Surah Al-Qasas English Translation & Transliteration

¹Ta Sin Mim.

²These are the verses of the Book that makes clear what is right and true.

³We will relate to you, with a true purpose, some important events between Moses and Pharaoh, for a people who believe.

⁴In the past, Pharaoh acted arrogantly in the land and grew utterly insolent; he divided the people of the land into classes, slaughtering the sons of one group and sparing their women, seeking in this way to weaken and crush them. Pharaoh was truly one of those who spread corruption.

⁵But We wished to show favor to these people who were oppressed in the land, to make them leaders, and to make them heirs to the land.

⁶We also wished, by strengthening them in this land, to bring upon Pharaoh, Haman, and their armies the very thing they feared.

⁷To this end, We revealed to the mother of Moses: —Nurse him, and if you fear for his life, put him in the river. Do not worry or grieve! For We will return him to you and make him one of the messengers.

⁸Someone from Pharaoh's household found and took up that baby, who would later become an enemy to them and a source of grief. For Pharaoh, Haman, and their armies were making a great mistake in this.

⁹Pharaoh's wife said: —This child is a source of joy for both me and you. Please do not kill him; perhaps he will be of use to us, or we may adopt him as our son. But they did not realize where this would lead.

¹⁰Moses' mother was beside herself. Had We not strengthened and steadied her heart so that she would be one who trusted Our promise, she would almost have revealed that the child was hers.

¹¹His mother had earlier said to Moses' sister, "Follow him," and she watched him from a distance without anyone noticing.

¹²From the very first day We prevented Moses from nursing from any wet nurse. Meanwhile Moses' sister had said: —Shall I recommend to you a family who will take care of this child for you, nurse him with love, and raise him?

¹³Thus We reunited him with his mother, so that she might be comforted and at ease and grieve no more, and that she might know that Allah's promise is true. But, as it turns out, most people do not know this.

¹⁴At last, when Moses reached his full strength and maturity, We gave him strong judgment and knowledge. This is how We reward those who are virtuous and good.

¹⁵Moses entered the city at a time when its people were unaware of what was going on, and there he came upon two men fighting. One of them was from his own people, the other from the enemy's side. Then the one from his own people asked him for help against the one from the enemy's side. Thereupon Moses killed that man. Moses said: "This is plainly Satan's work; Satan is truly a clear enemy who leads people astray."

¹⁶Moses said: "My Lord, I have truly wronged and harmed myself, so forgive me." And Allah forgave him. For He is matchless in forgiveness and an infinite source of mercy.

¹⁷He said: —My Lord, for the blessing You have granted me, I will never again lend support to the guilty.

¹⁸Moses spent the night in that city in fear, watching all around him until morning. And what did he see? The man who had asked him for help the day before was fighting with someone again and crying out for help. Moses said to him: —What an unruly man you are!

¹⁹When Moses set out to help the one from his people against the enemy, the man said: O Moses, do you want to kill me now, just as you killed someone yesterday? Clearly you do not want to bring peace and calm to this land; rather, you only want to be a tyrant.

²⁰Just then a man came running from the far side of the city and said: —O Moses! The chiefs of the land have gathered and are conferring about killing you; you had better leave this place! Be sure that I wish you well.

²¹So Moses left the city in fear and anxiety, watching all around him, praying: My Lord, save me from falling into the hands of these wrongdoers.

²²As he turned toward Midian, he kept saying: "I hope that my Lord will guide me to the right path."

²³When at last Moses reached the wells of Midian, he came upon a group of shepherds watering their animals. A little way off from them he saw two women trying to keep their animals back from the wells, and he said to them: "Why are you waiting?" They said: "We cannot water our animals until these shepherds have watered theirs and moved off, and our father is a very old man."

²⁴So Moses watered their animals for them, withdrew into the shade, and said: —My Lord, right now I am in need of whatever good You may send me.

²⁵Shortly afterward, one of the two girls came to Moses, walking shyly, and said: —My father is calling you to repay you for watering our animals. When Moses came to him, he told him all that had happened to him. He said: —Do not be afraid; you have escaped from the wrongdoing people.

²⁶One of the girls said: —Dear father, hire this man as a paid worker/shepherd, for the best, the strongest, and the most trustworthy man you could hire is this man.

²⁷The girls' father said: —I wish to marry you to one of these daughters of mine in return for your working for me for eight years; if you make it ten, that will be a kindness from you to us. I do not wish to impose hardship on you. If Allah wills, you will find me one of the righteous, a good man who keeps his word.

²⁸Moses said: —Very well, let this be an agreement between us. But whichever of the two terms I complete, there is to be no hostility or injustice toward me. See, Allah is the guarantor of this agreement of ours.

²⁹When at last Moses had completed the set term and set out with his family, he saw a fire on the right slope of Mount Sinai and said to his family: —Stay here; I have seen a fire. Perhaps I can learn from there the route we should follow, or bring you an ember of fire from it so that you may kindle a fire and warm yourselves.

