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Explanation
طٰسٓمّ .
تِلْكَ اٰيٰتُ الْكِتٰبِ الْمُبِيْنِ .(1-2)
The isolated letters have been discussed earlier in this
exegesis. The fact that the expression
الۡکِتٰبِ الۡمُبِیۡنِ has in it the elements of both
favour and conclusive communication of the truth – especially
for the People of the Book – has also been explained at an
appropriate instance. The previous surah also has a very
similar introductory verse. This is very clear evidence that
both have the same central theme.
نَتْلُوْا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ نَّبَاِ مُوْسٰي
وَفِرْعَوْنَ بِالْحَقِّ لِقَوْمٍ يُّؤْمِنُوْنَ )٣(
Though the Prophet (sws) is addressed in this verse yet the
last words evidence the fact that the purpose of narrating
this account is to sound a warning to the leaders of the
Quraysh – who were the Pharaohs of their times. The word
بِالۡحَقِّ means “in truth, the way
it exactly is with an objective and a purpose to teach a
lesson.” In the Torah, neither is the account of Moses and the
Pharaoh (sws) correctly narrated nor does it bring out the
message and lesson which is its real spirit. The Qur’an has
recounted this tale while keeping in view both these aspects.
The verb in لِقَوۡمٍ یُّؤۡمِنُوۡنَ
expresses intention. These last words of the verse harbour a
warning in them: only those will benefit from this account
narrated by God who have the intention to profess faith; those
who have become blind and deaf will remain so and will not
change.
اِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِی الْاَرْضِ
وَجَعَلَ اَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا يَّسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ
يُذَبِّحُ اَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَيَسْتَحْی نِسَآءَهُمْ اِنَّهُ
كَانَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِيْنَ)٤(
Before the actual account is narrated, this and the two
succeeding verses are meant to state the objective and purpose
for which this account is related. This style has been adopted
in the Qur’an at a number of places: before narrating an
account the message it is intended to convey is very concisely
stated so that the reader does not get lost in the immensity
of the story. An example can be seen` in Surah al-Kahf.
Consider the first part of the verse: اِنَّ
فِرۡعَوۡنَ عَلَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ. To be tyrannical in the
land means that a person ignores the intent and directives of
the real creator of this universe and follows his own desires
and instead of asking people to worship and show obedience to
God asks them to worship and serve him.
The words وَجَعَلَ اَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا
يَّسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ explain the nature
of the Pharaoh’s tyranny and spreading anarchy in the land: he
had divided the inhabitants of his country into categories and
he had oppressed one of their factions by making them his
slaves. When the ruler and the ruled both are slaves of God,
then it is not permissible for a ruler to discriminate between
his subjects. In fact, the law should be the same for both the
ruler and ruled. Similarly, the norms of justice and equality
should be the same for both. Yet the Pharaoh had made the
Israelites his slaves and had become their god. At the same
time, he had authorized the Copts, his own nation, to force
the Israelites to work for them as slaves.
The words يُذَبِّحُ اَبْنَآءَهُمْ
وَيَسْتَحْيٖ نِسَآءَهُمْ express an example of the
oppression and injustice which the Pharaoh and the Copts had
subjected the Israelites to. The fear which induced the
Pharaoh and his chiefs to take up the inhuman scheme of
killing the male children of the Israelites has already been
explained in Surah Taha and some other previous surahs.
The words اِنَّهٗ كَانَ مِنَ
الْمُفْسِدِيْنَ refer to the fact that the Pharaoh was
among those who spread anarchy and disorder in God’s earth
whereas the Almighty has blessed all those with power and
authority for the sole reason of establishing justice and
peace in it.
وَنُرِيْدُ اَنْ نَّمُنَّ عَلَي الَّذِيْنَ
اسْتُضْعِفُوْا فِي الْاَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ اَئِمَّةً
وَّنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوٰرِثِيْنَ. (5)
There occurs a suppression of an incomplete verb before
نُرِیۡدُ in accordance with the
linguistic principles of Arabic. The implication is that the
Pharaoh and his companions were bent upon oppressing the
Israelites and fully wanted that the Israelites should not
escape from this oppression. On the other hand, it was God’s
intent that He show favour to the oppressed, grant them
religious leadership and, after destroying the oppressors,
give the oppressed the chance to rule. The words
نَجْعَلَهُمْ اَئِمَّةً refer to the
religious authority bestowed upon the Israelites after the
advent of Moses (sws), while the words
نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوٰرِثِيْنَ refer to the position of
political authority that was given to them in the land of
Palestine and whose boundaries became very vast in the times
of Solomon (sws). So much so, Egypt became its tributary.
وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِي الْاَرْضِ وَنُرِيَ
فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامٰنَ وَجُنُوْدَهُمَا مِنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُوْا
يَحْذَرُوْنَ ٦
The expression تُمْكِيْن فِي الأَرْض
means political authority and awe. In other words, God
intended that He grant these oppressed people a strong kingdom
and show the Pharaoh and Haman what they feared. The words
مَّا کَانُوۡا یَحۡذَرُوۡنَ refer to
this fear of the Pharaoh and his chiefs. It has been explained
at an appropriate place that they were afraid of the ever
increasing number of the Israelites. They contended that if
those people were able to acquire force, they would seize the
country or connive with exterior enemies to expel the Copts
from the land. It was to circumvent this danger that those
foolish people plotted the scheme that has been mentioned with
all its details in the previous surahs. Yet against God’s
plans, all the schemes and preemptive measures could not
succeed the slightest. His plans regarding the oppressed were
materialized and their enemies in spite of their power and
might and in spite of all their planning were routed. It
should be kept in mind that it is to present this fact that
the whole tale is being narrated to the Quraysh which is
mentioned subsequently in this surah. The purpose is that they
should not listen to it as an ancient tale but hear it while
keeping in view the truth found in it.
Here, it is for the first time that Haman is also mentioned
with the Pharaoh. The way he is mentioned, shows that he was a
minister of the Pharaoh and that he had a special interest in
oppressing the Israelites. Further ahead also, he is mentioned
as the prime minister of the Pharaoh. The Torah does not
mention this name, but this does not make any difference.
There are so many facts which the Qur’an has actually
corrected in the Torah or made additions to. This also is a
valuable addition in the account of Moses (sws) and the
Pharaoh. Some orientalists have objected to this name. They
say that there was no one in Egypt by this name. I am afraid,
this objection of these naïve people is totally foolish. Can
they claim that they have found a comprehensive list of names
of all the ministers and high officials of Egypt of that era?
Are these people even united about the person of the Pharaoh
who was a contemporary of Moses (sws), let alone that list of
names? Such things that they say in frenzy of opposing the
Qur’an are not even worth giving attention to. These people
are very adept in losing sight of a reality but when they give
information of something, it is evident that they greatly
exaggerate.
Here, there is a specific reason that besides the Pharaoh and
Haman their armies are specially mentioned many a time. A
study of the history of that era shows that the Pharaoh and
his chiefs viewed the issue of the Israelites in a political
vein. They regarded their large number to be a threat to the
government. For this reason, the Pharaoh had directed all his
chiefs to tell their armies to fully remain alert to deal with
any imminent danger from the Israelites. Thus, when he decided
to chase down the Israelites, he called all his chiefs
together with their armies. The Pharaoh was very proud of his
army, as is evident from the Qur’an and the Torah. However,
the Almighty destroyed his pride in the blink of an eye.
وَاَوْحَيْنَآ اِلٰی اُمِّ مُوْسٰی اَنْ
اَرْضِعِيْهِ فَاِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَاَلْقِيْهِ فِي الْيَمِّ
وَلَا تَخَافِیْ وَلَا تَحْزَنِیْ اِنَّا رَآدُّوْهُ اِلَيْكِ
وَجَاعِلُوْهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ ٧
From here begins the real account. When Moses (sws) was born,
the Almighty sent a revelation to his mother to continue to
suckle him, and if she had any fear, she was to put him in a
river and fear and grieve not the slightest; God would return
him to her and make him one of his messengers.
Revelation here obviously does not refer to the formal
revelation which is specific to the messengers of God. It
means to implant a thought through an inspiration or a dream
in such a manner that the heart is broadly assured.
In the period when Moses (sws) was born, the scheme of killing
the male child was fully in force. Initially, the Pharaoh and
his chiefs wanted to use midwives for this purpose but it is
evident from the Torah that they did not cooperate much.
