Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 79–88

10. Yunus · Jonas

Makkan109 verses

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ٱئْتُونِى بِكُلِّ سَٰحِرٍ عَلِيمٍۢ

10:79Pharaoh said, ‘Bring me every expert magician.’

فَلَمَّا جَآءَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰٓ أَلْقُوا۟ مَآ أَنتُم مُّلْقُونَ

10:80So when the magicians came, Moses said to them, ‘Throw down what you have to throw.’1

فَلَمَّآ أَلْقَوْا۟ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ مَا جِئْتُم بِهِ ٱلسِّحْرُ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَيُبْطِلُهُۥٓ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُصْلِحُ عَمَلَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

10:81So when they threw down [their sticks and ropes], Moses said, ‘What you have produced is magic. Indeed Allah will bring it to naught presently. Indeed Allah does not foster the efforts of those who cause corruption.2

وَيُحِقُّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَٰتِهِۦ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ

10:82Allah will confirm the truth with His words, though the guilty should be averse.’

فَمَآ ءَامَنَ لِمُوسَىٰٓ إِلَّا ذُرِّيَّةٌۭ مِّن قَوْمِهِۦ عَلَىٰ خَوْفٍۢ مِّن فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِمْ أَن يَفْتِنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ لَعَالٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ

10:83But none believed in Moses except some youths from among his people, for the fear of Pharaoh and his elite that he would persecute them. For Pharaoh was indeed a tyrant in the land, and indeed he was an unrestrained [despot].

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ يَٰقَوْمِ إِن كُنتُمْ ءَامَنتُم بِٱللَّهِ فَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلُوٓا۟ إِن كُنتُم مُّسْلِمِينَ

10:84And Moses said, ‘O my people! If you have faith in Allah, put your trust in Him, if you have submitted [to Him].’

فَقَالُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةًۭ لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

10:85Whereat they said, ‘In Allah we have put our trust.’ ‘Our Lord! Do not make us a [means of] test for the wrongdoing lot,

وَنَجِّنَا بِرَحْمَتِكَ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

10:86and deliver us by Your mercy from the faithless lot.’

وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَأَخِيهِ أَن تَبَوَّءَا لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًۭا وَٱجْعَلُوا۟ بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةًۭ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

10:87We revealed to Moses and his brother [saying], ‘Settle your people in the city, and let your houses face each other, and maintain the prayer, and give good news to the faithful.’3

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ ءَاتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَهُۥ زِينَةًۭ وَأَمْوَٰلًۭا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِكَ ۖ رَبَّنَا ٱطْمِسْ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَٱشْدُدْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ

10:88Moses said, ‘Our Lord! You have given Pharaoh and his elite glamour and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord, that they may lead [people] astray from Your way! Our Lord! Blot out their wealth and harden their hearts so that they do not believe until they sight the painful punishment.’

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 80

1.It is very difficult for the common people to differentiate magic from miracles. As they can see only what is apparent there is no difference to them. The difference between magic and miracles depends on incidents, because miracle is the bearer of incident and magic is the source of detention and its effect is temporary remaining till the presence of magician till its limit and after that it over. While the effect of miracle is long lasting. When magicians realized the truth of Moos a (a.s.) they accepted his religion while Firon remained ignorant and thought that Moosa (a.s.) was a great magician and for this reason he remained disappointed from power of knowledge.

2.At first the believers of Allah were terrified of Firon’s grandeurs. Then Moosa (a.s.) showed them the eternal standard that one who has faith and trust on Allah, can never be afraid of anything. In the same way they shall remain safe from divine calamities.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    According to some people Allah will invalidate magic and this shows that there is some reality in it. However, Allah will invalidate it and make it meaningless and even if this is correct at least it is certain that magicians are the mischief mongers in the society while a prophet of Allah is a reformer. Allah never allows the actions of mischief makers to succeed.

  2. 1

    Moosa (a.s.) said this by way of challenge and warning, otherwise a divine prophet does not request a magician to show his tricks.

  3. 2

    The magician is false and very soon the Almighty will expose the falsity. The last phrase shows that Allah does not support falsehood and this just law is the proof of the truth of miracles.

  4. 3

    Qibla denotes something which is in front that is why some commentators have explained it to denote the building of houses facing each other to protect the area. Others have understood it to mean the actual Qibla and said that the houses should be used as mosques.

  5. Benefit

    According to some commentators the 83rd ayat mentions the youth of the community of Moos. (a.s.) who had initially accepted faith. Later other people followed the general trend as is the system in every revolution.