وَإِذْ أَنجَيْنَـٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۖ يُقَتِّلُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ 141
Translations
And [recall, O Children of Israel], when We saved you from the people of Pharaoh, [who were] afflicting you with the worst torment - killing your sons and keeping your women alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.
Transliteration
Wa-idh anjaynakum min ali Fir'awna yasumunakum su'a al-'adhab. Yuqattilun abna'akum wa-yastahyun nisa'akum. Wa-fi dhalikum bala'un min Rabbikum 'adhim.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah reminds the Children of Israel of Allah's great favor in delivering them from the oppression of Pharaoh's family, who subjected them to severe torment by slaughtering their sons and enslaving their daughters. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this divine deliverance was a monumental trial and blessing from Allah, designed to test their gratitude and faith. The ayah serves as a reminder of Allah's power to liberate the oppressed and His mercy toward His chosen servants, while also implying the obligation of gratitude for such tremendous blessings.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-A'raf during a section recounting the historical narratives of previous nations, particularly the story of Musa (Moses) and Bani Israel. The context is part of Allah's address to the Quraysh and all of humanity, reminding them of His historical interventions on behalf of the believers and His justice against tyrants, thereby strengthening the faith of the early Muslim community facing their own trials.
Related Hadiths
The story of the Children of Israel's oppression under Pharaoh is extensively referenced in the Quran. A related hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Book of Stories of the Prophets) discusses how Pharaoh's cruelty toward the Israelites was among the greatest oppressions, and how Allah's deliverance of them through the Red Sea was a sign of His power and mercy.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that Allah is aware of the suffering of the oppressed and will ultimately deliver them from tyranny, while also emphasizing that we must recognize and be grateful for the blessings and trials Allah sends us, as they are opportunities for spiritual growth and closeness to Him.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ وَلِـِّۧىَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۖ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
Indeed, my protector is Allāh, who has sent down the Book; and He is an ally to the righteous.
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ يَـٰفِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّى رَسُولٌ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
And Moses said, "O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds
قَالَ أَنظِرْنِىٓ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
[Satan] said, "Reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected."
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُۥ ۚ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى تَأْوِيلُهُۥ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَآءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا۟ لَنَآ أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
Do they await except its result? The Day its result comes, those who had ignored it before will say, "The messengers of our Lord had come with the truth, so are there [now] any intercessors to intercede for us or could we be sent back to do other than what we used to do?" They will have lost themselves, and lost from them is what they used to invent.