³⁰When Moses reached the place of the fire, a voice called to him from the direction of the tree on the right side of that blessed valley: —O Moses! It is I—I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds. 27/9

³¹—Now put your staff down on the ground! When Moses saw his staff moving like a snake, he turned and fled without looking back. Allah said: —O Moses, come back and do not be afraid! For you are truly safe.

³²—Now put your hand inside your garment; it will come out dazzling white, without any blemish. Now put away all fear, compose yourself and be calm. These two proofs/miracles are clear evidence given to you by your Lord against Pharaoh and his inner circle. For they have turned out to be a people who have strayed from the path/transgressors.

³³Moses said: —My Lord, I once killed one of them, so I fear that they will kill me.

³⁴—My brother Aaron is clearer and more eloquent in speech than I am. Appoint him too as a messenger with me, so that he may confirm me and support me. For I fear that they will call me a liar.

³⁵Allah said: —We will strengthen you through your brother and give you both such power through Our signs that they will never be able to lay a hand on you. You, and those who follow you, will certainly prevail.

³⁶When Moses came to them with Our signs, which were clear evidence of what is right and true, they said: —This is nothing but contrived sorcery. We never heard of such a thing from our forefathers of old.

³⁷Moses said: —My Lord knows best who has come with guidance from Him and who will reach the happy ending. Surely those who wrong their own people will never prosper.

³⁸Pharaoh said: —O chiefs, I know of no god for you other than me. O Haman! Light the brick kiln for me and build me a tall tower, so that perhaps I may reach the god of Moses. For I am sure that he is a liar.

³⁹He and his armies acted arrogantly in the land, with no regard for anyone's rights, and thought they would not come back to Us to give account.

⁴⁰So We seized him and his soldiers firmly and buried them in the sea. See, then, what the end of those who acted arrogantly without right was!

⁴¹They are leaders who call people to Hell. And on the Day of Resurrection they will receive help from no one.

⁴²In this world they will always be remembered with a curse. And on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the disgraced.

⁴³After destroying the earlier generations, We gave Moses the Book—a source of insight, a guide to the right path, and a mercy—so that perhaps these people might reflect on Our verses and take a lesson.

⁴⁴You were not on the western side of Mount Sinai when We gave the revelation to Moses. Nor were you a witness to what took place there.

⁴⁵Moreover, since that day We have brought into being many generations, and much time has passed over them. Nor did you dwell among the people of Midian and learn this knowledge from them. But it was We who always sent the messengers to them.

⁴⁶Yes, you were not on the slope of Mount Tur when We called to Moses. But this Book/the Quran has been given as a mercy from your Lord, so that you may warn your people as those before were warned,

⁴⁷and so that, should a calamity befall them because of what they have done, they would not say: "Our Lord, could You not have sent us a messenger, so that we might have followed Your verses and been among the believers?"

⁴⁸But when the messenger bringing the truth came to them from Us, they said this time: —If only he had been given the like of what was given to Moses! Yet had they not earlier disbelieved in what was given to Moses as well? And did they not say of the two of them: —These are two sorcerers backing each other up, and we do not believe in what they bring?

⁴⁹Say to them: —If you are truthful and sincere in your claim, then bring a book from Allah that guides better than the Torah and the Quran, and I will follow it.

⁵⁰If they cannot answer you, know that they are only following their desires and whims. And who does greater wrong than one who abandons the right path shown by Allah and follows his own desires and whims? Surely Allah never brings those who follow their desires and whims to their goal.

⁵¹Indeed, We have conveyed the divine word to them in succession, so that they may reflect and take admonition.

⁵²Those to whom We gave revelation before also believe in this revelation.

⁵³When this revelation is recited to them, they say: —We have believed in it, for it is the truth itself from our Lord; indeed, even before this we were Muslims.

⁵⁴These will be given their reward twice over, because they endured the hardships and difficulties they faced, repelled evil with good, and spent from what We provided for them.

⁵⁵And when they hear evil and ugly words, they turn away from them and say: "We are responsible for what we do, and you are responsible for what you do. Peace be upon you (Salamun alaykum)—farewell, go your way; we want nothing to do with ignorant people like you."

⁵⁶Surely you cannot guide to the right path everyone you love. But Allah guides whoever wishes to the right path. For He knows best who wants to enter the right path.

⁵⁷And they say: "If we follow the right path with you, we will be uprooted from our land and homes." Did We not settle them in a secure and inviolable land, to which produce of every kind is gathered as provision from Us? But most of them do not recognize this blessing.

⁵⁸Yet before this We destroyed many lands whose wealth and comfort had made them insolent. There are the dwellings they lived in! After them, few have made those places their home. For in the end, We are the heir of all things.

⁵⁹For your Lord would never destroy a land without first sending to its chief city a messenger to recite and convey Our verses to them. For We will destroy none but peoples who defy Our verses.

⁶⁰Whatever you have been given is but the provision and adornment of worldly life. What is with Allah is better and more lasting. Do you never think about these things?

