Al-Qur'an Surah Taha Verse 73

Mufti Taqi Usmani

We have put our faith in our Lord, so that He forgives us for our sins and for the magic you compelled us to perform. And Allah is the Best and Everlasting.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Indeed, we have believed in our Lord so He may forgive our sins and that magic you have forced us to practice. And Allah is far superior ˹in reward˺ and more lasting ˹in punishment˺.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

We surely believe in our Lord so that He may forgive us our sins and the magic that you have compelled us to practice, for Allah is best [in reward] and more lasting [in punishment].”

A. J. Arberry

We believe in our Lord, that He may pardon us our offences, and the sorcery thou hast constrained us to practise; God is better, and more abiding.'

Abdul Haleem

we believe in our Lord, [hoping] He may forgive us our sins and the sorcery that you forced us to practise- God is better and more lasting.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily we! we have believed in our Lord, that he may forgive us our faults, and that to which thou hast constrained us in the way of magic; and Allah is Best and Most Lasting.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"For us, we have believed in our Lord; may He forgive us our faults, and the magic to which thou didst compel us; for Allah is Best and Most Abiding."

Abul Ala Maududi

We believe in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and also forgive us the practice of magic to which you had compelled us. Allah is the Best and He alone will abide."

Ahmed Ali

We have certainly come to believe in our Lord that He may forgive our trespasses and the magic you have forced us to perform, for God is nobler and abiding."

Ahmed Raza Khan

“Indeed we have accepted faith in our Lord, so that He may forgive us our sins and the magic which you forced us to perform; and Allah is Better, and the Most Lasting.”

Ali Quli Qarai

We have indeed believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our offences and the magic you compelled us to perform. Allah is better and more lasting.’

Ali Ünal

"We have surely come to believe in our Lord and (we hope) that He may forgive us our faults and that sorcery to which you compelled us. God is the best (in giving reward), and the most permanent."

Amatul Rahman Omar

`We have surely believed in our Lord that He may protect us against our faults and (particularly forgive us) the sorcery which you did constrain us (to practise). Allâh is the Best and Ever Abiding.´

English Literal

We (E) believed with our Lord, to forgive for us our sins/mistakes and what you compelled/forced us on it from the magic/sorcery, and God (is) best and more remaining (everlasting).

Faridul Haque

"Indeed we have accepted faith in our Lord, so that He may forgive us our sins and the magic which you forced us to perform; and Allah is Better, and the Most Lasting."

Hamid S. Aziz

Said they, "We will never prefer you to what has come to us as Manifest Signs, and to Him who originated us. Decree then whatever you desire to decree; for you can only decree about the life of this world!

Hilali & Khan

"Verily! We have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults, and the magic to which you did compel us. And Allah is better as regards reward in comparison to your [Fir'aun's (Pharaoh)] reward, and more lasting (as regards punishment in comparison to your punishment)."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

They said: We cannot prefer thee to what has come to us of clear arguments and to Him Who made us, so decide as thou wilt decide. Thou canst only decide about this world’s life.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Surely we believe in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and the magic to which you compelled us; and Allah is better and more abiding.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! we believe in our Lord, that He may forgive us our sins and the magic unto which thou didst force us. Allah is better and more lasting.

Muhammad Sarwar

We have faith in our Lord so that He will forgive our sins and our magical performances that you forced us to show. God is better than all things and His rewards last longer."

Qaribullah & Darwish

We believe in our Lord so that He forgives us our sins and the sorcery you have forced us to practice. Allah is Better, and Everlasting'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"Verily, we have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults, and the magic to which you did compel us. And Allah is better as regards reward in comparison to your reward, and more lasting."

Wahiduddin Khan

we have believed in our Lord so that He may forgive us our sins and forgive us the sorcery that you have forced us to practice. God is the best and the most abiding."

Talal Itani

We have believed in our Lord, so that He may forgive us our sins, and the magic you have compelled us to practice. God is Better, and more Lasting.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Indeed We profess belief in our Lord, that He may forgive us our sins, in the way of ascribing partners [to God] and otherwise, and the sorcery to which you forced us, to learn and to perform in order to oppose Moses. And God is better, than you in rewarding if he is obeyed, and more enduring', than you in chastisement if he is disobeyed.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنَّا امَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا

Verily, we have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults,

"Whatever evils that we did."

It specifically means, `which we were forced to do of magic, in order to oppose the sign of Allah and the miracle of His Prophet.'

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said concerning Allah's statement,
وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ
(and the magic to which you compelled us),

"Fir`awn took forty boys from the Children of Israel and commanded that they be taught magic at Al-Farama. He said, `Teach them knowledge that no one in the land knows."'

Ibn Abbas then said,

"They were of those who believed in Musa and they were of those who said,

امَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا

وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ

We have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults, and the magic to which you did compel us."

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said the same.

Allah's statement,

وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى



And Allah is better as regards reward in comparison to your reward, and more lasting.

means, "He is better for us than you."

وَأَبْقَى
(and more lasting), More lasting in reward than what you promised us and made us aspire to.

It is apparent that Fir`awn (may Allah curse him) was bent upon their punishment, and that what he did to them was a mercy from Allah for them. This is why Ibn Abbas and others of the Salaf said,

"They woke up in that morning as magicians, but they became witnesses of faith by the evening.