Mafatih al-Ghayb on Ash-Shu`ara' 26:19

Surah Ash-Shu`ara' 26:19

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ﳕ ﳖ ﳗ ﳘ ﳙ ﳚ ﳛ

And [then] you did your deed which you did, and you were of the ungrateful."

Surah Ash-Shu'ara: Verses 18-19

Translation and Exegesis (Based on Mafatih al-Ghayb)

Verse 18: {أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيدًا} (Did We not bring you up among us as a child?)

Contextual Note: It is understood that [Moses and Aaron] came to Pharaoh and delivered the message commanded by God. It is narrated that they went to Pharaoh's gate, and they were not admitted for a year. The doorkeeper eventually said: "Here is a man claiming to be a messenger from the Lord of the Worlds." Pharaoh replied: "Admit him, perhaps we can laugh at him." They delivered the message.

Moses (peace be upon him) reminded Pharaoh of God's favors first, and then rebuked him for the harm Moses had caused him.

The Favors Mentioned:

{أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيدًا} (Did We not bring you up among us as a child?)
- Al-Walīd refers to a young child, close to the time of birth.
{وَلَبِثْتَ فِينَا مِنْ عُمُرِكَ سِنِينَ} (And you stayed among us for years of your life?)
- According to Abu 'Amr (reading sinīna with sukun on the mīm), he stayed with them for thirty years. Others say he stayed until he killed the Copt, which was when he was twelve years old, and then fled (God knows best what is correct).

The Rebuke:

It is narrated from Al-Sha'bi that the reading of {فَعَلْتَكَ} (in the next verse) should be with a kasra (i.e., fa'altaka), referring to his killing of the Copt, as it was a form of killing (wakz - a blow or thrust).
Pharaoh enumerated the favors: raising him, bringing him to maturity, and then rebuked him for the incident involving the killing of the baker (or the Copt), emphasizing the gravity and horror of that act with the statement: {وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ} (And you did your deed which you did).

Verse 19: {وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ} (And you did your deed which you did.)

Regarding the phrase: {وَأَنتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ} (And you are among the ungrateful/disbelievers): There are several interpretations for this phrase:

State/Condition (Hāl): It means: You killed him while you were ungrateful for My favor (God's favor).
Disbelief at That Time: It means: You were among those who disbelieve at that hour. This interpretation suggests Pharaoh was mistaken or ignorant of Moses's status, as disbelief is not permissible for Prophets before prophethood.
Habitual Ungratefulness: It means: You are one whose habit is to deny favors. If this is one's nature, it is not surprising that they would kill the one who bestowed great favors upon them.
Disbelief in Pharaoh's Divinity: It means: You are among those who disbelieve in Pharaoh and his divinity, or among those who followed their own religion (polytheism). This is supported by the verse: {وَيَذَرَكَ وَآلِهَتَكَ} (And leave you and your gods) (Al-A'raf: 127).

Verse 20: {قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَا إِذًا وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ} (He said: "I did it then, while I was one of those who had gone astray.)

Verse 21: {فَفَرَرْتُ مِنكُمْ لَمَّا خِفْتُكُمْ فَوَهَبَ لِي رَبِّي حُكْمًا وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ} (So I fled from you when I feared you, then my Lord granted me judgment and made me one of the messengers.)

Verse 22: {وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَيَّ أَنْ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ} (And is that a favor which you mention to me, that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?)

Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:18-19

Mafatih al-Ghayb

Surah Ash-Shu'ara: Verses 18-19

Verse 18: {أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيدًا} **(Did We not bring you up among us as a child?)**

Verse 19: {وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ} **(And you did your deed which you did.)**

Verse 20: {قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَا إِذًا وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ} **(He said: "I did it then, while I was one of those who had gone astray.)**

Verse 22: {وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَيَّ أَنْ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ} **(And is that a favor which you mention to me, that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?)**

Verse 18: {أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيدًا} (Did We not bring you up among us as a child?)

Verse 19: {وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ} (And you did your deed which you did.)

Verse 20: {قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَا إِذًا وَأَنَا مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ} (He said: "I did it then, while I was one of those who had gone astray.)

Verse 22: {وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَيَّ أَنْ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ} (And is that a favor which you mention to me, that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?)