Tafsir & Commentary
Mary (مريم) · Meccan
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ مِن رَّحْمَتِنَآ أَخَاهُ هَـٰرُونَ نَبِيًّا53
19:53
Translation — Sahih International
And We gave him out of Our mercy his brother Aaron as a prophet.
Transliteration
Wa wahabna lahu min rahmatina akhaahu harun nabiyya
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah granted Musa (Moses) his brother Harun (Aaron) as a prophet through His mercy, addressing Musa's earlier supplication in Surah Ta-Ha where he asked for Harun's support. This ayah emphasizes Allah's compassion in providing Musa with familial and prophetic assistance, as Harun became his aide and partner in the mission to Pharaoh. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this demonstrates how Allah responds to the sincere du'a (supplication) of His servants and the honor of prophethood granted to the family of 'Imran.
Revelation Context (Asbab al-Nuzul)
This ayah appears in the Meccan Surah Maryam, which focuses on the stories of righteous prophets and their families. It forms part of the narrative of Musa's life and prophethood, contextualizing how Allah supported him through His mercy by providing Harun as both a brother and prophet to strengthen his message.
Related Hadiths
In Sahih Bukhari, it is reported that Musa asked Allah to make Harun his wazir (helper/minister), and Allah granted this request. Additionally, Surah Ta-Ha 25-35 contains Musa's own supplication asking for Harun's support, which this ayah confirms was answered.
Themes
Key Lessons
This ayah teaches believers that Allah's mercy extends to answering sincere prayers and providing support through loved ones in fulfilling our missions. It reminds us that collaborative efforts grounded in faith and guided by prophetic wisdom are blessed means through which Allah's purposes are accomplished.