Surah 28. Al-Qasas

and to establish them securely on earth, and to let Pharaoh and Haman⁶ and their hosts experience through those [children of Israel] the very thing against which they sought to protect themselve.⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

This Haman, who is mentioned several times in the Qur'an as Pharaoh's chief adviser, is not to be confused with the Persian Haman of the Old Testament (The Book of Esther iii ff.). Most probably, the word "Haman" as used in the Qur'an is not a proper name at all but the Arabicized echo of the compound designation Ha-Amen given to every high priest of the Egyptian god Amon. Since at the time in question the cult of Amon was paramount in Egypt, his high priest held a rank second only to that of the reigning Pharaoh. The assumption that the person spoken of in the Qur'an as Haman was indeed the high priest of the cult of Amon is strengthened by Pharaoh's demand (mentioned in verse {38} of this surah as well as in {40:36-37}) that Haman erect for him "a lofty tower" from which he could "have a look at [or "ascend to"] the god of Moses": which may be, among other things, an allusion to the hieratic purpose of the great pyramids of Egypt and to the function of the high priest as their chief architect. (But see also note [37].)

The Egyptians - obviously remembering the earlier, alien Hyksos dynasty that had invaded Egypt and subsequently allied itself with the Hebrews (see surah {12}, note [44]) - feared that the latter might in the future, too, make common cause with foreign invaders (cf. Exodus i, 10): and to protect themselves against this danger, they decided - as mentioned in several places in the Qur'an as well as in the Bible - to have every male Hebrew child killed.

establish them in the land, and show Fir'on, Haman and their warriors at their hands the same which they feared.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And to establish them in the earth, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts that which they feared from them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And so, [when he was born,] We inspired [thus] the mother of Moses: "Suckle him [for a time], and then, when thou hast cause to fear for him, cast him into the river⁸ and have no fear and do not grieve-for We shall restore him to thee, and shall make him one of Our message-bearers!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "and he will be saved": cf. 20:39 .

So We revealed Our will to the mother of Musa: "Suckle him, and when you feel any danger to his life, cast him into the river without any fear or grief; for We shall certainly restore him to you and make him one of Our Rasools."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We inspired the mother of Moses, saying: Suckle him and, when thou fearest for him, then cast him into the river and fear not nor grieve. Lo! We shall bring him back unto thee and shall make him (one) of Our messengers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [some of] Pharaoh's household⁹ found [and spared] him: for [We had willed] that he become an enemy unto them and [a source of] grief, seeing that Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were sinners indeed!

  - Mohammad Asad

As is evident from the next verse as well as from 66:11 , it was Pharaoh's own wife.

We made Fir'on's family pick him up from the river: it was intended that Musa may become their adversary and a cause of their sorrow; for Fir'on, Haman and their warriors were all sinners.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And the family of Pharaoh took him up, that he might become for them an enemy and a sorrow. Lo! Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were ever sinning.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Now the wife of Pharaoh said: "A joy to the eye [could this child be] for me and thee! Slay him not: he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son!" And they had no presentiment [of what he was to become].

  - Mohammad Asad

The wife of Fir'on said: "This child may become the comfort of the eyes for me and for you. Do not kill him. He may prove useful to us or it may be that we will adopt him as our son." They were unaware of the result of what they were doing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And the wife of Pharaoh said: (He will be) a consolation for me and for thee. Kill him not. Peradventure he may be of use to us, or we may choose him for a son. And they perceived not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

On the morrow, however, an aching void grew up in the heart of the mother of Moses, and she would indeed have disclosed all about him¹⁰ had We not endowed her heart with enough strength to keep alive her faith [in Our promise].¹¹

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., disclose his true identity in the hope that he would be returned to her.

Lit., "so that she might be of those who have faith".

On the other hand, the heart of Musa's mother was sorely troubled. She would have disclosed as to who he was, had We not strengthened her heart so that she might become one of the true believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And the heart of the mother of Moses became void, and she would have betrayed him if We had not fortified her heart, that she might be of the believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And so she said to his sister, "Follow him"-and [the girl] watched him from afar, while they [who had taken him in] were not aware of it.

  - Mohammad Asad

She said to Musa's sister: "Go, and follow him." So she (Musa's sister) watched him from a distance in such a way that the other did not notice it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And she said unto his sister: Trace him. So she observed him from afar, and they perceived not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Now from the very beginning We caused him to refuse the breast of [Egyptian] nurses; and [when his sister came to know this,] she said: "Shall I guide you to a family that might rear him for you, and look after him with good will?"

  - Mohammad Asad

We had already ordained that he would refuse to suck any foster mother. His sister came to Fir'on's wife and said: "Shall I point out to you a house whose people will take care of him for you and they will be sincere to him?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We had before forbidden foster-mothers for him, so she said: Shall I show you a household who will rear him for you and take care of him?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thus We restored him to his mother, so that her eye might be gladdened, and that she might grieve no longer, and that she might know that God's promise always comes true - even though most of them know it not!

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus did We restore him to his mother that her eye might be comforted, that she might not grieve and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true. Yet most of the people do not understand.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So We restored him to his mother that she might be comforted and not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true. But most of them know not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

NOW WHEN [Moses] reached full manhood and had become mature [of mind] We bestowed upon him the ability to judge [between right and wrong] as well as [innate] knowledge: for thus do We reward the doers of good.¹²

  - Mohammad Asad

This statement, almost entirely identical with 12:22 (where it refers to Joseph), stresses the supreme divine blessing of spiritual consciousness ('ilm in its deepest significance) combined with rational thought, as expressed in the concept of hukm, the "ability to judge [between right and wrong]". As is evident from 26:20 , Moses reached this spiritual maturity after the events described in verses {15} ff.

