40. Sura al Mu’min

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

فَلَمَّا جَاءهُم بِالْحَقِّ مِنْ عِندِنَا...

40: 25. Now, when he came to them in Truth, from Us,

C4391. Verse 24 described the opposition of three types of Unfaith, which opposed Faith, in different ways, as described in the last note. Qarun, in his overweening insolence, may well have called Moses and Aaron "sorcerers telling lies" in the Sinai desert, as he despised priests and men of God, and might cast the Egyptian reproach in their teeth as a reminiscence.

Here, in verse 25, we have an episode about the time of the birth of Moses: "them" and "they" refer to Pharaoh and his Court; the "coming" of Moses here refers to the time of his birth.

On that construction, "with him", lower down in their speech would be elliptical, referring to "slay the sons", as if they had said, "Kill all Israelite male children: the unknown Prophet to be born would be amongst them: so kill them all with him."

In verse 26 we again skip some years and recall an episode when Moses, having got his mission, stood in Pharaoh's Court, and some of the Egyptian Commonalty were almost ready to believe in him.

... قَالُوا اقْتُلُوا أَبْنَاء الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ وَاسْتَحْيُوا نِسَاءهُمْ...

they said,

"Slay the sons of those who believe with him, and keep alive their females,"

C4392. That is, the Israelites, for they were the custodians of Allah's Faith then. For the slaughter of Israelite children by Pharaoh, see 28:4-6, and notes.

... وَمَا كَيْدُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ ﴿٢٥﴾

but the plots of Unbelievers (end) in nothing but errors (and delusions)!"...

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ذَرُونِي أَقْتُلْ مُوسَى وَلْيَدْعُ رَبَّهُ...

40: 26. Said Pharaoh:

"Leave me to slay Moses; and let him Call on his Lord!

C4393. This is an episode that occurs when Moses, invested with his mission, confronts Pharaoh in his Court and preaches to him:

see 20:49 and following verses; also 20:57,63.

... إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يُبَدِّلَ دِينَكُمْ أَوْ أَن يُظْهِرَ فِي الْأَرْضِ الْفَسَادَ ﴿٢٦﴾

What I fear is lest he should change your religion, or lest he should cause mischief to appear in the land!"

C4394. Some of Pharaoh's people did afterwards give up the worship of Pharaoh and of the Egyptian gods and believed "in the Lord of Aaron and Moses" and in fact suffered martyrdom for the Faith of Unity: 20:70-73.

Asad’s Version:

40:25 Now [as for Pharaoh and his followers,] when he came to them, setting forth the truth from Us, they said, "Slay the sons of those who share his beliefs, 17 and spare [only] their women!" but the guile of those deniers of the truth could not lead to aught but failure.

(40:26) And Pharaoh said: "Leave it to me to slay Moses - and let him invoke his [alleged] sustainer! 18 Behold, I fear lest he cause you to change your religion, or lest he cause corruption to prevail in the land!"