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Surah al-‘Araf, Chapter 7, Section 11 cont

Surah al-‘Araf , Verse 88

قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَا شُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَارِهِينَ

88. “The chiefs of the arrogant among his people said: ‘We will surely expel you, O Shu‘ayb,

and those who believe with you from our town, unless you return into our creed.’ He (Shu‘ayb) said: ‘what, even though we dislike (it)?’”

All prophets have been threatened to be expelled and banished. This is the logic of force. Surah ’Ibrāhim,No. 14 ,verse 14 says:

“And those who disbelieved said to their apostles: ‘We will most certainly drive you forth from our land, so else you shall come back into our religion…”

The chiefs of the arrogant have always been the first enemies of prophets. The verse says:

“The chiefs of the arrogant among his people said…”

The method of prophets is logic and reasoning, but the style of disbelievers is force and threat.

The preachers of religion should not be afraid of the opponents’ threads, since there have always been threat and banishment in this way. The disbelievers told their prophet:

“…’We will surely expel you, O Shu‘ayb…”

Yet, be careful to use a kind word, politely and wisely, when you confront the ignorances of disbelievers. Shu‘ayb answered them:

“…He (Shu‘ayb) said: ‘what, even though we dislike (it)?’”

Surah al-‘Araf , Verse 89

قَدِ افْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى اللّهِ كَذِباً إِنْ عُدْنَا فِي مِلَّتِكُمْ بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجَّانَا اللّهُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَنْ نَعُودَ فِيهَآ إِلآَّ أَنْ يَشَآءَ اللّهُ رَبُّنَا وَسِعَ رَبُّنا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْماً عَلَى اللّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ

89. “We should have forged a lie against Allah if we returned into your creed after Allah delivered us from it. It is not for us to return into it, unless Allah, our Lord, (so) will. Our Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge. In Allah we have put our trust. Our Lord! Decide between us and our people with truth, and You are the best of deciders.”

The Qur’ānic term /millat/ has sometimes been used with the meaning of religion and creed.

Since the followers of Shu‘ayb had accepted their religion based upon reasoning and proof, (not upon desires), then they would not abandon it. Allah never commands upon returning to infidelity and paganism.

He who returns from His command, surely the amount of his deed is so little that the one regrets from his action, while Allah is not like that and He never reviews the religion. The verse says:

“We should have forged a lie against Allah if we returned into your creed after Allah delivered us from it…”

The Qur’ānic term /fath/ and /fātih/, in these aspects, mean: ‘judgement and arbitration’.

The final word is said by Allah, in order that they might be delivered from this blind, and the path be paved.

Therefore, opposite to the evil suggestions of the enemies, we must trust on Allah and show our conclusiveness.

Never a believer is ready to collude on his beliefs, and he never returns from the Truth. Turing back and retrogression is forbidden for a true Muslims. The verse says:

“…It is not for us to return into it, unless Allah, our Lord, (so) will…”

It is for this reason that we must submit the command of Allah and obey it.

Do not forget to observe discipline and courtesy in speech. Instead of curse, invoke Allah the just arbitration.

“…Our Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge. In Allah we have put our trust. Our Lord! Decide between us and our people with truth…”

In supplication, the relationship between the demand and the Divine Names should be considered.

We are in need of triumph and, therefore, we call Him saying:

“…and You are the best of deciders.”

Surah al-‘Araf , Verses 90-91

وَقَالَ الْمَلأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ لَئِنْ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْباً إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً لَخَاسِرُونَ

فَاَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَاَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ

90. “And the chiefs of those who disbelied from among his people said: ‘If you follow Shu‘ayb, you will indeed be losers’.”

91. “Then the earthquake seized them, so they became motionless bodies in their dwellings.”

In this verse, the term /rajfah/ (earthquake) has been used for the punishment of those people, while in Surah Hūd,No. 11 ,verse 94 the word /sayhah/ (rumbling) has been applied, and in Surah Ash-Shu‘arā,No. 26 , verse189 the phrase “…the punishment of the day of cloud…”, which is a covering produced by an annihilating cloud, is mentioned as their torment.

