In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَسُلۡطَـٰنٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ
إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَقَـٰرُونَ فَقَالُواْ سَـٰحِرٌ۬ ڪَذَّابٌ۬

And indeed We sent Musa (Moses) with Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), and a manifest authority, to Fir’aun (Pharaoh), Haman and Qarun (Korah), but they called (him): “A sorcerer, a liar!” – Meaning, Prophet Musa was sent to (Fir’awn – King of the Copts in Egypt, Haamaan – his chief minister in his kingdom and Qaaroon, who had the most wealth and trade) with Hujaj [i.e. clear and overwhelming proofs that defeats all the obstinate and stubborn ones] and Burhaan [i.e. proofs that clarify and distinguish between truth and falsehood in everything]; but they belied him, declared him a sorcerer, an insane person and one under an illusion that Allaah has sent him as a Messenger. This is similar to Allaah’s statement:

كَذَٲلِكَ مَآ أَتَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُواْ سَاحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونٌ
أَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِهِۦ‌ۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمٌ۬ طَاغُونَ

Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them, but they said: “A sorcerer or a madman!” Have they (the people of the past) transmitted this saying to these (Quraish pagans)? Nay, they are themselves a people transgressing beyond bounds (in disbelief)! [Surah Adh-Dhaariyaat. Aayaat 52-53] (1)

[فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلۡحَقِّ مِنۡ عِندِنَا قَالُواْ ٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَبۡنَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ ۥ وَٱسۡتَحۡيُواْ نِسَآءَهُمۡۚ وَمَا ڪَيۡدُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ – Then, when he brought them the Truth from Us, they said: “Kill the sons of those who believe with him and let their women live”, but the plots of disbelievers are nothing but errors!] – Meaning, “Resume killing them”. That is because Fir’awn stopped killing the baby boys of Banee Israa’eel, but after Musa was sent as a Messenger to him, he resumed the killing in order to hinder them from following Musa. (2)

The first command was a measure taken to hinder the emergence of a man like Musa, or an act designed to humiliate Banee Israa’eel and reduce their numbers, or both. The second command was for the second reason, to humiliate the people so that they would consider Musa as a bad omen. Allaah said that they said:

[أُوذِينَا مِن قَبۡلِ أَن تَأۡتِيَنَا وَمِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جِئۡتَنَا‌ۚ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمۡ أَن يُهۡلِكَ عَدُوَّڪُمۡ وَيَسۡتَخۡلِفَڪُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَيَنظُرَ ڪَيۡفَ تَعۡمَلُونَ – We (Children of Israel) had suffered troubles before you came to us, and since you have come to us.” He said: “It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you successors on the earth, so that He may see how you act. [Surah Al-A’raaf. Aayah 129] (3)

وَقَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ ذَرُونِىٓ أَقۡتُلۡ مُوسَىٰ وَلۡيَدۡعُ رَبَّهُ ۥۤ‌ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ أَن يُبَدِّلَ دِينَڪُمۡ أَوۡ أَن يُظۡهِرَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡفَسَادَ
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِنِّى عُذۡتُ بِرَبِّى وَرَبِّڪُم مِّن كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ۬ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡحِسَابِ

Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “Leave me to kill Musa (Moses), and let him call his Lord (to stop me from killing him)! I fear that he may change your religion, or that he may cause mischief to appear in the land!”

[وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ – Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said] – Meaning, with haughtiness and tyranny, whilst deluding his foolish people; [ذَرُونِي أَقْتُلْ مُوسَىٰ وَلْيَدْعُ رَبَّهُ – Leave me to kill Musa (Moses), and let him call his Lord (to stop me from killing him)!]

This was his claim that had it not been for his consideration of the wishes of his people, he would have killed Musa and that (Musa’s) supplication to his Lord would not have prevented him from that.

