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 29-4228. Al-Qasas Page 389فَلَمَّاThen whenقَضٰیMusa fulfilledمُوْسَیMusa fulfilledالْاَجَلَthe termوَ سَارَand was travelingبِاَهْلِهٖۤwith his familyاٰنَسَhe sawمِنْinجَانِبِ(the) directionالطُّوْرِ(of) Mount Turنَارًا ۚa fireقَالَHe saidلِاَهْلِهِto his familyامْكُثُوْۤاStay hereاِنِّیْۤindeed, Iاٰنَسْتُ[I] perceiveنَارًاa fireلَّعَلِّیْۤPerhapsاٰتِیْكُمْI will bring youمِّنْهَاfrom thereبِخَبَرٍsome informationاَوْorجَذْوَةٍa burning woodمِّنَfromالنَّارِthe fireلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتَصْطَلُوْنَ warm yourselves فَلَمَّاۤBut whenاَتٰىهَاhe came (to) itنُوْدِیَhe was calledمِنْfromشَاطِئِ(the) sideالْوَادِ(of) the valleyالْاَیْمَنِthe rightفِیinالْبُقْعَةِthe place evenالْمُبٰرَكَةِblessedمِنَfromالشَّجَرَةِthe treeاَنْthatیّٰمُوْسٰۤیO Musa!اِنِّیْۤIndeedاَنَاI AmاللّٰهُAllahرَبُّ(the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَۙ(of) the worlds وَ اَنْAnd [that]اَلْقِthrowعَصَاكَ ؕyour staffفَلَمَّاBut whenرَاٰهَاhe saw itتَهْتَزُّmovingكَاَنَّهَاas if itجَآنٌّ(were) a snakeوَّلّٰیhe turnedمُدْبِرًا(in) flightوَّ لَمْand (did) notیُعَقِّبْ ؕreturnیٰمُوْسٰۤیO Musa!اَقْبِلْDraw nearوَ لَاand (do) notتَخَفْ ۫fearاِنَّكَIndeed youمِنَ(are) ofالْاٰمِنِیْنَ the secure اُسْلُكْInsertیَدَكَyour handفِیْinجَیْبِكَyour bosomتَخْرُجْit will come forthبَیْضَآءَwhiteمِنْwithoutغَیْرِwithoutسُوْٓءٍ ؗany harmوَّ اضْمُمْAnd drawاِلَیْكَto yourselvesجَنَاحَكَyour handمِنَagainstالرَّهْبِfearفَذٰنِكَSo theseبُرْهَانٰنِ(are) two evidencesمِنْfromرَّبِّكَyour LordاِلٰیtoفِرْعَوْنَFiraunوَ مَلَاۡىِٕهٖ ؕand his chiefsاِنَّهُمْIndeed, theyكَانُوْاareقَوْمًاa peopleفٰسِقِیْنَ defiantly disobedient قَالَHe saidرَبِّMy Lord!اِنِّیْIndeedقَتَلْتُI killedمِنْهُمْof themنَفْسًاa manفَاَخَافُand I fearاَنْthatیَّقْتُلُوْنِ they will kill me وَ اَخِیْAnd my brotherهٰرُوْنُHarunهُوَheاَفْصَحُ(is) more eloquentمِنِّیْthan meلِسَانًا(in) speechفَاَرْسِلْهُso send himمَعِیَwith meرِدْاً(as) a helperیُّصَدِّقُنِیْۤ ؗwho will confirm meاِنِّیْۤIndeedاَخَافُI fearاَنْthatیُّكَذِّبُوْنِ they will deny me قَالَHe saidسَنَشُدُّWe will strengthenعَضُدَكَyour armبِاَخِیْكَthrough your brotherوَ نَجْعَلُand We will makeلَكُمَاfor both of youسُلْطٰنًاan authorityفَلَاso notیَصِلُوْنَthey will reachاِلَیْكُمَا ۛۚto both of youبِاٰیٰتِنَاۤ ۛۚThrough Our Signsاَنْتُمَاyou twoوَ مَنِand (those) whoاتَّبَعَكُمَاfollow youالْغٰلِبُوْنَ (will) be the dominant 28. Al-Qasas Page 390فَلَمَّاBut whenجَآءَهُمْcame to themمُّوْسٰیMusaبِاٰیٰتِنَاwith Our Signsبَیِّنٰتٍclearقَالُوْاthey saidمَاNotهٰذَاۤ(is) thisاِلَّاexceptسِحْرٌa magicمُّفْتَرًیinventedوَّ مَاand notسَمِعْنَاwe heardبِهٰذَاof thisفِیْۤamongاٰبَآىِٕنَاour forefathersالْاَوَّلِیْنَ our forefathers وَ قَالَAnd Musa saidمُوْسٰیAnd Musa saidرَبِّیْۤMy Lordاَعْلَمُknows bestبِمَنْof whoجَآءَhas comeبِالْهُدٰیwith [the] guidanceمِنْfrom Himعِنْدِهٖfrom Himوَ مَنْand whoتَكُوْنُwill beلَهٗfor himعَاقِبَةُthe good end in the Hereafterالدَّارِ ؕthe good end in the HereafterاِنَّهٗIndeedلَاnotیُفْلِحُwill be successfulالظّٰلِمُوْنَ the wrongdoers وَ قَالَAnd Firaun saidفِرْعَوْنُAnd Firaun saidیٰۤاَیُّهَاO chiefsالْمَلَاُO chiefsمَاNotعَلِمْتُI knowلَكُمْfor youمِّنْanyاِلٰهٍgodغَیْرِیْ ۚother than meفَاَوْقِدْSo kindleلِیْfor meیٰهَامٰنُO HamanعَلَیUponالطِّیْنِthe clayفَاجْعَلْand makeلِّیْfor meصَرْحًاa lofty towerلَّعَلِّیْۤso that [I]اَطَّلِعُI may lookاِلٰۤیatاِلٰهِ(the) Godمُوْسٰی ۙ(of) Musaوَ اِنِّیْAnd indeed, Iلَاَظُنُّهٗ[I] think that heمِنَ(is) ofالْكٰذِبِیْنَ the liars وَ اسْتَكْبَرَAnd he was arrogantهُوَAnd he was arrogantوَ جُنُوْدُهٗand his hostsفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landبِغَیْرِwithoutالْحَقِّrightوَ ظَنُّوْۤاand they thoughtاَنَّهُمْthat theyاِلَیْنَاto Usلَاnotیُرْجَعُوْنَ will be returned فَاَخَذْنٰهُSo We seized himوَ جُنُوْدَهٗand his hostsفَنَبَذْنٰهُمْand We threw themفِیinالْیَمِّ ۚthe seaفَانْظُرْSo seeكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالظّٰلِمِیْنَ (of) the wrongdoers وَ جَعَلْنٰهُمْAnd We made themاَىِٕمَّةًleadersیَّدْعُوْنَinvitingاِلَیtoالنَّارِ ۚthe Fireوَ یَوْمَand (on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionلَاnotیُنْصَرُوْنَ they will be helped وَ اَتْبَعْنٰهُمْAnd We caused to follow themفِیْinهٰذِهِthisالدُّنْیَاworldلَعْنَةً ۚa curseوَ یَوْمَand (on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionهُمْtheyمِّنَ(will be) ofالْمَقْبُوْحِیْنَ۠the despised

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Translation of Verse 29-42

(28:29) When Moses had fulfilled the term⁴⁰ and was journeying with his family, he perceived a fire in the direction of the Mount (Sinai).⁴¹ He said to his family: "Wait here; I have observed a fire. Maybe I will bring to you some news or a brand of fire from there that you may warm yourselves."

(28:30) But when he came to the fire, a cry was heard from the right bank⁴³ of the valley, from a tree in the hallowed ground:⁴² "O Moses, verily I am Allah, the Lord of all creatures of the Universe."

(28:31) He received the command: "Throw away your rod!" But when he saw the rod writhing as though it were a serpent, he turned back in retreat, and did not even look behind. (He was told): "O Moses, go ahead and have no fear. You are perfectly secure.

(28:32) Put your hand into your bosom, and it will come out shining without any blemish;⁴⁴ and draw your hand close to your body to still your fear.⁴⁵ Those are the two clear Signs from your Lord for Pharaoh and his chiefs, for truly they are a disobedient people."⁴⁶

(28:33) Moses said: "My Lord, I have killed one person from among them, and I fear that they will kill me.⁴⁷

(28:34) My brother Aaron is more eloquent in speech than I: so send him with me as a helper to confirm my truthfulness for I fear that they will reject me as a liar."

(28:35) He said: "We will certainly strengthen you through your brother and will invest both of you with such power that they shall not be able to hurt you. With the help of Our Signs the two of you and your followers will prevail."⁴⁸

(28:36) But when Moses came to them with Our Clear Signs, they said: "This is nothing but a magic⁴⁹ that has been contrived. We never heard anything like it from our ancestors of yore."⁵⁰

(28:37) Moses replied: "My Lord knows best who comes with guidance from Him, and also whose end will be the best in the Hereafter. As for the wrongdoers, they shall not prosper."⁵¹

(28:38) Pharaoh said: "O nobles, I do not know that you have any god beside myself.⁵² Haman, bake bricks out of clay and build a lofty palace for me so that I may mount up and be able to observe the god of Moses, even though I believe that Moses is a liar."⁵³

(28:39) And he and his hosts waxed arrogant in the land without any right,⁵⁴ believing that they will never have to return to Us!⁵⁵

(28:40) Eventually We seized him and his hosts and We flung them into the sea.⁵⁶ So do see the end of the wrong-doers!

(28:41) And We made them leaders who invite people to the Fire.⁵⁷ On the Day of Judgement they shall not find help from any quarter.

(28:42) We have made a curse to pursue them in this world, and on the Day of Judgement they shall be among the despised.⁵⁸

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Commentary

40. Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib says: “Moses completed ten instead of eight years.” “Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas says that, according to the Prophet (peace _ be on him), “Moses completed the longer of the two terms and the one that was more agreeable to his father-in-law.” (See Bukhari. 'K. al-Shahadat’, Bab Man Amara bi Injaz al-Wa‘d. But in this tradition instead of the word atammaha, aktharaha is used. See also. Alusi, Ruh al-Ma‘ani, comments on Surah al-Qasas 28: verse 29.

41. Since the direction of the journey was towards Mount Sinai, which lies on the road to Egypt from Midian, it seems that Moses wanted to return to Egypt. He may have thought that after these ten years the Pharaoh from whom he had fled, would already be dead. So if he went back to his family quietly, no one would know about it.

The sequence of events in the Biblical account differs totally from that in the Qur’anic account. It says: “Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked and lo, the bush was burning and yet it was not consumed” (Exodus 3:1-2). The Biblical account goes on to state that after appointing him as a Prophet, God spoke to Moses and asked him to go to Egypt. Then Moses took leave of his” father-in-law and went to Egypt with his family. (See Exodus 4:18.) On the contrary, the Qur’an says that Moses completed his term and then left Midian with his family and it was during this journey that God spoke to him and appointed him as His Prophet. Both the Bible and the Talmud state that during Moses’ stay in Midian, the Pharaoh in whose palace Moses had been raised, had died and a different Pharaoh now ruled over Egypt. (See, Exodus 2:23. See also H. Polano, The Talmud ~ Selections, pp. 133-4 — Ed.)

42. The side of the valley which was to Moses’ right hand.

43. “Hallowed ground”. that is, the land which was luminous with Divine Light.

* Literally, the command was: “O Moses. come back.” The author has changed the imperative into “go forward” because Moses had “turned back in retreat’. Moses’ compliance with the order would have meant that he should retrace his steps and return to where he had stood before in order to proceed ahead. - Ed.

44. Moses was exposed to these two miracles in order to convince him that it was indeed the Lord of the Universe Who had spoken to him. Another purpose in exposing Moses to these miracles was to assure him that if he was being sent by God on a difficult and dangerous mission to Pharaoh, he would not be left to his own strength to face this might; instead, he would be fully armed with the two miracles mentioned here.

45. If Moses was ever confronted with a truly dangerous situation, all he had to do was to fold back his arm into himself. This would strengthen his heart and release him from fear. “Arm” probably means the right arm because when the word “hand” is used without qualifying it, it means “the right hand”. Now, the arm can be “folded back” in two ways: by aligning the arm with the side of the body and by putting the hand of one arm under the armpit of the other. Perhaps, here, it is the former that is meant because this would not indicate to anyone else that the other person’s action was intended to overcome his fear.

Moses (peace be on him) was so instructed because he was being sent against a tyrant with neither an army or any other material resources to support his case. He was going to have to face situations in which even a courageous Prophet might not remain totally immune from fear and perturbation. God instructed Moses to have recourse to this action on such fearful occasions; in this way, Pharaoh would not be able to weaken his heart, not even with all his power.

46. The words used here suggest that Moses (peace ‘be on him) must go to Pharaoh with these miraculous signs and to present himself as the ' Messenger of God. He was to call Pharaoh and his nobles to the service and obedience of the Lord of the Universe. Hence why Moses’ appointment is not specified here. It was, however, detailed in another verse: “And go to Pharaoh now for he has transgressed all bounds.” (Ta Ha 20:24 and al-Naziat 79:17.) It was also stated elsewhere that: “... when your Lord called Moses: ‘Go to the wrong-doing people, the people of Pharaoh’ ...” (al-Shuara 26:10—11).

