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←Prev   Ayah Ta Ha (Ta Ha) 20:65   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
Said [the sorcerers]: "O Moses! Either thou throw (thy staff first], or we shall be the first to throw."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
They said, "O Musa, (Moses) either you will cast, or we will be the first to cast."
Safi Kaskas   
They said, “Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.”

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
قَالُوا۟ یَـٰمُوسَىٰۤ إِمَّاۤ أَن تُلۡقِیَ وَإِمَّاۤ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنۡ أَلۡقَىٰ ۝٦٥
Transliteration (2021)   
qālū yāmūsā immā an tul'qiya wa-immā an nakūna awwala man alq
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more   
They said, "O Musa! Either [that] you throw or [that] we will be the first who throws?"

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
Said [the sorcerers]: "O Moses! Either thou throw (thy staff first], or we shall be the first to throw."
M. M. Pickthall   
They said: O Moses! Either throw first, or let us be the first to throw
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
They said: "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
They said, “O Moses! Either you cast, or let us be the first to cast.”
Safi Kaskas   
They said, “Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.”
Wahiduddin Khan   
They said, Moses, will you throw down first, or shall we be the first to throw down
Shakir   
They said: O Musa! will you cast, or shall we be the first who cast down
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
They said: O Moses! Either thou wilt cast or let us be the first to cast.
T.B.Irving   
They said: "Moses, either you will cast [something] or shall we be the first to cast [a spell]?"
Abdul Hye   
They said: “O Moses! Either you throw first or we are the first who will throw?”
The Study Quran   
They said, “O Moses! Either you cast, or we shall be the first to cast.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
They challenged, “O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.”
Talal Itani (2012)   
They said, 'O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.'
Dr. Kamal Omar   
They said: “O Musa! If it is that you drop (your rod) or if it is that we become the first that dropped (the articles)?
M. Farook Malik   
The magicians said: "O Moses! Will you throw down first or shall we?"
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
They said, "O Musa, (Moses) either you will cast, or we will be the first to cast."
Muhammad Sarwar   
They said, "Moses, would you be the first to show your skill or should we be the first to throw down our devices?"
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
They said, .O Musa, either you throw (first), or shall we be first to throw?
Shabbir Ahmed   
The debaters asked, "O Moses! Do you begin or shall we go first?"
Dr. Munir Munshey   
They said, "Oh Musa, either you cast (your spell) first, or else let us be the first to cast (the spell)."
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
They said; "O Musa (Moses)! Either you be the one who throws (first) or will we be the first to throw?"
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
They said, "O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw."
[The Monotheist Group] (2017 Edition)   
They said: "O Moses, either you cast or we will be the first to cast."
Abdel Haleem   
They said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
They said: either thou cast down, or we shall be the first to cast down
Ahmed Ali   
They said: "Either you cast (your spell), O Moses, or we shall cast it first."
Aisha Bewley   
They said, ´Musa, will you throw or shall we be the first to throw?´
Ali Ünal   
They (the sorcerers) said: "Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw!"
Ali Quli Qara'i   
They said, ‘O Moses! Either you will throw down, or we shall be the first to throw.’
Hamid S. Aziz   
Said they, "O Moses! Either you must throw first, or let us throw first."
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
They said: “Moses, do you throw or are we to throw first?”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
They said, “O Moses, would you rather that you throw first, or that we be the first to throw?
Musharraf Hussain   
The magicians said, “Musa, either you throw or we’ll throw first.”
Maududi   
The magicians said: "Moses, will you throw down or shall we be the first to throw?"
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
They said: "O Moses, either you cast down or we will be the first to cast down."
Mohammad Shafi   
They said (aloud), "O Moses! Will you do your act, or shall we be the first to do it?"

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
They said, 'O Musa! Either you cast or we cast first'.
Rashad Khalifa   
They said, "O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
They said to Moses: 'Will you throw down or shall we be the first
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
They said: O Moses, wilt thou cast, or shall we be the first to cast down
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
They said: "You Moses either that you throw , or that we be first who threw ."
Bijan Moeinian   
They said: “O.K. Moses, who should start first?”
Faridul Haque   
They said, "O Moosa, either you throw first - or shall we throw first?"
Sher Ali   
They said, `O Moses, either do thou cast first, or we shall be the first to cast.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
(The magicians) said: ‘O Musa (Moses), either you cast (your thing) or we become the first ones to cast.
Amatul Rahman Omar   
(The sorcerers) said, `Moses! either you present (first what you have) or we shall be the first to present (what we have).
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
They said:"O Moosa (Moses)! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?"

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
They said, 'Moses, either thou wilt cast, or we shall be the first to cast.
George Sale   
They said, O Moses, whether wilt thou cast down thy rod first, or shall we be the first who cast down our rods
Edward Henry Palmer   
Said they, 'O Moses! either thou must throw, or we must be the first to throw.
John Medows Rodwell   
They said, "O Moses, wilt thou first cast down thy rod, or shall we be the first who cast?"
N J Dawood (2014)   
They said: ‘Moses, either you throw down, or we shall be the first to throw?‘

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
They said, “O Moses, either you throw or we be the ones who are the first to throw.”
Munir Mezyed   
They said: "O’ Moses! Either you throw or we will be the first to throw."
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
They said: oh Musa (Moses), either you throw or we throw first.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
[On that day,] (Pharaoh’s magicians) said, “Moses, do you want to throw first, or do you want us to throw first?”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
They said, “O Moses, either you cast or we will be the first to cast.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
They said: "Moses, either you will cast [something] or shall we be the first to cast [a spell]?"
Samy Mahdy   
They said, “O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first who throw.?”
Sayyid Qutb   
Said [the sorcerers]: 'Moses! Either you throw [first], or we shall be the first to throw.'
Ahmed Hulusi   
They said, “O Moses! Either you throw first or we shall be the first to throw.”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
They (the sorcerers) said: 'O' Moses! Will you throw, or shall we be the first who throw?'
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Face to face with Mussa, they said to him: "Would you like to cast down your staff first or shall we cast ours first!"
Mir Aneesuddin   
They said, "O Musa! will you throw or shall we be the first to throw?"
The Wise Quran   
They said, 'O Moses! Either you throw or we will be the first who throw.'

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
They said: "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"
OLD Literal Word for Word   
They said, "O Musa! Either [that] you throw or [that] we will be the first who throws?
OLD Transliteration   
Qaloo ya moosa imma an tulqiya wa-imma an nakoona awwala man alqa