Part of Women's Suffering (series completed)
· Lesson 4 of 18
The suffering of women in the time of Moses, peace be upon him | Episode (4) | Pharaoh's humiliation of women in the time of Moses, peace be upon him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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The story of woman's suffering in the era of Moses (peace be upon him).
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Pharaoh's subjugation of women in the era of Moses (peace be upon him).
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Allah made woman a source of tranquility for man,
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and Allah made man a pillar of support for woman,
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under whose protection she seeks refuge from all fears,
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feeling secure in his care.
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For this reason, a woman loves to rest her head
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upon a man's chest to experience this sense of inner peace.
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She loves to see a man exercise his strength
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in defending and protecting her,
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just as she loves to feel his protective jealousy over her.
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Indeed, she may deliberately provoke his jealousy
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simply to behold its manifestation upon his face
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and in his actions,
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because this protective jealousy is proof of his love for her,
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revealing his desire to guard her
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and defend her honor.
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For a woman is a man's inviolable sanctuary, which he protects
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and fears for against anything that might cause harm or offense.
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In moments of protective jealousy, a man reaches the peak of anger,
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his heart boiling intensely over whatever touches his wife,
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while the woman experiences the height of happiness
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upon witnessing his protective zeal.
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Even if she conceals her delight—
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leaving no trace of it visible on her face,
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which instead feigns apprehension—
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her heart overflows with joy at what she beholds.
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Yet this very happiness that a woman feels
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when her husband displays protective jealousy over her
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was stripped from women during the era of Moses (peace be upon him),
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owing to Pharaoh's oppression and his utter degradation of her husband.
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This constitutes the fourth form of torment
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experienced by women under the reign of Pharaoh:
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the humilation, degradation, and breaking of her husband
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through the ignominious laws Pharaoh imposed upon them,
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designed to condition them to submissiveness, servility, and stripped manhood.
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Thus, a husband possessed no power to defend his wife,
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nor could he protect her newborn child.
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Rather, he was forced to submit to Pharaoh's decree
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ordering the slaughter of the male children of the Children of Israel.
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He could not raise a finger to stop it,
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nor defend his family's honor,
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nor avert any form of affliction
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that Pharaoh unleashed
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upon the women of the Children of Israel.
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The matter did not stop at this point;
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rather, Pharaoh forced the men of the Children of Israel
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into grueling hard labor,
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combined with relentless humiliation and torture,
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until the character of most Israelite men
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in that era
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became broken and weak before the tyranny of Pharaoh,
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Haman, and their host.
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Haman was Pharaoh's primary agent of execution
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for whatever he desired,
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serving as Pharaoh's grand vizier,
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counselor, or commander of his army.
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He was the one Pharaoh commanded
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to construct for him a lofty tower,
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that he might ascend to the God of Moses.
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Such is the custom of tyrants on earth:
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creating henchmen and establishing stooges
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who aid them in their oppression.
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This is precisely what Pharaoh did,
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appointing Haman as his vizier
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to execute his commands and brutalize the people.
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Naturally, the tyranny of such individuals increases—
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these henchmen of oppressor regimes—
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because they feel supported by a higher authority
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from which they derive their power,
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committing atrocities in his name,
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even if he did not explicitly order each act.
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For even if he knew, he would never let them down,
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since he actively desires to brutalize the people
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and delights in doing so.
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Thus, the women of the Children of Israel suffered a dual burden:
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the brutality of Pharaoh and Haman on one hand,
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and the broken spirit of their own men on the other.
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There was no protection for them,
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no safeguarding of their honor,
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and no mercy shown to their newborns.
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This system of relentless persecution and degradation,
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in its various forms,
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persisted prior to the birth of Moses (peace be upon him).
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Then came glad tidings from Allah to the Children of Israel,
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before the birth of Moses (peace be upon him),
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promising the removal of oppression from them
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and the humiliation of their enemy.
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Almighty Allah said,
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demonstrating His divine power in bringing an end
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to this intense suffering that
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women were enduring:
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◁ Ta, Seen, Meem. ▷
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◁ These are the verses of the clear Book. ▷
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“We narrate unto thee (somewhat) of the story of Moses and Pharaoh with truth, for folk who believe.” (28:3)
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◁ and Pharaoh, in truth, for a people who believe. ▷
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◁ Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land ▷
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“Lo! Pharaoh exalted himself in the earth and made its people castes. A tribe among them he oppressed, killing their sons and sparing their women. Lo! he was of those who work corruption.” (28:4)
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◁ and divided its people into factions, ▷
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◁ oppressing a group among them, ▷
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◁ slaughtering their sons ▷
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◁ and keeping their women alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters. ▷
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“Lo! Pharaoh exalted himself in the earth and made its people castes. A tribe among them he oppressed, killing their sons and sparing their women. Lo! he was of those who work corruption.” (28:4)
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“And We desired to show favour unto those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them examples and to make them the inheritors,” (28:5)
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◁ and make them leaders ▷
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◁ and make them the inheritors, ▷
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“And to establish them in the earth, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts that which they feared from them.” (28:6)
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◁ and show Pharaoh and Haman ▷
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“And to establish them in the earth, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts that which they feared from them.” (28:6)
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Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
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"The meaning of the passage is:
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“Lo! Pharaoh exalted himself in the earth and made its people castes. A tribe among them he oppressed, killing their sons and sparing their women. Lo! he was of those who work corruption.” (28:4)
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He rendered its inhabitants from the Children of Israel into distinct factions,
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oppressing a group among them.
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'And We desired to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land'—referring to the Children of Israel—
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'and make them leaders.'"
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Al-Qushayri (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
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"'We desire to confer favor upon the oppressed' by delivering them from their hands,
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'and to make them leaders'
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by whom creation is guided,
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and from whom people learn to tread the path of truthfulness;
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and We shall bless their lifespans,
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so that they become inheritors of the lifespans of their adversaries,
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and their dwellings and homes shall pass unto them.
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Thus, they are guides, landmarks of truth, masters, and leaders,
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followed as examples and guiding others through their light.
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“And to establish them in the earth, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts that which they feared from them.” (28:6)
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We shall remove fear from them,
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grant them abundance and authority,
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extend their terms,
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and show Pharaoh, Haman, and their host that which they feared—namely, the demise of their kingdom at their hands.
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For truth shall be granted,
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even if creation perceives it to be slow in coming."
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Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
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"His statement, Exalted is He, 'oppressing a group among them' refers to the Children of Israel,
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who were at that time the best of the people of their era.
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Yet this tyrannical, entrenched king was set over them,
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subjugating them to the most vile labor
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and exhausting them night and day in his service and the service of his subjects.
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In addition to this, he slaughtered their sons and spared their women,
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to humiliate and demean them,
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and out of fear that a boy might be born among them—
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the very boy he and his court feared—
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who would cause his destruction
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and the downfall of his empire at his hands."
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He also said:
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"Pharaoh sought, through his power and might, to escape from Moses,
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but that availed him nothing against the decree of the Supreme Sovereign,
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Whose cosmic command is never thwarted nor overcome.
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Rather, His judgment was executed and His pen had already written in eternity
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that Pharaoh's destruction would occur at his hands.
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Nay, this very boy against whose existence you took precautions—
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slaughtering thousands of infants on his account—
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was raised and nurtured upon your own bed and in your own home,
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fed from your own food,
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while you raised him, pampered him, and cherished him;
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yet your doom, your ruin, and the destruction of your army lay at his hands!
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This was so that you might know that the Lord of the high heavens
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is the Supreme Subduer, the Victorious, the Magnificent,
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the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Stern in punishment,
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whatever He wills comes to pass,
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and whatever He does not will can never be."
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A similar glad tiding to that received by the Children of Israel
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has been promised to us by Allah in His saying, Exalted is He:
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“Allah hath promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed (others); and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants.” (24:55)
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◁ and done righteous deeds ▷
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◁ that He will surely grant them succession upon the earth ▷
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“Allah hath promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed (others); and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants.” (24:55)
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◁ and that He will surely establish for them their religion ▷
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◁ which He has preferred for them ▷
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“Allah hath promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed (others); and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants.” (24:55)
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“Allah hath promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed (others); and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants.” (24:55)
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“Allah hath promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed (others); and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants.” (24:55)
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◁ then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient. ▷
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Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
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"This is a promise from Allah Almighty
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to His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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that He will make his Ummah successors upon the earth—
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meaning the leaders and rulers over mankind,
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through whom lands are rectified and to whom subjects submit—
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and that He will substitute for them, after their fear of the people, security and rule over them."
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So rejoice, my noble sister, in the victory of Allah,
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the lifting of your suffering, and its transformation, no matter how great the tyranny,
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and no matter what tyrants may do.
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For Allah's command is bound to be executed through the exaltation of this religion and the victory of its people.
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May Allah make us among those who grant victory to His religion.
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We shall continue in our next gathering, if Allah wills.
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Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
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The story of woman's suffering in the era of Moses (peace be upon him).