Surah al-Qasas (The Stories) 28 : 31

Overview (Verses 29 - 35)

On the Way Back

The ten years agreed between the two men have passed, bringing us to the story’s third episode. We see Moses on the road again, backtracking along the route he had taken alone ten years previously. This time though he is travelling with his family. The atmosphere on this second journey is totally different. He is about to receive, on the way, something that he could never have imagined. His Lord will call him and speak to him. He will assign to him the mission for which He has prepared him. Moses is, thus, to deliver God’s message to Pharaoh and his nobles, asking them to release the Children of Israel so that they can worship God alone, associating no partners with Him, and taking possession of the land God has promised them. In this way, Moses would be an enemy and source of grief for Pharaoh, Hāmān and their hosts. In essence, he would bring about their downfall. When Moses had fulfilled his term, and was travelling with his family, he perceived a fire on the slope of Mount Sinai. So he said to his family: “Wait here, for I perceive a fire. Perhaps I may bring you from there some information, or a burning brand from the fire so that you may warm yourselves.’ But when he came close to it, he was addressed from the right-side bank of the valley, out of the tree on the blessed site: Moses! Truly, I am God, the Lord of all the worlds. Throw down your stair’ But when he saw it moving, as if it were a serpent, he turned and fled, with no thought of turning back. [God said]: Moses! Draw near and have no fear! You are certainly secure. Now place your hand inside your garment, and it will come out [shining] white without blemish. Then draw your arm close to your side to allay your fear. These, then, are two proof from your Lord to Pharaoh and his nobles. They are indeed wicked people. ‘He said: My Lord! I have killed one of them and I fear that they will kill me. And my brother, Aaron, is better in speech than I am. So send him with me as a helper, so that he would confirm what I say, for I fear that they will accuse me of lying.’ Said He: “We shall strengthen your arm with your brother, and will endow both of you with power, so that they will not be able to touch you. By virtue of Our signs shall you two and those who follow you prevail.’ (Verses 29-35) Before we discuss this episode, we need to reflect a little on what God intended for Moses in those ten years, and the purpose behind his journeys away from and back to Egypt. We note that it was God’s hand that planned the way Moses’ life should unfold, step by step, right from the time he was a suckling newborn. It ensured that he was cast in the river so that Pharaoh’s household should pick him up. It endeared him to Pharaoh’s wife so that he was brought up in his enemy’s home. It then made him enter the city at a time when its people were unaware of him, only to kill one of its people. It then sent him a believer from among Pharaoh’s own household to warn him to leave the city. It then took care of him along the desert road to Madyan, when he travelled suddenly, alone and ill prepared. It took him to the old man where he stayed for ten years before returning to Egypt to receive his mission. We, thus, witness a long line of care, instruction and the gaining of experience before Moses is called and assigned his mission. His experience included being loved and pampered, spontaneous retaliation as a result of prolonged pressure, regret and repentance, being in fear for his life and chased, finding himself a lonely and hungry stranger, serving others as a shepherd after having lived in a palace, along with a multitude of small experiences, varied feelings, thoughts and understanding in addition to what God bestowed on him of knowledge and wisdom on reaching his prime.

Preparation for a Difficult Mission

To be entrusted with a divine message is a hard and multi-faceted task. The one so assigned needs a wealth of experience, understanding, knowledge and refinement in practical matters. They also need God’s special favours, His revelations and directives.

Apart from the message of Islam given to Muhammad (peace be upon him), Moses’ message is perhaps the hardest assigned to any prophet. He was sent to Pharaoh, the most tyrannical ruler on earth at the time. Pharaoh was also head of the longest established monarchy, and the most advanced civilization. Furthermore, he was a ruler that demanded to be worshipped by all his subjects.

Moses was sent to rescue a community that had long been humiliated, and who had long accepted humiliation as their lot. Humiliation corrupts human nature, obliterating its good, beautiful aspects and making what is rotten, filthy and decadent appear acceptable. To rescue such a community was a tough assignment.

Moreover, the people to be addressed by his message had deviated from their old faith. Their hearts were neither free to readily accept the new faith, nor could they conform to their original faith. Addressing such people would be difficult, made all the more so by the numerous deviations and innovations they had introduced over several generations.

In short, Moses was given the mission of rebuilding a nation, or, indeed, to build it from scratch. With his message, the Children of Israel became, for the first time, a separate community, with a special way of life, implementing a message.

Perhaps this is why the Qur’ān attaches such importance to this story. For it provides a complete example of building a nation on the basis of faith. We see all the internal and external difficulties, deviations and other impediments that stand in its way.

The ten years Moses spent in Madyan served as a learning period, separating the palace life Moses was used to during his childhood, and the hard life awaiting him as he advocated his message. Palace life has its own atmosphere and traditions. It imbibes influence on the people enjoying its comforts, even though they may be exemplary in their understanding, awareness and knowledge. Delivering a message from God requires that the messenger deal with all people, rich and poor, affluent and deprived, clean and dirty, refined and rough, good-natured and evil, strong and weak, patient in adversity and impulsive, etc. Poor people have their own habits in the food they eat, in their clothing, walking, concept of life, understanding of events, vision of life, talking and in the expression of their emotions. Such habits cannot easily be accepted by those who are accustomed to palatial splendour. The poor may be full of goodness, ready to accept faith and implement it, but the rich and privileged may find it very difficult to deal with the poor because they cannot accept the latter’s physical appearance and habits.

A divine message imposes certain standards of dedication coupled with a hard life. The rich may be prepared to sacrifice a life of ease, comfort and plenty, but they are rarely able to withstand hardship and deprivation for long. Therefore, God willed to reduce the standard of plenty Moses was used to, placing him instead in a community of shepherds so as to feel God’s grace. In this way, he would know what it was to experience fear and hunger, and what it means to have to work for a living. Furthermore, he would no longer feel any revulsion towards the poor, with their habits, manners and naivety. Just as he was thrown onto the water’s ripples when he was a baby, now he is thrown into the sea of life in order to equip him for his task.

When Moses had completed his training in a foreign land, God’s hand directed him anew, returning him to the land of his birth, where his own community lived. It is there that he would start delivering his message. Beforehand, though, he must travel the same route he used during his flight from Egypt. Why should it be the same? His training had included knowledge of desert routes, this because he would be leading his people along the same route in obedience of God’s orders.

Thus, he would not need to depend on others, not even a guide. His people needed such a leader to show them which way to go at every turn, after they had lost their ability to think for themselves. Long had been their humiliation and subjugation.

Thus we realize how Moses was reared under God’s watchful eye, and how he received his life’s education so as to be ready to shoulder the burden of his message.

A Call from on High

When Moses had fulfilled his term, and was travelling with his family, he perceived a fire on the slope of Mount Sinai. So he said to his family: Wait here, for I perceive a fire. Perhaps I may bring you from there some information, or a burning brand from the fire so that you may warm yourselves. (Verse 29) What could have happened to Moses to make him return to Egypt when the terms of his contract with the old man were fulfilled? He had left it in fear, expecting death for his part in the unwitting murder of an Egyptian. What could have caused him to forget such danger when it was Pharaoh and his chiefs that wanted rid of him? It is the hand that guided his footsteps throughout his life. It might this time have guided him through natural feelings of nostalgia for one’s home and people. It might have reduced his sense of danger to a minimum, so that he could now take up the mission for which he was created and prepared.

Anyway, we see Moses on his return journey to Egypt, with his family, in the dark of the night, having lost his way. It was a cold night, which made him pleased at the sight of fire in the distance. He headed in that direction to get some information or a firebrand. This, then, is the first scene in this episode.

The second scene tells us of the great surprise prepared for Moses: “But when he came close to it, he was addressed from the right-side bank of the valley, out of the tree on the blessed site.” (Verse 30) We see him aiming towards the fire, and on the right bank of the valley. From here on this site is blessed. The whole universe now echoes the sublime address Moses receives “out of the tree’, which might have been the only tree there.

Moses received the direct call: “Moses! Truly, I am God, the Lord of all the worlds.” (Verse 30) He received it alone in a solitary valley, in the depths of night, but the whole universe responded, with the heavens and the earth reverberating it. We do not know how, or with which faculty or sense he received it, but he certainly received it with his whole being, as did the entire universe around him. He was able to receive it because he was reared under God’s watchful eye until he was ready for this moment. The universe recorded this sublime address, and the site where it took place became blessed as God, in all His majesty, revealed His presence there. The valley became distinguished by this great event, and Moses stood there in the noblest position a human being ever stood.