Finally, the Pharaoh gave the Copts a general directive to
throw every male child born to the Israelites into a river. It
was in this dangerous period that Moses (sws) was born. Hence,
his mother was constantly worried about the safety of her
child from the wolves around her. While referring to this
danger, the Almighty asked her to suckle him and if she felt
any such danger she was to consign the child to the river
without any fear or hesitation and not worry or grieve. The
Almighty would return him to her and in future make him one of
His messengers. It is obvious that the directive of the
Almighty to consign Moses (sws) to the river was because the
Almighty wanted that the very way which the Pharaoh had
adopted for killing boys become a means of deliverance for
Moses (sws). It is evident from verse 49 of Surah Taha that
God directed her to place Moses (sws) in a box and then
consign the box to the river. In the Torah, this incident is
related thus:
And she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw
that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But
when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket
for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the
child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the
Nile. (Exodus, 2:2-3)
The mistakes in the above narration of this incident in the
Torah have been explained in the exegesis of Surah al-A‘raf
and Surah Taha. Here what is worthy of special attention is
that the mother of Moses (sws) was assured through divine
inspiration that the Almighty would return the boy to her and
make Him His messenger, and this style of assurance shows that
it was given in the form of a promise. It was trusting this
assurance that his mother mustered the courage to undertake
this measure, otherwise how can a mother consign her beloved
child to the waves of a river?
فَالْتَقَطَهُ اٰلُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُوْنَ
لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَّحَزَنًا اِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامٰنَ
وَجُنُوْدَهُمَا كَانُوْا خٰطِـِٕيْنَ ٨
In accordance with strong contextual indication, this much is
suppressed before this verse that when his mother felt danger
lurking nearby she placed him in a box made of papyrus and
placed the box in the Nile. If the account of the Torah is
relied upon, the picture of the incident that emerges is that
for three months she hid Moses (sws) by adopting various
measures but ultimately realized that she would not be able to
succeed. Thus she was compelled to do what is mentioned in the
above cited verses of the Torah. The river Nile passing
through various settlements of the Israelites flowed towards
the palace of the Pharaoh. There the waves spilled the box
onto the bank. It caught the attention of the family members
of the Pharaoh. When they saw an angelic child in it, it was
ordered by the king and queen that it be brought to the royal
palace. The Pharaoh’s wife, who was very kind, as is evident
from Surah al-Tahrim, opined that the boy should not be killed
for he may be of benefit to them or they may adopt him as
their son. In this way, Moses (sws) reached the royal palace
and became the beloved of the king and the queen. Here, it is
evident from the word آل that when
the news of a boy placed in a box reached the royal palace,
all young and old members of the royal family reached the
place and all of them carried him back to the palace.
The ل in
لِيَكُوْنَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَّحَزَنًا is for expressing
the consequence and fate. They had picked up the child so that
it could become a means of comfort for them, as will become
evident from words of the queen ahead. However, they did not
know what was concealed by fate for them in this measure: it
would be through the hands of the child that the supremacy and
power of the Pharaoh was routed forever.
The words اِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامٰنَ
وَجُنُوْدَهُمَا كَانُوْا خٰطِـِٕيْنَ are a general
comment on the attitude of the Pharaoh, Haman and their
armies. Because of their foolishness they thought that all
power and authority was in their hands and they would continue
to oppress the Israelites in this way. Little did they know
that God wanted that their greatest enemy be raised in their
royal palace through the king and the queen. Readers may look
up verse 6 above.
وَقَالَتِ امْرَاَتُ فِرْعَوْنَ قُرَّتُ
عَيْنٍ لِّيْ وَلَكَ لَا تَقْتُلُوْه عَسٰی اَنْ يَّنْفَعَنَآ
اَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَّهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ ٩
When the queen saw the child, she was bewitched by his
angelic face. She told the Pharaoh that the child was the
comfort of their eyes and that he should not slay him and that
he would hopefully be of benefit to them or they may even
adopt him as their son. At another place, I have explained
about the queen that she was a very kind-hearted lady who was
sick of the Pharaoh’s attitude.
The words عَسٰی اَنْ يَّنْفَعَنَآ اَوْ
نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا are exactly the same as what the
king of Egypt had said about Joseph while addressing his wife.
It seems that till that time, the queen was childless and if
the statement of the Torah is accepted that the first person
to see Moses (sws) was the Pharaoh’s daughter, then it will
have to be conceded that till that time they did not have a
male child. For this reason, they surmised that in the first
place such a beautiful child would bring blessings and in the
second if they did not have a male child in future, they would
adopt him as their son.
The words وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ
express the fact that this is what the king and the queen were
thinking. However, they did not know what lay in store for
them.
وَاَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ اُمِّ مُوْسٰی فٰرِغًا
اِنْ كَادَتْ لَتُبْدِيْ بِه لَوْلَا اَنْ رَّبَطْنَا عَلٰی
قَلْبِهَا لِتَكُوْنَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ ١٠
Moses’ mother mustered the courage to consign him to the
river when she saw that there was no other way out. However,
this verse mentions what happened afterwards: her heart became
totally bereft of patience. It became likely that she say or
insinuate something that would reveal the secret; however, the
Almighty got hold of her so that she remain steadfast on the
faith she was blessed with even in times of trial. A human
being is after all a human being. It is not easy at all to
consign one’s beloved son to the waves. Though she had been
divinely guided in this regard and in the absence of this she
could not even have imagined it – yet if those who merely
imagine this incident get the jitters – who except God could
know what was going on in her heart. The Almighty blessed her
with special help at this precarious juncture and who except
Him could have done so? If God tries and tests His people,
these trials are His established practice and such trials can
be tough with respect to the status a person has; however, at
the same time, it is His established practice that He takes
care of those who fight out these trials. Since Moses’ mother
had borne witness to her faith and trust in God by consigning
her child to the river, the Almighty specially assured and
strengthened her heart in the next phase to honour her trust
in Him and nothing to the contrary happened. This is what God
does with believing men and women but few understand this.
وَقَالَتْ لِاُخْتِهِ قُصِّيْهِ فَبَصُرَتْ
بِهِ عَنْ جُنُبٍ وَّهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ ١١
When the box floated forward in the river, she asked her
daughter to follow it and see where it went. This was the last
measure she could have taken to assure herself. Obviously, the
box could only have been followed till a certain distance; it
was bound to sail away from the eyes; however, how could she
think of being deprived of seeing it as long as possible. Thus
her sister observed the box from a distance so that no one
become aware of what was going on. By God’s grace, this scheme
was successful. She was able to see the box reaching the bank
near the Pharaoh’s palace and also how the infant brother was
taken out from the box and carried inside. It is evident from
this that the royal palace was not very far from the
settlements of the Israelites.
وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ
قَبْلُ فَقَالَتْ هَلْ اَدُلُّكُمْ عَلٰی اَهْلِ بَيْتٍ
يَّكْفُلُوْنَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نٰصِحُوْنَ ١٢
Now the scheme which the Almighty adopted to have Moses (sws)
returned to his mother is mentioned. It is referred to above
that the child was transported with great affection to the
palace. Obviously, the first issue that needed to be solved
was who should suckle the child. One after the other various
wet-nurses were called but Moses (sws) refused to drink their
milk. Moses’ sister took advantage of this situation. She
stepped forward and sought permission to lead them to a
household who would very tenderly care for the child. The
people at the royal palace immediately agreed as they were
very worried. In this way, it became possible for Moses (sws)
to return to his mother.
فَرَدَدْنٰهُ اِلٰی اُمِّه كَیْ تَقَرَّ
عَيْنُهَا وَلَا تَحْزَنَ وَلِتَعْلَمَ اَنَّ وَعْدَ اللّٰهِ
حَقٌّ وَّلٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ ١٣
Through this scheme, the Almighty had Moses (sws) extracted
from the river and then transported back to his mother’s lap
so that she was comforted and relieved of her sorrow.
The words وَلِتَعْلَمَ اَنَّ وَعْدَ اللّٰهِ
حَقٌّ وَّلٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ point to
the fulfillment of the promise mentioned earlier in verse 7.
It was stated there that she was to consign the child to the
river without any sort of fear; God would protect him and then
make him meet her. This verse states that in this manner the
Almighty showed that He keeps His promise however difficult it
may apparently seem and that His scheme never fails. The
sentence وَّلٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا
يَعْلَمُوْنَ highlights the real point of note: most
people because of their naivety do not understand this fact.
