Taha 20:47
Ta-Ha · Juz 16 · Page 314
فَأۡتِيَاهُ فَقُولَآ إِنَّا رَسُولَا رَبِّكَ فَأَرۡسِلۡ مَعَنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَلَا تُعَذِّبۡهُمۡۖ قَدۡ جِئۡنَٰكَ بِـَٔايَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكَۖ وَٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَىٰ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ٤٧
So go to him and say, 'Indeed, we are messengers of your Lord, so send with us the Children of Israel and do not torment them. We have come to you with a sign from your Lord. And peace1 will be upon he who follows the guidance.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., safety and security from Allāh's punishment. ↩
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Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 20:45–48
Pharaoh was an extremely haughty and arrogant person. Having acquired power, he had started considering himself to be a god. So Moses feared that when the message of the real God was presented to him, he would flare up in anger. But God’s messengers are under His protection. So Moses was commanded to proceed and to be rest assured that Pharaoh, despite his great might and power, would not be able to do him any harm. The Israelites were monotheists like the Muslims. But, being in the midst of the polytheistic community of Egypt, they were badly affected by its polytheistic culture. Moreover, the rulers had subjected them to such privation and hard labour as to render them incapable of thinking about such higher realities as the oneness of God and the life hereafter. Therefore, Moses was instructed to remove the Israelites from this sphere and settle them elsewhere, so that they could be brought up and educated far away from this vitiating atmosphere of polytheism and ignorance.
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20:38
إِذۡ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّكَ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ ٣٨
When We inspired to your mother what We inspired,
20:39
أَنِ ٱقۡذِفِيهِ فِي ٱلتَّابُوتِ فَٱقۡذِفِيهِ فِي ٱلۡيَمِّ فَلۡيُلۡقِهِ ٱلۡيَمُّ بِٱلسَّاحِلِ يَأۡخُذۡهُ عَدُوّٞ لِّي وَعَدُوّٞ لَّهُۥۚ وَأَلۡقَيۡتُ عَلَيۡكَ مَحَبَّةٗ مِّنِّي وَلِتُصۡنَعَ عَلَىٰ عَيۡنِيٓ ٣٩
[Saying], 'Cast him into the chest and cast it into the river, and the river will throw it onto the bank; there will take him an enemy to Me and an enemy to him.' And I bestowed upon you love from Me1 that you would be brought up under My eye [i.e., observation and care].
1 translator’s note
- Allāh put love of Moses into the hearts of the people. ↩
20:40
إِذۡ تَمۡشِيٓ أُخۡتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَن يَكۡفُلُهُۥۖ فَرَجَعۡنَٰكَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّكَ كَيۡ تَقَرَّ عَيۡنُهَا وَلَا تَحۡزَنَۚ وَقَتَلۡتَ نَفۡسٗا فَنَجَّيۡنَٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّٰكَ فُتُونٗاۚ فَلَبِثۡتَ سِنِينَ فِيٓ أَهۡلِ مَدۡيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئۡتَ عَلَىٰ قَدَرٖ يَٰمُوسَىٰ ٤٠
[And We favored you] when your sister went and said, 'Shall I direct you to someone who will be responsible for him?' So We restored you to your mother that she might be content and not grieve. And you killed someone,1 but We saved you from retaliation and tried you with a [severe] trial. And you remained [some] years among the people of Madyan. Then you came [here] at the decreed time, O Moses.
1 translator’s note
- The Copt who died after being struck by Moses. ↩
20:41
وَٱصۡطَنَعۡتُكَ لِنَفۡسِي ٤١
And I produced you for Myself.1
1 translator’s note
- Allāh had already selected Moses and made him strong in body and character according to the requirements of his mission. ↩
20:42
ٱذۡهَبۡ أَنتَ وَأَخُوكَ بِـَٔايَٰتِي وَلَا تَنِيَا فِي ذِكۡرِي ٤٢
Go, you and your brother, with My signs and do not slacken in My remembrance.
20:43
ٱذۡهَبَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ ٤٣
Go, both of you, to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.
20:44
فَقُولَا لَهُۥ قَوۡلٗا لَّيِّنٗا لَّعَلَّهُۥ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوۡ يَخۡشَىٰ ٤٤
And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allāh]."
20:45
قَالَا رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَا نَخَافُ أَن يَفۡرُطَ عَلَيۡنَآ أَوۡ أَن يَطۡغَىٰ ٤٥
They said, "Our Lord, indeed we are afraid that he will hasten [punishment] against us or that he will transgress."
20:46
قَالَ لَا تَخَافَآۖ إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَآ أَسۡمَعُ وَأَرَىٰ ٤٦
[Allāh] said, "Fear not. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see.
20:47
فَأۡتِيَاهُ فَقُولَآ إِنَّا رَسُولَا رَبِّكَ فَأَرۡسِلۡ مَعَنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَلَا تُعَذِّبۡهُمۡۖ قَدۡ جِئۡنَٰكَ بِـَٔايَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكَۖ وَٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَىٰ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ٤٧
So go to him and say, 'Indeed, we are messengers of your Lord, so send with us the Children of Israel and do not torment them. We have come to you with a sign from your Lord. And peace1 will be upon he who follows the guidance.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., safety and security from Allāh's punishment. ↩
20:48
إِنَّا قَدۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡنَآ أَنَّ ٱلۡعَذَابَ عَلَىٰ مَن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ٤٨
Indeed, it has been revealed to us that the punishment will be upon whoever denies and turns away.'"
20:49
قَالَ فَمَن رَّبُّكُمَا يَٰمُوسَىٰ ٤٩
[Pharaoh] said, "So who is the Lord of you two, O Moses?"
20:50
قَالَ رَبُّنَا ٱلَّذِيٓ أَعۡطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ خَلۡقَهُۥ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ ٥٠
He said, "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]."
20:51
قَالَ فَمَا بَالُ ٱلۡقُرُونِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ ٥١
[Pharaoh] said, "Then what is the case of the former generations?"