20.40
Abbas - Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(When your sister went) when she entered Pharaoh's palace (and said: Shall I show you one who will nurse him) breastfeed him? (and We restored thee) We returned you to your mother (to your mother that her eyes might be refreshed) that she might be comforted (and might not sorrow) thinking that her son may have died upon throwing him in the river. (And thou didst kill a man) a Coptic man (and We delivered thee from great distress) from the distress caused to you by the people, (and tried thee with a heavy trial) We tried again and again. (And thou didst tarry years) ten years (among the folk of Midian. Then comest thou (hither) by (My) providence, O Moses) then you came to face My decree, in that I spoke with you and sent you with a message to Pharaoh,
In other words, "We cooked you well with trial until you became limpid and immaculate, then We took you totally to Ourselves, so that you would not belong to any other."
"O Moses, We took you to the oven of trial and put you into self-purification so that nothing would remain in your heart but My love and nothing on your tongue but My remembrance."
What were those trials and troubles that sat on his head? When he was first born he was born in secrecy, in a house without lamp, poor, without pleasures. His mother could not have a son because of fear of Pharaoh, who was killing sons. She put him into the casket and threw it in the river. His first home was the river. His second home was the sword, the execution ground, and seeing the enemy. His third home was fear of the Egyptians, because he had killed one of them. Then he fled looking back at them, his heart upset, his spirit bewildered, his feet bare, and his stomach hungry. He did not know where to go, and then he reached Midian and became a wage-earner and a shepherd with Shuʿayb. In burning and remorse because of constant tribulation he said,
"How long will You drive me to every street?
How long will You make me taste every poison?
First You toss me in the river,
then You show me to the enemy.
Then You throw me into exile
working for Shuʿayb as a shepherd.
How could a shepherd have the worth
for You to call him without intermediary?
Then You bring him to Mount Sinai,
You speak with him countless words. And if he says, 'I want vision from You,'
You say to him, 'Moses, thou shalt not see Me' [7:143]."
Thus He threw him into trial mixed with gentleness, He adorned him with wounds mixed with tenderness, and He washed him with many sorts of trial. What was all this for? It was so that he would belong to Him, just as He says:
When idh for explanation your sister Maryam walked up to obtain news of you for they had brought wet nurses for you but you would not take to the breast of any of them and she then said "Shall I show you someone who will take care of him?". Her offer was accepted and so she brought them his mother and he took to her breasts. Thus We restored you to your mother that her eyes might rejoice in seeing you again and not grieve at that point anymore. Then you slew a soul namely the Copt in Egypt — and you became distressed for having slain him because of how Pharaoh would react; whereupon We delivered you from great distress and We tried you with various ordeals We tested you by landing you in some other ordeal and again delivered you from it. Then you stayed for several years ten years among the people of Midian after you had reached it having left Egypt staying with the prophet Shu‘ayb and marrying his daughter. Then you came hither as ordained in My knowledge with the Message that you will deliver — and this was when you were forty years old O Moses!
Choosing Musa to go to Fir`awn and to be Soft and Gentle in His Invitation
Allah, the Exalted, says in His address to Musa that he had lived among the people of Madyan, avoiding Fir`awn and his chiefs. He worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law until the appointed time for his work ended. Then he met the decree of Allah and His predetermined will, without him having any set appointment. This entire situation was under the control of Allah, Blessed be He, the Most High. He compels His servants and His creatures to whatever end He wills. This is why Allah says,
ثُمَّ جِئْتَ عَلَى قَدَرٍ يمُوسَى
(Then You came here according to the fixed term which I ordained (for you), O Musa!) Mujahid said, "For a set appointment.'' `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ma`mar reported from Qatadah that he said,
ثُمَّ جِئْتَ عَلَى قَدَرٍ يمُوسَى
(Then You came here according to the fixed term which I ordained (for you), O Musa!) "For the decree of messengership and prophethood.'' Concerning Allah's statement,
وَاصْطَنَعْتُكَ لِنَفْسِى
(And I have chosen you for Myself.) This means, "I have chosen you and selected you to be a Messenger for Myself. This is as I wish and according to My will.'' Concerning the Tafsir of this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Adam and Musa met, and Musa said, "You are the one who made things difficult for mankind and you caused them to be evicted from Paradise.'' Adam said, "Are you the one whom Allah chose for His Message, and He selected you for Himself and He revealed the Tawrah to you'' Musa replied, "Yes.'' Then Adam said, "Did you find that it was preordained upon me before He (Allah) created me'' Musa replied, "Yes.'' Therefore, Adam defeated Musa's argument.) Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this narration. Concerning Allah's statement,
اذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَأَخُوكَ بِـَايَـتِى
(Go you and your brother with My Ayat,) This means with My proofs, evidences and miracles.
وَلاَ تَنِيَا فِى ذِكْرِى
(And do not, you both, slacken and become weak in My remembrance.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah related from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "This means do not be slow.'' Mujahid reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "This means do not be weak.'' The meaning here is that they should not slacken in the remembrance of Allah. Rather, they both should remember Allah during their meeting with Fir`awn so that the remembrance of Allah can be an aid for them against him. The remembrance of Allah would be their strength and their power that would defeat him. Allah's statement;
اذْهَبَآ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى
(Go both of you to Fir`awn, Verily, he has transgressed.) means that he has rebelled and become haughty and insolent against Allah and he has disobeyed Him.
(And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allah).) This Ayah contains a great lesson. Even though Fir`awn was the most insolent and arrogant of people and Musa was the friend of Allah among His creation at that time, Musa was still commanded to speak to Fir`awn with mildness and softness. Therefore, their invitation to him was with gentle, soft and easy speech that is used by one who is a close friend. This is so that the message may have more effect on the souls, and so it would have deeper and more beneficial results. This is as Allah, the Exalted, says,
(Invite (mankind) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.) 16:125 Concerning Allah's statement,
لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى
(perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allah). ) This means that perhaps he will recant from that which he is in of misguidance and destruction,
أَوْ يَخْشَى
(or he will fear) meaning that he will become obedient due to fear of Allah. This is as Allah says,
(For such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude.) 25:62 Thus, to remember means to recant from that which is dangerous, and fear means to attain obedience.
20.36-42
Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an
Allah recounts the favors He had shown to Prophet Moses since his birth in order to impress on him the fact that he had been brought up under Divine care right from his birth for the purpose of appointing him as a Messenger. Here mere references have been made but in Surah XXVIII (Al-Qasas) details of the favors have been given.
…And We tried you with various ordeals… That is, ‘As trials for your natural self (li-nafsika al-ṭabīʿiyya), and explained them [the tests] to you (bayannāhā) ⸢so that⸣ you should never feel secure from God’s ruse’. His words, Exalted is He:
