The Poets — Verse 20

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.'

He Moses said ‘I did that then when I was astray from the knowledge and the Message which God would later give me.

قال موسى مجيبًا لفرعون: فعلتُ ما ذكرتَ قبل أن يوحي الله إلي، ويبعثني رسولا فخرجت من بينكم فارًّا إلى "مدين"، لـمَّا خفت أن تقتلوني بما فعلتُ من غير عَمْد، فوهب لي ربي تفضلا منه النبوة والعلم، وجعلني من المرسلين. وتلك التربية في بيتك تَعُدُّها نعمة منك عليَّ، وقد جعلت بني إسرائيل عبيدًا تذبح أبناءهم وتستحيي نساءهم؟

"قال فعلتها إذا" أي في تلك الحال "وأنا من الضالين" أي قبل أن يوحى إلي وينعم الله علي بالرسالة والنبوة قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ومجاهد وقتادة والضحاك وغيرهم "وأنا من الضالين" أي الجاهلين قال ابن جريج وهو كذلك في قراءة عبدالله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه.

ولكن موسى - عليه السلام - وقد استجاب الله - تعالى - دعاءه ، وأزال عقدة لسانه ، رد عليه ردا حكيما ، فقال - كما حكى القرآن عنه : ( قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَآ إِذاً وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الضالين ) .أى قال موسى فى جوابه على فرعون : أنا لا أنكر أنى قد فعلت هذه الفعلة التى تذكرنى بها ، ولكنى فعلتها وأنا فى ذلك الوقت من الضالين ، أى : فعلت ذلك قبل أن يشرفنى الله بوحيه ، ويكلفنى بحمل رسالته ، وفضلا عن ذلك فأنا كنت أجهل أن هذه الوكزة تؤدى إلى قتل ذلك الرجل من شيعتك ، لأنى ما قصدت قتله ، وإنما قصدت تأديبه ومنعه من الظلم لغيره .فالمراد بالضلال هنا : الجهل بالشىء ، والذهاب عن معرفة حقيقته .

يقول تعالى ذكره: قال موسى لفرعون: فعلت تلك الفعلة التي فعلت, أي قتلت تلك النفس التي قتلت إذن وأنا من الضالين. يقول: وأنا من الجاهلين قبل أن يأتيني من الله وحي بتحريم قتله عليّ. والعرب تضع من الضلال موضع الجهل, والجهل موضع الضلال, فتقول: قد جهل فلان الطريق وضل الطريق, بمعنى واحد.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: ( وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ ) قال: من الجاهلين.حدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثني حجاج, عن ابن جُرَيج, عن مجاهد, مثله.قال ابن جُرَيج: وفي قراءة ابن مسعود: " وأنا مِنَ الجَاهِلِينَ".قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثنا أبو سفيان, عن معمر, عن قتادة: ( وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ ) قال: من الجاهلين.حُدثت عن الحسين, قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: أخبرنا عبيد, قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله: وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ فقال موسى: لم أكفر, ولكن فعلتها وأنا من الضالين. وفي حرف ابن مسعود: " فعلتها إذا وأنا من الجاهلين ".حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله: ( قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَا إِذًا وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ ) قبل أن يأتيني من الله شيء كان قتلي إياه ضلالة خطأ. قال: والضلالة ههنا الخطأ, لم يقل ضلاله فيما بينه وبين الله.حدثني محمد بن سعد, قال: ثني أبي, قال: ثني عمي, قال: ثني أبي, عن أبيه, عن ابن عباس: ( قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَا إِذًا وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ ) يقول: وأنا من الجاهلين.

( قال ) موسى ، ) ( فعلتها إذا ) أي : فعلت ما فعلت حينئذ ، ) ( وأنا من الضالين ) أي : من الجاهلين ، أي لم يأتني من الله شيء . وقيل : من الجاهلين بأن ذلك يؤدي إلى قتله . وقيل : من الضالين عن طريق الصواب من غير تعمد . وقيل : من المخطئين .

قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَا إِذًا وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ (20) كانت رباطة جأش موسى وتوكّله على ربّه باعثةً له على الاعتراف بالفعلة وذكر ما نشأ عنها من خيرٍ له ، ليدل على أنه حَمِد أثرها وإن كان قد اقترفها غير مُقَدِّر ما جرّته إليه من خير؛ فابتدأ بالإقرار بفعلته ليعلم فرعون أنه لم يجد لكلامه مدخل تأثير في نفس مُوسى . وأخر موسى الجواب عن قول فرعون { ألم نربّك فينا وليداً ولبثت فينا من عمرك سنين } [ الشعراء : 18 ] لأنه علم أن القصد منه الإقصارُ من مواجهته بأن ربّاً أعلى من فرعون أرسل موسى إليه . وابتدأ بالجواب عن الأهم من كلام فرعون وهو { وفعلتَ فعلتك } [ الشعراء : 19 ] لأنه علم أنه أدخل في قصد الإفحام ، وليظهر لفرعون أنه لا يَوْجَل من أن يطالبوه بذَحل ذلك القتيل ثقة بأن الله ينجيه من عدوانهم .وكلمة { إذاً } هنا حرف جواب وجزاء ، فنونُه الساكنة ليست تنويناً بل حرفاً أصلياً للكلمة ، وقدم { فعلتها } على ( إذن ) مبادرةً بالإقرار ليَكون كناية عن عدم خشيته من هذا الإقرار . ومعنى المجازاة هنا ما بيّنه في «الكشاف» : أن قول فرعون { فعلتَ فعلتك } [ الشعراء : 19 ] يتضمن معنى جازيتَ نعمتنا بما فعلتَ؛ فقال له موسى : نعم فعلتها مُجازيا لك ، تسليماً لقوله ، لأن نعمته كانت جديرة بأن تجازى بمثل ذلك الجزاء . وهذا أظهر ما قيل في تفسير هذه الآية . وقال القزويني في «حاشية الكشاف» قال بعض المحققين : { إذاً } ظرف مقطوع عن الإضافة مُؤْثَراً فيه الفتح على الكسر لخفته وكثرةِ الدوران ، ولعله يعني ببعض المحققين رضي الدِّين الاسترابادي في «شرح الكافية الحاجبية» فإنه قال في باب الظروف : والحق أن ( إذْ ) إذا حذف المضاف إليه منه وأبدل منه التنوين في غير نحو يومئذ ، جاز فتحه أيضاً ، ومنه قوله تعالى : { فعلتها إذاً وأنا من الضالين } أي فعلتها إذْ ربَّيتني ، إذ لا معنى للجزاء ههنا اه . فيكون متعلقاً ب { فعلتُها } مقطوعاً عن الإضافة لفظاً لدلالة العامل على المضاف إليه . والمعنى : فعلتُها زمناً فعلتُها ، فتذكيري بها بعد زمن طويل لا جدوى له . وهذا الوجه في { إذاً } في الآية هو مختار ابن عطية والرضي في «شرح الحاجبية» والدماميني في «المزج على المغني» ، وظاهر كلام القزويني في «الكشف على الكشاف» أنه يختاره .ومعنى الجزاء في قوله : { فعلتها إذاً } أن قول فرعون { وفعلتَ فعلتك التي فعلت } [ الشعراء : 19 ] قصد به إفحام موسى وتهديده ، فجعل موسى الاعتراف بالفعلة جزاء لذلك التهديد على طريقة القول بالموجَب ، أي لا أتهيّب ما أردت .وجعل مُوسى نفسه من الضالين إن كان مراد كلامه الذي حكت الآية معناه إلى العربية المعنَى المشهورَ للضلال في العربية وهو ضلال الفساد فيكون مراده : أن سَوْرة الغضب أغفلته عن مراعاة حرمة النفس وإن لم يكن يومئذ شريعة ( فإن حفظ النفوس مما اتفق عليه شرائع البشر وتوارثوه في الفِتَر ، ويؤيد هذا قوله في الآية الأخرى{ قال ربّ إني ظلمت نفسي فاغفر لي فغفر له } [ القصص : 16 ] ) ؛ وإن كان مراده معنى ضلال الطريق ، أي كنت يومئذ على غير معرفة بالحق لعدم وجود شريعة ، وهو معنى الجهالة كقوله تعالى : { ووجدك ضالاً فهدى } [ الضحى : 7 ] فالأمر ظاهر .وعلى كلا الوجهين فجواب موسى فيه اعتراف بظاهر التقرير وإبطال لما يستتبعه من جعله حجة لتكذيبه برسالته عن الله ، ولذلك قابل قول فرعون { وأنت من الكافرين } [ الشعراء : 19 ] بقوله : { وأنا من الضالين } إبطالاً لأن يكون يومئذ كافراً ، ولذلك كان هذا أهم بالإبطال .وبهذا يظهر وجه الاسترسال في الجواب بقوله : { فوهب لي ربي حكماً وجعلني من المرسلين } ، أي فكان فراري قد عقبه أن الله أنعم عليّ فأصلح حالي وعلمني وهداني وأرسلني . فليس ذلك من موسى مجرد إطناب بل لأنه يفيد معنى أن الإنسان ابن يومه لا ابنُ أمسِه ، والأحوال بأوَاخرها فلا عجب فيما قصدتَ فإن الله أعلم حيث يجعل رسالاته .

