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What is the secret behind the mention of the word "istawā" (ascended/established) in the story of Musa (peace be upon him) and its absence in the story of Yusuf (peace be upon him), despite the similarity of the two verses?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Ibn Ashour said in "Al-Tahrir wa Al-Tanwir" that "al-ashadd" (full strength) is the perfection of power, and "al-istiwaa'" (maturity/steadiness) is the perfection of physique. This is why "al-istiwaa'" was mentioned for Moses but not for Joseph; because Moses was a tall man, complete in his physical build. This is supported by what was narrated from Mujahid, Ibn Abbas, and Qatadah, that "al-ashadd" is thirty-three years, and "al-istiwaa'" is forty years.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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