This shows that the earthquake of their chastisement had been accompanied with rumbling and an annihilating dark cloud.

The Arabic term /jāθm/is derived from /jaθm/ which means: to sit upon the knee and to stay in one place. As if, the punishment seized them at night when they were asleep. They woke up, but they had neither enough time to save themselves nor any ability to escape. So, they were destroyed while they were in the state of half-raised.

Most of the opponents of divine prophets were from the kind of rich notables.

“And the chiefs of those who disbelied from among his people said…”

One of the methods of disbelievers is threat by means of economical siege.

“…’If you follow Shu‘ayb, you will indeed be losers’.”

When they became like that, they increased their own aberration by persisting on leading others astray. There was no hope that they might believe. Therefore, basing on the decree of the law of effacing the effects of corruption, the divine punishment fell upon them. The verse says:

“Then the earthquake seized them, so they became motionless bodies in their dwellings.”

Surah al-‘Araf , Verse 92

الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْباً كَأَن لَمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْباً كَانُوا هُمُ الْخَاسِرِينَ

92. “Those who belied Shu‘ayb became (perished) as if they had never dwelt therein. Those who belied Shu‘ayb were themselves the losers.”

The Arabic term /yaqnau/, used in this verse, is derived from /qinā / which means: ‘to dwell in a place’.

The great loss belongs to the idolaters. Instead of belief in one God, they ascribe partners, and instead of accepting the guidance of the immaculates, they refer to others supposing to be led.

Therefore, instead of a secured life, they will be destroyed of everything; and instead of being admitted into Heaven, they will enter Hell Fire, since, instead of Allah’s pleasure, they have incurred His Wrath.

Thus, the plots of the people of Shu‘ayb, who were the followers of falsehood, were of no avail. They wanted to expel Shu‘ayb from their town, but they themselves were destroyed in their own houses.

That is why that sometimes it happens that the places of refuge change to places of massacre. (The town of the people of Shu‘ayb, for example, was a pleasant place for them and also it was used as a means of threat against Shu‘ayb by them. But that town was ruined upon them and became a means of their destruction.

It is at the time of incurring the Wrath of Allah that the real losers are recognized. The above verse is its Qur’ānic evidence. It says:

“Those who belied Shu‘ayb became (perished) as if they had never dwelt therein. Those who belied Shu‘ayb were themselves the losers.”

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 93

فَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالاَتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ فَكَيْفَ ءَاسَى عَلَى قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ

93. “So he turned away from them, and said: ‘O’ my people! I have delivered to you the messages of my Lord, and advised you sincerely; so how shall I then grieve for a disbelieving people?’”

Again, for a more intensive emphasis, it says that those who belied Shu‘ayb were the losers, not those who believed in him. Thus, such people are addressed in the holy verse as follows:

“So he turned away from them, and said: ‘O’ my people! I have delivered to you the messages of my Lord, and advised you sincerely…”

When Shu‘ayb saw them in the threshold of chastisement and destruction, he hopelessly turned away from them, and told them that he had conveyed the messages of Allah to them and had advised them, but refusing his words, they did not hearken to him.

That is, that punishment was very hard and painful, but they were deserve to incur it as a result of the crimes they had committed.

“…So how shall I then grieve for a disbelieving people?’”

Then Suh‘ayb, in a positive interrogation with a negative sense, said why he should grieve for a people who disbelieved and incurred the punishment of Allah for themselves. This statement means that he said he did not grieve for them.

Thus Shu‘ayb consoles himself, because he had made his best and applied all the necessary efforts to guide aright those people. But, alas, they disobeyed arrogantly and that torment was their recompense.

Section 12: Warning With the Punishment

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 94

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلآَّ أَخَذْنَآ أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَآءِ وَالضَّرَّآءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ

94. “And We did not send a prophet in any town but We vertook its people with distress and affliction hat they might humble themselves.”

The Qur’ānic term /ba’sā’/ means some calamities which reach the soul, like death; while the term /darrā’/ means: financial damages.1

As an Allah’s way of treatment, there are some bitter events and calamities for all nations.

