Tafsir of Surah Ta-Ha - Verse 12

The First Revelation to Musa

Allah, the Exalted, says,

فَلَمَّآ أَتَاهَا

(And when he came to it,) This is referring to the fire when he approached it.

نُودِىَ يمُوسَى

(He was called by name: "O Musa!") In another Ayah it says,

نُودِىَ مِن شَاطِىءِ الْوَادِى الأَيْمَنِ فِى الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ أَن يمُوسَى إِنِّى أَنَا اللَّهُ

(He was called from the right side of the valley, in the blessed place, from the tree: "O Musa! Verily, I am Allah.")28:30 However, here Allah says,

إِنِّى أَنَاْ رَبُّكَ

(Verily, I am your Lord!) meaning, `the One Who is talking to you and addressing you,'

فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ

(So take off your shoes;) `Ali bin Abi Talib, Abu Dharr, Abu Ayyub and others of the Salaf said, "They (his sandals) were from the skin of a donkey that was not slaughtered." It has also been said that he was only commanded to remove his sandals due to respect for the blessed spot. Concerning Allah's statement,

طُوًى

(Tuwa) `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "It is the name of the valley." Others have said the same. This is merely mentioned as something to give more explanation to the story. It has also been said that it is a figure of speech, which comes from the command to place his feet down. It has also been said that it means `doubly sacred' and that Tuwa is something that has repetitious blessings. However, the first opinion is most correct. It is similar to Allah's statement,

إِذْ نَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى

(When his Lord called him in the sacred valley of Tuwa.) 79:16 Allah's statement,

وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ

(And I have chosen you.) is similar to His statement,

إِنْى اصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسَـلَـتِي وَبِكَلَـمِي

(I have chosen you above men by My Messages, and by My speaking (to you).) 7:144 This means over all human beings of that time. It has also been said that Allah said, "O Musa, do you know why I chose to speak to you directly out of all of the people" Musa said, "No." Allah then said, "Because I have not made anyone humble himself as much as you have humbled yourself. " Concerning Allah's statement,

فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَى

(So listen to that which will be revealed.) "Now listen to what I say to you and what I reveal to you."

إِنَّنِى أَنَا اللَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلا أَنَاْ

(Verily, I am Allah! There is no God but Me,) This is the first obligation upon all responsible people of age, that they know that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah alone, Who has no partners. Concerning Allah's statement,

فَاعْبُدْنِى

(so worship Me,) This means, "Single Me out alone for worship, and establish My worship without associating anything with Me."

وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَوةَ لِذِكْرِى

(and perform Salah for My remembrance.) It has been said that this means, "Pray in order to remember Me." It has also been said that it means, "And establish the prayer whenever you remember Me." There is a supporting evidence for this second statement in a Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad from Anas, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إِذَا رَقَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ أَوْ غَفَلَ عَنْهَا، فَلْيُصَلِّهَا إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا، فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالى قَالَ:

وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَوةَ لِذِكْرِى

(Whenever one of you sleeps past the prayer, or he forgets to pray, then let him pray when he remembers it. For verily, Allah said, (And perform Salah for My remembrance.)) In the Two Sahihs it is reported from Anas that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَنْ نَامَ عَنْ صَلَاةٍ أَوْ نَسِيَهَا فَكَفَّارَتُهَا أَنْ يُصَلِّيَهَا إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا، لَا كَفَّارَةَةَلهَا إِلَّا ذَلِك»

(Whoever slept past the prayer, or forgot it, then his expiation is that he prays it when he remembers it. There is no expiation for it other than that.) Concerning Allah's statement,

إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ ءَاتِيَةٌ

(Verily, the Hour is coming) This means that it is established and there is no avoiding it. It will be and it is inevitable. Concerning Allah's statement,

أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا

(I am almost hiding it) Ad-Dahhak related from Ibn `Abbas that he used to recite it as, "I almost kept it hidden -- from myself." Ibn `Abbas then would say, "Because nothing is ever hidden from Allah's Self." `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said,

أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا

(I am almost hiding it.) "This means that no one knows its appointed time except Me (Allah)." Allah also said,

ثَقُلَتْ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ لاَ تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلاَّ بَغْتَةً

(Heavy is its burden through the heavens and the earth. It shall not come upon you except all of a sudden.) 7:187 This means that its knowledge weighs heavily upon the dwellers of the heavens and the earth. Concerning Allah's statement,

لِتُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَى

(that every person may be rewarded for that which he strives.) "I will establish it and it is inevitable. I will certainly reward every person who does something, according to what he did."

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ - وَمَن يَعْـمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُ

(So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it.) 99:7-8

إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

(You are only being requited for what you used to do.) 52:16 Allah said,

فَلاَ يَصُدَّنَّكَ عَنْهَا مَن لاَّ يُؤْمِنُ بِهَا

(Therefore, let not divert you the one who believes not therein,) The address here is directed towards all individuals who are responsible (and capable of taking heed to this message). This means, "Do not follow the way of the person who does not believe in the Hour (Day of Judgement) and he only pursues his desires in this worldly life. He disobeys his Lord and only follows his desires. Whoever behaves like these people, then verily he has failed and lost.

فَتَرْدَى

(lest you perish.) This means that you will be destroyed and ruined.

وَمَا يُغْنِى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّى

(And what will his wealth avail him when he goes down (in destruction)) 92:11

وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يمُوسَى - قَالَ هِىَ عَصَاىَ أَتَوَكَّؤُا عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَى غَنَمِى وَلِىَ فِيهَا مَأَرِبُ أُخْرَى

نُودِيَ يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنِّي أَنَا رَ‌بُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ (He was called, "0 Musa, it is Me, your Lord, remove your shoes - 20:11, 12). It is related in Al-Bahr ul-Muhit, Ruh ul-Ma` ani and other books that the voice which Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) heard appeared to come from all directions and not from any particular direction. At the same time the manner in which the voice reached his perception was most extraordinary, because it was heard not only through his ears but by the entire body. This, indeed, was a miracle!

What the voice said was that the light that he saw was not fire but a particular kind of divine manifestation. And the voice said, "Surely I am your Lord". The question arises: how did Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) know that it was the voice of Allah Ta` ala? The answer is that Allah Ta` ala had created in his heart the conviction that the voice which he heard was really the voice of Allah Ta` ala. Then there was the circumstance that the fire, instead of burning the tree added to its beauty and luster. Also the manner in which the voice was perceived by all the parts of his body and not only by his ears, were all factors which left no doubt in his mind that the voice he heard was really the voice of Allah Ta` ala.

Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) learned the words of Allah directly

It is mentioned in a report of Wahb mentioned in Ruh ul-Ma` ani on the authority of Musnad by Alhmad that when the mysterious voice called him "0 Musa!", he replied, "I hear the voice 0 Allah! But I do not know from where it comes. Where are you, 0 Allah?" And Allah Ta’ ala said, "I am above you in front of you, to your right and your left. Indeed I am all around you." Then Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) said, "0 Allah, do I hear these words from you directly or through an angel sent by You?" And Allah Ta` ala said, "I myself am speaking to you." According to Ruh, ul-Ma` ani this proves that Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) heard this کلام لفظی (spoken words) directly from Allah Ta` ala. There is a sect among the Sunnis who believe that کلام لفظی (spoken words) can also be heard.

To take off shoes at a sacred place is an act of respect

فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ :(Remove your shoes - 20:12). The command to take off shoes was given because it was a sacred place and it was necessary to take off shoes to show it proper respect. Another reason for this command may be that since shoes are made from the hides of dead animals, they should be removed when entering upon sacred places. Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ ، Hasan al-Basri and Ibn Juraij رحمۃ اللہ علیہما have supported the first explanation and reasoned that the real purpose in commanding Sayyidna Musa علیہ السلامٍ to remove his shoes was that the soles of his feet should come into contact with the soil of this hallowed place and be blessed thereby. Others have said that by this command Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) was required to show humility and in earlier times devout and pious believers used to take off their shoes when circumambulating around the Holy Ka'bah.

There is a Hadith that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ once saw Bashir Ibn Khasasia walking through the graves with his shoes on, said:

اذا کنت فی مثل ھٰذا المکان فاخلع نعلیک

"When you pass by a place which needs to be respected, take off your shoes."

All the jurists are unanimous that if the shoes are clean they may be worn when offering prayers and it is established by authentic reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his companions often wore clean shoes when saying prayers. But their common practice appears to be of removing the shoes when saying prayers, because it is closer to humility.

إِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى (You are in the sacred valley of Tuwa - 20:12): Allah, in his Divine Wisdom, has granted special status to some selected places such as Baitullah (the Holy Ka'bah), the Aqsa Mosque, Masjid Nabawi etc. Wadi Tuwa (the valley of Tuwa) is also one such sacred place and is situated at the foot of the mount of Tur.

The fire seen by Moses was not an ordinary fire, but the glowing manifestation of God’s glory. Therefore, when he reached there, he was made to realise the importance of the audience he was having. He was asked to remove his shoes in order that, in all humility, he should be fully attentive. Then came the voice informing him that he was in the presence of God and that He (God) had chosen him as His messenger. At that time, the instructions given to Moses were the same as were always given to all God’s prophets, namely, to hold worthy of worship the one and only God, to pray to Him alone and to remember Him on all occasions. Then, Moses was informed of the fact that the present world was a world of trial, and that for a certain period God had kept the realities hidden in the realms of the unseen. On the Day of Judgement, this curtain would be torn asunder. Thereafter, the second phase of man’s life would start, when everybody would be judged according to his deeds in the present world. When emotions and desires get the better of a man, he becomes unmindful of the Hereafter and starts pursuing the ways of this world. To justify his misdeeds, he masks the true nature of the course of his action in beautiful and charming words. Others are impressed. On hearing this, they too become forgetful of the Hereafter. Under these circumstances, a man of faith needs to be extremely watchful about his own attitude and actions. He needs to save himself from being influenced by those who are unmindful of God and forgetful of the Hereafter.