We have not sent down the Qur'an to thee to be (an occasion) for thy distress,

A revelation from Him Who created the earth and the heavens on high.

To Him belongs what is in the heavens and on earth, and all between them, and all beneath the soil.

Allah! there is no god but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names.

Behold, he saw a fire: So he said to his family, "Tarry ye; I perceive a fire; perhaps I can bring you some burning brand therefrom, or find some guidance at the fire."

"Verily I am thy Lord! therefore (in My presence) put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa.

"Verily, I am Allah: There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise.

"Therefore let not such as believe not therein but follow their own lusts, divert thee therefrom, lest thou perish!"..

He said, "It is my rod: on it I lean; with it I beat down fodder for my flocks; and in it I find other uses."

He threw it, and behold! It was a snake, active in motion.

"Now draw thy hand close to thy side: It shall come forth white (and shining), without harm (or stain),- as another Sign,-

"Go thou to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds."

"Ease my task for me;

"So they may understand what I say:

"Aaron, my brother;

"And make him share my task:

"And remember Thee without stint:

(Allah) said: "Granted is thy prayer, O Moses!"

"Behold! We sent to thy mother, by inspiration, the message:

"Behold! thy sister goeth forth and saith, 'shall I show you one who will nurse and rear the (child)?' So We brought thee back to thy mother, that her eye might be cooled and she should not grieve. Then thou didst slay a man, but We saved thee from trouble, and We tried thee in various ways. Then didst thou tarry a number of years with the people of Midian. Then didst thou come hither as ordained, O Moses!

"Go, thou and thy brother, with My Signs, and slacken not, either of you, in keeping Me in remembrance.

"But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear (Allah)."

He said: "Fear not: for I am with you: I hear and see (everything).

"'Verily it has been revealed to us that the Penalty (awaits) those who reject and turn away.'"

He said: "Our Lord is He Who gave to each (created) thing its form and nature, and further, gave (it) guidance."

He replied: "The knowledge of that is with my Lord, duly recorded: my Lord never errs, nor forgets,-

Eat (for yourselves) and pasture your cattle: verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding.

And We showed Pharaoh all Our Signs, but he did reject and refuse.

"But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor thou - in a place where both shall have even chances."

So Pharaoh withdrew: He concerted his plan, and then came (back).

So they disputed, one with another, over their affair, but they kept their talk secret.

"Therefore concert your plan, and then assemble in (serried) ranks: He wins (all along) today who gains the upper hand."

He said, "Nay, throw ye first!" Then behold their ropes and their rods-so it seemed to him on account of their magic - began to be in lively motion!

We said: "Fear not! for thou hast indeed the upper hand:

So the magicians were thrown down to prostration: they said, "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses".

They said: "Never shall we regard thee as more than the Clear Signs that have come to us, or than Him Who created us! so decree whatever thou desirest to decree: for thou canst only decree (touching) the life of this world.

Verily he who comes to his Lord as a sinner (at Judgment),- for him is Hell: therein shall he neither die nor live.

Gardens of Eternity, beneath which flow rivers: they will dwell therein for aye: such is the reward of those who purify themselves (from evil).

Then Pharaoh pursued them with his forces, but the waters completely overwhelmed them and covered them up.

O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a Covenant with you on the right side of Mount (Sinai), and We sent down to you Manna and quails:

"But, without doubt, I am (also) He that forgives again and again, to those who repent, believe, and do right, who,- in fine, are ready to receive true guidance."

He replied: "Behold, they are close on my footsteps: I hastened to thee, O my Lord, to please thee."

So Moses returned to his people in a state of indignation and sorrow. He said: "O my people! did not your Lord make a handsome promise to you? Did then the promise seem to you long (in coming)? Or did ye desire that Wrath should descend from your Lord on you, and so ye broke your promise to me?"

"Then he brought out (of the fire) before the (people) the image of a calf: It seemed to low: so they said: This is your god, and the god of Moses, but (Moses) has forgotten!"

Aaron had already, before this said to them: "O my people! ye are being tested in this: for verily your Lord is (Allah) Most Gracious; so follow me and obey my command."

(Moses) said: "O Aaron! what kept thee back, when thou sawest them going wrong,

(Aaron) replied: "O son of my mother! Seize (me) not by my beard nor by (the hair of) my head! Truly I feared lest thou shouldst say, 'Thou has caused a division among the children of Israel, and thou didst not respect my word!'"

He replied: "I saw what they saw not: so I took a handful (of dust) from the footprint of the Messenger, and threw it (into the calf): thus did my soul suggest to me."

But the god of you all is the One Allah: there is no god but He: all things He comprehends in His knowledge.

If any do turn away therefrom, verily they will bear a burden on the Day of judgment;

The Day when the Trumpet will be sounded: that Day, We shall gather the sinful, blear-eyed (with terror).

We know best what they will say, when their leader most eminent in conduct will say: "Ye tarried not longer than a day!"

"He will leave them as plains smooth and level;

On that Day will they follow the Caller (straight): no crookedness (can they show) him: all sounds shall humble themselves in the Presence of (Allah) Most Gracious: nothing shalt thou hear but the tramp of their feet (as they march).

He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them: but they shall not compass it with their knowledge.

But he who works deeds of righteousness, and has faith, will have no fear of harm nor of any curtailment (of what is his due).

High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."

When We said to the angels, "Prostrate yourselves to Adam", they prostrated themselves, but not Iblis: he refused.

"There is therein (enough provision) for thee not to go hungry nor to go naked,

But Satan whispered evil to him: he said, "O Adam! shall I lead thee to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that never decays?"

But his Lord chose him (for His Grace): He turned to him, and gave him Guidance.

"But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment."

(Allah) will say: "Thus didst Thou, when Our Signs came unto thee, disregard them: so wilt thou, this day, be disregarded."

Is it not a warning to such men (to call to mind) how many generations before them We destroyed, in whose haunts they (now) move? Verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding.

Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou mayest have (spiritual) joy.

Enjoin prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not to provide sustenance: We provide it for thee. But the (fruit of) the Hereafter is for righteousness.

And if We had inflicted on them a penalty before this, they would have said: "Our Lord! If only Thou hadst sent us a messenger, we should certainly have followed Thy Signs before we were humbled and put to shame."