Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 127

Mufti Taqi Usmani

The chiefs of the people of Pharaoh said, “Shall you leave Mūsā and his people free to spread disorder in the land and to abandon you and your gods?” He said, “We shall slaughter their sons and let their women remain alive. We have full power over them.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The chiefs of Pharaoh’s people protested, “Are you going to leave Moses and his people free to spread corruption in the land and abandon you and your gods?” He responded, “We will kill their sons and keep their women.[[ As we did before the birth of Moses. ]] We will completely dominate them.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

The chiefs among Pharaoh’s people said, “Will you leave Moses and his people to spread corruption in the land, and abandon you and your gods?” He said, “We will kill their sons and spare their women, for we have full dominance over them.”

A. J. Arberry

Then said the Council of the people of Pharaoh, 'Wilt thou leave Moses and his people to work corruption in the land, and leave thee and thy gods?' Said he, 'We shall slaughter their sons and spare their women; surely we are triumphant over them!'

Abdul Haleem

The leaders among Pharaoh’s people said to him, ‘But are you going to leave Moses and his people to spread corruption in the land and forsake you and your gods?’ He replied, ‘We shall kill their male children, sparing only the females: We have complete power over them.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And the chiefs of the people of Fir'awn said: wilt thou leave alone Musa and his people to act corruptly in the land and to leave alone thee and thy gods! He said: soon we shall slay their sons and let live their women, and we are masters over them.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Said the chiefs of Pharaoh's people; "Wilt thou leave Moses and his people, to spread mischief in the land, and to abandon thee and thy gods?" He said; "Their male children will we slay; (only) their females will we save alive; and we have over them (power) irresistible."

Abul Ala Maududi

The elders of Pharaoh's people said: 'Will you leave alone Moses and his people to spread mischief in the land, and forsake you and your gods?' Pharaoh replied: 'We will kill their male children and spare their female ones. For indeed we hold irresistible sway over them.'

Ahmed Ali

And the leaders of Pharaoh's people said to him: "Would you allow Moses and his people to create disorder in the land and discard you and your gods?" He replied: "We shall now slay their sons and spare their women, and subdue them."

Ahmed Raza Khan

The chieftains of Firaun’s people said, “Are you releasing Moosa and his people to cause turmoil in the land, and for Moosa to abandon you and your appointed deities?” He said, “We shall now slay their sons and spare their women; and indeed we have power over them.”

Ali Quli Qarai

The elite of Pharaoh’s people said, ‘Will you leave Moses and his people to cause corruption in the land, and to abandon you and your gods?’ He said, ‘We will kill their sons and spare their women, and indeed we are dominant over them.’

Ali Ünal

The chiefs among the Pharaoh’s people said: "Will you (O Pharaoh) leave Moses and his people to cause disorder and corruption in the country, and forsake you and your deities?" He replied: "We will kill their sons and let live their women (to serve and satisfy our desires). And indeed we hold irresistible sway over them."

Amatul Rahman Omar

Then the chiefs of the people of Pharaoh said (to Pharaoh), `Will you leave Moses and his people (free) to create disorder in the land and to desert you and your gods?´ He said, `We shall certainly go on gradually killing their sons and will let their women live, seeking to make them immodest. Surely, we are dominant over them.´

English Literal

And the nobles/assembly from Pharaoh`s nation said: "Do you leave Moses and his nation to corrupt/disorder in the earth/Planet Earth, and he leaves you and your gods?" He said: "We will kill their sons and shame/keep alive their women, and we are above/over them defeating/conquering."

Faridul Haque

The chieftains of Firaun’s people said, "Are you releasing Moosa and his people to cause turmoil in the land, and for Moosa to abandon you and your appointed deities?" He said, "We shall now slay their sons and spare their women; and indeed we have power over them."

Hamid S. Aziz

And the chiefs of Pharaoh´s people said, "(O King) Will you leave Moses and his people to do mischief in the land, and to flout you and your gods?" Said he, "We will have their sons slain and their women we will spare, for, verily, we have power over them."

Hilali & Khan

The chiefs of Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) people said: "Will you leave Musa (Moses) and his people to spread mischief in the land, and to abandon you and your gods?" He said: "We will kill their sons, and let live their women, and we have indeed irresistible power over them."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And thou takest revenge on us only because we believed in the messages of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour out on us patience and cause us to die in submission (to Thee)!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And the chiefs of Firon's people said: Do you leave Musa and his people to make mischief in the land and to forsake you and your gods? He said: We will slay their sons and spare their women, and surely we are masters over them.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said: (O King), wilt thou suffer Moses and his people to make mischief in the land, and flout thee and thy gods? He said: We will slay their sons and spare their women, for lo! we are in power over them.

Muhammad Sarwar

Some of the Pharaohs people said, "Will you let Moses and his people destroy the land and disregard you and your gods?" The Pharaoh said, "We will kill their sons and leave their women alive; they are under our domination."

Qaribullah & Darwish

The assembly of Pharaoh's nation said: 'Will you allow Moses and his nation to corrupt in the land and to forsake you and your gods' He replied: 'We will put their sons to death and spare their women, indeed we are conquerors over them'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

The chiefs of Fir`awn's people said: "Will you leave Musa and his people to spread mischief in the land, and to abandon you and your gods" He said: "We will kill their sons, and let their women live, and we have indeed irresistible power over them."

Wahiduddin Khan

The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said, "Will you allow Moses and his people to spread corruption in the land, and to forsake you and your gods?" He replied, "We shall kill their male children and spare only the females. We have complete power over them."

Talal Itani

The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said, “Will you let Moses and his people cause trouble in the land, and forsake you and your gods?” He said, “We will kill their sons, and spare their women. We have absolute power over them.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Then the council of Pharaoh's folk said, to him [to Pharaoh]; `Will you leave Moses and his people to work corruption in the land, by calling to disobedience against you, and flout you and your gods?' -- he had fashioned small idols for them to worship, and had said to them, `I am your lord and their lord', which is why he says, I am your lord the highest [Q. 79;24]. He said, `We shall slaughter (read nuqattilu or naqtulu) their, new-born, sons and spare their women, keeping them alive [for us], as we did with them before. For surely we have [irresistible] power over them!', and they did this to them, and so the Children of Israel grieved.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Fir`awn vows to kill the Children of Israel, Who complain to Musa; Allah promises Them Victory

Allah mentions the conspiracy of Fir`awn and his people, their ill intentions and their hatred for Musa and his people.

وَقَالَ الْمَلُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَونَ

The chiefs of Fir`awn's people said, (to Fir`awn),

أَتَذَرُ مُوسَى وَقَوْمَهُ

"Will you leave Musa and his people!"

will you let them be free,

لِيُفْسِدُواْ فِي الَارْضِ

"to spread mischief in the land,"

spreading unrest among your subjects and calling them to worship their Lord instead of you.

Amazingly, these people were worried that Musa and his people would cause mischief! Rather, Fir`awn and his people are the mischief-makers, but they did not realize it. They said,

وَيَذَرَكَ وَالِهَتَكَ

"and to abandon you and your gods."

`Your gods',

According to Ibn Abbas, as As-Suddi narrated from him,

"Were cows. Whenever they saw a beautiful cow, Fir`awn would command them to worship it. This is why As-Samiri, made the statue of a calf that seemed to moo for the Children of Israel."

Fir`awn accepted his people's recommendation,

قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَاءهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِـي نِسَاءهُمْ

He said;"We will kill their sons, and let their women live,"

thus reiterating his previous order concerning the Children of Israel.

وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَاهِرُونَ



and we have indeed irresistible power over them."

He had tormented them (killing every newly born male) before Musa was born, so that Musa would not live. However, the opposite of what Fir`awn sought and intended occurred. The same end struck Fir`awn that he intended to subjugate and humiliate the Children of Israel with. Allah gave victory to the Children of Israel, humiliated and disgraced Fir`awn, and caused him to drown along with his soldiers. When Fir`awn insisted on his evil plot against the Children of Israel