Smoke, The Evident Smoke — Verse 23

God exalted be He said ‘Then set out read fa-asri or fa’sri with My servants the Children of Israel by night; for you will assuredly be pursued surely Pharaoh and his people will pursue you.

The Story of Musa and Fir`awn, and how the Children of Israel were saved Allah tells us, `before these idolators, We tested the people of Fir`awn, the copts of Egypt.' وَجَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ كَرِيمٌ (when there came to them a noble Messenger.) means, Musa, peace be upon him, the one to whom Allah spoke. أَنْ أَدُّواْ إِلَىَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ (Deliver to me the servants of Allah.) This is like the Ayah: فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ وَلاَ تُعَذِّبْهُمْ قَدْ جِئْنَـكَ بِـَايَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَالسَّلَـمُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى (So let the Children of Israel go with us, and torment them not; indeed, we have come with a sign from your Lord! And peace will be upon him who follows the guidance!") (20:47) إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ (Verily, I am to you a Messenger worthy of all trust.) means, `what I convey to you is trustworthy.' وَأَن لاَّ تَعْلُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ (And exalt not yourselves against Allah.) means, `and do not be too arrogant to follow His signs. Accept His proof and believe in His evidence.' This is like the Ayah: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَخِرِينَ (Verily, those who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!) (40:60) إِنِّى ءَاتِيكُمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ (Truly, I have come to you with a manifest authority.) means, with clear and obvious proof. This refers to the clear signs and definitive evidence with which Allah sent him. وَإِنِّى عُذْتُ بِرَبِّى وَرَبِّكُمْ أَن تَرْجُمُونِ (And truly, I seek refuge with my Lord and your Lord, lest you should stone me.) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Abu Salih said, "This refers to a verbal assault, which means insults." Qatadah said, "Meaning `stoning' in the literal sense, so that the meaning is: `I seek refuge with Allah, Who created me and you, from your making any harmful words or actions reach me."' وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُواْ لِى فَاعْتَزِلُونِ (But if you believe me not, then keep away from me and leave me alone.) means, `then let us leave one another alone and live in peace until Allah judges between us.' After Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, had stayed among them for a long time, and the proof of Allah had been established against them, and that only increased them in disbelief and stubbornness, he prayed to his Lord against them, a prayer which was answered. Allah says: وَقَالَ مُوسَى رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ ءاتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلاّهُ زِينَةً وَأَمْوَالاً فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِكَ رَبَّنَا اطْمِسْ عَلَى أَمْوَلِهِمْ وَاشْدُدْ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُواْ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ قَالَ قَدْ أُجِيبَتْ دَّعْوَتُكُمَا فَاسْتَقِيمَا (And Musa said: "Our Lord! You have indeed bestowed on Fir`awn and his chiefs splendor and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord! That they may lead men astray from Your path. Our Lord! Destroy their wealth, and harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment." Allah said: "Verily, the invocation of you both is accepted. So you both keep to the straight way.") (10:88-89) And Allah says here: فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنَّ هَـؤُلاَءِ قَوْمٌ مُّجْرِمُونَ (So he (Musa) called upon his Lord (saying): "These are indeed the people who are criminals.") Whereupon Allah commanded him to bring the Children of Israel out from among them, without the command, consent or permission of Fir`awn. Allah said: فَأَسْرِ بِعِبَادِى لَيْلاً إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ (Depart you with My servants by night. Surely, you will be pursued.) This is like the Ayah: وَلَقَدْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى مُوسَى أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِى فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقاً فِى الْبَحْرِ يَبَساً لاَّ تَخَافُ دَرَكاً وَلاَ تَخْشَى And indeed We revealed to Mu0sa0 (saying): Travel by night with My servants and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken nor being afraid (of drowning in the sea). )20:77( وَاتْرُكِ الْبَحْرَ رَهْواً إِنَّهُمْ جُندٌ مُّغْرَقُونَ (And leave the sea as it is (quiet and divided). Verily, they are a host to be drowned.) When Musa and the Children of Israel has crossed the sea, Musa wanted to strike it with his staff so that it would go back as it had been, and it would form a barrier between then and Fir`awn and prevent him from reaching them. But Allah commanded him to leave it as it was, quiet and divided, and gave him the glad tidings that they were a host to be drowned, and that he should not fear either being overtaken by Fir`awn or drowning in the sea. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: وَاتْرُكِ الْبَحْرَ رَهْواً (And leave the sea as it is (quiet and divided).) means, leave it as it is and keep moving. Mujahid said: رَهْواً (as it is) means, a dry path, as it is. `Do not command it to go back; leave it until the last of them have entered it.' This was also the view of `Ikrimah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd, Ka`b Al-Ahbar, Simak bin Harb and others. كَمْ تَرَكُواْ مِن جَنَّـتٍ وَعُيُونٍ وَزُرُوعٍ (How many of gardens and springs that they left behind. And green crops) this refers to rivers and wells. وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيمٍ and goodly places, means, fine dwellings and beautiful places. Muja0hid and Sa 0d bin Jubayr said: وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيمٍ (and goodly places,) means elevated places. وَنَعْمَةٍ كَانُواْ فِيهَا فَـكِهِينَ (And comforts of life wherein they used to take delight!) means, a life which they were enjoying, where they could eat whatever they wanted and wear what they liked, with wealth and glory and power in the land. Then all of that was taken away in a single morning, they departed from this world and went to Hell, what a terrible abode! كَذَلِكَ وَأَوْرَثْنَـهَا قَوْماً ءَاخَرِينَ (Thus (it was)! And We made other people inherit them.) namely the Children of Israel. فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَآءُ وَالاٌّرْضُ (And the heavens and the earth wept not for them, ) means, they had no righteous deeds which used to ascend through the gates of the heavens, which would weep for them when they died, and they had no places on earth where they used to worship Allah which would notice their loss. So they did not deserve to be given a respite, because of their disbelief, sin, transgression and stubbornness. Ibn Jarir recorded that Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "A man came to Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and said to him: `O Abu Al-`Abbas, Allah says, فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَآءُ وَالاٌّرْضُ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنظَرِينَ (And the heavens and the earth wept not for them, nor were they given respite) -- do the heavens and the earth weep for anybody' He, may Allah be pleased with him, said, `Yes, there is no one who does not have a gate in the heavens through which his provision comes down and his good deeds ascend. When the believer dies, that gate is closed; it misses him and weeps for him, and the place of prayer on earth where he used to pray and remember Allah also weeps for him. But the people of Fir`awn left no trace of righteousness on the earth and they had no good deeds that ascended to Allah, so the heavens and the earth did not weep for them."' Al-`Awfi reported something similar from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. وَلَقَدْ نَجَّيْنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ - مِن فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَالِياً مِّنَ الْمُسْرِفِينَ (And indeed We saved the Children of Israel from the humiliating torment from Fir`awn; verily, he was arrogant and was of the excessive. ) Here Allah reminds them of how He saved them from their humiliation and subjugation at the hands of Fir`awn, when they were forced to do menial tasks. مِن فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَالِياً (From Fir`awn; verily, he was arrogant) means, he was proud and stubborn. This is like the Ayah: إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلاَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ (Verily, Fir`awn exalted himself in the land) (28:4). فَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ وَكَانُواْ قَوْماً عَـلِينَ (but they behaved insolently and they were people self-exalting) (23:46). He was one of the excessive and held a foolish opinion of himself. وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَـهُمْ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عَلَى الْعَـلَمِينَ (And We chose them above the nations (Al-`Alamin) with knowledge,) Mujahid said, "This means that they were chosen above those among whom they lived." Qatadah said, "They were chosen above the other people of their own time, and it was said that in every period there are people who are chosen above others." This is like the Ayah: قَالَ يَمُوسَى إِنْى اصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ((Allah) said: "O Musa I have chosen you above men.") (7:144), which means, above the people of his time. This is also like the Ayah: وَاصْطَفَـكِ عَلَى نِسَآءِ الْعَـلَمِينَ (and (Allah has) chosen you (Maryam) above the women of the nations (Al-`Alamin).) (3:42), i.e., Maryam was chosen above the women of her time. For Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, is higher than her in status or is equal to her, as was Asiyah bint Muzahim, the wife of Fir`awn. And the superiority of `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, over all other women is like the superiority of Tharid over all other dishes. وَءَاتَيْنَـهُم مِّنَ الاٌّيَـتِ (And granted them signs) means clear proofs and extraordinary evidence. مَا فِيهِ بَلَؤٌاْ مُّبِينٌ (in which there was a plain trial.) means, an obvious test to show who would be guided by it.

فأَسْر- يا موسى- بعبادي- الذين صَدَّقوك، وآمنوا بك، واتبعوك، دون الذين كذبوك منهم- ليلا إنكم متبعون من فرعون وجنوده فتنجون، ويغرق فرعون وجنوده.

كما قال تعالى "ولقد أوحينا إلى موسى أن أسر بعبادي فاضرب لهم طريقا في البحر يبسا لا تخاف دركا ولا تخشى".

ثم حكت السورة الكريمة بعد ذلك ما يدل على أن الله - تعالى - قد أجاب دعاء موسى - عليه السلام - ، وأنه - سبحانه - قد أرشده إلى ما يفعله فقال : ( فَأَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي لَيْلاً إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ ) .قال الجمل : " قوله : ( فَأَسْرِ ) قرأ الجمهور بقطع الهمزة وقرأ نافع وابن كثير بوصلها ، وهما لغتان جيدتان : الأولى من أسريت والثانية من سريت . قال - تعالى - ( سُبْحَانَ الذي أسرى بِعَبْدِهِ ) وقال : ( والليل إِذَا يَسْرِ ) والإِسراء السير ليلا ، فذكر الليل - هنا تأكيد له بغير اللفظ - إذ الإِسراء والسرى : السير ليلا " .والكلام على تقدير القول ، أى : فقال الله - تعالى - على سبيل التعليم والإِرشاد : سر يا موسى ببنى إسرائيل وبمن آمن معك من القبط من مصر ، بقطع من الليل ( إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ ) من جهة فرعون وملئه ، متى علموا بخروجكم .

وقوله ( فَأَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي ) وَفِي الكلام محذوف استغني بدلالة ما ذُكر عليه منه, وهو: فأجابه ربه بأن قال له: فأسر إذ كان الأمر كذلك بعبادي, وهم بنو إسرائيل, وإنما معنى الكلام: فأسر بعبادي الذين صدّقوك وآمنوا بك, واتبعوك دون الذين كذّبوك منهم, وأبَوْا قبول ما جئتهم به من النصيحة منك, وكان الذين كانوا بهذه الصِّفَة يومئذ بني إسرائيل. وقال: ( فَأَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي لَيْلا ) لأن معنى ذلك: سر بهم بليل قبل الصباح.وقوله ( إِنَّكُمْ مُتَّبَعُونَ ) يقول: إن فرعون وقومه من القبط متبعوكم إذا شخصتم عن بلدهم وأرضهم في آثاركم.

( فأسر بعبادي ليلا ) أي ببني إسرائيل ( إنكم متبعون ) يتبعكم فرعون وقومه .

فَأَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي لَيْلًا إِنَّكُمْ مُتَّبَعُونَ (23)تفريع على جملة { أن هؤلاء قوم مجرمون } [ الدخان : 22 ] ، والمفرَّع قول محذوف دلت عليه صيغة الكلام ، أي فدعا فقلنا : اسْرِ بعبادي . وقرأه نافع وابن كثير وأبو جعفر { فاسْرِ } بهمزة وصل على أنه أمر من ( سرى ) ، وقرأه الباقون بهمزة قطع من ( أسرى ) يقال : سرَى وَأَسْرى . وقد تقدم عند قوله تعالى : { سبحان الذي أسرى بعبده } [ الإسراء : 1 ] فتقييده بزمان الليل هنا نظير تقييده في سورة الإسراء ، والمقصود منه تأكيد معنى الإسراء بأنه حقيقة وليس مستعملاً مجازاً في التبكير بناءً على أن المتعارف في الرحيل أن يكون فجْراً .وفائدة التأكيد أن يكون له من سعة الوقت ما يَبلغون به إلى شاطىء البحر الأحمر قبل أن يدركهم فرعون بجنوده .وجملة { إنكم متبعون } تقيد تعليلاً للأمر بالإسراء ليلاً لأنه مما يستغرب ، أي أنكم متَّبعون فأردنا أن تقطعوا مسافة يتعذّر على فرعون لحاقكم . وتأكيد الخبر ب ( إنَّ ) لتنزيل غير السائل منزلة السائل إذَا قُدّم إليْه ما يلوِّح له بالخبر فيستشرفُ له استشرافَ المتردد السائل ، على حد قوله تعالى : { ولا تخاطبني في الذين ظلموا إنهم مغرقون } [ هود : 37 ] .وأسند الإتباع إلى غير مذكور لأنه من المعلوم أن الذي سيتبعهم هو فرعون وجنوده .

