وَ لَقَدۡ
مَنَنَّا عَلَیۡكَ مَرَّةً اُخۡرٰۤی (37) اِذۡ اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ
اِلٰۤی اُمِّكَ مَا یُوۡحٰۤی (38) اَنِ اقۡذِفِیۡهِ فِی
التَّابُوۡتِ فَاقۡذِفِیۡهِ فِی الۡیَمِّ فَلۡیُلۡقِهِ الۡیَمُّ
بِالسَّاحِلِ یَاۡخُذۡهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّیۡ وَ عَدُوٌّ لَّهُ
وَ اَلۡقَیۡتُ عَلَیۡكَ مَحَبَّةً مِّنِّیۡ وَ لِتُصۡنَعَ
عَلٰی عَیۡنِیۡ (39)
In order to allay the apprehensions of
Moses (sws), just as the Qur’an has given him glad tidings of
the acceptance of his prayer, similarly he is reminded of
another favour of God at this juncture: when he was born,
there was a grave danger that the heinous scheme
of killing the male offspring of the Israelites chalked out by
the Pharaoh would also put him in harms way. At that time, not
only did God protect Moses (sws) through His power and wisdom
but in fact made the Pharaoh bring him up. The purpose of this
reminder is that he should not fear the Pharaoh from whom God
protected him in such a profound way. He is with him.
The words اِذۡ
اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلٰۤی اُمِّكَ مَا یُوۡحٰۤی
refer to the fact that the scheme made by God to protect Moses
(sws) revealed to his mother was the same as was being
revealed to him. The purpose is to make evident to him that he
has received many great favours in the past. Though he must
have had some broad knowledge of this incident through his
mother, yet how exactly it was divinely planned must have
become known to him through revelation. The words
مَا یُوۡحٰۤی is
referring to this aspect.
The nature of divine revelation received by
Moses’ mother was obviously of the nature of an inspiration
and a brainwave. In other words, the Almighty instilled it in
her heart and she became sure that it was from God.
اَنِ اقۡذِفِیۡهِ فِی التَّابُوۡتِ
فَاقۡذِفِیۡهِ فِی الۡیَمِّ فَلۡیُلۡقِهِ الۡیَمُّ
were words of revelation that were sent to her. It is evident
from Exodus (2:2-6) that when Moses (sws) was born the scheme
of killing the male offspring of the Israelites was in full
swing. His mother at first hid him from those oppressive
elements. According to the Torah, this period was 3 months.
However, she continuously feared his safety. According to the
Torah, she finally made a basket from canes and placed it near
the river shore under a shelter thinking that he may be seen
by some sympathetic person. On the other hand, the Qur’an
states that God inspired her to put the child in a small trunk
and place it in the river and not worry for He would have the
child returned to her and make him His messenger. Obviously,
the account of the Qur’an is more logical. Without divine
indication, how could she have the courage to take this such a
step? Even after divine indication, one can only imagine what
went through her mind. However, since through divine
indication God had assured her that He would protect the
child, she took this bold step. In verse 7 of Surah al-Qasas,
this divine indication is explained thus:
فَاِذَا خِفۡتِ عَلَیۡهِ فَاَلۡقِیۡهِ فِی
الۡیَمِّ وَ لَا تَخَافِیۡ وَ لَا تَحۡزَنِیۡ ۚ اِنَّا
رَآدُّوۡهُ اِلَیۡكِ وَ جَاعِلُوۡهُ مِنَ الۡمُرۡسَلِیۡنَ.
The details of what Moses’ mother felt can
be seen in the tafseer of Surah al- al-Qasas.
The words
فَلۡیُلۡقِهِ الۡیَمُّ بِالسَّاحِلِ یَاۡخُذۡهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّیۡ وَ
عَدُوٌّ لَّهُ are not part of the
divine revelation sent to her. Had this been the case, they
would have been grammatically an answer to a command. The
ل on
فَلۡیُلۡقِهِ
is that of a command (and not an answer to a command). For
this reason, it is structured in this format. Those who have
translated it as an answer to a command are mistaken. Its
literal meaning would be “so, let the sea cast it on the
shore.” Thus, on the one hand, the Almighty sent a revelation
to Moses’ mother to put him in a trunk and place the trunk in
the river and, on the other hand, ordered the river to cast it
on the shore so that one who was God’s enemy and also that of
the child picked it up.
To put it another way, God has expressed how He showed favour
to Moses (sws) through His might, majesty and wisdom. It was
His planning that the Pharaoh who was both His own enemy and
that of Moses (sws) be responsible for his upbringing. The
Pharaoh was God’s enemy because he himself claimed divinity
and how could He tolerate someone else with him in this
matter? Details of the Pharaoh’s enmity with Moses (sws) have
been mentioned earlier. Not only this, the greatest
manifestation of God’s planning was that Moses (sws) was
nourished and brought up by someone who was his greatest enemy
and that of his nation. Thus, by his very hands, the Pharaoh
called for his own doom, to save himself from which he had
undertaken several measures.
The words وَ اَلۡقَیۡتُ عَلَیۡكَ مَحَبَّةً
مِّنِّیۡ depict the divine scheme God chalked out to
endear Moses (sws) to their common enemy. As it is, every
child is adorable. Every upright person feels affection as
soon as he sees one. It is evident from the Torah
that Moses (sws) was extra-ordinarily cute. And then God
Himself cast the reflection of love on him.
Who can imagine the cuteness of a child who has been blessed
with charm from God. When such an adorable and innocent
looking child is seen all alone in a cane basket meandering in
the waves of a river, who will not tremble at this sight? The
Pharaoh was only the Pharaoh! Not a stone! It thus happened
that the Pharaoh and his wife wandered off for a walk on the
shores of the Nile. They saw that basket. When they saw a
child in it, they thought that it must be of the Israelites;
his apprehensive parents, fearing his death, must have
consigned him to the waves of the river; they must have
chanced their luck expecting the child to stay safe. Seeing
the child created waves of sympathy in them. And it was the
Pharaoh’s wife
who was more inclined in this regard. Women by nature are
tender-hearted towards children. It is evident from verse 11
of Surah Tahrim that the Pharaoh’s wife was very soft and
kind. Nevertheless, this divine scheme made Moses (sws) reach
the palace of the Pharaoh fearing whom his mother had
consigned him to the waves.
The co-ordinated clause of وَلِتُصْنَعَ
عَلٰي عَيْنِيْis suppressed due to
concomitant indications. Many examples of this style can be
seen in the earlier surahs. If the whole sentence is gauged,
the sense would be: “We cast Our reflection of love on you so
that even your enemies adore you and so that you are brought
up before My eyes.” It was obviously this reflection which
became a guardian of Moses (sws). This guardian protected him
in such a way that not only he had no fear from someone who
was after his life, that enemy became infatuated with him. It
is this guardian of love that God has called “My eyes” in
لِتُصْنَعَ عَلٰي عَيْنِيْ.
In other words, by casting His reflection of love on him, God
protected Moses (sws).
اِذۡ تَمۡشِیۡ اُخۡتُكَ فَتَقُوۡلُ هَلۡ
اَدُلُّکُمۡ عَلٰی مَنۡ یَّکۡفُلُهُ
فَرَجَعۡنٰكَ اِلٰۤی اُمِّكَ کَیۡ تَقَرَّ عَیۡنُهَا وَ
لَا تَحۡزَنَ وَ قَتَلۡتَ نَفۡسًا فَنَجَّیۡنٰكَ مِنَ الۡغَمِّ
وَ فَتَنّٰكَ فُتُوۡنًا فَلَبِثۡتَ سِنِیۡنَ فِیۡ اَهۡلِ
مَدۡیَنَ ثُمَّ جِئۡتَ عَلٰی قَدَرٍ یّٰمُوۡسٰی (40)
A large part of the account of Moses (sws)
has been covered in this verse. Things that did not need a
reminder are suppressed here and only a few others have been
broadly expressed here and then the whole discourse connects
to the main topic.
