Surah Ghafir

أَوَلَمْيَسِيرُوا۟فِىٱلْأَرْضِفَيَنظُرُوا۟كَيْفَكَانَعَٰقِبَةُٱلَّذِينَكَانُوا۟مِنقَبْلِهِمْكَانُوا۟هُمْأَشَدَّمِنْهُمْقُوَّةًۭوَءَاثَارًۭافِىٱلْأَرْضِفَأَخَذَهُمُٱللَّهُبِذُنُوبِهِمْوَمَاكَانَلَهُممِّنَٱللَّهِمِنوَاقٍۢ

Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth and beheld what happened in the end to those [deniers of the truth] who lived before their time? Greater were they in power than they are, and in the impact which they left on earth: but God took them to task for their sins, and they had none to defend them against God:

ذَٰلِكَبِأَنَّهُمْكَانَتتَّأْتِيهِمْرُسُلُهُمبِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِفَكَفَرُوا۟فَأَخَذَهُمُٱللَّهُإِنَّهُۥقَوِىٌّۭشَدِيدُٱلْعِقَابِ

this, because their apostles had come to them with all evidence of the truth, and yet they rejected it: and so God took them to task - for, verily, He is powerful, severe in retribution!

وَلَقَدْأَرْسَلْنَامُوسَىٰبِـَٔايَٰتِنَاوَسُلْطَٰنٍۢمُّبِينٍ

THUS, INDEED, did We send Moses with Our mes­sages and a manifest authority [from Us]

إِلَىٰفِرْعَوْنَوَهَٰمَٰنَوَقَٰرُونَفَقَالُوا۟سَٰحِرٌۭكَذَّابٌۭ

unto Pharaoh, and Haman, and Qarun; but they [only] said, “A spellbinder is he, a liar!”

فَلَمَّاجَآءَهُمبِٱلْحَقِّمِنْعِندِنَاقَالُوا۟ٱقْتُلُوٓا۟أَبْنَآءَٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟مَعَهُۥوَٱسْتَحْيُوا۟نِسَآءَهُمْوَمَاكَيْدُٱلْكَٰفِرِينَإِلَّافِىضَلَٰلٍۢ

Now [as for Pharaoh and his followers,] when he came to them, setting forth the truth from Us, they said, “Slay the sons of those who share his beliefs, and spare [only] their women!” - but the guile of those deniers of the truth could not lead to aught but failure.

وَقَالَفِرْعَوْنُذَرُونِىٓأَقْتُلْمُوسَىٰوَلْيَدْعُرَبَّهُۥٓإِنِّىٓأَخَافُأَنيُبَدِّلَدِينَكُمْأَوْأَنيُظْهِرَفِىٱلْأَرْضِٱلْفَسَادَ

And Pharaoh said: “Leave it to me to slay Moses - and let him invoke his [alleged] sustainer! Behold, I fear lest he cause you to change your religion, or lest he cause corruption to prevail in the land!”

وَقَالَمُوسَىٰٓإِنِّىعُذْتُبِرَبِّىوَرَبِّكُممِّنكُلِّمُتَكَبِّرٍۢلَّايُؤْمِنُبِيَوْمِٱلْحِسَابِ

But Moses said: “With [Him who is] my Sus­tainer as well as your Sustainer have I indeed found refuge from everyone who, immersed in false pride, will not believe in [the coming of] the Day of Reckon­ing!”

وَقَالَرَجُلٌۭمُّؤْمِنٌۭمِّنْءَالِفِرْعَوْنَيَكْتُمُإِيمَٰنَهُۥٓأَتَقْتُلُونَرَجُلًاأَنيَقُولَرَبِّىَٱللَّهُوَقَدْجَآءَكُمبِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِمِنرَّبِّكُمْوَإِنيَكُكَٰذِبًۭافَعَلَيْهِكَذِبُهُۥوَإِنيَكُصَادِقًۭايُصِبْكُمبَعْضُٱلَّذِىيَعِدُكُمْإِنَّٱللَّهَلَايَهْدِىمَنْهُوَمُسْرِفٌۭكَذَّابٌۭ

At that, a believing man of Pharaoh’s family, who [until then] had concealed his faith, exclaimed: “Would you slay a man because he says, ‘God is my Sustainer’ - seeing, withal, that he has brought you all evidence of this truth from your Sustainer? Now if he be a liar, his lie will fall back on him; but if he is a man of truth, something [of the punishment] whereof he warns you is bound to befall you: for, verily, God would not grace with His guidance one who has wasted his own self by lying [about Him].

يَٰقَوْمِلَكُمُٱلْمُلْكُٱلْيَوْمَظَٰهِرِينَفِىٱلْأَرْضِفَمَنيَنصُرُنَامِنۢبَأْسِٱللَّهِإِنجَآءَنَاقَالَفِرْعَوْنُمَآأُرِيكُمْإِلَّامَآأَرَىٰوَمَآأَهْدِيكُمْإِلَّاسَبِيلَٱلرَّشَادِ

“O my people! Yours is the dominion today, [and] most eminent are you on earth: but who will rescue us from God’s punishment, once it befalls us?” Said Pharaoh: “I but want to make you see what I see myself; and I would never make you follow any path but that of rectitude!”

وَقَالَٱلَّذِىٓءَامَنَيَٰقَوْمِإِنِّىٓأَخَافُعَلَيْكُممِّثْلَيَوْمِٱلْأَحْزَابِ

Thereupon exclaimed he who had attained to faith: “O my people! Verily, I fear for you the like of what one day befell those others who were leagued together [against God’s truth] –

مِثْلَدَأْبِقَوْمِنُوحٍۢوَعَادٍۢوَثَمُودَوَٱلَّذِينَمِنۢبَعْدِهِمْوَمَاٱللَّهُيُرِيدُظُلْمًۭالِّلْعِبَادِ

the like of what happened to Noah’s people, and to [the tribes of] Ad and Thamud and those who came after them! And, withal, God does not will any wrong for His crea­tures.

وَيَٰقَوْمِإِنِّىٓأَخَافُعَلَيْكُمْيَوْمَٱلتَّنَادِ

“And, O my people, I fear for you [the coming of] that Day of [Judgment - the Day when you will be] calling unto one another [in distress] –

يَوْمَتُوَلُّونَمُدْبِرِينَمَالَكُممِّنَٱللَّهِمِنْعَاصِمٍۢوَمَنيُضْلِلِٱللَّهُفَمَالَهُۥمِنْهَادٍۢ

the Day when you will [wish to] turn your backs and flee, having none to defend you against God: for he whom God lets go astray can never find any guide.

وَلَقَدْجَآءَكُمْيُوسُفُمِنقَبْلُبِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِفَمَازِلْتُمْفِىشَكٍّۢمِّمَّاجَآءَكُمبِهِۦحَتَّىٰٓإِذَاهَلَكَقُلْتُمْلَنيَبْعَثَٱللَّهُمِنۢبَعْدِهِۦرَسُولًۭاكَذَٰلِكَيُضِلُّٱللَّهُمَنْهُوَمُسْرِفٌۭمُّرْتَابٌ

“And [remember:] it was to you that Joseph came aforetime with all evidence of the truth; but you never ceased to throw doubt on all [the messages] that he brought you - so much so that when he died, you said, ‘Never will God send any apostle [even] after him!’ “In this way God lets go astray such as waste their own selves by throwing suspicion [on His revela­tions] –

ٱلَّذِينَيُجَٰدِلُونَفِىٓءَايَٰتِٱللَّهِبِغَيْرِسُلْطَٰنٍأَتَىٰهُمْكَبُرَمَقْتًاعِندَٱللَّهِوَعِندَٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟كَذَٰلِكَيَطْبَعُٱللَّهُعَلَىٰكُلِّقَلْبِمُتَكَبِّرٍۢجَبَّارٍۢ

such as would call God’s messages in question without having any evidence therefor: [a sin] exceedingly loathsome in the sight of God and of those who have attained to faith. It is in this way that God sets a seal on every arrogant, self-exalting heart.”

وَقَالَفِرْعَوْنُيَٰهَٰمَٰنُٱبْنِلِىصَرْحًۭالَّعَلِّىٓأَبْلُغُٱلْأَسْبَٰبَ

But Pharaoh said: “O Haman! Build me a lofty tower, that haply I may attain to the [right] means

أَسْبَٰبَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِفَأَطَّلِعَإِلَىٰٓإِلَٰهِمُوسَىٰوَإِنِّىلَأَظُنُّهُۥكَٰذِبًۭاوَكَذَٰلِكَزُيِّنَلِفِرْعَوْنَسُوٓءُعَمَلِهِۦوَصُدَّعَنِٱلسَّبِيلِوَمَاكَيْدُفِرْعَوْنَإِلَّافِىتَبَابٍۢ

the means of approach to the heavens - and that [thus] I may have a look at the god of Moses: for, behold, I am indeed certain that he is a liar!” And thus, goodly seemed unto Pharaoh the evil of his own doings, and so he was barred from the path [of truth]: and Pharaoh’s guile did not lead to aught but ruin.

وَقَالَٱلَّذِىٓءَامَنَيَٰقَوْمِٱتَّبِعُونِأَهْدِكُمْسَبِيلَٱلرَّشَادِ

Still, the man who had attained to faith went on: “O my people! Follow me: I shall guide you onto the path of rectitude!

يَٰقَوْمِإِنَّمَاهَٰذِهِٱلْحَيَوٰةُٱلدُّنْيَامَتَٰعٌۭوَإِنَّٱلْءَاخِرَةَهِىَدَارُٱلْقَرَارِ

“O my people! This worldly life is but a brief enjoyment, whereas, behold, the life to come is the home abiding.

مَنْعَمِلَسَيِّئَةًۭفَلَايُجْزَىٰٓإِلَّامِثْلَهَاوَمَنْعَمِلَصَٰلِحًۭامِّنذَكَرٍأَوْأُنثَىٰوَهُوَمُؤْمِنٌۭفَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَيَدْخُلُونَٱلْجَنَّةَيُرْزَقُونَفِيهَابِغَيْرِحِسَابٍۢ

[There,] anyone who has done a bad deed will be requited with no more than the like thereof, whereas anyone, be it man or woman, who has done righteous deeds and is a believer withal - all such will enter paradise, wherein they shall be blest with good beyond all reckoning!