Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:39

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51): Verse 39

{فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكْنِهِ وَقَالَ} (So he turned away with his host and said...)

Regarding His saying, {فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكْنِهِ} (So he turned away with his host), there are several interpretations:

1. The Bā’ (ب) signifies accompaniment. The Rukn (ركن - support/host) refers to his people/army. It is as if God is saying: He turned away along with his people. This is similar to the usage: "So-and-so settled with his camp at such-and-such a place." This interpretation is supported by His saying in Surah An-Nazi'at: {فَأَرَاهُ الْآيَةَ الْكُبْرَىٰ * فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ * ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ يَسْعَىٰ} (So he showed him the greatest sign, but he denied and disobeyed, then he turned his back, striving). The word Adbara (أدبر - turned his back) means "turned away," and His subsequent saying, {فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ} (Then he gathered and proclaimed), aligns with this meaning of turning away with his host.

2. The Bā’ is for transitive causation (ta'diyah). {فَتَوَلَّىٰ} means he took [someone/something] as a supporter. Thus, it means he strengthened himself with his soldiers/forces.

3. He took charge of Moses's affair with his own power. It is as if he said: "I will kill Moses so that your religion is not changed, and corruption does not appear in the land." Thus, he took charge of the matter himself. In this case, the object (of the action) is not explicitly mentioned, and his Rukn is his own powerful self. Alternatively, Ruknuhu (his support) could refer to Haman, as he was his vizier. This third interpretation, combined with the second one, seems more apparent.

{وَقَالَ سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ} (and said, "A sorcerer or a madman!")

This means: "He [Moses] is either a sorcerer or a madman."

• Sorcerer (Sāḥir): Meaning he approaches the Jinn through his sorcery, or he is close to them. The Jinn approach him, and he intends them, even if they approach him without his intention. Both the sorcerer and the madman have dealings with the Jinn. However, the sorcerer approaches them by his own choice, whereas the Jinn approach the madman without his choice. It is as if Pharaoh intended to protect his speech from being a lie by saying: "He is bewitching the Jinn, or he is being bewitched." If he has no knowledge of them and does not intend that, then the Jinn approach him. Then God Almighty said:

! 7 < {فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ} . > 7 !

{فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ} (So We seized him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea, and he was blameworthy.)