among them. The leaders of the Copts entered upon Pharaoh and spoke to him, saying: "These people have been afflicted by death, and it is likely that the work will fall upon our servants. We slaughter their sons, so the young do not reach adulthood to assist the elders. If you were to spare some of their children..." So he ordered that they be slaughtered one year and spared the next.

His saying, the Almighty: "And in that is a great trial from your Lord."

8917 - My father told us, Abu Salih told us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih told me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding his saying: "a great trial from your Lord," he says: A punishment. It was also narrated from Mujahid, Abu Malik, and al-Suddi similar to this.

His saying, the Almighty: "And We made an appointment with Moses."

8918 - 'Ammar ibn Khalid al-Wasiti told us, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan and Yazid ibn Harun told us—the wording is Muhammad's—from Asbagh ibn Zayd, from al-Qasim ibn Abi Ayyub, Sa'id ibn Jubayr told me, from Ibn 'Abbas: Moses said to them: "Obey Aaron, for I have appointed him as my successor over you, as I am going to my Lord." He set a term of thirty days to return to them. When he came to his Lord and intended to speak to Him within thirty days, having fasted them by night and day, he disliked speaking to his Lord while his mouth had the odor of one who is fasting. So Moses took some vegetation from the earth and chewed it. His Lord said to him when he came to Him: "Why did you break your fast?" He was more knowledgeable about what had happened. He said: "O Lord, I disliked to speak to You unless my mouth was pleasant-smelling." He said: "Did you not know, O Moses, that the odor of the mouth of one who is fasting is more pleasant to Me than the scent of musk? Return and fast ten days, then come to me." So Moses did what his Lord had commanded him.

8919 - al-Mundhir ibn Shadhan told us, Ya'la told us, Talhah ibn 'Amr told us, from 'Ata' regarding his saying: "And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights," he said: Dhu al-Qa'dah.

His saying, the Almighty: "And We completed them with ten."

8920 - My father told us, Sahl ibn 'Uthman told us, Mahbub told us from Talhah, 'Ata' told us, he said: Ibn 'Abbas used to say regarding the word of Allah: "And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights, and We completed them with ten," he said: Dhu al-Qa'dah and the ten (days) of Dhu al-Hijjah.

It was narrated from Masruq, Mujahid, and 'Ata' regarding "And We completed them with ten," they said: The ten (days) of Dhu al-Hijjah.