God then continued to give His instructions: “Throw down your stag?” (Verse 31) Moses complied with the order, throwing down his staff. Only now it was no longer his staff but instead a writhing serpent, which was large in size but moving very fast: “But when he saw it moving, as if it were a serpent, he turned and fled, with no thought of turning back.” (Verse 31) Moses was totally unprepared for this. Taken aback, he turned and set to flight. He did not even think of going back to find out what had happened to his staff, or to better see this preternatural happening. Such is the natural reaction of spontaneous people.

He then listened to his Lord’s address: “Draw near and have no fear! You are certainly secure.” (Verse 31) Again, we witness Moses experiencing fear and security in quick succession. Such contrasting emotions were indeed the essence of his life. In fact, this continuous interaction was deliberately instilled in him so as to counterbalance the Israelite’s inactivity and habitual acceptance of their humble position. His spontaneity was part of what God granted him so that he could fulfil his role.

He is told to come near and to have no fear. Needless to say, a person whose every step is watched over by God will always be safe and secure.

“Now place your hand inside your garment, and it will come out [shining) white without blemish.” (Verse 32) Again Moses did as he was instructed, putting his hand inside his garment’s top opening. Drawing it out, he received yet another shock. His hand was now a shining white, though clearly healthy. Its original colour would have been rather dark, weathered by the sun and elements. This change of colour thus symbolized the clear truth: one supported by undeniable, irrefutable evidence.

Again Moses’ spontaneous personality caught up with him as he trembled, struck with awe. But God’s care was soon forthcoming, giving him another instruction so as to calm him down: “Then draw your arm close to your side to allay your fear.” (Verse 32) In the Arabic text, the word janāh is used to denote “side”, giving the impression that he draws it over himself like a bird, to reassure himself.

So Moses has now been given clear signs, causing him fear at first before he was reassured. Now it is time he learned of what lay ahead of him: “These, then, are two proofs from your Lord to Pharaoh and his nobles. They are indeed wicked people.” (Verse 32) He is given a message to deliver to Pharaoh and his lieutenants, in fulfilment of the promise his mother was given when he was still a newborn baby: “We shall restore him to you, and shall make him one of Our messengers.” (Verse 7) Despite the passage of many years, the promise has remained true, given by God who always speaks the truth.

Moses now remembers that he had killed one of Pharaoh’s entourage and that he had to flee Egypt in order to save himself. As he was in the presence of his Lord who had honoured him beyond his wildest expectations, even to the point of meeting Him and being given clear signs, he felt the need to take precautions so that his message should not be brought to an abrupt end if he himself was killed: “He said: My Lord! I have killed one of them and I fear that they will kill me.” (Verse 33)

He does not say this by way of apology, or to find a way out of his commission. He only wanted to ensure that the message of truth would be advocated should his fears be well-founded. This reflects his keen desire to fulfil his task; a desire that is in line with Moses’ character as a man of strength, someone worthy of trust. He elaborates on his fears further: “And my brother, Aaron, is better in speech than I am. So send him with me as a helper, so that he would confirm what I say, for I fear that they will accuse me of lying.” (Verse 34) Aaron is more eloquent and better able to defend the message. He can provide much needed support, and can succeed Moses should he be killed.

Moses is reassured and his request is granted: “Said He: ‘We shall strengthen your arm with your brother, and will endow both of you with power, so that they will not be able to touch you. By virtue of Our signs shall you two and those who follow you prevail.” (Verse 35) It is not merely that God granted Moses’ request, but that He also gave him a greatly reassuring promise, endowing both brothers with power. Thus, they would not face the tyrant Pharaoh relying only on their own devices. They would go equipped with a source of power that cannot be resisted by any earthly force. No tyrant possessed the means to harm them: “They will not be able to touch you.” How could they when you enjoy God’s protection that creates a fence around you? But the good news Moses is given goes further than this, assuring him and his brother of the eventual outcome; namely, that the truth will be triumphant. They have been given signs from God, and these signs are the means of victory: “By virtue of Our signs shall you two and those who follow you prevail.” (Verse 35) God’s power is thus seen to intervene directly, shaping events, working through no earthly force as a cover. The victory will come about through none of the causes that are familiar to people. Thus a new code of values will be established in people’s hearts based on faith and complete trust in God.