qālū lan nu'thiraka ʿalā mā jāanā mina l-bayināti wa-alladhī faṭaranā fa-iq'ḍi mā anta qāḍin innamā taqḍī hādhihi l-ḥayata l-dun'yā
Translation
They said, "Never will we prefer you over what has come to us of clear proofs and [over] He who created us.842 So decree whatever you are to decree. You can only decree for this worldly life.
Notes
[842] This phrase has also been interpreted as an oath, i.e., "...by Him who created us."
Verse 72 of Surah Taha (20:72), a Meccan surah, is in juz 16, on page 316 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 72 of Surah Taha
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Tafsir of verse 72
Al-Mukhtasar
The magicians said to Pharaoh: We shall never prefer following you - O Pharaoh - to following the clear signs that have come to us. We will never prefer you to Allah Who created us. So do whatever you want to us: you only have power over us in this present transient life, and your power will soon vanish.
They said, “We will never prefer you over the clear signs that have come to us, or over the One Who created us18. So decide whatever you will. You can only make a decision about the life of this world.
Notes
[18] It can also be interpreted as an oath, i.e., “By the One Who created us, we will never prefer you over...”.
They said: "We prefer you not over what have come to us of the clear signs and to Him (Allâh) Who created us. So decree whatever you desire to decree, for you can only decree (regarding) this life of the world.
They said: We choose thee not above the clear proofs that have come unto us, and above Him Who created us. So decree what thou wilt decree. Thou wilt end for us only this life of the world.
They said: "Never shall we regard thee as more than the Clear Signs that have come to us, or than Him Who created us! so decree whatever thou desirest to decree: for thou canst only decree (touching) the life of this world.
They said: We do not prefer you to what has come to us of clear arguments and to He Who made us, therefore decide what you are going to decide; you can only decide about this world's life.
They said, "We will never prefer you over the supreme evidences that have come to us, nor over Him Who originated us; so decree whatever you will decree; surely you will only decree touching this present life (Literally: this lowly life, i.e., the life of this world).
