Surah 28. Al-Qasas

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Verses [Section]: 1-13[1], 14-21 [2], 22-28 [3], 29-42 [4], 43-50 [5], 51-60 [6], 61-75 [7], 76-82 [8], 83-88 [9]

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Quran Text of Verse 43-50وَ لَقَدْAnd verilyاٰتَیْنَاWe gaveمُوْسَیMusaالْكِتٰبَthe Scriptureمِنْۢafter [what]بَعْدِafter [what]مَاۤafter [what]اَهْلَكْنَاWe had destroyedالْقُرُوْنَthe generationsالْاُوْلٰیformerبَصَآىِٕرَ(as) an enlightenmentلِلنَّاسِfor the mankindوَ هُدًیand a guidanceوَّ رَحْمَةًand mercyلَّعَلَّهُمْthat they mayیَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ remember 28. Al-Qasas Page 391وَ مَاAnd notكُنْتَyou wereبِجَانِبِon (the) sideالْغَرْبِیِّwesternاِذْwhenقَضَیْنَاۤWe decreedاِلٰیtoمُوْسَیMusaالْاَمْرَthe Commandmentوَ مَاand notكُنْتَyou wereمِنَamongالشّٰهِدِیْنَۙthe witnesses وَ لٰكِنَّاۤBut Weاَنْشَاْنَا[We] producedقُرُوْنًاgenerationsفَتَطَاوَلَand prolongedعَلَیْهِمُfor themالْعُمُرُ ۚthe lifeوَ مَاAnd notكُنْتَyou wereثَاوِیًاa dwellerفِیْۤamongاَهْلِ(the) peopleمَدْیَنَ(of) Madyanتَتْلُوْاrecitingعَلَیْهِمْto themاٰیٰتِنَا ۙOur Versesوَ لٰكِنَّاbut Weكُنَّا[We] wereمُرْسِلِیْنَ the Senders وَ مَاAnd notكُنْتَyou wereبِجَانِبِat (the) sideالطُّوْرِ(of) the TurاِذْwhenنَادَیْنَاWe calledوَ لٰكِنْButرَّحْمَةً(as) a mercyمِّنْfromرَّبِّكَyour Lordلِتُنْذِرَso that you warnقَوْمًاa peopleمَّاۤnotاَتٰىهُمْ(had) come to themمِّنْanyنَّذِیْرٍwarnerمِّنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ remember وَ لَوْ لَاۤAnd if notاَنْ[that]تُصِیْبَهُمْstruck themمُّصِیْبَةٌۢa disasterبِمَاfor whatقَدَّمَتْhad sent forthاَیْدِیْهِمْtheir handsفَیَقُوْلُوْاand they would sayرَبَّنَاOur Lord!لَوْ لَاۤWhy notاَرْسَلْتَYou sentاِلَیْنَاto usرَسُوْلًاa Messengerفَنَتَّبِعَso we (could have) followedاٰیٰتِكَYour Versesوَ نَكُوْنَand we (would) have beenمِنَofالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ the believers فَلَمَّاBut whenجَآءَهُمُcame to themالْحَقُّthe truthمِنْfrom Usعِنْدِنَاfrom Usقَالُوْاthey saidلَوْ لَاۤWhy notاُوْتِیَhe was givenمِثْلَ(the) likeمَاۤ(of) whatاُوْتِیَwas givenمُوْسٰی ؕ(to) Musaاَوَ لَمْDid notیَكْفُرُوْاthey disbelieveبِمَاۤin whatاُوْتِیَwas givenمُوْسٰی(to) Musaمِنْbeforeقَبْلُ ۚbeforeقَالُوْاThey saidسِحْرٰنِTwo magic (works)تَظٰهَرَا ۥ۫supporting each otherوَ قَالُوْۤاAnd they saidاِنَّاIndeed, weبِكُلٍّin allكٰفِرُوْنَ (are) disbelievers قُلْSayفَاْتُوْاThen bringبِكِتٰبٍa Bookمِّنْfrom Allahعِنْدِfrom Allahاللّٰهِfrom Allahهُوَwhichاَهْدٰی(is) a better guideمِنْهُمَاۤthan both of themاَتَّبِعْهُthat I may follow itاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful فَاِنْBut ifلَّمْnotیَسْتَجِیْبُوْاthey respondلَكَto youفَاعْلَمْthen knowاَنَّمَاthat onlyیَتَّبِعُوْنَthey followاَهْوَآءَهُمْ ؕtheir desiresوَ مَنْAnd whoاَضَلُّ(is) more astrayمِمَّنِthan (one) whoاتَّبَعَfollowsهَوٰىهُhis own desireبِغَیْرِwithoutهُدًیguidanceمِّنَfromاللّٰهِ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahلَا(does) notیَهْدِیguideالْقَوْمَthe peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَ۠the wrongdoers

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Translation of Verse 43-50

43. And we gave Moosa the Book, after We had destroyed the earlier generation, as a clear testimony for mankind, and a guidance, and a mercy, so that they might reflect.⁸⁶

44. And you (O Prophet!) were not on the western side (of the Mount) when We gave to Moosa the commandment, and you were not among those present ; ⁸⁷

45. But We raised many generations, and a very long time elapsed after him.⁸⁸ And you were not present among the people of Madyan reciting Our revelations to them; but We were to send you as a messenger.⁸⁹

46. You were not present on the mountainside Tur when We called⁹⁰ (out to Moosa).But this (revelation) is a mercy from your Lord so that you may forewarn a people to whom no warner had been sent before;⁹¹ so that they may he reminded.

47. And it may not so happen that if some adversity befalls them on account of what they did in the past, they may say; “Our Lord! Why did not you send a messenger to us that we might have followed Your revelations and been of the believers?”⁹²

48. But when there came to them the Truth from Our presence they said: “Why is he not given the like of what was given to Moosa?”⁹³ Did they not disbelieve in what was given to Moosa before?⁹⁴ They say: “Two works of magic⁹⁵ that support each other;” and they say: “Verily, in both we are disbelievers.”

49. Say to them: “Then bring a Scripture from Allah that gives clearer guidance than these two that I may follow it,⁹⁶ if you are truthful!”

50. And if they do not answer you, then know that what they follow is their lusts.⁹⁷And who goes farther astray than he who follows his lust without guidance from Allah!⁹⁸ Verily, Allah guided not the wrong-doing people.⁹⁹

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Commentary

86. That is: Destroyed the earlier transgressing nations and provided a lesson for the following generations and for their guidance and direction gave the Book (the Torah) to Prophet Moosa. From this ayah certain important points come into focus:

First, for guidance the first detailed Book was the Torah, which was revealed to Prophet Moosa. Before this, through the medium of the messengers provision for guidance was made in the non-book form, as through Prophets Nooh, Hood and Salih, or through small Scriptures. Such a Scripture was given to Prophet Ibrahim (Surah A’la,19). It may be noted that since the Torah comprises of various parts, it is also termed as the Scriptures, however, on the whole it is one whole detailed Book. The reason for not revealing a detailed Book before the Torah seems to be that at that time reading and writing were not so common, therefore, the sources of guidance were the sayings of the prophets (Peace be upon them).

Secondly when no detailed divine scripture was revealed before Prophet Moosa, then the claim of the followers of the polytheistic religions that their religious books like Manu Smriti, Ved, etc., are divine scriptures is a claim not based on reality, when these books themselves do not claim that their author is the supreme Being, therefore, the claim of their followers is baseless.

Thirdly the Torah was not only a book of guidance for the Bani Israil but also for the whole of mankind, as in the ayah it is said ‘a guidance and a mercy for mankind. ‘Accordingly the prophets of Bani Israil had been inviting other nations also to accept the true faith, an example of which is Prophet Sulaiman’s invitation to the Queen of Sheba to accept Islam. On this basis only Bani Israil enjoyed the position of the leaders of mankind, and this is that greatness which distinguishes them from other nations of the world.

87. On the Western side means the western side of the Mount Tur where Prophet Moosa was given the commandments (the Torah). And its witnesses means the Bani Israil from whom a promise of obedience was taken while giving them the Shariah.

The meaning of the ayah is that when the Torah was given to the Prophet Moosa at the western side of the Mount Tur, at that time, O Prophet! you were not there, nor are you the eye witness of those events which befell the Bani Israil in the valley of the Mount Tur. Therefore, through Qur’an you are presenting the chronicle of Prophet Moosa, with truth and authenticity and with all the necessary details. The part of the Torah which is available with the people of the Book, even that too is in a defective condition on account of their unauthorised changes, is a clear proof of the Qur’an being a Divine Scripture and your being a prophet of God.

But We raised many generations, and a very long time elapsed after him. And you were not present among the people of Madyan reciting Our revelations to them; but We were to send you as a messenger.(Al-Quran)

88. That is: Many generations passed after Prophet Moosa, but O Prophet! you are presenting this chronicle of Prophet Moosa in such a way as if these are all your eye witness events, and it is a proof that it is Allah’s word.

89. That is: O Prophet! the event of Madyan which you narrated (which occurs in ayat Nos. 23 to 28 of this Surah) is not present with such authenticity and details in any book, and you have presented it in such a way as if it were your eye witness account. This fact brings to light your prophet hood and your truthfulness. You are presenting these lost pages of history, by means of the Quranic ayat, before the people of Makkah for this reason that We have made you Our messenger, otherwise there was no source with you for knowing these events.

90.It refers to that event when in the valley of Tuwa, by the side of Mount Tur, Allah had called Moosa and bestowed on him the great honour of prophethood, as narrated in the ayah No.30 of this Surah.

91. That is: in the Bani Ismail, that is, among the Arabs there was no prophet after Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (Peace be upon them) for a very very long time. The teachings, the guidance, the customs and the Shariah, left by these two prophets were their source of religion. However, the Torah revealed to Prophet Moosa, also became a means for their admonition through the contact with Bani Israil. But since for a very long time there was no Prophet among them they were a negligent nation. Eventually Allah’s mercy stirred and He sent His last Prophet among the Arabs and provided for their being woken up and deserving of His mercy.

92. That is: A messenger was sent to them so that Allah’s argument might be convincingly conveyed and on the Day of Resurrection they may not find an excuse that they did not accept Islam because no Divine messenger had come to them.

93. That is: Why miracles which were given to Prophet Moosa were not given to this Prophet?

94. That is: The miracles which were given to Prophet Moosa were denied by disbelievers like them.

95. The magic of the two means the miracles bestowed on the Prophets Moosa and Haroon. The miracles of these two prophets were termed as magic by the disbelievers of that time and in exaggeration they called their very personalities as magic, i.e. they were magic from top to toe.

96.If there is any book of guidance more effective than the Torah and the Qur’an, then present it, I will obey it, for the real purpose is to worship and obey Allah.

It thus becomes clear that at the time of the Quran’s revelation there were only two Divine books of guidance, one the Torah and the other Qur’an. As for the Psalm and the Injeel (Bible), they were under the Old Testament (the Torah), and there was no necessity of mentioning them separately. When in those days there was no other book of guidance besides these two divine Books, then in these times how can any ones claim about the other books of various religions being books of guidance be right that they are the words of God and means of guidance?

It may be noted that in these ayat topics of monotheism, prophethood, and recompense of acts are discussed with reference to the polytheists of Makkah, and in this connection the teaching of the Torah is in principle the same as that of the Qur’an. It is also worth noting that the copy of the Torah which was available at the time of the revelation of Qur’an and the copy of the Torah now available are very much different.

97. Their stance is strange that they neither accept the Torah nor the Qur’an, nor do they point out any other divine book of guidance in which a better provision of guidance than these two divine books is there. It means that actually they do not want to follow the divine guidance at all, but what they want is that they should be free to follow the dictates of their carnal desires.

98.Today education has become common and for man it has become easier to find out where God’s guidance can be found, but man wants to remain free and his desires to be fulfilled, therefore, there is no longing in him to seek God’s guidance to follow in this life.

99. That is: So far as this wrong-doing people do not become seekers of divine guidance, Allah keeps them deprived of the guidance.