Tafseer 12

Al Salam alaikum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatoh

"قال فما بال القرون الأولى"

Meaning:  [Fir‘aun (Pharaoh)] said:  "What about the generations of old?"

"قال علمها عند ربي في كتاب لا يضل ربي ولا ينسى"

[Musa (Moses)] said:  "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord, in a Record.  My Lord neither errs nor He forgets."

"الذي جعل لكم الأرض مهدًا وسلك لكم فيها سبلاً وأنزل من السماء ماء فأخرجنا به أزواجًا من نبات شتى"

Who has made earth for you like a bed (spread out); and has opened roads (ways and paths) for you therein, and has sent down water (rain) from the sky.  And We have brought forth with it various kinds of vegetation.

"كلوا وارعوا أنعامكم إن في ذلك لآيات لؤلي النهى"

Eat and pasture your cattle (therein); verily, in this are Ayat (proofs and signs) for men of understanding.

"منها خلقناكم وفيها نعيدكم ومنها نخرجكم تارة أخرى"

Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you out once again.

"ولقد أريناه آياتنا كلها فكذب وأبى"

And indeed We showed him [Fir‘aun (Pharaoh)] all Our Ayat (signs and evidences), but he denied and refused. 

"قال أجئتنا لتخرجنا من أرضنا بسحرك يا موسى"

He  [Fir‘aun (Pharaoh)] said:  "Have you come to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Musa (Moses)?"

"فلنأتينك بسحر مثله فاجعل بيننا وبينك موعدًا لا نخلفه نحن ولا أنت مكانًا سوًى"

"Then verily, we can produce magic the like thereof; so appoint a meeting between us and you, which neither we nor you shall fail to keep, in an open place where both shall have a just and equal chance (and beholders could witness the competition)."

"قال موعدكم يوم الزينة وأن يحشر الناس ضحًى"

[Musa (Moses)] said:  "Your appointed meeting is the day of the festival, and let the people assemble when the sun has risen (forenoon)."

"فتولى فرعون فجمع كيده ثم أتى"

So Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) withdrew, devised his plot and then came back. 

سورة طه 51 - 60

The Source:

Interpretation of the Meanings of The Noble Qur'an In The English Language

 A Summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with comments from Sahih Al-Bukhari.

Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan

Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali

DARUSSALAM