Surah 28
(The Narration)
(Makkan Period)
Title
This surah takes its title from verse 25 where the phrase wa qaşşa 'alayhi al-qaşaş occurs. Literally, qaşaş means to relate events in a proper sequence. Thus, from a lexical point of view, the word suitably describes this surah since it relates, in detail, the story of Moses (peace be on him).
Period of Revelation
We have already mentioned in the "Introduction" to Surah al-Naml (Surah 27) the statements of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas and Jabir ibn Zayd to the effect that Surahs al-Shu'ara', al-Naml and al-Qaşaş were revealed one after the other. (Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Ma'ānī, Vol. 19, p. 154 - Ed.) The language, style and themes of these surahs also indicate that the period of their respective revelation is more or less the same. There is also another thematic link between these surahs: when the different parts of Moses' story related in these three surahs are put together, they make up the whole account. In Surah al-Shu'arā', Moses had expressed his hesitation to accept the Prophetic mission, saying: "As for me, they hold the charge of a crime against me. I fear they will put me to death" (26:14). When Moses (peace be on him) subsequently went to Pharaoh's court, the latter said: "Did we not bring you up when you were a child in our house? You spent many years of your life among us and then you committed that deed of yours" (26:18-19). No further details regarding these two matters are mentioned in that surah. Instead, they are documented in the present surah. Likewise, in Surah al-Naml, the story had suddenly resumed from the point when Moses (peace be on him) was travelling with his family and saw in the distance what appeared to be a fire. No details were given in that surah about the journey, its point of origin or its destination. All of these are given here in al-Qaşaș. Thus, these three surahs taken together complete Moses' story.
Subject Matter and Main Themes
This surah both dispels the doubts and refutes the objections made about the Prophethood of Muḥammad (peace be on him). It also exposes the hollowness of the excuses put forward by people for not believing in him.
To this end, first the story of Moses (peace be on him) is related. This story, as will be seen, contains some parallels with the situation pertaining in Makka at the time this surah was revealed. When the story of Moses is seen against his backdrop, several points clearly emerge:
(i) First, that God imperceptibly creates the means for the realisation of all what He wills to do. In this context, we find that God saw to it that the child, who was to overthrow Pharaoh, was brought up in Pharoah's own house without Pharaoh even being aware who he was rearing. Who, then, can fight against the Will of God, and whose schemes can succeed against His?
(ii) Second, that the conferment of Prophethood is not accompanied by any fanfare. There are neither celebrations nor proclamations made from the heavens or the earth to announce that someone has been designated to the Prophetic office. Indeed, people were surprised at how quietly and suddenly Muḥammad (peace be on him) became a Prophet. This should not, however, have been surprising. Let us look at Moses' case, a man who was recognised by all as a Prophet and to whom reference was frequently made by the opponents of Islam. They were wont to question why Muḥammad (peace be on him) was not granted the miracles given to Moses (peace be on him) (see verse 48). It is also worth noting that Prophethood was conferred on Moses in a similarly quiet and sudden manner, for no one knew what had happened in the Sinai on that fateful day. Even Moses (peace be on him) himself, did not know a moment before that historic event what was about to happen. He had gone to obtain fire, only to learn that he had been endowed with Prophethood.
(iii) Third, that when God wants to get something done through a person, he can rise to fulfil his mission without any material means worth the name, without a large army and without the resources required to perform that task. Despite his resourcelessness, he prevails against those who have abundant means and large and powerful armies at their disposal. True, in terms of material resources and power, there was a substantial difference between the Makkans and the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be on him). But when one considers the difference between the power available to Pharaoh as compared with Moses, then, that was even greater than that pertaining between the Makkans and the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be on him).
(iv) Fourth, that the unbelievers were wont to refer to Moses' miracles, asking: "Why was Muḥammad not given the miracles granted to Moses?" (See al-Qaṣaş 28:48.) The obvious references here were to Moses' staff, and the shining hand, etc. The burden of their statement seems to suggest that they were ready to embrace the True Faith but were just waiting to witness from the hands of Muḥammad (peace be on him) the miracles which Moses (peace be on him) had shown to Pharaoh! One may well ask: Were they aware how those people, who had witnessed Moses' miracles, reacted? Even after witnessing those miracles they still did not accept the True Faith. They were so deeply enmeshed in opposing the Truth that all they said about those miracles was that they were feats of magic. The Pharaonites' disease was, thus, the same disease to which the Quraysh had fallen prey. Would the Quraysh, then, embrace the True Faith if they witnessed such miracles? Were the Makkans aware of what had happened to those who did not believe even after they had witnessed such miracles? God utterly destroyed them. Did they want, by adamantly asking for miracles, to end up facing the same sort of disaster that overtook Pharaoh?
These points naturally came to the minds of those who heard Moses' story related against the backdrop of the situation then obtaining in Makka. For significantly, the conflictual situation obtaining in Makka at that time was identical to that which had ensued between Pharaoh and Moses. So similar were the two situations that their applicability was nigh on synonymous.
From verse 43 onwards, the surah addresses the main theme directly. To start with, it was pointed out that an unlettered person was narrating an event that had happened two thousand years ago and was doing so in great detail and with accuracy. This was clear proof of his Prophethood because everyone in Makka knew that the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be on him) had no means of knowing these facts.
This is followed by an emphasis on the fact that the Prophethood of Muḥammad (peace be on him) was a blessing for the Makkans. In effect, they were being told that they were immersed in ignorance and heedlessness and that God had sent a guide to show them the Right Way.
This is followed by an answer to their repeated objection: "Why was he [i.e. Muḥammad] not given that which was given to Moses?" (verse 48). In response, they are told that the unbelievers at the time did not believe in Moses and yet he is mentioned as one who was granted many miracles by God. What, then, was their justification for asking the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be on him) to deliver such miracles? For unless they gave up their obsessive attachment to carnal desires, they would never be able to see the Truth. In fact, if they persisted in their present attitude, they would not see the Truth even if they witnessed miracles.
The surah then proceeds to inform the Makkan unbelievers of a recent event: a group of Christians had come from outside Makka, had listened to the Qur'an and had accepted Islam. The Makkans are then put to shame for not believing in what a fellow-townsman of theirs was expounding while outsiders would come and embrace it readily. Rather than benefit from this great favour from God, which for them was indigenous, Abū Jahl instead publicly insulted those Christians who had accepted Islam.
Finally, the surah addresses itself to the excuse often put forward by the Makkan unbelievers. They argued that if they accepted the new, monotheistic Faith and abandoned their old polytheistic religion, they would lose their religious, political and social ascendancy among the Arabs. The result of embracing the new Faith would be that, far from remaining the most powerful tribe in Arabia, they would be reduced to a tribe devoid of power and standing and be deprived of security and protection. This was the real reason behind the Quraysh nobility's non- acceptance of Islam. The rest of their excuses were merely pretexts which they had invented to fool ordinary people. God deals in detail with this true cause behind their unbelief until the end of the surah. He elucidates its various aspects, and does so in a manner befitting the All-Wise God. He also offers cures for all those basic ills because of which the Makkans viewed the fundamental questions of Truth and falsehood only from the vantage-point of their own worldly interests.