Tafsir Surah Al-A'raf ayah 142 | Learn Quran Tafsir

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وَوَٰعَدۡنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَٰثِينَ لَيۡلَةً وَأَتۡمَمۡنَٰهَا بِعَشۡرٍ فَتَمَّ مِيقَٰتُ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَرۡبَعِينَ لَيۡلَةً ۚ وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَخِيهِ هَٰرُونَ ٱخۡلُفۡنِى فِى قَوۡمِى وَأَصۡلِحۡ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ سَبِيلَ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ

وَوَٰعَدۡنَا

And We appointed

مُوسَىٰ

(for) Musa

ثَلَٰثِينَ

thirty

لَيۡلَةٗ

nights

وَأَتۡمَمۡنَٰهَا

and We completed them

بِعَشۡرٖ

with ten (more)

فَتَمَّ

so was completed

مِيقَٰتُ

(the) set term

رَبِّهِۦٓ

(of) his Lord

أَرۡبَعِينَ

(of) forty

لَيۡلَةٗۚ

night(s)

وَقَالَ

And said

مُوسَىٰ

Musa

لِأَخِيهِ

to his brother

هَٰرُونَ

Harun

ٱخۡلُفۡنِي

Take my place

فِي

قَوۡمِي

my people

وَأَصۡلِحۡ

and do right

وَلَا

and (do) not

تَتَّبِعۡ

سَبِيلَ

(the) way

ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ

(of) the corrupters

وَوَٰعَدۡنَا

And We appointed

مُوسَىٰ

(for) Musa

ثَلَٰثِينَ

thirty

لَيۡلَةٗ

nights

وَأَتۡمَمۡنَٰهَا

and We completed them

بِعَشۡرٖ

with ten (more)

فَتَمَّ

so was completed

مِيقَٰتُ

(the) set term

رَبِّهِۦٓ

(of) his Lord

أَرۡبَعِينَ

(of) forty

لَيۡلَةٗۚ

night(s)

وَقَالَ

And said

مُوسَىٰ

Musa

لِأَخِيهِ

to his brother

هَٰرُونَ

Harun

ٱخۡلُفۡنِي

Take my place

فِي

قَوۡمِي

my people

وَأَصۡلِحۡ

and do right

وَلَا

and (do) not

تَتَّبِعۡ

سَبِيلَ

(the) way

ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ

(of) the corrupters

Translation

We appointed for Moses thirty nights, and completed (the period) with ten (more): thus was completed the term (of communion) with his Lord, forty nights. And Moses had charged his brother Aaron (before he went up): "Act for me amongst my people: Do right, and follow not the way of those who do mischief."

Tafsir

And We appointed (read wa-waa'adnaa or wa-wa'adnaa) for Moses thirty nights, at the end of which We would speak to him, after he has fasted [during that period]; that was the month of Dhoo'l-Qa'da. He completed the fast. But when it came to an end, he disliked the [bad] odour of his mouth and so cleaned his teeth. God then commanded him [to fast for] another ten nights so that He may speak to him despite the odour in his mouth: as God says, and completed them with ten, nights of Dhoo'l-Hijja. Thus was the time appointed by his Lord concluded, the time at which God had promised him to speak to him, as forty (arba'eena is a circumstantial qualifier) nights (laylatan is for specification); and Moses said to his brother Aaron, when he was departing to the Mount for the communion [with his Lord]: 'Succeed me, be my deputy, over my people, and be righteous, [among them] with regard to their affair, and do not follow the way of the agents of corruption', by consenting with them to acts of disobedience.

"Musa fasts and worships Allah for Forty Days

Allah reminds the Children of Israel of the guidance that He sent to them by speaking directly to Musa and revealing the Tawrah to him. In it, was their law and the details of their legislation.

وَوَاعَدۡنَا مُوسَى ثَلَثِينَ لَيۡلَةً وَأَتۡمَمۡنَاهَا بِعَشۡرٍ فَتَمَّ مِيقَاتُ رَبِّهِ أَرۡبَعِينَ لَيۡلَةً

And We appointed for Musa thirty nights and added ten, and he completed the term, appointed by his Lord, of forty nights.

