20:9 [Ta ha (O Man) Mecca 45]

AND HAS the story of Moses ever come within thy ken? 6 (20:10) Lo! he saw a fire [in the desert]; 7 and so he said to his family: "Wait here! Behold, I perceive a fire [far away]: perhaps I can bring you a brand therefrom, or find at the fire some guidance."

20:11 But when he came close to it, a voice called out: 8 "O Moses! (20:12) Verily, I am thy Sustainer! Take off, then, thy sandals! Behold, thou art in the twice -hallowed valley,' (20:13) and I have chosen thee [to be My apostle]: listen, then, to what is being revealed [unto thee].

20:14 "Verily, I - I alone - am God; there is no deity save Me. Hence, worship Me alone, and be constant in prayer, so as to remember Me! 10 (20:15) "Behold, [although] I have willed to keep it" hidden, the Last Hour is bound to come, so that every human being may be recompensed in accordance with what he strove for [in life]. 12

[[Asad’s notes:

5 For an explanation of this rendering of al-asma' al-husna, see surah 7, note 145.

6 Apart from two short references to Moses in earlier surahs (53:36 and 87:19), the narrative appearing inverses 9-98 is undoubtedly the earliest Qur'anic exposition of the story of Moses as such. Its mention at this stage is connected with the reference to revelation at the beginning of this surah (verses 2-4) and, generally, with the Qur'anic doctrine of the basic ideological unity of all revealed religions.

7 From the sequence (here as well as in 27:7 and 28:29) it appears that Moses had lost his way in the desert: probably a symbolic allusion to his dawning awareness that he was in need of spiritual guidance. This part of the story relates to the period of his wanderings subsequent to his flight from Egypt (see 28:14 ff). Regarding the allegory of the "fire" - the "burning bush" of the Bible see note 7 on 27:7-8.

8 Lit., "he was called".

9 Whereas some commentators assume that the word tuwan (or tuwa) is the name of the

"hallowed valley", Zamakhshari explains it, more convincingly, as meaning "twice" (from tuwan or Owan, "twice done") - i.e., "twice-hallowed" - apparently because God's voice was heard in it and because Moses was raised there to prophethood.

10 Thus, conscious remembrance of God and of His oneness and uniqueness is declared to be the innermost purpose, as well as the intellectual justification of all true prayer.

1 1 I.e., the time of its coming.

12 The expression "what he strove for" implies consciousness of endeavour and thus excludes involuntary actions (in the widest sense of the latter term, comprising everything that is manifested in word or actual deed), as well as involuntary omissions, irrespective of whether the relevant action or omission is morally good or bad. By enunciating the above principle within the context of the story of Moses, the Qur'an stresses the essential identity of the ethical concepts underlying all

true religions. (See also 53:39 and the corresponding note 32.)

13 Lit, "in it". ]]