Quran Universe
10:83

فَمَآ ءَامَنَ لِمُوسَىٰٓ إِلَّا ذُرِّيَّةٞ مِّن قَوۡمِهِۦ عَلَىٰ خَوۡفٖ مِّن فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَإِيْهِمۡ أَن يَفۡتِنَهُمۡۚ وَإِنَّ فِرۡعَوۡنَ لَعَالٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ

Fama amana limoosa illa thurriyyatun min qawmihi AAala khawfin min firAAawna wamalaihim an yaftinahum wainna firAAawna laAAalin fee alardi wainnahu lamina almusrifeena

But no one believed Moses, except [some] youths among his people, for fear of Pharaoh and his establishment that they would persecute them. And indeed, Pharaoh was haughty within the land, and indeed, he was of the transgressors

Word by word
  1. فَمَآBut none
  2. ءَامَنَbelieved
  3. لِمُوسَىٰٓMusa
  4. إِلَّاexcept
  5. ذُرِّيَّةٞ(the) offspring
  6. مِّنamong
  7. قَوۡمِهِۦhis people
  8. عَلَىٰfor
  9. خَوۡفٖfear
  10. مِّنof
  11. فِرۡعَوۡنَFiraun
  12. وَمَلَإِيْهِمۡand their chiefs
  13. أَنlest
  14. يَفۡتِنَهُمۡۚthey persecute them
  15. وَإِنَّAnd indeed
  16. فِرۡعَوۡنَFiraun
  17. لَعَالٖ(was) a tyrant
  18. فِيin
  19. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  20. وَإِنَّهُۥand indeed,he
  21. لَمِنَ(was) of
  22. ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَthe ones who commit excesses
Yunus · 10:83Makkah

Only a few young people believed, despite the fear.

Faith under a tyrant's shadow

Who believed
a few youthsfrom his people
despite
Firaunarrogant tyrant
fearof persecution
What fear does
fear means no faiththey must not believe
faith with fearthey believed anyway

Despite all the signs, only a few offspring of Firaun's people believed, among them Firaun's wife and the believer who hid his faith. They feared Firaun would force them back. Ibn Kathir says Firaun was an evil tyrant and extremely arrogant.

You are the first in your family to start praying regularly. You are nervous about the jokes at dinner. Faith does not wait for fear to leave. The young believers had more to lose, and still believed.

I will take faith seriously once it is easy and safe.

Faith can begin even while I am afraid.

Try this

Do one act of faith today that you have been too shy to do in front of others.

Related7:129
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

But none believed in Musa except the offspring of his people, because of the fear of Fir'awn and his chiefs, lest they should persecute them; and verily, Fir'awn was an arrogant tyrant on the earth, he was indeed one of the transgressors (83)

Only a Few Youth from Fir'awn's People believed in Musa

Allah tells us that despite all the clear signs and irrefutable evidence Musa came with, only a few offspring from Fir'awn's followers believed in him. They were even scared that Fir'awn and his followers would force them to return to Kufr (disbelief). Fir'awn was an evil tyrant and extremely arrogant. His people feared him and his power too much. Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas said:

فَمَا آمَنَ لِمُوسَىٰ إِلَّا ذُرِّيَّةٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ عَلَىٰ خَوْفٍ مِّن فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِمْ أَن يَفْتِنَهُمْ

(But none believed in Musa except the offspring of his people because of the fear of Fir 'awn and his chiefs, lest they should persecute them.)

The offspring that believed in Musa from Fir'awn's people, other than Banu Israel, were few. Among them were Fir'awn's wife, the believer who was hiding his faith, Fir'awn's treasurer, and his wife.

The Children of Israel, however, themselves believed in Musa, all of them. They were glad to see him coming. They knew of his description and the news of his advent from their previous Books. They knew that Allah was going to save them through him from the capture of Fir'awn and give them power over him. So when this knowledge reached Fir'awn he was very wary. But his caution and weariness didn't help him one bit. When Musa arrived, Fir'awn subjected them to great harm, and

قَالُوا أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِن بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا ۚ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ

(They said: "We (Children of Israel) suffered troubles before you came to us, and since you have come to us." He said: "It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you successors on the earth, so that He may see how you act?')[7:129] The fact that all of the Children Israel became believers is evidenced by the following Ayat: