# Sura  28 - The Story

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> SURA XXVIII (28) - THE STORY    (Mecca - 88 Verses)            LXXXIX -  247   
>  
>        In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
>  
>        Ta. Sin. Mim.  These are the signs of the lucid Book.
>  
>        We will recite to thee portions of the History of Moses and Pharaoh with
> truth, for the teaching of the faithful.
>  
>        Now Pharaoh lifted himself up in the earth, and divided his people into
> parties:  one portion of them he brought low - He slew their male children,
> and let their females only live; for he was one of those who wrought disorders.
>  
>        And we were minded to shew favour to those who were brought lo in the
> land, and to make them spiritual chief, and to make them spiritual chiefs, and
> to make them Pharaoh's heirs,
>  
>        And to stablish them in the land; and to make Pharaoh and Haman and
> their hosts, the eye-witnesses of what they dreaded from them.
>  
>        And we said by revelation to the mother of Moses, "Give him suck; and if
> thou fearest for him, launch him on the sea; and fear not, neither fret; for we
> will restore him to thee, and make him one of the apostles."
>  
>        And Pharaoh's family took him up to be a foe and a sorrow to them, for
> sinners were Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts!
>  
>        And Pharaoh's wife said, "Joy of the eye to me and thee! put him not to
> death: haply he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son."  But they
> knew not what they did.
>  
>        And the heart of Moses' mother became a blank through fear:  and almost
> had she discovered him, but that we girt up her heart with constancy, in order
> that she might be one of those who believe.
>  
> 28:10  She said to his sister, "Follow him." And she watched him from afar:
> and they perceived it not.
>  
>        And we caused him to refuse the nurses, until his sister came and said,
> Shall I point out to you the family of a house that will rear him for you, and
> will be careful of him?
>  
>        So we restored him to his mother, to be the joy of her eyes, and that
> she
> might not fret, and that she might know that the promise of God was true.  But
> most men knew it not.
>  
>        And when he had reached his age of strength, and had become a man, we
> bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge; for thus do we reward the righteous.
>  
>        And he entered a city at the time when its inhabitants would not observe
> him, and found therein two men fights:  the one, of his own people; the other,
> of his enemies.  And he who was of his own people asked his help against him
> who was of his enemies.  And Moses smote him with his fist and slew him.  Said
> he, "This is a work of Satan; for he is an enemy, a manifest misleader."
>  
>        He said, "O my Lord, I have sinner to mine own hurt: forgive me."  So
> God forgave him; for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
>  
>        He said, "Lord, because thou hast showed me this grace, I will never
> again be a helper of the wicked."
>  
>        And in the city at noon he was full of fear, casting furtive glances
> round him:  and lo!  the man whom he had helped the day before, cried out to
> him again for help.  Said Moses to him, "Thou art plainly a most depraved
> person."
>  
>        And when he would have laid violent hands on him who was their common
> foe, he said to him, "O Moses, dost thou desire to slay me, as thou slayedst a
> man yesterday?  Thou desirest only to become a tyrant in this land, and
> desirest not to become a peacemaker."
>  
>        But a man came running up from the city's end.  He said, "O Moses, of a
> truth, the nobles consult to slay thee - Begone then - I counsel thee as a
> friend."
>  
> 28:20  So forth he went from it in fear, looking warily about him.  He said,
> "O Lord, deliver me from the unjust people."
>  
>        And when he was journeying toward Madian, he said, "Haply my Lord will
> direct me in an even path."
>  
>        And when he arrived at the water of Madian, he found at it a company of
> men watering.
>  
>        And he found beside them, two women keeping back their flock:  "Why do
> ye," said he, "thus?"  They said "We shall not water till the shepherds shall
> have driven off; for our father is very aged."
>  
>        So he watered for them - then retired to the shade and said, 'O my Lord,
> of the good thou hast caused me to meet with I stand in need."
>  
>        And one of them came to him, walking bashfully.  Said she, "My father
> calleth thee, that he may pay thee wages for thy watering for us."  And when he
> came to him and had told him his story, "Fear not," said he, "thou hast escaped
> from an unjust people."
>  
>        One of them said, "O my father, hire him: for the best thou canst hire
> is the strong, the trusty."
>  
>        He said, "Truly to one of these my two daughters I desire to marry thee,
> if for eight years thou wilt be my hired servant: and if thou fulfil ten, it
> shall be of thine own accord, for I wish not to deal hardly with thee.  Thou
> wilt find me, if God will, one of the upright."
>  
>        He said, "Be it so between me and thee:  Whichever of the two terms I
> fulfil, there will be no injustice to me.  And God is witness of what we say."
>  
>        And when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was journeying with his
> family, he perceived a fire on the mountain side.  He said to his family, "Wait
> ye, for I perceive a fire.  Haply I may you tidings from it, or a brand from
> the fire to warm you."
>  
> 28:30  And when he came up to it, a Voice cried to him out of the bush from the
> right side of the valley in the sacred hollow, "O Moses, I truly am God, the
> Lord of the Worlds:
>  
>        Throw down now thy rod."  And when he saw it move as though it were a
> serpent, the retreated and fled and returned not.  "O Moses," cried the Voice,
> "draw near and fear not, for thou art in safety.
>  
>        Put thy hand into thy bosom; it shall come forth white, but unharmed:
> and draw back thy hand to thee without fear.  These shall be two signs from thy
> Lord to Pharaoh and his nobles; for they are a perverse people.
>  
>        He said, "O my Lord! truly I have slain one of them, therefore fear I
> lest they slay me.
>  
>        My brother Aaron is clearer of speech than I.  Send him, therefore, with
> me as a help, and to make good my cause, for I fear lest they treat me as an
> imposter."
>  
>        He said, "We will strengthen thine arm with thy brother, and we will
> give power unto you both, and they shall not equal you in our signs. Ye twain
> and they who shall follow you, shall gain the day."
>  
>        And when Moses came to him with our demonstrative signs they said, "This
> is nought but magical device.  We never heard the like among our sires of old."
>  
>         And Moses said, "My Lord best knoweth on whom He hath bestowed His
> guidance, and whose shall be the recompense of the abode of Paradise.  Verily,
> the wicked shall not prosper."
>  
>        And Pharaoh said, "O ye nobles, ye have no other God that I know of but
> myself.  Burn me then, Haman, bricks of clay, and build me a tower that I may
> mount up to the God of Moses, for in sooth, I deem him a liar."
>  
>        And he and his hosts behaved themselves proudly and unjustly on the
> earth, and thought that they should never be brought back to us.
>  
> 28:40  But we seized on him and his hosts and cast them into the sea:
> Behold, then, the end of the wrongful doers:
>  
>        And we made them imams who invite to the fire of hell, and on the day of
> Resurrection they shall not be helped.
>  
>        We followed them with a curse in this world, and covered shall they be
> with shame on the day of Resurrection.
>  
>        And after we had destroyed the former generations, we gave the book of
> the Law to Moses for man's enlightening, and a guidance and a mercy, that haply
> they might reflect.
>  
>        And thou wast not on the western slope of Sinai when we laid his charge
> on Moses, nor wast thou one of the witnesses;
>  
>        But we raised up generations after Moses, men whose days were
> lengthened; neither didst thou dwell among the inhabitants of Madian to
> rehearse to them our signs, but we sent Apostles to them.
>  
>        Nor wast thou on the slope of Sinai when we called to Moses, but it is
> of the mercy of thy Lord that thou warnest a people, to whom no warner had come
> before thee, to the intent that they should reflect:
>  
>        And that they should not say when a calamity shall befal them for the
> previous handy work, "O our Lord! why hast thou not sent an Apostle to us?
> Then we should have followed thy signs and have been of the believers."
>  
>        Yet when the truth came to them from our very presence, they said,
> "Unless the like powers be given to him that were given to Moses...." But did
> they not disbelieve in what of old was given to Moses?  They said, "Two works
> of sorcery have helped each other;" and they said, "We disbelieve them both."
>  
>        Say:  Bring then a Book from before God which shall be a better tuide
> than these, that I may follow it; if ye speak the truth.
>  
> 28:50  And if they answer thee not, then know that verily they are following
> their own caprices:  and who goeth more widely astray that he who followeth his
> own caprice without guidance from God? for God guideth not the wicked.
>  
>        And now have we caused our word to come unto them, that they may be
> warned:
>  
>        They to whom we gave the Scriptures for it, do in it believe.
>  
>        And when it is recited to them they say, "We believe in it, for it is
> the truth from our Lord.  We were Muslims before it came."
>  
>        Twice shall their reward be given them, for that they suffered with
> patience, and repelled evil with good, and gave alms out of that with which we
> provided them.
>  
>        And when they hear light discourse they withdraw from it, and say, "Our
> works for us and your works for you!  Peace be on you!  We are not in quest of
> fools!"
>  
>        Thou truly canst not guide whom thou desirest; but God guideth whom He
> will; and He best knoweth those who yield to guidance.
>  
>        But they say, "If we follow the way in which thou art guided, we shall
> be driven from our country." But have we not established for them a sacred
> secure precinct, to which fruits of every kind, our gift for their support, are
> gathered together?  But most of them have no knowledge.
>  
>        And how many cities have we destroyed that flourished in wanton ease!
> And these their dwellings have not been inhabited since their time save by a
> few, and it is we who became their heirs.
>  
>        But thy Lord did not destroy the cities till He had sent an apostle to
> their mother-city to rehearse our signs to its people:  nor did we destroy the
> cities unless its people were unjust.
>  
> 28:60  And all that hath been bestowed on you is merely for enjoyment and pomp
> of this life present:  but that which is with God is better and more lasting.
> Will ye not be wise?
>  
>        Shall he then to whom we have promised a goodly promise and who
> obtaineth it, be as he on whom we have bestowed the enjoyments of this life
> present, and who on the day of Resurrection shall be brought up for punishment?
>  
>        On that day will God cry to them and say, "Where are my companions, as
> ye supposed them?"
>  
>        They on whom doom shall be justly pronounced will say, "O our Lord!
> these are they whom we led astray:  we led them astray even as we had been led
> astray ourselves:  Thou hast no cause of blame against us:  It was not we whom
> they worshipped.
>  
>        And it shall be said, "Call now on those whom ye made God's companions:"
> and they shall call on them, but they will not answer them.  And they shall see
> the punishment, and wish that they had been guided aright.
>  
>        And on that day shall God call to them and say, "How answered ye the
> apostles?"
>  
>        But on that day they shall be too blinded with confusion to give an
> account, nor shall they ask it of one another.
>  
>        Yet as to him who shall turn to God and believe and do the thing that is
> right, it may come to pass that he shall be among the happy.
>  
>        And thy Lord createth what he will and hath a free choice.  But they,
> the false gods, have no power to choose.  Glory be to God! and high let him be
> exalted above those whom they associate with him.
>  
>        And thy Lord knoweth what their breasts conceal and what they bring to
> light.
>  
> 28:70  And He is God!  There is no god but He!  His, all praise in this life
> and in the next, and His the power supreme, and to Him shall ye be brought
> back!
>  
>        Say:  What think ye?  If God should enshroud you with a long night until
> the day of resurrection, what god beside God would bring you light?  Will ye
> not then hearken?
>  
>        Say:  What think ye?  If God should make it one long day for you until
> the day of resurrection, what god but God could bring you the night in which to
> take your rest?  Will ye not then see?
>  
>        Of His mercy he hath made for you the night that ye may take your rest
> in it; and the day that ye may seek what ye need out of his bounteous supplies,
> and that ye may give thanks.
>  
>        One day God will call to them and say, "Where are my companions as ye
> supposed them?
>  
>        And we will bring up a witness out of every nation and say, "Bring your
> proofs."  And they shall know that the truth is with God alone, and the gods of
> their own devising shall desert them.
>  
>        Now Korah was of the people of Moses:  but he behaved haughtily toward
> them; for we had given him such treasure that its keys would have burdened a
> company of men of strength.  When his people said to him, "Exult not, for God
> loveth not those who exult;
>  
>        But seek, by means of what God hath given thee, to attain the future
> Mansion; and neglect not thy part in this world, but be bounteous to others as
> God hath been bounteous to thee, and seek not to commit excesses on the earth;
> for God loveth not those who commit excesses:"
>  
>        He said, "It hath been given me only on account of the knowledge that is
> in me." Did he not know that God had destroyed before him generations that were
> mightier than he in strength and had amassed more abundant wealth?  But the
> wicked shall not be asked of their crimes.
>  
>        And Korah went forth to his people in his pomp.  Those who were greedy
> for this present life said, "Oh that we had the like of that which hath been
> bestowed on Korah!  Truly he is possessed of great good fortune.
>  
> 28:80  But they to whom knowledge had been given said, "Woe to you! the reward
> of God is better for him who believeth and worketh righteousness, and none
> shall win it but those who have patiently endured."
>  
>        And we clave the earth for him and for his palace, and he had no forces,
> in the place of God, to help him, nor was he among those who are succoured.
>  
>        And in the morning those who the day before had coveted his lot said,
> "Aha! God enlargeth supplies to whom he pleaseth of his servants, or is
> sparing.  Had not God been gracious to us, He had caused it to cleave for us.
> Aha! the ungrateful can never prosper."
>  
>        As to this future mansion, we will bestow it on those who seek not to
> exalt them in the earth or to do wrong:  And there is a happy issue for the
> God-fearing.
>  
>        Whoso doeth good shall have reward beyond its merits, and whoso doeth
> evil, they who do evil shall be rewarded only as they shall have wrought.
>  
>        He who hath sanctioned the Koran to thee will certainly bring thee to
> thy home.  Say:  My Lord best knoweth who hath guidance, and who is in
> undoubted error.
>  
>        Thou didst never expect that the Book would be given thee.  Of thy
> Lord's mercy only hath it been sent down.  Be not thou helpful then to the
> unbelievers:
>  
>        Neither let them turn thee aside from the signs of God after they have
> been sent down to thee, but bid men to thy Lord: and be not among those who add
> gods to God:
>  
>        And call not on any other god with God.  There is no god but He!
> Everything shall perish except Himself!  Judgment is His, and to Him shall ye
> return!
>
> — *Sura  28 - The Story*