Who Were the Two Men Who Helped and Protected Moses (PBUH) From Pharaoh’s Oppression?
حدثنا القرآن عن رجلين نصرا نبي الله موسى وحموه من بطش فرعون وملئه. فمن هذان الرجلان؟
The first man: He was the one who came from the farthest end of the city to warn Moses, “O Moses! The chiefs are actually conspiring against you to put you to death, so leave ˹the city˺. I really advise you ˹to do so˺.” Al-Qasas 28:20
The second man: He was the believing man from the family of Pharaoh. He concealed his faith, as he used to be a Coptic man, as mentioned in the Ayah. He pretended to agree with his people, which made it more likely that they would listen to his advice and words.
(“A believing man from Pharaoh’s people, who was hiding his faith, argued…”) Ghafer 40:28
الرجل الأول: هو الذي جاء من أقصى المدينة مسرعًا محذرًا: “إِنَّ الْمَلَأَ يَأْتَمِرُونَ بِكَ لِيَقْتُلُوكَ” (القصص 28: 20)
الرجل الثاني: هو الرجل المؤمن من آل فرعون الذي كان يكتم إيمانه. وقد كان رجلًا من القبط، كما ذكرت الآية، وكان يظهر موافقته لقومه، وذلك أدعى للاستماع لنصيحته وقوله.
(وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ) غافر 40: 28
1. The First Man: An Urgent, Anonymous Warning | الرجل الأول: تحذيرٌ عاجل مجهول
This is the man who rushed from the far end of the city years earlier to warn Musa that Pharaoh’s chiefs were plotting to kill him over the accidental killing. His single act of urgent warning was decisive precisely because it was timely, arriving before the death sentence could be carried out.
هذا هو الرجل الذي أسرع من أقصى المدينة قبل سنوات ليحذر موسى من أن ملأ فرعون يتآمرون لقتله بسبب القتل الذي وقع منه خطأ. وكان تحذيره العاجل حاسما تحديدا لأنه جاء في وقته، قبل أن يُنفذ حكم الإعدام.
2. The Second Man: A Believer Hidden Within Pharaoh’s Own House | الرجل الثاني: مؤمنٌ مختفٍ داخل بيت فرعون
Unlike the first man’s brief, urgent intervention, this believer’s protection of Musa was sustained: a Copt from within Pharaoh’s own family who had come to believe in Musa’s message while keeping that belief entirely hidden. His position placed him at the very center of the power structure Musa was confronting.
على عكس تدخل الرجل الأول العاجل والقصير، كانت حماية هذا المؤمن لموسى مستمرة: رجل قبطي من داخل أسرة فرعون نفسها آمن برسالة موسى مع إخفاء هذا الإيمان تماما. وقد وضعه موقعه في صميم بنية السلطة التي كان موسى يواجهها.
3. Why Concealment Was a Deliberate Strategy | لماذا كان الإخفاء استراتيجية متعمدة
The tafsir notes that by outwardly appearing to agree with his own people, this man’s later advice and arguments carried more weight, since Pharaoh’s circle would dismiss an openly declared convert’s opinion far more easily than that of someone still presumed loyal. His concealment was not cowardice but a calculated way to remain effective.
يشير التفسير إلى أن إظهار هذا الرجل موافقته الظاهرية لقومه جعل نصيحته وحججه لاحقا أكثر وزنا، إذ كان بلاط فرعون سيرفض رأي معتنق مُعلن للإيمان بسهولة أكبر بكثير من رأي شخص لا يزال يُفترض أنه موالٍ. فلم يكن إخفاؤه جبنا بل وسيلة محسوبة للبقاء فعالا.
4. Two Different Forms of Courage | نوعان مختلفان من الشجاعة
The first man risked exposure for a single, decisive act, delivering an urgent warning at the right moment. The second sustained ongoing risk over time, operating from within the enemy’s own household. Together, the Quran preserves both models of protecting a prophet: the momentary act of courage and the prolonged, quiet one.
خاطر الرجل الأول بالانكشاف من أجل فعل واحد حاسم، بإيصال تحذير عاجل في اللحظة المناسبة. أما الثاني فقد تحمل خطرا مستمرا عبر الزمن، عاملا من داخل بيت العدو نفسه. ويحفظ القرآن معا هذين النموذجين لحماية نبي: فعل الشجاعة اللحظي والفعل الطويل الهادئ.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Who were the two men who helped Moses?
A man who warned him of a death plot in Egypt, and a believer within Pharaoh’s own household who concealed his faith.
What did the first man warn Moses about?
That Pharaoh’s chiefs were conspiring to kill him, urging him to leave the city.
Why did the second man hide his faith?
So that his own people would still listen to his advice, rather than dismissing him as an outsider.
What was the second man’s background?
He was a Copt from within Pharaoh’s own family or household.