Al-A'raaf 7:127

"And the eminent among the people of Pharaoh said, "Will you leave Moses and his people to cause corruption in the land and abandon you and your gods?" [Pharaoh] said, "We will kill their sons and keep their women alive; and indeed, we are subjugators over them.""

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 الْمَلأ 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 فِى الاٌّرْضِ

("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 وَءالِهَتَكَ

("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, saying,

سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِـى نِسَآءَهُمْ

("We will kill their sons, and let their women live") thus reiterating his previous order concerning the Children of Israel. 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,

قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ اسْتَعِينُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَاصْبِرُواْ

(Musa said to his people: "Seek help in Allah and be patient") and promised them that the good end will be theirs and that they will prevail, saying,

إِنَّ الأَرْضَ للَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَالْعَـقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

قَالُواْ أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِن بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا

("Verily, the earth is Allah's. He gives it as a heritage to whom He wills of His servants; and the (blessed) end is for the pious and righteous persons." They said: "We suffered troubles before you came to us, and since you have come to us.") The Children of Israel replied to Musa, `they (Fir`awn and his people) inflicted humiliation and disgrace on us, some you witnessed, both before and after you came to us, O Musa'! Musa replied, reminding them of their present situation and how it will change in the future,

عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ

("It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy. ..") encouraging them to appreciate Allah when the afflictions are removed and replaced by a bounty.

Знатные вельможи назвали распространением нечестия призыв на путь Аллаха, к благонравию и праведным деяниям. На самом же деле, именно благодаря этим замечательным поступкам на земле мог установиться порядок. Злодеяния неверующих вельмож были семенами нечестия и греха, однако грешники не задумывались над своими словами. Они сказали Фараону: «Неужели ты позволишь Мусе отречься от тебя и твоих божеств?! Неужели ты позволишь ему призывать людей к неповиновению тебе?» Фараон ответил: «Мы поставим Мусу и сынов Исраила в такое положение, что они не смогут приумножать свои ряды и не будут вредить нашему народу. Мы убьем их сыновей и оставим в живых только их женщин. Поступив так, мы не позволим им стать многочисленными и обезопасим себя. Мы будем использовать тех из них, кто останется в живых, и повелевать ими, как пожелаем. Мы обладаем огромной властью над ними, и они не обретут свободы». Воистину, это свидетельствовало о безграничном деспотизме, высокомерии и жестокосердии Фараона.

Pharaoh was frightened

It is to be noted that the Pharaoh was in some degree successful in keeping his ignorant people in their former ignorance through his clever and false statements, but at the same time, they strangely noted that all the fury and rage of Pharaoh was limited to the sorcerers only. He did not dare say a word against the prophets Musa (علیہ السلام) and Harun who were his real opponents. This is obvious from the following statement of his people: أَتَذَرُ‌ مُوسَىٰ وَقَوْمَهُ لِيُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ وَيَذَرَ‌كَ وَآلِهَتَكَ ۚ"Do you leave Musa (علیہ السلام) and his people alone to spread disorder in the land, even when he abandons you and your gods?"

Pharaoh had no convincing answer to this question. He only said, سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِي نِسَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَاهِرُ‌ونَ "We shall slaughter their sons and let their women live, and we have full power over them."

According to the commentators of the Holy Qur'an, Pharaoh tried to satisfy his people saying that by killing their males and leaving their women alive, he shall totally eliminate them within a period of time. Their women shall be spared to serve his people as maid servants. In fact, Pharaoh was so frightened by the miracle of the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) that even at this occasion when he was threatening to kill all the men of Israelites, he could not utter a single word of threat against Musa and Harun (علیہ السلام) Maulana Rumi said:

ھر کہ ترسید از حق وتقوی گزید

ترسید ازوی جن و انس و ھر کہ دید

"Whoever adopts 'Taqwa' and fears Allah is feared by all human beings and spirits" .

The above statement of Pharaoh's people, 'Even when he abandons you and your gods' makes us understand that Pharaoh himself used to worship other gods, even though he claimed to be the god of his people. The law about killing of the males of the Israelites and leaving their women alive was now promulgated the second time. The first time it was put into force prior to the birth of the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) . He was witnessing the failure of this law up to this day which was evident from the huge crowd of the Israelites present at this occasion. When Allah intends to bring disgrace to a people, all they contrive leads to nothing but disaster. We shall soon see that this tyranny and oppression, at last, led him and his people to an ignominious end.

Other English translations

Tafsīr · classical commentary

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