Surah Al A'raf Tafseer

Fir`awn vows to kill the Children of Israel, Who complain to Musa; Allah promises Them Victory

Allah mentions the conspiracy of Fir`awn and his people, their ill intentions and their hatred for Musa and his people.

وَقَالَ الْمَلُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَونَ

The chiefs of Fir`awn's people said, (to Fir`awn),

أَتَذَرُ مُوسَى وَقَوْمَهُ

"Will you leave Musa and his people!"

will you let them be free,

لِيُفْسِدُواْ فِي الَارْضِ

"to spread mischief in the land,"

spreading unrest among your subjects and calling them to worship their Lord instead of you.

Amazingly, these people were worried that Musa and his people would cause mischief! Rather, Fir`awn and his people are the mischief-makers, but they did not realize it. They said,

وَيَذَرَكَ وَالِهَتَكَ

"and to abandon you and your gods."

`Your gods',

According to Ibn Abbas, as As-Suddi narrated from him,

"Were cows. Whenever they saw a beautiful cow, Fir`awn would command them to worship it. This is why As-Samiri, made the statue of a calf that seemed to moo for the Children of Israel."

Fir`awn accepted his people's recommendation,

قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَاءهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِـي نِسَاءهُمْ

He said:"We will kill their sons, and let their women live,"

thus reiterating his previous order concerning the Children of Israel.

وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَاهِرُونَ

and we have indeed irresistible power over them."

He had tormented them (killing every newly born male) before Musa was born, so that Musa would not live. However, the opposite of what Fir`awn sought and intended occurred. The same end struck Fir`awn that he intended to subjugate and humiliate the Children of Israel with. Allah gave victory to the Children of Israel, humiliated and disgraced Fir`awn, and caused him to drown along with his soldiers. When Fir`awn insisted on his evil plot against the Children of Israel