(45–49) “Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron with Our signs and manifest authority to Pharaoh and his chiefs. But they acted arrogantly and were a haughty people. They said, ‘Are we to believe in two men like ourselves when their people are in servitude to us?’ Thus they denied them both and were among those destroyed. We certainly gave Moses the Scripture so that they might be guided.”
Long ago, I came across a statement by one of the scholars whose name I cannot now recall. He said that after Moses was sent and the Torah was revealed, Allah lifted punishment from the nations—that is, the punishment of total annihilation—and prescribed jihad against defiant deniers. I did not know where he had derived this from. But when I reflected upon these verses together with those in Surah al-Qasas, its basis became clear to me.
As for these verses, Allah mentions the nations that were destroyed one after another, and then informs us that He sent Moses after them and revealed to him the Torah, which contained guidance for humanity. Pharaoh’s destruction does not invalidate this, for it occurred before the Torah was revealed. As for the verses in Surah al-Qasas, they are perfectly explicit. After mentioning Pharaoh’s destruction, Allah says:
“And indeed, We gave Moses the Scripture—after We had destroyed the former generations—as means of insight for humanity, guidance, and mercy, so that they might take heed.”
This explicitly states that He gave him the Scripture after destroying the transgressing nations, and that He revealed it as means of insight for humanity, guidance, and mercy. Perhaps the following statement of Allah in Surah Yūnus also belongs to this pattern: “Then, after him”—meaning after Noah—“We sent messengers to their peoples, and they brought them clear proofs. Yet they would not believe in what they had rejected before. Thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors. Then, after them, We sent Moses and Aaron...” and the verses that follow. Allah knows best.
His words, “Then We sent Moses”—the son of Imrān, to whom the Most Merciful spoke—“and his brother Aaron,” after Moses asked his Lord to appoint Aaron as a partner in his mission, and He granted his request.
“With Our signs,” which demonstrated their truthfulness and the soundness of what they brought, “and manifest authority”—meaning a clear proof, so powerful that it overcomes hearts and gains mastery over them. The hearts of the believers submit to it, while clear proof is established against the obstinate deniers. This is like His words: “And We certainly gave Moses nine clear signs. Ask the Children of Israel when he came to them”—that is, with those clear signs—“and Pharaoh said to him, ‘I truly think, O Moses, that you are bewitched.’” Moses replied, “You certainly know that none but the Lord of the heavens and earth sent these down as illuminating proofs, and I truly think, O Pharaoh, that you are doomed.” Allah also says, “They rejected them out of wrongdoing and arrogance, though their souls were convinced of them.”
Here He says, “Then We sent Moses ⦗553⦘ and his brother Aaron with Our signs and manifest authority to Pharaoh and his chiefs,” such as Haman and their other leaders. “But they acted arrogantly”—that is, they were too proud to believe in Allah and behaved arrogantly toward His prophets. “They were a haughty people”: they were characterized by dominance, oppression, and corruption upon the earth. Such arrogance therefore arose from them and was hardly surprising.
“They said,” out of pride and conceit, seeking to intimidate and deceive those of weak understanding, “Are we to believe in two men like ourselves?” Those before them had said precisely the same thing. Their hearts resembled one another in disbelief, and so their words and deeds also resembled one another. They denied that Allah had favored the two men with messengerhood.
“And their people”—meaning the Children of Israel—“are in servitude to us”; that is, they had been enslaved and burdened with labor and arduous tasks. Allah Most High says: “And when We delivered you from Pharaoh’s people, who subjected you to dreadful torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women. In that was a tremendous trial from your Lord.”
“How could we become followers after having been followed? How could these men become leaders over us?” Their statement resembles that of Noah’s people: “Are we to believe in you when the lowliest have followed you?” and: “We see none following you except the lowliest among us, those of superficial judgment.” It is well known that this does not suffice to refute the truth; it is nothing but denial and obstinacy.
Thus He says, “They denied them both and were among those destroyed”—drowned in the sea while the Children of Israel looked on.
“And indeed, We gave Moses” the Scripture after Allah had destroyed Pharaoh and delivered the Israelite people together with Moses. Moses was then able to establish Allah’s command among them and make His religious rites manifest. Allah promised to reveal the Torah to him after forty nights, so he went to his appointed meeting with his Lord. Allah Most High says: “We inscribed for him upon the Tablets an exhortation concerning all things and a detailed explanation of all things.” Hence He says here, “so that they might be guided”—that is, through knowing the details of commands and prohibitions, reward and punishment, and knowing their Lord by His Names and Attributes.