Ta Ha — Verse 25

The Hand of Musa turning White without any Disease This is the second sign of Musa. That is Allah has commanded him to place his hand into the opening of his garment, as is clearly stated in another Ayah. It mentioned here merely as a passing reference, saying: وَاضْمُمْ يَدَكَ إِلَى جَنَاحِكَ (And press your hand to your side:) Allah said in another Ayah, وَاضْمُمْ إِلَيْكَ جَنَاحَكَ مِنَ الرَّهْبِ فَذَانِكَ بُرْهَانَـنِ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ (And draw your hand close to your side to be free from fear. These are two signs from your Lord to Fir`awn and his chiefs.) 28:32 Mujahid said, وَاضْمُمْ يَدَكَ إِلَى جَنَاحِكَ (And press your hand to your side:) "This means put your palm under your upper arm." When Musa put his hand into the opening of his garment and brought it out, it came out shining as if it were a half moon. Concerning His statement, تَخْرُجْ بَيْضَآءَ مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوءٍ (it will come forth white, without any disease) This means without any leprosy, ailment, or disfigurement. This was stated by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and others. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "He brought it out, and by Allah, it was as if it were a lamp. From this Musa knew that he had surely met his Lord, the Mighty and Sublime." This is why Allah says, لِنُرِيَكَ مِنْ ءَايَـتِنَا الْكُبْرَى (That We may show you (some) of Our greater signs.) Allah commanded Musa to go to Fir`awn to convey the Message Allah said, Allah commanded Musa to go to Fir`awn to convey the Message Allah said, اذْهَبْ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى (Go to Fir`awn! Verily, he has transgressed.) This means, "Go to Fir`awn, the king of Egypt, whom you left Egypt fleeing from, and invite him to the worship of Allah alone, Who has no partners. Command him to treat the Children of Israel well and to not torment them. For verily, he has transgressed, oppressed, preferred the worldly life and forgotten the Most High Lord." The Supplication of Musa قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى - وَيَسِّرْ لِى أَمْرِى ((Musa) said: "O my Lord! Open for me my chest, and ease my task for me.") Musa requsted his Lord to expand his chest for his mission. For verily, He was commanding him with a great task and a weighty affair. He was sending him to the mightiest king on the face of the earth at that time. He was the most arrogant and severe of all people in his disbelief, and He had the largest army and the most powerful kingdom. He was the most tyrannical and the most obstinate of rulers. His case was such that he claimed not to know Allah at all, and that he knew of no god for his subjects other than himself. Along with this, Musa lived in his home for a period of time as a child. He stayed in Fir`awn's own room and slept on his bed. Then, after this, he killed one of their people and feared that they would retaliate by killing him in return. Thus, he fled from them and remained an outlaw during this entire time. Then, after all of this, His Lord sent him to them as a warner calling them to worship Allah alone, without associating partners with Him. This is why he said, قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى - وَيَسِّرْ لِى أَمْرِى (O my Lord! Open for me my chest, and ease my task for me.) This means, "I cannot perform this task if You do not help me, aid me and support me." وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِى - يَفْقَهُواْ قَوْلِي (And loosen the knot from my tongue, that they understand my speech.) This is referring to the lisp that he had. This lisp was a result of an incident when he was presented a date and a hot coal stone and he placed the coal on his tongue instead of the date. A detailed explanation of this story is forthcoming in the following chapters. However, he did not ask Allah to remove this affliction all together. Rather, he asked for removal of his stammering so the people would understand what he intended in his speech. He was only asking for what was necessary to deliver his message. If he had asked for the removal of his affliction in its entirety, it would have been cured for him. However, the Prophets do not ask for any more than what is required. Therefore, he was left with the remnants of this accident that took place with his tongue. Allah informed of what Fir`awn said concerning him, أَمْ أَنَآ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَـذَا الَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلاَ يَكَادُ يُبِينُ (Am I not better than this one who is despicable and can scarcely express himself clearly)43:52 This means that he is not eloquent in speech. Concerning Allah's statement, وَاجْعَل لِّى وَزِيراً مِّنْ أَهْلِى - هَـرُونَ أَخِى (And appoint for me a helper from my family, Harun, my brother.) This was also a request from Musa concerning something not pertaining to himself. That was his request for the assistance of his brother, Harun. Ath-Thawri reported from Abu Sa`id, from `Ikrimah, who said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Harun was made a Prophet at the same moment that Musa was made a Prophet." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `A'ishah went out intending to perform `Umrah and stopped to camp among some bedouins. While she was among them she heard a man say, "Which brother in this life was the most beneficial to his brother" The people said, "We do not know." The man said, "By Allah, I know." `A'ishah said, "I said to myself about his swearing, that he should not swear such an oath, singling himself out as knowing what person was of most benefit to his brother." The man said, "It is Musa, when he asked for prophethood to be bestowed upon his brother." Then `A'ishah said, "By Allah, he has spoken truthfully." This is why Allah commended Musa by saying, وَكَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهاً (And he was honorable before Allah.)33:69 Concerning Musa's statement, اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِى (Increase my strength with him.) Mujahid said, "This means to make my back strong." وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِى أَمْرِى (And let him share my task.) make him my consultant in this matter. كَىْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيراً - وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيراً (That we may glorify You much, and remember You much.) Mujahid said, "A servant of Allah is not considered of those who remember Allah much until he remembers Allah while standing, sitting and lying down." Concerning his statement, إِنَّكَ كُنتَ بِنَا بَصِيراً (Verily, You are ever seeing us.) This means in Your choosing us, giving us the prophethood and sending us to Your enemy, Fir`awn. So unto You is all praise for this.

