Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:30
But when he came to it, he was called from the right side of the valley in a blessed spot - from the tree, "O Moses, indeed I am Allah, Lord of the worlds."
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 words of Allah the Exalted: فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ مِنْ شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الأَيْمَنِ فِي الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ أَنْ يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ (30) (When he came to it, he was called from the right bank of the valley, in the blessed plain, from the tree: "O Mūsā, I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds.")
Allah the Exalted — praised be His remembrance — says: when Mūsā reached the fire that he آنَسَ مِنْ جَانِبِ الطُّورِ had seen, نُودِيَ مِنْ شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الأيْمَن — by shāṭiʾ is meant the bank (shaṭṭ), the side and the edge of the valley. Shāṭiʾ forms the plural shawāṭiʾ and shuṭʾān; shaṭṭ forms the plural shuṭūṭ. Al-ayman (the right) is an attribute of the bank, on the right side of Mūsā.
And in a similar sense to what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said this:
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 His word: مِنْ شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الأيْمَن . Ibn ʿAmr said in his narration: at the Mount. Al-Ḥārith said in his narration: from the right bank of the valley at the Mount, on the right side of Mūsā.
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, concerning فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ مِنْ شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الأيْمَنِ ; he said: the right side of the valley on the right side of Mūsā at the Mount.
As for His word: فِي الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ — this is a specification (badal) of shāṭiʾ.
The explanation of the entire sentence is: when he (at the fire) arrived, Allah called Mūsā from the right bank of the valley, in its blessed plain, from the tree: أَنْ يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ .
It is also said that the meaning of مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ is: at the tree.
* Mention of who said this:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ مِنْ شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الأيْمَنِ فِي الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ ; he said: he was called from the tree: أَنْ يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ .
It is said that the tree from which Allah called to Mūsā was an ʿawsaj shrub (Lycium). Others said: it was an ʿullayq shrub (bramble).
* Mention of who said this:
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Sufyān related to me, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ ; he said: the tree was an ʿawsaj. Maʿmar said, on the authority of Qatāda: the staff of Mūsā was of the ʿawsaj, and the tree was of the ʿawsaj.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of someone who is not suspect, on the authority of some of the scholars, concerning إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا ; he said: he went to it and saw that it was a shrub of the ʿullayq (bramble). Some of the People of the Book say: it was an ʿawsaj shrub.
Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Abū ʿUbayda, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh, who said: I saw the tree from which Mūsā ﷺ was called — it was a green samura tree luxuriantly swaying.
