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Al-A'raf (The Heights)

Verse 143of 206

وَلَمَّا جَآءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَٰتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِىٓ أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَىٰنِى وَلَٰكِنِ ٱنظُرْ إِلَى ٱلْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ ٱسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُۥ فَسَوْفَ تَرَىٰنِى ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُۥ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُۥ دَكًّۭا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًۭا ۚ فَلَمَّآ أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴿١٤٣

Translation (Sahih International)

And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You." [Allah] said, "You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers."

Word-by-word meaning

وَلَمَّاwalammāAnd when
جَآءَjāacame
مُوسَىٰmūsāMusa
لِمِيقَـٰتِنَاlimīqātināto Our appointed place
وَكَلَّمَهُۥwakallamahuand spoke to him
رَبُّهُۥrabbuhuhis Lord
قَالَqālahe said
رَبِّrabbiO my Lord
أَرِنِىٓarinīShow me
أَنظُرْanẓur(that) I may look
إِلَيْكَ ۚilaykaat You
قَالَqālaHe said
لَنlanNever
تَرَىٰنِىtarānīyou (can) see Me
وَلَـٰكِنِwalākinibut
ٱنظُرْunẓurlook
إِلَىilāat
ٱلْجَبَلِl-jabalithe mountain
فَإِنِfa-ini[then] if
ٱسْتَقَرَّis'taqarrait remains
مَكَانَهُۥmakānahuin its place
فَسَوْفَfasawfathen
تَرَىٰنِى ۚtarānīyou (will) see Me
فَلَمَّاfalammāBut when
تَجَلَّىٰtajallārevealed (His) Glory
رَبُّهُۥrabbuhuhis Lord
لِلْجَبَلِlil'jabalito the mountain
جَعَلَهُۥjaʿalahuHe made it
دَكًّۭاdakkancrumbled to dust
وَخَرَّwakharraand fell down
مُوسَىٰmūsāMusa
صَعِقًۭا ۚṣaʿiqanunconscious
فَلَمَّآfalammāAnd when
أَفَاقَafāqahe recovered
قَالَqālahe said
سُبْحَـٰنَكَsub'ḥānakaGlory be to You
تُبْتُtub'tuI turn (in repentance)
إِلَيْكَilaykato you
وَأَنَا۠wa-anāand I am
أَوَّلُawwalu(the) first
ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَl-mu'minīna(of) the believers

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Musa asks to see AllahAllah said that when Musa came for His appointment and spoke to Him directly, he asked to see Him,رَبِّ أَرِنِى أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَن تَرَانِى("O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You." Allah said: "You cannot see Me,") `You cannot' (Lan) by no means indicates that seeing Allah will never occur, as (the misguided sect of) Al-Mu`tazilah claimed.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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