إِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَهْلِهِۦٓ إِنِّىٓ ءَانَسْتُ نَارًا سَـَٔاتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ ءَاتِيكُم بِشِهَابٍ قَبَسٍ لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ 7
Translations
[Mention] when Moses said to his family, "Indeed, I have perceived a fire. I will bring you from there information or will bring you a burning torch that you may warm yourselves."
Transliteration
Idh qala Musa li-ahlihi inni anasta naran sa-atiikum minha bi-khabarin aw atiikum bi-shihab qabasin laallakum tastalun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Prophet Musa (Moses) telling his family that he perceived a fire and would bring them news from it or bring a burning torch so they could warm themselves. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this occurred during Musa's journey with his family to Egypt, and this fire was the miraculous call from Allah at Mount Tur (Sinai). The phrase 'I have perceived a fire' (anasta naran) indicates Musa's awareness of something extraordinary, which led him to investigate and ultimately receive his divine mission as a prophet.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Musa's early life and his calling to prophethood, which is recounted in Surah An-Naml to illustrate Allah's power and guidance. The surah emphasizes divine signs (ayaat) through various prophetic accounts. This particular incident is also mentioned in Surah Ta-Ha (20:10-11) and sets the stage for Musa's encounter with Allah at the burning bush.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this verse, Hadith Qudsi in Sahih Muslim describes Allah's address to Musa at the burning bush, relating to the prophetic experience referenced here. The incident is thematically connected to hadiths about how Allah guides and chooses His messengers through miraculous signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that vigilance and responsiveness to unusual signs in our surroundings can lead to divine guidance and purpose—believers should remain attentive to Allah's signs and not dismiss remarkable occurrences. It also demonstrates compassion and responsibility toward one's family, as Musa's first thought was to provide warmth and information for his loved ones.
Related Ayahs
وَكَانَ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ
And there were in the city nine family heads causing corruption in the land and not amending [its affairs].
وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِۦٓ أَتَأْتُونَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ
And [mention] Lot, when he said to his people, "Do you commit immorality while you are seeing?
أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَنۢبَتْنَا بِهِۦ حَدَآئِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَّا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُنۢبِتُوا۟ شَجَرَهَآ ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ
[More precisely], is He [not best] who created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you rain from the sky, causing to grow thereby gardens of joyful beauty which you could not [otherwise] have grown the trees thereof? Is there a deity with Allāh? [No], but they are a people who ascribe equals [to Him].
وَمَا مِنْ غَآئِبَةٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ
And there is nothing concealed within the heaven and the earth except that it is in a clear Register.