سُوْرَةُ طٰهٰ
Surah Taa-Haa (20) — Ayah 80
يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ قَدْ أَنجَيْنَـٰكُم مِّنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ وَوَٰعَدْنَـٰكُمْ جَانِبَ ٱلطُّورِ ٱلْأَيْمَنَ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلْوَىٰ ﴿80﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you on the right side of the Mount, and We sent down to you Al-Manna and quails,
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰبَنِىٓ
yābanī
O Children of Israel
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
is'rāīla
O Children of Israel
قَدْ
qad
Verily
أَنجَيْنَـٰكُم
anjaynākum
We delivered you
مِّنْ
min
from
عَدُوِّكُمْ
ʿaduwwikum
your enemy
وَوَٰعَدْنَـٰكُمْ
wawāʿadnākum
and We made a covenant with you
جَانِبَ
jāniba
on (the) side
ٱلطُّورِ
l-ṭūri
(of) the Mount
ٱلْأَيْمَنَ
l-aymana
the right
وَنَزَّلْنَا
wanazzalnā
and We sent down
عَلَيْكُمُ
ʿalaykumu
to you
ٱلْمَنَّ
l-mana
the Manna
وَٱلسَّلْوَىٰ
wal-salwā
and the quails
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 80) ➊ { يٰبَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ قَدْ اَنْجَيْنٰكُمْ … :} These three verses have come as a parenthetical statement within the story of Musa (Moses) (peace be upon him), just as the two verses (55, 56) have passed before. In this verse, the Israelites of the time of Musa (peace be upon him) are addressed, and it is also possible that the Jews of the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) are being reminded of Allah’s favors, as in «{ يٰبَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ اذْكُرُوْا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِيْۤ اَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ }» [ البقرۃ : ۴۰، ۴۷، ۱۲۲ ]. In this verse, Allah reminded the Israelites of three favors: first, the great favor of deliverance from slavery; then, the favor of being called to Mount Tur and being given a book containing religious commandments; and finally, the favor of being given the purest and most delicious sustenance of manna and quails without any hardship. For the explanation of manna and quails, see Surah Al-Baqarah (57).
➋ { وَ وٰعَدْنٰكُمْ جَانِبَ الطُّوْرِ الْاَيْمَنَ … :} This incident is also mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah (52), and its details are in Surah Al-A’raf (142 to 147). Here, the question arises: what is meant by the right side of the mountain? Because for a person standing on any side of the mountain, it can be right or left. The answer is that in the era of ignorance and Islam, for determining directions in geography and location, the east was considered the basis. Thus, the names Yemen and Sham were given accordingly: if you face east from the Ka’bah, Yemen is on the right, which means “right,” and Sham is on the left. Amr al-Qais also described the location of a cloud’s rain as follows:
{عَلٰي قَطَنٍ بِالشَّيْمِ أَيْمَنُ صَوْبِهِ ¤ وَ أَيْسَرُهُ عَلَي السِّتَارِ فَيَذْبُلِ }
“Upon careful observation, the right part of its rain was at the place Qatan, and its left part at the place called Satar and then Yadhbul.”
In this case, if {’’ الْاَيْمَنَ ‘‘} is taken to mean the right side, then for Musa (peace be upon him) standing facing the mountain from its western side, the right side (south) of the mountain will be meant, as when he was on the western side of the mountain at the time of the first revelation while coming from Madyan to Egypt. Allah addressed our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: «{ وَ مَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ اِذْ قَضَيْنَاۤ اِلٰى مُوْسَى الْاَمْرَ }» [ القصص : ۴۴ ] “And you were not on the western side when We revealed the command to Musa.” And if {’’ الْاَيْمَنَ ‘‘} is considered as a superlative from {’’يُمْنٌ‘‘} (blessing) instead of {’’يَمِيْنٌ‘‘} (right), then there is no need to determine right or left, but rather the blessed side of Tur and the sacred valley mentioned in verse (12) of this Surah: «{ اِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى }» and the sacred valley both refer to the Valley of Tuwa. (Ibn Ashur)
➋ { وَ وٰعَدْنٰكُمْ جَانِبَ الطُّوْرِ الْاَيْمَنَ … :} This incident is also mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah (52), and its details are in Surah Al-A’raf (142 to 147). Here, the question arises: what is meant by the right side of the mountain? Because for a person standing on any side of the mountain, it can be right or left. The answer is that in the era of ignorance and Islam, for determining directions in geography and location, the east was considered the basis. Thus, the names Yemen and Sham were given accordingly: if you face east from the Ka’bah, Yemen is on the right, which means “right,” and Sham is on the left. Amr al-Qais also described the location of a cloud’s rain as follows:
{عَلٰي قَطَنٍ بِالشَّيْمِ أَيْمَنُ صَوْبِهِ ¤ وَ أَيْسَرُهُ عَلَي السِّتَارِ فَيَذْبُلِ }
“Upon careful observation, the right part of its rain was at the place Qatan, and its left part at the place called Satar and then Yadhbul.”
In this case, if {’’ الْاَيْمَنَ ‘‘} is taken to mean the right side, then for Musa (peace be upon him) standing facing the mountain from its western side, the right side (south) of the mountain will be meant, as when he was on the western side of the mountain at the time of the first revelation while coming from Madyan to Egypt. Allah addressed our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: «{ وَ مَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ اِذْ قَضَيْنَاۤ اِلٰى مُوْسَى الْاَمْرَ }» [ القصص : ۴۴ ] “And you were not on the western side when We revealed the command to Musa.” And if {’’ الْاَيْمَنَ ‘‘} is considered as a superlative from {’’يُمْنٌ‘‘} (blessing) instead of {’’يَمِيْنٌ‘‘} (right), then there is no need to determine right or left, but rather the blessed side of Tur and the sacred valley mentioned in verse (12) of this Surah: «{ اِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى }» and the sacred valley both refer to the Valley of Tuwa. (Ibn Ashur)
