Verse 64
The Cow • madinah
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وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَٰقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُوا۟ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَکُمُ الطُّوْرَ یعنی تم کو پہاڑ کے دامن میں کھڑا کیا تھا۔ (خروج باب۱۹ آیت۱۷)۔
ذَکَرَہٗ کے معنی ہیں حَفِظَہٗ فِیْ ذِھْنِہٖ (اقرب) یعنی کسی بات کو اپنے ذہن میں محفوظ کر لیا۔ پس وَاذْکُرُوْا کے معنے ہوں گے اسے محفوظ کر لو اور یاد رکھو۔
2:84, 94; 4:155.
7:172.
The words do not mean that Mount Sinai was physically lifted up to hang over the heads of the Israelites. They only mean that the covenant was taken at a time when the Israelites were standing at the foot of the Mount. They may also refer to the scene when the Mount Sinai was terribly shaken with an earthquake, while the Israelites were camping at its foot (Exod. 19:2). On such an occasion the shaking of a high mountain peak appears as it were hanging over the heads of those standing near it.
2:84, 94; 4:155.
7:172.
Important Words:
میثاق (covenant) is derived from وثق i.e. it was or became firm and established. اوثقه means, he made it firm and fast; he bound or tied it firmly and strongly. میثاق means, a firmly made promise; a covenant (Aqrab & Lane). It should be noted that every commandment of God has the force of a covenant for those who believe, because once an individual or a people believe in God and accept His guidance, they, as it were, enter into a covenant with Him that they will obey all His Commandments, a formal agreement not being necessary. See also 2:28.
رفعنا (We raised high) is derived from رفع which means, he raised or lifted a thing or person; he raised a person in rank, honour, position or dignity; he took a report or complaint to a person in authority (Mufradat & Aqrab). It also means, to make a thing tower above another standing beside it. We read in a hadith رفع لنا صخرة طویلة لھا ظل i.e. a big stone giving good shade was raised above us, i.e. we found ourselves beside a high shady stone (Bukhari, ch. on Hijrah).
فوق (above) is derived from فاق meaning, he surpassed it or him; he stood higher than it or him. Thus فوق is the opposite of "beneath" meaning "above", both literally and figuratively (Aqrab). It is also used to denote a place higher than that which one is occupying. The Quran says: اذجاءوکم من فوقکم i.e. when the enemy made a descent on you from a higher position (33:11).
الطور (the Mount) means: (1) a hill or mountain; (2) the mount Tur or Sinai (Mufradat & Aqrab). Thus, it is both a common and a proper name.
Commentary:
In this verse the Quran again reverts to the previous subject, i.e. the iniquities of the Israelites, but in a different field. The verse refers to the time when Moses went up the Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and left his followers standing at the foot of the Mount (Exod. 19:17). So the covenant spoken of in the verse refers to the Ten Commandments which were given to Moses on this occasion.
The clause We raised high above you the Mount, does not mean that Mount Sinai was physically lifted up to hang over the heads of the Israelites. It only means that the covenant was taken at a time when the Israelites were standing at the foot of the mountain—a meaning quite consistent with the Arabic idiom as explained under Important Words. The raising of the Mount above the Israelites has been ascribed to God, because it was He Who had commanded them to come and stand at the foot of the Mount.
The verse may also refer to the scene when the Mount Sinai was terribly shaken with an earthquake, while the Israelites were camping near it (Exod. 19:18). On such an occasion the shaking of a high mountain peak appears as if it were hanging over the heads of those standing near it.
a
2:84, 94; 4:155.
b
4:155; 7:172.
60
这些话并不意味着西奈山真是被举起来悬在古以色列人的头顶上空。它们只是意指订约的时候古以色列人正站在这山 (西奈山) 脚下。它们也可以指当古以色列人正在它的山脚下宿营时, 西奈山遭到地震的可怕震撼的情景 («出埃及记»19:2)。在此时刻, 一座高高的山峰的震动, 看来就像它悬在站在它近旁的那些人的头顶上空。
1
وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَکُمُ الطُّوْرَ یعنی تم کو پہاڑ کے دامن میں کھڑا کیا تھا۔ (خروج باب۱۹ آیت۱۷)۔
2
ذَکَرَہٗ کے معنی ہیں حَفِظَہٗ فِیْ ذِھْنِہٖ (اقرب) یعنی کسی بات کو اپنے ذہن میں محفوظ کر لیا۔ پس وَاذْکُرُوْا کے معنے ہوں گے اسے محفوظ کر لو اور یاد رکھو۔
a
2:84, 94; 4:155.
b
7:172.
70
Important Words:
میثاق (covenant) is derived from وثق i.e. it was or became firm and established. اوثقه means, he made it firm and fast; he bound or tied it firmly and strongly. میثاق means, a firmly made promise; a covenant (Aqrab & Lane). It should be noted that every commandment of God has the force of a covenant for those who believe, because once an individual or a people believe in God and accept His guidance, they, as it were, enter into a covenant with Him that they will obey all His Commandments, a formal agreement not being necessary. See also 2:28.
رفعنا (We raised high) is derived from رفع which means, he raised or lifted a thing or person; he raised a person in rank, honour, position or dignity; he took a report or complaint to a person in authority (Mufradat & Aqrab). It also means, to make a thing tower above another standing beside it. We read in a hadith رفع لنا صخرة طویلة لھا ظل i.e. a big stone giving good shade was raised above us, i.e. we found ourselves beside a high shady stone (Bukhari, ch. on Hijrah).
فوق (above) is derived from فاق meaning, he surpassed it or him; he stood higher than it or him. Thus فوق is the opposite of "beneath" meaning "above", both literally and figuratively (Aqrab). It is also used to denote a place higher than that which one is occupying. The Quran says: اذجاءوکم من فوقکم i.e. when the enemy made a descent on you from a higher position (33:11).
الطور (the Mount) means: (1) a hill or mountain; (2) the mount Tur or Sinai (Mufradat & Aqrab). Thus, it is both a common and a proper name.
Commentary:
In this verse the Quran again reverts to the previous subject, i.e. the iniquities of the Israelites, but in a different field. The verse refers to the time when Moses went up the Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and left his followers standing at the foot of the Mount (Exod. 19:17). So the covenant spoken of in the verse refers to the Ten Commandments which were given to Moses on this occasion.
The clause We raised high above you the Mount, does not mean that Mount Sinai was physically lifted up to hang over the heads of the Israelites. It only means that the covenant was taken at a time when the Israelites were standing at the foot of the mountain—a meaning quite consistent with the Arabic idiom as explained under Important Words. The raising of the Mount above the Israelites has been ascribed to God, because it was He Who had commanded them to come and stand at the foot of the Mount.
The verse may also refer to the scene when the Mount Sinai was terribly shaken with an earthquake, while the Israelites were camping near it (Exod. 19:18). On such an occasion the shaking of a high mountain peak appears as if it were hanging over the heads of those standing near it.
c
2:84, 94; 4:155.
d
7:172.
105
The words do not mean that Mount Sinai was physically lifted up to hang over the heads of the Israelites. They only mean that the covenant was taken at a time when the Israelites were standing at the foot of the Mount. They may also refer to the scene when the Mount Sinai was terribly shaken with an earthquake, while the Israelites were camping at its foot (Exod. 19:2). On such an occasion the shaking of a high mountain peak appears as it were hanging over the heads of those standing near it.