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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
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 Surah Al-Qasas 28:29-32 [4/9] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
۞ فَلَمَّاThen when
قَضَىٰ مُوسَىMusa fulfilled
ٱلْأَجَلَthe term
وَسَارَand was traveling
بِأَهْلِهِۦٓwith his family,
ءَانَسَhe saw
مِنin
جَانِبِ(the) direction
ٱلطُّورِ(of) Mount Tur
نَارًاa fire.
قَالَHe said
لِأَهْلِهِto his family,
ٱمْكُثُوٓاْ"Stay here;
إِنِّىٓindeed, I
ءَانَسْتُ[I] perceive
نَارًاa fire.
لَّعَلِّىٓPerhaps
ءَاتِيكُمI will bring you
مِّنْهَاfrom there
بِخَبَرٍsome information
أَوْor
جَذْوَةٍa burning wood
مِّنَfrom
ٱلنَّارِthe fire
لَعَلَّكُمْso that you may
تَصْطَلُونَwarm yourselves."
﴿٢٩﴾
فَلَمَّآBut when
أَتَـٰهَاhe came (to) it,
نُودِىَhe was called
مِنfrom
شَـٰطِىِٕ(the) side
ٱلْوَادِ(of) the valley -
ٱلْأَيْمَنِthe right
فِىin
ٱلْبُقْعَةِthe place even,
ٱلْمُبَـٰرَكَةِblessed,
مِنَfrom
ٱلشَّجَرَةِthe tree
أَنthat,
يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ"O Musa!
إِنِّىٓIndeed,
أَنَاI Am
ٱللَّهُAllah,
رَبُّ(the) Lord
ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ(of) the worlds.
﴿٣٠﴾
وَأَنْAnd [that]
أَلْقِthrow
عَصَاكَۖyour staff."
فَلَمَّاBut when
رَءَاهَاhe saw it
تَهْتَزُّmoving
كَأَنَّهَاas if it
جَآنٌّ(were) a snake
وَلَّىٰhe turned
مُدْبِرًا(in) flight
وَلَمْand (did) not
يُعَقِّبْۚreturn.
يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ"O Musa!
أَقْبِلْDraw near
وَلَاand (do) not
تَخَفْۖfear.
إِنَّكَIndeed, you
مِنَ(are) of
ٱلْأَمِنِينَthe secure.
﴿٣١﴾
ٱسْلُكْInsert
يَدَكَyour hand
فِىin
جَيْبِكَyour bosom
تَخْرُجْit will come forth
بَيْضَآءَwhite
مِنْ غَيْرِwithout
سُوٓءٍany harm.
وَٱضْمُمْAnd draw
إِلَيْكَto yourselves
جَنَاحَكَyour hand
مِنَagainst
ٱلرَّهْبِۖfear.
فَذَٲنِكَSo these
بُرْهَـٰنَانِ(are) two evidences
مِنfrom
رَّبِّكَyour Lord,
إِلَىٰto
فِرْعَوْنَFiraun
وَمَلَإِيْهِۦٓۚand his chiefs.
إِنَّهُمْIndeed, they
كَانُواْare
قَوْمًاa people
فَـٰسِقِينَdefiantly disobedient."
﴿٣٢﴾

فَلَمَّا قَضٰى مُوۡسَى الۡاَجَلَ وَسَارَ بِاَهۡلِهٖۤ اٰنَسَ مِنۡ جَانِبِ الطُّوۡرِ نَارًا​ۚ قَالَ لِاَهۡلِهِ امۡكُثُوۡۤا اِنِّىۡۤ اٰنَسۡتُ نَارًا​ لَّعَلِّىۡۤ اٰتِيۡكُمۡ مِّنۡهَا بِخَبَرٍ اَوۡ جَذۡوَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَصۡطَلُوۡنَ‏  فَلَمَّاۤ اَتٰٮهَا نُوۡدِىَ مِنۡ شَاطِیٴِ الۡوَادِ الۡاَيۡمَنِ فِى الۡبُقۡعَةِ الۡمُبٰرَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ اَنۡ يّٰمُوۡسٰٓى اِنِّىۡۤ اَنَا اللّٰهُ رَبُّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ ۙ‏  وَاَنۡ اَ لۡقِ عَصَاكَ​ ؕ فَلَمَّا رَاٰهَا تَهۡتَزُّ كَاَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَّلّٰى مُدۡبِرًا وَّلَمۡ يُعَقِّبۡ​ ؕ يٰمُوۡسٰٓى اَ قۡبِلۡ وَلَا تَخَفۡ​ اِنَّكَ مِنَ الۡاٰمِنِيۡنَ‏  اُسۡلُكۡ يَدَكَ فِىۡ جَيۡبِكَ تَخۡرُجۡ بَيۡضَآءَ مِنۡ غَيۡرِ سُوۡٓءٍ وَّاضۡمُمۡ اِلَيۡكَ جَنَاحَكَ مِنَ الرَّهۡبِ​ فَذٰنِكَ بُرۡهَانٰنِ مِنۡ رَّبِّكَ اِلٰى فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَا۟ـئِهٖؕ اِنَّهُمۡ كَانُوۡا قَوۡمًا فٰسِقِيۡنَ‏‏‏ 
Translation
(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
Commentary

40. According to Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them), the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) had completed the ten years term instead of the eight years. According to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), this has been related on the authority of the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself. He has said, “Moses (peace be upon him) completed the term which was more perfect and more agreeable to his father in law, i.e. ten years.”

41. That the direction of the journey was towards Mt. Toor shows that the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) might be traveling to Egypt with his family, for Toor lies on the way from Midian to Egypt. Probably Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) thought that he had stayed away from home for ten long years and the Pharaoh in whose reign he had left Egypt had also died, if he quietly went back and stayed with his people, nobody would know it.

The Biblical version of the sequence of events is different from the Quran’s. It says that the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) led the flocks (of his father in law) to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God. There God spoke to him, and appointed him to prophethood and commanded him to go to Egypt. Then Moses went back to Jethro, his father in law, took his permission and went to Egypt with his family. Contrary to this, the Quran says that the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) left Midian with his family after completing the term and during this journey Allah spoke to him and appointed him to prophethood.

Both the Bible and the Talmud agree that the Pharaoh in whose house Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) had been brought up had died during his stay in Midian, and now another Pharaoh was the king of Egypt.

43. That is, on that side of the valley which lay to the right of the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him).

44. These two miracles were shown to the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) at that time so that, firstly, he himself is fully convinced that the same Being Who is speaking to him is, in fact, the Creator and Master and Ruler of the whole system of the universe and secondly, he should have full satisfaction that he was not going unarmed before Pharaoh, to perform the dangerous mission assigned to him, but would go well armed with the two powerful weapons.

44. These two miracles were shown to the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) at that time so that, firstly, he himself is fully convinced that the same Being Who is speaking to him is, in fact, the Creator and Master and Ruler of the whole system of the universe and secondly, he should have full satisfaction that he was not going unarmed before Pharaoh, to perform the dangerous mission assigned to him, but would go well armed with the two powerful weapons.

45. That is, “Whenever you experience the fear of any danger, fold back your arm to yourself: this will strengthen your heart and will deliver you completely from every feeling of fear and dread.”

The arm probably implies the right arm. The arm can be folded back in two ways: either by bringing the arm and pressing it against the side, or by pressing one hand under the armpit of the other. Probably the first way was implied, for in that case the other person cannot perceive that one is specially doing so in order to ward off fear.

The Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was taught this device because he was being sent to counter a tyrannical government without any army and worldly equipment. He was going to meet with many a dreadful situation when a great Prophet could not also remain safe from fear and terror. Allah said to him, “Whenever you face such a situation, just do this, and Pharaoh will not be able to shake your heart in spite of all the power of his mighty kingdom.”

46. The words by themselves imply: “Go to Pharaoh with these signs and present yourself as Allah’s Messenger, and invite him and his chiefs to the obedience and worship of Allah, Lord of the worlds.” That is why his appointment has not been specified here, though at other places it has been clearly stated, thus: “Go to Pharaoh for he has become rebellious” (Surah Ta-Ha: Ayat 24). And: “When your Lord called Moses, saying: Go forth to the wicked people, the people of Pharaoh”. (Surah Ash-Shuara: Ayat 10).