7. Al-A'raaf

After the miraculous victory of the Israelites over Pharaoh and his people, and having a life of ease and comfort, they started to show the signs of ignorance as people of wealth show when given a life of luxury and opulence. The first impertinent request they made was to the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) to make for them a god like the gods of the people they saw being worshipped on their way. They (the Israelites) said, يَا مُوسَى اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَـٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ "0 Musa make a god for us like their gods." He said, قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ "You are really an ignorant people." The prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) was greatly annoyed by their ignorance and said that the labour of worship of those people was to go waste. How could he think of making for them a god other than Allah while he had given to them excellence over the people of all the worlds. That is, the people who believed in the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) were superior to all the people of that age.

The next verses remind them of their pitiable condition and their persecutions at the hands of Pharaoh when their sons were killed and their daughters were saved to serve them as their maid-servants. Allah relieved them of this disgraceful chastisement through His prophet. Shall they be as ungrateful to their Lord as to take the abject stones as gods and make them partners with Allah? They must repent to Allah for their transgression.

This verse speaks of the period followed by the destruction of the Pharaoh and his people. Having a peaceful time after their deliverance from the Pharaoh and his people the Israelites requested the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) to have some religious system of law so that they may act upon it. The Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) prayed Allah for a code of guidance for them. The Arabic word: واعدنا "wa` adana' is a derivative of وعدہ ; wa` dah' which signifies a worded expression of offering something good to someone - a promise.

Allah made a promise to Musa (علیہ السلام) to send His word to him. It was stipulated that Musa (علیہ السلام) should go to the mount of Sinai and pass thirty nights there sitting in devotion for Allah. These thirty nights were later supplemented with ten more nights to make them forty.

There are some points in this verse which demand our attention: Firstly, the number of nights to be passed by the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) was fixed to be forty nights in the will of Allah. Why was he first asked to pass thirty nights, and then add ten more nights? No one, in fact, can have access to all the wisdom and insight contained in divine acts. The scholars, however, have provided with some explanations: The famous commentary 'Ruh al-Bayan' states that one of the wisdom behind the above commandment is of enjoining the laws gradually or by degrees to make it easier for people to practice. The commentary 'Tafsir al-Qurtubi' has said that this was for educating those in authority to give respite to their subordinates if they fail to complete their assignments in the prescribed time. This is what happened with Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) . When the spiritual excellence that was required could not be achieved by him in thirty nights, ten more nights were added to give him more time to acquire required perfection.

The commentators have reported that the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) kept fasting constantly for thirty days and nights without breaking his fast in between. After completing thirty days he took the breakfast and presented himself at the fixed point on the Mount Sinai, Allah said to him that the peculiar odor generated by fasting in one's mouth is liked by Allah. Musa had lost the odor by brushing his teeth, he was therefore, required to observe fasting for ten more days in order to create the odor again.

The above reports of the loss of odor, however, cannot be taken to mean that brushing the teeth after fasting is prohibited or is something disliked, firstly, because the above report has been cited without the chain of narrators and secondly because it could be a commandment meant specifically for the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) and not for other people, or peculiar to the followers of the Torah. The permissibility of brushing one's teeth during fasting is a practice proved by the Holy Tradition. Al-Baihaqi has reported the following Tradition on the authority of Sayyidah A'ishah that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: خَیرُ خَصَایٔلِ الصَّایٔم اَلسِّوَاکُ . The best act of the one who is fasting is brushing one's teeth (with miswak). Al-Jami' al-Saghir has said that the status of this Hadith is that of Hasan (a kind of authentic …

The verse 143 carries the phrase لن ترانی “ you shall never see me”. The phrase has an indication that sighting of Allah is not impossible, but that he (Musa علیہ السلام) cannot endure it with his present physical disposition. Had it been impossible, the phrase would have been لن اری : “ I cannot be seen” (Mazhari). This allows that sighting of Allah is a logical possibility even in this world but at the same time this verse has precluded the possibility of its occurrence in this world. This is also the unanimous view of the majority of scholars. The following hadith has been included in Sahih Muslim:

لن یری احد منکم رَبِّہِ حتی یموت

“ None among you can see his Lord unless he dies.”

