Al-Qur'an Surah Taha Verse 71

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He (Pharaoh) said, “You have believed in him before I permit you. This man is in fact your master who has taught you the magic. So I will certainly cut off your hands and your legs from opposite sides, and will crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees, and you shall know whose punishment, out of us, is more severe and more lasting.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Pharaoh threatened, “How dare you believe in him before I give you permission? He must be your master who taught you magic. I will certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. You will really see whose punishment is more severe and more lasting.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Pharaoh said, “How dare you believe in him before I give you permission! He must be your master who taught you magic! I will surely cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees; you will surely know whose punishment is more severe and more lasting!”

A. J. Arberry

Pharaoh said, 'Have you believed him before I gave you leave? Why, he is the chief of you, the same that taught you sorcery; I shall assuredly cut off alternately your hands and feet, then I shall crucify you upon the trunks of palm-trees; you shall know of a certainty which of us is more terrible in chastisement, and more abiding.'

Abdul Haleem

Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in him before I have given you permission? This must be your master, the man who taught you witchcraft. I shall certainly cut off your alternate hands and feet, then crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. You will know for certain which of us has the fiercer and more lasting punishment.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Fir'awn said; believed ye in him ere I gave you leave! verily he is your chief who hath taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and feet on the opposite sides, and will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees, and ye shall surely know whichever of us is severer in torment and more lasting.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

(Pharaoh) said; "Believe ye in Him before I give you permission? Surely this must be your leader, who has taught you magic! be sure I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will have you crucified on trunks of palm-trees; so shall ye know for certain, which of us can give the more severe and the more lasting punishment!"

Abul Ala Maududi

Pharaoh said: "What! Did you believe in Him even before I permitted you to do so? Surely, he must be your chief who taught you magic. Now I will certainly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and will crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees, and then you will come to know which of us can inflict sterner and more lasting torment."

Ahmed Ali

(The Pharaoh) said: "You have come to believe without my dispensation. Surely he is your chief who taught you magic. I will have your hands and feet cut off on alternate sides and crucify you on the trunks of date-palm trees. You will come to know whose punishment is harder and protracted."

Ahmed Raza Khan

Said Firaun, “You accepted faith in him before I permitted you! He is indeed your leader who taught you magic; I therefore swear, I will cut off your hands and your legs from alternate sides, and crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees, and you will surely come to know among us two, whose punishment is more severe and more lasting.”

Ali Quli Qarai

He said, ‘Did you believe in him before I should permit you? He is indeed your chief who has taught you magic! Surely, I will cut off your hands and feet from opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and you will know which of us can inflict a severer and more lasting punishment.’

Ali Ünal

(The Pharaoh) said: "Do you believe in Him before I give you leave? I see that he (Moses) is your master who taught you sorcery! I will surely have your hands and feet cut off alternately, and have you crucified on the trunks of palm-trees, and you will certainly come to know which of us (– the Lord of Aaron and Moses or I –) is more severe in punishment and (whose punishment is) more lasting!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

Pharaoh said, `Dared you believe in him (- Moses) before I gave you permission? He (- Moses) must be your chief who has taught you sorcery. I will certainly cut off your hands and feet on alternate sides (by way of punishment) because of (your) disobedience. I will surely crucify you to death on the trunks of palm-trees and you shall, of a certainty, come to know which of us can inflict a more severe and more abiding punishment.´

English Literal

He said: "You believed to him before that I permit for you, that he truly (is) your biggest/greatest (E) who taught/instructed you the magic/sorcery, so I will cut off/sever (E) your hands and your feet from opposites (sides), and I will crucify you (E) in the palm trees` trunks/stems, and you will know (E) which of us (is) stronger (in) torture and more lasting ."

Faridul Haque

Said Firaun, "You accepted faith in him before I permitted you! He is indeed your leader who taught you magic; I therefore swear, I will cut off your hands and your legs from alternate sides, and crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees, and you will surely come to know among us two, whose punishment is more severe and more lasting."

Hamid S. Aziz

And then the magicians were cast down in prostration (obeisance), saying, "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and of Moses!"

Hilali & Khan

[Fir'aun (Pharaoh)] said: "Believe you in him [Musa (Moses)] before I give you permission? Verily! He is your chief who taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of date-palms, and you shall surely know which of us [I (Fir'aun - Pharaoh) or the Lord of Musa (Moses) (Allah)] can give the severe and more lasting torment."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So the enchanters fell down prostrate, saying: We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

(Firon) said: You believe in him before I give you leave; most surely he is the chief of you who taught you enchantment, therefore I will certainly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will certainly crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees, and certainly you will come to know which of us is the more severe and the more abiding in chastising.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

(Pharaoh) said: Ye put faith in him before I give you leave. Lo! he is your chief who taught you magic. Now surely I shall cut off your hands and your feet alternately, and I shall crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and ye shall know for certain which of us hath sterner and more lasting punishment.

Muhammad Sarwar

The Pharaoh said, "Since you believed in him without my permission, then Moses certainly must be your chief who has taught you magic. I shall cut your hands and feet on alternate sides and crucify you on the trunk of the palm-tree. You shall certainly find which among us can afflict a more severe and lasting punishment".

Qaribullah & Darwish

'Have you believed him before I have given you permission' he (Pharaoh) said. 'Indeed, he (must be) your chief, the one who taught you sorcery. I will cut off on opposite sides a hand and a foot then crucify you on the trunks of palmtrees. Indeed, you shall know whose punishment is more stern, and more lasting'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

(Fir`awn) said: "Believe you in him before I give you permission Verily, he is your chief who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of date palms, and you shall surely know which of us can give the severe and more lasting torment. "

Wahiduddin Khan

Pharaoh said, "Have you believed in him before I permit you? He must be your master who has taught you magic. I will cut your hands and feet off on opposite sides, and have you crucified on the trunks of palm-trees. You shall know whose punishment is more severe and more lasting."

Talal Itani

He said, “Did you believe in him before I have given you permission? He must be your chief, who has taught you magic. I will cut off your hands and your feet on alternate sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of the palm-trees. Then you will know which of us is more severe in punishment, and more lasting.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Said he, Pharaoh, `Do you profess belief (read a-mantum pronouncing both hamzas, or with the second changed to an alif) in him before I, myself, give you permission? He is indeed your chief, your teacher, who taught you sorcery. I shall assuredly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides (min khilfin, a circumstantial qualifier meaning `alternate [hands and feet]', in other words, the right hands and the left feet) and I shall assuredly crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. And you shall then know which of us -- meaning himself and the Lord of Moses -- is harsher in [inflicting] chastisement, and [which of us is] more lasting', more enduring in [sustaining] opposition to him [Moses].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Fir`awn's turning against the Magicians, His threatening Them and Their Reply

Allah, the Exalted, informs of Fir`awn's disbelief, obstinance, transgression and haughtiness against the truth in favor of falsehood. When he saw what he saw of the magnificent miracle and the great sign, and he saw those whose help he sought accept faith in the presence of all of the people, and he was absolutely defeated, he began to behave arrogantly and cast accusations. He resorted to using his esteemed honor and might against the magicians. He warned them and threatened them saying,

قَالَ امَنتُمْ لَهُ

(Fir`awn) said;"Believe you in him (Musa),

This means, "Do you have faith in him!"

قَبْلَ أَنْ اذَنَ لَكُمْ

before I give you permission,

meaning, "I have not commanded you to do so, by which you have rebelled against me."

Then he said a statement that he, the magicians and all creatures knew was a forgery and an utter lie.

إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ

Verily, he is your chief who has taught you magic.

meaning "You all only took your magic from Musa and you have made an agreement with him against me and my subjects, that you would help him be victorious."

Allah says in another Ayah,

إِنَّ هَـذَا لَمَكْرٌ مَّكَرْتُمُوهُ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ لِتُخْرِجُواْ مِنْهَأ أَهْلَهَا فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

Surely, this is a plot which you have plotted in the city to drive out its people, but you shall come to know. (7;123)

Then he began threatening them. He said to them,

فَلَُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَفٍ وَلَاُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ

So I will surely cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of date palms,

meaning, "I will certainly make an example of you, I will kill you in a public execution."

Ibn Abbas said,

"Thus, he was the first person to ever do this (public execution, crucifixion)."

This was reported by Ibn Abi Hatim.

Concerning Allah's statement,

وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَى



And you shall surely know which of us can give the severe and more lasting torment.

This means, "You say that my people and I are astray and that you (magicians), Musa and his people are following correct guidance, but you will come to know who will be punished and remain punished."

So when he attacked with this and threatened them, their souls eased them because of their belief in Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. They exclaimed