وَقَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ فِرْعَوْنَ قُرَّتُ عَيْنٍ لِّى وَلَكَ ۖ لَا تَقْتُلُوهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ 9
Translations
And the wife of Pharaoh said, "[He will be] a comfort of the eye [i.e., pleasure] for me and for you. Do not kill him; perhaps he may benefit us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they perceived not.
Transliteration
Wa qalati imra'atu fir'awna qurrata 'ayni li wa lak la taqtuluhu 'asa an yanfa'ana aw nattakhidhahu walada wa hum la yash'urun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Pharaoh's wife, upon discovering the baby Moses in the basket, immediately appeals to Pharaoh not to kill him, proposing instead to keep him as a son while hoping he might benefit them. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this woman (identified in Islamic tradition as Asiyah) demonstrates mercy and maternal compassion, contrasting sharply with Pharaoh's cruelty, and her intervention becomes the means through which Allah preserves Moses. The phrase 'wa hum la yash'urun' (and they do not perceive) highlights the divine irony—neither Pharaoh nor his wife realized that this child would become the instrument of Pharaoh's downfall and the liberation of the Israelites.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within Surah Al-Qasas, which narrates the story of Moses' birth and early life. The surah was revealed in Mecca during the Meccan period and serves to console the Prophet Muhammad and the early Muslims during persecution. This particular verse demonstrates how Allah's providence works through unexpected means—using the compassion of Pharaoh's own wife to save the very person destined to destroy his kingdom.
Related Hadiths
There is no hadith directly quoting this verse, but Surah At-Tahrim (66:11) praises Asiyah (Pharaoh's wife): 'And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, My Lord, build for me a house with You in Paradise.' This shows her ultimate status despite living in Pharaoh's household.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that Allah's protection and plans transcend human circumstances—even placing His chosen ones under the care of those who oppose His message. It also demonstrates that sincere compassion and mercy, even from unexpected quarters, are valued by Allah and can become instruments of His divine will, reminding us that goodness can emerge from any heart that remains receptive to truth.
Related Ayahs
فَسَقَىٰ لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
So he watered [their flocks] for them; then he went back to the shade and said, "My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need."
فَلَمَّآ أَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَبْطِشَ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ عَدُوٌّ لَّهُمَا قَالَ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ أَتُرِيدُ أَن تَقْتُلَنِى كَمَا قَتَلْتَ نَفْسًۢا بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۖ إِن تُرِيدُ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَ جَبَّارًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا تُرِيدُ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُصْلِحِينَ
And when he wanted to strike the one who was an enemy to both of them, he said, "O Moses, do you intend to kill me as you killed someone yesterday? You only want to be a tyrant in the land and do not want to be of the amenders."
فَٱلْتَقَطَهُۥٓ ءَالُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا كَانُوا۟ خَـٰطِـِٔينَ
And the family of Pharaoh picked him up [out of the river] so that he would become to them an enemy and a [cause of] grief. Indeed, Pharaoh and Hāmān and their soldiers were deliberate sinners.
۞ إِنَّ قَـٰرُونَ كَانَ مِن قَوْمِ مُوسَىٰ فَبَغَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْكُنُوزِ مَآ إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُۥ لَتَنُوٓأُ بِٱلْعُصْبَةِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُوَّةِ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ لَا تَفْرَحْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَرِحِينَ
Indeed, Qārūn was from the people of Moses, but he tyrannized them. And We gave him of treasures whose keys would burden a band of strong men; thereupon his people said to him, "Do not exult. Indeed, Allāh does not like the exultant.