The Forgiver, The Forgiving One — Verse 24

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.)

to Pharaoh and Hāmān and Korah but they said — that he was — ‘A sorcerer a mere liar!’

إلى فرعون ملك "مصر"، وهامان وزيره، وقارون صاحب الأموال والكنوز، فأنكروا رسالته واستكبروا، وقالوا عنه: إنه ساحر كذاب، فكيف يزعم أنه أُرسِل للناس رسولا؟

"إلى فرعون" وهو ملك القبط بالديار المصرية "وهامان" وهو وزيره في مملكته "وقارون" وكان أكثر الناس في زمانه مالا وتجارة "فقالوا ساحر كذاب" أي كذبوه وجعلوه ساحرا مجنونا مموها كذابا في أن الله أرسله وهذه كقوله تعالى "كذلك ما أتى الذين من قبلهم من رسول إلا قالوا ساحر أو مجنون أتواصوا به بل هم قوم طاغون".

وقوله - سبحانه - : ( إلى فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَقَارُونَ . . . ) بيان لمن أرسله الله - تعالى - إليهم .وفرعون : لقب لكل ملك من ملوك مصر فى تلك العهود السابقة ، والمراد به هنا : ذلك الملك الجبار الظالم الذى أرسل فى عهده موسى - عليه السلام - ، ويقال إنه " منفاخ " بن رمسيس الثانى .و ( هَامَانَ ) هو وزير فرعون ( قَارُونَ ) هو الذى كان من قوم موسى فبغى عليهم . وأعطاه الله - تعالى - الكثير من الأموال . . ثم خسف به وبداره الأرض .وخص - سبحانه - هؤلاء الثلاثة بالذكر ، مع أن رسالة موسى كانت لهم ولأتباعهم ، لأنهم هم الزعماء البارزون ، الذين كانوا يدبرون المكايد ضد موسى - عليه السلام - فيتبعهم العامة من أقوامهم .وقوله : ( فَقَالُواْ سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ ) أرسلنه إلى هؤلاء الطغاة ومعه آياتنا الدالة على صدقه ، فكان جوابهم على دعوته إياهم إلى عبادة الله - تعالى - وحده . أن قالوا فى شأنه ، إنه ساحر يموه على الناس بسحره ، وأنه كذاب فى دعواه أنه رسول من رب العالمين .وهكذا كانت نتيجة أول لقاء بين موسى - عليه السلام - وبين هؤلاء الطغاة الظالمين . أنهم وصفوه بالسحر والكذب ، وهو المؤيد بآيات الله ، وبحججه الظاهرة . وما وصفوه بذلك إلا من أجل الحسد والعناد ، والحرص على دنياهم وملكهم .

( إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَقَارُونَ فَقَالُوا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ ) يقول: فقال هؤلاء الذين أرسل إليهم موسى لموسى: هو ساحر يسحر العصا, فيرى الناظر إليها أنها حية تسعى.( كَذَّابٌ ) يقول: يكذب على الله, ويزعم أنه أرسله إلى الناس رسولا.

" إلى فرعون وهامان وقارون فقالوا ساحر كذاب "

إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَقَارُونَ فَقَالُوا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ (24)وجملة : { فَقَالُوا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّاب } معترضة بين جملة { ولقد أرْسَلْنَا موسى } وبين جملة { فَلَمَّا جَاءَهم بِالحَقّ } [ غافر : 25 ] .( وقَارون هو من بني إسرائيل كذب موسى ، وتقدم ذكره في القصص ، وقد قيل إنه كان منقطعاً إلى فرعون وخادماً له ، وهذا بعيد لأنه كان في زمرة من خرج مع موسى ، أي فاشترك أولئك في رمي رسولهم بالكذب والسحر كما فعلت قريش .

والمبعوث إليهم { فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ } وزيره { وَقَارُونَ } الذي كان من قوم موسى، فبغى عليهم بماله، وكلهم ردوا عليه أشد الرد { فَقَالُوا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ }

إلى فرعون وهامان وقارون خصهم بالذكر لأن مدار التدبير في عداوة موسى كان عليهم ، ففرعون الملك وهامان الوزير وقارون صاحب الأموال والكنوز فجمعه الله معهما ; لأن عمله في الكفر والتكذيب كأعمالهما . فقالوا ساحر كذاب لما عجزوا عن معارضته حملوا المعجزات على السحر .

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.

Commentary Frequent references were made earlier in the text to the warnings given to deniers of pure monotheism and prophethood which brought more opposition and hostility from disbelievers. Naturally, this situation made the Holy Prophet ﷺ sad. It was to comfort him that, in nearly two sections cited above, mentioned there is the story of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) and Pharaoh. In this story, there is a lengthy dialogue between the Pharaoh, his people and a righteous elder who, despite being a scion of the House of the Pharaoh, had believed in the faith of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) after having seen the miracles shown at his hands - but, had kept his faith secret until that time. Once this dialogue took place, his faith stood declared automatically and conclusively. Out of early Tafsir authorities, Muqatil, Suddiyy and Hasan have said that he was a cousin of the Pharaoh and was the same person who, at the time they were talking in the court of Pharaoh about killing Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) in retaliation against the killing of the Copt, had come running from the far side of the city and apprised Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) of the danger and advised him to go out of Egypt. This event has been mentioned in Surah Al-Qasas: وَجَاءَ رَ‌جُلٌ مِّنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْعَىٰ (And there came a man running, from the farthest part of the city. - A1-Qasas, 28:20) The name of this believing member of the House of the Pharaoh has been given as Habib in some sources. But, the truth of the matter is that Habib is the name of the person who has been mentioned in Surah Sin (36:20). The name of this person is شَمعان (Shama'n). Suhaili considers this name as most correct. Others say that his name is Hizgil. Tha'labi has reported the same name from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, 'Of some صِّدِّيقِين (siddiqin: the truthful ones), there is Habib najjar (carpenter) whose incident appears in Surah Ya Sin; the other is the believer from the House of Pharaoh; the third, Abu Bakr (Sayyidna Abu Bakr as۔ ؓ ), and he is the foremost among them.' (Qurtubi)

(Unto Pharaoh and Haman) the aid of Pharaoh (and Korah) Moses' cousin, (but they said) to Moses, this is: (A lying sorcerer) who sows disunity between people!