First, the scheme which the Almighty
adopted to restore Moses (sws) to his mother after he had been
consigned to the river is alluded to. Earlier verse 7 of Surah
al-Qasas was referred to. It was stated that when God directed
Moses’ mother to place him in the river, He also told her that
soon He would have him returned to her. In the verses under
discussion, this is only referred to, but in verses 9-13,
details are mentioned thus: When the Pharaoh’s wife saw the
child, she told the Pharaoh that the boy was adorable and that
he should not have him killed; he would soothe the eyes of
both and they could adopt him and gain benefit. On the other
hand, though Moses’ (sws) mother had consigned the boy to the
sea at the intimation of the Almighty yet, grief and worry
were killing her. She asked Moses’ (sws) sister to keep an eye
on the box. So she kept track of it secretly. Ultimately, she
came to know that it had reached near the palace of the
Pharaoh and there the waves had expelled it on the shore. She
reached the palace and saw that a wet nurse was trying to feed
him but he was not willing to put his mouth to her breasts.
She then gave a suggestion to the Pharaoh’s wife that she
could inform them of a household who would fully take care of
the child and look after him with love. Since the Pharaoh and
his wife were already worried on Moses (sws) not drinking
milk, the suggestion was accepted and in this manner Moses (sws)
returned to his mother’s lap.
In the Torah, this incident is mentioned in
the following words:
Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter,
“Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby
for you?” “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got
the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this
baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman
took the baby and nursed him. (Exodus, 2:7-9)
The difference in the accounts of the Torah
and the Qur’an does not need any comment. Every sensible
person can see that the Qur’an’s account is more logical as
well as natural.
Indefinite tenses are used in
اِذۡ تَمۡشِیۡ اُخۡتُكَ فَتَقُوۡلُ.
This makes me repeatedly think Moses’ sister had to go to the
Pharaoh’s wife many times in order to satisfy her. It was only
then that she was able to convince her. In this way, Moses (sws)
was returned to his mother and her fears were put to rest. I
have tried to do justice to the translation by keeping in view
these indefinite tenses and the fact that incomplete verbs are
suppressed before them. If the translation does not fully
convey this meaning, then the fault is entirely mine.
Consider next the last part:
وَ قَتَلۡتَ نَفۡسًا فَنَجَّیۡنٰكَ مِنَ
الۡغَمِّ وَ فَتَنّٰكَ فُتُوۡنًا فَلَبِثۡتَ سِنِیۡنَ فِیۡۤ
اَهۡلِ مَدۡیَنَ ثُمَّ جِئۡتَ عَلٰی قَدَرٍ یّٰمُوۡسٰی.
Among the things that happened to Moses (sws) after being
picked from the river until his adolescence, only the incident
of his killing a Copt and his stay in Madyan are referred to
here. This reference too is for the same reason as the above
mentioned incident : to give solace and satisfaction to Moses
(sws) that the Lord Who has helped him in such precarious
situations and adverse circumstances will help him in his
future struggles also. Here since only a brief reference is
made, I will present details in my own words in the light of
what is mentioned in Surah al-Qasas. For explanation of the
words and verses, its tafsir can be looked up.
Consider verses 14-19 of that surah. The
whole incident can be understood from these verses thus:
When Moses (sws) reached the age of mental
maturity, he was deeply perturbed at the oppression to which
his nation was subjected. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt
and for this reason a separate settlement was allocated for
them. They only went to the city for service and labour
without compensation and there they were badly beaten and
humiliated by their Coptic masters. All this had a very
telling effect on the sense of honour of Moses (sws), and at
times he would forcefully defend his people. The followers of
the Pharaoh feared that if the Israelites had an effective
leader, they would gain courage and become a danger for their
own leadership. For this reason, they became enemies of Moses
(sws) and it is quite probable that those at the helm of
affairs debarred him from entering the city. However, Moses (sws)
would secretly go to the city to remain aware of the
circumstances of his people. On one such occasion when he
secretly entered the city, he saw an Israelite and a Copt
engaged in a brawl. The Israelite called Moses (sws) for help.
His call stirred his emotions and he tried to help him. At
this, the Copt turned on him. Moses (sws) was a strong person.
He threw a punch at him and it was such a mighty blow that the
Copt died on the spot.
Moses (sws) was very disturbed at this
incident. The killing was entirely unintentional on his part
and he regarded himself to be accountable before God for this.
Thus, he immediately repented and God forgave him. Upon
receiving this favour from God, Moses (sws) promised himself
that in future he would never defend criminals. Next day when
he again furtively entered the city, the same Israelite once
again asked for his help. Once more he was fighting and this
time with another Israelite. As soon as he saw Moses (sws), he
asked for his help but Moses (sws) scolded him and called him
a mischievous individual. However, he advanced forward to
reconcile the two. The Israelite thought that he had made some
mistake and that Moses (sws) actually had advanced to grab
him. He feared that this time he would receive a fatal punch.
So, he cried out telling Moses (sws) that on the previous day
he had taken a life and now he was after his life. This is not
what reformers did, he contended; it seemed that Moses (sws)
wanted to be a tyrant in the land.
It thus became evident to Moses (sws) that
the killing of the Copt was no longer a secret. Then it
further happened that a person came running from the far side
of the city and informed Moses (sws) that the rulers were
plotting to kill him and sincerely advised him to leave the
city.
At that time, Moses (sws) prayed to God to
save him from the evil of the devil and reposing trust in Him
set off for Madyan. When he reached, he sat at one of its
wells or fountains for some time. There he saw a bunch of
shepherds watering their flocks and also two women who were
waiting for their turn. Moses (sws) felt concern for them and
asked them of the ordeal they were facing and why they were
standing behind with their herd. They replied that their
father had grown very old and as a result they had to tend
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 unless they left with their
herds it was not possible for them to provide water to their
flock. After listening to their tale, sentiments of sympathy
arose in Moses (sws). He got up and made their flocks drink
water and once he had done this job, he turned back and sat in
the shadow of a tree. He then prayed to God: “God whatever you
send down to me at this time, I am in need of it.”
Both these women were daughters of Shu‘ayb
(sws). After a while, 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 herd drink
water. Moses (sws) then came to Shu‘ayb and narrated his whole
story to him. Shu‘ayb assured him and allayed his fears: God
had actually saved him from the unjust.
One of his daughters requested her father
to hire Moses (sws) as a helping hand since he was a strong
and trustworthy person and would prove to be fit for the task
at hand.
Shu‘ayb offered the hand of one of his
daughters to Moses (sws) on the condition that he work for him
for eight years and if it pleased Moses (sws) he could
increase this 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.
Moses (sws) accepted both the proposal and
the condition. He replied that whichever of these two periods
he was able to fulfil should be left to his discretion and he
should not be pressurized regarding this. God was a witness to
this covenant.
After completing the promised time, Moses (sws)
left with his family for Egypt. When they reached the mount of
Tur, he saw the reflection observing which he set off to get
some embers of fire. He ended up being appointed a messenger
of God.
The reason all this detail has been
presented from Surah al-Qasas is that it has been rather
concisely covered in the verses of Surah Taha under
discussion. In the absence of this detail, these verses cannot
be fully understood.
Let us now reflect on the components of the
verse.
وَ قَتَلۡتَ
نَفۡسًا فَنَجَّیۡنٰكَ مِنَ الۡغَمِّ:
The circumstances in which the incident of the killing of the
Copt took place have been discussed earlier. Neither had Moses
(sws) any intention of killing him nor did he have any other
sentiment except helping an oppressed person. This in itself
is a very commendable thing which is found in every upright
and decent individual. For this reason, whatever Moses (sws)
did was in itself correct but the will of God was such that
his blow became fatal. He knew that though the killing was
unintentional but such was the gravity of the matter that he
could be held accountable by God. This made him very
sorrowful. A God-fearing person never gives himself allowance;
he holds himself accountable even in things in which he can
find an excuse if he wants. Moses (sws) did not have any
tribal bias either. Thus it is possible that the person he had
helped regarding him to be oppressed might himself be the
oppressor. Thus, in the details mentioned earlier it can be
seen that when the next day Moses (sws) saw that Israelite
fighting with another Copt and asking for this help, he
scolded him saying that he was a mischievous person. If Moses
(sws) had any prejudice for his people, he would have felt
proud that he had accomplished a great feat for his nation,
let alone be sorrowful. Thus, this too could not have been a
source of assurance for him. For this reason, he was sad on
this incident and sought forgiveness from his Lord. God
forgave him and this forgiveness relieved him of his grief.
In my opinion, if fear of revenge from the
rulers was part of this grief, it was to the extent that he
thought that they were very oppressive and no justice could be
expected of them. Had the government of these rulers been a
just one, Moses (sws) would have presented the whole case
before them and would have obeyed their verdict. However,
consigning one’s self to the despotic rule of the Pharaoh was
tantamount to suicide. Obviously, this state of affairs must
also have been a source of sorrow for Moses (sws). To relieve
himself of this sorrow, he ultimately left his homeland and
went off to Madyan.
It has been explained at numerous instances
in this exegesis that if prophets of God commit any sin
whether before their ministry or after it, it is never because
they follow any evil intent; it is because they exceed limits
in following or seeking the truth. This in itself is not a
sin. However, since they are a benchmark of the truth, God
checks them on such occasions so that any imbalance is set
right. This mistake of Moses (sws) was in fact an act of
virtue. However, as just mentioned, even if an act of virtue
exceeds limits, it is checked at times – especially in the
case of prophets of God.
Consider next the phrase:
وَفَتَنّٰكَ فُتُوۡنًا.فتن
فتونا means to try and test. When a
goldsmith purifies gold, this word is also used to refer to
it. The same word is used by the Almighty for trials and
tribulations to which Moses (sws) was subjected and tested
thereby. The purpose was to fully prepare him for the mission
he would be entrusted with. The extent of the tough life he
was used to in Egypt and the precarious circumstances in which
he migrated from there can be gauged from details referred to
earlier. Even when in Madyan, he became a shepherd for
Shu‘ayb’s herd for eight or ten years. It was while returning
from Madyan that he suddenly was made a messenger of God.
After that the trying circumstances he faced can be read in
Surah al-A‘raf, in the current surah, in Surah Qasas and in
other surahs as well. In short, right from his birth to his
last breath, he passed through continuous trials with each
being more intense than the previous one.
Regarding these trials, one needs to keep
in mind that they are essential for the training and
instruction of people. It is through them that the higher
qualities found in them are polished further. Thus, trials
must not be avoided. He who is struck with fear because of his
enemy and runs off is like one who runs off from his own
training. If there is any cause for fear, it is not the trial
but that one may fail in it.
These trials do not come merely through
hardships; they also happen through favours and blessings. In
trials of the former type, God wants to inculcate patience in
a person and in trials of the latter type, God wants to
engender gratitude in a person. And it is on patience and
gratitude that all noble attributes are based. It is through
the perfection of these two attributes that a person can
achieve the bliss of being a satisfied soul in this world. And
the consequence of this bliss is the eternal bliss of
hereafter which the Qur’an calls
رَاضِيّةً مَرْضِيَّةً.
A subtle question regarding the wisdom of
the Qur’an is that amongst the trials of patience and
gratitude, which one is more difficult. Sages have different
views on this matter. My own inclination in the light of the
Qur’an is that the trial of gratitude is tougher. The
percentage of people who pass this trial is very little. There
are some who show perseverance in the wake of hardships and
succeed but there are few who remain on the straight path even
after being blessed with favours. Verse 18 of Surah Saba
points to this: وَ قَلِيْلٌ مِنْ
عِبَاديَ الشَّكُورُ (very few are My
servants who are grateful).
This too should be kept in mind that the higher the status God
wants to grant someone, the more and the harder will be his
trials. Thus one is horrified to read about the trials which
prophets of God have faced. Other people cannot even imagine
enduring these trials.
The real thing to fear in these trials is not the fear of
facing them; there are other things that need to be feared.
Firstly, as pointed out earlier, a person should fear failing
a trial. Secondly, what is to be feared even more is that he
is relieved of trials. The reason is that it is an established
practice of God that a person who repeatedly fails is at times
relieved from His trials. In the terminology of the Qur’an,
this is called imhal (respite to do evil). This is the
greatest punishment that can be given to a person or a nation
from God. After that all doors of hope are shut.
The words فَلَبِثۡتَ سِنِیۡنَ فِیۡۤ اَهۡلِ
مَدۡیَنَ do not specify the number of years Moses (sws)
lived in Madyan. However, with reference to the details
presented earlier in the light of Surah al-Qasas, it is
evident that in accordance with the covenant he made, the
minimum number of years he must have spent there was eight and
the maximum must have been ten. What is apparently known is
that during this time he was a shepherd to Shu‘ayb’s herd.
After alluding to all the incidents mentioned earlier, it was
stated: ثُمَّ جِئۡتَ عَلٰی قَدَرٍ
یّٰمُوۡسٰی. In other words, whatever happened was
according to God’s plan after passing through various phases,
he reached exactly the place where he was appointed a
messenger. The implication is that the God Who has protected
him in all phases of his life from birth until that time and
had all his missions fulfilled through their mutual enemy will
create opportunities for him and provide resources.
وَ اصۡطَنَعۡتُكَ
لِنَفۡسِیۡ (41)
The word
اِصۡطَنَاع means “train someone for
a specific objective.” The implication is that if God made him
pass through many trials, it was to train for him a special
task. Now this special task is being assigned to him. He
should carry it out trusting God.
اِذۡهَبۡ اَنۡتَ وَ
اَخُوۡكَ بِاٰیٰتِیۡ وَ لَا تَنِیَا فِیۡ ذِکۡرِیۡ (42)
The directive mentioned in verse 24 earlier
is repeated here. The verses in between were meant to provide
reassurance to Moses (sws). After giving him glad tidings of
acceptance of his supplication and reminding him of the past
blessings he had received, it is stated that he and his
brother should go to warn the Pharaoh. Earlier on Moses (sws)
alone was given this directive but now Aaron (sws) was also
included in it because he was also made a messenger at Moses’
request.
The words وَ لَا
تَنِیَا فِیۡ ذِکۡرِیۡ are a further
emphasis on the directive given in verse 14. In other words,
they should not show negligence in remembering God. It has
already been stated under verse 34 that remembering God here
means both through the prayer and through preaching. Every
task of a prophet constitutes God’s remembrance. When he
prays, he in fact receives strength from God for reminding
people. The actual fountainhead of true preaching is God. It
is through this source that he receives spiritual fodder. If
the relationship with this source weakens, the preaching
mission of the prophet loses its vigour and if the
relationship with it is completely severed, this preaching
mission becomes a tool in the hands of Satan even though the
name of God may be taken in it.
اِذۡهَبَاۤ اِلٰی
فِرۡعَوۡنَ اِنَّهُ طَغٰی (43)
Details of the Pharaoh’s tyranny have been
mentioned under verse 24. Here it needs to be considered that
both Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws) are addressed. Thus this
directive was necessarily given later when Moses (sws) had
reached Egypt because in the valley of Tuwa Aaron (sws) was
not alongside him.
فَقُوۡلَا لَهُ قَوۡلًا
لَّیِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُ یَتَذَکَّرُ اَوۡ یَخۡشٰی (44)
This directive was not given merely because
Moses (sws) was not going to the Pharaoh as a helpless
Israelite but as an envoy of God and he also had the staff in
his hand, but because softness is the nature of every
preaching effort. Prophets of God are sent to educate and
reform people; hence their preaching and warning has the
element of the affection of a teacher and the sympathy of a
well-wisher. There is no knowledge of any prophet imposing
himself on people. Even in the toughest of circumstances their
style of address and manner of response is very soft,
effective and sympathetic. Imposing one’s self in an arrogant
way is the trait of leaders who have become slaves of this
world. It is actually the basis of the satanic propaganda of
current times.
The words
لَعَلَّهُ یَتَذَکَّرُ اَوۡ یَخۡشٰی
express the purpose of the teaching and preaching of prophets:
reminding people and making them fear God. Those who have the
trait of indifference in them awaken from their slumber as
soon as a prophet reminds them. It is as if they had lost
their way. As soon as they are guided, they return to the
right path. There are others who have gone a little too
astray. If such people have the ability to accept faith, they
return to the right path when they are warned by a prophet.
Here the first of these words (یَتَذَکَّرُ)
refers to the first category of people and the second (یَخۡشٰی)
to the second.
قَالَا رَبَّنَاۤ
اِنَّنَا نَخَافُ اَنۡ یَّفۡرُطَ عَلَیۡنَاۤ اَوۡ اَنۡ یَّطۡغٰی
(45)
The preposition
عَلٰي is used after
يَفْرُطَ. This
incorporates the meaning of “launching a hasty onslaught
against someone,” in the expression. The implication is that
given the fact that the Pharaoh is already annoyed he is not
likely to allow them to even begin any conversation. He will
either kill them before they speak or make a plan to do so or
will become even more rebellious.
In the supplication depicted in this verse,
both Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws) have together made the
request. As referred to earlier under verse 43, this is an
indication of the fact that these directives were given after
he had reached Egypt when Aaron (sws) had joined him.
قَالَ لَا تَخَافَاۤ
اِنَّنِیۡ مَعَکُمَاۤ اَسۡمَعُ وَ اَرٰی (46)
The detail concealed in the words “I am
with you” does not need elaboration and the splendour and
grandeur in “hearing and seeing everything” also does not need
any explanation. When God is with them hearing and seeing all
and it is He Who is sending them on a new mission, there is no
need to fear even if everyone in the world becomes their
enemy.
فَاۡتِیٰهُ فَقُوۡلَاۤ
اِنَّا رَسُوۡلَا رَبِّكَ فَاَرۡسِلۡ مَعَنَا بَنِیۡۤ
اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ وَ لَا تُعَذِّبۡهُمۡ
قَدۡ جِئۡنٰكَ بِاٰیَةٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّكَ
وَ السَّلٰمُ عَلٰی مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الۡهُدٰی (47)
The status of Moses (sws) was that of a
messenger and Aaron (sws) that of a prophet. Here both are
called messengers because it is like addressing the dominant
element (‘ala sabil al-taghlib).
The words “so let the Israelites go with
us” have been elucidated under verses 104-105 of Surah al-A‘raf.
There it has been explained where Moses (sws) wanted to take
the Israelites. This also refutes the view of people who think
that Moses (sws) was a nationalist leader and his endeavours
were more of a movement for freedom.
The word اٰیَة
in قَدۡ
جِئۡنٰكَ بِاٰیَةٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّكَ
means argument and reason regardless of number. In verse 105
of Surah al-A‘raf, it is similarly said:
قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِبَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ
(I have come to you with a clear
argument from your Lord). The reason for giving Moses (sws)
miracles in the very first phase has already been discussed
earlier. The circumstances in which he showed the Pharaoh
these miracles forthwith has also been explained.
The words “And peace is on them who follow
the guidance” depict the sincerity and sympathy which is a
hallmark of the preaching of prophets and which has been
instructed to be adopted in verse 44 earlier. At the same
time, they also constitute a very subtle warning. The
implication is that uptill then whatever the Pharaoh did
belonged to the past but now that guidance has come to them
through God’s messengers, the way to peace is to adopt the
straight path or else get ready to face the consequences.
اِنَّا قَدۡ اُوۡحِیَ
اِلَیۡنَاۤ اَنَّ الۡعَذَابَ عَلٰی مَنۡ کَذَّبَ وَ تَوَلّٰی
(48)
This verse explains the previous one.
A reflection on it reveals many subtle
points:
Firstly, Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws) did
not forcefully impose any punishment themselves on the Pharaoh
the way common leaders do. They only informed him of the
divine revelation they had received from God that those who
reject and turn away from it are visited by God’s torment.
Obviously, they adopted this method not to give the Pharaoh
any pretext of anger from their own selves.
Secondly, they did not address the Pharaoh
and say that if he denied and turned away, then he would be
struck by a torment. On the contrary, they used general words
and said that he who did that would meet a certain fate. They
adopted this style so that what was meant to be communicated
to the Pharaoh reached his ears and his ego was also not hurt.
Thirdly, the objects of both verbs
كَذَّبَ and
تَوَلّٰي
are suppressed. It was not said that those who rejected their
prophethood and turned away from the guidance brought by them
would be visited by a torment. This is because all this was
understood and by expressing it would have again been a blow
to his ego.
قَالَ فَمَنۡ
رَّبُّکُمَا یٰمُوۡسٰی (49)
Concomitant indications show that what
transpired after the previous directive is suppressed before
this verse. Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws) took the message they
were supposed to deliver to the Pharaoh and also communicated
it to him. After this, the Pharaoh responded with the query
mentioned in this verse. His implication was that since he
himself was the Lord, whose messengers were they? I have
already explained in Surah al-A‘ra#f that the Pharaoh was
considered as the God-King in Egypt. He was regarded as the
avatar of the sun who was considered as their greatest deity.
On this basis, his idols and statues were worshipped all over
Egypt.
The question posed by the Pharaoh was
sarcastic in nature. He could not be unaware of the fact that
in spite of claiming to be God, the Israelites in spite of
being his slaves did not regard him to be so. However, until
then, the status of the God of the Israelites was that of a
dead God whose name was probably pronounced in their homes but
He had no relationship with their practical affairs. Such
affairs were controlled by the Pharaoh as their God. It was
for the first time that both these prophets presented God as a
living being before the Pharaoh. Not only did they present him
in this manner, but also put forth some important requirements
before him on God’s behalf and that too with an element of
warning. Obviously, the Pharaoh was not aware of this living
God of the Israelites. Hence he found this warning to be
rather strange and so he disparagingly asked the question
cited in the verse. This is also evident from its parallel
mention in the Torah:
Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I
should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and
I will not let Israel go.” (Exodus, 5:2)
قَالَ رَبُّنَا
الَّذِیۡ اَعۡطٰی کُلَّ شَیۡءٍ خَلۡقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدٰی (50)
The detail found in the brevity of this
verse is that everything has a specific form and structure
with regard to its purpose of existence and also possesses
guidance from its instincts to fulfil this purpose. To fulfil
the purpose for which a honey bee has been created, the
Almighty has placed all the necessary abilities and powers in
its tiny form. Moreover, He has also guided its instinct
regarding the usage of these abilities and gather honey for
itself. Same is the case with the smallest and the biggest
object of this universe. An ant, an insect, a spider, a goat,
a lion all have been given a specific physical form by God as
well as guidance to their instincts in accordance with their
needs. All of them have been guided by God regarding the
nature of their sustenance and the way to obtain it, the way
they should procreate, the manner in which they should protect
their species, the elements they should protect themselves
from, the things they should adopt and the role they should
play in collectively serving this universe.
Who has inspired the nightingale to chant,
the parrots to sing and the cuckoo to chirp? ——obviously,
their creator. So that creator is their Lord and of everyone.
The blessings of God are not merely
confined to living beings. The way the plants and flowers of
the orchards blossom forth, the manner in which violets,
irises, roses, cypress and pine trees bloom, the amazing sight
of apples, pomegranates and grapes – who has given them such
form and shape? Who can claim to have created even one of
these things or say that he has given the apple its
distinctive taste and acacia trees their distinctive features.
Who creates individual colours and odours, separate boons and
benefits of every plant of an orchard, every type of grass of
a piece of land and every bush of a forest? Whoever has, is
surely the Lord and not every idiot who wears a crown and
claims to have a share in the sovereignty of God.
Not only the earth, we can take a look at
the sky. Who has created the sun, the moon, the galaxies, the
rainbows, the sky, the clouds and the air and who has guided
them to discharge their duties? It is the Lord surely. It is
easy to become an avatar of the sun but who can make the sun
appear a minute before its scheduled time or to disappear a
minute after its appointed time?
Human beings are the best of God’s creation
on this earth. They have been given the best form and also
been blessed with very great abilities. Yet neither has anyone
a share in a person’s creation nor the abilities he has. It is
God Who has blessed him with hands, feet, nose, ears and eyes
as well as instinct, intellect and cognizance. It is because
of these abilities that it is easy for him to equally access
the land, sea and mountains. People sail across the sea and
fly overhead. Not only can they access the farthest areas and
nooks and corners of the earth but also the moon and planets
like Mars. Human beings control electricity and harness the
atom. In spite of all this, they should not be in the
slightest doubt that all this is a product of their own
potential and ability. A person who is under this
misconception is a fool. All these marvels are the result of
God-given intellect. As a result of this human beings have
been able to discover some physical laws and land on the moon
and Mars. If they are able to discover some laws because of
the intellect given to them by God and are able to reach new
heights as a result, they should not become so arrogant as to
challenge God and His kingdom.