فقال موسى: فَعَلْتُهَا إِذًا وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ أي: عن غير كفر, وإنما كان عن ضلال وسفه, فاستغفرت ربي فغفر لي.

ف قال فعلتها إذا أي فعلت تلك الفعلة - يريد قتل القبطي - وأنا إذ ذاك من الضالين أي من الجاهلين ; فنفى عن نفسه الكفر ، وأخبر أنه فعل ذلك على الجهل . وكذا قال مجاهد ; من الضالين : من الجاهلين . ابن زيد : من الجاهلين بأن الوكزة تبلغ القتل . وفي مصحف عبد الله ( من الجاهلين ) ويقال لمن جهل [ ص: 91 ] شيئا ضل عنه . وقيل : وأنا من الضالين من الناسين ; قاله أبو عبيدة . وقيل : وأنا من الضالين عن النبوة ولم يأتني عن الله فيه شيء ، فليس علي فيما فعلته في تلك الحالة توبيخ . وبين بهذا أن التربية فيهم لا تنافي النبوة والحلم على الناس ، وأن القتل خطأ أو في وقت لم يكن فيه شرع لا ينافي النبوة .

Moses called for the acceptance of Monotheism in Pharaoh’s presence and showed him the miracles of his rod and the shining bright hand. Then, in order to belittle Moses’s importance, Pharaoh reminded him of two facts about his earlier life—one, that Moses had been brought up in Pharaoh’s house in his childhood and the other that he was responsible for the killing of a Copt. In reply, Moses said that his (Moses’s) being brought up in Pharaoh’s palace had occurred due to his own (Pharaoh’s) oppressive action. Since the latter had ordered the killing of the Children of Israel’s offspring, Moses’s mother put him in a basket and floated it down the river. It was Pharaoh’s wife—the queen—who then retrieved Moses from the river and brought him up in her palace. As for the killing of the Copt, Moses said that he had not done it purposely. He had been defending his Israelite brother from the violent aggression of the Copt when the latter died accidentally. After this incident, Moses left Egypt and went to Madyan where he lived for many years. Perhaps it was necessary for Moses’s training to leave the artificial atmosphere of the city and to spend a few years in the free atmosphere of a village. When he was on his way back from Madyan to Egypt, Almighty God conferred prophethood upon him.

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

(He said) Moses said: (I did it then, when I was of those who are astray) when I was ungrateful for your kindness.