⁶¹Now, can the one to whom We have promised a fine reward, and who attains it, be equal to the one who enjoys the fleeting blessings of worldly life and is then brought before Us for punishment?

⁶²On that day Allah will call out to them and say: —Tell Me! Where are those you claimed, by associating partners with Me, to be My partners?

⁶³Those against whom the sentence of punishment has come true will say: —Our Lord, these are the ones we led into excess and astray. We led them astray just as we ourselves had gone astray. Now we sever all ties with them and take refuge in You. In fact, they were not really serving us.

⁶⁴And they will be told: "Call on those you associated as partners!" They will call on them, but those will not be able to answer their call, and they will come face to face with the punishment. If only they had followed the right path while in the world!

⁶⁵On that day Allah will call out to them and ask: —What answer did you give to the messages of the messengers?

⁶⁶At that moment their world will go dark, the doors of excuse will close, and they will not even be in a state to ask one another anything.

⁶⁷But as for those who repent, believe, and do good and beautiful deeds, they will certainly be among those who attain salvation.

⁶⁸It is your Lord alone who creates whatever He wills and chooses whatever He wills. Those who associate partners with Him have no right to choose in this matter. Allah is free of and far above whatever they attribute to Him.

⁶⁹For your Lord knows very well what they hide within themselves and what they disclose.

⁷⁰For He is Allah; there is no god but Him. All praise belongs to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter. The final judgment is His, and you will be brought before Him to give account.

⁷¹Say: Have you ever considered: if Allah were to prolong the night until the Day of Resurrection, is there any god other than Allah who could bring you light? Will you still not listen to the truths?

⁷²Say also: —Have you ever considered: if Allah were to prolong the day until the Day of Resurrection, is there any god other than Allah who could bring you night, in which to sleep and rest? Will you still not see the truths?

⁷³It is He who, as a work of His mercy, has made the night and the day, so that you may rest and be calm and seek your share of His bounty. Will you still not give these blessings their due and be grateful?

⁷⁴On that day Allah will call out to them: —Tell Me, where are those you claimed, by associating partners with Me, to be My partners?

⁷⁵And We will bring forth a witness from every community and say: "Come, bring your proofs that what you served were gods!" Then they will realize that the only true Being worthy of worship is Allah, and the things they invented will forsake them and vanish.

⁷⁶It is certain that Qarun (Korah) was one of the people of Moses. We had given him such treasures that even their keys alone could barely be carried by a group of strong men. With this power he acted arrogantly toward his people and oppressed them. His people had said to him: —Do not be conceited! For Allah does not love the conceited.

⁷⁷Seek, through all the wealth and property Allah has given you, the ways to earn the abode of the Hereafter, but do not forget your share of this world either! Do good to people, as Allah has been abundantly good to you, and never pursue tyranny and corruption in the land, for Allah does not love those who spread corruption!

⁷⁸Qarun said: —I acquired all this wealth and property only through my knowledge and skill. Did he not know that Allah had destroyed, among the generations before him, many who were stronger and richer than he? Those who have made crime their second nature need no questioning about their sins.

⁷⁹One day Qarun came out before his people in all his pomp and splendor. Those who were fond of worldly life said: —Oh, if only we were rich like Qarun! He is truly such a fortunate man.

⁸⁰But those who had true knowledge of this world and the Hereafter said: —Woe to you! The reward Allah will give to those who believe and do good and beneficial deeds is worth more than all the treasures of this short-lived world; but none attain it except those who brave every hardship and endure patiently for the sake of their faith.

⁸¹In the end We sank him, together with his mansions and palaces, into the depths of the earth. No one but Allah could help him now, and none did; nor could he do anything to save himself.

⁸²Those who only the day before had wished to be in his place now said: —Ah! So it turns out that Allah gives provision in abundance to whomever He wills/whoever deserves it among His servants, and gives it in measure to whomever He wills. Had Allah not been gracious to us, He would have sunk us into the depths of the earth too. Ah! So the ungrateful disbelievers never prosper after all.

⁸³That is the abode of the Hereafter! We have prepared it for those who do not act arrogantly in the land or spread corruption. The happy ending belongs to those who guard themselves against insolence and corruption.

⁸⁴So whoever comes into the divine presence with good will have more than he deserves. And whoever comes into the divine presence with evil—they will be recompensed only for the evil they did.

⁸⁵Have no doubt that Allah, who has made it your duty to recite this Quran, will surely bring you back to the place of return. Say: —My Lord knows best who is on the right path and who is in clear misguidance.

⁸⁶You did not know that this divine revelation would be sent down to you; it came only through your Lord's mercy. So never give support to the disbelievers!

⁸⁷And after this revelation/the Quran has been sent down to you, never let them turn you away from Allah's verses. Call people to your Lord alone, and do not even think of being among those who associate partners with Allah and call to other paths!

⁸⁸And do not even think of imploring any other god in prayer along with Allah! For there is no god but Him. Everything will perish; only His Being will remain. The final judgment and decision are His, and you will be returned to Allah to give account.