فَٱلْتَقَطَهُۥٓ ءَالُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا كَانُوا۟ خَـٰطِـِٔينَ 8
Translations
And the family of Pharaoh picked him up [out of the river] so that he would become to them an enemy and a [cause of] grief. Indeed, Pharaoh and Hāmān and their soldiers were deliberate sinners.
Transliteration
Wal-taqatahu ālu fir'awna liyakūna lahum 'aduwwan wa hazanan. Inna fir'awna wa Hāmāna wa junūdahumā kānū khāti'īn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how the family of Pharaoh picked up the baby Musa from the river, intending to raise him as their own, yet Allah decreed that he would become their enemy and source of grief. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note the profound irony: Pharaoh's own household became the means of nurturing the one who would destroy his kingdom. The verse emphasizes that Pharaoh, Haman, and their soldiers were transgressors whose sinful plotting was ultimately futile against Allah's divine plan.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the narrative of Musa's birth and early life in Surah Al-Qasas (a Meccan surah). It contextualizes the miraculous preservation of Musa and illustrates the theme of Allah's protection of His messengers despite the plans of their enemies. The surah presents these stories as a consolation to the Prophet Muhammad during Meccan persecution.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly comments on this verse, the story is referenced in various hadith collections discussing the biography of Musa. See related discussions in Tafsir Ibn Kathir regarding the narrative of Musa's mother and the preservation of the prophets.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that Allah's plans transcend human understanding and schemes; what appears as a victory for the arrogant (Pharaoh gaining a child) becomes their ultimate downfall, reminding believers to trust in Allah's wisdom even when circumstances seem adverse.
Related Ayahs
فَلَمَّآ أَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَبْطِشَ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ عَدُوٌّ لَّهُمَا قَالَ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ أَتُرِيدُ أَن تَقْتُلَنِى كَمَا قَتَلْتَ نَفْسًۢا بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۖ إِن تُرِيدُ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَ جَبَّارًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا تُرِيدُ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُصْلِحِينَ
And when he wanted to strike the one who was an enemy to both of them, he said, "O Moses, do you intend to kill me as you killed someone yesterday? You only want to be a tyrant in the land and do not want to be of the amenders."
تِلْكَ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلْمُبِينِ
These are verses of the clear Book.
وَدَخَلَ ٱلْمَدِينَةَ عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلَانِ هَـٰذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ وَهَـٰذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِۦ ۖ فَٱسْتَغَـٰثَهُ ٱلَّذِى مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ عَلَى ٱلَّذِى مِنْ عَدُوِّهِۦ فَوَكَزَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ۖ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ مُّبِينٌ
And he entered the city at a time of inattention by its people and found therein two men fighting: one from his faction and one from among his enemy. And the one from his faction called for help to him against the one from his enemy, so Moses struck him and [unintentionally] killed him. [Moses] said, "This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy."
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُوتِىَ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ قَالُوا۟ سِحْرَانِ تَظَـٰهَرَا وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَـٰفِرُونَ
But when the truth came to them from Us, they said, "Why was he not given like that which was given to Moses?" Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Moses before? They said, "[They are but] two works of magic supporting each other, and indeed we are, in both, disbelievers."