The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 518
AL-QASAS CH. 28 which they feared from PT. 20 يَحْذَرُونَ E them. 2881 وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى أُمِّ مُوسَى اَنْ اَرْضِعِيهِ And We revealed to the. 8 mother of Moses saying, فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَالْقِيْهِ فِي الْيَمِ وَلَا Suckle him; and when thou تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوْهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ fearest for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve; for We shall restore him to thee, and shall make him one of the Messengers. '2882 "20:39. 2881. Commentary: Exploitation and tyranny produce their own nemesis and the exploiters and oppressors never feel secure from the standard of revolt being raised against them by those whom they exploit, suppress and oppress. The greater the oppression of the tyrant, the greater his fear of revolt on the part of the tyrannized. Pharaoh, too, was seized with this fear and, therefore, he employed all sorts of means and machinations to keep the Israelites under permanent subjection. But the time had come that he should be punished and those held in bondage should be emancipated. Hāmān was the title of the High Priest of the god Amon, "ham" in Egyptian meaning high priest and Amon was the god who dominated all other Egyptian gods. "Hāmān was the director of the double treasury and granary and director of the soldiers and all the craftsmen of Thebes. His name was Nebunnef and he was high priest under Ramesus II and his son Merneptah. Being the head of the extremely rich sacerdotal organization embracing all the priesthoods of the country his power and prestige had increased so much that he controlled a most influential political faction and even kept his own private army" (A story of Egypt by James Henry Breasted, Ph. D. ). 2432 Hāmān is also said to be the name of a minister of Ahasuerus, a king of Persia who lived many ages after Moses. There is nothing strange or objectionable in two persons living in two different periods bearing the same name. But Mr. Wherry, only to expose his own crass ignorance, has pretended to discover a serious anachronism in the Quran having called a minister of Pharaoh by the name of Hāmān, which incidentally was also the name of a minister of a king of Persia (Wherry's Commentary, vol. 3, p. 254). In fact, anachronism lies in the brain of Mr. Wherry himself and not in the Quran. 2882. Commentary: The preceding seven verses had spoken of Moses' mission and by