Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:37

"And Moses said, 'My Lord...'"

He says: "My Lord is more knowing" than you regarding the state of the one whom Allah has deemed worthy of the greatest success, in that He made him a prophet, sent him with guidance, and promised him a good outcome—meaning himself. Had he been, as you claim, a liar, a sorcerer, or a fabricator, He would not have deemed him worthy of that, for He is Rich and Wise; He does not send liars, nor does He make sorcerers prophets, and the wrongdoers do not succeed with Him.

"And the outcome of the home" is the praiseworthy outcome. The evidence for this is His saying: "For them is the outcome of the home, Gardens of Eden," and His saying: "And the disbelievers will know for whom is the outcome of the home" (Ar-Ra'd: 42). The "home" refers to the world (dunya), and its outcome and end is that the servant’s life concludes with mercy, pleasure, and the angels meeting him with glad tidings at the time of death.

If you ask: Both the praiseworthy and the blameworthy outcomes can be called the "outcome of the home," because the world ends either in good or evil, so why is this title restricted to the end in good rather than the end in evil?

I say: Allah, glory be to Him, established the world as a bridge to the Hereafter and intended for His servants that they do nothing in it but good. He did not create them except for that, so that they might attain the end of good and the outcome of truth. Whoever acts in it contrary to what Allah established has distorted it. Therefore, its original outcome is the outcome of good. As for the outcome of evil, it is not to be counted, because it is the result of the distortion of the wicked.

Ibn Kathir read: "Moses said" without the "wa" (and), as it appears in the codices of the people of Mecca. It is a good reading, because the context is one of inquiry and investigation into what Moses, peace be upon him, answered them with when they called those dazzling signs "sorcery" and "fabrication."

The aspect of the other reading (with the "wa") is that they said that, and Moses, peace be upon him, said this, so that the observer may weigh the statement against what is said, and perceive the corruption of one and the validity of the other:

And by their opposites, things are made clear.

It was also read: "takūn" (it will be), with both the ya and the ta.

"And Pharaoh said, 'O assembly, I have not known for you any god other than me. So kindle for me, O Haman, [a fire] upon the clay and make for me a tower that I may look at the God of Moses. And indeed, I think he is among the liars.'"