The answer given by Moses (sws) was very
precise and brief but it contained great details. Though the
words were very soft, his answer cornered the Pharaoh. In very
comprehensive words, Moses (sws) explained to him that the
only being that can claim to be his God is one who created and
guided, neither of which was done by him. Then how has he
become the Lord? In verses 1-3 of Surah al-A‘la’, this fact is
stated thus: وَ الَّذِیۡ قَدَّرَ
فَهَدٰی الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ فَسَوّٰی سَبِّحِ اسۡمَ رَبِّكَ
الۡاَعۡلَی (Glorify the name of your
Lord! The Most High, Who made a sketch and then perfected it,
and Who imparted potential, and then gave guidance).
In reality, human intellect and nature are
sufficient to conclusively convey the truth to human beings.
Thus in verses 14-15 of Surah al-Qiyamah, it is stated:
وَّ لَوۡ اَلۡقٰی مَعَاذِیۡرَہٗ بَلِ
الۡاِنۡسَانُ عَلٰی نَفۡسِهِ بَصِیۡرَةٌ
(in fact, he himself is a witness upon his
own self however much he may put up excuses).
It is God’s further blessing that He has
also sent His messengers and books to guide mankind.
قَالَ فَمَا بَالُ
الۡقُرُوۡنِ الۡاُوۡلٰی (51)
This question by the Pharaoh is replete
with sarcasm. The implication is that if Moses (sws) has come
from his lord, he must be aware of the circumstances of the
previous nations and hence can narrate them to him. It should
be kept in mind that megalomaniacs and arrogant individuals
try to do away with the impact of serious facts by raising
such irrelevant questions and through this tactic try to
maintain their own impact on their blind followers.
قَالَ عِلۡمُهَا عِنۡدَ
رَبِّیۡ فِیۡ کِتٰبٍ
لَا یَضِلُّ رَبِّیۡ وَ لَا یَنۡسَی (52)
Though the Pharaoh’s answer was irrelevant
and humiliating too, Moses (sws) not only gave a very solemn
answer, he also seized the opportunity to deliver some wise
words. The word کِتٰب
is undefined to magnify it. The implication is that no one
should think that this register is an ordinary one; it
contains every minute detail and when it is opened, everyone
will cry out: مَالِ هَذَا الۡکِتٰبِ
لَا یُغَادِرُ
صَغِیۡرةً
وَّ لَا کَبِیۡرَةً
اِلَّاۤ اَحۡصٰهَا
(strange is this register; it has not left out any
small or big thing from preserving it, 18:49).
The second part of the verse implies that
the Almighty neither makes a mistake nor forgets. It is not
possible that anything not come into His knowledge or does so
in a distorted form or get erased. Moses (sws) could have
answered the Pharaoh by showing his displeasure on the
irrelevant question. He could have said that he was God’s
messenger and had never claimed to have past knowledge.
However, instead of replying in this manner, he very
eloquently said that though he himself does not have the
knowledge of everything, His Lord has accurate information of
everything. No one should be under the misconception that
there is no record of nations which have vanished from the
face of the earth: each and every detail is fully preserved in
God’s register. This preservation is not for the sake of it;
the purpose is to subject them to accountability and to
subsequent reward and punishment. Because all this was
evident, Moses (sws) did not express it. However, his style
very effectively conveys them. At times, insinuations are much
more expressive than explicit mention.
الَّذِیۡ جَعَلَ لَکُمُ
الۡاَرۡضَ مَهۡدًا وَّ سَلَكَ لَکُمۡ فِیۡهَا سُبُلًا وَّ
اَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً
فَاَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِ اَزۡوَاجًا مِّنۡ نَّبَاتٍ شَتّٰی
(53) کُلُوۡا وَ ارۡعَوۡا اَنۡعَامَکُمۡ
اِنَّ
فِیۡ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّاُولِی النُّهٰی (54) مِنۡهَا
خَلَقۡنٰکُمۡ وَ فِیۡهَا نُعِیۡدُکُمۡ وَ مِنۡهَا نُخۡرِجُکُمۡ
تَارَةً اُخۡرٰی (55) وَ لَقَدۡ اَرَیۡنٰهُ اٰیٰتِنَا کُلَّهَا
فَکَذَّبَ وَ اَبٰی (56)
[21]
Concomitant indications show that these
four verses are not part of the speech of Moses (sws). They
are directly by God. Several examples of such insertions can
be seen in the earlier surahs. The benefit of this is that
what is said is not merely a narration of the past, it is also
said to have a bearing on the present. Moses (sws) had only
responded to the Pharaoh. However, God added His own words to
his speech in order to inform the pharaohs of the Quraysh that
what had been said also related to them. They should hear out
who their Lord is and who is actually worthy of their worship
and obedience.
Thus the first two verses say that only the
being responsible for all these phenomena deserves their
compliance. It is stated that there are many arguments in them
for men of understanding. Here these arguments are not
explained but the proofs of God’s providence, wisdom, power
and mercy they contain cannot be hidden for those who use
their intellect. This whole system of providence also bears
witness to monotheism and to a day of reward and punishment.
These arguments have been explained at many instances earlier
also and will also be found at succeeding instances. Here the
sole purpose is to direct attention to the fact that the only
being worthy of being regarded as Lord is one who has made
all these arrangements of sustenance. When none has any role
in these arrangements, how can anyone else be regarded as
Lord.
Consider next the words:
مِنۡهَا خَلَقۡنٰکُمۡ وَ فِیۡهَا
نُعِیۡدُکُمۡ وَ مِنۡهَا نُخۡرِجُکُمۡ تَارَةً اُخۡرٰی.
Here the Day of Judgement is adduced from God’s providence.
The implication is that it is a necessary consequence of this
providence that a day come in which the justice of the Lord of
this universe manifests itself: those who fulfilled their
obligations towards His favours be rewarded and those who made
these favours a means of spreading disorder in the land be
punished. It is stated that creating mankind a second time is
not the slightest difficult for God: when He has created it
from this earth without any bother, why would he have
difficulty in recreating the dead when they are being returned
to the earth?
Consider now the last verse:
وَ لَقَدۡ اَرَیۡنٰهُ اٰیٰتِنَا کُلَّهَا
فَکَذَّبَ وَ اَبٰی. The implication
is that God showed the Pharaoh signs of all sorts, but he
persisted in denying His messengers and continued to deny
divine guidance. Here the signs referred to are all those that
manifested themselves in Egypt one after the other once Moses
(sws) had presented his message to the Pharaoh in order to
warn him. However, the Pharaoh persisted in his denial until
the very end. Details of these signs are found in the Torah
and I have referred to them in the tafsir of Surah al-A‘raf
under verse 33.
Deliberation on the afore-mentioned verses
show that all of them are in the first person and hence they
are not part of Moses’ conversation: they are from God.
قَالَ اَجِئۡتَنَا لِتُخۡرِجَنَا مِنۡ
اَرۡضِنَا بِسِحۡرِكَ یٰمُوۡسٰی (57)
It has been explained in detail in the
tafsir of Surah al-A‘raf that in those times the greatest
danger envisaged by the Pharaoh and his courtiers was the
continuous increase in number of the Israelites. They feared
that once they got strong, they could be manipulated by
external enemies of the Pharaoh and one day expel him and his
nation from the land. It was to circumvent this danger that
the whole scheme of killing the male offspring of the
Israelites was hatched. Yet this scheme ended in failure. The
Israelites continued to increase. However, until then they did
not have any leader who could galvanize them into a single
unit. Even before going to Madyan, as indicated earlier, the
Pharaoh sensed this danger from Moses (sws) since he was
involved in awakening the Israelites from slumber. He actively
defended and supported the oppressed Israelites. Thus, in
order to stop him from this “criminal activity,” he was
debarred from entering the city. Ultimately he had to go to
Madyan after the accidental killing of a Copt. Then, when he
returned and presented some important demands before the
Pharaoh in such a grand and majestic way, he understood that
the danger he had sensed had actually manifested itself before
him. Thus he uttered the words referred to by the verse under
discussion. The Pharaoh was a very astute politician. He
firstly painted the call of Moses (sws) as a political danger
in order to incite his nation. Secondly, he regarded his
miracles to be of the category of magic to do away with their
impact on the minds of the common man.
