Surah Qasas ayat 48 Tafsir Quran 28:48

﴿فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا لَوْلَا أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ قَالُوا سِحْرَانِ تَظَاهَرَا وَقَالُوا إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَافِرُونَ﴾
[ القصص: 48]

28:48 But when the truth came to them from Us, they said, "Why was he not given like that which was given to Moses?" Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Moses before? They said, "[They are but] two works of magic supporting each other, and indeed we are, in both, disbelievers."

But when the truth namely Muhammad (s) came to them from Us they said ‘Why has he not been given the like of what Moses was given?’ in the way of signs such as the glowing hand the staff and others or by having the Book revealed all at once. God exalted be He says And did they not disbelieve in what was given to Moses before?; before when they said regarding him and Muhammad (s) ‘Two sorcerers sāhirān; a variant reading has sihrān ‘two sorceries’ namely what they said regarding the Qur’ān and the Torah abetting each other.’ And they said ‘We indeed disbelieve in both’ the two prophets and the two Scriptures of Moses and Muhammad.

And now when they have received Our spirit of truth guiding into all truth they say: If only he -the Messenger- were given divine signs similar to those given to Mussa! Did they not reject the signs We equipped Mussa with before! and did they not label both AL-Tawrah of Mussa and the Quran as presentations of falsehood and designated them two related subjects complementing one another on the work of magic and they said: We simply deny and reject each and all

The stubborn Response of the Disbelievers Allah tells us that if people were to be punished before proof was established against them, they would use the excuse that no Messenger came to them, but when the truth did come to them through Muhammad ﷺ, in their stubbornness, disbelief, ignorance and misguided thinking, they said: لَوْلا أُوتِىَ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَى ( Why is he not given the like of what was given to Musa ) Meaning -- and Allah knows best -- many signs like the staff, the hand, the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the destruction of crops and fruits -- which made things difficult for the enemies of Allah -- and the parting of the sea, the clouds ( following the Children of Israel in the wilderness and ) shading them, the manna and quails, and other clear signs and definitive proof, miracles which Allah wrought at the hands of Musa as evidence and proof against Fir`awn and his chiefs and the Children of Israel.
But all of this had no effect on Fir`awn and his chiefs; on the contrary, they denied Musa and his brother Harun, as Allah tells us: أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءابَاءَنَا وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا الْكِبْرِيَآءُ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ( Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers following, and that you two may have greatness in the land We are not going to believe you two! ) ( 10:78 ) فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْلَكِينَ ( So they denied them both and became of those who were destroyed. ) ( 23:48 ) The Rebellious do not believe in Miracles Allah says here: أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُواْ بِمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَى مِن قَبْلُ ( Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old ) Did not mankind disbelieve in those mighty signs which were given to Musa قَالُواْ سِحْرَانِ تَظَـهَرَا ( They say: "Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!" ) cooperating or working one with the other. وَقَالُواْ إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَـفِرُونَ ( And they say: "Verily, in both we are disbelievers." ) meaning, `we disbelieve in each of them.' Because of the close relationship between Musa and Harun, mention of one includes the other. False Accusation that Musa and Harun ( peace be upon them both ) practiced Magic Mujahid bin Jabr said, "The Jews told Quraysh to say this to Muhammad , then Allah said: `Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old They say: Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!' This refers to Musa and Harun, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them both, تَظَـهَرَا ( each helping the other ) i.e., working together and supporting one another." This was also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr and Abu Razin that the phrase "two kinds of magic" referred to Musa and Harun.
This is a good suggestion.
And Allah knows best. The Response to this False Accusation سِحْرَانِ تَظَـهَرَا ( Two kinds of magic, each helping the other! ) `Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that this refers to the Tawrah and the Qur'an, because Allah says next: قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِكِتَـبٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ ( Say: "Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two that I may follow it." ) Allah often mentions the Tawrah and the Qur'an together, as in the Ayat: قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَـبَ الَّذِى جَآءَ بِهِ مُوسَى نُوراً وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ( Say: "Who then sent down the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to mankind... ) until: وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ ( And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down." ) ( 6:91-92 ) And at the end of the same Surah, Allah says: ثُمَّ ءاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ تَمَامًا عَلَى الَّذِى أَحْسَنَ ( Then, We gave Musa the Book, to complete (Our favor ) upon those who would do right) ( 6: 154 ). وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُواْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ( And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and have Taqwa of Allah, that you may receive mercy ) ( 6:155 ).
And the Jinn said: إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَـباً أُنزِلَ مِن بَعْدِ مُوسَى مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ( Verily, we have heard a Book sent down after Musa, confirming what came before it ) ( 46:30 ).
Waraqah bin Nawfal said, "This is An-Namus, who came down to Musa." And those who are possessed of insight know instinctively that among the many Books which He has sent down to His Prophets, there is no Book more perfect, more eloquent or more noble than the Book which He revealed to Muhammad ﷺ, which is the Qur'an.
Next to it in status and greatness is the Book which Allah revealed to Musa bin `Imran, which is the Book concerning which Allah says: إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالاٌّحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَـبِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَآءَ ( Verily, We did send down the Tawrah, therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's will, judged for the Jews.
And the rabbis and the priests, for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto ) ( 5:44 ).
The Injil was revealed as a continuation and complement of the Tawrah and to permit some of the things that had been forbidden to the Children of Israel.
Allah says: قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِكِتَـبٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ( Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two, that I may follow it, if you are truthful. ) meaning, `in your efforts to refute the truth with false arguments.' فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَكَ ( But if they answer you not, ) means, `if they do not respond to what you tell them, and do not follow the truth,' فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ ( then know that they only follow their own lusts. ) means, with no basis or evidence.
p وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِّنَ اللَّهِ ( And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah ) means, with no guidance taken from the Book of Allah. إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( Verily, Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers. ) وَلَقَدْ وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ الْقَوْلَ ( And indeed now We have conveyed the Word ) Mujahid said: "We have explained the Word to them." As-Suddi said something similar.
Qatadah said: "Allah is saying, `He has told them what He did in the past and what He will do in the future."' لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ( in order that they may remember. ) Mujahid and others said: وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ ( We have conveyed the Word ) means, to Quraysh.

(28:48) But when the Truth came to them from Us, they said, "Why has he not been given the same which was given to Moses?" *67 Have they not rejected that which had been given to Moses before? *68 They said, "Both are works of magic, *69 which assist each other."

But when the truth came to them meaning

*67) That is, " Why has.
not Muhammad ( upon whom be Allah's peace ) been given all those miracles which had been given to the Prophet Moses? He also should have shown us the miracle of the staff; his hand also should have shone like the sun; his deniers also should have been struck with storms and plagues from the earth and heaven; and he also should have brought them Commandments written on stone tablets. "
*68) This is a reply to their objection, which implies: " The disbelievers of Makkah had not believed in Moses either, nor followed his teachings.
Therefore they had no right to say: Why has the Prophet Muhammad not been given the same miracles that were given to the Prophet "Moses?" In Surah Saba': 31, this saying of the disbelievers of Makkah has been related: "We shall never believe in this Qur'an, nor in any other Book which came before it."
*69) That is, the Qur'an and the Torah both.

 

The stubborn Response of the Disbelievers Allah tells us that if people were to be punished before proof was established against them, they would use the excuse that no Messenger came to them, but when the truth did come to them through Muhammad ﷺ, in their stubbornness, disbelief, ignorance and misguided thinking, they said: لَوْلا أُوتِىَ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَى ( Why is he not given the like of what was given to Musa ) Meaning -- and Allah knows best -- many signs like the staff, the hand, the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the destruction of crops and fruits -- which made things difficult for the enemies of Allah -- and the parting of the sea, the clouds ( following the Children of Israel in the wilderness and ) shading them, the manna and quails, and other clear signs and definitive proof, miracles which Allah wrought at the hands of Musa as evidence and proof against Fir`awn and his chiefs and the Children of Israel.
But all of this had no effect on Fir`awn and his chiefs; on the contrary, they denied Musa and his brother Harun, as Allah tells us: أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءابَاءَنَا وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا الْكِبْرِيَآءُ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ( Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers following, and that you two may have greatness in the land We are not going to believe you two! ) ( 10:78 ) فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْلَكِينَ ( So they denied them both and became of those who were destroyed. ) ( 23:48 ) The Rebellious do not believe in Miracles Allah says here: أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُواْ بِمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَى مِن قَبْلُ ( Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old ) Did not mankind disbelieve in those mighty signs which were given to Musa قَالُواْ سِحْرَانِ تَظَـهَرَا ( They say: "Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!" ) cooperating or working one with the other. وَقَالُواْ إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَـفِرُونَ ( And they say: "Verily, in both we are disbelievers." ) meaning, `we disbelieve in each of them.' Because of the close relationship between Musa and Harun, mention of one includes the other. False Accusation that Musa and Harun ( peace be upon them both ) practiced Magic Mujahid bin Jabr said, "The Jews told Quraysh to say this to Muhammad , then Allah said: `Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old They say: Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!' This refers to Musa and Harun, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them both, تَظَـهَرَا ( each helping the other ) i.e., working together and supporting one another." This was also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr and Abu Razin that the phrase "two kinds of magic" referred to Musa and Harun.
This is a good suggestion.
