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

1. وجاوزنا ببني إسرائيل البحر فأتوا على قوم يعكفون على أصنام لهم قالوا يا موسى اجعل لنا إلها كما لهم آلهة قال إنكم قوم تجهلون

   138

   We carried the Children of Israel across the sea, whereat they came upon a people cleaving to certain idols that they had. They said, ‘O Moses, make for us a god like the gods that they have.’ He said, ‘You are indeed an ignorant lot.

   wa-jāwaznā bi-banī ʾisrāʾīla l-baḥra fa-ʾataw ʿalā qawmin yaʿkufūna ʿalā ʾaṣnāmin lahum qālū yā-mūsā jʿal lanā ʾilāhan ka-mā lahum ʾālihatun qāla ʾinnakum qawmun tajhalūna

2. إن هؤلاء متبر ما هم فيه وباطل ما كانوا يعملون

   139

   What they are engaged in is indeed bound to perish, and what they have been doing shall come to naught.’

   ʾinna hāʾulāʾi mutabbarun mā hum fīhi wa-bāṭilun mā kānū yaʿmalūna

3. قال أغير الله أبغيكم إلها وهو فضلكم على العالمين

   140

   He said, ‘Shall I find you a god other than Allah, while He has graced you over all the nations?’

   qāla ʾa-ghayra llāhi ʾabghīkum ʾilāhan wa-huwa faḍḍalakum ʿalā l-ʿālamīna

4. وإذ أنجيناكم من آل فرعون يسومونكم سوء العذاب يقتلون أبناءكم ويستحيون نساءكم وفي ذلكم بلاء من ربكم عظيم

   141

   And when We delivered you from Pharaoh’s clan who inflicted on you a terrible torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women, and there was a great test in that from your Lord.

   wa-ʾidh ʾanjaynākum min ʾāli firʿawna yasūmūnakum sūʾa l-ʿadhābi yuqattilūna ʾabnāʾakum wa-yastaḥyūna nisāʾakum wa-fī dhālikum balāʾun min rabbikum ʿaẓīmun

5. وواعدنا موسى ثلاثين ليلة وأتممناها بعشر فتم ميقات ربه أربعين ليلة وقال موسى لأخيه هارون اخلفني في قومي وأصلح ولا تتبع سبيل المفسدين

   142

   We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights, and completed them with ten [more]; thus the tryst of his Lord was completed in forty nights. And Moses said to Aaron, his brother, ‘Be my successor among my people, and set things right and do not follow the way of the agents of corruption.’

   wa-wāʿadnā mūsā thalāthīna laylatan wa-ʾatmamnāhā bi-ʿashrin fa-tamma mīqātu rabbihī ʾarbaʿīna laylatan wa-qāla mūsā li-ʾakhīhi hārūna khlufnī fī qawmī wa-ʾaṣliḥ wa-lā tattabiʿ sabīla l-mufsidīna

6. ولما جاء موسى لميقاتنا وكلمه ربه قال رب أرني أنظر إليك قال لن تراني ولكن انظر إلى الجبل فإن استقر مكانه فسوف تراني فلما تجلى ربه للجبل جعله دكا وخر موسى صعقا فلما أفاق قال سبحانك تبت إليك وأنا أول المؤمنين

   143

   When Moses arrived at Our tryst and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show [Yourself] to me, that I may look at You!’ He said, ‘You shall not see Me. But look at the mountain: if it abides in its place, then you will see Me.’ So when his Lord disclosed Himself to the mountain, He levelled it, and Moses fell down swooning. When he recovered, he said, ‘Immaculate are You! I turn to You in penitence, and I am the first of the faithful.’

   wa-lammā jāʾa mūsā li-mīqātinā wa-kallamahū rabbuhū qāla rabbi ʾarinī ʾanẓur ʾilayka qāla lan tarānī wa-lākini nẓur ʾilā l-jabali fa-ʾini staqarra makānahū fa-sawfa tarānī fa-lammā tajallā rabbuhū li-l-jabali jaʿalahū dakkan wa-kharra mūsā ṣaʿiqan fa-lammā ʾafāqa qāla subḥānaka tubtu ʾilayka wa-ʾana ʾawwalu l-muʾminīna