In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
20-1 O man,
طٰه
20-1a: طه – In some dialects طه is used instead of یا رجل O man (IJ). Using a common noun indicates greatness and perfection. According to the chapter باب الاشارہ of Ruh al-Maani, the digits of طه add up to fourteen and this indicates attaining a status like the full moon (IJ) or that the light of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which was initially denied, will nevertheless reach its perfection like the full moon does on the fourteenth night. It is an interesting fact that the truth, which initially was like the sliver of a new moon, reached its perfection in the fourteenth year of the Call when it became firmly established and the strength and grandeur of its opponents was broken. How wonderful that, in the fourteenth century Hijra, the light of Prophet Muhammad which opponents have tried to extinguish, shines once again, resplendent like the full moon: وَٱلْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَـٰهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَٱلْعُرْجُونِ ٱلْقَدِيمِ : And the moon, We have ordained for it stages till it becomes again as an old dry palm-branch (36:39).
20-2 We have not revealed the Qur’an to thee that thou mayest be unsuccessful;a
مَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَىٰٓ (۲)
20-2a: شقاوۃ – It is the opposite of سعادت felicity, prosperity, auspicious and its meaning is inability to achieve goodness or to be deprived of Divine succor or assistance. Refer to 11-105a. Hence the verse means, when Allah has revealed such a grand, magnificent, and perfect Book to His messenger, it cannot be that he remains unsuccessful in fulfilling the purpose for which the Book is revealed. In other words, the Book has been revealed so that the Messenger can guide Allah’s creation to the right path and hence it is imperative that the Messenger succeeds. Since towards the end of the last chapter a very contentious nation is mentioned, hence Allah gives reassurance that the world will find guidance through the Quran.
20-3 But it is a reminder to him who fears:
إِلَّا تَذْكِرَةًۭ لِّمَن يَخْشَىٰ (۳)
20-4 A revelation from Him Who created the earth and the high heavens.a
تَنزِيلًۭا مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ ٱلْعُلَى (۴)
20-4a: عُلےٰ – It is the plural of عُلۡیا and عُلۡیا is the feminine of عُلےٰ which is used to show that compared to this world, the heavens are more eminent and superior (R).
20-5 The Beneficent is established on the Throne of Power.
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱسْتَوَىٰ (۵)
20-6 To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and whatever is between them and whatever is beneath the soil.a
لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ ٱلثَّرَىٰ (۶)
20-6a: ثری – is wet, soft mud. A hadith has the following: فاذا کلب یا کل الثری من العطش A dog was licking the wet mud because of thirst (LA). The word ثروت is from the same root and means abundance and also ثُریّا which is a star (LA). So, تَحْتَ ٱلثَّرَىٰ means what is in the earth. Some commentators have understood it as the seventh earth and as صخرۃ rocks.
20-7 And if thou utter the saying aloud, surely He knows the secret, and what is yet more hidden.a
وَإِن تَجْهَرْ بِٱلْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَعْلَمُ ٱلسِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى (۷)
20-7a: أَخْفَى – what is even more hidden than a secret. For example, a thought that crosses the mind, or even more hidden than that, a thought that has not yet come into awareness.
20-8 Allah — there is no God but He. His are the most beautiful names.
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ (۸)
20-9 And has the story of Moses come to thee?a
وَهَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ (۹)
20-9a: When Prophet Moses was not unsuccessful with his smaller-scale message, how could the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) remain unsuccessful. This comparison seems to be the real purpose for Prophet Moses’ mention. His account in this chapter starts with the first revelation and extends through the revelation of the entire sharia right up to its end. This is covered in great detail in five sections. Probably this is the first chapter in the order of revelation, in which the narration of Prophet Moses is covered in such detail.
20-10 When he saw a fire, he said to his people: Stay, I see a fire; haply I may bring to you therefrom a live coal or find guidance at the fire.a
إِذْ رَءَا نَارًۭا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ ٱمْكُثُوٓا۟ إِنِّىٓ ءَانَسْتُ نَارًۭا لَّعَلِّىٓ ءَاتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ هُدًۭى (۱۰)
20-10a: قبس – is a firebrand, taken from a burning fire. قَبَس and اِقۡتباس mean to seek a firebrand and metaphorically are used to seek knowledge and guidance, as in: ٱنظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ : Turn back and seek a light (57:13).
This is the beginning of the revelation to Prophet Moses. What is stated here shows that he was on a journey and his family was with him. This journey was from Midian to Egypt as is stated in another place فَلَبِثْتَ سِنِينَ فِىٓ أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئْتَ عَلَىٰ قَدَرٍۢ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ : Then thou didst stay for years among the people of Midian. Then thou camest hither as ordained, O Moses (20:40). This incident took place on the side of Mount Sinai: فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ مُوسَى ٱلْأَجَلَ وَسَارَ بِأَهْلِهِۦٓ ءَانَسَ مِن جَانِبِ ٱلطُّورِ نَارًۭا :Then when Moses had completed the term, and was travelling with his family, he perceived a fire on the side of the mountain (28:29).
What was the nature of the fire Prophet Moses saw? It is established from the next verse that this was not a fire that is used for burning. According to Ruh al-Maani, fire can be categorized into four types: A fire that gives off light and it burns, like the fires of this world; one that gives off neither light nor does it burn, like the fire of the trees; one that has no light but it burns, like the hell fire; one in which there is light but it does not burn, like the fire that Prophet Moses saw.
Prophet Moses’ vision: Gharaib al-Quran states that there is disagreement about whether what Prophet Moses saw was a fire or not. After giving the opinion, that it was indeed fire otherwise Prophet Moses would not be truthful in his reporting, it says that, if it was something like fire, the implication of being untruthful will not apply. In my opinion, the meaning of را saw is not what is assumed. For example, when Prophet Joseph says: إِنِّى رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِى سَـٰجِدِينَ : I saw eleven stars and the sun and moon – I saw them making obeisance to me (12:4), the stars, sun and moon stayed where they were in their orbits. Prophets may see things in different ways: in a dream while asleep, in a vision while awake, in the state of receiving revelation, and they also see things in an ordinary manner like others. What Prophet Moses saw was not like the general seeing of objects because the fire did not turn out to be one from which he could light a branch. This was not a dream, and Prophet Moses had not yet started receiving revelation. We can conclude that it was a vision, and in a vision, one sees an event in a state of wakefulness, but that event is of another realm. It was in this visionary state that Prophet Moses saw a fire. It is incorrect to say that if there was no actual fire his account was not truthful, because what is stated is that Prophet Moses saw a fire, which is true because that was what he saw.
The meaning of أَجِدُ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ هُدًۭى find guidance at the fire can be both that Prophet Moses may find someone who can give him directions, and it can also be that he may find spiritual guidance. The explanations of Mujahid and Qatada are close to the second meaning (RM) which suits the context. Thus, Prophet Moses realized that what he was seeing was probably a vision and that he was being beckoned to receive some religious guidance from Allah. In my opinion, the meaning of the word خبر in 28:29 is to get spiritual guidance.
20-11 So when he came to it, a voice came: O Moses,
فَلَمَّآ أَتَىٰهَا نُودِىَ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ (۱۱)
20-12 Surely I am thy Lord, so take off thy shoes; surely thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa.a
إِنِّىٓ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكَ فَٱخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ ۖ إِنَّكَ بِٱلْوَادِ ٱلْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًۭى (۱۲)
20-12a: ٱخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ – خَلۡع means to take off and نعل means shoes. رجُلٌ ناعِلٌ a man with shoes and مُنۡعَل means a wealthy person, just as حافر bare footed means a beggar (R). ٱخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ has been interpreted in two ways. One is literally, because the shoes were made of the skin of a dead donkey. The second is a Sufi interpretation according to which this is an idiom and is actually a command to stand up and be strong, since asking someone to remove their garments and shoes is a way to say be strong (R). نعل also connotes an item used for comfort, and hence, emptying the heart of attachment to wealth and family may be implied (RM).
طُوًۭى – طَوَی (verbal noun طَیّ) means to fold, roll up, tuck, as in يَوْمَ نَطْوِى ٱلسَّمَآءَ كَطَىِّ ٱلسِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ۚ The day when We roll up heaven like the rolling up of a scroll of writing (21:104). In the interpretation of طُوًۭى some have said that it is the name of the valley that Prophet Moses was in, and it refers to the status bestowed on Prophet Moses by being chosen, since his journey was shortened and this spiritual eminence could not have been achieved through his own effort and endeavor (R). According to some others طُویً and طوِیً have the same meaning: something repeated twice. The meaning of طُویً is taken to be طُوِیَ مرتین , purified twice. Hassan says that it was blessed and sanctified twice (LA). Some have understood طُوًۭى as his Lord called him twice, while Mujahid says it means twice sanctified and blessed (IJ). Being twice blessed means that it was already a holy land or blessed land and the fact that Prophet Moses received his revelation there made it doubly blessed.
It is obvious that what is mentioned in the previous verse and this verse is Divine revelation, as also stated in إِذْ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلْوَادِ ٱلْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى : When his Lord called him in the holy valley Tuwa (79:16). It is not the voice of a tree, rather the caller is Almighty Allah Himself, which is also manifest from إِنِّىٓ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكَ : I am thy Lord. The revelation to Prophet Moses came in the same way as revelation to other prophets. Some people have argued that there were no words. This is incorrect because وحی متلو revelation that is recited always has words. This is the highest form of revelation. However, in وحی خفی hidden revelation an idea is put into the heart and there are no words.
What is the purpose of taking off the shoes? Is it because of respect for the sanctity of the place? Most commentators think so, but it must be remembered that there can be communion with Allah even when one is wearing shoes, as happened with Prophet Moses himself. If the shoes are clean, there is nothing wrong with wearing them while going into a purified space which even includes the mosque. Since one can have communion with Allah while wearing shoes, then going with clean shoes into a purified space cannot be prohibited. From this perspective, the metaphorical meanings discussed above are more appropriate; this is a command to Prophet Moses to be firm of heart when embarking upon his task, or that he should set aside the concerns of the world and devote himself to the propagation of faith. In the absence of these explanations, there seems to be no apparent reason to, in the middle of a revelation, give a command to remove shoes. In the same manner when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was commanded وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ : And thy garments do purify (74:4), it really means to act righteously or to purify the soul.
20-13 And I have chosen thee so listen to what is revealed:a
وَأَنَا ٱخْتَرْتُكَ فَٱسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَىٰٓ (۱۳)
20-13a: ٱخْتَرْتُكَ – It is derived from اختیار (feminine خیر ) it means to seek what is beneficial, doing what is good, and sometimes it is used for what one considers as good even though it may not be good. It is true that Allah’s using اختیار for His servants as here and in: ٱخْتَرْنَـٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ : And certainly We chose them above the nations, having knowledge (44:32) refers to being born virtuous. It can also indicate that they are preferred above others (R). In common usage, مختار is an action not done under compulsion, hence it may be said a person is مختار in resources, meaning that the person is wealthy and under no compulsion to act in a certain way.
20-14 Surely I am Allah, there is no God but I, so serve Me, and keep up prayer for My remembrance,
إِنَّنِىٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدْنِى وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِذِكْرِىٓ (۱۴)
20-15 Surely the Hour is coming — I am about to make it manifest — so that every soul may be rewarded as it strives.a
إِنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ ءَاتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ (۱۵)
20-15a: Keeping the Day of Judgment concealed: اخفی – خَفَی (یَخۡفِیۡ) can be interpreted in two ways which are opposites; concealed or manifested, but اَخۡفَی (یُخۡفِیۡ) infinitive mood اِخۡفاء only means concealed (LA). أَكَادُ in this verse occurs in the sense of ارید I am about to make it. Some have recited it as اَخفیہا which has the meaning اظھرھا to manifest, to show, to display. Abu Ali has taken the meaning of اَخفیہا also as اظھرھا (RM). أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا I am about to make it manifest is a parenthetical sentence and refers to that greater Resurrection which will bring reward or punish based on a person’s actions. Allah keeps this concealed from a person’s eyes because the reward or punishment for actions is a concealed matter which will only fully manifest with the Resurrection.
20-16 So let not him, who believes not in it and follows his low desire, turn thee away from it, lest thou perish.a
فَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكَ عَنْهَا مَن لَّا يُؤْمِنُ بِهَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ فَتَرْدَىٰ (۱۶)
20-16a: The pronouns in عَنْهَا in it and بِهَا from it can either both stand for ساعة Hour or for صلوٰۃ prayer, or the first can stand for prayer and the second for the Hour (RM). Thus, it can be read as: So let not him, who believes not in the Hour (or prayer) and follows his low desires turn thee away from the Hour (or prayer). It is possible that the pronoun in عَنْهَا stands for the understood action, which is propagation of truth, so it would mean, turn you away from propagation of the truth. The evidence in support of the last interpretation is that the verses that follow address those who hinder the propagation of truth.
20-17 And what is this in thy right hand, O Moses?
وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ (۱۷)
20-18 He said: This is my staff — I lean on it, and I beat the leaves with it for my sheep, and I have other uses for it.
قَالَ هِىَ عَصَاىَ أَتَوَكَّؤُا۟ عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَىٰ غَنَمِى وَلِىَ فِيهَا مَـَٔارِبُ أُخْرَىٰ (۱۸)
20-18a: أَهُشُّ – ھَشّ is quite close in meaning to ھزّ. Both mean to create motion but the difference is that ھَشّ is to create motion in something soft such as to scatter leaves by beating them (R).
مَـَٔارِب – It is the plural of مَاُرَبة and it is a verbal noun from اَرِبَ and اَرۡب means dire necessity for which trickery is required (R). In أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ : …who know not women’s nakedness… (24:31), إِرْبَةِ means the need for marriage.
During a Divine revelation, a person can ask a question and get the answer through the revelation. The reply of Prophet Moses during the revelation is similar to the way the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) replied thrice : ما انا بقارئ I am not one who can read when asked to read by Angel Gabriel at the start of the first revelation.
20-19 He said: Cast it down, O Moses.
قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يَـٰمُوسَىٰ (۱۹)
20-20 So he cast it down, and lo! it was a serpent, gliding.a
فَأَلْقَىٰهَا فَإِذَا هِىَ حَيَّةٌۭ تَسْعَىٰ (۲۰)
20-20a: The staff turning into a snake in the initial revelation, and into a serpent before Pharoah, and the interpretation: حَيَّة is a snake and it is derived from حیاۃ meaning life, because of the long lifespan of snakes (LA). The word is used for both small and large snakes. There are three places in the Quran where it is mentioned that when Allah started revealing to Prophet Moses and asked him to cast his staff, it turned into a snake. The first is in the above verse and the snake is called حَيَّة , the second time is in chapter Al-Naml (27:10) and the third time is in chapter Al-Qasas (28:31). In the two latter cases, the snake is called جانّ which means a slim snake. There are two places in the Quran, Al A‘raf (7:107) and Al-Shu‘ara (26:32) where there is mention of Moses casting his staff before Pharoah and the staff turns into a ثعبان which is a serpent. In Al A‘raf (7:117), Ta Ha (20:69) and Al Shuara (26:45) during the contest with the magicians, where there is a command to cast the staff, the transformed staff is not given any name and it is simply said that the staff swallowed whatever the magicians had made. The change in the words used cannot be without a reason.
It is obvious that when Prophet Moses is shown the staff converting into a snake, it is not a miracle because a miracle is needed for someone who rejects the truth and Prophet Moses was not a rejecter. The staff did not possess the special property of turning into a snake, because apart from the demonstration before Pharoah there is no mention of this happening any other time in the life of Prophet Moses. In fact, even in the competition with the magicians, Prophet Moses did not cast the staff until he received a revelation from Allah to do so. So, on each occasion, the casting of the staff and its transformation serves a separate purpose. Privately demonstrating the staff turning into a snake for Prophet Moses seems to show that Allah will bring his nation to life. The purpose of the transformation of the staff into a serpent in the court of Pharaoh is to show how Prophet Moses’ nation will devour him and his army. This is not to say that the staff did not transform into a snake or serpent, but simply that the transformations had different significances.
20-21 He said: Seize it and fear not. We shall return it to its former state.a
قَالَ خُذْهَا وَلَا تَخَفْ ۖ سَنُعِيدُهَا سِيرَتَهَا ٱلْأُولَىٰ (۲۱)
20-21a: سِيرَت – سیر means to walk and سِيرَت is the manners or nature of a person, whether natural or attained. For example, it is said that a person’s سِيرَت manners are good or bad. What سِيرَت means here is its prior condition of being a wooden staff (R).
This shows that turning into a snake was only a temporary condition.
20-22 And press thy hand to thy side, it will come out white without evil — another sign:
وَٱضْمُمْ يَدَكَ إِلَىٰ جَنَاحِكَ تَخْرُجْ بَيْضَآءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوٓءٍ ءَايَةً أُخْرَىٰ (۲۲)
20-23 That We may show thee of Our greater signs.a
لِنُرِيَكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ٱلْكُبْرَى (۲۳)
20-23a: One way in which the meaning of لِنُرِيَكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ٱلْكُبْرَى : That We may show thee of Our greater signs is interpreted is: these are the great signs Allah wanted to show Prophet Moses. However, in my opinion, the verse means, these signs are shown so that Allah may manifest even greater signs. The greater signs imply giving the Israelites supremacy which is indicated in the signs shown.
20-24 Go to Pharaoh, surely he has exceeded the limits.
ٱذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ (۲۴)
Bayan-ul-Quran 