They regard God’s promises to be bluff and they see loss and
danger in trusting them. They want to observe the fulfillment
of God’s promises and then believe in them. The fact is that
the real trial of people in this world is that they should
live and die for the promises and threats of God that are as
yet to be fulfilled.
وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ اَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوٰی
اٰتَيْنٰهُ حُكْمًا وَّعِلْمًا وَكَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِی
الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ ٤١
The expression بَلَغَ اَشُدَّهُ
means reaching adolescence and with it the word
اسْتَوٰی adds the meaning of
“balance and stability in intellect and temperament” to it. In
other words, the implication is that when Moses (sws) reached
a youthful age he had a stable and balanced personality. It
may be noted that the age of youthfulness in itself is not of
significance if it does not have the beauty of poise in sense
and temperament.
The word حُكم means the power to
take decisions and عِلۡم means the
comprehension of God. Both have various stages and levels.
Their highest level is the one bestowed on the prophets of
God. Thus exactly the same words have been mentioned in the
Qur’an for the knowledge of the prophets; however, obviously,
here they do not refer to that knowledge and wisdom because
the incidents of the early life of Moses (sws) are being
related. He was assigned prophethood much later, as is
subsequently mentioned.
The verse states that when Moses (sws) reached youth and his
intellect and temperament stabilized, God granted him
knowledge and wisdom. The last part of the verse
وَكَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِی الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ
states that this is how God rewards those who are thorough in
their deeds. The word مُحۡسِنِیۡنَ
refers to people who use their abilities in the right way at
the optimum level. It is stated that to such people God grants
a share of knowledge and wisdom. It is this knowledge and
wisdom which depicts the perfection and splendour of a
person’s skills and abilities. If a person is not able to
acquire these, he will end up ruining all his abilities as
well as his youth.
وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِيْنَةَ عَلٰی حِيْنِ
غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ اَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيْهَا رَجُلَيْنِ
يَقْتَتِلٰنِ هٰذَا مِنْ شِيْعَتِهِ وَهٰذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ
فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِيْ مِنْ شِيْعَتِهِ عَلَی الَّذِيْ مِنْ
عَدُوِّهِ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوْسٰی فَقَضٰي عَلَيْهِ قَالَ هٰذَا مِنْ
عَمَلِ الشَّيْطٰنِ اِنَّه عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ. قَالَ
رَبِّ اِنِّيْ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِيْ فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ
اِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ (١٥-١٦)
The word مَدِيْنَةَ refers to the
actual city which was the centre and capital of the nobility.
Since the status of the Israelites was that of slaves and
servicemen, their settlement was located separately from the
real city. They would go to the city only to provide service
and labour.
When Moses (sws) entered his youth, the traits of honour,
bravery and civility appeared in him which are a reflection of
piety and knowledge at a young age. He would periodically go
to the city to see the plight of his oppressed brethren. It
seems that because of his sense of honour, he was regarded
with fear by the Copts. Hence he would visit the city in
secret when people were resting. One day, he entered the city
for this purpose and saw that a Copt and an Israelite were
fighting. When the latter saw him, he asked for his help. The
sense of honour in Moses (sws) induced him to come forward and
help his oppressed brother and tried to reconcile the two.
However, it is evident that the Copt because of his arrogance
came after Moses (sws). While defending himself, Moses (sws)
punched him and such was its might that the Copt died on the
spot. Moses (sws) never had the intention to kill the Copt nor
did he ever envisage this situation. When this accident took
place without any intention whatsoever, he regretted his folly
and sought forgiveness from his Lord: “Lord! I have been very
unjust to myself; so forgive me” Since this mistake was not
deliberate and he immediately repented for it as well, he was
forgiven by God straight away and he was also divinely
conveyed this forgiveness by the words that God is
الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِیۡمُ (most
forgiving ever-merciful).
It is mentioned earlier that God blessed Moses (sws) with
wisdom and knowledge together with the full bloom of youth.
This repentance was a consequence of his wisdom. If he had
merely been a strong young lad, he would have been extremely
proud of this feat. In particular, he would have regarded the
killing a Copt to be an eternal achievement. But even in the
case of an enemy he regarded his unintentional mistake to be a
crime and instantly asked God for forgiveness. It should be
kept in mind that this matter was between himself and his God.
There was no possibility of any justice that Moses (sws) could
expect from the government keeping in view the circumstances
that existed in Egypt at that time.
قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیَّ فَلَنْ
اَكُوْنَ ظَهِيْرًا لِّلْمُجْرِمِيْنَ ٧١
Favours increase the gratitude of the righteous for the
Almighty. So, when Moses (sws) was shown favour by God of
forgiving him, he promised to himself that he would never help
criminals in future. These words of his do not necessitate
that he helped the Israelite considering him to be a criminal.
The fact is that what he did was because he regarded the
Israelite to be innocent and did it at the latter’s pleading.
Also, keeping in view the circumstances of those times, he
reckoned that the Copt must be the oppressor and the Israelite
the oppressed. The Almighty, while forgiving Moses (sws), did
not say that he was innocent and that the Copt was the
oppressor. In fact, He forgave Moses (sws) after regarding him
to have committed a mistake. From this Moses (sws) concluded
that though he wanted to help the oppressed he ended up
helping the oppressor because he did not properly investigate
the matter. Hence, for the future, he promised himself that he
would not help anyone without investigating facts and that he
would help only the person whose innocence was known. Thus,
the very next day, when he saw the same Israelite fighting
with another Copt, and, as before, he called him to help,
Moses (sws) scolded him by saying that he seemed to be a
mischievous person.
فَاَصْبَحَ فِی الْمَدِيْنَةِ خَآئِفًا
يَّتَرَقَّبُ فَاِذَا الَّذِي اسْتَنْصَرَهُ بِالْاَمْسِ
يَسْتَصْرِخُهُ قَالَ لَهُ مُوْسٰی اِنَّكَ لَغَوِيٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ
٨١
The next day Moses (sws) entered the city fearing the
surroundings and prying around. In his normal routine too, he
was very cautious while going to the city, as is mentioned
earlier. However, after this incident, he must have become
even more worried about the reaction and general response that
he and his nation might have to face as a result. Then he saw
the same Israelite asking for help once again. This time Moses
(sws) scolded him telling him that he seemed to be a plain
mischievous person. The fact that he was a plain mischievous
person was evident from what had happened the previous day and
that day too he was involved in a brawl with another person.
This was a clear testimony to his mischievous nature. Another
reason for Moses (sws) deducing that the Israelite was a
trouble maker was the words of forgiveness of the Almighty
that he was at fault in thinking that the Israelite was at
fault and had not even properly investigated the matter. Thus
he fulfilled what he had promised the Almighty the previous
day: he would not help any wrongdoer. So, this time, he did
not immediately step forward for the help of the Israelite.
But assessing the situation he warned him that he was a
belligerent and mischievous person.
فَلَمَّآ اَنْ اَرَادَ اَنْ يَّبْطِشَ
بِالَّذِیْ هُوَ عَدُوٌّ لَّهُمَا قَالَ يٰمُوْسٰی اَتُرِيْدُ
اَنْ تَقْتُلَنِیْ كَمَا قَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا بِالْاَمْسِ اِنْ
تُرِيْدُ اِلَّآ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ جَبَّارًا فِی الْاَرْضِ وَمَا
تُرِيْدُ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِيْنَ ٩١
Before the word اَنۡ an appropriate
verb is suppressed viz when this happened or when the matter
reached this extent. It is evident from these words that
initially Moses (sws) tried to verbally make the two
reconcile; however, when this did not work he tried to
disentangle the Copt who is referred to as
عَدُوٌّ لَّهُمَا here i.e. the enemy of both Moses (sws)
and the Israelites. The reason for this is evident: he was an
obvious enemy of the Israelite while his enmity with Moses (sws)
was due to nationalistic reasons as well as because he had
become a thorn in the eyes of the Copts due to his reformatory
measures.
Moses (sws) tried to get hold of the Copt but he first scolded
the Israelite due to which the latter thought that this time
he would receive a punch. In this situation, he shouted that
it was his turn of being punched to death the way Moses (sws)
had killed a person the previous day. In this way, he exposed
the secret because of his foolishness. Some people think that
the words … يٰمُوْسٰی اَتُرِيْدُ اَنْ
تَقْتُلَنِیْ were uttered by the Copt. However, this is
not tenable because firstly the incident was still a secret
and secondly the Copts never regarded Moses (sws) to be a
reformer.
Consider next the part: اِنْ تُرِيْدُ
اِلَّآ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ جَبَّارًا فِی الْاَرْضِ وَمَا تُرِيْدُ
اَنْ تَكُوْنَ مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِيْنَ The word
جَبَّارً here means “one who is
dictatorial,” “one who is out of control.” So, not only did
the Israelite expose the secret he even criticized Moses (sws)
saying that people thought that he wanted to redress and
reform the situation; yet it seemed that that was not the case
and that he wanted to be a despotic and tyrannical person.
This statement on the one hand depicts the character of mean
people: when a person helps them, they regard him to be a
reformer; but if he tries to stop them from an evil, they not
only regard him to be a highly repressive person but also
become spies against him and begin exposing his secrets. On
the other hand, the character of Moses (sws) too becomes
evident in that he was regarded by his nation to be a ray of
hope to reform and set affairs right.
وَجَآءَ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ اَقْصَا الْمَدِيْنَةِ
يَسْعٰي قَالَ يٰمُوْسٰی اِنَّ الْمَلَاَ يَاْتَمِرُوْنَ بِكَ
لِيَقْتُلُوْكَ فَاخْرُجْ اِنِّیْ لَكَ مِنَ النّٰصِحِيْنَ ٠٢
As is indicated before, Moses (sws) was already being regarded
with dread and suspicion by Pharaoh’s people; however, when
this incident took place and its secret became known too from
the tongue of an Israelite, it was but natural that the
Pharaoh’s people fume with anger against him and started to
plan to eliminate him.
The city which was the centre of the Pharaoh’s chiefs and
courtiers was away from the settlement of the Israelites, as
has been mentioned earlier. That is why it is alluded to by
the expression اَقْصَا الْمَدِيْنَةِ.
The verse states that from the farthest end of the city a
person came running to Moses (sws) to inform him that they
were after killing him. He seemed to have gathered this
information. He introduced himself as a well-wisher of Moses (sws)
and advised him to immediately leave the place. No details are
mentioned here about that person; but in Surah al-Mu’min a
true believer from the clan of the Pharaoh is mentioned in
detail. He belonged to the royal family. He was a well-wisher
of Moses (sws) from the very start and in the later stages
also, as shall be seen in Surah al-Mu’min, he strongly
defended Moses (sws) before the Pharaoh and his courtiers. For
this reason, in all probability, it seems that this was the
same person.
The words اِنِّیْ لَكَ مِنَ النّٰصِحِيْنَ
were uttered by that person because in the atmosphere of
distrust that existed between the Israelites and the Copts,
Moses (sws) could likely have thought that a Copt was trying
to over-awe him in this way. It is evident from the word
یَسۡعٰی that as soon as that person
thought that the matter had become serious, in fact dangerous,
in spite of being among the courtiers, he came running to
Moses (sws) at his settlement. This effort undertaken by him
is a shining example of his sympathy and concern.
فَخَرَجَ مِنْهَا خَآئِفًا يَّتَرَقَّبُ
قَالَ رَبِّ نَجِّنِيْ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ ٢١
After this, Moses (sws), in a state of dread, cautiously moved
out of Egypt and since there was a chance that the Pharaoh’s
forces would pursue him, he supplicated to God in the words
above “Lord! Protect me from the evil of these wrongdoers.”
وَلَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ تِلْقَآءَ مَدْيَنَ
قَالَ عَسٰي رَبِّیْ اَنْ يَّهْدِيَنِیْ سَوَآءَ السَّبِيْلِ ٢٢
It is evident from the style of the verse that at his time of
departure from Egypt, he had not ascertained his destination.
It was later that he decided that he had to go to Madyan, and
about Madyan too he was not clear where to go and whom to go
to. Without any such prior decision he just turned in the
direction of Madyan hoping that the Almighty Who was the
guardian of His creatures would guide him to the right place
and help him reach such a place. It may be kept in mind that
this journey of Moses (sws) was not of the nature of migration
that actually took place after he was assigned the
responsibility of prophethood. The established practice of God
about that type of migration is that He Himself determines its
time and also explains all its phases Himself to His prophet.
However, in this particular journey Moses (sws) did not have
any such guidance. He just embarked upon it reposing full
confidence in God and it was this trust that actually guided
him. Viewed thus, this incident carries a great message for
all men and women created by God who face trials for the cause
of truth. If they take a step trusting God, they will be
guided by Him even though they do not have any clear glad
tidings from God in this regard.
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ
عَلَيْهِ اُمَّةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُوْنَ وَوَجَدَ مِنْ
دُوْنِهِمُ امْرَاَتَيْنِ تَذُوْدٰنِ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا
قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِيْ حَتّٰي يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَآءُ وَاَبُوْنَا
شَيْخٌ كَبِيْرٌ ٣٢
The word مَآءَ may refer to water
and also to a well. The Torah mentions a well. Mountain
springs are also no different from wells. In general, the ways
that reach them are very compressed. Hence, benefitting from
their water for drinking is not easy, especially when they are
crowded as well.
When Moses (sws) reached Madyan, he sat at one of its wells or
fountains. There he saw a bunch of shepherds watering their
flocks and also two women who were waiting for their turn. It
is evident from the word تَذُوۡدٰنِ
that their herd had reached the fountain, was pushing forward
to drink water from it but the two women were being forced to
pull them back. Moses (sws) asked them of the ordeal they were
facing and as to why they were standing behind with their
herd. They replied that their father had grown very old and as
a result they had to attend to their herd and that it was not
possible for them to force their way into the crowd; so they
had decided to wait for the other shepherds to leave and that
unless they left with their herds it was not possible for them
to provide water to their flock.
فَسَقٰي لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلّٰی اِلَی
الظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّیْ لِمَآ اَنْزَلْتَ اِلَیَّ مِنْ
خَيْرٍ فَقِيْرٌ ٤٢
After listening to the tale of these upright ladies, Moses (sws)
was spurred to come to their rescue. He got up and took their
flocks to drink and once he had done this job, he turned back
and sat in the same shade he was sitting beneath earlier. He
then prayed to God: “God whatever you send down to me at this
time, I am in need of it.”
Here some points are especially worthy of note.
Firstly, Moses (sws) regarded with great significance that two
upright ladies had to go through the fatigue of taking their
flock to drink and they were helplessly standing before the
fountain while holding back their flock. This sentiment of
Moses (sws) is evident from his question:
مَا خَطۡبُکُمَا. In Arabic, the word
خَطْبٌ is used for some important matter. Hence
concealed in his question was the implied meaning asking what
problems and circumstances they were facing since they had to
attend to a rather arduous task and as a result were standing
withholding their flocks. The ladies replied to him, after
fully comprehending the question, that they had to do it
because their father had grown quite old and they were holding
back their herd because they were not able to push into the
male crowd. It is evident from this depiction that in those
circumstances also the spheres of work of men and women were
regarded as different. If women were compelled to take up a
task belonging to the men's sphere, they would do so but only
because of compulsion. And that too not by working along side
men and within them but with full caution and decency by
remaining as far apart as possible from the male company.
Observe, on the one hand, this societal norm that existed in
the times of Shu‘ayb which is evident from this incident and
on the other, observe what our reformers of this era say that
the sphere of work for both men and women is exactly the same
and hence both should work hand in hand in every field. The
arguments offered by these people are from the poor women of
villages and the results are drawn from them for the women of
the cities.
The second thing that needs to be noted in this incident is
that Moses (sws) fulfilled his obligation to help the weak
with full diligence as it was a requirement of decency and
courtesy. However, after that he did not even utter a single
word expressing his own worry or need or the toils of his
travels. On the contrary, he returned to the shade of the tree
from where he had earlier got up to help them. There, he
prayed to God that he had come to the place as his destination
and it had then arrived. He prayed to him that he was waiting
for His grace and mercy and that he was in need of whatever
good He would send to him at that moment. Words are at loss to
express the eloquence of this prayer. Only people of taste can
understand it. Since the prayer was made at the right time,
with the right sentiments and in the right words, its
consequence manifested itself forthwith. The two women
mentioned the good deed of Moses (sws) to their father and in
this way the door was opened for Moses (sws) to receive the
good he had prayed for.
