Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/38)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

in Allah; I have turned to Him, sought His protection, and taken refuge in His sanctuary so that neither Pharaoh nor anyone else might assail me with harm.

As for the phrase, “from every arrogant one,” it means every obstinate tyrant who will not restrain himself, desist, or fear Allah’s punishment, because he does not believe in a return or in recompense. Hence the verse continues: “from every arrogant one who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.”

Allah also says: “A believing man from Pharaoh’s household, who kept his faith concealed, said, ‘Will you kill a man merely because he says, "My Lord is Allah," when he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord? If he is lying, his lie will rebound upon him; but if he is truthful, some of what he threatens you with will befall you. Indeed, Allah does not guide one who is an extravagant liar. O my people, the kingdom is yours today and you are dominant in the land; but who will defend us against Allah’s might if it comes upon us?’ Pharaoh said, ‘I only show you what I see, and I guide you only to the path of rectitude.’” (Ghafir 27–29)

This man was Pharaoh’s cousin. He concealed his faith from his people, fearing for his life. Some have claimed that he was an Israelite, but that view is far-fetched and contradicts both the wording and the overall context. Allah knows best.

Ibn Jurayj said that Ibn ʿAbbās remarked: “No one from the Copts believed in Moses except this man, the one who came from the farthest part of the city, and Pharaoh’s wife.” Ibn Abī Ḥātim recorded this report.

Al-Dāraquṭnī stated—cited by al-Suhaylī—that the only person known by the name Shamʿān (with a dotted shīn) is the believer from Pharaoh’s household.

Al-Ṭabarī’s History records his name as Khayr; Allah knows best.

The point is that this man kept his faith hidden. When Pharaoh—may Allah curse him—resolved to kill Moses, peace be upon him, and consulted his chiefs, the believer feared for Moses. He therefore addressed Pharaoh gently, using words that combined encouragement and warning, presenting them as sincere counsel.

It is authentically reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The best form of jihad is a word of justice spoken in the presence of a tyrannical ruler.” This episode typifies the highest degree of that virtue, for Pharaoh was even more oppressive, and no speech could be fairer than this, since it protected a prophet.

It is possible that he openly disclosed his faith to them, declaring what he had previously concealed, yet the first view—that he still kept it hidden—seems stronger. Allah knows best.

He said, “Will you kill a man merely because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah’?”—that is, simply for uttering those words? Such a man deserves honor and respect, or at the very least to be left unmolested, for he has indeed “brought you clear proofs from your Lord,” meaning

(1) The phrase “wa-istajarat” does not appear in the ṭ edition. (2) In the b edition it reads “wa-lā ‘iqābahu.” (3) In al-Taʿrīf wa-l-Iʿlām fīmā abham min al-Qur’ān (Introduction and Clarification of What Is Obscure in the Qur’an), p. 55. (4) This ḥadīth is transmitted by al-Tirmidhī (no. 2174) in his Kitāb al-Fitan, chapter “What Has Been Reported on the Excellence of Jihād,” by Abū Dāwūd (no. 4344) in al-Malāḥim, and by Ibn Mājah (no. 4011) in his Kitāb al-Fitan, chapter “Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil,” all via Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī from the Messenger of Allah. Imām Aḥmad also records it (Musnad 4/314), although his isnād is weak due to the deficiency of ‘Aṭīyah al-Uwaffī; al-Nasā’ī (Sunan 7/161) preserves it from Ṭāriq ibn Shihāb that a man asked the Prophet ﷺ. This report is mursal (i.e. the Companion Ṭāriq did not hear directly from the Prophet—see Tahdhīb al-Kamāl 13/341–343 and its gloss), yet as a mursal report from a Companion the author deems it sound. (5) “Kāsharahum”: he laughed in their faces and extended his hand to them.

بالله، ولجأت إليه واستجرت (١) بجنابه من أن يَسْطُوَ فِرْعَونُ وغيرُه عليَّ بسوءٍ. وقوله: ﴿مِنْ كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ﴾ أي: جبَّار عنيدٍ لا يَرْعَوي، ولا ينتهي، ولا يخافُ عذابَ الله وعقابه (٢) ؛ لأنّه لا يعتقد معادًا ولا جزاءً. ولهذا قال: ﴿مِنْ كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِيَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ (٢٧) وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُؤْمِنٌ مِنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَقُولَ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَإِنْ يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُ وَإِنْ يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ (٢٨) يَاقَوْمِ لَكُمُ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ ظَاهِرِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَمَنْ يَنْصُرُنَا مِنْ بَأْسِ اللَّهِ إِنْ جَاءَنَا قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ مَا أُرِيكُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَرَى وَمَا أَهْدِيكُمْ إِلَّا سَبِيلَ الرَّشَادِ﴾ [غافر: ٢٧ - ٢٩] . هذا الرجل هو ابن عمِّ فرعون، وكان يكتم إيمانه من قومه خوفًا منهم على نفسه. وزعم بعض النّاس أنَّه كان إسرائيليًا، وهو بعيدٌ ومخالف لسياق الكلام لفظًا ومعنى، والله أعلم. قال ابن جُرَيج: قال ابن عباس: لم يُؤْمِن من القِبط بموسى إلّا هذا، والذي جاء من أَقْصى المدينة، وامرأةُ فرعون. رواه ابن أبي حاتم. قال الدَّارَقُطْني: لا يُعْرف من اسمُه شمعان، بالشين المعجمة، إلا مؤمن آل فرعون، حكاه السّهيلي (٣) . وفي تاريخ الطبري أن اسمه: خير، فالله أعلم. والمقصود أنَّ هذا الرجل كان يكتم إيمانَه، فلما هَمَّ فرعون لعنه الله بقتل موسى (عليه السلام) وعزم على ذلك، وشاور ملأه فيه، خاف هذا المؤمن على موسى، فتلطَّف في ردِّ فرعون بكلامٍ جمع فيه الترغيبَ والترهيبَ، فقال على وجه المشورة والرَّأي، وقد ثبت في الحديث عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: "أَفْضَلُ الجِهادِ كَلِمَةُ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائرٍ" (٤) . وهذا من أعلى مراتب هذا المقام، فإن فرعون لأشد جَوْرًا منه، وهذا الكلام لا أعدل منه، لأن فيه عصمة نبي. ويحتمل أنَّه كاشرهم (٥) بإظهار إيمانه، وصرَّح لهم بما كان يكتمه، والأوَّل أظهر. والله أعلم. قال ﴿أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَقُولَ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ﴾ أي: من أجل أنَّه قال: ربي الله، فمثل هذا لا يقابَل بهذا؛ بل بالإكرام والاحترام، أو الموادعة وترك الانتقام، يعني لأنّه إن ﴿وَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ﴾ أي:

(١) قوله: واستجرت ليس في ط. (٢) في ب: ولا عقابه. (٣) في التعريف والإعلام فيما أبهم من القرآن: ورقة ٥٥. (٤) أخرجه الترمذي (٢١٧٤) في الفتن، باب ما جاء في أفضل الجهاد كلمة عدل وأبو داود (٤٣٤٤) في الملاحم، وابن ماجه (٤٠١١)، في الفتن، باب الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر، من طريق أبي سعيد الخدري ﵁ عن رسول الله. وأخرجه أحمد (٤/ ٣١٤) وإسناده ضعيف لضعف عطية العوفي، راويه عن أبي سعيد النسائي (٧/ ١٦١) عن طارق بن شهاب أن رجلًا سأل النبي ﷺ ، وهذا مرسل لأن طارق بن شهاب رأى النبي ﷺ ولم يسمع منه (وينظر تهذيب الكمال (١٣/ ٣٤١ - ٣٤٣) والتعليق عليه) لكنه مرسل صحابي، فيصح به الحديث كما قال المصنف. (٥) كاشرهم: ضحك في وجههم وباسطهم.