The Forgiver, The Forgiving One — Verse 45

The Conclusion of the Believer's Words, and the ultimate Destiny of both Parties That believer said: `Why do I call you to salvation, which is the worship of Allah alone with no partner or associate, and belief in His Messenger, whom He has sent,' وَتَدْعُونَنِى إِلَى النَّارِتَدْعُونَنِى لاّكْـفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَأُشْرِكَ بِهِ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِهِ عِلْمٌ (while you call me to the Fire! You invite me to disbelieve in Allah, and to join partners in worship with Him of which I have no knowledge;) means, on the basis of ignorance, with no proof or evidence. وَأَنَاْ أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى الْعَزِيزِ الْغَفَّارِ (and I invite you to the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving!) means, with all His might and pride, He still forgives the sin of the one who repents to Him. لاَ جَرَمَ أَنَّمَا تَدْعُونَنِى إِلَيْهِ (La Jarama, you call me to one) They say it means, "Truly." As-Suddi and Ibn Jarir said that the meaning of His saying: لاَ جَرَمَ (La jarama) means "Truly." Ad-Dahhak said: لاَ جَرَمَ (La Jarama) means, "No lie." `Ali bin Abi Talhah and Ibn `Abbas said: لاَ جَرَمَ (La Jarama) means, "Indeed, the one that you call me to of idols and false gods لَيْسَ لَهُ دَعْوَةٌ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَلاَ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ (that does not have a claim in this world or in the Hereafter)." Mujahid said, "The idols that do not have anything." Qatadah said, "This means that idols possess no power either to benefit or to harm." As-Suddi said, "They do not respond to those who call upon them, either in this world or in the Hereafter." This is like the Ayah: وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لاَّ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَآئِهِمْ غَـفِلُونَ - وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُواْ لَهُمْ أَعْدَآءً وَكَانُواْ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَـفِرِينَ (And who is more astray than one who calls on besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are unaware of their calls to them And when the people are gathered, they will become their enemies and deny their worship.) (46:5-6) إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لاَ يَسْمَعُواْ دُعَآءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُواْ مَا اسْتَجَابُواْ لَكُمْ (If you invoke them, they hear not your call; and if they were to hear, they could not grant it to you) (35:14). وَأَنَّ مَرَدَّنَآ إِلَى اللَّهِ (And our return will be to Allah,) means, in the Hereafter, where He will reward or punish each person according to his deeds. He says: وَأَنَّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ هُمْ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ (and the transgressors, they shall be the dwellers of the Fire!) meaning, they will dwell therein forever, because of their great sin, which is associating others in worship with Allah. فَسَتَذْكُرُونَ مَآ أَقُولُ لَكُـمْ (And you will remember what I am telling you,) means, `you will come to know the truth of what I enjoined upon `you and forbade you to do, the advice I gave you and what I explained to you. You will come to know, and you will feel regret at the time when regret will be of no avail.' وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِى إِلَى اللَّهِ (and my affair I leave it to Allah.) means, `I put my trust in Allah and seek His help, and I renounce you utterly.' إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ (Verily, Allah is the All-Seer of (His) servants.) means, He knows all about them, may He be exalted and sanctified, and He guides those who deserve to be guided and sends astray those who deserve to be sent astray; His is the perfect proof, utmost wisdom and mighty power. فَوقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَـرُواْ (So Allah saved him from the evils that they plotted,) means, in this world and in the Hereafter; in this world, Allah saved him along with Musa, peace be upon him, and in the Hereafter (He will admit him) to Paradise. Proof of the Torment of the Grave وَحَاقَ بِـَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ (while an evil torment encompassed Fir`awn's people.) this refers to drowning in the sea, then being transferred from there to Hell, for their souls are exposed to the Fire morning and evening until the Hour begins. When the Day of Resurrection comes, their souls and bodies will be reunited in Hell. Allah says: وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُواْ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ (And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Admit Fir`awn's people to the severest torment!") meaning, more intense pain and greater agony. This Ayah contains one of the major proofs used by the Ahlus-Sunnah to prove that there will be torment in the grave during the period of Al-Barzakh; it is the phrase: النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوّاً وَعَشِيّاً (The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon). But the question arises: this Ayah was undoubtedly revealed in Makkah, but they use it as evidence to prove that there will be torment in the grave during the period of Al-Barzakh. Imam Ahmad recorded from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that a Jewish woman used to serve her, and whenever `A'ishah did her a favor, the Jewish woman would say, "May Allah save you from the torment of the grave. " `A'ishah said, "Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came in, and I said, `O Messenger of Allah, will there be any torment in the grave before the Day of Resurrection' He said, «لَا، مَنْ زَعَمَ ذَلِكَ؟» (No, who said that) I said, `This Jewish woman, whenever I do her a favor, she says: May Allah save you from the torment of the grave."' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «كَذَبَتْ يَهُودُ وَهُمْ عَلَى اللهِ أَكْذَبُ، لَا عَذَابَ دُونَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَة» (The Jews are lying, and they tell more lies about Allah. There is no torment except on the Day of Resurrection.) Then as much time passed as Allah willed should pass, then one day he came out at midday, wrapped in his robe with his eyes reddening, calling at the top of his voice: «الْقَبْرُ كَقِطَع اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ، أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا وَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلًا، أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، اسْتَعِـــــــــيذُوا بِاللهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، فَإِنَّ عَذَابَ الْقَبْرِ حَق» (The grave is like patches of dark night! O people, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little. O people, seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave, for the torment of the grave is real.)" This chain of narration is Sahih according to the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, although they did not record it. It was said, `how can this report be reconciled with the fact that the Ayah was revealed in Makkah and the Ayah indicates that there will be torment during the period of Al-Barzakh' The answer is that the Ayah refers to the souls (of Fir`awn and his people) being exposed to the Fire morning and evening; it does not say that the pain will affect their bodies in the grave. So it may be that this has to do specifically with their souls. With regard to there being any effect on their bodies in Al-Barzakh, and their feeling pain as a result, this is indicated in the Sunnah, in some Hadiths which we will mention below. It was said that this Ayah refers to the punishment of the disbelievers in Al-Barzakh, and that it does not by itself imply that the believer will be punished in the grave for his sins. This is indicated by the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, according to which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon `A'ishah when a Jewish woman was with her, and she (the Jewish woman) was saying, "I was told that you will be tried in the grave." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was worried and said: «إِنَّمَا يُفْتَنُ يَهُود» (Only the Jews will be tested.) `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Several nights passed, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «أَلَا إِنَّكُمْ تُفْتَنُونَ فِي الْقُبُور» (Verily you will be tested in the graves.)" `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "After that, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave." This was also recorded by Muslim. It could be said that this Ayah indicates that the souls will be punished in Al-Barzakh, but this does not necessarily imply that the bodies in their graves will be affected by that. When Allah revealed something about the torment of the grave to His Prophet , he sought refuge with Allah from that. And Allah knows best. The Hadiths which speak of the torment of the grave are very many. Qatadah said, concerning the Ayah, غُدُوّاً وَعَشِيّاً (morning and afternoon.): "(This means) every morning and every evening, for as long as this world remains, it will be said to them by way of rebuke and humiliation, O people of Fir`awn, this is your position." Ibn Zayd said, "They are there today, being exposed to it morning and evening, until the Hour begins. وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُواْ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ (And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Cause Fir`awn's people to enter the severest torment!") The people of Fir`awn are like foolish camels, stumbling into rocks and trees without thinking." Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا مَاتَ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ مَقْعَدُهُ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ، إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَمِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، فَيُقَالُ: هذَا مَقْعَدُكَ حَتْى يَبْعَثَكَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة» (When one of you dies, he is shown his place in Paradise or Hell morning and evening; if he is one of the people of Paradise, then he is one of the people of Paradise, and if he is one of the people of Hell, then he is one of the people of Hell. It will be said to him, this is your place until Allah resurrects you to go to it on the Day of Resurrection.)" It was also reported in the Two Sahihs.

