7. Sura al-Araf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَمَّا جَاء مُوسَى لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ...

7: 143. When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him,

...قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ...

He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee."

C1102. Even the best of us may be betrayed into overweening confidence of spiritual ambition not yet justified by the stage we have reached, Moses had already seen part of the glory of Allah in his Radiant White Hand, that shone with the glory of Divine light (7:108, n. 1076). But he was still in the flesh, and the mission to his people was to begin after the Covenant of Sinai. It was premature of him to ask to see Allah.

...قَالَ لَن تَرَانِي وَلَـكِنِ انظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ ...

Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct);

C1103. But Allah -the Cherisher of all His creatures- treats even our improper requests with mercy, compassion, and understanding.

Even the reflected glory of Allah is too great for the grosser substance of matter. The peak on which it shone became as powder before the ineffable glory, and Moses could only live by being taken out of his bodily senses.

When he recovered from his swoon, he saw the true position, and the distance between our grosser bodily senses and the true splendour of Allah's glory. He at once turned in penitence to Allah, and confessed his faith.

Having been blinded by the excessive Glory, he could not see with the physical eye. But he could get a glimpse of the reality through faith, and he hastened to proclaim his faith. (R).

... فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي...

but look upon the mount; if it abide in its place then shalt thou see Me."

...فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ موسَى صَعِقًا...

When his Lord manifested his glory on the mount, He made it as dust and Moses fell down in a swoon.

...فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ...

When he recovered his senses he said:

...سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ ...

"Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance,

... وَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٤٣﴾

and I am the first to believe."

C1104. "First to believe." Cf. the expression;

"first of those who bow to Allah in Islam" in 6:14 and 6:163.

"First" means here not the first in time, but most zealous in faith.

It has the intensive and not the comparative meaning.

Other versions:

7: 143

Asad ……..Said [God]: “Never can you see Me. However, behold this mountain: if it remains firm in its place then – only then will you see Me.”

And as soon as his Sustainer revealed His glory to the mountain, He caused it to crumble to dust; and Moses fell down in a swoon. And when he came to himself, he said: “Limitless are You in Your glory! Unto You do I turn in repentance; and I shall [always] be the first to believe in You! [note 106]

Pickthall And when Moses came to Our appointed tryst and his Lord had spoken unto him, he said: My Lord! Show me (Thy self), that I may gaze upon Thee. He said: Thou wilt not see Me, but gaze upon the mountain! If it stand still in its place, then thou wilt see Me. And when his Lord revealed (His) glory to the mountain He sent it crashing down. And Moses fell down senseless. And when he woke he said: Glory unto Thee! I turn unto Thee repentant, and I am the first of (true) believers.

Transliteration Wa lamma_ ja_'a mu_sa_ limiqa_tina_ wa kallamahu_ rabbuh(u_), qa_la rabbi arini anzur ilaik(a), qa_la lantara_ni wa la_kininzur ilal jabali fa inistaqarra maka_nahu_ fa saufa tara_ni, falamma_ tajalla_ rabbuhu_ lil jabali ja'alahu_ dakkaw wa kharra mu_sa_ sa'iqa_(n), falamma_ afa_qa qa_la subha_naka tubtu ilaika wa ana awwalul mu'minin(a).

[[ Ruby’s note – 7:143 – Regarding “first to believe” I think is not literal: it is of intensity after such an awesome experience by a human being many centuries ago and his realizing the immensity of the Presence and his belief of that tremendousness of the unseen power. This is an assertion of a new and better realization of that incomprehensible power. ]]

[[ Asad’s note 106 – Since Moses was already a believer, his words do not merely allude to belief in God’s existence but, rather, belief in the impossibility of man’s seeing God …..]]