Ibn Mas'ud reported that a man spoke ill of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "May Allah bestow His Mercy on Moses, for he was harmed more (in a worse manner) than this; yet he endured patiently." (Agreed upon). Reflecting on the Prophet's statement, "May Allah have mercy on my brother Moses," one senses the extent of the suffering and harm that Moses (peace be upon him) experienced in his interactions with and treatment of the Children of Israel.
Moses (peace be upon him) was one of the five mighty prophets. He was born, grew up, and was raised in Pharaoh's palace in Egypt until he reached maturity and completed his youth. “And when he attained his full strength and was [mentally] mature, We bestowed upon him judgement and knowledge” (Qasas: 14). From that moment, Moses was a messenger sent by his Lord, while the Children of Israel (the Tribes) were oppressed and enslaved by Pharaoh, who would kill their male children, keep their women for service, and force their men into grueling and exhausting labor. This was after the decline of the just rule of the Aziz and the rise of the tyrannical rule of Pharaoh.
Moses, one of the Five Mighty Prophets, was Born, Grew up, and was Raised in Pharaoh's Palace in Egypt
The Announcement of Prophethood in Pharaoh's Palace
When Allah sent His Prophet Moses to Pharaoh with the words: “Go to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed. {17} And say to him, ‘Would you [be willing to] purify yourself {18} And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'” (An-Nazi'at), the Tribes saw in Moses a means of salvation, so they believed in him, hoping he would save them from Pharaoh's tyranny and oppression. Allah saved them with a visible miracle: He commanded Moses to leave Egypt and head to the land of their ancestors in Palestine. They traveled towards the Red Sea, and Allah made a dry path through it for them, while Pharaoh and his army were drowned. They witnessed the destruction of their oppressor, and thus Allah bestowed this blessing upon them, as stated in the Quran: “And [recall] when We divided the sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh's people while you were looking on” (Al-Baqarah: 50).
The First Station: "Make for us a god" – Denial of Favor and Forgetfulness of the Blessing:
Allah says: “And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They said, ‘O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods’ He said, ‘Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantl’” (Al-A'raf: 138). They forgot the favor of Allah upon them, despite the miracle of the sea being fresh in their minds. Instead, they requested the worship of another god, seeking the worship of idols that neither see, hear, nor benefit or harm. What kind of nature is this that denies the favor and breaks the hand that extends in goodness! It is the inherent character of the Tribes, passed down through generations to their descendants, the Jews.
The Children of Israel Crossed the Sea by Moses' Miracle and Allah Destroyed What Pharaoh Had Done
The Children of Israel crossed the sea by a visible miracle from Moses, and Allah destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had been doing. They then continued their journey on the eastern shore towards Sinai. Despite their denial of Allah's favor upon them and their inclination towards worshiping other than Him, Allah did not treat them according to their ingratitude. Instead, He showered them with His generosity and provision, hoping they would be mindful or remember.
The Second Station: "We Will Not Endure One Food" – Rebellion and Discontent with Allah's Provision
One of the beautiful favors from Allah was that when they requested water to drink and for their animals, Allah caused twelve springs to gush forth, corresponding to their tribes. When their food was about to run out, the Provider chose for them delightful food, sending down manna and quails abundantly.
When the heat of Sinai became intense, they complained to Moses. Moses prayed to his Lord, and Allah responded by sending a cloud to shade them from the scorching sun. After all these remarkable miracles and abundant blessings, their Lord commanded them: “Eat of the good things with which We have provided you” (Al-Baqarah: 57). Yet, they denied these blessings and showed no appreciation. Instead, they rejected the food provided and demanded different provisions, saying: “O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth” (Al-Baqarah: 61). They desired the food they had been accustomed to in Egypt during their period of humiliation and enslavement, and disliked the delicious food provided by Allah. It was as if their hearts had become hardened, their perceptions blinded, and they exchanged their rebellion for what was better.
Rebellion Against Aaron and Worship of the Golden Calf
Subhan Allah! What a strange nature and wicked disposition! As mentioned by the author of "As-Sawa'iq," "They were between the barren desert with its stones and the sky with its scorching heat. Allah brought forth water from the rock, and from the sky, He sent down manna and quails—honey and birds. Yet their broken psychological state and deteriorated nature prevented them from rising to the purpose for which they were brought out of Egypt and for which they traveled through the desert."
The Third Station: "We Will Not Depart from It" – Rebellion Against the Worship of Allah
Not only did the rebellious Tribes act in this way, but they also furthered their rebellion and tyranny. When Moses left them to speak with his Lord and receive the Torah at Mount Sinai, informing them that he would be gone for thirty nights, but was later commanded by Allah to complete forty nights, they disbelieved in Allah and rebelled against Prophet Aaron. They worshiped the golden calf instead of Allah. A cunning man named Samiri told them that the gold they had taken from Egypt had angered Allah, and that it was a burden they carried that delayed Moses' return to them.
Samiri then took the gold, mixed it with a handful of dust from the hoof of Gabriel's animal, melted it, and fashioned it into the shape of a calf with a lowing sound. He said to them: "This is your god and the god of Moses, who has forgotten about you and gone to seek it at the mountain." Thus, they worshiped the calf and rebelled against the worship of Allah.
When Prophet Aaron went to them and said: “O my people, you are only being tested by it, and indeed, your Lord is the Most Merciful, so follow me and obey my order.” (Ta-Ha: 90), they responded: “We will never cease being devoted to the calf until Moses returns to us” (Ta-Ha: 91). Subhan Allah! It is as if their tainted nature accepted the worship of something that possesses nothing while rejecting the worship of Allah, who holds dominion over everything.
They Harbored Doubts That Moses Had Spoken with His Lord and Demanded to See Allah Directly!
The Fourth Station: "We Will Not Believe You Until We See Allah Directly" – Rebellion Against Repentance for Their Sins
The Tribes realized they had wronged themselves by worshiping the calf and wanted to declare repentance and humility before Allah. A true penitent should approach their Lord with a humble and broken heart. However, these people deviated from this principle. Their nature, tainted by arrogance and rebellion, refused to repent to their Lord willingly.
Moses selected seventy of the best and most prominent men among them to go with him to Mount Sinai to offer obedience and declare repentance and remorse for their grave wrongdoing against the One who honored and saved them. There, Allah spoke to Moses, and doubts arose among some of them about whether Moses had truly spoken with Allah. They rebelled and said: “we will never believe you until we see Allah outright” (Al-Baqarah: 55). Allah punished them by causing a thunderclap that shook and struck them dead on the ground.
Moses then prayed to his Lord, pleading for their revival, asking that He not hold everyone accountable for the folly of the seventy, and that He grant them repentance. Allah responded to his prayer and revived them from death, hoping they would give thanks.
The Fifth Station: "And When We Raised the Mountain Above Them" – A Lesson from Raising the Mount
Moses continued to lead his people towards Jerusalem, maintaining his efforts in reform and education. He reminded them of Allah's blessings when He saved them, fed them, and provided them with water. Despite these reminders, they remained harsh, rebellious, and dismissive of Allah's commands. At that point, Allah lifted Mount Sinai above their heads like a canopy, and they realized they were about to be crushed and destroyed. Only then, under the pressure of force and threat, did the Tribes come to their senses and express adherence to the Torah. They were people who did not respect or acknowledge peace, or the rights of others; they recognized only strength and respected only the powerful.
Allah raised Mount Sinai, and it hovered like a cloud above their heads. They were certain of destruction, so they repented
Thus, their first protocol was: "Might is right." This was their belief, and their stance was: "If we fight, then we exist; we live in a world that respects only the strong."
As soon as Allah removed the mountain from above them, they reverted to their rebellion against Prophet Moses. Allah says: “Then you turned away after that. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers.” (Al-Baqarah: 64).
Now the lights of Palestine were visible, the blessings were wafting, and the procession of Moses was nearing the gates of the Holy Land, ready to complete the migration to Palestine.
So, did they enter the Holy Land? How and when did they enter? This will be the subject of our next article, God willing.
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- "Pages of Darkness from the History of the Jews", by Muhammad Hassan.
- "In the Shade of the Quran", by Sayyid Qutb.
- "The Prophets in the Quran", by Afeef Tabbarah.
- "The Quranic Stories", by Salah Khalidi.
Read this Article in Arabic
