Surah 28:3
Show Full Scripture Context (28:1-6) — 6 Verses
طسٓمٓ
Ṭā’ Sīn Mīm.
تِلۡكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ ٱلۡمُبِينِ
Those are the signs of the clear Book.
نَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡكَ مِن نَّبَإِ مُوسَىٰ وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لِقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ
We recite to you some of the story of Moses and Pharaoh in truth, for a people who believe:
إِنَّ فِرۡعَوۡنَ عَلَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهۡلَهَا شِيَعٗا يَسۡتَضۡعِفُ طَآئِفَةٗ مِّنۡهُمۡ يُذَبِّحُ أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ وَيَسۡتَحۡيِۦ نِسَآءَهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ
Surely Pharaoh had exalted himself on the earth, and divided its people (into) parties, weakening one contingent of them (by) slaughtering their sons and sparing their women. Surely he was one of the fomenters of corruption.
وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتُضۡعِفُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَنَجۡعَلَهُمۡ أَئِمَّةٗ وَنَجۡعَلَهُمُ ٱلۡوَٰرِثِينَ
But We wanted to bestow favor on those who were weak on the earth, and make them leaders, and make them the inheritors,
وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَنُرِيَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَحۡذَرُونَ
and to establish them on the earth, and show Pharaoh and Haman, and their forces, what they had to beware of from them.
We have already discussed the significance of the separate letters.
means the Book which is clear and makes plain the true reality of things, and tells us about what happened and what will happen.
This is like the Ayah,
{We relate unto you the best of stories} (12:3).
which means, 'We tell you about things as they really were, as if you are there and are seeing them yourself.' Then Allah says:
means, he was an arrogant oppressor and tyrant.
means, he made them into different classes, each of which he used to do whatever he wanted of the affairs of his state.
This refers to the Children of Israel, who at that time were the best of people, even though this tyrant king overpowered them, using them to do the most menial work and forcing them to hard labor night and day for him and his people. At the same time, he was killing their sons and letting their daughters live, to humiliate them and because he feared that there might appear among them the boy who would be the cause of his destruction and the downfall of his kingdom. So Fir'awn took precautions against that happening, by ordering that all boys born to the Children of Israel should be killed, but this precaution did not protect him against the divine decree, because when the term of Allah comes, it cannot be delayed, and for each and every matter there is a decree from Allah. Allah says:
until His saying;
{which they feared.} And Allah did indeed do this to them, as He says:
{And We made the people who were considered weak} until His saying;
{they erected} (7:137).
And Allah said:
{Thus and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit them} (26:59).
Fir'awn hoped that by his strength and power he would be saved from Musa, but that did not help him in the slightest. Despite his great power as a king he could not oppose the decree of Allah, which can never be overcome. On the contrary, Allah's ruling was carried out, for it had been written and decreed from past eternity that Fir'awn would meet his doom at the hands of Musa.