وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَـٰكِن رَّحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ 46
Translations
And you were not at the side of the mount when We called [Moses] but [were sent] as a mercy from your Lord to warn a people to whom no warner had come before you that they might be reminded.
Transliteration
Wa maa kunta bi jaanib al-turi idh naadayna wa laakinn rahmatam min rabbika litundhira qawman maa atahum min nadhirin min qablika laallahum yatadhakarrun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah clarifies that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not present at Mount Tur when Allah called to Musa (Moses), yet Allah sent him as a warner to the Arabs who had never received a prophet before him. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the verse emphasizes that Muhammad's prophethood is a divine mercy (rahma) from Allah, independent of previous prophetic knowledge, designed to warn his people and encourage them toward remembrance and guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-Qasas, which recounts the story of Musa's call at Mount Tur. The verse responds to potential objections from the Quraysh about Muhammad's prophethood by clarifying that his mission is distinctly his own divine appointment, not derived from knowledge of previous scriptures, making his warning to the Arabs a special mercy.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said, 'The parable of myself and the other prophets is like a man who built a house, made it beautiful, and left one brick empty in a corner. People would marvel at its beauty but say, "If only this brick were placed!" I am that brick, and I am the seal of the prophets.' This emphasizes his role as the final messenger.
Themes
Key Lesson
Allah's selection of Muhammad as a messenger to warn the Arabs demonstrates that divine guidance is continually extended through mercy, not limited to prior knowledge or historical precedent. Believers should recognize that receiving a prophet is itself a profound mercy, obligating them to heed the warning and remember their Lord.
Related Ayahs
وَدَخَلَ ٱلْمَدِينَةَ عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلَانِ هَـٰذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ وَهَـٰذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِۦ ۖ فَٱسْتَغَـٰثَهُ ٱلَّذِى مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ عَلَى ٱلَّذِى مِنْ عَدُوِّهِۦ فَوَكَزَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ۖ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ مُّبِينٌ
And he entered the city at a time of inattention by its people and found therein two men fighting: one from his faction and one from among his enemy. And the one from his faction called for help to him against the one from his enemy, so Moses struck him and [unintentionally] killed him. [Moses] said, "This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy."
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
Indeed, [O Muḥammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allāh guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.
فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فِى زِينَتِهِۦ ۖ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا يَـٰلَيْتَ لَنَا مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ قَـٰرُونُ إِنَّهُۥ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ
So he came out before his people in his adornment. Those who desired the worldly life said, "Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qārūn. Indeed, he is one of great fortune."
وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا يُنصَرُونَ
And We made them leaders inviting to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped.