28. Surah Al-Qasad

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى أُمِّ مُوسَى أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ...

28: 7. So We sent this inspiration to the mother of Moses:

"Suckle (thy child),

...فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي...

but when thou hast fears about him, cast him into the river, but fear not nor grieve:

C3333. The Egyptian midwives had orders to kill Israelite babies. Moses was saved from them, and his mother nursed the infant at her breast herself.

But when the danger of discovery was imminent, she put him into a chest or basket, and Boated him on the river Nile. It flowed by the King's palace, and the chest with the baby was picked up, as related further on.

The mother had no -cause to fear or grieve afterwards, as the child grew up under her tender care and became afterwards one of the Prophets of Allah.

...إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿٧﴾

for We shall restore him to thee, and We shall make him one of Our Messengers."

فَالْتَقَطَهُ آلُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا...

28: 8. Then the people of Pharaoh picked him up (from the river):

(it was intended) that (Moses) should be to them an adversary and a cause of sorrow:

C3334. This was the Plan of Providence: that the wicked might cast a net round themselves by fostering the man who was to bring them to naught and be the instrument of their punishment, or

(looking at it from the other side) that Moses might learn all the wisdom of the Egyptians in order to expose all that was hollow and wicked in it.

...إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا كَانُوا خَاطِئِينَ ﴿٨﴾

for Pharaoh and Haman and (all) their hosts were men of sin.

وَقَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ فِرْعَوْنَ قُرَّتُ عَيْنٍ لِّي وَلَكَ...

28: 9. The wife of Pharaoh said:

"(Here is) a joy of the eye, for me and for thee:

C3335. He was a darling to look at, and Pharaoh had apparently no son, but only a daughter, who afterwards shared his throne. This is on the supposition that the Pharaoh was Thothmes I (see Appendix IV, Surah 7)..

...لَا تَقْتُلُوهُ...

slay him not.

...عَسَى أَن يَنفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا...

It may be that he will be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son."

...وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿٩﴾

And they perceived not (what they were doing)!

C3336. In all life Providence so orders things that Evil is defeated by its own weapons. Not only is it defeated, but it actually, though unwittingly, advances the cause of Good!

In non-religious language this is called the work of the Ironic Fates. If Thomas Hardy had not made Napoleon the Puppet of Fate in his "Dynasts", he could well have taken Pharaoh as an illustration of the Irony of Fate, or, as we should prefer to call it, the working of the Universal Plan of Allah. (R).

وَأَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَى فَارِغًا...

28: 10. But there came to be a void in the heart of the mother of Moses:

...إِن كَادَتْ لَتُبْدِي بِهِ لَوْلَا أَن رَّبَطْنَا عَلَى قَلْبِهَا...

she was going almost to disclose his (case), had We not strengthened her heart (with faith),

...لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٠﴾

so that she might remain a (firm) believer.

C3337. The mother's heart felt the gaping void at parting from her son; but her Faith in Allah's Providence kept her from betraying herself.

وَقَالَتْ لِأُخْتِهِ قُصِّيهِ...

28: 11. And she said to the sister of (Moses), "Follow him."

...فَبَصُرَتْ بِهِ عَن جُنُبٍ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿١١﴾

So she (the sister) watched him in the character of a stranger,

and they knew not.

وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِن قَبْلُ...

28: 12. And We ordained that he refused suck at first,

...فَقَالَتْ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ...

until (his sister came up and) said:

"Shall I point out to you the people of a house that will nourish and bring him up for you

C3338. For you: i.e., on your behalf.

Thus Moses got the benefit of his mother's milk as well as the prestige and the opportunities of being brought up in the royal family, with the best of teachers to teach him Egyptian wisdom. In addition, there was the comfort to his mother.

...وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ ﴿١٢﴾

and be sincerely attached to him?"...

فَرَدَدْنَاهُ إِلَى أُمِّهِ كَيْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا وَلَا تَحْزَنَ...

28: 13. Thus did We restore him to his mother, that her eye might be comforted, that she might not grieve,

...وَلِتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٣﴾

and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true:

but most of them do not understand.

C3339. Allah's promise is always true, but short-sighted people, if they are a little thwarted in their plan, do not understand that Allah's wisdom, power, and goodness are far more comprehensive than any hide plans which they may form.

Asad’s Version:

28:7 And so, [when he was born,] We inspired [thus] the mother of Moses: "Suckle him [for a time], and then, when thou hast cause to fear for him. cast him into the river, 8 and have no fear and do not grieve - for We shall restore him to thee, and shall make him one of Our message- bearers!"

28:8 And [some of] Pharaoh's household9 found [and spared] him: for [We had willed] that he become an enemy unto them and [a source of grief, seeing that Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were sinners indeed!

(28:9) Now the wife of Pharaoh said: "A joy to the eye [could this child be] for me and thee! Slay him not: he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son! " And they had no presentiment [of what he was to become].

28:10 On the morrow, however, an aching void grew up in the heart of the mother of Moses, and she would indeed have disclosed all about him 10 had We not endowed her heart with enough strength to keep alive her faith [in Our promise]. 11

(28:11) And so she said to his sister, "Follow him" - and [the girl] watched him from afar, while they [who had taken him in] were not aware of it.

28:12 Now from the very beginning We caused him to refuse the breast of [Egyptian] nurses; and [when his sister came to know this,] she said: "Shall I gutde you to a family that might rear him for you, and look after him with good will?"

(28:13) And thus We restored him to his mother, so that her eye might be gladdened, and that she might grieve no longer, and that she might know that God's promise always comes true - even though most of them know it not!

[[Asad Notes --

8 Sc, "and he will be saved": cf. 20:39.

9 As is evident from the next verse as well as from 66: 1], it was Pharaohs own wife.

10 I.e., disclose his true identity in the hope that he would be returned to her.

1 1 Lit., "so that she might be of those who have faith".]]

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