Al-Qasas 28:6
The Stories · Juz 20 · Page 386
وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَنُرِيَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَحۡذَرُونَ ٦
And establish them in the land and show Pharaoh and [his minister] Hāmān and their soldiers through them1 that which they had feared.
1 translator’s note
- By means of those whom they had oppressed and enslaved. ↩
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 28:1–6
Which was revealed in Makkah
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Ma`diykarib said: "We came to `Abdullah and asked him to recite to us:
طسم
(Ta Sin Mim.) the two hundred. He said, `I do not know it; you should go to someone who learned it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ Khabbab bin Al-Aratt.' So we went to Khabbab bin Al-Aratt and he recited it to us, may Allah be pleased with him."
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Story of Musa and Fir`awn, and what Allah intended for Their People
We have already discussed the significance of the separate letters.
تِلْكَ ءَايَتُ الْكِتَبِ الْمُبِينِ
(These are the Ayat of the manifest Book.) means the Book which is clear and makes plain the true reality of things, and tells us about what happened and what will happen.
نَتْلُواْ عَلَيْكَ مِن نَّبَإِ مُوسَى وَفِرْعَوْنَ بِالْحَقِّ
(We recite to you some of the news of Musa and Fir`awn in truth,) This is like the Ayah,
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ
(We relate unto you the best of stories) (12:3). which means, `We tell you about things as they really were, as if you are there and are seeing them yourself.' Then Allah says:
إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلاَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ
(Verily, Fir`awn exalted himself in the land) means, he was an arrogant oppressor and tyrant.
وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعاً
(and made its people Shiya`) means, he made them into different classes, each of which he used to do whatever he wanted of the affairs of his state.
يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ
(weakening a group among them. ) This refers to the Children of Israel, who at that time were the best of people, even though this tyrant king overpowered them, using them to do the most menial work and forcing them to hard labor night and day for him and his people. At the same time, he was killing their sons and letting their daughters live, to humiliate them and because he feared that there might appear among them the boy who would be the cause of his destruction and the downfall of his kingdom. So Fir`awn took precautions against that happening, by ordering that all boys born to the Children of Israel should be killed, but this precaution did not protect him against the divine decree, because when the term of Allah comes, it cannot be delayed, and for each and every matter there is a decree from Allah. Allah says:
وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ
(And We wished to do a favor to those who were weak in the land,) until His saying;
يَحْذَرُونَ
(which they feared.) And Allah did indeed do this to them, as He says:
وَأَوْرَثْنَا الْقَوْمَ الَّذِينَ كَانُواْ يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ
(And We made the people who were considered weak) until His saying;
يَعْرِشُونَ
(they erected) (7:137). And Allah said:
كَذَلِكَ وَأَوْرَثْنَهَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ
(Thus and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit them) (26: 59). Fir`awn hoped that by his strength and power he would be saved from Musa, but that did not help him in the slightest. Despite his great power as a king he could not oppose the decree of Allah, which can never be overcome. On the contrary, Allah's ruling was carried out, for it had been written and decreed from past eternity that Fir`awn would meet his doom at the hands of Musa.
Page 386
28:6
وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَنُرِيَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَحۡذَرُونَ ٦
And establish them in the land and show Pharaoh and [his minister] Hāmān and their soldiers through them1 that which they had feared.
1 translator’s note
- By means of those whom they had oppressed and enslaved. ↩
28:7
وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنۡ أَرۡضِعِيهِۖ فَإِذَا خِفۡتِ عَلَيۡهِ فَأَلۡقِيهِ فِي ٱلۡيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحۡزَنِيٓۖ إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيۡكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ٧
And We inspired to the mother of Moses, "Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers."
28:8
فَٱلۡتَقَطَهُۥٓ ءَالُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمۡ عَدُوّٗا وَحَزَنًاۗ إِنَّ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا كَانُواْ خَٰطِـِٔينَ ٨
And the family of Pharaoh picked him up [out of the river] so that he would become to them an enemy and a [cause of] grief. Indeed, Pharaoh and Hāmān and their soldiers were deliberate sinners.
28:9
وَقَالَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ قُرَّتُ عَيۡنٖ لِّي وَلَكَۖ لَا تَقۡتُلُوهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوۡ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدٗا وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ٩
And the wife of Pharaoh said, "[He will be] a comfort of the eye [i.e., pleasure] for me and for you. Do not kill him; perhaps he may benefit us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they perceived not.1
1 translator’s note
- What would be the result of that. ↩
28:10
وَأَصۡبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَٰرِغًاۖ إِن كَادَتۡ لَتُبۡدِي بِهِۦ لَوۡلَآ أَن رَّبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قَلۡبِهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٠
And the heart of Moses' mother became empty [of all else]. She was about to disclose [the matter concerning] him had We not bound fast her heart that she would be of the believers.
28:11
وَقَالَتۡ لِأُخۡتِهِۦ قُصِّيهِۖ فَبَصُرَتۡ بِهِۦ عَن جُنُبٖ وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ١١
And she said to his sister, "Follow him"; so she watched him from a distance while they perceived not.
28:12
۞ وَحَرَّمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡمَرَاضِعَ مِن قَبۡلُ فَقَالَتۡ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِ بَيۡتٖ يَكۡفُلُونَهُۥ لَكُمۡ وَهُمۡ لَهُۥ نَٰصِحُونَ ١٢
And We had prevented from him [all] wet nurses before,1 so she said, "Shall I direct you to a household that will be responsible for him for you while they are to him [for his upbringing] sincere?"
1 translator’s note
- Prior to that, Moses had refused to nurse from any other woman. ↩
28:13
فَرَدَدۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّهِۦ كَيۡ تَقَرَّ عَيۡنُهَا وَلَا تَحۡزَنَ وَلِتَعۡلَمَ أَنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٣
So We restored him to his mother that she might be content and not grieve and that she would know that the promise of Allāh is true. But most of them [i.e., the people] do not know.