English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 10: Yunus — Jonah (Revealed at Makkah: 11 sections, 109 verses)
Section 9 (Verses 10:83–10:92): End of Opposition to Moses
Translation:
فَمَاۤ اٰمَنَ لِمُوۡسٰۤی اِلَّا ذُرِّیَّۃٌ مِّنۡ قَوۡمِہٖ عَلٰی خَوۡفٍ مِّنۡ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَ مَلَا۠ئِہِمۡ اَنۡ یَّفۡتِنَہُمۡ ؕ وَ اِنَّ فِرۡعَوۡنَ لَعَالٍ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ۚ وَ اِنَّہٗ لَمِنَ الۡمُسۡرِفِیۡنَ ﴿۸۳﴾
10:83 But, on account of the fear of Pharaoh and their chiefs persecuting them, none believed in Moses except a few of his people.1 And Pharaoh was truly high-handed in the land; and surely he was one committing excesses.
وَ قَالَ مُوۡسٰی یٰقَوۡمِ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اٰمَنۡتُمۡ بِاللّٰہِ فَعَلَیۡہِ تَوَکَّلُوۡۤا اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مُّسۡلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۸۴﴾
10:84 And Moses said: My people, if you believe in Allah, then rely on Him if you submit (to Him).
فَقَالُوۡا عَلَی اللّٰہِ تَوَکَّلۡنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا لَا تَجۡعَلۡنَا فِتۡنَۃً لِّلۡقَوۡمِ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۸۵﴾
10:85 They said: On Allah we rely; our Lord, do not make us a trial for the unjust people.
وَ نَجِّنَا بِرَحۡمَتِکَ مِنَ الۡقَوۡمِ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ ﴿۸۶﴾
10:86 And deliver us by Your mercy from the disbelieving people.
وَ اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلٰی مُوۡسٰی وَ اَخِیۡہِ اَنۡ تَبَوَّاٰ لِقَوۡمِکُمَا بِمِصۡرَ بُیُوۡتًا وَّ اجۡعَلُوۡا بُیُوۡتَکُمۡ قِبۡلَۃً وَّ اَقِیۡمُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ ؕ وَ بَشِّرِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۸۷﴾
10:87 And We revealed to Moses and his brother: Take for your people houses to abide in Egypt and make your houses places of worship2 and keep up prayer. And give good news to the believers.
وَ قَالَ مُوۡسٰی رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّکَ اٰتَیۡتَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَ مَلَاَہٗ زِیۡنَۃً وَّ اَمۡوَالًا فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ۙ رَبَّنَا لِیُضِلُّوۡا عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِکَ ۚ رَبَّنَا اطۡمِسۡ عَلٰۤی اَمۡوَالِہِمۡ وَ اشۡدُدۡ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ فَلَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡا حَتّٰی یَرَوُا الۡعَذَابَ الۡاَلِیۡمَ ﴿۸۸﴾
10:88 And Moses said: Our Lord, surely You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs finery and riches in this world’s life, our Lord, that they may lead (people) astray from Your way.3 Our Lord, destroy their riches and harden their hearts, so that they do not believe till they see the painful punishment.4
قَالَ قَدۡ اُجِیۡبَتۡ دَّعۡوَتُکُمَا فَاسۡتَقِیۡمَا وَ لَا تَتَّبِعٰٓنِّ سَبِیۡلَ الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۸۹﴾
10:89 He said: Your prayer is accepted; so continue in the right way and do not follow the path of those who do not know.
وَ جٰوَزۡنَا بِبَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ الۡبَحۡرَ فَاَتۡبَعَہُمۡ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَ جُنُوۡدُہٗ بَغۡیًا وَّ عَدۡوًا ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَاۤ اَدۡرَکَہُ الۡغَرَقُ ۙ قَالَ اٰمَنۡتُ اَنَّہٗ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا الَّذِیۡۤ اٰمَنَتۡ بِہٖ بَنُوۡۤا اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ وَ اَنَا مِنَ الۡمُسۡلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۹۰﴾
10:90 And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea. Then Pharaoh and his armies followed them for oppression and tyranny, till, when drowning overtook him, he said: I believe that there is no god but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who submit.5
آٰلۡـٰٔنَ وَ قَدۡ عَصَیۡتَ قَبۡلُ وَ کُنۡتَ مِنَ الۡمُفۡسِدِیۡنَ ﴿۹۱﴾
10:91 What! Now! And indeed before (this) you disobeyed and you were a mischief-maker!
فَالۡیَوۡمَ نُنَجِّیۡکَ بِبَدَنِکَ لِتَکُوۡنَ لِمَنۡ خَلۡفَکَ اٰیَۃً ؕ وَ اِنَّ کَثِیۡرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنۡ اٰیٰتِنَا لَغٰفِلُوۡنَ ﴿٪۹۲﴾
10:92 But this day We shall save you in your body that you may be a sign to those after you. And surely most of the people are heedless of Our signs.6
Commentary:
- The Israelites believed in Moses as the verses that follow show. By his people, therefore, are meant Pharaoh’s wife (66:11) and a believer (40:28). ↩
- The qiblah is that facing which one prays, and therefore it indicates a place of worship. The Israelites were obliged to pray in their houses because they did not enjoy full religious liberty in Egypt and had no public places of worship. ↩
- The significance is not that God had granted them riches to mislead people, but that this was the end for which they used their riches. ↩
- Pharaoh and his people did not care for either arguments or signs. Moses therefore now prays for their punishment. ↩
- In the agonies of death, even pronounced atheists have sometimes recognized the existence of God. ↩
- That the body was really cast ashore, though the Bible does not mention it, is clear from the fact that the body of Rameses II, who is regarded as the Pharaoh of Moses, has been discovered as preserved among the mummies in Egypt. This is another instance of the insufficiency of the Bible narrative and of the truth of the Quranic statement where it supplements the Bible. The discovery now made could not have been known to the Holy Prophet; it was not known to any person in the world till very recently. ↩