Tafsir of Ta-Ha 20:40

(When your sister walked): This is an adverbial phrase (zarf) for [the implied verb] "to be nurtured" (li-tusna‘a), as Al-Hufi and others have stated. The meaning intended is the time in which the sister's walking occurred, along with what followed it—the speech, the return to his mother, and her nurturing him with affection. This is the implementation of His (Exalted is He) saying: (And that you may be nurtured under My eye); for there is no compassion greater than that of a mother, and her nurturing is in accordance with His (Exalted is He) careful observation.

It is also permissible for it to be an adverbial phrase for "I met [you]," or for it to be a substitute (badal) for (when We revealed), provided that the latter refers to an extended period of time. Thus, the two timeframes would coincide, making the substitution valid; it would not be a case of substituting one distinct thing for another, which is not found in eloquent speech. The author of al-Kashf considered this [the substitution] to be the most sound, arguing that it is more befitting the context of bestowing favor, as it counts the graces in a more emphatic manner. Furthermore, by restricting the "casting" (of the revelation) or the "nurturing" to the time of the sister's walking, it avoids resorting to the apparent (zahir); for prior to that, he (peace be upon him) was beloved and protected. However, the superior of the two interpretations is to make it an adverbial phrase for [the verb in] li-tusna‘a. As for the nominative case by implying [the verb] "remember," it is weak. You know that the apparent meaning is that it is an adverbial phrase for li-tusna‘a, and the restriction "under My eye" dismisses [the notion of] any nurturing before that [occurring] outside the mother’s lap from being "under [His] eye."

Abu Hayyan objected to the substitution view, arguing that both timeframes are narrow, not broad enough to allow them to be assigned to what they are attributed to, unlike "the year" in terms of extension. There is reflection to be had on this.

His sister’s name (peace be upon him) was Miriam; it is also said: Kulthum. The present tense form is used to narrate the past state, and the same is said regarding His (Exalted is He) saying: (And she said, "Shall I direct you to someone who will nurse him?")—that is, take him to herself and nurture him.

(Then We returned you to your mother): The fa (then) is fasiha (eloquent), meaning: They said, "Direct us to that one," so she brought your mother, and We returned you to her. (That her eye may be comforted): by meeting you. It is also recited as (taqirra) with a kasra on the qaf. جناح bin Hubaysh recited it as (tuqarra) in the passive voice. (And may she not grieve): meaning, may grief not overcome her regarding your separation after that; otherwise, the cessation of grief precedes the joy expressed by the "comforting of the eye," for the clearing [of obstacles/negatives] precedes the adorning [with benefits]. It is also said that the hidden pronoun in tahzana refers to Moses (peace be upon him)—that is, "And do not you grieve over the loss of her affection." Although the noble verse does not explicitly indicate this, the child's grief is not apparent, and what is in Surah al-Qasas supports the first [interpretation], for the Quran interprets itself.

A group [of scholars] narrated from a long report by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when Asiya took Moses (peace be upon him) out of the chest and begged Pharaoh for him, and he granted him to her, she sent for every woman in her surroundings who had milk to choose a wet nurse for him. However, he would not accept the breast of any of them. She feared he would reject the milk and die, which saddened her. She ordered him to be taken to the marketplace—a gathering place for people—hoping to find a wet nurse whose breast he would accept, but he did not. His mother awoke distressed and said to his sister: "Follow his tracks and seek him; do you hear any mention of him? Is my son alive, or have the beasts eaten him?" She forgot what Allah (Exalted be He) had promised her. She caught sight of him from afar and said, out of joy: "Shall I direct you to a household that will nurse him for you, and they will be sincere to him?" They took her, and said: "What do you know of their sincerity to him? Do they know him?" They were suspicious of that. She said: "Their sincerity to him and their compassion for him [is due to] their desire for the King’s satisfaction and to draw near to him." So they left her and asked her for the direction. She went to his mother and told her the news. She came, and when she placed him in her lap, he sprang to her breast and suckled until his sides were full. The news-bearers went to Pharaoh's wife to rejoice with her that they had found a wet nurse for her son. She sent for her and brought her and him. When she saw what he was doing [with her], she said to her: "Stay with me and nurse this son of mine, for I have never loved anything as I love him." She said: "I cannot leave my house and my children, for they will be lost. If you are willing to give him to me, I will take him to my house and he will be with me, and I will not fail to treat him with goodness; otherwise, I will not leave my house and my children." The mother of Moses remembered what Allah (Exalted be He) had promised her, so she was difficult for Pharaoh's wife [to persuade] for that reason, having become certain that Allah (Exalted be He) would fulfill His promise. She returned with her son to her house that same day. Allah (Exalted be He) caused him to grow up well and protected him for what had been ordained regarding him. When he grew up, Pharaoh's wife said: "Show me my son," and she promised her a day to visit her. She said to her treasurers and stewards: "Let none of you remain who does not meet my son with a gift and honor; I see that in him, and I am sending his guardian to count what each of you has done." Gifts and honors continued to meet him from the time he left his mother's house until he entered her [palace]. When he entered, she honored him and rewarded him, and rejoiced in him, and rewarded his mother for her good effect upon him. Then she took him to Pharaoh for him to reward and honor him, and what has been mentioned [previously] regarding his pulling of his beard occurred. From this report, it is known that the meaning of "When your sister walks" is that she walks on the road to seek you and verify your affair, saying to those you are in the hands of—who are seeking a wet nurse to suckle you—"Shall I direct you..." etc.

In another narration, when he was taken from the chest, the news spread that Pharaoh’s family had found a boy in the Nile who would not suckle from any woman, and they were forced to track down women. His sister went out to learn his news, came to them disguised, and said what she said, and they said what they said. According to this, the meaning of "When your sister walks" is that she walks to Pharaoh’s house and says to Pharaoh and Asiya, "Shall I direct you..." etc.

(And you killed a person): This is the soul of the Copt, whose name was Qanun, who was appealed to by the Israelite, whose name was Moses bin Zafar, and he was the Samaritan. He (peace be upon him) was, according to what is in al-Bahr, twelve years old when he killed him. In the report from the learned Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), he (peace be upon him) was a man when he killed the Copt. His killing of him was by a strike, as His (Exalted is He) saying indicates: (And Moses struck him, and he finished him). The meaning is: "And you killed a soul, so you were overcome by grief." (Then We saved you from the grief): This is the grief arising from the killing. It had come to him from two aspects: the fear of Allah's punishment, as the killing did not occur by His (Sublime is He) command, and the fear of Pharaoh’s retribution. Allah saved him from that through forgiveness when he said: (My Lord, I have wronged myself, so forgive me), and by migrating to Madyan. It is also said: It is the grief of the chest; and it is said: The grief of the sea. Both statements are baseless. Gham (grief) originally means covering something; from this comes ghamam (clouds) for covering the light of the sun. It is said for what covers the heart due to fear or the loss of a goal. There is a distinction between it and hamm (anxiety): the former is regarding a past matter, and the latter is regarding a future matter. The apparent meaning of many scholars' words is that there is no difference, and that each includes what pertains to both past and future matters.

(And We tried you with a severe trial): Meaning, We tested you with a test. (Futunan) is a verbal noun (masdar) on the pattern of fa‘ul in the transitive, like thubur, shakur, and kafur. Most often, this pattern is a verbal noun for the intransitive, or futunan is from ibtila' (trial) as a plural of fitna (test), like zunoon is the plural of zann, or a plural of fitna by ignoring the ta because it is as if it were separate, as they said hujuz as the plural of hujza, and budur as the plural of badra. Organizing the trial into the string of favors is said to be because the intention is "We tested and examined you by causing you to fall into trials and saving you from them." Others said the meaning is "We cast you into the ordeal," which is what is difficult for a person, and that this is organized into that string [of favors] because it is a cause for reward, and is thus of the category of blessings—but this is nothing. It is also said that fatannaka means "We purified you," from their saying "I fatantu (refined) the gold in the fire," meaning I purified it from dross. Its beauty is not hidden. The intention—whether futun is considered a verbal noun or a plural—is "We purified you time after time." This is apparent if considered as a plural; as for considering it a verbal noun, the context requires that. This is a summary of what he (peace be upon him) attained in his journey of migration from his homeland, the separation from loved ones, walking on foot, and the loss of provisions.

A group has narrated that Sa‘id bin Jubayr asked Ibn Abbas about the futun, and he said to him: "Restart the day, O son of Jubayr, for it has a long story." When it became morning, he went to him, and Ibn Abbas began mentioning it. He mentioned the story of Pharaoh, his killing of the children of the Children of Israel, then the story of placing Moses (peace be upon him) in the sea, the family of Pharaoh picking him up, his refusal to suckle from strangers, his return to his mother, then the story of his grabbing Pharaoh’s beard, Pharaoh’s anger at that, his desire to kill him, the placement of the coal and the jewel before him, his taking of the coal, then the story of his killing of the Copt, then his escape to Madyan, his becoming an employee for Shu'ayb (peace be upon him), then his return to Egypt, his missing the way on the dark night, and his sheep scattering there. He (may Allah be pleased with him) would say at the end of each one: "This is from the futun, O son of Jubayr." However, it is said that what the noble text requires is not to count his employment and what followed it as part of those futun, as the meaning intended is what happened before his (peace be upon him) arrival in Madyan, by the necessity of the fa (so) in His (Exalted is He) saying: (So you stayed years among the people of Madyan); for there is no doubt that the mentioned employment and what followed it occurred after his arrival there. The mention of his staying among them, rather than his arrival, indicates all that he (peace be upon him) suffered of the futun during the duration of that stay. This was, according to some, ten years. Wahb said twenty-eight years: he spent ten of them herding Shu'ayb’s sheep as a dowry for his daughter, and eighteen with his wife, and a child was born to him there. This is more in line with him (peace be upon him) being prophecied at the age of forty if we say that his (peace be upon him) age when he went out to Madyan was twelve years. Madyan is the town of Shu'ayb (peace be upon him), eight stages from Egypt.

(Then you came): That is, to the place where I called you. In the particle of delay (thumma), there is an indication that his (peace be upon him) arrival was after much difficulty, from losing his way and the scattering of the sheep on the dark, wintry night, and so on. (According to a destiny): That is, a preordainment. The intent is the preordained time—that is, you came in accordance with the time that I ordained and designated for speaking to you and prophesying you, without being earlier or later. It is also said: It is in the sense of "the destined," i.e., you came at a measure of time in which prophets (peace be upon them) are revealed to—which is the age of forty.

This is weakened by the fact that what is known for this meaning is al-qadar with a sukun [on the second letter], not the vocalization (al-qadar). It is also said: The meaning is "at a time We promised you." This is narrated from Mujahid, and it requires the promise to have preceded through the tongue of some other prophet (peace be upon them), and you see what that is. His (Exalted is He) saying: (O Moses) is a glorification of him (peace be upon him) and an alert to the conclusion of the narrative, which is the detail of the other occasion that occurred before the occasion narrated first.