As-Saffat · Makki · ayah 122 of 182

As-Saffat 37:122

إِنَّهُمَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“Indeed, they were of Our believing servants.”

Saheeh International

Essence

After rescue, victory, a Book and lasting peace, the last and highest thing said of Musa and Harun is simply that they believed.

A reflection

The highest praise is saved for last

The story of Musa and Harun in this surah is a list of honours. Prophethood, rescue, victory, a clear Book, guidance, a greeting that lasts for ever. And then it closes with what sounds, at first, like an anticlimax: they were of Our believing servants.

The commentators read it the other way round. A theological commentary explains the point of ending here. The virtue of faith is nobler, higher and more complete than every other virtue. If it were not, it would not have been fitting to close the praise of Musa and Harun with it.

A linguistic commentary, on the same line after Nuh, traces the chain of reasons. The prophet was rewarded because he did good. He did good because he was a believing servant. The line is placed last to show how great a station faith is, the summit of praise. It is meant to make you desire it and seek more. Another linguistic commentary adds that the description is there to praise the quality itself, since no prophet could lack it.

So the climax is not the sea parting or the tablets. It is the word believing. Everything else in the list grew from that root.

The full entry has 2 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.