وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّىٰمِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ 5
Translations
And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs, [saying], "Bring out your people from darknesses into the light and remind them of the days of Allāh." Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.
Transliteration
Wa-laqad arsalnā Mūsā bi-āyātinā an akhraj qawmaka min al-ẓulumāt ilā al-nūr wa-dhakkirhum bi-ayyām Allāh. Inna fī dhālika la-āyāt li-kull sabbār shakūr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah sent Prophet Musa (Moses) with clear signs to lead his people from darkness (spiritual ignorance and oppression) into light (divine guidance and freedom), and to remind them of Allah's days—His favors, trials, and signs throughout history. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah emphasizes the dual mission of prophets: liberation from physical and spiritual bondage, coupled with spiritual education. The verse concludes that such divine signs contain lessons specifically for those who combine patience (sabr) with gratitude (shukr)—qualities necessary for benefiting from divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ibrahim (a Meccan surah), which focuses on themes of monotheism, prophethood, and the stories of earlier prophets. The context specifically references the mission of Musa and the Children of Israel's exodus from Egypt, serving as a historical reminder to the Meccan believers of how Allah aided His prophets and punished the arrogant disbelievers. The surah uses these historical narratives to encourage the early Muslims facing persecution.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Book of Tafsir) discusses how the Prophet ﷺ emphasized that every trial from Allah contains hidden blessings and tests patience. Additionally, the concept of 'ayyam Allāh (days of Allah) is explained in Surah Al-Anfal 8:26, where it refers to Allah's decisive moments of victory and judgment, reinforced across multiple hadiths regarding divine assistance to the patient.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true liberation involves both freedom from oppression and spiritual enlightenment through divine guidance, and that we can only fully appreciate and benefit from Allah's signs when we cultivate both steadfast patience in trials and sincere gratitude for His blessings.