Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/37)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

“and to forsake you and your god,” that is, to abandon the worship of you.

The phrase can be understood in two ways: first, that they leave your religion—an interpretation supported by the alternate Qur’anic reading; second, that they stop worshipping you, for Pharaoh claimed to be a deity—may Allah curse him.

Pharaoh said, “We shall kill their sons and spare their women,” meaning: so that their fighting men will not multiply; “and we are indeed dominant over them,” that is, we hold complete power.

Moses said to his people, “Seek help from Allah and be patient. The earth belongs to Allah; He bequeaths it to whomever He wills of His servants, and the end belongs to the God-fearing.” In other words, whenever they resolve to harm you and assault you, turn to your Lord for aid and bear your affliction patiently. “The earth belongs to Allah; He bequeaths it to whomever He wills of His servants, and the end belongs to the God-fearing”—so be among those who fear Allah, and the praiseworthy outcome will be yours.

He also says:
“Moses said, ‘My people, if you have believed in Allah, then put your trust in Him, if you have truly submitted.’ They said, ‘In Allah we place our trust. Our Lord, do not make us a trial for the wrongdoing people, and save us, by Your mercy, from the disbelieving people.’” (Yūnus 84–86)

They complained, “We were harmed before you came to us and after you came to us,” meaning: our sons were slaughtered both before your arrival and after it. Moses replied, “It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy, make you successors in the land, and then observe how you act.”

Allah—exalted is He—also says in Sūrat Ḥā Mīm, “The Believer”:
“We certainly sent Moses with Our signs and a clear authority to Pharaoh, Hāmān, and Qārūn, but they said, ‘[He is] a magician and an outright liar.’” (Ghafir 23–24)
Pharaoh was the king, Hāmān his vizier, and Qārūn—though an Israelite from Moses’ own people—followed the religion of Pharaoh and his nobles and possessed immense wealth, as his story will appear later, if Allah wills.

“When he brought them the truth from Us, they said, ‘Kill the sons of those who believe with him and spare their women,’ yet the plotting of the disbelievers is nothing but sheer futility.” (Ghafir 25)

This renewed killing of male infants after Moses’ mission was meant solely to humiliate and subjugate the Children of Israel, reducing their numbers so they would have no strength to defend themselves or rise against the Copts, whom the Copts themselves feared. It availed them nothing and could not repel the decree of Allah, Who says to a thing, “Be!” and it is.

Pharaoh said, “Leave me to kill Moses, and let him call upon his Lord; indeed, I fear that he will change your religion or cause corruption to appear in the land.” (Ghafir 26)

So people mockingly say, “Pharaoh has become a preacher!”—for here he pretends to fear that Moses, upon him be peace, might mislead the people.

Moses said, “I have sought refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant one who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.” (Ghafir 27)

That is, I have taken refuge

(1) In Tarikh al-Tabari (vol. 1, p. 413): Their deities—according to Ibn Abbas—were cows. Whenever they saw a handsome cow, they were commanded to worship it; consequently, a calf was brought forth for them. (2) The particle “min” does not appear in the T edition. (3) In the B manuscript: i.e. “it was.” (4) In the B manuscript: wa-Qarun kan…

﴿ويذرك وإِلهتك﴾ أي: وعبادتك (١) ويَحتمل شيئين: أحدهما: ويذر دينك، وتقوّيه القراءة الأخرى. الثَّاني: ويذر أنْ يعبدَك، فإنّه كان يزعم أنّه إلهٌ، لعنه الله. ﴿قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِي نِسَاءَهُمْ﴾، أي: لئلَّا يكثر مقاتِلتهم، ﴿وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَاهِرُونَ﴾، أي: غالبون. ﴿قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ اسْتَعِينُوا بِاللَّهِ وَاصْبِرُوا إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾، أي: إذا همّوا هم بأذيَّتكم، والفتكِ بكم، فاستعينوا أنتم بربِّكم، واصبروا على بليَّتكم ﴿إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾ أي: فكونوا أنتم من (٢) المتقين لتكونَ لكم العاقبة، كما قال في الآية الأخرى: ﴿وَقَالَ مُوسَى يَاقَوْمِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ آمَنْتُمْ بِاللَّهِ فَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلُوا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُسْلِمِينَ (٨٤) فَقَالُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةً لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ (٨٥) وَنَجِّنَا بِرَحْمَتِكَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾ [يونس: ٨٤ - ٨٦] . وقولهم: ﴿أُوذِينَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا﴾ أي: قد كانت (٣) الأبناء تُقَتَّل قبل مجيئك، وبعد مجيئك إلينا ﴿جِئْتَنَا قَالَ عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾. وقال الله تعالى في سورة ﴿حم﴾ المؤمن: ﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا وَسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ (٢٣) إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَقَارُونَ فَقَالُوا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ﴾ [غافر: ٢٣ - ٢٤] وكان فرعون الملك، وهامان الوزير، وكان قارون (٤) إسرائيليًّا من قوم موسى، إلّا أنّه كان على دين فرعون وَمَلَئِهِ، وكان ذا مالٍ جَزيلٍ جدًّا، كما ستأتي قِصَّته فيما بعد إن شاء الله تعالى. ﴿فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ مِنْ عِنْدِنَا قَالُوا اقْتُلُوا أَبْنَاءَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ وَاسْتَحْيُوا نِسَاءَهُمْ وَمَا كَيْدُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ﴾ [غافر: ٢٥] وهذا القتلُ للغلمان من بعد بعثة موسى إنَّما كان على وجه الإهانة، والإذلال، والتقليل لملأ بني إسرائيل لئلَّا يكون لهم شوكةٌ يمتنعون بها، أو يصولون على القِبْط بسببها، وكانت القبط منهم يحذرون، فلم ينفعهم ذلك، ولم يردّ عنهم قدر الله الذي يقول للشيء كُنْ فَيَكُون. ﴿وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ذَرُونِي أَقْتُلْ مُوسَى وَلْيَدْعُ رَبَّهُ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُبَدِّلَ دِينَكُمْ أَوْ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ فِي الْأَرْضِ الْفَسَادَ﴾ [غافر: ٢٦] . ولذا يقول الناس على سبيل التهكّم: صار فرعون مُذَكِّرًا، وهذا منه، فإن فرعون في زعمه يخاف على النَّاس أن يضلهم موسى (عليه السلام) . ﴿وَقَالَ مُوسَى إِنِّي عُذْتُ بِرَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِيَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ﴾ [غافر: ٢٧] . أي: عذت

(١) في تاريخ الطبري (١/ ٤١٣) وآلهته -فيما زعم ابن عباس- كانت البقر، كانوا إذا رأوا بقرة حسناء أمرهم أن يعبدوها، فلذلك أخرج لهم عجلًا بقرة. (٢) الحرف (من) ليس في ط. (٣) في ب: أى كانت. (٤) في ب: وقارون كان ..