Surah Taha 20:1-24 - Quran Translation Commentary

(20:10) When he saw a fire,⁸ and said to his family, ‘Stay here.⁹ I can perceive a fire. Perhaps I can bring you back a burning brand from it, or find guidance at the fire.’¹⁰

(20:11) When he came to it, he was called, ‘O Musa!

(20:12) Surely I, I am your Lord! So put off your shoes;¹¹ you are in the sacred valley Tuwa.¹²

(20:13) I have chosen you; therefore give ear to what is to be revealed.¹³

(20:14) Verily I, I am Allah. There is no god but I; therefore worship Me, and perform the Prayers for My remembrance.¹⁴

(20:15) Surely, the Hour is to come that I would well-nigh conceal it,¹⁵ so that every soul be requited for its labors.

(20:16) So let him not avert you from it who does not believe in it but follows his lust, lest you perish.

(20:17) And what is it in your right hand, O Musa?’¹⁶

(20:18) He answered, ‘It is my staff. I lean on it, beat down therewith leaves for my sheep, and I have other uses thereof.’¹⁷

(20:19) He said, ‘Cast it down O Musa.’

(20:20) He cast it and behold, it was a snake,¹⁸ moving swiftly.

(20:21) He said, ‘Grasp it and fear not.¹⁹ We shall restore it to its former state.

(20:22) And press your hand to your side, it will come forth white without blemish²⁰ – an additional sign.

(20:23) In order that We may show you (some) of Our great signs.

(20:24) Go to Fir`awn. He has indeed transgressed (all bounds).’²¹

Commentary

2. According to the earliest commentators, Ta-ha is a word of Nabatean origin meaning, “O man.” Tabari quotes poetical lines to demonstrate that in the classic Arabic also the word was used in this sense. An ancient dialect of a Yemeni tribe known as `Akk, also used it in the same sense. Another possible meaning is, “Rest assured.” Imam Razi offers several other possibilities without stating his own preference.

3. Mujahid said that (in early Islam) the Prophet used to stand long hours in vigil as well as some of his Companions. Sometimes they stood so long that they needed to tie ropes to themselves (to prevent falling off during the Prayers). It was proving very stressful so Allah revealed, “We have not sent down the Qur’an that you be distressed.” In other words of the Qur’an itself (73: 20),

فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ [المزمل : 20]

“So recite of it (in the Prayers) what is easily possible” (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

The report however is not wholly reliable. It was declared weak by Suyuti (Shawkani).

Another possibility is that the allusion is to the distress the Prophet felt for the Makkans for not accepting his message and this verse was revealed to console him (Qurtubi).

Taking cue from this verse, Ibn Kathir quotes a hadith which should be a great source of consolation for scholars. It is preserved by Tabarani which Ibn Kathir thinks is fairly reliable. The Prophet said,

يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ، إِذَا قَعَدَ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ لِقَضَاءِ عِبَادِهِ : إِنِّي لَمْ أَجْعَلْ عِلْمِي ، وحُكْمِي فِيكُمْ ، إِلا وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ ، عَلَى مَا كَانَ فِيكُمْ ، وَلا أُبَالِي.

“On the Day of Judgment when Allah would have taken His place for judgment He will address the scholars and say, ‘I did not place the knowledge from Me, nor My wisdom in you except that I wished to forgive you, whatever the state in which you were, and I do not care.’”

Yet another possible reason for the revelation of this verse is that the Makkans were taunting the early Muslims that since the Revelation had begun coming down, they appeared to be in great distress, what with lengthy Prayers at nights and several restrictions in everyday life (Ma`arif). Asad answers their objection. He writes, “I.e., the ethical discipline imposed upon man by the teachings of the Qur’an is not meant to narrow down his feel of life, but on the contrary, to enhance it by deepening his consciousness of right and wrong.”

4. Imam Razi once again stresses on the point that “istawa `ala `l-`Arsh” should not be taken in the sense of “being seated on the `Arsh”: for three reasons. One, there was a time when there was no `Arsh until Allah created it. Second, the earth is spherical. What is up for some is down for others. `Arsh has to be in some direction. But Allah is not in any one direction. Third, we read in Surah Al-Haqqah verse 17,

وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثَمَانِيَةٌ [الحاقة : 17]

“Eight will be bearing the `Arsh on that Day.” Obviously, the created cannot bear the Creator.” Therefore the meaning of being seated has to be shelved. For further discussion see Chapter 7, note 82 of this work.

We might also ask ourselves, if not for the introduction of such enigmatic words how will challenge-hungry minds spend their research energies? (Au.)

Alusi also takes up the subject to show how difficult it is to deal with it. He quotes the hadith from Abu Da’ud which says,

أُذِنَ لِى أَنْ أُحَدِّثَ عَنْ مَلَكٍ مِنْ مَلاَئِكَةِ اللَّهِ مِنْ حَمَلَةِ الْعَرْشِ إِنَّ مَا بَيْنَ شَحْمَةِ أُذُنِهِ إِلَى عَاتِقِهِ مَسِيرَةُ سَبْعِمِائَةِ عَامٍ

“I have been allowed to say that one of those angels that carry the `Arsh (is so large) that between his earlobe and the shoulder is a distance of seven hundred years.”

According to Albani, the hadith is Sahih (Au.).

The Prophet has also said that the `Arsh is above the seven heavens in the form of a dome. Another report of Abu Da’ud tells us that once a Bedouin went up to the Prophet and said,

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جَهِدَتِ الأَنْفُسُ ، وَضَاعَ الْعِيَالُ ، وَهَلَكَتِ الأَمْوَالُ ، وَنَهَكَتِ الأَنْعَامُ ، فَاسْتَسْقِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَنَا ، فَإِنَّا نَسْتَشْفِعُ بِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ ، وَنَسْتَشْفِعُ بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : وَيْحَكَ تَدْرِي مَا تَقُولُ ؟ ، فَسَبَّحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَمَا زَالَ يُسَبِّحُ ، حَتَّى عَرَفَ ذَلِكَ فِي وُجُوهِ أَصْحَابِهِ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : وَيْحَكَ لا يُسْتَشْفَعُ بِاللَّهِ عَلَى أَحَدٍ ، مِنْ خَلْقِهِ ، شَأْنُ اللَّهِ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ، وَيْحَكَ تَدْرِي مَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ؟ إِنَّ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى سَمَاوَاتِهِ ، وَأَرْضِهِ هَكَذَا ، وَقَالَ بِإِصْبَعَيْهِ : مِثْلُ الْقُبَّةِ ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَئِطُّ بِهِ أَطِيطَ الرَّحْلِ بِالرَّاكِبِ.

“People are suffering, folks are lost, properties are destroyed, cattle is dying, so ask Allah for rains. We seek that you intercede with Allah, and seek that Allah intercede with you..” The Prophet remonstrated, “Woe unto you man. Do you realize what you are saying?” Then he began to say “Glory to Allah, glory to Allah,” again and again. Then he said, “Woe unto you man. Allah cannot be asked to intercede with anyone of His creation. Allah is Greater than that. Do you realize Allah’s Greatness? He is above His `Arsh, the `Arsh is above the heavens.” Then using his fingers he made a dome-like figure to indicate its shape. Then he added, “It makes a noise similar to the noise of a rider on a new leather saddle.”

The hadith was declared Sahih by Abu Da’ud himself.

The difficulty of the topic has led many scholars of great repute to leave the verse where it is without any interpretation, explanation, or further clarification. Imam Abu Hanifah held the opinion that, “It is not right of anyone to speak out anything about Allah’s Essence. Rather, one should ascribe to Him what He ascribed unto Himself, without adding anything over and above what He said.” This was also the opinion of Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad, Imam Shafe`i, Muhammad b. al-Hasan, Mirwazi, Ibn Mubarak, Is-haq b. Rahwayh, Bukhari, Tirmidhi and Abu Da’ud. This is more or less what the Sufiya have said, viz., people do not need any interpretation unless they forget the fact, already there in a corner of their mind, that Allah is different from anything that their minds can imagine.

Nevertheless, some scholars have understood the term “istawa”, continues Alusi, in the sense of “istila” meaning, “He overcame, or overpowered.” This of course may not be a satisfactory explanation to some. But we should not be oblivious of the fact that the Qur’an is in the Arabic language, addressing Arabs, and their minds look for meaning. In view of this fact, and since “istawa” cannot be understood in the sense of “He sat,” or “squatted,” or “positioned Himself,” there should be room to understand it in the sense of “istila” since an Arab reader will have to choose between the two. He cannot be told to draw no meaning whatsoever. What Ibn `Abidin al-Shami has written in Radd al-Muhtar is very reasonable that taking the meaning as “istila” should be allowable for the common people, since they have to understand the verse one way or the other, although, such a meaning cannot be declared correct in the absolute sense.

Alusi concludes that it is best not to speak of the topic at all, but rather, leave it to everyone to form an opinion that his knowledge allows him, and not insist that one version is correct and another incorrect.

5. Linguistically, the word “thara” is used for wet soil (that one encounters as he digs). But many have accepted the meaning at this point as simply the soil. That is, Allah knows what is below the soil. Our translation is literal and exact. Muhammad b. Ka`b however said that it meant “the seven earths.” That is, Allah knows what is below the seven earths (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

Majid’s study of other religions yields fruit. He writes: “The under-world has been supposed by many polytheistic nations to be ruled by a God of its own. ‘The divinity who reigns over the under-world is frequently a personification of the region itself, and this is more particularly the case where, e.g., the Earth and Under-earth are conceived as personified in one being. The earth-goddess is also the ruler of souls, with the under-earth people as her subjects’ (ERE XII, p. 518).”

The verse could also be considered as a prediction by the Qur’an that nobody will ever know what is below the wet soil. Centuries of research has yielded some results about what is below the surface of the earth. It is a world teeming with life forms. Yet details of which is impossible to determine. Bacteria has been found several kilometers deep. But, and significantly, the Qur’an is not speaking of the wet layer of soil. It is speaking of what is below the wet layer: as if to send across the hint that at best you will only know (at best something) about the wet layer, and not any further. On a diameter of 12,000 kilometer man has been able to drill through no more than a few kilometers and the rest remains a complete mystery. The division and description of several layers by the geologists, which ends with a hot liquid core, is, at best, sketchy, conjectural, and, of little information value. Only Allah knows what is beneath the wet soil (Au.).

6. What can be “hidden and less than that”, or more secretive than the secretive? Imam Baqir and Ja`far Sadiq (as also others: Au.), said that “sirr” is what one conceals in his heart, whereas “lesser than that” is the passing thought which a man is unable to control and recollect afterward (Alusi).

At this point Alusi also takes up the question of “Dhikr Jahri” (vocal remembrance) and states that there are above twenty ahadith that speak of the Prophet remembering Allah in a loud voice. We know of the famous incident when the Companions were making dhikr in a loud voice, in chorus, invoking the Prophet to say, “Be kind upon your souls, you are not calling upon someone who is deaf, nor someone away, but rather someone Who is the Hearing, the Near.” (That is, his objection was to the shouting. He did not say, do not raise your voice at all: Au.). As for the report that when Ibn Mas`ud encountered some people in a mosque doing dhikr aloud he remarked, “I do not see except that you are innovators” - and then he got them sent out. Well, this report is not trustworthy. In fact, Imam Nawawi thought that dhikr in a raised voice is better than the sub-vocal one (because it helps drive away other thoughts). So was the opinion of Imam Shafe`i and which seems to be the opinion of Imam Ahmad also.

