Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

تِلْكَ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ (Those were the towns that We relate to you) O Muhammad, مِنْ أَنبَآئِهَا (their story), and news, وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ (And there came indeed to them their Messengers with clear proofs,) and evidences of the truth of what they brought them. Allah said in other Ayah, وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً (And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).) 17:15, and, ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَآءِ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْهَا قَآئِمٌ وَحَصِيدٌ وَمَا ظَلَمْنَـهُمْ وَلَـكِن ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ (That is some of the news of the towns which We relate unto you; of them, some are standing, and some have been reaped. We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.) 11:100-101 Allah said فَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ بِمَا كَذَّبُواْ مِن قَبْلُ (but they were not such who would believe in what they had rejected before.) meaning they would not have later on believed in what the Messengers brought them, because they denied the truth when it first came to them (although they recognized it), according to the Tafsir of Ibn `Atiyyah. This explanation is sound, and is supported by Allah's statement, وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَوَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ (And what will make you perceive that if it came, they will not believe And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time.) 6:109-110 This is why Allah said here, كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْكَـفِرِينَوَمَا وَجَدْنَا لاًّكْثَرِهِم (Thus Allah does seal up the hearts of the disbelievers. And most of them We found not...) meaning, We did not find most of the previous nations, مِّنْ عَهْدٍ وَإِن وَجَدْنَآ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفَـسِقِينَ (true to their covenant, but most of them We found to indeed be rebellious.) This Ayah means, We found most of them to be rebellious, deviating away from obedience and compliance. The covenant mentioned here is the Fitrah that Allah instilled in them while still in their fathers' loins, and taking their covenant, that He is their Lord, King, and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him,. They affirmed this covenant and testified against themselves to this fact. However, they defied this covenant, threw it behind their backs and worshipped others besides Allah, having no proof or plea, nor support from rationality or by divine law. Surely, the pure Fitrah defies these actions, while all the honorable Messengers, from beginning to end, forbade them. Muslim collected the Hadith, «يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِنِّي خَلَقْتُ عِبَادِي حُنَفَاءَ فَجَاءَتْهُمُ الشَّيَاطِينُ فَاجْتَالَتْهُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِمْ وَحَرَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا أَحْلَلْتُ لَهُم» (Allah said, "I created My servants Hunafa' (monotheists), but the devils came to them and deviated them from their religion and prohibited them what I allowed them.") It is recorded in the Two Sahihs, «كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ وَيُنَصِّرَانِهِ وَيُمَجِّسَانِه» (Every child is born upon the Fitrah, it is only his parents who turn him into a Jew, a Christian or a Zoroastrian.)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

تِلْكَ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ (Those were the towns that We relate to you) O Muhammad, مِنْ أَنبَآئِهَا (their story), and news, وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ (And there came indeed to them their Messengers with clear proofs,) and evidences of the truth of what they brought them. Allah said in other Ayah, وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً (And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).) 17:15, and, ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَآءِ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْهَا قَآئِمٌ وَحَصِيدٌ وَمَا ظَلَمْنَـهُمْ وَلَـكِن ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ (That is some of the news of the towns which We relate unto you; of them, some are standing, and some have been reaped. We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.) 11:100-101 Allah said فَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ بِمَا كَذَّبُواْ مِن قَبْلُ (but they were not such who would believe in what they had rejected before.) meaning they would not have later on believed in what the Messengers brought them, because they denied the truth when it first came to them (although they recognized it), according to the Tafsir of Ibn `Atiyyah. This explanation is sound, and is supported by Allah's statement, وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَوَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ (And what will make you perceive that if it came, they will not believe And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time.) 6:109-110 This is why Allah said here, كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْكَـفِرِينَوَمَا وَجَدْنَا لاًّكْثَرِهِم (Thus Allah does seal up the hearts of the disbelievers. And most of them We found not...) meaning, We did not find most of the previous nations, مِّنْ عَهْدٍ وَإِن وَجَدْنَآ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفَـسِقِينَ (true to their covenant, but most of them We found to indeed be rebellious.) This Ayah means, We found most of them to be rebellious, deviating away from obedience and compliance. The covenant mentioned here is the Fitrah that Allah instilled in them while still in their fathers' loins, and taking their covenant, that He is their Lord, King, and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him,. They affirmed this covenant and testified against themselves to this fact. However, they defied this covenant, threw it behind their backs and worshipped others besides Allah, having no proof or plea, nor support from rationality or by divine law. Surely, the pure Fitrah defies these actions, while all the honorable Messengers, from beginning to end, forbade them. Muslim collected the Hadith, «يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِنِّي خَلَقْتُ عِبَادِي حُنَفَاءَ فَجَاءَتْهُمُ الشَّيَاطِينُ فَاجْتَالَتْهُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِمْ وَحَرَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا أَحْلَلْتُ لَهُم» (Allah said, "I created My servants Hunafa' (monotheists), but the devils came to them and deviated them from their religion and prohibited them what I allowed them.") It is recorded in the Two Sahihs, «كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ وَيُنَصِّرَانِهِ وَيُمَجِّسَانِه» (Every child is born upon the Fitrah, it is only his parents who turn him into a Jew, a Christian or a Zoroastrian.)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Story of Prophet Musa, upon him be Peace, and Fir`awn Allah said, ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِم (Then after them We sent), after the Messengers whom We mentioned, such as Nuh, Hud, Salih Lut and Shu`ayb (may Allah's peace and blessings be on them and the rest of Allah's Prophets), We sent, مُّوسَى بِـَايَـتِنَآ (Musa with Our signs) proofs and clear evidences, to Fir`awn, who was ruler of Egypt during the time of Musa, وَمَلإِيْهِ (and his chiefs) the people of Fir`awn, فَظَلَمُواْ بِهَا (but they wrongfully rejected them), they denied and disbelieved in the signs, out of injustice and stubbornness on their part. Allah said about them in another Ayah, وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ (And they belied them (those Ayat) wrongfully and arrogantly, though they were themselves convinced thereof. So see what was the end of the evildoers.)27:14 The Ayah says, `those who hindered from the path of Allah and belied in His Messengers, look how We punished them, We caused them to drown, all of them, while Musa and his people were watching.' Public drowning added disgrace to the punishment that Fir`awn and his people suffered, while adding comfort to the hearts of Allah's party, Musa and those people who believed in him.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

