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Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Al-Baqarah 2:49

Word by word

وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَـٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ

And [recall] when We saved you [i.e., your forefathers] from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst torment, slaughtering your [newborn] sons and keeping your females alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Children of Israel were saved from Pharaoh and His Army Who drowned

Allah said to the Children of Israel, "Remember My favor on youوَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَـكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ(And (remember) when We delivered you from Fir`awn's (Pharaoh) people, who were afflicting you with a horrible torment,) meaning, `I - Allah - saved you from them and delivered you from their hands in the company of Musa, after they subjected you to horrible torture.' This favor came after the cursed Pharaoh had a dream in which he saw a fire emerge from Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and then the fire entered the houses of the Coptics in Egypt, with the exception of the Children of Israel. Its purport was that his kingship would be toppled by a man among the Children of Israel. It was also said that some of Pharaoh's entourage said that the Children of Israel were expecting a man among them to arise who would establish a state for them. We will mention the Hadith on this subject when we explain Surat Ta Ha (20), Allah willing.

After the dream, Pharaoh ordered that every newborn male among the Children of Israel be killed and that the girls be left alone. He also commanded that the Children of Israel be given tasks of hard labor and assigned the most humiliating jobs.

The torment here refers to killing the male infants. In Surat Ibrahim (14) this meaning is clearly mentioned,يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ(Who were afflicting you with horrible torment, and were slaughtering your sons and letting your women live.) (14:6).

We will explain this Ayah in the beginning of Surat Al-Qasas (28), Allah willing, and our reliance and trust are with Him.

The meaning of,يَسُومُونَكُمْ(who were afflicting you) is, "They humiliated you," as Abu `Ubaydah stated. It was also said that it means, "They used to exaggerate in tormenting you" according to Al-Qurtubi. As for Allah saying,يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ(killing your sons and sparing your women) that explains His statement,يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ(who were afflicting you with horrible torment) then it explains the meaning of the favor He gave them, as mentioned in His statement,اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِى أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ(Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you).

As for what Allah said in Surat Ibrahim,وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ(And remind them of the annals of Allah) (14:5) meaning, the favors and blessing He granted them, He then said,يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ(Who were afflicting you with horrible torment, and were slaughtering your sons and letting your women live.) (14:6)So Allah mentioned saving their children from being slaughtered in order to remind them of the many favors that He granted them.

We should state here that `Pharaoh' (Fir`awn) is a title that was given to every disbelieving king who ruled Egypt, whether from the `Amaliq (Canaanites) or otherwise, just as Caesar (Qaysar) is the title of the disbelieving kings who ruled Rome and Damascus. Also, Khosrau (Kisra) is the title of the kings who ruled Persia, while Tubb`a is the title of the kings of Yemen, and the kings of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) were called Negus (An-Najashi).

Allah said,وَفِى ذَلِكُمْ بَلاَءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ(And therein was a mighty trial from your Lord.)Ibn Jarir commented that this part of the Ayah means, "Our saving your fathers from the torment that they suffered by the hand of Pharaoh, is a great blessing from your Lord." We should mention that in the blessing there a is test, the same as with hardship, for Allah said,وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً(And We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good) (21:35) and,وَبَلَوْنَـهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَـتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ(And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to obey Allah.)) (7:168).

Allah's statement next,وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَـكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَا ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ(And (remember) when We separated the sea for you and saved you and drowned Fir`awn's (Pharaoh) people while you were watching) means, `After We saved you from Fir`awn and you escaped with Musa; Fir`awn went out in your pursuit and We parted the sea for you.' Allah mentioned this story in detail, as we will come to know, Allah willing. One of the shortest references to this story is Allah's statement,فَأَنجَيْنَـكُمْ(And saved you) meaning, "We saved you from them, drowning them while you watched, bringing relief to your hearts and humiliation to your enemy."Fasting the Day of `Ashura

It was reported that the day the Children of Israel were saved from Fir`awn was called the day of `Ashura'. Imam Ahmad reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Al-Madinah and found that the Jews were fasting the day of `Ashura'. He asked them, "What is this day that you fast" They said, "This is a good day during which Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy, and Musa used to fast this day." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«أَنَا أَحَقُّ بِمُوسَى مِنْكُم»(I have more right to Musa than you have.)So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fasted that day and ordered that it be fasted. This Hadith was collected by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

Verse 47 had spoken of the special favours shown to the Israelites by Allah. Now, with Verse 49 begins the account of these favours.

Someone had made a prediction to the Pharaoh (فرعون) that a child was going to be born among the Israelites who would destroy his kingship. So, he began slaughtering all the male infants as soon as they were born. But he would spare the females, as there was nothing to fear from them, and, moreover, they could, on growing up, serve as maid-servants. So, even this leniency was motivated by self-interest. What the verse refers to as "a great trial" is either the slaughter of the sons - which was a calamity, and it is the quality of patience that is tested in a calamity - or the deliverance from the people of the Pharaoh - which was a blessing, and it is the quality of thankfulness which is tested when one receives a blessing.

The next verse gives us the details about this deliverance.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

واذكروا نعمتنا عليكم حين أنقذناكم من بطش فرعون وأتباعه، وهم يُذيقونكم أشدَّ العذاب، فيُكثِرون مِن ذَبْح أبنائكم، ويستبقون نساءكم للخدمة والامتهان. وفي ذلك اختبار لكم من ربكم، وفي إنجائكم منه نعمة عظيمة، تستوجب شكر الله تعالى في كل عصوركم وأجيالكم.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

قول تعالى : واذكروا يا بني إسرائيل نعمتي عليكم إذ نجيناكم من آل فرعون أي :خلصتكم منهم وأنقذتكم من أيديهم صحبة موسى ، عليه السلام ، وقد كانوا يسومونكم ، أي : يوردونكم ويذيقونكم ويولونكم سوء العذاب .

وذلك أن فرعون - لعنه الله - كان قد رأى رؤيا هالته ، رأى نارا خرجت من بيت المقدس فدخلت دور القبط ببلاد مصر ، إلا بيوت بني إسرائيل ، مضمونها أن زوال ملكه يكون على يدي رجل من بني إسرائيل ، ويقال : بل تحدث سماره عنده بأن بني إسرائيل يتوقعون خروج رجل منهم ، يكون لهم به دولة ورفعة ، وهكذا جاء في حديث الفتون ، كما سيأتي في موضعه [ في سورة طه ] إن شاء الله ، فعند ذلك أمر فرعون - لعنه الله - بقتل كل [ ذي ] ذكر يولد بعد ذلك من بني إسرائيل ، وأن تترك البنات ، وأمر باستعمال بني إسرائيل في مشاق الأعمال وأراذلها .وهاهنا فسر العذاب بذبح الأبناء ، وفي سورة إبراهيم عطف عليه ، كما قال : ( يسومونكم سوء العذاب ويذبحون أبناءكم ويستحيون نساءكم ) [ إبراهيم : 6 ] وسيأتي تفسير ذلك في أول سورة القصص ، إن شاء الله تعالى ، وبه الثقة والمعونة والتأييد .ومعنى ( يسومونكم ) أي : يولونكم ، قاله أبو عبيدة ، كما يقال : سامه خطة خسف إذا أولاه إياها ، قال عمرو بن كلثوم :إذا ما الملك سام الناس خسفا أبينا أن نقر الخسف فيناوقيل : معناه : يديمون عذابكم ، كما يقال : سائمة الغنم من إدامتها الرعي ، نقله القرطبي ، وإنما قال هاهنا : ( يذبحون أبناءكم ويستحيون نساءكم ) ليكون ذلك تفسيرا للنعمة عليهم في قوله : ( يسومونكم سوء العذاب ) ثم فسره بهذا لقوله هاهنا ( اذكروا نعمتي التي أنعمت عليكم ) وأما في سورة إبراهيم فلما قال : ( وذكرهم بأيام الله ) [ إبراهيم : 5 ] ، أي : بأياديه ونعمه عليهم فناسب أن يقول هناك : ( يسومونكم سوء العذاب ويذبحون أبناءكم ويستحيون نساءكم ) فعطف عليه الذبح ليدل على تعدد النعم والأيادي .وفرعون علم على كل من ملك مصر ، كافرا من العماليق وغيرهم ، كما أن قيصر علم على كل من ملك الروم مع الشام كافرا ، وكسرى لكل من ملك الفرس ، وتبع لمن ملك اليمن كافرا [ والنجاشي لمن ملك الحبشة ، وبطليموس لمن ملك الهند ] ويقال : كان اسم فرعون الذي كان في زمن موسى ، عليه السلام ، الوليد بن مصعب بن الريان ، وقيل : مصعب بن الريان ، أيا ما كان فعليه لعنة الله ، [ وكان من سلالة عمليق بن داود بن إرم بن سام بن نوح ، وكنيته أبو مرة ، وأصله فارسي من استخر ] .وقوله تعالى : ( وفي ذلكم بلاء من ربكم عظيم ) قال ابن جرير : وفي الذي فعلنا بكم من إنجائنا إياكم مما كنتم فيه من عذاب آل فرعون بلاء لكم من ربكم عظيم .

أي : نعمة عظيمة عليكم في ذلك .وقال علي بن أبي طلحة ، عن ابن عباس [ في ] قوله : ( بلاء من ربكم عظيم ) قال : نعمة . وقال مجاهد : ( بلاء من ربكم عظيم ) قال : نعمة من ربكم عظيمة . وكذا قال أبو العالية ، وأبو مالك ، والسدي ، وغيرهم .وأصل البلاء : الاختبار ، وقد يكون بالخير والشر ، كما قال تعالى : ( ونبلوكم بالشر والخير فتنة ) [ الأنبياء : 25 ] ، وقال : ( وبلوناهم بالحسنات والسيئات ) [ الأعراف : 168 ] .قال ابن جرير : وأكثر ما يقال في الشر : بلوته أبلوه بلاء ، وفي الخير : أبليه إبلاء وبلاء ، قال زهير بن أبي سلمى :جزى الله بالإحسان ما فعلا بكم وأبلاهما خير البلاء الذي يبلوقال : فجمع بين اللغتين ؛ لأنه أراد فأنعم الله عليهما خير النعم التي يختبر بها عباده .[ وقيل : المراد بقوله : ( وفي ذلكم بلاء ) إشارة إلى ما كانوا فيه من العذاب المهين من ذبح الأبناء واستحياء النساء ؛ قال القرطبي : وهذا قول الجمهور ولفظه بعدما حكى القول الأول ، ثم قال : وقال الجمهور : الإشارة إلى الذبح ونحوه ، والبلاء هاهنا في الشر ، والمعنى في الذبح مكروه وامتحان ] .

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