Surah 26. Ash-Shu'ara

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-33 [2], 34-51 [3], 52-68 [4], 69-104 [5], 105-122 [6], 123-140 [7], 141-159 [8], 160-175 [9], 176-191 [10], 192-227 [11]

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Quran Text of Verse 10-33وَ اِذْAnd whenنَادٰیyour Lord calledرَبُّكَyour Lord calledمُوْسٰۤیMusaاَنِ[that]ائْتِGoالْقَوْمَ(to) the peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَۙ(who are) wrongdoers قَوْمَ(The) peopleفِرْعَوْنَ ؕ(of) FiraunاَلَاWill notیَتَّقُوْنَ they fear قَالَHe saidرَبِّMy Lord!اِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَخَافُ[I] fearاَنْthatیُّكَذِّبُوْنِؕthey will deny me وَ یَضِیْقُAnd straitensصَدْرِیْmy breastوَ لَاand notیَنْطَلِقُexpresses wellلِسَانِیْmy tongueفَاَرْسِلْso sendاِلٰیforهٰرُوْنَ Harun وَ لَهُمْAnd they haveعَلَیَّagainst meذَنْۢبٌa crimeفَاَخَافُso I fearاَنْthatیَّقْتُلُوْنِۚthey will kill me قَالَHe saidكَلَّا ۚNayفَاذْهَبَاgo both of youبِاٰیٰتِنَاۤwith Our SignsاِنَّاIndeed Weمَعَكُمْ(are) with youمُّسْتَمِعُوْنَ listening فَاْتِیَاSo go both of youفِرْعَوْنَ(to) Firaunفَقُوْلَاۤand sayاِنَّاIndeed weرَسُوْلُ(are the) Messengerرَبِّ(of the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَۙ(of) the worlds اَنْ[That]اَرْسِلْsendمَعَنَاwith usبَنِیْۤthe children (of Israel)اِسْرَآءِیْلَؕ(the children) of Israel قَالَHe saidاَلَمْDid notنُرَبِّكَwe bring you upفِیْنَاamong usوَلِیْدًا(as) a childوَّ لَبِثْتَand you remainedفِیْنَاamong usمِنْofعُمُرِكَyour lifeسِنِیْنَۙyears وَ فَعَلْتَAnd you didفَعْلَتَكَyour deedالَّتِیْwhichفَعَلْتَyou didوَ اَنْتَand youمِنَ(were) ofالْكٰفِرِیْنَ the ungrateful 26. Ash-Shu'ara Page 368قَالَHe saidفَعَلْتُهَاۤI did itاِذًاwhenوَّ اَنَاIمِنَ(was) ofالضَّآلِّیْنَؕthose who are astray فَفَرَرْتُSo I fledمِنْكُمْfrom youلَمَّاwhenخِفْتُكُمْI feared youفَوَهَبَBut grantedلِیْto meرَبِّیْmy Lordحُكْمًاjudgmentوَّ جَعَلَنِیْand made meمِنَofالْمُرْسَلِیْنَ the Messengers وَ تِلْكَAnd thisنِعْمَةٌ(is the) favorتَمُنُّهَاwith which you reproachعَلَیَّ[on] meاَنْthatعَبَّدْتَّyou have enslavedبَنِیْۤ(the) Children of Israelاِسْرَآءِیْلَؕ(the) Children of Israel قَالَFiraun saidفِرْعَوْنُFiraun saidوَ مَاAnd whatرَبُّ(is the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَؕ(of) the worlds قَالَHe saidرَبُّLordالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthوَ مَاand whateverبَیْنَهُمَا ؕ(is) between themاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou (should) beمُّوْقِنِیْنَ convinced قَالَHe saidلِمَنْto thoseحَوْلَهٗۤaround himاَلَاDo notتَسْتَمِعُوْنَ you hear قَالَHe saidرَبُّكُمْYour Lordوَ رَبُّand (the) Lordاٰبَآىِٕكُمُ(of) your forefathersالْاَوَّلِیْنَ (of) your forefathers قَالَHe saidاِنَّIndeedرَسُوْلَكُمُyour Messengerالَّذِیْۤwhoاُرْسِلَhas been sentاِلَیْكُمْto youلَمَجْنُوْنٌ (is) surely mad قَالَHe saidرَبُّLordالْمَشْرِقِ(of) the eastوَ الْمَغْرِبِand the westوَ مَاand whateverبَیْنَهُمَا ؕ(is) between themاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou wereتَعْقِلُوْنَ (to) reason قَالَHe saidلَىِٕنِIfاتَّخَذْتَyou takeاِلٰهًاa godغَیْرِیْother than meلَاَجْعَلَنَّكَI will surely make youمِنَamongالْمَسْجُوْنِیْنَ those imprisoned قَالَHe saidاَوَ لَوْEven ifجِئْتُكَI bring youبِشَیْءٍsomethingمُّبِیْنٍۚmanifest قَالَHe saidفَاْتِThen bringبِهٖۤitاِنْifكُنْتَyou areمِنَofالصّٰدِقِیْنَ the truthful فَاَلْقٰیSo he threwعَصَاهُhis staffفَاِذَاand behold!هِیَItثُعْبَانٌ(was) a serpentمُّبِیْنٌۚۖmanifest وَّ نَزَعَAnd he drew outیَدَهٗhis handفَاِذَاand behold!هِیَItبَیْضَآءُ(was) whiteلِلنّٰظِرِیْنَ۠for the observers

