The Poets — Verse 19

Between Musa and Fir`awn Allah tells us what He commanded His servant, son of `Imran and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him, who spoke with Him, to do, when He called him from the right side of the mountain, and conversed with him, and chose him, sent him, and commanded him to go to Fir`awn and his people. Allah says: وَإِذْ نَادَى رَبُّكَ مُوسَى أَنِ ائْتَ الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ - قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَلا يَتَّقُونَ - قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ - وَيَضِيقُ صَدْرِى وَلاَ يَنطَلِقُ لِسَانِى فَأَرْسِلْ إِلَى هَـرُونَ - وَلَهُمْ عَلَىَّ ذَنبٌ فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ (And when your Lord called Musa: "Go to the people who are wrongdoers. The people of Fir`awn. Will they not have Taqwa" He said: "My Lord! Verily, I fear that they will deny me, And my breast straitens, and my tongue expresses not well. So send for Harun. And they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear they will kill me.") So, Musa asked Allah to remove these difficulties for him, as he said in Surah Ta Ha: قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى - وَيَسِّرْ لِى أَمْرِى (Musa said: "O my Lord! Open for me my chest. And ease my task for me.") (20:25-26) until: قَدْ أُوتِيتَ سُؤْلَكَ يمُوسَى (You are granted your request, O Musa!) (20:36) وَلَهُمْ عَلَىَّ ذَنبٌ فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ (And they have a charge of crime against me, and I fear they will kill me.) because he had killed that Egyptian, which was the reason that he left the land of Egypt. قَالَ كَلاَّ ((Allah) said: "Nay!...") Allah told him: do not be afraid of anything like that. This is like the Ayah, سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَـناً (Allah said: "We will strengthen your arm through your brother, and give you both power) meaning, proof; فَلاَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا بِـْايَـتِنَآ أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَكُمَا الْغَـلِبُونَ (so they shall not be able to harm you, with Our signs, you two as well as those who follow you will be the victors) (28:35), فَاذْهَبَا بِـَايَـتِنَآ إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ مُّسْتَمِعُونَ (Go you both with Our signs. Verily, We shall be with you, listening.) This is like the Ayah, إِنَّنِى مَعَكُمَآ أَسْمَعُ وَأَرَى (I am with you both, hearing and seeing) (20:46). Meaning, `I will be with you by My protection, care, support and help.' فَأْتِيَا فِرْعَوْنَ فَقُولا إِنَّا رَسُولُ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ (And go both of you to Fir`awn, and say: `We are the Messengers of the Lord of the all that exists.') This is like the Ayah, إِنَّا رَسُولاَ رَبِّكَ (Verily, we are both Messengers of your Lord) (20:47). which means, `both of us have been sent to you,' أَنْ أَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ (So allow the Children of Israel to go with us.) Meaning, `let them go, free them from your captivity, subjugation and torture, for they are the believing servants of Allah, devoted to Him, and with you they are in a position of humiliating torture.' When Musa said that to him, Fir`awn turned away and ignored him completely, regarding him with scorn and thinking little of him. Saying: أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيداً (Did we not bring you up among us as a child) meaning, we brought you up among us, in our home and on our bed, we nourished you and did favors for you for many years, and after all that you responded to our kindness in this manner: you killed one of our men and denied our favors to you.' So he said to him: وَأَنتَ مِنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ (While you were one of the ingrates.) meaning, one of those who deny favors. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam, and was the view favored by Ibn Jarir. قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَآ إِذاً ((Musa) said: "I did it then...") meaning, at that time, وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الضَّآلِّينَ (when I was in error.) meaning, `before revelation was sent to me and before Allah made me a Prophet and sent me with this Message.' فَفَرَرْتُ مِنكُمْ لَمَّا خِفْتُكُمْ فَوَهَبَ لِى رَبِّى حُكْماً وَجَعَلَنِى مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ (So, I fled from you when I feared you. But my Lord has granted me Hukm, and made me one of the Messengers.) means, `the first situation came to an end and another took its place. Now Allah has sent me to you, and if you obey Him, you will be safe, but if you oppose Him, you will be destroyed.' Then Musa said: وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَىَّ أَنْ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ (And this is the past favor with which you reproach me, -- that you have enslaved the Children of Israel.) meaning, `whatever favors you did in bringing me up are offset by the evil you did by enslaving the Children of Israel and using them to do your hard labor. Is there any comparison between your favors to one man among them and the evil you have done to all of them What you have mentioned about me is nothing compared to what you have done to them.'

And you committed that deed of yours — namely his slaying of the Egyptian — being an ingrate’ a denier of my favours to you in having reared you among us and not enslaved you.

قال فرعون لموسى ممتنًا عليه: ألم نُرَبِّك في منازلنا صغيرًا، ومكثت في رعايتنا سنين من عُمُرك وارتكبت جنايةً بقتلك رجلا من قومي حين ضربته ودفعته، وأنت من الجاحدين نعمتي المنكرين ربوبيتي؟

ولهذا قال "وأنت من الكافرين" أي الجاحدين قاله ابن عباس وعبد الرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم واختاره ابن جرير.

( وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ التي فَعَلْتَ ) وهى قتلك لرجل من شيعتى ( وَأَنتَ مِنَ الكافرين ) .أى : وأنت من الجاحدين بعد ذلك لنعمتى التى أنعمتها عليك ، فى حال طفولتك ، وفى حال صباك ، وفى حال شبابك .لأنك جئتنى أنت وأخوك بما يخالف ديننا ، وطلبتما منا أن نرسل معكما بنى إسرائيل . فهل هذا جزاء إحسانى إليك؟وهكذا نرى فرعون يوجه إلى موسى - عليه السلام - تلك الأسئلة على سبيل الإنكار عليه لما جاء به ، متوهما أنه قد قطع عليه طريق الإجابة .

( وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ ) يعني: قتله النفس التي قتل من القبط.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد, قوله: وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ * قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَا إِذًا وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ قال: قتل النفسحدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثني حجاج, عن ابن جُرَيج, عن مجاهد, مثله.وإنما قيل ( وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ ) لأنها مرة واحدة, ولا يجوز كسر الفاء إذا أريد بها هذا المعنى. وذُكر عن الشعبي أنه قرأ ذلك: " وَفَعَلْتَ فِعْلَتَكَ" بكسر الفاء, وهي قراءة لقراءة القرّاء من أهل الأمصار- مخالفة.وقوله: ( وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ ) اختلف أهل التأويل في تأويل ذلك, فقال بعضهم: معنى ذلك: وأنت من الكافرين بالله على ديننا.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني موسى بن هارون, قال: ثنا عمرو, قال: ثنا أسباط, عن السديّ: ( وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ ) يعني على ديننا هذا الذي تعيب.وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: وأنت من الكافرين نعمتنا عليك.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله: ( وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ ) قال: ربيناك فينا وليدا, فهذا الذي كافأتنا أن قتلت منا نفسا, وكفرت نعمتنا!.حدثني محمد بن سعد, قال: ثني أبي, قال: ثني عمي, قال: ثني أبي, عن أبيه, عن ابن عباس: ( وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ ) يقول: كافرا للنعمة لأن فرعون لم يكن يعلم ما الكفر.قال أبو جعفر: وهذا القول الذي قاله ابن زيد أشبه بتأويل الآية, لأن فرعون لم يكن مقرّا لله بالربوبية وإنما كان يزعم أنه هو الرب, فغير جائز أن يقول لموسى إن كان موسى كان عنده على دينه يوم قتل القتيل على ما قاله السديّ : فعلت الفعلة وأنت من الكافرين, الإيمان عنده: هو دينه الذي كان عليه موسى عنده, إلا أن يقول قائل: إنما أراد: وأنت من الكافرين يومئذ يا موسى, على قولك اليوم, فيكون ذلك وجها يتوجه. فتأويل الكلام إذن: وقتلت الذي قتلت منا وأنت من الكافرين نعمتنا عليك, وإحساننا إليك في قتلك إياه.وقد قيل: معنى ذلك: وأنت الآن من الكافرين لنعمتي عليك, وتربيتي إياك.

( وفعلت فعلتك التي فعلت ) يعني : قتل القبطي ( وأنت من الكافرين ) قال الحسن والسدي : يعني وأنت من الكافرين بإلهك وكنت على ديننا هذا الذي تعيبه . وقال أكثر المفسرين : معنى قوله : " وأنت من الكافرين " ، أي : من الجاحدين لنعمتي وحق تربيتي ، يقول ربيناك فينا فكافأتنا أن قتلت منا نفسا ، وكفرت بنعمتنا . وهذا رواية العوفي عن ابن عباس ، وقال : إن فرعون لم يكن يعلم ما الكفر بالربوبية . )

وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ (19)وفي العدول عن ذكر فَعلة معيَّنة إلى ذكرها مبهمة مضافةً إلى ضميره ثم وصفها بما لا يزيد على معنى الموصوف تهويلٌ مرادٌ به التفظيع وأنها مشتهرة معلومة مع تحقيق إلصاق تبعتها به حتى لا يجد تنصلاً منها .وجملة : { وأنت من الكافرين } حال من ضمير { فعلت } . والمراد به كفر نعمة فرعون من حيث اعتدى على أحد خاصّته وموالي آله ، وكان ذلك انتصاراً لرجل من بني إسرائيل الذين يعُدُّونهم عبيدَ فرعون وعبيدَ قومه ، فجَعل فرعونُ انتصارَ موسى لرجل من عشيرته كفراناً لنعمة فرعون لأنه يرى واجب موسى أن يعُدّ نفسه من قوم فرعون فلا ينتصر لإسرائيلي ، وفي هذا إعمال أحكام التبني وإهمال أحكام النسب وهو قلبُ حقائق وفسادُ وضع . قال تعالى : { وما جَعل أدعياءَكم أبناءَكم ذلكم قولُكم بأفواهكم والله يقول الحق وهو يهدي السبيل } [ الأحزاب : 4 ] . وليس المراد الكفر بديانة فرعون لأن موسى لم يكن يوم قتل القبطي متظاهراً بأنه على خلاف دينهم وإن كان في باطنه كذلك لأن الأنبياء معصومون من الكفر قبل النبوءة وبعدها .ويجوز أن تكون جملة : { وأنت من الكافرين } عطفاً على الجُمل التي قبلها التي هي توبيخ ولوم ، فوبخه على تقدم رعيه تربيتَهم إياه فيما مضى ، ثم وبّخه على كونه كافراً بدينهم في الحال ، لأن قوله : { من الكافرين } حقيقة في الحال إذ هو اسم فاعل واسم الفاعل حقيقة في الحال .ويجوز أن يكونَ المعنى : وأنت حينئذ من الكافرين بديننا ، استناداً منه إلى ما بدا من قرائنَ دلّته على استخفاف موسى بدينهم فيما مضى لأن دينهم يقتضي الإخلاص لفرعون وإهانةَ من يهينهم فرعون . ولعل هذا هو السبب في عزم فرعون على أن يقتصّ من موسى للقبطي لأن الاعتداء عليه كان مصحوباً باستخفاف بفرعون وقومه .ويفيد الكلام بحذافره تعجباً من انتصاب موسى منصب المرشد مع ما اقترفه من النقائص في نظر فرعون المنافية لدعوى كونه رسولاً من الربّ .

وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ وهي قتل موسى للقبطي, حين استغاثه الذي من شيعته, على الذي من عدوه فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَى فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ الآية. وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ أي: وأنت إذ ذاك طريقك طريقنا, وسبيلك سبيلنا, في الكفر, فأقر على نفسه بالكفر, من حيث لا يدري.

وفعلت فعلتك التي فعلت والفعلة بفتح الفاء المرة من الفعل . وقرأ الشعبي : ( فعلتك ) بكسر الفاء والفتح أولى ; لأنها المرة الواحدة ، والكسر بمعنى الهيئة والحال ، أي فعلتك التي تعرف ، فكيف تدعي مع علمنا أحوالك بأن الله أرسلك . وقال الشاعر :كأن مشيتها من بيت جارتها مر السحابة لا ريث ولا عجلويقال : كان ذلك أيام الردة والردة . وأنت من الكافرين قال الضحاك : أي في قتلك القبطي إذ هو نفس لا يحل قتله . وقيل : أي بنعمتي التي كانت لنا عليك من التربية والإحسان إليك ; قاله ابن زيد . الحسن : من الكافرين في أني إلهك . السدي : من الكافرين بالله لأنك كنت معنا على ديننا هذا الذي تعيبه . وكان بين خروج موسى عليه السلام حين قتل القبطي وبين رجوعه نبيا أحد عشر عاما غير أشهر .

One chosen by God to represent Him is in every way under His protection. Moreover, he is given some special signs which indicate clearly that his mission is an affair of God. But, in spite of that, man has gone so far in transgression as not to admit this. The Quran does not specify the details of the demand made by Moses on Pharaoh with regard to the Children of Israel. But the Torah elaborates upon the subject in the following sections: Exodus 4/18, 5/1 , 8/25-27 . According to the description in the Bible, it appears that this journey of Moses was not for the purpose of migration but for instruction. In Egypt, the cow was considered holy. Due to this centuries-old tradition, even the the Children of Israel had been influenced by this belief. Now, Moses wanted to take the Children of Israel out of the polytheistic atmosphere of Egypt for a few days, keep them in a pure atmosphere and re-educate them.

أَنْ أَرْ‌سِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِي إِسْرَ‌ائِيلَ That you must send the children of Isra'i1 with us". (26:17) Bani Isra'il were the residents of Syria. They wanted to go back to their land but the Pharaoh would not let them. This way four hundred years had passed and they were living in his bondage like slaves. At that time they were six hundred and thirty thousand in number. Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) when presented the message of Truth to the Pharaoh, he also asked him to stop all the cruelties he had perpetrated over Bani Isra'il and to let them go to their homeland. (Qurtubi) An example of prophetic dialectic Discussion and debate among two different persons or group of people having divergent views has been in vogue since the time immemorial. Such debates are called مُنَاظرہ munazarah (dialectics) in conventional terms. But such dialectics have been reduced to a game of win or lose. People regard the outcome of dialectics should be to come out winner, even though one knows that he is on the wrong. Despite the knowledge of being on the wrong one must keep on pressing his point of view, and use the intelligence to throw in all sorts of arguments to prove his point as correct. Similarly, even if the opponents point is correct, it must be rejected with full force. In contrast to this attitude Islam has given a middle of the road stance, and set out its rules and regulations, thus making it a useful tool for preaching and reform. A simple example of this can be seen in the above verses. When Sayyidna Musa and Harun (علیہما السلام) conveyed the invitation of Truth to the mighty the Pharaoh, who was claimant of being god, in his court, he began the opposing conversation with two questions relating to the person of Musa's (علیہ السلام) . When a sharp opponent is not properly equipped with the correct arguments, he normally tries to switch the conversation towards the person of the addressee in order to find faults with him. This tactic is employed to embarrass the opponent and to make him look small before the audience. Hence, the Pharaoh also came out with two such points. First, ` We have brought you up in our household and have done so many favours to you. So, how can you have the face to speak before us. Second, ` You have killed an Egyptian for no fault of his. This is not only cruelty but also ingratitude toward those among whom you are raised to your manhood. You have killed one from among us.' Now see the prophetic reply of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) and how he handled the two subjects. In the first place he changed the sequence of the topics in that he brought up the case of the Egyptian first which the Pharaoh had raised latter. The wisdom in changing the sequence appears to be that in the Egyptian's case there was a weakness on his part, but he preferred to take that first, unlike present day tactics where one tries to avoid a direct reply to confuse the issue. But he, being the messenger of Allah, had nothing to hide, so while replying he accepted his weakness, and did not care at all what people in the opposition would think on acceptance of his mistake, and hence, might take it as acceptance of defeat. This course of action was totally contrary to present day tactics when people try to mix up their weakness in a manner that it is camouflaged. Although Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) had accepted his fault while replying to the Pharaoh that it was his misjudgment when he hit the Egyptian and as a result he died, yet he made it very clear that he did not intend to kill him. His intention was right which unfortunately resulted in the wrong. The purpose of his hitting the Egyptian was to prevent him from harming the Isra'ili but in the process he died, which was not the intention. This act of his, despite being wrong, does not conflict with his claim to be a prophet or contradicts its veracity. So, he said ` that he realized his mistake and left the city for the fear of being caught. Then Allah was kind to him and honoured him with the prophethood. Now the point to ponder is that at that time Musa (علیہ السلام) could have adopted the simple and straightforward course and have claimed that the Egyptian deserved death, and would have charged him with such accusations for which his killing was the right action. There was no one present at the time of the incident, so no one could have contradicted him. Anyone else in his place would have certainly taken this course of action. But here it was the resolute messenger of Allah who was the truth personified and who regarded expression of truth and veracity and the declaration of fact as his victory. He accepted his guilt in the packed court of the foe and in doing that also countered any possibility of doubt on his prophethood. After that he turned to the second point regarding his upbringing in the Pharaoh's house, upon which the Pharaoh had stressed to remind his favour to him. Musa (علیہ السلام) asked him to ponder over his position as, being an Israelite, he had no occasion to reach the royal place of the Pharaoh. It was the cruelty of the Pharaoh that compelled the mother of Musa I to throw her baby into the river, then it was by chance that the Pharaoh picked him up, and in reality it was a wise arrangement made by Allah, that the child for the fear of whom the Pharaoh had slaughtered thousands of children, was caused to be nourished by the same the Pharaoh. But in any case, the real cause of his upbringing in the home of the Pharaoh was the cruelty exercised by him against the Israelites. Musa (علیہ السلام) pointing out to this fact, invited the Pharaoh to ponder whether this was really a favour with which he was obliging him. It is obvious that this prophetic address left a positive and convincing impression on the minds of people present there, and they were convinced that Musa (علیہ السلام) was not the sort of person who would make excuses, and that he would say nothing but the truth. After that when they saw the miracles, their view was confirmed further. At that time although the Pharaoh did not admit the truth, yet he was so overwhelmed and apprehensive that just two persons without having the support of a third, would turn him and his people out of their land and country. This is what is known as God gifted awe of truth, veracity and reality. The contentions and dialectics of Allah's messengers are also full of truth, veracity and wishing well for the addressee. That is how they become so appealing to people and convince the biggest defiant

(And thou didst that thy deed which thou didst) and you killed the person that you killed, (and thou wast one of the ingrates) and you are now ungrateful for my kindness,