Tafsir Surah Taha ayah 79 | Learn Quran Tafsir

The Children of Israel leave Egypt

Allah tells,

وَلَقَدۡ أَوۡحَيۡنَا إِلَى مُوسَى أَنۡ أَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِي

And indeed We revealed to Musa:Travel by night with My servants,

Allah, the Exalted, informs that He commanded Musa to journey at night with the Children of Israel, when Fir`awn refused to release them and send them with Musa. He was to take them away from Fir`awn's captivity.

Allah expounds upon this in Surahs other than this noble Surah.

Musa left with the Children of Israel, and when the people of Egypt awoke in the morning they found that not a single one of them remained in Egypt. Fir`awn became extremely furious. He sent callers into all of the cities to gather together his army from all of his lands and provinces. He said to them,

إِنَّ هَـوُلاءِ لَشِرۡذِمَةٌ قَلِيلُونَ

وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَنَا لَغَأيِظُونَ

Verily, these indeed are but a small band. And verily, they have done what has enraged us. (26:54-55)

Then when he gathered his army and organized his troops, he set out after them and they followed them at dawn when the sun began to rise.

فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَا الۡجَمۡعَانِ

And when the two hosts ﷺ each other. (26:61)

This means that each person of the two parties was looking at the other party.

فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَا الۡجَمۡعَانِ قَالَ أَصۡحَـبُ مُوسَى إِنَّا لَمُدۡرَكُونَ

قَالَ كَلَّ إِنَّ مَعِىَ رَبِّى سَيَهۡدِينِ

The companions of Musa said:We are sure to be overtaken.

(Musa) said:Nay, verily, with me is my Lord. He will guide me. (26:61-62)

Musa stopped with the Children of Israel and the sea was in front of them and Fir`awn was behind them. Then, at that moment, Allah revealed to Musa,

فَاضۡرِبۡ لَهُمۡ طَرِيقًا فِي الۡبَحۡرِ يَبَسًا

And strike a dry path for them in the sea.

So Musa struck the sea with his stick and he said, Split for me, by the leave of Allah.

Thus, it split, and each separate part of the water became like a huge mountain.

Then, Allah sent a wind to the land of the sea and it burned the soil until it became dry like the ground that is on land.

For this reason Allah said,

فَاضۡرِبۡ لَهُمۡ طَرِيقًا فِي الۡبَحۡرِ يَبَسًا لاَّ تَخَافُ دَرَكًا

and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken...

This means being caught by Fir`awn.

وَلَا تَخۡشَى

nor being afraid.

meaning, Do not be afraid of the sea drowning your people.

Then, Allah, the Exalted, said

فَأَتۡبَعَهُمۡ فِرۡعَوۡنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ الۡيَمِّ

Then Fir`awn pursued them with his hosts, but the sea (Al-Yamm) completely overwhelmed them,

Al-Yamm means the sea.

مَا غَشِيَهُمۡ

and covered them up.

meaning, covered them up with a thing that was well-familiar to them in such a situation, as Allah states;

وَالۡمُوۡتَفِكَةَ أَهۡوَى

فَغَشَّـهَا مَا غَشَّى

And He destroyed the overthrown cities. So there covered them that which did cover. (53:53-54)

وَأَضَلَّ فِرۡعَوۡنُ قَوۡمَهُ وَمَا هَدَى

And Fir`awn led his people astray, and he did not guide them.

As Fir`awn pursued them into the sea, misled his people and did not lead them to the path of correct guidance, likewise, he will go ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead them in to the Hellfire. And evil indeed is the place to which they are led

A Reminder for the Children of Israel of Allah's Favors upon Them

Allah reminds the Children of Israel;

يَا بَنِي إِسۡرَايِيلَ قَدۡ أَنجَيۡنَاكُم مِّنۡ عَدُوِّكُمۡ وَوَاعَدۡنَاكُمۡ جَانِبَ الطُّورِ الاۡاَيۡمَنَ وَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمُ الۡمَنَّ وَالسَّلۡوَى

O Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you on the right side of the Mount, and We sent down to you manna and quail,

Allah reminds of His tremendous favors upon the Children of Israel and His numerous blessings. He saved them from their enemy, Fir`awn, and He relieved their eyes by drowning him and his hosts all at one time while they watched.

Allah said,

وَأَغۡرَقۡنَا ءَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَأَنتُمۡ تَنظُرُونَ

And We drowned Fir`awn people while you were looking. (2:50)

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abbas said,

When the Messenger of Allah came to Al-Madinah, he found the Jews fasting the day of `Ashura'. Therefore he asked them about it and they said, `This is the day that Allah gave Musa victory over Fir`awn.'

Then, the Prophet said,

نَحۡنُ أَوۡلَى بِمُوسَى فَصُومُوه

We have more right to Musa (than them), so fast it.

Muslim also recorded this narration in his Sahih.

Then, Allah made a covenant with Musa and the Children of Israel on the right side of the Mountain, after the destruction of Fir`awn.

This is the Mountain upon which Allah spoke to Musa and He told Musa's people to look at it when they requested to see Allah.

It is also the same Mountain upon which Musa was given the Tawrah, while at the same time the Children of Israel began worshipping the (statue of a) calf, as Allah relates in the forth coming Ayat.

The manna and quails have previously been discussed in Surah Al-Baqarah and other Surahs.

Manna was a sweet substance that descended upon them from the sky and the quail (Salwa) was a type of bird that would fall down to them. They would fill every pot with them as ample provisions until the following day. This was a kindness and a mercy from Allah upon them. It was a manifestation of Allah's good treatment of them. For this reason Allah says

كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَاكُمۡ وَلَا تَطۡغَوۡا فِيهِ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ غَضَبِي

Eat of the Tayyibat wherewith We have provided you, and commit no transgression or oppression therein, lest My anger should justly descend on you.

This means, Eat from this sustenance which I have provided for you, and do not transgress against My sustenance by taking it without necessity or you will be opposing what I have commanded you.

فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ غَضَبِي

lest My anger should justly descend on you.

This means, I will become angry with you.

وَمَن يَحۡلِلۡ عَلَيۡهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدۡ هَوَى

And he on whom My anger descends, he is indeed perished.

Ali bin Abi Talhah related that Ibn Abbas said,

This means that he will indeed be made miserable.

Concerning Allah's statement

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا

And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes and does righteous good deeds,

meaning, Whoever turns to Me in repentance, then I will accept his repentance regardless of whatever sin he did.

Allah, the Exalted, even accepts the repentance of the Children of Israel who worshipped the calf.

Concerning Allah's statement,

تَابَ

who repents,

This means to turn away from what one was involved in of disbelief, associating partners with Allah, disobedience of Allah or hypocrisy.

Concerning Allah's statement,

وَامَنَ

(and believes),

This means the person's belief in his heart.

وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا

(and does righteous deeds),

his action with his bodily limbs.

Concerning Allah's statement,

ثُمَّ اهۡتَدَى

and then Ihtada.

Ali bin Abi Talhah related that Ibn Abbas said,

This means that he then does not doubt.

Qatadah said,

This means he adheres to Islam until he dies.

We see here that there is a specific order in which these things are presented.

patience and recommended one another to pity and compassion. (90:17)

Taha: 79

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Taha: 79