seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 20: In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
1. Ta, Ha.
2. We did not reveal the Quran to you to make you suffer.
3. But only as a reminder for him who fears.
4. A revelation from He who created the earth and the high heavens.
5. The Most Merciful; on the Throne He settled.
6. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and the earth, and everything between them, and everything beneath the soil.
7. If you speak aloud—He knows the secret, and the most hidden.
8. God, there is no god but He, His are the Most Beautiful Names.
9. Has the story of Moses reached you?
10. When he saw a fire, he said to his family, “Stay; I have noticed a fire; Perhaps I can bring you a torch therefrom, or find some guidance by the fire.”
11. Then, when he reached it, he was called, “O Moses.
12. I—I am your Lord. Take off your shoes. You are in the sacred valley of Tuwa.
13. I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed.
14. I—I am God. There is no God but I. So serve Me, and practice the prayer for My remembrance.
15. The Hour is coming—but I keep it almost hidden—so that each soul will be paid for what it endeavors.
16. And do not let him who denies it and follows his desire turn you away from it, lest you fall.
17. And what is that in your right-hand, O Moses?”
18. He said, “This is my staff. I lean on it, and herd my sheep with it, and I have other uses for it.”
19. He said, “Throw it, O Moses.”
20. So he threw it—thereupon it became a moving serpent.
21. He said, “Take hold of it, and do not fear. We will restore it to its original condition.
22. And press your hand to your side; it will come out white, without a blemish—another sign.
23. That We may show you some of Our greatest signs.
24. Go to Pharaoh; He has transgressed.”
Here's the commentary.
Ôå hå, a combination of the two letters ∆å and hå, is, according to I‘Ab and other early commentators, a word meaning O man. AH quotes two couplets of the poets of the tribe of ‘Akk, showing that in their dialect ∆å hå is a well-known phrase meaning O man, so that one of them would not answer you if you said yå rajulu, but would reply if you said ∆å hå. The same authority says that Ôå hå is one of the names of the Holy Prophet. It is also explained as meaning be at rest, being thus a word of comfort to the Holy Prophet.
That is, it could not be that the Prophet, to whom the Qur’ån was revealed, should remain unsuccessful in bringing about the transformation for which it was revealed. It is a consolation, and at the same time a clear prophecy, that a mighty transformation will be brought about, not only in Arabia but in the whole world, for that was the object which the Holy Qur’ån had set out to accomplish from the first.
The secret is that which a man hides in his heart, and what is yet more hidden is that which is in the subconscious mind. The conscious and the subconscious are all alike known to Allåh.
As the verses that follow show, Moses received a Divine revelation on this occasion, and his seeing the fire was also a part of the revelation; it was with the spiritual eye that he saw it. The Holy Qur’ån has stated elsewhere that revelation is received only in three ways, and in each of these the recipient is really given particular senses with which to feel and see things.
The command to take off the shoes is a metaphorical expression for making the heart vacant from care for family and property. According to others: “It is a command to stay; like as you say to him whom you desire to stay, Take off thy garment and thy boots and the like”. Some think that Ôuwå is the name of the valley; others interpret it as meaning twice (blessed). R gives a third explanation, saying that the word ∆uwå (lit., rolled up) is spoken in reference to the election of Moses, so that he had not to exert himself to attain that great goal.
Ikhf å’ is one of the words which convey contrary significances, concealing or removing that which conceals a thing. But that here it does not mean concealing is made clear by the context. It is the coming of the Hour and the meting out of rewards and punishments that the verse deals with, which is clearly removing the veil or making the hour manifest. It should be noted that the Hour does not necessarily signify the Resurrection; on the other hand, it very often indicates the doom of a people, the hour of the departure of their glory and power.
All this was experienced by Moses in that particular state in which the recipient of a revelation finds himself at the time of the revelation. What was shown to Moses on this occasion had a deeper significance beneath it; where the object of showing these signs is stated to be that We may show thee of Our greater signs. Thus the two signs mentioned here were really indications of something greater. The word ‘a©å stands metaphorically for a community. Hence the sight of his staff becoming a gliding serpent was shown to him as an indication that his community, i.e., the Israelite people, who had been reduced to a state of slavery under Pharaoh, would soon become a living nation.
Bearing in mind what has been said above, the yad bai˙å’ has also a deeper meaning. Literally a white hand, it signifies an argument made very clear; and a demonstrating or demonstrated argument or allegation or evidence. The deeper significance in this case was that his arguments would prevail.
If you don't know the story of Moses.... the movie "Ten Commandments" is a good way to spend a date night. In the Bible... when Moses throws the staff down, it becomes a snake..... but then magicians throw down their staffs and their staff's also turn into snakes. Moses' staff ate their staffs.
In the commentary.... in the last few sentences of commentary.... it's talking about the white hand is somehow related to something like a debate. In this reading... it looks like the magicians were putting up a good argument.... but in the end... it was Moses who learned all the answers and won the debate.
That's what I see in these verses.... the long winded commentary seems to say something similar. I'm sure there is at least one person who reads these forums who also reads and understands the Quran. I'm sure that person would not mind setting me straight. I have friends who say they don't have the time to read the Bible let alone the Quran. They want me to explain it to them.... like a Sunday School teacher would, but on their schedule... and quick... they tire of listening in just a few minutes and they crave a new topic or new project. I'm not sure what I'm telling them is the actual truth..... but it seems to be the truth to me.... and I do warn them that I really don't have a clue.
So... this is the Quran version of Moses being called to do God's work.
God gave Moses the answers to the questions.
Moses was called by God.
"Oh Moses, Moses, Moses"
