النص المفهرس

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 17 - 24
was put to Sayyidna Musa Mal i.e. "What is in your hand?" called for an
equally brief answer, such as, "It is a staff". But he volunteered additional
information which was outside the scope of the question put to him. First,
he said that the staff belonged to him; second, that it served him many
purposes, namely that he often reclined on it, and also beat down leaves
from trees for his goats; third, that he put it to many other uses. This long
and detailed reply is a perfect combination of extreme love and adoration
on the one hand and profound reverence on the other. It is a natural
human instinct that when a person finds the object of his adoration to be
kind and attentive, he wishes to prolong the conversation in order to get
the best advantage. At the same time the dictates of extreme respect
require that the conversation should remain within proper limits and not
become too lengthy. For this reason he ended his reply with a brief
statement وَلِىَ فِيُهَا مَارِبُ أُخرى i.e. "And for me it has many other uses", but he
did not give any detail of those "other uses". (Ruh and Mazhari)
From this verse Qurtubi has deduced in his Tafsir that when needed,
it is permissible, while answering a question, to include matters which are
not specifically covered in the question.
Rule
This verse also shows that carrying a staff is a practice followed by the
prophets. The Holy Prophet
also used to carry a staff in his hand and
this practice has numerous religious as well as mundane advantages.
And suddenly it was a snake running - 20:20): When) فَإِذَا هِىَ حَيَّةٌ تَسُغى
Sayyidna Musa CHI, in obedience to the command of Allah Ta'ala, cast
down his staff it turned into a serpent. The Qur'an has described this
serpent at one place as ¿ QU (28:31). The word 34 means a small and
.(26:32) فَإِذَا هِىَ ثُعُبَانٌ slim snake. At another place it has been referred to as
The word ou means a long and thick snake. The word " occurring in
this verse is a generic name used for snakes of all sizes and thickness.
These different words can be reconciled by the fact that this serpent was
slim and small in the beginning and grew later on in size and thickness.
Or that this serpent was originally long and thick and has been called 34.
by reason of its fast speed because as a general rule big and thick snakes
are slow moving. The word Qu' used in this verse, which means "as if"
also points to the fact that it has been compared to Su on account of its
swift movements. (Mazhari)

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 25 - 36
And put your hand under your arm - 20:22). The) وَاضُمُمُ يَدَكَ إِلَى جَنَاحِكَ
word zu means fore-limb of an animal or wing of a bird. Here Sayyidna
Musa KA was commanded to press his hand under his armpit so that
when he brings it out it will shine as brilliantly as the sun, and this will
be the second miracle granted to him. This is the meaning given to the
words by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
(Mazhari).
Go to the Pharaoh - 20:24). Having suitably armed him) إِذْهَبُ إِلَى فِرُعَوُنَ
with two great miracles, Allah Ta'ala commanded Sayyidna Musa Sea to
proceed to Egypt and invite the Pharaoh to accept the true faith because
he had exceeded all bounds in his tyranny and misdeeds.
Verses 25 - 36
قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحُ لِى صَدْرِىُ ﴿٢٥﴾ وَيَسِّرْلِىَّ أَمْرِىٌ ﴿٢﴾ وَاحُلُلُ
عُقْدَةٌ مِّنْ لِسَانِىُ ﴿٧ٌ﴾ يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِىٌ ﴿٣٨)﴾ وَاجْعَلْ لِىُ وَزِيْرًا مِنُ
اَهْلِىُ ﴿٢٩﴾ فَرُوُنَ آَخِى (٣٠) اشْدُدْبِةٍ أَزْرِىُ ﴿٢﴾ وَأَشْرِكُهُ فِىّ
آَمْرِىٌ ﴿٢﴾ کَیُ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا ﴿٣ٌ﴾ وَ نَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا ﴿٣٤﴾ إِنَّكَ
كُنْتَ بِنَا بَصِيْرًا ﴿٣٥﴾ قَالَ قَدْ أُوْتِيْتَ سُؤْلَكَ يُمُوُسى ﴿٣٦)
He said, "My Lord, put my heart at peace for me [25] and
make my task easy for me [26] and remove the knot from
my tongue, [27] that they may understand my speech.
[28] And make for me an assistant from my own family:
[29] Harun, my brother. [30] Enhance with him my
strength, [31] and make him share my task, [32] so that
we proclaim Your purity a lot [33] and remember You a
lot. [34] You are certainly watchful over us." [35]
He said, "You have been granted your request O Musa.
[36]
Commentary
When Sayyidna Musa de received the high honour of conversing
with Allah Ta'ala and was granted the mission of prophethood, then,
instead of relying on his own self and on his own ability, he turned to
Allah Ta'ala and sought His help in the discharge of his duties without

