Surah Qasas ayat 29 Tafsir Quran 28:29

﴿۞ فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ مُوسَى الْأَجَلَ وَسَارَ بِأَهْلِهِ آنَسَ مِن جَانِبِ الطُّورِ نَارًا قَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَّعَلِّي آتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ جَذْوَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ﴾
[ القصص: 29]

28:29 And when Moses had completed the term and was traveling with his family, he perceived from the direction of the mount a fire. He said to his family, "Stay here; indeed, I have perceived a fire. Perhaps I will bring you from there [some] information or burning wood from the fire that you may warm yourselves."

So when Moses had completed the term of his tending — of eight years or of ten years which is what is generally assumed — and was travelling with his family his wife with the permission of her father in the direction of Egypt he saw in the distance on the side of the Mount Tūr a fire al-Tūr is the name of a mountain. He said to his family ‘Wait here; I see a fire in the distance. Maybe I will bring you from it news about how to rejoin the route to Egypt — for he had strayed from it along the way — or a brand read with any of the three vowels jadhwa jidhwa or judhwa which either means ‘a bundle’ or ‘a flame’ from the fire that you may warm yourselves’ tastalūna the tā’ replaces the tā’ of the 8th verbal paradigm ifta‘ala of the verb saliya or salaya.

And when Mussa had fulfilled the term agreed upon and departed with his family he perceived a fire on the mountain side of Tur (Tor) He said to his family: I have just perceived a fire, you stay here. Perhaps I might be able to get some information relative to the direction We pursue or fetch you a brand from the burning wood to kindle a fire to warm you up

Musa's Return to Egypt and how he was honored with the Mission and Miracles on the Way In the explanation of the previous Ayah, we have already seen that Musa completed the longer and better of the two terms, which may also be understood from the Ayah where Allah says: فَلَمَّا قَضَى مُوسَى الاٌّجَلَ ( Then, when Musa had fulfilled the term, ) meaning, the longer of the two; and Allah knows best. وَسَارَ بِأَهْلِهِ ( and was traveling with his family, ) They said: "Musa missed his country and his relatives, so he resolved to visit them in secret, without Fir`awn and his people knowing.
So he gathered up his family and the flocks which his father-in-law had given to him, and set out on a cold, dark, rainy night.
They stopped to camp, and whenever he tried to start a fire, he did not succeed.
He was surprised by this, and while he was in this state, ءَانَسَ مِن جَانِبِ الطُّورِ نَاراً ( he saw a fire in the direction of At-Tur ) he saw a fire burning from a far. فَقَالَ لاًّهْلِهِ امْكُثُواْ إِنِّى ءَانَسْتُ نَاراً ( He said to his family: "Wait, I have seen a fire..." ) meaning, `wait while I go there, ' لَّعَلِّى ءَاتِيكُمْ مِّنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ ( perhaps I may bring to you from there some information, ) This was because they lost their way. أَوْ جَذْوَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ ( or a burning firebrand that you may warm yourselves. ) so that they could get warm and find relief from the cold. فَلَمَّآ أَتَـهَا نُودِىَ مِن شَاطِىءِ الْوَادِى الأَيْمَنِ ( So when he reached it (the fire ), he was called from the right side of the valley,) From the side of the valley that adjoined the mountain on his right, to the west.
This is like the Ayah, وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِىِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَى مُوسَى الاٌّمْرَ ( And you were not on the western side, when We made clear to Musa the commandment ) ( 20:44 ).
This indicates that when Musa headed for the fire, he headed in the direction of the Qiblah with the western mountain on his right.
He found the fire burning in a green bush on the side of the mountain adjoining the valley, and he stood there amazed at what he was seeing.
Then his Lord called him: مِن شَاطِىءِ الْوَادِى الأَيْمَنِ فِى الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ ( from the right side of the valley, in the blessed place, from the tree. ) أَن يمُوسَى إِنِّى أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ( O Musa! Verily, I am Allah, the Lord of all that exits! ) meaning, `the One Who is addressing you and speaking to you is the Lord of all that exits, the One Who does what He wills, the One apart from Whom there is no other god or lord, may He be exalted and sanctified, the One Who by His very nature, attributes, words and deeds is far above any resemblance to His creation, may He be glorified. وَأَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ( And throw your stick! ) `the stick that is in your hand' -- as was stated in the Ayah, وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يمُوسَى - قَالَ هِىَ عَصَاىَ أَتَوَكَّؤُا عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَى غَنَمِى وَلِىَ فِيهَا مَأَرِبُ أُخْرَى ( "And what is that in your right hand, O Musa" He said: "This is my stick, whereon I lean, and wherewith I beat down branches for my sheep, and wherein I find other uses." ) ( 20:17-18 ).
The meaning is: `this stick, which you know so well;' قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يمُوسَى - فَأَلْقَـهَا فَإِذَا هِىَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَى ( "Cast it down, O Musa!" He cast it down, and behold! It was a snake, moving quickly. ) ( 20:19-20 ).
Musa knew that the One Who was speaking to him was the One Who merely says to a thing, "Be!" and it is, as we have already stated in ( the explanation of ) Surah Ta Ha.
And here Allah says: فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَلَّى مُدْبِراً ( But when he saw it moving as if it were a snake, he turned in flight, ) It moved so quickly, even though it was so big, and its mouth was so huge, with its jaws snapping.
It swallowed every rock it passed, and every rock that fell into its mouth fell with a sound like a rock falling into a valley.
When he saw that: وَلَّى مُدْبِراً وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْ ( he turned in flight, and looked not back. ) he did not turn around, because it is human nature to flee from such a thing.
But when Allah said to him: يمُوسَى أَقْبِلْ وَلاَ تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الاٌّمِنِينَ ( O Musa! Draw near, and fear not.
Verily, you are of those who are secure. ) he came back to his original position.
Then Allah said: اسْلُكْ يَدَكَ فِى جَيْبِكَ تَخْرُجْ بَيْضَآءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوءٍ ( Put your hand into the opening of your garment, it will come forth white without a disease; ) meaning, `when you put your hand in your garment and then draw it out, it will be shining white as if it were a piece of the moon or a flash of lightning.' Allah said: مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوءٍ ( without a disease ) i.e., with no trace of leukoderma. وَاضْمُمْ إِلَيْكَ جَنَاحَكَ مِنَ الرَّهْبِ ( and draw your hand close to your side to be free from the fear. ) Mujahid said, "To be free from terror." Qatadah said, "To be free from fear." Musa was commanded, when he felt afraid of anything, to draw his hand close to his side to be free from the fear.
If he did that, whatever fear he felt would be gone.
Perhaps if a person does this, following the example of Musa, and puts his hand over his heart, his fear will disappear or be lessened, if Allah wills; in Allah we place our trust. فَذَانِكَ بُرْهَانَـنِ مِن رَّبِّكَ ( These are two proofs from your Lord ) This refers to the throwing down of his stick, whereupon it turned into a moving snake, and his putting his hand into his garment and bringing it forth white without a disease.
These were two clear and definitive proofs of the power of the One Who does as He chooses, and of the truth of the prophethood of the one at whose hands these miracles occurred.
Allah said: إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلإِيْهِ ( to Fir`awn and his chiefs. ) meaning his leaders and prominent followers. إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ قَوْماً فَـسِقِينَ ( Verily, they are the people who are rebellious. ) means, who are disobedient towards Allah and who go against His commands and His religion.

(28:29) When Moses completed the term *40 and he was travelling with his family, he saw a fire in the direction of Tur. *41 He said to his family, "Stay a while: I have seen a fire: I may bring some information from there, or a burning brand with which you may warm yourselves."