وَقَالَ مُوسَى يَفِرْعَوْنُ إِنَّى رَسُولٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ (And Musa said: "O Fir`awn! Verily, I am a Messenger from the Lord of all that exists".) meaning Musa said, `the one Who sent me is the Creator, Lord and King of all things,' حَقِيقٌ عَلَى أَن لاَ أَقُولَ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ ("Proper it is for me that I say nothing concerning Allah but the truth. ") `It is incumbent and a duty for me to convey only the Truth from Him, because of what I know of His might and power.' قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِبَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ("Indeed I have come unto you from your Lord with a clear proof.") `I brought unequivocal evidence that Allah gave me to prove that I am conveying the truth to you,' فَأَرْسِلْ مَعِىَ بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ ("So let the Children of Israel depart along with me.") means, release them from your slavery and subjugation. Let them worship your Lord and their Lord. They are from the offspring of an honorable Prophet, Isra'il, who is Ya`qub son of Ishaq son of Ibrahim, the Khalil (intimate friend) of Allah. قَالَ إِن كُنتَ جِئْتَ بِـَايَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ (Fir`awn said: "If you have come with a sign, show it forth, if you are one of those who tell the truth.") Fir`awn said, `I will not believe in what you have said nor entertain your request'. Therefore, he said, `if you have proof, then produce it for us to see, so that we know if your claim is true.'

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

وَقَالَ مُوسَى يَفِرْعَوْنُ إِنَّى رَسُولٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ (And Musa said: "O Fir`awn! Verily, I am a Messenger from the Lord of all that exists".) meaning Musa said, `the one Who sent me is the Creator, Lord and King of all things,' حَقِيقٌ عَلَى أَن لاَ أَقُولَ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ ("Proper it is for me that I say nothing concerning Allah but the truth. ") `It is incumbent and a duty for me to convey only the Truth from Him, because of what I know of His might and power.' قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِبَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ("Indeed I have come unto you from your Lord with a clear proof.") `I brought unequivocal evidence that Allah gave me to prove that I am conveying the truth to you,' فَأَرْسِلْ مَعِىَ بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ ("So let the Children of Israel depart along with me.") means, release them from your slavery and subjugation. Let them worship your Lord and their Lord. They are from the offspring of an honorable Prophet, Isra'il, who is Ya`qub son of Ishaq son of Ibrahim, the Khalil (intimate friend) of Allah. قَالَ إِن كُنتَ جِئْتَ بِـَايَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ (Fir`awn said: "If you have come with a sign, show it forth, if you are one of those who tell the truth.") Fir`awn said, `I will not believe in what you have said nor entertain your request'. Therefore, he said, `if you have proof, then produce it for us to see, so that we know if your claim is true.'