Once Moses had fulfilled the term and was travelling with his family, he caught sight of a fire on the side of the mountain and said to his family, ‘Wait! I have seen a fire. I will bring you news from there, or a burning stick for you to warm yourselves.’

But when he reached it, a voice called out to him from the right-hand side of the valley, from a tree on the blessed ground: ‘Moses, I am God, the Lord of the Worlds.

Throw down your staff.’ When he saw his staff moving like a snake, he fled in fear and would not return. Again [he was called]: ‘Moses! Draw near! Do not be afraid, for you are one of those who are safe.

Put your hand inside your shirt and it will come out white but unharmed- hold your arm close to your side, free from all fear. These shall be two signs from your Lord to Pharaoh and his chiefs; they are truly wicked people.’

Moses said, ‘My Lord, I killed one of their men, and I fear that they may kill me.

My brother Aaron is more eloquent than I: send him with me to help me and confirm my words- I fear they may call me a liar.’

God said, ‘We shall strengthen you through your brother; We shall give you both power so that they cannot touch you. With Our signs you, and those who follow you, will triumph.’

۞ فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ مُوسَى ٱلْأَجَلَ وَسَارَ بِأَهْلِهِۦٓ ءَانَسَ مِن جَانِبِ ٱلطُّورِ نَارࣰاۖ قَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ ٱمْكُثُوٓا۟ إِنِّيٓ ءَانَسْتُ نَارࣰا لَّعَلِّيٓ ءَاتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ جَذْوَةࣲ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ

فَلَمَّآ أَتَىٰهَا نُودِيَ مِن شَٰطِئِ ٱلْوَادِ ٱلْأَيْمَنِ فِي ٱلْبُقْعَةِ ٱلْمُبَٰرَكَةِ مِنَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ أَن يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِنِّيٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

وَأَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَآنࣱّ وَلَّىٰ مُدْبِرࣰا وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْۚ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ أَقْبِلْ وَلَا تَخَفْۖ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْـَٔامِنِينَ

ٱسْلُكْ يَدَكَ فِي جَيْبِكَ تَخْرُجْ بَيْضَآءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوٓءࣲ وَٱضْمُمْ إِلَيْكَ جَنَاحَكَ مِنَ ٱلرَّهْبِۖ فَذَٰنِكَ بُرْهَٰنَانِ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمࣰا فَٰسِقِينَ

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْسࣰا فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ

وَأَخِي هَٰرُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّي لِسَانࣰا فَأَرْسِلْهُ مَعِيَ رِدْءࣰا يُصَدِّقُنِيٓۖ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ

قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَٰنࣰا فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآۚ أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكُمَا ٱلْغَٰلِبُونَ

But when Moses came to them with Our clear signs, they said, ‘These are mere conjuring tricks; we never heard this from our forefathers.’

Moses said, ‘My Lord knows best who comes with guidance from Him and who will have the final Home: wrongdoers will never succeed.’

Pharaoh said, ‘Counsellors, you have no other god that I know of except me. Haman, light me a fire to bake clay bricks, then build me a tall building so that I may climb up to Moses’ God: I am convinced that he is lying.’

Pharaoh and his armies behaved arrogantly in the land with no right- they thought they would not be brought back to Us-

so We seized him and his armies and threw them into the sea. See what became of the wrongdoers!

We made them leaders calling [others] only to the Fire: on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped.

We made Our rejection pursue them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the despised.

فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا بَيِّنَٰتࣲ قَالُوا۟ مَا هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرࣱ مُّفْتَرࣰى وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَٰذَا فِيٓ ءَابَآئِنَا ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبِّيٓ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن جَآءَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ مِنْ عِندِهِۦ وَمَن تَكُونُ لَهُۥ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلدَّارِۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرِي فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجْعَل لِّي صَرْحࣰا لَّعَلِّيٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُۥ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا يُرْجَعُونَ

فَأَخَذْنَٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَٰهُمْ فِي ٱلْيَمِّۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

وَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ أَئِمَّةࣰ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ لَا يُنصَرُونَ

وَأَتْبَعْنَٰهُمْ فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةࣰۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ هُم مِّنَ ٱلْمَقْبُوحِينَ

After We had destroyed the earlier generations, We gave Moses the Scripture to provide insight, guidance, and mercy for people, so that they might take heed.

You [Muhammad] were not present on the western side of the mountain when We gave Our command to Moses: you were not there-

We have brought into being many generations who lived long lives- you did not live among the people of Midian or recite Our Revelation to them- We have always sent messengers to people-

nor were you present on the side of Mount Sinai when We called out to Moses. But you too have been sent as an act of grace from your Lord, to give warning to a people to whom no warner has come before, so that they may take heed,

and may not say, if a disaster should befall them as a result of what they have done with their own hands, ‘Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we might have followed Your message and become believers.’

Even now that Our truth has come to them, they say, ‘Why has he not been given signs like those given to Moses?’ Did they not also deny the truth that was given to Moses before? They say, ‘Two kinds of sor-cery, helping each other,’ and, ‘We refuse to accept either of them.’

Say [Muhammad], ‘Then produce a book from God that gives better guidance than these two and I will follow it, if you are telling the truth.’

If they do not respond to you, you will know that they follow only their own desires. Who is further astray than the one who follows his own desires with no guidance from God? Truly God does not guide those who do wrong.

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا ٱلْقُرُونَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدࣰى وَرَحْمَةࣰ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلْغَرْبِيِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَى ٱلْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ

وَلَٰكِنَّآ أَنشَأْنَا قُرُونࣰا فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْعُمُرُۚ وَمَا كُنتَ ثَاوِيࣰا فِيٓ أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتِنَا وَلَٰكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ

وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَٰكِن رَّحْمَةࣰ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمࣰا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرࣲ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

وَلَوْلَآ أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةُۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لَوْلَآ أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولࣰا فَنَتَّبِعَ ءَايَٰتِكَ وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰٓۚ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُۖ قَالُوا۟ سِحْرَانِ تَظَٰهَرَا وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِكُلࣲّ كَٰفِرُونَ

قُلْ فَأْتُوا۟ بِكِتَٰبࣲ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ

فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَكَ فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَآءَهُمْۚ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدࣰى مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

We have caused Our Word to come to them so that they may be mindful.

Those to whom We gave the Scripture before believe in it,

۞ وَلَقَدْ وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ ٱلْقَوْلَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ هُم بِهِۦ يُؤْمِنُونَ