It is noteworthy that difficulties and hardships are usually some functional factors in removing neglectfulness and in training man. Also, calamities are not always the Wrath of Allah. They are sometimes the grace of Allah in the form of misfortunes.

(Like some iron which, as a result of being heated in the furnace, becomes soft and changeable into different shapes. Afflictions cause man to be mild, too.) Difficulties also make Man humiliate and supplicate.

The verse says:

“And We did not send a prophet in any town but We overtook its people with distress and affliction that they might humble themselves.”2

Imam Sadiq (as) in a tradition said:

“Allah, Almighty and Glorious, said: ‘When the one who has known Me disobeys Me, I will set up, as an absolute master over him, the one who has not known Me’.”3

Hadrat abul-Hassan-il-Hādi, the tenth Imam (as) has said:

“Verily Allah has a caller who calls every day and night ‘O’ servants of Allah! Stop! stop sinning Allah! If there were not grazing animals, milking babies, and (in prayer) bowing aged ones, there would be showered a punishment over you by which you might be severely bruised’.”4

Surah al-‘Araf , Verse 95

ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّىٰ عَفَوا وَّقَالُوا قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُ فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

95. “Then We altered the ill (circumstances) to good, until they multiplied, and said: ‘Distress and happiness did indeed touch our fathers’. So We seized them suddenly while they did not perceive.”

The Arabic term /‘afau/, mentioned in this verse, means ‘the abundance of wealth and children’. The grace of Allah reached to be full unto them, but they did not become aware nor did they take an example.

A nearly similar meaning to this statement is recited in Surah Al-’An‘ām,No. 6 ,verse 44 , where it says:

“Then, when they forgot that which they had been admonished to, We opened the doors of all things (of enjoyments), until when they rejoiced in what they were given, We seized them suddenly when, behold, they were in utter dispair.”

The case is similar to the condition of a sick person whose physician becomes disappointed of him to be healed. Then he tells the people around him that they let him eat everything he wishes, because it is indifferent for the diseased person, and he is passing away.

However, as some commentators have said, there may also be another meaning for this verse. That meaning is that, after the removal of difficulties, the following generation said that bitter events were for their fathers and these offsprings were in security.

They were neglectful that Allah’s way of treatment in seizing people encompasses all generations, and such negligences are the secret of the Wrath of Allah.

Therefore, passing by the bitter and sweet incidents heedlessly, and taking no example of them, brings forth the Wrath of Allah thereafter. This status is a sign of unawareness in such people.

“…while they did not perceive.”

Not every kind of welfare and happiness is a sign of the Grace of Allah. They may sometimes prepare the field for the Wrath of Allah. The verse says:

“Then We altered the ill (circumstances) to good, until they multiplied…”

Sometimes it happens that the welfare of a person causes his neglectfulness and his disobedience from the command of Allah (s.w.t).

“…and said: ‘Distress and happiness did indeed touch our fathers’…”

Most of those who fail in the Divine trials are the rich and the people who are in welfare, not the deprived ones.

It should also be noted that the Wrath of Allah does not inform men when it has to come, but it comes suddenly.

The verse says:

“…So We seized them suddenly while they did not perceive.”

Surah al-‘Araf, Verse 96

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى ءَامَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالاَرْض ِ وَلَكِن كَذَّبُوا فَاَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

96. “And if the people of the towns had believed and kept from evil, We would have certainly opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied; so We seized them for what they used to earn.”

The Arabic term /barakāt/ is the plural form of /barakah/. It is applied for the fix and continual favours. On the contrary, there are some fleeting things in the senses of blessing, plurality of good and its multiplication. Blessings include both material and spiritual bounties, like blessings in lifetimes, in knowledge, and in books.

The verse says:

“And if the people of the towns had believed and kept from evil, We would have certainly opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth…”

It implies that if the people of the towns, who were destroyed because of denial and disobedience, had testified the Divine prophets and had avoided polytheism and sinning, Allah would have bestowed upon them the increasing blessings from the heaven and the earth by means of rain and abundance of plants and fruits.

