Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 36–43

28. Al-Qasas · The Stories

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فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا بَيِّنَٰتٍۢ قَالُوا۟ مَا هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ مُّفْتَرًۭى وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَٰذَا فِىٓ ءَابَآئِنَا ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

28:36When Moses brought them Our manifest signs, they said, ‘This is nothing but concocted magic. We never heard of such a thing among our forefathers.’

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن جَآءَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ مِنْ عِندِهِۦ وَمَن تَكُونُ لَهُۥ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلدَّارِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

28:37Moses said, ‘My Lord knows best who brings guidance from Him, and in whose favour the outcome of that abode will be. The wrongdoers will not be felicitous.’1

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرِى فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجْعَل لِّى صَرْحًۭا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

28:38Pharaoh said, ‘O [members of the] elite! I do not know of any god that you may have besides me. Haman, light for me a fire over clay, and build me a tower so that I may take a look at Moses’ god, and indeed I consider him to be a liar!’2

وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُۥ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا يُرْجَعُونَ

28:39He and his hosts unduly acted arrogantly in the land, and thought they would not be brought back to Us.

فَأَخَذْنَٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ ۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

28:40So We seized him and his hosts, and threw them into the sea. So observe how was the fate of the wrongdoers!3

وَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ أَئِمَّةًۭ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ لَا يُنصَرُونَ

28:41We made them leaders who invite to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not receive any help.*

وَأَتْبَعْنَٰهُمْ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةًۭ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ هُم مِّنَ ٱلْمَقْبُوحِينَ

28:42We made a curse pursue them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the disfigured.

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا ٱلْقُرُونَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًۭى وَرَحْمَةًۭ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

28:43Certainly We gave Moses the Book, after We had destroyed the former generations, as [a set of] eye-openers, guidance and mercy for mankind, so that they may take admonition.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 41

1.Be it known that the word Imamat is used for both groups, righteous persons and people of falsehood. If it would not be so it would be meaningless on the day of resurrection to call every group with its Imam. Therefore it is not impossible to use this word for anyone. The point worth investigation is in what sense is this word is used. Such as, in some traditions Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has used this word for tyrant caliphs and clarified its sense also that it means one who is an Imam, who invites people towards hell?

The Holy Quran has stated the difference of two types of Imams with two kinds of differences. (1) The guidance of religious leaders is given by Allah’s commands and revelation and invitation of spurious leaders is given of their own desire and it is not called guidance. (2) Religious leaders have a good ending on the day of Resurrection and spurious leaders are involved in troubles. Here they are cursed continuously and there their faces are deformed so that it may clear that how they had abrogated the religion of Allah.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    Although Moosa (a.s.) had come with a glowing arm and a staff but the Holy Quran has mentioned signs and Proofs. Thus indicating that these miracles were a sum total of numerous miracles. The staff used to turn into snake and again revert to its original form. The arm used to glow and then return to its previous condition.

  2. 1

    Instead of argumentation Moosa (a.s.) has referred to two things: (1) My Lord is aware of my truthfulness. He has made me a prophet and man is regarded as the true representative of God only by His confirmation. (2) The abode of the Hereafter is for me. One should always remember the Hereafter. It is the final abode and a permanent home.

  3. 2

    Haman was the vizier of Firon - Firon itself denotes a big house in Egyptian language. It was a common title of Egyptian rulers.

  4. 3

    How clear is the difference between the consequences of truth and falsehood? Sometime ago the mother of Moosa (a.s.) had put him in the same river and he was safely taken to the palace of Firon. Today Firon was drowned in this same river and there was no one to save him.

  5. Benefit

    The appointing of the Imams of fire in the 41st ayat means that when a lot of people become misguided the Almighty Allah makes the greatest of them as their Imam and all of them are made to follow the same path towards perdition.