Sura 26, al-Furqan, Mecca 47
The Quranic text and Ali’s version
وَإِذْ
نَادَى رَبُّكَ
مُوسَى ...
26:10. [Ali] Behold, thy Lord called Moses:
C3144. The part of the story of Moses told here is how Moses felt diffident about undertaking his commission;
- how Allah reassured him;
... أَنِ ائْتِ الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٠﴾
"Go to the people of iniquity --
قَوْمَ
فِرْعَوْنَ...
26: 11. "The people of Pharaoh:
...أَلَا يَتَّقُونَ ﴿١١﴾
will they not fear Allah?"
قَالَ
رَبِّ إِنِّي
أَخَافُ أَن
يُكَذِّبُونِ
﴿١٢﴾
26: 12. He said:
"O my Lord! I do fear that they will charge me with falsehood:
وَيَضِيقُ
صَدْرِي
وَلَا يَنطَلِقُ
لِسَانِي فَأَرْسِلْ
إِلَى هَارُونَ
﴿١٣﴾
26: 13. "My breast will be straitened, and my speech may not go (smoothly):
so send unto Aaron.
C3145. As we should say in English, "My heart would fail me, and my tongue cleave to my mouth."
Moses had an impediment in his speech, and his mission was risky:
see next note.
But Allah's Plan works in wondrous ways. Aaron was given to assist him in his mission, and Moses' shortcomings were transformed by Allah's grace into power, so that he became the most powerful leader of Israel.
وَلَهُمْ
عَلَيَّ
ذَنبٌ فَأَخَافُ
أَن يَقْتُلُونِ
﴿١٤﴾
26: 14. "And (further), they have a charge of crime against me; and I fear they may slay me."
C3146. Moses was brought up in the palace of Pharaoh, as narrated in his personal story in 20:39-40 and n. 2563.
When he was grown-up he saw an Egyptian smiling an Israelite, and as the Israelites were being generally oppressed by the Egyptians, Moses' anger was roused, and he slew the Egyptian.
He then fled to the Midianite country in the Sinai peninsula, where he received the divine commission. But the charge of slaying the Egyptian was hanging against him.
He was also apparently quick-tempered. But Allah's grace cured his temper and he became wise; his impediment in speech, for he stood up boldly to speak to Pharaoh; and his fear, for he dared the Egyptians with Allah's Signs, and they were afraid of him.
قَالَ
كَلَّا...
26: 15. Allah said:
"By no means!
...فَاذْهَبَا بِآيَاتِنَا ...
proceed then, both of you, with Our Signs;
... إِنَّا مَعَكُم مُّسْتَمِعُونَ ﴿١٥﴾
We are with you, and will listen (to your call).
فَأْتِيَا
فِرْعَوْنَ
فَقُولَا ...
26: 16. "So go forth, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say:
... إِنَّا رَسُولُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٦﴾
'We have been sent by the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds;
أَنْ
أَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا
بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ
﴿١٧﴾
26: 17. "'Send thou with us the Children of Israel.'"
قَالَ
أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ
فِينَا وَلِيدًا
وَلَبِثْتَ
فِينَا مِنْ
عُمُرِكَ سِنِينَ
﴿١٨﴾
26: 18. (Pharaoh) said:
"Did we not cherish thee as a child among us, and didst thou not stay in our midst many years of thy life?
C3147. There is here a little play of wit on the part of Pharaoh. When Moses speaks of the "Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds", Pharaoh says:
"Who cherished you?
Did we not bring you up as a child?
Did you not grow up among us?"
By implication Pharaoh suggest that he is the cherisher of Moses, and in any case Pharaoh laid claim to godhead himself.
وَفَعَلْتَ
فَعْلَتَكَ
الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ
وَأَنتَ مِنَ
الْكَافِرِينَ
﴿١٩﴾
26: 19. "And thou didst a deed of thine which (thou knowest) thou didst, and thou art an ungrateful (wretch)!"
C3148. Further, Pharaoh reminds Moses of his having slain the Egyptian, and taunts him:
"You are not only a murderer: you are an ungrateful wretch" (using kafir again in a double sense) "to have killed one of the race that brought you up!"
قَالَ
فَعَلْتُهَا
إِذًا وَأَنَا
مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ
﴿٢٠﴾
26: 20. Moses said:
"I did it then, when I was in error.
C3149. What is Moses' reply?
He is no longer afraid. He tells the whole truth, extenuating nothing in his own favour.
"Yes I did it: but I did it under an error."
There are three implications in this:
1. “I was wrong in doing it in a temper and in being hasty;
2. was wrong in taking the law into my own hands, but I repented and asked for Allah's pardon (xxviii. 15-16);
3. that was at a time when I was under your influence, but since then I am a changed man, as Allah has called me."
فَفَرَرْتُ
مِنكُمْ لَمَّا
خِفْتُكُمْ...
26: 21. "So I fled from you (all) when I feared you;
C3150. He accounts for all his movements, much more than Pharaoh had asked for. He has nothing to hide. At that time he was under the influence of fear, and he had fled from him.
Now he is serving Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He has no fear: he is a messenger.
...فَوَهَبَ لِي رَبِّي حُكْمًا وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿٢١﴾
but my Lord has (since) invested me with judgment (and wisdom) and appointed me as one of the messengers.
وَتِلْكَ
نِعْمَةٌ
تَمُنُّهَا
عَلَيَّ أَنْ
عَبَّدتَّ بَنِي
إِسْرَائِيلَ
﴿٢٢﴾
26: 22. "And this is the favor with which thou dost reproach me -- that thou hast enslaved the Children of Israel"
C3151. Pharaoh had called Moses ungrateful and reproached him with all the favours which Moses had received from the Egyptians.
"What favours?" he says; "Do you count it also as a favour to me that you have enslaved my brethren the Children of Israel?"
Moses was now speaking as a Prophet of Allah, not as an individual. Any individual favours he may have received were blotted out by the oppression of his people. (R).
قَالَ
فِرْعَوْنُ
وَمَا رَبُّ
الْعَالَمِينَ
﴿٢٣﴾
26: 23. Pharaoh said: "And what is the 'Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds?'"
C3152. Moses having eliminated all personalities, the argument now comes up to the highest plane of all,-the attributes of Allah and His mercies. Moses had put forward this before, as implied in verse 16 above, but Pharaoh had twisted it into personalities.
Now we come back to the real issue. It may have been in the same sitting, or it may have been in a later sitting. (R).
قَالَ
رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ
وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا...
26: 24. (Moses) said:
"The Lord and Cherisher of the heavens and the earth, and all between --
...إن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ ﴿٢٤﴾
if ye want to be quite sure."
قَالَ
لِمَنْ حَوْلَهُ
أَلَا تَسْتَمِعُونَ
﴿٢٥﴾
26: 25. (Pharaoh) said to those around: "Do ye not listen (to what he says)?"
C3153. Moses had stiffed up the wrath of Pharaoh both by putting forward the name of the One True God as against Pharaoh's pretended godhead, and by suggesting that any man of judgment would understand Allah's majesty.
While Pharaoh turns to his people in indignation, Moses drives the nail in further:
"He is the God of the heavens and the earth and all between: therefore He is also your God, and the God of your fathers from the beginning. Any other pretensions are false!"
قَالَ
رَبُّكُمْ
وَرَبُّ
آبَائِكُمُ
الْأَوَّلِينَ
﴿٢٦﴾
26: 26. (Moses) said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers from the beginning!"
قَالَ
إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ
الَّذِي أُرْسِلَ
إِلَيْكُمْ
لَمَجْنُونٌ
﴿٢٧﴾
26: 27. (Pharaoh) said: "Truly your messenger who has been sent to you is a veritable madman!"
C3154. Pharaoh is further perturbed. In reply to Moses' statement that Allah, the One True God is also the God of the Egyptians and Pharaoh also, Pharaoh says sarcastically to his Court:
"Look at this 'Messenger' of yours; he seems to be mad!"
But Moses is not abashed. He boldly says what is the truth:
"It is you who are mad! The God Whom I preach is the universal Lord,-of the East and of the West. He reigns wherever you go!" (R).
قَالَ
رَبُّ
الْمَشْرِقِ
وَالْمَغْرِبِ
وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا...
26: 28. (Moses) said: "Lord of the East and the West, and all between!
...إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾
If ye only had sense!"
قَالَ
لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ
إِلَهًا غَيْرِي
لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ
مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ
﴿٢٩﴾
=======26: 29. (Pharaoh) said: "If thou dost put forward any god other than me, I will certainly put thee in prison!"
C3155. Now we come to the crisis. Pharaoh threatens Moses with prison for treason.
Moses remains calm and stiff argues:
"What if I show you a miracle? Will it convince you that I am not mad, and that I have behind me the Lord of all the Worlds?"
قَالَ
أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكَ
بِشَيْءٍ مُّبِينٍ
﴿٣٠﴾
26: 30. (Moses) said: "Even if I showed you something clear (and) convincing?"
C3156. The Egyptians were addicted to magic and sorcery. If a true miracle were shown to them, would they believe?
Perhaps they would see the hollowness of their own magic. In fact this actually happened with the Egyptian sorcerers themselves and perhaps with the commonalty.
But Pharaoh and his Court were too arrogant, and battened too much on frauds to yield to Truth.
قَالَ
فَأْتِ بِهِ
إِن كُنتَ مِنَ
الصَّادِقِينَ
﴿٣١﴾
26: 31. (Pharaoh) said: "Show it then, if thou tellest the truth!"
فَأَلْقَى
عَصَاهُ
فَإِذَا هِيَ
ثُعْبَانٌ
مُّبِينٌ ﴿٣٢﴾
26: 32. So (Moses) threw his rod, and behold, it was a serpent, plain (for all to see)!
وَنَزَعَ
يَدَهُ فَإِذَا
هِيَ بَيْضَاء
لِلنَّاظِرِينَ
﴿٣٣﴾
26: 33. And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders!
C3157. Cf. 7:107-108.
See the whole passage there, and the notes thereon.
قَالَ
لِلْمَلَإِ
حَوْلَهُ ...
26: 34. (Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs around him:
C3158. In 7:109 it is the Chiefs who say this.
The fact is that it was a general consultation, and this was the general feeling, expressed in words by each to the others.
... إِنَّ هَذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٣٤﴾
"This is indeed a sorcerer well-versed:
يُرِيدُ
أَن يُخْرِجَكُم
مِّنْ أَرْضِكُم
بِسِحْرِهِ...
26:35. "His plan is to get you out of your land by his sorcery;
...فَمَاذَا تَأْمُرُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾
then what is it ye counsel?"
قَالُوا
أَرْجِهِ
وَأَخَاهُ
وَابْعَثْ فِي
الْمَدَائِنِ
حَاشِرِينَ
﴿٣٦﴾
26: 36. They said:
"Keep him and his brother in suspense (for a while), and dispatch to the Cities heralds to collect --
يَأْتُوكَ
بِكُلِّ
سَحَّارٍ عَلِيمٍ
﴿٣٧﴾
26: 37. "And bring up to thee all (our) sorcerers well-versed."
فَجُمِعَ
السَّحَرَةُ
لِمِيقَاتِ
يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
﴿٣٨﴾
26: 38. So the sorcerers were got together for the appointment of a day well-known,
C3159. A day well-known: a solemn day of festival: see 20:59.
The object was to get together as large a concourse of people as possible. It was confidently expected that the Egyptian sorcerers with all their organisation would win with their tricks against these amateur Israelites, and so the State cult of the worship of Pharaoh would be fastened on the necks of the people more firmly than ever.
وَقِيلَ
لِلنَّاسِ
هَلْ أَنتُم
مُّجْتَمِعُونَ
﴿٣٩﴾
26: 39. And the people were told:
"Are ye (now) assembled? --
لَعَلَّنَا
نَتَّبِعُ
السَّحَرَةَ
إِن
كَانُوا
هُمُ
الْغَالِبِينَ
﴿٤٠﴾
26: 40. "That we may follow the sorcerers (in religion) if they win?"
C3160. See the last note.
The people are to come and witness the triumph of the State religion, so that they may become the more obedient to Pharaoh and more compliant with the demands of the priests.
The State religion included magic and the worship of Pharaoh.
فَلَمَّا
جَاء السَّحَرَةُ
قَالُوا لِفِرْعَوْنَ
أَئِنَّ لَنَا
لَأَجْرًا إِن
كُنَّا نَحْنُ
الْغَالِبِينَ
﴿٤١﴾
26: 41. So when the sorcerers arrived, they said to Pharaoh:
"Of course -- shall we have a (suitable) reward if we win?"
C3161. There was no such thing as pure loyalty to an exploiting ruler like this Pharaoh. The sorcerers, who were probably also priests, were venal, and they hoped to establish their own hold on both king and people by the further enrichment of themselves and their order.
قَالَ
نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ
إِذًا لَّمِنَ
الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
﴿٤٢﴾
26: 42. He said: "Yea, (and more) -- for ye shall in that case be (raised to posts) nearest (to my person)."
قَالَ
لَهُم مُّوسَى
أَلْقُوا مَا
أَنتُم مُّلْقُونَ
﴿٤٣﴾
26: 43. Moses said to them: "Throw ye -- that which ye are about to throw!"
C3162. The euphemism implies a taunt, as if Moses had said:
"I know about your tricks! You pretend to throw ropes and rods, and make people believe they are snakes. But now come on!"
فَأَلْقَوْا
حِبَالَهُمْ
وَعِصِيَّهُمْ...
26: 44. So they threw their ropes and their rods,
...وَقَالُوا بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَالِبُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
and said: "By the might of Pharaoh, it is we who will certainly win!"
C3163. Though Pharaoh claimed to be a god, it is not likely that those nearest to him - his priests and sorcerers - believed such a thing! But it was game of mutual pretence before the world. And so they appeal to his "divine" power.
فَأَلْقَى
مُوسَى عَصَاهُ...
26: 45. Then Moses threw his rod,
...فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ ﴿٤٥﴾
when behold, it straightway swallows up all the falsehoods which they fake!
C3164. The sorcerers' ropes and rods seemed to have become serpents, but the rod of Moses was mightier than all of them and quickly swallowed them up.
So truth is more powerful than tricks and win expose and destroy them.
فَأُلْقِيَ
السَّحَرَةُ
سَاجِدِينَ
﴿٤٦﴾
26: 46. Then did the sorcerers fall down, prostrate in adoration,
قَالُوا
آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ
الْعَالَمِينَ
﴿٤٧﴾
26: 47. Saying:
"We believe in the Lord of the Worlds,
رَبِّ
مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ
﴿٤٨﴾
26: 48. "The Lord of Moses and Aaron."
قَالَ
آمَنتُمْ
لَهُ قَبْلَ
أَنْ آذَنَ
لَكُمْ...
26: 49. Said (Pharaoh):
"Believe ye in him before I give you permission?
...إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ...
Surely he is your leader, who has taught you sorcery!
But soon shall ye know!
C3165. The sorcerers knew that they had met something very
different from their tricks. Allah's power worked on them and they professed the True God.
As they represented the intelligence of the community, it may be presumed that they carried the intelligence of Egypt with them and perhaps some of the commonalty, who were impressed by the dramatic scene!
Hence Pharaoh's anger, but it is the beginning of his decline!
...لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾
"But sure I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will cause you all to die on the cross!"
قَالُوا
لَا ضَيْرَ...
26: 50. They said:
"No matter!
...إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا مُنقَلِبُونَ ﴿٥٠﴾
for us, we shall but return to our Lord!
إِنَّا
نَطْمَعُ أَن
يَغْفِرَ لَنَا
رَبُّنَا خَطَايَانَا
أَن كُنَّا
أَوَّلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
﴿٥١﴾
26: 51. "Only, our desire is that our Lord will forgive us our faults, that we may become foremost among the Believers!"
C3166. This is the core of the lesson enforced in this passage.
What was the reaction of the environment to the Light or Message of Allah?
- It transformed Moses so that he became a fearless leader, one of the foremost in faith.
- From men like Pharaoh and his corrupt court, it called forth obstinacy, spite, and all the tricks and snares of evil, but Evil was defeated on its own ground.
- The magicians were touched by the glorious Light of Allah, and they were ready to suffer tortures and death, their sole ambition (in their transformed state) being to be foremost in Faith!
وَأَوْحَيْنَا
إِلَى مُوسَى
أَنْ أَسْرِ
بِعِبَادِي
إِنَّكُم
مُّتَّبَعُونَ
﴿٥٢﴾
26: 52. By inspiration We told Moses: "Travel by night with My servants; for surely ye shall be pursued."
C3167. The rest of the story -of the plagues of Egypt- is passed over as not germane to the present argument. We come now to the story of Israel leaving Egypt, pursued by Pharaoh.
Here again there are three contrasts:
1. the blind arrogance of the Egyptians, against the development of Allah's Plan;
2. the Faith of Moses, against the fears of his people; and
3. the final deliverance of the Israelites against the destruction of the host of brute force.
فَأَرْسَلَ
فِرْعَوْنُ
فِي الْمَدَائِنِ
حَاشِرِينَ
﴿٥٣﴾
26: 53. Then Pharaoh sent heralds to (all) the Cities,
إِنَّ
هَؤُلَاء لَشِرْذِمَةٌ
قَلِيلُونَ
﴿٥٤﴾
26: 54. (Saying):
"These (Israelites) are but a small band,
وَإِنَّهُمْ
لَنَا لَغَائِظُونَ
﴿٥٥﴾
26: 55. "And they are raging furiously against us;
وَإِنَّا
لَجَمِيعٌ
حَاذِرُونَ
﴿٥٦﴾
26: 56. "But we are a multitude amply fore-warned."
فَأَخْرَجْنَاهُم
مِّن جَنَّاتٍ
وَعُيُونٍ ﴿٥٧﴾
26: 57. So We expelled them from gardens, springs,
C3168. In deference to almost unanimous authority I have translated this passage (verses 58-60) as if it were a parenthetical statement of Allah's purpose.
Personally I prefer another construction.
According to that, verses 58-59 will be part of Pharaoh's proclamations; "We have dispossessed the Israelites from everything good in the land, and made them our slaves";
and verse 60 only will be parenthetical;
"Poor ignorant men! You may oppress those who are helpless, but We (i.e. Allah) have declared that they shall inherit all these things",
as they certainly did (for a time) in the Land of Palestine.
وَكُنُوزٍ
وَمَقَامٍ
كَرِيمٍ ﴿٥٨﴾
26: 58. Treasures, and every kind of honorable position;
كَذَلِكَ...
26: 59. Thus it was,
...وَأَوْرَثْنَاهَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ﴿٥٩﴾
but We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things.
C3169. The Children of Israel certainly inherited the gardens, springs, treasures, and honourable positions in Palestine after many years' wanderings in the wilderness.
But when they were false to Allah, they lost them again, and another people (the Muslims) inherited them when they were true in Faith.
"Of such things": literally, "of them".
فَأَتْبَعُوهُم
مُّشْرِقِينَ
﴿٦٠﴾
26: 60. So they pursued them at sunrise.
C3170. The story is here resumed after the parenthesis of verses 58-60.
فَلَمَّا
تَرَاءى الْجَمْعَانِ
قَالَ أَصْحَابُ
مُوسَى إِنَّا
لَمُدْرَكُونَ
﴿٦١﴾
26: 61. And when the two bodies saw each other, the people of Moses said:
"We are sure to be overtaken."
قَالَ
كَلَّا...
26: 62. (Moses) said: "By no means!
...إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ ﴿٦٢﴾
my Lord is with me! Soon will He guide me!
C3171. Guide me: i.e., show me some way of escape from danger.
This actually happened for Pharaoh's host was drowned. The faith of Moses stands in strong contrast to the fears of his people.
فَأَوْحَيْنَا
إِلَى مُوسَى
أَنِ اضْرِب
بِّعَصَاكَ
الْبَحْرَ...
26: 63. Then We told Moses by inspiration: "Strike the sea with thy rod."
...فَانفَلَقَ فَكَانَ كُلُّ فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿٦٣﴾
So it divided, and each separate part become like the huge, firm mass of a mountain
وَأَزْلَفْنَا
ثَمَّ الْآخَرِينَ
﴿٦٤﴾
26: 64. And We made the other party approach thither.
C3172. The miracle was twofold:
1. Moses with his people passed safely through the sea;
2. and Pharaoh and his great host were drowned in the sea.
وَأَنجَيْنَا
مُوسَى وَمَن
مَّعَهُ أَجْمَعِينَ
﴿٦٥﴾
26: 65. We delivered Moses and all who were with him;
ثُمَّ
أَغْرَقْنَا
الْآخَرِينَ
﴿٦٦﴾
26: 66. But We drowned the others.
إِنَّ
فِي ذَلِكَ
لَآيَةً...
26: 67. Verily in this is a Sign:
...وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٦٧﴾
but most of them do not believe.
C3173. As it was then, so it is now. In spite of the obvious Signs of Allah, people who are blind in their obstinate resistance to Truth accomplish their own destruction, while humble, persecuted men of Faith are transformed by the Light of Allah, and obtain salvation.
وَإِنَّ
رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ
الْعَزِيزُ
الرَّحِيمُ
﴿٦٨﴾
26: 68. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
C3174. Nothing that the powers of evil can do, will ever defeat the merciful Purpose of Allah. Evil, in resisting good, will effect its own destruction.
Asad’s version
26:10 HENCE, [remember how it was] when thy Sustainer summoned Moses: "Go unto those evildoing people,
(26:11) the people of Pharaoh, who refuse to be conscious of Me!" 7
(26:12) He answered: "O my Sustainer! Behold, I fear that they will give me the lie,
(26:13) and then my breast will be straitened and my tongue will not be free: send, then, [this Thy command) to Aaron. 8
(26: 14) Moreover, they keep a grave charge [pending] against me, and I fear that they will slay me.'"
26:15 Said He: "Not so, indeed! Go forth, then, both of you, with Our messages: verily, We shall be with you, listening [to your call]!
(26: 16) And go, both of you, unto Pharaoh and say, 'Behold, we bear a message from the Sustainer of all the worlds:
(26: 17) Let the children of Israel go with us!'
(26:18) [But when Moses had delivered his message, Pharaoh] said: "Did we not bring thee up among us when thou wert a child? And didst thou not spend among us years of thy [later] life?
(26: 19) And yet thou didst commit that [heinous] deed of thine, 10 and [hast thus
shown that] thou art one of the ingrate! "
26:20 Replied [Moses]: "I committed it while I was still going astray;
(26:21) and I fled from you because I feared you. But [since] then my Sustainer has endowed me with the ability to judge [between right and wrong], 11 and has made me one of [His] message-bearers.
(26:22) And [as for] that favour of which thou so tauntingly remindest me - [was it not) due to thy having enslaved the children of Israel?" 12
[[ Asad’s notes
6 The above two verses appear eight times in this surah. Apart from the present instance, they conclude, like a refrain, each of the subsequent seven stories of earlier prophets, which - by means of their, in places, almost identical phrasing - are meant to stress the essential identity of the ethical teachings of all the prophets, as well as to illustrate the statement, in verse 5, that a rejection of God's messages is a recurrent phenomenon in the history of mankind despite the fact that His existence is clearly manifested in all living creation.
7 Lit., "Will they not be [or "become"] conscious [of me]?" Zamakhshari and Razi understand this rhetorical question in the sense apparent in my rendering, namely, as a statement of fact.
8 Cf 20:25-34 and the corresponding notes. In the present context, stress is laid on the deep humility of Moses, who considered himself incapable of fulfilling the task for which he had been chosen, and asked God to entrust it to Aaron instead.
9 Sc, "and thus frustrate my mission". This is a reference to Moses' killing of the Egyptian, which was the cause of his subsequent flight from his native land (cf. 28:15 ff)
10 Lit., "thou didst commit thy deed which thou hast committed" - a construction meant to express the speaker's utter condemnation of the deed referred to: hence, my interpolation of the word "heinous". As regards the above aJlusions to Moses' childhood and youth at Pharaoh's court, the manslaughter committed by him, and his flight from Egypt, see 28:4-22.
1 1 As is shown in 28:15-16, after having killed the Egyptian, Moses suddenly realized that he had committed a grievous sin (see also note 1 5 on the last two sentences of 28: 1 5).
12 See 28:4-5. ]]
26:23 Said Pharaoh: "And what [and who] is that 'Sustainer of all the world'?" 13
(26:24) [Moses] answered. "[He is] the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if you would but [allow yourselves to) be convinced! ""
26:25 Said [Pharaoh] unto those around him: "Did you hear [what he said]?" 15
(26:26) [And Moses] continued: "[He is] your Sustainer, [too,] as well as the Sustainer of your fore-fathers of old!"
(26:27) [Pharaoh] exclaimed: "Behold, [this] your apostle, who [claims that he] has been sent unto you is mad indeed!"
26:28 [But Moses] went on: "[He of whom I speak is] the Sustainer of the east and the west and of all that is between the two" - [as you would know] if you would but use your reason!"
(26:29) Said [Pharaoh]: "Indeed, if thou choose to worship any deity other than me, I shall most certainly throw thee into prison! 17
26:30 Said he: "Even if I should bring about before thee something that clearly shows the truth?" 18
(26:31) [Pharaoh] answered: "Produce it, then, if thou art a man of truth!"
(26:32) Thereupon [Moses] threw down his staff - and lo! it was a serpent, plainly visible;
(26:33) and he drew forth his hand - and lo! it appeared [shining) white to the beholders."
[[Asad’s notes -
1 3 A reference to the terms in which Moses was to - and apparently did - announce his mission (see verse 16 above).
14 Sc, "by the evidence of His creative will in all that exists": this proposition being, I believe, the main reason for a repetition of the story of Moses in the present surah. (Cf. also verse 28 above.)
15 Lit., "Do you not hear?" - a rhetorical question meant to convey astonishment, indignation or derision, which may be idiomatically rendered in translation as above.
16 Cf. 2:115.
1 7 In the religion of ancient Egypt, the king (or "Pharaoh" , as each of the rulers was styled) represented an incarnation of the divine principle, and was considered to be a god in his own right. Hence, a challenge to his divinity implied a challenge to the prevalent religious system as a whole.
1 8 For this rendering of the term mubin, see note 2 on 1 2 : 1 .
19 See 7:107-108 and the corresponding note 85, as well as 20:22, 27:12 and 28:32.]]
Asad’s version
26:34 Said [Pharaoh] unto the great ones around him: "Verily, this is indeed a sorcerer of great knowledge
(26:35) who wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery. 20 What, then, do you advise?"
(26:36) They ans
wered: "Let him and his brother wait a while, and send unto all cities heralds (26:37) who shall assemble before thee all sorcerers of great knowledge."
26:38 And so the sorcerers were assembled at a set time on a certain day,
(26:39) and the people were asked: "Are you all present,
(26:40) so that we might follow [in the footsteps of] the sorcerers if it is they who prevail?" 21
(26:41) Now when the sorcerers came, they said unto
Pharaoh: "Verily, we ought to have a great reward if it is we who prevail." 22
[[20 Cf. 7:109-1 10 and the corresponding note 86. 21 There is no doubt that these "sorcerers" were priests of the official Anion cult, in which magic played an important role. Thus, their victory over Moses would constitute a public vindication of the state religion. 22 Seenote88on7:113. ]]
26:42 Answered he: "Yea - and, verily, in that case you shall be among those who are near unto me."
(26:43) [And] Moses said unto them: "Throw whatever you are going to throw!"
(26:44)
Thereupon they threw their [magic] ropes and their staffs, and said: "By Pharaoh's might,
behold, it is we indeed who have prevailed!" 25
26:45 [But] then Moses threw his staff - and lo! it swallowed up all their deceptions. 24
(26:46) And down fell the sorcerers, prostrating themselves in adoration, (26:47) [and] exclaimed: "We have come to believe in the Sustainer of all the worlds,
(26:48) the Sustainer of Moses and Aaron!"
[[24See note 89on7:117. 25 See note 91 on 7:123.]]
