Translation
We [God] inspired Moses and his brother: take up residence with your people in Egypt and turn your houses into places of worship; do establish regular prayer [salat] and encourage those who have believed. Moses prayed: O our Sustainer God, you have given Pharaoh and his Chiefs wealth and grandeur which they use to abuse and mislead people. Our Sustainer, may You destroy their possessions and insulate the hearts so that they do not accept faith until the consequence of their evils catches up with them. He [God] said: Your prayer has been accepted. So, continue to follow the right guidance and do not act like those who are ignorant.
We [God] brought the Children of Israel across the sea (to safety) while Pharaoh and his army chased them to continue their oppression and evils till the moment when drowning overtook him, he said: “I now believe that there is no god but God in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one who submits to God [muslim].” What Now! Whereas before this moment, you denied and made mischiefs and evils. But this day We [God] shall preserve your body and make it a reminder for those who comes after you, though most people are not mindful of such events and signs. 482
Interpretation
482 The struggle of the Israelites under the rule of Pharaoh in Egypt is well documented in the previous revelations, and the Qur’an adds further clarity and additional bits of information previously unknown. The difficult mission of Moses and Aaron to free the Children of Israel from slavery by the Pharaoh and his people is a long and hard-fought story, not only when they were enslaved, but also even after their freedom was secured. Their minds were adjusting to freedom, self-empowerment, and the worship of One God. The terror of Pharaoh is matched by the ultimate destruction of the Pharaoh and his army at the hand of God as the parted sea collapsed on them from all sides with no escape. Moses’s prayer to harden the minds of the Pharaoh and his chiefs, and Pharaoh’s eventual acceptance of faith at the moment of his death, are further explained in verses such as 4:18 and chapter 102. The preservation of the body of Pharaoh—all pharaohs in general, through mummification, and this particular Pharaoh, commonly understood to be Rameses II—are no different that fossils, archeological findings, and various electromagnetic signals that persist in the natural world created by God as a sign of His creation and preservation of the world and the universe we are part of. These are essential reminders for minds that are mindful and reflective of our human existence and the world in which we exist.
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REFLECTION
Prophets are people of faith and patience and are very forgiving of their adversaries with the hope that they will come around and see the guidance. The Qur’an itself propagates the notion of forgiveness of enemies in all circumstances, especially when they show signs of repentance and reassessment of their lives. The Prophet of Islam forgave and prayed for forgiveness of his adversaries, almost to a degree that sometime his followers would dispute with him for such generosity of the heart. Prophet Jesus is known for this giving and healing presence. That Prophet Moses prayed to God so that the Pharaoh and his people who did not believe hence got no forgiveness from God. This is aligned with the enormity of the evils and oppressions that the Pharaoh perpetuated on the Israelites, rather than lack of forgiveness from Prophet Moses, who throughout his life prayed for forgiveness and mercy for his people.
ACTION
Stories such as these are reminders that evil never wins in the long run, though in every generation, evils and evil forces rise. Food people need to resist and oppose such evils to demonstrate their faith in God and their affinity to human goodness.