Translation of the meanings of surah Taa-Haa (2)

(83) (83) [Allāh said], "And what made you hasten from your people, O Moses?"

(84) (84) He said, "They are close upon my tracks, and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You be pleased."

(85) (85) [Allāh] said, "But indeed, We have tried your people after you [departed], and the Sāmirī[847] has led them astray."

[847]- Translated as "the Samaritan" (from Samaria), a hypocrite among them who led the Children of Israel into idol-worship.

(86) (86) So Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved.[848] He said, "O my people, did your Lord not make you a good promise?[849] Then, was the time [of its fulfillment] too long for you, or did you wish that wrath from your Lord descend upon you, so you broke your promise [of obedience] to me?"

[848]- The meaning may also be "angry and enraged." [849]- That He would send down the Torah, containing guidance for you.

(87) (87) They said, "We did not break our promise to you by our will, but we were made to carry burdens from the ornaments of the people [of Pharaoh], so we threw them [into the fire], and thus did the Sāmirī throw."

(88) (88) And he extracted for them [the statue of] a calf which had a lowing sound, and they said, "This is your god and the god of Moses, but he forgot."

(89) (89) Did they not see that it could not return to them any speech [i.e., response] and that it did not possess for them any harm or benefit?

(90) (90) And Aaron had already told them before [the return of Moses], "O my people, you are only being tested by it, and indeed, your Lord is the Most Merciful, so follow me and obey my order."

(91) (91) They said, "We will never cease being devoted to it [i.e., the calf] until Moses returns to us."

(92) (92) [Moses] said, "O Aaron, what prevented you, when you saw them going astray,

(93) (93) From following me? Then have you disobeyed my order?"

(94) (94) [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, do not seize [me] by my beard or by my head. Indeed, I feared that you would say, 'You caused division among the Children of Israel, and you did not observe [or await] my word.'"

(95) (95) [Moses] said, "And what is your case, O Sāmirī?"

(96) (96) He said, "I saw what they did not see, so I took a handful [of dust] from the track of the messenger[850] and threw it,[851] and thus did my soul entice me."

[850]- i.e., a hoof-print in the sand left by the angel Gabriel's horse. [851]- Into the fire upon the melted ornaments in order to form the calf.

(97) (97) [Moses] said, "Then go. And indeed, it is [decreed] for you in [this] life to say, 'No contact.'[852] And indeed, you have an appointment [in the Hereafter] you will not fail to keep. And look at your 'god' to which you remained devoted. We will surely burn it and blow it [i.e., its ashes] into the sea with a blast.

[852]- i.e., Do not touch me. As chastisement, he was to be completely shunned by all people.

(98) (98) Your god is only Allāh, except for whom there is no deity. He has encompassed all things in knowledge."

(99) (99) Thus, [O Muḥammad], We relate to you from the news of what has preceded. And We have certainly given you from Us a message [i.e., the Qur’ān].

(100) (100) Whoever turns away from it - then indeed, he will bear on the Day of Resurrection a burden [i.e., great sin],

(101) (101) [Abiding] eternally therein,[853] and evil it is for them on the Day of Resurrection as a load -

[853]- i.e., in the state of sin.

(102) (102) The Day the Horn will be blown. And We will gather the criminals, that Day, blue-eyed.[854]

[854]- From terror, or blinded completely.

(103) (103) They will murmur among themselves, "You remained not but ten [days in the world]."

(104) (104) We are most knowing of what they say when the best of them in manner [i.e., wisdom or speech] will say, "You remained not but one day."

(105) (105) And they ask you about the mountains, so say, "My Lord will blow them away with a blast.[855]

[855]- Once they have been reduced to dust.

(106) (106) And He will leave it [i.e., the earth] a level plain;

(107) (107) You will not see therein a depression or an elevation."

(108) (108) That Day, they [i.e., everyone] will follow [the call of] the Caller[856] [with] no deviation therefrom, and [all] voices will be stilled before the Most Merciful, so you will not hear except a whisper [of footsteps].

[856]- To the gathering for judgement.

(109) (109) That Day, no intercession will benefit except [that of] one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and has accepted his word.

(110) (110) He [i.e., Allāh] knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them,[857] but they do not encompass it [i.e., what He knows] in knowledge.

[857]- See footnote to 2:255.

(111) (111) And [all] faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining.[858] And he will have failed who carries injustice.[859]

[858]- See footnotes to 2:255. [859]- i.e., sin or wrongdoing towards Allāh or any of His creation.

(112) (112) But he who does of righteous deeds while he is a believer - he will neither fear injustice nor deprivation.

(113) (113) And thus We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’ān[860] and have diversified therein the warnings that perhaps they will avoid [sin] or it would cause them remembrance.

[860]- i.e., revealed in the Arabic language.

(114) (114) So high [above all] is Allāh, the Sovereign,[861] the Truth.[862] And, [O Muḥammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur’ān before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

[861]- And owner of everything in existence. [862]- Or "the True Reality," i.e., the real and permanent existence upon which all other existence depends.

(115) (115) And We had already taken a promise from Adam before, but he forgot; and We found not in him determination.[863]

[863]- To resist temptation.

(116) (116) And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except Iblees;[864] he refused.

[864]- See footnote to 2:34.

(117) (117) So We said, "O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife. Then let him not remove you from Paradise so you would suffer.

(118) (118) Indeed, it is [promised] for you not to be hungry therein or be unclothed.

(119) (119) And indeed, you will not be thirsty therein or be hot from the sun."

(120) (120) Then Satan whispered to him; he said, "O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?"

(121) (121) And they [i.e., Adam and his wife] ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred.

(122) (122) Then his Lord chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him].

(123) (123) [Allāh] said, "Descend from it [i.e., Paradise] - all, [your descendants] being enemies to one another. And if there should come to you guidance from Me - then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter].

(124) (124) And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind."

(125) (125) He will say, "My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?"

(126) (126) [Allāh] will say, "Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot [i.e., disregarded] them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten."

(127) (127) And thus do We recompense he who transgressed and did not believe in the signs of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and more enduring.[865]

[865]- Than that of this world.

(128) (128) Then, has it not become clear to them how many generations We destroyed before them as they walk among their dwellings? Indeed in that are signs for those of intelligence.

(129) (129) And if not for a word[866] that preceded from your Lord, it [i.e., punishment] would have been an obligation [due immediately],[867] and [if not for] a specified term [decreed].

[866]- See footnote to 10:19. [867]- Allāh would have punished the disbelievers in this world as He did with previous peoples.

(130) (130) So be patient over what they say and exalt [Allāh] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and during periods of the night [exalt Him] and at the ends of the day, that you may be satisfied.

(131) (131) And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring.

(132) (132) And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.

(133) (133) And they say, "Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?" Has there not come to them evidence of what was in the former scriptures?[868]

[868]- Is not the Qur’ān an adequate proof of Muḥammad's prophethood and sufficient as a lasting miracle?

(134) (134) And if We had destroyed them with a punishment before him,[869] they would have said, "Our Lord, why did You not send to us a messenger so we could have followed Your verses [i.e., teachings] before we were humiliated and disgraced?"

[869]- Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ). Also interpreted as "before it," i.e., the Qur’ān.

(135) (135) Say, "Each [of us] is waiting;[870] so wait. For you will know who are the companions of the sound path and who is guided."

[870]- For the outcome of this matter.