See Surah Al-an`am, note no. 286 for some more details.

Although the main point of discussion above may have its merits, we might point out that according to Hussain Saleem Asad the narration concerning Ibn Mas`ud has a sound chain (Au).

At all events, it is scientifically proven that sound waves leave their effects on the mind, either positively or negatively: “The science seems to suggest that there is a relationship between sound waves and brainwaves and that sound waves can alter brainwaves in positive ways. In the conclusion of a study, ‘A Comprehensive Review of the Psychological Effects of Brainwave Entrainment,’ 2008, by Tina L. Huang, PhD., she says that findings suggest that Brainwave Entrainment is an effective therapeutic tool, but that more studies needed to be conducted. Her studies showed that people suffering from cognitive functioning deficits, stress, pain, headaches/migraines, PMS and behavioral problems benefited from Brainwave Entrainment.” (What Type of Sound Waves Are Best For Brain Entrainment? – by A. Mullen) – Au.

7. Imam Razi expresses the possibility that among the Makkan revelations this was the first time the Qur’an was narrating Musa’s story and hence it started with words, “Have you received the story of Musa?”

8. We are at a point in Musa’s story when, having completed his term with his father-in-law, Musa (asws) was heading back to Egypt, with his wife. It was a cold wintry night and Musa had lost his way (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and others).

9. The form is plural, leading us to believe that it was a small caravan comprising of a wife, a child, or more (Au.).

10. That is, guidance to the path Musa had lost that would lead him to Egypt (Ibn Kathir from Ibn `Abbas).

11. Majid quotes: “Among the Hebrews, ‘it was a mark of reverence to cast off the shoes on approaching a sacred person or place’ (ERE. XII. p. 149).”

The earliest scholars differed between themselves over why Musa was asked to remove his shoes. Quite a few said that they were made of a dead donkey’s leather and so unclean. But Ibn Jarir distrusts the Prophetic report in this regard and prefers the reason that Musa was asked to do so for his feet to draw spiritual blessing (barakah) by touching the soil of the Holy Valley.

Qurtubi adds: Musa (asws) was possibly asked to remove his shoes for reasons of humility due at the time of devotional acts. The Salaf used to remove their shoes while circumambulating the house. Indeed, Imam Malik would not ride upon a camel within Madinah out of respect for the Prophet’s body buried there. Nevertheless, it is allowed in our Shari`ah to Pray with the shoes on. In fact, someone has said that it is preferable to do so in view of Allah’s instruction (7: 31), “Put on your adornment at every Prayer.” But the condition is that they should be free of filth. It is reported that:

بَيْنَمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يُصَلِّى بِأَصْحَابِهِ إِذْ خَلَعَ نَعْلَيْهِ فَوَضَعَهُمَا عَنْ يَسَارِهِ فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ الْقَوْمُ أَلْقَوْا نِعَالَهُمْ فَلَمَّا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- صَلاَتَهُ قَالَ « مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى إِلْقَائِكُمْ نِعَالَكُمْ ». قَالُوا رَأَيْنَاكَ أَلْقَيْتَ نَعْلَيْكَ فَأَلْقَيْنَا نِعَالَنَا. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أَتَانِى فَأَخْبَرَنِى أَنَّ فِيهِمَا قَذَرًا ». وَقَالَ « إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ فَإِنْ رَأَى فِى نَعْلَيْهِ قَذَرًا أَوْ أَذًى فَلْيَمْسَحْهُ وَلْيُصَلِّ فِيهِمَا ».

Once the Prophet removed his footwear, placed them on the left hand side and then entered into Prayers. The Companions behind him followed him. After the Prayers he asked them why they had done that. They said they did in his imitation. He said, “Jibril came to me to say that my footwear was unclean.” Then he added, “When one of you comes to the Prayers, let him look at his shoes. If unclean, let him rub off the dirt and then Pray in them.”

Abu Da’ud narrated this hadith and Muhammad Abdul Haq rated it as Sahih.

In fact, Ibrahim al-Nakha`i used to say, “I would like to see the shoes of those who Pray without them taken away by a needy person!” However, according to a report in Nasa’i, the Prophet himself was seen on the day he entered Makkah triumphant removing his shoes and placing them on the left side before Prayers. He placed them on the left side because he was the Imam. As for others, they should put them in a place where they do not inconvenience others. Further, if the dirt is say urine, excrement, etc., then, according to most scholars, rubbing them off is not sufficient. They must be washed. According to Abu Hanifah, if the impurity is dry it may be rubbed off, but if wet, the shoes must be washed.

Qurtubi’s commentary ends here.

Finally, the fact must not be lost sight of that Arabia is a dry place, sandy, craggy, and rocky, with no rains and no mud. There is little or nothing to dirty one’s shoes in complete contrast with wet places, where streams, open sewages, and pools of water dotting the landscape help spread the dirt by feet. Thus, what is applicable to Arabia is not applicable to every other place (Au.).

12. Commentators are divided between the majority accepting Tuwa as the name of the valley and a minority, as meaning “twice,” i.e., a valley twice blessed.

13. That is, listen carefully. Sufyan b. ‘Uyayna has said that the first step towards gaining knowledge is to hear carefully, intently. Then memorize it, then put it to practice and finally, spread it (Qurtubi).

14. “Thus, the conscious remembrance of God and of His oneness and uniqueness is declared to be the innermost purpose, as well as the intellectual justification, of all true prayer” (Asad).

The translation represents the general understanding. However, another possible meaning is, “offer the Prayers whenever you remember” (Ibn Jarir). This draws its strength from a hadith in Ahmad. It says,

إِذَا رَقَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ أَوْ غَفَلَ عَنْهَا فَلْيُصَلِّهَا إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ أَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ لِذِكْرِى

“When one of you sleeps off his Prayer, or forgets to do it, then let him do it when he remembers, for Allah said, ‘Perform the Prayers for My remembrance’” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

Similar reports are in the Sahihayn (Shawkani).

The text however, writes Qurtubi, allows for both the interpretations. In its extended meaning, hadith literature tells us that if someone did not do his Prayers intentionally, he might do it when he repents. This is the opinion of almost all scholars except that of Da’ud (Zahiri) and one or two minor scholars. The situation is the same as with fasts. Whoever did not do Ramadan fasts is, by consensus, required to do them later. So also Prayers. Those who said against, perhaps said it to impress the importance of the Prayers, and not to discourage people from not Praying at all later, if in the first instance, they did not do it intentionally.

15. The literal translation of “akadu” as “almost” is the understanding of Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, Abu Saleh and others who said that the meaning is, “I would almost conceal it from Myself, it being an affair of such suddenness” (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

However, some have understood “akadu” in the sense of “I wish (to conceal)”, i.e., from the creations. Ibn Jarir and others quote poetical lines to show that classical Arabic has examples of such usage, although he himself accepts the former interpretation as most likely intended. Further, the word “ukhfi-ha” changes its meaning if read as “akhfi-ha” which some have done. In that case it would mean, “I will show” or, “manifest”, and the whole verse would mean, “The Hour is coming and I am about to show it.” But this is not a popular understanding (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi and others).

16. Some scholars have said that the question was asked about an obvious thing in order to draw Musa’s attention to the fact that it was after all a wooden rod that he held in his hand (and which he will see undergo a transformation) - Ibn Kathir.

17. The lengthy answer by Musa (asws) to a short and simple question leads us to believe, writes Qurtubi, that one may answer more than asked. We have similar examples in the hadith. When the Prophet (saws) was asked about sea water he replied, “Its water is clean, and its dead lawful.” And, when a little girl was raised up and asked, “Can she perform Hajj?” he answered, “Yes. And you will get the reward.” Many such examples can be quoted from the hadith.

