Quran Universe
7:145

وَكَتَبۡنَا لَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡأَلۡوَاحِ مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ مَّوۡعِظَةٗ وَتَفۡصِيلٗا لِّكُلِّ شَيۡءٖ فَخُذۡهَا بِقُوَّةٖ وَأۡمُرۡ قَوۡمَكَ يَأۡخُذُواْ بِأَحۡسَنِهَاۚ سَأُوْرِيكُمۡ دَارَ ٱلۡفَٰسِقِينَ

Wakatabna lahu fee alalwahi min kulli shayin mawAAithatan watafseelan likulli shayin fakhuthha biquwwatin wamur qawmaka yakhuthoo biahsaniha saoreekum dara alfasiqeena

And We wrote for him on the tablets [something] of all things - instruction and explanation for all things, [saying], "Take them with determination and order your people to take the best of it. I will show you the home of the defiantly disobedient."

Word by word
  1. وَكَتَبۡنَاAnd We ordained (laws)
  2. لَهُۥfor him
  3. فِيin
  4. ٱلۡأَلۡوَاحِthe tablets
  5. مِنof
  6. كُلِّevery
  7. شَيۡءٖthing
  8. مَّوۡعِظَةٗan instruction
  9. وَتَفۡصِيلٗاand explanation
  10. لِّكُلِّfor every
  11. شَيۡءٖthing
  12. فَخُذۡهَاSo take them
  13. بِقُوَّةٖwith firmness
  14. وَأۡمُرۡand order
  15. قَوۡمَكَyour people
  16. يَأۡخُذُواْ(to) take
  17. بِأَحۡسَنِهَاۚ(the) best of it
  18. سَأُوْرِيكُمۡI will show you
  19. دَارَ(the) home
  20. ٱلۡفَٰسِقِينَ(of) the defiantly disobedient
Al-A'raf · 7:145Makkah

Hold it with strength, and take the best of it.

The Tablets, given to be lived firmly

The Tablets
instructionabout all things
explanationof all things
take with
strengthand the best of it
How to take guidance
looselywhen convenient
firmlybe firm in obedience

Allah wrote for Musa on the Tablets exhortation and explanation for all things. Ibn Kathir explains hold unto these with firmness as being firm in obedience. He was to tell his people to take the best of it, and was warned he would see the home of the rebellious.

You read an ayah that moves you on Friday. By Monday it is gone, lost between emails and errands. Taking it with strength means picking one thing from it and holding it all week.

I read it, so I have taken it.

Guidance is meant to be held with strength, not glanced at.

Try this

Choose one line of the Quran today. Write it somewhere you will see it every day this week.

Related28:43
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:144)

(Allah) said: "O Musa I have chosen you above men by My Messages, and by My speaking (to you). So hold that which I have given you and be of the grateful. (144)And We wrote for him on the Tablets the exhortation all things and the explanation for all things (and said): Hold unto these with firmness, and enjoin your people to take the better therein. I shall show you the home of the rebellious (145)

Allah chooses Musa and gives Him the Tablets

Allah states that He spoke to Musa directly and informed him that He has chosen him above the people of his time, by His Message and by speaking to him.

Here we should mention that there is no doubt that Muhammad ﷺ is the chief of all the Children of Adam, the earlier and later ones among them. This is why Allah has chosen him to be the Final and Last Prophet and Messenger, whose Law shall remain dominant and valid until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad's followers are more numerous than the followers of all Prophets and Messengers. After Muhammad ﷺ, the next in rank of honor and virtue is Ibrahim upon him be peace,, then Musa, son of 'Imran, who spoke to the Most Beneficent directly. Allah commanded Musa, saying,

فَخُذْ مَا آتَيْتُكَ

(So hold to that which I have given you), of My Speech and conversation with you,

وَكُن مِّنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ

(and be of the grateful) , for it and do not ask for what is beyond your capacity to bear.

Allah stated that He has written lessons and exhortation for all things and explanations for all things on the Tablets. It was said that in the Tablets, Allah wrote advice and the details of the commandments for lawful and prohibited matters. The Tablets contained the Tawrah, that Allah described;

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الْأُولَىٰ بَصَائِرَ لِلنَّاسِ

(And indeed We gave Musa – after We had destroyed the generations of old – the Scripture as an enlightenment for mankind)[28:43].

It was also said that Allah gave Musa the Tablets before the Tawrah, and Allah knows best. Allah said next,

فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ

(Hold unto these with firmness), be firm on the obedience,

وَأْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا بِأَحْسَنِهَا

(and enjoin your people to take the better therein.)

Sufyan bin 'Uyaynah said, "Abu Sa'd narrated to us from 'Ikrimah from Ibn 'Abbas that "Musa, peace be upon him, was commanded to adhere to the toughest of what was ordained on his people." Allah's statement,

سَأُرِيكُمْ دَارَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

(I shall show you the home of the rebellious), means, you will witness the recompense of those who defy My order and deviate from My obedience, the destruction, demise and utter loss they will suffer.