قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَـٰنًا فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا ۚ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكُمَا ٱلْغَـٰلِبُونَ 35
Translations
[Allāh] said, "We will strengthen your arm through your brother and grant you both supremacy so they will not reach you. [It will be] through Our signs; you and those who follow you will be the predominant."
Transliteration
Qala sanashuddu aaduka bi-akhika wanajalu lakuma sultanan fala yasilun ilaikuma bi-ayatina antuma wamani ittaba'akuma alghalbun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah responds to Musa's (Moses) plea for support by promising to strengthen him through his brother Harun (Aaron) and grant them both authority (sultanah) such that Pharaoh's people cannot reach or harm them. With Allah's signs and message, both Musa and Harun, along with their followers, shall be the victors. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this promise of divine support was both spiritual—through revelation and miraculous signs—and practical, as Allah protected them from Pharaoh's schemes and granted them the triumph of delivering the message despite all opposition.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in the narrative of Musa's conversation with Allah at the burning bush (Ayat al-Nūr), where Musa expresses his fears and concerns about confronting Pharaoh. The surah 'Al-Qasas' (The Stories) is Meccan and recounts stories of prophets, with this particular passage addressing Musa's anxieties and establishing the theme that divine support supersedes worldly power.
Related Hadiths
While no single hadith directly quotes this ayah, the principle is supported by numerous traditions on divine aid. For instance, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, 'Help from Allah comes with patience, relief comes with hardship, and with hardship comes ease,' emphasizing reliance on Allah's support during trials—a theme central to this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that when facing seemingly insurmountable challenges or opposition, reliance on Allah and adherence to His message guarantees ultimate victory and protection, regardless of one's perceived weakness or the adversary's worldly power. Modern readers should draw comfort that collective effort rooted in faith—like Musa and Harun working together—combined with Divine guidance, creates an invincible force against injustice.
Related Ayahs
مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا۟ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it; and whoever comes with an evil deed - then those who did evil deeds will not be recompensed except [as much as] what they used to do.
وَأَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَلَّىٰ مُدْبِرًا وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْ ۚ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ أَقْبِلْ وَلَا تَخَفْ ۖ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْـَٔامِنِينَ
And [he was told], "Throw down your staff." But when he saw it writhing as if it was a snake, he turned in flight and did not return. [Allāh said], "O Moses, approach and fear not. Indeed, you are of the secure.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ
But those who had been given knowledge said, "Woe to you! The reward of Allāh is better for he who believes and does righteousness. And none are granted it except the patient."
فَلَمَّآ أَتَىٰهَا نُودِىَ مِن شَـٰطِئِ ٱلْوَادِ ٱلْأَيْمَنِ فِى ٱلْبُقْعَةِ ٱلْمُبَـٰرَكَةِ مِنَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ أَن يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِنِّىٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
But when he came to it, he was called from the right side of the valley in a blessed spot - from the tree, "O Moses, indeed I am Allāh, Lord of the worlds."