Tafsir of Ta-Ha 20:39

The word "an" (أن) in the saying of the Exalted, "That cast him into the chest" (أن اقذفيه في التابوت), is explanatory (mufassirah), because revelation is a form of speech; or it is a source-particle (masdariyyah) from which the 'ba' has been elided—meaning: "by casting him" (bi-an iqdhifihi). Ibn Atiyyah said: "An" and what follows are in the interpretation of a source (masdar) acting as a substitute for what preceded it, and the discussion regarding linking the source-particle "an" with the imperative verb has already passed. The intended meaning of "qadhf" (casting) here is "placing."

As for His saying, "Cast him into the sea" (فاقذفيه في اليم), the intended meaning is throwing and placing. It is possible that the meaning is "placing" in both instances. "Al-Yamm" is the sea; it does not form a sound plural. In the sea, it is a name for the fresh-water sea (the Nile). It is said: It is a name specifically for the Nile, but this is not correct. This detailed account here is what is intended by His saying, "If you fear for him, cast him into the sea," not casting him without a chest.

"Let the sea cast him onto the shore" (فليلقه اليم بالساحل), meaning its bank, which is the side devoid of water. It is derived from "sahl al-hadid" (filing iron), meaning filing and peeling it. It is an active participle in the sense of a passive one (fa'il bi-ma'na maf'ul) because the water "files" it, i.e., peels it. Or it is for attribution (nisbah), meaning "possessor of a shore," and the matter returns to being "filed/peeled." It is also said: It is from "sahil," which is from "naheeq" (braying), because a sound is heard from it. The intended meaning here is that which opposes the center, being the part of the sea adjacent to the shore, where its water flows toward the river of Pharaoh.

It is also said that "al-sahil" (the shore) refers to the side and the edge in an absolute sense. The intention of the command is information (i.e., a predictive statement), and the command form was chosen for emphasis (mubalaghah). An example of this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Arise, for I shall pray for you." Expressing it as a command makes the subsequent answer excellent. Many have said: Since the sea casting him onto the shore was a matter that would inevitably happen due to the divine will being attached to it, the sea was made as if it were a cognizant, obedient entity commanded to do so; thus, the answer was cast in the form of a command. Therefore, "in the sea" (fi al-yamm) is a metaphorical metonymy (isti'arah bil-kinayah), and the assertion of the command is an imaginative embellishment (takhayyul).

It is also said that "li-yulqihi" (let it cast him) is a dependent metaphorical explicit statement (isti'arah tasrihiyyah taba'iyyah). All the pronouns refer to Moses (peace be upon him), as he is the one spoken of, the one cast into the sea, and the one cast onto the shore. Although the chest was the one cast primarily, since the essential intent was what was inside it, the chest was made subordinate to him in that regard.

It is also said: The first pronoun refers to Moses (peace be upon him), and the last pronoun refers to the chest. Whenever a pronoun is eligible to refer back to the nearest or the farthest antecedent, its reference to the nearest is preferred, as the grammarians have stated. By this, Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm was refuted in his claim that the pronoun in His saying, "For it is filth" (فإنه رجس), refers back to the "meat" because it is the subject of the speech, not to the "swine," so that its fat, cartilage, bone, and skin would be permissible according to him. The truth is that not breaking apart [the reference] in the case we are discussing is better, and what the grammarians mentioned is not absolute, as is not hidden.

"An enemy to Me and an enemy to him" (عدو لي وعدو له) is the answer to the command of casting. The repetition of "enemy" is for emphasis, as it indicates that his enmity is manifold, not singular. It is said: The first is for the actual (reality), and the second is for the anticipated (future). This is not among the repetitions for emphasis at all, because that is subordinate to the permissibility of saying "an enemy to me and to him," which is not permissible except according to those who permit combining reality and metaphor. It was answered that this is permissible and does not contain the aforementioned combination; for Pharaoh, at the time of the taking, was characterized by enmity toward Allah the Exalted and toward him in reality. As for his characterization by enmity toward Allah, it is manifest; as for his characterization by enmity toward Moses, it is from the perspective that he hated every male born that year. Even if we said he was not characterized by enmity toward Moses (peace be upon him) at that time, it is still permissible to say that, and the generality of the metaphor is considered, which is the summary of combining reality and metaphor in instances where that is claimed.

Al-Khafaji said: Combining [meanings] is not necessary because "enemy" (aduww) is a "resembling adjective" (sifah mushabbahah) indicating the "stability" (thubut) that includes both the actual and the anticipated. It is not hidden that this is a statement that "stability" in the resembling adjective means "permanence." He himself said, in his discussion on the interpretation of His saying, "And do not walk on the earth exultantly" (ولا تمش في الأرض مرحا): "The meaning of its indication of stability is that it does not indicate renewal and occurrence, not that it indicates permanence, as the grammarians mentioned." Thus, what is said—that "exultantly" (marahan) is a resembling adjective indicating stability, and that its negation does not necessitate the negation of its origin—is a fallacy arising from not understanding the meaning of stability in it. [End quote.] Furthermore, his words here, after ignoring their contradiction with what he mentioned before, are not free from difficulty.

From what he mentioned in the preceding regarding the interpretation of the meaning of "stability," it is known that using this verse to argue that Pharaoh did not have his faith accepted and died a disbeliever—which is the truth—is not correct, though he has many correct proofs. The manifest [meaning] is that He (the Exalted) made this enemy ambiguous to her and did not inform her of his name; otherwise, she would not have said to his sister, "Track him" (قصيه).

"And I cast upon you love from Me" (وألقيت عليك محبة مني). The word "from" (min) is attached to an elided [word] that acts as an adjective for an elided [noun], confirming the innate grandeur in its indefiniteness with additional grandeur—meaning: "a great love, coming from Me, which I have planted in the hearts, so that everyone who saw you loved you to the point that they could not bear to be without you." Muqatil said: "There was beauty in his eyes; no one saw him but they loved him." Ibn Atiyyah said: "He was given a layer of beauty such that he who saw him could barely bear to be without him." It is narrated that when his mother (peace be upon her) was revealed what was revealed, she placed him in a chest of wood—it is said of papyrus—crafted by the believer of the family of Pharaoh. She sealed its gaps, lined it with a mat—it is said combed cotton—sealed its mouth, coated it with plaster and pitch, and cast him into the sea. While Pharaoh was in a place overlooking the Nile, and his wife was with him, he saw the chest at the shore. He ordered it opened, and lo, it was an infant, the most beautiful of people in face; so he and his wife loved him intensely.

It is also said that the chest arrived in the water at the landing where the servant girls of Pharaoh’s wife were drawing water. They took the chest and brought it to her, thinking it contained wealth. When she opened it, she saw him (peace be upon him), loved him, informed Pharaoh, and asked him to adopt him as a son, saying, "A comfort of the eye for me and for you; do not kill him." He said to her, "He shall be for you, but as for me, I have no need of him." Hence, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, as reported by al-Nasa'i and others from Ibn Abbas: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, had Pharaoh acknowledged him as a comfort of the eye for himself, as his wife did, Allah would have guided him through him, just as He guided his wife through him; but Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, forbade him that."

It is also said that Pharaoh was sitting at the head of a pool of his in a garden, with his wife, and he saw the chest having been pushed by the water into the pool from a river flowing from the sea. He ordered it brought out; it was brought out and opened, and lo, it was an infant, the most beautiful of people in face; he loved him so much he could barely bear to be without him. It is narrated that when he saw the chest, there were four hundred boys and girls in his presence. When he signaled to take it, he promised manumission to whoever reached it first, so they all raced, but only one of them succeeded in taking it, so he manumitted them all. In this is what provides hope to the negligent among the believers in the mercy of Allah the Exalted, for He, Glory be to Him, is the Most Merciful of the merciful and the Most Generous of the generous.

