When Allah commanded him to go to Fir`awn, the one who he had run away from
and whose vengeance he feared,
[قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى
قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْساً]
( Musa said: My Lord! I have killed a man among them,) meaning, that Coptic,
[فَأَخَافُ أَن
يَقْتُلُونِ]
(and I fear that they will kill me.) i.e., `when they see me.'
[وَأَخِى هَـرُونُ
هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّى لِسَاناً]
(And my brother Harun -- he is more eloquent in speech than me,) Musa, peace
be upon him, had a speech defect, because when he had been given the choice
between a date and a pearl, he mistakenly picked up a coal and placed it on his
tongue, so he found it difficult to speak clearly. Musa said:
[وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً
مِّن لِّسَانِى - يَفْقَهُواْ قَوْلِي - وَاجْعَل لِّى وَزِيراً مِّنْ أَهْلِى -
هَـرُونَ أَخِى - اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِى - وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِى أَمْرِى ]
("And loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue. That they understand my
speech. And appoint for me a helper from my family, Harun, my brother. Increase
my strength with him, And let him share my task.'') (20:27-32) meaning, `give me
someone to keep me company in this immense task of prophethood and conveying the
Message to this arrogant, tyrannical and stubborn king. ' Hence Musa said:
[وَأَخِى هَـرُونُ
هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّى لِسَاناً فَأَرْسِلْهِ مَعِىَ رِدْءاً]
(And my brother Harun -- he is more eloquent in speech than me: so send him
with me as a helper) meaning, as a support to give strength to my cause and
confirm what I say and convey from Allah, because the word of two carries more
weight in people's minds than the word of one. So he said:
[إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن
يُكَذِّبُونِ]
(Verily, I fear that they will deny me.) Muhammad bin Ishaq said: c
[رِدْءاً
يُصَدِّقُنِى]
(as a helper to confirm me.) means, `to explain to them what I say, for he
can understand me where they may not.' When Musa asked for this, Allah said to
him:
[سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ
بِأَخِيكَ]
(We will strengthen your arm through your brother,) meaning, `We will add
strength to your cause and give you help through your brother, who you have
asked to be made a Prophet alongside you.' This is like the Ayat;
[قَدْ أُوتِيتَ
سُؤْلَكَ يمُوسَى]
(You are granted your request, O Musa!) (20:36)
[وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ
مِن رَّحْمَتِنَآ أَخَاهُ هَـرُونَ نَبِيّاً ]
(And We granted him his brother Harun, (also) a Prophet, out of Our mercy)
(19:53). One of the Salaf said, "There is no one who has ever done a greater
favor to his brother than Musa did for Harun, may peace be upon them both, for
he interceded for him until Allah made him a Prophet and Messenger with him to
Fir`awn and his chiefs. Allah said concerning Musa:
[وَكَانَ عِندَ
اللَّهِ وَجِيهاً]
(he was honorable before Allah) (33:69).
[وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا
سُلْطَـناً]
(and (We will) give you both power) means, overwhelming evidence.
[فَلاَ يَصِلُونَ
إِلَيْكُمَا بِـْايَـتِنَآ]
(so they shall not be able to harm you, with Our Ayat;) means, `they will
have no way or means of harming you because you are conveying the signs of
Allah.' This is like the Ayat:
[يَـأَيُّهَا
الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ]
(O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from
your Lord.) until His saying:
[وَاللَّهُ
يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ]
(Allah will protect you from mankind) (5:67).
[الَّذِينَ
يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالـتِ اللَّهِ]
(Those who convey the Message of Allah) until His saying:
[وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ
حَسِيباً]
(And sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner) (33:39). And sufficient is Allah as a
Helper and Supporter. And Allah told them the consequences in this world and the
next, for them and for those who followed them,
[أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ
اتَّبَعَكُمَا الْغَـلِبُونَ]
(you two as well as those who follow you will be the victors.) This is like
the Ayat:
[كَتَبَ اللَّهُ
لاّغْلِبَنَّ أَنَاْ وَرُسُلِى إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ ]
(Allah has decreed: "Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the
victorious.'' Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.) (58:21)
[إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ
رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا]
(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe
in this world's life) (40:51) to the end of the Ayah.
[فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم
مُّوسَى بِـَايَـتِنَا بَيِّنَـتٍ قَالُواْ مَا هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّفْتَرًى
وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَـذَا فِى ءَابَآئِنَا الاٌّوَّلِينَ - وَقَالَ مُوسَى رَبِّى
أَعْلَمُ بِمَن جَآءَ بِالْهُدَى مِنْ عِندِهِ وَمَن تَكُونُ لَهُ عَـقِبَةُ
الدَّارِ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الظَّـلِمُونَ ]
(36. Then when Musa came to them with Our Clear Ayat, they said: "This is
nothing but invented magic. Never did we hear of this among our fathers of
old.'') (37. Musa said: "My Lord knows best him who came with guidance from Him,
and whose will be the happy end in the Hereafter. Verily, the wrongdoers will
not be successful.'')