Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 52

(Ayah 52) ➊ {وَ نَادَيْنٰهُ مِنْ جَانِبِ الطُّوْرِ … :} means mountain; some specific mountains are also named Tur, such as a mountain near Eila in the Sinai desert, which is called Tur Saina or Tur Sinin. The author of Qamus has also mentioned some other locations where mountains are called Tur. This incident occurred when Musa (peace be upon him) was returning from Madyan to Egypt. Its details are present in Surah Ta-Ha (9 to 36), Naml (7 to 14), and Qasas (29 to 35). Ibn Kathir, in the commentary of Surah Qasas, verse (30) «{ نُوْدِيَ مِنْ شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الْاَيْمَنِ }», said: "That is, from the side of the valley which was on the right of Musa (peace be upon him) and met the western edge of the mountain, as Allah Almighty said: «{ وَ مَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ اِذْ قَضَيْنَاۤ اِلٰى مُوْسَى الْاَمْرَ }» [ القصص : ۴۴ ] 'And you were not on the western side when We decreed the command to Musa.'" From this, it is understood that Musa (peace be upon him) faced the fire in the direction of the qiblah and had made the western part of the mountain to his right." Alusi said: By {’’ مِنْ جَانِبِ الطُّوْرِ الْاَيْمَنِ ‘‘} is meant the side of the mountain which was on the right of Musa (peace be upon him), because the mountain itself has neither a right nor a left. It can also be from {’’ الْاَيْمَنِ ‘‘ ’’ يُمْنٌ ‘‘}, which means blessing, i.e., from its blessed side; in this sense, the blessed side of the mountain can also be meant, but the first meaning is better. {’’ نَادَيْنٰهُ ‘‘} (We called him) means the manifestation of Allah's speech from that side. It is evident that Musa (peace be upon him) heard Allah's speech in the form of words. Some people say that what Musa (peace be upon him) heard had neither letters nor sound. He heard not only with his ears but with all his limbs, from which he became certain that this was Allah's speech; that is why it is said that the meaning is that We called him with a voice coming from the blessed side of Tur, but this matter is beyond the reach of intellect and the evidence of hadith is clearly against it. From this verse, it is established that Allah called and spoke. Those who deny the attributes of Allah also deny His speech, so they neither accept letters in it, nor sound, nor that it is heard by ears. But to call something speech that is devoid of words and sound is as far from reason as it is clearly against the Qur'an and hadith. For more details, see Surah A'raf (143), Kahf (109), and Tawbah (6).
➋ {وَ قَرَّبْنٰهُ نَجِيًّا : ’’ نَجِيًّا ‘‘ ’’فَعِيْلٌ‘‘} means {’’مُفَاعِلٌ‘‘}, just as {’’جَلِيْسٌ‘‘} means {’’مُجَالِسٌ‘‘} and {’’نَدِيْمٌ‘‘} means {’’مُنَادِمٌ‘‘}. {’’مُنَاجَاةٌ‘‘} means to speak in a hidden voice, to whisper, i.e., We brought him near while whispering. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "He was spoken to, there was no angel in between." (Mawduh) The way Allah Almighty has mentioned speaking directly to Musa (peace be upon him) in clear words, no one else has been granted this honor.

52. 1. Hazrat Musa (علیہ السلام) replied, "Neither you nor I have knowledge of that. However, their knowledge is with my Lord, which is present with Him in the Book. He will give reward and punishment according to it. Then His knowledge encompasses everything in such a way that nothing, big or small, can be hidden from His sight, nor can He ever forget. Whereas both these deficiencies exist in the knowledge of the creation. Firstly, their knowledge does not encompass everything, rather it is incomplete. Secondly, after knowing, they can also forget. My Lord is free from both these deficiencies." Further, more attributes of the Lord are being mentioned.

52. We called him from the right side of the Mount [48] and drew him near for confidential conversation [49].

[48]
Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) Reaching the Right Side of the Mount:

When Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) finished his stay with Sayyiduna Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) and was traveling from Madyan to Egypt, this voice came from his right side because the Mount (Tur) near Bayt al-Maqdis falls on the right side for those coming from Madyan to Egypt, and that is the Mount meant here, not the Mount of Suez, because that falls on the left side.

[49]
Sayyiduna Musa’s (peace be upon him) Conversation with Allah Almighty:

﴿قربنٰه نجيّا﴾ can have several meanings. One is that We called him near Us to speak in secret; another is that We made him Our close one by speaking to him in secret; and a third is that We raised Sayyiduna Musa to the heavens, and he heard the sound of the pen writing, which writes on the Preserved Tablet (Lawh Mahfuz). This meaning is reported from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and a group of the Tabi'in.