The second phrase, وَلَـٰكِنِ انظُرْ‌ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ “ But look at the mount” is a physical emonstration of the fact that in his present state the addressee is not capable of enduring the impact of such experience.

Thereafter, Allah actually demonstrated this fact by a flash of His appearance on the Mount of Sinai which could not stand it and was smashed into pieces.

The next phrase is فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَ‌بُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ "So when his Lord appeared to the Mount." The Arabic word, تَجَلَّىٰ "Tajalli" signifies exposure or disclosure. According to the Spiritual masters (Sufis) the word signifies seeing something indirectly through some other means, like seeing certain thing reflected in the mirror. The word, therefore, cannot signify 'seeing'. It is also inferred by this very verse because this verse has negated the possibility of seeing while it has mentioned the occurrence of تَجَلَّىٰ 'Tajalli' or appearance on the mount of Sinai.

Imam Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Hakim have reported on the authority of the Companion Anas ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited this verse and placing his thumb on the tip of his little finger said that only this much of Allah's light was exposed to the mount of Sinai which made it burst into pieces. This does not necessarily mean that the whole of the mount was not shattered, but the part of the mountain directly exposed to light might have been affected.

The Speech of Allah:

The fact that Allah spoke directly to the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) is confirmed by the Qur'an in clear terms. The first time Allah spoke with the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) was when he was entrusted with Prophethood. This is the second time at the occasion of giving him the Torah that He spoke to him. The wording of the present verse indicates that this later discourse of Allah had some additional characteristics as compared to the first speech of Allah.

As to the question what was the nature and character of this discourse, cannot be ascertained by anyone but Allah. Only those logical suppositions, in this regard, can be allowed which do not go against any rule of the Shari` ah. None of such views can be accepted as being definite unless supported by some valid argument. The best practice, in this regard, is the one followed by the Companions, their disciples, and the elders who followed them. They left such matters to Allah and never tried to make ungrounded supposition to resolve them. (Bayan al-Qur'an).

The last sentence is سَأُرِ‌يكُمْ دَارَ‌ الْفَاسِقِين . "I will show you the abode of the sinners". This is a kind of promise by Allah that the Israelites shall soon take over Egypt or perhaps Syria, referred to as the abode of the sinners in this verse. There are two views about the reference to the abode of the sinners. The first holds that the reference has been made to Egypt while the second takes it to refer to Syria. The difference of opinion is, in fact, based on a question whether the Israelites had returned to Egypt after the destruction of Pharaoh and his people or not. If they went back to Egypt at that time and ruled the land, as has been indicated by the verse 137 saying that Allah made the Israelites inherit the land, then, this verse definitely has referred to Syria, as the abode of the sinners. It is because, in this case, the Israelites had taken over the land of Egypt before this event of Allah's light appearing to the Mount of Sinai. In case, they did not go to Egypt after the destruction of Pharaoh, the reference may be to Egypt and Syria, both.

The phrase وَكَتَبْنَا لَهُ فِي الْأَلْوَاحِ “ And we wrote for him everything on the Tablets” makes us understand that the Torah was given to the Prophet Musa علیہ السلام inscribed or written on the Tablets. (1)

(1) Another view with regard to these tablets is that these tablets were given to him prior to the revelation of the Torah and were not the part of the Torah. This has been cited by Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani under his comments on this verse. He has cited it from Ibn Kathir. (Translator)

Commentary

The verse 146 spoke of the arrogant people as showing arrogance unjustly. The word without truth or unjustly indicates that assuming arrogance in response to the arrogant people is a justified act, since it is the act of arrogance in appearance, and not in reality. It is a known dictum: اَلتَّکَبُّرُ مَعَ المُتَّکبِّرِینَ تواضُعُ "Showing arrogance to the arrogant is an act of humbleness". (Masail as-Suluk).

