2. Surah Al Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَاكُم مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ ...

2: 49. And remember, We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh:

... يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوَءَ الْعَذَابِ...

they set you hard tasks and punishments,

... يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءكُمْ ...

slaughtered your sons and let your womenfolk live;

C64. The bondage of Egypt was indeed a tremendous trial. Even the Egyptians' wish to spare the lives of Israel's females when the males were slaughtered, added to the bitterness of Israel. Their hatred was cruel, but their "love" was still more cruel.

About the hard tasks, see Exod, 1:14:

"They made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour."

Pharaoh's taskmasters gave no straw, yet ordered the Israelites to make bricks without straw: Exod. 5:5-19.

Pharaoh's decree was:

"Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive": Exod. 1:22.

It was in consequence of this decree that Moses was hidden three months after he was born, and when he could be hidden no longer, he was put into an ark of bulrushes and cast into the Nile, where he was found by Pharaoh's daughter and wife (28:9), and adopted into the family: Exod. 2:2-10.

Cf. 20:37-40.

Thus Moses was brought up by the enemies of his people. He was chosen by Allah to deliver his people, and Allah's wisdom made the learning and experience and even cruelties of the Egyptian enemies themselves to contribute to the salvation of his people.

... وَفِي ذَلِكُم بَلاء مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٤٩﴾

therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord.

Others version:

2: 49

Asad And [remember the time] when We saved you from Pharaoh’s people, who afflicted you with cruel suffering, slaughtering your sons and sparing [only] your women – which was an awesome trial form your Sustainer;

Pickthall And (remember) when We did deliver you from Pharaoh's folk, who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, slaying your sons and sparing your women: That was a tremendous trial from your Lord.

Transliteration Wa iz najjaina_kum min a_li fir'auna yasu_mu_nakum su_'al'aza_bi yuzabbiha_na abna_'akum wa yastahyu_na nisa_'akum, wa fi za_likum bala_'um mir rabbikum 'azim(un