Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 13

(Ayah 13) ➊ { فَرَدَدْنٰهُ اِلٰۤى اُمِّهٖ:} That is, the promise We made to the mother of Musa (peace be upon him) that We would return him to you, We fulfilled it in just as much time as a child can spend without the mother’s milk.

➋ { كَيْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا: ’’قَرَّ يَقِرُّ} (ض، ع) {قُرَّةً وَ قُرُوْرًا‘‘} “Coolness of the eye.” So that her eye, which was unfamiliar with peace due to the separation from her son, had become red and hot from shedding tears and staying awake, would become cool and tranquil by getting her son back, nursing him, and keeping him with her, and she would sleep peacefully and not remain sorrowful.

Note: Allah Almighty has kept the temperature of human body parts different; the skin’s temperature is usually 37 degrees. The liver needs a temperature close to 40 degrees to function, while the eye’s temperature is at most 9 degrees; if it exceeds this, the eye would melt and flow away. That is why the word “coolness of the eye” is used for the happiness of the heart. (Sharaawi)

➌ In ancient times, the nobles and aristocrats of these countries would entrust their children to wet nurses instead of raising them at home. Even our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was raised in the desert at Halimah Sa’diyyah’s home. Accordingly, Musa’s (peace be upon him) mother took him home. Thus, the promise Allah Almighty made to return her son was fulfilled, and the stipend the mother received from the royal treasury was in addition to that.

➍ At this point, some commentators have narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَثَلُ الَّذِيْ يَعْمَلُ وَ يَحْتَسِبُ فِيْ صِنْعَةِ الْخَيْرِ كَمَثَلِ أُمِّ مُوْسٰی تُرْضِعُ وَلَدَهَا وَ تَأْخُذُ أَجْرَهَا ] “The person who works and intends goodness in his work, his example is like the mother of Musa, who nurses her child and receives her wages.” But with these words, this narration is not found in any book of hadith; however, a mursal narration has come with these words: [ مَثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ يَغْزُوْنَ مِنْ أُمَّتِيْ وَ يَأْخُذُوْنَ الْجُعْلَ يَتَقَوَّوْنَ بِهِ عَلٰی عَدُوِّهِمْ كَمَثَلِ أُمِّ مُوْسٰي تُرْضِعُ وَلَدَهَا وَ تَأْخُذُ أَجْرَهَا ] “Those people of my ummah who fight in battle and receive a stipend, with which they gain strength against the enemy, their example is like the mother of Musa who nurses her child and receives her wages.” This narration, besides being mursal (which is a type of weak narration), is also weak in terms of its chain. For details, see {’’ سلسلة الأحاديث الضعيفة للألباني (ح : ۴۵۰۰)‘‘} The point mentioned in this hadith, although correct in itself and can be stated as an example from oneself, but it is only permissible to attribute to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that which is proven from him, otherwise there is a danger of becoming subject to the warning of {’’ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ ‘‘}.

➎ { وَ لِتَعْلَمَ اَنَّ وَعْدَ اللّٰهِ حَقٌّ:} That is, We returned Musa (peace be upon him) to his mother, so that she, who had previously known the truth of Allah’s promise through revelation, would now know its truth by seeing it with her own eyes. If previously it was knowledge of certainty, now it would become the eye of certainty. (Biqai)

➏ {وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ:} That is, most people do not know that Allah’s promise is true. Their condition is such that as soon as any difficulty arises in a matter, they become suspicious of Allah Almighty and no longer believe in Allah’s promise, even though His promise cannot be broken. Allah Almighty brings about causes in such a way that is beyond human understanding, and brings before the eyes that which was not even imagined. Then sometimes a person considers something bad, while it is better for him, and considers something good, while it is bad for him. See Surah Al-Baqarah (216) and An-Nisa (19).

Do not despair, for you are not aware of the secrets of the unseen.
Behind the veil, many hidden games are being played, do not grieve.

13-1. When Hazrat Musa (Moses) (AS) had finished nursing from his mother, Pharaoh requested Musa’s mother to stay in the palace so that the child could be properly raised and cared for. But she said that she could not stay there, leaving her husband and children. Eventually, it was decided that she would take the child home with her and raise him there, and she would be paid her wages from the royal treasury. Subhan Allah! How wondrous is Allah’s power: she nursed her own child and received a salary from Pharaoh. The Lord fulfilled His promise to return Musa (AS) in the best possible way. In a mursal narration, it is said: The example of a craftsman who intends reward and goodness in what he makes is like the mother of Musa (AS), who nursed her own child and also received her wages. (Marasil Abi Dawood)

13-3. That is, there are many matters whose true outcome is unknown to most people, but Allah knows the goodness in their outcome. That is why Allah said: (It may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing while it is bad for you) (كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَھُوَ كُرْهٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَعَسٰٓى اَنْ تَكْرَھُوْا شَـيْـــًٔـا وَّھُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَعَسٰٓى اَنْ تُحِبُّوْا شَـيْـــــًٔـا وَّھُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۭ وَاللّٰهُ يَعْلَمُ وَاَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ) 2. Al-Baqarah: 216). In another place He said: (It may be that you dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it much good for you) (يٰٓاَيُّھَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ اَنْ تَرِثُوا النِّسَاۗءَ كَرْهًا ۭوَلَا تَعْضُلُوْھُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوْا بِبَعْضِ مَآ اٰتَيْتُمُوْھُنَّ اِلَّآ اَنْ يَّاْتِيْنَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ ۚ وَعَاشِرُوْھُنَّ بالْمَعْرُوْفِ ۚ فَاِنْ كَرِھْتُمُوْھُنَّ فَعَسٰٓى اَنْ تَكْرَهُوْا شَـيْـــــًٔـا وَّيَجْعَلَ اللّٰهُ فِيْهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيْرًا) 4. An-Nisa: 19). Therefore, it is best for a person to set aside his own likes and dislikes and adhere to the commands of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ in every matter, for in that lies his goodness and a beautiful outcome.

So We restored him to his mother, so that her eyes might be comforted and she would not grieve, and so that she would know that Allah’s promise is true. But most people [20] do not know.

[19]
The Return of Sayyiduna Musa (علیہ السلام) to His Mother:

When the mother of Musa was asked to stay in the palace to nurse the child, she presented the excuse that she was also responsible for looking after her household. Therefore, she could not perform this service while staying there. However, she could take the child with her and raise him. Thus, the people of Pharaoh accepted the excuse of Musa’s mother, and she brought the child to her home. In this way, not only did Musa (علیہ السلام) return to his mother’s embrace, but he also returned to his own home. In this manner, the promise Allah had made to Musa’s mother was also fulfilled, and the compensation the mother continued to receive from the royal treasury was an additional reward from Allah.

[20]
The Effect of a Religious Environment on His Personality:

That is, the promises made by Allah are always fulfilled, even if their possibilities seem completely non-existent. Or, it may be that people do not know that besides apparent causes, there are also hidden causes that are entirely under the control of Allah, and most people cannot know through which ways and stages Allah’s promises are fulfilled.