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which it would be impossible for him to endure and persevere in the face
of the trials and tribulations inherent in the performance of his mission.
He, therefore, prayed to Allah Ta'ala to grant him five favours.
The first prayer was إِشْرَحُ لِى صَدُرِى (Put my heart at peace for me - 20:25).
Meaning to expand the ability of his heart to enable him to receive all the
knowledge and wisdom of prophethood, and at the same time to bear with
equanimity the slander of those people who will oppose him in his mission.
His second prayer was , (make my task easy for me - 20:26).
Having been granted prophethood he realized that it is not the human
ability and skill or other apparent causes which make affairs easy or
difficult. In reality, things become easy or difficult as Allah Ta'ala wills. In
the hadith the believers have been advised to seek Allah Ta'ala's help in
their affairs with the following words:
اَلِلْهُمَّ الْطُفُ بِنَافِىُ تَيْسِيْرِ كُلِّ عَسِيْرٍ فَإِنَّ تَيْسِيْرَ كُلِّ عَسِمْرٍ عَلَيُكَ یَسِيْرٌ
O Allah! Be kind to us and make our difficult tasks easy
because it is easy for you to make every difficult thing easy.
The third prayer وَاحُلُلُ عُقْدَةً مِّنُ لِسَانِىُ يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِى (And remove the knot from
my tongue, that they may understand my speech - 20:27, 28). The story
behind this "knot" is that as an infant Sayyidna Musa &YA lived with his
own mother who used to suckle him and was paid for her services by the
Pharaoh. When he was weaned, the Pharaoh and his wife 'Asiya adopted
him, and took him away from his mother. One day Sayyidna Musa Sel
caught hold of the Pharaoh's beard and slapped him on the face. Another
version has it that he was playing with a stick and with it he struck the
Pharaoh on his head. The Pharaoh was enraged and made up his mind to
put him to death. His wife 'Asiya tried to pacify him and said, "O King!
Why do you take this matter so seriously? After all he is merely a child
who does not understand things. You can test him if you like and you will
find that he cannot distinguish between good things and bad things".
Thereupon, the Pharaoh ordered two trays to be brought. One was
filled with live coal and the other with jewellery. It was expected that the
child would be attracted by the brightness of the burning coal and reach
for it because children are not normally drawn towards jewellery which is
not as bright. This would have convinced the Pharaoh that what
Sayyidna Musa &Cal did was nothing more than the act of an innocent

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child. But Sayyidna Musa Se was no ordinary child. Allah Ta'ala had
chosen him to be a prophet whose instincts were unusual from the very
moment of his birth. He put forth his hand to reach out for the jewellery
instead of the coal, but Jibra'il &al turned his hand away and placed it in
the tray containing coal. He picked up a piece of burning coal and put it
in his mouth and so burned his tongue. The Pharaoh was thus fully
satisfied that the action of Sayyidna Musa Seal was not due to mischief
but the result of a child's inability to distinguish between good and bad
for himself. This incident caused an impediment in his speech which has
been called das (knot) in the Qur'an, and Sayyidna Musa & prayed to
Allah Ta'ala to make loose this knot. (Mazharī and Qurțubi)
The first two prayers are of a general nature and sought Allah
Ta'ala's help in all matters. The third prayer is for the removal of a
disability because eloquence and fluency of expression are essential
elements in the successful conduct of prophetic mission. In a subsequent
verse Allah Ta'ala informed Sayyidna Musa Ka that all his prayers had
been granted which would suggest that he was cured of his disability.
However, Sayyidna Musa Skal in his prayer to make Sayyidna Harun
He is more) هُوَاَ فُصَحُ مِنِى لِسَانًا his partner in the prophethood also said القيمة
fluent in his tongue than me - 28:34) which would indicate that his
speech's impediment was not fully cured and that the stammer persisted,
though in a milder form. One of the defects which the Pharaoh found in
Sayyidna Musa &KA was that WAY, (he cannot express himself
clearly - 43:52). Some people have argued that in his prayer Sayyidna
Musa SE had prayed to Allah Ta'ala to loose the knot of his tongue only
to the extent that others could understand his words. To that extent his
stammer was cured but a trace of it still remained, which is not
inconsistent with the grant of his prayer.
The fourth prayer was وَاجْعَلُ لِّى وَزِيْرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِى (and make for me an
assistant from my own family - 20:29). The first three prayers of Sayyidna
Musa Skal concerned his own person. This fourth prayer relates to the
assembling of means which would facilitate the successful completion of
his mission, and the most important among these was the appointment of
a deputy or a helper, who would assist him in this task. The literal
meaning of the word yi, is "one who carries a burden", and since a
minister of a state carries the burden of responsibilities entrusted to him

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by the ruler, he is called a minister (Jj,). This shows the extreme foresight
and prudence of Sayyidna Musa &ce because the success of any
movement or enterprise depends on the selection of competent and
dedicated supporters. With good and loyal workers it is easy to surmount
all obstacles and hurdles, while with irresponsible and indifferent workers
the best preparations and arrangements become futile. If one were to
examine the causes of the decline of some of the modern states and the
evils from which they suffer, they can all be attributed to the irresponsible
conduct, mismanagement and incompetence of the ministers and advisers.
It is related from the Holy Prophet
that when Allah Ta'ala appoints
someone to govern a country and wishes that the country should be well
administered, He provides the ruler with a good Wazir to assist him in
whatever he does, and if he forgets to attend to some important task, the
Wazir is quick to remind him and to help him in what he intends to do.
(Nisa'i, from Qasim Ibn Muhammad).
In this prayer Sayyidna Musa
has specified that the helper he
wants should be from his own family, the reason being that the behavior
and conduct of a member of the family is well-known. Besides, there is
mutual affection and understanding between the members of the family
which greatly helps towards the accomplishment of the mission. But it is
essential that the person selected should be competent and in possession
of the merit necessary for the performance of his duties so that his
selection may not be attributed to nepotism and favouritism. Nowadays
when there is a scarcity of people of integrity and dedication, the ruler
who appoints his own close relatives to be his Wazir and deputies renders
himself liable to public criticism. When, however, the standards of probity
and integrity are high, such appointments are considered normal and are,
in fact, conducive to the more efficient performance of sensitive
assignments. Indeed all the four Khulafa' ar-Rashidin (guided Caliphs)
who succeeded the Holy Prophet # were in some way related to him.
In his prayer Sayyidna Musa Mal first asked that the helper he
required should be from his own family and then specifically asked for his
brother Harun to be his Wazir so that with the latter's support and
assistance he could better perform the duties of his prophetic mission.
Sayyidna Harun Cal was three or four years senior to Sayyidna
Musa KA and died three years before the latter. When Sayyidna Musa

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
petitioned to Allah Ta'ala for his appointment as Wazir he was in
Egypt, and there he received, through an angel, information about his
elevation to the status of a prophet and his appointment as an assistant to
Sayyidna Musa 8Ca. He was also instructed to receive Sayyidna Musa
SKEll outside Egypt when he arrived there in pursuance of his mission to
persuade the Pharaoh to accept the true faith. This he did.
and make him share my task - 20:32): Sayyidna Musa) وَأَشْرِكُهُ فِىّ أَمْرِىُ
Kell had the power to appoint Sayyidna Harun al as his Wazir on his
own, but he petitioned to Allah Ta'ala to confer the appointment on his
brother in order to seek His grace. Besides, he wanted him to share his
prophethood and his mission and this power does not rest in any Prophet.
Therefore he specially prayed to Allah Ta'ala to make him a partner in his
mission.
Good companions are a help in the better performance of
worship and Dhikr (remembrance)
So that we proclaim Your purity a lot and) كَىُ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا وَنَذُكُرَكَ کَثِيْرًا
remember You a lot - 20:33,34). The advantage of making Sayyidna Harun
SKEll a Wazir and a partner in prophethood would be that both of them
together would be able to pray to Allah Ta'ala and glorify His name more
often. Here the question may arise that a man by himself can also pray as
often as he desires, so where was the need for a companion? The answer
to this is that good companions and a conducive environment definitely
contribute towards the better performance of worship and Dhikr. A person
whose friends are negligent about Allah cannot devote himself to His
worship with the same quality and quantity as the person who is
fortunate to have the company of pious men and righteous friends
devoted to Allah's worship and Dhikr.
Here Sayyidna Musa Ce ended his petition, and he was rewarded
with the good news that Allah Ta'ala, the Almighty, had granted all his
requests قَالَ قَدُ أُوْتِيتَ سُؤْلَكَ يُمُوسى (you have been granted your request 0
Musa - 20:36).
Verses 37 - 44
وَلَقَدٌ مَنَنَّا عَلَيْكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرِىَ ﴿٣٧﴾ إِذْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى أُمِّكَ مَا يُوْلَخَى

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Sūrah Ța-Hã : 20 : 37 - 44
٣٨) أَن اقْذِ فِيْهِ فِى التَّبُوْتِ فَاقْذٍ فِيْهِ فِى الْيَمِّ فَلَيُلْقِهِ الْيَمُّ
y
بِالسَّاحِلِ يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِىٌ وَعَدُوٌّلَّةً، وَالْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةٌ مِّنِّى "
وَلِتُصُنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِىُ ﴿١٩) إِذْ تَمْشِىَّ أُخْتُكَ فَتَقُوْلُ هَلْ آَدُلُكُمْ عَلى
مَنْ يَّكُفُلُهُ فَرَجَعُنْكَ إِلَى أُمِّكَ كَىْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا وَلاَ تَحْزَنَ ، وَقَتَلْتَ
نَفْسًا فَنَجَيُنْكَ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَفَتَنْكَ فُتُوْنًا فَ فَلَبِئْتَ سِنِيْنَ فِىَّ أَهْلٍ
مَذْيَنَ ثُمّ جِئْتَ عَلى قَدَرٍ تُمُوُسى ﴿٤﴾ وَاصْطَنَعْتُكَ لِنَفْسِىٌ ﴿٤﴾
◌ِذُهَبُ أَنْتَ وَآَخُوُكَ بِأَنِى وَلاَ تَنِيَا فِى ذِكْرِىُ ﴿٤٢﴾ إِذْ هَبَآ إِلى
فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهْ طَغَى (٣)﴾ فَقُوْلاَ لَه قَوْلاً لَّبِّنَا لَّعَلَّهُ، يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشى
And We have bestowed Our favour on you once more,
[37] when We revealed to your mother what was to be
revealed, [38] that is, "Put him (the baby) in the chest,
then cast it into the river, then let the river throw it by
the shore and it will be picked up by one who is enemy
to Me and enemy to him". And I have cast love on you
from Myself, and that you are fashioned under My eye.
[39] (Remember) when your sister was going (to the
family of the Pharaoh) and was saying, "Shall I point
you to one who nurses him?" Thus We brought you back
to your mother, so that her eyes might be cooled and
she does not grieve. And you had killed a person, then
We brought you out of the trouble; and We tested you
with a great ordeal. Then you lived a number of years
amidst the people of Madyan. After all this, you came O
Musa, to a point, destined. [40] And I have fashioned you
for Myself. [41] Go, you and your brother, with My
signs, and do not be slack in My remembrance. [42] Go,
both of you, to the Pharaoh; he has indeed transgressed.
[43] So speak to him in soft words. May be, he takes to
the advice or fears (Allah)". [44]
Commentary
And We have bestowed Our favour on you once) وَلَقَدُ مَنَبًّا عَلَيُكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرى

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Sūrah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
more - 20:37). Having bestowed His gifts and special favours on Sayyidna
Musa SCE such as the honour of conversation with Allah, the grant of
prophethood and miracles etc. Allah Ta'ala reminds him of the benefits
and favours which He had showered on him throughout his life - from his
birth uptill that time and how He had saved his life from numerous risks
and hazards. In relation to time, these benefits (which will be discussed in
the following pages) pertain to an earlier period.
When We revealed to your mother what was to) إِذْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى أُمِّكَ مَا يُؤُلَحَى
be revealed - 20:38) It means that the information given to the mother of
Sayyidna Musa Şı
was about a matter which could be learnt only
through Divine revelation. This was that the Pharaoh's soldiers had
orders to put to death all the male children belonging to the tribe of Bani
Isra'il. She was told by means of a revelation that in order to save the life
of her son she should put him in a box and float it down the river. She
was re-assured not to entertain any apprehensions about his safety
because Allah Ta'ala would protect him and also return him to her. These
are things which cannot be learnt by conjecture or guess work. The
promise of Allah Ta'ala, and the divine scheme to save his life are beyond
human conception and can be made known through Divine revelation
only.
Can a Revelation be sent to a person who is not a Prophet?
The truth of the matter is that the literal meaning of the word ~
(Way) is a secret message which can be understood only by the person to
whom it is addressed and by no one else. According to this literal sense,
the word , (Wahy) is not restricted to the prophets only and it can be
أَوْخِى رَبُّكَ إِلى النَّحْلِ used for people at large and even to animals. In the verse
(16:68) the word has been used in its literal and general sense, i.e.
instructing the bees by means of , Wany. Similarly in this verse gi
SÍ ! (20:38) the word has been used in its general meaning and this does
not necessarily mean that she was a prophet. Sayyidah Maryam (>JI ,de
also received Divine messages though the scholars unanimously hold the
view that she was not a prophet. The Wahy of this type is made by means
of a Divine inspiration (Ilham (Q). Allah Ta'ala puts an idea into
someone's heart and then confirms him in the belief that it is from Allah
Ta'ala. Saints and other devout people receive such inspirations. Abu
Hayyan and some other scholars hold that sometimes such inspirations

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Surah Ța-Hã : 20 : 37 - 44
can be made through angels as happened to Sayyidah Maryam >JI Lle
when Jibra'il a appeared before her in the form of a human being and
conveyed to her the will of Allah Ta'ala. These inspirations (Ilham: (4),
however, are specific to the person to whom they are made and are not
meant for public or to be used for the propagation of the True Faith,
whereas the Wahy which is revealed to the prophets aims at appointing
someone to reform people and enjoining upon him to invite people to the
True Faith. It is the duty of such a person not only to have complete faith
in His Way himself, but also to bind others to accept his prophethood
and the Wahy and to pronounce as infidels those who deny him.
This is the difference between ( ~, (Way in the sense of Ilham) or
literal وحى and وحى نبوّت (the wahy of a prophet) or technical Wahy. Literal
Wahy has always been there and will be there for ever, whereas the
prophethood and (Wahy of a prophet) have ceased with the Holy Prophet
, who was the last Prophet. Some respected scholars have given them
the names of وحى تشريعى (legislative Wahy) and وحى غير تشريعى (non-
legislative Wahy). The false prophet of Qadiyan has used these
definitions and certain writings of Sheikh Muhiyy-uddin Ibn 'Arabi in
support of his claim to prophethood. His arguments, however, are
contrary to what Ibn 'Arabi himself has written. A detailed discussion of
this question will be found in my book , (Khatme Nabuwat).
The name of the mother of Sayyidna Musa El
In Ruh ul-Ma'ani her name is given as Yuhanadh (-) and in
Itqan it is said that her name was Lihyana daughter of Yasmad Ibn Lawi
and still (بارخًا) Others say her name was Barkha. (لحيانه بنت يصمد بن لاوى)
others that it was Bazakht (c+;4). Some people who dispense charms and
amulets attribute strange properties to her name but according to Ruh
ul-Ma'ani there is no basis for such a belief and probably it is nothing
more than a hoax to entice innocent and ignorant people.
Then let the river throw it by the shore - 20:39.). The) فَلْيُلْقِهِ الْيَمُ بِالسَّاحِلِ
word ~ (Yamm) means river and here it refers most probably to the river
Nile. In this verse the mother of Sayyidna Musa &cel has been
commanded by Allah Ta'ala to place the baby in a box and set him afloat
in the river Nile. Simultaneously the river has been commanded to cast
the box on its bank. But the question arises as to how a river can be
commanded to do something while it has no sense or understanding.

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Some scholars have answered this query with the argument that
although here the word has been used in the imperative mood which
implies a command, it is not really a command but is meant to convey the
information that the river would cast the box on its bank. However some
scholars have disputed this explanation and have claimed that the word is
really a command and is addressed to the river Nile because everything
that Allah Ta'ala has created possesses emotions and a sense of feeling
and it is these properties, which according to the Qur'an, enable even
trees and rocks to glorify the name of Allah Ta'ala. It is, nevertheless, a
fact that except the human beings, the Jinns, and the angels no other
created thing possesses feelings and emotions to a degree where the
precepts of Halal (permissible) and Haram (forbidden) can be made
binding on them. Maulana Rumi ¿Jw Ji das, has expressed the same idea
in the following verse :-
باسمن وتومرده بالت زنده اند
فاک وبادو آب وآكش بنددائد
(Earth, wind, water and fire are all servants of Allah. To me
and you they appear lifeless, but Allah knows that they too have
life.)
And it will be picked up by one who is enemy to Me) يَأْخُذُهُ عَدُوُلِىٌ وَعَدُ وٌ لَّه،
and enemy to him - 20:39.). It means that a person who is an enemy of
Allah Ta'ala and also the enemy of Sayyidna Musa & will rescue the
child. Here the reference is to the Pharaoh who was the enemy of Allah
Ta'ala because of his infidelity, but his enmity towards Sayyidna Musa
Sel needs some explanation since at that time he cherished no hostility
towards the latter, rather he was incurring considerable expenditure on
his upbringing. Perhaps it was due to his future enmity towards
Sayyidnā Musa
which was even at that time in the knowledge of
Allah Ta'ala. Or again it is possible that even at that time he was the
enemy and had reluctantly agreed to bring up Sayyidna Musa al for
the sake of his wife 'Asiya. Yet when he felt the slightest suspicion about
Sayyidna Musa 8 9 he ordered his immediate execution and was
prevented from carrying out his intention through the wise role of
Sayyidah 'Asiya. (Ruh and Mazhari)
.(20:39 - And I have cast love on you from Myself) وَالْقَيْتُ عَلَيُكَ مَحَبَّةٌ مِّنِىٌ
The word "love" in this verse is in the sense of 'being loved', meaning
thereby that Allah Ta'ala has bestowed upon Sayyidna Musa 89 an

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Sūrah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
attribute that will make people show love towards him. This is the
interpretation given to this verse by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas and 'Ikrimah
. (Mazharī)
And that you are fashioned under My eye - 20:39). The) وَلِتُصُنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِىُ
word & here means "good upbringing". The Arabs have a common
phrase صَنَعْتُ فَرَسى (I trained my horse well). ◌ٌعَلى عَيْنِى , is used in the same
sense as his e i.e. it was Allah Ta'ala's will that Sayyidna Musa Se
should be brought up under His own eye, and for this purpose He chose
the Pharaoh, the supreme authority in Egypt, to bring up Sayyidna Musa
El in his own palace, unaware all the time that the child that he was
raising was his enemy. (Mazhari)
Ah! (When your sister was going - 20:40). The story of the sister
of Sayyidna Mu a ICH following the box along the river and the
subsequent events are alluded to in this verse, which ends with the words
u'' ats, (We tested you with a great ordeal - 20:40). According to Sayyidna
Ibn 'Abbas 40 these words mean "We tried you repeatedly", while
Dahhak Ja All >, has translated them as "We subjected you to severe
trials". Full details of this story have been given in a long Hadith reported
by Imam an-Nisa'i y A des, in his book on the authority of Sayyidna
Ibn 'Abbas 4
%. This story is as follows:
Detailed Story of Sayyidna Musa
In Kitab-ut-Tafsir of his Sunan, Imam Nisa'i jus dll , has reported
a long Hadith known as (حديث الفتون) (Hadith-ul-Futun) on the authority
of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
. Ibn Kathir has also reproduced the whole of
it in his commentary and then has added that Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
thought that it was { jy (Marfu'), in other words, it was a statement of
the Holy Prophet 3. Ibn Kathir has confirmed this view with the words:
and also gave ,(مرفوع I too believe that this Hadith is) وَصَدَقَ ذلِكَ عِنْدِىُ
reason in support of his opinion. However, he has admitted that the
version of this story given by Ibn Jabir and Ibn Abi Hatim ¿ Uly is
the statement of Ibn 'Abbas 4ee, and not of the Holy Prophet
while it
contains some parts which were stated by the Holy Prophet ?
It appears
that Ibn 'Abbas 40 has learnt this story from Ka'b al-Abar as has
happened in many other cases. Be that as it may, the critics like Imam
Nasal and Ibn Kathir رحمهم الله تعالى hold it to be marfu' (statement of the
Holy Prophet
and even those who do not accept it as such have never

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
challenged its contents, while a major part of this story is also mentioned
in the Holy Qur'an itself. Therefore, we would like to give full translation
of this Hadith which has many beneficial points having academic and
practical value. Imam Nisa'i Ju Ul us, has related this story which he
learnt from Sa'id bin Jubair
that he (Said Ibn Jubair 4) asked
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 46 to explain to him the meaning of the
expression وَفَتَنِّكَ فُتُونًا ,specially the word Use which occurs in the verse
relating to Sayyidna Musa 845 . Ibn 'Abbas 4e said it was a long story
which he would tell him (Salid Ibn Jubair 46) if he comes to him early
the next morning. This he did and Ibn 'Abbas 4e told him the story which
runs as follows:
One day the Pharaoh and his companions were talking about
Sayyidna Ibrahim Na and the promise which Allah Ta'ala had made to
him to raise prophets and Kings from his progeny. Some of those present
said that the Bani Isra'il were indeed expecting the birth of a prophet in
their community and were in no doubt that Allah Ta'ala's promise would
be fulfilled. In the beginning they thought that Sayyidna Yusuf Sal was
the prophet promised by Allah Ta'ala but when he died they said he was
not the prophet promised to Sayyidna Ibrahim & and that there must
surely come another prophet whose arrival would fulfill Allah Ta'ala's
promise. This information upset the Pharaoh who feared that if ever a
prophet was born in the Isra'ili community, whom he held in bondage, he
(the prophet) would try to liberate them from their servitude. He,
therefore, asked his friends to advise him how such a catastrophe could be
avoided. After much deliberation they came to the unanimous conclusion
that the only way to meet this contingency was to put to death every male
child born in an Isra'ili family. In pursuance of this decision, armed
soldiers were sent out with orders to search every Isra'ili house and kill all
male children.
This blood-shed continued for some time but then the Egyptians
realized that all their work was done and arduous duties performed by
the Bani Isra'il and if the process of killing their male children continued
then a time would come when, their old men having died a natural death,
no young men would be left to serve them, and they themselves would
have to perform all the hard and toilsome work. In order to overcome this
problem they came up with another proposal according to which all male

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
children born in one year should be put to death while all those born in
the following year should be spared. Such a device would ensure the
availability of a continuous supply of labour force of young Isra'flis who
could replace the older men, yet at the same time their number would not
be large enough to pose a threat to the Pharaoh's authority. Everybody
approved of this proposal and a law was passed for its implementation.
(And now the wisdom and power of Allah Ta'ala demonstrated itself in the
following way). Sayyidna Musa's
mother gave birth to Sayyidna
Harun Nel in the year when, according to the law of the Pharaoh, male
Isra'ili children were spared and there was no danger to his life. But
when Sayyidna Musa Mes was conceived, his birth was expected in the
year when the Pharaoh's decree required that all male Isra'ili children be
put to death. His mother was, therefore, greatly distressed at the thought
of losing her son after its birth.
Here Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 46 paused in his story and said, "O Ibn
Jubair! This was the first test (o ) to which Sayyidna Musa &del was put
in that his life was at risk even before he was born."
Then Allah Ta'ala, by means of Ll -, (Divine inspiration) told the
mother of Sayyidna Musa &call to set her mind at rest.
لاَ تَخَافِىُ وَلا تَحْزَنِىُ إِنَّا رَآدُوُهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَا عِلُوُهُ مِنَ الْمُرُسَلِيْنَ
Do not fear and do not grieve, surely We are going to bring him
back to you and appoint him one of (Our) messengers - 28:7.
When Sayyidna Musa Se
was born Allah Ta'ala commanded his
mother to put him in a box and float him down the river Nile, which she
did. After she had completed this task the Satan tried to perplex her with
the suggestion that she had made a mistake by floating her son down the
river because even if he had been put to death by the order of the
Pharaoh she would at least have had the satisfaction of burying him with
her own hands. Now there is no hope for him and he would probably be
eaten up by the river animals. While the mother of Sayyidna Musa
was greatly worried at what the Satan had told her, the waves cast the
box upon a rock where the Pharaoh's slave girls used to come for bathing
and washing. When they saw the box they wanted to open it, but one of
them said that if the box contained some valuable articles and they
opened it, then the Pharaoh's wife would suspect that they had kept back

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
some of these for themselves and nothing that they could say would
satisfy her. Accordingly, they brought the box unopened to the Pharaoh's
wife.
When the Pharaoh's wife opened the box she found a boy and she
instinctively felt a sudden surge of love for him - something which she
had never experienced before. This was just as Allah Ta'ala had told him
And I have cast love on you from Myself). On the: وَاَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةٌ مِّنِّى)
other hand, the mother of Sayyidna Musa CHI, in a state of puzzle
caused by the Satan forgot the promise made to her by Allah Ta'ala and
was so overwhelmed by grief that all happiness forsook her heart leaving
it an empty shell. وَأَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمّ مُوسى فَارِغًا (And the heart of the mother of
Musa became restless - 28:10). At the same time the Pharaoh's soldiers
learnt about the presence of an Isra'ili boy in the palace and they rushed
with knives in their hands, and asked the Pharaoh's wife to surrender the
boy so that they could put him to death.
Here Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4,6 paused again and said, "O Ibn Jubair!
This was the second test (53) to which Sayyidna Musa Sel
was
exposed."
The Pharaoh's wife remonstrated with the soldiers. "What?" She said,
"Do you think this small and frail baby, if allowed to live, can ever
increase the strength of Bani Isra'il? You wait here and I will go to the
Pharaoh and plead for his life. I hope the Pharaoh will spare his life. If
not, then I will not stand in your way and you can take him." Saying so,
she went to the Pharaoh and said to him, "This child is the joy of my heart
and yours also." The Pharaoh replied, "Yes, I know that he is the joy of
your heart, but as for me, I do not need him."
At this point of the story Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
quoted the Holy
Prophet
as saying, "I swear by Allah that if on that occasion the
Pharaoh had also admitted to Sayyidna Musa des being the joy of his
heart, as his wife did, Allah Ta'ala would have guided him along the path
of the True Faith as He guided his wife."
(However, on account of his wife's urgent pleas the Pharaoh spared
the life of the child). Now she needed a woman to nurse him. Many
women offered their services but he would not suck from any of them

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Surah Ța-Hã : 20 : 37 - 44
And We had already barred him (Musa) from) وَحَرَّمُنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِنْ قَبْلُ
(accepting) any suckling woman - 28:12). The Pharaoh's wife was in a real
predicament. How will the child live if he was not nursed? She sent him
with her servants to the market place to find any woman whose milk he
would draw.
While these events were taking place in the Pharaoh's palace, the
mother of Sayyidna Musa
was concerned by anguish at the fate of
her son. She asked her daughter to go out and make inquiries about the
box and the child that whether he was still alive or was he eaten up by
the river animals. The promise which Allah had made to her when she
was pregnant that he would protect her child and return him to her after
a brief separation had completely escaped her memory. And then a
miracle happened. As soon as the sister of Sayyidna Musa Scal came to
the market place she met the Pharaoh's female servants who held
Sayyidna Musa & in their arms and were looking for a woman who
could nurse him. She also noticed that the child would not accept milk
from any woman which caused them great anxiety and distress. So she
said to them, "I can take you to a family where there is a woman whose
milk, I hope, the child will accept and who will bring him up with great
love and affection." Thereupon the servants held her on the suspicion that
she was, perhaps, the mother or a close relation of the child and for that
reason spoke with such a confidence that the proposed family is
well-wisher of and sympathetic to this child.
Here Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
stopped and told Ibn Jubair4
that
this was the third test (o) (for the sister of Sayyidna Musa
was
naturally frightened at being held like that but she kept her pose and told
the servants that when she said that the family would love the child and
serve him with devotion what she meant was that they would do so in the
hope of getting access to the Pharaoh's court and thus obtaining some
material benefit for themselves. This explanation satisfied the servants
and they released her. She hurried back home and informed her mother
of what had happened. Then both of them went to the market place
where the servants stood with the baby. The mother took him in her arms
and put him to her breast, and he sucked greedily until he was satiated.
The Pharaoh's wife was overjoyed when she was informed that at last a
woman had been found whose milk the child would take and ordered her

