Back to Surah
Word Analysis & Comparison
20. Surah • 71. Verse
Word Analysis
لَهُۥ
lahu
[to] him
أَنْ
an
[that]
لَكُمْ ۖ
lakum
to you
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, he
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
the one who
مِّنْ
min
of
فِى
fī
on
أَيُّنَآ
ayyunā
which of us
Rashad Khalifa
The Final Testament
He said, "Did you believe in him without my permission? He must be your chief; the one who taught you magic. I will surely sever your hands and feet on alternate sides. I will crucify you on the palm trunks. You will find out which of us can inflict the worst retribution, and who outlasts whom."
The Monotheist Group
The Quran: A Monotheist Translation
He said: "Have you believed to him before taking my permission? He is surely your great one who has taught you magic. So, I will cut off your hands and feet from alternate sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees, and you will come to know which of us is greater in retribution and more lasting!"
Edip-Layth
Quran: A Reformist Translation
He said, "Have you acknowledged him before taking my permission? He is surely your great one who has taught you magic. So, I will cut off your hands and feet from alternate sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees, and you will come to know which of us is greater in retribution and more lasting!"
Taqi Usmani
Holy Quran Translation
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."
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."
Abdul Haleem
Holy Quran Translation
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.’
Al-Hilali & Khan
Holy Quran Translation
[Fir‘aun (Pharaoh)] said: "Believe you in him [Mûsâ (Moses)] 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 [I (Fir‘aun - Pharaoh) or the Lord of Mûsâ (Moses) (Allâh)] can give the severe and more lasting torment."
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Holy Quran Translation
(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 A'la Maududi
Tafhim commentary
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.[1] Now I will certainly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides,[2] and will crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees,[3] and then you will come to know which of us can inflict sterner and more lasting torment."[4]
1
In( Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat, 123), it has been stated: Indeed it was a plot you conspired in the city to deprive the rightful owners of their power. Here the same thing has been further explained, as if to say: It is not merely a plot between you and him but it appears that Moses is your master and leader. You conspired beforehand that you would be defeated by your master in the encounter to prove that he was a Messenger who had shown the miracle of the staff to frustrate your magic and bring about a political revolution in the country.
2
That is, right hand and left foot or vice versa.
3
This was a very cruel way of punishment in ancient times. They fixed a long pole in the ground or used the trunk of a tree for this purpose. Then a piece of wood was tied across it at the top. Then the hands of the criminal were nailed on to it and he was left hanging there for hours to die a slow, painful death.
4
This was the last trick played by Pharaoh to win the losing game. He held out the threat of a cruel punishment in order to coerce them to admit that there really was a conspiracy between Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and them against the kingdom. But the fortitude and determination of the magicians turned the tables on him. The very fact that, they were ready to endure the terrible punishment proved to the world that they had sincerely believed in the Prophethood of Moses (peace be upon him) and that the charge of conspiracy was an impudent trick that had been invented as a device.
Marmaduke Pickthall
Holy Quran Translation
(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.
Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
Holy Quran Translation
(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."
Arthur John Arberry
Holy Quran Translation
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. '
Bijan Moeinian
Holy Quran Translation
Pharaoh said: "How dare you to believe in Moses before getting my permission? It is obvious that he is your master (and you have got together to take my kingdom. ) Therefore, I am going to cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides and crucify you on the trunks of the palms so that you know who can inflict a more sever punishment (Moses’ Lord or me.)
Amatul Rahman Omar
Holy Quran Translation
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.'
Ali Quli Qarai
Holy Quran Translation
He said, ‘Do you profess faith in Him before I may 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. So you will know which of us can inflict a punishment severer and more lasting.’
E. Henry Palmer
Holy Quran Translation
Said he, 'Do ye believe in Him before I give you leave? Verily, he is your master who taught you magic! Therefore will I surely cut off your hands and feet on alternate sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm trees; and ye shall surely know which of us is keenest at torment and more lasting. '
George Sale
Holy Quran Translation
Pharaoh said unto them, do ye believe in him before I give you permission? Verily this is your master, who hath taught you magic. But I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on the opposite sides; and I will crucify you on trunks of palm-trees: And ye shall know which of us is more severe in punishing, and can longer protract your pains.
Aisha Bewley
Holy Quran Translation
Pharaoh said, ‘Do you have iman in him before I have authorised you? He is your chief, the one who taught you magic. I will cut off your hands and feet alternately and have you crucified on palm trunks. Then you will know for certain which of us has the harsher and longer lasting punishment.’
Hamid S. Aziz
Holy Quran Translation
And then the magicians were cast down in prostration (obeisance), saying, "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and of Moses!"
Mahmoud Ghali
Holy Quran Translation
He (Firaawn) (pharaoh) said, "Have you believed him before I gave permission (to do so)? Surely he is indeed your great (master) who has taught you sorcery; so indeed I will definitely cut off (The from of the verb implies an action done repeatedly or to great extent or high degree. Of Surat Yûsuf 31) your hands and legs, alternately; and indeed I will definitely crucify you upon the trunks of palm-trees; and indeed you will definitely know whichever of us is more strict in torment and more enduring."
Abdel Khalek Himmat
Al- Muntakhab
"Have you conformed your will" said Pharaoh, "to the will of the Ilah of Mussa before I permit you to do so! Indeed it is your chief who taught you magic has misled you". Therefore, you just wait. I will amputate your hands and feet on opposite sides and I will have you all crucified on the trunks of palm - trees, and you shall come to know which of us, can inflict punishment to a greater degree, agonizing, and more lasting to make you live in Hell on earth".
Muhammad Asad
Holy Quran Translation
Said [Pharaoh]: "Have you come to believe in him ere I have given you permission? Verily, he must be your master who has taught you magic! But I shall most certainly cut off your hands and feet in great numbers, because of [your] perverseness, and I shall most certainly crucify you in great numbers on trunks of palm-trees: and [I shall do this] so that you might come to know for certain as to which of us [two] can inflict a more severe chastisement, and [which] is the more abiding!"
Progressive Muslims
Holy Quran Translation
He said: "Have you believed to him before taking my permission He is surely your great one who has taught you magic. So, I will cut off your hands and feet from alternate sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees, and you will come to know which of us is greater in retribution and more lasting!"
Shabbir Ahmed
Holy Quran Translation
Pharaoh said, "Have you come to believe in him before I give you permission? Verily, he must be your master who has conspired with you. I will cut off your hands and feet on alternate sides and then I will crucify all of you on the palm trunks. Then you will know for certain which of us can give the more severe and the more lasting punishment, (the Lord of Moses or me)."
Sahih International
(Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)
[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and you will surely know which of us is more severe in [giving] punishment and more enduring."
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Holy Quran Translation
(Pharaoh) said: "(Will) you believe in Him before I give you permission? Surely, this must be your leader, who has taught you (your) magic! Be sure I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will have you crucified on the trunk of palm—trees: So that you will know for sure (about), which of us can give the more severe and longer lasting punishment!"
Sam Gerrans
The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation
Said he: “You have believed him before I gave you leave. He is your chief who taught you sorcery; then will I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and crucify you on the trunks of date-palms; and you will know which of us is severer in punishment and more enduring.”