Allah stated here that He appointed thirty nights for Musa. The scholars of Tafsir said that Musa fasted this period, and when they ended, Musa cleaned his teeth with a twig. Allah commanded him to complete the term adding ten more days, making the total forty. When the appointed term finished, Musa was about to return to Mount Tur, as Allah said,

يبَنِى إِسۡرَءِيلَ قَدۡ أَنجَيۡنَـكُمۡ مِّنۡ عَدُوِّكُمۡ وَوَاعَدۡنَـكُمۡ جَانِبَ الطُّورِ الاٌّيۡمَنَ

O Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you on the right side of the Mount. (20:80)

وَقَالَ مُوسَى لَاخِيهِ هَارُونَ اخۡلُفۡنِي فِي قَوۡمِي

وَأَصۡلِحۡ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ سَبِيلَ الۡمُفۡسِدِينَ

And Musa said to his brother Harun:""Replace me among my people, act in the right way and follow not the way of the mischief-makers.""

Musa left his brother Harun with the Children of Israel and commanded him to use wisdom and refrain from mischief.

This was only a reminder, for Harun was an honorable and noble Prophet who had grace and exalted standard with Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and the rest of the Prophets

Musa asks to see Allah

Allah tells;

وَلَمَّا جَاء مُوسَى لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قَالَ

And when Musa came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord (Allah) spoke to him; he said:

Allah said that when Musa came for His appointment and spoke to Him directly, he asked to see Him,

رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرۡ إِلَيۡكَ قَالَ لَن تَرَانِي

""O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You.""

Allah said:""You cannot see Me,""

`You cannot' (Lan) by no means indicates that seeing Allah will never occur, as (the misguided sect of) Al-Mutazilah claimed.

The Hadiths of Mutawatir grade narrated from the Messenger of Allah, affirm that the believers will see Allah in the Hereafter. We will mention these Hadiths under the explanation of Allah's statement,

وُجُوهٌ يَوۡمَيِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ

إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ

Some faces that Day shall be radiant. Looking at their Lord. (75:22-23)

In earlier Scriptures, it was reported that Allah said to Musa, ""O Musa! No living soul sees Me, but will perish, and no solid but will be demolished.""

وَلَـكِنِ انظُرۡ إِلَى الۡجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسۡتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوۡفَ تَرَانِي

Allah said:""You cannot see Me, but look upon the mountain; if it stands still in its place then you shall see Me.""

Allah said here,

فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلۡجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ موسَى صَعِقًا

So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Musa fell down unconscious.

In his Musnad Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas bin Malik that;

the Prophet said about Allah's saying;

فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلۡجَبَلِ

(And when his Lord appeared to the mountain),

هكذا

Like this, then he held out the tip of his little finger.

At-Tirmidhi recorded this in the chapter of Tafsir for this Ayah, then he said; ""This Hadith is Hasan Sahih Gharib.""

This was also recorded by Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak through the route of Hamad bin Salamah, and he said; ""This Hadith is Sahih according to the criteria of Muslim and they did not record it.""

And As-Suddi reported that Ikrimah reported from Ibn Abbas about Allah's saying,

فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلۡجَبَلِ

(And when his Lord appeared to the mountain),

Only the extent of the little finger appeared from Him,

جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا

(He made it collapse) as dust;

وَخَرَّ موسَى صَعِقًا

(And Musa fell down unconscious) fainting from it.

Ibn Jarir recorded these because of the relation to the word Al-Ghashi.

فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ

Then when he (Musa) recovered his senses, (after he lost consciousness),

قَالَ سُبۡحَانَكَ

he said:""Glory be to You,""

thus, praising, glorifying and honoring Allah since no living soul could see Him in this life and remain alive.

Musa' statement,

تُبۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ

""I turn to You in repentance,""

According to Mujahid,

means, from asking you to look at you,

وَأَنَاۡ أَوَّلُ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ

""and I am the first of the believers.""

among the Children of Israel, according to Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Ibn Jarir preferred this view.

Or, according to another narration from Ibn Abbas, the meaning of,

وَأَنَاۡ أَوَّلُ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ

(and I am the first of the believers), is that

`none shall see You (in this life).'

Allah said,

وَخَرَّ موسَى صَعِقًا

(And Musa fell down unconscious),

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah narrated a Hadith from the Prophet that is suitable to mention here.

As for the Hadith from Abu Sa`id, Al-Bukhari recorded in his Sahih that he said:

A Jew came to the Prophet after his face was smacked, and said, ""O Muhammad! One of your companions from Al-Ansar smacked me on the face.""

The Prophet said,

ادۡعُوه

(Summon him)and he was summoned.

The Prophet asked him,

لِمَ لَطَمۡتَ وَجۡهَهُ

Why did you smack his face?

He said, ""O Allah's Messenger! I passed by that Jew and heard him swearing, `No, by He Who has chosen Musa over mankind!'

I said, `Over Muhammad too', and I became angry and struck his face.""

The Prophet said,

لَاا تُخَيِّرُونِي مِنۡ بَيۡنِ الاۡاَنۡبِيَاءِ فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَصۡعَقُونَ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ فَأَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنۡ يُفِيقُ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِمُوسَى اخِذٌ بِقَايِمَةٍ مِنۡ قَوَايِمِ الۡعَرۡشِ فَلَا أَدۡرِي أَفَاقَ قَبۡلِي أَمۡ جُوزِيَ بِصَعۡقَةِ الطُّور

Do not prefer me above the Prophets. Verily, on the Day of Resurrection, people will be struck unconscious, and I (feel that I) am the first to wake up. Thereupon I will find that Musa is holding onto a pillar of the Throne (Arsh of Allah). I will not know if he woke up before me or he received his due (because of his) unconsciousness on (Mount) At-Tur.

Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith in many locations of his Sahih, as did Muslim and Abu Dawud.

As for the Hadith from Abu Hurayrah, Imam Ahmad and the Two Sheikhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) collected his narration

Allah chooses Musa and gives Him the Tablets

Allah says;

قَالَ يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي اصۡطَفَيۡتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسَالَاتِي وَبِكَلَمِي

(Allah) said:""O Musa I have chosen you above men by My Messages, and by My speaking (to you).

Allah states that He spoke to Musa directly and informed him that He has chosen him above the people of his time, by His Message and by speaking to him.

Here we should mention that there is no doubt that Muhammad is the chief of all the Children of Adam, the earlier and later ones among them. This is why Allah has chosen him to be the Final and Last Prophet and Messenger, whose Law shall remain dominant and valid until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad's followers are more numerous than the followers of all Prophets and Messengers. After Muhammad, the next in rank of honor and virtue is Ibrahim upon him be peace,, then Musa, son of Imran, who spoke to the Most Beneficent directly.

Allah commanded Musa, saying,

فَخُذۡ مَا اتَيۡتُكَ

So hold to that which I have given you,

of My Speech and conversation with you,

وَكُن مِّنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ

and be of the grateful,

for it and do not ask for what is beyond your capacity to bear

وَكَتَبۡنَا لَهُ فِي الَالۡوَاحِ مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ مَّوۡعِظَةً وَتَفۡصِيلً لِّكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ

And We wrote for him on the Tablets the exhortation all things and the explanation for all things:

Allah stated that He has written lessons and exhortation for all things and explanations for all things on the Tablets.

It was said that in the Tablets, Allah wrote advice and the details of the commandments for lawful and prohibited matters. The Tablets contained the Tawrah, that Allah described;

وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى الۡكِتَـبَ مِن بَعۡدِ مَأ أَهۡلَكۡنَا الۡقُرُونَ الاٍّولَى بَصَأيِرَ لِلنَّاسِ

And indeed We gave Musa -- after We had destroyed the generations of old -- the Scripture as an enlightenment for mankind. (28:43)

It was also said that Allah gave Musa the Tablets before the Tawrah, and Allah knows best.

