23:47 Al-Muminoon (The Believers)

{ فَقَالُوا } كبرا وتيها، وتحذيرا لضعفاء العقول، وتمويها: { أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا } كما قاله من قبلهم سواء بسواء، تشابهت قلوبهم في الكفر، فتشابهت أقوالهم وأفعالهم، وجحدوا منة الله عليهما بالرسالة. { وَقَوْمُهُمَا } أي: بنو إسرائيل { لَنَا عَابِدُونَ } أي: معبدون بالأعمال والأشغال الشاقة، كما قال تعالى: { وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَاكُمْ مِنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ وَفِي ذَلِكُمْ بَلَاءٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ } فكيف نكون تابعين بعد أن كنا متبوعين؟\" وكيف يكون هؤلاء رؤساء علينا؟\" ونظير قولهم، قول قوم نوح: { أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الْأَرْذَلُونَ } { وَمَا نَرَاكَ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِيَ الرَّأْيِ } من المعلوم أن هذا لا يصلح لدفع الحق، وأنه تكذيب ومعاندة.

لكونهما بشرين كما أنكرت الأمم الماضية بعثة الرسل من البشر تشابهت قلوبهم.

The Story of Musa, Peace be upon Him; and Fir`awn

Allah tells us that He sent Musa, peace be upon him, and his brother Harun to Fir`awn and his chiefs with decisive evidence and definitive proof, but Fir`awn and his people were too arrogant to follow them and obey their commands because they were human beings, just as previous nations had denied the Message of the human Messengers. They were of a similar mentality, so Allah destroyed Fir`awn and his chiefs, drowning them all in one day. He revealed the Book to Musa, i.e., the Tawrah, in which were rulings, commands and prohibitions, after He had destroyed Fir`awn and the Egyptians and seized them with a punishment of the All-Mighty, All-Capable to carry out what He wills. After Allah revealed the Tawrah, Allah did not destroy any nation with an overwhelming calamity; instead, He commanded the believers to fight the disbelievers, as He says:

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ مِن بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الاٍّولَى بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(And indeed We gave Musa -- after We had destroyed the generations of old -- the Scripture as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that they might remember.) 28:43

And they said ‘Shall we believe two humans like ourselves while their people are servile to us?’ obedient and submissive.

Commentary

وَآوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَىٰ رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ (and We gave them shelter on a height, a place of rest and running springs). According to Bayan-ul-Qur’ an, this verse refers to the event that a tyrant was resolute to kill Sayyidna ` Isa and his mother (علیہما السلام) right from his childhood. They escaped from him and, with Allah's grace, found a place on a height where they enjoyed a peaceful life until Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) attained maturity and was entrusted with prophethood. (This commentary is taken from Khulasa-e-tafsir of Ma` ariful-Qur’ an).