Surah Al-'A`rāf (The Heights) in English

1. حقيق على أن لا أقول على الله إلا الحق قد جئتكم ببينة من ربكم فأرسل معي بني إسرائيل

   105

   It behooves me to say nothing about Allah except the truth. I certainly bring you a manifest proof from your Lord. So let the Children of Israel go with me.’

   ḥaqīqun ʿalā ʾan lā ʾaqūla ʿalā llāhi ʾillā l-ḥaqqa qad jiʾtukum bi-bayyinatin min rabbikum fa-ʾarsil maʿiya banī ʾisrāʾīla

2. قال إن كنت جئت بآية فأت بها إن كنت من الصادقين

   106

   He said, ‘If you have brought a sign, produce it, should you be truthful.’

   qāla ʾin kunta jiʾta bi-ʾāyatin fa-ʾti bihā ʾin kunta mina ṣ-ṣādiqīna

3. فألقى عصاه فإذا هي ثعبان مبين

   107

   Thereat he threw down his staff, and behold, it became a manifest python.

   fa-ʾalqā ʿaṣāhu fa-ʾidhā hiya thuʿbānun mubīnun

4. ونزع يده فإذا هي بيضاء للناظرين

   108

   Then he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to the onlookers.

   wa-nazaʿa yadahū fa-ʾidhā hiya bayḍāʾu li-n-nāẓirīna

5. قال الملأ من قوم فرعون إن هذا لساحر عليم

   109

   The elite of Pharaoh’s people said, ‘This is indeed an expert magician;

   qāla l-malaʾu min qawmi firʿawna ʾinna hādhā la-sāḥirun ʿalīmun

6. يريد أن يخرجكم من أرضكم فماذا تأمرون

   110

   he seeks to expel you from your land.’ ‘So what do you advise?’

   yurīdu ʾan yukhrijakum min ʾarḍikum fa-mādhā taʾmurūna

7. قالوا أرجه وأخاه وأرسل في المدائن حاشرين

   111

   They said, ‘Put him and his brother off for a while, and send heralds to the cities,

   qālū ʾarjih wa-ʾakhāhu wa-ʾarsil fī l-madāʾini ḥāshirīna

8. يأتوك بكل ساحر عليم

   112

   to bring you every expert magician.’

   yaʾtūka bi-kulli sāḥirin ʿalīmin

9. وجاء السحرة فرعون قالوا إن لنا لأجرا إن كنا نحن الغالبين

   113

   And the magicians came to Pharaoh. They said, ‘We shall indeed have a reward if we were to be the victors?’

   wa-jāʾa s-saḥaratu firʿawna qālū ʾinna lanā la-ʾajran ʾin kunnā naḥnu l-ghālibīna

10. قال نعم وإنكم لمن المقربين

    114

    He said, ‘Of course! And indeed you shall be among those near [to me].’

    qāla naʿam wa-ʾinnakum la-mina l-muqarrabīna

11. قالوا يا موسى إما أن تلقي وإما أن نكون نحن الملقين

    115

    They said, ‘O Moses, will you throw [first], or shall we throw?’

    qālū yā-mūsā ʾimmā ʾan tulqiya wa-ʾimmā ʾan nakūna naḥnu l-mulqīna

12. قال ألقوا فلما ألقوا سحروا أعين الناس واسترهبوهم وجاءوا بسحر عظيم

    116

    He said, ‘Throw [yours].’ So when they threw, they bewitched the people’s eyes and overawed them, producing a tremendous magic.

    qāla ʾalqū fa-lammā ʾalqaw saḥarū ʾaʿyuna n-nāsi wa-starhabūhum wa-jāʾū bi-siḥrin ʿaẓīmin

13. وأوحينا إلى موسى أن ألق عصاك فإذا هي تلقف ما يأفكون

    117

    And We signalled to Moses: ‘Throw down your staff.’ And behold, it was swallowing what they had faked.

    wa-ʾawḥaynā ʾilā mūsā ʾan ʾalqi ʿaṣāka fa-ʾidhā hiya talqafu mā yaʾfikūna

14. فوقع الحق وبطل ما كانوا يعملون

    118

    So the truth came out, and what they had wrought was reduced to naught.

    fa-waqaʿa l-ḥaqqu wa-baṭala mā kānū yaʿmalūna

15. فغلبوا هنالك وانقلبوا صاغرين

    119

    Thereat they were vanquished, and they retreated, humiliated.

    fa-ghulibū hunālika wa-nqalabū ṣāghirīna

16. وألقي السحرة ساجدين

    120

    And the magicians fell down in prostration.

    wa-ʾulqiya s-saḥaratu sājidīna