Allah said next,

فَخُذۡهَا بِقُوَّةٍ

Hold unto these with firmness,

be firm on the obedience,

وَأۡمُرۡ قَوۡمَكَ يَأۡخُذُواۡ بِأَحۡسَنِهَا

and enjoin your people to take the better therein.

Sufyan bin Uyaynah said, ""Abu Sa`d narrated to us from Ikrimah from Ibn Abbas that;

""Musa, peace be upon him, was commanded to adhere to the toughest of what was ordained on his people.""

Allah's statement,

سَأُرِيكُمۡ دَارَ الۡفَاسِقِينَ

I shall show you the home of the rebellious,

means, you will witness the recompense of those who defy My order and deviate from My obedience, the destruction, demise and utter loss they will suffer

Arrogant People will be deprived of Allah's Ayat

Allah said,

سَأَصۡرِفُ عَنۡ ايَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الَارۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ الۡحَقِّ

I shall turn away from My Ayat those who behave arrogantly on the earth, without a right.

Allah says, ""I shall deprive the hearts of those who are too proud to obey Me, and arrogant with people without right, from understanding the signs and proofs that testify to My Might, Law and Commandments.""

And just as they acted arrogantly without justification, Allah has disgraced them with ignorance. Allah said in another Ayah,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفۡيِدَتَهُمۡ وَأَبۡصَـرَهُمۡ كَمَا لَمۡ يُوۡمِنُواۡ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time. (6:110)

and,

فَلَمَّا زَاغُواۡ أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمۡ

So when they turned away (from the path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away (from the right path). (61:5)

Sufyan bin Uyaynah commented on this Ayah,

سَأَصۡرِفُ عَنۡ ايَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الَارۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ الۡحَقِّ

(I shall turn away from My Ayat those who behave arrogantly on the earth, without a right),

""(Allah says) I shall snatch away comprehension of the Qur'an from them and turn them away from My Ayat.""

Ibn Jarir commented on Sufyan's statement that,

""This indicates that this part of the Ayah is addressed to this Ummah.""

This is not necessarily true, for Ibn `Uyaynah actually meant that this occurs in every Ummah and that there is no difference between one Ummah and another Ummah in this regard.

Allah knows best.

Allah said next,

وَإِن يَرَوۡاۡ كُلَّ ايَةٍ لاَّ يُوۡمِنُواۡ بِهَا

and (even) if they see all the Ayat, they will not believe in them.

Allah said in a similar Ayah,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُوۡمِنُونَ

وَلَوۡ جَأءَتۡهُمۡ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاۡ الۡعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ

Truly, those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful torment. (10:96-97)

Allah's statement,

وَإِن يَرَوۡاۡ سَبِيلَ الرُّشۡدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلً

And if they see the way of righteousness, they will not adopt it as the way,

means, even if the way of guidance and safety appears before them, they will not take it,

وَإِن يَرَوۡاۡ سَبِيلَ الۡغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلً

but if they see the way of error, they will adopt that way,

but if the way that leads to destruction and misguidance appears to them, they adopt that way.

Allah explains why they do this,

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ كَذَّبُواۡ بِأيَاتِنَا

that is because they have rejected Our Ayat,

in their hearts,

وَكَانُواۡ عَنۡهَا غَافِلِينَ

and were heedless of them.

gaining no lessons from the Ayat.

Allah's statement

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواۡ بِأيَاتِنَا وَلِقَاء الاخِرَةِ حَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَالُهُمۡ

Those who deny Our Ayat and the meeting in the Hereafter, vain are their deeds.

indicates that whoever among them does this, remaining on this path until death, then all his deeds will be in vain.

Allah said next,

هَلۡ يُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلاَّ مَا كَانُواۡ يَعۡمَلُونَ

Are they requited with anything except what they used to do!

meaning, `We only recompense them according to the deeds that they performed, good for good and evil for evil. Surely, as you bring forth, you reap the harvest thereof."

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