Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)

10. “And when your Lord called out to Moses (saying): ‘Go to the unjust people,”

11. “The people of pharaoh; will they not fear (Allah)?’”

12. “Said (Moses): ‘O my Lord! Surely I fear that they will reject me,’”

Sending prophets to people is of Allah’s status. Struggling with false god is at the top of prophets’ programs.

(Go to the unjust people)

As we said before, this Surah states the life story of 7 great prophets as an instructive lesson for all Muslims, especially early ones.

It begins with Moses (as) and explains some parts of his life and struggles with Pharaohs until the time when this tyrannical nation sank.

Up to now many Suras of the holy Qur’an¹ have talked about Children of Israel, Moses (as) and the people of Pharaoh and in some of the next Suras there will be some discussions about them, too.

Of course, some of these discussions are apparently repeated, but studying them carefully shows that each of them emphasizes on a particular part of this event and it is for a special aim.

For example, the concerned verses were sent down when Muslims were so minor that they did not have any power and important position while their enemies were very powerful and mighty so that by no means they were equal.

Here, it is necessary for Allah to mention some similar life stories of the former nations in order to make them know this great power of foe and their apparent weakness would never bring about their defeat, and so their morale would be boosted and they could increase their resistance and insistence.

It is interesting that after each life story of these 7 prophets, these two verses are repeated:

“...but most of them do not believe.” “And verily, your Lord is He the Mighty, the Merciful.”

It is exactly the same sentences that we read about the Prophet (S) in the beginning of this very Surah. This harmony is an active evidence of this fact that mentioning this part of the stories of prophets has been because of some special psychological and social conditions of Muslims in that particular part of time and age, and their similarity in other occasions.

At first it says:

“And when your Lord called out to Moses (saying): ‘Go to the unjust people,”

In the next verse the Qur’an adds:

“The people of pharaoh; will they not fear (Allah)?”

This point is worth-studying that here the only attribute of Pharaohs that is emphasized is /zulm/ (oppression).

We know that this word has got a comprehensive and extensive meaning, and polytheism is one of its manifest extensions:

(“...verily polytheism is a grievous iniquity.”2 )

Exploitation and slavery of the Children of Israel, with those harsh punishments and tortures, is its other extension. Moreover, before anybody else, they first oppressed themselves with their wrong actions; and so we can summarize the purpose of Divine prophets’ call in struggling with oppression and tyranny in all aspects.

At this time Moses (as) tells Allah his great problems and difficulties and asks Him to strengthen and boost him more for carrying out this great mission.

Here is what the Qur’an says:

“Said (Moses): ‘O my Lord! Surely I fear that they will reject me,’”

Thus, Moses implied that they would defeat him with their oppositions and denials before he could complete his mission and this mission could not get anywhere.

Moses (as) was totally right, for Pharaoh and his people had so much dominance over the conditions of the country, Egypt, that no one could struggle with and oppose them, and, thus, any little opposition would be harshly and tyrannically suppressed.