فَجَآءَتْهُ اِحْدٰىهُمَا تَمْشِیْ عَلَی
اسْتِحْيَآءٍ قَالَتْ اِنَّ اَبِيْ يَدْعُوْكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ
اَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ
الْقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ
الظّٰلِمِيْنَ ٥٢
While Moses (sws) was still sitting in the shade of the tree,
one of them returned walking bashfully and modestly and told
him that their father was calling him to compensate him for
his effort in making their flock drink. It is evident from the
Old Testament that since on that day the two returned before
their usual time, Shu‘ayb (sws) asked them for the reason for
their early return. They replied that on that day an Egyptian
had done a good turn to them and made their sheep drink water.
Shu‘ayb (sws) asked them why they had left him alone and told
them to go and fetch him so that he may eat with them.
Complying with the directive of the father, one of the
daughters went over to Moses (sws) and informed him that her
father was calling him so that he may reward him for his
service. At that time, Moses (sws) was in great need for such
help. He considered it divine help and at once started to make
his way to Shu‘ayb (sws).
Here the words تَمۡشِیۡ عَلَی اسۡتِحۡیَآءٍ
need to be specially noted. The words مِنْ
دُوْنِهِمْ in an earlier verse show that these two were
standing on one side away from the rest of shepherds. It is
also mentioned earlier that they had stated the reason for
staying back: it is because of the crowd of the male shepherds
that they had to wait until the shepherds were done. It is
then stated that when she came to call Moses (sws), she was
shy. It was not that she boldly came to him. On the contrary,
she came to him in a reserved way, covering herself properly.
The question arises as to why the Qur’an has narrated the
minute details of this event in such a detailed manner. What
else can be the answer to this question except that the Qur’an
wants to highlight at every step the mannerisms and ways of
decency and how civilized women should behave in the presence
of men? It is these norms of decency that the Qur’an has
described in the form of some regulations in Surah al-Nur and
Surah al-Ahzab. I have explained these regulations in the
exegesis of Surah al-Nur and, God willing, they will be
further explained in the exegesis of Surah al-Ahzab. It may be
kept in mind that the mannerisms described here are of women
who had to shepherd their herd. So, when for them such was the
desirable way, one can imagine what is desirable who are not
faced with any such compelling circumstances.
The words فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ وَقَصَّ
عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ
الظّٰلِمِيْنَ refer to the fact that at the request of
Shu‘ayb, Moses (sws) came over to him and narrated to him his
tale. After listening to him, Shu‘ayb assured him and told him
not to worry: God had delivered him from the unjust people. It
is as if Moses (sws) got glad tidings of the acceptance of his
invocation that he made when he was departing from Egypt in
the words: رَبِّ نَجِّنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ
الظَّالِمِينَ as cited earlier in verse 21 of this
surah.
قَالَتْ اِحْدٰىهُمَا يٰاَبَتِ اسْتَاْجِرْهُ
اِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَاْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْاَمِيْنُ ٦٢
A repetition of the word اِحْدٰىهُمَا
shows that the recommendation stated in this verse was made by
the other daughter of Shu‘ayb (sws). If this recommendation
had been made by the same daughter who had gone to call Moses
(sws), then there was no need to repeat the word
اِحْدٰىهُمَا in this verse.
Shu‘ayb (sws) in fact was in need of a helping hand for his
herd, and it is evident from concomitant indications that he
was in fact looking for an appropriate person. For this
reason, his daughter recommended Moses (sws) for this purpose.
The best helper is he who is strong and trustworthy. Moses (sws)
had both these qualities. As far as physical strength is
concerned, it can be judged through the eyes. However,
trustworthiness and honesty can only truly be known through
experience. In normal circumstances, this experience takes a
lot of time. Yet, in some circumstances, it takes place at the
first encounter. A person’s forehead and eyes bear witness to
his character. One of Shu‘ayb’s (sws) daughters had first-hand
experience of the decency, honour and purity of Moses (sws).
Then the tale of chivalry Moses (sws) recounted to Shu‘ayb (sws)
must have made it evident to him that if such a determined and
strong person did not have trust and honesty, no one else
would.
قَالَ اِنِّيْ اُرِيْدُ اَنْ اُنْكِحَكَ
اِحْدَی ابْنَتَیَّ هٰتَيْنِ عَلٰی اَنْ تَاْجُرَنِيْ ثَمٰنِيَ
حِجَجٍ فَاِنْ اَتْمَمْتَ عَشْرًا فَمِنْ عِنْدِكَ وَمَآ
اُرِيْدُ اَنْ اَشُقَّ عَلَيْكَ سَتَجِدُنِيْ اِنْ شَآءَ
اللّٰهُ مِنَ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ ٧٢
Shu‘ayb (sws) proposed to Moses (sws) one of his daughter’s
hand with the condition that he work for him for eight years
and if it pleased Moses (sws) he could increase the period to
ten years; there was no pressure on him in this regard. He
further told Moses (sws) that the latter would find him to be
an upright person. It is evident from concomitant factors that
Shu‘ayb (sws) must have made this proposal at the behest of a
divine indication and his words وَمَآ
اُرِيْدُ اَنْ اَشُقَّ عَلَيْكَ were actually meant to
grant time to Moses (sws) to fully reflect and make a decision
and not take a decision under any compulsion.
Here no discussion needs to be had on the issue of mahr. It
relates to the will of the wife. If the father wishes to get
her married on a permissible condition and the daughter also
agrees to it, then there is nothing in the shari‘ah that
hinders it.
قَالَ ذٰلِكَ بَيْنِيْ وَبَيْنَكَ اَيَّمَا
الْاَجَلَيْنِ قَضَيْتُ فَلَا عُدْوَانَ عَلَیَّ وَاللّٰهُ عَلٰی
مَا نَقُوْلُ وَكِيْلٌ ٨٢
Moses (sws) accepted both the proposal and the condition. He
replied that whichever of these two periods he was able to
fulfill should be left to his discretion. The word
نَقُوۡلُ connotes promise and
pledge. The last part of the verse would thus mean: “We make
God a witness to the agreement We are now making.”
فَلَمَّا قَضٰی مُوْسَی الْاَجَلَ
وَسَارَ بِاَهْلِهِ اٰنَسَ مِنْ جَانِبِ الطُّوْرِ نَارًا قَالَ
لِاَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوْا اِنِّيْ اٰنَسْتُ نَارًا لَّعَلِّيْ
اٰتِيْكُمْ مِّنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ اَوْ جَذْوَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُوْنَ
٢٩
After completing the promised time, Moses (sws) left with his
family for Egypt. It is not specified either by the Qur’an or
the Torah whether the term completed was eight years or ten.
However, it is evident from the Torah that with his two
children and his wife, when they reached the mount of Tur, the
night was dark and cold. Finding the way in pitch darkness was
also difficult. In the meantime, he saw something shining from
the side of the mount of Tur. He told his wife and children to
stay there whilst he went to find out what was shining out
there. If he found some people there, he might be able to ask
them the way or bring a live ember so that they could warm
themselves with its heat.
فَلَمَّآ اَتٰىهَا نُوْدِیَ مِنْ شَاطِئِ
الْوَادِ الْاَيْمَنِ فِی الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبٰرَكَةِ مِنَ
الشَّجَرَةِ اَنْ يّٰمُوْسٰی اِنِّیْ اَنَا اللّٰهُ رَبُّ
الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ٣٠
All parts of this verse have been explained in the exegesis of
Surah Taha and Surah al-Naml earlier. When Moses (sws) reached
the place where he had sighted the fire he heard a voice from
a tree situated at a holy place that was near the blessed
valley of the mountain. It said: “It is me, God of the
worlds.”
Here three loci are mentioned that determine the origin of the
voice. Firstly, it came from the blessed valley. Secondly,
this valley was in a blessed area. Thirdly, it came from a
tree. The purpose of all these determinants is that Moses (sws)
did not hear this voice from some vague or ambiguous origin.
It came from a specific and known origin. It was from a sacred
tree that was in a blessed place situated in a holy valley. If
a certain valley, place and tree are blessed, then it
evidences the fact that the Almighty has chosen them for the
manifestation of His radiance. An essential consequence of
this is that such an area be the place that His angels
frequent and which is totally pure and secure. Readers may
well take a look at verse 8 of Surah al-Naml.
