The Promised Return in Surah Al-Qasas
The Promised Return in Surah Al-Qasas
A surah’s context of revelation unveils hidden meanings. Consider Surah Al-Qasas:
This surah was revealed when the Prophet ﷺ was forced to leave Makkah. As he departed, he turned toward the city with sadness and said: “By Allah, you are the most beloved land to me. Had your people not driven me out, I would never have left!”
At the very beginning of the surah, Musa’s mother is commanded to throw her infant into the river. During this sadness and separation, Allah consoled this grieving mother with a promise: “We will return him to you.” (28:7)
Now consider this ayah in light of the Prophet’s ﷺ separation from Makkah. Allah’s promise to Musa’s mother is a subtle hint to the Prophet ﷺ: just as We returned Musa to his beloved mother, We will return you to your beloved city.
What makes this connection even clearer is the surah’s ending: “He who has ordained the Qur’an for you will ultimately return you back home.” (28:85) This ayah promises the Prophet ﷺ a return to Makkah.
The surah opens with a promise of return and closes with a promise of return with the very same root being used in both passages: رَدَّ. SubhanAllah.
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