Tafseer Ibn Kathir of THAAHAA [36]

36. (Allah) said: ”You are granted your request, O Musa!'' 37. ”And indeed We conferred a favor on you another time (before).'' 38. ”When We inspired your mother with that which We inspired.'' 39. ”Saying: `Put him (the child) into the Tabut and put it into the river; then the river shall cast it up on the bank, and there, an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his shall take him.' And I endued you with love from Me, in order that you may be brought up under My Eye.'' This is a response from Allah to His Messenger, Musa, for what he requested from His Lord. It also contains a reminder of Allah's previous favors upon him. The first was inspiring his mother when she was breastfeeding him and she feared that Fir`awn and his chiefs would kill him. Musa was born during a year in which they (Fir`awn's people) were killing all of the male children. So she placed him in a case and cast him into the river. The river carried him away and she became grieved and distressed, as Allah mentioned about her when He said,

(And the heart of the mother of Musa became empty. She was very near to disclose his (case) had We not strengthened her heart.) ï´¿28:10ï´¾ So the river carried him to the home of Fir`awn.

(Then the people of Fir`awn picked him up, that he might become for them an enemy and a (cause of ) grief.) ï´¿28:8ï´¾ Means that this was a destined matter, decreed by Allah. They were killing the male children of the Israelites for fear of Musa's arrival. Therefore, with Allah having the great authority and the most perfect power, He determined that Musa would not be raised except upon Fir`awn's own bed. He would be sustained by Fir`awn's food and drink, while receiving the love of Fir`awn and his wife. This is why Allah said,

(and there, an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his shall take him. And I endued you with love from Me,) This means that I made your enemy love you. Salamah bin Kuhayl said,

(And I endued you with love from Me,) ”This means, `I made My creatures love you.' ''

(in order that you may be brought up under My Eye.) Abu `Imran Al-Jawni said, ”This means, `You will be raised under Allah's Eye.' '' Concerning Allah's statement,

(When your sister went and said: `Shall I show you one who will nurse him' So We restored you to your mother, that she might cool her eyes) When he was accepted into the house of Fir`awn, women were brought in attempts to find someone who might be able to nurse him. But he refused to breast feed from any of them. Allah, the Exalted, says,

(And We had already forbidden (other) foster suckling mothers for him) ï´¿28:12ï´¾ Then, his sister came and said,

(Shall I direct you to a household who will rear him for you, and look after him in a good manner) ﴿28:12﴾ She meant, ”Shall I guide you to someone who can nurse him for you for a fee'' So she took him and they went with her to his real mother. When her breast was presented to him, he took it and they (Fir`awn's family) were extremely happy for this. Thus, they hired her to nurse him and she achieved great happiness and comfort because of him, in this life and even more so in the Hereafter. Allah, the Exalted, says here,

(So We restored you to your mother, that she might cool her eyes and she should not grieve.) This means that she should not grieve over you.

(Then you killed man,) This means that he killed a Coptic person (the people of Egypt, Fir`awn's people).

(but We saved you from great distress) This is what he was feeling due to Fir`awn's family intending to kill him. So he fled from them until he came to the water of the people of Madyan. This is when the righteous man said to him,

(Fear you not. You have escaped from the people who are wrongdoers.) ï´¿28:25ï´¾