Smoke, The Evident Smoke — Verse 33

And We gave them signs in which there was a manifest trial an obvious grace such as the parting of the sea the sending down of manna and quails and other such signs.

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.

وآتيناهم من المعجزات على يد موسى ما فيه ابتلاؤهم واختبارهم رخاء وشدة.

قوله جل جلاله "وآتيناهم من الآيات" أي الحجج والبراهين وخوارق العادات "ما فيه بلاء مبين" أي اختبار ظاهر جلي لمن اهتدى به.

ثم بين - سبحانه - بعض المعجزات التى جاءتهم على أيدى رسلهم فقال : ( وَآتَيْنَاهُم مِّنَ الآيات مَا فِيهِ بَلاَءٌ مُّبِينٌ ) .أى : وأعطيناهم من المعجزات الدالة على صدق رسلهم كموسى وعيسى وغيرهما ، ما فيه بلاء مبين .أى : ما فيه اختبار وامتحان ظاهر ليتميز الخبيث من الطيب ، والكافر من المؤمن .ومن هذه الآيات : فلق البحر بالنسبة لموسى ، وإبراء الأكمه والأبرص ، بالنسبة لعيسى .ومن هذه الآيات الكريمة نرى جانبا من قصة موسى - عليه السلام - ، وكيف أنه بلغ رسالة ربه على أكمل وجه ، وسلك مع فرعون وقومه أحكم السبل فى الدعوة إلى الحق . .كما نرى فيها فضل الله - تعالى - على نبيه ، وعلى بنى إسرائيل ، حيث نجاهم من ظلم فرعون وطغيانه ، وأهكله ومن معه أمام أعينهم ، وأورثهم كنوز أعدائهم . .

قوله ( وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الآيَاتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلاءٌ مُبِينٌ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: وأعطيناهم من العِبر والعِظات ما فيه اختبار يبين لمن تأمله أنه اختبار اختبرهم الله به.واختلف أهل التأويل في ذلك البلاء, فقال بعضهم: ابتلاهم بنعمه عندهم.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قوله ( وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الآيَاتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلاءٌ مُبِينٌ ) أنجاهم الله من عدوّهم, ثم أقطعهم البحر, وظلَّل عليهم الغمام, وأنـزل عليهم المنّ والسلوى.وقال آخرون: بل ابتلاهم بالرخاء والشدّة.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله ( وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الآيَاتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلاءٌ مُبِينٌ ), وقرأ وَنَبْلُوكُمْ بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ وقال: بلاء مبين لمن آمن بها وكفر بها, بلوى نبتليهم بها, نمحصهم بلوى اختبار, نختبرهم بالخير والشرّ, نختبرهم لننظر فيما أتاهم من الآيات من يؤمن بها, وينتفع بها ويضيعها.وأولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصواب أن يقال: إن الله أخبر أنه آتى بني إسرائيل من الآيات ما فيه ابتلاؤهم واختبارهم, وقد يكون الابتلاء والاختبار بالرخاء, ويكون بالشدّة, ولم يضع لنا دليلا من خبر ولا عقل, أنه عنى بعض ذلك دون بعض, وقد كان الله اختبرهم بالمعنيين كليهما جميعا. وجائز أن يكون عنى اختباره إياهم بهما, فإذا كان الأمر على ما وصفنا, فالصواب من القول فيه أن نقول كما قال جل ثناؤه إنه اختبرهم.

( وآتيناهم من الآيات ما فيه بلاء مبين ) قال قتادة : نعمة بينة من فلق البحر ، وتظليل الغمام ، وإنزال المن والسلوى ، والنعم التي أنعمها عليهم . وقال ابن زيد : ابتلاهم بالرخاء والشدة ، وقرأ : " ونبلوكم بالشر والخير فتنة " ( الأنبياء - 35 ) .

وَآَتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الْآَيَاتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلَاءٌ مُبِينٌ (33)إيتاء الآيات من آثار الاختيار لأنه من عناية الله بالأمة لأنه يزيدهم يقيناً بإيمانهم . والمراد بالآيات المعجزات التي ظهرت على يد موسى عليه السلام أيد الله به بني إسرائيل في مواقع حروبهم بنصر الفئة القليلة منهم على الجيوش الكثيرة من عدوّهم .وهذا تعريض بالإنذار للمشركين بأن المسلمين سيغلبون جمعهم مع قِلتِهم في بدر وغيرها .والبلاء : الاختبار يكون بالخير والشر . فالأول اختبار لمقابلة النعمة بالشكر أو غيره ، والثاني اختبار لمقدار الصبر ، قال تعالى : { ونبْلوكم بالشر والخير فتنةً } [ الأنبياء : 35 ] أي ما فيه اختبار لهم في نظر الناس ليعلم بعضهم أنهم قابلوا نعمة إيتاء الآيات بالشكر ، ويحذروا قومهم من مقابلة النعمة بالكفران .

{ وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ } أي: بني إسرائيل { مِنَ الْآيَاتِ } الباهرة والمعجزات الظاهرة. { مَا فِيهِ بَلَاءٌ مُبِينٌ } أي: إحسان كثير ظاهر منا عليهم وحجة عليهم على صحة ما جاءهم به نبيهم موسى عليه السلام.

قوله تعالى : وآتيناهم من الآيات ما فيه بلاء مبين .قوله تعالى : وآتيناهم من الآيات أي من المعجزات لموسى . ما فيه بلاء مبين قال قتادة : الآيات إنجاؤهم من فرعون وفلق البحر لهم ، وتظليل الغمام عليهم وإنزال المن والسلوى . ويكون هذا الخطاب متوجها إلى بني إسرائيل . وقيل : إنها العصا واليد . ويشبه أن يكون قول الفراء . ويكون الخطاب متوجها إلى قوم فرعون . وقول ثالث : إنه الشر الذي كفهم عنه والخبر الذي أمرهم به ، قاله عبد الرحمن بن زيد . ويكون الخطاب متوجها إلى الفريقين معا من قوم فرعون وبني إسرائيل . وفي قوله : بلاء مبين أربعة أوجه : أحدها : نعمة ظاهرة ، قاله الحسن وقتادة . كما قال الله تعالى : وليبلي المؤمنين منه بلاء حسنا . وقال زهير : .فأبلاهما خير البلاء الذي يبلو.الثاني : عذاب شديد ، قاله الفراء . الثالث : اختبار يتميز به المؤمن من الكافر ، قاله عبد الرحمن بن زيد . وعنه أيضا : ابتلاؤهم بالرخاء والشدة ، ثم قرأ ونبلوكم بالشر والخير فتنة .

In this world, the downfall of one nation and the rise of another do not happen accidentally. Neither does it mean that a cruel nation has, on account of its oppressive methods, subjugated another. All such events take place in accordance with God’s decision, for the trial of man. It is God who, at His discretion, decides upon domination for one and subjection for another. Whatever He decides, it is based on His knowledge and is not arbitrary. God makes His decisions in accordance with His knowledge, in other words, whatever happens is on the basis of what one deserves. In the light of His total knowledge, God looks at the various peoples and then decides to give dominance to those nations whom He finds deserving: those whom He finds undeserving, He dethrones and commits to subjection. In the lives of nations, there appear signs to show that whatever fate befell them was by the decision of God. If a man’s insight is keen, he will be able to catch a glimpse of the causes leading to the decisions taken by God in respect of the various nations.

وَآتَيْنَاهُم مِّنَ الْآيَاتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلَاءٌ مُّبِينٌ And We gave them the clear signs in which there was a manifest blessing. (44:33) " The word 'signs' refers to the miracles of the staff, the shining hand and others. The word 1 bala' has two senses: (1) blessing; and (2) trial. Here both senses are possible. (Qurtubi).

(And We gave them portents) signs (wherein was a clear trial) and it is this that saved them from Pharaoh and drowning, and He sent down for them quails and honey in the wilderness, etc.; it is also said that (wherein was a clear trial) means: wherein was a great blessing.