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Ayah
Word by Word
وَإِذۡ
And when
قَالَ
said
مُوسَىٰ
Musa
لِقَوۡمِهِ
to his people
ٱذۡكُرُواْ
Remember
نِعۡمَةَ
(the) Favor of Allah
ٱللَّهِ
(the) Favor of Allah
عَلَيۡكُمۡ
upon you
إِذۡ
when
أَنجَىٰكُم
He saved you
مِّنۡ
from
ءَالِ
(the) people
فِرۡعَوۡنَ
(of) Firaun
يَسُومُونَكُمۡ
they were afflicting you
سُوٓءَ
(with) evil
ٱلۡعَذَابِ
torment
وَيُذَبِّحُونَ
and were slaughtering
أَبۡنَآءَكُمۡ
your sons
وَيَسۡتَحۡيُونَ
and letting live
نِسَآءَكُمۡۚ
your women
وَفِي
And in
ذَٰلِكُم
that
بَلَآءٞ
(was) a trial
مِّن
from
رَّبِّكُمۡ
your Lord
عَظِيمٞ
great
وَإِذۡ
And when
قَالَ
said
مُوسَىٰ
Musa
لِقَوۡمِهِ
to his people
ٱذۡكُرُواْ
Remember
نِعۡمَةَ
(the) Favor of Allah
ٱللَّهِ
(the) Favor of Allah
عَلَيۡكُمۡ
upon you
إِذۡ
when
أَنجَىٰكُم
He saved you
مِّنۡ
from
ءَالِ
(the) people
فِرۡعَوۡنَ
(of) Firaun
يَسُومُونَكُمۡ
they were afflicting you
سُوٓءَ
(with) evil
ٱلۡعَذَابِ
torment
وَيُذَبِّحُونَ
and were slaughtering
أَبۡنَآءَكُمۡ
your sons
وَيَسۡتَحۡيُونَ
and letting live
نِسَآءَكُمۡۚ
your women
وَفِي
And in
ذَٰلِكُم
that
بَلَآءٞ
(was) a trial
مِّن
from
رَّبِّكُمۡ
your Lord
عَظِيمٞ
great
Translation
And [recall, O Children of Israel], when Moses said to his people, "Remember the favor of Allāh upon you when He saved you from the people of Pharaoh, who were afflicting you with the worst torment and were slaughtering your [newborn] sons and keeping your females alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.
Tafsir
And, mention, when Moses said to his people, 'Remember God's grace to you when He delivered you from the folk of Pharaoh, who were inflicting upon you a dreadful chastisement, and were slaughtering your sons, the new-born, and sparing, keeping alive, your women - this was because some of the priests [of Egypt] had stated that a child born among the Israelites shall be the cause of the destruction of Pharaoh's kingdom; and in that, deliverance - or [in that] chastisement - was a tremendous trial, grace - or [a tremendous] test - from your Lord.
"Story of Musa and His People
Allah says;
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِأيَاتِنَا
And indeed We sent Musa with Our Ayat (saying):
Allah says here, `Just as We sent you (O, Muhammad) and sent down to you the Book, in order that you might guide and call all people out of darkness into the light, We also sent Musa to the Children of Israel with Our Ayat (signs, or miracles).'
Mujahid said that this part of the Ayah refers to the nine miracles.
أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ
Bring out your people,
he is being commanded;
أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ
مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ
Bring out your people from darkness into light,
call them to all that is good and righteous, in order that they might turn away from the darkness of ignorance and misguidance they indulged in, to the light of guidance and the enlightenment of faith,
وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللّهِ
and remind them of the annals (or days) of Allah,
remind them (O Musa) of Allah's days, meaning, favors and bounties which He bestowed on them when He delivered them from the grip of Fir`awn and his injustice, tyranny and brutality. This is when Allah delivered them from their enemy, made a passage for them through the sea, shaded them with clouds, sent down manna and quails for them, and other favors and bounties.
Mujahid, Qatadah and several others said this.
Allah said next,
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لايَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ
Truly, therein are Ayat for every patient, thankful (person).
Allah says, `Our delivering of Our loyal supporters among the Children of Israel from the grasp of Fir`awn and saving them from the disgraceful torment, provides a lesson to draw from for those who are patient in the face of affliction, and thankful in times of prosperity.
Qatadah said,
""Excellent is the servant who if he is tested, he observes patience, and if he is granted prosperity, he is thankful for it.""
It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,
إِنَّ أَمْرَ الْمُوْمِنِ كُلَّهُ عَجَبٌ لَا يَقْضِي اللهُ لَهُ قَضَاءً إِلاَّ كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ
إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ
وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَه
Verily, all of the matter of the believer is amazing, for every decision that Allah decrees for him is good for him.
If an affliction strikes him, he is patient and this is good for him;
if a bounty is give to him, he is thankful and this is good for him.
Allah states:
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ أَنجَاكُم مِّنْ الِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءكُمْ
And (remember) when Musa said to his people:""Call to mind Allah's favor to you, when He delivered you from Fir`awn's people who were afflicting you with horrible torment, and were slaughtering your sons and letting your women live;
Allah states that Musa reminded his people about Allah's annals and days and of Allah's favors and bounties that He bestowed on them, when He saved them from Fir`awn and his people and the torment and disgrace they used to exert on them.
They used to slaughter whomever they could find among their sons and let their females live. Allah delivered them from all this torment, and this is a great bounty, indeed.
This is why Allah described this affliction,
وَفِي ذَلِكُم بَلء مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ
and in it was a tremendous trial from your Lord.
`for He granted you (O Children of Israel) a great favor for which you are unable to perfectly thank Him.'
Some scholars said that this part of the Ayah means,
`what Fir`awn used to do to you was a tremendous
بَلء
(trial).'
Both meanings might be considered here and Allah knows best.
Allah said in another Ayah,
وَبَلَوْنَـهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَـتِ وَالسَّيِّيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
And We tried them with good and evil in order that they might turn (to Allah). (7:168)
Allah's statement next
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ
And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed,
means, proclaimed and made known His promise to you.
It is possible that this Ayah means, your Lord has vowed and sworn by His might, grace and exaltness.
Allah said in a similar Ayah,
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ
And (remember) when your Lord declared that He would certainly keep on sending against them (i.e. the Jews), till the Day of Resurrection. (7:167)
Allah said,
لَيِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَازِيدَنَّكُمْ
If you give thanks, I will give you more;
meaning, `if you appreciate My favor on you, I will give you more of it,
وَلَيِن كَفَرْتُمْ
but if you are thankless,
if you are not thankful for My favors, covering and denying, then,
إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ
verily, My punishment is indeed severe,
by depriving you of the favor and punishing you for being unappreciative of it.'
A Hadith states that,
إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيُحْرَمُ الرِّزْقَ بِالذَّنْبِ يُصِيبُه
A servant might be deprived of a provision (that was written for him) because of a sin that he commits.
Allah said,
وَقَالَ مُوسَى إِن تَكْفُرُواْ أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِي الَارْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ
And Musa said:""If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich (free of all needs), Worthy of all praise.""
Allah does not need the gratitude of His servants, and He is worthy of all praise even if the disbelievers disbelieve in Him,
إِن تَكْفُرُواْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنكُمْ
If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you. (39:7)
and,
فَكَفَرُواْ وَتَوَلَّواْ وَّاسْتَغْنَى اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ
So they disbelieved and turned away. But Allah was not in need (of them). And Allah is Rich (free of all needs), Worthy of all praise. (64:6)
In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah said that his Lord the Exalted and Most Honored said,
يَا عِبَادِي
لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَاخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَتْقَى قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا زَادَ ذَلِكَ فِي مُلْكِي شَيْيًا
يَا عِبَادِي
لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَاخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَفْجَرِ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ فِي مُلْكِي شَيْيًا
يَا عِبَادِي
لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَاخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ قَامُوا فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلُونِي فَأَعْطَيْتُ كُلَّ إِنْسَانٍ مَسْأَلَتَهُ مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي شَيْيًا إِلاَّ كَمَا يَنْقُصُ المِخْيَطُ إِذَا أُدْخِلَ الْبَحْر
O My servants!
If the first and the last among you, mankind and Jinns among you, had the heart of the most pious and righteous man among you, that will not increase my kingdom in the least.
O My servants!
If the first and the last among you, mankind and the Jinns among you, had the heart of the most wicked man among you, that will not decrease My kingdom in the least.
O My servants!
If the first and the last among you, the mankind and Jinns among you, stood in one flat area and each asked me (what they wish), and I gave each one of them what they asked, that will not decrease My kingdom except by that which the needle carries (of water) when inserted in the ocean.""
Verily, all praise and glory are due to Allah, the Rich (free of need), the Worthy of all praise."
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