After the Drowning of Pharaoh, Allah Appointed Moses (PBUH) to Speak With Him at Mount At-Tur. What Happened at That Appointment?
واعد الله نبيه وكليمه موسى-عليه السلام- ليناجيه في جبل الطور. ما قصة ذلك الموعد، وماذا حدث فيه؟
First: After Allah the Exalted saved the Children of Israel, Moses told them that his Lord the Exalted had commanded him to bring the Children of Israel to Him at Mount At-Tur, while they were on their way to the Promised Land, to give them the Torah containing their law and the order of their life, in their worldly affairs and their religion. That appointment was on the right side of At-Tur.
Second: Moses appointed his brother Harun as his successor over the Children of Israel and came to his Lord’s appointment early, out of eagerness and haste to please his Lord. On his departure, peace be upon him, he appointed his brother Harun as successor among the Children of Israel, instructed him to set things right, and forbade him from following the opinions of the corrupters. (“We appointed for Moses thirty nights then added another ten, completing his Lord’s term of forty nights. Moses commanded his brother Aaron, ‘Take my place among my people, do what is right, and do not follow the way of the corruptors.'”) Al-A’raf 7:142
Third: The appointment lasted thirty nights, and Allah completed it with ten more nights in Moses’s intimate conversation with his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. The appointment was so that he would bring the Children of Israel a Book from their Lord containing a complete law by which they would be governed and judged.
Fourth: On this journey Allah spoke to Moses, peace be upon him, and Moses asked his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, to see Him, Majestic is His Majesty. His Lord the Exalted answered him, “You cannot see Me,” meaning: your seeing Me is not possible in this world because you cannot bear it, and the proof of that is to look at the mountain when the Lord of Glory appears to it. “When his Lord appeared to the mountain,” that is, manifested Himself to the mountain, the mountain broke, shattered and collapsed at once.
Fifth: When Moses, peace be upon him, saw that mountain, he fell unconscious, and when he recovered from that swoon he said, “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance, and I am the first of the believers,” meaning: I declare You free of every imperfection; I have returned to You and turned to You in repentance, I will never again ask You such a thing, and I am the first to believe in You, in Your majesty, Your greatness and Your authority; I am Your servant, unable to see You in this abode, the abode of obligation and deeds.
(When Moses came at the appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he asked, “My Lord! Reveal Yourself to me so I may see You.” Allah answered, “You cannot see Me! But look at the mountain. If it remains firm in its place, only then will you see Me.” When his Lord appeared to the mountain, He levelled it to dust and Moses collapsed unconscious. When he recovered, he cried, “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.”) Al-A’raf 7:143
Sixth: Allah said to His Prophet, peace be upon him, “O Moses! I have ˹already˺ elevated you above all others by My messages and speech. So hold firmly to what I have given you and be grateful,” meaning: I have given you a great good in choosing you and singling you out to speak with Me, so thank Me for this great blessing by doing what I command you and leaving what I have forbidden you.
(Allah said, “O Moses! I have ˹already˺ elevated you above all others by My messages and speech. So hold firmly to what I have given you and be grateful.”) Al-A’raf 7:144
Seventh: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, wrote for His Prophet Moses in the Tablets everything the Children of Israel needed, whether related to religion or to worldly life. This address contains a warning to the Children of Israel against abandoning the laws and rulings in the Tablets, for whenever they abandoned them, or any part of them, they would be counted as having left the obedience of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. This address carries the utmost warning and threat to those who stray from Allah’s laws by neglecting them and not acting on them, so let the believers beware of this, for it is a grave matter.
(We wrote for him on the Tablets ˹the fundamentals˺ of everything; commandments and explanations of all things. ˹We commanded,˺ “Hold to this firmly and ask your people to take the best of it. I will soon show ˹all of˺ you the home of the rebellious.”) Al-A’raf 7:145
أولًا: بعد أن نجى الله تعالى بني إسرائيل أخبرهم موسى أن ربه تعالى قد أمره أن يأتيه ببني إسرائيل وهم في طريقهم إلى أرض الميعاد إلى جبل الطور ليؤتيهم التوراة فيها شريعتهم ونظام حياتهم في دنياهم ودينهم، وذلك الموعد في جانب الطور الأيمن.
ثانيًا: استخلف موسى أخاه هارون على بني إسرائيل، وجاء إلى موعد ربه مبكرًا طمعًا واستعجالًا في إرضاء ربه، وعند خروجه عليه السلام استخلف في بني إسرائيل أخاه هارون وأوصاه بالإصلاح، ونهاه عن اتباع آراء المفسدين.
(وَوَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَاثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرٍ فَتَمَّ مِيقَاتُ رَبِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَخِيهِ هَارُونَ اخْلُفْنِي فِي قَوْمِي وَأَصْلِحْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ) الأعراف 7: 142
ثالثًا: كانت مدة الموعد ثلاثين ليلة، وأتمها الله بعشر ليال أخرى في مناجاة موسى لربه عز وجل، وكان الموعد من أجل أن يأتي بني إسرائيل بكتاب من ربهم يتضمن شريعة كاملة يساسون بها وتحكمهم.
رابعًا: في هذه الرحلة كلم الله موسى عليه السلام، فطلب موسى من ربه عز وجل رؤيته جل جلاله، فأجابه ربه تعالى: “لن تراني”، أي رؤيتك لي غير ممكنة في الدنيا لأنك لا تطيق ذلك، ودليل ذلك أن تنظر إلى الجبل لما يتجلى رب العزة له، “فلما تجلى ربه للجبل”، أي ظهر للجبل، تكسر الجبل وتحطم وانهار فورًا.
خامسًا: لما رأى موسى عليه السلام ذلك الجبل خر مغشيًا عليه، فلما أفاق من ذلك الصعق قال: “سبحانك تبت إليك وأنا أول المؤمنين”، أي: نزهتك عن كل نقص، ورجعت إليك وأنبت، فلن أسألك بعد مثل هذا السؤال، وأنا أول المؤمنين بك وبجلالك وعظمتك وسلطانك، وأنا عبدك عاجز عن رؤيتك في هذه الدار دار التكليف والعمل.
(وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَن تَرَانِي وَلَـٰكِنِ انظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ) الأعراف 7: 143
سادسًا: قال الله لنبيه عليه السلام: “يا موسى إني اصطفيتك على الناس برسالاتي وبكلامي فخذ ما آتيتك وكن من الشاكرين”، أي قد آتيتك خيرًا عظيمًا أن اصطفيتك وخصصتك بأن تكلمني، فاشكرني على هذه النعمة العظيمة بفعل ما آمرك وترك ما نهيتك عنه.
(قَالَ يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنِّي اصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسَالَاتِي وَبِكَلَامِي فَخُذْ مَا آتَيْتُكَ وَكُن مِّنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ) الأعراف 7: 144
سابعًا: كتب الله عز وجل لنبيه موسى في الألواح كل شيء يحتاجه بنو إسرائيل مما هو متعلق بالدين أو متعلق بالدنيا. وهذا الخطاب يتضمن تحذيرًا لبني إسرائيل أن يتركوا ما جاء في الألواح من الشرائع والأحكام، فإنهم متى تركوا ذلك أو شيئًا اعتُبروا خارجين عن طاعة الله عز وجل. وهذا الخطاب يحمل غاية الوعيد والتهديد للذين يفسقون عن شرائع الله تعالى بإهمالها وعدم العمل بها، فليحذر المؤمنون هذا فإنه أمر عظيم.
(وَكَتَبْنَا لَهُ فِي الْأَلْوَاحِ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَّوْعِظَةً وَتَفْصِيلًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَأْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا بِأَحْسَنِهَا سَأُورِيكُمْ دَارَ الْفَاسِقِينَ) الأعراف 7: 145
1. Forty Nights Set Aside to Receive the Torah | أربعون ليلة خُصصت لاستلام التوراة
Once the Children of Israel were safe, Musa was called to Mount Tur for a specific purpose: receiving a complete Law to govern both their worldly and religious life. The appointment was set at thirty nights, then extended by ten more, for a total of forty nights. Musa came to it ahead of his people, and why Allah reproached him for hastening is told separately.
بعد أن أصبح بنو إسرائيل في أمان، دُعي موسى إلى جبل الطور لغرض محدد: تلقي شريعة كاملة تحكم حياتهم الدنيوية والدينية معا. وحُدد الموعد بثلاثين ليلة، ثم أُتمّ بعشر أخرى، ليكون المجموع أربعين ليلة. وقد جاء موسى إلى الموعد متقدما على قومه.
2. Harun Left in Charge, With a Clear Warning | هارون خليفةً بوصيةٍ واضحة
Before departing, Musa appointed Harun (peace be upon him) as his successor over the people, instructing him specifically to do what was right and not follow those who cause corruption. This instruction, given before Musa left for forty nights, sets up exactly the situation that would soon go wrong in his absence; how Musa reacted when he learned what his people had done is told separately.
قبل مغادرته، استخلف موسى هارون على قومه، موصيا إياه تحديدا بالإصلاح وعدم اتباع من يسعون بالفساد. وهذه الوصية، الموجهة قبل غياب موسى أربعين ليلة، تمهد بالضبط للموقف الذي سيسوء قريبا في غيابه.
3. “You Cannot See Me”: A Request and a Test | “لن تراني”: طلبٌ واختبار
During this direct conversation with Allah, Musa asks to see Him. The response is not a flat refusal alone but a condition attached to a visible test: look at the mountain, and only if it remains standing will Musa see Him. This framing turns an impossible request into something demonstrable rather than merely asserted.
خلال هذه المناجاة المباشرة مع الله، يطلب موسى رؤيته. ولا يأتي الرد رفضا مجردا فحسب بل شرطا مقترنا باختبار منظور: أن ينظر إلى الجبل، فإن استقر مكانه فسوف يراه. وتحول هذه الصياغة طلبا مستحيلا إلى أمر يمكن إثباته لا مجرد التأكيد عليه.
4. The Mountain Crumbles, and Musa Falls Unconscious | الجبل يتحطم وموسى يخر مغشيًا عليه
When Allah’s glory appears to the mountain, it is instantly reduced to dust, and Musa himself, merely witnessing this, collapses unconscious. If a solid mountain could not withstand this manifestation, the Ayah demonstrates concretely why a human being could not either, answering Musa’s request more persuasively than words alone could.
حين يتجلى جلال الله للجبل، يتحول فورا إلى دك، وموسى نفسه، وهو يشهد ذلك فحسب، يخر مغشيا عليه. وإن كان الجبل الصلب لا يحتمل هذا التجلي، فإن الآية تبرهن بشكل ملموس على أن الإنسان لن يحتمله كذلك، مجيبة على طلب موسى بإقناع أكبر مما تستطيعه الكلمات وحدها.
5. “I Am the First of the Believers” | “وأنا أول المؤمنين”
Upon regaining consciousness, Musa’s first words are praise, repentance, and a declaration that he is the first of the believers, withdrawing the request entirely rather than pressing further. This immediate response models how a genuine encounter with a demonstration of Allah’s power should reshape one’s own expectations going forward.
عند استعادة وعيه، كانت كلمات موسى الأولى تسبيحا وتوبة وإعلانا بأنه أول المؤمنين، ساحبا طلبه كليا بدلا من الإلحاح فيه. ويُظهر هذا الرد الفوري كيف ينبغي أن تعيد المواجهة الحقيقية مع مظهر من مظاهر قدرة الله تشكيل توقعات المرء لاحقا.
6. Chosen Above the People of His Time, and a Complete Law in the Tablets | مصطفى على أهل زمانه وشريعةٌ كاملة في الألواح
Allah affirms Musa’s unique status directly, chosen above the people of his time, as Ibn Kathir explains, through His messages and His own direct speech, and instructs him to hold firmly to what he has been given and remain grateful. He then writes for Musa in the Tablets a complete law covering everything the Children of Israel would need, in religious and worldly matters alike, with an explicit warning attached against neglecting any part of it.
يؤكد الله مكانة موسى الفريدة مباشرة، مصطفى على أهل زمانه كما يبيّن ابن كثير، برسالاته وبكلامه المباشر، ويوجهه أن يتمسك بما أُعطيه وأن يبقى شاكرا. ثم يكتب له في الألواح شريعة كاملة تغطي كل ما يحتاجه بنو إسرائيل، في أمور الدين والدنيا معا، مع تحذير صريح مرفق من إهمال أي جزء منها.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why was Moses appointed to Mount Tur after the drowning of Pharaoh?
To receive the Torah, a complete law for the Children of Israel’s religious and worldly life, over forty nights.
Who did Moses leave in charge before going to Mount Tur?
His brother Harun, instructed to do what was right and avoid the way of corrupters.
What happened when Moses asked to see Allah?
He was told he could not see Him in this world, and was shown that even a mountain could not withstand Allah’s glory appearing to it, and it crumbled to dust.
How did Moses react to seeing the mountain crumble?
He fell unconscious, and upon waking, declared his repentance and that he was the first of the believers.
What was written for Moses in the Tablets?
A complete law covering everything the Children of Israel needed, with a warning against neglecting any part of it.