Al-A‘rāf 7:127

The issue

This verse says that some Egyptian leaders asked Pharaoh if he would take any action

against Moses and the Israelites. The passage does not clearly state what Moses and

the Israelites had done, referring only to their spreading “mischief,” which apparently

included their abandoning the worship of Egyptian gods. But earlier, in verse 105,

it speaks of Moses coming before Pharaoh with a “manifest sign” and asking Pharoah

to “send then the children of Israel with” him (Moses). The verse 127 adds that the Egyptians had expressed fears that if they ignored the activities of Moses, it might have

a negative impact on their religion and the political status of their country. So, Pharaoh

replied, “‘We will have their sons slain and their women we will let live, for, verily, we are

triumphant over them’” (Q 7.127).

According to this verse, Pharaoh decided to kill the sons of the children of Israel and

enslave their women after Moses began his spiritual mission. This fact is confirmed by

another verse: “‘Kill the sons of those who believe with him, and let their women live!’”

(Q 40.25).

From these two verses it is apparent that the command to kill the sons of Israel

occurred after Moses came to present “the truth.”

However, in other parts of the Qur’ān it states that Pharaoh ordered the killing of

the boys while Moses was still in the cradle—long before Moses’ mission began as a

prophet of God. The following verses recount the instructions given to Moses’ mother

to spare him from the slaughter ordered by Pharaoh:

When we inspired thy mother with what we inspired her, “Hurl him into the ark, and hurl him into the sea; and the sea shall cast him on the shore, and an enemy of mine and of his shall take him....” (Q 20.38-39)

Again the Qur’ān repeats this version of the story: “And we inspired the mother of Moses,‘Suckle him; and when thou art afraid for him then throw him into the river, and

fear not and grieve not; verily, we are going to restore him to thee, and to make him of the apostles!’” (Q 28.7).

Thus, in some places the Qur’ān states that the order to kill the male children of the

Israelites occurred after Moses began his spiritual mission, while in other places, the Qur’ān states that Pharaoh decided to kill the male Israeli children when Moses was still an infant. Most Islāmic commentators ignored the differences between these verses. However, al-Tabarī notes that there are some contradictions among them. Therefore, he attempted to resolve the issue by stating that the decision to kill the boys, which he said came after the coming of Moses with “the truth,” was the second decision; Pharaoh’s decision to kill them was only aimed at “the sons of those who believed in Moses.” But al-Tabarī does not specify which Qur’ānic text suggests that this killing was the second decision.

Moreover, there is no reference in these verses, even implicitly, to validate al-Tabarī’s

statement that the second matter is “about the killing of the sons of those who believed

in Moses”.

In his comment on Q 40.25, al-Zamakhsharī states that the decision to kill the boys

was the second decision, without providing any specifics or support for his point of View. Their justification for this contradiction, as presented by al-Tabarī and al-Zamakhsharī, has no basis in the Qur’ān and, therefore, these two scholars were unable to substantiate their suggestions with a verse. Thus, the contradiction remains a mystery to be solved.