وَأَخِى هَـٰرُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّى لِسَانًا فَأَرْسِلْهُ مَعِىَ رِدْءًا يُصَدِّقُنِىٓ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ 34
Translations
And my brother Aaron is more fluent than me in tongue, so send him with me as support, verifying me. Indeed, I fear that they will deny me."
Transliteration
Wa akhee harun huwa afsahu minni lisanan fa arsilhu ma'ee ridaa'an yusaddiquni inni akhafu an yukadhdhibun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Musa (Moses) appeals to Allah to send his brother Harun (Aaron) with him as a helper and supporter, citing that Harun is more eloquent in speech and will corroborate his message to Pharaoh and the people of Egypt. Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that Musa's concern about being disbelieved was genuine, and Allah's acceptance of this request (in verse 35) demonstrates the permissibility of seeking assistance in conveying divine truth. The word 'ridaa' (support/backing) emphasizes the complementary role of having a trustworthy witness to strengthen one's testimony.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Musa's mission after his encounter with Allah at Mount Sinai. Musa had already been granted the staff and the light on his hand as miracles (28:32), but he seeks additional divine support by requesting his brother's companionship. This request reflects the human need for support in facing the tremendous responsibility of prophetic mission against Pharaoh's opposition.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari from Ibn Abbas regarding the excellence of Harun (Aaron) and his role as the spokesman for Musa reinforces this ayah's theme. Additionally, hadith literature emphasizes the importance of righteous companions in supporting Islamic work, as seen in various traditions about the Prophet's reliance on Abu Bakr and other companions.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that seeking help from capable and trustworthy partners in righteous endeavors is not a sign of weakness but of wisdom, and that Allah appreciates our humility in acknowledging our limitations while striving to fulfill our responsibilities effectively.
Related Ayahs
وَأَصْبَحَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوْا۟ مَكَانَهُۥ بِٱلْأَمْسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيْكَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن مَّنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَا ۖ وَيْكَأَنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, "Oh, how Allāh extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allāh had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!"
وَقِيلَ ٱدْعُوا۟ شُرَكَآءَكُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَهُمْ وَرَأَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۚ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَهْتَدُونَ
And it will be said, "Invoke your 'partners,'" and they will invoke them; but they will not respond to them, and they will see the punishment. If only they had followed guidance!
وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَنُرِىَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَحْذَرُونَ
And establish them in the land and show Pharaoh and [his minister] Hāmān and their soldiers through them that which they had feared.
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِى حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ
And when he came to the water [i.e., well] of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women holding back [their flocks]. He said, "What is your circumstance?" They said, "We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man."