M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

1930 – · Egyptian / British · Translated to English

SOAS, University of London

Muhammad Abdel Haleem is an Egyptian-born British scholar of Islamic studies and Professor of Islamic Studies at SOAS, University of London, where he founded the Centre of Islamic Studies. His translation, The Qur'an: A New Translation (Oxford University Press, 2004), is noted for its accessible modern English prose and structural reorganisation into paragraph-based units.

7:143
وَلَمَّا جَاۤءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِیقَـٰتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِیۤ أَنظُرۡ إِلَیۡكَۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَىٰنِی وَلَـٰكِنِ ٱنظُرۡ إِلَى ٱلۡجَبَلِ فَإِنِ ٱسۡتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُۥ فَسَوۡفَ تَرَىٰنِیۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُۥ لِلۡجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُۥ دَكࣰّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقࣰاۚ فَلَمَّاۤ أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ تُبۡتُ إِلَیۡكَ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ ۝١٤٣
Abdel Haleem
When Moses came for the appointment, and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show Yourself to me: let me see You!’ He said, ‘You will never see Me, but look at that mountain: if it remains standing firm, you will see Me,’ and when his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble: Moses fell down unconscious. When he recovered, he said, ‘Glory be to You! To You I turn in repentance! I am the first to believe!’
walammā jāa mūsā limīqātinā wakallamahu rabbuhu qāla rabbi arinī anẓur ilayka qāla lan tarānī walākini unẓur ilā l-jabali fa-ini is'taqarra makānahu fasawfa tarānī falammā tajallā rabbuhu lil'jabali jaʿalahu dakkan wakharra mūsā ṣaʿiqan falammā afāqa qāla sub'ḥānaka tub'tu ilayka wa-anā awwalu l-mu'minīn
7:150
وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰۤ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ غَضۡبَـٰنَ أَسِفࣰا قَالَ بِئۡسَمَا خَلَفۡتُمُونِی مِنۢ بَعۡدِیۤۖ أَعَجِلۡتُمۡ أَمۡرَ رَبِّكُمۡۖ وَأَلۡقَى ٱلۡأَلۡوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأۡسِ أَخِیهِ یَجُرُّهُۥۤ إِلَیۡهِۚ قَالَ ٱبۡنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱسۡتَضۡعَفُونِی وَكَادُوا۟ یَقۡتُلُونَنِی فَلَا تُشۡمِتۡ بِیَ ٱلۡأَعۡدَاۤءَ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡنِی مَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝١٥٠
Abdel Haleem
On his return to his people, angry and aggrieved, Moses said, ‘How foul and evil is what you have done in my absence! Were you so keen to bring your Lord’s judgement forward?’ He threw the tablets down and seized his brother by the hair, pulling him towards him. Aaron said, ‘Son of my mother, these people overpowered me! They almost killed me! Do not give my enemies reason to rejoice! Do not include me with these evildoers!’
walammā rajaʿa mūsā ilā qawmihi ghaḍbāna asifan qāla bi'samā khalaftumūnī min baʿdī aʿajil'tum amra rabbikum wa-alqā l-alwāḥa wa-akhadha birasi akhīhi yajurruhu ilayhi qāla ib'na umma inna l-qawma is'taḍʿafūnī wakādū yaqtulūnanī falā tush'mit biya l-aʿdāa walā tajʿalnī maʿa l-qawmi l-ẓālimīn
7:155
وَٱخۡتَارَ مُوسَىٰ قَوۡمَهُۥ سَبۡعِینَ رَجُلࣰا لِّمِیقَـٰتِنَاۖ فَلَمَّاۤ أَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلرَّجۡفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوۡ شِئۡتَ أَهۡلَكۡتَهُم مِّن قَبۡلُ وَإِیَّـٰیَۖ أَتُهۡلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلسُّفَهَاۤءُ مِنَّاۤۖ إِنۡ هِیَ إِلَّا فِتۡنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَاۤءُ وَتَهۡدِی مَن تَشَاۤءُۖ أَنتَ وَلِیُّنَا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَاۖ وَأَنتَ خَیۡرُ ٱلۡغَـٰفِرِینَ ۝١٥٥
Abdel Haleem
Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment, and when they were seized by trembling, he prayed, ‘My Lord, if You had chosen to do so, You could have destroyed them long before this, and me too, so will You now destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is only a trial from You- through it, You cause whoever You will to stray and guide whoever You will- and You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy on us. You are the best of those who forgive
wa-ikh'tāra mūsā qawmahu sabʿīna rajulan limīqātinā falammā akhadhathumu l-rajfatu qāla rabbi law shi'ta ahlaktahum min qablu wa-iyyāya atuh'likunā bimā faʿala l-sufahāu minnā in hiya illā fit'natuka tuḍillu bihā man tashāu watahdī man tashāu anta waliyyunā fa-igh'fir lanā wa-ir'ḥamnā wa-anta khayru l-ghāfirīn
7:157
ٱلَّذِینَ یَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِیَّ ٱلۡأُمِّیَّ ٱلَّذِی یَجِدُونَهُۥ مَكۡتُوبًا عِندَهُمۡ فِی ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِ وَٱلۡإِنجِیلِ یَأۡمُرُهُم بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَیَنۡهَىٰهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَیُحِلُّ لَهُمُ ٱلطَّیِّبَـٰتِ وَیُحَرِّمُ عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡخَبَـٰۤىِٕثَ وَیَضَعُ عَنۡهُمۡ إِصۡرَهُمۡ وَٱلۡأَغۡلَـٰلَ ٱلَّتِی كَانَتۡ عَلَیۡهِمۡۚ فَٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلنُّورَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُۥۤ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ۝١٥٧
Abdel Haleem
who follow the Messenger- the unlettered prophet they find described in the Torah that is with them, and in the Gospel- who commands them to do right and forbids them to do wrong, who makes good things lawful to them and bad things unlawful, and relieves them of their burdens, and the iron collars that were on them. So it is those who believe him, honour and help him, and who follow the light which has been sent down with him, who will succeed.’
alladhīna yattabiʿūna l-rasūla l-nabiya l-umiya alladhī yajidūnahu maktūban ʿindahum fī l-tawrāti wal-injīli yamuruhum bil-maʿrūfi wayanhāhum ʿani l-munkari wayuḥillu lahumu l-ṭayibāti wayuḥarrimu ʿalayhimu l-khabāitha wayaḍaʿu ʿanhum iṣ'rahum wal-aghlāla allatī kānat ʿalayhim fa-alladhīna āmanū bihi waʿazzarūhu wanaṣarūhu wa-ittabaʿū l-nūra alladhī unzila maʿahu ulāika humu l-muf'liḥūn
7:160
وَقَطَّعۡنَـٰهُمُ ٱثۡنَتَیۡ عَشۡرَةَ أَسۡبَاطًا أُمَمࣰاۚ وَأَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰۤ إِذِ ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰهُ قَوۡمُهُۥۤ أَنِ ٱضۡرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلۡحَجَرَۖ فَٱنۢبَجَسَتۡ مِنۡهُ ٱثۡنَتَا عَشۡرَةَ عَیۡنࣰاۖ قَدۡ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسࣲ مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۚ وَظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡغَمَـٰمَ وَأَنزَلۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰۖ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَیِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَـٰكُمۡۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوۤا۟ أَنفُسَهُمۡ یَظۡلِمُونَ ۝١٦٠
Abdel Haleem
We divided them into twelve tribes [as distinct] communities, and, when his people asked him for water, inspired Moses to strike the rock with his staff [so that] twelve springs gushed out. Each tribe knew its own drinking place; We gave them the shade of clouds and sent down to them manna and quails [saying], ‘Eat the good things We have provided for you.’ They did not wrong Us; it was themselves they wronged
waqaṭṭaʿnāhumu ith'natay ʿashrata asbāṭan umaman wa-awḥaynā ilā mūsā idhi is'tasqāhu qawmuhu ani iḍ'rib biʿaṣāka l-ḥajara fa-inbajasat min'hu ith'natā ʿashrata ʿaynan qad ʿalima kullu unāsin mashrabahum waẓallalnā ʿalayhimu l-ghamāma wa-anzalnā ʿalayhimu l-mana wal-salwā kulū min ṭayyibāti mā razaqnākum wamā ẓalamūnā walākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūn
7:169
فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ خَلۡفࣱ وَرِثُوا۟ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ یَأۡخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡأَدۡنَىٰ وَیَقُولُونَ سَیُغۡفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن یَأۡتِهِمۡ عَرَضࣱ مِّثۡلُهُۥ یَأۡخُذُوهُۚ أَلَمۡ یُؤۡخَذۡ عَلَیۡهِم مِّیثَـٰقُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ أَن لَّا یَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا۟ مَا فِیهِۗ وَٱلدَّارُ ٱلۡءَاخِرَةُ خَیۡرࣱ لِّلَّذِینَ یَتَّقُونَۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ۝١٦٩
Abdel Haleem
and they were succeeded by generations who, although they inherited the Scripture, took the fleeting gains of this lower world, saying, ‘We shall be forgiven,’ and indeed taking them again if other such gains came their way. Was a pledge not taken from them, writ-ten in the Scripture, to say nothing but the truth about God? And they have studied its contents well. For those who are mindful of God, the Hereafter is better. ‘Why do you not use your reason?’
fakhalafa min baʿdihim khalfun warithū l-kitāba yakhudhūna ʿaraḍa hādhā l-adnā wayaqūlūna sayugh'faru lanā wa-in yatihim ʿaraḍun mith'luhu yakhudhūhu alam yu'khadh ʿalayhim mīthāqu l-kitābi an lā yaqūlū ʿalā l-lahi illā l-ḥaqa wadarasū mā fīhi wal-dāru l-ākhiratu khayrun lilladhīna yattaqūna afalā taʿqilūn