47. This does not mean that Moses was hesitant out of fear. Rather, it means that he asked God to make the necessary arrangements so that the Pharaonites would not arrest him on a murder charge immediately upon his arrival and before he had spoken to them about his Prophet hood. For, if that were to happen, his mission would remain unaccomplished. The subsequent verses clearly indicate that Moses did not want to refuse the office of Prophet hood nor did fear cause him to decline undertaking his mission.

48. This encounter between the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) and God is described in greater detail in Sarah Ta Ha (see verses 9-48). Anyone who compares this Qur’4nic account with the Biblical version given in Exodus 3 and 4 can see for himself which of the two books is from God and which is a set of stories narrated by human beings. Further, he can also ascertain whether the Qur’anic account is merely a plagiarisation of the Biblical and Israeli traditions, as alleged by some scholars, or whether it is God Himself Who narrates this incident. The same God Who summoned Moses and had honored him with a unique personal encounter. (For more detail see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. V, Ta Ha 20: n. 19, pp. 191-2.)

49. Sihrun muftara means fabricated or forged magic. Taken in the sense of a lie, it would mean that in Pharaoh’s view the staff changing into a serpent and the shining hand were not real transformations but merely illusions which Moses tried to pass off as miracles. If the expression is taken to denote a forgery, it would mean that Moses had somehow contrived to make a thing which looked like a staff move around like a serpent when thrown to the ground, and that Moses had rubbed something on his hand, so that when he took it out of his armpit it was radiant. According to Pharaoh, all that Moses had done was to contrive some magical tricks which he then presented as miracles from God.

50. This refers to the teachings of Moses (peace be on him) which formed part of his Prophetic Message. The Qur’an gives details of these in other Surahs.

Surah al-Nazi‘at mentions Moses as saying: “Are you ready to adopt the purified way? Would you have fear of Allah if I guided you to Him?” (79: 18-19), And in Surah Ta Ha, the Qur’an states: “‘We have come to you with a sign from your Lord; and peace shall be for him. who follows the true guidance? It has been revealed to us that chastisement awaits those who called the lie to. the truth and turned away from it” (20:47-8). Elsewhere, the Qur’4n mentions that Moses made the following statement: “The Lord of the Universe has sent us that you let the Children of Israel go with us” (al-Shu‘ara’ 26:16~17). It was about these teachings that Pharaoh, in effect, said: “Even our forefathers had not heard that there is any Being above the Pharaoh of Egypt who can command him and punish him or send someone to his court with any direction and who would urge the King to fear that Being. These are strange things that we hear from the tongue of this person.” (See verses 38—9 — Ed.)

51. Moses countered Pharaoh’s accusation of his being a magician and of forging lies, by pointing out that everything about Moses was already known, and that it was clear what kind of person God had appointed as His Messenger.

And the Ultimate Judgement, in any case, lay with Him. Moses contended that if he was a liar, he would meet an evil end; and if Pharaoh was lying, then his end too would be an evil one. One thing, however, was absolutely clear: a wicked person never meets with true success. A person who is not a Messenger of God but who pretends to be so in order to gain material advantages, is engulfed in injustice and iniquity and will not meet with true success. In like manner, whoever accuses a true Messenger of God of being a liar, and whoever has recourse to deceptive means to suppress the Truth is also guilty of injustice and iniquity and will never meet with true success.

52. By saying so Pharaoh obviously did not mean that he was their creator and the creator of the heavens and the earth. For obviously only a lunatic would make such a claim. Nor did it mean that they worshipped no other God beside Pharaoh because it is well known that the Egyptians worshipped many gods and that Pharaoh, himself, had been raised to the status of godhead in his capacity as _ the incarnation of Ra, the sun-god. The Qur’an, itself, provides a definite testimony in this regard, for it mentions that Pharaoh worshipped many gods: “The elders of Pharaoh’s people said: ‘Will you leave alone Moses and his people to spread mischief in the land, and forsake you and your gods?’ Pharaoh replied: ‘We will kill their male children and spare their female ones. For indeed we hold irresistible sway over them’ (al-A ‘raf 7:127). o Hence the word “god” used here by Pharaoh for himself was not so as to claim that he was their creator and their sole object of worship. He rather used this word in the sense that he was the lord and master of Egypt where his command was executed; where he was considered to have full authority, and where people considered themselves bound to obey him; where he was the absolute sovereign whose orders were carried out, and where he ‘was in a position to decide what was good and what was evil, and where no one else had the authority to issue any command. In this context, Pharaoh wondered what the locus standi of Moses was. This was a man who claimed to be the Messenger of the Lord of the Universe and who addressed him as though he, Moses, was the real sovereign and he, Pharaoh, was his subject. This is why, addressing his courtiers, Pharaoh said: “O my people, is not the dominion of Egypt mine, and are these rivers not flowing underneath me?” (al-Zukhruf 43:51) It is, again, for this very reason that Phararaoh repeatedly — said to Moses: “Have you come to turn us away from the way of our forefathers that the two of you might become supreme in the land? We shall never accept what the two of you say” (Yunus 10:78); “Have you come to us to drive us out of our land by your sorcery?” (7a Ha 20:57) and “I am afraid that he will change your religion or will cause mischief to appear in the land” (al-Mu’min 40:26).

Pharaoh’s position was no different from the stand taken by those states which claim political and legal sovereignty independent of the Divine Law brought by the Prophets. Their position remains the same regardless of whether they recognize a king or the collective will of a nation as the source of aw, as the authority entitled to determine the do’s and don’ts. As long as they adhere to the standpoint that it is their own law rather than the law of God and His Messenger that prevails, their position is no different from that of Pharaoh’s. It is, however, quite another matter that ignorant people curse Pharaoh while legitimizing the authority of those. who rule independently of God’s Guidance. Those who know the Truth will not merely consider the words, but will take into account the meaning and the spirit. It makes no difference that Pharaoh used the word ilah for himself whereas these states use the term “sovereignty” to denote the same thing. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. V, Ta Ha 20: n. 21, pp. 192-3).

53. This mindset is similar to that of the Communists of the former Soviet Union. They launched sputniks and lunics and then glibly claimed that their spaceships had found no God up there in the sky. Obviously, that silly cosmonaut wanted to peep at God from a high tower! This only shows that the reasoning of ignorant people has not changed over the last 3,500 years. What idiocy to believe that God is sitting somewhere up there in the sky waiting to be observed by anyone who can soar high enough. What idiocy to believe that if He cannot be so found, this is proof enough that He does not exist.

The Qur’an ‘does not say that Pharaoh had constructed such a tower and that he climbed it to see God. The Qur’an simply quotes what Pharaoh said, and whereby it would appear that he was merely trying to fool people by such specious talk. It is also not clear whether Pharaoh was an atheist or whether he was merely saying things in a mood of blasphemous impertinence. His words exhibit the same confused state of mind as one finds among former Soviet Communists. At times, Pharaoh talked about going up to the sky to see for himself so that he would tell people that he could not find Moses’ God there.

At other times, he said that had Moses been sent by God then “why were not bracelets of gold sent down on him or why do not angels accompany him as attendants?” (al-Zukhruf 43:53). This is not much different from what Khruschev, a former Prime Minister of Russia, used to say. * Sometimes he would deny the existence of God, at other times he would repeatedly mention His Name, sometimes even swearing by Him.

* To be accurate, Khruschev was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR — Ed.

In our opinion, after the Prophet Joseph and his successors’ time, when the Copts obtained power in Egypt and Coptic nationalism gained strength, a political revolution inspired by racist and nationalistic feelings took place.

Under the influence of this revolution, the new leaders even rebelled against the One True God in Whom the Prophet Joseph (peace be on him) and his followers, both Israelite and Egyptian Muslims, believed and in Whom they invited others to believe. The Copts thought that they could not remain immune from the influence of the culture promoted by Joseph (peace be on him), and that if that culture remained intact, their political authority would be threatened. They were of the opinion that there was a direct nexus between belief in God and Muslim political power. Hence, they were compelled to deny God’s existence even though it was extremely difficult for them to purge their hearts of the conviction that God exists.

54. True greatness is only for God, the Lord of the Universe, but Pharaoh and his armed forces, considered themselves to be invested with greatness just because they had acquired a little dominion over a small piece of land.

55. They thought that they were not answerable to anyone. Acting upon this assumption, they behaved as though they were absolutely free to do whatever they pleased.

56. In these words, God depicts their worthlessness and insignificance. They thought they were big, but when the respite granted by God to mend themselves ended, they were thrown into the sea like rubbish.

57. They left behind a precedent of how one can perpetrate injustice, how one can obstinately persist in denying the Truth, clinging to their posture till the very end. Having led others to this terrible path, they had disappeared from the scene to face their woeful destiny, their weapons in opposition to the Truth of no avail to them. Their successors, however, still followed in their footsteps, speedily heading towards the same dire end.

58. The words of the text say that “on the Day of Resurrection, they will be among the maqbuhin”. (Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-‘Arab, q.v. Q B H ~ Ed.) This expression contains several meanings: (i) that they will stand rejected and repudiated; (ii) that they will be deprived of God’s Mercy; and (iii) that they will be reduced to a grotesque shape, their faces becoming severely distorted.