فأمره الله أن يسري بعباده ليلا وأخبره أن فرعون وقومه سيتبعونه.

قوله تعالى : فأسر بعبادي ليلا إنكم متبعون .فيه مسألتان :الأولى : فأسر بعبادي ليلا أي : فأجبنا دعاءه وأوحينا إليه أن أسر بعبادي ، أي : بمن آمن بالله من بني إسرائيل . ليلا أي : قبل الصباح إنكم متبعون وقرأ أهل الحجاز ( فاسر ) بوصل الألف . وكذلك ابن كثير ، من سرى . الباقون فأسر بالقطع ، من أسرى . وقد تقدم . وتقدم خروج فرعون وراء موسى في ( البقرة والأعراف وطه والشعراء ويونس ) وإغراقه وإنجاء موسى ، فلا معنى للإعادة .الثانية : أمر موسى - عليه السلام - بالخروج ليلا . وسير الليل في الغالب إنما يكون عن خوف ، والخوف يكون بوجهين : إما من العدو فيتخذ الليل سترا مسدلا ، فهو من أستار الله تعالى . وإما من خوف المشقة على الدواب والأبدان بحر أو جدب ، فيتخذ السرى مصلحة من ذلك . وكان النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يسري ويدلج ومترفق ويستعجل ، بحسب الحاجة وما تقتضيه [ ص: 127 ] المصلحة . وفي الصحيح عن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : إذا سافرتم في الخصب فأعطوا الإبل حظها من الأرض وإذا سافرتم في السنة فبادروا بها نقيها . وقد مضى في أول " النحل " ، والحمد لله

After prolonged effort on the part of Moses to bring Pharaoh’s people to the right path, by preaching the word of God, his assignment to issue the call for the Truth came to an end. At that time, Moses was instructed to leave Egypt and move out along with his people (the Children of Israel). Accordingly, Moses set out and journeyed until he reached the banks of the Red Sea. The waters parted for him and a path appeared for him to cross over. Pharaoh and his army were in hot pursuit of Moses and the Children of Israel. When Pharaoh saw a path being formed across the Sea, he thought that he could also cross it, just as Moses had done. But the path across the Sea was not simply a path in the ordinary sense. The waters had parted by the commandment of God and God’s commandment was for the deliverance of Moses and the destruction of Pharaoh. So, when Pharaoh and his army entered the Sea, the waters rushed upon them from either side of the path and rose to their former level. Pharaoh was drowned along with his army. One who receives the good things of life in this world often considers them as his personal possessions, though in reality, they do not rightly belong to him. God may give them to anybody whenever He wishes, then, taking them away from him, may give them to somebody else, just as He pleases.

Commentary وَإِنِّي عُذْتُ بِرَ‌بِّي وَرَ‌بِّكُمْ أَن تَرْ‌جُمُونِ "And I have sought refuge with my Lord and your Lord, lest you stone me to death. (44:20) " The word rajm means 'to stone to death'. Another meaning of the word is 'to revile or to make a verbal assault or to heap up insults'. Both senses are possible here, but it seems more likely that the word is used here in the sense of stoning to death, because Fir'aun's people must have been threatening Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) with death.

(Then (his Lord commanded) Take away my slaves by night) Allah said to Moses: �take away My slaves, the Children of Israel at the beginning of the night�. (Lo! ye will be followed) to the sea,