سُوْرَةُ يُوْنُسَ
Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 88
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ ءَاتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَهُۥ زِينَةً وَأَمْوَٰلًا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِكَ ۖ رَبَّنَا ٱطْمِسْ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَٱشْدُدْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ ﴿88﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Mûsâ (Moses) said: "Our Lord! You have indeed bestowed on Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) and his chiefs splendour and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord! that they may lead men astray from Your Path. Our Lord! Destroy their wealth, and harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And Musa said
مُوسَىٰ
mūsā
And Musa said
رَبَّنَآ
rabbanā
Our Lord
إِنَّكَ
innaka
Indeed, You
ءَاتَيْتَ
ātayta
have given
فِرْعَوْنَ
fir'ʿawna
Firaun
وَمَلَأَهُۥ
wamala-ahu
and his chiefs
زِينَةًۭ
zīnatan
splendor
وَأَمْوَٰلًۭا
wa-amwālan
and wealth
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
رَبَّنَا
rabbanā
Our Lord
لِيُضِلُّوا۟
liyuḍillū
That they may lead astray
عَن
ʿan
from
سَبِيلِكَ ۖ
sabīlika
Your way
رَبَّنَا
rabbanā
Our Lord
ٱطْمِسْ
iṭ'mis
Destroy
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
[on]
أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ
amwālihim
their wealth
وَٱشْدُدْ
wa-ush'dud
and harden
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
[on]
قُلُوبِهِمْ
qulūbihim
their hearts
فَلَا
falā
so (that) not
يُؤْمِنُوا۟
yu'minū
they believe
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يَرَوُا۟
yarawū
they see
ٱلْعَذَابَ
l-ʿadhāba
the punishment
ٱلْأَلِيمَ
l-alīma
the painful
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
88. 1. When Musa (Moses) (AS) saw that neither admonition nor advice had any effect on Pharaoh and his people, and even after witnessing miracles there was no change in them, then he supplicated against them. Allah has mentioned that supplication here.
88. 2. That is, even if they do believe, it will be after seeing the punishment, which will not benefit them. Here, one should not be confused by thinking that prophets pray for guidance, not for destruction. This is because, after invitation, preaching, and exhausting all arguments in every possible way, when it becomes clear that there is no hope left for them to believe, then the last resort is to leave the matter of that nation to Allah. This is, in fact, Allah’s will, which is uttered involuntarily by the prophet, just as Prophet Nuh (Noah) (AS), after preaching for nine hundred and fifty years, finally supplicated against his people: "رب لاتذر علی الارض من الکافرین دیارا" (O Lord, do not leave a single disbeliever dwelling on the earth).
88. 2. That is, even if they do believe, it will be after seeing the punishment, which will not benefit them. Here, one should not be confused by thinking that prophets pray for guidance, not for destruction. This is because, after invitation, preaching, and exhausting all arguments in every possible way, when it becomes clear that there is no hope left for them to believe, then the last resort is to leave the matter of that nation to Allah. This is, in fact, Allah’s will, which is uttered involuntarily by the prophet, just as Prophet Nuh (Noah) (AS), after preaching for nine hundred and fifty years, finally supplicated against his people: "رب لاتذر علی الارض من الکافرین دیارا" (O Lord, do not leave a single disbeliever dwelling on the earth).
