7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَقَالُواْ
مَهْمَا تَأْتِنَا
بِهِ مِن آيَةٍ
لِّتَسْحَرَنَا
بِهَا ...
7: 132. They said (to Moses):
"Whatever be the signs thou bringest, to work therewith the sorcery on us,
C1089. A type of obstinacy and resistance to Allah's message. As they believed in sorcery and magic, they thought anything unusual was but sorcery and magic, and hardened their hearts against Truth.
... فَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٣٢﴾
we shall never believe in thee."
فَأَرْسَلْنَا
عَلَيْهِمُ
الطُّوفَانَ
...
7: 133. So We sent (plagues) on them, wholesale death,
C1090. Tufan: a widespread calamity, causing wholesale death and destruction.
It may be a flood, or a typhoon, or an epidemic, among men or cattle. Perhaps the last is meant, if we may interpret by the Old Testament story.
See also Exod. 9:3, 9, 15; 12:29.
... وَالْجَرَادَ وَالْقُمَّلَ وَالضَّفَادِعَ وَالدَّمَ ...
Locusts, Lice, Frogs, and Blood:
... آيَاتٍ مُّفَصَّلاَتٍ...
signs openly Self-explained;
C1091. In 17:101, the reference is to nine Clear Signs. These are:
1. the Rod (7:107),
2. the Radiant Hand (7:108),
3. the years of drought or shortage of water (7:130),
4. short crops (7:130), and the five mentioned in this verse, viz.,
5. epidemics among men and beasts,
6. locusts,
7. lice,
8. frogs, and
9. the water turning to blood.
...فَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ
وَكَانُواْ
قَوْمًا مُّجْرِمِينَ
﴿١٣٣﴾
but they were steeped in arrogance, a people given to sin.
وَلَمَّا
وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ
الرِّجْزُ
قَالُواْ يَا
مُوسَى ادْعُ
لَنَا رَبَّكَ
بِمَا عَهِدَ
عِندَكَ ...
7: 134. Every time the penalty fell on them, they said:
"O Moses! on our behalf call on thy Lord in virtue of his promise to thee:
...لَئِن
كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا
الرِّجْزَ
لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ
لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ
مَعَكَ بَنِي
إِسْرَآئِيلَ
﴿١٣٤﴾
if thou wilt remove the penalty from us we shall truly believe in thee,
and we shall send away the children of Israel with thee."
C1092. The demand of Moses was two-fold:
- come to Allah and cease from oppression, and
- let me take Israel out of Egypt.
At first it was laughed at and rejected with scorn. When the Plagues came for punishment, each time the Egyptians suffered, they promised amendment and begged Moses to intercede and cause the plague to cease. But every time it ceased, they went back to their evil attitude, until the final retribution came.
This is a type of the sinner's attitude for all times.
Other versions:
7: 132
Yusuf Ali They said (to Moses): "whatever be the signs thou bringest to work therewith the sorcery on us we shall never believe in thee."
Pickthall And they said: Whatever portent thou bringest when with to bewitch us, we shall not put faith in thee.
Transliteration Wa qa_lu_ mahma_ ta'tina_ bihi min a_yatil litasharana_ biha_, fama_ nahnu laka bi mu'minin(a).
7: 133
Asad There We loose upon them floods, and [plagues of] locusts, and lice, and frogs, and [water turning into ] blood [note 96] – distinct signs [all]: but they gloried in their arrogance, for they were people lost in sin.
Yusuf Ali So We sent (plagues) on them wholesale death Locusts Lice Frogs and Blood: signs openly Self-explained; but they were steeped in arrogance a people given to sin.
Pickthall So We sent them the flood and the locusts and the vermin and the frogs and the blood--a succession of clear signs. But they were arrogant and became guilty.
Transliteration Fa arsalna_ 'alaihimut tu_fa_na wal jara_da wal qummala wad dafa_di'a wad dama a_ya_tim mufassala_t(in), fastakbaru_ wa ka_nu_ qaumam mujrimin(a).
7: 134
Asad And whenever a plague struck them, they would cry: “O Mosesw, pray for us to thy Sustainer on the strength of the covenant……
Yusuf Ali Every time the penalty fell on them they said: "O Moses! on our behalf call on thy Lord in virtue of his promise to thee: if thou wilt remove the penalty from us we shall truly believe in thee and we shall send away the children of Israel with thee."
Pickthall And when the terror fell on them they cried: O Moses! Pray for us unto thy Lord, because He hath a covenant with thee. If thou removest the terror from us we verily will trust thee and will let the Children of Israel go with thee.
Transliteration Wa lamma_ waqa'a 'alaihimur rijzu qa_lu_ ya_ mu_sad'u lana_ rabbaka bima_ 'ahida'indak(a), la'in kasyafta 'annar rijza lanu'minanna laka wa lanursilanna ma'aka bani isra_'il(a).
[[ Asad’s note 96 – For a description of these plagues, see Exodus vii-x]
[[ Ali’s notes - 1091 In xvii. 101, the reference is to nine Clear Signs. These are: (1) the Rod (vii. 107), (2) the Radiant Hand (vii. 108), (3) the years of drought or shortage of water (vii, 130), (4) short crops (vii. 130), and the five mentioned in this verse, viz., (5) epidemics among men and beasts, (6) locusts, (7) lice, (8) frogs, and (9) the water turning to blood. (7.133)
1092 The demand of Moses was two-fold: (1) come to Allah and cease from oppression, and (2) let me take Israel out of Egypt. At first it was laughed at and rejected with scorn. When the Plagues came for punishment, each time the Egyptians suffered, they promised amendment and begged Moses to intercede and cause the plague to cease. But every time it ceased, they went back to their evil attitude, until the final retribution came. This is a type of the sinner's attitude for all times. (7.134) ]]