His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "So the family of Pharaoh picked him up to be for them an enemy and a source of grief. Indeed, Pharaoh and Haman and their soldiers were in error." And the wife of Pharaoh said, "A comfort of the eye for me and for you. Do not kill him; perhaps he will benefit us or we may adopt him as a son," and they perceived not. And the heart of the mother of Moses became empty; she was about to disclose it, had We not bound fast upon her heart so that she would be among the believers. And she said to her sister, "Follow him," so she watched him from a distance while they perceived not.

The term 'picking up' means meeting without intention, and from it is the saying of the poet:

And a watering place I came upon by chance, I did not meet it when I came upon it freely.

And "the family of Pharaoh" refers to his people. It is narrated that Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh, saw the basket floating in the river, so she ordered it to be brought to her and opened it. She saw in it a small boy, so she had compassion for him and loved him. Al-Suddi said: "Indeed, her maidservants had a pool in the palace on the Nile, where water would enter the palace until they could reach it for their needs and benefits. While they were washing in that pool, the basket came, and they carried it to their mistress." Ibn Ishaq said: "Pharaoh saw it floating and ordered it to be brought, and Asiya was sitting with him, so what has been mentioned occurred.

And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "to be for them an enemy" is a lam of consequence, not that the intention of the picking up was for him to be an enemy. The majority read: "and a source of grief" with a fatha on the ha, while Hamzah, Al-Kisai, Ibn Wathab, Talhah, and Al-Amash read: "and a source of grief" with a dammah on the ha and a sukoon on the zay. And "the one in error" is the one who intentionally errs, while "the one mistaken" is the one who does not intend it.

The interpreters differed regarding the time when the wife of Pharaoh said: "A comfort of the eye for me and for you." A group said: This was at the time of the picking up of the basket when she made Pharaoh aware of it; for it had previously occurred to his imagination that he was from the Children of Israel, and that this was intended to escape the slaughter. He said: "Bring me the slaughterers," and his wife said what has been mentioned. Pharaoh said: "As for me, no." The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "If he had said: Yes, he would have believed in Moses and it would have been a comfort of the eye for him." Al-Suddi said: "Rather, she raised him until he grew up, and Pharaoh saw in him bravery, and he thought he was from the Children of Israel. He took him by the hand, and Moses, peace be upon him, reached out his hand and pulled the beard of Pharaoh, and at that moment he intended to kill him. At that moment, she spoke to him about this and tested him with the ember and the jewel, and his tongue was burned. And His saying: "and they perceived not" means that he was the one who would ruin the kingdom at his hands, as said by Qatadah and others. Ibn Mas'ud read: "Do not kill him; a comfort of the eye for me and for you," he advanced and delayed.

And His saying: "And became" is an expression of the continuity of the state and its stability, and it is like a shadow. From it is the saying of Abu Sufyan to Al-Abbas on the day of the conquest: "Indeed, the kingdom of your nephew has become great today," meaning: his state has settled greatly. The majority of people read: "empty" from emptiness, and there is a difference in its meaning. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Empty of everything except the mention of Moses, peace be upon him," and Malik said: "It is the departure of reason."

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Like His saying, "And their hearts are empty" [Ibrahim: 43]. A group said: Empty of patience. Ibn Zayd said: Empty of the promise of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, and His revelation to her, meaning: she forgot it due to her worry, and its effect faded in her soul. And Iblis said to her: You fled from a killing for which you would have a reward, and you killed him with your own hand. Abu Ubaidah said: Empty of sorrow; for he did not drown. And Fadalah ibn Ubaid read - and it is said: Ibn Ubaidah - and the good: "Faza'an" from fear - with the fa and the zay. And Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, read: "Qara'an" with the qaf and the ra, from the calamity, which is the great worry. And some of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, read: "Faragha" with a broken fa, a silent ra, and a dotted ghain, and its meaning is: going wasted, mixed with worry and sorrow. And from it is the saying of Talihah al-Asadi: If my killing has affected their souls, then they will not go wasted by the killing of ropes. Meaning: wasted and mixed that is of no benefit. And al-Khalil ibn Ahmad read: "Furughan" with a dammed fa and ra.

And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "Indeed, she was about to disclose it" means the matter of her son. It has been narrated that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "The mother of Musa was about to say: O my son, and she would have cried out loudly." "And the tying of the heart" is its comfort and strengthening. And from it is their saying to the brave and patient in difficulties: Tie your heart. Qatadah said: And she tied her heart with faith. And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "So that you may be among the believers" means: among those who believe in the promise of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, and in what He revealed to her.

Then she said to the sister of Musa, hoping for him and seeking him: "Follow him," and following is seeking the trace. It is narrated that his sister went out in the streets of the city, searching discreetly, and she saw him among a group from the entourage of Pharaoh's family, seeking for him a woman to nurse him when the wet nurses did not accept him. And "from a distance" means: a side without intention or closeness that would make her aware of him. And it is said: "from janabah" and "from janab." And from it is the saying of the poet:

I have been reminded from a distance by a dove, In 'Usfaan, my family, and my heart is sad.

And from the janabah is the saying of al-A'sha:

I came to Hurayth, visiting from a distance, And Hurayth was stiff against my gift.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And the meaning of these words is: from the place of janabah, or from a distance. And the meaning of the verse is: from a distance, she did not approach him so that he would feel her. And Abu Ubaidah recited for 'Alqamah:

So do not deprive me of a gift from a distance, For I am a man among the tents, a stranger.

And Qatadah read: "from janb" with an open jim and a silent noon, and this is the reading of al-Hasan and al-A'raj. And "from janib" was read by al-Nu'man ibn Salim. And the majority read: "from junub" with a dammed jim and noon.

And His saying: "And they do not perceive" means: they do not perceive that she is his sister. This is among the subtleties of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, for him and for his mother according to the promise that was revealed to her. It is said: I saw the thing and I saw it with a similar meaning. Al-Mahdawi said: And it is said: "from junub" meaning: from longing. This is a language of the Jadh'am tribe, who say: I have longed to meet you, meaning: I have desired it. And Qatadah said: The meaning of "from junub" is that she looks at him as if she wants him.