you argue with me over names°
—that you and your fathers devised—
for which God has sent no sanction?
Wait, then; and I shall wait with you.”
72We saved him and those with him,
through Our mercy,
and We erased the last traces
of those who denied Our signs
and remained unbelievers.
SECTION 10
73We sent to the people of Thamud
their brother Salih, who said,
“My people, worship God—
you have no god but Him.
Clear proof has come to you from
your Lord: this she-camel of God
is a sign for you. So leave her
to graze on God’s earth,
and don’t harm her,
else a painful punishment
shall overtake you.
74“Remember how He made you
heirs to ʿAd’s people,
and settled you in the land;
you built castles on its plains,
and carved houses in the mountains.
Remember the bounties of God,
and don’t act wickedly in the land,
spreading corruption.”
75The leaders of some proud men
among his people said
to the believers they deemed weak,
“Do you know that Salih
is a messenger from his Lord?”
They answered, “We do believe
in the message sent with him.”
76Those proud people declared,
“We deny what you believe.”
77They hamstrung the she-camel,
and disdained their Lord’s command,
saying, “Salih, bring upon us
the torment you threatened,
if you really are a messenger.”
78So the earthquake shook them,
and by morning they lay fallen
on their faces, dead, in their homes.°
79Salih turned from them, saying,
“My people, I have conveyed
my Lord’s message to you,
and I’ve advised you—but it seems
you’re averse to all advisers.”°
80We also sent Lot,
who said to his people,
“How can you commit indecency—
like none in the world before you?
81“You lust after men
instead of women; you
exceed all due limits.”
82In response, the only thing
his people could say was
“Drive them out of your town—
these people who are so chaste!”
83But we saved him and his family,
except his wife, who stayed behind.
84And we rained down upon them
a rain [of stones]°—observe
the fate of those who sin.
SECTION 11
85We sent to the people of Midian
their brother Shuʿayb, who said,
“My people, worship God—
you have no god but Him.
Clear proof has come to you from
your Lord—so give
just measure and weight,
and don’t give people less
than the value of their goods.
Don’t sow corruption in the land
now it has been reformed.
This will be better for you
if you are believers.
86“Don’t lurk on every road,
threatening people, and barring those
who believe in God from His path,
seeking to make it crooked.
Remember, when you were few
how we multiplied you.
And observe the fate
of those who sow corruption.
87“And if some of you believe
in the message I’ve been sent with,
while others don’t, be patient
until God judges between us.
For He is the Best of Judges.”
88The leaders of some proud men
among his people said, “Shuʿayb,
we’ll drive you out of our town
—and those who believe with you—
unless you return to our creed.”
He retorted, “Even if we abhor it?
89“We’d be inventing lies about God
if we returned to your creed after God
had spared us from it; we could not
return to it unless our Lord God wished it.
Our Lord’s knowing embraces
all things. In God we place our trust,
‘Our Lord, decide justly between us
and our people—for You
are the Best of Arbiters.’ ”
90The chief unbelievers
among his people said,
“If you follow Shuʿayb,
it will be you who
fall into loss.”
91So the earthquake shook them,
and by morning they lay fallen
on their faces, dead, in their homes—
92as if those who denied Shuʿayb
had never lived there—
they were the ones
who fell into loss.
93So Shuʿayb turned from them,
saying, “My people, I have conveyed
the message of my Lord to you,
and I gave you sound advice—
so how can I grieve
for a people who don’t believe?”
SECTION 12
94Whenever We sent a prophet
to a town, We inflicted suffering
and adversity on its disbelievers,
to instill humility in them.
95Then We turned their distress
to prosperity, [but they forgot this],
and said, “Our fathers too were
touched by both hardship and ease”—
so We seized them suddenly,
while they were unaware.
96If the people of the towns had
believed and been mindful of God,
We should have opened the blessings
of heaven and earth to them;
but they denied Us, so We
seized them for their misdeeds.
97Do the people of the towns
feel certain that Our wrath
will not descend on them
by night, while they sleep?
98And do the townspeople
feel certain that Our wrath
will not fall upon them
by day, while they idly play?
99Do they feel secure
against God’s plan?
None can feel secure
against the plan of God
except those who
will fall into loss.
SECTION 13
100Is this not a lesson
for those who inherit the earth
after its former peoples—
that, if We wished, We could
strike them for their sins,
and seal up their hearts,
so that they could not hear.
101These were the towns
whose stories We have told you—
messengers came to them,
bringing clear proofs,
but still they would not believe
what they had denied earlier—
this is how God
seals the hearts of disbelievers.
102We found most of them
failing to fulfill their covenant,
and we found most of them
to be disobedient.
103After them, We sent Moses
to Pharaoh and his chiefs
with Our signs,
but they reviled them—
observe the fate of those
who sow corruption.
104Moses said, “Pharaoh,
I am a messenger sent
from the Lord of the universe,
105obliged to speak only the truth
about God. I have brought you
clear proof from your Lord—so
send the children of Israel with me.”
106Pharaoh retorted, “If you
have come with a sign, produce it,
if you are speaking the truth.”
