Tarikh (al-Tabari) 197
The story of Moses the one who spoke with Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
كَانَ فِرْعَوْنُ يُوسُفَ لَا يُؤْذِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بَلْ يُحْسِنُ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَلَمَّا مَاتَ وَلِي بَعْدَهُ فِرْعَوْنُ مِنْ فَرَاعِنَتِهِمْ فَلَمْ يُؤْذِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، ثُمَّ مَلَكَ فِرْعَوْنُ مُوسَى، وَهُوَ الرَّابِعُ مِنَ الْفَرَاعِنَةِ، وَكَانَ أَخْبَثَهُمْ، وَعَاشَ ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ، وَاسْتَعْبَدَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَعَذَّبَهُمْ. عن مَعْمَرُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الْمُبَارَكِ، يَقُولُ: كَانَ فِرْعَوْنُ عَطَّارًا، وَكَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ أَصْبَهَانَ فَأَفْلَسَ وَرَكِبَهُ دَيْنٌ، فَخَرَجَ يَلْتَمِسُ مَا يَقْضِي دَيْنَهُ فَلَمْ تَزَلْ تَرْفَعُهُ أَرْضٌ وَتَضَعُهُ أُخْرَى حَتَّى دَخَلَ مِصْرَ، وَرَأَى عِنْدَ بَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَقْرَ بِطِّيخٍ بِدِرْهَمٍ، وَفِي الْمَدِينَةِ بِطِّيخَةٌ بِدِرْهَمٍ. قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ: قَدْ صِرْتُ إِلَى مَوْضِعٍ أَقْضِي دَيْنِي وَأَسْتَغْنِي فَاشْتَرَى وَقْرًا بِدِرْهَمٍ. وَمَضَى لِيُدْخِلَهُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَتَنَاوَلَ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ بِطِّيخَةً حَتَّى بَقِيَ مَعَهُ وَاحِدَةٌ وَبَاعَهَا بِدِرْهَمٍ، فَضَجِرَ، فَقَالُوا لَهُ: هَكَذَا سُنَّتُنَا، فَقَالَ: أَمَا هَا هُنَا أَحَدٌ يَعْدِلُ أَوْ نَصِيرٌ؟ فَقَالُوا: لَا هَا هُنَا مَلِكٌ، قَدْ خَلَا بِلَذَّاتِهِ، وَسَلَّطَ وَزِيرَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ لَيْسَ يَنْظُرُ فِي شَيْءٍ، فَبَسَطَ لِبْدًا عَلَى الْمَقَابِرِ، فَجَعَلَ يَأْخُذُ مِنْ كُلِّ جِنَازَةٍ أَرْبَعَةَ دَرَاهِمَ، فَصَبَرَ بِذَلِكَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ حَتَّى مَاتَتْ بِنْتُ الْمَلِكِ، فَمَرُّوا بِهَا عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: هَاتُوا أَرْبَعَةَ دَرَاهِمَ، فَقَالُوا: هَذِهِ بِنْتُ الْمَلِكِ، فَقَالَ: هَاتُوا ثَمَانِيَةً، فَمَا زَالَ وَزَالُوا يَتَنَازَعُونَ حَتَّى أَضْعَفَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَرَّاتٍ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا قَالُوا لِلْمَلِكِ: عَمِلَ بِنَا عَامِلُ الْمَوْتَى كَذَا وَكَذَا، قَالَ: وَمَنْ عَامِلُ الْمَوْتَى، فَوَصَفُوا لَهُ. فَبَعَثَ إِلَى وَزِيرِهِ، فَدَعَاهُ فَقَالَ: أَنْتَ اسْتَعْمَلْتَ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: لَا، فَدَعَاهُ، فَقَالَ: مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلَكَ، فَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقِصَّةَ، وَأَخْبَرَهُ بِأَمْرِ الْبِطِّيخِ وَأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَهُ: إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ هَا هُنَا أَحَدٌ يَعْدِلُ، فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذَلِكَ صَنَعْتُ مَا تَرَى لِيَنْتَهِيَ إِلَيْكَ، فَتَغَيَّرَ وَتَنْتَبِهَ لِمُلْكِكَ. قَالَ: فَمُذْ كَمْ أَنْتَ عَلَى حَالِكَ، فَقَالَ: سِنِينَ كَثِيرَةٍ حَتَّى صِرْتُ إِلَى الْأَمْوَالِ الْكَثِيرَةِ، فَأَمَرَ بِوَزِيرِهِ فَضُرِبَتْ عُنُقُهُ، وَاسْتَوْزَرَ فِرْعَوْنَ فَسَارَ فِيهِمْ بِسِيرَةٍ حَسَنَةٍ وَأَذَاقَهُمْ فِيهَا طَعْمَ الْعَيْشِ؛ لِمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ قَبْلُ، يَقْضِي [بِالْحَقِّ وَلَوْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ. ثُمَّ] إِنَّ الْمَلِكَ مَاتَ، فَقَالُوا: مَنْ نَسْتَخْلِفُ؟ فَاجْتَمَعَ رَأْيُهُمْ فَقَالُوا: لَا نَسْتَعْمِلُ غَيْرَ هَذَا الَّذِي أَذَاقَنَا طَعْمَ الْعَيْشِ، فَمَلَّكُوهُ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ يَمُوتُ قَرْنٌ وَيُخْلِفُهُمْ آخَرُونَ، وَتَرَاخَى بِهِ السِّنُّ وَطَالَ مُلْكُهُ حَتَّى ادَّعَى مَا عَلِمْتُمْ. تاريخ وجود بني إسرائيل في مصر وقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَغَيْرُهُ، دَخَلَ حَدِيثُ بَعْضِهِمْ فِي بَعْضٍ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَمَّا قَبَضَ يُوسُفَ وَهَلَكَ الْمَلِكُ الَّذِي كَانَ مَعَهُ وَتَوَارَثَتِ الْفَرَاعِنَةُ مُلْكَ مِصْرَ وَنَشَرَ اللَّهُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَمْ يَزَلْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَحْتَ يَدِ الْفَرَاعِنَةِ وَهُمْ عَلَى بَقَايَا مِنْ دِينِهِمْ مِمَّا كَانَ يُوسُفُ، وَيَعْقُوبُ، وَإِسْحَاقُ، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ شَرَعُوا فِيهِمْ مِنَ الْإِسْلَامِ حَتَّى كَانَ فِرْعَوْنُ مُوسَى، وَكَانَ أَعْتَاهُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَأَعْظَمَهُمْ قَوْلًا وَأَطْوَلَهُمْ عُمُرًا، وَاسْمُهُ فِيمَا ذُكِرَ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُصْعَبٍ، وَكَانَ سَيِّئَ الْمَلَكَةِ عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَيَجْعَلُهُمْ خَوَلًا وَيَسُومُهُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ. قال تعالى إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا أَيْ ; تَجَبَّرَ وَعَتَا، وَطَغَى وَبَغَى، وَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَعْرَضَ عَنْ طَاعَةِ الرَّبِّ الْأَعْلَى. وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا أَيْ قَسَّمَ رَعِيَّتَهُ إِلَى أَقْسَامٍ وَفِرَقٍ وَأَنْوَاعٍ يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَائِفَةً مِنْهُمْ وَهُمْ شَعْبُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، الَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ سُلَالَةِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلِ اللَّهِ. وَكَانُوا إِذْ ذَاكَ خِيَارَ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ، وَقَدْ سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ هَذَا الْمَلِكَ الظَّالِمَ الْغَاشِمَ الْكَافِرَ الْفَاجِرَ، يَسْتَعْبِدُهُمْ وَيَسْتَخْدِمُهُمْ فِي أَخَسِّ الصَّنَائِعِ وَالْحِرَفِ، وَأَرْدَئِهَا، وَأَدْنَاهَا، وَمَعَ هَذَا يُذَبِّحُ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيِي نِسَاءَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ وَكَانَ الْحَامِلُ لَهُ عَلَى هَذَا الصَّنِيعِ الْقَبِيحِ، أَنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانُوا يَتَدَارَسُونَ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَأْثُرُونَهُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْخَلِيلِ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، مِنْ أَنَّهُ سَيَخْرُجُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِ غُلَامٌ يَكُونُ هَلَاكُ مَلِكِ مِصْرَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ، وَذَلِكَ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، حِينَ جَرَى عَلَى سَارَّةَ امْرَأَةِ الْخَلِيلِ مِنْ مَلِكِ مِصْرَ، مِنْ إِرَادَتِهِ إِيَّاهَا عَلَى السُّوءِ، وَعِصْمَةِ اللَّهِ لَهَا. وَكَانَتْ هَذِهِ الْبِشَارَةُ مَشْهُورَةً فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَتَحَدَّثَ بِهَا الْقِبْطُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ، وَوَصَلَتْ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ فِي مَجْلِسِ مُسَامَرَتِهِ مَعَ أُمَرَائِهِ وَأَسَاوِرَتِهِ وَهُمْ يَسْمُرُونَ عِنْدَهُ، فَأَمَرَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ بِقَتْلِ أَبْنَاءِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ; حَذَرًا مِنْ وُجُودِ هَذَا الْغُلَامِ، وَلَنْ يُغْنِيَ حَذَرٌ مِنْ قَدَرٍ. وَقِيلَ: بَلْ تَذَاكَرَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُلَسَاؤُهُ مَعًا مَا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ - عَزَّ وَجَلَّ - إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِ أَنْبِيَاءَ وَمُلُوكًا، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَيَنْتَظِرُونَ ذَلِكَ، وَقَدْ كَانُوا يَظُنُّونَهُ يُوسُفَ بْنَ يَعْقُوبَ، فَلَمَّا هَلَكَ قَالُوا: لَيْسَ هَكَذَا وَعْدُ اللَّهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ. فَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ: كَيْفَ تَرَوْنَ ؟ فَأَجْمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ رِجَالًا يَقْتُلُونَ كُلَّ مَوْلُودٍ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَقَالَ لِلْقِبْطِ: انْظُرُوا مَمَالِيكَكُمُ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ خَارِجًا فَأَدْخِلُوهُمْ وَاجْعَلُوا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ يَلُونَ ذَلِكَ، فَجَعَلَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي أَعْمَالِ غِلْمَانِهِمْ، فَذَلِكَ حِينَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ - عَزَّ وَجَلَّ -: إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَائِفَةً مِنْهُمْ يُذَبِّحُ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ، فَجَعَلَ لَا يُولَدُ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مَوْلُودٌ إِلَّا ذُبِحَ وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ بِتَعْذِيبِ الْحَبَالَى حَتَّى يَضَعْنَ، فَكَانَ يَشُقُّ الْقَصَبَ وَيُوقِفُ الْمَرْأَةَ عَلَيْهِ فَيَقْطَعُ أَقْدَامَهُنَّ، وَكَانَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ تَضَعُ فَتَتَّقِي بِوَلَدِهَا الْقَصَبَ، وَقَذَفَ اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَ فِي مَشْيَخَةِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، وَعَنْ أُنَاسٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ أَنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ رَأَى فِي مَنَامِهِ كَأَنَّ نَارًا قَدْ أَقْبَلَتْ مِنْ نَحْوِ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فَأَحْرَقَتْ دَوْرَ مِصْرَ وَجَمِيعَ الْقِبْطِ، وَلَمْ تَضُرَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْقَظَ هَالَهُ ذَلِكَ فَجَمَعَ الْكَهَنَةَ وَالْحُزَاةَ وَالسَّحَرَةَ وَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْكَهَنَةُ: هَذَا غُلَامٌ يُولَدُ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، يَكُونُ سَبَبَ هَلَاكِ أَهْلِ مِصْرَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ. فَلِهَذَا أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الْغِلْمَانِ وَتَرْكِ النِّسْوَانِ. وَلِهَذَا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَنُرِيدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَهُمْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ أَيِ ; الَّذِينَ يَئُولُ مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَبِلَادُهَا إِلَيْهِمْ وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنُرِيَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُونَ أَيْ ; سَنَجْعَلُ الضَّعِيفَ قَوِيًّا، وَالْمَقْهُورَ قَاهِرًا، وَالذَّلِيلَ عَزِيزًا. وَقَدْ جَرَى هَذَا كُلُّهُ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ; كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: وَأَوْرَثْنَا الْقَوْمَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ مَشَارِقَ الْأَرْضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ الْحُسْنَى عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا [ الْأَعْرَافِ: 137 ] وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: فَأَخْرَجْنَاهُمْ مِنْ جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ وَكُنُوزٍ وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيمٍ كَذَلِكَ وَأَوْرَثْنَاهَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ [ الشُّعَرَاءِ 57 - 59 ]. وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ احْتَرَزَ كُلَّ الِاحْتِرَازِ أَنْ لَا يُوجَدَ مُوسَى، حَتَّى جَعَلَ رِجَالًا وَقَوَابِلَ يَدُورُونَ عَلَى الْحَبَالَى، وَيَعْلَمُونَ مِيقَاتَ وَضْعِهِنَّ، فَلَا تَلِدُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَكَرًا إِلَّا ذَبَحَهُ أُولَئِكَ الذَّبَّاحُونَ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ. وَعِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أَنَّهُ إِنَّمَا كَانَ يَأْمُرُ بِذَبْحِ الْغِلْمَانِ لِتَضْعُفَ شَوْكَةُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَلَا يُقَاوِمُونَهُمْ إِذَا غَالَبُوهُمْ أَوْ قَاتَلُوهُمْ. وَفِي هَذَا نَظَرٌ، بَلْ هُوَ بَاطِلٌ، وَإِنَّمَا وَقَعَ هَذَا بَعْدَ بَعْثَةِ مُوسَى فَجَعَلَ يَقْتُلُ الْوِلْدَانَ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ مِنْ عِنْدِنَا قَالُوا اقْتُلُوا أَبْنَاءَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ وَاسْتَحْيُوا نِسَاءَهُمْ [ غَافِرٍ: 5 ]. وَلِهَذَا قَالَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لِمُوسَى: أُوذِينَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا [ الْأَعْرَافِ: 129 ]. فَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّمَا أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الْغِلْمَانِ أَوَّلًا حَذَرًا مِنْ وُجُودِ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ. هَذَا، وَالْقَدَرُ يَقُولُ: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ الْجَبَّارُ، الْمَغْرُورُ بِكَثْرَةِ جُنُودِهِ، وَسُلْطَةِ بَأْسِهِ وَاتِّسَاعِ سُلْطَانِهِ، قَدْ حَكَمَ الْعَظِيمُ الَّذِي لَا يُغَالَبُ وَلَا يُمَانَعُ، وَلَا تُخَالَفُ أَقْدَارُهُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْمَوْلُودَ الَّذِي تَحْتَرِزُ مِنْهُ، وَقَدْ قَتَلْتَ بِسَبَبِهِ مِنَ النُّفُوسِ مَا لَا يُعَدُّ وَلَا يُحْصَى، لَا يَكُونُ مُرَبَّاهُ إِلَّا فِي دَارِكَ وَعَلَى فِرَاشِكَ، وَلَا يُغَذَّى إِلَّا بِطَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ فِي مَنْزِلِكَ، وَأَنْتَ الَّذِي تَتَبَنَّاهُ وَتُرَبِّيهِ وَتَتَعَدَّاهُ، وَلَا تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى سِرِّ مَعْنَاهُ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ هَلَاكُكَ فِي دُنْيَاكَ وَأُخْرَاكَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ ; لِمُخَالَفَتِكَ مَا جَاءَكَ بِهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ الْمُبِينِ، وَتَكْذِيبِكَ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْهِ، لِتَعْلَمَ أَنْتَ وَسَائِرُ الْخَلْقِ أَنَّ رَبَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ هُوَ الْفَعَّالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ، وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الشَّدِيدُ، ذُو الْبَأْسِ الْعَظِيمِ، وَالْحَوَلِ وَالْقُوَّةِ وَالْمَشِيئَةِ، الَّتِي لَا مَرَدَّ لَهَا.