So God shielded him from the evils of what they had plotted against him in the way of killing him and there besieged befell the folk of Pharaoh his people as well as him a dreadful chastisement drowning

فوقى الله سبحانه ذلك الرجل المؤمن الموفَّق عقوبات مكر فرعون وآله، وحلَّ بهم سوء العذاب حيث أغرقهم الله عن آخرهم.

وقوله تبارك وتعالى "فوقاه الله سيئات ما مكروا" أي في الدنيا والآخرة أما في الدنيا فنجاه الله تعالى مع موسى عليه الصلاة والسلام وأما في الآخرة فبالجنة "وحاق بآل فرعون سوء العذاب" وهو الغرق في اليم ثم النقلة منه إلى الجحيم.

وقوله - تعالى - : ( فَوقَاهُ الله سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُواْ ) بيان للعاقبة الطيبة التى أكرمه الله - سبحانه - بها بعد صدوعه بكلمة الحق أمام فرعون وجنده . .أى : فكانت نتيجة إيمان هذا الرجل ، وجهره بكلمة الحق ، ونصح لقومه ، أن وقاه الله - تعالى - ما أراده الظالمون به من أذى وعدوان ومن مكر سيئ ..( وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ ) أى : ونزل وأحاط بفرعون وقومه ( سواء العذاب ) بأن أغرقهم الله - تعالى - فى أليم ، وجعلهم عبرة لمن يعتبر .

وقوله: ( فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا ) يقول تعالى ذكره: فدفع الله عن هذا المؤمن من آل فرعون بإيمانه وتصديق رسوله موسى, مكروه ما كان فرعون ينال به أهل الخلاف عليه من العذاب والبلاء, فنجاه منه.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قوله: ( سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا ) قال: وكان قبطيا من قوم فرعون, فنجا مع موسى, قال: وذكر لنا أنه بين يدي موسى يومئذ يسير ويقول: أين أمرت يا نبيّ الله؟ فيقول: أمامك, فيقول له المؤمن: وهل أمامي إلا البحر؟ فيقول موسى: لا والله ما كَذبتُ ولا كُذبتُ, ثم يسير ساعة ويقول: أين أمرت يا نبيّ الله؟ فيقول: أمامك, فيقول: وهل أمامي إلا البحر, فيقول: لا والله ما كذبت, ولا كذبت, حتى أتى على البحر فضربه بعصاه, فانفلق اثني عشر طريقا, لكل سبط طريق.وقوله: ( وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ ) يقول: وحل بآل فرعون ووجب عليهم; وعني بآل فرعون في هذا الموضع تباعه وأهل طاعته من قومه.كما حدثنا محمد, قال: ثنا أحمد, قال: ثنا أسباط, عن السديّ في قول الله: ( وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ ) قال: قوم فرعون.وعني بقوله: ( سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ ) : مأ ساءهم من عذاب الله, وذلك نار جهنم .

وذلك قوله عز وجل ( فوقاه الله سيئات ما مكروا ) ما أرادوا به من الشر قال قتادة : نجا مع موسى وكان قبطيا ، ) ( وحاق ) نزل ، ( بآل فرعون سوء العذاب ) الغرق في الدنيا ، والنار في الآخرة .

فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا وَحَاقَ بِآَلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ (45) تفريع { فَوَقاهُ الله } مؤذن بأنهم أضمروا مكراً به . وتسميته مكراً مؤذن بأنهم لم يُشعروه به وأن الله تكفل بوقايته لأنه فوَّض أمره إليه . والمعنى : فأنجاه الله ، فيجوز أن يكون نجا مع موسى وبني إسرائيل فخرج معهم ، ويجوز أن يكون فرّ من فرعون ولم يعثروا عليه .و ( ما ) مصدرية . والمعنى : سيئات مكْرهم . وإضافة { سيئات } إلى ( مكر ) إضافة بيانية ، وهي هنا في قوة إضافة الصفة إلى الموصوف لأن المكر سيّء . وإنما جُمع السيئات باعتبار تعدد أنواع مكرهم التي بيّتوها .وحَاق : أحاط . والعذاب : الغَرَق . والتعريف للعهد لأنه مشهور معلوم . وتقدم له ذكر في السور النازلة قبل هذه السورة .ومناسبة فعل { حَاق لذلك العذاب أنه مما يَحيق على الحقيقة ، وإنما كان الغَرَق سوء عذاب لأن الغريق يعذب باحتباس النفَس مدة وهو يطفو على الماء ويغوص فيه ويُرعبه هول الأمواج وهو مُوقن بالهلاك ثم يكون عُرضة لأكْل الحيتان حيًّا وميِّتاً وذلك ألم في الحياة وخزي بعد الممات يُذكرون به بين الناس .وقوله : النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عليها غُدُواً وعَشياً } يجوز أن يكون جملة وقعت بدلاً من جملة { وحاق بآل فرعون سوء العذاب } ، فيجعل { النَّار } مبتدأ ويجعل جملة { يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا } خبراً عنه ويكون مجموع الجملة من المبتدأ وخبره بدل اشتمال من جملة { وحَاقَ بِآللِ فِرعون سُوءُ العَذَّابِ } لأن سوء العذاب إذا أريد به الغرق كان مشتملاً على موتهم وموتُهم يشتمل على عرضهم على النار غدُوًّا وعشِيًّا ، فالمذكور عَذَابَان : عذاب الدنيا وعذابُ الغرق وما يلحق به من عذاببٍ قبل عذاب يوم القيامة .

{ فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا } أي: وقى الله القويّ الرحيم، ذلك الرجل المؤمن الموفق، عقوبات ما مكر فرعون وآله له، من إرادة إهلاكه وإتلافه، لأنه بادأهم بما يكرهون، وأظهر لهم الموافقة التامة لموسى عليه السلام، ودعاهم إلى ما دعاهم إليه موسى، وهذا أمر لا يحتملونه وهم الذين لهم القدرة إذ ذاك، وقد أغضبهم واشتد حنقهم عليه، فأرادوا به كيدًا فحفظه الله من كيدهم ومكرهم وانقلب كيدهم ومكرهم، على أنفسهم، { وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ } أغرقهم الله تعالى في صبيحة واحدة عن آخرهم.

قوله تعالى : فوقاه الله سيئات ما مكروا أي من إلحاق أنواع العذاب به فطلبوه فما وجدوه ; لأنه فوض أمره إلى الله . قال قتادة : كان قبطيا فنجاه الله مع بني إسرائيل . فالهاء على هذا لمؤمن آل فرعون . وقيل : إنها لموسى على ما تقدم من الخلاف . وحاق بآل فرعون سوء العذاب قال الكسائي : يقال حاق يحيق حيقا وحيوقا إذا نزل ولزم . ثم بين العذاب فقال :

The true believer of Pharaoh’s court was not a prophet. But, in spite of his being alone, God saved him from the tyrannical plans of Pharaoh. This shows that even non-prophets—when they support the mission of truth—receive the same divine succour as was always promised by God to the prophets. Though the final decision about the fate of human beings will be taken on the Day of Judgement, when a man enters the other world after death, it is immediately clear to him as to what he had done in the previous world and what fate he is ordained to face. In this way, at a conscious level, he becomes involved in his final fate immediately after death and, while at a physical level, he will face it on the Day of Judgement, when God’s court is established.

This has been mentioned in verse 45 in the following words: فَوَقَاهُ اللَّـهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُ‌وا وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْ‌عَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ (Then Allah saved him from the evils of what they designed, and the House of the Pharaoh was encircled by an evil punishment.), that is, Allah Ta’ ala saved the believer from the harm the people of Pharaoh planned to bring to him, but they themselves were seized by a severe punishment. First of all, Allah Ta’ ala, in His mercy, saved the believer belonging to the House of Pharaoh right here in this world from the aggressive designs of the people of the Pharaoh against him, the details of which have not been mentioned in the Qur'an. But, the words of the Qur'an seem to say simply that the people of the Pharaoh had made many plans to hurt and kill him, and when the people of Pharaoh were drowned, Allah Ta ala saved this believing servant of Allah along with Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) . As for salvation in the Hereafter, it is fairly obvious.

(So Allah warded off from him the evils which they plotted) Allah drove them away from him when they wanted to kill him, (while a dreadful doom) a severe punishment (encompassed Pharaoh's folk) visited Pharaoh and his folk, i.e. they drowned.