" And abasement and humiliation were brought down upon them...

" And abasement and humiliation were brought down upon them and they returned with Allâh's wrath; this was so because they disbelieved in the signs of Allâh and killed the prophets unjustly; this was so because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits (61). COMMENTARY QUR’?N: and sparing your women: They left your women alive in order that they (i.e. the women) might serve them. "al-Istihyâ "' () means to wish someone to remain alive.

The word may also mean: They behaved indecently with the women until they (i.e. the women) lost their modesty. "Yasûmûnakum" () translated here as "they subjected you to", literally means, they imposed upon you. QUR’?N : And when We parted the sea for you: al-Farq () is opposite of al-jam' (); the words mean to separate and to gather, respectively. The same is the case of al-fasl () vis-a-vis "al-wasl" (). To separate the sea means to part its water.

"Bikum" (), translated here as "for you", may also mean, "soon on your entering the sea". QUR’?N : And when We appointed (a time of) forty days with Mûsâ: The same event has been described in Chapter 7 in these words: And We appointed with Mûsâ a time of thirty nights and completed them with ten (more), so the appointed time of his Lord was complete, forty nights (7 :142) . This verse mentions the total duration of the two promises together, as a tradition says.

QUR’?N : therefore turn to your Creator (penitently): al-Bâri’ () is one of the beautiful names of Allâh, as Allâh says: He is Allâh, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most beautiful names. . . (59:24). This name has been used three times in the Qur’ân: twice in the verse under discussion and once in Chapter 59, quoted just above. Perhaps Allâh used this name here because it was most suitable in the context of the event described.

While it is nearer in meaning to al-Khâliq ( = the Creator) and al-Mûjid ( = the Inventor), it is derived from bara'a, yabra'u, bar'an ( = he separated, he separates, to separate). Allâh thus separates His creation from in­existence, or He separates man from the earth. This name in this context conveys the following idea: No doubt it is very hard to repent by killing your own people. But Allâh, Who now orders you to destroy yourselves by killing, is the same God who had created you.

He was pleased to create you when it was good for you; and now He has decreed that you should kill your own people, and this order too is good for you.