In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-A'raf.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“And We inspired Moses (saying): Throw thy staff! And lo! it swallowed up their lying show.” (7:117)
Then it swallowed up what they falsely fabricated.
“And We inspired Moses (saying): Throw thy staff! And lo! it swallowed up their lying show.” (7:117)
He cast it down, and it began to swallow and devour their deceptive and false sorcery.
“Thus was the Truth vindicated and that which they were doing was made vain.” (7:118)
Thus, the truth was established.
It became clear to those who witnessed and were present for the affair of Musa (peace be upon him).
It was evident that he was a messenger from Allah, calling to the truth.
The falsehood of their sorcery, their lies, and their illusions was rendered void.
They were defeated there and turned back, humiliated.
And the sorcerers fell down in prostration.
Musa overcame Pharaoh and his hosts at that moment.
They departed from that place, humbled and subdued.
The sorcerers, having witnessed the greatness of Allah’s power, fell down.
Prostrating themselves upon their faces before their Lord.
They said, "We believe in the Lord of the worlds."
"The Lord of Musa and Harun."
They declared, "We believe in what Musa has brought to us."
"And that the One we must worship is the One who possesses the jinn, mankind, and all things."
"He who manages and decrees all of it."
"The Lord of Musa and Harun."
"Not Pharaoh."
“Pharaoh said: Ye believe in Him before I give you leave! Lo! this is the plot that ye have plotted in the city that ye may drive its people hence. But ye shall come to know!” (7:123)
"Indeed, this is a plot you have devised in the city."
“Pharaoh said: Ye believe in Him before I give you leave! Lo! this is the plot that ye have plotted in the city that ye may drive its people hence. But ye shall come to know!” (7:123)
"You shall soon come to know."
Pharaoh said to the sorcerers:
"Have you believed in Musa and acknowledged his prophethood?"
"Before I have given you permission to believe in him?"
"Your belief and your acknowledgment of his prophethood,"
"Is a ruse you have plotted to deceive the people of our city, so that you may drive them out of it."
"You shall soon know what I will do to you."
"And what you will face of my punishment for this deed of yours."
"I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides."
"Then I will crucify you all."
"I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides."
"This means cutting off a man's right hand and left foot,"
"Or his left hand and right foot."
"Alternating between the limbs in the amputation."
"Then I will crucify you all."
“They said: Lo! We are about to return unto our Lord!” (7:125)
“Thou takest vengeance on us only forasmuch as we believed the tokens of our Lord when they came unto us. Our Lord! Vouchsafe unto us steadfastness and make us die as men who have surrendered (unto Thee).” (7:126)
“Thou takest vengeance on us only forasmuch as we believed the tokens of our Lord when they came unto us. Our Lord! Vouchsafe unto us steadfastness and make us die as men who have surrendered (unto Thee).” (7:126)
"Pour upon us patience and take our souls as Muslims."
The sorcerers said:
"We are returning to our Lord, turning back to Allah."
"And what do you resent in us, O Pharaoh, and what do you hold against us?"
"Except that we believed in the proofs, signs, and evidences of our Lord when they came to us."
"His proofs, the likes of which neither you nor anyone other than Allah can produce."
"Our Lord, pour upon us patience that will restrain us from disbelief in You,"
"When Pharaoh inflicts his torture upon us,"
"And cause us to die in a state of submission to You."
“The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said: (O King), wilt thou suffer Moses and his people to make mischief in the land, and flout thee and thy gods? He said: We will slay their sons and spare their women, for lo! we are in power over them.” (7:127)
“The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said: (O King), wilt thou suffer Moses and his people to make mischief in the land, and flout thee and thy gods? He said: We will slay their sons and spare their women, for lo! we are in power over them.” (7:127)
“The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said: (O King), wilt thou suffer Moses and his people to make mischief in the land, and flout thee and thy gods? He said: We will slay their sons and spare their women, for lo! we are in power over them.” (7:127)
A group of men from Pharaoh’s people said:
"Will you leave Musa and his people, the Children of Israel,"
"To corrupt your servants and subjects against you in your land of Egypt?"
"And for Musa to abandon your service and the worship of your gods?"
Pharaoh said:
"We will kill their male children among the Children of Israel,"
"And spare their females."
"And we are dominant over them, through the power of kingship and authority."
“And Moses said unto his people: Seek help in Allah and endure. Lo! the earth is Allah's. He giveth it for an inheritance to whom He will. And lo! the sequel is for those who keep their duty (unto Him).” (7:128)
“And Moses said unto his people: Seek help in Allah and endure. Lo! the earth is Allah's. He giveth it for an inheritance to whom He will. And lo! the sequel is for those who keep their duty (unto Him).” (7:128)
"And the outcome is for the righteous."
Musa said to his people among the Children of Israel:
"Seek help from Allah against Pharaoh and his people in whatever befalls you."
"And be patient regarding the afflictions you suffer in yourselves and your children at the hands of Pharaoh."
"Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah."
"Perhaps Allah will make you the inheritors of Pharaoh’s land,"
"If you are patient regarding the harm that befalls you and seek reward for it,"
"And remain steadfast upon the truth."
"For Allah grants the inheritance of His earth to whom He wills of His servants."
"And the praiseworthy outcome belongs to those who fear Allah and are mindful of Him,"
"Who fear Him and fulfill His obligations."
“They said: We suffered hurt before thou camest unto us, and since thou hast come unto us. He said: It may be that your Lord is going to destroy your adversary and make you viceroys in the earth, that He may see how ye behave.” (7:129)
“They said: We suffered hurt before thou camest unto us, and since thou hast come unto us. He said: It may be that your Lord is going to destroy your adversary and make you viceroys in the earth, that He may see how ye behave.” (7:129)
"And He will make you successors in the land,"
"To see how you will act."
The people of Musa said:
"We were persecuted with the killing of our sons before you came to us with the message of Allah."
"And even after you came to us with the message of Allah."
Musa said to his people:
"Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy,"
"And make you successors in their land after their destruction."
"Then your Lord will see how you act after them,"
"Whether you hasten to His obedience or are sluggish toward it."
“And we straitened Pharaoh's folk with famine and dearth of fruits, that peradventure they might heed.” (7:130)
“And we straitened Pharaoh's folk with famine and dearth of fruits, that peradventure they might heed.” (7:130)
We tested the people of Pharaoh and his followers in their state of misguidance,
With droughts, year after year.
We tested them with the loss of their fruits, save for a few,
As an admonition and a reminder to them,
So that they might desist from their misguidance,
And turn to their Lord in repentance.
But when good fortune came to them,
They said, "This is ours."
And if an evil befell them, they attributed it to bad omens from Musa and those with him.
“But whenever good befell them, they said: This is ours; and whenever evil smote them they ascribed it to the evil auspices of Moses and those with him. Surely their evil auspice was only with Allah. But most of them knew not.” (7:131)
But most of them do not know.
When the people of Pharaoh received well-being, fertility,
Prosperity, and abundance of fruits,
They said, "We are more deserving of this."
And if they were struck by drought, famine, and affliction,
They would take it as a bad omen and say,
"Our luck has vanished since Musa (peace be upon him) came to us."
But their omen—the people of Pharaoh and others—
That is, their share of prosperity and fertility,
And other shares of good and evil,
Is only with Allah.
But most of them do not know that this is the case.
Because of their ignorance, they used to attribute bad omens to Musa and those with him.
“And they said: Whatever portent thou bringest wherewith to bewitch us, we shall not put faith in thee.” (7:132)
“And they said: Whatever portent thou bringest wherewith to bewitch us, we shall not put faith in thee.” (7:132)
The people of Pharaoh said to Musa:
"O Musa, whatever sign or proof you bring to us,"
"To turn us away from the religion of Pharaoh that we follow,"
"We will not believe you in that,"
"Nor believe that you are truthful in what you call us to."
“So We sent against them the flood and the locusts and the vermin and the frogs and the blood - a succession of clear signs. But they were arrogant and became a guilty folk.” (7:133)
And the frogs and blood were signs,
Distinct signs.
But they grew arrogant and were a criminal people.
So We sent upon them a command,
And a flood overwhelmed them.
It is possible that it refers to heavy rain,
And it is possible that it refers to a terrifying death.
And We sent upon them locusts to consume the vegetation.
And We sent upon them lice.
It is said that it is the weevil that emerges from wheat.
It is also said to be the 'dabba',
Which are small locusts that have no wings.
It is also said to be fleas.
And it is said to be small black insects.
And We sent upon them frogs that fell into their houses and their drinks.
And We sent upon them blood.
Whatever they drew from rivers and wells, or found in their vessels, they found to be blood.
These signs were proofs of the truthfulness of the prophethood of Musa (peace be upon him).
They were clearly distinguished,
With some following others.
Yet those upon whom Allah sent these signs grew arrogant toward believing in Allah,
And toward affirming His messenger, Musa (peace be upon him).
