Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:29

The Term of Service The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: "Which of the two terms did Moses fulfill?" He replied: "The longer and more complete of the two." It is also narrated that he said: "He fulfilled the most perfect of them and married the younger of the two." This contradicts the previous narration.

The Jadhwah (Brand) Jadhwah—read with all three vowel variations (fatḥa, ḍamma, and kasra)—refers to a thick piece of wood, whether it has fire on its tip or not. Kuthayyir says:

"Layla’s wood-gatherers spent the night seeking for her A thick brand, neither brittle nor rotten."

And he also said:

"He cast upon a spark of fire a brand, Intense in its heat and its flaming."

The Call The min (from) in both instances denotes the starting point of the distance; meaning, the call came to him from the shore of the valley, from the direction of the tree. "From the tree" is a substitute (badal) for "from the shore of the valley," specifically a badal ishtimal (substitution of inclusion), because the tree was growing on the shore. This is like the verse: "We would have made for those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful... their houses" (Az-Zukhruf: 33).

The Rahb (Fear) Al-Buq’ah (the spot) is read with both ḍamma and fatḥa. Al-Rahb is read with various vowel combinations, all meaning "fear."

If you ask: "What is the meaning of 'And draw your wing close to you [to ward off] fear'?" I say: It contains two meanings:

1. The Physical Gesture: When Allah turned the staff into a snake, Moses (peace be upon him) was startled and agitated, shielding himself with his hand as one who fears something does. He was told that shielding himself with his hand was a sign of weakness before his enemies. Thus, he was instructed: when you cast it and it becomes a snake, place your hand under your armpit instead of shielding yourself with it, then draw it out white. This achieves two things: avoiding a gesture of weakness and manifesting another miracle. The "wing" (janah) refers to the hand, as a human's hands are like a bird's wings. By placing his right hand under the armpit of his left, he draws his "wing" to himself.
2. The Metaphor of Composure: It refers to his self-control and steadfastness when the staff turns into a snake, so that he does not tremble or fear. This is a metaphor taken from the behavior of a bird; when a bird is afraid, it spreads its wings, but otherwise, its wings are tucked in and ready. This is like the story of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, whose scribe once passed wind in his presence and was overcome with shame. Umar said to him: "Take your pen, draw your wing to yourself, and let your heart be at ease, for I have heard that sound from no one more than I have heard it from myself."

The meaning of "from fear" (min al-rahb) is "because of fear." That is, if fear strikes you upon seeing the snake, draw your wing to yourself. The fear is made the cause for the command. The meaning of "draw your wing" and "insert your hand into your garment" (in the other surah) are one and the same, though the expressions differ to serve different purposes: one to show the hand turning white, the other to conceal the fear.

If you ask: "The wing (hand) is described as being drawn in one place and drawn to in another (Taha: 22), how do we reconcile this?" I say: The "wing" being drawn is the right hand, and the one it is drawn to is the left. Each hand is a wing.

Note: Among the eccentric interpretations is the claim that rahb means "sleeve" in the dialect of Himyar. I wonder how valid this is linguistically, or if it was heard from reliable authorities? Furthermore, how does it fit the verse and the precise application of the words of Revelation? Besides, Moses (peace be upon him) wore nothing on the night of the discourse but a woolen cloak (zarmanaqah) which had no sleeves.

The Two Signs Dhanika (those two) is read with both light and heavy pronunciation; the light is the dual of dhaka, the heavy is the dual of dhalika. They are burhan (proofs)—two clear, luminous arguments. If you ask: "Why is an argument called a burhan?" I say: Because of its brightness and illumination, derived from their word for a fair-skinned woman, barharhah. The evidence for the extra nun is their saying abrah (to bring proof). Similarly, they call it sultan (authority), derived from salit (oil), because of its illumination.