فَمَآ ءَامَنَ لِمُوسَىٰٓ إِلَّا ذُرِّيَّةٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِۦ عَلَىٰ خَوْفٍ مِّن فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِمْ أَن يَفْتِنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ لَعَالٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ 83
Translations
But no one believed Moses, except [some] offspring [i.e., youths] among his people, for fear of Pharaoh and his establishment that they would persecute them. And indeed, Pharaoh was haughty within the land, and indeed, he was of the transgressors.
Transliteration
Famā āmana liMūsā illā dhurriyyatun min qawmihi alā khawfin min Fir'awna wa malā'ihi an yaftinnahum wa inna Fir'awna la'ālin fil-ardi wa innahu lamina al-musrifīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how only a small group from among Pharaoh's own people believed in Moses, and they did so in secret out of fear that Pharaoh and his chiefs would persecute them. Ibn Kathir notes that this 'offspring' (dhurriyyah) refers to those few believers, likely including the believing man from Pharaoh's family mentioned in Surah Ghafir. The verse emphasizes Pharaoh's tyrannical power and his excess (israf) in rejecting truth and oppressing believers, illustrating the difficult circumstances under which faith must sometimes be embraced.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan Surah Yunus, which discusses the signs of Allah and the rejection of messengers by their peoples. The surah uses the story of Moses and Pharaoh as a primary example of divine patience with disbelieving nations and the ultimate triumph of truth. This ayah specifically addresses the stark contrast between the masses who rejected Moses and the rare few who believed despite overwhelming social and political pressure.
Related Hadiths
The story relates to the believer from Pharaoh's household mentioned in Surah Ghafir 40:28-45, where Sahih Bukhari includes accounts of his secret faith and courageous testimony. Additionally, the theme connects to the hadith in Sahih Muslim about how faith enters the heart despite external pressures and opposition.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith sometimes requires standing alone against tyranny and social pressure, reminding believers that righteousness is not measured by numbers but by sincerity of heart. It also warns against becoming so enamored with worldly power and authority that one becomes deaf and blind to truth, as exemplified by Pharaoh's arrogance and excess.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
And never be of those who deny the signs of Allāh and [thus] be among the losers.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا وَرَضُوا۟ بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱطْمَأَنُّوا۟ بِهَا وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا غَـٰفِلُونَ
Indeed, those who do not expect the meeting with Us and are satisfied with the life of this world and feel secure therein and those who are heedless of Our signs -
إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَـٰدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ ۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُسْمِعُ ٱلصُّمَّ وَلَوْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
And among them are those who listen to you. But can you cause the deaf to hear [i.e., benefit from this hearing], although they will not use reason?