Texts of Islam

The Qur'ân, ed. Palmer (SBE9): XXVIII. The Chapter ...

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This is a passage from the Qur'an — specifically Surah Al-Qasas (The Story), Chapter 28 — presented in E.H. Palmer's 1880 English translation published as part of the Sacred Books of the East series. The excerpt recounts the story of Moses from birth through his call to prophethood: his mother placing him in the river, his adoption by Pharaoh's household, his killing of an Egyptian, flight to Midian, marriage, and his encounter with God at the burning bush, culminating in his mission to confront Pharaoh. The text then shifts to theological argumentation directed at the Prophet Muhammad's contemporaries, addressing those who reject the Qur'an as sorcery by drawing parallels with how earlier peoples rejected Moses. A distinctive feature of this Qur'anic telling is its repeated direct address to Muhammad — "thou wast not there" — asserting that his knowledge of Moses' story could only come through divine revelation, not eyewitness account or learned tradition, which functions as proof of the Qur'an's authenticity. The passage also develops recurring theological themes: God's sovereignty over guidance, the inevitable destruction of unjust civilizations, the folly of associating partners with God, and the eschatological reckoning awaiting disbelievers.

The Qur'ân, ed. Palmer (SBE9): XXVIII. The Chapter ...

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