The Forgiver, The Forgiving One — Verse 23

The Story of Musa and Fir`awn Allah consoles His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for the disbelief of his people and gives him the glad tidings of good consequences and victory in this world and the Hereafter, as happened to Musa bin `Imran, peace be upon him, whom Allah sent with clear proof and definitive evidence. Allah says: بِـَايَـتِنَا وَسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ (with Our Ayat, and a manifest authority). Authority means proof and evidence. إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ (to Fir`awn), who was the king of the Copts of Egypt. وَهَـمَـنَ (Haman) who was his adviser. وَقَـشرُونَ (and Qarun) who was the richest trader among the people of his time. فَقَالُواْ سَـحِرٌ كَـذَّابٌ (but they called (him): "A sorcerer, liar!") means, they rejected him and thought he was a sorcerer, a madman and an illusionist who was telling lies about having been sent by Allah. This is like the Ayah: كَذَلِكَ مَآ أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ قَالُواْ سَـحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ - أَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَـغُونَ (Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them but they said: "A sorcerer or a madman!" Have they transmitted this saying to these Nay, they are themselves a people transgressing beyond bounds!) (51:52-53) فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ مِنْ عِندِنَا (Then, when he brought them the Truth from Us,) means, with definite evidence that Allah had sent him to them, قَالُواْ اقْتُلُواْ أَبْنَآءَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ وَاسْتَحْيُواْ نِسَآءَهُمْ (they said: "Kill with him the sons of those who believe and let their women live;) This was a second command from Fir`awn to kill the males of the Children of Israel. The first command had been as a precaution against the emergence of a man like Musa, or an act intended to humiliate this people or reduce their numbers or both. The second command was for the second reason, to humiliate the people so that they would regard Musa as a bad omen. they said: أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِن بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا قَالَ عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَيَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ ("We (Children of Israel) had suffered troubles before you came to us, and since you have come to us." He said: "It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you successors on the earth, so that He may see how you act") (7:129). Qatadah said, this was one command after another. وَمَا كَـيْدُ الْكَـفِرِينَ إِلاَّ فِى ضَلَـلٍ (but the plots of disbelievers are nothing but in vain!) means, their schemes and intentions -- to reduce the numbers of the Children of Israel lest they prevail over them -- were doomed to failure. وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ذَرُونِى أَقْتُلْ مُوسَى وَلْيَدْعُ رَبَّهُ (Fir`awn said: "Leave me to kill Musa, and let him call his Lord!...") Fir`awn, may Allah curse him, resolved to kill Musa, peace be upon him, i.e., he said to his people, `let me kill him for you.' وَلْيَدْعُ رَبَّهُ (and let him call his Lord!) means, `I do not care.' This is the utmost in offensive stubbornness. إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يُبَدِّلَ دِينَكُـمْ أَوْ أَن يُظْهِرَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ الْفَسَادَ (I fear that he may change your religion, or that he may cause mischief to appear in the land!) means, Musa; Fir`awn was afraid that Musa would lead his people astray and change their ways and customs. As if Fir`awn would be concerned about what Musa might do to his people! The majority understood this as meaning, `he will change your religion and cause mischief to appear in the land.' وَقَالَ مُوسَى إِنِّى عُذْتُ بِرَبِّى وَرَبِّكُـمْ مِّن كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُ بِيَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ (Musa said: "Verily, I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant who believes not in the Day of Reckoning!") means, when he heard that Fir`awn had said, ذَرُونِى أَقْتُلْ مُوسَى (Leave me to kill Musa,) Musa, peace be upon him, said, "I seek refuge and protection with Allah from his evil and the evil of those like him." So he said: إِنِّى عُذْتُ بِرَبِّى وَرَبِّكُـمْ (Verily, I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord) -- those who were being addressed here -- مِّن كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ (from every arrogant) means, from every evildoer, لاَّ يُؤْمِنُ بِيَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ (who believes not in the Day of Reckoning!) It was reported in the Hadith narrated from Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was afraid of some people, he would say: «اللْهُمَّ إِنَّا نَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شُرُورِهِمْ، وَنَدْرَأُ بِكَ فِي نُحُورِهِم» (O Allah, we seek refuge in You from their evil and we seek Your help in repulsing them.)

And verily We sent Moses with Our signs and a clear warrant an evident and manifest proof

ولقد أرسلنا موسى بآياتنا العظيمة الدالة على حقيقة ما أُرسل به، وحجة واضحة بيِّنة على صدقه في دعوته، وبطلان ما كان عليه مَن أُرسل إليهم.

يقول تعالى مسليا لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم في تكذيب من كذبه من قومه ومبشرا له بأن العاقبة والنصرة له في الدنيا والآخرة كما جرى لموسى بن عمران عليه السلام فإن الله تعالي أرسله بالآيات البينات والدلائل الواضحات ولهذا قال تعالى "بآياتنا وسلطان مبين" والسلطان هو الحجة والبرهان.

