49. SURAH AL-QASAS – Presentation of Islam and Quran

INTRODUCTION TO SURAH AL-QASAS

The surah, which takes its name from the word ” القصص (Al-Qasas) ” mentioned in the 25th verse, was revealed in Mecca as the 49th in order. However, some sources claim that the 85th verse was revealed during the migration journey, and verses 52–55 were revealed in Medina. ^[1]

In terms of style and content, the Surah Al-Qasas closely resembles the Surahs Ash-Shu’ara and An-Naml, which were revealed as the 47th and 48th, respectively. In general, Surah Al-Qasas:

Those who stood against the Prophet are challenged by exposing the groundlessness of their suspicions and the meaninglessness of their excuses,
Conveys the message that Allah will help the believers and leave the infidels without support,
Emphasizes the transient nature of everything other than Allah.

In the verses of the surah that provide information about the birth and youth of the Prophet Musa, the verses 18–21 of Surah Ash-Shu’ara are interpreted.

Meaning of verses:

¹Ta/9, Sin/60, Mim/40.

²These are the Ayat of the explicit book/the book which clarifies.

³We recite to you/make you follow some of the important news of Moses and Pharaoh with truth for a people who will believe.

⁴Surely, Pharaoh was exalted on the earth and divided the people under his rule into groups; he wanted to weaken one of these groups; he strangled their sons; he made them weak, unqualified by leaving them uneducated and covered their women with disgrace. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.

⁵And We wanted to bestow favor to those who were oppressed on the earth, make them leaders, make them inheritors. ⁶And establish them on the earth strongly, and show Pharaoh, Haman and their soldiers that which they feared from them.

⁷And We inspired to the mother of Moses: “Suckle him. If you fear for him, cast him in the river, do not fear and do not grieve. Surely, We will return him back to you and make him one of the messengers”.

⁸Then the family of Pharaoh picked him as a “finding” so he might become an enemy and grief for them. Indeed, Pharaoh, Haman and their soldiers were the ones who were doing wrong.

⁹And the inharmonious and incompatible wife of Pharaoh said: “A comfort of the eye for me and you! Do not slay him; do not make Moses unqualified; uneducated, unemployed like other Israelite children, perhaps he may benefit us or we may adopt him”. And they did not perceive.

¹⁰And heart of the mother of Moses overnighted empty. – Had We not solidified her heart so she might be of the believers, she would almost have disclosed him. – ¹¹And the mother of Moses said to the sister of Moses: “Track him down”. She then watched him from a distance while they did not perceive.

¹²And We had prevented from him wet nurses before. So his sister said: “Will I show you a family who will look after him and educate him, advise him for you?”.

¹³Thus We returned him to his mother so she might be content and not grieve and she would know that the promise of Allah is true. – But many of them do not know. –

¹⁴And when Moses grew up to have his strength and was mature, We gave him judgement and knowledge. Thus We recompense those who do good.

¹⁵And Moses entered the city at the time of inattention by the people of the city. Then he found two men, one from his side and one from the side of the enemy, who were trying to kill each other. Then the one who was from his side asked Moses for help against the enemy. Then, Moses punched the other and he died immediately. Moses said: “This is from the work of the satan, surely, He is a clear, misleading enemy”.

¹⁶Moses said: “My Rabb! I have been unjust to myself. So forgive me!” and Allah forgave him. He surely is the One Who is very forgiving, the One Who shows great mercy.

¹⁷Moses said: “My Rabb! For that which You bestowed upon me as a favor, I will never assist the criminals again”.

¹⁸Then, Moses overnighted in the city, fearing and watching around. He marveled at once, the one who had asked him for help the day before was crying out for his help again. Moses said: “You truly are a transgressor!”.

¹⁹And when Moses wanted to seize the man who was an enemy to both of them, that man said: “O Moses! Do you intend to kill me as you killed someone yesterday? You truly want to be a tyrant on the earth but not a person who does amendatory deeds”.

²⁰And a man came from the other side of the city, running. He said: “O Moses! Chiefs are conferring over you to kill you. Go immediately! I surely am of the advisors”.

²¹Then Moses left it, fearing, watching around. He said: “My Rabb! Save me from those people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah!”.

²²And when Moses headed to Midian, he said: “I hope that my Rabb will guide me to the sound path”.

²³And when Moses arrived to the water of Midian, he found a people with a leader who were watering their flocks. And Moses found two women, who were not as strong as other people watering their flocks, and pulling their flock back. He said: “What is the matter with you?”. They said: “We will not water our flock before the shepherds water their flocks and go; and our father is a very old man”.

²⁴Then Moses watered their flock. Then he went to the shade and said: “My Rabb! I am definitely in need for whatever good you bestow upon me”.

²⁵Then one of two women shyly came to Moses. She said: “Indeed my father invites you so that he may pay you for having watered”. Moses came to her father and told him the story. Her father said: “Do not fear, you are safe from that people who did wrong; acted against their own good by associating others with Allah”.

²⁶One of his two daughters said: “O my father! Hire him. He surely is the best and the most powerful and the most trustworthy of those who can be hired”.

²⁷And father of the women said: “I wish to wed you with one of my two daughters on the condition that you work for me for eight years in which hajj [pilgrimage] is fulfilled. But if you complete it to ten, then it is from you; I would not wish to give you any difficulty. If Allah wills, you will find me from among the righteous”.

²⁸Moses said: It is between you and me; whichever these two terms I complete, there will be no animosity/liability upon me. And Allah is the One Who implements by maintaining, supporting for what we have said.

²⁹When Moses completed the term and walked with his family/people close to him at night while he was out of the position of being messenger (while he was not yet appointed as a messenger), he sensed the fire; miserable condition of Israelites; difficulty of saving them from this condition. He said to his family: “Be in expectation; I have indeed sensed a fire; a distress. I hope that I will bring you an information from that distress or I will bring a piece from that distress so you may support Israelities, you may save them from fire.”.

^30-32And when he arrived to it; when he decided to remove this distress, inside a piece of land with many trees (among hundreds of Wahy awaiting him), he was called from the first, the fresh Wahy from the sprout of the path of prophethood: “O Moses! Indeed, I am Allah, Rabb of all universes! And bring forward your knowledge! – And when he saw his knowledge which moves like an invisible entity, he ran away. – O Moses! Come closer, do not fear. Indeed, you are of those who are safe. Engage the strength you have in your chest, you will definitely come out perfectly. Draw your wing to yourself from your sleeve. These are two evidences from your Rabb against Pharaoh and his men. Indeed they have become a people who have gone astray from the righteous path”.

^33,34Moses said: “My Rabb! I surely have killed a person from among them, now I fear that they will kill me. Send my brother Aaron with me; he is better and more influential in speech than me. Therefore, send him with me as an assistant who would testify me. Indeed, I fear that they will deny me”.

³⁵Allah said: “We will strengthen you with your brother and We will form a power, an authority for you both. Then they will not reach you because of Our evidences/signs. You both and those who follow you are the ones who are superior”.

***

³⁶When Moses came to them with Our clear evidences/signs, they said: “This is nothing but invented influential knowledge. And we have not heard this from our ancestors”.

³⁷Moses said: “My Rabb is the One Who knows better who has come with the guidance to the righteous path from Him and for whom will the end of the home be better. Indeed, those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah will not reach the salvation”.

³⁸Pharaoh said: “O chiefs! I have not known any other god for you than myself. O Haman! Set a fire on the clay for me now; produce bricks and build a tower for me so I may get information about the god of Moses. And surely, I believe with certainty that he is one of liars”.

³⁹Pharaoh and his soldiers acted arrogantly on the earth without right and they indeed believed in that they would not be returned to Us.

⁴⁰We seized him and his soldiers and threw them in that large body of water/in the river. So see how is the end of those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah!

⁴¹And We made them leaders inviting to the fire. On the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], they will not receive help.

⁴²And We made a curse, deprival of the mercy of Allah to follow them in this world. They will be among those who will be despised on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection] as well.

⁴³And surely, We gave Moses the Book/the Torah as explicit proofs, guidance and mercy for the people after We had manipulated/destroyed the first generations so they might be reminded.

⁴⁴And when We fulfilled that command to Moses, you were not in the west side; you were not in the geography where Moses lived. You were not of those who were present, who saw.

⁴⁵We created many generations and their lives were prolonged. You were not among the people of Midian who recited Our Ayat to them; but We are senders of messengers.

^46,47And when We called, you were not next to the position of being prophet (You were not a messenger yet). Quite opposite, We revealed to you what happened there, We sent you as a messenger so you may warn a people, to whom no warner/prophet was sent before you, and as a sign of the mercy of your Rabb, as a reminder for them to receive, to prevent them from saying, “Our Rabb! If only You had sent us a messenger thus we could have followed your Ayat and become believers” when a disaster came upon them for what their own hands had done.

⁴⁸And when that truth came to them from Us, they said: “Why was he not given like that which; evidences, signs was given to Moses? Did they not deny, conceal what was given to Moses before? They said: “Two magic, two influential knowledge that backup; support each other”. And they said: “We surely will not accept any”.

⁴⁹Say: “If you are truthful, bring me a book from Allah that guides to the righteous more than the books that came to me and Moses, then I will follow it!”.

⁵⁰If they do not respond to you despite this, then know that they only follow their desires. Who can be more astray [confused, fallen] than the one who follows his desires without a guidance from Allah? Surely, Allah does not guide a people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Him.

⁵¹And surely, We sent down the Word [the Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] one after other so they may be reminded.

⁵²Those to whom We gave the Book before the Word [Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] believe in the Word [Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] as well.

⁵³And when the Word [Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] was recited to them, they said: “We have believed in it. Surely, it is the truth sent by our Rabb. Indeed, we were those who were Muslims before it”.

⁵⁴They will be given their reward twice for they have had patience. And they eliminate the evil with the good and they spend from that which We have provided them for the cause of Allah/provide sustenance first for their relatives and then others.

⁵⁵And when they hear vain talk, they keep their distance from it and say: “What we do is only for us and what you do is only for you. Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon you! We do not seek the ignorant”.

⁵⁶Indeed, you can not guide whom you like to the righteous path; however, Allah guides whom He wills to the righteous path and He knows better who is able to accept the righteous path He is guided to.

⁵⁷And they said: “If we follow the guidance to the righteous path together with you, we will be driven out from our land”. Have We not established them in a secure place/Mecca, where fruits of all crops were harvested and brought to them as a provision from Us? But most of them do not know.

⁵⁸And We manipulated/destroyed many cities which were spoiled by their ways of living. Here are their places! Their dwellings which have not been inhabited except briefly after them. And it is We Who are the inheritors.

⁵⁹Your Rabb does not manipulate/destroy cities until He has sent a prophet to the mother city who recites Our Ayat to them. Besides, We would not manipulate/destroy the cities people of which are not those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah.

⁶⁰And that which has been given to you is the earning of the worldly life and its adornment. What is with Allah is better and more lasting. Will you still not reason?

⁶¹Then, is he whom We have promised a good promise and who has received what We promised, like one who is among those whom We have given worldly earnings and they will be gathered before Us/will be kept standing “at attention” in our presence on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]?

⁶²And on that day, Allah will call them and say: “Where are My partners that you believed in wrongly?

⁶³Those upon whom the Word will be fulfilled will say: Our Rabb! These are the ones whom we made transgress. We made them transgress just as we transgressed. We have been afar from you. They did not worship only us”.

⁶⁴And it will be said: “Call your partners!” and they will call them. Then they will not respond to them and will see the punishment. – If only they had accepted the righteous path they were guided! –

⁶⁵And on that day, Allah will call them and say: “What did you answer the messengers who had been sent?

⁶⁶And on that day, all the important news will be in darkness to them; and they will not be able to ask each other.

⁶⁷But the one who has repented, believed and done amendatory deeds; he may hope to be among those who will reach the salvation.

⁶⁸And your Rabb forms that which He wills and chooses that which is better for them; but for them, there is no right to choose. Allah is purified from what they associate with Him and high above them.

⁶⁹And your Rabb knows that which they conceal in their chests and that which they disclose.

⁷⁰And He is Allah except Whom there is no deity. All praise, at the first and at the last, is to Him, the judgement is only His. And you will be returned only to Him.

⁷¹Say: “Have you ever thought, if Allah made the night continuous till the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], who is the deity other than Allah that could bring the light to you? Will you still not heed?

⁷²Say: “Have you ever thought, if Allah made the day continuous till the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], who is the deity other than Allah that could bring the night to you in which you may rest? Will you still not see?

⁷³And out of mercy of Allah, He created the night and the day; so you may rest at night and during the day you may seek for what He has given in abundance, unreturned and repay for the blessings that were given to you.

⁷⁴And on that day, Allah will call them and say: “Where are My partners that you believed in wrongly?”

⁷⁵And when We will gather a witness from every people with a leader and say: “Here, bring your solid proof!”. Then they will know that the truth belongs to Allah and what they have been inventing is lost from themselves.

^76,77Surely, Korah was among the people of Moses and transgressed against them. We gave him such treasures that its keys would definitely be heavy for a people of a strong men. Once his people said to him: “Do not exult! Allah surely does not like those who exult. And seek the home of Akhirat [Afterlife] through what Allah has given you. And do not forget your share from the world! And do good as Allah has done good to you. And do not desire corruption in the world. Indeed, Allah does not like the corrupters”.

⁷⁸Korah said: “This wealth has been given to me because of a knowledge that I have”. Did he not know that Allah had manipulated/destroyed of many generations before him those who were greater than him in power, who had more followers, more accumulation than him. – And these sinners will not be questioned for the sins of the others. –

⁷⁹Then Korah came out before his people in ornaments and glory. Those who desired the worldly life said: “If only we had like what was given to Korah! Surely, Korah is the owner of a great fortune”.

⁸⁰And those who were given knowledge said: “Woe to you! For those who believe and do righteous deeds, the reward that Allah will give is better. And only those who have patience will be granted it”.

⁸¹And then We caused the earth to swallow him and his house. There was no company for him to help from among those that are inferior to Allah and he was not of those who were able to defend and save themselves.

⁸²Only yesterday those who longed to be in his place said, “Surely your Lord expands provision for whom He wills among His servants and apportions it in due measure.” Had Allah not given us a bounty, He would have caused the earth to swallow us as well. So, the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb will not save themselves”.

⁸³That home of Akhirat [Afterlife]! We will prepare it for those who do not seek corruption and arrogance on the earth. And the outcome is for those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah.

⁸⁴Whoever brings a good, there will be a better one for him/there will be a good for him because of it. And whoever brings an evil; those who commit evil will be recompensed only with that which they did.

⁸⁵Indeed, Allah Who imposed the Qur’an upon you, will definitely return you to the place of return. Say: “My Rabb is the One Who knows better who has come with the guidance to the righteous path and who is in an explicit astray”.

⁸⁶And you were not expecting that the Book would be revealed/sent down to you. It has been given to you as a mercy from your Rabb. So, do not help the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

⁸⁷And never let those who associate others with Allah avert you from the Ayat of Allah after they have been revealed to you. And invite to your Rabb. And never be of those who associate others with Allah!

⁸⁸And do not invoke another deity with Allah. There is no deity except Him. Everything will be destroyed except His existence. Only to Him belong the judgment-principle. And you will be returned only to Him. ^{Al-Isra 1}Purified from all deficiencies is the One Who, by one night, made His servant walk from Masjid Al-Haram to Masjid Al-Aqsa, a side of which We blessed, so We might show him of Our Ayat/evidences/signs. Indeed, He is the One Who hears best and sees best.

Analysis of Verses

Verse 1:

¹Ta/9, Sin/60, Mim/40.

Since the first verse of this surah is the same as the first verse of Surah Ash-Shu’ara, we recommend referring to the section on “huruf-u mukattaa” ( truncated/disjoint letters) in Surah Ash-Shu’ara for its explanation.

Verse 2:

²These are the Ayat of the explicit book/the book which clarifies.

Like the first verse, this verse is also identical to the second verse of Surah Ash-Shu’ara. Some scholars have suggested that the “clear / elucidating book” mentioned in this verse refers to the Torah. However, we believe that the “clear / elucidating book” is the Qur’an. This is because the demonstrative pronoun “tilke (تلك) [these]” here points to the verses that follow [the subsequent verses], which pertain to the life story of the Prophet Musa (Moses), and these verses could not have been present in the book given to the Prophet Musa.

Moreover, our Lord has stated in another verse:

¹Alif/1, Lam/30, Ra/200. These are the Ayat of that book which contains laws.

²Is it strange to them that We have revealed to a wise man from among them, saying: “Warn the people and give those who believe the good tidings that they will definitely have pleasant incomings, happy life [qadama sidq] with their Rabb”? Infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said: “Indeed, this messenger is a scholar that speaks fascinating words/this book is a fascinating, influential knowledge”.

(Yunus/ 1, 2)

As clearly understood, the “Wise Book” (Kitabun Hakim / كتاب حكيم) referred to in the verses (Yunus/1, 2) is the Qur’an, and the one to whom it was revealed to warn people and give glad tidings to the believers is the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad. Therefore, in the 2nd verse under discussion, what is intended by the demonstrative pronoun “tilke (تلك)” must also be the verses of the Qur’an.

Verse 3:

³We recite to you/make you follow some of the important news of Moses and Pharaoh with truth for a people who will believe.

The phrase “a people who will believe” in the verse emphasizes that this narrative will only benefit a people who are destined to believe. Thus, it is natural that the narrative will not benefit those who disbelieve and stubbornly turn away.

In the verse, the particle “min (من)”—which carries the meaning of partiality—is used to indicate that only a few of the narratives concerning the Prophet Musa and Pharaoh will be recounted. Indeed, the narrative in this surah is not the complete account of the stories of Musa and Pharaoh but only a portion of them. To access the full narratives, many sections of the Qur’an must be brought together. These narratives are found in the following surahs: (Baqara/47–59, A’raf/103–141, Yunus/75–92, Hud/96–100, Isra/101–104, Maryam/51–53, Ta Ha/1–99, Mu’minun/45–49, Shu’ara/10–68, Naml/7–14, Ankabut/39–40, Mu’min/23–44, Zukhruf/46–56, Dukhan/17–37, Dhariyat/38–40, Nazi’at/15–26).

The word we have translated as “reciting [making follow]” in the verse is originally the word “tilawah (تلاوة).” Although the word “tilawah” is commonly understood as “reading,” the Turkish verb “okumak” (to read) does not fully convey the meaning expressed by the word “tilawah.”

The word “tilawah” (تلاوة), as seen in the phrase “By the moon when it follows it” in the second verse of Surah Ash-Shams, means “to follow closely, to pursue, to track step by step.” ^[2]

Therefore, in the verse under discussion, the word “tilawah” refers to Allah making His Messenger closely and attentively follow His revelation, commands, prohibitions, and narratives.

Verse 4:

With this verse, the story of the Prophet Musa and Pharaoh begins, and Pharaoh’s general policy is explained here for the first time. According to the revelation, Pharaoh—who saw himself as the highest of the high—had divided the people under his rule into factions, and among them, he sought to weaken the Children of Israel by leaving them uneducated, untrained, and without professions.

In Shu‘ara’ 53–56 Pharaoh’s army says about the Children of Israel: “Surely they are a scattered group of a few men. And they are indeed mad at us. We indeed are a ready and precautious people”

And in Qaṣaṣ 4 our Lord declares: “Surely, Pharaoh was exalted on the earth and divided the people under his rule into groups; he wanted to weaken one of these groups; he strangled their sons; he made them weak, unqualified by leaving them uneducated and covered their women with disgrace. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.”

Thus, it appears that Pharaoh had previously divided the Children of Israel into camps, parties, cliques, and factions, hoping they would be unable to unite.

Note: The words “katl” (قتل) and “zebh” (ذبح) mentioned in the verses describing Pharaoh’s weakening program are metaphorical. Detailed analysis regarding the istihya (استحياء) in this matter has been provided in the explanation of verse 141 of Surah Al-A’raf, while further elaboration on the topic can be found in the commentary on verse 127 of the same surah.

Pharaoh’s policy has also been explained in other verses that will be encountered later:

⁴⁹And when We saved you from the people who were close to Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst of the punishment, strangled your sons; made you weak, unqualified by leaving you uneducated, covered your women with disgrace. –And there was a great trial in this for you from your Rabb.-

(Al-Baqara/49)

^6,7And when Moses said to his people: “Remember the favor of Allah upon you; when He saved you from the family of Pharaoh who afflicted you with the evil of torment, strangled your sons; made you weak, unqualified by leaving you uneducated and covered your women with disgrace. There was a great trial for you from your Rabb that you would wear off in this. And when your Rabb declared: “Indeed, if you repay for the blessings you are given, I will definitely increase for you and if you are ungrateful, My punishment is absolutely very severe”.

(Ibrahim/6, 7)

The phrase “Surely, Pharaoh was exalted on the earth” in the verse uses the word “exalted” meaning “he became arrogant, tyrannical, haughty, and transgressed.” This refers to Pharaoh’s power and dominance. The phrase “on the earth” does not signify the entire earth but only the territory under Pharaoh’s rule.

As understood from the above text:

After the death of the Prophet Yusuf, the ruler who came to power in Egypt employed every means to elevate his own people (the Copts) over the Children of Israel. Due to this racist policy pursued by the regime, the Israelites were not only humiliated and degraded by being forced into the hardest labor but were also subjected to inhumane practices such as the killing of their newborn male children.

Although Pharaoh’s justification for this policy is clearly evident from the 10th sentence of the quoted passage above, many fabricated stories—relying on Talmudic and other Isra’iliyyat (Judeo-Christian) traditions—have been circulated, such as the following:

A soothsayer told Pharaoh, “Among the Israelites, a child born on a certain night will cause your kingdom and dominion to perish.” On that specified night, twelve male children were born, and Pharaoh ordered their execution.

According to most commentators, this persecution continued among the Israelites for many years. Wahb (ibn Munabbih) stated:
“The Copts killed ninety thousand Israelites in their search for Musa (Moses) [pbuh].”

Al-Suddi narrated that Pharaoh saw in a dream a fire coming from the direction of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), engulfing the land of Egypt—yet it burned only the Copts, not the Israelites. He then consulted dream interpreters, who said:
“A man will emerge from among the Israelites and bring about Egypt’s destruction.”
Thereupon, Pharaoh ordered the killing of all male children of the Israelites. ^[3]

PHARAOH’S CORRUPTION

The phrase “Indeed, he was of the corrupters.” directed at Pharaoh in the verse indicates that his order to oppress and destroy male children was nothing but an act of corruption aimed at causing chaos. However, through this action, Pharaoh could never thwart Allah’s decree.

Verses 5-6:

In these verses, Allah’s established way (Sunnatullah) of eliminating oppression is expressed in a manner specific to this event. As is known, our Lord has made mercy incumbent upon Himself, and as a result, He has sent messengers, revealed scriptures, and shown no tolerance to oppressors—all so that humanity may be saved from corruption and live in just environments. Indeed, when we look at history, we may find periods of disbelief, but we will never find an era of tyranny that continued without being destroyed.

The phrase “which they feared from” in the 6th verse means “what they did not want and dreaded would befall them.” This refers to the end of their power and the collapse of their state. But the divine plan does not stop there—it will also manifest in the Children of Israel inheriting the blessings Pharaoh possessed, attaining various favors, and becoming leaders among nations.

HAMAN

This name appears a total of three times in the Qur’an: twice in this surah (verses 6 and 38) and once in Surah Mu’min (verse 36). Based on these verses, it is understood that Haman was someone very close to Pharaoh. However, our view is that the name “Haman” was not his personal name but rather a title. Most likely, the name “Haman” is the Arabized form of the title “Ha-Amen,” which was given to high-ranking priests in the ancient Egyptian religion associated with the god Amon. In this case, it is entirely natural that the highest-ranking priest representing the dominant Amon cult in Egypt at that time would be the second-in-command after Pharaoh in governance. Additionally, the reference to Haman as a “builder of towers” may point to the religious purpose of the great Egyptian pyramids and the chief priest’s role as the chief architect of these pyramids.

However, some have confused the “Haman” mentioned in the Qur’an with the “Haman” in the Bible and, based on this confusion, have criticized the verse in question. According to them, Haman was a courtier of the Persian King Artaxerxes I, who lived a thousand years after the Prophet Musa (Biblical Book of Esther). Yet this claim implies that no other person named “Haman” ever existed in the world except for Artaxerxes’ courtier, which would mean accepting that only one Haman ever lived in history. Such an assertion should not be given any credence.

Verse 7:

The tilawah [reading, close following, and narration] mentioned in the 3rd verse above begins with this verse, following verses 4–6 which provide information about the general situation of those days, starting with Almighty Allah’s revelation to Musa’s mother. Here, “wahy” (وحي) means “inspiration, intuition, imparting knowledge to the heart, or informing through a hidden means.” For details on the forms and meanings of wahy, one may refer to Surah An-Najm.

Like other Israelite women who gave birth to male children, when Musa’s (pbuh) mother bore a son condemned to be killed, the Divine Will first secretly instructed her to breastfeed the child. The inspiration regarding casting the child into the river was given on the condition that she sensed danger for the child.

The wahy (revelation) given to the mother of Prophet Musa is mentioned in Surah Ta Ha as follows:

“³⁸Once We had inspired to your mother that which was inspired, ‘³⁹Place Moses in a chest and cast it in a large body of water/the river, then the large body of water/river will cast him onto the bank. And the one who is enemy to Me and enemy to him will take him’. And I bestowed upon you love from Me,

(Ta Ha/ 38, 39)

The birth of Prophet Musa is narrated in the Bible as follows:

A man from the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman.
The woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.
When she could no longer hide him, she took a basket made of reeds, coated it with tar and pitch, placed the child in it, and put it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.
The child’s sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
Then Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, while her attendants walked along the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maidservant to fetch it.
When she opened it, she saw the crying child and took pity on him, saying, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”
The child’s sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a Hebrew nurse to nurse the child for you?”
Pharaoh’s daughter replied, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.
Pharaoh’s daughter said to the woman, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.
When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Musa (Moses), saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.” ^[4]

Verse 8:

⁸Then the family of Pharaoh picked him as a “finding” so he might become an enemy and grief for them. Indeed, Pharaoh, Haman and their soldiers were the ones who were doing wrong.

From the verse, it is understood that Prophet Musa’s mother sensed danger and, as inspired (through wahy), placed her baby in the water. From this point onward, the Divine Will intervened, ensuring that the infant would be “picked up” (iltiqat / إلتقاط) by Pharaoh’s household. This action is expressed in the verse with the word “iltiqat,” which means “to take something, to find it without seeking or wanting it, or to pluck hairs.”

Our Lord has explained the reason for ensuring the baby’s discovery as being “so he might become an enemy and grief for them” Thus, this event, which was a blessing for the baby and his mother, became a form of punishment for Pharaoh and Haman. For they were unaware that the child they had picked up would be the one to bring an end to their rule. They were guilty of the disbelief (kufr) and oppression they upheld, and Allah punished them by making them raise the very person [their greatest enemy] who would eventually cause their destruction with their own hands.

LUQATA (لقطة)

As understood from the verse, Pharaoh claimed the baby under the rules of “luqata (لقطة)”. Although the term “luqata” does not appear in the Qur’an, it is implicitly approved by the Qur’an because it is based on the universal legal principle of “protecting property”, which exists in all religions and legal systems.

Luqata” is defined in legal terminology as: “Property that has been lost without the owner’s consent—not due to an intention to abandon ownership or rights over it—and is found by someone else with the purpose of returning it to its owner; where the finder does not know the owner, and no one other than the rightful owner has a claim over it.

This concept covers everything from notifying the public and presenting witnesses, to the conditions for delivery back to the true owner, and even the finder’s right—after a statutory period—to benefit from unclaimed found property, as well as related divisions and taxation.

Verse 9:

The words of Pharaoh’s wife mentioned in this verse – “A comfort of the eye for me and you! Do not slay him; do not make Moses unqualified; uneducated, unemployed like other Israelite children, perhaps he may benefit us or we may adopt him” – came true, and the baby Musa indeed brought great benefit to her in later years. This noble woman, who later embraced faith, was held up by our Lord as an example for all humanity:

¹¹And Allah has presented to the believers the example of the inharmonious and incompatible wife of Pharaoh. When she said: “My Rabb! Build for me a house in Jannah [Heaven/Paradise], save me from Pharaoh and his deed. And save me from this people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with You!”.

(At-Tahrim/ 11)

The phrase at the end of the 9th verse, “And they did not perceive [they did not use their consciousness]”, is a parenthetical statement belonging to our Lord. From this expression, it is possible to derive the meanings that “they were unaware that their destruction would come through Musa and by his hand” or that “they did not know they were being watched.” However, if these words are considered to belong to Pharaoh’s wife, they could also be understood as: “The Children of Israel and the people of Egypt are unaware that we found him.”

Pharaoh’s wife saying “do not slay him” suggests that Pharaoh and his servants were disturbed by the baby’s existence. But as stated in the 39th verse of Surah Ta Ha with the meaning: “And I bestowed upon you love from Me, so you would be raised under My watch” our Lord had placed affection in the heart of Pharaoh’s wife and caused her to adopt the baby.

Verses 10-13:

¹²And We had prevented from him wet nurses before. So his sister said: “Will I show you a family who will look after him and educate him, advise him for you?”.

¹³Thus We returned him to his mother so she might be content and not grieve and she would know that the promise of Allah is true. – But many of them do not know. –

In this group of verses, how the divine plan works is shown clearly and precisely. To remember, the events in this part of the story were summarized in two sentences in the 40th verse of Surah Ta Ha:

⁴⁰Thus We returned you to your mother so that she might be content and not grieve. And you had killed a person, We had saved you from sorrow. And We purified/matured you. And you remained among the people of Midians for years. Then you came upon a decree; plan, O Moses!

(Ta Ha/ 40)

As understood from the verses, the baby’s sister followed him all the way to the palace and remained there to observe what would happen. When the baby refused to accept any wet nurse, she said to the queen, “Will I show you a family who will look after him and educate him, advise him for you?” Notice that in her statement, the sister did not suggest “a suitable wet nurse” but rather a family who would care for the baby with love and attention and raise him with proper upbringing. It has long been a tradition among affluent families to entrust their children to wet nurses who could also serve as nannies, ensuring they receive good care and upbringing from birth. This custom existed among Arabs as well, and indeed, our Prophet was raised by his wet nurse, Halima.

The decision to entrust the baby to his own family upon the sister’s recommendation brought immense happiness to the baby’s mother. For she would now be able to nurse, raise, and educate her own child while also receiving payment from Pharaoh for this service.

As evident, another remarkable aspect of this subtle divine plan set in motion by Allah was that Musa would not be raised as a prince in Pharaoh’s palace, but rather within his own family according to the faith and culture of the Children of Israel. Indeed, in accordance with this plan, Musa did not become a member of Pharaoh’s ruling class or people, but remained a true Israelite.

The Bible and Talmud also record that Pharaoh’s daughter named the boy “Moses,” a Coptic—not Hebrew—name meaning “drawn out of the water.” In Coptic, “mo” means “water,” and “oshe” corresponds to “drawn out.” ^[5]

Finally, the parenthetical phrase at the end of verse 13—“But many of them do not know.”—should be understood as “they do not know Allah’s wisdom in what He ordains.” Human beings cannot foresee whether an event that appears good or bad will truly be so; it is Allah’s prerogative to decree what is ultimately best. Thus people may rejoice at what will harm them, or recoil from what will be their ultimate good.

¹¹And man invites evil as he invites good. And man is very hasty.

(Al-Isra/11)

²¹⁶And although war is not pleasant for you, it has been given you as a mandatory liability. It is possible that you do not like which is good for you. And it is possible that you like that which is bad, harmful for you. And Allah knows but you do not know.

(Al-Baqara/216)

¹⁹O you who have believed! It is not halal/permissible for you to inherit women by compulsion/to forbid them to divorce you in order to consume their wealth. Do not make difficulties for them to get back that which you have given to them unless they commit a clear immorality/unlawful sexual intercourse. And maintain your relations with them in a way that is acceptable for all. And if you dislike them, perhaps Allah will make many good in that which you dislike even though you do not like it.

(An-Nisa/19)

Verse 14:

¹⁴And when Moses grew up to have his strength and was mature, We gave him judgement and knowledge. Thus We recompense those who do good.

When someone is “granted judgment and knowledge,” it means they have been given prophethood. Accordingly, the verse informs us that Prophet Musa was given messengership and that during this period of his life, he entered the age of maturity and became firmly established. The term “age of maturity” mentioned in the verse, as can be understood from the earlier cited translation of Ta Ha Surah’s 40th verse, refers to the period of Prophet Musa after he had passed through various trials. This situation is narrated from Prophet Musa’s own words in the 18th–22nd verses of the Shu’ara Surah:

¹⁸Pharaoh said: “Did we not raise you among us when you were a child? Did you not remain among us for many years of your life? ¹⁹Then you did the deed which you did. And you are one of ungrateful…”.

^20-22Moses said: “I did it when I was of those astray. I fled from you immediately when I feared you. Then my Rabb bestowed me laws-principles and made me one of the messengers. And the favor you are bragging me about is the fact that you have enslaved Israelites”.

(Ash-Shu’ara/18-22)

The practice in Sunnatullah of “granting judgment and knowledge after subjecting one to various trials and maturing them” is also seen identically in the life of Prophet Yusuf. He, too, was put through various trials and matured before being granted knowledge and wisdom. The granting of knowledge and wisdom, in the context of the Qur’an, carries the same meaning as being made a messenger.

In the verse under discussion, the term “maturity” clearly refers to both the perfection of physical strength and the refinement of mental faculties. However, the specific age corresponding to the maturity period—which varies from person to person depending on internal and external factors—has not been specified. Our Lord has clarified this matter in another verse, expressing the attainment of maturity as “reaching forty years”:

¹⁵And We have enjoined upon man as a liability, good treatment to his mother and father. His mother carried him with hardship and delivered/gave birth to him with hardship. And his gestation and weaning is thirty months. And when man reaches maturity and comes to forty years, he has said: “My Rabb! Make me repay for Your blessings You have bestowed upon me and my mother and my father and make me do righteous deeds with which You will be pleased. Amend in my lineage/bestow upon me righteous. Indeed, I have turned to you. And indeed, I am of the Muslims”.

(Al-Ahqaf/ 15)

Indeed, research shows that a person’s physical and mental development continues until the age of 40. After the age of 40, while physical abilities begin to decline, intellectual faculties continue to increase. This situation has led to the acceptance of the age of 40 as the age of maturity. Our Lord’s choice of the age of 40 for revelation is due to these subtleties. As a matter of fact, according to historical records and widely transmitted reports, our Prophet was also appointed as a messenger around the age of 40.

Verses 15-21:

¹⁶Moses said: “My Rabb! I have been unjust to myself. So forgive me!” and Allah forgave him. He surely is the One Who is very forgiving, the One Who shows great mercy.

¹⁷Moses said: “My Rabb! For that which You bestowed upon me as a favor, I will never assist the criminals again”.

²⁰And a man came from the other side of the city, running. He said: “O Moses! Chiefs are conferring over you to kill you. Go immediately! I surely am of the advisors”.

²¹Then Moses left it, fearing, watching around. He said: “My Rabb! Save me from those people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah!”.

In this group of verses, which contains another episode from the life of Prophet Musa, two points stand out.

First Point: As reported in the 15th–17th and 21st verses of the above paragraph, as well as in the subsequent 22nd and 24th verses, Musa, even in his youth, recognized Allah, supplicated to Him, understood the harms of Satan, repented, and refrained from aiding the oppressor. These behaviors indicate that he held a belief different from the Coptic faith. It is also understood from other Qur’anic verses related to the narrative that he acquired this belief while growing up among the Children of Israel [his family].

Second Point: Although Musa committed a murder, Allah forgave him. In other words, Allah also absolved him of the rights owed to the person (the victim).

The events narrated in this group of verses are recorded in the Bible as follows:

11- After Musa grew up, one day he went to his kinsmen. While observing their hard labor, he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew.

12- He looked around and, seeing no one present, killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13- The next day when he went out, he saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you striking your brother?”

14- The man replied, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Musa became afraid and thought, “This matter has become known!” ^[6]

As can be seen, the narration in the Holy Bible differs from the Qur’an’s account. This means the Qur’an has corrected the distortions present in the Holy Bible. According to the Qur’anic narrative, in this incident, it was not the Egyptian Coptic man who was at fault, but rather the man from the Children of Israel. Apparently, Musa acted emotionally in the event, rushing to aid the man from the Children of Israel without attempting to understand which side was right. However, upon learning the truth, he realized he had committed a serious crime—not only for killing the man but also for acting with hasty judgment.

MUSA’S ENTRY INTO THE CITY UNNOTICED BY ITS PEOPLE

The phrase in the 15th verse, “And Moses entered the city at the time of inattention by the people of the city.” indicates that Musa arrived in the city during a quiet hour—likely when the streets were deserted, perhaps when everyone was in their homes—and that he came from outside the city. It appears that during this period of his life, Musa was living in the royal palace, located outside the general residential area, and he entered the city either early in the morning, during the midday heat of summer, or at night in winter.

Verse 22:

²²And when Moses headed to Midian, he said: “I hope that my Rabb will guide me to the sound path”.

Beginning with this verse, which informs us of Prophet Musa’s escape from Egypt toward Midian (Medyen), another episode from his life is recounted.

The fact that Prophet Musa headed specifically to Midian, in our view, is due to several reasons: The people of Midian were descendants of Prophet Ibrahim, meaning they were related to the Children of Israel. The region of Midian was outside Pharaoh’s control. Information regarding Midian has been provided in the analysis of the Al-A’raf surah.

As seen in the verse, Prophet Musa immediately prayed with faith that Allah would show him the right path when he set out. The phrase “the sound path” in this prayer can be understood both as the physical road to Midian and the path of faith and Islam that is free from oppression, polytheism, and infidelity.

In accordance with the information provided by the Qur’an, the Holy Bible also states that Prophet Musa went directly to Midian after leaving Egypt. However, the Talmud records that he first went to Abyssinia, rose to a position of royalty there, and then went to Midian at the age of 67.

Verses 23 – 28:

²⁴Then Moses watered their flock. Then he went to the shade and said: “My Rabb! I am definitely in need for whatever good you bestow upon me”.

²⁶One of his two daughters said: “O my father! Hire him. He surely is the best and the most powerful and the most trustworthy of those who can be hired”.

This group of verses directly addresses what happened to Prophet Musa in Midian without providing any information about how long it took him to reach Midian after leaving Egypt or what occurred during his journey.

From the conversation between Prophet Musa and the women, it is understood that due to their father’s advanced age and the absence of other male family members, the women had to take on the task of watering the animals. Because they couldn’t contend with the other shepherds at the watering place, they had to wait for them to finish watering their animals and leave.

In traditions prevalent among Muslims, these women’s father is mentioned as Prophet Shuayb. As will be remembered, information is given in the verses of Al-A’raf (85-92) and Ash-Shuara (176-177) that Prophet Shuayb was sent as a messenger to the people of Midian. However, this does not mean their father – undoubtedly a mature and noble character – was Prophet Shuayb. Because the verses in question contain no indication that their father served as a messenger in Midian, nor is there any explicit or implied statement identifying him as Prophet Shuayb. Therefore, we do not credit unreliable transmissions that even dare to name the women as “Lay ya” and “Safariyya,” and we content ourselves with the information our Lord has provided.

In the Holy Bible, the women’s father is referred to in one place as Reuel [or Ra’uel], and elsewhere as Jethro, and this person is presented as the priest of Midian.

16- The seven daughters of a Midianite priest came to draw water. They were filling the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17- But some shepherds came and tried to drive them away. However, Musa rushed to the girls’ aid and watered their animals.
18- Then the girls returned to their father Reuel. Reuel asked, “How is it that you’ve returned so early today?” ^[7]

1- Musa was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ^[8]

5- Jethro came to Musa at the mountain of God where he was camped in the wilderness, accompanied by Musa’s wife and sons. ^[9]

The events described in verses 25-27 also contain instructive lessons for humanity from several perspectives.

First lesson: The man who offered his daughter to Musa didn’t say “serve for eight years” or “serve for ten years,” but rather “serve for eight or ten pilgrimage periods.” This implies that Musa would be sent for pilgrimage eight or ten times for theological training. If Musa went for pilgrimage (to Mecca for theological training) every year, it would take eight years; if there were years he didn’t or couldn’t go, this period would extend. What’s emphasized here is the completion of eight or ten pilgrimages, not necessarily eight or ten years of service.

