Sura 20, Ta ha (O Man) Mecca 45
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَمَا
تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ
يَا مُوسَى ﴿١٧﴾
20: 17. "And what is that in thy right hand, O Moses?"
20: 18. He said,
"It is my rod: on it I lean;
C2548. Now comes the miracle of the rod.
First of all, the attention of Moses himself is drawn to it, and he thinks of the ordinary uses to which he puts it in his daily life. (R).
...أَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَى غَنَمِي...
with it I beat down fodder for my flocks;
...وَلِيَ فِيهَا مَآرِبُ أُخْرَى ﴿١٨﴾
and in it I find other uses."
قَالَ
أَلْقِهَا يَا
مُوسَى ﴿١٩﴾
20: 19. (Allah) said, "Throw it, O Moses!"
20: 20. He threw it,
...فَإِذَا هِيَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَى ﴿٢٠﴾
and behold! it was a snake, active in motion.
C2549. Cf. 7:107, where a different word (thu'ban) is used for "snake", and the qualifying adjective is "plain (for all to see)".
The scene there is before Pharaoh and his magicians and people: the object is to show the hollowness of their magic by a miracle: the rod appears before them as a long and creeping writhing serpent.
Here there is a symbol to present Allah's power to Moses' mind and understanding: the rod becomes a Hayy (a live snake), and its "live motion is what is most to be impressed on the mind of Moses, for there were no other spectators. So the highest spiritual mysteries can be grasped, with Allah's gift of insight, from the most ordinary things of daily use. Once they are grasped, there is no question of fear. They really are the virtues of this life lifted up to the glorious spiritual plane.
We shall return it at once to its former condition"...
...سَنُعِيدُهَا سِيرَتَهَا الْأُولَى ﴿٢١﴾
We shall return it at once to its former condition"...
وَاضْمُمْ
يَدَكَ إِلَى
جَنَاحِكَ
تَخْرُجْ بَيْضَاء
مِنْ غَيْرِ
سُوءٍ...
20: 22. "Now draw thy hand close to thy side:
it shall come forth white (and shining), without harm (or stain) --
C2550. The second of the greater Miracles shown to Moses was the "White (shining) Hand".
Ordinarily, when the skin becomes white, it is a sign of disease, leprosy or something loathsome. Here there was no question of disease: on the contrary, the hand was glorified, and it shone as with a divine light.
Such a miracle was beyond Egyptian or human magic. (R).
...آيَةً أُخْرَى ﴿٢٢﴾
as another Sign --
لِنُرِيَكَ
مِنْ آيَاتِنَا
الْكُبْرَى ﴿٢٣﴾
20: 23. "In order that We may show thee (two) of Our Greater Signs.
اذْهَبْ
إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ
إِنَّهُ طَغَى ﴿٢٤﴾
20: 24. "Go thou to Pharaoh, for he had indeed transgressed all bounds."
C2551. Moses, having been spiritually prepared now gets his definite commission to go to Pharaoh and point out the error of his ways.
So inordinate was Pharaoh's vanity that he had it in his mind to say: "I am your Lord Most High!" (79:24).
قَالَ
رَبِّ اشْرَحْ
لِي صَدْرِي ﴿٢٥﴾
20: 25. (Moses) said:
"O my Lord! expand me my breast;"
C2552. The breast is reputed to be the seat of knowledge and affections.
The gift of the highest spiritual insight is what he prays for first. Cf. 94:1.
This was the most urgent in point of time. There are three other things he also asks for: viz.
1. Allah's help in his task, which at first appears difficult to him,
2. the gift of eloquence, and the removal of the impediment from his speech; and
3. the counsel and constant attendance with him of his brother Aaron, whom he loved and trusted, for he would otherwise be alone among the Egyptians.
20: 26. "Ease my task for me;
وَاحْلُلْ
عُقْدَةً مِّن
لِّسَانِي ﴿٢٧﴾
20: 27. "And remove the impediment from my speech.
C2553. Literally, "Loosen a knot from my tongue".
20: 28. "So they may understand what I say:
وَاجْعَل
لِّي وَزِيرًا
مِّنْ أَهْلِي ﴿٢٩﴾
20: 29. "And give me a Minister from my family,
20: 30. "Aaron, my brother;
20: 31. "Add to my strength through him,
C2554. Literally, "Strengthen my back with him".
A man's strength lies in his back and backbone so that he can stand erect and boldly face his tasks.
20: 32. "And make him share my task:
كَيْ
نُسَبِّحَكَ
كَثِيرًا ﴿٣٣﴾
20: 33. "That we may celebrate Thy praise without stint,
C2555. The requests that Moses makes are inspired, not by earthly but by spiritual motives.
The motive, expressed in the most general terms, is to glorify Allah, not in an occasional way, but systematically and continuously, "without stint".
The clauses in this verse and the next, taken together, govern all the requests he makes, from verse 25 to verse 32.
20: 34. "And remember Thee without stint:
إِنَّكَ
كُنتَ بِنَا
بَصِيرًا ﴿٣٥﴾
20: 35. "For Thou art He that (ever) regardeth us."
C2556. The celebration of Allah's praise and remembrance is one form of showing gratitude on the part of Moses for the Grace which Allah has bestowed upon him.
قَالَ
قَدْ أُوتِيتَ
سُؤْلَكَ يَا
مُوسَى ﴿٣٦﴾
20: 36. (Allah) said:
"Granted is thy prayer, O Moses!"
وَلَقَدْ
مَنَنَّا عَلَيْكَ
مَرَّةً أُخْرَى ﴿٣٧﴾
20: 37. "And indeed We conferred a favor on thee another time (before).
Asad’s Version:
(20:17) "Now, what is this in thy right hand, O Moses?"
20:18 He answered: "It is my staff; I lean on it; and with it I beat down leaves for my sheep; and [many] other uses have I for it."
(20:19) Said He: "Throw it down, O Moses!"
(20:20) So he threw it - and lo! it was a snake, moving rapidly.
20:21 Said He: "Take hold of it, and fear not: We shall restore it to its former state."
(20:22) "Now place thy hand within thy armpit: it will come forth [shining] white, without blemish, 15 as another sign [of Our grace],
(20:23) so that We might make thee aware of some of Our greatest wonders.
20:24 "[And now] go thou unto Pharaoh: for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of equity."
20:25 Said [Moses]: "O my Sustainer! Open up my heart [to Thy light],
(20:26) and make my task easy for me,
(20:27) and loosen the knot from my tongue
(20:28) so that they might fully understand my speech, 17
(20:29) and appoint for me, out of my kinsfolk, one who will help me to bear my burden: 18
(20:30) Aaron, my brother.
(20:31) Add Thou through him to my strength,
(20:32) and let him share my task,
(20:33) so that [together] we might abundantly extol Thy limitless glory
(20:34) and remember Thee without cease!"
(20:35) Verily, Thou seest all that is within us! "
20:36 Said He: "Thou art granted all that thou hast asked for, O Moses!
(20:37) "And, indeed, We bestowed Our favour upon thee at a time long since past, 20
[[Asad’s notes:
14 The miraculous transformation of the staff into a serpent has, I believe, a mystic significance: it seems to be an allusion to the intrinsic difference between appearance and reality, and, consequently, to the spiritual insight into this difference bestowed by God on His chosen servants (cf the experience of Moses with the unnamed sage described in 18:66-82). This interpretation finds strong support in 27:10 and 28:31, in both of which places it is said that Moses saw the staff "move rapidly, as if it were a serpent (ka'annaha jann)"
15 I.e., strangely luminescent by virtue of the prophethood to which he had been raised. (See also note 85 on 7:108.)
16 This seems to be a reference to Pharaoh's greatest sin, namely, his claim to divine status (cf. 28:38 and 79:24).
17 I.e., "remove all impediment from my speech" (cf. Exodus iv, 10, "I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue"), which would imply that he was not gifted with natural eloquence.
18 This is the primary meaning of the term wazr (lit., "burden-carrier", derived from wizr, "a burden"); hence its later - post-classical-application to government ministers.
19 Lit., "much" or "abundantly".
20 Lit., "at another time", i.e., the time of Moses' childhood and youth, which is recalled in verses 38-40. For a fuller explanation of the subsequent references to that period - the Pharaonic persecution of the children of Israel and the killing of their new-boni males, the rescue of the infant Moses and his adoption by Pharaoh's family, his killing of the Egyptian, and his subsequent flight from Egypt - see 28:3-21, where the story is narrated in greater detail.]]