Tafseer of The Heights · Al-A'raaf · 7:108
And he drew out his hand; thereupon it was white [with radiance] for the observers.
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.
Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAbda ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of Juwaybir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk: فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُبِينٌ ("and behold, it was a manifest serpent"), he said: the male serpent.
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Abū Jaʿfar said: As for His word, "and he drew forth his hand, and behold, it was white to the beholders," He says: and he brought his hand out, and behold, it was white and shining to whoever among the people looked at it.
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And Mūsā was, as has been transmitted to us, dark-skinned (ādam). Allah made the change of his hand to white, without leprosy (baraṣ), a sign for him and a proof of the truthfulness of his statement: إِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ("Verily, I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds"). And in agreement with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.
* Mention of those who said that:
14918 — Al-ʿAbbās related to us, saying: Yazīd informed us, saying: Al-Aṣbagh ibn Zayd related to us, on the authority of al-Qāsim ibn Abī Ayyūb, saying: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr related to me, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, saying: He drew his hand out from his bosom and saw it white, without ailment — that is, without leprosy — and then returned it into his sleeve, whereupon it reverted to its original color.
14919 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His word: "white to the beholders," he says: without leprosy.
14920 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the word of Allah: "and he drew forth his hand, and behold, it was white to the beholders," he said: He drew his hand out from his bosom, white, without leprosy.
14921 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, the like of it.
14922 — Mūsā ibn Hārūn related to me, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "and he drew forth his hand," he brought it out from his bosom — "and behold, it was white to the beholders."
14923 — Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Abū Saʿd related to us, saying: I heard Mujāhid say concerning His word: "and he drew forth his hand," he said: He drew his hand out from his bosom — "and behold, it was white to the beholders," and Mūsā was a dark man (ādam), so he brought forth his hand, and behold, it was white, whiter than milk — مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوءٍ ("without ailment"), he said: without leprosy, as a sign for Pharaoh.
