Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Musa and Harun Allah tells us how He blessed Musa and Harun with prophethood and how He saved them, along with those who believed, from the oppression of Fir`awn and his people, who had persecuted them by killing their sons and sparing their women, and by forcing them to do the most menial tasks, then ultimately He caused them to prevail over them and to seize their lands and their wealth and all that they had spent their entire lives amassing. Then Allah revealed to Musa the Clear and Mighty Book, which is the Tawrah, as Allah says: وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ الْفُرْقَانَ وَضِيَآءً (And indeed We granted to Musa and Harun the criterion (of right and wrong), and a shining light) (21:48). And Allah says here: وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمَا الْكِتَـبَ الْمُسْتَبِينَ - وَهَدَيْنَـهُمَا الصِّرَطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (And We gave them the clear Scripture; and guided them to the right path.) meaning, with regard to words and deeds. وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا فِى الاٌّخِرِينَ (And We left for them among the later generations.) means, that after they died they would be mentioned in good terms and spoken of highly. Then Allah explain this further: سَلَـمٌ عَلَى مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّهُمَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Salam (peace!) be upon Musa and Harun! Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good. Verily, they were two of Our believing servants.) وَإِنَّ إِلْيَاسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ - أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَـلِقِينَ - اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ - فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ إِلاَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Musa and Harun Allah tells us how He blessed Musa and Harun with prophethood and how He saved them, along with those who believed, from the oppression of Fir`awn and his people, who had persecuted them by killing their sons and sparing their women, and by forcing them to do the most menial tasks, then ultimately He caused them to prevail over them and to seize their lands and their wealth and all that they had spent their entire lives amassing. Then Allah revealed to Musa the Clear and Mighty Book, which is the Tawrah, as Allah says: وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ الْفُرْقَانَ وَضِيَآءً (And indeed We granted to Musa and Harun the criterion (of right and wrong), and a shining light) (21:48). And Allah says here: وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمَا الْكِتَـبَ الْمُسْتَبِينَ - وَهَدَيْنَـهُمَا الصِّرَطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (And We gave them the clear Scripture; and guided them to the right path.) meaning, with regard to words and deeds. وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا فِى الاٌّخِرِينَ (And We left for them among the later generations.) means, that after they died they would be mentioned in good terms and spoken of highly. Then Allah explain this further: سَلَـمٌ عَلَى مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّهُمَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Salam (peace!) be upon Musa and Harun! Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good. Verily, they were two of Our believing servants.) وَإِنَّ إِلْيَاسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ - أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَـلِقِينَ - اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ - فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ إِلاَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ (When he said to his people: "Will you not have Taqwa") means, `do you not fear Allah when you worship others instead of Him' أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَـلِقِينَ (Will you call upon Ba`l and forsake the Best of creators,) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that the word Ba`l means lord. `Ikrimah and Qatadah said, "This is the language of the people of Yemen." According to another report from Qatadah, it is the language of Azd Shanu'ah. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam narrated from his father that it is the name of an idol which was worshipped by the people of a city called Ba`labak (Baalbek) which is to the west of Damascus. Ad-Dahhak said, "It is an idol which they used to worship." أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً (Will you call upon Ba`l) means, `will you worship an idol,' أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَـلِقِينَ - اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (and forsake the Best of creators, Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers) means, `He is the One Who is deserving of your worship alone, with no partners or associates.' فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ (But they denied him, so they will certainly be brought forth,) means, for the punishment on the Day of Reckoning. إِلاَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ (Save the chosen servants of Allah.) means, those who believe in Him alone. وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى الاٌّخِرِينَ (And We left for him among the later generations.) means, he is praised and spoken of highly. سَلَـمٌ عَلَى إِلْ يَاسِينَ (Salam (peace!) be upon Ilyasin!) Similarly, one might say for Isma`il, Isma`in. This is the language (dialect) of Bani Asad; they say Mikal, Mika'il, and Mika'in. They say Ibrahim and Ibraham; Isra'il, Isra'in; Tur Sina', Tur Sinin. All of that is fine. إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ - إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good. Verily, he was one of Our believing servants.) We have already discussed the meaning of this above. And Allah knows best.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ (When he said to his people: "Will you not have Taqwa") means, `do you not fear Allah when you worship others instead of Him' أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَـلِقِينَ (Will you call upon Ba`l and forsake the Best of creators,) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that the word Ba`l means lord. `Ikrimah and Qatadah said, "This is the language of the people of Yemen." According to another report from Qatadah, it is the language of Azd Shanu'ah. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam narrated from his father that it is the name of an idol which was worshipped by the people of a city called Ba`labak (Baalbek) which is to the west of Damascus. Ad-Dahhak said, "It is an idol which they used to worship." أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً (Will you call upon Ba`l) means, `will you worship an idol,' أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَـلِقِينَ - اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (and forsake the Best of creators, Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers) means, `He is the One Who is deserving of your worship alone, with no partners or associates.' فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ (But they denied him, so they will certainly be brought forth,) means, for the punishment on the Day of Reckoning. إِلاَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ (Save the chosen servants of Allah.) means, those who believe in Him alone. وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى الاٌّخِرِينَ (And We left for him among the later generations.) means, he is praised and spoken of highly. سَلَـمٌ عَلَى إِلْ يَاسِينَ (Salam (peace!) be upon Ilyasin!) Similarly, one might say for Isma`il, Isma`in. This is the language (dialect) of Bani Asad; they say Mikal, Mika'il, and Mika'in. They say Ibrahim and Ibraham; Isra'il, Isra'in; Tur Sina', Tur Sinin. All of that is fine. إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ - إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good. Verily, he was one of Our believing servants.) We have already discussed the meaning of this above. And Allah knows best.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ (When he said to his people: "Will you not have Taqwa") means, `do you not fear Allah when you worship others instead of Him' أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَـلِقِينَ (Will you call upon Ba`l and forsake the Best of creators,) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that the word Ba`l means lord. `Ikrimah and Qatadah said, "This is the language of the people of Yemen." According to another report from Qatadah, it is the language of Azd Shanu'ah. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam narrated from his father that it is the name of an idol which was worshipped by the people of a city called Ba`labak (Baalbek) which is to the west of Damascus. Ad-Dahhak said, "It is an idol which they used to worship." أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً (Will you call upon Ba`l) means, `will you worship an idol,' أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلاً وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَـلِقِينَ - اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (and forsake the Best of creators, Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers) means, `He is the One Who is deserving of your worship alone, with no partners or associates.' فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ (But they denied him, so they will certainly be brought forth,) means, for the punishment on the Day of Reckoning. إِلاَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ (Save the chosen servants of Allah.) means, those who believe in Him alone. وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى الاٌّخِرِينَ (And We left for him among the later generations.) means, he is praised and spoken of highly. سَلَـمٌ عَلَى إِلْ يَاسِينَ (Salam (peace!) be upon Ilyasin!) Similarly, one might say for Isma`il, Isma`in. This is the language (dialect) of Bani Asad; they say Mikal, Mika'il, and Mika'in. They say Ibrahim and Ibraham; Isra'il, Isra'in; Tur Sina', Tur Sinin. All of that is fine. إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ - إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good. Verily, he was one of Our believing servants.) We have already discussed the meaning of this above. And Allah knows best.