The ahl al-qalb of course have not missed to note Musa’s anxiety to prolong his conversation with His Lord.

Qurtubi also devotes more than a page to the use of a staff and is inclined to believe that every believer should carry one, whether old or young. He quotes Maymun b. Mahran as saying: “Carrying a staff is a Sunnah of the Prophets of all times, and a sign of a believer.” Hasan al-Busri said, “There are six points involved in a staff: a Sunnah of Prophets, adornment for the righteous, a weapon against enemies, a supporter for the weak, hateful to the hypocrites and an increase in obedience.” Our Prophet too carried one. (Of course not because he was too old: Au.). He used it for several purposes. One was to use it as a barrier (Sutra) during Prayers in the open. During Tawaf he used it for pointing to the Hajr al-Aswad in lieu of a kiss. He also leaned on it during his sermons. In fact, there is consensus that the Khateeb should lean on it during the sermons. During tarawih Prayers ordered by ‘Umar, some Companions used to support themselves with staffs because of the lengthy recitation.

The above said, we may point out that although several ahadith quoted on the virtues of carrying a staff (although Qurtubi does not quote any), are, according to Albani untrustworthy (see Ahadith al-Da`ifah wa al-Mawdu`ah, hadith no. 536); none the less, we know that the staff was commonly used by the Companions. We also know that apart from our own Prophet, Musa (asws) carried a staff, and that Sulayman (asws) died while leaning on one. We also have a hadith in Tabarani, declared trustworthy by Ibn abi Hatim, to the effect that on the Day of Judgment all the Prophets will be carrying a staff (Haythami, Kitab al-Ba`th). In fact, other reports imply that a few others will be carrying staffs on that Day. A report (Hasan according to Ibn Hajr) says that when `Abdullah b. Unays had completed his mission successfully, the Prophet gave him a staff in reward and told him to preserve it for he will be carrying it on a Day when few will be carrying anything to support themselves with. Following his instructions, it was buried with him when he died (Au.).

18. The textual word “hayyah” is a generic word meaning “snake.” In other places the Qur’an referred to the staff-turned-snake as “jann” which is for a thin swift moving snake as against “thu`ban” – also used in the Qur’an – which is for a python. Perhaps the staff took different shapes at different times. Some have conjectured that although it became like a large python, it moved as fast as a thin snake which made it all the more fearful, and hence the two names (Au.).

Majid adds: “This miracle of the rod had a special significance in Egypt, where snake was deified and worshipped as a sacred deity. ‘Of all the animals’ that were the real gods of Egypt, ‘none were so numerous or were so universally feared and venerated as the snake’ (Syce, Religion of Ancient Egypt, p. 208).”

Some of the crowns of ancient Egyptian rulers were decorated with snake figures (Au.).

19. Majid once again, “Moses was subject to the primary human emotion of fear as much as any other mortal, and there is absolutely nothing derogatory to him in that he got frightened at the wonderful ‘freak of nature’. Cf, the OT: ‘And the Lord said unto him, what is that in thine hand? And he said, a rod. And He said, cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled before it’ (Ex. 4: 2-3).”

20. That is, without any similarity with the hand of a leprous person (Ibn Jarir).

Majid explains why this phrase was added: “The import of the phrase.. is to correct the derogatory misstatement of the Bible that Moses’ ‘hand was leprous as snow’ (Ex. 4: 6) and also a story quoted by Josephus (an ancient Jewish historian: Au.) that ‘Moses was a leper, and was expelled from Heliopolis on this account’ (DB. II. p. 96).”

21. The Fir`awn in question, (which was a title), is generally identified as Rameses II. Majid writes: “Rameses II the generally acknowledged oppressor of Israel, ‘was inordinately vain’ (Breasted, History of Egypt, p. 461).