As-Sajdah 32:24
The Prostration · Juz 21 · Page 417
وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ أَئِمَّةٗ يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْۖ وَكَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ ٢٤
And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.
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Commentary on 32:23–25
The Book of Musa and the Leadership of the Children of Israel
Allah tells us that He gave the Book -- the Tawrah -- to His servant and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him.
فَلاَ تَكُن فِى مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَآئِهِ
(So, be not you in doubt of meeting him.) Qatadah said, "This refers to the Night of Isra'," then he narrated that Abu Al-`Aliyah Ar-Riyahi said, "The cousin of your Prophet, meaning Ibn `Abbas, told me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«أُرِيتُ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي مُوسى بْنَ عِمْرَانَ رَجُلًا آدَمَ طِوَالًا جَعْدًا كَأَنَّهُ مِنْ رِجَالِ شَنُوءَةَ، وَرَأَيْتُ عِيسى رَجُلًا مَرْبُوعَ الْخَلْقِ إِلَى الْحُمْرَةِ وَالْبَيَاضِ، سَبْط الرَّأْسِ، وَرَأَيْتُ مَالِكًا خَازِنَ النَّارِ وَالدَّجَّال»
(On the night of Isra', I saw Musa bin `Imran, a tall, brown-skinned man with curly hair, looking like the men of Shanu'ah; and I saw `Isa, a man of medium stature and ruddy white skin, and with lank hair. And I saw Malik the Keeper of Hell, and the Dajjal.) Among the signs which Allah showed him were:
فَلاَ تَكُن فِى مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَآئِهِ
(So, be not you in doubt of meeting him.) i.e., he saw Musa and met with him on the Night of Isra'."
وَجَعَلْنَهُ
(And We made it) means, `the Book which We gave to him, '
هُدًى لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ
(a guide to the Children of Israel.) This is similar to what Allah says in Surat Al-Isra':
وَءَاتَيْنَآ مُوسَى الْكِتَبَ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ هُدًى لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ أَلاَّ تَتَّخِذُواْ مِن دُونِى وَكِيلاً
(And We gave Musa the Scripture and made it a guidance for the Children of Israel (saying): "Take none other than Me as Trustee.") (17:2)
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْ وَكَانُواْ بَِايَتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ
(And We made from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat.) means, because they were patient in adhering to the commands of Allah and avoiding what He prohibited, and they believed in His Messengers and followed what they brought, there were among them leaders who guided others to the truth by the command of Allah, calling for goodness, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Then when they changed the Words of Allah, twisting and distorting them, they lost that position and their hearts became hard. They change the words from their places, so they do no righteous deeds and have no correct beliefs. Allah says:
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْ
(And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient) Qatadah and Sufyan said: "When they patiently shunned the temptations of this world." This was also the view of Al-Hasan bin Salih. Sufyan said, "This is how these people were. A man cannot be an example to be followed unless he shuns the temptation of this world." Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ الْكِتَبَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَهُمْ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَتِ وَفَضَّلْنَهُمْ عَلَى الْعَلَمينَ وَءاتَيْنَهُم بَيِّنَتٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ
(And indeed We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, and the understanding of the Scripture and its laws, and the prophethood; and provided them with good things, and preferred them above the nations. And We gave them clear proofs in matters.) (45:16-17). And He says here:
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقَيَمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
(Verily, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection, concerning that wherein they used to differ.) meaning, with regard to beliefs and actions.
Page 417
32:21
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَدۡنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٢١
And We will surely let them taste the nearer punishment1 short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will return [i.e., repent].
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the disasters and calamities of this world. ↩
32:22
وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ ثُمَّ أَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهَآۚ إِنَّا مِنَ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ ٢٢
And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.
32:23
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ فَلَا تَكُن فِي مِرۡيَةٖ مِّن لِّقَآئِهِۦۖ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ هُدٗى لِّبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٢٣
And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture, so do not be in doubt over his meeting.1 And We made it [i.e., the Torah] guidance for the Children of Israel.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Muḥammad's meeting Moses on the night of al-Miʿrāj (ascent). ↩
32:24
وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ أَئِمَّةٗ يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْۖ وَكَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ ٢٤
And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.
32:25
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَفۡصِلُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٢٥
Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.
32:26
أَوَلَمۡ يَهۡدِ لَهُمۡ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ يَمۡشُونَ فِي مَسَٰكِنِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٍۚ أَفَلَا يَسۡمَعُونَ ٢٦
Has it not become clear to them how many generations We destroyed before them, [as] they walk among their dwellings? Indeed in that are signs; then do they not hear?
32:27
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّا نَسُوقُ ٱلۡمَآءَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡجُرُزِ فَنُخۡرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرۡعٗا تَأۡكُلُ مِنۡهُ أَنۡعَٰمُهُمۡ وَأَنفُسُهُمۡۚ أَفَلَا يُبۡصِرُونَ ٢٧
Have they not seen that We drive water [in clouds] to barren land and bring forth thereby crops from which their livestock eat and [they] themselves? Then do they not see?
32:28
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡفَتۡحُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٢٨
And they say, "When will be this conquest,1 if you should be truthful?"
1 translator’s note
- Or "decision," i.e., judgement. ↩
32:29
قُلۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَتۡحِ لَا يَنفَعُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنُهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنظَرُونَ ٢٩
Say, [O Muḥammad], "On the Day of Conquest the belief of those who had disbelieved will not benefit them, nor will they be reprieved."
32:30
فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡ وَٱنتَظِرۡ إِنَّهُم مُّنتَظِرُونَ ٣٠
So turn away from them and wait. Indeed, they are waiting.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy