The Prophet of God, Moses, continued on his journey with his people, returning from Egypt to Palestine, carrying out God's command. When they approached the gates of the holy land, before ordering them to enter, he reminded them of God's grace and blessings upon them, saying, "O my people, remember the favor of Allah upon you when He appointed among you prophets and made you sovereigns and gave you that which He had not given anyone among the worlds." (Al-Ma'idah: 20).
The author of "Fi Zilal al-Qur'an" (In the Shade of the Qur'an) says: "And we can discern in the words of Moses (peace be upon him) his apprehension about the hesitation of the people and their retreat. He had experienced them before in many situations during the long journey, and here he was again with them at the gates of the promised land, the land for which they had set out, the land that God had promised them that they would live as kings in, and that prophets would be sent among them, so that they would remain under the care and guidance of God."
He had tested them, so he had the right to be apprehensive as he called them to his final plea, gathering in it the brightest memories, the greatest glad tidings, the largest encouragements, and the strongest warnings.(1)
Before Moses asked them to enter the holy land, he had sent scouts to bring him news of the inhabitants of the holy land. When they returned, they informed him that the city was fortified, and that it was inhabited by tall, strong men. This terrified the Israelites (2). When Moses said to them: "O my people, enter the holy land which Allah has assigned to you and do not turn back and [thus] become losers." (Al-Ma'idah: 21), they responded with the cowardly answer of the defeated and the humiliated, the answer of those who had swallowed humiliation and whose weakness flowed through their veins like blood: "They said, 'O Moses, indeed, within it is a people of tyrannical strength, and indeed, we will never enter it until they leave it; but if they leave it, then we will enter.'" (Al-Ma'idah: 22).
One of the keys to victory over the Jews is that Muslims must believe that Jews are cowards, who fear death and are attached to life
And because every nation is not devoid of the perceptive and pious, only two men from among these large crowds stood up, advising them, saying: "Enter upon them through the gate, for when you have entered it, you will indeed be victorious. And upon Allah rely, if you should be believers." (Al-Ma'idah: 23).
At this point, the stench of wickedness and rebellion emanated from the nature of the Israelites ( the Asbat), as they rejected the advice of the advisors and repeated their cowardly statement, saying: "They said, 'O Moses, indeed, we will not enter it, ever, as long as they are within it; so go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are remaining right here.'" (Al-Ma'idah: 24). Here lies the crux of the matter; hearts are like cauldrons, and their tongues are like ladles. These are heavy, thunderous words, stripped of the garments of decency and politeness, revealing the wickedness, baseness, and ignobility in the hearts of the Israelites. It is a vulgar, lowly style, unbefitting of an ordinary person, let alone someone who is a messenger and prophet.
The author of "Fi Zilal al-Qur'an" masterfully describes their manner of speech by saying: "Thus, cowards are embarrassed, so they become brazen. They panic at the danger ahead and kick with their legs like donkeys, refusing to move forward! 'So go, you and your Lord, and fight,' thus, in the insolence of the helpless! He is not their Lord if His lordship would cost them fighting. 'Indeed, we are remaining right here,' we do not want a kingdom, nor do we want honor, nor do we want the promised land if it requires confronting the tyrants!"
This is the end of the journey for Moses (peace be upon him)—the end of long efforts, a long journey, enduring their vile behavior, deviations, and crookedness!
Yes, this is the end of the journey: retreating from the holy land, even though they are at its gates, and abandoning the covenant of God, even though they are bound by it. So what does Moses do now? Whom does he turn to for help? "He said, 'My Lord, indeed I do not possess except myself and my brother, so part us from the defiantly disobedient people (25) [Allah] said, ‘Then indeed, it is forbidden to them for forty years [in which] they will wander throughout the land. So do not grieve over the defiantly disobedient people.’"
The Key to Victory Over the Jews
One of the most important keys to victory over the Jews is that Muslims must be certain that Jews are cowards, who fear death and flee from it, while Muslims strive for martyrdom in the path of God with the same zeal.
Dr. Abdul Sattar Fathallah says: "The Jew is the most eager of all people for life, even more so than the polytheist who does not believe in an afterlife. The Jew's greatest wish is to live as long as possible on this earth, not to die in the usual manner of old age, let alone to be killed in the prime of youth and the peak of life." (3)
The tribes of Israel (the Asbat) were cowardly when it came to entering the Holy Land, where they would have lived as honored kings. Yet, they recoiled and thus were punished
Cowardice was embedded in the tribes of Israel and has been passed down to their descendants, the Jews. They are a base, cowardly people whose cowardice and fear of death have been exposed by God in several instances:
1. Their extreme desire for life at any cost: Allah says: "And verily, you will find them the greediest of mankind for life, even more than those who are idolaters; one of them would like to live a thousand years" (Al-Baqarah: 96). Their cowardice is so extreme that they cling to life no matter how lowly or humiliating it is. They lack honor, manliness, and dignity, rejecting death in all forms and accepting life in any condition.
2. Their claim that paradise was exclusively for them: The Qur'an challenged them to wish for death if they were truthful in their claim. But they recoiled in fear and cowardice. Allah says: "Say: If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is for you alone and not for others of mankind, then long for death if you are truthful! But they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent before them. And Allah is All-Knowing of the wrongdoers" (Al-Baqarah: 94-95).
3. Their claim of being God's chosen people: The Qur'an again challenged them to wish for death if they believed they were indeed God's chosen ones. Allah says: "Say: O you who are Jews, if you claim that you are the friends of Allah to the exclusion of [other] people, then wish for death if you are truthful. But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have sent ahead. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers" (Al-Jumu'ah: 6-7).
4. Their cowardice on the battlefield: The Qur'an exposed their fear and cowardice in the arenas of bravery and manliness, in the heat of battle when their long tongues are silenced, and the swords speak on the necks of the brave. You see them afraid, and even their soldiers, despite being armed with the latest weapons, tanks, and armored vehicles, are cowards. They flee from a small stone thrown by a heroic Palestinian child.
There is a vast difference between someone raised on submission and who has inherited cowardice in their genes, and the brave, free, and noble Muslim hero. The difference is clear between the Asbat and the Companions of the Prophet!
As we witness the disgraceful scene of the Asbat, when they showed cowardice and refused to fight alongside the Prophet Moses, saying: "So go, you and your Lord, and fight," we remember the scene of honor and courage from our ancestors, the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), on the day of Badr. When the Prophet consulted them about fighting the forces who came to protect the Quraysh caravan, Al-Miqdad bin Amr stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah, proceed as Allah has shown you, for we are with you. By Allah, we will not say to you as the children of Israel said to Moses: 'Go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are sitting here [waiting].' Instead, we will say: 'Go, you and your Lord, and fight. We are with you and will fight alongside you.' By the One Who sent you with the truth, if you were to lead us to Bark al-Ghimad, we would fight with you until we reached it."
God decreed upon them wandering in the wilderness for 40 years until that cowardly generation of the Israelites died
Then Sa’d ibn Mu'adh said: "O Messenger of Allah, proceed as you desire, for we are with you. By the One Who sent you with the truth, if you were to take us to the sea and plunge into it, we would plunge into it with you, not a single man among us would remain behind. We are patient in war and steadfast at the time of meeting the enemy, so march on with the blessing of Allah." (4)
Nations that are raised in the cradle of tyranny, and are subjected to injustice and oppression by their rulers, have their morals corrupted, and their spirits broken. They become accustomed to submission to tyrants, never imagining that one day they could overthrow a dictator, resist an oppressor, or change their disgraceful reality.
This is what the tribes of Israel (the Asbat) were raised on, as they drank deeply from the cup of injustice and slavery at the hands of the Pharaohs, until cowardice and submission became second nature to them. When the time came for jihad, and Moses called them to battle, they recoiled and turned back.
As for the Companions of the Prophet, they were raised in a cradle of honor, pride, bravery, and strength. Even during their pre-Islamic days, wars would erupt among them, and they would engage in prolonged fighting over something as trivial as a camel. So how could they not sacrifice and strive in the path of Allah for the sake of a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth?
The tribes of Israel were cowardly, refusing to enter the Holy Land where they would have lived as honored kings. They disobeyed the orders of Allah and His Messenger, hesitated, doubted, and wavered. Thus, they were punished accordingly. Allah says: “[Allah] said, ‘Then indeed, it is forbidden to them for forty years [in which] they will wander throughout the land. So do not grieve over the defiantly disobedient people.’” (Al-Ma'idah: 26). God decreed wandering upon them because they were cowards, unworthy of inheriting this sacred land. The inheritance of the Holy Land requires a generation of truthful heroes who understand its value and are deserving of its blessings.
The tribes of Israel wandered in the Sinai desert for forty years, lost among its hills, dunes, valleys, and ravines, not knowing where they were going or where their journey would end! The wandering was decreed upon them in the vastness of the desert for forty years, allowing the cowardly generation of the Israelites to die out. Forty years was enough for that generation to perish, a generation that could not be elevated despite all of Moses' efforts to raise them. (5)
After them came a distinguished generation, raised on strength and self-reliance, combining in their character the freedom and harshness of the desert, with the justice and guidance of Mosaic law. This generation was capable of living a life of dignity in a blessed land, one that had been sanctified by the Lord of the heavens and the earth.
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(1) “Fi Zilal al-Qur'an,” by Sayyid Qutb.
(2) “With The Prophets in The Noble Qur’an,” by Afif Tabbarah.
(3) “The Battle of Existence between the Quran and the Talmud,” by Abd Alsataar Fath Allah.
(4) “Stories of the Prophets,” by Mahmoud Al-Masry.
(5) “The Stories of the Quran,” by Dr. Salah Al-Khalidi.
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