Another lesson has been explained by the late Sayyid Qutb as follows:

“From the twenty-seventh verse, we learn that the father of the girls, in very clear and simple language without specifying which one, offers one of his daughters to Musa. Perhaps the man – as we mentioned before – had sensed which of his daughters had developed mutual trust with the young man. The man wants to give his daughter in marriage and feels no shame about it. He proposes establishing a family and creating a home – there is nothing shameful in this. There is no need for embarrassment, hesitant behavior, or indirect hints. There is no need for the forced customs and traditions seen in societies enslaved to artificial, empty, and meaningless conventions that deviate from natural disposition. These meaningless traditions common in such societies prevent a father or female guardian from proposing his daughter, sister, or relative to someone he considers morally and religiously suitable and capable of maintaining a healthy married life. In these societies, it is mandatory for the man or his guardian/representative to take the first step. Otherwise, a proposal coming from the woman’s side is deemed inappropriate. One of the double standards of these deviant societies is this: In these societies, young men and women freely meet, talk, and mingle. They see each other’s private body parts without any engagement or marriage intention. But when marriage proposals are mentioned, suddenly everyone pretends to be ashamed, and insurmountable barriers are placed. They obstruct openness, simplicity, and ease.

During the time of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), fathers would offer their daughters in marriage to men. Indeed, they would even approach the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself, requesting that he either marry them or arrange their marriage with someone he deemed suitable. All this was expressed in clear language, with pure intentions and proper etiquette. No one’s honor was wounded, and certainly no one felt ashamed. Indeed, Hz. Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) offered his daughter Hafsa to Hz. Abu Bakr, but Hz. Abu Bakr remained silent. Then he proposed her to Hz. Uthman, who expressed his inability. When our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard this, he comforted Hz. Omar by saying, “Perhaps Almighty Allah will grant her someone better than both of them.” Later, our Prophet married Hz. Hafsa. Similarly, one day a woman asked our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to marry her. However, the Prophet excused himself, stating he couldn’t marry her. Thereupon, the woman entrusted him with her guardianship (the authority to arrange her marriage) to marry her to whomever he chose. Our Prophet then married her to a man who had no possessions except his memorization of two surahs from the Quran. The man taught these two surahs to the woman, and this served as her dowry.

Thus, the Islamic society was establishing its family structure and organic composition in such a simple and enlightened environment. Without any coercion, beating around the bush, or artificial and twisted behaviors…

The elderly man with Musa had done exactly the same. He made this proposal to Musa and promised not to cause him difficulties or burden him with hard labor. He expressed his hope that, by Allah’s will, Musa would find him to be a good person in terms of his behavior and commitment to his word. This represents the proper attitude of etiquette one should maintain when speaking about oneself before Almighty Allah. This elderly man wasn’t declaring himself innocent, nor was he absolutely claiming to be a good person. He merely hoped to be such a person, leaving this matter to the will of Almighty Allah.

Musa accepts the proposal and fulfills the agreement with the same clarity and carefulness. And he takes Allah as his witness.” ^[10]

Verses 29-35:

As seen in the above verses, Prophet Musa’s departure from Midian with his family and relatives marked the beginning of a new period in his life. This group of verses serves as a brief reminder of events that were previously narrated in more detail in earlier surahs. According to what is understood from these verses, the caravan departing from Midian – which included Prophet Musa’s brother Harun (According to the Bible, there is also the father-in-law of the prophet Moses in the caravan) – was heading toward Egypt.

The events that occurred during this period of Prophet Musa’s life are presented in a different sequence in the Bible than what appears in this group of verses:

Musa returned to his father-in-law Yitro. He said to him, “Let me go back to my kinsmen in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” Yitro replied, “Go in peace.” ^[11]

Musa’s father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Musa and His people Israel, and how the Lord had brought the Israelites out of Egypt. He took Musa’s wife Zipporah and her two sons whom Musa had sent back to him. Musa had named one son Gershom, saying, “I am a stranger in a foreign land.” He named the other Eliezer, saying, “The God of my father helped me and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.” Jethro came with Musa’s wife and sons to the mountain of God where Musa was camped in the wilderness. He sent word to Musa: “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.” Musa went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down before him and kissed him. After greeting each other, they entered the tent. Musa told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, about all the hardships they had met along the way, and how the Lord had saved them. ^[12]

Musa was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ^[13]

Musa returned to his father-in-law Yitro. He said to him, “Let me go back to my kinsmen in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” Yitro replied, “Go in peace.” ^[14]

Additionally, according to the Holy Bible and Talmud, the Pharaoh in whose household Prophet Musa was raised had died while he was in Midian, and another had taken his place.

In the 29th verse, it is stated that the departure from Midian occurred after the completion of the predetermined period, but it is not specified which of the periods discussed between Prophet Musa and his father-in-law this was [whether it was eight years or ten years]. Regarding this matter, the transmission mechanism was not idle either – for some the period was 10 years, for others 10+10 years, and some even claimed that our Prophet asked Jibril (Gabriel) about it, and Jibril informed him that he had completed ten years (!).

In these verses, the two signs given to Musa – which are discussed in the surah Furqan- are explained with different expressions. Here metaphorical expressions are used, while in the surah Furqan they are expressed in their literal meanings:

³⁵And surely We gave to Moses the Book and appointed his brother Aaron as his assistant and supporter.

³⁶Then We said: “Go to those people who deny Our Ayat!”. Ultimately, We destroyed with a complete destruction those people who denied Our Ayat.

(Al-Furqan/35-36)

In Maryam/52, we had previously provided detailed explanations regarding the words Turr, Tawr, ayman, and janib in the verse. Similarly, in Ta Ha 12-13, we examined the words ra’a (to see), nar (fire), anasa (to perceive), and muks (to anticipate). Here, we will analyze some additional words.

تَصْطَلُونَ Tastalun

According to the understanding that the fire (nar) Musa saw and perceived was an ordinary physical fire – since he separated from his companions to seek warmth – the expressions “تَصْطَلُونَ tastalune” in the verses (Qasas/29 and Naml/7) are derived from the root “ص ل ى (sh-l-y)” (in the iftial bab/form, implying harmony) and interpreted to mean “leaning toward the fire.” This suggests Musa was seeking warmth and encountered divine revelation while searching for fire.

However, since the “fire (nar)” in the verses is not a physical fire, if we instead derive “تَصْطَلُونَ tastalune” from the root “ص ل و (sh-l-w),” which conveys the meaning of “support,” it becomes clear that Musa’s effort was actually directed toward supporting his own people, the Hebrews—the Children of Israel—and striving to liberate them from slavery.

شَاطِئِ Shatii

The word “شَاطِئِ Shatii” means “the sprout of trees or plants.” In Fath/29, it appears in the form “شطئه shat’ahu.”

A sprout from a tree.
This expression refers to the first fresh revelations (wahy) given, and it is also another way of describing the “blowing of the Spirit” mentioned in the Qur’an, as well as the granting of a small portion of the Spirit (revelation).

We have previously explained that what is meant by the “blowing of the Spirit” is the knowledge given to Adam and Maryam, which was only at the level of a whiff (a slight measure). The evidence for this is found in the 85th verse of the Isra surah. However, it must be immediately clarified that the small measure of the revelations we have received—being at the level of a whiff—is relative to the infinite knowledge of our Lord. The infinite knowledge and wisdom of Almighty Allah are emphasized in many verses of the Qur’an:

¹⁰⁹Say: “If the sea was ink for the words of my Rabb, the sea would deplete before the words of my Rabb end, even if we brought as much of it again”.

(Al-Kahf/ 109)

²⁷And surely if whatever trees on the earth were pens and the sea, added by seven more seas after it, was its ink, words of Allah would not be depleted. Indeed, Allah is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

(Luqman/ 27)

Since Allah’s knowledge is so infinite, the totality of revelation knowledge He sent to all His prophets would only amount to a mere whiff [a blowing] and a single sprout.

وادى “WADI”

In Ta Ha/12, it appears in the form “الوادى الأيمن Wadi al-Ayman (The Most Blessed Valley)”, and we had previously explained there that the “sacred valley” represents the path of prophethood. Indeed, when the two verses are considered together, it becomes clear that the expressions concerning the valley signify THE PATH OF PROPHETHOOD.

بقعة (Buk’a)

The term ” بقعة (Buk’a)” in the verse normally means “a patch of land composed of black and white colors, a piebald/mottled ground” (lexical sources). Here, however, it appears as “Buk’a (a highly fertile patch of land from the perspective of vegetation; akin to a forest).”

This refers to the long and fruitful prophetic life and Allah’s inexhaustible Word being discussed. Through metaphorical expression, it is conveyed that the revelations given to Musa were merely a sprout from Allah’s boundless speech, granted for his mission as a messenger.

Here—just as in Naml/10—we see that Musa attempted to evade his duty and was warned.

To properly understand the 30th verse, we must consider: The core meanings of certain expressions in the verse and some technical details.

Based on these explanations, the meaning of the verse is as follows:

^30-32And when he arrived to it; when he decided to remove this distress, inside a piece of land with many trees (among hundreds of Wahy awaiting him), he was called from the first, the fresh Wahy from the sprout of the path of prophethood: “O Moses! Indeed, I am Allah, Rabb of all universes! And bring forward your knowledge! – And when he saw his knowledge which moves like an invisible entity, he ran away. – O Moses! Come closer, do not fear. Indeed, you are of those who are safe. Engage the strength you have in your chest, you will definitely come out perfectly. Draw your wing to yourself from your sleeve. These are two evidences from your Rabb against Pharaoh and his men. Indeed they have become a people who have gone astray from the righteous path”.

In the 35th verse, Allah’s statement to Prophet Musa, “We will strengthen you with your brother,” comes in response to Prophet Musa’s request. Prophet Musa’s request and its acceptance by Allah, along with the rectification of his shortcoming, are also mentioned in other verses.

²⁵Moses ²⁰said: “My Rabb!²⁵Open my chest, ²⁶facilitate my work³³so we may purify you from all deficiencies ³⁴and remember you frequently. ²⁷Untie my tongue ²⁸so they may understand my word well. ²⁹And from my family; ³⁰my brother Aaron; ²⁹make him a minister for me, ³¹increase my strength with him. ³²Make him share my task. ³⁵Indeed, You see us”.

³⁶Allah said: “O Moses! You have been granted what you request”.

(Ta-Ha/ 25–36)

⁵²And We called out to him from the edge of the most blessed stage (the position of being messenger); while he was not a messenger, and brought him close for a special conversation; We made him a messenger. ⁵³And out of Our mercy, We gave him his brother Aaron as a prophet.

(Maryam/ 53)

At the end of Verse 35, the phrase “You both and those who follow you are the ones who are superior” refers to either: A victory granted through the clear proofs and signs given to Prophet Musa under those circumstances, or a triumph of authority that would be realized at another time. In our view, the first interpretation aligns more closely with the wording of the verse.

Almighty Allah has granted the same support and assurance given to Prophet Musa to all His messengers, always protecting them and granting them victory. Without doubt, He will also protect those who follow in the footsteps of the messengers.

⁶⁹O you who have believed! Do not be like those who abused Moses. Then, Allah cleared him of what those who abused said. And he was a noble/honorable man in the sight of Allah.

(Al-Ahzab/ 69)

⁶⁷O Messenger! Convey that which has been revealed to you from your Rabb. If you do not do this, then you have not fulfilled the duty of messenger that He assigned you. And Allah will protect you from the people. Surely, Allah will not guide infidels; those who consciously deny His divinity and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Al-Ma’idah/ 67)

²¹Allah has written: “Indeed, I and My messengers will prevail”. Indeed, Allah is the One Who is competent over everything, the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer.

(Al-Mujadila/21)

And Mu’min/51 and Saffat/171-173, in these verses explain Musa’s shortcoming and how it was rectified.

Verses 36-40:

³⁶When Moses came to them with Our clear evidences/signs, they said: “This is nothing but invented influential knowledge. And we have not heard this from our ancestors”.

³⁹Pharaoh and his soldiers acted arrogantly on the earth without right and they indeed believed in that they would not be returned to Us.

This group of verses briefly recounts the events that occurred after Prophet Musa arrived in Egypt. It informs us that despite the clear proofs shown to them, Pharaoh and his soldiers persisted in their old beliefs with arrogance and were ultimately drowned and destroyed.

Verse 36 refers to the “clear evidences/signs” that Prophet Musa brought to Pharaoh and his supporters—these were the teachings he presented while conveying the message of tawheed (monotheism). These details have been mentioned in other verses of the Qur’an:

^18,19Then say: “Would you purify yourself? And let me guide you to your Rabb so you may fear Him in awe with respect, love, knowledge!”.

(An-Nazi’at/ 18–19)

⁴⁶Allah said: “Do not fear, surely I am with both of you, I hear and see. ⁴⁷Go to him immediately and say to him; “Indeed, we are two messengers of your Rabb. Then send Israelites with us and do not torment them; indeed we have come to you with an evidence/a sign from your Rabb. Salam [health, peace, happiness…] is to those who follow the guidance. ⁴⁸Surely, it was revealed to us that the punishment will definitely be for one who denies and turns away’”.

(Ta-Ha/ 46–48)

In verse 38, Pharaoh did not use the word “ilah” (god) for himself in the sense of “the creator of heaven and earth.” Because such a claim could only be made by a madman. Moreover, Pharaoh’s statements in that verse indicate that he acknowledged the existence of other gods besides himself. Indeed, the Egyptians worshipped many gods, and Pharaoh himself was considered the incarnation of the Sun God. The Qur’an itself testifies that Pharaoh had many gods:

¹²⁷And the chiefs among the people of Pharaoh said: “Will you free Moses and his people so they may abandon you and your idols/cease to take you as their idol and cause corruption on the earth? And Pharaoh said: “We will kill their sons; make them weak, unqualified by leaving them uneducated, we will cover their women with disgrace and we are the ones who are very powerful over them”.

