Tafseer of Taa-Haa · Taa-Haa · 20:10
When he saw a fire and said to his family, "Stay here; indeed, I have perceived a fire; perhaps I can bring you a torch or find at the fire some guidance."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
إِذْ رَأَى نَارًا (when he saw a fire)
It is mentioned that this was in winter, at night, and that Mūsā had lost the way. When he saw the light of the fire, he said to his family what he said.
* Mention of who said that:
Mūsā ibn Hārūn related to us, he said: ʿAmr related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, on the authority of Abū Mālik, and on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: When Mūsā had completed the appointed term, he traveled with his family and lost the way. ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAbbās said: It was in winter, and a fire was raised up for them. When he saw it, he supposed that it was a fire, but it was from the light of Allah. قَالَ لأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا (He said to his family: stay here, I have truly perceived a fire).
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Wahb ibn Munabbih al-Yamānī, who said: When Mūsā had completed the appointed term, he set out with sheep that he had with him, and with a fire-striker of his, and his staff in his hand with which during the day he would beat down leaves for his sheep. When evening fell, he would strike a fire with his fire-striker, and by that fire he would pass the night with his family and his sheep. When he arose in the morning, he would set out early with his family and his sheep, leaning on his staff. When the night came in which Allah willed to honor Mūsā and in which He would commence his prophethood and His address to him, he went astray on the way, so that he no longer knew which direction he should take. He took out his fire-striker to strike a fire for his family, so that they could pass the night by it until morning and he would know the direction of his way. But his fire-striker remained hard and gave him no fire. He struck until he was exhausted, [whereupon] the fire appeared and he saw it. فَقَالَ لأهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (He then said to his family: stay here, I have truly perceived a fire; perhaps I will bring you a burning brand from it, or I will find guidance at the fire). And by His word آنَسْتُ نَارًا (I have perceived a fire) is meant: I have found. Among the proverbs of the Arabs is: "after the perceiving observation (iṭṭilāʿ īnās)," and one also says: "after the perceiving appearance (ṭulūʿ īnās)," and that is derived from al-uns (familiar perceiving).
And His word لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ (perhaps I will bring you a burning brand from it) means: perhaps I will come to you with a flame from the fire that I have perceived.
And al-qabas: that is the fire at the end of a branch or a reed. A person says to his companion: "Give me a burning brand (aqbisnī)," and then he gives it to him at the end of a branch or a reed. Mūsā meant by his word to his family لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ (perhaps I will bring you a burning brand from it): perhaps I will come to you with it so that you may warm yourselves by it.
As Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Wahb ibn Munabbih: لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ (perhaps I will bring you a burning brand from it), he said: with a burning brand by which you may warm yourselves.
And His word أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (or I will find guidance at the fire): a direction that points to the way that we have lost, whether through the report of a guide who leads us there, or through an explanation and knowledge by which we make it clear and recognize it.
And in accordance with what we have said about that, the interpreters (ahl al-taʾwīl) have said.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, he said: ʿAbdallāh related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (or I will find guidance at the fire), he said: someone who shows the way.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — concerning the word of Allah أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (or I will find guidance at the fire), he said: a guide who shows him the way.
Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, the same.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (or I will find guidance at the fire), that is to say: guides who show him the way.
Aḥmad ibn al-Miqdām related to me, he said: al-Muʿtamir related to us, he said: I heard my father relate, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of a companion of his, according to the narration of Ibn ʿAbbās, that he claimed that it was Ayla. أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (or I will find guidance at the fire). And my father said: and Qatāda claimed that it concerns the guidance to the way.
Al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (or I will find guidance at the fire), he said: someone who leads me to the way.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Wahb ibn Munabbih: أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (or I will find guidance at the fire), he said: guidance through knowledge of the way that we have lost, by means of the direction of a report.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Sufyān informed us, on the authority of Abū Saʿīd, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (perhaps I will bring you a burning brand from it, or I will find guidance at the fire), he said: they had lost the way, and he said: perhaps I will find someone who shows me the way, or I will bring you a burning brand so that you may warm yourselves.
