Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 23 Al-Mu'minun, Ayat 45-49

ثُمَّ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوۡسٰى وَاَخَاهُ هٰرُوۡنَ ۙ بِاٰيٰتِنَا وَسُلۡطٰنٍ مُّبِيۡنٍۙ‏  ﴿23:45﴾ اِلٰى فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَا۟ـئِهٖ فَاسۡتَكۡبَرُوۡا وَكَانُوۡا قَوۡمًا عٰلِيۡنَ​ ۚ‏ ﴿23:46﴾ فَقَالُـوۡۤا اَنُؤۡمِنُ لِبَشَرَيۡنِ مِثۡلِنَا وَقَوۡمُهُمَا لَـنَا عٰبِدُوۡنَ​ۚ‏  ﴿23:47﴾ فَكَذَّبُوۡهُمَا فَكَانُوۡا مِنَ الۡمُهۡلَـكِيۡنَ‏ ﴿23:48﴾ وَلَـقَدۡ اٰتَيۡنَا مُوۡسَى الۡـكِتٰبَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَهۡتَدُوۡنَ‏ ﴿23:49﴾

(23:45) Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron with Our Signs and a clear authority39 (23:46) to Pharaoh and to his chiefs, but they behaved superciliously and they were haughty.40 (23:47) They said: "Shall we put faith in two mortals like ourselves40a when their people are slaves to us?"41 (23:48) So they rejected them, calling them liars, and they too eventually became of those that were destroyed.42 (23:49) And We gave Moses the Book that people might be guided by it.

Notes

39. The use of a manifest Authority along with Our signs may either mean that the signs were a clear proof that they were Messengers of Allah, or the signs may refer to all other miracles of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) than the staff, which may stand here for a clear authority, because the miracles shown by means of it were a clear proof that the two brothers had been sent by Allah.

40. The words in the text may either mean: (1) They were highly arrogant and tyrannous people, or (2) They showed haughtiness and self conceit.

40a For explanation, see (E.N. 26).

40. The words in the text may either mean: (1) They were highly arrogant and tyrannous people, or (2) They showed haughtiness and self conceit.

40a For explanation, see (E.N. 26).

41. Abid is worshiper. According to the Arabic usage, to be a worshiper and a bondsman are almost synonymous. Therefore when the Prophets invited their people to worship Allah alone, they wanted them to worship and serve and obey none but Allah, and that is the real significance of the word ibadat. For further explanation, see (E.N. 50 of Surah Al-Kahf).

42. For further details of the story of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh, see (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayats 49-50); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 103-136); (Surah Younus, Ayats 75-92), (Surah H0ud, Ayats 96-99), (Surah Bani Israil, Ayats 101-104), (Surah TaHa, Ayats 9-80 ) along with the relevant E. Ns.