سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 49
وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَـٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ ﴿49﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when We delivered you from Fir‘aun’s (Pharaoh) people, who were afflicting you with a horrible torment, killing your sons and sparing your women, and therein was a mighty trial from your Lord.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
نَجَّيْنَـٰكُم
najjaynākum
We saved you
مِّنْ
min
from
ءَالِ
āli
(the) people
فِرْعَوْنَ
fir'ʿawna
(of) Firaun
يَسُومُونَكُمْ
yasūmūnakum
(who were) afflicting you (with)
سُوٓءَ
sūa
horrible
ٱلْعَذَابِ
l-ʿadhābi
torment
يُذَبِّحُونَ
yudhabbiḥūna
slaughtering
أَبْنَآءَكُمْ
abnāakum
your sons
وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ
wayastaḥyūna
and letting live
نِسَآءَكُمْ ۚ
nisāakum
your women
وَفِى
wafī
And in
ذَٰلِكُم
dhālikum
that
بَلَآءٌۭ
balāon
(was) a trial
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
your Lord
عَظِيمٌۭ
ʿaẓīmun
great
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 49) ➊ From here begins the detail of the favors bestowed upon the Children of Israel and the excellence granted to them.
➋ Tabari has narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Pharaoh and his courtiers consulted among themselves that the Children of Israel claim that Allah Almighty had promised Ibrahim (peace be upon him) that prophets and kings would be born from his descendants (so something should be done about them). So, by mutual consultation, they unanimously decided to appoint men who would carry knives and roam among the Children of Israel; wherever they found a newborn boy, they would slaughter him. They did so. Then, when they saw that the elderly among the Children of Israel were dying a natural death and the children were being slaughtered, they said, “In this way, you will annihilate the Children of Israel, and then you will have to do the service and labor that they do for you yourselves.” Therefore, they decided to slaughter their boys one year and let them live the next year. Thus, the mother of Musa (peace be upon him) became pregnant with Harun (peace be upon him) in the year when boys were not being slaughtered, so she gave birth to him without fear, and the following year she became pregnant with Musa (peace be upon him). (Tabari)
The predominant assumption is that this statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is from Israelite traditions, but its chain to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is sound, and we neither declare it true nor false. Generally, it is mentioned here that Pharaoh had a dream that he saw a man from the Children of Israel would be the cause of the end of his kingdom, so he ordered the killing of boys, but there is no reality to this. It is more likely that Pharaoh, fearing the dominance of the Children of Israel due to their large numbers, adopted this oppression. Even today, the disbelievers of the world are greatly afraid of the increasing population of Muslims and are trying to stop their population by every means—greed and threats.
➌ This event took place on the day of Ashura (the tenth of Muharram). Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting on Ashura. He asked, “What is this?” They said, “This is a great day; on this day Allah Almighty saved the Children of Israel from their enemy, so Musa (peace be upon him) fasted on it.” He said, “I have more right to Musa (peace be upon him) than you.” So he fasted on that day and ordered the fasting of that day. [ بخاری، الصوم، باب صوم یوم عاشوراء : ۲۰۰۴ ] Then, when the fasts of Ramadan were made obligatory, the fast of Ashura became voluntary. Before his death, he said, “If I live till next year, I will fast on the ninth (of Muharram).” But he passed away before that. [ مسلم، الصیام، باب أی یوم یصام فی عاشوراء : ۱۱۳۴ ]
➍ { ”يُذَبِّحُوْنَ“ } Because of the form “taf’il” (bab taf’il), it has been translated as “they slaughtered in a terrible manner.”
➎ { ”بَلَآءٌ“ } Test and trial, whether with hardship or with favor. In { ”وَ فِيْ ذٰلِكُمْ“}, this can refer to both the slaughter and the deliverance. Being slaughtered was a hardship, and deliverance was a favor.
➋ Tabari has narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Pharaoh and his courtiers consulted among themselves that the Children of Israel claim that Allah Almighty had promised Ibrahim (peace be upon him) that prophets and kings would be born from his descendants (so something should be done about them). So, by mutual consultation, they unanimously decided to appoint men who would carry knives and roam among the Children of Israel; wherever they found a newborn boy, they would slaughter him. They did so. Then, when they saw that the elderly among the Children of Israel were dying a natural death and the children were being slaughtered, they said, “In this way, you will annihilate the Children of Israel, and then you will have to do the service and labor that they do for you yourselves.” Therefore, they decided to slaughter their boys one year and let them live the next year. Thus, the mother of Musa (peace be upon him) became pregnant with Harun (peace be upon him) in the year when boys were not being slaughtered, so she gave birth to him without fear, and the following year she became pregnant with Musa (peace be upon him). (Tabari)
The predominant assumption is that this statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is from Israelite traditions, but its chain to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is sound, and we neither declare it true nor false. Generally, it is mentioned here that Pharaoh had a dream that he saw a man from the Children of Israel would be the cause of the end of his kingdom, so he ordered the killing of boys, but there is no reality to this. It is more likely that Pharaoh, fearing the dominance of the Children of Israel due to their large numbers, adopted this oppression. Even today, the disbelievers of the world are greatly afraid of the increasing population of Muslims and are trying to stop their population by every means—greed and threats.
➌ This event took place on the day of Ashura (the tenth of Muharram). Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting on Ashura. He asked, “What is this?” They said, “This is a great day; on this day Allah Almighty saved the Children of Israel from their enemy, so Musa (peace be upon him) fasted on it.” He said, “I have more right to Musa (peace be upon him) than you.” So he fasted on that day and ordered the fasting of that day. [ بخاری، الصوم، باب صوم یوم عاشوراء : ۲۰۰۴ ] Then, when the fasts of Ramadan were made obligatory, the fast of Ashura became voluntary. Before his death, he said, “If I live till next year, I will fast on the ninth (of Muharram).” But he passed away before that. [ مسلم، الصیام، باب أی یوم یصام فی عاشوراء : ۱۱۳۴ ]
➍ { ”يُذَبِّحُوْنَ“ } Because of the form “taf’il” (bab taf’il), it has been translated as “they slaughtered in a terrible manner.”
➎ { ”بَلَآءٌ“ } Test and trial, whether with hardship or with favor. In { ”وَ فِيْ ذٰلِكُمْ“}, this can refer to both the slaughter and the deliverance. Being slaughtered was a hardship, and deliverance was a favor.