Noah also promised his people if they believed, the blessings of heaven would be sent down unto them.

Some commentators say that blessings of the heaven, mentioned in this holy verse, refer to the supplications which are answered, and the blessings of the earth are the fulfilment of the requests.

The verse continues saying:

“…but they belied; so We seized them for what they used to earn.”

That is, they rejected the divine prophets, and Allah punished them for the recompense of their disobediences, oppositions, and belying the prophets by ceasing rain from them, and, consequently, the blessings of the earth were restrained from them.

Surah al-‘Araf, Verses 97-98

أَفَاَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتاً وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ

أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

97. “What! do the people of the towns then feel secure from Our punishment coming upon them by night while they are sleeping?”

98. “What! do the people of the towns feel secure from Our punishment coming upon them in daylight while they are playing?”

It questions whether the people of towns, who reject the prophets, are secure from the punishment of Allah when it comes down upon them while they are asleep at night, the same as it befell upon the former people.

The verse says:

“What! do the people of the towns then feel secure from Our punishment coming upon them by night while they are sleeping?”

Again, it questions whether the people of towns are secure from the punishment of Allah when it seizes them at the day time while they are busy doing some vain affairs.

The verse says:

“What! do the people of the towns feel secure from Our punishment coming upon them in daylight while they are playing?”

It is evident that whoever is busy with the mere affairs of this world and does not heed the affairs of Hereafter is in vain and, as if, he is playing around.

The purpose of the Qur’ānic phrase ‘the people of the towns’ is any group of people who are busy with some useless affairs, and who reject divine prophets, and they refrain worshipping One God.

The occasion of revelation of these two verses, of course, was the obstinacies of the pagans of Mecca.

Surah al-‘Araf , Verse 99

أَفَاَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللّهِ فَلا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

99. “What! Do they then feel secure from Allah’s plan (sudden punishment)? But none feels secure from Allah’s plan save the people (who are) losers.”

The verse begins thus:

“what! do they then feel secure from Allah’s plan (sudden punishment)?…”

The verse implies whether these disbelieving people are secure when the divine punishment befalls them so that they do not understand.

The reason that the divine punishment is called here ‘plan’ is that it seizes them in a way that they do not know it and they do not understand it.

A plan, or plot, usually attacks the opposite party unawares.

The verse continues saying:

“…But none feels secure from Allah’s plan save the people (who are) losers.”

That is, except the people who are losers, and they do not know it, no one feels secure from the plan of Allah.

The purpose of this verse is to attract the attention of the responsible ones to be careful and attentive that they should be afraid of Allah’s punishment, and they should obey Him. Never should they promise themselves security from that punishment, otherwise they will be involved in chastisement both in this world and Hereafter.

Notes

1. Tafsīr-i-Furqān

2. For more details upon the meaning of the Qur’ānic terms /ba’sā’/ and /darrā’/, refer to the commentary of Surah Al-’An‘ām, No. 6, verse 42, vol. 5, p. 124 the current English version series of commentary of the Holy Qur’ān.

3. ’Usūl-i-Kāfi, part 3, p. 378

4. ’Usūl al-Kāfi, part 3, p. 378

Section 13: The Ministry of Moses

Surah al-‘Araf , Verse 100

أَوَ لَمْ يَهْدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الاَرْضَ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَهْلِهَآ أَنْ لَوْ نَشَآءُ أَصَبْنَاهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لايَسْمَعُونَ

100. “Does He not guide (thereby) those who inherit the earth after its (former) residents that if We please We will destroy them (too) for their sins and set a seal on their hearts so that they do not hear (the truth)?”

Once more in this verse, in order to awaken the neglectful minds of the present people, and making them attentive of the instructive lessons which had existed in the lives of the former nations, the Qur’ān inquires whether those who inherit the earth next to the possessors of it did not take admonition from the study of the situation of the former nations.

They should understand that if Allah pleases, He is able to destroy them, too, for their faults, and inflicts them with the same evil end that the former sinners suffered.

The verse says:

“Does He not guide (thereby) those who inherit the earth after its (former) residents that if We please We will destroy them (too) for their sins…”

Allah is also able to leave them alive, while, because of their committing sins and corruptions, He seals their hearts and let them not perceive and recognize the truth, so that they never hear the truth and do not accept any advice. Such people will be wandering in the life bewildered. The verse says:

“…and set a seal on their hearts so that they do not hear (the truth)?”

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 101

تِلْكَ الْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَائِهَا وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا مِن قَبْلُكَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ

101. “These are the towns some of whose tidings We recount unto you; and certainly their Messengers came to them with manifest proofs, but they would not believe in what they had belied from before. Thus does Allah set a seal on the hearts of the infidels.”

In this verse, as well as the next one, the emphasis is again on the lessons which can be taken from the explanation of the former people’s events. But, here, the addressee is the Prophet (S), although the objective is indeed all human beings.

At first, it says:

“These are the towns some of whose tidings We recount unto you...”

Then, the verse implies that it was not such that they became unnihilated without completing the argument, but surely their divine prophets went to them with clear evidences and those prophets tried their utmost effort to guide them. The holy verse continues saying:

“…and certainly their Messengers came to them with manifest proofs…”

But they steadily showed opposition against the continuous preaches and repeated invitations of their prophets and persisted on their own saying. They were not ready to accept and believe in that which they had belied before. Here is what the verse says:

“…but they would not believe in what they had belied from before…”

The cause of this obstinacy has been stated in the next sentence of the holy verse, as follows:

“…Thus does Allah set a seal on the hearts of the infidels.”

That is, those who step in the path of wrong, as a result of repetition and continuation of action, some corruptions such as perversion, infidelity, and impurity settle in their hearts so deeply that they remain fixed therein like the curvings upon a coin. This is from the kind of effect and property of action which has been attributed to Allah, since it is He Who is the Cause of all causes.

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 102

وَمَا وَجَدْنَا لاَكْثَرِهِمْ مِنْ عَهْدٍ وإِنْ وَجَدْنَآ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفَاسِقِينَ

102. “And, We did not find in most of them any (firm) covenant, and verily We found most of them to be wrong-doers.”

The objective meaning of the word ‘‘ahd’, (covenant), mentioned in the verse, is either the relation between Allah and the sound innate disposition of people, or the invitation and laws of prophets, or the special covenants which sometimes people made with prophets saying that, for example, if the prophet performed so and so as a miracle or solved a particular difficulty of theirs, they would believe.

One of the evidences of this kind in the Qur’ān is Surah’A‘rāf,No. 7 , verses134 and135 which say:

“And when the plague fell upon them, they said: ‘O’ Moses! invoke your Lord for us by the covenant He has made with you. If you remove the plague from us, we will certainly believe in you, and we will certainly send with you the Children of Israel’.”

“But when We removed the plague from them until a term which they should reach, behold, they broke (their promise again).”

Allah has made manifest some facts for human beings through both innate disposition and prophets in order that they may have confederation and submission unto them. But most people neglect the cry of innate dispostion and prophets, and going out of the path of the truth, they become wrong-doers. The verse says:

“And, We did not find in most of them any (firm) covenant…”

Thus, the secret of the destruction of the former nations was breach of promise and disobedience.

“…and verily We found most of them to be wrong-doers.”

Allah has praised the faithful and blamed the breachers of promise.

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 103

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مُوسَى بِاَيَاتِنَآ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَظَلَمُوا بِها فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

103. “Then, after them, We sent Moses with Our Signs unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they wronged (and disbelieved) in them. Consider then how the end of the mischief makers was! ”

The name of Moses (as) has been repeated more than130 times in the Qur’ān. No other name has been mentioned therein as numerous as his name. As it is cited in Al-Mizān, the, the Qur’ān has referred to the divine miracles concerning no prophet as many as it has mentioned for Moses (as).

The story of Moses (as), mentioned in the Qur’ān, can be staged into five steps:

1 ) The birth and childhood of Moses.

2 ) His escape from the city of Madyan and living with Shuaib (Jethro).

3 ) His mission and his problems with Pharaoh.

4 ) His own deliverance and that of his people from Pharaoh, and returning to Palestine.

