Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:14
And when he attained his full strength and was [mentally] mature, We bestowed upon him judgement and knowledge. And thus do We reward the doers of good.
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.
The explanation of the word of the Most High: وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَى آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ("And when he reached his full maturity and was fully grown, We granted him judgment and knowledge. Thus do We reward the doers of good") (verse 14)
The Most High says: وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ Mūsā أَشُدَّهُ — that is, his bodily strength and his powers reached their peak and increased and were completed. We have already expounded the meaning of "al-ashudd" (full maturity) elsewhere with its proofs, so that there is no need to repeat it here.
As for وَاسْتَوَى ("and was fully grown"): that is, his youth reached its end, and his stature was completed and firmly established. Concerning the number of years at which adulthood (al-istiwāʾ) is attained, opinions differed. Some said: that is at forty years of age.
Mention of who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَاسْتَوَى : he said: at forty years of age.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ : he said: thirty-three years. Concerning وَاسْتَوَى : he said: he reached the age of forty years.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — likewise.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ — he said: somewhat more than thirty years.
He said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ — he said: thirty-three years.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَى — he said: forty years; and "ashuddahu": thirty-three years.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَى : he said: my father used to say: "al-ashudd" is bodily strength, and "al-istiwāʾ" is forty years.
Others said: that is at thirty years of age.
As for آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا ("We granted him judgment and knowledge"): by "al-ḥukm" (judgment) is meant: understanding of the religion and the knowledge thereof.
As Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا — he said: religious understanding (al-fiqh), reason, and pious deeds, before the Prophethood.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا — he said: religious understanding and pious deeds before the Prophethood.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَى — Allah gave him judgment and knowledge: understanding of his religion and the religion of his forefathers, and knowledge of what was contained in his religion and its laws and its legal rulings.
As for وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ("Thus do We reward the doers of good"): the Most High says: just as We rewarded Mūsā for his obedience to Us and his doing of good — through his patience at Our command — so do We reward everyone who does good among Our messengers and servants, who patiently persevered at Our command, obeyed Us, and held fast to what We forbade him.