Translation
✧ The Pharaoh of Joseph did not harm the Children of Israel; rather, he was kind to them. When he died, a Pharaoh from among their Pharaohs succeeded him, and he did not harm the Children of Israel. Then the Pharaoh of Moses ruled, and he was the fourth of the Pharaohs, and he was the most wicked of them. He lived three hundred years, enslaved the Children of Israel, and tortured them. From Maʿmar b. Bishr, who said: I heard ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Mubārak say: Pharaoh was a perfumer, and he was from the people of Isfahan. He became bankrupt and was burdened with debt, so he went out seeking what would settle his debt. The land kept raising him up and another lowering him down until he entered Egypt. He saw at the city gate a load of melons for a dirham, while in the city a single melon was for a dirham. Pharaoh said: I have come to a place where I can settle my debt and become wealthy. So he bought a load for a dirham. He proceeded to bring it into the city, but every person took a melon until only one remained with him, and he sold it for a dirham. He became distressed. They said to him: This is our custom. He said: Is there no one here who is just, or any helper? They said: No, here there is a king who has secluded himself with his pleasures and appointed his minister over the people; he does not look into anything. So he spread a felt cloth over the graves and began taking four dirhams from every funeral. He persisted in that as long as Allah willed, until the king's daughter died. They passed by him with her, and he said: Bring four dirhams. They said: This is the king's daughter. He said: Bring eight. He and they kept disputing until he multiplied it upon them several times. When they returned, they said to the king: The overseer of the dead has done such-and-such to us. He said: And who is the overseer of the dead? They described him to him. He sent to his minister and summoned him, saying: Did you appoint this man? He said: No. So he summoned him and said: Who appointed you? He related the story to him and informed him about the matter of the melons and that they had told him: There is no one here who is just. When I saw that, I did what you see so that it might reach you, so you would change and awaken to your kingdom. He said: How long have you been in this condition? He said: Many years, until I came into abundant wealth. So he ordered his minister to be beheaded, and he appointed Pharaoh as minister. Pharaoh conducted himself among them with good conduct and made them taste the flavor of life, compared to what they had been in before, judging with truth even against himself. Then the king died. They said: Whom shall we appoint as successor? Their opinion converged, and they said: We will not appoint anyone other than this one who made us taste the flavor of life. So they made him king over themselves. He remained over them while one generation died and others succeeded them, and his age advanced and his reign lengthened until he claimed what you know. The history of the presence of the Children of Israel in Egypt. Ibn ʿAbbās and others said, with their narrations interwoven: When Allah took Joseph and the king who was with him perished, and the Pharaohs inherited the kingdom of Egypt, and Allah spread the Children of Israel, the Children of Israel remained under the hand of the Pharaohs, while they were on remnants of their religion from what Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham had instituted among them of Islam, until the Pharaoh of Moses. He was the most insolent of them toward Allah, the greatest in speech, and the longest in lifespan. His name, as mentioned, was al-Walīd b. Muṣʿab. He was harsh in his rule over the Children of Israel, torturing them, making them servants, and inflicting upon them evil torment. Allah Almighty said: "Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions"—that is, he was tyrannical, arrogant, transgressed, and oppressed, preferred the life of this world, and turned away from obedience to the Most High Lord. "And made its people into factions"—that is, he divided his subjects into sections, groups, and kinds. "Oppressing a group among them"—these were the people of the Children of Israel, who were from the descendants of Allah's prophet Jacob b. Isaac b. Abraham, the Friend of Allah. They were then the best of the people of the earth, yet Allah set over them this oppressive, unjust, disbelieving, wicked king, who enslaved them and employed them in the most menial crafts and trades, the lowest and basest. Despite this, "he slaughtered their sons and let their women live. Indeed, he was of the corrupters." The reason that drove him to this vile deed was that the Children of Israel were studying among themselves what they transmitted from Abraham the Friend, ﷺ, that a boy would come forth from his descendants at whose hands the destruction of the king of Egypt would occur. That was, and Allah knows best, when the king of Egypt attempted evil with Sarah, the wife of the Friend, and Allah protected her. This glad tiding was well