While the first part of the verse expressed the purity and
exalted nature of the place of origin of the voice, the last
part of the verse expresses the contents of the voice, viz
اِنِّیْ اَنَا اللّٰهُ رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ
which Moses (sws) heard the foremost. It was said that
he had come to fetch fire but the place did not have fire; it
was actually God, Lord of the worlds, Who was found there. The
Almighty actually introduced Himself in words. The expression
رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ has a very broad
connotation. For this reason, the same subject is discussed at
some other instances in some other words. For example, the
words used in verse 9 of Surah al-Naml are:
اِنَّهُ اَنَا اللّٰهُ الْعَزِيْزُ الْحَكِيْمُ (It is
Me, God, the Powerful, the Wise).This is just an explanation
of the expression رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ.
وَاَنْ اَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَلَمَّا رَاٰهَا
تَهْتَزُّ كَاَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَّلّٰی مُدْبِرًا وَّلَمْ
يُعَقِّبْ يٰمُوْسٰی اَقْبِلْ وَلَا تَخَفْ اِنَّكَ مِنَ
الْاٰمِنِيْنَ
٣١
At the same time, Moses (sws) was directed to throw down his
staff. When Moses (sws) complied, he saw that the staff was
moving about like a serpent. He was struck with fear to see
this and ran backwards in such a way that he did not have the
courage to even look back. The expression
وَ لَمۡ یُعَقِّبۡ has been explained under verse 11 of
Surah al-Naml.
Prophets of God face the initial experience of prophethood in
a sudden and unexpected manner. Neither do they have any
concept about it nor do they have any desire for it. For this
reason, initially they feel worried. Gradually, the Almighty
makes them used to this experience. As far as the soothsayers,
magicians and false oracles are concerned, they already have a
scheme in their minds for which they work hard and undertake
all sorts of routines. When a scheme to mislead the masses
dawns upon them, they consider it to be a great success.
However, the revered prophets of God are totally bereft of
such machinations. For this reason, when they are given a
miracle, it is a totally unique thing for them. The biggest
feat of the magicians that belonged to the nation to whom
Moses (sws) was to be sent was that they turned staffs and
ropes into serpents. To achieve this feat, they went through
various hard routines and exercises. When they succeeded in
it, they considered it to be the greatest achievement of their
lives. Contrary to this, when God converted the staff of Moses
(sws) into a snake, he became afraid and ran from it. Here,
the Almighty has specially highlighted this very aspect so
that it be known what happened to Moses (sws) when he saw the
miracle which the Pharaoh and his people regarded to be a
product of magic.
When Moses (sws) was overcome by this sudden fear, the
Almighty assured him in a very affectionate way:
يٰمُوْسٰی اَقْبِلْ وَلَا تَخَفْ اِنَّكَ
مِنَ الْاٰمِنِيْنَ. Moses (sws) was told to go forward,
pick it up; there was no danger for him in it. The danger
actually lurked for his enemy. He was secure from every type
of peril. In verse 10 of Surah al-Naml, the words used are:
لَا يَخَافُ لَدَيَّ الْمُرْسَلُونَ
(messengers of God should have no fear in My presence). What
is implied is that Moses (sws) is God’s messenger. God equips
His messengers with special weaponry. The danger that arises
from it is for their enemies and not for them.
اُسْلُكْ يَدَكَ فِیْ جَيْبِكَ تَخْرُجْ
بَيْضَآءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوْٓءٍ وَّاضْمُمْ اِلَيْكَ جَنَاحَكَ
مِنَ الرَّهْبِ فَذٰنِكَ بُرْهَانٰنِ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ اِلٰی
فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَا۠ئِهُ اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا قَوْمًا فٰسِقِيْنَ
٣٢
Expressed in this verse is the manner in which the second
miracle given to Moses (sws) would manifest itself: he was
told to insert his hand in his armpit; on taking it out, it
would be pure white and the whiteness would not be because of
any sickness. The words وَّاضْمُمْ اِلَيْكَ
جَنَاحَكَ مِنَ الرَّهْبِ describe the way in which the
hand was to be inserted: just as someone presses his arm
because of fear, he too was to insert his hand in his armpit
and press it. In Surah Taha, the words used are:
وَ اضۡمُمۡ یَدَكَ اِلٰی جَنَاحِکَ تَخۡرُجۡ
بَیۡضَآءَ مِنۡ غَیۡرِ سُوۡٓءٍ (22:20)
And press your hand towards your armpit; it will emerge white
from there without any illness. (20:22)
The expression مِنَ الرَّهۡبِ occurs
here the way مِنَ الذُّلِ and مِنَ
الرَّحْمَةِ occur at other instances in the Qur’an.
A verb is suppressed before اِلٰی in
فَذٰنِكَ بُرْهَانٰنِ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ اِلٰی
فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَا۠ئِهٖ اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا قَوْمًا فٰسِقِيْنَ.
Examples of such suppression can be seen in the earlier surahs
and are forthcoming as well. The implied meaning is: “Go to
the Pharaoh and his people – with these two clear signs from
your Lord – to warn them.” The reason why he had been given
these signs and sent to the Pharaoh and his people is stated
in the last part of the verse: اِنَّهُمۡ
کَانُوۡا قَوۡمًا فٰسِقِیۡنَ: they are very defiant and
rebellious. He was to go to them and inform them of the
consequences of their rebellious behaviour and conclusively
communicate the truth to them through clear signs.
قَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّيْ قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ
نَفْسًا فَاَخَافُ اَنْ يَّقْتُلُوْنِ-٣٣
Moses (sws), in compliance with God’s directive, got ready for
his assignment. However, at the same time, he expressed a
worry: he had killed a person and feared that the Pharaoh’s
men would kill him as soon as they saw him. In other words, he
meant that in all probability they would have forgotten his
crime since he was going to his people after eight or ten
years; however, if he went to them as a messenger of God, they
would not let him go free.
وَاَخِیْ هٰرُوْنُ هُوَ اَفْصَحُ مِنِّیْ
لِسَانًا فَاَرْسِلْهُ مَعِیَ رِدْاً يُّصَدِّقُنِیْ اِنِّیْ
اَخَافُ اَنْ يُّكَذِّبُوْنِ-٣٤
The word رِدْءٌ means “helper.” At
other places the word وَزِير is
used.
The word يُصَدِّقُنِي means
يُؤَيِّدُنِي (he may help me).
Expressed in this verse is another difficulty that Moses (sws)
had. It is evident in the exegesis of Surah Taha that he felt
that he was not a good orator in line with the great
responsibility imposed on him. For this reason, he requested
the Almighty to make his brother Aaron his helper since he was
very eloquent. The words used in Surah Taha are:
كَيْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا وَنَذْكُرَكَ
كَثِيرًا (so that both of us can together extol You as
much as possible and spread your word as far as possible,
20:33-34)).
The words یُّکَذِّبُوۡنِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن
express the fear of Moses (sws) that they would not easily
listen to him and would in fact deny him. So he asked God to
help him through his eloquent brother so that both of them
could conclusively convey the truth with full force.
قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِاَخِيْكَ
وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطٰنًا فَلَا يَصِلُوْنَ اِلَيْكُمَا
بِاٰيٰتِنَا اَنْتُمَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَكُمَا الْغٰلِبُوْنَ- ٣٥
The word سُلۡطٰان here means
“dominance, majesty and awe.”
There are two possibilities in the case of
بِاٰیٰتِنَاۤ. One of them is that it relates to
نَجۡعَلُ لَکُمَا سُلۡطٰنًا. In this
case, it would mean: “We will strike your awe in the people of
the Pharaoh through miracles.” The other option is to regard a
verb to be suppressed before it. An example of such
suppression can be seen in verse 32 earlier.
The verse implies that the Almighty accepted the request of
Moses (sws) regarding Aaron (sws). At the same time, God
assured him that He would strike such awe in the hearts of the
people of the Pharaoh that they would not even dare to harm
him. Thus it is a fact that even before the contest, the
Pharaoh and his people were so over-awed by Moses (sws) that
in spite of their desire to get rid of him, they could not
dare do so. The greatest reason of this that becomes evident
from a study of the Torah is that the Pharaoh and his chiefs
did not regard Moses (sws) to be a liar. On the contrary, they
were fully convinced that he was a truthful person. However,
since his message was regarded by them to be against their
interests, they were not prepared to accept it. Yet they knew
that if they tried to harm him in any way then they would not
be spared. For this reason, in spite of all their enmity and
malice they could not dare to kill him. It is evident from the
Torah that whenever a calamity descended on Egypt, they would
request Moses (sws) to pray to God to avert it.