It is said that the word "min" (from) is attached to "al-qaytu" (I cast), so the love cast, according to the refined taste, is the love of Allah the Exalted for him—meaning: "I loved you, and whoever Allah loves, hearts inevitably love him." The Judge (al-Qadi) objected to this, saying that in infancy, a person is not described as being loved by Allah the Exalted, for that reverts to the delivery of rewards, and that only applies to one accountable. It was replied that the love of Allah the Exalted, according to the allegorical interpreters, is an expression for willing good and benefit, and this is more general than being a reward for a deed or otherwise. The reply according to those who do not interpret metaphorically is more evident. Some permitted the second meaning [in the first opinion regarding the attachment] and the first meaning [in the second opinion regarding it]. The claim that the cause for specification is not apparent is not hidden from one with a sound mind and a refined taste.

His saying, "And that you may be brought up under My eye" (ولتصنع على عيني), is attached to "al-qaytu" (I cast) as a conjunction to a hidden cause—meaning: "So that compassion may be directed toward you, and that you may be brought up." Or it is attached to a postponed hidden verb—meaning: "I did that, namely casting the love upon you, so that you may be brought up, etc." The claim that it is attached to "al-qaytu" while the "waw" is an expletive is of no substance. "Under My eye" (ala ayni) means "in My view." It is attached to a hidden [word] acting as a state (hal) from the concealed [pronoun] in "tusna'a" (you are brought up). This is a metaphorical representation (isti'arah tamthiliyyah) for preservation and protection, for the one protected is kept in view. "Al-san'" is kindness. Al-Nahhas said: "It is said 'sana'tu' to the horse if you treat it well." The meaning is: "May kindness and good be done unto you, and may you be raised with tenderness and affection; I am your guardian and watcher, just as a man watches a thing with his eye when he cares for it." Making this a representation wards off what al-Wahidi said—that the interpretation of "under My eye" as mentioned is correct, but there is no specification for Moses (peace be upon him) in that, as all things are in the view of Allah the Exalted. Though it may be said: This specification is for honor, like the specification of Jesus (peace be upon him) as the "Word of Allah," and the Ka'bah as the "House of Allah," even though everything exists by "Be" (kun) and all houses are the houses of Allah the Exalted. Qatada said: The meaning is "to be nourished upon My love and will." This is the choice of Abu Ubaydah and Ibn al-Anbari, and al-Wahidi claimed it is the correct [interpretation]. Al-Hasan and Abu Nuhayk recited "wa-li-tasna'a" (and that you may perform) with a fathah on the ta'. Tha'lab said: The meaning is "so that your movement and activity may be under My eye, lest you oppose My command."

Abu Ja'far recited in one transmission "wa-li-tusna'" with a kasrah on the lam and the jussive of the verb, because it is the "lam of command." Ordering the second person with the lam is anomalous, but since the verb is passive here and originally predicated to the third person—and there is no dispute in ordering it with the lam—that [usage] was maintained after it was transferred to the passive for conciseness. It is apparent that the conjunction is to His saying, "And I cast upon you love from Me," although there is a conjunction of the creative (insha') to the informative (khabar) in it, and there is famous discussion regarding this. But it was said here: It is softened by the fact that the command is in the meaning of information.

The author of al-Lawami' said: It is a conjunction to His saying, "Let it cast him," so there is no conjunction of the creative to the informative.

Shaybah and Abu Ja'far recited in another transmission likewise, except that he vocalized the lam with a sukun, and it is also the "lam of command." The rest of the discussion is similar to what passed. It is possible that it is the "lam of purpose" (lam kay) made quiescent for lightened pronunciation, and the fathah of the 'ayn was not shown due to the assimilation (idgham). Al-Khafaji said: This is very excellent.