• How God delivered Moses, Aaron, Elias and Lot and punished the disbelievers

As-Saaffaat (As-Saffat) Verses 114 – 138

وَلَقَدْ مَنَنَّا عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ

And indeed conferred We Our favour on Moses and Aaron. (37:114)1

وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُمَا وَقَوْمَهُمَا مِنَ ٱلْكَرْبِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

And We delivered them both and their people from the great distress (37:115)

وَنَصَرْنَـٰهُمْ فَكَانُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلْغَـٰلِبِينَ

And We succoured them, so they were the triumphants. (37:116)

وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلْمُسْتَبِينَ

And We gave them both the Book making things clear. (37:117)

وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُمَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ

And We guided them both on the right way. (37:118)

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ

And We perpetuated2their praise in the later generations, (37:119)3

سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ

Peace be on Moses and Aaron. (37:120)

إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

Verily, thus4do We recompense the doers of good. (37:121)

إِنَّهُمَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Verily, they were both Our faithful servants, (37:122)

وَإِنَّ إِلْيَاسَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ

And verily, Elias was (one) of the apostles. (37:123)5

إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِۦٓ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ

When said he unto his people; “What! Guard ye6not yourselves (against evil)?” (37:124)

أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلًا وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْخَـٰلِقِينَ

“What! Call ye upon Ba’l7and forsake the Best of the creators?” (37:125)

ٱللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

“God, is your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of 8yore?” (37:126)

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ

But they belied him, so they shall certainly be brought (to account), (37:127)

إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ

Save the servants of God, the freed ones (from sinning) (37:128)

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ

And We perpetuated his praise in the later generations, (37:129)9

سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِلْ يَاسِينَ

Peace be on ‘Ilyasin’ (Elias). (37:130)

إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

Verily, thus10do We recompense the doers of good. (37:131)

إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Verily, he was (one) of Our faithful servants. (37:132)

وَإِنَّ لُوطًا لَّمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ

And verily Lot, was (one) of the apostles. (37:133)

إِذْ نَجَّيْنَـٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥٓ أَجْمَعِينَ

When We delivered him and his followers all. (37:134)

إِلَّا عَجُوزًا فِى ٱلْغَـٰبِرِينَ

Save an aged woman11among those who tarried. (37:135)12

ثُمَّ دَمَّرْنَا ٱلْـَٔاخَرِينَ

Then We destroyed the others. (37:136)

وَإِنَّكُمْ لَتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهِم مُّصْبِحِينَ

And verily, ye pass by (their ruined dwellings) at morn, (37:137)

وَبِٱلَّيْلِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

And at night; What! (even) then understand ye not? (37:138)

Commentary

Verse 114

The events relating to the life-history of Moses are very frequent and many in the Holy Qur’an. But for the events specially concerned with reference to this verse.13

Verse 120

Whenever Moses and Aaron are mentioned jointly as the blessed and the chosen ones of God, the saying of the Holy Prophet should be remembered - Ana wa Ali min Noorin Waahid. I and Ali are of one and the same Light - ‘O’ Ali thou art to me as Aaron was to Moses.’ (A.P.).

Verse 123

See verse 6:85. Yaseen was the name of Ilyas’ father, and that of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, hence in the Qur’anic address the name of the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt are also known as Aali Yaseen.

Verses 124-127

Refers to Ilyas admonishing the people who had turned idolaters after the death of Moses. The people worshipped a huge idol called Ba’l and the place was called after the name of the idol Ba’l Bak – Bak - i.e., the city Ba’l-Bak i.e., Baal’s city.

Verses 129

The clause ‘We perpetuated’ has been mentioned with Noah, Abraham, Moses, Aaron and Elias and stopped. Which means that in the later generation they were persons who represented these personalities - Refer ‘Ziarat’ (Salutation) of Warith. All these apostles were represented in the Ahl Al-Bayt. Since Lot and Jonah are not reported to have had any offsprings and do not come in the lineage of Noah and Abraham, Elias being alive still, is represented by Ali. (A.P.).

Verse 130

Whether the recitation of ‘Ilyaseen’ or ‘Aale-Yaseen’ the evidence of the context leaves no doubt that it means the same ‘Ilyas’ mentioned in verse 37:123 - who is identified in the Bible as ‘Elia’ or ‘Elyah’. There is a narration from Ibn Abbas which asserts that the word here is ‘Aale-Yaseen’ refers to ‘Aale-Muhammad’ because ‘Yaseen’ is the title of the Holy Prophet. If the tradition is authentic, most possibly Ibn Abbas mentioned ‘Aale-Yaseen’ not as the word of the title of the Holy Prophet but on the ground of the association of the ideas he might have mentioned, ‘Aale-Yaseen’ also to be the subject of the ‘Peace from God’ similar to ‘Ilyaseen’ and there are many biblical evidences which show the reappearance of Elijah as identified with Ali. However, this has nothing to do with the text of the Holy Qur’an. (A.P.).

• 1. Refer to verses 20:70-79 & 28:4.
• 2. Lit. left to stay.
• 3. Refer to verse 37:128.
• 4. In this way.
• 5. Refer to verse 6:85.
• 6. Why do ye not practice piety.
• 7. The idol whom the people worshipped as God.
• 8. Ancestors.
• 9. Refer to verse 37:119.
• 10. in this way.
• 11. Wife of Lot. Note the fate of a wife of a Prophet – with regard to the inclusion of her in the Ahl Al-Bayt.
• 12. Refer to verse 11:81.
• 13. Refer to note on verse 20:70-79 and 28:4.