Quran Universe
20:10

إِذۡ رَءَا نَارٗا فَقَالَ لِأَهۡلِهِ ٱمۡكُثُوٓاْ إِنِّيٓ ءَانَسۡتُ نَارٗا لَّعَلِّيٓ ءَاتِيكُم مِّنۡهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوۡ أَجِدُ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ هُدٗى

Ith raa naran faqala liahlihi omkuthoo innee anastu naran laAAallee ateekum minha biqabasin aw ajidu AAala alnnari hudan

When he saw a fire and said to his family, "Stay here; indeed, I have perceived a fire; perhaps I can bring you a torch or find at the fire some guidance."

Word by word
  1. إِذۡWhen
  2. رَءَاhe saw
  3. نَارٗاa fire
  4. فَقَالَthen he said
  5. لِأَهۡلِهِto his family
  6. ٱمۡكُثُوٓاْStay here
  7. إِنِّيٓindeed,I
  8. ءَانَسۡتُ[I] perceived
  9. نَارٗاa fire
  10. لَّعَلِّيٓperhaps I (can)
  11. ءَاتِيكُمbring you
  12. مِّنۡهَاtherefrom
  13. بِقَبَسٍa burning brand
  14. أَوۡor
  15. أَجِدُI find
  16. عَلَىat
  17. ٱلنَّارِthe fire
  18. هُدٗىguidance
Taha · 20:10Makkah

Lost and cold, he walked toward a light.

He went for fire and found guidance

That night
Musa and familylost, cold, dark
no sparkhis kindling failed
sees
a fireon the mountain side
What he hoped for
a burning brandwarmth for his family
or
guidancesomeone to show the road

Musa had finished his years herding sheep and was travelling with his wife, lost on a cold, wintry night among snowy mountains. His kindling would not catch. Then he saw a fire. He told his family to wait: he would bring a flame, or find someone to guide them.

The car breaks down on a dark road, the kids are cold in the back, your phone is at 3 percent. You see a light from a petrol station and say, "Wait here." You go for help with something small, and sometimes you come back with much more.

When I am lost, it means I am far from Allah.

Musa was lost when Allah called him. A dark night can be the road to guidance.

Try this

Think of one place you feel lost right now and ask Allah for guidance about it by name.

Related28:29
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 20:9)

And has there come to you the story of Musa (9)When he saw a fire, he said to his family: "Wait! Verily, I have seen a fire; perhaps I can bring you some burning brand therefrom, or find some guidance at the fire. (10)

A Discussion of the Message of Musa

From this point, Allah begins to mention the story of Musa, how revelation began to come to Him, and Allah's speaking directly to him. This occurred after Musa had completed the time agreed upon between he and his father-in-law that he would herd sheep. He was traveling with his family, and it has been said that he was headed for the land of Egypt, after having been away from it for more than ten years. He had his wife with him and he became lost on the way during a cold, wintery night. Therefore, he settled down, making a camp between some mountain passes and mountains that were covered with snow, sleet, dense clouds, darkness and fog. He began to try to make a fire with a kindling device he had with him, in order to produce some light, as was customary. However, it would not kindle anything and it even stopped giving off sparks. While he was in this condition, he saw a fire from the side of the mountain. It appeared to him to be a fire glowing from the right side of the mountain from where he was. He then announced the good news to his family saying,

إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَّعَلِّي آتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ

(Verily, I have seen a fire; perhaps I can bring you some burning brand) This means a flame from a fire. In another Ayah he said,

أَوْ جَذْوَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ

(or a burning firebrand.)[28:29]) This is a coal that has a burning flame.

لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ

(that you may warm yourselves.)[28:29] This proves that it was in fact cold weather at that time. Concerning his statement,

بِقَبَسٍ

(some burning brand) This proves that it was dark. In reference to his statement,

أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى

(or find some guidance at the fire.) This means someone who can guide me to the road. This proves that he lost the road. This is as Ath-Thawri reported from Abu Sa'id Al-A'war, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas that he said concerning Allah's statement,

أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى

(or find some guidance at the fire.) "This means someone who will guide me to the road. They were cold and had lost their way. Then, when he (Musa) saw the fire he said, 'Either I will find someone who can guide us to the road, or at least I can bring you all some fire that you can kindle with.'"