And We called him from the side of the Mount on the right.

"At-Tur" is a mountain between Egypt and Madyan. "Al-Ayman" (the right) is an adjective describing "side" (janib), as per the Almighty’s statement in another verse: "the right side of the Mount" (in the accusative case). This means: We called him from its right side—the right side opposite the left. What is intended by this is the right side in relation to Moses, peace be upon him; that is, the side that lay to his right, for the mountain itself has no "right" or "left." It is also permissible for "al-Ayman" to be derived from al-yumn, meaning "blessing," and it is likewise an adjective for "side," meaning from its blessed, auspicious side.

It has been suggested that it might be an adjective for "the Mount," but the first view is more appropriate. The purpose of calling him from that direction is the manifestation of the Almighty’s speech from that side. The apparent meaning is that he, peace be upon him, heard literal speech. Some have said that what he heard was without letters or sound, and that he, peace be upon him, heard it with all his limbs from all directions, and through that, he became certain that the One calling was God Almighty. Hence, it was said that the meaning of "We called him" is that We called him as he was approaching from the blessed side of the Mount, which is the Mount beyond the Mount of Intellect. However, in the reports, there is evidence contrary to this.

"And We brought him near, conversing privately."

This is a drawing near for the sake of honor, likening his state, peace be upon him, to the state of one whom a king brings near for private conversation, selecting him for companionship and removing the intermediaries between him and Himself.

"Najiyyan" (conversing privately) is in the form of fa’il with the meaning of mufa’il (reciprocal), like jalis (sitting companion) meaning mukhalis (one who sits with another) and nadim (intimate companion) meaning munadim (one who converses with another), derived from al-munajah (whispering or secret speech). Its accusative case is as a circumstantial qualifier (hal) for one of the pronouns of Moses, peace be upon him, in "We called him" or "We brought him near"—meaning: We called him or brought him near while he was in a state of private discourse.

Several scholars have said it is in the nominative case, meaning it is derived from al-najw, which means "elevation." Sa’id ibn Mansur, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Sa’id ibn Jubayr that Gabriel, peace be upon him, carried him upward until he heard the scratching of the Pen while the Torah was being written for him—a second writing. Otherwise, in the authentic hadith regarding the debate between Adam and Moses, peace be upon them, it is stated that it was written forty years before the creation of Adam, peace be upon him. A report—which al-Hakim deemed authentic from Ibn ‘Abbas, may God be pleased with both—states that he was raised to the heaven until he heard the scratching of the Pen. On this basis, the Ascension (Mi’raj) is not absolutely exclusive to our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), but rather the most perfect Ascension. It has also been said that the meaning of "najiyyan" is "saved" (najiyan) by his truthfulness, and this is narrated from Qatadah, though its remoteness is clear.