102
Sūrah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
to be brought to her. On arrival the mother of Sayyidna Musa el
sensed that the Pharaoh's wife needed her and her services badly. At the
same time she remembered Allah's promise to her that her son would be
re-united to her after a brief separation. So she decided that she would
offer her services on her own terms. The Pharaoh's wife told her that she
was extremely fond of the child and could not bear parting from him for a
moment. Therefore she should come and live in the palace and nurse the
child. But Sayyidna Musa's mother declined to do so. She said she had a
child of her own who too had to be nursed and fed and therefore it was
not possible for her to leave her home. However, if the child was entrusted
to her care she would keep him with her and nurse him. She assured the
Pharaoh's wife that if she agreed to her proposal no effort shall be
wanting on her part to give him the best care and attention. There was no
choice for the Pharaoh's wife and she accepted this arrangement. Thus
the child was, re-united to his mother and Allah's promise to her was
fulfilled.
After some time when Sayyidna Musa Sel
grew comparatively
stronger, the Pharaoh's wife asked the mother of Musa Scel to bring the
child to her so that she may see him (as she was longing for him). She
also told all the courtiers that the child was coming to their home and they
must show him due respect and offer him gifts. She warned them that she
would watch what they would do with the child. So when Musa Seal came
out with his mother from her home, he was showered with gifts and
presents right from that moment. The Pharaoh's wife was delighted to see
him and gave him many expensive presents on her own and delivered all
these presents to the mother of Sayyidna Musa Seal. She then took him to
the Pharaoh hoping that he too would give him presents. The Pharaoh
took the child in his arms who suddenly clutched at his beard and pulled
it causing his head to bow down. The courtiers were horrified and said to
the Pharaoh: "We warned you about the promise of Allah to Sayyidna
Ibrahim
that a prophet will be born in the tribe of Bani Isra'il who
will inherit your Kingdom and your wealth and will defeat and overthrow
you. You have seen with your own eyes the first signs of the fulfillment of
Allah's promise". The Pharaoh took the warning and ordered his soldiers
to put the child to death.
Here Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4% stopped again in his narration and

103
Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
said, "O Ibn Jubair
! This is the fourth test (o) for Sayyidna Musa
"El where death seemed so near".
The Pharaoh's wife at once came to the child's rescue and addressed
her husband thus, "You have given this child to me. He is all mine. So
what is all this fuss about?" The Pharaoh said, "Can't you see that by his
action this child is warning me that one day he would overthrow me and
deprive me of my Kingdom?" His wife replied, "I know a sure means of
ascertaining whether his action was the action of an uninformed and
innocent child or he deliberately intended to defy and challenge your
authority. You order a servant to bring two trays. Put two live coals in
one and two shining pearls in the other and place both the trays in front
of the child. If he picks up the coal, that would be proof enough that he is
totally unaware of the consequences of his action because nobody with
any sense would put his hand in fire." The Pharaoh agreed to this test
and when the two trays were placed before Sayyidna Musa Scel he
picked up the coal. (However there is another tradition that he wanted to
reach for the pearls but Jibra'll &
guided his hand and placed it on the
coal). When the Pharaoh saw this he snatched away the coal from the
child's hand to save him from harm. Thus the Pharaoh's wife was proved
right. She turned to him and said, "O King! Now you know the truth."
Thus Allah once again saved his life because He had chosen him for a
very special mission.
(And so Sayyidna Musa
continued to enjoy the favours of the
Pharaoh and the great love of his mother until he grew to full manhood).
Knowing in what esteem the royal family held him, the people of the
Pharaoh did not dare to insult and torment Bani Isra'il as they used to do
previously. One day he was out for a stroll in the city when he came
across two persons who were quarrelling over some matter. One of them
was a man of the Pharaoh and the other was an Isra'ili. The latter called
out to Sayyidna Musa Scel to help him. Musa Sel got very angry at the
Pharaoh's man. How dare he bully an Isra'ili in his presence knowing
that he held a place of honour in the royal court, and also that he was full
of sympathy for the Isra'ilies (on account of the harsh treatment to which
they were constantly subjected by the Egyptians). People in general
thought that his sympathy for the Isra'ilis was due to his being nursed
and brought up by an Isra'ili woman. It is also possible that Allah Ta'ala

104
Surah Ța-Hã : 20 : 37 - 44
may have informed him through his mother or by some other means that
he himself was an Isra'ili and that the woman who had nursed him was
in fact his own mother.
Anyway, being in extreme anger, Sayyidna Musa SE hit the
Egyptian with such force that he died on the spot. There were no
witnesses to this incident except the Isra'ili, and Sayyidna Musa SHI was
certain that he (the Isra'ili) would not inform against him.
The Egyptian's death filled Sayyidna Musa SKA with remorse and he
said, ◌ٌهُذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيُظنِ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُضِلَّ مُّبِين (This is some of Satan's act, He is
indeed a clear enemy who misleads - 28:15). Then he prayed to Allah.
رَبِّ إِنِى ظَلَمُتُ نَفْسِىُ فَاغْفِرْلِىٌ فَغَفَرَلَهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَالْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
O my Lord! I have wronged myself, so forgive me. So He forgave
him. Indeed He is the Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful - 28:16.
After this incident Sayyidna Musa Sel made secret inquiries about
the reaction of the Egyptian about the murder and whether the matter
was reported to the Pharaoh. He learned that the report that was made to
the Pharaoh merely said that an Isra'ili had killed an Egyptian for which
their tribe should make full retribution, and that no mercy should be
shown to them.
The Pharaoh asked them to apprehend the murderer and produce him
with full proof of his guilt because although he was their own king he did
not think it was right to punish someone without sufficient evidence. He
assured them that if they produced the offender with sufficient proof of
his guilt he would not be spared. Thereupon people went out in search of
the murderer but found no clue which could lead them to him.
The next day as Sayyidna Musa Seal came out of his house he saw
the same Isra'ili again fighting with an Egyptian. On seeing Sayyidna
Musa el he again called to him for help. But Sayyidna Musa Scal who
was full of remorse at what had happened the day before was very angry
and blamed the Isra'ilie for picking up fights. However, he wanted to stop
the man of Pharaoh from attacking the Isra'ili, and at the same time
reproached the Isra'ili for being so quarrelsome. The Isra'ili, seeing Musa
in anger was frightened and feared that he would kill him too. So he
8
called out, "O Musa! Will you kill me too as you killed a man yesterday"?

105
Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
And so they parted, but the Egyptian hastened to inform the people
who were on the look out for the murderer that the Isra'ili himself had
accused Sayyidna Musa Cal of having murdered a man the day before.
The Pharaoh who was informed of this latest development at once sent his
soldiers to apprehend Sayyidna Musa Mal and to execute him. The
soldiers were confident that there was no way for Sayyidna Musa Sal to
escape and therefore they took the main road of the city searching for
him. Somehow a follower of Sayyidna Musa See who lived in a far flung
area of the city got wind of the Pharaoh's order to kill him and managed
to reach Musa Sel through smaller streets to warn him of the impending
danger.
At this point in his narration, Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4e paused again
and said, "O Ibn Jubair! This was the fifth test (o) for Sayyidna Musa
when death had overcome him but Allah Ta'ala saved his life".
Sayyidna Musa
at once left the city and headed for Madyan. All
his life was spent in comfort and luxury and he had never undertaken a
task involving physical exertion. He was also unfamiliar with the
surrounding areas and the roads connecting them. But he had full faith
in Allah ◌ِعَسى رَبِّىَّ أَنْ يَّهْدِيَنِى سَوَآءَ السَّبِيل (I hope my Lord will guide me to the
straight path - 28:22).
As he approached Madyan, he stopped at a well where people had
gathered and were drawing water for their animals. There he saw two
girls standing away from the crowd with their goats. He asked them why
they stood apart to which they replied that being unable to contend with
men for water they were waiting until they had finished watering their
animals and then, if any water was left, they would give it to their goats,
Sayyidna Musa Scal was moved to pity for the girls and being physically
a strong man he pushed forward and in no time he watered their goats.
The girls went home with their herd and he sat under the shade of a tree
and prayed: ◌ٌرَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنْزَلُتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِير (Omy Lord, I am in need of
whatever good you may send down to me - 28:24). By this payer he sought
Allah's help in providing him something to eat and a place to stay.
Now when the girls returned home with their herd earlier than usual
their father was surprised, but the girls told him how a kind man had
helped them and watered their goats. The father asked one of the girls to

106
Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 37 - 44
bring the man home which she did, and when he heard the story of
Sayyidna Musa &Cell, he said: ("Do not fear, you have escaped from the
wrongdoing people." - 28:25).
One of the girls suggested to her father to engage Sayyidna Musa
,Dear father) ياَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرُهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرُتَ الْقَوِىُّ الْأَمِينُ on wages and said الشيخالا
hire him; the best man you hire, is the one who is strong, trustworthy -
28:26). the father was disconcerted at her words and asked her how she
knew. that he was strong and trust-worthy. The girl replied that she
witnessed his strength when he pushed aside all the other shepherds and
drew water for her goats. And she knew him to be trustworthy because
when she went to bring him home he cast his eyes down and did not raise
them until she had conveyed to him his invitation. Then he told her to
follow him and to guide him to this place from behind. Only a person who
is totally trustworthy would conduct himself in such a manner. The father
(He was Sayyidna Shuaib El, a prophet of Allah), having being fully
satisfied on this score, proposed to Sayyidna Musa Me that if he would
agree to work for him for eight years he would give the latter one of his
daughters in marriage. He also said that he would like it if Sayyidna
Musa Skal , of his own free choice, worked for him for a further period of
two years, but this would not be a condition for his marriage with his
daughter. Sayyidna Musa Mal accepted these terms and ultimately, by
Allah's command, rendered full ten years service to Sayyidna Shu'aib
Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair 4
says, "Once a Christian scholar met me
and asked me whether I knew how long Sayyidna Musa & A worked for
Sayyidna Shu'aib &gel. This was before Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 40 had
narrated to me this Hadith. So I told him that I did not know the answer
to his question. Afterwards when I met Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 40 and put
the same question to him he informed me that Sayyidna Musa Scal was
bound to do service for the contractual period of eight years which could
not be reduced in any circumstances. Also, it was Allah's will that he
should also serve the additional optional two years. Therefore, he did
actually serve Sayyidna Shuaib El
for full ten years. Later, when I met
the Christian scholar and gave him the information, he asked me whether
the person from whom I learnt this was more knowledgeable than I was. I.
replied him in affirmative and told him that indeed he was a very learned