Sūrat Ṭā Hā

سورۃ طٰہٰ

قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ

Qāla rabbunā alladhī aʿṭā kulla shayʾin khalqahu thumma hadā

"He said: Our Lord is He who gave everything its form, then guided it." — Ṭā Hā 20:50

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) said: Our Lord is He who bestowed upon every thing its fitting form and constitution, and then guided it toward what is proper for it.

Commentary: This was Moses's (upon him be peace) reply to Pharaoh's question about the Lord. The answer establishes the fundamental doctrine of divine providence (tawfīq): that God not only creates each thing in the perfection of its nature, but also guides it — by instinct, reason, and revelation — toward the fulfilment of its purpose. Every creature receives both its constitution (khalq) and the direction (hidāya) suited to that constitution. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) observes: every being is taught by its Lord the path proper to it; when a thing's nature inclines toward a certain disposition, its guidance steers it accordingly, and if it refuses, it is turned away from good works. This verse is the bedrock of the Ḥanafī-Maturīdī teaching that divine guidance embraces the whole of creation, and that ingratitude toward such guidance is the root of human corruption. As the author notes poetically: "Dā se barāʾ kimaghalak jhoī — fiṭrat se" — "From God's bounty even the flash of lightning is lit — from his nature."

قَالَ فَمَا بَالُ الْقُرُونِ الْأُولَىٰ

Qāla famā bālu l-qurūni l-ūlā

"He said: Then what of the earlier generations?" — Ṭā Hā 20:51

Translation: Pharaoh said: Then what became of the earlier generations [who worshipped other than Allah]?

Commentary: Pharaoh, finding himself unable to rebut Moses's (upon him be peace) theological argument, shifted to a historical challenge: if this Lord of yours guided all things, what happened to all the past nations who did not worship Him? This is the rhetorical strategy of those who, cornered by sound argument, deflect to historical skepticism.

قَالَ عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّي فِي كِتَابٍ لَّا يَضِلُّ رَبِّي وَلَا يَنسَى

Qāla ʿilmuhā ʿinda rabbī fī kitābin lā yaḍillu rabbī wa lā yansā

"He said: Knowledge thereof is with my Lord, in a Book; my Lord neither errs nor forgets." — Ṭā Hā 20:52

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) said: Knowledge of their affair is with my Lord, recorded in a Book. My Lord neither errs nor forgets.

Commentary: Moses (upon him be peace) did not speculate about the ultimate fate of past peoples — their reckoning belongs entirely to God, recorded in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ). The verse establishes two divine attributes: infallibility (ʿiṣma min al-khaṭaʾ) and perfect memory (ʿiṣma min al-nisyān). God's knowledge encompasses every era without the least deficiency.

الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِّن نَّبَاتٍ شَتَّىٰ

Alladhī jaʿala lakumu l-arḍa mahdā wa salaka lakum fīhā subulā wa anzala mina l-samāʾi māʾan fa-akhrajnā bihi azwājan min nabātin shattā

"He who made the earth for you as a cradle and threaded for you therein pathways, and sent down water from the sky — and thereby We brought forth pairs of diverse plants." — Ṭā Hā 20:53

Translation: He who spread out the earth for you as a resting-place and made pathways therein, and sent water down from the sky, with which We brought forth varied pairs of vegetation.

Commentary: The verse transitions from theological argument to the enumeration of divine favours. The earth is described as a mahd — a cradle, a place of rest and provision — underscoring the nurturing relationship between the Creator and creation. The divine word salaka (he threaded, he opened up) indicates that God actively carved the paths of travel and subsistence through the earth for humanity. The descent of rain from the sky (samāʾ, meaning anything elevated, whether clouds or the vault of heaven) and the consequent springing forth of diverse plant-pairs (azwāj: every plant species having its male and female, its varieties and counterparts) are offered as signs of God's comprehensive lordship.

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي النُّهَىٰ

Inna fī dhālika laʾāyātin liʾūlī l-nuhā

"Indeed in that are signs for those possessed of understanding." — Ṭā Hā 20:54

Translation: Truly in all of this there are signs for those endowed with reason and reflection.

Commentary: Al-nuhā (sing. nuhya) denotes the faculty of restraint and discernment — the intellect that holds one back from base inclinations. Signs of God's lordship are manifest in the natural order, but only those who exercise reason perceive them. The verse calls the believer to rational contemplation of the natural world as an act of worship.

مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ

Minhā khalaqnākum wa fīhā nuʿīdukum wa minhā nukhrijukum tāratan ukhrā

"From it We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you forth once more." — Ṭā Hā 20:55

Translation: From this earth We created you, into it We shall return you [at death], and from it We shall bring you forth again [on the Day of Resurrection].

Commentary: A profound summation of the human journey: creation from earth, burial in earth, and resurrection from earth. This verse establishes the physical basis of the doctrine of bodily resurrection (maʿād jismānī), a cornerstone of Sunnī ʿaqīda (creed).

وَلَقَدْ أَرَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا كُلَّهَا فَكَذَّبَ وَأَبَىٰ

Wa laqad araynāhu āyātinā kullahā fa-kadhdhaba wa abā

"And We certainly showed him all Our signs, but he denied them and refused." — Ṭā Hā 20:56

Translation: And We had indeed shown Pharaoh all of Our signs, yet he denied them and refused to accept.

Commentary: The full range of miracles (āyāt) vouchsafed to Moses (upon him be peace) — the nine signs — were presented to Pharaoh, yet he persisted in denial (takdhīb) and refusal (ibāʾ). These are two distinct spiritual diseases: denial (takdhīb) is rejection with the tongue and mind, while ibāʾ (refusal) is the arrogant will that refuses to submit even when the truth is known. Pharaoh combined both.

قَالَ أَجِئْتَنَا لِتُخْرِجَنَا مِنْ أَرْضِنَا بِسِحْرِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ

Qāla ajiʾtanā li-tukhrijanā min arḍinā bi-siḥrika yā Mūsā

"He said: Have you come to expel us from our land with your sorcery, O Moses?" — Ṭā Hā 20:57

Translation: Pharaoh said: Have you come to drive us out of our land by your sorcery, O Moses?

Commentary: Pharaoh dismissed the miracles of Moses (upon him be peace) as sorcery (siḥr). This is the classic strategy of those who cannot defeat the proof: they label it illegitimate. The accusation also reveals his political anxiety — Moses's (upon him be peace) signs threatened not just Pharaoh's theology but his sovereignty.

فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍ مِّثْلِهِ فَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّا نُخْلِفُهُ نَحْنُ وَلَا أَنتَ مَكَانًا سُوًى

Fa-lanaʾtiyannaka bi-siḥrin mithlihī fajʿal baynanā wa baynaka mawʿidan lā nukhlifuhu naḥnu wa lā anta makānan suwā

"We shall certainly bring you sorcery its like; so appoint between us and you a meeting-day that neither we nor you shall fail to keep, at an equitable place." — Ṭā Hā 20:58

Translation: We shall certainly bring you sorcery equal to yours. So set between us and you an appointed day which neither we nor you shall break, at a level, open ground.

Commentary: Pharaoh's boast was born of hubris. He proposed a public contest, confident in his assembly of Egypt's finest sorcerers. The phrase makānan suwā — an equitable, level place — implies both a geographically open space and a fair contest. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) notes the self-defeating nature of Pharaoh's confidence: he set the stage for his own humiliation.

قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى

Qāla mawʿidukum yawmu l-zīnati wa an yuḥshara l-nāsu ḍuḥan

"He said: Your appointed time is the Day of Adornment, and let the people assemble in the forenoon." — Ṭā Hā 20:59

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) said: Your appointed time is the Day of Festival (yawm al-zīna), and let all the people gather in the late morning.

Commentary: Moses (upon him be peace) accepted the challenge on the grandest possible stage — a public festival day when all of Egypt would be assembled. The forenoon (ḍuḥā) is broad daylight, ensuring full visibility for what would follow. This demonstrated Moses's (upon him be peace) complete confidence in God's support.

فَتَوَلَّىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُ ثُمَّ أَتَىٰ

Fa-tawallā Firʿawnu fa-jamaʿa kaydahu thumma atā

"Then Pharaoh withdrew and assembled his stratagem, then came." — Ṭā Hā 20:60

Translation: Then Pharaoh went away and gathered his full scheme of magic, then returned [to the appointed place].

Commentary: Pharaoh marshalled all of Egypt's sorcerers and their apparatus. The word kayd (stratagem, deception) reveals the nature of his enterprise: it was fundamentally deceptive, not miraculous.

قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٍ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرَىٰ

Qāla lahum Mūsā waylakum lā taftarū ʿalā llāhi kadhibā fa-yusḥitakum bi-ʿadhābin wa qad khāba mani ftarā

"Moses said to them: Woe to you! Do not fabricate a lie against Allah, lest He destroy you with a punishment — and indeed ruined is whoever fabricates." — Ṭā Hā 20:61

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) said to them: Woe to you! Do not forge a lie against Allah, or He will annihilate you with punishment. Truly, whoever fabricates falsehood has already failed.

Commentary: Before the contest began, Moses (upon him be peace) addressed the sorcerers with sincere concern and warning. The word waylakum — "woe to you" — is an expression of grief at their impending destruction, not contempt. His warning that yusḥitakum bi-ʿadhāb — "He will uproot and obliterate you with punishment" — uses the verb isḥāt, connoting utter annihilation as a tree is uprooted. Moses (upon him be peace) was in fact calling the sorcerers to faith, not merely declaring their doom.

فَتَنَازَعُوا أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَىٰ

Fa-tanāzaʿū amrahum baynahum wa asarrū l-najwā

"Then they disputed their affair among themselves and kept their counsel secret." — Ṭā Hā 20:62

Translation: Then the sorcerers fell to disputing among themselves about the matter and whispered secret consultations.

Commentary: Moses's (upon him be peace) warning produced an effect: the sorcerers were shaken and fell into disagreement. Some may have already sensed the truth of his words. They conferred in whispers (najwā), a sign of wavering conviction.

قَالُوا إِنْ هَٰذَانِ لَسَاحِرَانِ يُرِيدَانِ أَن يُخْرِجَاكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِكُم بِسِحْرِهِمَا وَيَذْهَبَا بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ الْمُثْلَىٰ

Qālū in hādhāni la-sāḥirāni yurīdāni an yukhrijākum min arḍikum bi-siḥrihimā wa yadhabā bi-ṭarīqatikumu l-muthlā

"They said: These two are indeed sorcerers who wish to drive you out of your land with their sorcery and do away with your finest tradition." — Ṭā Hā 20:63

Translation: They said: These two [Moses and Aaron, upon them both be peace] are truly sorcerers who desire to expel you from your land by their magic and destroy your most exemplary way of life.

Commentary: The sycophants around Pharaoh stoked his fear, characterising Moses and Aaron (upon them both be peace) as political subversives. Their accusation that Moses and Aaron wished to destroy al-ṭarīqa al-muthlā — "the finest tradition" — was an appeal to cultural pride and political stability. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) notes that this is the perennial tactic of those in power against the bearers of truth.

فَأَجْمِعُوا كَيْدَكُمْ ثُمَّ ائْتُوا صَفًّا وَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْيَوْمَ مَنِ اسْتَعْلَىٰ

Fa-ajmiʿū kaydakum thumma iʾtū ṣaffan wa qad aflaḥa l-yawma mani staʿlā

"So consolidate your plan and then come in ranks. Whoever prevails today shall indeed prosper." — Ṭā Hā 20:64

Translation: So gather all your schemes together and come forth in a united rank. Whoever gains the upper hand today shall have triumphed.

Commentary: The sorcerers rallied under Pharaoh's banner, their confidence fortified by their numbers and preparation. The irony, as the Qurʾān will shortly reveal, is that this very day would become the day of their spiritual liberation.

قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىٰ

Qālū yā Mūsā immā an tulqiya wa immā an nakūna awwala man alqā

"They said: O Moses, either you throw, or we shall be the first to throw." — Ṭā Hā 20:65

Translation: The sorcerers said: O Moses! Either you cast [first], or we shall be the first to cast.

Commentary: The sorcerers extended the courtesy of the first move to Moses (upon him be peace), perhaps out of professional respect, perhaps to observe his technique before responding. Moses (upon him be peace) generously bid them cast first, as recorded in another verse, to establish beyond all doubt the supremacy of the divine miracle over human artifice.

قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ

Qāla bal alqū fa-idhā ḥibāluhum wa ʿiṣiyyuhum yukhayyal ilayhi min siḥrihim annahā tasʿā

"He said: No, rather you cast. Then suddenly their ropes and staffs appeared to him, by their sorcery, as if they were running." — Ṭā Hā 20:66

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) said: No — you cast first. And suddenly their ropes and staffs appeared to him, by the power of their sorcery, as though they were alive and running.

Commentary: The sorcerers' art was powerful enough to create a vivid illusion (khayāl) — an appearance of life and movement in inanimate objects. This is the nature of sorcery: it manipulates perception, not reality. The word yukhayyal (it appeared, it was made to seem) confirms the epistemological point that sorcery operates through deception of the senses, not through actual transformation.

فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ

Fa-awjasa fī nafsihi khīfatan Mūsā

"Then Moses felt within himself a fear." — Ṭā Hā 20:67

Translation: Then Moses (upon him be peace) felt a tremor of fear within his heart.

Commentary: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) pauses here for a beautiful observation. Moses's (upon him be peace) inner tremor was not the fear of defeat — his gaze was always turned toward the divine presence, toward dhāt al-bāqī l-ikrām (the Essence of Everlasting Glory). It was rather the natural human reflex in the face of apparent threat, swiftly extinguished by divine assurance. He was, in the words of the author, "present in God and absent from all else." This very moment — between the human tremor and the divine calming — is a window into the spirituality of the prophets: fully human in sensation, completely grounded in divine trust.

The divine reassurance came immediately:

قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْأَعْلَىٰ

Qulnā lā takhaf innaka anta l-aʿlā

"We said: Fear not — you are indeed the superior one." — Ṭā Hā 20:68

Translation: We said: Do not fear. You are assuredly the one who will prevail.

Commentary: God's direct address — lā takhaf — "Do not fear" — dispelled all anxiety. The promise innaka anta l-aʿlā — "You are the uppermost" — is a declaration of the victory of divine truth over human artifice. The author's comment: the support of God, once given, makes every difficulty easy.

وَأَلْقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوا إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ

Wa alqi mā fī yamīnika talqaf mā ṣanaʿū innamā ṣanaʿū kaydu sāḥirin wa lā yufliḥu l-sāḥiru ḥaythu atā

"And cast what is in your right hand — it shall swallow up what they have made. What they have made is only the trick of a sorcerer. And the sorcerer does not succeed, wherever he comes." — Ṭā Hā 20:69

Translation: And cast what is in your right hand — it will devour all that they have fashioned. For what they have fashioned is merely the contrivance of a sorcerer. And the sorcerer shall not prosper wherever he appears.

Commentary: Moses (upon him be peace) was commanded to cast his staff (ʿaṣā), here referred to simply as "what is in your right hand" — a token of divine intimacy, as if the staff's identity had merged with Moses's (upon him be peace) divine mission. It swallowed all the sorcerers' work. The concluding declaration — lā yufliḥu l-sāḥiru ḥaythu atā — is a universal principle: sorcery is inherently defeated wherever it confronts divine truth.

فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَارُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ

Fa-ulqiya l-saḥaratu sujjadan qālū āmannā bi-rabbi Hārūna wa Mūsā

"And the sorcerers fell down prostrate, saying: We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses." — Ṭā Hā 20:70

Translation: Then the sorcerers fell down in prostration, crying: We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses (upon them both be peace)!

Commentary: The transformation was instantaneous and total. The most accomplished experts in illusion were the first to recognise the categorical difference between their craft and the miracle of Moses (upon him be peace): theirs was skill, his was divine reality. Their prostration was not coerced — it was the irresistible surrender of witnessing truth. They named the Lord as Rabb Hārūna wa Mūsā — acknowledging both prophets (upon them both be peace) as mediators of the divine presence.

قَالَ آمَنتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَن آذَنَ لَكُمْ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ

Qāla āmantum lahu qabla an ādhana lakum innahu la-kabīrukumu lladhī ʿallamakumu l-siḥra fa-la-uqaṭṭiʿanna aydiyakum wa arjulakum min khilāfin wa la-uṣallibannakum fī judhūʿi l-nakhli wa la-taʿlamunna ayyunā ashaddu ʿadhāban wa abqā

"He said: You believed in him before I gave you permission? He is surely your chief who taught you sorcery! I shall certainly cut off your hands and feet on alternate sides, and I shall crucify you on the trunks of palm trees — and you shall know which of us is more severe in punishment and more lasting." — Ṭā Hā 20:71

Translation: Pharaoh raged: You believed in him before I gave you leave? He must be your master who taught you sorcery! I shall cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides and crucify you on the trunks of palm trees — then you shall know which of us inflicts the harsher and more lasting punishment!

Commentary: Pharaoh's reaction reveals the totalitarian mind: he demands sovereignty over belief itself, claiming that faith requires his prior permission. His absurd accusation — that Moses (upon him be peace) was the sorcerers' secret ringleader — was transparently false, a desperate attempt to reframe their genuine conversion as a staged conspiracy. His threats of mutilation and crucifixion on palm trunks were among the cruellest punishments of the age. Yet these threats held no terror for the newly awakened sorcerers.

Commentary (continued from p.063): The sorcerers had witnessed something that rendered all earthly threats trivial. They saw that the miracle of Moses (upon him be peace) was not sorcery — it was entirely beyond the domain of human skill. A miracle (muʿjiza) and sorcery belong to entirely different categories: the former operates in the domain of divine power (qudratu llāh) beyond all natural agency, while the latter is a product of human technique. The sorcerers' hearts, sharpened by their own expertise, immediately perceived this distinction. No permission from Pharaoh was needed for such a recognition to occur — indeed, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) remarks: "What does Pharaoh's permission have to do with the recognition of divine truth? How can a tyrant forbid what God Himself has unveiled?" Faith, once the light reaches the heart, is not a matter of political licence.

قَالُوا لَن نُّؤْثِرَكَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَاءَنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالَّذِي فَطَرَنَا فَاقْضِ مَا أَنتَ قَاضٍ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِي هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا

Qālū lan nuʾthiraka ʿalā mā jāʾanā mina l-bayyināti wa lladhī faṭaranā faqḍi mā anta qāḍin innamā taqḍī hādhihi l-ḥayāta l-dunyā

"They said: We shall never prefer you over the clear proofs that have come to us, nor over Him who created us — so decree what you will decree! You can only decree concerning this worldly life." — Ṭā Hā 20:72

Translation: The sorcerers replied: We shall never choose you over the clear signs that have come to us, nor over the One who created us. So do what you will — your power extends only over this present life.

Commentary: The sorcerers' response is one of the most stirring declarations of faith in the entire Qurʾān. Having recognised truth, they were willing to sacrifice life and limb. The phrase lā nuʾthiruka — "we will not prefer you" — expresses the hierarchy of loyalties: divine revelation and the Creator take absolute precedence over any earthly authority. The qualifier innamā taqḍī hādhihi l-ḥayāta l-dunyā — "you only have power over this present life" — is a profound theological statement: Pharaoh's jurisdiction is temporal and finite; the authority of God is eternal. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) reflects: look at the extraordinary transformation of these sorcerers! That morning they were instruments of Pharaoh; by noon they were martyrs of God. Witness their steadfastness — they who spent their lives in the service of illusion abandoned it all the moment they saw truth, and feared no tyrant thereafter.

إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ

Innā āmannā bi-rabbinā li-yaghfira lanā khaṭāyānā wa mā akrahtanā ʿalayhi mina l-siḥri wa llāhu khayrun wa abqā

"We have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our transgressions and what you compelled us to perform of sorcery. And Allah is better and more lasting." — Ṭā Hā 20:73

Translation: We have truly believed in our Lord, so that He may forgive us our sins and the sorcery you forced us to practise. And Allah is better and more lasting [than you].

Commentary: The sorcerers' declaration of faith is accompanied by an appeal for forgiveness, acknowledging both their personal sins and the coerced complicity in Pharaoh's schemes. The phrase mā akrahtanā ʿalayhi — "what you compelled us to do" — signals a sophisticated moral awareness: they distinguish between freely chosen sin and acts performed under compulsion. The concluding affirmation — wa llāhu khayrun wa abqā — is the ultimate reversal of Pharaoh's threat about who inflicts the harsher and more lasting punishment. God's reward is better and more enduring than Pharaoh's torment.

Commentary (continued): The author (may Allah have mercy on him) continues: Allah Most High knows best the reality of their martyrdom. The fire of divine love (maḥabba) had ignited in their hearts, and no earthly fire could extinguish it. Indeed — as the Sufi masters observe — when the heart is illumined by the light of divine recognition (maʿrifa), it is protected from every darkness.

إِنَّهُ مَن يَأْتِ رَبَّهُ مُجْرِمًا فَإِنَّ لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ

Innahu man yaʾti rabbahu mujriman fa-inna lahu jahannama lā yamūtu fīhā wa lā yaḥyā

"Indeed, whoever comes before his Lord as a criminal — for him is Hell, wherein he neither dies nor lives." — Ṭā Hā 20:74

Translation: Truly, whoever presents himself before his Lord as a transgressor — for him is Hellfire, wherein he shall neither die nor live.

Commentary: The contrast with the sorcerers' liberation is stark: those who persist in criminality and rebellion against God come to the worst of ends — a state that is neither life nor death, but perpetual torment. The phrase lā yamūtu wa lā yaḥyā — "neither dies nor lives" — denotes the most extreme form of punishment: the mercy of death is withheld, yet there is no real life either.

وَمَن يَأْتِهِ مُؤْمِنًا قَدْ عَمِلَ الصَّالِحَاتِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الدَّرَجَاتُ الْعُلَىٰ

Wa man yaʾtihi muʾminan qad ʿamila l-ṣāliḥāti fa-ulāʾika lahumu l-darajātu l-ʿulā

"And whoever comes before Him as a believer, having done righteous deeds — for such are the highest ranks." — Ṭā Hā 20:75

Translation: But whoever comes to Him as a true believer who has performed righteous deeds — such people shall have the highest stations.

Commentary: The contrast of destinies is the Qurʾānic method: the fate of the criminal is followed immediately by the fate of the faithful. Al-darajāt al-ʿulā — the loftiest stations — are the abode of those who combine faith (īmān) with righteous works (ʿamal ṣāliḥ). Faith without works and works without faith are both incomplete: the Maturīdī school affirms that both are necessary for salvation, though their respective weights in divine assessment belong to God's wisdom.

جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ

Jannātu ʿAdnin tajrī min taḥtihā l-anhāru khālidīna fīhā wa dhālika jazāʾu man tazakkā

"Gardens of perpetual abode, beneath which rivers flow, dwelling therein eternally. That is the reward of whoever purifies himself." — Ṭā Hā 20:76

Translation: Gardens of Eden (Jannāt ʿAdn), beneath which rivers run — they shall dwell therein forever. That is the recompense of whoever purifies his soul.

Commentary: Jannāt ʿAdn — the Gardens of Perpetual Dwelling — are the apex of Paradise. The rivers that flow beneath them are rivers of water, milk, honey, and wine (pure, non-intoxicating), as described elsewhere in the Qurʾān. The key qualifier is tazakkā — "whoever purifies himself" — connecting salvation to spiritual purification (tazkiyat al-nafs), which is the very purpose of Prophetic guidance. The Sufi masters hold this purification as the heart of the spiritual path (ṭarīqa).

وَلَقَدْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا لَّا تَخَافُ دَرَكًا وَلَا تَخْشَىٰ

Wa laqad awḥaynā ilā Mūsā an asri bi-ʿibādī faḍrib lahum ṭarīqan fī l-baḥri yabasan lā takhāfu darakan wa lā takhshā

"And We had revealed to Moses: Set out by night with My servants and strike for them a dry path in the sea — fearing neither pursuit nor anything else." — Ṭā Hā 20:77

Translation: And We had revealed to Moses (upon him be peace): March forth by night with My servants and strike for them a dry passage through the sea — you shall fear no overtaking and have no cause for alarm.

Commentary: The divine command for the Exodus came at night — a time of concealment and divine protection. The command faḍrib lahum ṭarīqan fī l-baḥri — "strike them a path in the sea" — indicates that Moses (upon him be peace) was to strike the sea with his staff, opening a dry passage. God's assurance was two-fold: lā takhāfu darakan — "do not fear being caught up" — and wa lā takhshā — "nor fear any other threat." The double reassurance reveals the potential sources of Moses's (upon him be peace) anxiety: pursuit from behind (Pharaoh's army) and danger from the sea itself. Both were placed under divine protection.

فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ الْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمْ

Fa-atbaʿahum Firʿawnu bi-junūdihi fa-ghashiyahum mina l-yammi mā ghashiyahum

"Then Pharaoh pursued them with his forces, and the sea overwhelmed them as it overwhelmed them." — Ṭā Hā 20:78

Translation: Then Pharaoh followed them with his armies, and the sea engulfed them — and engulfed them it did.

Commentary: The extraordinary brevity of mā ghashiyahum — "what overwhelmed them" — leaves the full horror unstated, producing a more powerful effect than any explicit description. The entire might of Pharaoh's Egypt was swallowed in an instant. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) notes an additional point: when Moses (upon him be peace) and the Children of Israel were crossing, it was the time of low tide (jazr); when Pharaoh and his army entered, it was high tide (madd) — an observation he attributes to the natural order working in concert with divine will, while dismissing as mere fancy (khurāfāt) those who reduce the miracle to purely natural explanation. The miracle is real; the means God employs may be natural or supernatural — both are entirely His to command.

Commentary (continued): The passage of the Children of Israel and the drowning of Pharaoh are among the greatest of the divine āyāt (signs). On the one side, Moses (upon him be peace) and the Children of Israel passed safely; on the other, Pharaoh and his host drowned. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) reflects: we who know the tides of the Red Sea (Bahr al-Qulzum) — its rhythms of ebb and flow — cannot reduce this event to mere coincidence. The selection of the precise moment was a divine arrangement. Providence (tawfīq) operates through both miraculous intervention and the disciplined alignment of natural forces under divine command. To reduce it entirely to the natural is rationalist excess; to deny any natural mechanism is also unnecessary. Both modes glorify God.

وَأَضَلَّ فِرْعَوْنُ قَوْمَهُ وَمَا هَدَىٰ

Wa aḍalla Firʿawnu qawmahu wa mā hadā

"And Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide [them]." — Ṭā Hā 20:79

Translation: Pharaoh had led his people astray and had never guided them aright.

Commentary: The Qurʾān delivers this verdict as an epitaph: Pharaoh's entire career was one of misguidance. He claimed divinity yet led his nation to spiritual ruin and physical annihilation. The phrase wa mā hadā — "and he never guided" — is the most complete condemnation: he fulfilled neither the duty of a ruler (to serve) nor of a human being (to worship God).

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدْ أَنجَيْنَاكُم مِّنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ وَوَاعَدْنَاكُمْ جَانِبَ الطُّورِ الْأَيْمَنَ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ

Yā banī Isrāʾīla qad anjayakum min ʿaduwwikum wa wāʿadnākum jāniba l-ṭūri l-aymana wa nazzalnā ʿalaykumu l-manna wa l-salwā

"O Children of Israel! We saved you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you at the right side of the Mount, and We sent down upon you manna and quails." — Ṭā Hā 20:80

Translation: O Children of Israel! We have rescued you from your enemy [Pharaoh], We made a covenant with you on the right side of Mount Sinai, and We sent down upon you manna (mann) and quails (salwā).

Commentary: After narrating Pharaoh's destruction, the Qurʾān addresses the Children of Israel directly, enumerating God's blessings upon them. The right side of Ṭūr (Mount Sinai) was the blessed direction where Moses (upon him be peace) received divine communication. Al-mann refers to a naturally occurring sweet substance (variously identified as honeydew, taranjabīn, or a heavenly food) that descended for the Children of Israel in the wilderness — not requiring their labour. Al-salwā refers to quails that flew to them in abundance. Whether these came through miraculous means or divine arrangement of natural phenomena, both were clear signs of God's provision for a community in the desert.

كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَلَا تَطْغَوْا فِيهِ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبِي وَمَن يَحْلِلْ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدْ هَوَىٰ

Kulū min ṭayyibāti mā razaqnākum wa lā taṭghaw fīhi fa-yaḥilla ʿalaykum ghaḍabī wa man yaḥlil ʿalayhi ghaḍabī fa-qad hawā

"Eat of the wholesome things We have provided you and do not transgress therein, lest My wrath descend upon you — and whoever My wrath descends upon is truly ruined." — Ṭā Hā 20:81

Translation: Eat of the wholesome provisions We have bestowed upon you, but do not transgress in them, lest My wrath descend upon you — and whoever My wrath descends upon has surely plunged into perdition.

Commentary: The divine command here enshrines two principles: gratitude (shukr) through the lawful enjoyment of provisions, and the prohibition of excess (ṭughyān). The author (may Allah have mercy on him) includes a charming anecdote here about a man of spiritual refinement who, when urged to eat more, declined — illustrating that the spiritual life calls for moderation, not asceticism for its own sake and not excess. He then reflects: do not hoard what God has given you in abundance, but rely upon God (tawakkul) — for God who fed you today will feed you tomorrow. The Sufi verse he cites:

Parwardgārā! parwardgārā! ke tujh per ā sārā — Manzūr manzūr, ay abr-i-dā! jishire bā tār

"O Sustainer, O Sustainer — my reliance is entirely upon You! Accepted, accepted — O cloud of giving, pour down in torrents!"

The verse warns: ghaḍab (divine wrath) descends when gratitude is replaced by transgression, and hawā (ruin, a falling into the depths) is the fate of those upon whom it alights.

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَىٰ

Wa innī la-ghaffārun li-man tāba wa āmana wa ʿamila ṣāliḥan thumma htadā

"And I am most forgiving toward whoever repents, believes, and does righteous deeds and then is guided aright." — Ṭā Hā 20:82

Translation: And I am indeed ever-forgiving toward whoever repents, believes, performs righteous works, and then remains upon the guided path.

Commentary: Divine wrath is always paired in the Qurʾān with divine mercy. The conditions for forgiveness are four: tawba (genuine repentance, turning back from sin), īmān (sincere faith), ʿamal ṣāliḥ (righteous action), and ihtidāʾ (persistence upon the path of guidance). The sequence matters: repentance precedes faith, faith precedes action, and all three must be sustained through continued guidance. The Maturīdī school teaches that God's forgiveness is guaranteed for those who fulfil these conditions with sincerity.

وَمَا أَعْجَلَكَ عَن قَوْمِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ

Wa mā aʿjalaka ʿan qawmika yā Mūsā

"And what made you hasten ahead of your people, O Moses?" — Ṭā Hā 20:83

Translation: And what caused you to race ahead of your people, O Moses (upon him be peace)?

Commentary: The scene shifts to the divine address to Moses (upon him be peace) at Mount Sinai. Moses (upon him be peace) had hurried to the divine appointment, leaving his people behind with Aaron (upon him be peace). The question is not reproachful — God knows why Moses (upon him be peace) hurried — but it invites Moses (upon him be peace) to articulate his inner state.

قَالَ هُمْ أُولَاءِ عَلَىٰ أَثَرِي وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضَىٰ

Qāla hum ulāʾi ʿalā atharī wa ʿajiltu ilayka rabbi li-tarḍā

"He said: They are close behind me, and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You might be pleased." — Ṭā Hā 20:84

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) replied: They are following close upon my tracks. And I hastened to You, my Lord, only so that You might be pleased with me.

Commentary: This reply is one of the most tender expressions of divine love (maḥabba) in the Qurʾān. Moses (upon him be peace) did not merely hasten because of zeal for the divine command — he hastened so that God would be pleased. The phrase li-tarḍā — "so that You might be pleased" — is the entire motivation. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) comments that riḍā (divine pleasure) is the supreme goal of the lover of God. In the Sufi tradition (taṣawwuf), all ʿibāda (worship), all self-discipline, and all service are oriented toward this single aim: earning the pleasure (riḍā) of the Beloved.

قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِن بَعْدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ السَّامِرِيُّ

Qāla fa-innā qad fatannā qawmaka min baʿdika wa aḍallahumu l-Sāmiriyyu

"He said: Then indeed We have tested your people after you, and al-Sāmirī has led them astray." — Ṭā Hā 20:85

Translation: God said: Indeed We have tried your people in your absence, and al-Sāmirī has led them into misguidance.

Commentary: Even as Moses (upon him be peace) was in the most exalted spiritual station — in the divine presence — his community was undergoing trial. Al-Sāmirī, a man from the Children of Israel, exploited the vacuum of leadership to lead the people astray. The divine fitna (test, trial) here was not a divine will to see them fail, but a testing that revealed what was latent in hearts insufficiently rooted in faith.

فَرَجَعَ مُوسَىٰ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا

Fa-rajaʿa Mūsā ilā qawmihi ghaḍbāna asifan

"Then Moses returned to his people, angry and grieving." — Ṭā Hā 20:86

Translation: Then Moses (upon him be peace) returned to his people in a state of anger and deep grief.

Commentary: Ghaḍbān (anger) — righteous indignation at the violation of God's covenant — and asif (intense sorrow, grief) describe two aspects of Moses's (upon him be peace) state. The anger was not personal; it was prophetic zeal for the honour of God. The grief was compassionate — the sorrow of one who loved his people and saw them ruined.

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَمْ يَعِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْعَهْدُ أَمْ أَرَدتُّمْ أَن يَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُم مَّوْعِدِي

Qāla yā qawmi alam yaʿidkum rabbukum waʿdan ḥasanan a-faṭāla ʿalaykumu l-ʿahdu am arattum an yaḥilla ʿalaykum ghaḍabun min rabbikum fa-akhlaftum mawʿidī

"He said: O my people! Did not your Lord promise you a good promise? Has the time [of the covenant] seemed too long for you, or did you wish that wrath from your Lord descend upon you — so that you broke your appointment with me?" — Ṭā Hā 20:86

Translation: He said: O my people! Did your Lord not give you a good and true promise? Did the time of the Covenant seem too long to you? Or did you wish for divine wrath to descend upon you, that you broke faith with my appointment?

Commentary: Moses (upon him be peace) confronted his people with a series of pointed questions: Was the divine promise false? Did the forty-day period of his absence feel too long? Or was it simply a wilful desire for destruction? These questions are not angry outbursts but pedagogical challenges, pressing his people to confront the irrationality of their lapse.

وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ مِن قَبْلُ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنتُم بِهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِي وَأَطِيعُوا أَمْرِي

Wa laqad qāla lahum Hārūnu min qablu yā qawmi innamā futintum bihi wa inna rabbakumu l-Raḥmānu fa-ttabiʿūnī wa aṭīʿū amrī

"And Aaron had already said to them before: O my people! You have only been tested by this — your Lord is the All-Merciful, so follow me and obey my command." — Ṭā Hā 20:90

Translation: And Aaron (upon him be peace) had indeed already warned them: O my people! You have been put to trial by this [golden calf]. Your Lord is the All-Merciful — follow me and obey my command.

Commentary: The passage clarifies that Aaron (upon him be peace) had faithfully discharged his prophetic duty: he warned the people, reminded them of the divine raḥma (mercy), and commanded them to follow the right path. His warning went unheeded. This establishes Aaron's (upon him be peace) innocence and removes any ambiguity about his role. He was not complicit — he was the lone voice of truth in Moses's (upon him be peace) absence.

The author (may Allah have mercy on him) inserts here a valuable digression on the forty-day spiritual retreat (chilla, arbaʿīna): Moses (upon him be peace) himself undertook a withdrawal of forty days with a chosen group, which is the source of the Sufi practice of the forty-day retreat. The author relates that the Prophet Muḥammadﷺhimself observed a period of retreat and seclusion before his prophethood. He then reflects on the discipline of the spiritual retreat: abandonment of meat and rich foods, reduction of sleep, solitude, and intense focus on the remembrance of God (dhikr). These are the outer forms; the inner reality is turning the heart entirely toward God.

He also raises the question of dietary practice in spiritual retreat and takes a moderate Ḥanafī position: temporary abstinence from meat for spiritual reasons is permissible, but making it a permanent vow or adopting it as a religious identity (as in certain non-Muslim traditions) is contrary to the Sunnah. The Muslim is a meat-eater by Prophetic norm and Sharīʿa; the temporary restriction is a disciplinary tool, not an ideal.

قَالُوا لَن نَّبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفِينَ حَتَّىٰ يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ

Qālū lan nabraḥa ʿalayhi ʿākifīna ḥattā yarjiʿa ilaynā Mūsā

"They said: We shall not cease to be devoted to it until Moses returns to us." — Ṭā Hā 20:91

Translation: They replied: We shall not abandon worshipping it until Moses (upon him be peace) returns to us.

Commentary: The obstinacy of the calf-worshippers is remarkable: even when confronted by a living prophet (Aaron, upon him be peace), they clung to their idol. This is the grip of idolatry when it has taken hold of the heart — it substitutes the tangible for the transcendent and mistakes sensory experience for spiritual reality.

أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَلَّا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا

Afalā yarawna allā yarjiʿa ilayhim qawlan wa lā yamliku lahum ḍarran wa lā nafʿā

"Did they not see that it could not return a word to them, nor had any power to harm or benefit them?" — Ṭā Hā 20:89

Translation: Did they not perceive that the calf could not return a word to them, and had no power to bring them harm or benefit?

Commentary: The Qurʾān directs a piercing rhetorical challenge at the idol-worshippers: the calf could not speak, could not answer prayer, could not harm or help. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) draws a sharp parallel with the idol-worship of his own time — people who approach silent statues, graves, or images with supplications as though they might answer. He cites the Qurʾānic verse: afalā yarawna — "do they not see?" — as the perennial challenge of reason against superstition. The believer must direct all supplication to God alone.

The author (may Allah have mercy on him) then makes a pointed observation about the practice of spiritual retreat (chilla) and the question of slaughtering animals (dhabḥ) in the context of breaking a fast: a few days' abstinence from meat for spiritual concentration is one thing; institutionalising vegetarianism as a religious value is quite another. He also reflects on the cultural dimensions of meat-eating among Muslims versus certain Hindu practices, and the irony of those who abstain from meat claiming spiritual superiority.

Commentary (continued): The author (may Allah have mercy on him) continues his digression on the nature of idol-worship and false devotion: In his own time he witnessed a mechanical device in an exhibition that would move toward a person when that person's name was called out. Foolish and credulous women would go to this device and address it with their requests, just as the Children of Israel addressed the golden calf. The Qurʾānic question afalā yarawna allā yarjiʿa ilayhim qawlan — "do they not see that it returns them no word?" — applies just as forcefully in every age. The calf's khuwār (lowing sound) produced by al-Sāmirī's mechanical ingenuity was enough to deceive those whose hearts were spiritually empty. The Sāmirī of every age exploits spiritual emptiness.

The Qurʾān will now record Moses's (upon him be peace) confrontation with Aaron (upon him be peace):

وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ مِن قَبْلُ ... قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لَا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلَا بِرَأْسِي

[See Ṭā Hā 20:90–94]

The narrative now moves to Moses's (upon him be peace) confrontation with Aaron (upon him be peace), followed by his questioning of al-Sāmirī:

قَالَ يَا هَارُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّوا أَلَّا تَتَّبِعَنِ أَفَعَصَيْتَ أَمْرِي

Qāla yā Hārūnu mā manaʿaka idh raʾaytahum ḍallū allā tattabiʿani afa-ʿaṣayta amrī

"He said: O Aaron! What held you back when you saw them going astray — [from following me], or did you disobey my command?" — Ṭā Hā 20:92–93

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) said: O Aaron! What prevented you, when you saw them going astray, from following my [instructions], or did you disobey my command?

Commentary: Moses (upon him be peace) seized Aaron (upon him be peace) by his beard and head in his distress — an expression of grief and urgency, not disrespect. The question was sharp: "Why did you not act?" The answer from Aaron (upon him be peace) reveals his true position:

قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لَا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلَا بِرَأْسِي إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَن تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي

Qāla yā bna umma lā taʾkudh bi-liḥyatī wa lā bi-raʾsī innī khashītu an taqūla farraqta bayna banī Isrāʾīla wa lam tarqub qawlī

"He said: O son of my mother! Seize me not by my beard nor by my head. I feared that you would say: You have caused division among the Children of Israel and did not observe my word." — Ṭā Hā 20:94

Translation: Aaron (upon him be peace) cried: O son of my mother! Do not take me by the beard or the head! I feared lest you would say: You have caused division among the Children of Israel and you did not heed my counsel.

Commentary: Aaron's (upon him be peace) address — yā bna umm ("O son of my mother") — invokes the bond of kinship to soften Moses's (upon him be peace) righteous anger. His reason for refraining from forcible action was strategic: had he attempted to physically separate the idol-worshippers from the majority who remained faithful, he might have split the community (tafrīq) and triggered a civil conflict. He chose to preserve communal cohesion and await Moses's (upon him be peace) return. This is a sophisticated exercise in prophetic wisdom — the weighing of competing obligations.

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكَ يَا سَامِرِيُّ

Qāla famā khaṭbuka yā Sāmiriyyu

"He said: Then what is your case, O Sāmirī?" — Ṭā Hā 20:95

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) turned to al-Sāmirī and said: What is your affair, O Sāmirī? What led you to do this?

Commentary: Al-khaṭb denotes a grave or significant matter — Moses (upon him be peace) was asking al-Sāmirī to account for the enormity of what he had done. The term also carries the nuance of a formal reckoning. Al-Sāmirī's response follows:

قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُوا بِهِ فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ فَنَبَذْتُهَا وَكَذَٰلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِي نَفْسِي

Qāla baṣurtu bi-mā lam yabṣurū bihi fa-qabaḍtu qabḍatan min athari l-rasūli fa-nabadhtuha wa kadhālika sawwalat lī nafsī

"He said: I perceived what they did not perceive, so I took a handful from the trace of the Messenger and threw it in — thus my soul prompted me." — Ṭā Hā 20:96

Translation: Al-Sāmirī replied: I saw what they could not see. I took a handful of earth from the hoofprint of the Messenger [the angel Jibrīl's horse] and cast it into the [molten gold] — and thus my soul led me on.

Commentary: Al-Sāmirī claimed to have perceived the angel Jibrīl (upon him be peace) in his horse's form at the crossing of the sea, and took a handful of the sacred dust of the angel's horse-tracks, casting it into the molten gold of the idol. The rūḥāniyya (spiritual vitality) of that dust gave the calf its miraculous khuwār (lowing). Whether this account is literal or metaphorical, the Qurʾān presents it as al-Sāmirī's self-justification. The key phrase is sawwalat lī nafsī — "my ego-self (nafs) adorned [the act] for me" — a confession of the workings of the commanding self (al-nafs al-ammāra) that glorifies evil to its owner.

قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِي الْحَيَاةِ أَن تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّن تُخْلَفَهُ وَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ إِلَٰهِكَ الَّذِي ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا لَّنُحَرِّقَنَّهُ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُ فِي الْيَمِّ نَسْفًا

Qāla fadhab fa-inna laka fī l-ḥayāti an taqūla lā misāsa wa inna laka mawʿidan lan tukhlafahū wa nẓur ilā ilāhika lladhī ẓalta ʿalayhi ʿākifan la-nuḥarriqannahu thumma la-nansifahunna fī l-yammi nasfā

"He said: Then go! It is your lot in this life to say: No touching. And you have an appointment that will not be broken. Now look at your god to which you were devoted — we shall burn it and scatter its dust in the sea." — Ṭā Hā 20:97

Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) said: Go then! Your punishment in this life is that you shall cry out: "No touching!" And you have an appointed term from which there is no escape. Now look at your god — the one you worshipped so devoutly — We shall burn it and scatter its ashes in the sea.

Commentary: The punishment of al-Sāmirī was unique and exemplary: he would wander through life crying lā misās — "do not touch me, do not let me touch anyone" — isolated from all human contact. Some commentators understand this as a divine affliction; others as a self-imposed exile of guilt. Either way, the punishment fits the crime: one who used sacred touch (the angel's footprint) for sacrilege was condemned to a life without touch. The golden calf was then to be burned and its ashes scattered in the sea — a total annihilation, demonstrating the absolute nothingness of false gods.

إِنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَسِعَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا

Innamā ilāhukumu llāhu lladhī lā ilāha illā huwa wasiʿa kulla shayʾin ʿilmā

"Your god is only Allah — there is no deity but He. He has encompassed all things in knowledge." — Ṭā Hā 20:98

Translation: Your God is Allah alone — there is no deity other than He. His knowledge encompasses all things.

Commentary: After the destruction of the false idol, the affirmation of tawḥīd (divine unity) rings clear: lā ilāha illā huwa — there is no god but He — and wasiʿa kulla shayʾin ʿilmā — His knowledge encompasses everything. The latter phrase is not merely an attribute but a comfort and a warning: everything — every secret, every intention, every past and future — is within God's embrace of knowledge.

كَذَٰلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ مَا قَدْ سَبَقَ وَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ مِن لَّدُنَّا ذِكْرًا

Kadhālika naquṣṣu ʿalayka min anbāʾi mā qad sabaqa wa qad ātaynāka min ladunnā dhikrā

"Thus We narrate to you from the accounts of what has passed, and We have given you from Our presence a Remembrance." — Ṭā Hā 20:99

Translation: In this manner We relate to you [O Muḥammadﷺ] the accounts of what has gone before. And We have indeed bestowed upon you from Our own presence a Remembrance [the Qurʾān].

Commentary: The whole narrative — of Moses (upon him be peace), Pharaoh, the sorcerers, and al-Sāmirī — has been narrated to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺas consolation and instruction. The dhikr ("Remembrance") given "from Our presence" (min ladunnā) is the Qurʾān itself, emphasising its divine origin and the unique honour bestowed upon the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ.

مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وِزْرًا

Man aʿraḍa ʿanhu fa-innahu yaḥmilu yawma l-qiyāmati wizrā

"Whoever turns away from it shall bear on the Day of Resurrection a burden." — Ṭā Hā 20:100

Translation: Whoever turns away from this Qurʾān shall carry a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection.

Commentary: Turning away from the Qurʾān — whether by rejection, neglect, or indifference — is the gravest of spiritual failures. The wizr (burden, weight of sin) that such a person carries into the hereafter is a consequence of having been offered the greatest of gifts and refusing it.

خَالِدِينَ فِيهِ وَسَاءَ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حِمْلًا

Khālidīna fīhi wa sāʾa lahum yawma l-qiyāmati ḥimlā

"Abiding therein — and what an evil burden it shall be for them on the Day of Resurrection!" — Ṭā Hā 20:101

Translation: They shall abide in that state [of bearing the burden] — and how grievous a load it shall be for them on the Day of Resurrection!

Commentary: The horror of the burden is underscored: it is not a temporary penalty but an abiding state. The Day of Resurrection makes all consequences permanent. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) uses this verse to emphasise the urgency of engaging with the Qurʾān in this present life.

يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ وَنَحْشُرُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ يَوْمَئِذٍ زُرْقًا

Yawma yunfakhu fī l-ṣūri wa naḥshuru l-mujrimīna yawmaʾidhin zurqā

"The day the Trumpet is blown, and We shall gather the criminals on that day with blue-grey [eyes]." — Ṭā Hā 20:102

Translation: On that Day when the Trumpet is sounded, We shall gather the criminals with eyes blue-grey [from fear and horror].

Commentary: Al-ṣūr (the Trumpet) is blown by the angel Isrāfīl (upon him be peace), heralding the resurrection. The description zurqā — often translated as "blue-grey" — refers either to the discoloration of the eyes from terror and distress, or to blindness, or to the pallor of the face on that day. The criminals (mujrimūn) — those who rejected God — are gathered in a state of visible abasement.

يَتَخَافَتُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا عَشْرًا

Yatakhāfatūna baynahum in labiththtum illā ʿashrā

"They will murmur among themselves: You have stayed but ten [days]." — Ṭā Hā 20:103

Translation: They shall murmur to one another: You remained [in the world or in the grave] for no more than ten [days].

Commentary: The criminals will speak in hushed voices, overwhelmed by the enormity of what surrounds them. Their perception of their worldly sojourn will have contracted to almost nothing — ten days, or fewer. This is the Qurʾānic teaching on the nature of time: the entire span of worldly life, which seems so vast while being lived, will appear as moments when viewed from the vantage of eternity. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) reflects: "We know well what they say," God declares — a reminder of the divine omniscience that encompasses all private words.

نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ إِذْ يَقُولُ أَمْثَلُهُمْ طَرِيقَةً إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا يَوْمًا

Naḥnu aʿlamu bi-mā yaqūlūna idh yaqūlu amthaluhum ṭarīqatan in labiththtum illā yawmā

"We know best what they say, when the most exemplary of them in conduct will say: You remained but a single day." — Ṭā Hā 20:104

Translation: We know best what they will say — when the most upright among them will declare: You sojourned for no more than a single day.

Commentary: Even the most rational and discerning among the criminals will estimate their worldly sojourn at a mere day. The contrast with their actual centuries of life is the Qurʾān's powerful reminder that all earthly existence is but a brief moment before the eternal.

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْجِبَالِ فَقُلْ يَنسِفُهَا رَبِّي نَسْفًا

Wa yasʾalūnaka ʿani l-jibāli fa-qul yansifuhā rabbī nasfā

"And they ask you about the mountains — say: My Lord will scatter them in a total scattering." — Ṭā Hā 20:105

Translation: They ask you about the mountains [on the Day of Resurrection] — say: My Lord will blast them into absolute nothingness.

Commentary: The mountains, those symbols of permanence and solidity, will be annihilated on the Day of Resurrection. Nasfan — a complete shattering and scattering — leaves no trace. The entire physical landscape will be transformed.

فَيَذَرُهَا قَاعًا صَفْصَفًا

Fa-yadharu hā qāʿan ṣafṣafā

"And He will leave it as a level plain." — Ṭā Hā 20:106

Translation: And He will leave the earth as a smooth, flat expanse.

لَّا تَرَىٰ فِيهَا عِوَجًا وَلَا أَمْتًا

Lā tarā fīhā ʿiwajan wa lā amtā

"You will see in it no crookedness nor any elevation." — Ṭā Hā 20:107

Translation: You shall see therein no unevenness and no elevation.

Commentary: The description of the transformed earth — perfectly flat, without valley or mountain — prepares for the gathering of all humanity before God. There is nowhere to hide, no landmark to orient by, no landscape to provide relief. All is exposed in the divine light of judgement.

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَّبِعُونَ الدَّاعِيَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُ وَخَشَعَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ فَلَا تَسْمَعُ إِلَّا هَمْسًا

Yawmaʾidhin yattabiʿūna l-dāʿiya lā ʿiwaja lahu wa khashaʿati l-aṣwātu li-l-Raḥmāni fa-lā tasmaʿu illā hamsan

"On that day they shall follow the Caller — there is no deviation from him — and voices shall be hushed before the All-Merciful, so that you will hear nothing but a whisper." — Ṭā Hā 20:108

Translation: On that Day all shall follow the Caller, from whom there is no deviation. All voices shall be humbled before the All-Merciful (al-Raḥmān), and you shall hear nothing but the faintest murmur.

Commentary: The dāʿī (the Caller) on the Day of Resurrection calls all souls without exception; there is no alternative direction, no disobedience, no turning away. The hushing of all voices in the presence of al-Raḥmān is the ultimate submission — even the proud voices that shouted defiance in the world are silenced before divine majesty. Hamsan — a soft footfall, a whisper, the subtlest of sounds — is all that remains.

يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُ قَوْلًا

Yawmaʾidhin lā tanfaʿu l-shafāʿatu illā man adhina lahu l-Raḥmānu wa raḍiya lahu qawlā

"On that Day intercession will not avail, except for one to whom the All-Merciful has given permission and whose word He is pleased with." — Ṭā Hā 20:109

Translation: On that Day no intercession shall be of benefit unless the All-Merciful has given permission for it and has approved the intercessor's word.

Commentary: This verse is the theological foundation of the Islamic doctrine of shafāʿa (intercession). The author (may Allah have mercy on him) states clearly: the Prophet Muḥammadﷺwill be granted the great intercession (al-shafāʿa al-kubrā) on the Day of Resurrection, by God's permission and with His approval. His intercession will extend to believers among this community and to others. Those who deny the intercession of the Prophet Muḥammadﷺdeprive themselves of its benefit — they have turned away from the very mercy God has instituted. The verse sets two conditions: God's idhn (permission) and God's riḍā (approval of the intercessor's word). Both are fulfilled in the station of the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ, whom God describes as the bearer of maqām maḥmūd (the praised station).

يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا

Yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum wa lā yuḥīṭūna bihi ʿilmā

"He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot encompass Him in knowledge." — Ṭā Hā 20:110

Translation: God knows all that is before them and all that is behind them, while they cannot encompass His knowledge.

Commentary: Divine omniscience is boundless: it encompasses past, present, and future of every creature. Human knowledge, by contrast, is utterly incapable of comprehending even a fraction of the divine. This is the Maturīdī affirmation of God's absolute transcendence in the attribute of ʿilm (knowledge).

وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا

Wa ʿanati l-wujūhu li-l-Ḥayyi l-Qayyūmi wa qad khāba man ḥamala ẓulmā

"And faces shall be humbled before the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting — and ruined indeed shall be whoever carries wrongdoing." — Ṭā Hā 20:111

Translation: All faces shall be humbled before al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm (the Ever-Living, the Ever-Sustaining), and truly lost shall be whoever carries injustice [in his soul].

Commentary: Al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm — two of the greatest Names of God — appear here in combination, as they do in Āyat al-Kursī (2:255). Al-Ḥayy: the eternally living, whose life has no beginning and no end. Al-Qayyūm: the one upon whom all subsistence depends and who is dependent upon none. All faces bow in submission before these two Names — the arrogant and the humble alike.

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَا يَخَافُ ظُلْمًا وَلَا هَضْمًا

Wa man yaʿmal mina l-ṣāliḥāti wa huwa muʾminun fa-lā yakhāfu ẓulman wa lā haḍmā

"And whoever does righteous deeds while being a believer shall fear neither injustice nor diminishment." — Ṭā Hā 20:112

Translation: But whoever performs righteous deeds while being a true believer shall fear neither oppression nor reduction [of his reward].

Commentary: The believer who combines faith with action is under divine guarantee: lā ẓulm — no injustice shall be done to him (no punishment for deeds not done), and lā haḍm — no diminishment (no reduction of his rightful reward). The divine judge is perfectly just.

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا وَصَرَّفْنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْوَعِيدِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ أَوْ يُحْدِثُ لَهُمْ ذِكْرًا

Wa kadhālika anzalnāhu qurʾānan ʿarabiyyan wa ṣarrafnā fīhi mina l-waʿīdi laʿallahum yattaqūna aw yuḥdithu lahum dhikrā

"And thus We have sent it down as an Arabic Qurʾān, and We have varied therein the warnings — so that perhaps they may become God-fearing, or so that it may arouse in them remembrance." — Ṭā Hā 20:113

Translation: And thus have We sent it down as an Arabic Qurʾān, and varied therein the warnings — so that they may attain taqwā (God-consciousness), or so that it may awaken in them the remembrance of God.

Commentary: The Qurʾān was revealed in Arabic — the language of the Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula, the language of clarity and eloquence. Its multiple approaches to warning (taṣrīf al-waʿīd) — varied in style, image, narrative, and logic — serve two interrelated purposes: inspiring taqwā (the guarding of oneself through awareness of God) and generating dhikr (remembrance of God). The author (may Allah have mercy on him) notes: be assured, the Prophet Muḥammadﷺwas given the knowledge of all the ancients and later generations; and yet the divine command is still wa qul rabbi zidnī ʿilmā — "Say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge." The pursuit of knowledge is the eternal obligation of the Prophetﷺand his community.

فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Fa-taʿālā llāhu l-Maliku l-Ḥaqqu wa lā taʿjal bi-l-Qurʾāni min qabli an yuqḍā ilayka waḥyuhu wa qul rabbi zidnī ʿilmā

"So exalted is Allah, the True Sovereign! And do not hasten with the Qurʾān before its revelation to you is completed, and say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge." — Ṭā Hā 20:114

Translation: Exalted be Allah, the True Sovereign! Do not be in haste with the Qurʾān before its revelation is completed to you, and say: "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

Commentary: The Prophet Muḥammadﷺ, out of his immense eagerness to receive divine speech, would sometimes begin reciting a verse before its revelation was complete. He was gently instructed to wait until the full revelation reached him. This did not indicate any deficiency; rather, it manifested the intensity of prophetic love for the divine word. The command wa qul rabbi zidnī ʿilmā — "Say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge" — is directed to the greatest of all humans, indicating that the pursuit of knowledge has no limit even at the apex of prophethood. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) reflects with emphasis: those who consider their learning complete and cease to seek further knowledge have fallen into the trap of arrogance. Life itself is the continuous increase of knowledge — and when knowledge ceases to grow, it is a form of spiritual death.

Commentary (continued): The author (may Allah have mercy on him) pauses to address a question often raised about the prophets (upon them all be peace): How can it be said that they were protected from sin (maʿṣūm) and yet specific lapses or slips are mentioned in the Qurʾān? His answer is subtle and important: the prophets' ʿiṣma (protection from sin) is absolute in the domain of delivering the divine message and in major moral violations. As for the minor lapse attributed to Ādam (upon him be peace), it was not a deliberate sin but a forgetfulness (nisyān) that occurred in the early period before the full weight of divine custodianship had settled upon him, and before the trials of the world (children, family, ambitions) had entered his experience. The maʿṣūm is not a being incapable of experiencing any spiritual trial — that would make prophethood inhuman — but one who, when a slip occurs, is immediately corrected by God and returns to the highest station. A stumble followed by repentance and divine correction is not a moral failure but a demonstration of the path of return (tawba).

Furthermore, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) warns against measuring the highest spiritual stations by the standards of ordinary human beings. The prophets (upon them all be peace) should not be judged by the moral calculus of common people. Their closeness to God means that even the most minor inattention is treated with great seriousness — for closeness multiplies responsibility. As the maxim runs: ḥasanāt al-abrār sayyi'āt al-muqarrabīn — "the good deeds of the righteous are the sins of the near ones."

وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ آدَمَ مِن قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا

Wa laqad ʿahidnā ilā Ādama min qablu fa-nasiya wa lam najid lahu ʿazmā

"And We had covenanted with Adam before, but he forgot, and We found in him no firm resolution." — Ṭā Hā 20:115

Translation: And indeed We had made a covenant with Adam (upon him be peace) beforehand, but he forgot — and We found no firm resolve in him [against the temptation].

Commentary: Nasiya — he forgot. This is a key word: the first human act of disobedience was rooted in forgetfulness, not deliberate rebellion. The divine covenant was to avoid the forbidden tree, and Adam (upon him be peace) forgot, or allowed himself to be distracted by Iblīs's whispering. The phrase lam najid lahu ʿazmā — "We found in him no firm resolve" — indicates a momentary weakness in determination, not a flaw of character. The commentators of the Ḥanafī-Maturīdī school are careful to distinguish between this momentary lapse and any form of fundamental moral failure.

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ

Wa idh qulnā li-l-malāʾikati sjudū li-Ādama fa-sajadū illā Iblīsa abā

"And when We said to the angels: Prostrate before Adam — they prostrated, except Iblīs; he refused." — Ṭā Hā 20:116

Translation: And when We commanded the angels: Prostrate before Adam (upon him be peace) — they all prostrated, except Iblīs, who refused.

Commentary: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) devotes extended commentary to the concept of sujūd (prostration) and its meaning. He clarifies: the prostration commanded to the angels was one of taʿẓīm (honour, veneration), not of worship (ʿibāda). In various historical periods and traditions, a prostration of honour before a revered person was permissible, and this was the form the angels performed before Adam (upon him be peace). The prostration of worship (ʿibādat) — directing one's worship exclusively to God — has always been the absolute monotheistic principle.

He also addresses the legal question raised by some: is the prostration of reverence (sujūd al-taʿẓīm) permissible in Islamic law? His answer is clear from the Ḥanafī position: the Prophet Muḥammadﷺexplicitly prohibited all prostration except to Allah. Therefore, whoever performs sujūd al-taʿẓīm to any being other than God today is in violation of the Prophetic command (mukhālif li-sunnat rasūl Allāhﷺ). The Sharīʿa of Islam superseded earlier permissions, and the honour due to the awliyāʾ (saints) and scholars is to be expressed through love, obedience to their teachings, and du'ā (supplication) — not by prostration.

He then considers: why was the command for prostration addressed particularly to the angels, when logically it applied to all creation? Because the angels were the most eminent beings, and mentioning them implies the lesser. The real disobedient was Iblīs, and the Qurʾān specifically notes his refusal (abā) as the origin of the primal rebellion.

The author (may Allah have mercy on him) then reflects on the nature of pride (kibr): Iblīs's sin was not primarily disobedience but takabbur — arrogance, the assertion of self over the divine command. He refused to acknowledge that the honour given to Adam (upon him be peace) reflected not Adam's (upon him be peace) clay-body but the divine attributes (ṣifāt ilāhiyya) manifested through him. The one who looks at Adam's clay and cannot see beyond it to the divine trust (amāna) placed within him is like Iblīs — judging by the external and missing the internal reality.

فَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ إِنَّ هَٰذَا عَدُوٌّ لَّكَ وَلِزَوْجِكَ فَلَا يُخْرِجَنَّكُمَا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَتَشْقَىٰ

Fa-qulnā yā Ādamu inna hādhā ʿaduwwun laka wa li-zawjika fa-lā yukhrijannakumā mina l-jannati fa-tashqā

"We said: O Adam! This is an enemy to you and to your wife — let him not drive you both out of the Garden, so that you become wretched." — Ṭā Hā 20:117

Translation: We said: O Adam (upon him be peace)! This one is an enemy to you and to your wife — let him not cause you both to be expelled from the Garden, bringing you into hardship.

Commentary: God explicitly named Iblīs as the enemy — not merely a tempter but an ʿaduww (enemy). The warning was given before the temptation began, establishing complete divine fairness: Adam (upon him be peace) was forewarned. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) stresses: "This enemy is still your enemy, O believers! He made no peace-treaty with the Children of Adam. Guard yourselves from his insinuations. Obey the commands of God and His Messengerﷺ; therein is your salvation."

إِنَّ لَكَ أَلَّا تَجُوعَ فِيهَا وَلَا تَعْرَىٰ

Inna laka allā tajūʿa fīhā wa lā taʿrā

"In it you shall neither go hungry nor be naked." — Ṭā Hā 20:118

Translation: It is guaranteed for you that in the Garden you shall neither be hungry nor go naked.

وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَظْمَأُ فِيهَا وَلَا تَضْحَىٰ

Wa annaka lā taẓmaʾu fīhā wa lā taḍḥā

"And that you shall neither thirst in it, nor suffer from the sun's heat." — Ṭā Hā 20:119

Translation: And that you shall neither thirst therein nor suffer from the heat of the sun.

Commentary: The four provisions of Paradise are enumerated: freedom from hunger, nakedness, thirst, and exposure. These are precisely the four fundamental vulnerabilities of earthly human life, and their negation in Paradise indicates the complete satisfaction and comfort of the divine abode. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) notes: how then could Iblīs's temptation of more override these guarantees? Only because the nafs al-ammāra (the commanding self) is susceptible to whispering about what it does not yet possess.

فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَىٰ

Fa-waswasa ilayhi l-shayṭānu qāla yā Ādamu hal adulluka ʿalā shajarati l-khuldi wa mulkin lā yablā

"Then the Devil whispered to him, saying: O Adam! Shall I guide you to the Tree of Eternity and a dominion that never fades?" — Ṭā Hā 20:120

Translation: Then Iblīs whispered to Adam (upon him be peace): O Adam! Shall I direct you to the Tree of Eternal Life and a dominion that never weakens?

Commentary: The temptation was precisely targeted: eternal life and eternal power — the two things Adam (upon him be peace) did not yet possess in his awareness. Iblīs exploited the gap between what was given and what could be imagined. The verb waswasa — "he whispered" — denotes a soft, insinuating murmur, the characteristic mode of Iblīsic suggestion. This is still the enemy's method: quiet, persistent, plausible insinuation that targets the unguarded desire.

فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَعَصَىٰ آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَىٰ

Fa-akalā minhā fa-badat lahumā sawʾātuhuma wa ṭafiqā yakhṣifāni ʿalayhimā min waraqī l-jannati wa ʿaṣā Ādamu rabbahu fa-ghawā

"Then they both ate from it, and their nakedness became apparent to them, and they began to stitch together leaves of the Garden over themselves. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray." — Ṭā Hā 20:121

Translation: Then both ate of the [forbidden] tree, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began fastening together the leaves of the Garden to cover themselves. Adam (upon him be peace) disobeyed his Lord and fell into error.

Commentary: The consequence of the disobedience was immediate: the protective covering of divine light that had clothed them (nūr, as the commentators describe) was stripped away, and they were left exposed, hastily fashioning coverings from the Garden's leaves. Wa ʿaṣā Ādamu rabbahu — "Adam disobeyed his Lord" — is stated plainly in the Qurʾān; fa-ghawā — "and went astray" — describes the immediate spiritual consequence of the act. The prophets (upon them all be peace) are not immune to the experience of trial and the consequences of momentary lapse; what distinguishes them is the immediacy of their return. The author cites a Persian verse:

Az bad-i az barā-i khodā bāzā — har chī-bāshad kāfir ū yā ātash-parast Dar-i mā gum kardah rāh āyī — agar sau bār raftah bāz āyī

"Return to God from whatever sin — whether you be an unbeliever or fire-worshipper. Our door is open to the one who has lost the path — even if you have gone a hundred times, come back."

The source of divine mercy never dries up; the door of repentance is always open.

ثُمَّ اجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَدَىٰ

Thumma jtabāhu rabbuhu fa-tāba ʿalayhi wa hadā

"Then his Lord chose him, accepted his repentance, and guided him." — Ṭā Hā 20:122

Translation: Then his Lord chose him [for prophethood], turned toward him in mercy, and guided him aright.

Commentary: The story does not end with the fall but with the divine election. Ijtabāhu — "He chose him" — God selected Adam (upon him be peace) as a prophet. Tāba ʿalayhi — God turned toward him in mercy, accepting his repentance. Wa hadā — and guided him to the straight path. The sequence is instructive: sin, repentance, divine mercy, and guidance. This is the complete arc of the spiritual journey, and it applies to every human soul, not only to Adam (upon him be peace). The author (may Allah have mercy on him) comments: sin followed by repentance does not ruin the servant — it deepens his humility and draws him closer to God, provided the repentance is sincere and the resolve is firm.

قَالَ اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَىٰ

Qāla hbiṭā minhā jamīʿan baʿḍukum li-baʿḍin ʿaduwwun fa-mani ttabaʿa hudāya fa-lā yaḍillu wa lā yashqā

"He said: Descend from it, both of you, all together — you shall be enemies to each other. Whoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor be wretched." — Ṭā Hā 20:123

Translation: God said: Descend from the Garden, all of you together. You shall be enemies to one another [humans and Iblīs]. But whoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor suffer wretchedness.

Commentary: The command of descent (hubūṭ) was delivered to Adam and Ḥawwāʾ (upon them both be peace) and to Iblīs and the serpent (upon the latter some commentators mention as also present). The enmity between humans and Iblīs was thus divinely established as a permanent condition of earthly life. But immediately with the declaration of the trial comes the divine assurance: whoever follows My guidance — the eternal Prophetic guidance, culminating in the guidance of the Prophet Muḥammadﷺand the Qurʾān — shall be protected from both ḍalāl (straying) and shaqāʾ (wretchedness). The two provisions of safety correspond to the two dimensions of human wellbeing: correctness of path (hidāya) and happiness of soul (saʿāda).

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ

Wa man aʿraḍa ʿan dhikrī fa-inna lahu maʿīshatan ḍankan wa naḥshruhu yawma l-qiyāmati aʿmā

"And whoever turns away from My remembrance — for him shall be a life of hardship, and We shall raise him on the Day of Resurrection blind." — Ṭā Hā 20:124

Translation: But whoever turns away from My remembrance shall lead a life of miserable constriction, and We shall raise him on the Day of Resurrection blind.

Commentary: Maʿīsha ḍankan — "a life of miserable narrowness" — is the spiritual state of the one who abandons God's remembrance. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) clarifies: this does not mean worldly poverty. Many God-denying materialists appear to live in luxury; many believers live in straitened circumstances. The ḍank (constriction, misery) refers to the inner life — the heart that is never at peace, never satisfied, always anxious, never resting in tranquillity. As the Qurʾān says elsewhere: alā bi-dhikri llāhi taṭmaʾinnu l-qulūb — "Surely in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest" (al-Raʿd 13:28). The person without God's remembrance may have wealth, status, and pleasure, yet the heart remains empty and restless. This is the maʿīsha ḍank.

The author (may Allah have mercy on him) also reflects: some foolish people say that the faithful are afflicted while the unbelievers prosper — using this as an argument against faith. The answer is that taklīf does not mean affliction and wasat does not mean ease; the real ease belongs to those who have found peace with God. He gives the image of a poor man of genuine contentment, lying on his rough blanket, and a wealthy man, lying on his fine bed, neither of whom has worldly contentment without divine remembrance.

Commentary (continued): The Day of Resurrection will bring the greatest reversal: those who were "blind" to God in the world will be raised blind (aʿmā) on the Day of Judgement. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) observes: do not suppose they will come blind from having had no sight in the world — rather, the one whose heart was blind to God in this world will come with that blindness made manifest on the Day of Resurrection. The blindness of the heart becomes the blindness of the eyes in the hereafter.

قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَىٰ وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا

Qāla rabbi lima ḥashartanī aʿmā wa qad kuntu baṣīrā

"He will say: My Lord! Why have You raised me blind, when I had sight?" — Ṭā Hā 20:125

Translation: He shall cry: My Lord! Why have You raised me blind, when I once had sight?

قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ

Qāla kadhālika atātka āyātunā fa-nasītahā wa kadhālika l-yawma tunsā

"He will say: Thus it is — Our signs came to you and you forgot them; and thus today you are forgotten." — Ṭā Hā 20:126

Translation: God will say: Just so — Our signs came to you and you neglected them; and in the same way, today you are left forgotten.

Commentary: The divine response is measured and just: "You forgot Our signs; We forget you today." The word nasiya (forgot) in the Qurʾān does not indicate mere memory lapse — it includes deliberate neglect, turning away, and treating as unimportant. To forget God's signs is to render oneself spiritually blind while still alive; to be forgotten by God on the Day of Resurrection is to be abandoned to one's own consequences. The divine justice is exact: the measure you give is the measure you receive.

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي مَنْ أَسْرَفَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِن بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَشَدُّ وَأَبْقَىٰ

Wa kadhālika najzī man asrafa wa lam yuʾmin bi-āyāti rabbihi wa la-ʿadhābu l-ākhirati ashaddu wa abqā

"And thus do We recompense whoever transgressed and did not believe in the signs of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter is assuredly more severe and more lasting." — Ṭā Hā 20:127

Translation: And thus do We requite whoever exceeded all bounds and refused to believe in his Lord's signs. Surely the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and more enduring.

Commentary: The two conditions of the worst punishment are combined: isrāf (transgression, exceeding all bounds) and lack of faith in divine signs. The punishment of the Hereafter surpasses all worldly punishment in both severity (ashadd) and duration (abqā). This is a final warning and an invitation to reflection before it is too late.

أَفَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّنَ الْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِي مَسَاكِنِهِمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي النُّهَىٰ

Afalām yahdi lahum kam ahlaknā qablahum mina l-qurūni yamshūna fī masākinihim inna fī dhālika laʾāyātin liʾūlī l-nuhā

"Has it not been a guidance for them how many generations We destroyed before them, among whose dwellings they now walk? Truly in that are signs for those of understanding." — Ṭā Hā 20:128

Translation: Has it not guided them how many generations We destroyed before them — in whose very dwelling-places they now walk? Truly in that are signs for those possessed of reason.

Commentary: The ruins of ancient civilisations are a perpetual lesson — ʿibra (admonition) available to all who travel and reflect. The Arabs of the Prophet Muḥammad'sﷺtime walked through the ruins of ʿĀd, Thamūd, and the peoples of Lot (upon him be peace). These were not abstract historical facts but visible evidence under their feet. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) addresses those in his own time who, despite living in a world filled with evidence of divine power, still refuse to reflect.

وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَكَانَ لِزَامًا وَأَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى

Wa lawlā kalimatun sabaqat min rabbika la-kāna lizāman wa ajalun musammā

"And were it not for a word that had already proceeded from your Lord, and an appointed term, it would necessarily [come upon them immediately]." — Ṭā Hā 20:129

Translation: Were it not for a prior decree from your Lord and an appointed term [for each nation's end], the punishment would have been made inevitable [immediately].

Commentary: Only the divine decree that grants each community its appointed time (ajal musammā) before the final reckoning holds back the punishment. God's mercy delays retribution so that there remains an opportunity for repentance. Were it not for this grace, the punishment would be immediate and inescapable.

فَاصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَىٰ

Faṣbir ʿalā mā yaqūlūna wa sabbiḥ bi-ḥamdi rabbika qabla ṭulūʿi l-shamsi wa qabla ghurūbihā wa min ānāʾi l-layli fa-sabbiḥ wa aṭrāfa l-nahāri laʿallaka tarḍā

"So be patient over what they say, and glorify the praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and in the night-watches glorify, and at the ends of the day — that perhaps you may be well pleased." — Ṭā Hā 20:130

Translation: Be patient with what they say, and glorify the praise of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset, and through the watches of the night glorify, and at the day's two edges — so that you may attain contentment and divine pleasure.

Commentary: This verse is, according to the majority of the Ḥanafī commentators, a reference to the five daily prayers (ṣalawāt al-khamsa): qabla ṭulūʿi l-shamsi — before sunrise: Fajr; qabla ghurūbihā — before sunset: ʿAṣr; min ānāʾi l-layl — the night-watches: Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ; aṭrāfa l-nahār — the day's edges: Ẓuhr (or also interpreted as the optional Ishrāq and Ḍuḥā prayers). The author (may Allah have mercy on him) also references the Qurʾānic verse of Banū Isrāʾīl (17:78) in connection with the times of prayer. The concluding phrase laʿallaka tarḍā — "so that you may be pleased" — and the parallel wa la-sawfa yuʿṭīka rabbuka fa-tarḍā (al-Ḍuḥā 93:5) both point toward the supreme station of divine pleasure (riḍā), which is the culminating gift God will bestow upon the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) meditates on the attributes of God alongside their glorification: when one contemplates God's attributes and actions, tasbīḥ (glorification) and shukr (gratitude) flow naturally from the heart, and prayer becomes a genuine expression of love rather than a mere obligation.

Commentary (continued): The author (may Allah have mercy on him) explains the verse wa la-sawfa yuʿṭīka rabbuka fa-tarḍā (al-Ḍuḥā 93:5) in connection with this passage: God's gift to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺwill be so complete that he will be fully satisfied. The prayer times of tasbīḥ correspond to the five daily prayers; the verse is thus an instruction to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ— and through him to all believers — to anchor the entire rhythm of the day and night around divine remembrance. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) summarises:

Translation: Be patient with their words, and perform the prayers at their times — before sunrise [Fajr], before sunset [ʿAṣr], in the night watches [Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ], and at the two edges of the day [Ẓuhr, or also Ishrāq and Ḍuḥā] — so that you may attain divine contentment (riḍā).

وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَىٰ مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِّنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ

Wa lā tamuddanna ʿaynayka ilā mā mattaʿnā bihi azwājan minhum zahrata l-ḥayāti l-dunyā li-naftinaryahum fīhi wa rizqu rabbika khayrun wa abqā

"And do not extend your eyes toward what We have given certain parties of them to enjoy — the flower of worldly life — by which We test them. The provision of your Lord is better and more lasting." — Ṭā Hā 20:131

Translation: Do not cast your longing gaze at what We have granted to certain groups of the disbelievers for their enjoyment — the bloom and glitter of this world's life — for We have given it to them as a trial. The provision of your Lord is better and more enduring.

Commentary: The Prophet Muḥammadﷺis addressed with the divine instruction to look away from the worldly wealth and comfort given to the unbelievers. Zahrat al-ḥayāt al-dunyā — "the flower of worldly life" — is precisely that: a flower, beautiful but brief, blooming today and wilting tomorrow. The wealth, pleasure, and power of those who reject God are a fitna (trial) given to them — it appears to be a blessing but is in fact a test that increases their accountability. In contrast, rizqu rabbika — "the provision of your Lord" — given to the believer through prayer, patience, and contentment, is better in quality and more lasting in duration. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) warns: the believer who covets the worldly success of the unbelievers has confused a trial for a gift.

وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ

Wa-ʾmur ahlaka bi-l-ṣalāti wa-ṣṭabir ʿalayhā lā nasʾaluka rizqan naḥnu narzuquka wa-l-ʿāqibatu li-l-taqwā

"And command your people to prayer and be steadfast in it. We ask no provision from you — We provide for you. And the ultimate outcome is for [those who have] God-consciousness." — Ṭā Hā 20:132

Translation: Command your household to prayer and be assiduous in it yourself. We do not ask you for provision — We are your providers. And the final, beautiful outcome belongs to taqwā (God-consciousness).

Commentary: The Prophet Muḥammadﷺis commanded to institute prayer as the first pillar of the household and community. Iṣṭabir ʿalayhā — "be persevering in it" — implies a sustained, patient, joyful commitment to prayer, not a begrudging compliance. The divine assurance lā nasʾaluka rizqan naḥnu narzuquka — "We do not ask you for provision; We provide for you" — liberates the believer from the anxiety of livelihood: your duty is worship; provision is God's responsibility. The verse closes with a resounding declaration: al-ʿāqibatu li-l-taqwā — the ultimate good end belongs to the God-conscious. This is the Qurʾānic guarantee for those who remain faithful.

وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا يَأْتِينَا بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِم بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ

Wa qālū lawlā yaʾtīnā bi-āyatin min rabbihi awalam taʾtihim bayyinatu mā fī l-ṣuḥufi l-ūlā

"And they say: Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord? Has there not come to them the clear proof of what is in the earlier scriptures?" — Ṭā Hā 20:133

Translation: The disbelievers say: Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord? But has not the clear evidence of what is contained in the earlier scriptures already come to them?

Commentary: The disbelievers demanded a sign (āya) to prove the Prophet Muḥammad'sﷺprophethood — as though no sign had been given. In fact, the whole of the Qurʾān is a sign; furthermore, the earlier scriptures (the Torah and the Gospel) contain clear prophecies and descriptions (bayyināt) confirming the prophethood of Muḥammadﷺ. The demand for additional signs was thus either wilful ignorance of what already existed, or bad faith.

وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُم بِعَذَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن نَّذِلَّ وَنَخْزَىٰ

Wa law annā ahlaknāhum bi-ʿadhābin min qablihi la-qālū rabbanā lawlā arsalta ilaynā rasūlan fa-nattabiʿa āyātika min qabli an nadhilla wa nakhzā

"And had We destroyed them with a punishment before him, they would have said: Our Lord, why did You not send us a Messenger so that we might follow Your signs before we are humiliated and disgraced?" — Ṭā Hā 20:134

Translation: And had We destroyed them with punishment before [the Prophet Muḥammadﷺcame to them], they would certainly have said: Our Lord! Why did You not send us a messenger so that we could follow Your signs before being humiliated and shamed?

Commentary: This verse reveals the perfection of divine justice: every objection the disbelievers might raise has been pre-emptively addressed. Had God punished them without sending a messenger, they would have complained of injustice. Having sent the greatest of all messengers, their complaint is silenced. The divine wisdom has fulfilled every condition of justice: the message has been conveyed in the clearest form, by the most perfect of prophetsﷺ, in the most eloquent of scriptures.

قُلْ كُلٌّ مُّتَرَبِّصٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوا فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَصْحَابُ الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِيِّ وَمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ

Qul kullun mutarrabbiṣun fa-tarabbaṣū fa-sa-taʿlamūna man aṣḥābu l-ṣirāṭi l-sawiyyi wa mani htadā

"Say: All are waiting, so wait — you shall come to know who are the people of the level path and who is guided." — Ṭā Hā 20:135

Translation: Say [O Muḥammadﷺ]: All are awaiting [the outcome], so wait — you shall come to know who are the true people of the straight path and who has truly been guided.

Commentary: The surah closes with a confident challenge: history will reveal the truth. The disbelievers await the defeat of the believers; the believers await the victory of God. Fa-tarabbaṣū — "so wait" — is an invitation to patience on both sides; the result will be decisive. Man aṣḥābu l-ṣirāṭi l-sawiyy — "who are the people of the straight and level path" — and wa man ihtadā — "and who has truly been guided" — are the ultimate questions that history, and ultimately the Day of Resurrection, will answer without ambiguity.

Concluding Remarks on Sūrat Ṭā Hā:

Sūrat Ṭā Hā draws to a close with this invitation to patience and certainty. The surah has traversed the full arc of Moses's (upon him be peace) story — from the divine commission at the burning bush, through the confrontation with Pharaoh, the miracle of the staff, the conversion of the sorcerers, the drowning of Pharaoh, the episode of the golden calf, the spiritual retreat on Mount Sinai, and the story of Adam (upon him be peace) and Iblīs — all in service of a single, sustained message to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺand through him to all humanity: the path of divine guidance is the path of ultimate success; patient adherence to prayer and remembrance is the source of both worldly contentment and eternal felicity; and those who turn away from God's remembrance shall find, sooner or later, the constriction of heart that no worldly comfort can remedy.

The author (may Allah have mercy on him) concludes with the Qurʾānic reminder: al-ʿāqibatu li-l-taqwā — the beautiful ultimate outcome belongs to those who hold firmly to God-consciousness. May Allah Most High make us among them. Āmīn.

Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