317 Page Notes

20  Surah Taha (continued)

Page 317 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 317 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 317 of the Quran continues the narrative of Surah Taha (Chapter 20), covering verses 77 through 87.

This section details the Exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt. Allah commands Prophet Musa (Moses) to strike the sea with his staff, parting the waters to create a dry path and saving them from Pharaoh's pursuing army, which is subsequently drowned. The passage then transitions to the aftermath in the desert: Allah provides them with Manna and Quail, warns them against transgression, and details Musa leaving his people temporarily to ascend Mount Sinai, only for his people to go astray under the influence of Samiri in his absence.

The authentic Hadiths and prophetic traditions connected to these verses provide critical historical timing, legal rulings on food, and profound spiritual commentary.

1. Hadith Context for Verses 77–78 (The Parting of the Sea and the Day of Ashura)

Verses 77 and 78 describe the dramatic escape and the destruction of Pharaoh:

"And We inspired to Moses, 'Travel by night with My servants and strike for them a dry path in the sea... Then Pharaoh pursued them with his soldiers, and there covered them from the sea that which covered them."

The Sunnah of Fasting on the Day of Ashura:

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ directly tied a major annual Islamic practice—fasting on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura)—to the exact historical event narrated in these verses.

When the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Madinah, he found the Jewish community fasting on this day. He asked them why they fasted, and they replied:

"This is a righteous day. This is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy (Pharaoh), so Musa fasted on this day."

The Prophet ﷺ responded, "We have more right to Musa than you." So, the Prophet ﷺ fasted on that day and commanded the Muslims to fast it as well, establishing it as a highly rewarded Sunnah that expiates the sins of the preceding year.

• Primary Citations:

  • Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Fasting (Kitab as-Sawm), Hadith 2004.

  • Sahih Muslim, Book of Fasting, Hadith 1130.

2. Hadith Context for Verse 80 (The Divine Gift of Manna)

As the Israelites traveled through the arid desert, Allah bestowed unique blessings upon them, as noted in verse 80:

"O Children of Israel, We delivered you from your enemy, and We made an appointment with you at the right side of the mountain, and We sent down to you manna and quails."

Prophetic Medical and Botanical Commentary on Manna:

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used the Quranic mention of Al-Manna (the sweet, dew-like substance sent from heaven on this page) to teach his companions about the medicinal properties of certain earth elements, specifically truffles (Al-Kam'ah).

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Truffles are a kind of 'Manna' which Allah sent down to the Children of Israel, and their juice is a medicine for the eyes."

Scholars explain that the Prophet ﷺ linked truffles to Manna because both grow naturally without human effort, planting, or irrigation—serving as a pure gift from Allah just as the original Manna was to Musa's people.

• Primary Citations:

  • Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Prophetic Commentary, Hadith 4639 (Categorized under the Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah/Taha).

  • Sahih Muslim, Book of Drinks (Kitab al-Ashribah), Hadith 2047.

3. Hadith Context for Verses 81–82 (Pure Sustenance and Forgiveness)

Allah follows the mention of food with a spiritual law in verses 81–82:

"Eat from the good things with which We have provided you and do not transgress therein... And indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance."

The Sunnah of Moderation in Food:

The Prophet ﷺ heavily emphasized the legal and spiritual weight of eating "good, pure things" (Tayyibat) without "transgression" (La tatghaw—which includes wastefulness, greed, and consuming unlawful wealth).

To prevent the spiritual corruption that befell past nations on this page, the Prophet ﷺ gave a definitive baseline for physical consumption:

"The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must fill it, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink, and one-third for his breath."

• Primary Citations:

  • Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Asceticism (Kitab az-Zuhd), Hadith 2380 (Classified as Sahih).

  • Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Food, Hadith 3349.

4. Hadith Context for Verses 83–84 (Musa’s Eagerness to Meet Allah)

When Musa hastens ahead of his elders to meet Allah on the mountain, Allah asks him in verse 83:

"[Allah] said, 'And what made you hasten from your people, O Moses?' He said, 'They are close upon my tracks, and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You might be pleased.'"

Prophetic Characterization of Musa's Zeal:

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ highlighted Musa’s intense spiritual fervor, awe, and haste before Allah in various narrations. In a famous Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ noted that on the Day of Judgment, when humanity regains consciousness after the trumpet blast, he will see Musa already standing, holding onto one of the pillars of Allah's Throne (Arsh).

The Prophet ﷺ noted that Musa's unique proximity to Allah—driven by the very eagerness and passion captured in verse 84 ("I hastened to You, my Lord, that You might be pleased")\—means he might not even succumb to the standard unconsciousness of the Day of Judgment.

• Primary Citations:

  • Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of the Stories of the Prophets, Hadith 3408.

  • Sahih Muslim, Book of Virtues (Kitab al-Fada'il), Hadith 2373.