20:99

كَذَٰلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ مَا قَدۡ سَبَقَۚ وَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰكَ مِن لَّدُنَّا ذِكۡرٗا

Kathalika naqussu AAalayka min anbai ma qad sabaqa waqad ataynaka min ladunna thikran

Thus, [O Muhammad], We relate to you from the news of what has preceded. And We have certainly given you from Us the Qur'an.

Word by word
  1. كَذَٰلِكَThus
  2. نَقُصُّWe relate
  3. عَلَيۡكَto you
  4. مِنۡfrom
  5. أَنۢبَآءِ(the) news
  6. مَا(of) what
  7. قَدۡhas preceded
  8. سَبَقَۚhas preceded
  9. وَقَدۡAnd certainly
  10. ءَاتَيۡنَٰكَWe have given you
  11. مِنfrom
  12. لَّدُنَّاUs
  13. ذِكۡرٗاa Reminder
Taha · 20:99Makkah

These stories are told to you exactly as they happened.

The Musa story ends, the lesson turns to you


What was given
past newsno more, no less
and
a Reminderthe Quran, from Us
Why tell the story
entertainmentan old tale
a reminderfor the listener now

Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ: We told you the story of Musa just as it actually happened, without increase or decrease. Ibn Kathir says no Prophet was given a Book more complete, with more news of what has passed and what will be.

You just read about a tyrant, a calf, a brother pulled by the beard. It is easy to close the app and move on. The story was told so you would see yourself in it. Which character were you this week?

Quran stories are history lessons about other people.

They are told exactly, so I can find my own life inside them.

Try this

Pick one person from the Musa story who is most like you this week, and think why.

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

Thus We relate to you some information of what happened before. And indeed We have given you from Us a Reminder (99)Whoever turns away from it, verily, they will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection (100)They will abide in that – and evil indeed will it be that load for them on the Day of Resurrection (101)

The Entire Qur'an is the Remembrance of Allah and mentioning the Punishment of Those Who turn away from It

Allah, the Exalted, is saying to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, 'We have told you (O Muhammad) the story of Musa and what happened with him, Fir'awn and his armies, just as it actually happened. Likewise, We relate to you the information of the past just as it happened, without any increase or decrease. We also gave you a remembrance from Us, the Mighty Qur'an, no falsehood comes to it from before it or behind it.' It is a revelation from One Most Wise, Most Praiseworthy. No Prophet was given any Book like it or more complete than it, since the time of the previous Prophets who were sent, until their being sealed off with the coming of Muhammad ﷺ. No Prophet was given any Book containing as much information than the Qur'an about what has past and what would be. The judgement concerning the distinction between mankind is taken from it. Therefore, Allah says about it,

مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ

(Whoever turns away from it,) This means whoever denies it and turns away from following its commands and instructions, while seeking guidance from other than it, then Allah will mislead him and send him on the path to Hell. This is why Allah says,

مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وِزْرًا

(Whoever turns away from it, verily, they will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection.) .Burden here means sin. This is as Allah says,

وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ

(But those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place.)[11:17] This applies generally to whoever the Qur'an reaches of the Arabs, the non-Arabs, the People of the Book and others. This is as Allah says,

لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ

(That I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.)[6:19] The Qur'an is a final warning for everyone it reaches. Whoever follows it, then he is rightly guided and whoever opposes it and turns away from it, then he is misguided. He will be wretched in this life, and he is promised that on the Day of Resurrection his abode will be the Hellfire. For this reason Allah says,

مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وِزْرًا - خَالِدِينَ فِيهِ

(Whoever turns away from it, verily, they will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection. They will abide in that.)(20:100-101) They will not be able to avoid this or escape it.

وَسَاءَ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حِمْلًا

(And evil indeed will it be that load for them on the Day of Resurrection.)