Allah mentions the conspiracy of Fir`awn and his people, their ill intentions
and their hatred for Musa and his people.
[وَقَالَ الْمَلأ مِن
قَوْمِ فِرْعَونَ]
(The chiefs of Fir`awn's people said), to Fir`awn,
[أَتَذَرُ مُوسَى
وَقَوْمَهُ]
("Will you leave Musa and his people''), will you let them be free,
[لِيُفْسِدُواْ فِى
الاٌّرْضِ]
("to spread mischief in the land''), spreading unrest among your subjects and
calling them to worship their Lord instead of you Amazingly, these people were
worried that Musa and his people would cause mischief! Rather, Fir`awn and his
people are the mischief-makers, but they did not realize it. They said,
[وَيَذَرَكَ
وَءالِهَتَكَ]
("and to abandon you and your gods'') `Your gods', according to Ibn `Abbas,
as As-Suddi narrated from him, "Were cows. Whenever they saw a beautiful cow,
Fir`awn would command them to worship it. This is why As-Samiri, made the statue
of a calf that seemed to moo for the Children of Israel.'' Fir`awn accepted his
people's recommendation, saying,
[سَنُقَتِّلُ
أَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِـى نِسَآءَهُمْ]
("We will kill their sons, and let their women live'') thus reiterating his
previous order concerning the Children of Israel. He had tormented them [killing
every newly born male] before Musa was born, so that Musa would not live.
However, the opposite of what Fir`awn sought and intended occurred. The same end
struck Fir`awn that he intended to subjugate and humiliate the Children of
Israel with. Allah gave victory to the Children of Israel, humiliated and
disgraced Fir`awn, and caused him to drown along with his soldiers. When Fir`awn
insisted on his evil plot against the Children of Israel,
[قَالَ مُوسَى
لِقَوْمِهِ اسْتَعِينُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَاصْبِرُواْ]
(Musa said to his people: "Seek help in Allah and be patient'') and promised
them that the good end will be theirs and that they will prevail, saying,
[إِنَّ الأَرْضَ
للَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَالْعَـقِبَةُ
لِلْمُتَّقِينَ]
قَالُواْ أُوذِينَا
مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِن بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا]
("Verily, the earth is Allah's. He gives it as a heritage to whom He wills of
His servants; and the (blessed) end is for the pious and righteous persons.''
They said: "We suffered troubles before you came to us, and since you have come
to us.'') The Children of Israel replied to Musa, `they (Fir`awn and his people)
inflicted humiliation and disgrace on us, some you witnessed, both before and
after you came to us, O Musa'! Musa replied, reminding them of their present
situation and how it will change in the future,
[عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن
يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ]
("It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy. ..'') encouraging them to
appreciate Allah when the afflictions are removed and replaced by a bounty.
[وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَآ
ءالَ فِرْعَوْنَ بِالسِّنِينَ وَنَقْصٍ مِّن الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ
يَذَّكَّرُونَ - فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ وَإِن
تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ أَلاَ إِنَّمَا
طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ]
(130. And indeed We punished the people of Fir`awn with years of drought and
lack of fruits (crops), that they might remember (take heed).) (131. But
whenever good came to them, they said: "This is for us.'' And if evil afflicted
them, they considered it an omen about Musa and those with him. Be informed!
Verily, their omens are with Allah but most of them know not.)