Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:51
ﱤ ﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ ﱴ ﱵ
And Pharaoh called out among his people; he said, "O my people, does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me; then do you not see?
Tafsir of Az-Zukhruf 43:51
Tafsir
Al-Kashshaf
Verse range: 43:51
{And Pharaoh called out among his people} He made them the place and site of his proclamation. The meaning is that he ordered the proclamation to be made in their assemblies and places, so the act of calling was attributed to him, just as you say, "The Prince executed the thief," when he merely ordered his execution. It is also possible that he had the nobles of the Copts with him, so he raised his voice with this among them, and then it was spread from him throughout the masses of the Copts, as if it were proclaimed among them.
{Is not the kingdom of Egypt mine, and these rivers} Meaning the rivers of the Nile. The most prominent of them were four: the King’s River, the Tulun River, the Damietta River, and the Tinnis River. It is said they flowed beneath his palace; others say beneath his throne due to its elevation; and others say before him in his gardens and orchards. The "wa" (and) may be a conjunction linking the rivers to the kingdom of Egypt, with "flowing" (*tajrī*) being an accusative state (*ḥāl*) describing them. Alternatively, the "wa" may be for the state (*ḥāl*), where the demonstrative pronoun is the subject, "rivers" is its adjective, and "flowing" is the predicate.
I wonder how the ambition of one who prides himself on the kingdom of Egypt could ascend to claiming divinity! People marveled at the extent of his grandeur, and he ordered it to be proclaimed in the markets and alleys of Egypt so that such majesty and glory would not be hidden from young or old, and so that the measure of his might and kingdom would be firmly established in the hearts of the commoners.
It is narrated that when Harun al-Rashid read this verse, he said, "I shall grant it to my lowliest slave," and he granted it to al-Khasib, who was in charge of his ablutions. It is also narrated that when Abdullah ibn Tahir was appointed over it, he set out toward it. When he approached it and his eyes fell upon it, he said, "Is this the village that Pharaoh boasted about, saying, 'Is not the kingdom of Egypt mine?' By God, it is too insignificant in my eyes to even enter it," and he turned his reins away.
{Or am I better} The "am" (or) is connected, because the meaning is: "Do you not see, or do you see?" However, he placed the statement "I am better" in the place of "do you see," because if they say to him, "You are better," they are, in his view, those who see. This is an instance of treating the cause as the effect. It is also possible that it is disconnected, meaning: "Nay, am I better?" The hamza is for confirmation. He had previously enumerated the reasons for his superiority over them—the kingdom of Egypt and the flowing of the rivers beneath him—and proclaimed this, filling their ears with it. Then he said, "I am better," as if to say, "It is established and settled among you that I am better, given this state of mine."
{Than this one who is insignificant} Meaning weak and contemptible.
{And can hardly make things clear} In his speech, due to his stutter. He means that he (Moses) possesses neither the numbers nor the instruments of power and politics to support him, and he is personally lacking in what men are described by: eloquence and clarity of speech. Yet, all the prophets were eloquent and articulate.
By "casting bracelets upon him," he meant casting the keys of kingship upon him, for when they wished to make a man a leader, they would adorn him with a bracelet and a collar of gold.
{Joined together} Either joined to him, from your saying "I joined it, so it became joined," or from "they joined," meaning they became companions. When he described himself with kingship and might, and weighed himself against Moses—peace be upon him—describing him as weak and lacking supporters, he interjected, saying: "If he were truthful, why did his Lord not grant him kingship, make him a leader, and adorn him with bracelets, and make the angels his supporters and helpers?"
Various readings exist for "bracelets" (asāwira), asāwīr (plural of iswār), and asāwira (substituting the tā' for the yā' of asāwīr). It is also read as "cast upon him" in the active voice, referring to Allah, the Almighty and Exalted.