The effects of Arrogance

By saying, "I shall keep away from My verses those who show arrogance," the verse implies that the people who have an offensive sense of superiority over others are deprived of knowledge and understanding. They are rendered incapable of benefitting themselves from the signs of Allah. The term 'Signs of Allah', may have a reference to the revealed verses of the Torah, Evangel and the Qur'an, as well as to the signs inherent in all the things of the heavens and the earth. The false sense of superiority is, therefore, the worst habit which keeps man away from deliberations in the signs of Allah and getting awareness of the truth.

We find it stated in Ruh-al-Bayan that arrogance is such a wicked habitude as raises a wall between man and the knowledge from Allah. Since divine knowledge comes only through the mercy of Allah, and the mercy of Allah visits those who are humble. The spiritual leader Sheikh Rumi has said:

ھر کجا آب پستی آب آنجا رود ھر کجا مشکل جواب آنجا رود

"Water flows down towards the slope, and solution goes where difficulty appears."

Commentary

The verse 146 spoke of the arrogant people as showing arrogance unjustly. The word without truth or unjustly indicates that assuming arrogance in response to the arrogant people is a justified act, since it is the act of arrogance in appearance, and not in reality. It is a known dictum: اَلتَّکَبُّرُ مَعَ المُتَّکبِّرِینَ تواضُعُ "Showing arrogance to the arrogant is an act of humbleness". (Masail as-Suluk).

The effects of Arrogance

By saying, "I shall keep away from My verses those who show arrogance," the verse implies that the people who have an offensive sense of superiority over others are deprived of knowledge and understanding. They are rendered incapable of benefitting themselves from the signs of Allah. The term 'Signs of Allah', may have a reference to the revealed verses of the Torah, Evangel and the Qur'an, as well as to the signs inherent in all the things of the heavens and the earth. The false sense of superiority is, therefore, the worst habit which keeps man away from deliberations in the signs of Allah and getting awareness of the truth.

We find it stated in Ruh-al-Bayan that arrogance is such a wicked habitude as raises a wall between man and the knowledge from Allah. Since divine knowledge comes only through the mercy of Allah, and the mercy of Allah visits those who are humble. The spiritual leader Sheikh Rumi has said:

ھر کجا آب پستی آب آنجا رود ھر کجا مشکل جواب آنجا رود

"Water flows down towards the slope, and solution goes where difficulty appears."

The next verses continue to narrate the remaining part of the story. When the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) did not turn up after thirty days from the mount of Sinai where he was to be ordained by Allah after passing ten more nights on the mount, the Israelites who were a hasty and impatient people began to make fuss about it.

Among them there was a person named Samiri who was a prominent man, but at the same time, had beliefs in superstitions. He said to the people that the jewels and ornaments of the Egyptians possessed by them were not permissible for them. It may be noted that the plunder or booty taken from the enemy after their defeat was also not permissible for the Israelites. The Israelites gathered all their jewels and handed these over to him. He melted the ornaments and forged a golden calf from it. A peculiar thing reported about him is that he had collected some dust from under the hoofs of the horse of the Archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) (Gabriel) at some occasion. Allah had made this dust to have the effect of some kind of life. Samiri mixed this dust with the molten metal while preparing the calf. This made the calf to emit a sound like the mooing of a cow.

Having designed this satanic invention he invited the people to worship the calf and said that it was god. He said that the Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) had gone to speak with God to the mount of Sinai while god had come to them in the form of this calf. Samiri already enjoyed a place of respect among them, this unusual demonstration increased their trust in him and they started worshipping the calf, and took it as their god. The verse 148 has given a short description of this event while another verse of the Holy Qur'an has described it in detail.

The verse 149 speaks of their remorse on this guilt and their repentance,