فَلَنَاۡتِیَنَّكَ
بِسِحۡرٍ مِّثۡلِهِ فَاجۡعَلۡ بَیۡنَنَا وَ بَیۡنَكَ مَوۡعِدًا
لَّا نُخۡلِفُهُ نَحۡنُ وَ لَاۤ اَنۡتَ مَکَانًا سُوًی (58)
The word مَوۡعِد
occurs both as a locus of time and as a locus of space. It can
have both these connotations in this verse. But in the later
verse, it is occurs as a locus of time. Examples of such loci
can be seen in the previous surahs.
The word مَکَانًا
سُوًی means “the middle.” The
expression meant a place that is at an equal distance from
both and easily accessible to them. The scheme of the Pharaoh
was that the contest take place in an open field in front of
the public. His objective was to defeat Moses (sws) before
everyone and in this way rout him in the very first phase so
that he did not dare challenge him again.
قَالَ مَوۡعِدُکُمۡ
یَوۡمُ الزِّیۡنَةِ وَ اَنۡ یُّحۡشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًی (59)
Since Moses (sws) was fully sure of his
success, he accepted the challenge without any inhibition.
Public festivities and carnivals took place in Egypt on two or
three occasions. One of them was approaching. This carnival
was nominated for the contest. The time just before midday is
considered to be the most appropriate for any public
gathering.
In other words, Moses (sws) too wanted to
vanquish the ploy of the Pharaoh in this very contest.
فَتَوَلّٰی فِرۡعَوۡنُ
فَجَمَعَ کَیۡدَهُ ثُمَّ اَتٰی (60)
Other instances in the Qur’an present more
details regarding the measures adopted by the Pharaoh, while
here the style adopted is that of brevity. The Pharaoh
consulted his courtiers. They opined that employing ordinary
magicians for this contest may result in defeat. Thus it would
be best if the most adept of magicians were gathered from
various parts of the country and took part in the contest.
Later, this suggestion was followed.
الَ لَهُمۡ مُّوۡسٰی
وَیۡلَکُمۡ لَا تَفۡتَرُوۡا عَلَی اللّٰهِ کَذِبًا
فَیُسۡحِتَکُمۡ بِعَذَابٍ
وَ قَدۡ خَابَ مَنِ افۡتَرٰی (61)
The real meaning of
سحت is to peel
off meat from a bone. From this is the word
اسحات which means
to exploit or uproot something.
This is the speech which Moses (sws)
delivered foremost in the arena of contest in front of the
gathering.
The expression
اِفْتَرَاء عَلَي اللّٰهِ refers to
polytheism as has been explained at several instances. The
reason that it is signified by these words has been referred
to in detail in the tafsir of Surah al-Ma’idah and Surah al-An‘am.
It has been pointed out in the previous verses that the real
debate with the Pharaoh was that he claimed to be God. Moses (sws)
refuted this baseless claim right in front of him. He rebutted
him by saying the real Lord is the One Who has created this
universe and is sustaining it and not the Pharaoh who has no
role in these tasks. Now this same statement is repeated by
Moses (sws) while addressing the supporters of the Pharaoh:
none is God’s partner; the partners they ascribe to him are
their own fabrication because God has not revealed any proof
in their favour. Thus this is a falsehood they ascribe to God
which has made them worthy of his punishment. They will be
destroyed by it because this is the fate of such wrongdoers.
فَتَنَازَعُوۡۤا
اَمۡرَهُمۡ بَیۡنَهُمۡ وَ اَسَرُّوا النَّجۡوٰی (62)
The idioms تنازع
في الحديث and
تنازع الأمر mean
to mutually exchange views. The verse states that once all the
elders and nobles as well as the magicians had gathered, they
held a clandestine meeting. It is evident from the succeeding
verses that in this meeting the Pharaoh secretively tried to
convince the magicians that both Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws)
were experts in magic as well. He told them that their
objective was to organize their people through magic and
sorcery and expel the Pharaoh and his people from the land and
wipe out their culture and the advancements they had made:
thus they must not be negligent at this instance; they should
unitedly face this danger and remember that he who wins in the
contest at hand will in fact be the real victor.
قَالُوۡۤا اِنۡ هٰذٰىنِ
لَسٰحِرٰنِ یُرِیۡدٰنِ اَنۡ یُّخۡرِجٰکُمۡ مِّنۡ اَرۡضِکُمۡ
بِسِحۡرِهِمَا وَ یَذۡهَبَا بِطَرِیۡقَتِکُمُ الۡمُثۡلٰی (63)
The اِنۡ
here is a shortened form of
اِنَّ as is
evidenced by ل
on لَسٰحِرٰنِ
. The word مُثْلٰي
is the feminine of امثل.
It means “superior and fine.”
The verse actually refers to what the
Pharaoh and his chiefs said to the magicians in order to
incite them against Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws).
The first thing they said was that both of
them were expert magicians. This was meant to instigate
professional jealousy. In other words, they had the same
expertise and if the court magicians showed any slackness,
they would be disgraced.
The second thing they said was that both of
them wanted to strike awe in their hearts and expel them from
their land by galvanizing the Israelites.
The third thing they stated was that the
splendour of their society and the advancements they had made
through hard work were in great danger. If these two succeeded
in their aims, this development would be ruined.
A reflection on these statements shows that
those in authority always use such machinations against the
bearers of the truth as were used by the Pharaoh and his
courtiers against Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws).
It may also be kept in mind that the words
“your country” and “your exemplary system” have little truth
in them. The Pharaoh and his rule signified an aristocracy in
which all the rest were virtually slaves and minorities. When
those in authority want to use the masses for their interest,
they fool them in this way.
فَاَجۡمِعُوۡا
کَیۡدَکُمۡ ثُمَّ ائۡتُوۡا صَفًّا
وَ قَدۡ اَفۡلَحَ الۡیَوۡمَ مَنِ اسۡتَعۡلٰی (64)
This verse mentions the piece of advice
which was given to the magicians after deliberation: since the
situation was very precarious and the contest against very
adept magicians, they were to unite and then take them on.
The need for this advice must have arisen because just as
there is mutual jealousy between parties and everyone gives
preference to his own interest and benefit, there are
rivalries between professional communities and each one vies
for its own superiority. The Pharaoh and his nobles feared
that if their magicians had such lack of unity, they would be
defeated. Thus, they opined that instead of individually
displaying their skills, they were to take part in the contest
collectively.
The second part of the verse refers to the
precarious and sensitive nature of that day: it is a decisive
day; if they won, future success would be theirs; otherwise,
it was very likely that all their fears about Moses (sws) and
Aaron (sws) would materialize.
قَالُوۡا یٰمُوۡسٰۤی
اِمَّاۤ اَنۡ تُلۡقِیَ وَ اِمَّاۤ اَنۡ نَّکُوۡنَ اَوَّلَ مَنۡ
اَلۡقٰی (65)
After the consultation mentioned earlier,
the magicians and Moses (sws) with their respective supporters
began the contest. The magicians in accordance with
professional ethics offered Moses (sws) to go first. However,
it is evident from the style of the sentence that it is they
who wanted to begin the proceedings in order to fully grip the
audience in their spell. In such contests, the first turn
carries great significance. Thus it is the wish of every
contestant that he be given the first chance so that he can
mesmerize the audience and strike awe in the heart of his
rival.
قَالَ بَلۡ اَلۡقُوۡا
فَاِذَا حِبَالُهُمۡ وَ عِصِیُّهُمۡ یُخَیَّلُ اِلَیۡهِ
مِنۡ سِحۡرِهِمۡ اَنَّهَا تَسۡعٰی (66)
Moses (sws) had full conviction at God’s
behest that he would be victorious. So, he gave his opponents
the first chance to display their skills. They were already
waiting for this opportunity. As soon as Moses (sws) offered
them this chance, they threw down their ropes and sticks on
the ground. Because of the magical spell weaved by them, these
sticks appeared to Moses (sws) as if they were running about.
Since the magicians already knew that he could turn his stick
into a serpent through his magic, they tried to counter and
corner him in exactly the same way. The addition they made to
this was that they made the ropes too turn into crawling
snakes. In their own view, they reckoned that they would win
the contest because Moses (sws) could only turn one stick into
a snake while they had not only transformed all their sticks
into snakes but their ropes too. However, as is evident from
the words يُخَيَّلُ اِلَيْهِ
they were not able to actually make this transformation. They
could only cast an optical allusion onto the onlookers, as a
result of which they begin to see what they wanted them to
see. Magic does not change the physical state of a thing; it
only deceives a person, and as soon as the reality comes to
the fore, the truth is exposed.
