The Quran Asks 26-11

And when your Fosterer called out to Musa, that, “Go to the unjust people, people of Firawn. Will they not guard (against evil)?” (Al Quran, Surah Ash Shuara, Chapter 26: Verses 10-11)

The above verses shall be understood in context with the following verses and subsequent explanation:

26-10: And when your Fosterer called out to Musa, that, “Go to the unjust people,
26-11: people of Firawn. Will they not guard (against evil)?”
26-12: He said, “My Fosterer! I fear that they will deny me,
26-13: further, my bosom straitens and my language is not fluent, so send for Harun (to help me).
26-14: And they have (the charge of) a crime against me so I fear that they will kill me.”
26-15: He said, “By no means, so both of you go with Our signs, We are with you, Hearing.
26-16: So go to Firawn then say: We are sent (by) the Fosterer of the worlds (with a message)
26-17: that you should send the children of Israel with us.”
26-18: He (Firawn) said, “Were you not fostered among us as a child? And you did stay among us for many years of your life,
26-19: and you did that deed of yours which you did and you are of the ungrateful ones.”
26-20: He said, “I did it then, when I was of those in error,
26-21: so I fled from you when I feared you, but my Fosterer granted me wisdom and made me one of the messengers.
26-22: Now (should) that favour with which you favoured me (become the cause) for your enslaving the children of Isreal?”
26-23: Firawn said, “And who is the Fosterer of the worlds?”
26-24: He said, “The Fosterer of the skies and the earth and that which is between them, if you (want) to be of those who are certain.”
26-25: He said to those around him, “Do you not hear?”
26-26: He said, “Your Fosterer and the Fosterer of your ancient fathers.”
26-27: He said, “Your messenger who has been sent to you is certainly possessed by jinn.”
26-28: He said, “Fosterer of the east and the west and that which is between them, if you have sense.”
26-29: He said, “If you take a god other than me I will definitely place you among the prisoners.”
26-30: He said, “Even if I bring to you something as a clear proof?”
26-31: He said, “Then bring it, if you are of the truthful ones.”
26-32: So he threw down his staff when it became a clear serpent,
26-33: and he drew out his hand when it became white for those who were seeing. (R2)
26-34: He (Firawn) said to the leaders (of his community) around him, “This is certainly a learned magician,
26-35: he intends to drive you out from your land by his magic, so what do you advise?”
26-36: They said, “Keep him and his brother (waiting) in hope and send into the cities (your officials) who gather (people)
26-37: (so that) they should bring to you every learned magician.”
26-38: So the magicians were gathered at the appointed time on a known day.
26-39: And it was said to the people, “Will you gather,
26-40: so that we may follow the magicians if they are the winners?”
26-41: So when the magicians came, they said to Firawn, “Is there a sure reward for us if we are the winners?”
26-42: He said, “Yes, then you will certainly be of those who are near (to me).”
26-43: Musa said to them, “Cast down what you are going to cast down.”
26-44: So they cast down their ropes and their rods and said, “By the might of Firawn we will certainly be winners.”
26-45: Then Musa cast down his staff when it swallowed that which they had falsely devised.
26-46: Consequently the magicians were thrown down prostrating.
26-47: They said, “We believe in the Fosterer of the worlds,
26-48: Fosterer of Musa and Harun.”
26-49: He (Firawn) said, “You believe in him before I give you permission, he is certainly your chief who taught you magic, but you will know, I will definitely cut off your hands and your feet from opposite sides and I will definitely crucify you all together.”
26-50: They said, “No harm, we will return to our Fosterer,
26-51: we certainly hope that our Fosterer will protectively forgive us our faults, because we are the first of the believers.” (R3)
26-52: And We communicated to Musa that, “Take away my servants by night, you will be pursued.”
26-53: So Firawn sent into the cities (his officials) who gathered (people)
26-54: (saying), “They are certainly a small party
26-55: and they have angered us
26-56: and we are an alert army.”
26-57: Thus did We drive them out from gardens and springs
26-58: and treasures and an honored position.
26-59: Like that (it happened). And We made the children of Israel to inherit them.
26-60: So they pursued them at sunrise.
26-61: So when the two parties saw each other, the companions of Musa said, “We are caught.”
26-62: He said, “By no means, My Fosterer is certainly with me, He will guide me.”
26-63: So We communicated to Musa that, “Strike the sea with your staff,” so it was split and each part became like a great mountain.
26-64: And We brought others near, there (at the same place),
26-65: and We delivered Musa and those with him, all together,
26-66: then We drowned the others.
26-67: In that there is certainly a sign, but the majority of them does not believe.
26-68: And your Fosterer, He is certainly the Mighty, the Merciful. (R4)

Musa (PBH) He was sent to Firawn and his people (Chapter 20: Verse 24), Firawn was the king of Egypt (Chapter 43: Verse 51) and considered himself great in the earth (Chapter 10: Verse 83). He inflicted severe punishment on the Bani Israel, killing their sons and letting their daughters live (Chapter 2: Verse 49). Musa (PBH) was ordered by Allah (SWT) to deliver the Bani Israel from these tortures (Chapter 7: Verse 105). The history of Musa (PBH) starts from his birth when Allah (SWT) communicated to his mother to put him (i.e. the new born baby) into a box and put the box in the river (Nile). He informed her that the river will cast him on the bank and the people of Firawn will pick him up. Allah (SWT) had cast His love on Musa (PBH) it was probably due to this that Firawn’s wife pleaded not to kill him and thus he was saved from slaughter. Musa (PBH) as a baby would not drink milk. His sister who was vigilantly following him trickishly recommended the house of his mother for suckling him without revealing who he was. Thus Musa (PBH) was restored to his mother for suckling but he lived in the palace of Firawn and was brought up as a prince by his own enemy who did not realize that this child would grow up to become the cause of his death (Chapter 20: Verses 39-40, Chapter 28: Verses 7-14). Musa (PBH) grew up and was granted wisdom and knowledge. One day when he was in the city, a member of his own community i.e. Bani Israel who was fighting with an Egyptian sought his help and in response to this Musa (PBH) struck the Egyptian who died. Musa (PBH) had no intention of killing him so he immediately sought the forgiveness of Allah (SWT) which was granted to him. Next day when he entered the city the same person from his community was again fighting with someone and he again sought Musa’s (PBH) help. When Musa (PBH) intended to catch this man from his own community and punish him for being quarrelsome, he said, “Do you intend to kill me as you killed a man yesterday?” This news reached the palace and someone secretly informed Musa (PBH) that the Egyptians were planning to kill him in retaliation. He therefore escaped to Midian (Chapter 28: Verses 14-22). [Musa (PBH) probably realized that the whole system was corrupt and there was no use in surrendering and pleading ‘Not guilty’ because the murder was neither planned nor intentional] On reaching Midian he found two ladies waiting for water for their cattle because many men were busy doing this at the watering place. Musa (PBH) helped these two ladies who were probably the daughters of prophet Shuaib (PBH) and who later on took him to their father to whom he narrated his story. Musa (PBH) was married to one of the two sisters and he stayed at Midian for 8 to 10 years (Chapter 28: Verses 23-28). He was once traveling with his family when he saw a fire on Mount Tuur. When he came near to the fire Allah (SWT) spoke to him and ordered him to go to Firawn and deliver Bani Israel from the tortures they were undergoing. As proof of his prophethood he was given two of the total nine miracles (Chapter 17: Verse 101). His wooden staff became a live snake and his hand became white, He was permitted to take Haruun (PBH) his brother to help him in his mission (Chapter 28: Verses 29-35) Firawn and his chiefs saw the miracles but considered them to be magic, therefore to defeat Musa (PBH) he arranged for his competition with magicians. The wooden staff of Musa (PBH) ate away all the items of magic of the magicians who realizing the truth of the miracle of Musa (PBH) fell down prostrating before Allah (SWT) (Chapter 20: Verses 56-70).

Firawn and his people witnessed the whole affair and were later involved in various calamities still they did not allow Bani Israel to go with Musa (PBH) (Chapter 7: Verses 130-135). One day Musa (PBH) took Bani Israel secretly across the Red Sea when Allah (SWT) had caused a dry path in it, holding the water like huge walls. Firawn and his army followed Bani Israel but when they were midway, the water held in the form of walls flowed in their direction. Thus Allah (SWT) saved the Bani Israel and drowned Firawn and his army (Chapter 26: Verses 53-67). Before his death Firawn declared that he believed in the God in whom Bani Israel believed and that he was of those who submit (as Muslims) Firawn’s dead body was saved (Chapter 10: Verses 90-93) and was later on preserved as a mummy in Egypt (Encyclopedia Britanica), Bani Israel later did many things which pained Musa (PBH). They took the calf for worship (Chapter 20: Verses 80-98). They wanted to see Allah (SWT) (Chapter 2: Verse 55). They requested Musa (PBH) to make for them idols for worship (Chapter 7: Verses 138-141) and they rejected prophet Muhammed (PBH) and the Quran (Chapter 2: Verses 89-91).

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