Verses 138–143
7. Al-A'raaf · The Heights
Makkan206 verses
وَجَٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍۢ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصْنَامٍۢ لَّهُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَى ٱجْعَل لَّنَآ إِلَٰهًۭا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌۭ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌۭ تَجْهَلُونَ
7:138We carried the Children of Israel across the sea, whereat they came upon a people cleaving to certain idols that they had. They said, ‘O Moses, make for us a god like the gods that they have.’ He said, ‘You are indeed an ignorant lot.
إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ مُتَبَّرٌۭ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَٰطِلٌۭ مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
7:139What they are engaged in is indeed bound to perish, and what they have been doing shall come to naught.’
قَالَ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِيكُمْ إِلَٰهًۭا وَهُوَ فَضَّلَكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
7:140He said, ‘Shall I find you a god other than Allah, while He has graced you over all the nations?’
وَإِذْ أَنجَيْنَٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۖ يُقَتِّلُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌۭ
7:141And when We delivered you from Pharaoh’s clan who inflicted on you a terrible torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women, and there was a great test in that from your Lord.
۞ وَوَٰعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَٰثِينَ لَيْلَةًۭ وَأَتْمَمْنَٰهَا بِعَشْرٍۢ فَتَمَّ مِيقَٰتُ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةًۭ ۚ وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَخِيهِ هَٰرُونَ ٱخْلُفْنِى فِى قَوْمِى وَأَصْلِحْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
7:142We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights, and completed them with ten [more]; thus the tryst of his Lord was completed in forty nights. And Moses said to Aaron, his brother, ‘Be my successor among my people, and set things right and do not follow the way of the agents of corruption.’
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَٰتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِىٓ أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَىٰنِى وَلَٰكِنِ ٱنظُرْ إِلَى ٱلْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ ٱسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُۥ فَسَوْفَ تَرَىٰنِى ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُۥ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُۥ دَكًّۭا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًۭا ۚ فَلَمَّآ أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
7:143When Moses arrived at Our tryst and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show [Yourself] to me, that I may look at You!’ He said, ‘You shall not see Me. But look at the mountain: if it abides in its place, then you will see Me.’ So when his Lord disclosed Himself to the mountain, He levelled it, and Moses fell down swooning. When he recovered, he said, ‘Immaculate are You! I turn to You in penitence, and I am the first of the faithful.’34
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 138
1.Allah has blessed the Bani Israel in excess. Moosa (a.s.) fought against Firon for 23 years and at last saved his followers and Firon drowned in the sea while the people crossed it. After this, seeing idol worship, they demanded idols for themselves; and from whom? From the Prophet of Allah! What can be a greater ignorance? Allah reminded them of His favours and said: After getting these favours you arc searching for another god? What can be a greater injustice?
Verse 142
2.People demanded for a holy Book from Moosa (a.s.). Allah ordered them to fast during Zilqad and after that fixed 10 days for revelation of Taurat. Moosa (a.s.) appointed Haroon (a.s.) in his place as his successor and proceeded to bring Taurat. In the meantime, the community deviated and could not wait for the covenant. It proves that the Prophet should not leave his nation without appointing a successor.
Verse 143
3.According to some scholars this was also the demand of the people, which was repeated by Moosa (a.s.). Otherwise he knew that it is impossible to see Allah and this is a reasonable explanation. It is also possible that Moosa (a.s.) demanded this on his own to complete the argument as each prophet knows the circumstances of his community and their mental condition. Though it is very sad that people of Quran have not taken any lesson from this incident also and they expect to see Allah on the day of Resurrection only on the basis of a tradition.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
‘Qaum-e-Tajhaloon’ indicates that these people are continuous1y acting in an ignorant manner. First they gave a proof of ignorance in the greatness of Almighty than they expressed their foolishness by the reality of the idols. Finally they become so ignorant that they limited all the reality into the boundaries of physical perception. They began to demand the creatures to carve out gods.
- 1
The sea refers to the Red Sea.
- 2
Tatbeen denotes destruction and annihilation. That is the whole system of idolatry and all the idols are going to be destroyed.
- 3
The speech of Allah is in words. But it is not in need of an organ of speech. Allah can create speech in anything He desires.
- 4
The Almighty Allah had said that they shall see Him if the mountain remains intact. Since the mountain disintegrated there was no possibility of seeing Allah. We cannot rely on any tradition regarding this problem.
Benefit
We should know that though Haroon (a.s.) was himselfa prophet. Moosa (a.s.) had appointed him as his vicegerent. Because in spite of prophet hood he did not possess the post of the nation’s leadership. This was bestowed by Moosa (a.s.) during his absence. This shows that the function of leadership and Imamate is higher than prophethood. Some prophets possessed it and some did not.