Tafsir of Surah Al-Qasas - Verse 6

Which was revealed in Makkah

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Ma`diykarib said: "We came to `Abdullah and asked him to recite to us:

طسم

(Ta Sin Mim.) the two hundred. He said, `I do not know it; you should go to someone who learned it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ Khabbab bin Al-Aratt.' So we went to Khabbab bin Al-Aratt and he recited it to us, may Allah be pleased with him."

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Story of Musa and Fir`awn, and what Allah intended for Their People

We have already discussed the significance of the separate letters.

تِلْكَ ءَايَـتُ الْكِتَـبِ الْمُبِينِ

(These are the Ayat of the manifest Book.) means the Book which is clear and makes plain the true reality of things, and tells us about what happened and what will happen.

نَتْلُواْ عَلَيْكَ مِن نَّبَإِ مُوسَى وَفِرْعَوْنَ بِالْحَقِّ

(We recite to you some of the news of Musa and Fir`awn in truth,) This is like the Ayah,

نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ

(We relate unto you the best of stories) (12:3). which means, `We tell you about things as they really were, as if you are there and are seeing them yourself.' Then Allah says:

إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلاَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(Verily, Fir`awn exalted himself in the land) means, he was an arrogant oppressor and tyrant.

وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعاً

(and made its people Shiya`) means, he made them into different classes, each of which he used to do whatever he wanted of the affairs of his state.

يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ

(weakening a group among them. ) This refers to the Children of Israel, who at that time were the best of people, even though this tyrant king overpowered them, using them to do the most menial work and forcing them to hard labor night and day for him and his people. At the same time, he was killing their sons and letting their daughters live, to humiliate them and because he feared that there might appear among them the boy who would be the cause of his destruction and the downfall of his kingdom. So Fir`awn took precautions against that happening, by ordering that all boys born to the Children of Israel should be killed, but this precaution did not protect him against the divine decree, because when the term of Allah comes, it cannot be delayed, and for each and every matter there is a decree from Allah. Allah says:

وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(And We wished to do a favor to those who were weak in the land,) until His saying;

يَحْذَرُونَ

(which they feared.) And Allah did indeed do this to them, as He says:

وَأَوْرَثْنَا الْقَوْمَ الَّذِينَ كَانُواْ يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ

(And We made the people who were considered weak) until His saying;

يَعْرِشُونَ

(they erected) (7:137). And Allah said:

كَذَلِكَ وَأَوْرَثْنَـهَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ

(Thus and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit them) (26: 59). Fir`awn hoped that by his strength and power he would be saved from Musa, but that did not help him in the slightest. Despite his great power as a king he could not oppose the decree of Allah, which can never be overcome. On the contrary, Allah's ruling was carried out, for it had been written and decreed from past eternity that Fir`awn would meet his doom at the hands of Musa.

وَنُرِ‌يدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً ؓ (And We intended to favour those who were held as weak in the land and to make them leaders - 28:5). In this verse it is emphasized that the plan of the Pharaoh was not equal to that of the divine fate, rather it turned out to be completely ineffective and he and his entire courtiers were befooled. On the basis of the dream and it's interpretation about an Isra'ili boy from whom the life of the Pharaoh was at risk, and because of which hundreds of newly born Isra'ili male issues were put to death on their birth, it so turned out that Allah Ta` ala made that very boy to grow up in his own house. Not only that, but for the solace of his mother it was arranged to send him back to her for nursing in a most astonishing manner. On top of that the Pharaoh was made to pay a service charge for nursing, which according to some narrations was one Dinar a day. Since this service charge was taken from an infidel with his consent, hence there is no confusion about its admissibility. The cruelty he had perpetrated to quell the risk was of no avail to him, because that very danger was ultimately made to rear in his own home, and ultimately erupted like lava. This way the dream came true, and he saw that happening with his own eyes. The verse وَنُرِ‌يَ فِرْ‌عَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُ‌ونَ and to make the Pharaoh and Haman and their armies see [ that ] what they were fearing from (had actually happened - 28:6) describes this only.

Pharaoh is mentioned here as being guilty of creating great unrest in his land. He gave every conceivable advantage to his race (Egyptians) and deprived the Israelites of all facilities. Not only this, he also started having their newborn children killed so that their race should gradually be exterminated. Pharaoh’s unfair discrimination between the two races of Egypt amounted to interference with the system of nature that is, ‘fasad,’ in terms of God’s laws. Decisions regarding honour and dishonour are made by God. God’s decision was contrary to Pharaoh’s will. God decided to give honour and power to the Children of Israel and to destroy Pharaoh along with his armies. On conclusion of the missionary process through Moses, Pharaoh, though given a last chance to reform, proved himself to be deserving of punishment. Therefore, God ordained that he be drowned in the sea so that nothing should be left of his influence in Egypt. Subsequently, Children of Israel who had left Egypt were made rulers of Syria and Palestine.