51. Sura az-Zariyat
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
51: 38. And in Moses (was another Sign):
C5016. Cf. 44:17-31.
The story of Moses and Pharaoh is here just referred to. The points emphasized here are:
- that Moses had manifest authority, yet Pharaoh doubted;
- that Pharaoh's reliance was on his Chiefs and his forces, but they could not help when his doom came; and
- that in the most extraordinary and incredible ways (judged by ordinary human standards), his arrogance and his reliance on his Chiefs and forces was his undoing.
... إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٣٨﴾
Behold, We sent him to Pharaoh, with authority manifest.
فَتَوَلَّى
بِرُكْنِهِ
وَقَالَ سَاحِرٌ
أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ
﴿٣٩﴾
51: 39. But (Pharaoh) turned back with his Chiefs, and said,
"A sorcerer, or one possessed!"
فَأَخَذْنَاهُ
وَجُنُودَهُ
فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ
فِي الْيَمِّ
وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ
﴿٤٠﴾
51: 40. So We took him and his forces, and threw them into the sea: and his was the blame.
C5017. The ungodly Egyptians were all destroyed, but the chief blame lay on Pharaoh for misleading them. Pharaoh's punishment was just. He could not blame any one else. And certainly no one can blame the course of Allah's Justice, for Allah was patient, and gave him many chances to repent.
Asad’s Version:
51:38 AND IN [the story of Pharaoh and) Moses, too, [We left the same message: 26 for] when We sent him unto Pharaoh with [Our] manifest authority,
(51:39) and he turned away in [the pride of] his power and said, "A sorcerer [is this Moses], or a madman!" –
(51:40) We seized him and his hosts, and cast them all into the sea: and [none but Pharaoh] himself was to blame [for what happened]. 27
[[ Asad’s notes - 26 The above interpolations are based on the consensus of most of the classical commentators regarding the phrase "And in Moses, too".
27 This is an illustration of the Qur'anic doctrine that the suffering which is bound to befall an evildoer in this world or in the life to come, or in both, is but a consequence of his own doings. ]]