Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/48)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

They are sounder in intellect, fuller in knowledge, loftier in aspiration, more detached from the life of this world, and better aware of what Allah has prepared for His friends in the Hereafter.

As for Pharaoh’s words, “or the angels should come down with him in close ranks,” there is no need for this. If the purpose is merely that the angels honor him, the angels already honor and humble themselves before people far inferior to Moses—peace be upon him—as the ḥadīth states:

“The angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge, pleased with what he is doing.”

If that is how they humble themselves before a seeker of knowledge, how much greater must be their humility and reverence for Moses, the Interlocutor of the Most Merciful—upon him be the finest blessings and salutations.

If, on the other hand, the demand is that the angels testify to his prophethood, he has already been supported by miracles that furnish decisive proof to every person of sound mind and to everyone who sincerely seeks the truth. Only the blind remain unmoved by the clear signs and manifest proofs he brought—those who look at the husk and neglect the kernel. The Lord of lords has sealed such hearts with hardness and doubt, exactly as He did with Pharaoh, the blind and lying Copt.

Allah the Exalted says:

“So he made light of his people, and they obeyed him,”

meaning that he belittled their corrupt minds and led them, step by step, until they believed his claim to divinity—may Allah curse him and disgrace them—

“for they were indeed a rebellious people.”

“When they angered Us, We took retribution from them,”

namely, by drowning them, humiliating them, stripping them of honor, replacing glory with abasement, blessing with punishment, comfort with disgrace, and pleasant living with the Fire. We seek refuge with Allah the Magnificent and His eternal sovereignty from such an end.

“We made them a precedent,” that is, for all who resemble them in their traits, “and an example,” that is, for anyone who takes warning from their disastrous end whenever the full account of their affair reaches him.

Allah the Exalted also says:

“When Moses came to them with Our clear signs, they said, ‘This is nothing but invented sorcery; we have never heard of such a thing among our forefathers.’ Moses said, ‘My Lord knows best who has come with guidance from Him and whose will be the final abode; the wrongdoers will never prosper.’ Pharaoh said, ‘O nobles! I know of no god for you but myself. Hāmān, kindle a fire on clay and build me a tower that I may look upon the god of Moses, for I think he is a liar.’ He and his hosts waxed arrogant in the land without right, and they thought they would not be returned to Us. So We seized him and his hosts and cast them into the sea. Look, then, how terrible was the end of the wrongdoers! We made them leaders who call people to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped. We pursued them with a curse in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the despised.” (al-Qasas 36–42)

He—glorified be He—tells us that when they turned arrogant in the face of the truth, and their king asserted a falsehood, they concurred with him.

(1) A fragment of the hadith of Sufyan ibn ‘Asal al-Muradi, recorded by al-Tirmidhī (no. 3536) in al-Da‘awāt (The Book of Supplications), chapter on the virtue of repentance and seeking forgiveness and on what is mentioned of God’s mercy toward His servants. Al-Tirmidhī commented: “Hasan sahīh,” and it stands as he stated. (2) The term al-fāsidah (the corrupt) is an addition in witness B. (3) In B: “Fa-lammā asafūnā intaqamnā minhum fa-aghrāqnāhum ajma‘īn” (When they grew arrogant toward Us, We exacted vengeance on them and drowned them all).

هم أكمل عقلًا، وأتمّ معرفة، وأعلى همَّة، وأزهد في الدنيا، وأعلم بما أعدّ الله لأوليائه في الأخرى. وقوله: ﴿أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ﴾ لا يحتاج الأمر إلى ذلك إن كان إنما المراد أن تعظمه الملائكة، فالملائكة يعظّمون ويتواضعون لمن هو دون موسى (عليه السلام) بكثير، كما جاء في الحديث: "إنَّ الملائِكَةَ لتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَها لِطَالِبِ العِلْمِ رِضىً بما يَصْنَعُ" (١) فكيف يكون تواضعهم وتعظيمهم لموسى الكليم، عليه الصلاة والتسليم والتكريم. وإن كان إنما المراد شهادتهم له بالرسالة فقد أيّد من المعجزات بما يدل قطعًا لذوي الألباب، ولمن قصد إلى الحق والصواب، ولعمي عما جاء به من البيِّنات والحجج الواضحات من نظر إلى القشور وترك اللباب، وطبع على قلبه ربَّ الأرباب، وختم عليه بما فيه من الشد والارتياب، كما هو حال فرعون القبطي العمي الكذَّاب. قال الله تعالى: ﴿فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ﴾، أي: استخف عقولهم الفاسدة (٢) ، ودَرَجهم من حالٍ إلى حالٍ إلى أن صدَّقوه في دعواه الربوبية، لعنه الله وقبَّحهم ﴿إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ﴾. ﴿فَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا﴾ أي: أغضبونا ﴿انْتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ﴾ (٣) أي: بالغرق والإهانة، وسَلْب العزِّ، والتبدّل بالذُّلِّ، وبالعذاب بعد النِّعمة، والهوان بعد الرفاهية، والنار بعد طيب العيش، عياذًا بالله العظيم وسلطانه القديم من ذلك. ﴿فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ سَلَفًا﴾ أي: لمن اتبعهم في الصفات ﴿وَمَثَلًا﴾ أي: لمن اتَّعظ بهم وخاف من وبيل مصرعهم ممن بَلَغه جليَّةُ خبرهم، وما كان من أمرهم، كما قال الله تعالى: ﴿فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالُوا مَا هَذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُفْتَرًى وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي آبَائِنَا الْأَوَّلِينَ (٣٦) وَقَالَ مُوسَى رَبِّي أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ جَاءَ بِالْهُدَى مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَمَنْ تَكُونُ لَهُ عَاقِبَةُ الدَّارِ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ (٣٧) وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَاأَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرِي فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَاهَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَلْ لِي صَرْحًا لَعَلِّي أَطَّلِعُ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ (٣٨) وَاسْتَكْبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا يُرْجَعُونَ (٣٩) فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الظَّالِمِينَ (٤٠) وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا يُنْصَرُونَ (٤١) وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ هُمْ مِنَ الْمَقْبُوحِينَ﴾ [القصص: ٣٨ - ٤٢] . يخبر (سبحانه وتعالى) أنهم لما استكبروا عن اتباع الحق، وادَّعى مَلِكُهم الباطلَ، ووافقوا عليه

(١) قطعة من حديث صفوان بن عسال المرادي، أخرجه الترمذي (٣٥٣٦) في الدعوات، باب في فضل التوبة والاستغفار وما ذكر من رحمة الله لعباده. وقال الترمذي: حسن صحيح، وهو كما قال. (٢) قوله: الفاسدة. زيادة في ب. (٣) في ب: ﴿فَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا انْتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾.