Surah 20. Ta-Ha

Strengthen me through him,

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Add to my strength through him ²⁵⁵⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Literally, "Strengthen my back with him". A man's strength lies in his back and backbone so that he can stand erect and boldly face his tasks.

and let him share my task,

  - Mustafa Khattab

"And make him share my task:

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

so that we may glorify You much

  - Mustafa Khattab

"That we may celebrate Thy praise without stint ²⁵⁵⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The requests that Moses makes are inspired, not by earthly but by spiritual motives. The motive, expressed in the most general terms, is to glorify Allah, not in an occasional way, but systematically and continuously, "without stint". "The clauses in this verse and the next, taken together, govern all the requests he makes, from verse 25 to verse 32.

and remember You much,

  - Mustafa Khattab

"And remember Thee without stint:

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

for truly You have 'always' been overseeing us.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

For Thou art He that (ever) regardeth us." ²⁵⁵⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The celebration of Allah's praise and remembrance is one form of showing gratitude on the part of Moses for the Grace which Allah has bestowed upon him.

Allah responded, 'All that you requested has been granted, O Moses!

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Allah) said: "Granted is thy prayer O Moses!"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And surely We had shown You favour before,

  - Mustafa Khattab

"And indeed We conferred a favor on thee another time (before).

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

when We inspired your mother with this:

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Behold! We sent to thy mother by inspiration the message: ²⁵⁵⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The story is not told, but only those salient points recapitulated which bear on the upbringing and work of Moses. Long after the age of Joseph, who had been a Wazir to one of the Pharaohs, there came on the throne of Egypt a Pharaoh who hated the Israelites and wanted them annihilated. He ordered Israelite male children to be killed when they were born. Moses's mother hid him for a time, but when further concealment was impossible, a thought came into her mind that she should put her child into a chest and send the chest floating down the Nile. This was not merely a foolish fancy of hers. It was Allah's Plan to bring up Moses in all the learning of the Egyptians, in order that that learning itself should be used to expose what was wrong in it and to advance the glory of Allah. The chest was floated into the river Nile. It flowed on into a stream that passed through Pharaoh's Garden. It was picked up by Pharaoh's people and the child was adopted by Pharaoh's wife. See xxviii. 4-13.

'Put him into a chest, then put it into the river. The river will wash it ashore, and he will be taken by 'Pharaoh,' an enemy of Mine and his.' And I blessed you with lovability from Me¹ 'O Moses' so that you would be brought up under My 'watchful' Eye.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 In other words, Allah made Moses a likeable person so Pharaoh and his wife would agree to keep him.

" `Throw (the child) into the chest and throw (the chest) into the river: the river will cast him up on the bank and he will be taken up by one who is an enemy to Me and an enemy to him': but I cast (the garment of) love over thee from Me: and (this) in order that thou mayest be reared under Mine eye. ^{2558 2559 2560}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Pharaoh was an enemy to Allah, because he was puffed up and he blasphemed, claiming to be God himself. He was an enemy to the child Moses, because he hated the Israelites and wanted to have their male children killed; also because Moses stood for Allah's revelation to come.

Allah made the child comely and lovable, and he attracted the love of the very people who, on general grounds, would have killed him.

See n. 2558 above. By making the child Moses so attractive as to be adopted into Pharaoh's household, not only was Moses brought up in the best way possible from an earthly point of view, but Allah's special Providence looked after him in bringing his mother to him, as stated in the next verse, and thus nourishing him on his mother's milk and keeping him in touch with his family.

'Remember' when your sister came along and proposed, 'Shall I direct you to someone who will nurse him?'¹ So We reunited you with your mother so that her heart would be put at ease, and she would not grieve. 'Later' you killed a man 'by mistake', but We saved you from sorrow, as well as other tests We put you through. Then you stayed for a number of years among the people of Midian. Then you came here as pre-destined, O Moses!

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Moses had refused all wet-nurses that were brought for him.

"Behold! thy sister goeth forth and saith `Shall I show you one who will nurse and rear the (child)?' So We brought thee back to thy mother that her eye might be cooled and she should not grieve. Then thou didst slay a man but We saved thee from trouble and We tried thee in various ways. Then didst thou tarry a number of years with the people of Midian. Then didst thou come hither as ordained O Moses! ^{2561 2562 2563 2564}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We may suppose that the anxious mother, after the child was floated on the water, sent the child's sister to follow the chest from the bank and see where and by whom it was picked up. When it was picked up by Pharaoh's own family and they seemed to love the child, she appeared like a stranger before them, and said, "Shall I search out a good wet-nurse for the child, that she may rear the child you are going to adopt?" That was exactly what they wanted. She ran home and told her mother. The mother was delighted to come and fold the infant in her arms again and feed it at her own breast, and all openly and without any concealment.

The mother's eyes had, we may imagine, been sore with scalding tears at the separation from her baby. Now they were cooled: a phrase meaning that her heart was comforted.

Years passed. The child grew up. In outward learning he was of the house of Pharaoh. In his inner soul and sympathy he was of Israel. One day, he went to the Israelite colony and saw all the Egyptian oppression under which Israel laboured. He saw an Egyptian smiting an Israelite, apparently with impunity. Moses felt brotherly sympathy and smote the Egyptian. He did not intend to kill him, but in fact the Egyptian died of the blow. When this became known, his position in Pharaoh's household became impossible. So he fled out of Egypt, and was only saved by Allah's grace. He fled to the Sinai Peninsula, to the land of the Midianites, and had various adventures. He married one of the daughters of the Midianite chief, and lived with the Medianites for many years, as an Egyptian stranger. He had many trials and temptations, but he retained his integrity of character.

See last note. After many years spent in a quiet life, grazing his father-in-law's flocks, he came one day to the valley of Tuwa underneath the great mountain mass of Sinai, called Tur (in Arabic). The peak on the Arabian side (where Moses was) was called Horeb by the Hebrews. Then was fulfilled Allah's Plan: he saw the fire in the distance, and when he went up, he was addressed by Allah and chosen to be Allah's Messenger for that age.

And I have selected you for My service.

  - Mustafa Khattab

"And I have prepared thee for Myself (for service)"...

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Go forth, you and your brother, with My signs and never falter in remembering Me.

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Go thou and thy brother with My Signs and slacken not either of you in keeping Me in remembrance. ²⁵⁶⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We may suppose that Moses had fled alone to the land of Midian, and that he had now come alone (with his family but not with his brother) to Tuwa, as described in n. 2542 above. When he was honoured with his mission, and was granted his request that his brother Aaron should accompany him, we may suppose that he took steps to get Aaron to come to him, and their meeting was in Tuwa. Some time may be supposed to have elapsed before they were in Egypt, and then they prayed, and received these directions in their Egyptian home. Aaron was either an elder or a younger brother, we are not told which. In either case he was born when the ban on Israelite new-born babes was not in operation. Moses had been out of touch with him, and it speaks greatly for his family affection that he remembered him and prayed for his comradeship in the most serious spiritual work of his life.

Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed 'all bounds'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Go both of you to Pharaoh for he has indeed transgressed all bounds; ^{2566 2567}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Their mission was in the first instance to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians, and then to lead Israel out of Egypt.

Compare the same phrase in xx. 24. Having glanced at the early life of Moses we come back now to the time when Moses's actual ministry begins. The earlier personal story of Moses is rounded off.

Speak to him gently, so perhaps he may be mindful 'of Me' or fearful 'of My punishment'.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear (Allah)." ²⁵⁶⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So far Pharaoh in his inordinate vanity had forgotten himself and forgotten how small a creature he was before Allah. This was to be brought to his recollection, so that he might perhaps repent and believe, or at least be deterred by fear from "transgressing all bounds". Some men eschew wrong from sincere love of Allah and understanding of their fellow-men, and some (of coarser minds) from the fear of consequences. Even the latter conduct may be a step to the former.

They both pleaded, 'Our Lord! We fear that he may be quick to harm us or act tyrannically.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They (Moses and Aaron) said: "Our Lord! we fear lest He hasten with insolence against us or lest he transgress all bounds." ²⁵⁶⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They were now in Egypt (see n. 2565 above) and therefore in the power of the Pharaoh. The local atmosphere called for the greatest courage and firmness on their part to carry out the dangerous mission which had been entrusted to them.