(Al-A’raf/ 127)

Consequently, when Pharaoh used the word “ilah” (god) for himself, he did not mean that he was the necessary creator or possessed true divinity, but rather that he was the undisputed supreme authority.

The “casting away/throwing” mentioned in the fortieth verse explains the sweeping away before the dam floodwaters – an expression that also appears in Dhariyat/40 – and it is clarified that this occurred through the rapid release of water (Dukhan/23-24).

THE BELIEF OF PHARAOH:

When the verses (Zukhruf: 51–53) and (Mu’min: 28–35) are carefully read, it becomes clear that Pharaoh did not deny the existence of Allah or the angels. However, some have interpreted Pharaoh’s exaggerated claim to mean that he denied Allah or placed himself in Allah’s position. In reality, it is evident, especially from the 53rd verse of Surah Zukhruf, that Pharaoh acknowledged Allah as the Sovereign of the heavens. What Pharaoh rejected was the idea that Allah sends messengers to convey His commands and interfere with his own dominion on earth. This is because Pharaoh saw himself, in theory, as the political lord [ruler] of all humanity and based his sovereignty on the claim that he was the human form of the Sun God. Indeed, the Ana Britannica Encyclopedia, under the heading “Religion of Egypt,” states that in ancient Egypt, the worship of Pharaoh was due to his being considered the son of God and that he ruled his country in the name of the Egyptian gods. ^[15]

In conclusion, the claim put forward by some that Pharaoh placed himself as the true deity and Lord in place of Allah does not align with either the Qur’an or scholarly research.

The conversation between the Prophet Moses and Pharaoh, as narrated in verses 36–37, is mentioned in Surah Shu’ara as follows:

²⁴Moses said: “If you know closely; He is Rabb of the heavens/universe, the earth and all that is between”.

²⁵Pharaoh said to those around him: “Do you not hear?”.

²⁶Moses said: “He is your Rabb and Rabb of your ancestors”.

²⁷Pharaoh said: “This messenger who was sent to you is indeed supported by secret forces/is a madman”.

²⁸Moses said: “If you use your reason, He is Rabb of the east and the west and that is between them”.

(Ash-Shu’ara/ 24-28)

Again and again, Pharaoh and his followers gave the following answers to the prophet Moses:

⁷⁸They said: “Have you come to us to turn us away from upon which we found our ancestors and so that you two may have the rule on the earth? We do not believe in both of you”.

(Yunus/ 78)

^57,58Pharaoh said: “O Moses! Have you come here to drive us out of our land with your influential knowledge? Then, we will come to you with an influential knowledge like your influential knowledge. Now, appoint a time/place for us to meet; it should be a plain and wide place neither you nor we will reject”.

(Ta-Ha/ 57–58)

²⁶And Pharaoh said: Let me, so I will kill Moses, and let him call upon his Rabb. Indeed, I fear that he will change your religion or he will reveal the chaos in this place/in our country; he will decipher our corrupted system”.

(Al‑Mu’min/ 26)

Pharaoh’s conversation with Haman in verse 38 is also mentioned in other verses:

^36,37An Pharaoh said: “O Haman! Build a tower for me that I may reach the ways; ways of the sky so that I may understand what is the deity of Moses. And indeed, I think that he is a liar”. Thus the evil of his deed was made attractive to Pharaoh and he was led astray from the path. And the plot of Pharaoh was only in making lose and suffer.

(Al‑Mu’min/ 36–37)

Pharaoh, Haman, and their followers were disgraced not only in the Hereafter but also in this world. Thus, disgrace awaits them in both worlds:

¹³And We manipulated/destroyed many cities, which were stronger in power than your city that drove you out. So, there was no helper for them.

(Muhammad/ 13)

^96,97Surely, We made Moses a messenger to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our Ayat and an explicit evidence. But they obeyed the command of Pharaoh. But, the command of Pharaoh is not what makes wise/guides to the right.

⁹⁸Pharaoh will precede his people on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]. – Now, Pharaoh has led his people to the fire. How evil is the place where they arrive! –

⁹⁹And they were followed in this world and on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection] in a curse. – How evil is this tax which is given! –

(Hud/ 96–99)

Pharaoh’s command to Haman to build a tower so he could search for a god in the sky resembles the foolish approaches displayed by certain extremist mindsets in modern times that oppose Islam. One of the contemporary representatives of this mindset, the Marxist cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, similarly mocked faith by claiming—may Allah forbid—that he did not see Allah in space after his journey. There is a striking resemblance between the ancient fool who wanted to see Allah from a tower and his modern counterparts who claim they could not find Allah in space.

The Qur’an does not provide any explicit clarification on whether Pharaoh actually built such a tower and attempted to see Allah from it.

Verses 41, 42:

⁴¹And We made them leaders inviting to the fire. On the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], they will not receive help.

⁴²And We made a curse, deprival of the mercy of Allah to follow them in this world. They will be among those who will be despised on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection] as well.

These verses mention the worldly and hereafter conditions of those who, despite all the warning signs sent to them, arrogantly refused to believe and thus wasted their lives.

Our Lord declares that He has made such people – who commit oppression, reject the truth, stubbornly persist in denial, and employ every means to defend falsehood against truth – into “leaders inviting to the fire” In this state, they will serve as pioneers and examples for generations to come. These individuals, who show people wrong paths leading to Hell, will bear not only their own sins but also the burdens of those who follow their example. Both these leaders calling to the Fire and their followers will collectively rush toward the same doom:

⁷¹On that day, We will call all people with their leaders. And on that day, whoever is given his book in his right hand will read his own book and they will not be treated unjustly, not even as the wick of a lamp/the filament of a seed.

(Al-Isra/71)

As understood from our Lord’s statement in the 42nd verse “And We made a curse, deprival of the mercy of Allah to follow them in this world” subsequent generations will continuously curse these leaders who called them to the Fire. From this, we understand that our Lord has legitimized the curse [rejection] upon such leaders who call people to the Fire, through the words of His believing servants who follow His messengers.

Verses 42-45:

⁴²And We made a curse, deprival of the mercy of Allah to follow them in this world. They will be among those who will be despised on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection] as well.

⁴³And surely, We gave Moses the Book/the Torah as explicit proofs, guidance and mercy for the people after We had manipulated/destroyed the first generations so they might be reminded.

⁴⁴And when We fulfilled that command to Moses, you were not in the west side; you were not in the geography where Moses lived. You were not of those who were present, who saw.

⁴⁵We created many generations and their lives were prolonged. You were not among the people of Midian who recited Our Ayat to them; but We are senders of messengers.

In these verses, our Lord explains the necessity of sending messengers and warners as part of His mercy to mankind, so that people may learn from the narrated stories and take warning from the destruction of previous generations who turned away from the prophets’ instructions. Furthermore, it emphasizes that these stories are events revealed by Allah which His messenger neither knew nor witnessed.

The expression “west side” in the 44th verse refers to the geographical region where Moses lived. Upon examining geographical maps, it becomes evident that the regions of Egypt and Midian are located to the west relative to Mecca. Similarly, the “witnesses/who were present, who saw” mentioned in the same verse are the Children of Israel who were with Prophet Moses and were called to enter into a covenant to follow the principles that would be given to him.

The interpretation of the statement in the 45th verse “You were not among the people of Midian who recited Our Ayat to them” can be understood as follows: “When Musa reached Midyan and spent a considerable portion of his life there, and then departed from there to go to Egypt, you were not present. Neither were you the one reciting Our verses to the inhabitants of Midyan. You are delivering the message to the people of Mecca. You were not an eyewitness to these events that occurred thousands of years ago. All this knowledge is being given to you solely through Our revelation, certainly not through any other means.”

The meaning of the statement in the 45th verse “but We are senders of messengers” is: “You are not the first of Our prophets; just as We sent Nuh, Hud, Salih, Ibrahim, Musa and Shu’ayb to their people, We have sent you as a messenger to your own people.”

Verses 46, 47:

Note: The word “َطَورtavr/tur” in the verse should be understood as “طور الأيمن tawrul eymen/ tuir al’ayman” (the right side of Mount Tur). The adjective has been reserved here as it was mentioned previously.

In these verses, our Lord explains two interconnected purposes behind sending messengers: to warn and to leave no room for excuses. As previously stated in many verses, our Lord did not punish communities to whom He sent no messenger or revealed no scripture [established no law]. To prevent those deserving punishment from making the excuse “Had we been warned, we could have found the right path,” He sent messengers and revealed scriptures.

^155-157And the Qur’an is a blessed book that We have sent down so some of you will not say, “The book was sent down to only two groups before us, Jews and Christians; but we could not read these books and we could not understand their language” or some of you will not say, “Had a book been sent down to us, we would have been on a righteous path better than them”. Therefore, follow it and enter under the guardianship of Allah so you may be shown mercy. A clear proof, guidance and mercy have come to you as well from your Rabb. Therefore, who can do more wrong; act more against their own good than those who deny the Ayat of Allah, turn away from them? We will recompense those who turn away from Our Ayat with the worst of the punishment for they have turned away.

(Al-An’am/155-157)

^163-165No doubt that We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and all prophets after him. We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, their grandsons, Jesus, Job, Jonas, Aaron and Solomon, the messengers about whom We have mentioned to you, the messengers about whom We have not mentioned to you as warners and harbingers so the people might not have any evidence against Allah after the messengers. And We gave David the Psalms. And Allah spoke to Moses/hurt him, made him go through many distress. And Allah is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

(An-Nisa/163-165)

¹⁹O People of the Book! When intervals between the coming of messengers increased, there has come to you Our Messenger who conveys/makes clear to you so you may not say: “No harbinger of good tidings and no warner has come us”. There has definitely come to you the harbinger of good tidings and warner. Allah is the One Who is competent over everything.

(Al-Ma’idah/19)

¹⁵Whoever follows the path that is guided, he will follow the path that is guided for his own good. And whoever goes astray, he will go astray against his own good. And no bearer of burdens bears the burden of another. And We have never been the Ones Who would punish unless We sent a messenger.

¹⁶And when We intend to manipulate/destroy a country, We command wealthy and powerful chiefs of it to be on the righteous path, to lead on the righteous path but, they rather go astray from the righteous path therein. And then the Word¹⁸⁵ comes into effect upon there and We destroy there with complete destruction.

(Al-Isra/15-16)

^133,134And the deniers said: “Why does this person, who alleges to be the messenger, not bring us an evidence/a sign from his Rabb?”. Have the explicit evidences which were in the first scriptures not come to them? And had We manipulated/destroyed them with a punishment before this, they would certainly have said: “O our Rabb! If only you had sent us a prophet so we could have followed Your Ayat before we became humiliated and disgraced!”

(Ta Ha/ 133, 134)

DID PROPHETS COME TO THE ARABS BEFORE?

In the 46th verse, our Lord declares through the statement “We sent you as a messenger so you may warn a people, to whom no warner/prophet was sent before you…” that He had not previously sent a warner to the Prophet’s tribe. The same subject was also mentioned at the beginning of Surah Ya Sin. Consequently, there is no question of punishing the Prophet’s mother, father, grandfather, or earlier ancestors, who belonged to an unwarned people.

Since the stories narrated in the Qur’an for admonition took place in ancient times, it was impossible for the Prophet to have witnessed these events. According to our Lord’s declaration, he had not heard about these events from others either. As one of the people he was sent to, his past life was always in full view—there was no unknown period in his life. So then, how did the Prophet know these things? Where did he learn them? Indeed, all these stories in the Qur’an, served, on one hand, to allow people to derive lessons, while on the other hand, they constituted the clearest evidence of the Prophet’s messengership—and they still do so today.

⁴⁴This is what We have revealed to you from the important news of the past which you did not have possibility to perceive. And you were not with them while they were casting their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. And you were not with them when they were disputing.

(Al-i Imran/44)

¹⁰²This, what We have revealed to you is from the news of which you have not seen, heard, known. And you were not with them when they decided and plotted their evil deeds.

¹⁰³Although you desire passionately, many of the people are not to believe.

(Yusuf/102, 103)

⁴⁹What is related about Noah is from the news from the unseen, the unheard and the unfelt which We have revealed to you. Neither you nor your people knew it before. Then have patience. Surely, the outcome is for those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah.

(Hud/49)

Verses 48-50:

⁴⁹Say: “If you are truthful, bring me a book from Allah that guides to the righteous more than the books that came to me and Moses, then I will follow it!”.

These verses record conversations between our Prophet and the Meccan polytheists, who—while accepting Biblical narratives—denied what had been given to Prophet Moses. They hypocritically complained that physical miracles like the staff miracle, the shining hand miracle, and the commandments inscribed on stone tablets weren’t granted to our Prophet. These objections from the polytheists were also mentioned in Surah Saba’:

³¹And those infidels; who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said: “We certainly, will not believe in this Qur’an, nor in that before it…”. If you could see those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah, by disbelieving before their Rabb, being arrested and refuting the words of some of them to some other! Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant: “If not for you, we would have been believers”.

(Saba’/31)

In response to these excuses, our Lord commanded His Messenger in the 49th verse in a way they never expected: “If you are truthful, bring me a book from Allah that guides to the righteous more than the books that came to me and Moses, then I will follow it!”

Our Lord condemns those who witness such great miracles yet refuse to believe, and who stubbornly follow their whims, declaring them foolish. The 50th verse states: “Who can be more astray [confused, fallen] than the one who follows his desires without a guidance from Allah?” This exposes the corruption in their path. This statement not only demonstrates that a rational person’s beliefs and lifestyle must be knowledge-based, but also stands as one of the strongest proofs against blind imitation.

