Faqoola lahu qawlan layyinan laAAallahu yatathakkaru aw yakhsha
English
Ahmed Ali
Speak to him gently. He may possibly take heed or may come to have fear."
44
Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (and speak unto him a gentle word) a kind word: “there is no deity except allah”; it is also said that this means: call him by his agnomen, (that peradventure he may heed) that perhaps he may take admonition (or fear) or surrender [to allah].
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : and speak to him gentle words, for him to renounce such [claims], that perhaps he may be mindful, be admonished, or fear’, god and so repent — the ‘hope’ [for pharaoh’s repentance] is [expressed] from their perspective, for god knows that he was not going to repent.
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : and speak to him gentle words...he said:it was related from ibn ʿabbās y that he said, ‘moses <img border="0" src="images/alyhialsalam.jpg" width="34" height="19">, when he visited pharaoh, would say to him, ‘o abū musʿab say: “there is no god except god and i am the messenger of god”.’ sahl said:truly god, exalted is he, invested moses <img border="0" src="images/alyhialsalam.jpg" width="34" height="19"> with the robe of those who possess refined manners (mutaʾaddibūn), and he removed from him the hastiness of those who impulsively rush in (mutahajjimūn), due to the bounty (faḍl) and empowerment (tamkīn) that he found [from god]. however, he did not will for him [pharaoh] faith (īmān), for had he willed it, he would have said, ‘so he may believe.’ rather, god, mighty and majestic is he, intended by this [command] that moses <img border="0" src="images/alyhialsalam.jpg" width="34" height="19"> should show graciousness (mulāṭafa) through the most beautiful discourse and gentlest speech, for this moves the hearts of all people, just as the prophet <img border="0" src="images/salatonmassenger.jpg" width="24" height="22"> said, ‘hearts have been created with the disposition to love those who are good to them and to hate those who do wrong to them.’ this was to pre-empt his [pharaoh’s] argument (ḥujja), and to awaken interest in those among the sorcerers and others whom god knew would be guided.his words, exalted is he:
