When Allah commanded him to go to Fir`awn, the one who he had run away from and whose vengeance he feared,

[قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْساً]

( Musa said: My Lord! I have killed a man among them,) meaning, that Coptic,

[فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقْتُلُونِ]

(and I fear that they will kill me.) i.e., `when they see me.'

[وَأَخِى هَـرُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّى لِسَاناً]

(And my brother Harun -- he is more eloquent in speech than me,) Musa, peace be upon him, had a speech defect, because when he had been given the choice between a date and a pearl, he mistakenly picked up a coal and placed it on his tongue, so he found it difficult to speak clearly. Musa said:

[وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِى - يَفْقَهُواْ قَوْلِي - وَاجْعَل لِّى وَزِيراً مِّنْ أَهْلِى - هَـرُونَ أَخِى - اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِى - وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِى أَمْرِى ]

("And loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue. That they understand my speech. And appoint for me a helper from my family, Harun, my brother. Increase my strength with him, And let him share my task.'') (20:27-32) meaning, `give me someone to keep me company in this immense task of prophethood and conveying the Message to this arrogant, tyrannical and stubborn king. ' Hence Musa said:

[وَأَخِى هَـرُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّى لِسَاناً فَأَرْسِلْهِ مَعِىَ رِدْءاً]

(And my brother Harun -- he is more eloquent in speech than me: so send him with me as a helper) meaning, as a support to give strength to my cause and confirm what I say and convey from Allah, because the word of two carries more weight in people's minds than the word of one. So he said:

[إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ]

(Verily, I fear that they will deny me.) Muhammad bin Ishaq said: c

[رِدْءاً يُصَدِّقُنِى]

(as a helper to confirm me.) means, `to explain to them what I say, for he can understand me where they may not.' When Musa asked for this, Allah said to him:

[سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ]

(We will strengthen your arm through your brother,) meaning, `We will add strength to your cause and give you help through your brother, who you have asked to be made a Prophet alongside you.' This is like the Ayat;

[قَدْ أُوتِيتَ سُؤْلَكَ يمُوسَى]

(You are granted your request, O Musa!) (20:36)

[وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ مِن رَّحْمَتِنَآ أَخَاهُ هَـرُونَ نَبِيّاً ]

(And We granted him his brother Harun, (also) a Prophet, out of Our mercy) (19:53). One of the Salaf said, "There is no one who has ever done a greater favor to his brother than Musa did for Harun, may peace be upon them both, for he interceded for him until Allah made him a Prophet and Messenger with him to Fir`awn and his chiefs. Allah said concerning Musa:

[وَكَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهاً]

(he was honorable before Allah) (33:69).

[وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَـناً]

(and (We will) give you both power) means, overwhelming evidence.

[فَلاَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا بِـْايَـتِنَآ]

(so they shall not be able to harm you, with Our Ayat;) means, `they will have no way or means of harming you because you are conveying the signs of Allah.' This is like the Ayat:

[يَـأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ]

(O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord.) until His saying:

[وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ]

(Allah will protect you from mankind) (5:67).

[الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالـتِ اللَّهِ]

(Those who convey the Message of Allah) until His saying:

[وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ حَسِيباً]

(And sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner) (33:39). And sufficient is Allah as a Helper and Supporter. And Allah told them the consequences in this world and the next, for them and for those who followed them,

[أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَكُمَا الْغَـلِبُونَ]

(you two as well as those who follow you will be the victors.) This is like the Ayat:

[كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لاّغْلِبَنَّ أَنَاْ وَرُسُلِى إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ ]

(Allah has decreed: "Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious.'' Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.) (58:21)

[إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا]

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life) (40:51) to the end of the Ayah.

[فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مُّوسَى بِـَايَـتِنَا بَيِّنَـتٍ قَالُواْ مَا هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّفْتَرًى وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَـذَا فِى ءَابَآئِنَا الاٌّوَّلِينَ - وَقَالَ مُوسَى رَبِّى أَعْلَمُ بِمَن جَآءَ بِالْهُدَى مِنْ عِندِهِ وَمَن تَكُونُ لَهُ عَـقِبَةُ الدَّارِ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الظَّـلِمُونَ ]

(36. Then when Musa came to them with Our Clear Ayat, they said: "This is nothing but invented magic. Never did we hear of this among our fathers of old.'') (37. Musa said: "My Lord knows best him who came with guidance from Him, and whose will be the happy end in the Hereafter. Verily, the wrongdoers will not be successful.'')