⁸⁴Say: “We have believed in Allah, the Qur’an which has been revealed to us, what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and grandsons, Moses, Jesus and what was given to the messengers from their Rabb. We do not make distinction between any of them. And we are those who are Islamized [create well-being, peace, order, happiness…] only for Him”.

⁸⁵And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, then it will never be accepted from him. And one who seeks a religion other than Islam will be among the losers in Akhirat [Afterlife].

⁸⁶How will Allah guide a people who disbelieve; consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb after their belief, having witnessed that the messenger is true and clear evidences came to them? And Allah does not guide a people of those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Himself.

^87,88Their recompense will be that the curse of Allah, natural forces/harbinger Ayat, all the people is upon them, abiding therein eternally. This punishment will not be lightened from them and they will not be given respite.

(Al-i Imran/84-88)

Verses 51-53:

⁵¹And surely, We sent down the Word [the Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] one after other so they may be reminded.

⁵²Those to whom We gave the Book before the Word [Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] believe in the Word [Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] as well.

In this group of verses, our Lord emphasizes that He continuously reveals His verses one after another to make people come to their senses. He informs us that those who recognized Allah by believing in previously revealed scriptures immediately embraced these verses [the Qur’an] upon hearing them, readily accepted and believed in them, and even openly expressed that they had been expecting such revelation.

These verses also aimed to shame the Meccans, as if telling them: “You are rejecting a blessing that emerged from your own city and was sent to you. Yet people from distant lands are coming here to recognize its value and benefit from it when they hear it.”

According to historical records of revelation (asbab-i nuzul), these verses were revealed concerning a historical event.

The account is as follows:
After the migration to Abyssinia (Habeşistan), news about the Messenger’s message and emergence spread to that land. A delegation of twenty Christians then came to Mecca to investigate the matter and encountered the Messenger of Allah (Rasûlullah) in the Masjid al-Haram. A crowd from Quraysh also gathered to observe what would happen. The delegation members asked the Messenger several questions, which he answered. He then invited them to Islam and recited verses from the Qur’an before them.

As they listened to the Qur’an, the delegation members could not hold back their tears and affirmed that what was being recited was indeed the Word of Allah. They declared their faith in the Messenger of Allah. When the gathering ended and the people dispersed, Abu Jahl and his followers intercepted the Christian group and harshly rebuked them:

“No group more foolish than you has ever come here before! O band of fools, you were sent by your people to gather information about this man. Yet the moment you met him, you abandoned your own faith!”

The noble group responded:
“Peace be upon you. We have no intention of arguing with you. You are responsible for your faith, and we for ours. However, we will not knowingly deprive ourselves of goodness.” ^[16]

Muqatil’s Account:
Muqatil reported that this verse was revealed concerning a group of forty Christians, some of whom had come with Ja’far ibn Abi Talib from Abyssinia, while eight others had arrived from Syria (Sham). The names of these eight were Bahira, Abraha, Ashraf, Burayd, Tamam, Ayman, Idris, and Nafi. ^[17]

At the end of the 53rd verse, it is indicated that the only religion approved by Allah is Islam (الإسلام). From the beginning of creation, every messenger sent has always brought this way of life, every messenger has always been a “Muslim” (مسلم), and their followers have been called “Muslims” (مسلمون). This truth is evident in the following verses:

[Verses mentioned: Al-i Imran/19, 67, 85; Yunus/71, 72, 84, 90-92; Baqara/128, 131-133; Dhariyat/36; Yusuf/101; Ma’idah/44, 111; and Naml/44]

As is known, the words “Islam” (إسلام), “Muslim” (مسلم), and “Muslimun” (مسلمان) are Arabic. Since the Qur’an was first revealed to the Arab nation and to an Arab member of that nation, these messages were expressed in Arabic words. In reality, since other prophets naturally spoke in their own people’s languages, those communities used the equivalent terms for “Islam” and “Muslim” in their own languages.

Our Lord’s statement in the 52nd verse, which foretells that the People of the Book’s scholars would believe in the Qur’an, has also been expressed in other verses:

¹⁹⁹And indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah, what has been revealed to you and what was revealed to them –as the ones who respect Allah sincerely-. They do not exchange the Ayat of Allah for a price. They are the ones whose reward is with their Rabb. Indeed, Allah is the One Who is swift in accounting.

(Al-i Imran/ 199)

^107,108Say: “Whether you believe in the Qur’an or you do not; those who were given knowledge before; when the Qur’an is recited, they fall in prostration, submitting. And they say: “Purified is our Rabb from all deficiencies. And the promise of our Rabb will certainly be fulfilled”.

¹⁰⁹And they fall upon their chins, crying. And the Qur’an increases their respect and humility.

(Al-Isra/107-109)

⁸²And you will find those Jews and those who associate others with Allah are the most severe in animosity against those who believe. And you will find those who say, “We are Nazarene/Christians” are the closest in affection to those who believe. This is because there are monks and ideal people among them and they are not arrogant.

^83,84And when they listen to the Qur’an that has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes become filled with tears because of that they have recognized that it is the truth. They say: “O our Rabb! We have believed so write us among the witnesses!” and “And why should we not believe in Allah and that which has come to us from the truth while we hope that our Rabb would admit us with the people of the righteous!”

(Al-Ma’idah/ 82- 84)

¹⁰Say: “Have you ever thought? If the Qur’an is from Allah and you consciously denied it, while a witness from among Israelites testified for something similar and believed, and you acted arrogantly… Surely, Allah does not guide a people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Himself”.

(Al-Ahqaf/ 10)

¹¹⁴And should I seek for a judge other than Allah while He is the One Who has sent down to you the Qur’an in detail/truth-falsehood separated?”. And those to whom We gave the Book, they surely know that the Qur’an is sent down by their Rabb with the truth. Then, do not ever be among those who doubt concerning that they know that this book is sent down by Allah.

(Al-An’am/ 114)

From the above verses, it is understood that the People of the Book (Ahl-i Kitab) living in Mecca or visiting Mecca at various times confirmed the truth of the Qur’an. However, this does not mean they abandoned their own religion and became Muslims. Indeed, the statement in the 53rd verse – “Indeed, we were those who were Muslims before it” – also indicates this.

Verse 54, 55:

These verses praise the People of the Book who immediately accepted the Qur’an. These were people who had always recognized Allah, were expecting a new book and messenger, did not compromise their faith after believing in the new book, and organized their lives according to the principles in the Qur’an. The names of some of the first among them were given in the analysis of verses 51-53. As understood from the verses’ wording, these individuals were not visiting People of the Book from rural areas, but rather People of the Book living in Mecca under pressure and fear. For there was no concern about harming “religious tourism” that would lead Mecca’s oppressors to pressure visitors from rural areas.

The 54th verse informs that these individuals will receive a double reward. In our understanding, the first reward is for their faith in Prophet Isa (Jesus), and the second is for their belief in our Prophet. For they demonstrated in the challenging test of encountering a new prophet that they were not like those mesmerized and mentally paralyzed by the personality of the Messiah, but rather followed only Islam, entering without hesitation the path of Islam under the leadership of the new prophet.

Rejecting tribal and racial prejudices, these individuals who remained steadfast in true belief recognized that the new prophet was reviving the same Islam that the Messiah had previously preached. They thus abandoned the path of those stuck in Christianity, proving through their actions that they worshipped only Allah, not the Messiah.

Our Lord has also indicated in [Surah] Ma’idah that these individuals were close to our Prophet and has mentioned their qualities referenced in these verses in other verses as well:

(Al-Ma’idah/82, 84)

¹¹⁴And fulfill your Salah [establish and maintain supporting financially and spiritually; enlightening the community] at the two ends of the day and in the early hours of the night, because good deeds remove evil deeds. This indeed is a reminder for those who take lessons.

(Hud/114)

⁷²And servants of Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] do not testify to falsehood, and when they come upon a trivial matter they pass by with dignity.

(Al-Furqan/72)

And Furqan/63, Ra’d/21-24, Fussilat/34-36.

Verse 56:

This verse, which informs our Prophet that he cannot forcibly guide anyone to the right path – even those he loves – also serves to console him. For Allah has granted humans free will with the capacity to choose, and as stated in the verse, guidance belongs solely to Allah.

Although the verse addresses a general principle, some have suggested it was revealed in response to our Prophet’s deep sorrow over his uncle Abu Talib’s persistent refusal to embrace faith.

Verse 57:

The verse explains the excuse put forward by the stubbornly resistant Qurayshi polytheists for rejecting tawheed, revealing that their refusal to accept guidance wasn’t because they considered the Qur’an false, but because it conflicted with their interests. This means they rejected following our Prophet to avoid losing the profits gained through their trade in shirk (شرك – polytheism) and kufr (كفر – disbelief).

To fully comprehend the Meccan polytheists’ rationale, one must understand what consequences they feared would follow from accepting Islam. This requires examining the event from a historical perspective. As previously discussed in our analysis of [Surah] Quraysh, the tribe held a distinctive position: widely recognized throughout Arabia as descendants of Ismail, viewed by Arabs as “children of prophets,” they sustained themselves by servicing pilgrims visiting inviolable Mecca, deriving substantial income from these activities. It was precisely this livelihood and profit the Qurayshi polytheists feared losing, leading them to consciously choose kufr and shirk.

Therefore, our Lord’s statement here – “Have We not established them in a secure place/Mecca, where fruits of all crops were harvested and brought to them as a provision from Us?” – is directly addressed to the polytheists holding this understanding. Through this declaration, our Lord informs them that their dominion is not their own doing, and that they owe their acquired benefits and security to Allah’s planning and establishment of the House (Bayt) in Mecca.

Detailed information about Mecca’s status as the “Secure City” was provided in our analysis of [Surah] Quraysh. We believe reviewing those explanations would be beneficial. ^[18]

Therefore, in addition to previous explanations, we will limit ourselves to presenting the following verse and the historical account recorded by Muqatil:

^96,97Indeed, the first house that was built as a blessing for the mankind and a guide for all universes is the one that is in Mecca. There are explicit evidences/signs; the place where Abraham performed duty [where he was educated, trained and rose up against associating others with Allah] in it. And whoever enters there will be safe. And visiting the Bayt [House]/theological education center, going there for theological education is a right of Allah upon the people who are able. And whoever conceals the truth, let him know that Allah is certainly free of need of all universes.

(Al-i Imran/96, 97)

Muqatil ibn Sulayman relates that the 57th verse was revealed concerning a statement made to our Prophet by Harith ibn Nawfal ibn Abdimanaf of Quraysh. According to his account, this individual told our Prophet:

“We know very well that what you say is true. What prevents us from following guidance with you is our fear that the Arabs will expel us from our homeland, meaning Mecca. For we are such a small minority compared to the Arabs that we could be devoured like a meal, and we lack the strength to resist them.” ^[19]

Verses 58-60:

⁶⁰And that which has been given to you is the earning of the worldly life and its adornment. What is with Allah is better and more lasting. Will you still not reason?

The warning to the Qurayshi polytheists who made excuses to our Prophet continues in these verses. The message of these verses may be interpreted as follows:

“Out of fear of loss, you turn away from truth and cling to falsehood. Yet all this worldly prosperity and wealth you boast of was once possessed by the tribes of ‘Ad, Thamud, Saba’, Midian, and Lot. We destroyed them – behold their ruins… These communities destroyed before you also indulged in immorality. To give them one final warning, Allah sent them prophets. But they wouldn’t even listen. The same applies to you now… You too have plunged into immorality, and a messenger has come to warn you. If you persist in your unbelief and denial, rather than preserving your prosperity and comfort, you will endanger them. The destruction you fear will not come upon you if you believe, but if you refuse to believe.”

WHY WEREN’T THE MECCAN POLYTHEISTS DESTROYED?

The reason why the Meccans, who sustained their lives through trade in shirk (شرك) and kufr (كفر), were not destroyed before our Prophet’s commissioning as a messenger is explained in the first part of the 59th verse: “Your Lord would never destroy cities without first sending a prophet to their central community to recite Our verses to them.” This matter has also been mentioned in other verses: ((Nahl/112, 113) (Isra/15) (Hud/117) (An’am/130, 132) (Shura/7) (A’raf/157) (An’am/19) (Hud). /17) (Isra/58))

The reason why the Meccan polytheists were not destroyed even after opposing him when our Prophet was sent to them as a messenger is explained in the second part of the 59th verse: “Besides, We would not manipulate/destroy the cities people of which are not those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah.” This indicates that not all Meccans were wrongdoers [immersed in shirk] – a fact well known to everyone. Almighty Allah knew that some of those who had not believed at that time would later come to faith, and that while some would never believe in their lifetime, certain individuals from their descendants would embrace faith. This is precisely why He did not destroy them. Indeed, this is exactly what happened – many from among those polytheists and their descendants became believers.

Verse 61:

This verse also constitutes a response to the excuses put forward by the polytheists. Here, they are told that what is gained in this transient life cannot compare with what is earned by following Allah’s path and deserving His promises.

To properly understand this verse, two points must be considered:

First: One must properly comprehend and compare the difference between worldly life and the Hereafter. Worldly life – whether in terms of blessings or hardships – is simple, temporary, changeable and transient. The Hereafter, however, is eternal and unchanging. In this context, it is abundantly clear that a rational person should choose the eternal life of the Hereafter.

Second: One must properly understand “What does our Lord want from His servants?” He does not want people to avoid acquiring wealth, nor to disregard worldly blessings, nor to live in misery. Rather, He wants them to work hard and spend their earnings abundantly in the right path. The message given to us here is that the “eternal” should not be abandoned for the “temporary,” and that one should not resort to shirk (شرك), oppression, denial, or immoral ways to attain temporary gains. In short, worldly blessings should be acquired within legitimate limits and spent within legitimate boundaries:

²⁶And Allah extends provision for whom He wills, manages it as well. But they rejoice over the convenience of the simple worldly life. However, the simple worldly life is just a trivial, useless earning in Akhirat [Afterlife].