They were a people who practiced what Allah dislikes of sins and immorality,
In defiance and rebellion.
“And when the terror fell on them they cried: O Moses! Pray for us unto thy Lord, because He hath a covenant with thee. If thou removest the terror from us we verily will trust thee and will let the Children of Israel go with thee.” (7:134)
“And when the terror fell on them they cried: O Moses! Pray for us unto thy Lord, because He hath a covenant with thee. If thou removest the terror from us we verily will trust thee and will let the Children of Israel go with thee.” (7:134)
“And when the terror fell on them they cried: O Moses! Pray for us unto thy Lord, because He hath a covenant with thee. If thou removest the terror from us we verily will trust thee and will let the Children of Israel go with thee.” (7:134)
“And when the terror fell on them they cried: O Moses! Pray for us unto thy Lord, because He hath a covenant with thee. If thou removest the terror from us we verily will trust thee and will let the Children of Israel go with thee.” (7:134)
And when the punishment of Allah befell them,
They said, "O Musa, invoke your Lord for us by what He has entrusted and commanded you."
"If you remove from us the punishment we are in,"
"We will surely believe in what you have brought,"
"And we will surely let the Children of Israel go with you,"
"And we will not prevent them from going wherever they wish."
“But when We did remove from them the terror for a term which they must reach, behold! they broke their covenant.” (7:135)
So Musa invoked his Lord, and He answered him.
But when Allah removed the punishment from them until a term they were to reach—
To complete the days of their lives that Allah had decreed for them until the time of their destruction—
Behold, they broke the covenants they had made with their Lord and with Musa.
And they persisted in their disbelief and misguidance.
“Therefore We took retribution from them; therefore We drowned them in the sea: because they denied Our revelations and were heedless of them.” (7:136)
So when they broke their covenants, We took retribution from them by inflicting Our vengeance upon them.
We drowned them in the sea.
We did that to them because they denied Our proofs.
And they were heedless of the retribution We inflicted upon them before it befell them.
“And We caused the folk who were despised to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We had blessed. And the fair word of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of their endurance; and We annihilated (all) that Pharaoh and his folk had done and that they had contrived.” (7:137)
“And We caused the folk who were despised to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We had blessed. And the fair word of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of their endurance; and We annihilated (all) that Pharaoh and his folk had done and that they had contrived.” (7:137)
“And We caused the folk who were despised to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We had blessed. And the fair word of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of their endurance; and We annihilated (all) that Pharaoh and his folk had done and that they had contrived.” (7:137)
And We caused the people who had been oppressed—the Children of Israel—to inherit
The eastern and western parts of the land, which We blessed with lasting goodness for its people.
The promise of Allah was fulfilled, which He had promised the Children of Israel regarding their establishment in the land,
And His granting them victory over their enemy.
And We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people used to produce of buildings and farms,
And what they used to construct of structures and palaces.
We removed them from all of that and destroyed it all.
“And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and they came unto a people who were given up to idols which they had. They said: O Moses! Make for us a god even as they have gods. He said: Lo! ye are a folk who know not.” (7:138)
And We led the Children of Israel across the sea after the lessons they had witnessed.
Yet those signs did not deter them.
They passed by a people who were devoted to idols they worshipped instead of Allah.
They said, "O Musa, make for us an idol to be a god, just as these people have idols they worship."
Musa (peace be upon him) said, "Indeed, you are a people who are ignorant of the greatness of Allah and the duty He has over you."
Musa said to them, "These people, in their devotion to these idols,"
"Allah will destroy what they are engaged in, and it is corrupt."
"And false is what they have been doing in worshipping them,"
"Because it will not benefit them when the command of Allah comes,"
"Nor will it defend them against the might of Allah when it descends upon them."
“He said: Shall I seek for you a god other than Allah when He hath favoured you above (all) creatures?” (7:140)
Musa said to his people, "Shall I seek for you a god other than Allah, and make for you an object of worship?"
"While Allah is the One who created you and favored you over the people of your time and era?"
“And (remember) when We did deliver you from Pharaoh's folk who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women. That was a tremendous trial from your Lord.” (7:141)
“And (remember) when We did deliver you from Pharaoh's folk who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women. That was a tremendous trial from your Lord.” (7:141)
"And in that was a great trial from your Lord."
"And remember when We saved you from the people of Pharaoh,"
"When they were inflicting upon you the worst of torment,"
"Killing your sons and sparing your women."
"And in your subjection to the worst of torment was a trial from Allah for you, and a great blessing."
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.