Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/24)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

The point, then, is that when Allah—exalted be He—commanded Moses, peace be upon him, to go to Pharaoh, Moses said:

“My Lord, I have killed one of them and I fear they will kill me. And my brother Aaron is more eloquent of tongue than I, so send him with me as a helper to confirm my words; for I fear that they will deny me.” He said, “We shall strengthen your arm with your brother and bestow upon both of you authority; they shall not reach you. By Our signs, you and those who follow you will be the victors.” (al-Qasas 28:33–35)

The Most High informs us about His servant, His messenger, and the one to whom He spoke directly—Moses, peace be upon him—describing his reply to his Lord when he was ordered to confront his enemy, the very tyrant from whose land he had fled after killing the Egyptian. Thus he said, “My Lord, I have killed one of them, and I fear they will kill me; and my brother Aaron is more eloquent than I in speech, so send him with me as a supporter to confirm me, for I fear they will belie me.”

That is: appoint him to accompany me as an aide, a supporter, and a minister who will help me convey Your message to them, for he is more articulate and persuasive than I.

Allah, glorified be He, granted his request, saying, “We shall strengthen your arm with your brother and grant the two of you authority,” meaning a conclusive proof, “so they shall not reach you,” that is, they will be unable to harm you on account of the signs We give you—or, as some say, by the blessing of those signs—“and you two, and whoever follows you, will be the triumphant.”

In Sūrat Ṭā Hā He likewise says:

“Go to Pharaoh; he has indeed transgressed.” He replied, “My Lord, expand my breast for me; make my task easy for me; loosen the knot in my tongue so that they may understand my speech.” (20:24-28)

It is said that a lisp afflicted his tongue because, as a child, he placed a burning coal upon it. Pharaoh had wanted to test his intellect when the boy tugged at his beard. He resolved to kill him, but Āsiyah defended him, saying, “He is only a child; test him.” Pharaoh then set before him a date and a glowing coal. Moses reached for the date, but an angel turned his hand toward the coal; he took it and placed it on his tongue, and the lisp resulted. Moses therefore asked that part of it be removed—just enough for people to understand him—without requesting its complete removal.

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, “Messengers ask only for what necessity requires.” Hence a trace of the impediment remained, and Pharaoh—may Allah disfigure him—tried to disparage the Prophet, saying, “and he can scarcely articulate” (al-Zukhruf 43:52), meaning he can hardly express what is in his heart.

Moses then said: “And appoint for me a minister from my family—Aaron, my brother; strengthen me through him; make him my partner in my mission, so that we may glorify You much and remember You much, for You have always been watchful over us.” He said, “Your request has been granted, O Moses.” (Ṭā Hā 20:29-36)

That is, We have answered everything you asked and granted you what you sought. This demonstrates his standing with his Lord, glorified be He: he interceded that revelation be granted to his brother, and Allah granted it—an immense honor indeed.

Allah, exalted is He, says, “He was highly esteemed in the sight of Allah” (al-Aḥzāb 33:69), and He says, “Out of Our mercy We bestowed upon him his brother Aaron, a prophet” (Maryam 19:53). And I have heard

Some have versified these nine verses, saying: “Staff, plague, sea, locusts and lice… blood, hand, after the frogs, the Flood.” Al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ by al-Fayrūzābādī, s.v. “Nine.” (1) In the printed edition: “fakhafat ’alayh.”

والمقصود أنّ الله سبحانه لما أمر موسى (عليه السلام) بالذهاب إلى فرعون ﴿قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْسًا فَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَقْتُلُونِ (٣٣) وَأَخِي هَارُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّي لِسَانًا فَأَرْسِلْهُ مَعِيَ رِدْءًا يُصَدِّقُنِي إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُكَذِّبُونِ (٣٤) قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَانًا فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْتُمَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَكُمَا الْغَالِبُونَ﴾ [القصص: ٣٣ - ٣٥] . يقول تعالى، مخبرًا عن عبده ورسوله وكليمه موسى (عليه السلام) في جوابه لربّه – Exalté soit-Il – حين أمره بالذهاب إلى عدوّه الذي خرج من ديار مصر، فرارًا من سطوته وظلمه، حين كان من أمره ما كان في قتل ذلك القبطي، ولهذا ﴿قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْسًا فَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَقْتُلُونِ (٣٣) وَأَخِي هَارُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّي لِسَانًا فَأَرْسِلْهُ مَعِيَ رِدْءًا يُصَدِّقُنِي إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُكَذِّبُونِ﴾. أي: اجعله معي مُعينًا، ورِدْأً، ووزيرًا يساعدني ويعينني على أداء رسالتك إليهم، فإنّه أفصح مني لسانًا، وأبلغ بيانًا. قال الله تعالى مجيبًا له إلى سؤاله ﴿سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَانًا﴾ أي: برهانًا ﴿فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا﴾ أي: فلا ينالون منكما مكروهًا بسبب قيامكما بآياتنا، وقيل: ببركة آياتنا ﴿أَنْتُمَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَكُمَا الْغَالِبُونَ﴾. وقال في سورة طه: ﴿اذْهَبْ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى (٢٤) قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي (٢٥) وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي (٢٦) وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي (٢٧) يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي﴾ [الآيات: ٢٤ - ٢٨] . قيل: إنَّه أصابه في لسانه لثغةٌ بسبب تلك الجمرة التي وضعها على لسانه؛ التي كان فرعون أراد اختبار عقله حين أخذ بلحيته وهو صغير، فهمَّ بقتله فحاجَّت عنه (١) آسية، وقالت: إنّه طفلٌ، فاختبره بوضع تمرة وجمرة بين يديه، فهمّ بأخذ التمرة، فصرفَ الملكُ يدَه إلى الجمرة، فأخذها فوضعها على لسانه، فأصابه لثغةٌ بسببها، فسأل زوال بعضها بمقدار ما يفهمون قوله، ولم يسأل زوالَها بالكلية. قال الحسن البصري: والرّسل إنّما يسألون بحسب الحاجة، ولهذا بقيت في لسانه بقيةٌ، ولهذا قال فرعون قبّحه الله فيما زعم أنّه يعيب به الكليم: ﴿وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ﴾ [الزخرف: ٥٢] أي: يُفصح عن مراده ويعبّر عمّا في ضميره وفؤاده. ثم قال موسى (عليه السلام) ﴿وَاجْعَلْ لِي وَزِيرًا مِنْ أَهْلِي (٢٩) هَارُونَ أَخِي (٣٠) اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِي (٣١) وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِي أَمْرِي (٣٢) كَيْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا (٣٣) وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا (٣٤) إِنَّكَ كُنْتَ بِنَا بَصِيرًا (٣٥) قَالَ قَدْ أُوتِيتَ سُؤْلَكَ يَامُوسَى﴾ [طه: ٢٩ - ٣٦] . أي: قد أجبناك إلى جميع ما سألت، وأعطيناك الذي طلبت، وهذا من وَجاهته عند ربّه – Exalté soit-Il – حين شفع أن يوحي الله إلى أخيه، فأوحى إليه، وهذا جاهٌ عظيمٌ. قال اللّه تعالى: ﴿وَكَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهًا﴾ [الأحزاب: ٦٩] وقال تعالى: ﴿وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ مِنْ رَحْمَتِنَا أَخَاهُ هَارُونَ نَبِيًّا﴾ [مريم: ٥٣] وقد سمعت

= وقد نظم بعضهم هذه الآيات التسع فقال: عصا، سَنَةٌ، بَحْرٌ، جَرَادٌ وقُمَّلٌ … دَمٌ، ويَدٌ، بعد الضفادع، طوفانُ القاموس المحيط للفيروزأبادي (تسع). (١) في ط: فخافت عليه.