Soora 20:
36. "[God] said: "You are granted, Moses, your petition."
37. "And for another time, We have [now] shown you favor [as had We done before.]"
38. "When We revealed to [Jochebed] your mother [concerning you] as is it revealed [to prophets.]"
[Then God – be glorified – explained about such revelation by His saying:]
39. [Revealing to her:] "Cast him in the ark a, then cast him in the river, and the river will bring him to the shore b; (an enemy of mine and of his) will take him c, and I cast loveliness on you d that such [acts] should be done under My observation. e "
40. "When [Miriam] your sister walked along [watching about your outcome], and said [to Pharaoh’s household]: 'May I guide you to one who will take charge of him [: nursing and rearing him] f?'
So We returned you to your mother, so that she may be delighted [with your return to her], and may not grieve [for your absence.]
You also killed a man g, but We saved you from the worry [which inflicted you because of the killing], and We tried you in various ways h, then you tarried for [eight i] years among the people of Midian j, then you, O Moses, have now come according to a decree k."
41. "And I have prepared you for My service." l
42. "Go, therefore, you and your brother, with My [nine] miracles, and relent not m in inviting [people] to Me."
43. "Go, both of you, to Pharaoh; for he has become arrogant."
44. "And speak to him gently n that he may receive admonition or fear [of God’s punishment o.]"
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39 a It means: Place him in an oblong ‘papyrus basket’ coated with tar and pitch. Then cast this ark on the water in the Nile of Egypt.
39 b It means: the wind and waves will drive it to the shore near the palace of Pharaoh; and then …
39 c i.e. Pharaoh who is an enemy of God and enemy of Moses; because the fortune-tellers told him that a boy of the Children of Israel will born who will cause destruction of your kingdom.
Then when she placed him in the ark, and cast him in the Nile, the waves drove him to the shore near the palace of Pharaoh, and she sent his sister to watch the ark; that was after having hidden him from spies, and suckled him for three months. But when she was afraid lest they should know about him, she cast him in the river.
And Pharaoh’s daughter went out walking by the river bank, when she saw the ark, and said to her servant: “Bring it out of the water, so that we may see what it contains.”
So when she took it out, she saw a nice looking infant child, sleeping in it; so she loved him and took him to her mother, and they determined to grow him. So they brought the nursing women, but he did not accept them, because he used to suck of his mother’s breast.
39 d It means: I made you lovely to them, so that they would take and grow you up.
39 e It means: his birth, his secret suckling for three months, placing him in the ‘papyrus basket’, casting him in the river, and the coming of Pharaoh’s daughter to take him; all this was according to God’s will and under His care.
40 f Therefore, they agreed about that, so she brought her mother, and Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: “Suckle this boy for us, and I shall give you your recompense.”
40 g One of the Copts: [Egyptians], and that was when you became a man.
40 h i.e. We tried you with the killing [of the Copt] and the fear, in order to leave Egypt and go to Midian, so that We would move you to what We want.
40 i The indication that they were eight years, not ten, is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 28: 29, which means:
(Then, when Moses had accomplished the term [of the eight years.]),
and He did not say: accomplished the two terms; which was the term agreed upon between Shu'aib [Reuel] and Moses.
40 j The town of Midian is situated in the Wilderness of Sinai, to the south of Palestine.
The tribe of Midian divided into two divisions: some of them believed in Prophet Shu'aib, so they got away from their people and were saved from the earthquake, and some did not believe and they stayed in their place, so the earthquake seized them and they died.
This incident was after the people of Lot, and before the coming of Moses.
Therefore, (among the people of Midian) means: with the believers among the people of Midian who were saved of the earthquake and their seed who remained to the time of Moses.
40 k Concerning the time decreed for you: according to your age, when you have attained the age of forty, and the time is now due to destroy Pharaoh and save, by your hand, the Children of Israel from his slavery.
41 l i.e. I made what have been done to you: the changes from one condition to another; all of that was for Me.
It means: in order to convey my message and to save the Children of Israel from the slavery to Pharaoh, and to guide them to My religion and My worshipping.
42 m i.e. do not neglect in conveying My admonition to the Children of Israel, neither in guiding them to the way of the truth.
44 n i.e. but not roughly.
44 o And he may then comply with the truth.