Sahih International — English — Ta-ha

[Pharaoh] said, "So who is the Lord of you two, O Moses?"

He said, "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]."

[Pharaoh] said, "Then what is the case of the former generations?"

[Moses] said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets."

[It is He] who has made for you the earth as a bed [spread out] and inserted therein for you roadways and sent down from the sky, rain and produced thereby categories of various plants.

Eat [therefrom] and pasture your livestock. Indeed, in that are signs for those of intelligence.

From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time.

And We certainly showed Pharaoh Our signs - all of them - but he denied and refused.

He said, "Have you come to us to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Moses?

Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned."

[Moses] said, "Your appointment is on the day of the festival when the people assemble at mid-morning."

So Pharaoh went away, put together his plan, and then came [to Moses].

Moses said to the magicians summoned by Pharaoh, "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against Allah or He will exterminate you with a punishment; and he has failed who invents [such falsehood]."

So they disputed over their affair among themselves and concealed their private conversation.

They said, "Indeed, these are two magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic and do away with your most exemplary way.

So resolve upon your plan and then come [forward] in line. And he has succeeded today who overcomes."

They said, "O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw."

He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes].

And he sensed within himself apprehension, did Moses.

Allah said, "Fear not. Indeed, it is you who are superior.

And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have crafted. What they have crafted is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is."

So the magicians fell down in prostration. They said, "We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses."

[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and you will surely know which of us is more severe in [giving] punishment and more enduring."

They said, "Never will we prefer you over what has come to us of clear proofs and [over] He who created us. So decree whatever you are to decree. You can only decree for this worldly life.