فَاَوۡجَسَ فِیۡ
نَفۡسِهِ خِیۡفَةً مُّوۡسٰی (67)
It was but natural for fear to arise in
Moses (sws) upon seeing the sticks and ropes turning into
snakes because until that time he had not yet seen the miracle
of his staff. He thought that the contest would nevertheless
be a tough one. Even though because of God’s promise he was
fully satisfied that he would win but when a situation becomes
more complex than expected fear does arise in the heart. Thus
Moses (sws) too felt scared temporarily. Since the word
خِیۡفَۃ is
undefined, it shows that this fear was transient and little in
extent.
قُلۡنَا لَا تَخَفۡ
اِنَّكَ اَنۡتَ الۡاَعۡلٰی (68)
In order to alleviate the fear of Moses (sws),
immediate glad tidings were revealed, as stated in the verse:
whatever the profound nature of their magic, he would remain
dominant come what may.
وَ اَلۡقِ مَا فِیۡ
یَمِیۡنِكَ تَلۡقَفۡمَا صَنَعُوۡا
اِنَّمَا صَنَعُوۡا کَیۡدُ سٰحِرٍ
وَ لَا یُفۡلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَیۡثُ اَتٰی (69)
At the same time, Moses (sws) was directed
to place his staff on the ground: it would gobble up the trick
played by the magicians; these tricks of magicians never
succeed. The real objective was to state the fact that magic
can never combat the truth. However, the style adopted was to
make a principle statement: a magician never succeeds because
this is a fact. Magic relates to deceiving the eye and playing
with the imagination of the onlookers. It does not change the
reality. Moreover, the people who take up this profession are
mostly the lowly sections of the society: they can fool the
masses for a few days with their tricks, they have no role in
the development of a society; this can never happen. On the
other hand, the miracles worked by prophets of God reflect
glory and grandeur. Moreover, they emanate from personalities
who stand at the pinnacle of mankind; even their enemies vouch
for their high character; they have a message for their
addressees whose veracity is even borne witness to by their
rivals. When these people pass away, they signal the end of an
era. Their preaching heralds the beginning of a new chapter of
history and a new world is born. Has there ever been a
magician who has contributed even slightly in any sphere of
life? Here it needs to be kept in mind what has been referred
to earlier: the difference between magic and miracle as
explained by our theologians is a useless exercise. Such
immense dissimilarity cannot be gauged through logic. The
decisive factor in this regard is those who see – only if they
have eyes.
فَاُلۡقِیَ السَّحَرَةُ
سُجَّدًا قَالُوۡا اٰمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هٰرُوۡنَ وَ مُوۡسٰی (70)
In other words, in accordance with the
Almighty’s directive, Moses (sws) placed his staff on the
ground and like a serpent it started to consume all snakes.
When the magicians saw this, they were bewildered. If there is
even a semblance of acknowledgement of the truth left in a
magician, he knows the most the difference between magic and
miracle. The court magicians exactly had this. In verse 73
ahead, it is stated that these magicians already had an
inkling that what Moses (sws) would present was not magic.
Thus they were hesitant as well to face him. However, they
were pressurized into facing him by the representatives of the
Pharaoh. Hence, they did come to encounter Moses (sws) but
when they saw the miracle worked by him, their eyes were
opened and they immediately fell down in prostration. Falling
down in prostration in this way in those times signalled the
acknowledgement of someone’s mastery of a skill. However, the
magicians did not merely do this, they want further and
announced in the whole gathering that they had professed faith
in the God of Moses (sws). One can imagine what must have
happened with the Pharaoh and his courtiers after this
acknowledgement and proclamation. Yet the Pharaoh was a very
clever political leader. He immediately tried to turn the
situation to his own advantage and in order to fool the
masses, he made a fresh verbal attack depicted in the next
verse.
قَالَ اٰمَنۡتُمۡ لَهُ
قَبۡلَ اَنۡ اٰذَنَ لَکُمۡ
اِنَّهُ لَکَبِیۡرُکُمُ الَّذِیۡ عَلَّمَکُمُ السِّحۡرَ
فَلَاُقَطِّعَنَّ اَیۡدِیَکُمۡ وَ اَرۡجُلَکُمۡ
مِّنۡ خِلَافٍ وَّ لَاُصَلِّبَنَّکُمۡ فِیۡ جُذُوۡعِ النَّخۡلِ
وَ لَتَعۡلَمُنَّ اَیُّنَاۤ اَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَّ اَبۡقٰی (71)
In reality, the defeat the magicians were
being made to go through was very humiliating. However, the
scheming mind of the Pharaoh came up with the words referred
to in the verse in order to assure his supporters.
It is evident that the magicians did not
merely acknowledge Moses (sws) to be a truthful person but
also explicitly announced their professing faith in the Lord
of Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws). Concealed in this declaration
was an obvious rejection of the Pharaoh as god. This had a
direct impact on his divinity and sovereignty as a king. Thus,
this issue was not merely a religious one in his eyes; it was
indirectly a challenge to his political authority. How could
he have tolerated this audacity in his rule?
So, he cleverly rebutted the magicians by
saying that, in reality, Moses (sws) was their mentor. He had
taught them the skill of magic. In other words, all this
happened with their connivance with him. His implication was
that they had already mutually agreed that they would openly
accept defeat in front of their mentor so that the masses are
over-awed by him; ultimately, they would succeed in all their
conspiracies against the rule of the Pharaoh. In reality, all
these were lame excuses: the Pharaoh had been defeated by an
army he himself had constituted. In order to reduce the impact
of his defeat he had to make up some excuse, and this he did.
He must be praised for fabricating an intelligent pretext and
it may well be that he was successful in fooling many.
However, the truth cannot be subdued with such deceptive
measures.
As soon as the magicians were declared to
be conspirators, the punishment declared for them was the same
that as was reserved for insurgents: their limbs were to be
severed from opposite sides and they were to be publicly
crucified so that an example was made out of them for
everyone. The words “crucify you on trunks of palm” are meant
to refer to this public nature of the punishment.
Pharaoh’s words “you shall come to know
whose punishment among us is more stern and more lasting”
imply that these magicians knew that if they did something
against the will of their mentor he would punish them through
their magic; thus they were pawns in the hands of Moses (sws);
however, they would soon realize that the punishment given by
the Pharaoh was more harsh and lasting. Here it needs to be
kept in mind that in those days it was believed that if the
disciple of a magician did something against his will and made
him angry, then he could face a great calamity from his
mentor. By keeping this notion in background, the Pharaoh
warned the magicians of his own wrath.
قَالُوۡا لَنۡ
نُّؤۡثِرَكَ عَلٰی مَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ الۡبَیِّنٰتِ وَ الَّذِیۡ
فَطَرَنَا فَاقۡضِ مَاۤ اَنۡتَ قَاضٍ
اِنَّمَا تَقۡضِیۡ هٰذِهِ الۡحَیٰوةَ الدُّنۡیَا (72)
The warning sounded by the Pharaoh was very
stern and he expected that he would be able to strike awe in
the heart of the magicians: but then he was not facing
professional magicians; in fact, righteous believers were in
front of him. As soon as they heard these threatening words
from the Pharaoh, they told him to do what he wanted. This is
in fact the consequence of deep faith. At another instance in
the Qur’an, it is mentioned that it was these very magicians
who had earnestly requested the Pharaoh to give them a prize
if they succeeded. Now faith had lit up their inner-selves in
such a way that except for God and the hereafter nothing had
any importance in their eyes. So much so, they were even
prepared to sacrifice their lives in order to protect their
faith.
اِنَّـاۤ اٰمَنَّا
بِرَبِّنَا لِیَغۡفِرَ لَنَا خَطٰیٰنَا وَ مَاۤ اَکۡرَهۡتَنَا
عَلَیۡهِ مِنَ السِّحۡرِ
وَ اللّٰهُ خَیۡرٌ وَّ اَبۡقٰی (73)
It is clearly evident from the words “the
magic to which you have compelled us” that these magicians
were not prepared to enter into a contest with Moses (sws).
They knew that whatever Moses (sws) was presenting was not
magic; it was something else. However, they had to come
because of the pressure exerted on them by the Pharaoh and his
chiefs. Ultimately, the truth was made evident to them in such
a manner that their hearts opened up to acknowledge and
proclaim it.
The words “and God alone is better and
eternal” are an answer to the Pharaoh’s assertion cited
earlier. This rejoinder reflects reality and is very profound
too. The implication of their reply was that the Pharaoh was
trying to scare them of his harsh and abiding punishment; on
the other hand, they had left everything in order to adhere to
their Lord – Who is better than everything of this world and
everlasting too.
اِنَّهُ مَنۡ یَّاۡتِ
رَبَّهُ مُجۡرِمًا فَاِنَّ لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ
لَا یَمُوۡتُ فِیۡهَا وَ لَا یَحۡیٰی (74)
This verse and the two succeeding ones are
from God. A similar insertion was seen earlier in verses
53-59. There the Almighty had added His words to the speech of
Moses (sws) so that the whole discourse could be related to
the circumstances of the time of the Qur’an’ revelation.
The reason that I regard the verse under
discussion and the two succeeding ones to be directly from God
is that the way reward and punishment and the circumstances of
the hereafter are mentioned only befits His majesty. Their
style is very different from the previous verses. The word
“wrongdoer” in the translation refers to a person who is
disobedient to God and does not have the courtesy to repent.
The words “he shall neither die nor live in it” refer to the
extent and to the abiding nature of the punishment in such a
profound way that it is difficult to explain them in words.
Death can alleviate the greatest of punishments. However,
where can a person go from a place death does not exist and
its pangs attack from all sides.
وَ مَنۡ یَّاۡتِهِ
مُؤۡمِنًا قَدۡ عَمِلَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ فَاُولٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ
الدَّرَجٰتُ الۡعُلٰی (75)
This in contrast is a mention of the group
that will succeed.
It is evident from the style of the verse
that the only faith which has weight in the sight of God is
one which is accompanied by righteous deeds. Faith that is
without righteous deeds has no significance. It is like an
infertile tree that does not have any branches or fruits. How
can a tree which has not borne any fruit in this world do so
in the next world?
جَنّٰتُ عَدۡنٍ
تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡهَا
وَ ذٰلِكَ جَزٰٓؤُا مَنۡ تَزَکّٰی (76)
This is an explanation of the high reward
these people will acquire. It is evident from this verse that
this reward is not the result of false desires. Only those
will be eligible for it who try to purify themselves from all
types of filth whether ideological, practical or moral. The
Almighty has also guided people in this Book of the pitfalls
one can encounter in this cause and also informed them in it
of the concessions they will obtain because of human
weaknesses. Rejection of any of these things will lead to
extremism in religion. However, this too must be kept in mind
that those who out of their own desire have reduced the
importance of deeds, whether they belong or our classical
theologians or those of modern times have indeed made it easy
for us to enter Paradise; yet the Qur’an does not entertain
this view in any way. The key to Paradise is nevertheless in
the hands of God and He has not handed it over to the
theologians. Therefore, the only way to a secure future is to
protect ourselves from such false desires. The Qur’an has
called them false wishes which were harboured by the Jews and
their details can be found in Surah al-Baqarah.
وَ لَقَدۡ اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ
اِلٰی مُوۡسٰۤی اَنۡ اَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِیۡ فَاضۡرِبۡ لَهُمۡ
طَرِیۡقًا فِی الۡبَحۡرِ یَبَسًا
لَّا تَخٰفُ دَرَکًا وَّ لَا تَخۡشٰی (77)
The idiom ضرب
الطريق means “to
make way” as has been explained by al-Zamakhshari.
However, here there is also a subtle reference in this
expression to the staff of Moses (sws) because it had a role
in “making way.” The collocation of the verb
ضرب with
عصاء is quite
evident.
In the sentence لَّا تَخٰفُ دَرَکًا وَّ لَا
تَخۡشٰی the object of the verb
تَخۡشٰی is suppressed in my opinion as a result of
parallel construction. Thus the actual sentence would be to
the effect: لَّا تَخٰفُ دَرَکًا وَّ لَا
تَخۡشٰی غَرَقًا; the implication being that Moses (sws)
will neither have any fear of being captured by the Pharaoh
nor any danger of drowning in the sea. Numerous examples of
such suppressions can be seen in the previous surahs. I have
translated this sentence accordingly.
A large part of what transpired between Moses (sws) and the
Pharaoh has been suppressed here. It has been discussed in
detail in the explanation of Surah al-A‘raf. Moses (sws) had
demanded the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go with him; not
only did the latter reject this demand, he increased the wave
of oppression let loose on them. During this time the Almighty
sent down many calamities one after the other on Egypt to
awaken the Pharaoh from his slumber. However, whenever a
calamity descended, he would sweet-talk Moses (sws) to pray to
ward off the calamity, in which case he would allow the
Israelites to go with him. Then once that calamity was warded
off because of Moses’ (sws) supplication and God’s mercy, his
rebelliousness would increase and he would go back on his
promise. Many years passed in this situation. During that
time, Moses (sws) also fully discharged his responsibility of
delivering the message of God to the Pharaoh and his nation.
Ultimately when the truth had been fully delivered to them,
Moses (sws) was directed by God to migrate to Egypt with the
Israelites.
Until then, as has been explained in Surah al-A‘raf, Moses’ (sws)
demand was that the Israelites be allowed to go to him to a
desert situated at a distance of three days.
However, since he had also conclusively communicated
the truth to the Pharaoh and the Israelites, he was directed
to migrate to that land in accordance with the established
practice of God. The words of the directive “take My servants”
refer to those who had accepted faith. A vast majority of them
belonged to the Israelites; however, a small group among them
also consisted of the Egyptians who had professed faith.
Concomitant indications show that the magicians who had
accepted faith belonged to the Egyptians and to the
Israelites. The word “My servants” refers to all who had
accepted faith regardless of their lineage and tribe. In this
regard, the Qur’an has also mentioned a righteous believer who
belonged to the Pharaoh’s family.
The الْبَحْر referred to here is
the southern gulf of the Red Sea. Moses (sws)
was directed to reach its shores with all the Israelites and
strike the sea water with his staff, thereby creating a dry
path for them. This style also indicates the authority with
which he was blessed from God and that manifested itself in
the form of a miracle. By waving the staff, a dry path would
be created. The alif lam on الْبَحْر
is a clear evidence where God had
instructed Moses (sws) to go. Following are the details of
this incident as mentioned in the Torah so that it becomes
evident how the glory of God manifested itself at this
instance. It is written in the Book of Exodus:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you
crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your
staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the
water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry
ground … Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and
all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east
wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and
the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall
of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians
pursued them. (14:15-29)
It is evident from this that this miracle
was the result of a strong eastern wind. The gulf was divided
into chunks of water separated by dry land.
فَاَتۡبَعَهُمۡ
فِرۡعَوۡنُ بِجُنُوۡدِهِ فَغَشِیَهُمۡ مِّنَ الۡیَمِّ مَا
غَشِیَهُمۡ (78)
The style found in the expression
فَغَشِیَهُمۡ مِّنَ الۡیَمِّ مَا غَشِیَهُمۡ
is adopted in Arabic when the
horrific nature of something is beyond expression.
It is evident from the Torah that the
Pharaoh was totally cornered by the miracles shown to him. He
ultimately allowed the Israelites to go with Moses (sws).
However, once they departed, his opinion changed and he went
in their pursuit and reached the shores of the sea with his
army. Thereafter he was engulfed by its huge waves. In the
book of Exodus, this incident is recorded in the following
words:
When the king of Egypt was told that the
people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds
about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the
Israelites go and have lost their services!” So he had his
chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six
hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other
chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. (14:5-7)
After that, the details of their drowning
are described thus:
… Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch
out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back
over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses
stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea
went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it,
and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back
and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of
Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one
of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on
dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their
left. (14:26-29)
وَ اَضَلَّ فِرۡعَوۡنُ
قَوۡمَهُ وَ مَا هَدٰی (79)
This verse expresses sorrow and regret on
the Pharaoh and his leadership’s lack of acumen that led them
all to devastation. The words وَمَا
هَدٰی refer to the fact that it is
the responsibility of every leader and ruler to correctly
guide their nation. His status is that of a shepherd that God
has deputed for the protection of a herd from among his
creation. Most wretched is the shepherd who sacrifices his
herd for his egotism.
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