He said ‘My Lord expand my breast for me expand it so that it may accommodate the weight of the Divine Message.

قال موسى: رب وسِّع لي صدري، وسَهِّل لي أمري، وأطلق لساني بفصيح المنطق؛ ليفهموا كلامي. واجعل لي معينا من أهلي، هارون أخي. قَوِّني به وشدَّ به ظهري، وأشركه معي في النبوة وتبليغ الرسالة؛ كي ننزهك بالتسبيح كثيرًا، ونذكرك كثيرا فنحمدك. إنك كنت بنا بصيرًا، لا يخفى عليك شيء من أفعالنا.

"قال رب اشرح لي صدري ويسر لي أمري" هذا سؤال من موسى عليه السلام لربه عز وجل أن يشرح له صدره فيما بعثه به فإنه قد أمره بأمر عظيم وخطب جسيم: بعثه إلى أعظم ملك على وجه الأرض إذ ذاك وأجبرهم وأشدهم كفرا وأكثرهم جنودا وأعمرهم ملكا وأطغاهم وأبلغهم تمردا بلغ من أمره أن ادعى أنه لا يعرف الله ولا يعلم لرعاياه إلها غيره وهذا وقد مكث موسى في داره مدة وليدا عندهم في حجر فرعون على فراشه ثم قتل منهم نفسا فخافهم أن يقتلوه فهرب منهم هذه المدة بكمالها ثم بعد هذا بعثه ربه عز وجل إليهم نذيرا يدعوهم إلى الله عز وجل أن يعبدوه وحده لا شريك له.

وهنا التمس موسى - عليه السلام - العون من خالقه ، لكى يتسنى له أداء ما كلفه به فقال : ( رَبِّ اشرح لِي صَدْرِي ) أى : أسألك يا إلهى أن توسع صدرى بنور الإيمان والنبوة ، وأن تجعله يتقبل تكاليفك بسرور وارتياح .

( قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي ) يقول: ربّ اشرح لي صدري، لأعي عنك ما تودعه من وحيك، وأجترئ به على خطاب فرعون

( قال ) موسى : ( رب اشرح لي صدري ) وسعه للحق ، قال ابن عباس : يريد حتى لا أخاف غيرك ، وذلك أن موسى كان يخاف فرعون خوفا شديدا لشدة شوكته وكثرة جنوده ، وكان يضيق صدرا بما كلف من مقاومة فرعون وحده ، فسأل الله أن يوسع قلبه للحق حتى يعلم أن أحدا لا يقدر على مضرته إلا بإذن الله ، وإذا علم ذلك لم يخف فرعون وشدة شوكته وكثرة جنوده .

قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي (25) فالشرح ، حقيقته : تقطيع ظاهر شيء ليّن . واستعير هنا لإزالة ما في نفس الإنسان من خواطر تكدره أو توجب تردده في الإقدام على عمل ما تشبيهاً بتشريح اللحم بجامع التوسعة .والقلب : يراد به في كلامهم والعقل . فالمعنى : أزل عن فكري الخوف ونحوه ، مما يعترض الإنسان من عقبات تحول بينه وبين الانتفاع بإقدامه وعزامته ، وذلك من العُسر ، فسأل تيسير أمره ، أي إزالة الموانع الحافّة بما كلف به .

تفسير الآيتين 24 و25 :ـلما أوحى الله إلى موسى، ونبأه، وأراه الآيات الباهرات، أرسله إلى فرعون، ملك مصر، فقال: { اذْهَبْ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى } أي: تمرد وزاد على الحد في الكفر والفساد والعلو في الأرض، والقهر للضعفاء، حتى إنه ادعى الربوبية والألوهية -قبحه الله- أي: وطغيانه سبب لهلاكه، ولكن من رحمة الله وحكمته وعدله، أنه لا يعذب أحدا، إلا بعد قيام الحجة بالرسل، فحينئذ علم موسى عليه السلام أنه تحمل حملا عظيما، حيث أرسل إلى هذا الجبار العنيد، الذي ليس له منازع في مصر من الخلق، وموسى عليه السلام، وحده، وقد جرى منه ما جرى من القتل، فامتثل أمر ربه، وتلقاه بالانشراح والقبول، وسأله المعونة وتيسير الأسباب، التي [هي] من تمام الدعوة، فقال: { رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي } أي: وسعه وأفسحه، لأتحمل الأذى القولي والفعلي، ولا يتكدر قلبي بذلك، ولا يضيق صدري، فإن الصدر إذا ضاق، لم يصلح صاحبه لهداية الخلق ودعوتهم. قال الله لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: { فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ } وعسى الخلق يقبلون الحق مع اللين وسعة الصدر وانشراحه عليهم.

طلب الإعانة لتبليغ الرسالة .ويقال إن الله أعلمه بأنه ربط على قلب فرعون وأنه لا يؤمن ; فقال موسى : يا رب فكيف تأمرني أن آتيه وقد ربطت على قلبه ; فأتاه ملك من خزان الريح فقال يا موسى انطلق إلى ما أمرك الله به .فقال موسى عند ذلك : " رب اشرح لي صدري " أي وسعه ونوره بالإيمان والنبوة .

After attaining prophethood, Moses might well have developed a sense of pride. But, at that time, the nature of his request to God reveals that he did not take prophethood as a matter of pride but as a matter of responsibility. At that time, the words he uttered were those of one who is fully conscious of the delicate and exacting responsibility attached to the work of a mission. The opening of the heart for a man of the mission means that, according to the different occasions that may arise, appropriate guidance may enter it unhindered. The easing of the situation means that opponents should never succeed in impeding the work of the divine mission. Loosening the knot of the tongue means acquiring the capability to address large gatherings without hesitation in order to give the divine call. Almighty God granted all this to Moses to enable him to effectively discharge the responsibility of prophethood. Along with this, at his request, He made his (Moses’) brother, Aaron, a powerful assistant to him. This special assistance given to a prophet may also be given to a dayee, who is not a prophet, provided that he devotes himself fully to the work of the mission as the prophet had done. Remembrance of God is the real purpose of religion. But, remembrance does not mean the mere oral repetition of certain words. It indicates rather that state which is quite naturally engendered by the discovery of Truth. At that time, a man experiences the perfection of God’s attributes to the point of being quite swept away by them. He becomes so overwhelmed with godly feeling that he dedicates himself unstintingly to the divine cause.

Commentary When Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) 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 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 اشْرَ‌حْ لِي صَدْرِ‌ي ! (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.

((Moses) said: My Lord! Relieve my mind) soften my heart so that I do not fear him,