14:5

وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآ أَنۡ أَخۡرِجۡ قَوۡمَكَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ وَذَكِّرۡهُم بِأَيَّىٰمِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٖ شَكُورٖ

Walaqad arsalna moosa biayatina an akhrij qawmaka mina alththulumati ila alnnoori wathakkirhum biayyami Allahi inna fee thalika laayatin likulli sabbarin shakoorin

And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs, [saying], "Bring out your people from darknesses into the light and remind them of the days of Allah." Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd verily
  2. أَرۡسَلۡنَاWe sent
  3. مُوسَىٰMusa
  4. بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآwith Our Signs
  5. أَنۡthat
  6. أَخۡرِجۡBring out
  7. قَوۡمَكَyour people
  8. مِنَfrom
  9. ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِthe darkness [es]
  10. إِلَىto
  11. ٱلنُّورِthe light
  12. وَذَكِّرۡهُمAnd remind them
  13. بِأَيَّىٰمِof the days
  14. ٱللَّهِۚ(of) Allah
  15. إِنَّIndeed
  16. فِيin
  17. ذَٰلِكَthat
  18. لَأٓيَٰتٖsurely (are) the signs
  19. لِّكُلِّfor everyone
  20. صَبَّارٖpatient
  21. شَكُورٖand thankful
Ibrahim · 14:5Makkah

Remind them of the days of Allah.

Lessons for the patient and the grateful


Musa's mission
Musasent with signs
brings out
his peopledarkness to light
by recalling
Allah's daysrescue, sea, manna
Who benefits
patientin hardship
gratefulin ease

Like the Prophet ﷺ, Musa was sent to bring his people from darkness into light. Ibn Kathir says the days of Allah are His favours: rescue from Pharaoh, the path through the sea, shade, manna and quails. He cites a hadith: the believer is patient in hardship and grateful in ease, and both are good for him.

You remember every bad day in detail and forget the time the surgery went well, the job offer that came at the last minute. Your own days of Allah. Recalling them makes you steady now.

I mostly remember what went wrong.

Remembering what Allah has done for me makes me patient and grateful.

Try this

Write down three times Allah rescued you or gave you something unexpected.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And indeed We sent Musa with Our Ayat (saying): "Bring out your people from darkness into light, and remind them of the annals (or days) of Allah. Truly, therein are Ayat for every patient, thankful (person). (5)

Story of Musa and His People

Allah says here, 'Just as We sent you (O, Muhammad) and sent down to you the Book, in order that you might guide and call all people out of darkness into the light, We also sent Musa to the Children of Israel with Our Ayat (signs, or miracles).' Mujahid said that this part of the Ayah refers to the nine miracles.

أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ

(Bring out your people) he is being commanded;

أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ

(Bring out your people from darkness into light,) call them to all that is good and righteous, in order that they might turn away from the darkness of ignorance and misguidance they indulged in, to the light of guidance and the enlightenment of faith,

وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ

(and remind them of the annals (or days) of Allah) remind them (O Musa) of Allah's days, meaning, favors and bounties which He bestowed on them when He delivered them from the grip of Fir'awn and his injustice, tyranny and brutality. This is when Allah delivered them from their enemy, made a passage for them through the sea, shaded them with clouds, sent down manna and quails for them, and other favors and bounties. Mujahid, Qatadah and several others said this. Allah said next,

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ

(Truly, therein are Ayat for every patient, thankful (person).) Allah says, 'Our delivering of Our loyal supporters among the Children of Israel from the grasp of Fir'awn and saving them from the disgraceful torment, provides a lesson to draw from for those who are patient in the face of affliction, and thankful in times of prosperity. Qatadah said, "Excellent is the servant who if he is tested, he observes patience, and if he is granted prosperity, he is thankful for it." It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِنَّ أَمْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِ كُلَّهُ عَجَبٌ، لَا يَقْضِي اللهُ لَهُ قَضَاءً إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ، فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ، فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ

(Verily, all of the matter of the believer is amazing, for every decision that Allah decrees for him is good for him. If an affliction strikes him, he is patient and this is good for him; if a bounty is give to him, he is thankful and this is good for him.)