Conveying the Message to Pharaoh and the Proper Manner To Communicate It
Prior to their visit to Pharaoh, Allah warned the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the Prophet Aaron (pbuh), and reminded them to always remember Him, and to never slacken in remembering Him:
"Go, you and your brother, with My Signs and do not slacken in remembering Me." (Surah Ta-Ha: 42)
Allah commanded the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the Prophet Aaron (pbuh) to go to Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt. Allah explained to them that Pharaoh was arrogant and contentious, but nevertheless, He commanded them to adopt a gentle manner in communicating His message to him:
"Go to Pharaoh; he has overstepped the bounds. But speak to him with gentle words so that hopefully he will pay heed or show some fear." (Surah Ta-Ha: 43-44 )
As stressed in the verses above, using gracious language is a highly effective approach that should always be adopted while communicating the religion. In many verses of the Qur'an, the importance of choosing kind words is stressed as a general rule. In fact, Allah commands man to speak gently even when the one he is conversing with is arrogant, making evident the clear importance of using such a manner in communicating the message of Allah.
Upon this command of Allah, the Prophet Moses (pbuh) once more candidly expressed the fear he felt in his heart. He told Allah about his concern, that is, being killed by Pharaoh:
They said, "Our Lord, we are afraid that he might persecute us or overstep the bounds." (Surah Ta-Ha: 45)
He (Moses) said, "My Lord, I killed one of them and I am afraid they will kill me." (Surat al-Qasas: 33)
Here, Allah once again reminded the Prophet Moses (pbuh) that He was with him, seeing and hearing everything he did. Furthermore, Allah commanded the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the Prophet Aaron (pbuh) to go to Pharaoh and ask him to let Children of Israel go:
Go to him and say, "We are your Lord's Messengers so send the tribe of Israel away with us and do not punish them. We have brought you a Sign from your Lord. Peace be upon those who follow the guidance." (Surah Ta-Ha: 47)
It is worth noting that it is not only Pharaoh who was being tested here. It was a trial for the Prophet Moses (pbuh) as well. The Prophet Moses (pbuh) feared the possibility of being killed by Pharaoh. However, what Allah demanded from the Prophet Moses (pbuh) was more than a mere visit to Pharaoh; the Prophet Moses (pbuh) would go and ask Pharaoh to let all the Children of Israel leave away with him. Going before the indisputable ruler of the land, to whom the whole nation submitted like a deity (Allah is beyond that), was certainly seemingly a very hazardous task according to the conditions of the time. Even more dangerous was telling Pharaoh explicitly that he was on the wrong path, and then to ask him to give freedom to an enslaved nation, that is, to the Children of Israel. Nevertheless, aware that they were under the total protection of Allah, the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the Prophet Aaron (pbuh) pursued their task with the assurance and ease our Lord bestowed upon them. Allah reminded them of this truth, commanding them not to fear:
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| He (Allah) said, "Have no fear. I will be with you, All-Hearing and All-Seeing." (Surah Ta-Ha: 46) |
