Afflictions on the Children of Israel (L- 80)

Afflictions on the Children of Israel (L- 80)

Surah ‘Al-Baqarah (The Cow) – Chapter – 2)

Stage – 1, Verse – 49 of 286, Section – 6 of 40 (Part - 1)

  

BisMIllaahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

49.  And (remember) when We did deliver you from Pharaoh’s folk, who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, slaying your sons and sparing your women. And that was a tremendous trial from your Lord.

49.  Wa ‘iz najjay-Naakum-min –‘Aali- Fir-‘awna yasuu-muuna- kum  suuu-‘al-‘azaabi yuzab-bihuuna ‘abnaaa-‘akum wa yas-tah-yuuna nisaaa-‘akum.  Wa fii zaalikum balaaa-‘um-mir-Rabbikum ‘aziim.

Lesson

         

‘Aali- Fir-‘awna – (Folk, people, near relatives, religion fellows, servants and children of Pharaoh), Pharaoh was title of the King of Egypt. Usually the people imagine a king of the Egypt who was named as Pharaoh. In fact it was not the name of one person. Moreover it was surname of the entire kings of Egypt as the title of the king of China was ‘Khaqaan’ (Emperor) and the surname of the King of Rome was ‘Caesar’.

Prophet Joseph (Peace be upon Him) brought and populated the Israelite in the Egypt. They lived in the Egypt hundreds of the years and their population reached in hundred thousands. The King of Egypt made them his slaves and treated them extremely disgracefully and contemptibly.

Once, the King dreamed at night. He gathered the soothsayers and asked them to interpret his dream in the morning, “I have seen a fire coming from the Temple of Jerusalem. It has besieged the Egypt and begun to burn the ‘Qabtees’ (Egyptians) choosing one by one”. Listening to it the soothsayers told the King that a child would be born in the Israelite that would become the cause of your death and fall of the Emperor.

The Pharaoh collected all the nurses and midwives of the country and ordered them, “Whenever any ‘son’ comes into the world by birth in the Israelite, kill him at once. However the girls be left alive.” Due to the orders of the King thousands of the sons of Israelite were killed. After all, the leaders of the Egypt thought, “If all the Israelite are killed in this manner, who will serve us?”

Listening to it, the Pharaoh ordered, “Continue killing process for one year and stop it for the next year regularly”. The year in which killing process was postponed, in that year Prophet Aaron (peace be upon Him) was born and in the year killing process was in force, during that period Prophet Moses (Peace be upon Him) came in this world but God, the Most High saved his life with His sound policy and he could not be slain.

The above mentioned verse indicates towards such event. The nation of Pharaoh had put the children of Israel in so much difficult calamity and labor. Finally God Almighty set them free from these disasters through His Prophet Moses (Peace be upon Him). 

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazaar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’aan published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif)