Commentary Qur’an...

Commentary Qur’an: and sparing your women: They left your women alive in order that they (i.e. the women) might serve them. “al-Istihya ”' ( الاستحيآء ) means to wish someone to remain alive. The word may also mean: They behaved indecently with the women until they (i.e. the women) lost their modesty. “Yasūmūnakum” ( يسومونكم ) translated here as “they subjected you to”, literally means, they imposed upon you.

Qur’an: And when We parted the sea for you: al-Farq ( الفرْق ) is opposite of al-jam' ( الجَمْع ); the words mean to separate and to gather, respectively. The same is the case of al-fasl ( الفَصْل ) vis-a-vis “al-wasl” ( الوَصْل ). To separate the sea means to part its water. “Bikum” ( بِكُم ), translated here as “for you”, may also mean, “Soon on your entering the sea”.

Qur’an: And when We appointed (a time of) forty days with Mūsa : The same event has been described in Chapter 7 in these words: And We appointed with Mūsa a time of thirty nights and completed them with ten **(more), so** the appointed time of his Lord was complete, forty nights (7 :142). This verse mentions the total duration of the two promises together, as a tradition says.

Qur’an: therefore turn to your Creator (penitently ): al-Bari' ( الباريء ) is one of the beautiful names of Allah, as Allah says: He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most beautiful names. . . (59:24). This name has been used three times in the Qur'an: twice in the verse under discussion and once in Chapter 59, quoted just above. Perhaps Allah used this name here because it was most suitable in the context of the event described.

While it is nearer in meaning to al-Khaliq ( الخالق = the Creator) and al-Mūjid ( الموجِد = the Inventor), it is derived from bara'a, yabra'u, bar'an ( بَرَءَ يَبْرَءُ بَرَءً = he separated, he separates, to separate). Allah thus separates His creation from in­existence, or He separates man from the earth. This name in this context conveys the following idea: No doubt it is very hard to repent by killing your own people.

But Allah, Who now orders you to destroy yourselves by killing, is the same God who had created you. He was pleased to create you when it was good for you; and now He has decreed that you should kill your own people, and this order too is good for you. How can He decide anything for you except that which is good, and He is your Maker and Creator.