قالَ بَل أَلقوا ۖ فَإِذا حِبالُهُم وَعِصِيُّهُم يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيهِ مِن سِحرِهِم أَنَّها تَسعىٰ
He replied, “Rather, you throw.” And suddenly, their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving.
فَأَوجَسَ في نَفسِهِ خيفَةً موسىٰ
And Moses felt fear within himself.
قُلنا لا تَخَف إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الأَعلىٰ
We said, “Don’t be scared; you have the upper hand.
وَأَلقِ ما في يَمينِكَ تَلقَف ما صَنَعوا ۖ إِنَّما صَنَعوا كَيدُ ساحِرٍ ۖ وَلا يُفلِحُ السّاحِرُ حَيثُ أَتىٰ
Throw that which is in your right hand; it will swallow what they’ve crafted, mere illusions of a magician’s trickery. A magician won’t succeed, wherever he may turn.”
فَأُلقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قالوا آمَنّا بِرَبِّ هارونَ وَموسىٰ
So the magicians fell down prostrating. They said, “We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.”
قالَ آمَنتُم لَهُ قَبلَ أَن آذَنَ لَكُم ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكَبيرُكُمُ الَّذي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحرَ ۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيدِيَكُم وَأَرجُلَكُم مِن خِلافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُم في جُذوعِ النَّخلِ وَلَتَعلَمُنَّ أَيُّنا أَشَدُّ عَذابًا وَأَبقىٰ
He threatened, “You dare to believe in Him without my permission? He must be your superior who taught you magic. I will sever your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. Then you’ll know whose punishment is harsher and more lasting.”
قالوا لَن نُؤثِرَكَ عَلىٰ ما جاءَنا مِنَ البَيِّناتِ وَالَّذي فَطَرَنا ۖ فَاقضِ ما أَنتَ قاضٍ ۖ إِنَّما تَقضي هـٰذِهِ الحَياةَ الدُّنيا
They responded, “We will never prefer you over the clear proofs that have come to us, nor over Him who created us. So issue whatever decree you wish; your jurisdiction extends only to the life of this world.
إِنّا آمَنّا بِرَبِّنا لِيَغفِرَ لَنا خَطايانا وَما أَكرَهتَنا عَلَيهِ مِنَ السِّحرِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ خَيرٌ وَأَبقىٰ
We have put our trust in our Lord, hoping He may forgive our sins and the magic you compelled us to practice. God is far superior and everlasting.”
إِنَّهُ مَن يَأتِ رَبَّهُ مُجرِمًا فَإِنَّ لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ لا يَموتُ فيها وَلا يَحيىٰ
Whoever comes before his Lord as guilty, for him is hell, where he neither dies nor lives.
وَمَن يَأتِهِ مُؤمِنًا قَد عَمِلَ الصّالِحاتِ فَأُولـٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الدَّرَجاتُ العُلىٰ
But whoever comes before Him as a believer, having performed righteous deeds—those will attain the highest stages.
جَنّاتُ عَدنٍ تَجري مِن تَحتِهَا الأَنهارُ خالِدينَ فيها ۚ وَذٰلِكَ جَزاءُ مَن تَزَكّىٰ
The eternal Gardens of Eternity, through which rivers flow, where they will reside forever—this is the reward for those who purify themselves.