Surah Yunus (Section 9)

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. And Pharaoh was truly high-handed in the land; and surely he was extravagant.^a

فَمَآ ءَامَنَ لِمُوسَىٰٓ إِلَّا ذُرِّيَّةٌۭ مِّن قَوْمِهِۦ عَلَىٰ خَوْفٍۢ مِّن فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِمْ أَن يَفْتِنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ لَعَالٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ (۸۳)

10-83a: For ذُرِّيَّةٌۭ see 2-124b and it includes everyone – father, son, progeny, and women, as in: أَنَّا حَمَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلْمَشْحُونِ (We bear their offspring in the laden ship) (36:41) (LA). According to one hadith the Holy Prophet saw the body of a woman who had been killed in the battle and he said that she should not have been made the target of combat. He than sent a person to Khalid and commanded: لا تقتل ذریة و لا عسیفا. Ibn al Athir interprets ذریة in this statement as: یجمع نسل الانسان من ذکر و انثی  (the purport is human progeny – men and women, both are included in it).

In ذُرِّيَّةٌۭ مِّن قَوْمِهِۦ some commentators have taken it to mean the Israelites and others have taken it to mean the people of Pharoah, but the first view is preferable (IJ) because it suits the context, and the forthcoming narration is about the Israelites. According to Ibn Abbas, by ذریة is meant a few , that is a small number of people, while others have taken it to mean the offspring only, their parents having passed away in the time that had elapsed. 

The pronoun their in مَلَإِي۟هِمْ (their chiefs) stands for  ذریة with regard to the meaning or to the people, or the chiefs of Pharoah who are called the chiefs of Bani Israel because the latter were an enslaved nation, or by مَلَإِي۟هِمْ are meant the actual elders of Bani Israel because Pharoah used them to inflict cruelty on the Bani Israel as was the case with Korah. As a general rule, selfish people in search of personal wealth and influence are quite willing to betray their people. There are many among the Muslims of today who sell their nation for the price of getting a post in government, or an award. The purport is that many people from the Bani Israel did not believe out of the fear of the Pharoah and their own chiefs. This narration pertains to the early period of Moses’ apostleship, and the mention here is not about the People of Pharoah, although a few among them did believe in Moses, as for example the enchanters and the believer after whom Surah Mumin is named.

10-84 And Moses said: O my people, if you believe in Allah, then rely on Him if you submit (to Him).

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِن كُنتُمْ ءَامَنتُم بِٱللَّهِ فَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلُوٓا۟ إِن كُنتُم مُّسْلِمِينَ (۸۴)

10-85 They said: On Allah we rely; our Lord, make us not a trial for the unjust people.^a

فَقَالُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةًۭ لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (۸۵)

10-85a: فِتْنَةًۭ – The literal meaning of فِتْنَةًۭ is affliction and chastisement, but the meaning here of فِتْنَةًۭ is place, that is they are asking for deliverance from the place in which they faced torture and torment afflicted on them by Pharoah.

10-86 And deliver us by Thy mercy from the disbelieving people.

 وَنَجِّنَا بِرَحْمَتِكَ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ (۸۶)

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 worship and keep up prayer. And give good news to the believers.^a

وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَأَخِيهِ أَن تَبَوَّءَا لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًۭا وَٱجْعَلُوا۟ بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةًۭ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (۸۷)

10-87a: قِبْلَةًۭ –قِبْلَةًۭ is used metaphorically here to mean places of worship, just as in another place by مُصَلًّۭى or place of prayer is meant قِبْلَه , for which see 2-125b.

The arrangement for the deliverance of Bani Israel: The Bani Israel were already residing in Egypt, so what is the meaning of this revelation to Moses? Moses was command to free his people from the enslavement of Pharoah, and so the first demand of Moses to Pharoah was to allow Bani Israel to go with him as stated in: فَأَرْسِلْ مَعِىَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ (so let the Children of Israel go with me) (7:105). However, Pharoah turned down the request and increased the severity of his cruelty and oppression on Bani Israel. The long period of enslavement through which the Bani Israel had passed had deprived them of excellent virtues necessary for kingship and hence it was commanded that they would have to stay in Egypt for sometimes more. This stay though was not to be unproductive and so Bani Israel was commanded to make their houses places of worship and to engage themselves in worshipping Allah and praying so that they become moral beings with excellent virtues as stated elsewhere: ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ (Ask help from Allah) (7:128). This was the remedy for their difficulties. It is not an easy job to inculcate high virtues in a nation when its moral condition has sunk to a low level, and this job requires a long period. Today Muslims do not care for this clear lesson and make obtaining authority as their first and last objective and in its pursuit, they keep wandering here and there from the clearly stated way. Muslims do not try to reform their nation by the way in which, under similar circumstances, Allah commanded Moses to reform his nation.

Revelation to Aaron: This verse also reveals that Allah’s revelation occurred to both Moses and Aaron. The mention here is of two things, namely, to stay in Egypt and of prayer. All matters associated with worship were delegated to Aaron.

10-88 And Moses said: Our Lord, surely Thou hast given Pharaoh and his chiefs finery and riches in this world’s life, our Lord, that they may lead (people) astray from Thy way. Our Lord, destroy their riches and harden their hearts, so that they believe not till they see the painful chastisement.^a

 وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ ءَاتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَهُۥ زِينَةًۭ وَأَمْوَٰلًۭا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِكَ ۖ رَبَّنَا ٱطْمِسْ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَ  فَلَا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ (۸۸)

10-88a: لِيُضِلُّوا۟ – The ل in لِيُضِلُّوا۟ is called لام عاقبت (lam showing result, consequence or ramification). Thus, the meaning is not that Allah gave them wealth to lead people astray but that the consequence of giving them wealth was that they led people astray. 

ٱشْدُدْ – The meaning of شَدّ is to tie securely, as in: وَشَدَدْنَآ أَسْرَهُمْ (and made firm their make) (76:28) and فَشُدُّوا۟ ٱلْوَثَاقَ (make (them) prisoners) (47:4) (R). The meaning of شدّ علیه is حَمَلَ علیه (attacked him).

Moses prays for the destruction of Pharoah: This prayer of Moses was made at a time after all kinds of reasoning and signs had been presented to Pharoah. He had repeatedly promised to believe after seeing the signs but then went back on his words and simultaneously increased the oppression of the Israelites لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا ٱلرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ (If thou remove the plague from us, we will certainly believe in thee) (7:134). When a person does not reform as a result of small punishments, then more serious punishments follow and there is an indication to this effect in the last part of the verse. The thing that stopped Pharoah from believing was his riches and hence Moses prayed that the riches of Pharoah and his people be destroyed so that they would lose the riches that stopped them from believing. Most commentators have interpreted the meaning of ٱشْدُدْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ as to harden their hearts or to put a seal on their heart but if the relative pronoun of شد is علی then the thesaurus gives its meaning as to attack. The meaning of attacking their hearts is to separate the beloved things of the heart from it. In other words, the things whose love turned them away from the truth may be snatched away from them. However, if the meaning is taken to be to harden their hearts, then a prayer like this for the punishment of the enemies of truth is not objectionable even though it inclines towards harshness.

10-89 He said: Your prayer is accepted; so continue in the right way and follow not the path of those who know not.

قَالَ قَدْ أُجِيبَت دَّعْوَتُكُمَا فَٱسْتَقِيمَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعَآنِّ سَبِيلَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (۸۹)

10-90 And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea. Then Pharaoh and his hosts 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.^a

وَجَـٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ بَغْيًۭا وَعَدْوًا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَدْرَكَهُ ٱلْغَرَقُ قَالَ ءَامَنتُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَامَنَتْ بِهِۦ بَنُوٓا۟ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَأَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ (۹۰)

10-90a: There is no mention in the Bible about Pharoah’s repentance and that he expressed belief at the time of his death but the Quran has mentioned it and has related it to another affair, that is the washing ashore of Pharoah’s body, for which see verse 10:92. There is no mention of preserving Pharoah’s body in any book of history but today events have proved the Quranic assertion to be correct and this also testifies to the first affair, namely the repentance and belief of Pharoah. This establishes that Quran does not borrow from the Bible. The strange thing is that there is no mention of this in the Bible, but in the Talmud, during a commentary on Exodus 9:16, it is admitted that Pharoah had repented.

10-91 What! Now! And indeed before (this) thou didst disobey and thou wast of the mischief-makers!

 ءَآلْـَٔـٰنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ (۹۱)

10-92 But this day We shall save thee in thy body that thou mayest be a sign to those after thee. And surely most of the people are heedless of Our signs.

فَٱلْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ ءَايَةًۭ ۚ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا لَغَـٰفِلُونَ (۹۲)

10-92a: نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ (save thee in thy body) – The extension of the word body with save is to demonstrate that the body was without life (IJ).

Pharoah’s body and the miracle of the Quran: This is one of the signs out of the momentous signs testifying to the truth of the Quran. It conveyed information that was unknown at the time, and not only have the events proved its genuineness today but the supporting testimonies are so strong that nobody can deny them. There is no mention either in the Bible or any other book that Pharoah’s body was thrown out of the sea, but the Quran has mentioned this fact in such clear language that all commentators have been unanimous in interpreting that its meaning is that Allah caused Pharoah’s body to be thrown out of the sea. The name of the Pharoah that Moses contested with is, according to historical records, Ramses II and the Encyclopedia Brittanica states in its article on Mummies that the body of Ramses II is among the other bodies that are chemically preserved. Today the world must acknowledge the great prophecy in the words: لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ ءَايَةًۭ (that thou mayest be a sign) and to admit that this Quran is the word of the God Who knows what is hidden and what is in the future. Over thirteen hundred years ago an unlettered man of Arabia is made to manifest a thing that the world was not aware of but today events have proven it to be correct. There also appears to be an indication in most of the people are heedless that it is only after a long period in which the people did not know about this that the world will get to know the truth of the Quranic statement. No other scripture in the world can present such a clear proof of being from Allah the Knower of the unseen.