Al-Qasas 28:43 · The Stories · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"After We had destroyed the earlier generations, We gave Moses the Scripture to provide insight, guidance, and mercy for people, so that they might take heed."

Pickthall (classic)+

"And We verily gave the Scripture unto Moses after We had destroyed the generations of old: clear testimonies for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, that haply they might reflect."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"We did reveal to Moses the Book after We had destroyed the earlier generations, (to give) Insight to men, and guidance and Mercy, that they might receive admonition."

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

The Blessings which Allah bestowed upon Musa

Allah tells us about the blessings which He gave His servant and Messenger Musa, the speaker, may the best of peace and blessings from his Lord be upon him, He revealed the Tawrah to him after He destroyed Fir`awn and his chiefs.

مِن بَعْدِ مَآ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الاٍّولَى

(after We had destroyed the generations of old) After the revelation of the Tawrah, no nation would again be punished with an overwhelming calamity; instead the believers were now commanded to fight the enemies of Allah among the idolators, as Allah says:

وَجَآءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَن قَبْلَهُ وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَـتُ بِالْخَاطِئَةِ - فَعَصَوْاْ رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةً رَّابِيَةً

(And Fir`awn, and those before him, and the cities overthrown committed sin. And they disobeyed their Lord's Messenger, so He seized them with a strong punishment) (69:9-10).

بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً

(as an enlightenment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy,) guidance from blindness and error. A guidance to the truth and a mercy means, to show the way towards doing righteous deeds.

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(that they might remember.) means, that the people might be reminded and guided by it.

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Речь идет о Торе, которая была ниспослана после того, как Всевышний Аллах потопил Фараона и его воинство. Это был последний народ, который был целиком истреблен по Его приказу. После этого было ниспослано Писание, в котором было предписано сражаться против неверующих с оружием в руках. Ниспосланное Мусе Писание было наглядным наставлением для людей: оно разъясняло рабам, что может принести им пользу, а что может навредить им. Оно лишало грешников любых оправданий и помогало верующим укрепить их веру. Именно для них оно представляло собой руководство к прямому пути и милость. В предыдущих аятах Всевышний Аллах открыл Своему посланнику, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует, часть сокровенного знания. Для того чтобы люди твердо знали, что даже посланник Аллаха, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует, может получить такие сведения только путем божественного откровения, Всевышний Аллах сказал:

Commentary

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُ‌ونَ الْأُولَىٰ بَصَائِرَ‌ لِلنَّاسِ (And We gave Musa, after We destroyed the earlier generations, the Book having insights for people - 28:43). The words "earlier generations" refer to the people of Nuh, Hud, Salilh, and Lut (علیہم السلام) ، who were destroyed before the time of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) because of their denial of truth. بَصَائِرَ‌ Basair is the plural of Basirah بَصِیرَہ whose literal meaning is sagacity, insight and discernment. Here it is purported for that light or refulgence which Allah Ta’ ala bestows in the hearts of people with which they find out the truth and discern the distinction between right and wrong. (Mazhari)

If the word Nas ناس (people) is used in the phrase بَصَائِرَ‌ لِلنَّاسِ ( (28:43) (insights for people) for the people of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) then the meaning of the verse is quite clear. No doubt for the people of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) Torah was the book of wisdom. But if the word is used for all people in whom the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ is also included, then the question would arise that the Torah, which is available to the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ ، is not the original one. In this Torah many changes have taken place. So, how could this Torah be regarded as a book of wisdom for them? Moreover, it will mean that the Muslims too should benefit from the Torah, while there is a well-known hadith that Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ once sought permission from the Holy Prophet ﷺ for reading Torah, so that he could improve his knowledge and benefit from the injunctions contained in it. On this the Holy Prophet ﷺ got angry and said that if Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) was alive, he too would have been required to follow him. (The essence of this retort is that he [ Sayyidna 'Umar ؓ ] should concentrate only on his teachings, and that he was not required to look into the teachings of Torah or Injil). It is worth reminding here that it was the time when revelation of Qur'an was still continuing, and in order to eliminate any possibility of mingling of hadith with the Qur'anic text, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had advised some of his companions to stop writing even the hadith. Under such a situation it is obvious that reading of a cancelled divine book was not expedient. It, therefore, does not necessarily follow that reading of Torah and Injil is banned for all times. On the contrary, reading and quoting by the companions of that part of these books in which coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was predicted is well established. Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Salam and Ka'b Al-Ahbar ؓ are quite well known for this. Other companions also did not raise a finger against it. The bottom line of this discussion is that it is allowed to benefit from the unaltered part of these books, which no doubt contains wisdom. But only those could draw any benefit from this who can distinguish between the altered and unaltered parts of the books; and they are the expert scholars. A common man should avoid such an exercise, lest he gets entangled in a quandary. The same ruling is applicable to all those books that are a mixture of right and wrong.