Fir’awn then mentioned what made him want to kill Musa and that he is a sincere adviser to his people, and that he wished to remove mischief from the land. Allaah [The Most High] stated that Fir’awn said: [إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُبَدِّلَ دِينَكُمْ أَوْ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ فِي الْأَرْضِ الْفَسَادَ – I fear that he (Musa) may change your religion, or that he may cause mischief to appear in the land!” [Soorah Ghaafir: Ayah 26]

This is the most amazing the affair can be! The most evil one among the creation gives advice to the people against the best among the creation. This is (nothing but) disguised falsehood and propaganda, which cannot seize except the intellects of those (people) about whom Allaah stated: [فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ – Thus he Fir’aun (Pharaoh)] befooled and misled his people, and they obeyed him. Verily, they were ever a people who were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).] [Soorah Az-Zukhruf: Ayah 54] (4)

[وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِنِّى عُذۡتُ بِرَبِّى وَرَبِّڪُم مِّن كُلِّ مُتَكَبِّرٍ۬ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡحِسَابِ – Musa (Moses) said: “Verily, I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant who believes not in the Day of Reckoning!]- Meaning, after Musa heard what Fir`awn said, “Leave me to kill Musa”, Musa sought Allaah’s refuge against Fir’awn’s evil and his ilk. It has been stated a hadeeth reported by Abu Musa that whenever the Messenger feared (the evil) of some people, he would say: [للَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَجْعَلُكَ فِي نُحُورِهِمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شُرُورِهِمْ – Allaahumma Innaa Naj’aluka Fee Nuhoorihim, Wa Na’oodhubika Min Shuroorihim]. (5)

وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ۬ مُّؤۡمِنٌ۬ مِّنۡ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ يَكۡتُمُ إِيمَـٰنَهُ ۥۤ أَتَقۡتُلُونَ رَجُلاً أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّىَ ٱللَّهُ وَقَدۡ جَآءَكُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡۖ وَإِن يَكُ ڪَـٰذِبً۬ا فَعَلَيۡهِ كَذِبُهُ ۥۖ وَإِن يَكُ صَادِقً۬ا يُصِبۡكُم بَعۡضُ ٱلَّذِى يَعِدُكُمۡۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَہۡدِى مَنۡ هُوَ مُسۡرِفٌ۬ كَذَّابٌ۬
يَـٰقَوۡمِ لَكُمُ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ ظَـٰهِرِينَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَمَن يَنصُرُنَا مِنۢ بَأۡسِ ٱللَّهِ إِن جَآءَنَاۚ قَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ مَآ أُرِيكُمۡ إِلَّا مَآ أَرَىٰ وَمَآ أَهۡدِيكُمۡ إِلَّا سَبِيلَ ٱلرَّشَادِ
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَامَنَ يَـٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيۡكُم مِّثۡلَ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابِ
مِثۡلَ دَأۡبِ قَوۡمِ نُوحٍ۬ وَعَادٍ۬ وَثَمُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡۚ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلۡمً۬ا لِّلۡعِبَادِ
وَيَـٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلتَّنَادِ
يَوۡمَ تُوَلُّونَ مُدۡبِرِينَ مَا لَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۡ عَاصِمٍ۬ۗ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ ۥ مِنۡ هَادٍ۬

And a believing man of Fir’aun’s (Pharaoh) family, who hid his faith said: “Would you kill a man because he says: My Lord is Allah, and he has come to you with clear signs (proofs) from your Lord? And if he is a liar, upon him will be (the sin of) his lie; but if he is telling the truth, then some of that (calamity) wherewith he threatens you will befall on you.” Verily, Allah guides not one who is a Musrif (a polytheist, or a murderer who shed blood without a right, or those who commit great sins, oppressor, transgressor), a liar! “O my people! Yours is the kingdom this day, you are uppermost in the land. But who will save us from the Torment of Allah, should it befall us?” Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “I show you only that which I see (correct), and I guide you only to the path of right policy!” And he who believed said: “O my people! Verily, I fear for you a fate like that day (of disaster) of the Confederates (of old)! Like the fate of the people of Nuh (Noah), and ‘Ad, and Thamud and those who came after them. And Allah wills no injustice for (His) slaves. And, O my people! Verily! I fear for you the Day when there will be mutual calling (between the people of Hell and of Paradise).” A Day when you will turn your backs and flee having no protector from Allah, And whomsoever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide. [Surah Ghaafir Aayaat 23-33]