Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/95)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

The heralds hastened to Pharaoh’s wife with the good news: “We have found a wet-nurse for your son.” She sent for the woman, and both she and the child were brought before her. When the queen saw how the infant behaved with the woman, she said, “Stay and suckle this son of mine, for I have never loved anything as I love him.”

Moses’ mother replied, “I cannot leave my house and my children to be lost. If you are content to entrust him to me so that I may take him home, he will remain with me and I will spare no effort in doing what is best for him. But I will not abandon my household and my children.” She remembered what Allah had promised her, spoke firmly with Pharaoh’s wife, and was certain that Allah would fulfil His word. She therefore returned to her home that very day. Allah caused the boy to grow in the best of ways and protected him for the decree He had ordained. During the time he was among them, the Children of Israel—who lived in one quarter of the town—were spared forced labour and oppression.

When the child reached boyhood, Pharaoh’s wife said to Moses’ mother, “Let me see my son.” She fixed a day on which she would bring him to visit her. Pharaoh’s wife then said to her treasurers, wet-nurses, and attendants, “Let none of you fail today to welcome my son with a gift and a mark of honour, for I wish to see your regard for him. I am sending a trusted official who will record whatever each of you offers.” From the moment the boy left his mother’s house until he reached Pharaoh’s wife, he was met with gifts, honours, and presents.

When he entered her presence, she herself lavished gifts upon him, honoured him, and rejoiced over him, and she rewarded his mother for the goodwill she had shown him. She then said, “I shall take him to Pharaoh so that he too may honour him and bestow gifts upon him.” Entering with the child, she placed him in Pharaoh’s lap. Moses grasped Pharaoh’s beard and tugged it down toward the ground.

The misguided enemies of Allah said to Pharaoh, “Do you not see? Allah promised His prophet Abraham that one of his descendants would inherit your kingdom, rise above you, and overthrow you. Summon the slaughterers to kill him!”

That, O Ibn Jubayr, was among the trials; every calamity aimed at him counts as one of the trials he endured. Pharaoh’s wife came rushing to him and said, “What has come over you concerning this boy whom you have granted to me?” He answered, “Do you not see? It is said that he will bring me down and overpower me.”

She said, “Set something between us by which you will recognise the truth: bring two burning embers and two pearls and place them before him. If he seizes the pearls and avoids the embers, you will know that he understands; but if he takes the embers and ignores the pearls, you will realise that no one of sound mind prefers embers to pearls.” They were placed before him; Moses reached for the embers, and she snatched them away lest they burn his hand.

“Do you see now?” she said. Thus Allah turned Pharaoh away from him after he had been resolved upon harming him, for Allah was sure to accomplish His purpose concerning him.

When Moses reached his full strength and became a man, no one from Pharaoh’s household could oppress or conscript any of the Children of Israel when he was present; they were completely protected because of him. One day, as Moses was walking in a part of the city, he came upon two men fighting—one an Egyptian and the other an Israelite. The Israelite appealed to him for help against the Egyptian, and Moses grew angry—

(1) In the Ṭ manuscript the reading is tarīhā; in all other copies (including this one) the alternative reading appears, which agrees with the version in al-Nasaʾī’s Tafsīr from which the author quotes. (2) Qahārma is the plural of qahramān, denoting one of the king’s trusted officials and inner circle (from Persian). (3) Nuhl refers to giving something to a person without expecting compensation; it also denotes a woman’s mahr (marriage gift). (4) Here—and likewise in the author’s Tafsīr and in al-Nasaʾī’s Tafsīr—the verb appears as yarubbuk, which is probably the most accurate reading. (5) In the B manuscript the verb reads tabkī, but the form found here is supported by the Tafsīr. (6) Baṭsha bi-l-shayʾ means to seize it with force and severity.

وانطلق البشير إلى امرأة فرعون يبشرونها أن قد وجدنا لابنك ظِئرًا، فأرسلت إليها فأتت بها وبه. فلما رأت ما يصنع بها قالت: امكثي ترضعي ابني هذا فإني لم أحب شيئًا حبَّه قطّ. قالت أم موسى: لا أستطيع أن أترك بيتي وولدي فيضيع، فإن طابت نفسك أن تعطينيه فأذهب به إلى بيتي فيكون معي لا آلوه خيرًا فعلتُ، فإني غيرُ تاركة بيتي وولدي، وذكرت أم موسى ما كان اللّه وعدها فتعاسرت على امرأة فرعون وأيقنت أن اللّه منجزٌ موعوده، فرجعت إلى بيتها من يومها، وأنبته اللّه نباتًا حسنًا، وحفظ لما قد قضى فيه، فلم يزل بنو إسرائيل وهم في ناحية القرية ممتنعين من السخرة والظلم ما كان فيهم. فلما ترعرع قالت امرأة فرعون لأمّ موسى: أزيريني ابني. فوعدتها يومًا تزيرها (١) إياه فيه، وقالت امرأة فرعون لخزّانها، وظؤورها، وقَهَارمتها (٢) : لا يبقين أحد منكم إلا استقبل ابني اليوم بهديةٍ وكرامةٍ لأرى ذلك فيه، وأنا باعثة أمينًا يحصي كلّ ما يصنع كلّ إنسان منكم، فلم تزل الهدايا والكرامة والنُّحْلَ (٣) تستقبله من حين خرج من بيت أمه إلى أن دخل على امرأة فرعون. فلما دخل عليها نَحَلَتْه وأكرمتهُ وفرحت به، ونحلَت أمّه بحسن أثرها عليه. ثمّ قالت: لآتين به فرعون فلينحلنّه وليكرمنّه، فلما دخلت به عليه، جعله في حجره، فتناول موسى لحيةَ فرعون فمدّها إلى الأرض، فقال الغواة من أعداء اللّه لفرعون: ألا ترى ما وعد اللّه إبراهيم نبيّه أنّه زعم أن يرثك (٤) ويعلوك ويصرعك، فأَرسل إلى الذباحين ليذبحوه. وذلك من الفتون يا بن جبير، يُعدُّ كلُّ بلاءٍ ابتُلي به وأريد به فتونًا. فجاءت امرأة فرعون تسعى (٥) إلى فرعون فقالت: ما بدالك في هذا الغلام الذي وهبته لي؟ فقال: ألا ترينه يُزْعَمُ أنه يصرعني ويعلوني. فقالت: اجعل بيني وبينك أمرًا تعرف فيه الحق، ائت بجمرتين ولؤلؤتين، فقربْهن إليه، فإن بطش (٦) باللؤلؤتين واجتنب الجمرتين عرفتَ أنّه يعقل، وإن تناول الجمرتين ولم يُردِ اللؤلؤتين علمتَ أن أحدًا لا يؤثر الجمرتين على اللؤلؤتين، وهو يعقل، فقرّب إليه فتناول الجمرتين، فانتزعهما منه مخافة أن يحرقا يده، فقالت المرأة: ألا ترى؟! فصرفه اللّه عنه بعد ما كان هَمَّ به وكان اللّه بالغًا فيه أمره. فلما بلغ أشدّه، وكان من الرِّجال لم يكن أحد من آل فرعون يخلص إلى أحدٍ من بني إسرائيل معه بظلمٍ ولا سخرةٍ حتى امتنعوا كلّ الامتناع؛ فبينما موسى (عليه السلام) يمشي في ناحية المدينة إذا هو برَجُلين يقتتلان، أحدهما فرعوني، والآخر إسرائيلي، فاستغاثه الإسرائيلي على الفرعوني، فغضب موسى

(١) في ط: تريها، وما هنا من النسخ، وهو الذي في تفسير النسائي الذي ينقل منه المصنف. (٢) قهارمة: جمع قهرمان، وهو من أمناء الملك وخاصته. (فارسي). (٣) النُّحْل: إعطاؤك الإنسان شيئًا بلا استعاضة، ومهر المرأة. (٤) هكذا هنا وفي تفسيره أيضًا، وفي تفسير النسائي: "يَرُبَّك" ولعله الأوجه. (٥) في ب: تبكي، وما هنا يعضده ما في التفسير. (٦) بطش بالشيء: أخذه بعنف وشدة.