Asad’s version
26:49 Said [Pharaoh): "Have you come to believe in him 25 ere I have given you permission? Verily, he must be your master who has taught you magic! 2 ' But in time you shall come to know [my revenge]: most certainly shall I cut off your hands and your feet in great numbers, because of [your] perverseness, and shall most certainly crucify you in great numbers, all together ! " 27
[[27 See notes 44 and 45 on 5 : 33, and note 92 on 7: 124, which explain the repeated stress on "great numbers" in the above sentence.]
26:50 They answered: "No harm [canst thou do to us]: verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn!
(26:51) Behold, we [but] ardently desire that our Sustainer forgive us our faults in return for our having been foremost among the believers!"
26:52 AND [there came a time 25 when] We inspired Moses thus: "Go forth with My
servants by night: for, behold, you will be pursued!"
(26:53) And Pharaoh sent heralds unto all cities,
(26:54) [bidding them to call out his troops and to proclaim:] "Behold, these [children of Israel] are but a contemptible band; 2 '
(26:55) but they are indeed filled with hatred of us
26:56) seeing that we are, verily, a nation united, fully prepared against danger 30 –
Asad’s version
(26:57) and so we have [rightly] driven them out of [their] gardens and springs, (26:58) and [deprived them of their erstwhile] station of honour!" 31
26:59 Thus it was: but [in the course of time] We were to bestow all these [things] as a heritage on the children of Israel. 32 (26:60) And so [the Egyptians] caught up with them at sunrise;
(26:61) and as soon as the two hosts came in sight of one another, the followers of Moses exclaimed: "Behold, we shall certainly be overtaken [and defeated]!"
26:62 He replied: "Nay indeed! My Sustainer is with me, [and] He will guide me!"
(26:63) Thereupon We inspired Moses thus: "Strike the sea with thy staff!" - whereupon it parted, and each part appeared like a mountain vast. 33
26:64 And We caused the pursuers 34 to draw near unto that place: (26:65) and We saved Moses and all who were with him, (26:66) and then We caused the others to drown. 35
(26:67) In this [story], behold, there is a message [unto all men], even though most of them will not believe [in it].
(26:68) And yet, verily, thy Sustainer - He alone -is almighty, a dispenser of grace! 36
[[Asad’s notes
[[28 I.e., after the period of plagues with which the Egyptians were visited (cf. 7 :1 30 ff).
29 Lit., "a small band": Zamakhshari, however, suggests that in this context the adjective qalilun is expressive of contempt, and does not necessarily denote "few in numbers".
30 Thus the Qur'an illustrates the psychological truth that, as a rule, a dominant nation is unable really to understand the desire for liberty on the part of the group or groups which it oppresses, and therefore attributes their rebelliousness to no more than unreasonable hatred and blind envy of the strong.
3 1 This is apparently an allusion to the honourable state and the prosperity which the children of Israel had enjoyed in Egypt for a few generations after the time of Joseph - i.e., before a new Egyptian dynasty dispossessed them of their wealth and reduced them to the bondage from which Moses was to free them. In the above passage, Pharaoh seeks to justify his persecution of the Israelites by emphasizing their dislike (real of alleged) of the Egyptians. [[33 See 20:77 and the corresponding note 61 . Cf also the Biblical account (Exodus xiv, 21 ), according to which "the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided". 34 Lit., "the others"
32 This parenthetical sentence echoes the allusion, in 7:137, to the period of prosperity and honour which the children of Israel were to enjoy in Palestine after their sufferings in Egypt. The reference to "heritage" is, in this and in similar contexts, a metonym for God's bestowal on the oppressed of a life of well-being and dignity.
33 See 20:77 and the corresponding note 61 . Cf also the Biblical account (Exodus xiv, 21 ), according to which "the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided". 34 Lit., "the others"
35 From various indications in the Bible (in particular, Exodus xiv, 2 and 9), it appears that the miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea took place at the north-western extremity of what is known today as the Gulf of Suez. In those ancient times it was not as deep as it is now, and in some respects may have resembled the shallow part of the North Sea between the mainland and the Frisian Islands, with its total ebbs which lay bare the sandbanks and make them temporarily passable, followed by sudden, violent tides which submerge them entirely.
36 See note 6 on verses 8-9. ]]
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