Sūrah Ṭā Hā

āyāt 3–8

The Qur'an was sent as a reminder for those who have reverence for God. It is a revelation from the One who created the earth and the highest heavens, the Most Merciful, who is established above the Throne. Everything in the heavens, on the earth, between them, and beneath the soil belongs to Him. Whether you speak aloud or in secret, or something even more hidden, He knows it all, for He is God, there is no deity except Him, and to Him belong the most beautiful names.

āyāt 9–11

This passage opens by asking if the story of Musa عليه السلام has reached you. It then describes how Musa عليه السلام, seeing a fire, told his family to wait while he went to investigate, hoping to get a torch or find some guidance there. When he approached the fire, a voice called out to him, saying, “O Musa.”

āyāt 13

Allah informs the one He is speaking to that He has specially chosen them. Therefore, they should pay close attention to what is being revealed to them.

āyāt 15–20

Allāh tells us that the Hour of Judgment is certainly coming, almost hidden from view, so that every soul may be repaid for its efforts. Therefore, we should not let anyone who disbelieves in it and follows their own desires turn us away from it, lest we be destroyed. Then, Allāh asks Mūsā عليه السلام what he holds in his right hand. Mūsā عليه السلام replies that it is his staff, which he uses to lean on, to bring down leaves for his sheep, and for other purposes. Allāh then commands Mūsā عليه السلام to throw it down, and when he does, it immediately turns into a swiftly moving snake.

āyāt 21–24

Allāh instructed Moses عليه السلام to seize the staff and not be afraid, promising to return it to its original state. He was then commanded to put his hand to his side, and it would emerge white without blemish, serving as another sign. Allāh explained that these wonders were to show Moses عليه السلام some of His greater signs. Finally, He commanded Moses عليه السلام to go to Pharaoh, who had indeed committed great transgressions.

āyāt 26–31

Here, Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام prays for his task to be made easy for him, asking for the knot to be untied from his tongue so that others can understand his speech. He then requests that his brother Hārūn be appointed as a helper from his family, through whom his strength may be increased.

āyāt 32–36

Moses عليه السلام continues his prayer, asking that his brother Aaron also be made a prophet to share in his task. He explains that this is so they both may praise and remember God abundantly, acknowledging that God always sees them. God then responds to Moses عليه السلام, confirming that his request has been granted.

āyāt 37–41

Allāh reminds Mūsā عليه السلام that He had already favored him on another occasion. This was when Allāh inspired his mother to place him in a chest and cast it into the river, assuring her that the river would carry it to the bank where an enemy to Allāh and to Mūsā عليه السلام would find him. Allāh also bestowed His special love upon Mūsā عليه السلام so that he would be raised under His watchful care. Allāh then recounts how Mūsā's عليه السلام sister followed him and suggested someone to care for him, thereby returning him to his mother, so that she would be comforted and not sorrow. Allāh also saved Mūsā عليه السلام when he killed someone and tested him with a difficult trial. After spending many years among the people of Madyan, Mūsā عليه السلام arrived at the appointed time, and Allāh prepared him for His own divine purpose.

āyāt 42–43

God commands Moses (عليه السلام) and his brother to go forth with His signs and to never slacken in remembering Him. He then instructs both of them to go to Pharaoh, for indeed, Pharaoh has transgressed.

āyāt 45–50

Mūsā عليه السلام and Hārūn عليه السلام expressed their fear to Allāh, worried that Pharaoh would hasten to punish them or act aggressively. Allāh reassured them, saying not to fear, as He was with them both, hearing and seeing. He instructed them to go to Pharaoh and tell him that they were messengers from his Lord, asking him to release the Children of Israel and stop tormenting them. They were to inform Pharaoh that they had come with a sign from his Lord, and that peace is for those who follow guidance, while punishment is for those who deny and turn away. Pharaoh then questioned Mūsā عليه السلام about who their Lord was, to which Mūsā عليه السلام replied that their Lord is the One who gave everything its distinct form and then guided it.

āyāt 51–56

Pharaoh then asked Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام about the fate of earlier generations. Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام replied that their knowledge is with his Lord in a record, and his Lord neither errs nor forgets. It is God who made the earth a comfortable place for you, put roads in it, and sent down rain from the sky, which causes many different kinds of plants to grow. You should eat from these plants and let your livestock graze on them, for surely in this are signs for people who understand. God says that He created you from the earth, and to it He will return you, and from it He will bring you forth again another time. God certainly showed Pharaoh all His signs, but Pharaoh denied them and refused to believe.

āyāt 57–62

Pharaoh asked Mūsā عليه السلام if he had come to drive them out of their land with his magic. Pharaoh then declared that they would bring similar magic and set an appointment in an agreed-upon place that neither side would fail to keep. Mūsā عليه السلام accepted, proposing that the appointment be on the day of the festival when people gather at mid-morning. Pharaoh departed to prepare his plan, and Mūsā عليه السلام then warned the magicians not to invent a lie against Allāh, or He would destroy them with a punishment, for whoever invents falsehood has failed. Following this, the magicians debated their matter among themselves and kept their private conversation secret.

āyāt 63–68

Pharaoh's people declared that Moses عليه السلام and Aaron عليه السلام were two magicians attempting to expel them from their land and abolish their way of life. They urged each other to decide on a plan and then come forward in an organized line, stating that whoever wins today will be successful. The magicians then asked Moses عليه السلام if he would throw first or if they should. Moses عليه السلام told them to throw first, and suddenly their ropes and staffs appeared to him, due to their magic, as if they were moving like snakes. Moses عليه السلام felt some apprehension within himself, but Allāh assured him not to fear, for he would be superior.

āyāt 69–73

The divine command came to Prophet Moses عليه السلام to throw down what was in his right hand, explaining that it would swallow up all the tricks the magicians had made, as their work was nothing but a magician’s deception, and a magician can never truly succeed, no matter where he is. Upon witnessing this, the magicians immediately fell down in prostration, declaring their belief in the Lord of Aaron and Moses. Pharaoh reacted with anger, accusing them of believing in Moses before he had given them permission, claiming Moses was their master who taught them magic. He threatened to cut off their hands and feet on opposite sides and crucify them on palm tree trunks, saying they would then know whose punishment was more severe and lasting. The magicians defiantly replied that they would never choose Pharaoh over the clear signs that had come to them and over their Creator. They told him to carry out whatever decree he wished, as his power only extended to this worldly life. They affirmed their belief in their Lord, hoping He would forgive their sins and the magic they were forced to perform, concluding that Allāh is better and more enduring.

āyāt 74–79

This section begins by describing two contrasting outcomes: whoever comes to their Lord as a criminal will face Hell, where they will neither truly die nor live. But those who come as believers, having done righteous deeds, will attain the highest ranks. Their reward will be Gardens of lasting residence, with rivers flowing beneath them, where they will remain forever. This is the reward for those who purify themselves. Then, the text shifts to the story of Mūsā عليه السلام, recounting that God inspired him to travel by night with His servants and to strike a dry path through the sea, assuring him he would not be overtaken or drown. Firʿawn, however, pursued them with his soldiers, and the sea then overwhelmed them. Firʿawn thus led his people astray and failed to guide them.

āyāt 80–82

This passage reminds the Children of Israel that God rescued them from their enemy and made a covenant with them on the right side of the mount, sending down good provisions like manna and quails. They were instructed to eat from these good things and not to overstep bounds, warning that divine anger would descend upon those who transgress, leading to their ruin. However, God is ever-forgiving to anyone who repents, believes, does good deeds, and remains rightly guided.

āyāt 83–88

Allāh asked Mūsā عليه السلام why he hurried ahead of his people. Mūsā عليه السلام replied that his people were following closely behind him, and he had rushed to Allāh so that He would be pleased. Allāh then informed him that He had tested his people after his departure, and the Sāmirī had led them astray. Mūsā عليه السلام returned to his people, angry and grieved, asking them if their Lord had not made them a good promise. He questioned if the time for its fulfillment was too long, or if they wished for Allāh's wrath, which made them break their promise of obedience to him. They responded that they did not break their promise willingly, but were made to carry heavy ornaments from Pharaoh's people, which they threw into a fire, and the Sāmirī did likewise. From this, the Sāmirī fashioned a calf statue that made a lowing sound, and the people declared it to be their god and the god of Mūsā عليه السلام, claiming he had forgotten.

āyāt 89–94

The people were asked if they did not notice that the calf they were worshipping could not speak to them, and had no power to harm or benefit them. Earlier, Prophet Harūn عليه السلام had warned them that they were being tested by it, and reminded them that their Lord is the Most Merciful, urging them to follow him and obey his command. However, they insisted they would remain devoted to the calf until Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام returned. Upon his return, Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام asked Prophet Harūn عليه السلام why he did not follow him when he saw them going astray, implying disobedience to his command. Prophet Harūn عليه السلام then pleaded with Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام, asking him not to seize him by his beard or head, explaining that he feared Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام would accuse him of causing division among the Children of Israel or of not waiting for his instructions.

āyāt 95

Mūsā عليه السلام then asked Sāmirī what he had to say for himself.

āyāt 97–98

Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام then told the Sāmirī that his punishment in this life would be to say, "No contact," and that he also had a promised appointment in the Hereafter that he would not escape. Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام then addressed the calf, saying that it would be burned and its ashes scattered into the sea. He emphasized that the only God is Allāh, besides Whom there is no other deity, and that He encompasses all things in knowledge.

āyāt 99–104

This sūrah relates stories of what has passed before as a reminder to the Prophet ﷺ, and these messages are from God Himself. Whoever turns away from this message will indeed carry a heavy burden of sin on the Day of Resurrection, where they will remain forever with this terrible load. This will happen on the Day the Horn is blown, when God will gather the wrongdoers with a certain appearance. They will then whisper among themselves about how short their worldly life was, with some saying they only stayed ten days, and the most eloquent among them saying it was only one day.

āyāt 105–108

People will ask the Prophet ﷺ about the mountains, and he is to tell them that his Lord will scatter them like dust. The earth will then be left as a smooth, flat plain, with no dips or rises. On that Day, everyone will follow the call of the Summoner without straying, and all voices will fall silent before the Most Merciful, so that only a faint rustling of footsteps will be heard.

āyāt 109–114

On that Day, no one's intercession will be of any benefit unless the Most Merciful has granted them permission and approved their words. Allāh knows everything that has happened to people and what will happen to them, but they cannot comprehend His knowledge. On that Day, everyone will bow before the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining, and whoever carries the burden of wrongdoing will be truly lost. However, those who perform righteous deeds while being believers will not fear any injustice or loss of reward. This Qur'ān has been revealed in Arabic, with warnings repeated in various ways, so that people might become mindful of Allāh or take heed. Exalted above all is Allāh, the True King; and the Prophet ﷺ is instructed not to rush his recitation of the Qur'ān before its revelation is complete, and to ask, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

āyāt 115–120

Allah states that He had previously taken a promise from Adam, but Adam forgot it and was not firm in his resolve. Then, Allah recounts how He commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, and they all prostrated except Iblīs, who refused. So, Allah warned Adam that Iblīs was an enemy to him and his wife, and that Iblīs should not cause them to leave Paradise, where they would not suffer hunger, nakedness, thirst, or the sun's heat. After this, Satan whispered to Adam, suggesting a tree of eternity and an everlasting dominion.

āyāt 121–123

Ādam عليه السلام and his wife ate from the forbidden tree, which made their private parts visible to them, and they started covering themselves with leaves from Paradise. In doing so, Ādam عليه السلام disobeyed his Lord and made a mistake. Afterwards, his Lord chose him, accepted his repentance, and guided him. Allāh then told them to descend from Paradise, explaining that they and their descendants would be enemies to one another. He also promised that whoever follows His guidance would not go astray in this life or suffer in the Hereafter.

āyāt 124–129

This stretch of āyāt explains that whoever turns away from God's remembrance will live a difficult life and be raised blind on the Day of Resurrection. Such a person will question why they are raised blind when they used to see, and God will respond that they disregarded His signs, just as they are now disregarded. This is the consequence for those who transgress and reject their Lord's signs, and the punishment in the Hereafter is even harsher and more lasting. God asks if people have not learned from the many generations destroyed before them, whose dwellings they walk among, for surely there are lessons in this for those who understand. God's immediate punishment is delayed only because of a pre-ordained decree and a set term.

āyāt 133–135

This passage highlights that some people question why a direct miracle isn't shown to them, even though clear evidence already exists in earlier divine revelations. It then explains that if God had punished them before sending a messenger, they would have protested that they had no warning. So, the Prophet ﷺ is instructed to tell them that everyone is waiting for the outcome, and they will soon learn who is on the right path and truly guided.