And Allah knows best. The Response to this False Accusation سِحْرَانِ تَظَـهَرَا ( Two kinds of magic, each helping the other! ) `Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that this refers to the Tawrah and the Qur'an, because Allah says next: قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِكِتَـبٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ ( Say: "Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two that I may follow it." ) Allah often mentions the Tawrah and the Qur'an together, as in the Ayat: قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَـبَ الَّذِى جَآءَ بِهِ مُوسَى نُوراً وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ( Say: "Who then sent down the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to mankind... ) until: وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ ( And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down." ) ( 6:91-92 ) And at the end of the same Surah, Allah says: ثُمَّ ءاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ تَمَامًا عَلَى الَّذِى أَحْسَنَ ( Then, We gave Musa the Book, to complete (Our favor ) upon those who would do right) ( 6: 154 ). وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُواْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ( And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and have Taqwa of Allah, that you may receive mercy ) ( 6:155 ).
And the Jinn said: إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَـباً أُنزِلَ مِن بَعْدِ مُوسَى مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ( Verily, we have heard a Book sent down after Musa, confirming what came before it ) ( 46:30 ).
Waraqah bin Nawfal said, "This is An-Namus, who came down to Musa." And those who are possessed of insight know instinctively that among the many Books which He has sent down to His Prophets, there is no Book more perfect, more eloquent or more noble than the Book which He revealed to Muhammad ﷺ, which is the Qur'an.
Next to it in status and greatness is the Book which Allah revealed to Musa bin `Imran, which is the Book concerning which Allah says: إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالاٌّحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَـبِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَآءَ ( Verily, We did send down the Tawrah, therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's will, judged for the Jews.
And the rabbis and the priests, for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto ) ( 5:44 ).
The Injil was revealed as a continuation and complement of the Tawrah and to permit some of the things that had been forbidden to the Children of Israel.
Allah says: قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِكِتَـبٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ( Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two, that I may follow it, if you are truthful. ) meaning, `in your efforts to refute the truth with false arguments.' فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَكَ ( But if they answer you not, ) means, `if they do not respond to what you tell them, and do not follow the truth,' فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ ( then know that they only follow their own lusts. ) means, with no basis or evidence.
p وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِّنَ اللَّهِ ( And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah ) means, with no guidance taken from the Book of Allah. إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( Verily, Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers. ) وَلَقَدْ وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ الْقَوْلَ ( And indeed now We have conveyed the Word ) Mujahid said: "We have explained the Word to them." As-Suddi said something similar.
Qatadah said: "Allah is saying, `He has told them what He did in the past and what He will do in the future."' لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ( in order that they may remember. ) Mujahid and others said: وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ ( We have conveyed the Word ) means, to Quraysh.

( But when there came unto them the Truth ) Muhammad ( pbuh ) with the Qur’an ( from Our presence, they said ) the disbelievers of Mecca said: ( Why is he not ) i.e. Muhammad ( pbuh ) ( given the like of what was given unto Moses ) i.e. the hand, the staff, the quails and honey as well as the Qur’an? ( Did they not ) i.e. the disbelievers of Mecca ( disbelieve in that which was given unto Moses of old ) i.e. the Torah before the coming of Muhammad ( pbuh )? ( They say ) the disbelievers of Mecca say: ( Two magics ) i.e. the Qur’an and the Torah ( that support each other; and they ) the disbelievers of Mecca ( say: Lo! in both we are disbelievers ) we disbelieve in both the Qur’an and the Torah.

But when the truth (i.e. Muhammad SAW with his Message) has come to them from Us, they say: "Why is he not given the like of what was given to Musa (Moses)? Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa (Moses) of old? They say: "Two kinds of magic [the Taurat (Torah) and the Quran] each helping the other!" And they say: "Verily! In both we are disbelievers."

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