The Quran

سورة الشُّعَرَاء

Surah Al-Shu‘arâ’ 26:63

The Poets · Verse 63 of 227

فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنِ اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْبَحْرَ ۖ فَانْفَلَقَ فَكَانَ كُلُّ فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ

Abdul Mannan Omar

Then We revealed to Moses (saying), `Strike the sea with your staff. (And as he did) so it parted, and each part (of the two hosts) looked like a huge mound.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Then We told Moses by inspiration: "Strike the sea with thy rod." So it divided, and each separate part became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain.

Ahmed Ali

We commanded Moses: "Smite the sea with your staff." And it parted, and every parting was like a lofty mountain.

11 more translations

Ali Unal

We revealed to Moses: "Strike the sea with your staff." Thereupon the sea split, and each part became like a towering mountain.

Daryabadi

Then We revealed unto Musa, saying: smite thou the sea with thy staff. So it became separated, and each part was like unto a cliff mighty.

Faridul Haque

So We sent the divine revelation to Moosa that, “Strike the sea with your staff”; thereupon the sea parted; so each part was like a huge mountain.

Maulana Muhammad Ali

Then We revealed to Moses: March on to the sea with thy staff. So it parted, and each party was like a huge mound.

Maulvi Sher Ali

Then WE revealed to Moses: `Strike the sea with thy rod.' Thereupon it parted and every part looked like a huge mound.

Muhammad Musin Khan

Then We inspired Musa (Moses) (saying): "Strike the sea with your stick." And it parted, and each separate part (of that sea water) became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain.

Muhammad Pickthall

Then We inspired Moses, saying: Smite the sea with thy staff. And it parted, and each part was as a mountain vast.

Muhammad Sarwar

We sent a revelation to Moses saying, "Strike the sea with your staff." The sea was rent asunder and each side stood high up like a huge mountain.

Muhammed ali Shakir

Then We revealed to Musa: Strike the sea with your staff. So it had cloven asunder, and each part was like a huge mound.

Rashad Khalifa

We then inspired Moses: "Strike the sea with your staff," whereupon it parted. Each part was like a great hill.

Shabbir Ahmed

Then We revealed to Moses, “Strike the sea with your staff. Seek for them a dry path with confidence. (Cross over the dried up Sea of Reeds.) The morning found the two parties apart like two hills with a basin in between.

Commentary 26:63 Adzrab bi ‘Asâk al-Bahrاضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْبَحْرَ literally means, “strike the sea with your staff.” Adzrab اضْرِب has a very broad meaning in classical…

فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنِ اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْبَحْرَ ۖ فَانفَلَقَ فَكَانَ كُلُّ فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ

26:63 Adzrab bi ‘Asâk al-Bahrاضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْبَحْرَ  literally means, “strike the sea with your staff.” Adzrab اضْرِب has a very broad meaning in classical Arabic. Here Adzrab اضْرِب is an expression meaning “tread on dry land between the seas.” Similarly, Adzrab bi ‘Asâk al-Hajar” (2:60), literally “strike your staff on the rock,” means to tread through the rocky desert. This meaning is further clarified in verse 20:77 where we read, “Take them along a dry path.”Tarîq طريق is a dry path. The Bible says, “The Lord caused the sea to go back by strong east wind all that night and made the sea a dry land” (Exod. 14.21). From various indications in the Bible, in particular Exodus (14.2-9), it appears that the miracle of the crossing of the sea took place at the northwestern end of what is known today as the Gulf of Suez. Some modern researchers think it can also be the middle or even the south of what is today the Suez Canal. In ancient times there were several seas there, separated from each other by land, and in most of the parts that were not very deep, they were somehow connected with the Mediterranean Sea to the north or the Red Sea to the south. Allâh miraculously arranged that Moses and his party should cross the sea during the time of low tide, leaving a dry path for them to pass (20:77).