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ مُّوْسٰی بِاٰيٰتِنَا
بَيِّنٰتٍ قَالُوْا مَا هٰذَآ اِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّفْتَرًی وَّمَا
سَمِعْنَا بِهٰذَا فِيْ اٰبَآئِنَا الْاَوَّلِيْنَ- ٣٦
When Moses (sws) came over to the Pharaoh and his nation with
these indubitable signs, they regarded them to be a product of
magic and began spreading propaganda against his call towards
monotheism. They contended that his teachings were against the
traditions of their forefathers.
By the expression سِحۡرٌ مُّفۡتَرًی,
they meant that the miracles were worked by Moses (sws)
through magic but he falsely ascribed them to God in order to
strike awe and fear in them. The words مَا
سَمِعْنَا بِهٰذَا فِيْ اٰبَآئِنَا الْاَوَّلِيْنَ refer
to the call of Moses (sws) towards monotheism. In other words,
they contended that the claim of Moses (sws) that he was a
messenger of God was uniquely strange. They had not heard
about any God of the worlds from their forefathers. Verse 38
ahead will further explain this. Another instance where
precisely this subject is brought up is:
مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الْآخِرَةِ (7:38)
(we have not heard of this in this later period (38:7)).
وَقَالَ مُوْسٰی رَبِّيْ اَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ
جَآءَ بِالْهُدٰی مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَمَنْ تَكُوْنُ لَهُ عَاقِبَةُ
الدَّارِ اِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ- ٣٧
This is a future challenge thrown to them by Moses (sws): they
regarded him to be a fabricator, while the fact was that his
Lord knew who had come to them with His guidance and who were
intentionally denying; similarly, it was his Lord Who knew
those who would succeed in the Hereafter and those who would
end up as utter losers. In other words, Moses (sws) proclaimed
in a very eloquent and soft way that his companions, God
willing, would remain dominant and succeed and his opponents
would be humiliated and routed.
It is certain that those who deny the guidance sent by God are
unjust to themselves and such unjust people never succeed. It
is evident that a parallel sentence is suppressed. I have
explained it.
وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يٰاَيُّهَا الْمَلَاُ مَا
عَلِمْتُ لَكُمْ مِّنْ اِلٰهٍ غَيْرِیْ فَاَوْقِدْ لِیْ
يٰهَامٰنُ عَلَی الطِّيْنِ فَاجْعَلْ لِّیْ صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّیْ
اَطَّلِعُ اِلٰی اِلٰهِ مُوْسٰی وَاِنِّیْ لَاَظُنُّهُ مِنَ
الْكٰذِبِيْنَ- ٣٨
Haman has been mentioned earlier in the surah. It is evident
from here as well that he had the same status in the court of
the Pharaoh as a prime minister or at least a minister of
construction and development.
The expression اَوۡقِدۡ عَلَی الطِّیۡنِ
can mean to make a kiln of bricks and can also mean to build a
building of clay and heat it with fire. It is evident from a
study of history that a common way of construction in Nineveh
and Egypt was to build a house with mud and then strongly heat
it with flames. This created designs on the walls and
protected it from the effects of rain and wind.
The preposition اِلٰۤی in
لَّعَلِّیْ اَطَّلِعُ اِلٰی اِلٰهِ مُوْسٰی
indicates there exists a tadmin here. In other words, the
whole statement would be to the effect:
لَّعَلِّیۡۤ اَطَّلِعُ عَلی الصرح فانظرانی اله موسٰی (so
that I can peep at the building and look at the God of Moses).
Obviously, these words were meant to make fun of Moses (sws).
It is also evident from verse 47 of Surah al-Zukhruf that
these words were meant for this purpose.
The Pharaoh first addressed his courtiers by saying that he
did not know of the God of the worlds whose messenger Moses (sws)
was posing to be. He contended that he regarded himself alone
to be their deity. In other words, people were to be very
aware of this mischief worked by him. After this, he addressed
Haman and told him to make a kiln of bricks and make a tall
building so that he could climb on it and peep on the Lord of
Moses (sws) as to where He was sitting. He regarded this
person to be an absolute liar. It may be kept in mind that at
times autocrats and tyrants make fun in this way of absolutely
evident facts. Their blind followers construe this scoffing as
an argument in their favour and many foolish ones think that
there is truth in this. It may well be that the devotees of
the Pharaoh took this mocking comment seriously because they
regarded the Pharaoh to be an avatar of their Sun God. How can
it be difficult for an avatar to peep in the sides and borders
of the skies. In Surah al-Mu’min, the following statement of
the Pharaoh is cited: یٰهَامٰنُ ابۡنِ لِیۡ
صَرۡحًا لَّعَلِّیۡ اَبۡلُغُ الۡاَسۡبَابَ اَسۡبَابَ
السَّمٰوٰتِ (40: 36-37) (“O Haman! Build me a tower
that I may reach the borders – the borders of the heavens,”
(40: 36-37)). In this respect, it can be a scheme hatched by
him to befool the masses.
وَاسْتَكْبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُوْدُه فِي
الْاَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَظَنُّوْا اَنَّهُمْ اِلَيْنَا لَا
يُرْجَعُوْنَ- ٣٩
The expression بَغِيٌّ بِغِيْرِ الحَقِّ
has been explained at an appropriate place in this exegesis.
The meaning of اِسْتِكْبَارٌ بِغَيْرِ
الْحَقِّ (which occurs in this verse) is not different.
Only the One Who has created the heavens and the earth and Who
is administering them has the right to express greatness and
superiority. If they, who neither have any share in the
creation of the heavens and the earth nor in governing them,
show arrogance, then this only shows their baselessness. The
Creator of this universe does not give much respite to such
arrogance. It may be kept in mind that disobeying the law of
the real king of this world also amount to
اِسْتِكْبَارٌ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ and this is nothing but
following the example set by the Pharaoh.
The words وَ ظَنُّوۡۤا اَنَّهُمۡ اِلَیۡنَا
لَا یُرۡجَعُوۡنَ state the reason for this arrogance:
they thought that God would let them go without accountability
for their actions and that they would not return to Him for
it.
فَاَخَذْنٰهُ وَجُنُوْدَهُ فَنَبَذْنٰهُمْ
فِی الْيَمِّ فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ- ٤٠
This verse depicts the fate of their arrogance: God seized the
Pharaoh and his armies and threw them into the sea. The scheme
undertaken by God to seize them has been described in detail
in the previous surahs, in particular, Surah Taha. The words
فَانۡظُرۡ کَیۡفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ
الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ direct attention to the reality for which
this tale has been recounted. They sound an assurance to the
Prophet (sws) and remind and warn the arrogant Pharaohs of his
time who had adopted the same attitude with his message as the
one adopted by the Pharaoh and his chiefs and supporters about
Moses (sws).
وَجَعَلْنٰهُمْ اَئِمَّةً يَّدْعُوْنَ اِلَی
النَّارِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ لَا يُنْصَرُوْنَ-٤١
The word جَعَلۡنَا here encompasses
the meaning of اَمْهَلْنَا. Examples
of this usage can be seen in the earlier surahs. Also there
occurs a suppression of an incomplete verb before:
یَّدۡعُوۡنَ .
This verse further explains the arrogance of the people
alluded to in the previous verse: God gave them respite in
this world and they stuck to their task of becoming leaders
who would call others to Hell and on the Day of Judgement such
will be their plight that they will not receive help from
anywhere. All those who considered them their leaders in the
previous world will forsake them. Each person will be
engrossed in his own self. Neither will the leaders be of any
benefit to the followers nor will the followers be of any
avail to the leaders.
وَاَتْبَعْنٰهُمْ فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا
لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ هُمْ مِّنَ الْمَقْبُوْحِيْنَ-٤٢
The verse states the Almighty’s curse followed them in the
very world where they arrogantly led other people astray. In
the Hereafter too, they will be humiliated. The words used in
Surah Hud are:
فَاتَّبَعُوۡا
اَمۡرَ
فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَاۤ اَمۡرُ
فِرۡعَوۡنَ بِرَشِیۡدٍ.
یَقۡدُمُ
قَوۡمَهُ یَوۡمَ
الۡقِیٰمَةِ
فَاَوۡرَدَهُمُ
النَّارَ وَ بِئۡسَ الۡوِرۡدُ الۡمَوۡرُوۡدُ.
وَ اُتۡبِعُوۡا
فِیۡ هٰذِهِ
لَعۡنَةً وَّ
یَوۡمَ
الۡقِیٰمَةِ
بِئۡسَ الرِّفۡدُ الۡمَرۡفُوۡدُ.