known among the Children of Israel, and the Copts spoke of it among themselves. It reached Pharaoh in his night gathering with his commanders and nobles while they conversed in his presence. So he ordered at that time the killing of the sons of the Children of Israel, out of fear of this boy's appearance, but no precaution avails against destiny. It was also said: Pharaoh and his companions discussed together what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, promised Abraham—that He would make prophets and kings among his descendants. Some of them said: The Children of Israel are awaiting that, and they had thought it was Joseph b. Jacob, but when he perished, they said: This is not how Allah's promise to Abraham is. Pharaoh said: What do you think? They agreed that he should send men to kill every newborn among the Children of Israel. He said to the Copts: Look at your servants who work outside; bring them in and make the Children of Israel take over that work. So he put the Children of Israel in the works of his servants. That is when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: "Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a group among them, slaughtering their sons." He made it so that no child was born to the Children of Israel except that he was slaughtered. He commanded the torture of pregnant women until they gave birth; he would split reeds and make the woman stand on them, cutting their feet. A woman would give birth and shield her child with the reeds. Allah cast death among the elders of the Children of Israel. And from Ibn Masʿūd and from people among the Companions: Pharaoh saw in his dream as if a fire came from the direction of Jerusalem and burned the dwellings of Egypt and all the Copts, and it did not harm the Children of Israel. When he awoke, that terrified him, so he gathered the priests, soothsayers, and magicians and asked them about it. The priests said to him: This is a boy who will be born among the Children of Israel and will be the cause of the destruction of the people of Egypt at his hands. For this reason, he commanded the killing of boys and the leaving of girls. Thus Allah Almighty said: "And We wanted to bestow favor upon those who were oppressed in the land"—they are the Children of Israel—"and make them leaders and make them the inheritors," that is, those to whom the kingdom of Egypt and its lands would return, "and establish them in the land, and show Pharaoh and Hāmān and their soldiers from them what they feared," that is, We will make the weak strong, the subjugated dominant, and the humiliated mighty. All of this came to pass for the Children of Israel, as Allah Almighty said: "And We caused the people who had been oppressed to inherit the eastern and western parts of the land which We had blessed. And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of their patience" [al-Aʿrāf: 137]. And He Almighty said: "So We brought them out of gardens and springs, and treasures and a noble station. Thus it was, and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit them" [al-Shuʿarāʾ: 57–59]. The point is that Pharaoh took every precaution to prevent Moses from being born, even appointing men and midwives to go around the pregnant women and know the time of their delivery. No woman gave birth to a male except that those slaughterers killed him immediately. According to the People of the Book, he commanded the killing of boys only to weaken the strength of the Children of Israel so they could not resist them if they fought them. There is a problem with this; rather, it is false. That killing of newborn boys happened only after the mission of Moses, as Allah Almighty said: "Then when he came to them with the truth from Us, they said, 'Kill the sons of those who have believed with him and let their women live'" [Ghāfir: 5]. For this reason, the Children of Israel said to Moses: "We were harmed before you came to us and after you came to us" [al-Aʿrāf: 129]. So the correct view is that Pharaoh commanded the killing of boys at first out of fear of the appearance of Moses, ﷺ. Yet destiny says: O tyrannical king, deceived by the multitude of your soldiers, the might of your power, and the vastness of your authority, the Almighty, who is not overcome nor resisted, whose decrees are never contradicted, has ruled that this newborn whom you guard against, and because of whom you have killed countless souls, will be raised only in your own house and on your own bed. He will be fed only with your food and drink in your home. You are the one who will adopt him, raise him, and care for him, yet you will not know the secret of his meaning. Then your destruction in this world and the Hereafter will be at his hands, because of your rejection of the clear truth he brings you and your denial of what was revealed to him, so that you and all creation may know that the Lord of the heavens and the earth is the Doer of what He wills, and that He is the Strong, the Severe, possessed of great might, power, and will that cannot be repelled.
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