وَإِذ نادىٰ رَبُّكَ موسىٰ أَنِ ائتِ القَومَ الظّالِمينَ
When your Lord called Moses: “Go to the oppressive people.
قَومَ فِرعَونَ ۚ أَلا يَتَّقونَ
The people of Pharaoh. Won’t they fear and reform?”
قالَ رَبِّ إِنّي أَخافُ أَن يُكَذِّبونِ
He replied, “My Lord, I fear they might reject me.
وَيَضيقُ صَدري وَلا يَنطَلِقُ لِساني فَأَرسِل إِلىٰ هارونَ
And my chest tightens, and my speech stutters. Therefore, send Aaron with me.
وَلَهُم عَلَيَّ ذَنبٌ فَأَخافُ أَن يَقتُلونِ
They hold an accusation against me, and I’m afraid they might kill me.”
قالَ كَلّا ۖ فَاذهَبا بِآياتِنا ۖ إِنّا مَعَكُم مُستَمِعونَ
“No,” He responded, “Go, both of you, with Our signs. We are with you, listening.
فَأتِيا فِرعَونَ فَقولا إِنّا رَسولُ رَبِّ العالَمينَ
Go to Pharaoh and say, ‘We are the messengers of the Lord of the worlds.
أَن أَرسِل مَعَنا بَني إِسرائيلَ
Release the Children of Israel with us.’”
قالَ أَلَم نُرَبِّكَ فينا وَليدًا وَلَبِثتَ فينا مِن عُمُرِكَ سِنينَ
He responded, “Didn’t we raise you among us as a child, and you stayed among us for years of your life?
وَفَعَلتَ فَعلَتَكَ الَّتي فَعَلتَ وَأَنتَ مِنَ الكافِرينَ
And yet, you did what you did, and you were ungrateful.”
قالَ فَعَلتُها إِذًا وَأَنا مِنَ الضّالّينَ
“I did it,” he confessed, “when I was misguided.