Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:10

This is a renewed statement, affirming their wretched state and providing consolation to the Prophet—peace be upon him—albeit through a different mode of consolation, as has been said.

"And when" (wa-idh) is in the accusative case as an object; the Prophet—peace be upon him—is being addressed, and it is conjoined to what precedes it, joining one story to another. The estimation, according to some, is: "And remember in your own self the time when your Lord called out to your brother, Moses—peace be upon him—and what transpired between him and his people in terms of their denial, despite the manifestation of signs and the brilliance of miracles, so that you may know that the denial of their prophets by nations is neither the first vessel to be broken nor the first scroll to be unfurled. Thus, your situation will become easier for you, and your soul will find rest from the distress you are currently in."

According to the Shaykh al-Islam, the estimation is: "And mention to your people the time when your Lord called out to Moses—peace be upon him—and remind them of what befell the people of Pharaoh due to their denial of him, restraining them from the denial they persist in, and warning them against being overtaken by what overtook those before them." This is so that it becomes clear to you that they are in the utmost state of stubbornness and insistence, for neither the ruin of their likes among the evil deniers deters them, nor does exhortation and warning have any effect on them. This estimation suits the commencement of the story that follows, namely, the words of the Almighty: "And recite to them the story of Abraham," while the first estimation is said to suit the stories that begin with "They denied."

To me, the more apparent estimation is "And mention to your people," due to the clear requirement of "And recite to them" for it. We do not concede that those stories beginning with "They denied" require the estimation "Remember in your own self." The aspect of appropriateness is shared; even if we were to grant that it is exclusive to that, it cannot withstand the aforementioned requirement. Yes, it is more apparent that the manner of consolation in what was mentioned is that the Prophet—peace be upon him—is not an innovation among the messengers, nor are his people an innovation among the nations in their denial, despite the manifestation of signs and the brilliance of miracles. The command to mention that to them carries within it the command to be consoled by it in the most perfect way; so contemplate this.

Regardless, the manner of directing the command to mention the time, even though the intended purpose is the mention of what occurred within it, has passed repeatedly. It is said: This estimated element is conjoined to another estimated element; i.e., "Take the signs" or "Await the arrival of the reports, and remember," which is an affectation for which there is no need. It is also said: "When" (idh) is an adverb for "said" later, but that is not well-founded.

The meaning of "called out" (nada) is "summoned." It is said that the command was: "That you go," meaning "by the fact that you go," on the basis that 'an' (that) is a particle of the infinitive, with the preposition omitted, or meaning "Go," on the basis that it is explanatory:

"To the wrongdoing people"

They are the ones characterized by disbelief, disobedience, the enslavement of the Children of Israel, and the slaughter of their sons. This is not the beginning of what transpired within the scope of the call; rather, it is what was detailed in Surat Taha, from the words of the Almighty: "Indeed, I am your Lord," to His, glory be to Him, saying: "That We may show you some of Our greatest signs." It is the tradition of the Noble Quran to present what occurred in a single story using various expressions and different styles, as the context requires, according to what has been verified in its place.