وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَـٰنَهُۥٓ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّىَ ٱللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَآءَكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ كَـٰذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُم بَعْضُ ٱلَّذِى يَعِدُكُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ 28
Translations
And a believing man from the family of Pharaoh who concealed his faith said, "Do you kill a man [merely] because he says, 'My Lord is Allāh' while he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord? And if he should be lying, then upon him is [the consequence of] his lie; but if he should be truthful, there will strike you some of what he promises you. Indeed, Allāh does not guide one who is a transgressor and a liar.
Transliteration
Wa qāla rajulun mu'minun min āli Fir'awna yaktuму īmānahu, ataqtuloona rajulan an yaqoola rabbī Allāhu wa qad jā'akum bil-bayyināti min rabbikum, wa in yakun kādhiban fa'alayhi kadhībuhu, wa in yakun sādiqan yuṣibkum ba'du alladhī ya'idukum, inna Allāha lā yahdī man huwa musrifun kadhdhāb.
Tafsir (Explanation)
A believing man from Pharaoh's household, who concealed his faith, courageously addresses the Egyptians to prevent them from killing Moses (upon whom be peace), asking them to consider that if Moses speaks the truth about his Lord being Allah, they will face the promised punishment, and if he lies, the burden of falsehood is upon him alone. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse presents a rational appeal to Pharaoh's court, demonstrating that even truth-seekers existed within Pharaoh's own family, and emphasizes that Allah does not guide those who are transgressors and habitual liars.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Surah Ghafir (a Meccan surah) which recounts the story of Prophet Moses and Pharaoh, specifically the moment when a secret believer from Pharaoh's court attempts to save Moses from execution. The surah's overarching theme is Allah's pardon and mercy toward believers, and this incident exemplifies someone who possessed knowledge and courage yet lived in concealment until the critical moment.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly relates to this exact event, the concept is connected to Hadith Qudsi regarding the value of hidden believers: 'The best of people in my Ummah are those who love one another for the sake of Allah' (Sahih Muslim 2566). Additionally, the theme connects to hadiths about speaking truth despite fear, such as 'The best jihad is a word of truth before a tyrant' (Sunan Ibn Majah 4011).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even in the most oppressive circumstances, believers have a moral obligation to speak truth and defend it rationally, and that one need not be public in faith to play a vital role in standing against injustice. It also reminds us that Allah's guidance is withheld from those who persist in arrogance and falsehood, making sincere seeking of truth essential for spiritual guidance.