Tafsir of Surah Al-Mu'minun - Verse 49

The Story of Musa, Peace be upon Him; and Fir`awn

Allah tells us that He sent Musa, peace be upon him, and his brother Harun to Fir`awn and his chiefs with decisive evidence and definitive proof, but Fir`awn and his people were too arrogant to follow them and obey their commands because they were human beings, just as previous nations had denied the Message of the human Messengers. They were of a similar mentality, so Allah destroyed Fir`awn and his chiefs, drowning them all in one day. He revealed the Book to Musa, i.e., the Tawrah, in which were rulings, commands and prohibitions, after He had destroyed Fir`awn and the Egyptians and seized them with a punishment of the All-Mighty, All-Capable to carry out what He wills. After Allah revealed the Tawrah, Allah did not destroy any nation with an overwhelming calamity; instead, He commanded the believers to fight the disbelievers, as He says:

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ مِن بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الاٍّولَى بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(And indeed We gave Musa -- after We had destroyed the generations of old -- the Scripture as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that they might remember.) 28:43

Commentary

وَآوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَىٰ رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ (and We gave them shelter on a height, a place of rest and running springs). According to Bayan-ul-Qur’ an, this verse refers to the event that a tyrant was resolute to kill Sayyidna ` Isa and his mother (علیہما السلام) right from his childhood. They escaped from him and, with Allah's grace, found a place on a height where they enjoyed a peaceful life until Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) attained maturity and was entrusted with prophethood. (This commentary is taken from Khulasa-e-tafsir of Ma` ariful-Qur’ an).

Moses and Aaron belonged to the Children of Israel. At that time, in Egypt, the Children of Israel served as labourers to the ruling community. The inferior position of the Children of Israel and the superior position of Pharaoh and his companions became a stumbling block in the latter’s acceptance of an Israeli prophet as God’s representative. Though Moses gave them strong proofs, they did not carry enough weight to persuade them to rein in their sense of superiority and simply accept the truth coming from an ‘inferior’ person. The result of this was that God Almighty finally gave His Prophet assistance and Pharaoh, despite all his power and its trappings, was engulfed in the Red Sea. Moreover, God favoured those who supported the Prophet by sending them a Book of Guidance, by following which a man might assure for himself success in this world and the Hereafter.