In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Summary of Tafsir al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Shu'ara'.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“And We inspired Moses, saying: Take away My slaves by night, for ye will be pursued.” (26:52)
And We revealed to Moses, when Pharaoh persisted in his transgression,
That he should set out with the Children of Israel by night from the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh and his hosts would pursue you and your people from among the Children of Israel,
In order to prevent you from departing the land of Egypt.
“Then Pharaoh sent into the cities summoners,” (26:53)
“(Who said): Lo! these indeed are but a little troop,” (26:54)
"And indeed, they are an enraged nation against us,
And we are all a cautious and fully prepared host."
So Pharaoh sent heralds into the cities to assemble his army and his people for him,
Saying to them: "Indeed, these Children of Israel are a small, insignificant group,
And indeed, this remnant has enraged us—
By departing with the borrowed items of jewelry they took from them."
It is also possible that this rage was due to their departure and separation from them,
And their leaving their land against their will.
"And indeed, we are all a cautious host,"
Because they possess weapons, equipment, and strength.
“Thus did We take them away from gardens and watersprings,” (26:57)
And treasures and an honorable estate.
“Thus (were those things taken from them) and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit them.” (26:59)
So they pursued them at sunrise.
Thus We expelled Pharaoh and his people from gardens and springs of water,
And treasures of gold and silver,
And an honorable estate—which refers to the pulpits and noble dwellings.
Thus did We drive them out from all of that.
And We caused the Children of Israel to inherit those gardens from which We had expelled them.
So Pharaoh and his companions pursued the Children of Israel when the sun rose,
And it is also said: when morning came.
“And when the two hosts saw each other, those with Moses said: Lo! we are indeed caught.” (26:61)
“He said: Nay, verily! for lo! my Lord is with me. He will guide me.” (26:62)
And when the two hosts sighted each other—the host of Moses and the host of Pharaoh—
The companions of Moses said: "We are surely overtaken!
Now Pharaoh and his soldiers will catch up with us and slay us."
Moses said to his people: "The matter is not as you think.
By no means! You will never be overtaken.
Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me to a path by which I shall be saved from Pharaoh and his people."
Then We revealed to Moses: "Strike the sea with your staff."
So it parted, and each portion was like a towering mountain.
It is mentioned that Allah had commanded the sea not to part until Moses struck it with his staff.
Thus, every segment of the sea, when Moses struck it, became like a massive mountain.
It is also mentioned that it parted into twelve paths, corresponding to the number of the tribes.
For every tribe among them, there was a separate path.
And We brought the others near to that place.
“And We saved Moses and those with him, every one;” (26:65)
Then We drowned the others.
We brought the people of Pharaoh close to the sea right there, and led them forward into it.
And We saved Moses from drowning, alongside all who were with him among the Children of Israel.
Then We drowned Pharaoh and his people in the sea after We had delivered Moses from it.
Indeed in that is a sign, yet most of them were not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Almighty, the Most Merciful.
Truly, in what I did to Pharaoh and those with him—by drowning them in the sea—
Is a clear proof, O Muhammad, for your people that this is My established way regarding whoever follows their path.
And there is a sign for you in My treatment of Moses and My deliverance of him:
That I shall treat you as I treated him, if you show patience as he showed patience.
And most of your people, O Muhammad, were not believers in the clear truth that Allah brought to you,
For it had already preceded in My divine knowledge that they would not believe.
And indeed, your Lord is the Almighty in His retribution against those who disbelieve in Him and deny His messengers,
The Most Merciful toward those among His messengers and their followers whom He saves from drowning
And from the punishment with which He chastises the disbelievers.
“Recite unto them the story of Abraham:” (26:69)
“When he said unto his father and his folk: What worship ye?” (26:70)
“They said: We worship idols, and are ever devoted unto them.” (26:71)
And relate to your people among the polytheists, O Muhammad, the story of Abraham,
When he said to his father and his people: "What is it that you worship?"
They said: "We worship idols,
And we remain devoted in serving and worshipping them."
“He said: Do they hear you when ye cry?” (26:72)
“Or do they benefit or harm you?” (26:73)
Abraham said to them:
"Do these deities hear you when you call upon them,
Or do these idols benefit you,
By granting you any provision on account of your worship of them,
Or do they harm you, punishing you if you abandon their worship—
By stripping you of your wealth?"
“They said: Nay, but we found our fathers acting on this wise.” (26:74)
They said in response to him:
"Nay, they do not hear us when we call upon them,
Nor do they benefit us or cause us harm.
Rather, we found our forefathers before us worshipping them in this manner,
Remaining devoted to their service,
So we simply do as they did, following their example."
“He said: See now that which ye worship,” (26:75)
"You and your ancient forefathers?"
“Lo! they are (all) an enemy unto me, save the Lord of the Worlds,” (26:77)
Abraham said to his people:
"Have you considered these idols that you used to worship—
You and your earliest forefathers before you?
Indeed, they are an enemy to me if I were to worship them on the Day of Resurrection,
And I am utterly free of them and do not worship them,
Except the Lord of all the worlds,
“Who created me, and He doth guide me,” (26:78)
“And Who feedeth me and watereth me.” (26:79)
“And when I sicken, then He healeth me,” (26:80)
“And Who causeth me to die, then giveth me life (again),” (26:81)
“And Who, I ardently hope, will forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment.” (26:82)
Who created me, and He guides me to that which is correct in speech and deed,
And directs me toward righteousness.
And He is the One who feeds me with food and drink;
And when my body falls ill and suffers ailment,
He heals me and restores my health;
And He is the One who will cause me to die whenever He wills,
Then bring me back to life when He desires, after my death;
And He is the One whom I fervently hope will forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment.
For this Lord of mine is the One in whose hand lies my benefit and my harm,
And to Him belong all power and absolute authority in this world and the Hereafter.
“My Lord! Vouchsafe me wisdom and unite me to the righteous.” (26:83)
“And give unto me a good report in later generations.” (26:84)
"My Lord, grant me prophethood and make me a messenger to Your creation,
So that You may join me thereby to the ranks of those messengers You sent to Your creation;
And grant me an honorable mention and noble praise among the people,
An enduring legacy among the generations that come after;
“And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of Delight,” (26:85)
And forgive my father, for he was indeed among the astray.
“And abase me not on the day when they are raised,” (26:87)
“The day when wealth and sons avail not (any man)” (26:88)
“Save him who bringeth unto Allah a whole heart.” (26:89)
"And cause me to inherit, my Lord, the dwellings of the Garden of Paradise;
And pardon my father for his associating partners with You, and do not punish him for it—
For he was among those who strayed from the path of guidance and disbelieved in You;
And do not disgrace me with Your punishment on the Day when Your servants are resurrected from their graves—
A Day when wealth possessed in the world will not benefit him who disbelieved,
Nor will his sons who belonged to him in that worldly life;
A Day when none will benefit except him who comes with a sound heart, free from doubt regarding Allah's oneness and the resurrection after death."
And Paradise was brought near for the righteous,
And the Hellfire was made manifest for the devious.
Paradise was brought close and positioned near to those who feared the punishment of Allah in the Hereafter,
While the Fire was made fully visible to those who strayed and deviated from the straight path.
And it was said to the devious:
"Where are those rivals you used to worship besides Allah?
Can they help you today against Allah and rescue you from His punishment,
Or can they help themselves and save their own selves from what is intended for them?"
“Then will they be hurled therein, they and the seducers” (26:94)
And the hosts of Iblis, all together.
So some of them were thrown into Hell on top of others,
Tossed one over another, cast down headlong upon their faces.
Thus were the disbelievers and the devils hurled into it,
As were the hosts of Iblis, all together—
Meaning everyone who was among his followers,
Whether from his own offspring or from the offspring of Adam.
These devious ones, the rivals they used to worship,
And the hosts of Iblis said while disputing with one another inside Hell:
"By Allah, we were clearly in manifest error—as is obvious to anyone who reflects and ponders that it was falsehood and error!
We were truly straying far from the truth,
When we equated you with the Lord of all the worlds, worshipping you instead of Him."
“It was but the guilty who misled us.” (26:99)
“Now we have no intercessors” (26:100)
"Nor any close, loyal friend."
“Oh, that we had another turn (on earth), that we might be of the believers!” (26:102)
“It was but the guilty who misled us.” (26:99)
Iblis and the son of Adam who instituted murder.
"So we have no intercessors from among distant allies to intercede for us with Allah,
Nor any close, loyal friend from among our relatives.
If only we could return to the worldly life, we would surely be among the believers!"
Indeed in that is a sign, yet most of them were not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Almighty, the Most Merciful.
Truly, in the arguments that Abraham presented to his people—which We have mentioned—
Is a clear, manifest proof for anyone who takes admonition,
Showing that Allah's established way regarding His creation—
Namely, those who follow the custom of Abraham's people in worshipping idols and false deities—
Is precisely what He decreed for them in the Abode of the Hereafter:
Their being hurled headlong into Hell alongside the hosts of Iblis.
And most of them were not believers in His eternal, prior knowledge.
And indeed, your Lord, O Muhammad, is severe in His retribution against whoever is worshipped besides Him,
Yet Most Merciful toward whoever among them repents, refraining from punishing him for the sins and offenses he committed prior to his repentance.
The people of Noah denied the messengers.
“When their brother Noah said unto them: Will ye not ward off (evil)?” (26:106)
"Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger."
The people of Noah denied the messengers of Allah whom He sent to them,
When their brother Noah said to them: "Will you not fear Allah,
And beware of His punishment for your disbelief in Him?
Indeed, I am to you a messenger from Allah, trustworthy with His revelation.
So fear Allah and obey me.
And I do not ask you for any reward for it; my reward is only from the Lord of all the worlds.
So fear Allah and obey me."
"So fear the punishment of Allah, O people, for your disbelief in Him,
And obey me in the sincere advice I give you.
I do not seek from you any payment or compensation for my advice;
My reward lies only with the Lord of all the worlds, not with you or any of Allah's creation.
So fear Allah and obey me in my counsel."
Summary of Tafsir al-Tabari.