[قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ
لِى صَدْرِى - وَيَسِّرْ لِى أَمْرِى ]
((Musa) said: "O my Lord! Open for me my chest, and ease my task for me.'')
Musa requsted his Lord to expand his chest for his mission. For verily, He was
commanding him with a great task and a weighty affair. He was sending him to the
mightiest king on the face of the earth at that time. He was the most arrogant
and severe of all people in his disbelief, and He had the largest army and the
most powerful kingdom. He was the most tyrannical and the most obstinate of
rulers. His case was such that he claimed not to know Allah at all, and that he
knew of no god for his subjects other than himself. Along with this, Musa lived
in his home for a period of time as a child. He stayed in Fir`awn's own room and
slept on his bed. Then, after this, he killed one of their people and feared
that they would retaliate by killing him in return. Thus, he fled from them and
remained an outlaw during this entire time. Then, after all of this, His Lord
sent him to them as a warner calling them to worship Allah alone, without
associating partners with Him. This is why he said,
[قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ
لِى صَدْرِى - وَيَسِّرْ لِى أَمْرِى ]
(O my Lord! Open for me my chest, and ease my task for me.) This means, "I
cannot perform this task if You do not help me, aid me and support me.''
[وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً
مِّن لِّسَانِى - يَفْقَهُواْ قَوْلِي ]
(And loosen the knot from my tongue, that they understand my speech.) This is
referring to the lisp that he had. This lisp was a result of an incident when he
was presented a date and a hot coal stone and he placed the coal on his tongue
instead of the date. A detailed explanation of this story is forthcoming in the
following chapters. However, he did not ask Allah to remove this affliction all
together. Rather, he asked for removal of his stammering so the people would
understand what he intended in his speech. He was only asking for what was
necessary to deliver his message. If he had asked for the removal of his
affliction in its entirety, it would have been cured for him. However, the
Prophets do not ask for any more than what is required. Therefore, he was left
with the remnants of this accident that took place with his tongue. Allah
informed of what Fir`awn said concerning him,
[أَمْ أَنَآ خَيْرٌ
مِّنْ هَـذَا الَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلاَ يَكَادُ يُبِينُ ]
(Am I not better than this one who is despicable and can scarcely express
himself clearly)[43:52] This means that he is not eloquent in speech. Concerning
Allah's statement,
[وَاجْعَل لِّى
وَزِيراً مِّنْ أَهْلِى - هَـرُونَ أَخِى ]
(And appoint for me a helper from my family, Harun, my brother.) This was
also a request from Musa concerning something not pertaining to himself. That
was his request for the assistance of his brother, Harun. Ath-Thawri reported
from Abu Sa`id, from `Ikrimah, who said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Harun was made a
Prophet at the same moment that Musa was made a Prophet.'' Ibn Abi Hatim
recorded that `A'ishah went out intending to perform `Umrah and stopped to camp
among some bedouins. While she was among them she heard a man say, "Which
brother in this life was the most beneficial to his brother'' The people said,
"We do not know.'' The man said, "By Allah, I know.'' `A'ishah said, "I said to
myself about his swearing, that he should not swear such an oath, singling
himself out as knowing what person was of most benefit to his brother.'' The man
said, "It is Musa, when he asked for prophethood to be bestowed upon his
brother.'' Then `A'ishah said, "By Allah, he has spoken truthfully.'' This is
why Allah commended Musa by saying,
[وَكَانَ عِندَ
اللَّهِ وَجِيهاً]
(And he was honorable before Allah.)[33:69] Concerning Musa's statement,
[اشْدُدْ بِهِ
أَزْرِى ]
(Increase my strength with him.) Mujahid said, "This means to make my back
strong.''
[وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِى
أَمْرِى ]
(And let him share my task.) make him my consultant in this matter.
[كَىْ نُسَبِّحَكَ
كَثِيراً - وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيراً ]
(That we may glorify You much, and remember You much.) Mujahid said, "A
servant of Allah is not considered of those who remember Allah much until he
remembers Allah while standing, sitting and lying down.'' Concerning his
statement,
[إِنَّكَ كُنتَ بِنَا
بَصِيراً ]
(Verily, You are ever seeing us.) This means in Your choosing us, giving us
the prophethood and sending us to Your enemy, Fir`awn. So unto You is all praise
for this.
[قَالَ قَدْ أُوتِيتَ
سُؤْلَكَ يمُوسَى - وَلَقَدْ مَنَنَّا عَلَيْكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى - إِذْ أَوْحَيْنَآ
إِلَى أُمِّكَ مَا يُوحَى - أَنِ اقْذِفِيهِ فِى التَّابُوتِ فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِى
الْيَمِّ فَلْيُلْقِهِ الْيَمُّ بِالسَّاحِلِ يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّى وَعَدُوٌّ
لَّهُ وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِّنِّى وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِى إِذْ
تَمْشِى أُخْتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى مَن يَكْفُلُهُ فَرَجَعْنَـكَ
إِلَى أُمِّكَ كَى تَقَرَّ عَيْنُها وَلاَ تَحْزَنَ وَقَتَلْتَ نَفْساً
فَنَجَّيْنَـكَ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّـكَ فُتُوناً]
(36. (Allah) said: "You are granted your request, O Musa!'') (37. "And indeed
We conferred a favor on you another time (before).'') (38. "When We inspired
your mother with that which We inspired.'') (39. "Saying: `Put him (the child)
into the Tabut and put it into the river; then the river shall cast it up on the
bank, and there, an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his shall take him.' And I
endued you with love from Me, in order that you may be brought up under My
Eye.'') (40. "When your sister went and said: `Shall I show you one who will
nurse him' So We restored you to your mother, that she might cool her eyes and
she should not grieve. Then you did kill a man, but We saved you from great
distress and tried you with a heavy trial.'')
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