What Was the Method Moses (PBUH) Was Ordered to Follow While Calling Pharaoh to Allah? What Do We Learn From It?
ما هي الطريقة التي أمر موسى عليه السلام أن يسلكها في دعوة فرعون؟ وما الدرس الذي يمكن أن تستفيده من تلك الطريقة الدعوية؟
Allah the Almighty told Moses PBUH to talk to Pharaoh gently and say to him kind words while calling him to Allah. He also asked him to let the Children of Israel go with him out of Egypt where they were oppressed.
Allah said to Moses and Harun, “Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed ˹all bounds˺. Speak to him gently.” Meaning: Pharaoh exceeded the limits in infidelity, tyranny, injustice and aggression, thus to make him accept your Da’wah, be kind and gentle. “Speak to him gently” means using kind, gentle and polite words. This manner of speaking includes not raising the voice and not attacking him with words or actions, because the purpose of calling him is mercy toward him, not his punishment: “so perhaps he may be mindful ˹of Me˺,” that is, of what benefits him, and do it, “or fearful ˹of My punishment˺,” that is, of what harms him with Allah, and abandon it (Ta-Ha 20:44). The reason for the command to be gentle is that gentle words invite to that, while harsh words drive people away from the truth.
Benefit: The gentle words are explained in His words: “And say, ‘Would you ˹be willing to˺ purify yourself, and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be in awe ˹of Him˺?'” (An-Nazi’at 79:18-19)
In this speech there is kindness and ease, and no rudeness can be detected in it. “Would you” indicates an offer and consultation that no one finds repellent. Moses PBUH called Pharaoh to purify himself and cleanse himself of impurities, the root of which is cleansing from polytheism, something every sound mind accepts.
Moses PBUH did not say, “Let me purify you,” but rather he said, “Would you ˹be willing to˺ purify yourself.” Then he called him to the way of his Lord, who nurtured him and blessed him with outward and inward blessings that should be met with thanks and remembrance.
Moses said, as Allah the Almighty narrates, “and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be in awe ˹of Him˺?” When this gentle speech and these kind words, which soften the heart, were useless in reminding Pharaoh of Allah, Allah the Almighty seized him with the ˹crushing˺ grip of the Almighty, Most Powerful. (Source: Tafsir As-Sa’di.)
(Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed ˹all bounds˺. Speak to him gently, so perhaps he may be mindful ˹of Me˺ or fearful ˹of My punishment˺.) Ta-Ha 20:43-44
(So go to him and say, ‘Indeed we are both messengers from your Lord, so let the Children of Israel go with us, and do not oppress them. We have come to you with a sign from your Lord. And salvation will be for whoever follows the ˹right˺ guidance.’) Ta-Ha 20:47
قال تعالى لموسى عليه السلام أن يتكلم مع فرعون بلطف ويستعمل كلمات رقيقة ليدعوه إلى الله. كما طلب منه أن يدع بني إسرائيل يخرجون معه خارج مصر حيث كانوا مضطهدين.
قال الله لموسى وهارون: “اذْهَبَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ. فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا”: أي، إن فرعون جاوز الحد في الكفر والطغيان والظلم والعدوان، فلكي يقبل دعوتكما، اسلكا طريق اللين والرفق: “فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا” أي قولاً لطيفا، رفيقًا مؤدبًا، ويدخل في ذلك عدم رفع الصوت وعدم التهجم عليه بالألفاظ أو الأفعال. لأن المقصود من دعوته رحمته لا عقوبته، “لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ” ما ينفعه فيأتيه، “أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ” ما يضره عند الله فيتركه. وسبب ذلك الأمر باللين أن القول اللين داعٍ لذلك، والقول الغليظ منفر عن الحق.
فائدة: قد فُسّر القول اللين في قوله: “فَقُلْ هَلْ لَكَ إِلَىٰ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ” (النازعات 79: 18-19). فإن في هذا الكلام من لطف القول وسهولته وعدم بشاعته ما لا يخفى على المتأمل، فإنه أتى بـ”هل” الدالة على العرض والمشاورة التي لا يشمئز منها أحد، ودعاه إلى التزكي والتطهر من الأدناس التي أصلها التطهر من الشرك الذي يقبله كل عقل سليم.
ولم يقل: “أزكيك” بل قال: “تزكى” أنت بنفسك، ثم دعاه إلى سبيل ربه الذي رباه وأنعم عليه بالنعم الظاهرة والباطنة التي ينبغي مقابلتها بشكرها وذكرها.
فقال: “وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ”. فلما لم يقبل هذا الكلام اللين الذي يأخذ حسنه بالقلوب، علم أنه لا ينجع فيه تذكير، فأخذه الله أخذ عزيز مقتدر. (مصدر الفائدة: تفسير السعدي المسمى تيسير الكريم الرحمن في تفسير كلام المنان)
(اذْهَبَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ ﴿٤٣﴾ فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ) طه 20: 43-44
(فَأْتِيَاهُ فَقُولَا إِنَّا رَسُولَا رَبِّكَ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَا تُعَذِّبْهُمْ قَدْ جِئْنَاكَ بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَىٰ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَىٰ) طه 20: 47
1. Gentleness Commanded Toward a Ruler Who Had Exceeded All Bounds | لينٌ أُمر به مع حاكمٍ جاوز الحد
Tafsir As-Sa’di explains that Pharaoh had exceeded all bounds in his disbelief, tyranny, injustice and aggression, and Musa and Harun (peace be upon them) were still to “speak to him gently,” so that he might take heed or fear Allah, because gentle words invite a person toward that while harsh words drive him away. Gentleness here is not weakness; it is the way most likely to reach even a heart as hardened as Pharaoh’s.
يبيّن تفسير السعدي أن فرعون جاوز الحد في كفره وطغيانه وظلمه وعدوانه، ومع ذلك أُمر موسى وهارون بأن يقولا له “قولا لينا”، لعله يتذكر أو يخشى، لأن القول اللين داعٍ إلى ذلك والقول الغليظ منفّر. فاللين هنا ليس ضعفا، بل هو الطريق الأرجى للوصول حتى إلى قلب قاسٍ كقلب فرعون.
2. What “Gentle” Meant in Concrete Terms | معنى “اللين” بمصطلحاتٍ عملية
The answer spells out what this instruction includes: not raising the voice, and not attacking him with words or actions. This turns an abstract instruction to be “gentle” into a concrete behavioral standard Musa and Harun were expected to follow even while addressing the man whose court had plotted to kill Musa.
يبيّن الجواب ما يدخل في هذا الأمر: عدم رفع الصوت، وعدم التهجم عليه بالألفاظ أو الأفعال. ويحول هذا التعليم المجرد بـ”اللين” إلى معيار سلوكي ملموس كان يُتوقع من موسى وهارون الالتزام به حتى وهما يخاطبان الرجل الذي ائتمر ملؤه بقتل موسى.
3. The Goal Was Mercy, Not Punishment | الهدف الرحمة لا العقوبة
The answer frames the entire purpose of the mission as mercy toward Pharaoh rather than his punishment, which is why the approach itself had to reflect that goal. A message intended as mercy cannot be delivered in a way designed to provoke or humiliate. How the encounter actually unfolded is told in the conversation between Moses and Pharaoh.
يؤطر الجواب غاية الرسالة بأكملها بأنها الرحمة بفرعون لا عقوبته، ولهذا كان لا بد أن يعكس الأسلوب نفسه هذه الغاية. ورسالة تهدف إلى الرحمة بشخص لا يمكن أن تُقدَّم بطريقة مصممة للاستفزاز أو الإهانة.
4. A Close Reading of the Actual Wording Used | قراءةٌ دقيقة لصيغة الخطاب نفسها
Tafsir As-Sa’di points to specific word choices in the message Musa was told to deliver as evidence of this gentleness: opening with “would you” rather than a command, phrased as a consultation no one could take offense at, and saying “you purify yourself” rather than “let me purify you,” leaving the choice explicitly with Pharaoh rather than imposing it on him.
يشير تفسير السعدي إلى اختيارات كلمات محددة في الرسالة التي كُلف موسى بتبليغها دليلا على هذا اللين: افتتاحها بـ”هل لك” بدلا من أمر، وصياغتها استشارة لا يمكن لأحد أن ينزعج منها، وقول “أن تزكى” بدلا من “أزكيك”، تاركا الخيار صراحة لفرعون بدلا من فرضه عليه.
5. What Happened When Gentleness Was Rejected | ماذا حدث حين رُفض هذا اللين
The tafsir closes this lesson by noting that once this gentle, heart-softening approach failed to move Pharaoh, Allah seized him with an overpowering grip. This sequencing matters: the eventual consequence came only after the gentle method had been exhausted, not instead of it.
يختتم التفسير هذا الدرس بملاحظة أنه حين فشل هذا الأسلوب اللين الذي يلين القلوب في تحريك فرعون، أخذه الله أخذ عزيز مقتدر. ولهذا الترتيب أهميته: فالعقوبة النهائية جاءت فقط بعد استنفاد الأسلوب اللين، لا بدلا منه.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What method was Moses ordered to follow with Pharaoh?
To speak to him gently, using kind and consultative language rather than confrontation.
Why was gentleness commanded given how extreme Pharaoh’s tyranny was?
Because soft words draw people toward the truth while harsh words push them away; the aim was that Pharaoh might take heed or fear Allah.
What specific wording shows this gentleness?
Opening with a consultative question that offers Pharaoh the chance to purify himself, rather than announcing that Musa would purify him (An-Nazi’at 79:18).
What was the actual goal of this gentle approach?
Mercy toward Pharaoh, not his punishment.
What happened after this gentle method was rejected?
Allah seized Pharaoh with an overpowering grip, but only after the gentle approach had already failed to move him.