"When Moses said to his family."
Muhammad said: It is said: The meaning is: Remember when Moses said to his family, "Indeed, I have perceived a fire," meaning: I have seen it. "I will bring you information from it," regarding the road, for he was off his path, "or I will bring you a burning torch, that you may warm yourselves," meaning: in order for you to get warm.
Muhammad said: Everything that possesses light is called a shihab (shooting star/torch) in the language, and the qabas (torch) is the fire that is taken/kindled; you say: I kindled (qabastu) the fire as an act of kindling (qabsan), and the name of what you have taken is a qabas.
﴿إِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لأَهله﴾.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: قِيلَ: الْمَعْنَى: اذْكُرْ إِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لأَهْلِهِ. ﴿إِنِّي آنست نَارا﴾ أَيْ: أَبْصَرْتُ ﴿سَآتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ﴾ الطَّرِيقُ وَكَانَ عَلَى غَيْرِ طَرِيقٍ ﴿أَوْ آتِيكُمْ بِشِهَابٍ قَبَسٍ لَعَلَّكُمْ تصطلون﴾ لِكَيْ تَصْطَلُوا.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: كُلُّ ذِي نُورٍ فَهُوَ شِهَابٌ فِي اللُّغَةِ، وَالْقَبَسُ: النَّارُ تُقْتَبَسُ؛ تَقُولُ: قَبَسْتُ النَّارَ قَبْسًا، وَاسْمُ مَا قبست: قبس.