107Then Moses cast down his staff,
and suddenly—it was now
a serpent for all to see.
108He drew out his hand, and
suddenly—it was gleaming white
for all to see.
SECTION 14
109Pharaoh’s chief people observed,
“This is an expert magician;
110“he wants to drive you
from your land.” Pharaoh asked,
“What do you advise, then?”
111They replied, “Stall him
and his brother, while you send
scouts to the cities to gather
112and bring to you
all the expert magicians.”
113When Pharaoh’s magicians came,
they asked,
“Shouldn’t we be rewarded
if we prevail?”
114He replied, “Of course,
and you’ll be within
my inner circle.”
115They asked, “Moses,
will you throw first, or shall we?”
116Moses said, “You throw first!”
And when they threw, people were
spellbound, terrified
by what they saw—
such a daunting display of magic.
117Then We inspired Moses,
“Throw down your staff!”
And suddenly it swallowed
all their concoctions.
118So the truth was verified
and all their deeds proved vain.
119Defeated there, humiliated,
120the sorcerers fell down,
prostrating themselves,
121proclaiming, “We now believe
in the Lord of the universe,
122“the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
123Pharaoh bellowed,
“You believed in Him
before I allowed it?
I’m sure this is a plot
you’ve planned in the city,
to drive out its people—
but soon you will learn.
124“I’ll cut off your hands and feet
on either side, and crucify you all.”
125They said, “It is certain
that we’ll return to our Lord.
126“You take vengeance on us
only because we believed
in the signs of our Lord
when they came to us.
“Our Lord, fill us with patience,
and let us die submitting to Your will.”
SECTION 15
127The chiefs of Pharaoh’s people
asked him,
“Will you let Moses and his people
wreak mischief in the land,
and forsake you and your gods?”
He answered,
“We’ll kill their sons
and spare only their women.
For we have power over them.”
128Moses urged his people,
“Seek God’s help, and be patient.
The land belongs to God—
He bequeaths it to whichever
of His servants He will,
and those who are mindful of God
shall triumph in the end.”
129They said, “We were oppressed
both before you came to us, and now,
after you’ve come.” He responded,
“Your Lord may destroy your enemy
and make you successors to the land,
to see how you will behave.”
SECTION 16
130We harried Pharaoh’s people
with years of famine
and loss of crops—to warn them.
131When good things came to them,
they said, “We earned this.”
But when misfortune struck them,
they took it as an ill omen from Moses
and his companions, though
their ill omen actually came from God,
unbeknown to most of them.
132They said to Moses,
“No matter what signs
you bring to bewitch us—
we won’t believe in you.”
133So We sent the flood upon them,
and a scourge of locusts, lice, frogs,
and blood—all clear signs.
But they remained proud,
a people steeped in sin.
134Whenever a plague fell on them,
they said, “Moses, call on your Lord,
to fulfill the promise He gave you;
if you free us from the plague,
we’ll believe in you—and we’ll send
the children of Israel with you.”
135But when We lifted the plague
from them, and gave them a fixed time
to fulfill their promise—they broke it.
136So We requited them,
drowning them in the ocean—
for they denied Our signs,
always heedless of them.
137We made an oppressed people
heirs to the land, both East and West,
which We blessed. So your Lord’s
wondrous promise to favor
the children of Israel was fulfilled,
for they showed patience; and
We destroyed all that Pharaoh
and his people had wrought,
and all that they had built.
138We led the children of Israel
across the sea. When they came
upon a people devoted to their idols,
his people said, “Moses, make for us
a god like their gods.” He rejoined,
“You are an ignorant people.
139“The creed of these people
is doomed to die out,
for what they practice is futile.”
140He said, “Would I seek for you
a god other than the One God—
Who favored you over all peoples?”
141Remember when We saved you
from Pharaoh’s people, who inflicted
wicked torments on you, killing
your sons, sparing only your women.
This was a great trial from your Lord.
SECTION 17
142We assigned thirty nights
for Moses, and added ten more,
so he completed in forty nights
the term set by his Lord.° Then,
Moses said to his brother Aaron,
“Take my place among my people,
do good, and don’t follow the path
of those who sow corruption.”
143When Moses came
to Our assigned place
and his Lord spoke to him,
he implored, “Show yourself to me,
so I may look upon you.”
God said, “Never shall you see me,
but look up at the mountain—
if it stays in place, you will see me.
But when God’s glory shone upon
the mountain, it crumbled into dust,
and Moses fell down, unconscious.
Waking, he said, “Glory be to You.
I turn to You, repenting, and
I am the first to believe.”
144God said, “Moses,
I’ve chosen you above all people,
through My messages, My word.°
So hold fast to what I’ve given you,
and be grateful.”
145We made laws for him, on tablets,
instructing, and explaining all things.
We told him, “Hold to these firmly,
and enjoin your people to hold fast
to the excellence in them—
I shall show you the final homes
of those who are disobedient.”
146As for those who were proud
—with no right—on the earth,
I will turn My signs away from them.
Even if they saw all the signs,
they would not believe them,
and if they saw the right path,
they would