Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/28)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

that is best—gently and kindly—treating him as someone whom one still hopes may take heed or feel awe.

As the Most High said to His Messenger:
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good admonition, and argue with them in the manner that is best.” (al-Naḥl 16:125)

And He said:
“Do not argue with the People of the Book except in the manner that is best, unless it be with those of them who do wrong…” (al-ʿAnkabūt 29:46).

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said regarding His words, ‘then speak to him gentle words’: “Present your excuse to him; say to him, ‘You have a Lord and a Day of Return, and before you lie Paradise and Hell.’” (1)

Wahb b. Munabbih said: “Say to him, ‘I am nearer to pardon and forgiveness than I am to anger and punishment.’” (2)

And Yazīd al-Raqāshī (3), reflecting on this verse, said: “O You who show loving-kindness to the one who opposes You—how then with the one who is devoted to You and calls upon You!”

“They said, ‘Our Lord, we fear that he may act rashly against us or exceed all bounds.’” [Ṭā Hā 20:45]—for Pharaoh was a stubborn tyrant, a rebellious devil, possessing wide-ranging authority in the land of Egypt, backed by prestige, troops, armies, and formidable might. From a purely human perspective they were awed by him and feared that he might assault them at the outset.

So the Exalted, the Most High, fortified them, saying:
“Do not fear; I am surely with you both—I hear and I see.” [20:46]
And in another verse:
“We are with you, listening.” (al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:15)

“Go to him and say, ‘We are the messengers of your Lord. Let the Children of Israel go with us and do not torment them. We have brought you a sign from your Lord, and peace be upon whoever follows guidance. Indeed, it has been revealed to us that punishment is for the one who rejects the truth and turns away.’” [20:47–48]

The Most High relates that He commanded the two of them to go to Pharaoh and summon him to Allah—Exalted is He—to worship Him alone with no partner, to send the Children of Israel with them, releasing them from his bondage and oppression, and to cease tormenting them. “We have brought you a sign from your Lord,” namely the great proof of the staff and the hand. “And peace be upon whoever follows guidance”—a concise, powerful, and eloquent qualification.

They then threatened and warned him against denial, saying: “Indeed, it has been revealed to us that punishment lies in wait for whoever rejects the truth and turns away”—that is, for the one who denies the truth inwardly and turns away from acting upon it outwardly.

Al-Suddi and others have mentioned that when Moses returned from Midian he entered upon his mother and his brother Aaron while they were taking supper, which contained al-ṭafshīl (4)—that is, turnip—and he ate with them. He then said: “O Aaron, Allah has commanded me and you to summon Pharaoh to…"

(1) Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, vol. 3, p. 153. (2) Ibid. (3) The report appears in the same source. Al-Raqashi—so called after a woman named Raqash, whose numerous descendants formed a tribe of Qays Aylan—is spelled with a non-emphatic initial r and a softened qaf. Al-Ansab, vol. 6, p. 146. Yazeed ibn Tahman al-Raqashi, known as Abu al-Muʿtamir, was from Basra. (4) In Al-Muheet: al-Tufayshal (with a pronounced t) and kasmida—a type of broth. In his Tafsir (vol. 3, p. 154): their food at that time was al-Tufayl (turnip).

هي أحسن؛ برفقٍ ولين، ويعاملاه معاملةَ مَنْ يرجو أن يتذكّر أو يخشى، كما قال تعالى لرسوله: ﴿ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ﴾ [النحل: ١٢٥] ، وقال تعالى: ﴿وَلَا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ … ﴾ [العنكبوت: ٤٦] . قال الحسن البصري: ﴿فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَيِّنًا﴾: أعذرا إليه، قُولا له: إن لك ربًّا ولك معادًا، وإن بين يديك جنةً ونارًا (١) . وقال وهْب بن مُنَبِّه: قولا له: إنِّي إلى العفو والمغفرة أقرب منِّي إلى الغضب والعقوبة (٢) . وقال يزيد الرَّقَاشي (٣) عند هذه الآية: يا من يتحبّب إلى من يعاديه؛ فكيف بمن يتولّاه ويناديه. ﴿قَالَا رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا نَخَافُ أَنْ يَفْرُطَ عَلَيْنَا أَوْ أَنْ يَطْغَى﴾ وذلك أنّ فرعون كان جبارًا عنيدًا وشيطانًا مَريدًا، له سلطان في بلاد مِصر، طويل عريض، وجاه وجنود وعساكر وسطوة، فهاباه من حيث البشريةُ، وخافا أن يسطو عليهما في بادئ الأمر، فثبّتهما (سبحانه وتعالى) وهو العلى الأعلى فقال: ﴿قَالَ لَا تَخَافَا إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَا أَسْمَعُ وَأَرَى﴾، كما قال في الآية الأخرى: ﴿إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ مُسْتَمِعُونَ﴾ [الشعراء: ١٥] . ﴿فَأْتِيَاهُ فَقُولَا إِنَّا رَسُولَا رَبِّكَ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَا تُعَذِّبْهُمْ قَدْ جِئْنَاكَ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى (٤٧) إِنَّا قَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْنَا أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ عَلَى مَنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى﴾ [طه: ٤٧ - ٤٨] . يذكر تعالى أنه أمرهما أن يذهبا إلى فرعون فيدعواه إلى الله تعالى أن يعبُدَه وحده لا شريك له، وأن يرسل معهم بني إسرائيل، ويُطلقهم من أسره وقهره، ولا يعذبهم ﴿قَدْ جِئْنَاكَ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكَ﴾، وهو البرهان العظيم في العصا واليد ﴿وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى﴾ تقييدٌ مفيدٌ بليغٌ عظيمٌ. ثم تهدَّداه وتوعّداه على التكذيب فقالا: ﴿إِنَّا قَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْنَا أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ عَلَى مَنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى﴾ أي: كذّب بالحق بقلبه، وتولّى عن العمل بقالَبه. وقد ذكر السُّدِّي وغيره أنه لما قدم من بلاد مَدين دخل على أمّه وأخيه هارون، وهما يتعشيان من طعام فيه الطفشيل (٤) ؛ وهو اللِّفْتُ، فأكل معهما. ثم قال: يا هارون إنَّ الله أمرني وأمرك أن ندعو فرعون إلى

(١) تفسير ابن كثير (٣/ ١٥٣). (٢) المصدر السابق. (٣) الخبر في المصدر السابق. والرَّقَاشي، بفتح الراء المهملة، والقاف المخففة: نسبة إلى امرأة اسمها: رَقَاش، كثرت أولادها حتى صاروا قبيلة، وهي من قيس عيلان. الأنساب (٦/ ١٤٦). ويزيد بن طهمان الرقاشي، أبو المعتمر، من أهل البصرة. (٤) في المحيط: الطَّفَيْشل، بالمعجمة، كَسَميدع: نوع من المرق. وفي تفسيره (٣/ ١٥٤): وكان طعامهما ليلتئذٍ الطفيل، وهو اللفت.