(Ar-Ra’d/ 26)

¹⁴Excessive and passionate desire for opposite sex, sons, heaped up gold and silver, fine branded horses, cattles bred for their meat and milk and crops has been beautified/made attractive to people. These are the enjoyments of the simple worldly life. And Allah is the One with Whom is the best return.

^15-17Say: “Shall I inform you of what is better than this? For the servants who have entered under the guardianship of Allah; who say, “Our Rabb! Indeed We have believed, then forgive our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire!”, who have patience; who resist, who are true, show respect constantly, who spend for the cause of Allah and ask forgiveness at the daybreaks; as their first work with clear mind, there will be gardens of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] underneath of which rivers flow and wherein they will abide eternally, pure spouses [who have not been stained by eye, thought; totally new] and approval from Allah. And Allah is the One Who sees the servants best.

(Al-i Imran/ 14, 15)

^77,78Have you not seen/thought about those who were told, “Restrain your hands, establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community], give zaqah; the tax that the believers sincerely give as a liability of belief and duty of servitude so that the religion of Allah may be spread, maintained and Salah may be established”? And when war was written upon them, a group from among them fear men in awe with respect, love, knowledge like they fear Allah in awe with respect, love, knowledge or even more. And they said: “Our Rabb! Why have you decreed war upon us, why did not You postpone us for a close time?”. Say: “Enjoyment of the world is very little. Akhirat [Afterlife], on the other hand, is better for those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah and you will not be treated unjustly, not even “as much as the speck of a date seed”. Wherever you are, death will reach you, even you are within strong fortresses built with limestone/concrete”. And if a good comes to them, they say: “This is from Allah”, and if evil befalls them, they say: “This is from you”. Say: “All are from Allah”. Despite these, what is the matter with these people that they almost do not understand anything?

(An-Nisa/ 77, 78)

³⁸O you who have believed! What is the matter with you that you cling heavily to the ground/stuck at where you are when you are told to set out to fight for the cause of Allah? Are you satisfied with simple worldly life rather than Akhirat [Afterlife]? But the enjoyment of the simple worldly life is rather less than of Akhirat [Afterlife].

(At-Tawbah/ 38)

Verses 62- 66:

⁶²And on that day, Allah will call them and say: “Where are My partners that you believed in wrongly?

⁶⁵And on that day, Allah will call them and say: “What did you answer the messengers who had been sent?

⁶⁶And on that day, all the important news will be in darkness to them; and they will not be able to ask each other.

This passage presents the disputes between those who preferred fleeting worldly pleasures over the afterlife and the wretched beings who misled them, as they confront each other in the Hereafter. These scenes are vividly portrayed in Surah Saffat:

²⁷And some of them will turn others/face to face, asking/blaming each other.

²⁸They will say: “Surely, you have been coming to us from the right hand/the righteous path/a good position/authority and power”.

^29-32And others will say: “Quite contrary, you were not believers. And we had no power against you. Quite contrary, you were a transgressing people. Therefore, the Word of our Rabb has been justified upon us. Surely, we are those who taste. Then we provoked you. Because we were the provokers”.

³³Then, indeed they will be sharing in the punishment on that day.

(As-Saffat/ 27-33)

Notice that those being questioned here are “the foolish ones who were deceived.” While Allah addresses the polytheists, it is their false deities who respond. These accused entities – the powers and beings they worshipped – will refute the accusations by declaring:

“We never forced them to do anything. We didn’t deprive them of sight, hearing, or reasoning ability. Nor could we forcibly divert them from truth to falsehood when they sought guidance. The reality is: just as we strayed by our own free will, they too freely chose the false path we presented. Therefore, we’re not responsible for their deeds, nor they for ours – each bears responsibility for their own actions.”

This dispute between polytheists and their false deities is mentioned in many verses: Sad/64, Zukhruf/67, An’am/94, Zumar/31, Maryam/81, 82, Ahqaf/5, 6, Baqara/166, 167 and Kahf/ 52, 53

The “Word” mentioned in the 63rd verse refers to a fundamental decree our Lord established when creating us:

⁸⁴Allah said: “This is the truth. And the truth I say: “⁸⁵I will definitely fill Jahannah [Hell] of you and those of them who follow you; all of you”.

(Sad/ 84, 85)

¹³Had We willed, We would have given everyone the righteous path. Yet the word from Me has been decreed : “I will definitely fill Jahannah [Hell] with people of known, unknown, the past, the future³¹²all together”.

(As-Sajdah/ 13)

In our Lord’s decree regarding the filling of Hell with both ins and jinn [all beings], there is a subtle point that must not be overlooked: those who will fill Hell will reach this outcome through their own free will and choices. For our Lord, out of His mercy, sends messengers to people, reveals scriptures, yet leaves humans free in their decisions. That He will not punish without first sending a messenger is indeed a fundamental principle declared by our Lord.

A more detailed explanation on this subject has been provided in the analysis of [Surah] Qaf.

Verse 67

⁶⁷But the one who has repented, believed and done amendatory deeds; he may hope to be among those who will reach salvation.

Following these warnings, our Lord opens the door to salvation: He makes clear that no matter what one has believed or done in the past, if a person truly repents, embraces faith, and lives righteously, there is hope of being counted among the saved. In this way, He calls sinners to turn back, guiding even the most guilty toward the path of redemption.

³⁹And whoever repents after being unjust and amends, let him know that Allah will surely accept his repentance. Indeed, Allah is the One Who forgives much, shows great mercy. ⁴⁰Do you not know that the possession and dominion of the heavens/universe and the earth belong to Allah? He punishes whom He wills, forgives whom He wills. And Allah is the One Who is the most competent over everything.

(Al-Ma’idah/39)

¹⁷Repentance which is accepted by Allah is only of those who commit evil deeds in ignorance and then repent right away. Those are the ones whose repentance Allah accepts. Allah is the One Who knows best, the One Who is the best law maker.

¹⁸And repentance is not for those who do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them and he says: “I have truly repented now”, and those who die as infidels; those who die as the ones who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb. They are the ones for whom We have prepared a painful punishment.

(An-Nisa/17, 18)

⁵³Say. “O servants who have not brought forth the truth fully against themselves! Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is very forgiving, very merciful.

(Az-Zumar/53)

In addition to these, one may also examine the following verses where repentance is discussed: An’am/54, Maryam/60, Ta Ha/82, Furqan/70, 71, Nur/31, Tahrim/8, Baqara/160, Al-i Imran/89, Araf/153, Nahl/119, Nur/5, Shura/28.

Verses 68-70:

⁶⁹And your Rabb knows that which they conceal in their chests and that which they disclose.

⁷⁰And He is Allah except Whom there is no deity. All praise, at the first and at the last, is to Him, the judgement is only His. And you will be returned only to Him.

In these verses, our Lord explains that the initial creation, the continuation of creation, and all matters concerning creation are under His control. These verses also serve as a refutation of shirk (شرك – polytheism). For in these verses where He declares His control over all things, our Lord opposes the polytheists’ attribution to their false deities – through their own imaginings – of powers such as bringing rain, granting healing, providing blessings, or interceding, and their assigning of attributes, ranks and positions to them.

The matter of “Allah’s knowledge encompassing all things” expressed in the 69th verse has also been emphasized in other verses:

⁸Allah knows “what every female carries and what wombs lose and exceed”. And everything is by measure with Him.

⁹Allah is the One Who knows the unseen, the unheard, the unfelt, the past and the future and that which is manifest, He is the grand, the most sublime.

¹⁰The same are the one who conceals the speech and the one who discloses it, the one who is hidden by night and the one who is conspicuous by day.

(Ar-Ra’d/8-10)

⁵⁹Keys to the unseen, the unheard, the past and the future are only with Him. No one knows them except Him. He also knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not even a leaf falls but that He knows it. No grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry thing except that it is within an explicit book.

(Al-An’am/59)

Our Lord has mentioned that he is free from all deficient attributes attributed to Him, not only here, but in hundreds of places.

Verses 71-73:

In this group of verses, our Prophet is instructed to address the infidels, with the effects of night and day upon life presented as evidence for Allah’s existence, oneness, His power to recreate in the Hereafter, and His authority to hold account.

The Almighty Lord here calls for reflection on what would occur if the current order of night and day were altered – if there were perpetual night or perpetual day – thus drawing attention to the perfect balance in the existing alternation between night and day.

Night and day have been referenced in numerous verses as a phenomenon worthy of contemplation, with people being informed that they may come to their senses by reflecting upon the reality of night and day.

^45,46Have you not seen how your Rabb extends the shadow? Had He willed, He could definitely have made it stationary. Then We made the sun an evidence for it. Then We pulled it towards Us with an easy pull.

⁴⁷And He is the One Who has made the night a clothing and the sleep a comfort for you. And He is the One Who has made the day a spreading.

(Al-Furqan/45–47)

Verses 74, 75:

⁷⁴And on that day, Allah will call them and say: “Where are My partners that you believed in wrongly?”

In these verses, a new scene of the Resurrection is depicted, and the subject of verses 62-66 is revisited. The judgment has now begun. On that day, no one will have the opportunity to lie or present excuses. For all fabricated things will have vanished, and only the truth belonging to Allah will remain.

In verse 75, the expression “a witness” refers to the prophet who warns the community, among witnesses such as revelation, close ones, the self, and society. For the prophets will be present as witnesses during the reckoning:

^11-13and when the messengers, who are to witness, are assigned the time for witnessing on the “day of Distinction”, for which they have been kept hold, –

(Al-Mursalat/ 11-13)

⁴¹How will it be when We bring a witness from every people and bring you as a witness over them?

(An-Nisa/ 41)

⁸⁹And on that day, We will send a witness, in every community, from among them against them. And We will bring you as a witness over these infidels. And We have sent down to you this book as clarification of everything and as a guidance, a mercy and harbinger of good tidings for the Muslims.

(An-Nahl/ 89)

⁶⁹And the area on that day will shine with the light of your Rabb, the book will be placed, prophets and witnesses will be brought and it will be judged between them in truth. And they will not be treated unjustly.

(Az-Zumar/ 69)

Our Lord’s testing of people is not for the purpose of teaching but to establish evidence for this world and the Hereafter, so that no one can object to the judgment concerning anyone. Just as the purpose of teachers examining students in schools is not to learn from the students but to determine and bear witness to the condition of those being tested.

On the Day of Resurrection, people will be testified against by their own selves, their close ones, their community, the messengers, and the revelations.

Regarding this subject, the following verses may also be consulted:

Al-Baqara/ 143, Al-Hajj 78, Al-Fajr/ 21-23, An-Nisa/ 41, 159, An-Nahl/ 84, 89, Qaf/ 21, Mu’min/ 51, Hud/ 18, 19, Al-Qasas/ 75, Fussilat/ 20-22, An-Nur/ 24, Ya-Sin/ 65, Al-Furqan/ 30, Al-Ma’idah/ 116-118.

In verse 75, the expression “Here, bring your solid proof!” is as if saying to the guilty: “Present convincing evidence to prove that you are justified! Either prove that the shirk (شرك) you persistently adhere to, along with your denial of the Messengership and the Hereafter, is the correct belief and that you embraced this belief through rational arguments; or, if you cannot do that, then at least prove that Allah made no arrangement to warn you against this error and did not show you the right path!”

Verses 76-82:

If we recall, in verses 57-61 of the surah, it was stated that the Meccan mushriks (polytheists/infidels) deviated from the right path by preferring worldly blessings, and warnings were given that a rational person should choose the everlasting gains of the Hereafter over worldly gains. A narrative that serves as a concrete example of these warnings is presented in this group of verses under discussion. The main protagonist of this narrative, from which people of understanding can derive great lessons, is Qarun (Korah), introduced as a symbol of greed and the capitalist mentality.

At first glance, the narrative speaks of Qarun and the two groups of people who interacted with him. However, when we examine the content of the passage, it does not only depict those two groups but also exposes all the wealth-obsessed people of all times and the foolish ones who envy them. Additionally, it demonstrates the sense of responsibility with which knowledgeable and conscious individuals warn these wealth-obsessed people and those who foolishly admire them.

When we examine those who are disturbed by the Quran’s message, it becomes evident that—just as in ancient times—these individuals are consistently the big capitalists, usurers, and exploiters who fear the overturning of the economic and social orders they have established. In other words, history is filled with people who have become like Qarun through international trade, usury, and exploitation.

These individuals, as also mentioned in Surat al-Humazah, are those who have become taghut —believing that the wisest course of action is to amass and hoard wealth, deluding themselves into thinking their riches were acquired solely through their own knowledge and skills, and thus feeling arrogantly self-sufficient in their wealth.

^6-8Certainly not as you think! Even though the return is to your Rabb, man certainly transgresses when he sees himself self sufficient.

(Al-Alaq/6-8)

The name Qarun is mentioned in two other places in the Quran besides this surah (Al-Ankabut 39, Al-Mu’min 23, 24):

As understood from the verses above, the Prophet Musa was also sent as a messenger to Qarun. This indicates that Qarun was collaborating with Pharaoh and using his wealth against the Children of Israel. In other words, Qarun was a supporter and collaborator of Pharaoh who betrayed his own people and oppressed the Children of Israel; he earned his position with Pharaoh by betraying his own people. The status achieved by Qarun, an Israelite capitalist, was so significant that among Pharaoh’s supporters and court officials, his name overshadowed others, making him the third most important figure – after Pharaoh and his high priest Haman – to whom Prophet Musa was sent as a messenger.

