Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 44 Ad-Dukhan, Ayat 21-21

وَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُوۡا لِىۡ فَاعۡتَزِلُوۡنِ‏ ﴿44:21﴾

(44:21) But if you do not believe what I say, leave me alone19 (and desist from laying hands on me).”


Notes

19. This was said at the time when, as against all the signs presented by the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), Pharaoh was still showing stubbornness, but was feeling upset and confounded at the realization that all classes of the Egyptian society were rapidly being influenced by those signs. In that period, first of all he made the speech before his packed court as mentioned in (verses 51-53 of Surah Az- Zukhruf (see E.Ns 45 to 49)), then, when he felt the ground slipping from under his feet, he made up his mind to kill Allah’s Messenger. At that time the Prophet (peace be upon him) said the words as mentioned in (Surah Al-Mumin, Ayat 27) to the effect: I have taken refuge in my Lord and your Lord against every arrogant person who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning. Here, the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) is referring to that same thing and telling Pharaoh and his chiefs: Look, I have sought Allah’s refuge against all sorts of violence from you, now you cannot harm me. But if you wish yourselves well, do not harm me. If you do not want to believe what I say, you may not, but you should never lay your hands on me, otherwise you will meet with catastrophic consequences.