Quranic Reflection No. 307 Āyat 20:84 – Hasten towards your Lord

وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضَىٰ
Wa’ajjiltu ilayka rabbi litardhā
And I hastened towards You my Lord that You might be pleased
(Sūrat Taha, No. 20, Āyat 84)

When Nabī Mūsā (a) goes to the mountain to receive the Tawrāt from Allah he goes with a group of his people. As they climb the mountain the people walk slowly while Mūsā (a) rushes towards the appointed place. When he reaches it Allah ‘azza wa-jall (Mighty and Majestic) asks why he had rushed forward and left his people. In answer Nabī Mūsā says they were behind him but he came faster so that Allah might be pleased with him.

The Holy Prophet (s) described the emotional condition of Mūsā (a) at this time. He did not eat or sleep much and did not want anything but the joy of meeting his Lord. Tafsīr Sāfī quotes Imam al-Sādiq (a) in Misbāhush Sharī‘ah regarding this verse, where Imam explains that the one who loves does not desire food or drink or think of clothes and shelter. He is not at ease until he reaches his beloved. Such was the state of Prophet Mūsā (a).

Nabī Mūsā rushed towards his Lord for a few reasons:
• the desire to converse with Allah ‘azza wa-jall
• eagerness to hear the commands of Allah ‘azza wa-jall
• a heightened sense of responsibility to convey the message to the people

This small verse teaches us the following;
1) Although haste is disliked generally, it is preferred in good deeds and in seeking the pleasure of the Allah. Rushing towards Allah is recommended, as the sentences in Adhān and Iqāmah remind us regularly – Hasten towards Salāt, Hasten towards success, Hasten towards the best of actions.

2) Enthusiasm is a prerequisite for spirituality. The connection with Almighty Allah cannot touch the soul if it is done with apathy and indifference. There must be an excitement that propels both physical and emotional movement towards Allah. Enthusiasm is a magical ingredient and make a huge difference in the quality of connection. Norman Vincent Peale in his book Enthusiasm makes the Difference writes: If you are not getting as much from life as you want, then examine the state of your enthusiasm. This is true for all aspects of life.

3) The motive behind all actions of a believer is the pleasure of Allah. It is the supreme achievement of life. Almighty Allah says in Sūra Tawba when talking about the rewards of believers in the Hereafter: And the Pleasure of Allah, that is the Greatest (Q 9:72). Nabī Mūsā’s haste and enthusiasm had one goal – pleasing Allah.

Recite this verse when you are preparing for a conversation with the Lord. Let it remind you to rush towards Him, to be enthusiastic about the meeting and to have only His pleasure as the objective. It can make your meeting magical.

Sources: Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (Ed.), Tafsīr-e Namūneh; Agha Muhsin Qarā’atī, Tafsīr-e Nūr