When he reached maturity and became full-grown, We bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the righteous.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when he reached his full strength and was ripe, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the good.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [one day] he entered the city at a time when [most of] its people were [resting in their houses,] unaware of what was going on [in the streets];¹³ and there he encountered two men fighting with one another-one of his own people,¹⁴ and the other of his enemies. And the one who belonged to his own people cried out to him for help against him who was of his enemies-whereupon Moses struck him down with his fist, and [thus] brought about his end. [But then] he said [to himself]: "This is of Satan's doing! Verily, he is an open foe, leading [man] astray!"¹⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "at a time of its people's unawareness".

I.e., of the Hebrews.

Regarding the reference to "Satan's doing", see first half of note [16] on 15:17 . In the present instance, verses {16-17} seem to indicate that it was the Israelite, and not the Egyptian, who had been in the wrong (cf. next note). Apparently, Moses had come to the assistance of the Israelite out of an instinctive sense of racial kinship without regard to the rights and wrongs of the case; but immediately afterwards he realized that he had committed a grave sin not only by killing, however inadvertently, an innocent person, but also by basing his action on a mere tribal - or, as we would describe it today, racial or national-prejudice. Evidently, this is the purport of the above Qur'anic segment of the story of Moses. Its moral has been stressed and explained by the Prophet on many occasions: cf. his famous saying, "He is not of us who proclaims the cause of tribal partisanship ('asabiyyah); and he is not of us who fights in the cause of tribal partisanship; and he is not of us who dies in the cause of tribal partisanship" (Abu Da'ud, on the authority of Jubayr ibn Mut'im). When he was asked to explain the meaning of "tribal partisanship", the Prophet answered, "It means helping thine own people in an unjust cause" (ibid., on authority of Wathilah ibn al-Aqsa').

One day he entered the city at a time when its, people were not yet active, he found two men reaching to each others throats; one was from his own race and the other of his foes. The man of his own race appealed for his help against his foe, thereupon Musa gave his foe a blow which killed him. On seeing what he has done he said: "This is the work of Shaitan, surely he is an enemy that openly misleads."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And he entered the city at a time of carelessness of its folk, and he found therein two men fighting, one of his own caste, and the other of his enemies; and he who was of his caste asked him for help against him who was of his enemies. So Moses struck him with his fist and killed him. He said: This is of the devil's doing. Lo! he is an enemy, a mere misleader.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[And] he prayed: O my Sustainer! Verily, I have sinned against myself! Grant me, then, Thy forgiveness!" And He forgave him - for, verily. He alone is truly forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

Then he prayed: "O my Rabb! I have indeed wronged my soul, please forgive me." So Allah forgave him, surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He said: My Lord! Lo! I have wronged my soul, so forgive me. Then He forgave him. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Said he: "O my Sustainer! [I vow] by ,11 the blessings which Thou hast bestowed on me: Never-more shall I aid such as are lost in sin!"¹⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

According to Ibn 'Abbas and Muqatil (both of them quoted by Baghawi), "this is an indication that the Israelite whom Moses had helped was a denier of the truth (kafir)" - i.e., in the moral sense of this definition. (See also last sentence of verse {86} of this surah.)

Musa promised: "O my Rabb! After this favor that You have bestowed on me, I shall never be a helping hand to the criminals."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He said: My Lord! Forasmuch as Thou hast favored me, I will nevermore be a supporter of the guilty.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And next morning he found himself in the city, looking fearfully about him, when lo! the one who had sought his help the day before [once again] cried out to him [for help¹⁷ - whereupon] Moses said unto him: "Behold, thou art indeed, most clearly, deeply in the wrong!¹⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "against another Egyptian".

Lit., "lost in grievous error" or "deviating from what is right".

Next morning as he was walking in the city in fear and caution, suddenly he saw the same man who he had helped the day before cried out to him again for help. Musa replied: "You are certainly a misguided person."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And morning found him in the city, fearing, vigilant, when behold! he who had appealed to him the day before cried out to him for help. Moses said unto him: Lo! thou art indeed a mere hothead.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But then,¹⁹ as soon as he was about to lay violent hands on the man who was their [common] enemy, the latter exclaimed: "O Moses, cost thou intend to slay me as thou didst slay another man yesterday? Thy sole aim is to become a tyrant in this land, for thou cost not care to be of those who would set things to rights!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "swayed once again by his feeling of kinship with the Israelite", as indicated in the subsequent reference to the Egyptian as "their [common] enemy".

Then when Musa was about to lay his hands on a man who was an enemy to both of them, he cried out: "O Musa! Do you intend to kill me as you killed a person yesterday? You only want to become a tyrant in the land and have no intention of reforming anything."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when he would have fallen upon the man who was an enemy unto them both, he said: O Moses! Wouldst thou kill me as thou didst kill a person yesterday. Thou wouldst be nothing but a tyrant in the land, thou wouldst not be of the reformers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [then and there] a man came running from the farthermost end of the city, and said: "O Moses! Behold, the great ones [of the kingdom] are deli-berating upon thy case with a view to killing thee! Begone, then: verily, I am of those who wish thee well!"

  - Mohammad Asad

At that time, there came a man running from the other end of the city and said: "O Musa! The chiefs are plotting to kill you, therefore, run away, surely I am your well wisher."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And a man came from the uttermost part of the city, running. He said: O Moses! Lo! the chiefs take counsel against thee to slay thee; therefor escape. Lo! I am of those who give thee good advice.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall