Musa the Most High?
- philhoraia
- May 14, 2024
- 2 min read
In S 20:67-68 we read this: Then Musa felt fear in himself. We said: Do not fear. You, you are the highest.
'The highest' in the Arabic is الاعلى al-a'la. Let's compare with other passages.
S 79:24 Then he said: I am your lord, the highest.
'Your lord, the highest' renders: رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَىٰ
The author puts these words into the mouth of Fir'awn. Compare with S 28:38
And Fir’awn said: Chiefs, I have not known for you any god other than me. So kindle for me, Haman, on the clay and make me a sarh; perhaps I shall look at Musa’s god. And I think him of the liars.
The author, in S 79:24, it would seem, is having Fir'awn claiming to be a god, probably Allah. The Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs for verse 25 says:
(So Allah seized him) Allah punished him ((and made him) an example for the after (life) and for the former) the punishment that he suffered in the life of the world is drowning and the punishment of the Hereafter will be in the Fire; it is also said that this means: Allah has punished him because of his former and latter pronouncements. His first pronouncement being: “I do not know of any other god for you except Me” and the second being (I am your Lord the Highest) and it is said that there is an interval of 40 years between the first and second pronouncements. https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=79&tAyahNo=25&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2
S 87:1 Praise the name of your lord, the highest,
'Your lord, the highest' renders رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى
S 92:20 Except seeking the face of his lord, the highest.
'His lord, the highest' renders: رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَىٰ
In the Arabic Bible, the word العلي al-'ali 'the High One' is used for 'the Most High'. Al-a'la is the elative form.
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
عَلِيّ • (ʕaliyy) (feminine عَلِيَّة (ʕaliyya), masculine plural عَلِيُّونَ (ʕaliyyūna) or عِلْيَة (ʕilya), feminine plural عَلِيَّات (ʕaliyyāt), elative أَعْلَىٰ (ʔaʕlā))
Now it is possible to translate rabbuka/rabbukum/rabbihi al'a'la as 'Your/his highest lord', but I doubt that Muslims would accept it when referring to Allah :))
Might the author have had Exodus 7:1 in the back of his mind when he applied al'a'la to Moses?
"And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet."
Further reading:
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