The name Qarun does not appear in the Bible. However, the “Korah” mentioned in Numbers, Exodus, Chronicles and Genesis is generally accepted to be the same person as Qarun. Detailed information about this person can be found in Chapter 6 of Numbers in the Bible.

Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

14- These are the heads of the Israelite families: The sons of Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron, and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
15- The sons of Simeon: Yemuel, Yamin, Ohad, Yakin, Zohar, and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman). These were the clans of Simeon.
16- These were the names of Levi’s sons according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
17- The sons of Gershon by clans: Libni and Shimei.
18- The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.
19- The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi according to their records.
20- Amram married his aunt Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
21- The sons of Izhar: Korah (Qarun), Nepheg, and Zikri. ^[20]

According to Jewish traditions, Korah (Qarun) possessed such enormous wealth that Jewish encyclopedias record it required three hundred mules just to carry the keys to his treasuries. ^[21] Although this may be an exaggeration, it shows that according to Israelite sources too, Qarun was the wealthiest man of his time.

While Qarun’s wealth is mentioned in the Quran only in verse 79 of our subject passage with the phrase “Then he [Qarun] came out before his people in all his pomp (zinah)”, people have mentioned various things regarding the nature of this “pomp”. For instance: It has been described that he appeared before his people with his horses, mules, gold, silver, hundreds of bejeweled cavalry, and thousands of slaves. In our view, the reason Qarun appeared before his people with all his splendor was to make the Children of Israel envy him.

The expression in verse 81 “And then We caused the earth to swallow him and his house.” metaphorically indicates that ultimately he was deprived of all his wealth, property, position and status, and died in a wretched, miserable state. Classical commentaries have interpreted this expression literally, and many legends have been narrated about it:

According to narrations, Qarun (Karun) would harass Allah’s Prophet Moses [pbuh], while Prophet Moses [pbuh], due to their kinship ties, would show him leniency (by providing capital and business partnership). Then came the divine command concerning zakat (obligatory charity). Thereupon, Prophet Moses [pbuh] made an agreement with Qarun to pay one dinar for every thousand dinars, and one dirham for every thousand dirhams [as zakat]. When Qarun calculated the total amount, he found it excessive. Consequently, he became stingy and gathered the Children of Israel, saying: “Moses [pbuh] wants to take your wealth.” They replied: “You are our master and elder, command us as you wish.” Qarun said: “Let us bribe such-and-such sinful [adulterous] woman with money to falsely accuse Moses [pbuh] of committing adultery with her. Thus, the Children of Israel will abandon him.” So they gave her a golden bowl filled with gold. ^[22]

According to a narration from Ibn Abbas and al-Suddi: Qarun gave some wealth to a prostitute to silence Prophet Moses while he was standing among the Children of Israel reciting Allah’s Book to them. The woman then said: “O Moses, you did such-and-such to me.” When the woman publicly uttered these words to Prophet Moses [pbuh], he trembled in fear. He approached her, performed two rak’ahs of prayer, then said: “By the God who split the sea, saved you from Pharaoh, and did such-and-such – you must tell me who compelled you to say this.” The woman replied: “Since you’ve adjured me by Allah – Qarun gave me such-and-such to say these things about you. I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him.” At that moment, Prophet Moses prostrated to Allah and made supplication against Qarun. Allah the Exalted revealed to Prophet Moses: “I have commanded the earth to obey you concerning him.” Prophet Moses then commanded the earth to swallow Qarun and his household – and so it happened.

According to a narration from Ibn Abbas and al-Suddi: Qarun gave some wealth to a prostitute to silence Prophet Moses while he was standing among the Children of Israel reciting Allah’s Book to them. The woman then said: “O Moses, you did such-and-such to me.” When the woman publicly uttered these words to Prophet Moses [pbuh], he trembled in fear. He approached her, performed two rak’ahs of prayer, then said: “By the God who split the sea, saved you from Pharaoh, and did such-and-such – you must tell me who compelled you to say this.” The woman replied: “Since you’ve adjured me by Allah – Qarun gave me such-and-such to say these things about you. I seek Allah’s forgiveness (istighfar/اِسْتِغْفَار) and repent (tawbah/تَوْبَة) to Him.” At that moment, Prophet Moses prostrated to Allah and made supplication against Qarun. Allah the Exalted revealed to Prophet Moses: “I have commanded the earth to obey you concerning him.” Prophet Moses then commanded the earth to swallow Qarun and his household – and so it happened.

Regarding Qarun’s destruction, another incident is narrated: Qarun once appeared before his people riding gray mules in all his splendor ( زِينَة). He and his servants wore purple-dyed garments. In this entourage, he passed by the gathering of Allah’s Prophet Moses [pbuh], who was reminding those around him of Allah’s days. When they saw Qarun, those around Prophet Moses turned their faces toward him, captivated by his pomp and magnificence. Prophet Moses [pbuh] called Qarun and asked: “What has driven you to do this?” Qarun replied: “O Moses, if you have been favored with prophethood over me, then I have certainly been favored over you with worldly possessions. If you wish, let us go forth – you can curse me, and I will curse you.”

Prophet Moses and Qarun went forth before their people. Prophet Moses asked: “Will you pray first, or shall I?” Qarun said: “No, I will pray first.” Qarun prayed, but his prayer was not answered. Then Prophet Moses asked: “Shall I pray now?” When Qarun agreed, Prophet Moses said: “O Allah, command the earth to obey me today.” Allah the Exalted revealed to him: “I have indeed done so.” Prophet Moses said: “O earth, take them!” The earth swallowed them up to their ankles. Then he said again: “Take them!” and it swallowed them up to their knees. Then Prophet Moses said: “Bring forth their treasures and wealth.” The earth brought forth their treasures and wealth for all to see. Prophet Moses gestured and said: “O sons of Levi (لاَوِي), go forth!” The earth closed over them.

According to Ibn Abbas: “They were submerged into the seventh layer of the earth.” Qatada said: “We were told that they sink one man’s height every day, and will continue sinking until the Day of Judgment.” ^[23]

Verses 83, 84:

In these verses, it is declared that arrogant, insolent, and corrupt people of Qarun’s type will never see Paradise, and that only the God-fearing (muttaqi) – those who do not act arrogantly on earth nor spread corruption – will attain the good end. With this glad tiding, people are encouraged to pursue piety (taqwa).

Verse 85:

In this verse, our Lord provides spiritual support to His Prophet by saying: “Indeed, Allah Who imposed the Qur’an upon you, will definitely return you to the place of return” This means: “The one who appointed you as a messenger will surely do what is necessary.” The expression “ imposed the Qur’an upon you” means “entrusted you with the duty of receiving and conveying the revelation.” This phrase points back to the first word of revelation: “Iqra’ [learn-teach]!”

The second part of the verse – “My Rabb is the One Who knows better who has come with the guidance to the righteous path and who is in an explicit astray” – serves as a warning to the deniers.

The word “mead” (معاد) in verse 85 literally means “the place to which one must eventually return.” ^[24]

The word appears in indefinite form (nekre) in the verse. Therefore, while it is possible to understand it here as “Paradise,” it could also be interpreted as Mecca – conquered after the Hijra – meaning “the place of return.” Considering that the verse contains a message for all humanity, it can also be said that the word refers to Allah’s guidance (hudayat /هُدَايَة) [directing to the right path].

Verse 86 serves as evidence of our Prophet’s messengership. Just like Prophet Moses, our Prophet was unexpectedly appointed to a mission completely unrelated to his previous life – that is, he was entrusted with prophethood. The fact that our Prophet was unaware of this appointment is emphasized in many verses. These verses constitute irrefutable proof of our Prophet’s messengership that no rational, fair-minded person can deny:

Verses 86-88, Al-Isra 1:

Verse 86 serves as proof of our Prophet’s messengership. Just like Prophet Musa, our Prophet – though completely unexpected – was appointed to a mission entirely unrelated to his previous life, meaning he was entrusted with prophethood. Our Prophet’s unawareness of this appointment is a matter emphasized in many verses. These verses stand as irrefutable evidence of our Prophet’s messengership that no rational, fair-minded person can deny:

¹⁵And when Our Ayat were recited to them clearly, those who do not expect to meet Us said: “Bring a Qur’an other than this or change it!”. Say: “It is out of the question for me that I change it with my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed, I fear the punishment of a great day if I disobey my Rabb”.

¹⁶Say: “If Allah had willed, I would not have recited the Qur’an to you and Allah would not have made the Qur’an known to you. And I had remained among you for a lifetime before the Qur’an. Will you still not use your reason?”.

(Yunus/15, 16)

²¹And when We make the people taste a mercy after an adversity has touched them, they have a plot about Our Ayat/evidences/signs. Say: “Allah is swifter in plan”. Indeed, our messengers continuously write that which you plot.

(Yunus/21)

⁴⁸And you did not recite from any book before this; and you are not writing the Qur’an by yourself. If it had been so, those who believe in falsehood would have had doubt.

(Al-Ankabut/48)

^52,53Thus We have revealed to you the soul/the Qur’an which is of Our own command/affair. You did not know what the book was, what faith was. But We made it a light/soul with which We guide from whomever We will of Our servants. Without a doubt, you also guide to a straight path; the path of Allah for Whom those in the heavens/universe and on the earth are. So open your eyes! All matters return only to Allah.

(Ash-Shura/52, 53)

¹Qaf/100. The honorable/glorious Qur’an is the evidence that ²²indeed, you were in apathy and ignorance of this. Now, We have removed your cover from you. Then your sight is sharp on this day; thanks to the Qur’an, you have become educated.

^2,3But they wonder that a warner has come to them from among themselves; and the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said: “This is an amazing thing! When we have died and have become dust? This is a distant return.”

(Qaf/1- 3)

⁶⁷Say: “It; the Qur’an is great, important news. ⁶⁸And you are keeping your distance from it. ⁶⁹When they were disputing one another, I had no information concerning the Qur’an; which is “full of the most exalted”. ⁷⁰It is revealed to me because I, yes I, am only an explicit warner.”

(Sad/67-70)

³We narrate you the best of stories as We reveal this Qur’an to you although you were among those who were unaware of/apathetic to this matter before this.

(Yusuf/3)

At the end of verse 88, the rhetorical device of “iltifat” is employed, shifting from addressing our Prophet to all humanity with the statement “And you will be returned only to Him,” thus reminding everyone of the inevitable return to the Hereafter.

The term “face” in this verse refers to Allah’s “Essence” (Zat/ذَات), employing the rhetorical figure of “synecdoche” (juzyiyat majaz mursal /جُزْئِيَّة مَجَاز مُرْسَل). Just as a face in an identity photo represents the entire person, the word “face” in Arabic represents the whole being to which it belongs, being the most distinctive feature. It is due to this linguistic principle that the expression “His Face” in the verse represents Allah’s entire Being.

The word “wajh” (وجه) that we translate as “face” can also be pronounced as “jiha” ( جهة) according to the rules of “Sarf Ilmi” (morphology). Therefore, both words can carry meanings of both “face” and “direction.” If the word “wajh” in the verse is understood to mean “direction,” then the verse would mean “Everything that is not oriented toward Allah’s direction [not approved by Him] will come to naught.”

DESTRUCTION (HALAK)

The word “halak” (هلاك) means “to undergo change, destruction, corruption, or downfall.” ^[25]

Contrary to common assumption, this word does not mean “to cease to exist.” Therefore, the word “halak” appearing in verse 88 should not be understood as meaning “annihilation.” Indeed, our Lord has made the following explanation regarding the transformation of the heavens and the earth:

^48-51On that day, the earth will be replaced with another area and the heavens/universe as well so Allah may recompense every self for what it has earned. And they will come out for Allah, the One and the Only and the prevailing. On that day, you will see the criminals bound in shackles. Their shirts will be of pitch and the fire will cover their faces. Indeed, Allah is the One Who is swift in account.

(Ibraham/48-51)

“Purified from all deficiencies is the One Who, by one night, made His servant walk from Masjid Al-Haram to Masjid Al-Aqsa, a side of which We blessed, so We might show him of Our Ayat/evidences/signs. Indeed, He is the One Who hears best and sees best” The verse explains how verses 85 and 86 took place.

The verse beginning with “Subhanaka” (سُبْحَانَكَ – glorified/exalted are You above all imperfections) emphasizes that there is no flaw or inaccuracy in Allah’s choosing Muhammad as His messenger or in His interventions in societies during times of oppression.

Allah knows the truth best.

^[1] (Mukatil; Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[2] Lisanu’l Arab, v:1, p:623-625, “tlv” item

^[3] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[4] (Exodus, Chapter 2, Verses 1-10)

^[5] (Bible footnotes)

^[6] Exodus Chapter 11:11–14

^[7] Exodus Chapter 2: 16-18

^[8] Exodus Chapter 3: 1

^[9] Exodus Chapter 18: 5:

^[10] (Seyyid Kutub; Fi Zilali’l-Kur’an)

^[11] Exodus, 4:18

^[12] Exodus, 18:1-8

^[13] Exodus Exodus 3:1

^[14] Exodus, 4:18

^[15] Ana Britannica; v: 22, p: 373

^[16] (Ibn Hisham, v:2, p:32; el-Bidaye ve’n-Nihaye, v:3, p:82)

^[17] (From Mukatil’s explanation of the relevant verse)

^[18] Tebyinu’l Kur’an

^[19] (Mukatil)

^[20] Exodus; Chapter 6, 14-21

^[21] (Jewish Encylopedia v: VII. p. 556)

^[22] (Razi; el Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[23] (Ibni Kesir)

^[24] (Lisanu’l-Arab, v:6, p:506, “avd” item)

^[25] (Lisanu’l-Arab, v.9, p. 118-121)