Sūrah Ṭā-Hā

Overview

Sūrah Ṭā-Hā is a Makkan sūrah with 110 āyāt. The sūrah gets its name from its discrete-letter opening: “Ṭā-Hā. We have not sent down the Qur’an to you that you be distressed” (20:1-2). It is due to this phrasing that some believe Ṭā-Hā to be a name of the Prophet ﷺ. The sūrah begins with a brief description of Allah’s majesty and dominion. He is the omniscient, the owner of the cosmos, the Merciful, settled upon the Throne, to whom belong the most beautiful names and perfect attributes (20:4-8). The discourse then transitions onto its primary narrative which covers the vast majority of its content: the story of Mūsā. Perhaps no other sūrah covers the life of this noble messenger as compendiously as Sūrah Ṭā-Hā.

The narrative begins at a critical point: Mūsā has glimpsed a fire from afar, and so tells his family that he will go bring them a torch from it and seek direction from whoever set it alight. When he reached it, it became immediately clear that this was no ordinary fire. The Lord of the Worlds called out to him: “Indeed, I—I am your Lord. So take off your sandals; for you are in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā! I have chosen you, so listen to what is being revealed. Indeed, I—I alone—am Allah. There is no god but Me, so worship Me and establish the prayer for my remembrance.” Miraculous signs ensued whereby the Almighty assured the heart of his emissary—Mūsā cast his staff and it turned to a snake, and pressed his hand by his side and it came out radiantly white. The truth was clear; and Mūsā was to undertake a mighty task: along with his brother Hārūn, he was to face the greatest ruler of the greatest empire known at the time, freeing the Israelites from their persecution (20:9-48).

A tense conversation between Mūsā and Firʿawn, a meeting between the two parties where the latter brought his sorcerers, the submission of said sorcerers to Allah, the exodus of the Israelites and the destruction of Firʿawn and his army, the Israelites worshipping the calf thereafter and the rebuke they received, the exile of the Sāmiriyy—all this and more of this prophetic epic is covered in Sūrah Ṭā-Hā (20:49-97).

Toward the end, the sūrah shifts onto some of the tremendous happenings of Qiyāmah (20:98-114) along with a recounting of the story of Ādam with shayṭān (20:115-127). As Makkan sūrahs often do, especially ones where prophetic narratives are prevalent, Sūrah Ṭā-Hā concludes with endearing words of counsel to the Prophet ﷺ and a warning to those who reject him (20:128-135).

Context

It is reported that the pagans of Quraysh noted the abundant worship of the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions. They would stand in prayer for lengths of time the idolaters perceived as toilsome and excessive. Thus, they derided the Prophet ﷺ, saying: “This Qur’an was only sent down on Muḥammad for him to face hardship.” Allah revealed: “Ṭā-Hā. We have not sent down the Qur’an to you that you be distressed” (20:1-2).

Themes

• Allah is the best disposer of affairs. Mūsā was placed in the Nile as a baby by his mother and picked up by the household of none other than Firʿawn himself, “an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his” (20:39). He returned to that very enemy decades later, challenged his claim to godship, and freed the Israelites from his tyranny.
• The horrifying magnitude of the eschaton and the severity of the reckoning.
• Our purpose given the story of Ādam, and our longing for our eternal home.

Unique Features

• The man who misguided the Children of Israel and spurred amongst them the idea of taking a golden calf as an idol is known as the Sāmiriyy. He is only spoken of in Sūrah Ṭā-Hā. (20:85, 87, 95)
• The tree whence Ādām and Ḥawwāʾ ate is identified as the Tree of Eternity (shajarat al-khuld) in this sūrah only. (20:120)
• The beautiful duʿā which Mūsā makes upon being given the command to go to Firʿawn is found in Sūrah Ṭā-Hā: “My Lord, expand for me my chest, facilitate for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue that they may understand my saying.” (20:25-27). It’s a supplication often made by speakers before delivering their lecture.

Lessons

• Fear is normal, and it is a valid human emotion. Courage is not the lack of fear, but its mitigation and appropriation for the right course of action. Faith dictates that, despite fear, we have certainty that Allah will see us through our ordeals in the way He sees fit: “They (Mūsā and Hārūn) said, ‘Our Lord, we fear that he (Firʿawn) may be quick to harm us or exceed all bounds.’ He said, ‘Fear not. I am with you both; I hear and I see.’” (20:45)
• A life without knowledge of, and acquaintance with, the Divine is no life at all. Dhikr is to life as the soul is to the body: “Whoever turns away from My remembrance, then for him is a depressing life.” (20:124)
• “Do not extend your gaze longingly at what We have given some of them to enjoy, the finery of this present life, that We may test them thereby. The provision of your Lord is better and more lasting.” (20:131)
• Great virtue comes with great trials. Allah’s most beloved are His most severely tested. Allah says about Mūsā: “I have chosen you” (20:13); “I cast upon you love from Me that you might be modelled before My eye” (20:39); “I have produced you for Myself” (20:41). However, He also says: “We tried you with heavy trials.” (20:40)
• Gentleness, deliberation, and genuine concern for the other are incredibly powerful tools in daʿwah. Even with someone like Firʿawn, and before he had haughtily rejected the truth altogether, Allah commanded Mūsā and Hārūn: “Speak unto him a gentle word, perhaps he may heed or fear.” (20:44)

Virtues and Valuable Information

• The Prophet ﷺ said: “The greatest name of Allah is found in three sūrahs of the Qur’an: al-Baqarah, Āl ʿImrān, and Ṭā-Hā.”
• Some biographers report the occasion for ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb accepting Islam as being through Sūrah Ṭā-Hā. He heard his sister, Fāṭimah bint al-Khaṭṭāb, her husband, Saʿīd, and their teacher, Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt, reciting the opening passage of the sūrah.