Al-Qasas: 1

Ayah

Word by Word

طسٓمٓ

Ta Seem Meem

Translation

Ta. Sin. Mim.

Tafsir

Tafsir of Surah Al-Qasas

The Story of Musa and Fir`awn, and what Allah intended for Their Peoples

Allah says:

طسم

Ta Sin Mim.

We have already discussed the significance of the separate letters.

تِلۡكَ ايَاتُ الۡكِتَابِ الۡمُبِينِ

These are the Ayat of the manifest Book.

means the Book which is clear and makes plain the true reality of things, and tells us about what happened and what will happen

نَتۡلُوا عَلَيۡكَ مِن نَّبَإِ مُوسَى وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ بِالۡحَقِّ

We recite to you some of the news of Musa and Fir`awn in truth,

This is like the Ayah,

نَحۡنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ أَحۡسَنَ الۡقَصَصِ

We relate unto you the best of stories. (12:3)

which means, `We tell you about things as they really were, as if you are there and are seeing them yourself.'

لِقَوۡمٍ يُوۡمِنُونَ

for a people who believe.

Then Allah says

إِنَّ فِرۡعَوۡنَ عَلَ فِي الاَۡرۡضِ

Verily, Fir`awn exalted himself in the land,

means, he was an arrogant oppressor and tyrant.

وَجَعَلَ أَهۡلَهَا شِيَعًا

and made its people Shiya`,

means, he made them into different classes, each of which he used to do whatever he wanted of the affairs of his state.

يَسۡتَضۡعِفُ طَايِفَةً مِّنۡهُمۡ

weakening a group among them.

This refers to the Children of Israel, who at that time were the best of people, even though this tyrant king overpowered them, using them to do the most menial work and forcing them to hard labor night and day for him and his people.

يُذَبِّحُ أَبۡنَاءهُمۡ وَيَسۡتَحۡيِي نِسَاءهُمۡ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الۡمُفۡسِدِينَ

weakening a group among them:killing their sons, and letting their females live. Verily, he was of the mischief-makers.

At the same time, he was killing their sons and letting their daughters live, to humiliate them and because he feared that there might appear among them the boy who would be the cause of his destruction and the downfall of his kingdom. So Fir`awn took precautions against that happening, by ordering that all boys born to the Children of Israel should be killed, but this precaution did not protect him against the divine decree, because when the term of Allah comes, it cannot be delayed, and for each and every matter there is a decree from Allah.

Allah says:

وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسۡتُضۡعِفُوا فِي الاَۡرۡضِ وَنَجۡعَلَهُمۡ أَيِمَّةً وَنَجۡعَلَهُمُ الۡوَارِثِينَ

وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمۡ فِي الاَۡرۡضِ وَنُرِي فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَحۡذَرُونَ

And We wished to do a favor to those who were weak in the land, and to make them rulers and to make them the inheritors, And to establish them in the land, and We let Fir`awn and Haman and their armies receive from them that which they feared.

And Allah did indeed do this to them, as He says:

وَأَوۡرَثۡنَا الۡقَوۡمَ الَّذِينَ كَانُواۡ يُسۡتَضۡعَفُونَ مَشَارِقَ الَارۡضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا الَّتِي بَارَكۡنَا فِيهَا وَتَمَّتۡ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ الۡحُسۡنَى عَلَى بَنِي إِسۡرَايِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُواۡ وَدَمَّرۡنَا مَا كَانَ يَصۡنَعُ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَقَوۡمُهُ وَمَا كَانُواۡ يَعۡرِشُونَ

And We made the people who were considered weak to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We have blessed. And the fair Word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because of their endurance. And We destroyed what Fir`awn and his people produced, and what they erected. (7:137)

And Allah said:

كَذَلِكَ وَأَوۡرَثۡنَـهَا بَنِى إِسۡرَءِيلَ

Thus and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit them. (26:59)

Fir`awn hoped that by his strength and power he would be saved from Musa, but that did not help him in the slightest. Despite his great power as a king he could not oppose the decree of Allah, which can never be overcome.

On the contrary, Allah's ruling was carried out, for it had been written and decreed from past eternity that Fir`awn would meet his doom at the hands of Musa.

Related Q&A

Why muqotto'at verses exist in Quran?

Many scholars say that no one knows the meaning of Huruf Muqatta'at (Disjointed-Letters) except Allah. Then why they exist in the Qur'an which was sent down to the humankind?

ANSWER:

Firstly, to say that no one understands the meaning of these letters except Allah is not the consensus of all scholars. Indeed, some scholars beginning from some Shahabah (Companions) explained their meanings. Yasiin, for example, means "O human" according to Ibn 'Abbas. He also told that "Alif Lam Ra'" stands for "Ana Allah Araa" which means "I -Allah- see."

On the other hand, we should acknowledge that there are several Shahabah and scholars believe that only Allah who knows the meaning of these Huruf Muqatta'at. Abu Bakr said: "There is secret in every book. Then the secret of Allah in the Quran is these letters in the beginning of surahs." Ali ibn Abi Thalib and others also stated the same thing.

Ash-Sha'bi, a Tabi'i, was once asked about these letters. He then answered, "Every book have their secret. The secret of the Qur'an is the letters in the beginning of surahs. So, leave it and ask me other question beside it."

Yet even from this perspective, these Huruf Muqatta'at are not useless. They even show us many benefits, of them are:

- to examine our faith

- to show us that our knowledge is limited

- to show us that the Quran is in Arabic since it is arranged from these Arabic letters

- to attract listeners' attention due to their uniqueness

- to make a pledge

- to be names for some surahs

There are also interesting facts from this Huruf Muqotta'at. Of them is the total amount of these letters is 14 which is a half of 28 Arabic letters. They can be drawn up to be a sentence like this:

نص حكيم قاطع له سر

The wise, absolute text which has secret.

In short, some scholars exegete these letters while the others did not but still say that these letters have benefits and wisdoms.

Allah knows best.

See:

Ma'alim Al-Tanzil (II/249) & (VII/7)

Al-Kashshaf (I/20-28)