وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَـٰكِن رَّحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ 46
Translations
And you were not at the side of the mount when We called [Moses] but [were sent] as a mercy from your Lord to warn a people to whom no warner had come before you that they might be reminded.
Transliteration
Wa maa kunta bi jaanib al-turi idh naadayna wa laakinn rahmatam min rabbika litundhira qawman maa atahum min nadhirin min qablika laallahum yatadhakarrun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah clarifies that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not present at Mount Tur when Allah called to Musa (Moses), yet Allah sent him as a warner to the Arabs who had never received a prophet before him. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the verse emphasizes that Muhammad's prophethood is a divine mercy (rahma) from Allah, independent of previous prophetic knowledge, designed to warn his people and encourage them toward remembrance and guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-Qasas, which recounts the story of Musa's call at Mount Tur. The verse responds to potential objections from the Quraysh about Muhammad's prophethood by clarifying that his mission is distinctly his own divine appointment, not derived from knowledge of previous scriptures, making his warning to the Arabs a special mercy.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said, 'The parable of myself and the other prophets is like a man who built a house, made it beautiful, and left one brick empty in a corner. People would marvel at its beauty but say, "If only this brick were placed!" I am that brick, and I am the seal of the prophets.' This emphasizes his role as the final messenger.
Themes
Key Lesson
Allah's selection of Muhammad as a messenger to warn the Arabs demonstrates that divine guidance is continually extended through mercy, not limited to prior knowledge or historical precedent. Believers should recognize that receiving a prophet is itself a profound mercy, obligating them to heed the warning and remember their Lord.
Related Ayahs
وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
And [warn of] the Day He will call them and say, "Where are My 'partners' which you used to claim?"
قُلْ فَأْتُوا۟ بِكِتَـٰبٍ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ
Say, "Then bring a scripture from Allāh which is more guiding than either of them that I may follow it, if you should be truthful."
قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُنكِحَكَ إِحْدَى ٱبْنَتَىَّ هَـٰتَيْنِ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَأْجُرَنِى ثَمَـٰنِىَ حِجَجٍ ۖ فَإِنْ أَتْمَمْتَ عَشْرًا فَمِنْ عِندِكَ ۖ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَيْكَ ۚ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
He said, "Indeed, I wish to wed you one of these, my two daughters, on [the condition] that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten, it will be [as a favor] from you. And I do not wish to put you in difficulty. You will find me, if Allāh wills, from among the righteous."
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.