Excerpt from Tariq Masood’s speeches and notes.
“And what is that in your right hand, 0 Musa?” (20:17)
Reflect on this! Does Allah not know what Musa (as) has? Is it necessary that Allah ask this question? If Allah had to ask a question why was it so prolonged?
-Allah included ‘and’ in the beginning of the sentence to prolong it.
-If you are wearing a cap, firstly do I not already know that this is a cap? There is no need for me to ask.
-If I do need to ask? Would I mention the name of the person? If I am already in a conversation with Faizan for sometime, would I say ‘and what is on your head, O’ Faizan?’
-In addition, Allah is specifying the ‘right’ hand when the staff was on one hand anyways.
This is quite a prolonged sentence. Scholars explain the objective is not the sentence, sometimes conversations take place to display affection and to remove any inhibitions. Reason for prolonged sentence and not a brief one is because Allah loved Musa (as).
Musa (as) didn’t respond saying ‘you already know’. Musa (as) also saw that Allah wants to make conversation. When someone with the intent to have a conversation asks you a question, the reply shouldn’t just be ‘I don’t know’ or curt response.
If I ask Faizan ‘and what is on your head, O’ Faizan?’ The response as ‘cap’ would be sufficient. Instead, Faizan being emotionally acute is reciprocal and responds ‘on top of this head is my cap that protects me from heat’. What was Musa (as)’s response?
“He said, “It is my staff. I lean on it, and with it I beat down leaves for my sheep, and for me it has many other uses.”” (20:18)
Allah didn’t ask whose staff is it? Just a response ‘staff’ would have been sufficient. Allah didn’t ask what you use the staff for? Musa (as) responded with its uses.
When you want to converse with someone, sometimes it can be awkward. Sometimes people come to meet me, they are just not able to say anything. I start laughing ‘say something’. To remove the awkwardness, I ask general questions to make them comfortable.
Both love and wisdom demand that speech sometimes be initiated and prolonged even when not necessary. Sometimes no one is taking initiative to have a conversation. Sometimes with spouses, one wants to keep talking while the other wondering why can’t this person talk to the point or simply state the facts. The person just wants to talk to you out of affection.
We should also have this type of prolonged conversations with our parents as well.
“And what is that in your right hand, 0 Musa?” (20:17)
Reflect on this! Does Allah not know what Musa (as) has? Is it necessary that Allah ask this question? If Allah had to ask a question why was it so prolonged?
-Allah included ‘and’ in the beginning of the sentence to prolong it.
-If you are wearing a cap, firstly do I not already know that this is a cap? There is no need for me to ask.
-If I do need to ask? Would I mention the name of the person? If I am already in a conversation with Faizan for sometime, would I say ‘and what is on your head, O’ Faizan?’
-In addition, Allah is specifying the ‘right’ hand when the staff was on one hand anyways.
This is quite a prolonged sentence. Scholars explain the objective is not the sentence, sometimes conversations take place to display affection and to remove any inhibitions. Reason for prolonged sentence and not a brief one is because Allah loved Musa (as).
Musa (as) didn’t respond saying ‘you already know’. Musa (as) also saw that Allah wants to make conversation. When someone with the intent to have a conversation asks you a question, the reply shouldn’t just be ‘I don’t know’ or curt response.
If I ask Faizan ‘and what is on your head, O’ Faizan?’ The response as ‘cap’ would be sufficient. Instead, Faizan being emotionally acute is reciprocal and responds ‘on top of this head is my cap that protects me from heat’. What was Musa (as)’s response?
“He said, “It is my staff. I lean on it, and with it I beat down leaves for my sheep, and for me it has many other uses.”” (20:18)
Allah didn’t ask whose staff is it? Just a response ‘staff’ would have been sufficient. Allah didn’t ask what you use the staff for? Musa (as) responded with its uses.
When you want to converse with someone, sometimes it can be awkward. Sometimes people come to meet me, they are just not able to say anything. I start laughing ‘say something’. To remove the awkwardness, I ask general questions to make them comfortable.
Both love and wisdom demand that speech sometimes be initiated and prolonged even when not necessary. Sometimes no one is taking initiative to have a conversation. Sometimes with spouses, one wants to keep talking while the other wondering why can’t this person talk to the point or simply state the facts. The person just wants to talk to you out of affection.
We should also have this type of prolonged conversations with our parents as well.
