وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلْغَرْبِىِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَى ٱلْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ 44
Translations
And you, [O Muḥammad], were not on the western side [of the mount] when We revealed to Moses the command, and you were not among the witnesses [to that].
Transliteration
Wa mā kunta bi-jānibi al-gharbiyyi idh qaḍaynā ilā Mūsā al-amr wa mā kunta mina al-shāhidīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), clarifying that he was not present on the western side of Mount Sinai when Allah commanded Moses with the Law (Torah). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this as evidence that Muhammad's knowledge of past events comes from divine revelation, not from personal witnessing or learning from others, thereby establishing the authenticity of his prophethood. The ayah refutes claims that Muhammad acquired his knowledge from Jewish or Christian sources, as he could not have been present at these historical events.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Qasas, which narrates the story of Moses and his mission. It appears in the Meccan period when disbelievers questioned the source of Muhammad's knowledge about previous prophets and their stories. The context addresses accusations that Muhammad fabricated or borrowed these narratives, establishing that his knowledge is divinely inspired.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3.4.655) where the Prophet Muhammad describes details of past prophets' lives, which he could only have known through divine revelation. Additionally, the Quran itself (in 42:3 and 3:44) emphasizes that the Prophet received knowledge of unseen matters through revelation.
Themes
Key Lesson
Just as Muhammad's detailed knowledge of past prophets' stories proves his connection to divine revelation rather than human sources, believers should recognize that authentic religious knowledge comes from Allah's guidance, not merely from human reasoning or external influences. This teaches us to seek truth through divinely-guided sources and to trust in the Quran as a reliable historical and spiritual document.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالَتْ لِأُخْتِهِۦ قُصِّيهِ ۖ فَبَصُرَتْ بِهِۦ عَن جُنُبٍ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
And she said to his sister, "Follow him"; so she watched him from a distance while they perceived not.
وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أَجَبْتُمُ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
And [mention] the Day He will call them and say, "What did you answer the messengers?"
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."
وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِن نَّتَّبِعِ ٱلْهُدَىٰ مَعَكَ نُتَخَطَّفْ مِنْ أَرْضِنَآ ۚ أَوَلَمْ نُمَكِّن لَّهُمْ حَرَمًا ءَامِنًا يُجْبَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَٰتُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ رِّزْقًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And they [i.e., the Quraysh] say, "If we were to follow the guidance with you, we would be swept from our land." Have We not established for them a safe sanctuary to which are brought the fruits of all things as provision from Us? But most of them do not know.