tongue (in shape of) the Qur’an and have explained in it more often than not matters inspiring fear (of torment, in diverse ways,) so that they may become Godfearing or this (Qur’an) may inculcate in their (hearts a passion for the acceptance of admonition or) the remembrance (of the Last Day).

114. So Most High and Exalted is Allah. He alone is the True Sovereign. And do not hasten in (reciting) the Qur’an before its revelation is fully accomplished to you. And always submit (before the Holy Presence of your Lord): ‘O my Lord, increase me further in knowledge.’

115. And truly, (far) earlier than this, We had given a strict command to Adam but he forgot. And We did not observe in him any intention (to disobey) at all (it was just an omission).

116. And (recall the time) when We commanded the angels: ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam,’ they fell down in prostration except Iblis. He refused.

117. Then We said: ‘O Adam, verily this (Satan) is an enemy to you and your wife. So let him not get you both ousted from Paradise; then you shall be put to toil.

118. Surely there is this (comfort) for you (in Paradise) that you will neither feel hungry nor go naked.

119. And that you will neither feel thirsty here, nor will the sun prick (you).’

120. But Satan suggested to them (an) idea. He said: ‘O Adam! Shall I inform you of the tree of spending eternal life (in the Paradise of Allah’s nearness) and also the (secret of that divine) dominion which will neither fall nor cease to exist?’

121. So (in fondness of that station of eternal nearness to Allah) both ate the fruit of that tree. So, their private parts became exposed to them, and both began to stick to their (bodies) the leaves of (the trees in) Paradise. And Adam made a mistake (by way of omission) in (understanding) his Lord’s Command. So he could not achieve the aim (of eternal life in Paradise).

122. Then his Lord chose him (for His nearness and Prophethood) and turned to him (in His Exceptional Forgiveness and Mercy) and showed the path to the coveted destination.

123. (Allah) said: ‘Go down from here all of you. Some of you will be enemies to some others. Then if there comes to you any Guidance (Revelation) from Me, whoever will follow My Guidance will neither lose the straight path (in the world) nor face misfortune (in the Hereafter).

124. And whoever turns away from My Direction and Guidance (remembrance and advice), his worldly sustenance will be narrowed and We will raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection (as well).’

125. He will say: ‘O my Lord, why have You raised me up blind (today) whereas I had vision (in the world)?’

126. (Allah) will say: ‘In like manner Our Signs came to you (in the world) but you forgot them and the same way you (too) will be forgotten today.’

127. And that is how We recompense the one who exceeds the limit (in sins) and does not believe in the Revelations of his Lord, and surely the torment of the Last Day is extremely severe and everlasting.

128. Has (this fact) not guided them as to how many people We destroyed before them in whose dwelling places they (now) walk about? Undoubtedly, in this are (many) Signs for the wise.

129. And had it not been settled already by your Lord and the time (of the Day of Resurrection) not fixed (for their torment, befalling them) the calamity (right now) would have been inevitable?

130. So bear their (heart-rending) talk patiently and glorify your Lord with His praise before the rising of the sun (in Fajr (dawn) Prayer) and before its setting (in the ‘Asr (afternoon) Prayer) and glorify Him in the early hours of night (the Maghrib (sunset) and ‘Isha’ (evening) Prayer) and also at the ends of the day (in Zuhr (midday) Prayer when the first half of the day ends and the second half starts. O Esteemed Beloved, all this is designed) so that you may be pleased.

131. And do not glance with amazement and wonder at the adornments (of worldly life) which We have provided to some classes (of the disbelieving materialists) for their (short-term) luxury so that We may cause for them a trial in these (very things). And the provision of your Lord (in the Hereafter) is the best and eternal.

132. And enjoin Prayer on your family and strictly adhere to it. And We do not ask for provision from you, (rather) We provide for you. And it is fearing God that brings about best results.

133. And (the disbelievers) say: ‘Why this (Prophet) does not bring us any Sign from his Lord?’ Has there not come to them (the Qur’an,) a Clear Proof of the things (mentioned) in the former Books?

134. And had We destroyed them through some calamity already, they would have said: ‘O Lord, why did You not send to us any Messenger so that we might have followed Your Revelations before we were humiliated and disgraced?’

135. Say: ‘Everyone is waiting, so wait on. You will soon come to know who are the people of the right path and who are the guided ones.’