Al-Qur'an Surah Taha Verse 65

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They said, “O Mūsā, either you throw (first), or shall we be first to throw?”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They said, “O Moses! Either you cast, or let us be the first to cast.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

They said, “O Moses, either you throw or shall we be the first to throw!”

A. J. Arberry

They said, 'Moses, either thou wilt cast, or we shall be the first to cast.'

Abdul Haleem

They said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They said: either thou cast down, or we shall be the first to cast down.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They said; "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"

Abul Ala Maududi

The magicians said: "Moses, will you throw down or shall we be the first to throw?"

Ahmed Ali

They said: "Either you cast (your spell), O Moses, or we shall cast it first."

Ahmed Raza Khan

They said, “O Moosa, either you throw first – or shall we throw first?”

Ali Quli Qarai

They said, ‘O Moses! Will you throw first, or shall we?’

Ali Ünal

They (the sorcerers) said: "Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

(The sorcerers) said, `Moses! either you present (first what you have) or we shall be the first to present (what we have).´

English Literal

They said: "You Moses either that you throw , or that we be first who threw ."

Faridul Haque

They said, "O Moosa, either you throw first - or shall we throw first?"

Hamid S. Aziz

Collect, therefore, your tricks (or lay your plans), and then form a row (or battle line); for he who has the upper-hand this day will be successful indeed."

Hilali & Khan

They said:"O Musa (Moses)! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So settle your plan, then come in ranks, and he will succeed indeed this day who is uppermost.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They said: O Musa! will you cast, or shall we be the first who cast down?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They said: O Moses! Either throw first, or let us be the first to throw?

Muhammad Sarwar

They said, "Moses, would you be the first to show your skill or should we be the first to throw down our devices?"

Qaribullah & Darwish

They said to Moses: 'Will you throw down or shall we be the first?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

They said: "O Musa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw"

Wahiduddin Khan

They said, "Moses, will you throw down first, or shall we be the first to throw down?"

Talal Itani

They said, “O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.”

Tafsir jalalayn

They said, `O Moses, you choose; either cast, your staff first, or we shall be the first to cast', their staff.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Competition, Musa's Victory, and the Magician's Faith

Allah tells,

قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى

They said;"O Musa!

Allah, the Exalted, informs about the magicians when they met Musa, that they said to Musa,

إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ

"Either you throw first..."

meaning, "you go first."

وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَى