سُوْرَةُ الزُّخْرُفِ
Surah Az-Zukhruf (43) — Ayah 51
وَنَادَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فِى قَوْمِهِۦ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِى مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَـٰذِهِ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِىٓ ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ ﴿51﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) proclaimed among his people (saying): "O my people! Is not mine the dominion of Egypt, and these rivers flowing underneath me. See you not then?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَنَادَىٰ
wanādā
And called out
فِرْعَوْنُ
fir'ʿawnu
Firaun
فِى
fī
among
قَوْمِهِۦ
qawmihi
his people
قَالَ
qāla
he said
يَـٰقَوْمِ
yāqawmi
O my people
أَلَيْسَ
alaysa
Is not
لِى
lī
for me
مُلْكُ
mul'ku
(the) kingdom
مِصْرَ
miṣ'ra
(of) Egypt
وَهَـٰذِهِ
wahādhihi
and these
ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ
l-anhāru
[the] rivers
تَجْرِى
tajrī
flowing
مِن
min
underneath me
تَحْتِىٓ ۖ
taḥtī
underneath me
أَفَلَا
afalā
Then do not
تُبْصِرُونَ
tub'ṣirūna
you see
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 51) ➊ {وَ نَادٰى فِرْعَوْنُ فِيْ قَوْمِهٖ:} Pharaoh and his chiefs saw the miracles of Musa (peace be upon him) with their own eyes, which made them certain of his prophethood, yet they did not believe. Instead, they brought magicians to oppose him. Even after being defeated, they still did not believe. Then, as a sign, many punishments came upon them, which were removed after they asked Musa (peace be upon him) to pray for their removal with the promise that they would believe and send the Children of Israel with him. But they were never willing to accept Musa (peace be upon him) as a Messenger. On the other hand, they feared that the public might incline towards him as a result of these miracles, so Pharaoh fabricated many arguments in his view to prove that Musa (peace be upon him) was not worthy of prophethood, and he had these proclaimed throughout the nation using all possible means of communication, just as he had sent men to all the cities to gather magicians to compete with the staff of Musa (peace be upon him). Allah said: « فَاَرْسَلَ فِرْعَوْنُ فِي الْمَدَآىِٕنِ حٰشِرِيْنَ» [ الشعراء : ۵۳ ] "So Pharaoh sent gatherers to the cities." The words of {’’ فِيْ قَوْمِهٖ ‘‘} indicate the extent of this proclamation. The purpose of narrating this story to our Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is that the arguments fabricated by the disbelievers to deny your prophethood have all been presented before by Pharaoh. Those arguments could not save him from punishment, nor will they save these people if they persist in disbelief.
➋ {قَالَ يٰقَوْمِ اَلَيْسَ لِيْ مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَ هٰذِهِ الْاَنْهٰرُ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِيْ:} That is, the standard of superiority and excellence is worldly wealth, property, and power, which Musa does not have but I do. Am I not the owner of the authority of Egypt? The irrigation system through canals drawn from the Nile runs under my command. The disbelievers of Makkah said the same thing: « وَ قَالُوْا لَوْ لَا نُزِّلَ هٰذَا الْقُرْاٰنُ عَلٰى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيْمٍ » [ الزخرف : ۳۱ ] that the Qur'an should have been revealed to some great man from these two towns.
➌ { اَفَلَا تُبْصِرُوْنَ:} The people of Egypt, who were being impressed by the virtues and miracles of Musa (peace be upon him), Pharaoh was drawing their attention to his material and worldly splendor. In reality, this is proof of his defeat, because they had been seeing all this for a long time.
➋ {قَالَ يٰقَوْمِ اَلَيْسَ لِيْ مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَ هٰذِهِ الْاَنْهٰرُ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِيْ:} That is, the standard of superiority and excellence is worldly wealth, property, and power, which Musa does not have but I do. Am I not the owner of the authority of Egypt? The irrigation system through canals drawn from the Nile runs under my command. The disbelievers of Makkah said the same thing: « وَ قَالُوْا لَوْ لَا نُزِّلَ هٰذَا الْقُرْاٰنُ عَلٰى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيْمٍ » [ الزخرف : ۳۱ ] that the Qur'an should have been revealed to some great man from these two towns.
➌ { اَفَلَا تُبْصِرُوْنَ:} The people of Egypt, who were being impressed by the virtues and miracles of Musa (peace be upon him), Pharaoh was drawing their attention to his material and worldly splendor. In reality, this is proof of his defeat, because they had been seeing all this for a long time.
