Surah ash-Shu`ara' (The Poets ) 26 : 15

Overview (Verses 15 - 17)

Moses whom God had chosen and reared under His own watchful eye. Knowing how keen Moses was to fulfil his task and his worry lest his weakness make him fall short of what was expected of him, God grants his requests and gives him reassurance. The sūrah gives no specific mention of how his prayers were answered, how Aaron received his assignment, or how they both arrived in Egypt. Instead, it shows the two brothers receiving their detailed instructions together and at the same moment as reassurance is given to Moses and his fears are dismissed in an expression that primarily denotes an order to stop: ‘kallā!’ This is translated in the text as ‘By no means!’ Said He: By no means! Go forth, then, both of you, with Our signs; We are with you, listening to all. Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say: ‘We are messengers from the Lord of all the worlds: Let the Children of Israel go with us.’ (Verses 15-17) By no means! Your breast will not be straitened, your tongue will not be impaired, and they will not kill you. Remove all such thoughts from your mind, and proceed with your brother, equipped with Our signs. Moses had already seen two of these: his staff turning into a serpent and his hand changing colour such that it looked as if it shone a brilliant white. These aspects, however, are not mentioned in this sūrah because the emphasis here is on the confrontation between Pharaoh and Moses, the contest with the sorcerers and the drowning of Pharaoh and his host while the believers are saved.

Moses and Aaron are told to go forth, and God also tells them: “We are with you, listening to all.” What power! What care and what security! All this is given to them. Indeed, God is with them and with every human being at every moment, but the companionship highlighted here is that of support at difficult moments. It is shown here in the form of listening, which denotes full attention and ready support. Moses and Aaron are told to clearly outline to Pharaoh their assigned mission, fearing nothing and hiding nothing: “Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say: ‘We are messengers from the Lord of all the worlds.’” (Verse 16) The Arabic text uses the singular form for ‘messenger’, rasūl, although the task is assigned to both brothers. However, because the assignment given to both is a single one, they are treated as a single messenger to Pharaoh, the despot who claimed to be God and declared to his people: “I know of no deity for you other than myself!” (28: 38) Thus, the mission assigned to them is to declare the truth of God’s oneness right at the very outset and without ambiguity or hesitation. There is to be no precaution against any adverse reception.

For this is the truth that allows no half measures. As messengers from the Lord of the universe, they make their demands clear: “We are messengers from the Lord of all the worlds. Let the Children of Israel go with us.” (Verses 16-17) It is clear from this statement and similar ones in the Qur’ān that Moses was not required to address his message to Pharaoh and his people, or to call on them to believe in his faith or implement the message entrusted to him. He simply required them to set the Children of Israel free so that they could worship their Lord as they pleased. They were aware of their true faith, which they had held since the time of their first father, Israel, or Jacob, (peace be upon him). This faith, however, had weakened in their hearts allowing alien beliefs to creep in. Therefore, God sent Moses to save them from Pharaoh’s injustice and to purge their monotheistic faith of all foreign and corrupt elements. A Sarcastic Exchange with Pharaoh Up to this point we have watched as the message is entrusted to Moses and Aaron, and how their task is outlined for them. But the curtains fall here. When, a moment later, they are raised again, we are in full view of the confrontation that takes place with Pharaoh. What happens in between is typically deleted. [Pharaoh] said [to Moses]: Did we not bring you up when you were an infant? And did you not stay with us many years of your life? Yet you have done that deed of yours while being an unbeliever.’ Replied [Moses]: ‘I committed it while I was still going astray; and I fled from you because I feared you. Then my Lord granted me sound judgement and made me one of [His] messengers. And what sort of favour is this you are taunting me with: was it not because you had enslaved the Children of Israel?’ (Verses 18-22) Pharaoh is amazed as Moses makes his unexpected claim to be a messenger from God, the Lord of the universe. He is further amazed as Moses demands that he free the Children of Israel. The last thing he knew of Moses was that he was brought up in his palace after being found as a newborn child floating in a basket on the Nile. As a young man he had killed an Egyptian who was involved in a fight with an Israelite and ran away. It is said that the Egyptian he killed belonged to Pharaoh’s entourage. This means that there was a huge gap between Moses’ status at that time and his new claims which he puts before Pharaoh just a mere ten years later.