English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 7: Al-Araf — The Elevated Places (Revealed at Makkah: 24 sections, 206 verses)
Section 17 (Verses 7:142–7:147): Moses Receives the Law
Translation:
وَ وٰعَدۡنَا مُوۡسٰی ثَلٰثِیۡنَ لَیۡلَۃً وَّ اَتۡمَمۡنٰہَا بِعَشۡرٍ فَتَمَّ مِیۡقَاتُ رَبِّہٖۤ اَرۡبَعِیۡنَ لَیۡلَۃً ۚ وَ قَالَ مُوۡسٰی لِاَخِیۡہِ ہٰرُوۡنَ اخۡلُفۡنِیۡ فِیۡ قَوۡمِیۡ وَ اَصۡلِحۡ وَ لَا تَتَّبِعۡ سَبِیۡلَ الۡمُفۡسِدِیۡنَ ﴿۱۴۲﴾
7:142 And We appointed for Moses thirty nights, and completed them with ten, so the appointed time of his Lord was complete forty nights. And Moses said to his brother Aaron: Take my place among my people, and act well and do not follow the way of the mischief-makers.
وَ لَمَّا جَآءَ مُوۡسٰی لِمِیۡقَاتِنَا وَ کَلَّمَہٗ رَبُّہٗ ۙ قَالَ رَبِّ اَرِنِیۡۤ اَنۡظُرۡ اِلَیۡکَ ؕ قَالَ لَنۡ تَرٰىنِیۡ وَ لٰکِنِ انۡظُرۡ اِلَی الۡجَبَلِ فَاِنِ اسۡتَقَرَّ مَکَانَہٗ فَسَوۡفَ تَرٰىنِیۡ ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلّٰی رَبُّہٗ لِلۡجَبَلِ جَعَلَہٗ دَکًّا وَّ خَرَّ مُوۡسٰی صَعِقًا ۚ فَلَمَّاۤ اَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبۡحٰنَکَ تُبۡتُ اِلَیۡکَ وَ اَنَا اَوَّلُ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۱۴۳﴾
7:143 And when Moses came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My Lord, show me (Yourself) so that I may look at You. He said: You cannot see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains firm in its place, then will you see Me. So when his Lord manifested His glory to the mountain, He made it crumble and Moses fell down fainting.1 Then when he recovered, he said: Glory be to You! I turn to You, and I am the first of the believers.
قَالَ یٰمُوۡسٰۤی اِنِّی اصۡطَفَیۡتُکَ عَلَی النَّاسِ بِرِسٰلٰتِیۡ وَ بِکَلَامِیۡ ۫ۖ فَخُذۡ مَاۤ اٰتَیۡتُکَ وَ کُنۡ مِّنَ الشّٰکِرِیۡنَ ﴿۱۴۴﴾
7:144 He said: O Moses, surely I have chosen you above the people by My messages and My words. So take hold of what I give you and be of the grateful ones.
وَ کَتَبۡنَا لَہٗ فِی الۡاَلۡوَاحِ مِنۡ کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ مَّوۡعِظَۃً وَّ تَفۡصِیۡلًا لِّکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ ۚ فَخُذۡہَا بِقُوَّۃٍ وَّ اۡمُرۡ قَوۡمَکَ یَاۡخُذُوۡا بِاَحۡسَنِہَا ؕ سَاُورِیۡکُمۡ دَارَ الۡفٰسِقِیۡنَ ﴿۱۴۵﴾
7:145 And We ordained for him in the tablets admonition of every kind and clear explanation of all things.2 So take hold of these (teachings) with firmness and command your people to take hold of the best of these. I shall show you the abode of the transgressors.3
سَاَصۡرِفُ عَنۡ اٰیٰتِیَ الَّذِیۡنَ یَتَکَبَّرُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ بِغَیۡرِ الۡحَقِّ ؕ وَ اِنۡ یَّرَوۡا کُلَّ اٰیَۃٍ لَّا یُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِہَا ۚ وَ اِنۡ یَّرَوۡا سَبِیۡلَ الرُّشۡدِ لَا یَتَّخِذُوۡہُ سَبِیۡلًا ۚ وَ اِنۡ یَّرَوۡا سَبِیۡلَ الۡغَیِّ یَتَّخِذُوۡہُ سَبِیۡلًا ؕ ذٰلِکَ بِاَنَّہُمۡ کَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِنَا وَ کَانُوۡا عَنۡہَا غٰفِلِیۡنَ ﴿۱۴۶﴾
7:146 I shall turn away from My messages those who are unjustly proud in the earth. And if they see every sign, they will not believe in it; and if they see the way of rectitude, they do not take it for a way; and if they see the way of error, they take it for a way. This is because they reject Our messages and are heedless of them.
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِنَا وَ لِقَآءِ الۡاٰخِرَۃِ حَبِطَتۡ اَعۡمَالُہُمۡ ؕ ہَلۡ یُجۡزَوۡنَ اِلَّا مَا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۴۷﴾٪
7:147 And those who reject Our messages and the meeting of the Hereafter — their deeds are fruitless. Can they be rewarded except for what they do?
Commentary:
- The words You cannot see Me negative the seeing of the Divine Being with the physical eye. Moses’ request seems to have been based on the elders’ demand spoken of in 2:55. I venture, however, another explanation. What Moses wanted to see was the great manifestation of Divine glory which was reserved for the Holy Prophet Muhammad. In fact, both Moses and Jesus were not equal to the task which was reserved for the Prophet Muhammad. Jesus said that he could not teach his followers all things, but that when the Comforter made his appearance he would guide them into all truth. That Moses was unequal to the Holy Prophet’s task was clearly demonstrated by his falling down in a swoon when he beheld the Great Manifestation. ↩︎
- The words admonition of every kind and explanation of all things cannot be taken generally, but are limited by the requirements of the time in which Moses appeared. ↩︎
- The meaning is that a time will come to the Israelites when they will become transgressors, i.e. they will not keep the Divine commandments. ↩︎