5 ) His conflicts with the Children of Israel.

This Surah, Al-’A‘rāf, is the first Meccan Surah which has referred to the story of Moses (as).

One of the philosophies of the mission of prophets is standing against false deities. For general improvement of a society, the chiefs and great members of that society should be referred to first, because water must be purified from its head-source, as the verse says:

“Then, after them, We sent Moses with Our Signs unto Pharaoh and his chiefs…”

People’s faith in the truth usually causes their society to be improved, while disbelief and heresy draw it towards corruption. The verse continues saying:

“…but they wronged (and disbelieved) in them. Consider then how the end of the mischief makers was! ”

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 104

وَقَالَ مُوسَى يَافِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

104. "And Moses said: ‘O Pharaoh! Verily I am a Messenger from the Lord of the worlds’."

Prophets claimed nothing but their prophecy and invitation to the Truth. In the way of their invitation, they used to address the false deities of their time bravely and without any fear and opposed them.

" And Moses said: ‘O Pharaoh! Verily I am a Messenger from the Lord of the worlds’."

To improve the society which has a regular system, it is better to begin from the chiefs of that society.

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 105

حَقِيقٌ عَلَى اَنْ لآ اَقُولَ عَلَى اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِبَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَاَرْسِلْ مَعِيَ بَنِي إِسْرآئِيلَ

105. “(I am) worthy of saying nothing about Allah except the truth. Indeed I have come to you with a clear Sign (a miracle) from your Lord; so send forth with me the Children of Israel.”

Prophets are infallible, and they say nothing but the truth. From the tongue of Moses, the verse says:

“(I am) worthy of saying nothing about Allah except the truth…”

Prophets should have miracles to prove their prophecy, as the verse refers to it and says:

“…Indeed I have come to you with a clear Sign (a miracle) from your Lord...”

To provide the freedom of human beings is among the first aims of prophets. Except them, whoever takes the rein of the government in a society, drags those people into servitude of false deities.

As long as people are not delivered from the ties of false deities, it is not possible to offer them a complete cultural program to guide them. That was why Moses (as) said to Pharaoh:

“…so send forth with me the Children of Israel.”

Surah al-‘Araf - Verses 106-107

قَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ جِئْتَ بِاَيَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَآ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ

فَاَلْقَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُبِينٌ

106. “He (Pharaoh) said: ‘If you have come with a Sign (a miracle), then bring it, if you are of the truthful ones’.”

107. “So he threw his rod, then behold! it was a clear serpent.”

The Definition of a Miracle

The Arabic term /mu‘jizah/ is derived from the root /‘ajaza/ which means an action that those who have not the capacity and genius of prophethood or imamate are unable to do it, such as the act of Moses by his Rod, or the act of Jesus in raising men from the dead, and so on. The verse says:

“He (Pharaoh) said: ‘If you have come with a Sign (a miracle), then bring it, if you are of the truthful ones’.”

In Surah Ash-Shu‘arā,No. 26 ,verse 45 we recite:

“Then Moses cast down his staff, and lo! It swallowed that which they falsely displayed.”

There were also some more miracles appeared from that Rod. It was struck the water of the sea when it dried up. Surah Ash-Shu‘arā,No. 26 ,verse 63 says:

“Strike the sea with your staff…”

Or, it was struck the rock and fountains of water gushed forth from it. Surah Al-Baqarah,No. 2 ,verse 60 says:

“…Strike the rock with your staff.’…”

It should be explained that at the presence of Moses (as) the Rod changed to be a small snake, as Surah An-Naml,No. 27 ,verse 10 says:

“And cast down your staff, so when he saw it in motion as if it was a serpent…”

At the presence of people it seemed an ordinary snake. Surah Tāhā,No. 20 ,verse 20 says:

“Then he cast it down, and lo! it was a serpent running.”

But, at the presence of Pharaoh, it became a great clear snake, as the verse under discussion says:

“So he threw his rod, then behold! it was a clear serpent.”

However, a miracle should be clear for all, so that no doubt remains. The verse says:

“…then behold! it was a clear serpent.”