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 to worship Allah is to let him be pardoned and not punished, “so perhaps he may be mindful ˹of Me˺” of Allah and believe in Him, “or fearful ˹of My punishment˺.” Ta-Ha 20:44. Perhaps he will realize the things that do him harm, so he will abandon doing them. The reason for being soft is that soft words attract people to you, while harsh words break people away from the truth.
Benefit: The soft words were explained in the Ayah in which Allah the Almighty narrates Moses PBUH who said, “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˺?'”
In this speech there is kindness and ease, and no rudeness can be detected in it. “Would you” indicates consultation that does not cause harm to anyone. Moses PBUH called Pharaoh to purify himself from polytheism, and purification is a deed that all wise people accept to do.
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 to his Lord, who blessed him with apparent and hidden blessings that require gratefulness to Allah and ever-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، فليقبل دعوتكم، اسلكوا 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”. 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 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 Because of, Not Despite, the Severity | لينٌ أُمر به بسبب شدة الطغيان لا رغمًا عنها
Tafsir As-Sadi reads the command to “speak to him gently” as a direct response to how far Pharaoh had gone in disbelief and tyranny, reasoning that soft words draw people toward truth while harsh words push them further away. Gentleness here is not a weaker option chosen despite the severity of the transgression, it is presented as the more strategically sound approach precisely because the transgression was so severe.
يقرأ تفسير السعدي أمر “فقولا له قولا لينا” استجابة مباشرة لمدى تمادي فرعون في الكفر والطغيان، مستدلا بأن الكلام اللين يجذب الناس إلى الحق بينما يُنفّرهم الكلام الغليظ. واللين هنا ليس خيارا أضعف اختير رغم شدة الطغيان، بل يُقدَّم بوصفه النهج الأكثر حكمة استراتيجية تحديدا لأن الطغيان كان شديدا جدا.
2. What “Gentle” Meant in Concrete Terms | معنى “اللين” بمصطلحاتٍ عملية
The tafsir specifies exactly what this instruction ruled out: no raised voice, and no attack through either 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 who had sentenced Musa to death.
يحدد التفسير بالضبط ما استبعده هذا الأمر: عدم رفع الصوت، وعدم التهجم 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 حكم على موسى بالإعدام.
3. The Goal Was Mercy, Not Punishment | الهدف الرحمة لا العقوبة
The commentary frames the entire purpose of the mission as seeking Pharaoh’s pardon rather than his punishment, which is why the approach itself had to reflect that goal. A message intended to spare someone, the tafsir argues, cannot be delivered in a way designed to provoke or humiliate.
يؤطر الشرح غاية الرسالة بأكملها بأنها طلب العفو عن فرعون لا عقابه، ولهذا كان لا بد أن يعكس الأسلوب نفسه هذه الغاية. ويرى التفسير أن رسالة 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-Sadi 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 truth while harsh words push them away, making gentleness the more effective approach precisely because of the severity.
What specific wording shows this gentleness?
Opening with “would you,” a consultative phrase, and saying “you purify yourself” rather than “let me purify you.”
What was the actual goal of this gentle approach?
Pharaoh’s pardon and repentance, 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.