قَالَ رَبُّنَا ٱلَّذِىٓ أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلْقَهُۥ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ 50
Translations
He said, "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]."
Transliteration
Qala rabbuna alladhee a'ta kulla shay'in khalqahu thumma hada
Tafsir (Explanation)
Musa (Moses) responds to Pharaoh's question about the Lord by describing Allah as the One who has given every creation its form and nature, then guided it to its purpose and function. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a profound statement of divine wisdom and providence—Allah not only creates all things with their specific forms but also provides each creature with the innate guidance (hidayah) necessary to fulfill its purpose. This ayah emphasizes both God's creative power and His all-encompassing knowledge of what each creation needs.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs during the famous dialogue between Musa and Pharaoh in Surah Taha. When Pharaoh arrogantly asks 'Who is the Lord of you two?' Musa responds with this eloquent statement about Allah's attributes. It is set in the context of Musa's mission to call Pharaoh to monotheism, and represents the intellectual and spiritual foundation of tawhid (Islamic monotheism).
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this ayah, it relates thematically to the hadith: 'Every child is born upon the natural disposition (fitrah), but his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Zoroastrian' (Sahih Bukhari 1319), which echoes the concept of divine guidance mentioned here.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that Allah's wisdom encompasses both the design of creation and the guidance needed to fulfill one's purpose—reminding believers that our role is to recognize our inherent nature and seek divine guidance to live according to our intended purpose.