وَإِذْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
“And when We gave unto Moses the Scripture and the criterion (of right and wrong), that ye might be led aright.” — M. M. Pickthall
According to Taberî, the 'Book' mentioned in the verse refers to the Torah, while 'Furkan' refers to that which distinguishes truth from falsehood. He also reports that in some narrations, the word 'Furkan' is understood as a common name encompassing the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and the Qur'an. He explains that the word 'Kufina' means the succession of prophets, that is, they were sent one after another.
الكتاب: هو الفرقان، فرقان بين الحق والباطلZemahşerî addresses the question of why the verse does not directly say 'believe in me,' but instead uses an indirect expression. The text shows that the expression of the will to attain guidance and the hope of acting according to the law/counsels ('lealle') is related to the fact that the address is directed at the people of Moses. Here, the particle 'lealle' expresses an expectation regarding acting according to the rulings and counsels of the Torah.
فإن قلت : هلا قيل : فآمنوا بالله وبي ، بعد قوله : أي قوم موسى التوراة { لعلهم } يعملون بشرائعها ومواعظهاAccording to this exegete, the expression 'lealle' (perhaps, so that) in the verse carries a meaning of 'hope/expectation' which apparently cannot be attributed to Allah, and therefore requires interpretation; moreover, the apparent meaning of the verse shows, according to the Mu'tazilite view, that Allah desires guidance and faith from all those obligated by the law. Fahreddin er-Râzî notes that these two matters (the interpretation of lealle and whether guidance is desired from everyone) have been discussed repeatedly in the book and says there is no need to repeat them. He also states that the purpose of establishing paths and signs is to provide a person with the means/aptitude to attain guidance.
أحدهما : أن كلمة ( لعل ) للترجي ، وذلك لا يليق بالله ، فلا بد من تأويله . والثاني : أن ظاهره يقتضي أنه تعالى أراد من كل المكلفين الهداية والإيمان على قول المعتزلةKurtubî addresses different aspects of guidance in the expression 'lealle-küm tehtedûn': this has been interpreted as finding direction in journeys (finding the way through inference), recognizing Allah's blessing, or reaching means of livelihood. He also states that the stars and signs in the verse serve as a means for a person to make inferences about Allah's power through them.
وقيل : لعلكم تهتدون في أسفاركم قاله بن عيسى وقيل : لعلكم تعرفون نعمة الله عليكم قاله سعيد بن جبير وقيل : تهتدون إلى معايشكمAccording to Ibn Kesîr, this event also took place after their emergence from the sea; this is a point indicated by the context of the discourse in Surat al-A'raf. What was shown to them during their journeys as they passed from one land to another, from one region to another, and from one climate to another, is a criterion that distinguishes truth from falsehood and guidance from misguidance.
وكان ذلك أيضا بعد خروجهم من البحر كما دل عليه سياق الكلام في سورة الأعرافAccording to Beydâvî, the expression 'then We forgave you' refers to the forgiveness of the sin of calf-worship after they repented; this forgiveness is so that they may be grateful. Moreover, the expression 'Book and Furkan' refers to the Torah given to Moses; this book is characterized as 'Furkan' both by virtue of being a revealed book and by being an evidence that distinguishes truth from falsehood. The text also conveys different views that Furkan can mean miracles, law, or victory such as the Day of Badr.
والعفو محو الجريمة، من عفا إذا درسCommon ground
Most exegetes agree that 'Book' refers to the Torah and that 'Furkan' has the function of distinguishing truth from falsehood; moreover, there is a common tendency to read the verse in the context of guidance and gratitude directed toward the people of Moses.
Differences
Taberî interprets 'Furkan' in a narration-focused manner, sometimes as a common name encompassing four books; Zemahşerî and Fahreddin er-Râzî focus on linguistic/rhetorical and theological discussions (the interpretation of the particle lealle, the Mu'tazilite view of will and guidance); Kurtubî extends guidance to practical meanings (finding direction, means of livelihood); Ibn Kesîr presents a context-based and textual reading; Beydâvî addresses Furkan with multiple meanings such as miracle, law, or the victory at Badr. These differences stem from the methodological differences of the exegetes (narration, linguistic analysis, theology, context).
Historical context
While the early period (Taberî) relied on narration and linguistic analysis, the middle period exegetes (Zemahşerî, Fahreddin er-Râzî) deepened rhetorical and theological discussions, and later exegetes (Kurtubî, Ibn Kesîr, Beydâvî) enriched the subject with multiple layers of meaning by presenting both narration and different interpretive possibilities together; the fundamental framework (the relationship between Torah and Furkan) remained constant.
This comparative reading reminds us that the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood is nourished by both knowledge and conscience; this can make one reflect on how the harmony between knowledge and faith contributes to making correct and incorrect distinctions in daily life. Moreover, the various interpretations that different exegetes brought to the same verse present a cautious example regarding the importance of tolerance and dialogue in understanding social issues.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar