Tā-Hā (9-12): And has there come to you the news...

Know that after the Almighty magnified the status of the Qur'an and the status of the Messenger concerning what he was commanded, He followed that up with what strengthens the heart of the Messenger (peace be upon him) by mentioning the accounts of the Prophets (peace be upon them) to strengthen his heart in delivering the message, like His saying: {And We relate to you from the news of the messengers what We may strengthen your heart with} (Hūd: 120).

He began with Moses (peace be upon him) because the trial and tribulation he experienced were greater, so that the Messenger's heart might be consoled by that and he might be patient in enduring hardships. Thus, He said: {And has there come to you the news of Moses?}

Herein lie several issues:

Issue 1: The meaning of {Has there come to you}

This phrase can mean that this is the first time he is being informed about the matter of Moses (peace be upon him), so He said: {Has there come to you?} meaning, it has not come to you until now, but it has come to you now, so pay attention to it. This is the view of al-Kalbī.

Alternatively, it could mean that this news had already reached him in the past, so it is as if He is saying: Has this not already come to you? This is the view of Muqātil and al-Ḍaḥḥāk, narrated from Ibn 'Abbās.

Issue 2: The nature of the interrogative form

Although {Has there come to you} is in the form of a question, which is not permissible for God Almighty, the intent behind it is to affirm the answer in his heart. This phrasing is more eloquent in achieving that, just as one says to his companion, "Has the news of such-and-such reached you?" The listener becomes eager to know what is intended. If the intent were a genuine inquiry, the answer would come from the Prophet (peace be upon him), not from God Almighty.

Issue 3: The context of seeing the fire

The phrase {when he saw a fire} means: Has the news of him come to you at the time when he saw a fire?

The commentators said: Moses (peace be upon him) sought permission from Shu'ayb to return to his mother, and he permitted him. So, he set out, and a son was born to him on the road during a snowy winter night, which was a Friday night. He had deviated from the path. Moses (peace be upon him) struck flint but the striker produced nothing. While he was engaged in that, he looked and saw a fire from afar, to the left of the road.

Al-Suddī said: He thought it was one of the shepherds' fires. Others said that he saw it in a tree, but the wording of the Qur'an does not indicate that. They differed: some said what he saw was not fire, but he imagined it to be fire. The correct view is that he saw actual fire, as prophets must be truthful, and lying is impermissible for them.

It is said that fire is of four types:

1. Fire that consumes but does not drink (the fire of this world).
2. Fire that drinks but does not consume (the fire of trees, based on His saying: {He made for you from the green tree a fire} [Yā-Sīn: 80]).
3. Fire that consumes and drinks (the fire of the stomach).
4. Fire that neither consumes nor drinks (the fire of Moses, peace be upon him).

It is also said that fire is of four types:

1. Fire with light but no heat (the fire of Moses, peace be upon him).
2. Heat without light (the fire of Hell).
3. Heat and light (the fire of this world).
4. Neither heat nor light (the fire of trees).

When he perceived the fire, he headed towards it, saying: {Stay here} (implying to his family). This address could be to his wife, his child, and the servant with him, or just to his wife, but the wording used the plural form Ahl (family) because it typically refers to a group. Furthermore, one may address a single person using the plural form for magnification. The meaning is: Remain in your place.

{Indeed, I have perceived a fire} (Ānastu). Īnās (perceiving/sensing) means clear sight, without ambiguity. From this comes insān al-'ayn (the pupil of the eye) because it clarifies things, and al-ins (mankind) because they are manifest, whereas al-jinn (jinn) are so named because they are hidden. It is also said that Īnās is that by which one finds solace. Since he perceived something that was truly absent for them (i.e., a divine sign), the word Innī (Indeed, I) was used to reassure their souls. Since the perception of a flame (qabas) and the expectation of guidance were anticipated, the matter was framed in terms of hope and expectation, so He said: {So when he reached it} (Fa-lammā qaḍā), and did not cut off [the statement] by saying, "I will bring you," lest he promise what he was not certain he could fulfill.

The subtlety here is that some people claimed Abraham lied for the sake of expediency, which is impossible. Moses (peace be upon him), before his prophethood, refrained from lying. He did not say, "I will bring you," but rather, "Perhaps I will bring you" (la'alla), not making a definitive promise he might not fulfill.

{a burning brand} (qabasan): This is a flame taken from the tip of a stick, wick, or something similar. {or find guidance by the fire} (aw ajida 'ala an-nār hadyan). Hadāy (guidance) is what one is guided by, and it is a masdar (verbal noun). It is as if he said: I will find by the fire something to guide me, whether a proof or a sign. The meaning of being upon the fire ('ala an-nār) is that people seeking warmth gather around it, or because those warming themselves surround it, thus overlooking it.

{So when he came to it} (Fa-lammā atāhā): meaning, he came to the fire. Ibn 'Abbās said: He saw a green tree from bottom to top as if it were white fire. He stopped, amazed by the intensity of the fire's light and the intense greenness of the tree—the fire did not alter the greenness, nor did the abundance of the tree's water diminish the fire's light. He heard the glorification of the angels and saw a great light.

Wahb said: Moses (peace be upon him) thought it was a fire that had been lit, so he took some fine kindling to draw a flame from it. It moved towards him as if wanting him, so he retreated from it, fearing it. Then it kept tempting him, and he was tempted by it, but nothing was faster than its extinguishing, as if it had never been. Then Moses looked at its branch and saw its greenness shining towards the sky, and a light between the sky and the earth with a radiance that averted the eyes. When Moses saw that, he covered his eyes, and a voice called out: {O Moses!}

The Qāḍī (Judge) mentioned that if the narration that the flint did not ignite is accepted, this is permissible. As for those who narrate that the fire receded from him, if prophethood had already been granted to him, that is permissible; otherwise, it is impossible unless it was a miracle for another prophet.

In His saying: {And indeed, I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed} (Tā-Hā: 13), there is evidence that God revealed to him in this state and made him a prophet. Based on this, what they mentioned about the fire receding from him is distant from the truth. The Almighty's statement: {So when he came to it, a voice called: O Moses! * Moses} refutes this. If it receded moment by moment, the immediate sequence implied by the fā' (then) in fa-lammā atāhā would lose its significance.

We say: The Qāḍī based this objection on his doctrine that Irḥāṣ (preliminary miracles for a prophet) is impermissible, which we hold to be false. Thus, his view is invalidated. As for relying on the fā' of immediate sequence, it is plausible because the brief interval between his arrival and the call does not invalidate the immediate sequence.

Issue 4: The reading of Annī

Abū 'Amr and Ibn Kathīr recited {Annī} (with fatḥa on the alif) meaning: he was called, saying, "I am your Lord." The rest recited it with kasra (i.e., annī), meaning: he was called, saying, "O Moses," or because the call is a type of speech, it was treated as such.

Issue 5: The nature of God's speech

Al-Ash'arī said that God Almighty made him hear the eternal speech which is neither letter nor sound. The Mu'tazilah denied the existence of this speech, saying that God Almighty created that call in a physical body, like the tree or something else, because the call is the speech of God, and God is capable of it and can effect it whenever He wills.

The Sunnis of Transoxiana affirmed the eternal speech, but they claimed that what Moses (peace be upon him) heard was a sound created by God in the tree. They used the verse as evidence that what was heard was a created sound, arguing that God linked the call to his arrival at the fire. What is linked to a created thing must be created. Thus, the call is created.

Issue 6: How Moses knew the caller was God

There were differing opinions on how Moses (peace be upon him) knew that the caller was God Almighty. Our companions (Ahl al-Sunnah) say that God Almighty could create in him an innate, necessary knowledge of that. Alternatively, he could know through a miracle.

The Mu'tazilah argued that innate knowledge is impermissible because if necessary knowledge arose that this call was the speech of God, then necessary knowledge of the existence of the knowing, capable Creator would also arise, as it is impossible for the attribute (the speech) to be known necessarily while the essence (the Creator) is known only through inference. If the existence of the Almighty Creator were known necessarily to him, Moses would be exempt from accountability (taklīf), as necessary knowledge negates accountability. Since Moses is agreed upon as being accountable, we know that God Almighty informed him of this through a miracle.

They differed on what that miracle was:

1. Some said we know for certain that God informed him through a miracle, and we do not need to know what that specific miracle was.
2. It is narrated that when Moses (peace be upon him) witnessed the brilliant light shining from the tree up to the sky and heard the glorification of the angels, he covered his eyes, and the call came: "O Moses?" He replied: "Here I am, I hear Your voice, but I do not see You. Where are You?" He said: "I am with you, before you, behind you, encompassing you, and closer to you than you are to yourself." Then Iblīs suggested doubt to him, saying: "How do you know you are hearing the speech of God?" He replied: "Because I hear it from above me, below me, behind me, to my right, and to my left, just as I hear it from before me." Thus, he knew it was not the speech of created beings. The meaning of his mentioning these directions is that he heard it with all his parts and limbs, as if every part of him had become an ear.
3. Perhaps he heard the call from inanimate objects like pebbles, and that would be a miracle.
4. He saw the fire in the green tree such that the greenness did not extinguish the fire, and the fire did not harm the greenness. No one can do this except God Almighty.

Issue 7: The repetition of the pronoun

They mentioned that the repetition of the pronoun in {Indeed, I—I am your Lord} was to generate definitive proof and remove ambiguity.

Issue 8: Reasons for removing the sandals

They mentioned several interpretations for His saying: {So remove your sandals}:

1. They were made of the hide of a dead donkey, so he was commanded to remove them out of reverence for the sacred valley. This is supported by His subsequent statement: {Indeed, you are in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā} (implying causation). This is the view of 'Alī (peace be upon him), Muqātil, al-Kalbī, al-Ḍaḥḥāk, Qatādah, and al-Suddī.
2. He was commanded to remove them so that his feet might attain the blessing of the valley. This is the view of al-Ḥasan, Sa'īd ibn Jubayr, Mujāhid, and others.
3. This is interpreted as magnifying the location, meaning that it should not be trodden upon except by one barefoot, to show reverence and humility upon hearing the word of his Lord. The evidence is that He immediately followed it with: {Indeed, you are in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā}, which implies causation, as if He said: Remove your sandals because you are in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā.

The people of esoteric interpretation (Ahl al-Ishārah) mentioned other interpretations:

1. The sandal in a dream is interpreted as the wife and child. Thus, {So remove your sandals} is an indication that his thoughts should not be diverted to his wife and child, and he should not remain preoccupied with their affairs.
2. Removing the sandals means abandoning preoccupation with this world and the Hereafter, as if he were commanded to become completely absorbed in the knowledge of God Almighty, without his thoughts turning to anything other than God. The Sacred Valley (al-Wādī al-Muqaddas) refers to the sanctity of God's majesty and the purity of His might. It means: Since you have reached the ocean of gnosis, do not turn your attention to created things.
3. When reasoning to prove the Creator, a person cannot reach Him except through two premises, such as: The sensible world is contingent, or possible, and everything that is such has a director, an agent, and a maker. These two premises resemble sandals because the intellect uses them to reach the intended goal and moves from contemplating creation to knowing the Creator. After reaching the knowledge of the Creator, he must no longer be concerned with those two premises, because preoccupation with anything else prevents complete absorption in the Divine. It is as if he was told: Do not be preoccupied in heart and mind with those two premises, for you have reached the Sacred Valley, which is the ocean of the knowledge of God Almighty and the depths of His Divinity.

Issue 9: The Mu'tazilah argument regarding eternal speech

The Mu'tazilah used His saying {So remove your sandals} as evidence that God's speech is not eternal. If it were eternal, God would have been commanding Moses, "Remove your sandals, O Moses," before Moses existed. This is known to be foolishness, as a man in an empty house who says, "O Zayd, do this," and "O 'Amr, do not do that," while Zayd and 'Amr are not present, is considered insane and foolish. How fitting is this for God Almighty?

Our companions answered this in two ways:

1. Although His speech is eternal, in eternity (al-azal), it was not a command or a prohibition.
2. It was a command in the sense that something existed eternally which, by continuing until eternity, caused the person to be commanded, without any change occurring in that thing. Just as the power (qudrah) necessitates the validity of an action, and this power existed eternally without this validity, when it continued until eternity, validity occurred. Similarly here. This discussion involves subtlety and precise scholarly debate.

Issue 10: Praying in sandals

There is no indication in the verse that praying or performing Ṭawāf (circumambulation) in sandals is disliked. The correct view is that there is no dislike for it. If we attribute the command to remove the sandals to the reverence for the valley or the reverence for God's speech, the command is restricted to that specific situation. If we attribute it to the sandals being made of dead donkey hide, it might have been forbidden to wear the hide of a dead donkey, even if tanned. If so, this ruling is abrogated by the Prophet's saying: "Any hide that is tanned has become pure."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed in his sandals, then removed them during the prayer. The people removed their sandals. When he finished the prayer, he asked: "Why did you remove your sandals?" They replied: "We saw you remove yours." He said: "Gabriel informed me that there is filth upon them." The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not dislike praying in sandals; rather, he rebuked those who removed them and informed them that he removed them only because of the filth upon them.

Issue 11: The reading of Ṭuwā

Ṭuwā was recited with ḍammah (u) and kasrah (i), and it was read as both munṣarif (declined) and ghayr munṣarif (indeclinable). Whoever pronounces the tanwīn (nunation) treats it as the name of the valley. Whoever omits the tanwīn leaves it indeclinable because it is a deviation ('adl) from Ṭāwī (the active participle), similar to 'Umar, which is a deviation from 'Āmir. It is also possible that it is the name of the specific location.

Issue 12: Meanings of Ṭuwā

1. It is the name of the valley, the view of 'Ikrimah and Ibn Zayd.
2. It means "twice," like muthannā (double). Meaning: the valley was sanctified twice, or Moses (peace be upon him) was called twice. It is said: Nādaytuhu Ṭuwā (I called him Ṭuwā), meaning doubly.
3. Ṭuwā means "to fold" or "to traverse." Ibn 'Abbās (may God be pleased with him) said that he passed by that valley at night and traversed it (ṭawāhu). The meaning would then be: in the sacred valley that I traversed completely, meaning I cut through it until you reached its highest point. Those who hold this view say Ṭuwā is a maṣdar (verbal noun) that has deviated from its verbal form, as if saying: I traversed it a complete traversal (Ṭawaytuhu ṭawā), just as one says Hadā yahdī hudan (He guided, guiding, guidance). And God knows best.

{And indeed, I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed.} {Indeed, I—I am God; there is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance.}