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wa-lammā balagha ʾashuddahū wa-stawā ʾātaynāhu ḥukman wa-ʿilman wa-ka-dhālika najzī l-muḥsinīna
When he came of age and became fully matured, We gave him judgement and knowledge, and thus do We reward the virtuous.
— Ali Quli Qarai
28Al-QaṣaṣالقصصVerse 14 of 88
The Stories28. Al-Qaṣaṣالقصص
Al Qaṣaṣ
The Stories
MeccanVerse 14 of 88
Surah Al-Qasas - Verse 14
14. “And when he reached his full strength and was ripe, We granted him wisdom and knowledge; and thus do We reward the good-doers.”
The first condition of accepting responsibility is bodily puberty; but real puberty is not obtained by only the bodily growth and sexual power, it depends on the completion of thought and intellect, too. Here we are faced with the third part of the adventurous life story of Moses (as), in which the events of before his puberty period, and before he goes from Egypt to Madyan, and the motive of his migration are pointed out. It says:
The Arabic term /’ašudda/ is derived from /šiddat/ in the sense of ‘to become strong’; and the word /’istawa/ is derived from /’istiwa’/ which means ‘the perfection of creation and equilibrium’. Some commentators have said that /balaqa ’ašudd/ is the state in which man reaches the limit of perfection from the point of bodily strength and it is often in the age of eighteen; and /’istiwa’/ is the state of equilibrium and establishment in the affair of life and living which usually comes forth after the perfection of bodily power.
The difference between these two Arabic words /hukm/ (judgment) and /‘ilm/ (knowledge) may be in the fact that /hukm/ refers to intellect, understanding, and ability for correct judgment, while /‘ilm/ is an awareness and knowledge which is not accompanied with ignorance. The Qur’an sentence /kaŏalika najzil mu’minin/ clearly shows that, because of his godly piety and for his good and pure deeds, Moses had got this eligibility that Allah gave him the reward of wisdom and knowledge, and it is clear that the purpose of this wisdom and knowledge is not revelation and prophethood, because on that day Moses had a long distance with the time of revelation and prophethood.
Then, the purpose is that awareness, clear sightedness, the ability of correct judgment and the like of them that Allah gave to Moses for his chastity, veracity, and righteousness. Shortly speaking, this sentence indicates that Moses did not change to the habit of the castle, the environment where he lived, and, as far as he could, he tried to help the right and justice, though today the details of it are not clear to us.