(11: 97-99)
So, they followed the opinion of the Pharaoh and the opinion
of the Pharaoh was not correct. On the Day of Judgement, he
will be in front of his nation and will land them into the
Fire and how evil is this place of landing. And in this world
also a curse has been made to follow them and on the Day of
Judgement too. And what evil will be this reward that they
will get. (11:97-98)
وَلَقَدْ اٰتَيْنَا مُوْسَی الْكِتٰبَ مِنْ
بَعْدِ مَآ اَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُوْنَ الْاُوْلٰی بَصَآئِرَ
لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًی وَّرَحْمَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ-٤٣
Once the fate of the wrongdoers was depicted in the previous
verses, this verse mentions the blessings and reward of God on
the oppressed and which has been referred to in the beginning
of the anecdote in verse 5. It said that after killing the
previous nations, God gave the Book to Moses. The attribute of
this book was that it was an insight, guidance and mercy for
the people. It was an insight for the people because it
engendered various abilities in the mind and the heart and
also the capability to reflect and deliberate. The purpose was
to explain that it consisted of such verses and arguments
which would open the eyes. The expression
هُدًی وَّرَحْمَةً has been explained earlier that when
these two words occur together, they connote guidance (هُدًی)
in the beginning (referring to this worldly life) and connote
mercy (رَحۡمَةً) in the end
(referring to the next-worldly life).
It may be noted that if a nation is given the Book of God and
His shari‘ah, then it is tantamount to be given the political
and religious leadership of this world. However, this is
conditional to due value being given to this gift - God’s
book. The Israelites were the first to receive this gift. It
is evident from the words بَعۡدِ مَاۤ
اَهۡلَکۡنَا الۡقُرُوۡنَ الۡاُوۡلٰی that in the shape of
a formal book, this greatest gift of God was given foremost to
the Israelites by Moses (sws). However, they treated this Book
in a very contemptuous manner, the details of which have been
mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah.
وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِیِّ اِذْ
قَضَيْنَآ اِلٰی مُوْسَی الْاَمْرَ وَمَا كُنْتَ مِنَ
الشّٰهِدِيْنَ- ٤٤
At the end of this anecdote the last two verses are addressed
to the Prophet Muhammad (sws). They validate his prophethood
and the address is actually directed to the Jews and to the
Quraysh. It is stated that at the time Moses (sws) was given
the Book he was neither present on the western side of the
mount of Tur when the Almighty had informed Moses (sws) after
taking a decision nor was he present with those who at that
time stood waiting for the Torah at the base of the mountain.
The expression بِجَانِبِ الۡغَرۡبِیِّ
means بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ
الۡغَرۡبِیِّ .
In the expression قَضَیۡنَاۤ اِلٰی مُوۡسَی
الۡاَمۡرَ the word قَضَیۡنَاۤ
encompasses the meaning of عَهِدْنَا.
A similar usage is found in عَهِدۡنَاۤ
اِلٰۤی اِبۡرٰهِمَ
(125:2).
The word الشّٰهِدِیۡنَ in
وَ مَا کُنۡتَ مِنَ الشّٰهِدِیۡنَ
alludes to the nation of Moses (sws). This is a reference to
the time when Moses (sws) had left his people at the base of
the mountain and, in accordance with the divine directive, had
gone alone to receive the Torah. During this time, his nation
waited for his return and it is at this juncture that the
incident of the samiri took place. Details of all these
incidents are found in earlier surahs.
The purpose of mentioning all this is to drive home the fact
that at the time the Torah was given to Moses (sws), the
Prophet (sws) was neither present with Moses (sws) nor with
his nation, but he still knew this anecdote with details in
all their correctness? This was clear evidence to the fact
that God had informed him about this anecdote through divine
revelation and that he was God’s messenger.
It may be kept in mind that the detail and accuracy with which
the anecdote of Moses (sws) is mentioned in the Qur’an is not
found in this manner in the Torah. If one compares even the
part of the anecdote mentioned in this surah with the way it
is described in the Torah, one may come to realize that the
description of the Torah is totally incoherent and
interpolated, and is also devoid of the essential components
which form the essence of the anecdote. The question is, how
did the Prophet (sws) come to know of all these facts with
such accuracy and precision? If obduracy compels someone to
say that the source of the Prophet (sws) in this regard were
some People of the Book of his time, then this is
self-evidently wrong. If a person cites anecdotes and events
on the basis of hearsay and narrates them, then they have to
be in accordance with their general narration and not totally
against it. And he narrates them in such a manner that every
fair minded person cries out that the true version of the
incident is the one which the Qur’an has described and not the
one which is related in the Torah. But for a fear of a lack of
space I would have compared the two accounts and shown that
the real components of the anecdote in the Torah are either
missing or distorted. On the other hand, the Qur’an has
presented the essential components in such a logical and
coherent way that their wisdom sinks into the hearts of its
own accord.
وَلٰكِنَّآ اَنْشَاْنَا قُرُوْنًا
فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ وَمَا كُنْتَ ثَاوِيًا فِیْ
اَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُوْا عَلَيْهِمْ اٰيٰتِنَا وَلٰكِنَّا
كُنَّا مُرْسِلِيْنَ- ٤٥
The initial part of this verse is related to the previous one.
The sense of the discourse would be: You were not aware of
these events; but We made you aware of them; and this We did
because We produced many generations after Moses; a great time
lapsed and people forgot this book of Ours which was sent as
guidance and mercy; hence, it was essential that We revive
this guidance through you.
Here words to the effect فَنَسُوْاالذِّكرَ
(they forgot these events) are suppressed after:
فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَیۡهِمُ الۡعُمُرُ.
The words وَ مَا کُنۡتَ ثَاوِیًا فِیۡ
اَهۡلِ مَدۡیَنَ imply that just as the Prophet (sws)
was not present on the western side of the mount Tur when
Moses (sws) was being given the Torah, in a similar way, he
was not present in Madyan that he may have known the details
of what happened during the time Moses (sws) spent there and
what happened to the call of Shu‘ayb (sws) and the fate of his
nation. The Prophet (sws) was not aware of any of these
details but God made him aware of them. God’s purpose was to
make him His messenger, the way He made some others His
messengers earlier on. The style found in the words
کُنَّا مُرۡسِلِیۡنَ is the same as
one in (21: 17) كُنَّا فَاعِلِيْنَ.
This style expresses a certain decision and a strong will. The
addition of تَتۡلُوۡا عَلَیۡهِمۡ اٰیٰتِنَا
after اَهۡلِ مَدۡیَنَ alludes to the
anecdote of Shu‘ayb (sws) which has been mentioned in many
surahs of the Qur’an. The implication is that he was not
deputed to warn and deliver glad tidings to the people of that
area but God made him aware of its circumstances. This is a
very clear proof of the fact that God intended to assign the
same task to him as He assigned to messengers before him.
Unfortunate are the people who do not understand this.
وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّوْرِ اِذْ
نَادَيْنَا وَلٰكِنْ رَّحْمَةً مِّنْ رَّبِّكَ لِتُنْذِرَ
قَوْمًا مَّآ اَتٰىهُمْ مِّنْ نَّذِيْرٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ- ٤٦
The verse states that just as the Prophet (sws) was not
present at Madyan, he was not present at the side of the mount
Tur when God called upon Moses (sws). This is a reference to
the call mentioned in verse 30 earlier. The implication is
that he had no knowledge of all those events but God’s mercy
intended to make him a messenger. For this reason, the events
were brought to his knowledge. These are very clear proofs of
his prophethood. Before the word رَحۡمَةً
a verb to the effect رْسَلْنَاكَاَ
is suppressed.
This is a reference to the purpose of sending Muhammad (sws):
God has made all this arrangement to warn people to whom no
warner had come earlier so that that they be reminded. This is
a reference to the Ishmaelites. They were not conversant with
the Book of God and His shari‘ah. No messenger had come to
them before Muhammad (sws). In accordance with the prayer of
Abraham (sws) the details of which can be seen in the earlier
surahs, the Almighty sent him to them for their guidance. He
was someone who belonged to them.
The implication is that this is a great mercy that they have
encountered if they duly value it. Concealed in this is also
the fact that if they do not duly value it, then it can also
become a great calamity for them. The established practice of
God is that if a nation does not mend its ways after it is
warned by a warner sent by Him, it is destroyed.
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