The Poets (Al-Shu‘ara’)
Verses 23-35 GROUP_945 26.23-35
23
قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Pharaoh said, ‘What is this: Lord of the Universe?’
24
قَالَ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ
Moses said, ‘Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if only you would be convinced.’
25
قَالَ لِمَنْ حَوْلَهُ أَلَا تَسْتَمِعُونَ
Pharaoh said to those around him, ‘Did you hear?’
26
قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ آبَائِكُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
Moses went on, ‘He is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.’
27
قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ الَّذِي أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمَجْنُونٌ
Pharaoh said, ‘This messenger who has been sent to you is surely possessed!’
28
قَالَ رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Moses said, ‘He is the Lord of the East and the West, and all that lies between them, if only you could understand.’
29
قَالَ لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَهًا غَيْرِي لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ
Pharaoh said, ‘If you take any deity other than myself, I will throw you into prison,’
30
قَالَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكَ بِشَيْءٍ مُّبِينٍ
and Moses asked, ‘Even if I show you a clear sign?’
31
قَالَ فَأْتِ بِهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
Pharaoh said, ‘Show it then, if you are telling the truth!’
32
فَأَلْقَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ
So Moses threw down his staff and suddenly it appeared as a serpent, plainly visible.
33
وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيْضَاء لِلنَّاظِرِينَ
And he drew out his hand, and it appeared [shining] white to the beholders.
34
قَالَ لِلْمَلَإِ حَوْلَهُ إِنَّ هَذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ
Pharaoh said to the chiefs around him, ‘Surely this man is a skilful sorcerer.
35
يُرِيدُ أَن يُخْرِجَكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِكُم بِسِحْرِهِ فَمَاذَا تَأْمُرُونَ
Who wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery. Now what do you advise?’
No class discussions published for this verse group yet.
Commentary
(b) ‘What is this: Lord of the Worlds?’ This utterance of Pharaoh was meant to convey ridicule rather than ask a question. But Moses, without being irritated, replied to him in a normal manner. Again Pharaoh sought to show his disapproval of Moses by asking his courtiers, ‘Did you hear?’ Moses ignored this also and continued with what he had to say. ( a) Moses continued the argument in favour of Monotheism with Pharaoh. Pharaoh then became irritated and called Moses a madman. But, even then, Moses did not lose his temper. Pharaoh then threatened him with imprisonment. Then, by way of argument, Moses demonstrated his final miracle. Now, Pharaoh had no scope to say anything further. Even then, he did not accept defeat. In order to belittle Moses’s importance, he said that this was not any divine event, but simply a magical feat that any magician could perform. (b) Moses’s mission was totally peaceful and it had no direct relation with politics or government. But, just in order to incite his people against Moses, Pharaoh said that he (Moses) wanted to oust them from their country. Pharaoh’s insincerity is clear from the very fact that Moses had already asked Pharaoh to allow him to take his community out of Egypt along with him. But Pharaoh twisted Moses’ words and said that the latter wanted to oust him and his community from Egypt.