سُوْرَةُ طٰهٰ
Surah Taa-Haa (20) — Ayah 71
قَالَ ءَامَنتُمْ لَهُۥ قَبْلَ أَنْ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحْرَ ۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَـٰفٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِى جُذُوعِ ٱلنَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَآ أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ ﴿71﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
[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."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
ءَامَنتُمْ
āmantum
You believe
لَهُۥ
lahu
[to] him
قَبْلَ
qabla
before
أَنْ
an
[that]
ءَاذَنَ
ādhana
I gave permission
لَكُمْ ۖ
lakum
to you
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, he
لَكَبِيرُكُمُ
lakabīrukumu
(is) your chief
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
the one who
عَلَّمَكُمُ
ʿallamakumu
taught you
ٱلسِّحْرَ ۖ
l-siḥ'ra
the magic
فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ
fala-uqaṭṭiʿanna
So surely I will cut off
أَيْدِيَكُمْ
aydiyakum
your hands
وَأَرْجُلَكُم
wa-arjulakum
and your feet
مِّنْ
min
of
خِلَـٰفٍۢ
khilāfin
opposite sides
وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ
wala-uṣallibannakum
and surely I will crucify you
فِى
fī
on
جُذُوعِ
judhūʿi
(the) trunks
ٱلنَّخْلِ
l-nakhli
(of) date-palms
وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ
walataʿlamunna
and surely you will know
أَيُّنَآ
ayyunā
which of us
أَشَدُّ
ashaddu
(is) more severe
عَذَابًۭا
ʿadhāban
(in) punishment
وَأَبْقَىٰ
wa-abqā
and more lasting
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 71) ➊ { اِنَّهٗ لَكَبِيْرُكُمُ الَّذِيْ عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ:} That is, this is your “guru” and you are his disciples. It seems that you have made an agreement among yourselves that first the disciples will perform a trick, then all of them will be defeated by the “guru” in front of everyone, so that the onlookers will obey their “guru” and become his followers. Pharaoh raised this suspicion right away, lest the common people also become their followers.
➋ {فَلَاُقَطِّعَنَّ اَيْدِيَكُمْ …:} After creating suspicion, he also issued a threat from above, so that they would be turned away from remaining firm on faith and others would also be overawed.
➌ {فِيْ جُذُوْعِ النَّخْلِ : ’’ جُذُوْعِ ‘‘ ’’جِذْعٌ‘‘} (with kasrah on the letter jeem) is the plural of “trunk.” At that time, the tallest available pole for crucifixion was the trunk of a date-palm. Obviously, crucifixion is done on top of the trunk, but here it is said {’’ فِيْ جُذُوْعِ النَّخْلِ ‘‘} (in the trunks of the date-palms). The commentators say that here the word is in the meaning of {’’ فِيْ ‘‘ ’’عَلٰي‘‘}, but the word {’’ فِيْ ‘‘} is used so that it means: I will take you up to the tops of the date-palm trunks and embed you in the trunks with nails or ropes, and in this way you will meet a dreadful end. For details of crucifixion, see Surah Al-A’raf (115 to 126).
➍ { وَ لَتَعْلَمُنَّ اَيُّنَاۤ اَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَّ اَبْقٰى:} That is, the punishment with which Musa (peace be upon him) warned you before the contest, that {’’وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوْا عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُمْ بِعَذَابٍ ‘‘} is more severe and lasting, or my punishment? Pharaoh was aware of the reality, but he was issuing these threats to cover up his utter defeat.
➋ {فَلَاُقَطِّعَنَّ اَيْدِيَكُمْ …:} After creating suspicion, he also issued a threat from above, so that they would be turned away from remaining firm on faith and others would also be overawed.
➌ {فِيْ جُذُوْعِ النَّخْلِ : ’’ جُذُوْعِ ‘‘ ’’جِذْعٌ‘‘} (with kasrah on the letter jeem) is the plural of “trunk.” At that time, the tallest available pole for crucifixion was the trunk of a date-palm. Obviously, crucifixion is done on top of the trunk, but here it is said {’’ فِيْ جُذُوْعِ النَّخْلِ ‘‘} (in the trunks of the date-palms). The commentators say that here the word is in the meaning of {’’ فِيْ ‘‘ ’’عَلٰي‘‘}, but the word {’’ فِيْ ‘‘} is used so that it means: I will take you up to the tops of the date-palm trunks and embed you in the trunks with nails or ropes, and in this way you will meet a dreadful end. For details of crucifixion, see Surah Al-A’raf (115 to 126).
➍ { وَ لَتَعْلَمُنَّ اَيُّنَاۤ اَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَّ اَبْقٰى:} That is, the punishment with which Musa (peace be upon him) warned you before the contest, that {’’وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوْا عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُمْ بِعَذَابٍ ‘‘} is more severe and lasting, or my punishment? Pharaoh was aware of the reality, but he was issuing these threats to cover up his utter defeat.
