Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 43

(Ayah 43) {وَ لَقَدْ اٰتَيْنَا مُوْسَى الْكِتٰبَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَاۤ اَهْلَكْنَا … :} From here, the evidences of the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the answers to objections against it begin. One of these objections was that we have not heard of this matter among our forefathers, as He said: «{مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهٰذَا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الْاٰخِرَةِ اِنْ هٰذَاۤ اِلَّا اخْتِلَاقٌ}» [ صٓ : ۷ ] “We have not heard of this in the last religion; this is nothing but a fabricated thing.” In the previous verse (36), it has been mentioned that this same objection was raised by Pharaoh and his chiefs against Musa (peace be upon him): «{وَ مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهٰذَا فِيْۤ اٰبَآىِٕنَا الْاَوَّلِيْنَ }» “And we have not heard of this among our forefathers of old.” After narrating the incident from the birth of Musa (peace be upon him) to the destruction of Pharaoh, Allah Almighty said that after destroying the previous generations—people of Nuh, ‘Ad, Thamud, and the people of Lut, etc.—when misguidance and darkness prevailed everywhere, He gave Musa (peace be upon him) the Book, which for the people of that time contained such evidences that enlightened the eye of the heart, brought out from misguidance to guidance, and made one deserving of mercy by saving from punishment. And this objection was baseless that we have not heard this from our forefathers, because it was for this very reason that Musa (peace be upon him) was sent, as due to the long interval without a Messenger, people were in need of guidance and light. Similarly, among the Bani Isma‘il, after Ibrahim and Isma‘il (peace be upon them), a gap of thousands of years had occurred, so there was a need to send a Messenger to them. The last Messenger to come to Bani Isra‘il, ‘Isa (peace be upon him), had also passed a long time ago. Therefore, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent, so that neither Bani Isma‘il nor Bani Isra‘il could have the excuse that no warner had come to us. This very point is coming ahead in verse (47), and it has already been mentioned before in Surah al-Ma’idah, where He said: «{ يٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُوْلُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلٰى فَتْرَةٍ مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ اَنْ تَقُوْلُوْا مَا جَآءَنَا مِنْۢ بَشِيْرٍ وَّ لَا نَذِيْرٍ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَشِيْرٌ وَّ نَذِيْرٌ وَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ }» [ المائدۃ : ۱۹ ] “O People of the Book! Surely Our Messenger has come to you, making things clear to you, after a break in the coming of Messengers, lest you say, ‘No bringer of glad tidings or warner came to us.’ So indeed, a bringer of glad tidings and a warner has come to you, and Allah is fully capable of everything.”