ثم انتقلت السورة الكريمة إلى الحديث عن جانب من قصة موسى - عليه السلام - مع فرعون . فذكرت جانبا من التهديدات التى وجهها فرعون إلى موسى وقومه ، وكيف أن موسى - عليه السلام - رد عليه ردا قويا حكيما ، فقال - تعالى - :( وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا موسى بِآيَاتِنَا . . . )المراد بآياتنا فى قوله : ( وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا موسى بِآيَاتِنَا ) تلك الآيات التسع التى أعطاها الله - تعالى - لموسى ، لتكون معجزات له دالة على صدقة ، وهى : العصا ، واليد ، والسنون ، والبحر ، والطوفان ، والجراد ، والقمل والضفادع ، والدم .قال - تعالى - ( وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا موسى تِسْعَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ . . ) والمراد بالسلطان المبين : الحجة القاهرة الظاهرة التى تغلب بها فى الحجاج والجدال على فرعون .أى : والله لقد منحنا موسى - عليه السلام - بفضلنا وقدرتنا معجزات باهرات ، ومنحناه - أيضا - حجة قوية واضحة ، يدمر بها حجج أعدائه .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا وَسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ (23)يقول تعالى ذكره مُسَلِّيا نبيه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم, عما كان يلقى من مشركي قومه من قريش, بإعلامه ما لقي موسى ممن أرسل إليه من التكذيب, ومخيره أنه معليه عليهم, وجاعل دائرة السَّوْء على من حادّه وشاقَّه, كسنته في موسى صلوات الله عليه, إذ أعلاه, وأهلك عدوه فرعون ( وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا ) : يعني بأدلته.( وَسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ ) : كما حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة,( وَسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ ) : أي عذر مبين, يقول: وحججه المبينة لمن يراها أنها حجة محققة ما يدعو إليه موسى .

قوله عز وجل: " ولقد أرسلنا موسى بآياتنا وسلطان مبين "

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآَيَاتِنَا وَسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ (23) هذا ذكر فريق آخر من الأمم لم يشهد العرب آثارهم وهم قوم فرعون أقباطُ مصر ، وتقدم نظير هذه الآية في أواخر سورة هود . وتقدم ذكر هامان وهو لقب وزير فرعون في سورة القصص . وفي هذه القصة أنها تزيد على مَا أجمل من قصص أمم أخرى أن فيها عبرتين : عبرةً بكيد المكذبين وعنادهم ثم هلاكهم ، وعبرةً بصبر المؤمنين وثباتهم ثم نصرهم ، وفي كلتا العبرتين وعيد ووعد .

أي: { وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا } إلى جنس هؤلاء المكذبين { مُوسَى } ابن عمران، { بِآيَاتِنَا } العظيمة، الدالة دلالة قطعية، على حقية ما أرسل به، وبطلان ما عليه من أرسل إليهم من الشرك وما يتبعه. { وَسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ } أي: حجة بينة، تتسلط على القلوب فتذعن لها، كالحية والعصا ونحوهما من الآيات البينات، التي أيد الله بها موسى، ومكنه مما دعا إليه من الحق.

قوله تعالى : ولقد أرسلنا موسى بآياتنا وهي التسع الآيات المذكورة في قوله تعالى : ولقد آتينا موسى تسع آيات بينات وقد مضى تعيينها . وسلطان مبين أي بحجة واضحة بينة ، وهو يذكر ويؤنث . وقيل : أراد بالسلطان التوراة .

In addition to arguments, the prophets were given miraculous supports which provided ample proof of their having been sent and commissioned by God. But, acceptance of the Truth by a man comes at the cost of negating his own self, which is the most difficult sacrifice for him. It was for this reason alone that Pharaoh and his courtiers did not accept Moses’ prophethood, in spite of very clear arguments in its favour. While, on the one hand, they started creating the impression among the people that Moses’ claim to prophethood was baseless and his miracles were feats of magic. On the other hand, they decided to more vigorously implement their earlier policy of reducing the population of the Children of Israel, so that Moses should not be able to establish a firm foundation among his own community. But they did not know that they were using these strategies not against Moses but against God, and against God no strategy devised by any human being could be successful.

In verse 19, it was said: يَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الْأَعْيُنِ (He knows the treachery of the eyes), in other words, eyes that betray the trust. It means the action of a person who would, secretly and surreptitiously, cast a glance over something haram and impermissible for him or her, for example, casts a glance at a non-mahram person with sexual desire, and takes it away in the event someone was around, or casts a glance in a manner that is not noticed by others. All these things are open before Allah Ta’ ala.

(And verily We sent Moses with Our revelations) with Our nine signs (and a clear warrant) a clear proof