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Translation of Verse 10-33

(26:10) (Recount to them about the time) when Your Lord called Moses:⁷ "Go to the wrong-doing people,⁸

(26:11) the people of Pharaoh: do they have no fear?"⁹

(26:12) He said: "My Lord! I fear that they will brand me a liar.

(26:13) My breast is constricted and my tongue is not fluent, so endow Messengership on Aaron.¹⁰

(26:14) As for me, they hold the charge of a crime against me. I fear they will put me to death."¹¹

(26:15) He said: "Certainly not! So go both of you with Our Signs.¹² We shall be with you listening to everything.

(26:16) Go, then, to Pharaoh and say to him: 'The Lord of the Universe has sent us

(26:17) that you let the Children of Israel go with us.'"¹³

(26:18) Pharaoh said: "Did we not bring you up among us when you were a child?¹⁴

(26:19) You spent many years of your life among us and then you committed that deed of yours.¹⁵ You are very ungrateful indeed."

(26:20) Moses replied: "I committed that act erringly.¹⁶

(26:21) Then I fled for fear of you. Then my Lord bestowed wisdom and authority on me¹⁷ and made me one of the Messengers.

(26:22) Now this is the favour that you tauntingly remind me of: that you enslaved the Children of Israel!"¹⁸

(26:23) Pharaoh said:¹⁹ "And who is this Lord of the Universe?"²⁰

(26:24) Moses answered: "The Lord of the heavens and the earth and of all that is between them, if you were only to believe."²¹

(26:25) Pharaoh said to those around him: "Do you hear (what he says)?"

(26:26) Moses said: "(He is) Your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers of yore."²²

(26:27) Pharaoh said to the audience: "This Messenger of yours who has been sent to you is simply mad."

(26:28) Moses continued: "(He is) the Lord of the east and the west, and all between them. If you only had any understanding!"²³

(26:29) Pharaoh said: "If you take any god other than me, I will certainly make you one of those (who are rotting) in prison."²⁴

(26:30) Moses said: "Even if I were to bring a Clear Sign to you?"²⁵

(26:31) Pharaoh said: "Then bring it if you are truthful at all."²⁶

(26:32) (No sooner had he said this than) Moses threw down his rod and behold, it was a veritable serpent,²⁷

(26:33) and he drew his hand (out of his armpit) and lo! it had become a shining object to the beholders.²⁸

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Commentary

7. After this brief introduction, the Surah moves on to the narration of historical events. This opens with the story of Moses and Pharaoh. The lessons specially intended to be conveyed through this story are as follows: (i) (ii) AL-SHU ‘ARA’ (The Poets) That the conditions under which the Prophet Moses Had to work were even harsher than those faced by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). Moses belonged to an enslaved community which was suppressed by Pharaoh and his people, whereas the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was a member of the tribe of the Quraysh and his family enjoyed an equal status with the other powerful families of that tribe. Additionally, Moses grew up in the house of Pharaoh and after remaining a fugitive for ten years-for killing an Egyptian, he was directed by God to present himself at the court of the same King from whom he Had fled for fear of his life. On the contrary, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), did not have to face anything similar. Moreover, Pharaoh’s was the most powerful empire of the time; in comparison, the power of the Quraysh counted for very little. Significantly, in spite of his great power, Pharaoh could not harm Moses and eventually perished after an encounter with him. Through this story, God told the Quraysh that whoever enjoys God’s support and assistance becomes invincible. If Pharaoh could not harm Moses, how could the Quraysh expect to triumph against the Prophet Muhammad _ (peace be on him) who also enjoyed God’s support?

(ii) What signs could be clearer and more persuasive than the ones shown to Pharaoh by Moses? In a gathering of thousands, in an open contest with Pharaoh’s magicians, Moses proved to them that what he Had shown them were miracles rather than magic. Even the magicians who Had been brought together at Pharaoh’s behest for the contest testified that the transformation of Moses’ staff into a serpent could have been brought about only by a miracle; it was not at all an act of magic or sorcery. Moreover, the magicians, who embraced the true Faith even at the risk of losing their lives, left no reason to doubt that the signs shown by Moses were not feats of magic. But those who were obdurate in their denial of the Truth did not pay any heed to this. How could the Quraysh, then, claim that they would accept the true Faith if they witnessed a miracle, some physical sign of an extraordinary kind? If one is not under the influence of irrational biases, is not a victim of chauvinistic arrogance, has no vested interest, and is prepared to cast aside falsehood and accept the Truth, all one needs is to see the signs which are evident in this Book, in the life of the Prophet (peace be on him) who was given the Book, and in the natural elements present in the vast expanse of the Universe. As for the obdurate unbelievers who have no urge to seek the Truth, who are slaves of their carnal desires, and who have already made up their minds not to accept anything opposed to their interests, such people would not believe even if the heavens and the earth were turned upside down before their very eyes.

(iii) The tragic end of those who stubbornly oppose the Truth, such as that met by Pharaoh, is not something that anyone should eagerly look forward ‘to. Those who do not believe even after seeing the numerous signs of God’s Power are bound to meet with a similar fate. Yet they insist on such a dreadful end for themselves, even when the lessons they could learn would lead them otherwise. Cf. Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. III, al-A ‘raf 7:103—37; Vol. IV, Yunus 10:75—-92; Vol. V, Bani Isra’il 17:101-4, and Ta Ha 20:9-79.

8. The expression used here reflects the severity of the persecution carried out by Pharaoh’s people. They are here introduced as “the wrong-doing people” as if that was their true appellation, whereas calling them “the people of Pharaoh” was merely an explanation of that appellation.

9. In effect, God told Moses: “How strange, these people commit excesses against others under the illusion that they have limitless power. They do so in disregard of God above them Who is truly All-Powerful, is Ever-Watchful over all, and Who will take people to task for their wrong-doing.”

10. Reading these verses in the light of the details of this event presented in Surah Ta Ha 20:25—-46 and Surah al-Qasas 28:29-42, we observe that Moses was apprehensive about proceeding on such an arduous mission all by himself.

Moses’ statement: “Lord! Open my breast for me; and ease my task for me; and loosen the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech; and appoint for me, from my household, someone who will help me bear my burden” (Ta Ha 20:25-9), supports this.

Moses was also conscious of his stammering. Hence he requested God to send his brother Aaron as his helper because the latter was more articulate than he. He could, therefore, effectively support and strengthen his mission by his eloquence whenever the need arose. It is also possible that Moses may initially have asked God to appoint Aaron rather than himself as a Messenger, but when he realized that God wanted to appoint him rather than Aaron, he may have asked that his brother be made his helper and deputy. Indeed, this _ seems to be the case because here Moses is not asking God to appoint Aaron as his deputy; rather, he says: Fa-arsil ila Harun, which means “send the prophet hood to Aaron”. Additionally, he is mentioned elsewhere as asking: “And appoint for me, from my household, someone who will help me bear my burden” (Ta Ha 20:29-30). Moses also says: “My brother Aaron is more eloquent in speech than I, so send him with me as a helper to confirm my truthfulness” (al-Qasas 28:34). This suggests that the last two requests were made later whereas the first was that which is mentioned in the present surah.

The Biblical account, however, differs from this. It states that out of fear of being rejected by Pharaoh’s people and because of his faltering speech, Moses altogether declined to accept the office of prophet hood: “Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person” (Exodus 4:13). Then God, of His Own Will, appointed Aaron to be his assistant and persuaded them to go together to Pharaoh, (See Exodus 4: 10-17.) (For more details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. V, Ta Ha, n. 19, pp. 191-2.)

11. This refers to the incident mentioned in Surah al-Qasas (28:14 ff.), namely, the death of an Egyptian, who was fighting with an Israelite, caused by Moses’ punching him. When Moses learned that the Pharaonites Had come. to know about the incident and were planning to take revenge, he fled towards Midian. Now, after eight or ten years of hiding, Moses was suddenly told to go with a Message about his prophet hood to the court of the same Pharaoh who Had a case of murder against him. Moses naturally felt that he would be immediately arrested in connection with the murder case against him even before he Had any opportunity of delivering the Message entrusted to him by-God.

12. The word “signs” here means the miracles of the staff and the shining hand as described in detail in al-A ‘raf 7: 106-17, 7a Ha 20:1-24; al-Naml 27:1- 14; and al-Qasas 28:29-42.

13. The two-fold nature of Moses’ and Aaron’s mission included the following: (i) to call Pharaoh to worship the One True God alone — a Message which has been at the core of all Prophets’ missions; and (ii) to liberate the Israelites from Pharaoh’s bondage. The latter task was specific to these two Prophets Moses and Aaron. The Qur’an sometimes refers to the first mission only (for example in al-Nazi‘at 79:5 ff.) and sometimes only to the second (for example, in al-A ‘raf 7:103-5 - Ed.).

14. This remark lends support to the view that the Pharaoh mentioned ‘here was not the same Pharaoh in whose house Moses Had been brought up.

He was, instead, that Pharaoh’s son. Had he been the same: Pharaoh, he would have said: “I brought you up”; but he only says: “You were brought up among us.” (For a detailed discussion of this point see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Vol. III al-A ‘raf 7: nn. 85-93, pp. 64-71.)

15. This alludes to the act of Moses’ unintentional killing of a Copt.

16. The words, wa and min al-dallin, literally mean: “I was then in a state of daldlah” or “I did this at a time when I was in a state of daldlah.” The word daldlah, however, is not always synonymous with “being astray”. It is also used to mean lack of knowledge, ignorance, folly, mistake, error, forgetfulness, etc. (See Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-‘Arab, q.v. D L L - Ed.) Bearing in mind the incident mentioned in Surah al-Qasas (28:15-18), it seems more reasonable to assume that in that context it meant an unintentional act, an act that was committed by mistake. Moses Had struck a single blow to the Copt who was transgressing against an Israelite. It is obvious that there was no intention on Moses’ part to kill him. People do not die from a single blow of the fist. It was simply accidental that the man should have died. As such, it was not a case of deliberate but of accidental murder. A murder it was, but not through an intentional act. In this case, none of the weapons that are ordinarily used for killing or whose use leads to loss of life was employed.

17. That is, knowledge, wisdom and Prophet hood. Hukm, signifies wisdom and understanding as well as the authority that is bestowed upon a Prophet by God which enables him to speak authoritatively.

18. That is, if Pharaoh Had not ruthlessly persecuted the Israelites, Moses would not have come to his house and would not have been brought up there.

It was only on account of Pharaoh’s cruelty that Moses’. mother was forced to put him in a chest and cast that chest into the river, but for that, Moses would have been happily brought up in his own home. Therefore, his upbringing in Pharaoh’s house was not an act of favor to Moses and it was not appropriate for Pharaoh to mention it as such.

19. Here, some details concerning Moses’ going to Pharaoh as a Messenger of the Lord of the Universe and of conveying to him the Message that Had been entrusted to him have been omitted. It goes without saying that since he was a Prophet, Moses would certainly have delivered the Message with which he Had been charged, and hence there was no point in mentioning it. After this omission, the conversation that took place between Moses and Pharaoh after the Message was delivered is being narrated.

20. Pharaoh’s question was prompted by Moses’ statement that he Had been sent by the Lord, Master and Sovereign of the Universe with the directive that he asks Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Inevitably, this statement Had a political dimension too. It implied that He Whom Moses claimed to represent Had authority over all the peoples of the world. It was obvious that this Lord of the Universe, whose proclamation implied that even Pharaoh was subject to His Suzerainty, was interfering in Pharaoh’s realm and was virtually asking that a section of His subjects be entrusted to Moses so that he might take them away from Egypt. It is this which provoked Pharaoh to virtually ask Moses in exasperation and bitterness: “Who, after all, is this Lord of the Universe Who is issuing a command to me through an ordinary subject of His?

21. Moses impressed upon Pharaoh that he Had not been designated by any mortal who laid claim to sovereignty; rather, he Had been designated by Him Who was the Lord and Master of the heavens and the earth. Hence, Pharaoh should have no difficulty in understanding Who the Lord of all Creation was.

22. These words were addressed to Pharaoh’s courtiers to whom Pharaoh Had said: “Do you hear?” Moses in effect now says to them: “I do not believe in the false gods who might exist today but who did not exist yesterday or who were present yesterday, but have vanished today. This Pharaoh of yours who has become your lord today did not exist yesterday and the Pharaohs who were the lords of your fathers and forefathers in the past do not exist today. As for me, I only accept the sovereignty of the One True Lord Who is your Lord and the Lord of the Pharaoh of today, and Who is the Lord of all of his and your ancestors of yore.”

23. That is: “I am being proclaimed a mad man. But if you have any sense, you should seriously think who is the true Lord: this Pharaoh who is ruling over a small part of the earth or He Who is the Master of the east and the west, including Egypt, and of everything encompassed by the east and the west? As far as 1 am concerned, I only accept the suzerainty and over lordship of Him Who is the Master of the east and the west and it is on His behalf that I am conveying this command to one of His creatures, and hence, to one of His born bondsmen.”

24. In order to understand this dialogue; it is important to bear in mind that the concept of “deity” Had a narrow “religious” connotation in olden times as it usually has today; that is, the deity is the object of the. rituals of worship and is entitled to receive all kinds of gifts and sacrificial offerings. Pursuant to the supernatural powers of the deity, people prayed to it and sought its help in their affairs. But no deity was accorded the status of the ruler in the political and legal sense whereby it could command and demand whatever it wished from its subjects. Worldly rulers never granted such authority to deities. They neither granted that in the past nor do they grant it today. They have always maintained that they are the supreme rulers over worldly affairs and no deity has any right to interfere in their political and legal domains.

This is the fundamental reason behind the clashes the Prophets and their followers Had with worldly rulers. The Prophets tried to persuade the latter that sovereignty and absolute authority belonged only to God. For their part, the rulers always retorted with claims of their own sovereignty, politico-legal authority and power. Furthermore, they considered all those who accepted any other as their Lord, in the legal and political sense, to be rebels and criminals.

With this explanation in mind, one can easily, understand the exact nature of Pharaoh’s statement. If it were merely a matter of rituals of worship and offerings at altars, he would presumably not be much concerned with Moses’ belief that none except the Lord of the Universe was his deity. Had Moses invited Pharaoh to worship only the One True God, he would not necessarily have been so outrageously offended. At most, he would simply have refused to give up the religion of his forefathers or would have invited Moses to a debate with his religious authorities. What really incensed Pharaoh was that Moses approached him as the Messenger of the Supreme Sovereign of all creation and delivered a political command as if Pharaoh was simply a satrap whose authority was subject to the authority of that Supreme Sovereign on whose behalf Moses was asking him to obey. Now, Pharaoh was not at all ready to recognize anyone else’s political or legal authority. Nor could he tolerate that any of his subjects should recognize anyone other than himself as the Supreme Sovereign. Hence when Pharaoh first challenged the expression “the Lord of the Universe” it was because the Message which came from that Lord was not merely a Message to worship a deity; rather, the Message seemed to have a clear political overtone: And when Moses repeatedly explained Who this Lord of the Universe was Whose Message he Had delivered, Pharaoh threatened him with imprisonment and chastisement for he could not tolerate any other to be sovereign over Egypt.

25. Moses’ query amounted to this: “Even if I show you a convincing sign which proves that I am the Messenger of the One True God, the Lord of the Universe, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the east and the _ west, will you still refuse to accept my word and send me to prison?”

26. Pharaoh’s reply to Moses shows that he was no different from other polytheists, be they of the past or of the present. Like any common polytheist, Pharaoh also believed that God was the highest deity in a supernatural. sense, and like all polytheists, he also believed that God’s power was the greatest among all gods and goddesses. Hence why Moses told Pharaoh that if he was not convinced that he Had been appointed by God, he was ready to come forth with clear signs to prove it, to which Pharaoh retorted with the challenge to Moses to go ahead and show the signs he Had to prove that his claim was true.

Had Pharaoh not believed in God’s existence and His Lordship over the Universe at all he would not have asked for such a sign. The demand for a sign could only have been made if God’s existence and His being the Lord of the Universe were undisputed, and the point that remained in question was Moses’ claim that he Had been appointed by God as His Messenger.

27. While narrating this incident, the Qur’an has, on occasions, used the word hayyah (snake) or jann (small snake); but the word used here is thu‘ban. (For these words see Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-‘Arab, q.v. HY A, JN N and TH ‘B - Ed.) The explanation given by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi is that the word hayyah is a generic name for snakes of any kind, large or small. When the word jann is used it denotes swiftness and agility, like that of a small snake. Hence, thu‘ban is used because its body is huge like that of a python but it has the swiftness of a small snake. (See Razi, Tafsir, comments on verse 32 — Ed.)

28. Some commentators on the Qur’an, under the influence of the Israelite traditions, have considered the word bayda’ used here, to signify “white”. They have, thus, considered this verse to mean that as soon as Moses took out his hand from his armpit, it Had become white as though it was struck by leprosy.

But Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Zamakhshari, Razi, Abi al-Sa ‘ad al- ‘Imadi, and Alusi and other important commentators in their comments on verse 33 agree that the word bayda’ here means shining and resplendent. Thus, as soon as Moses took out his hand from his armpit, the whole court became radiant as though the sun Had risen. (For more details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. V, Ta Ha 20: n. 13, pp. 186-7.)