Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL A'RAAF [144]

144. (Allah) said: ”O Musa I have chosen you above men by My Messages, and by My speaking (to you). So hold that which I have given you and be of the grateful.'' 145. And We wrote for him on the Tablets the exhortation all things and the explanation for all things (and said): Hold unto these with firmness, and enjoin your people to take the better therein. I shall show you the home of the rebellious. Allah states that He spoke to Musa directly and informed him that He has chosen him above the people of his time, by His Message and by speaking to him. Here we should mention that there is no doubt that Muhammad is the chief of all the Children of Adam, the earlier and later ones among them. This is why Allah has chosen him to be the Final and Last Prophet and Messenger, whose Law shall remain dominant and valid until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad's followers are more numerous than the followers of all Prophets and Messengers. After Muhammad , the next in rank of honor and virtue is Ibrahim upon him be peace,, then Musa, son of `Imran, who spoke to the Most Beneficent directly. Allah commanded Musa, saying,

(So hold to that which I have given you), of My Speech and conversation with you,

(and be of the grateful) , for it and do not ask for what is beyond your capacity to bear. Allah stated that He has written lessons and exhortation for all things and explanations for all things on the Tablets. It was said that in the Tablets, Allah wrote advice and the details of the commandments for lawful and prohibited matters. The Tablets contained the Tawrah, that Allah described;

(And indeed We gave Musa -- after We had destroyed the generations of old -- the Scripture as an enlightenment for mankind)ï´¿28: 43ï´¾. It was also said that Allah gave Musa the Tablets before the Tawrah, and Allah knows best. Allah said next,

(Hold unto these with firmness), be firm on the obedience,

(and enjoin your people to take the better therein.) Sufyan bin `Uyaynah said, ”Abu Sa`d narrated to us from `Ikrimah from Ibn `Abbas that ”Musa, peace be upon him, was commanded to adhere to the toughest of what was ordained on his people.'' Allah's statement,

(I shall show you the home of the rebellious), means, you will witness the recompense of those who defy My order and deviate from My obedience, the destruction, demise and utter loss they will suffer.