Quran 7:142 — Surah Al-A'raaf Ayah 142 | Arabic, Translation & Tafsir

وَإِذْ أَنجَيْنَٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُوم...

7:142

Al-A'raaf

وَلَمَّا جَآءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَٰتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُۥ ...

۞ وَوَٰعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَٰثِينَ لَيْلَةًۭ وَأَتْمَمْنَٰهَا بِعَشْرٍۢ فَتَمَّ مِيقَٰتُ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةًۭ ۚ وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَخِيهِ هَٰرُونَ ٱخْلُفْنِى فِى قَوْمِى وَأَصْلِحْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

Wa waa'adnaa Moosaa salaaseena lailatanw wa at mamnaahaa bi'ashrim fatamma meeqaatu Rabbihee arba'eena lailah; wa qaala Moosaa liakheehi Haaroonakh lufnee fee qawmee wa aslih wa laa tattabi' sabeelal mufsideen

And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights and perfected them by [the addition of] ten; so the term of his Lord was completed as forty nights. And Moses said to his brother Aaron, "Take my place among my people, do right [by them], and do not follow the way of the corrupters."

Related Tafsir

Ibn Kathir

Musa fasts and worships Allah for Forty Days

Allah reminds the Children of Israel of the guidance that He sent to them by speaking directly to Musa and revealing the Tawrah to him. In it, was their law and the details of their legislation. Allah stated here that He appointed thirty nights for Musa. The scholars of Tafsir said that Musa fasted this period, and when they ended, Musa cleaned his teeth with a twig. Allah commanded him to complete the term adding ten more days, making the total forty. When the appointed term finished, Musa was about to return to Mount Tur, as Allah said,

يبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ قَدْ أَنجَيْنَـكُمْ مِّنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ وَوَاعَدْنَـكُمْ جَانِبَ الطُّورِ الاٌّيْمَنَ

(O Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you on the right side of the Mount) 20:80. Musa left his brother Harun with the Children of Israel and commanded him to use wisdom and refrain from mischief. This was only a reminder, for Harun was an honorable and noble Prophet who had grace and exalted standard with Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and the rest of the Prophets.

View Full Tafsir: Musa fasts and worships Allah for Forty DaysAyahs 142–142

A Jew from Hira asked me which one of the two periods Musa (i.e. Prophet Moses) completed. I said, "I don't know, (but wait) till I see the most learned 'Arab and inquire him about it." So, I went to Ibn `Abbas and asked him. He replied, "Moses completed the longer and better period." Ibn `Abbas added, "No doubt, an apostle of Allah always does what he says."

Sahih al-Bukhari #3254Narrated Malik bin Sasaa:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) talked to his companions about his Night Journey to the Heavens. When he reached the fifth Heaven, he met Aaron. (Gabriel said to the Prophet), "This is Aaron." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Gabriel greeted and so did I, and he returned the greeting saying, 'Welcome, O Pious Brother and Pious Prophet."

Sahih Muslim #2407Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took an oath that he would not go to some of his wives for the whole of the month. When twenty-nine days bad passed he (the Holy Prophet) went to them in the morning or in the evening. Upon this it was said to him:

Apostle of Allah, you took an oath that you would not come to us for a month, whereupon he said: The month may also consist of twenty-nine days.

Sunan Ibn Majah #2178It was narrated that 'Ali bin Rabah said:

“I heard 'Utbah bin Nuddar say: 'We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he recited Ta-Sin. When he reached the story of Musa, he said: 'Musa (A.S) hired himself out for eight years, or ten, in return for his chastity and food in his stomach.' ”

Sahih Muslim #2404Zuhri reported that (once) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took an oath that he would not go to his wives for one Month. Zuhri said that 'Urwa narrated to him from 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) that she said:

When twenty-nine nights were over, which I had counted, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to me (he came to me first of all). I said: Messenger of Allah, you had taken an oath that you would not come to us for a month, whereas you have come after twenty nine days which I have counted. Whereupon he said: The month may also consist of twenty-nine days.