4 Preface إِنَّ فِرعَونَ عَلا فِي الأَرضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهلَها شِيَعًا يَستَضعِفُ طائِفَةً مِنهُم يُذَبِّحُ أَبناءَهُم وَيَستَحيي نِساءَهُم ۚ إِنَّهُ كانَ مِنَ المُفسِدينَYusuf AliTruly Pharaoh elated himself in the land and broke up its people into sections,1 depressing a small group among them: their sons he slew, but he kept alive their females: for he was indeed a maker of mischief.For a king or ruler to make invidious distinctions between his subjects, and specially to depress or oppress any particular class of his subjects, is a dereliction of his kingly duties, for which he is responsible to God. Pharaoh and his clique were intoxicated with pride of race and pride of material civilisation, and grievously oppressed the Israelites. Pharaoh decreed that all sons born to his Israelite subjects should be killed, and the females kept alive for the pleasure of the Egyptians. Moses was saved in a wonderful way, as related further.