And when Moses had completed the term meaning

*40) According to Hadrat Hasan bin `Ali bin Abi Talib, the Prophet Moses had completed the ten years term instead of the eight years.
According to Ibn 'Abbas, this has been related on the authority of the Holy Prophet himself.
He has said, " Moses ( peace be upon him ) completed the term which was more perfect and more agreeable to his father-in-law, i.e.
ten years. "
*41) That the direction of the journey was towards Mt.
Tur shows that the Prophet Moses might be traveling to Egypt with his family, for Tur lies on the way from Midian to Egypt.
Probably Prophet Moses thought that he had stayed away from home for ten long years and the Pharaoh in whose reign he had left Egypt had also died, if he quietly went back and stayed with his people, nobody would know it.

The Biblical version of the sequence of events is different from the Qur'an's.
It says that the Prophet Moses `led the flocks ( of his father-in-law ) to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb." There God spoke to him, and appointed him to Prophethood and commanded him to go to Egypt.
Then Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, took his permission and went to Egypt with his family.
( Exod.
3: 1, 4: 18 ) Contrary to this, the Qur'an says that the Prophet Moses left Midian with his family after completing the term and during this journey AIIah spoke to him and appointed him to Prophethood.

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

 

Musa's Return to Egypt and how he was honored with the Mission and Miracles on the Way In the explanation of the previous Ayah, we have already seen that Musa completed the longer and better of the two terms, which may also be understood from the Ayah where Allah says: فَلَمَّا قَضَى مُوسَى الاٌّجَلَ ( Then, when Musa had fulfilled the term, ) meaning, the longer of the two; and Allah knows best. وَسَارَ بِأَهْلِهِ ( and was traveling with his family, ) They said: "Musa missed his country and his relatives, so he resolved to visit them in secret, without Fir`awn and his people knowing.
So he gathered up his family and the flocks which his father-in-law had given to him, and set out on a cold, dark, rainy night.
They stopped to camp, and whenever he tried to start a fire, he did not succeed.
He was surprised by this, and while he was in this state, ءَانَسَ مِن جَانِبِ الطُّورِ نَاراً ( he saw a fire in the direction of At-Tur ) he saw a fire burning from a far. فَقَالَ لاًّهْلِهِ امْكُثُواْ إِنِّى ءَانَسْتُ نَاراً ( He said to his family: "Wait, I have seen a fire..." ) meaning, `wait while I go there, ' لَّعَلِّى ءَاتِيكُمْ مِّنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ ( perhaps I may bring to you from there some information, ) This was because they lost their way. أَوْ جَذْوَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ ( or a burning firebrand that you may warm yourselves. ) so that they could get warm and find relief from the cold. فَلَمَّآ أَتَـهَا نُودِىَ مِن شَاطِىءِ الْوَادِى الأَيْمَنِ ( So when he reached it (the fire ), he was called from the right side of the valley,) From the side of the valley that adjoined the mountain on his right, to the west.
This is like the Ayah, وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِىِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَى مُوسَى الاٌّمْرَ ( And you were not on the western side, when We made clear to Musa the commandment ) ( 20:44 ).
This indicates that when Musa headed for the fire, he headed in the direction of the Qiblah with the western mountain on his right.
He found the fire burning in a green bush on the side of the mountain adjoining the valley, and he stood there amazed at what he was seeing.
Then his Lord called him: مِن شَاطِىءِ الْوَادِى الأَيْمَنِ فِى الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ ( from the right side of the valley, in the blessed place, from the tree. ) أَن يمُوسَى إِنِّى أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ( O Musa! Verily, I am Allah, the Lord of all that exits! ) meaning, `the One Who is addressing you and speaking to you is the Lord of all that exits, the One Who does what He wills, the One apart from Whom there is no other god or lord, may He be exalted and sanctified, the One Who by His very nature, attributes, words and deeds is far above any resemblance to His creation, may He be glorified. وَأَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ( And throw your stick! ) `the stick that is in your hand' -- as was stated in the Ayah, وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يمُوسَى - قَالَ هِىَ عَصَاىَ أَتَوَكَّؤُا عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَى غَنَمِى وَلِىَ فِيهَا مَأَرِبُ أُخْرَى ( "And what is that in your right hand, O Musa" He said: "This is my stick, whereon I lean, and wherewith I beat down branches for my sheep, and wherein I find other uses." ) ( 20:17-18 ).
The meaning is: `this stick, which you know so well;' قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يمُوسَى - فَأَلْقَـهَا فَإِذَا هِىَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَى ( "Cast it down, O Musa!" He cast it down, and behold! It was a snake, moving quickly. ) ( 20:19-20 ).
Musa knew that the One Who was speaking to him was the One Who merely says to a thing, "Be!" and it is, as we have already stated in ( the explanation of ) Surah Ta Ha.
And here Allah says: فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَلَّى مُدْبِراً ( But when he saw it moving as if it were a snake, he turned in flight, ) It moved so quickly, even though it was so big, and its mouth was so huge, with its jaws snapping.
It swallowed every rock it passed, and every rock that fell into its mouth fell with a sound like a rock falling into a valley.
When he saw that: وَلَّى مُدْبِراً وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْ ( he turned in flight, and looked not back. ) he did not turn around, because it is human nature to flee from such a thing.
But when Allah said to him: يمُوسَى أَقْبِلْ وَلاَ تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الاٌّمِنِينَ ( O Musa! Draw near, and fear not.
Verily, you are of those who are secure. ) he came back to his original position.
Then Allah said: اسْلُكْ يَدَكَ فِى جَيْبِكَ تَخْرُجْ بَيْضَآءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوءٍ ( Put your hand into the opening of your garment, it will come forth white without a disease; ) meaning, `when you put your hand in your garment and then draw it out, it will be shining white as if it were a piece of the moon or a flash of lightning.' Allah said: مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوءٍ ( without a disease ) i.e., with no trace of leukoderma. وَاضْمُمْ إِلَيْكَ جَنَاحَكَ مِنَ الرَّهْبِ ( and draw your hand close to your side to be free from the fear. ) Mujahid said, "To be free from terror." Qatadah said, "To be free from fear." Musa was commanded, when he felt afraid of anything, to draw his hand close to his side to be free from the fear.
If he did that, whatever fear he felt would be gone.
Perhaps if a person does this, following the example of Musa, and puts his hand over his heart, his fear will disappear or be lessened, if Allah wills; in Allah we place our trust. فَذَانِكَ بُرْهَانَـنِ مِن رَّبِّكَ ( These are two proofs from your Lord ) This refers to the throwing down of his stick, whereupon it turned into a moving snake, and his putting his hand into his garment and bringing it forth white without a disease.
These were two clear and definitive proofs of the power of the One Who does as He chooses, and of the truth of the prophethood of the one at whose hands these miracles occurred.
Allah said: إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلإِيْهِ ( to Fir`awn and his chiefs. ) meaning his leaders and prominent followers. إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ قَوْماً فَـسِقِينَ ( Verily, they are the people who are rebellious. ) means, who are disobedient towards Allah and who go against His commands and His religion.

( Then, when Moses had fulfilled the term ) ten years, ( and was travelling with his housefolk ) towards Egypt, ( he saw in the distance a fire ) he saw on the left side of the road a fire ( and said unto his housefolk: Bide ye (here )) remain her. ( Lo! I see in the distance a fire; peradventure I shall bring you tidings thence ) from the Fire camp, ( or a brand from the Fire that ye may warm yourselves ) because they were in the cold winter.

Then, when Musa (Moses) had fulfilled the term, and was travelling with his family, he saw a fire in the direction of Tur (Mount). He said to his family: "Wait, I have seen a fire; perhaps I may bring to you from there some information, or a burning fire-brand that you may warm yourselves."

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