Verses 155–160

Chapter 7: Al-Aʿrāf (Elevations) · Printed edition: Volume 16, pp. 120–156

وَ اخْتارَ مُوسى‏ قَوْمَهُ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلاً لِمِيقاتِنا فَلَمَّا أَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ قالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَ إِيَّايَ أَ تُهْلِكُنا بِما فَعَلَ السُّفَهاءُ مِنَّا إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِها مَنْ تَشاءُ وَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشاءُ أَنْتَ وَلِيُّنا فَاغْفِرْ لَنا وَ ارْحَمْنا وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْغافِرِينَ ١٥٥ وَ اكْتُبْ لَنا فِي هذِهِ الدُّنْيا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِنَّا هُدْنا إِلَيْكَ قالَ عَذابِي أُصِيبُ بِهِ مَنْ أَشاءُ وَ رَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ فَسَأَكْتُبُها لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَ يُؤْتُونَ الزَّكاةَ وَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ بِآياتِنا يُؤْمِنُونَ ١٥٦ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوباً عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْراةِ وَ الْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ يَنْهاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَ يُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّباتِ وَ يُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبائِثَ وَ يَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَ الْأَغْلالَ الَّتِي كانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَ عَزَّرُوهُ وَ نَصَرُوهُ وَ اتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ مَعَهُ أُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ١٥٧ قُلْ يا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعاً الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ يُحيِي وَ يُمِيتُ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَ رَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَ كَلِماتِهِ وَ اتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ١٥٨ وَ مِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسى‏ أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ بِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ ١٥٩ وَ قَطَّعْناهُمُ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْباطاً أُمَماً وَ أَوْحَيْنا إِلى‏ مُوسى‏ إِذِ اسْتَسْقاهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِبْ بِعَصاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانْبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتا عَشْرَةَ عَيْناً قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُناسٍ مَشْرَبَهُمْ وَ ظَلَّلْنا عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمامَ وَ أَنْزَلْنا عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَ السَّلْوى‏ كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّباتِ ما رَزَقْناكُمْ وَ ما ظَلَمُونا وَ لكِنْ كانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ١٦٠

155. Moses chose seventy men [from] his people for Our tryst, and when the earthquake seized them, he said, “My Lord, had You willed, You would have destroyed them and me before. Will You destroy us because of what the fools amongst us have done? This is only Your trial by which You lead astray whomever You will and guide whomever You will. You are our Master, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the best of forgivers.
156. And prescribe goodness for us in this world and the Hereafter, for indeed we have come back to You.” Said He, “I visit My punishment on whomever I will, but My mercy embraces all things. Therefore I shall prescribe it for those who are Godwary and give the alms and those who believe in Our signs
157. —those who follow the Messenger, the unschooled prophet, whose mention they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel, who bids them to do what is right and forbids them from what is wrong, makes lawful to them all the good things and forbids them from all vicious things, and relieves them of their burdens and the shackles that were upon them—so those who believe in him, honor him, and help him and follow the light that has been sent down with him, they are the felicitous.”
158. Say, “O humankind! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, [of Him] to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no god except Him. He gives life and brings death. So have faith in Allah and His Messenger, the unschooled prophet, who has faith in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided.”
159. Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby.
160. We split them up into twelve tribal communities, and We revealed to Moses, when his people asked him for water, [saying], “Strike the rock with your staff,” whereat twelve fountains gushed forth from it. Every tribe came to know its drinking-place. And We shaded them with clouds, and We sent down to them manna and quails: “Eat of the good things We have provided you.” And they did not wrong Us, but they used to wrong [only] themselves.

Introduction

These verses present another chapter of the stories of the Israelites. They describe many signs which God sent down to them as a special favor to them in order to guide them to the path of truth and show them the way of taqwá (Godwariness, self-restraint). However, they denied His signs and thus wronged themselves.

Commentary

وَ اخْتارَ مُوسى‏ قَوْمَهُ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلاً لِمِيقاتِنا فَلَمَّا أَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ قالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَ إِيَّايَ أَ تُهْلِكُنا بِما فَعَلَ السُّفَهاءُ مِنَّا إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِها مَنْ تَشاءُ وَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشاءُ أَنْتَ وَلِيُّنا فَاغْفِرْ لَنا وَ ارْحَمْنا وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْغافِرِينَ ١٥٥

(7:155) Moses chose seventy men [from] his people (qawmahu) for Our tryst, and when the earthquake seized them, he said, “My Lord, had You willed, You would have destroyed them and me before. Will You destroy us because of what the fools amongst us have done? This is only Your trial by which You lead astray whomever You will and guide whomever You will. You are our Master, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the best of forgivers.”

The preposition min (from) is implied in this verse. That is why the word qawm is manṣūb in terms of inflection; it is due to the omission of a particle that assigns the oblique case (nazʿ al-khāfiḍ).

We can deduce from this verse that God appointed a tryst for the Israelites, and seventy of them, selected by Moses, attended it. That must have been a great event, but the Qur’an does not specify what was the purpose for their presence in that place. It only says that they were overtaken by an earthquake, which could only be a result of a great sin that they had committed.

… My Lord, had You willed, You would have destroyed them and me before. Will You destroy us because of what the fools amongst us have done?… This statement of Moses shows that the earthquake resulted in their death. This clarifies that the story discussed here is the same as the story mentioned in these verses: And when you said, “O Moses, we will not believe you until we see Allah visibly.” Thereupon a thunderbolt seized you as you looked on. Then We raised you up after your death so that you might give thanks (); The People of the Book ask you to bring down for them a Book from the sky. Certainly they asked Moses for [something] greater than that, for they said, “Show us Allah visibly,” whereat a thunderbolt seized them for their wrongdoing. Then they took up the Calf [for worship], after all the manifest proofs that had come to them. Yet We excused that ().

Matching these verses with the current verse, we can infer that what is meant by rajfah (earthquake) here is ṣāʿiqah (thunderbolt). Contrary to what some exegetes have said, rajfah here does not mean a shiver that entered their bodies. We should have no reservation about interpreting rajfah (earthquake) as ṣāʿiqah (thunderbolt) because the same equivalence can be deduced from two verses which describe what happened to the tribe of Prophet Ṣāliḥ: So the earthquake (al-rajfah) seized them, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes (); So the bolt (ṣāʿiqah) of a humiliating punishment seized them ().

Based on verse , which we quoted above, we can infer the following points: (1) Their request to see God was related to the revelation of the scripture. (2) Their adoption of a calf [as a god] occurred afterwards. It seems that they first went to the tryst in order to receive the Torah, and there they requested to see God visibly in order to ascertain that this is indeed a divine book which is sent from God. After all, those whom Moses chose were apparently believers in his basic mission as a prophet of God. Therefore, when they said, we will not believe you until we see Allah visibly (), what they meant was that they need to see God in order to believe in the Torah as a divine revelation [not in order to believe in Moses as God’s messenger in general].

The above points suggest that the story in the current verse was part of Moses’ tryst with God, where the Torah was revealed to him. That is: When Moses wanted to set out for the tryst of his Lord and receive the Torah, he chose seventy individuals from his people. They went with him to Mount Ṭūr, but they were not satisfied with God speaking to His Interlocutor [that is, Moses]. Instead, they requested to see God. Thus the thunderbolt overtook them and they died. God brought them back to life upon Moses’ prayer. Then God spoke to Moses, and that is when Moses requested to see Him []. The other events occurred afterwards, one of which was the adoption of the calf by the Israelites. They did that during the absence of Moses and the seventy elite, when they had gone to God’s tryst. This interpretation is found in some narrations from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, as we shall see below, by God’s will.

It should be clarified that the main theme and purpose of this verse is the following points: (1) The Israelites wronged themselves. (2) God punished them. (3) Moses prayed for them. There is no evidence in the verse to show whether this event was part of the previous story [of Moses’ tryst, in verses ] or it was a separate event. The verse is not concerned with that point.

Other Views on the Verse

Here are a few other interpretations suggested by some exegetes:

(1) Apparently what is mentioned here is a different story from the previous one [in verses ]. It is not eloquent to present a part of a story, then digress to another subject, and then come back to the first discussion again. The Book of God is free from such inconsistency. Moreover, if the earthquake was a result of their request to see God, then Moses should have said, “Will You destroy us because of what the fools amongst us have said?” But the word used in the verse is “done” instead of “said,” and there is no speech narrated from them here. There is no evidence that it was in the same occasion where they said: Show us Allah visibly (). Instead, we should deduce three distinct events: (i) their request to see God, whereby they are killed by the thunderbolt; (ii) Moses’ tryst and his swooning; (iii) the tryst of the seventy, and their overtaking by the earthquake.

(2) This tryst was different from the first tryst [in verses ]. When the Israelites worshiped the calf, God ordered Moses to come with a group of them to Mount Ṭūr in order to ask forgiveness for worshiping the calf. So Moses selected seventy of them, who went to Mount Ṭūr and said what they said. As a result, the quake took seized them in their bodies. Just as they were about to die from that, they were relieved of the seizure because of Moses’ prayer.

(3) When Aaron died, the Children of Israel accused Moses for it: “You were envious of him among us, so you killed him!” As they insisted on this, he selected seventy of them, including Aaron’s son. They went to Aaron’s grave, where Moses talked to him and Aaron spoke back, exonerating Moses from his murder. They said, “We are not convinced, Moses. Call your Lord to make us prophets.” That is when the quake seized them, and they fell swooning.

(4) The Children of Israel requested to see God. Moses selected seventy of them, and they went to Mount Ṭūr. There they said what they said, and were seized by the earthquake, which killed them. Then God revived them because of Moses’ prayer. This was an independent story, not part of Moses’ tryst with God.

Review of the above Interpretations

Here are a few points to clarify concerning the above suggested views:

(1) None of these views, especially the first two, can be supported by any textual evidence from the Qur’an, nor by any reliable hadith.

(2) We shall discuss these in further detail in our examination of narrations below, if God wills.

(3) It is not rare in the Qur’an to dissect a single story into several parts, and move from one discussion to another in the interest of some objective. If the Qur’an were a story book, then it would be unbefitting of it to leave a story before its completion. But it is not. It is a book of guidance, direction and wisdom. It takes from each story those parts which are relevant to its message.

(4) Their sin [that is, the request to see God visibly] was a speech, but the verse refers to it as an act: what the fools amongst us have done (). It is called a fiʿl (doing, action) in the sense that it was an act of disobedience (maʿṣiyah). Disobedience is considered to be an act, even though it may be in the form of a speech. God says [to the disbelievers]: You are only being requited for what you used to do (), but that also includes their words of disbelief, lying, allegation and so forth. Apparently the Israelites were punished for the necessary implications of their speech, such as lack of proper manners [of servitude], animosity, and disrespect for their Lord’s status. It should also be noted that in all of the above suggested views, the quake seized the Children of Israel because of what they said, not what they did. Therefore, if that were a problem, it would equally apply to all the above interpretations.

Given the above, it is most plausible to hold this story as part of the previous story, as we explained.

Back to the Verse

… My Lord, had You willed, You would have destroyed them and me before. Will You destroy us because of what the fools amongst us have done? This is only Your trial by which You lead astray whomever You will and guide whomever You will…: Moses wanted God to bring the seventy elite back to life, lest the Children of Israel would accuse him [of killing them], which would amount to their apostasy. That would have rendered his entire mission fruitless. That was his real request, but he had to set the grounds for it. He was facing some grievous disobedience from his people, which caused their death. He was in a position where God’s intense wrath had been kindled and had surrounded the Israelites, to the point that it destroyed them. That is why Moses began to gradually build his way and arouse God’s mercy through praising Him. He first had to stir the divine compassion and kindness. He needed to evoke God’s mercy over His wrath, then he could move on to make his request and express what he needed, without any impediments to its fulfillment.

… he said, “My Lord…”: Moses began by invoking God’s Lordship, which is an appeal to God’s mercy.

… had You willed, You would have destroyed them…: It is all up to Your will and decision.

… and me before…: This way my people would not blame me for the death of their elite.

… Will You destroy us because of what the fools amongst us have done? …: It does not befit Your mercy, nor is it part of Your eternal custom as a Lord to penalize a people because of some act of the fools among them. Moses said this in the form of a question as an expression of courtesy.

… This is only Your trial (fitnatuka) by which (bihā)…: What is meant by fitnah (temptation, trial) here is a test. The pronoun in bihā (by which) refers to fitnah.

… You lead astray whomever You will and guide whomever You will…: This event is one example of Your universal tests and trials that You constantly conduct and apply to Your servants, so that their error or guidance may come to actualization. It is not part of Your eternal custom to destroy anyone who fails in Your trials and deviates from the straight path. In short, Your mercy takes precedence over Your wrath. It is not Your wont to hasten to punish the sinners, or to penalize them for the acts of their fools. You sent me to my people and promised to support me to succeed in my mission. However, the destruction of this group will elicit accusations against me from my people.

… You are our Master, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the best of forgivers: Here Moses presents his request, after his praise of God. He began by invoking the divine wilāyah (mastership, guardianship, authority) which exclusively belongs to God: You are our Master (waliyyunā). And He ended by invoking God’s forgiveness, which is the best forgiveness. Between these two qualities, Moses expressed his request: so forgive us and have mercy on us. This is the best request that God would like His servants to ask Him. Moses did not explicitly mention his specific wish in his prayer—which was the resurrection of the seventy individuals whom God had destroyed—due to humbleness and ḥayāʾ (modesty, shame).

In Sūrah al-Baqarah, God clearly says that He resurrected them after their death []. He would not do so after destroying them without any intercession from Moses. Meanwhile, the only supplication in the Qur’an that is relevant to this case is what we read here. Hence, Moses’ request [to have them resurrected] is included in this prayer: so forgive us and have mercy on us. As we said, he expressed his request indirectly, not explicitly.

وَاكْتُبْ لَنَا فِي هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ إِنَّا هُدْنَا إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ عَذَابِي أُصِيبُ بِهِ مَنْ أَشَاءُ ۖ وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ ۚ فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِآيَاتِنَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ١٥٦

(7:156) “And prescribe (uktub) goodness for us in this world and the Hereafter, for indeed we have come back (hudnā) to You.” Said He, “I visit My punishment on whomever I will, but My mercy embraces all things. Therefore I shall prescribe it for those who are Godwary and give the alms and those who believe in Our signs.”

The imperative verb uktub (lit. write, prescribe) refers to God’s definite decree (qaḍāʾ). The verb hudnā is derived from hāda yahūdu, which means “to return.” The meaning is: We have returned and come back to You.

This verse is another chapter of Moses’ supplication. Here he requests goodness in this world and goodness in the hereafter. Clearly, what is meant by goodness is a good life. This hinges on going back to God, which means following His path and adhering to the way of one’s divine intuition (fiṭrah). Such course of action leads one to a good life and a blissful existence, both in this world and in the hereafter. This shows that for indeed we have come back to You is an explanation and justification for his request in this verse, because of the causal link between going back to God and having a good life. This can be part of God’s rizq (provision, sustenance) for them in the future. That is why Moses asked this to be written and decreed for them: And prescribe…

… for indeed we have come back to You…: As we said, this sentence justifies Moses’ requests in this verse, not the last verse. The justification for his previous requests—forgive us and have mercy on us ()—was what he said in the last verse, and the two expressions that surrounded his request: You are our Master and You are the best of forgivers (). The reader should reflect on this.

… Said He, “I visit My punishment on whomever I will, but My mercy embraces all things…”: This is God’s response to Moses. This sentence corresponds to the first statement of Moses: My Lord, had You willed, You would have destroyed them and me before (). God qualifies His punishment by on whomever I will, but His embracing mercy is not qualified by anything. The reason for this difference is that God’s punishment is always preceded and elicited by some calling from the one who is punished. It never starts with God, as He says: Why should Allah punish you if you give thanks and be faithful? (); If you are grateful, I will surely enhance you [in blessing], but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is indeed severe. (). His Lordship does not necessitate anyone’s punishment. If that were the case, then He should have punished everyone. Instead, He punishes only those whom He wills, and His will only applies to those who are ungrateful to His blessings. Hence, His punishment hinges on some preponderance (iqtiḍāʾ) on the part of the one who is punished, due to their kufr (ungratefulness, disbelief). It is not His own wont and initiative.

To be more precise, we can deduce from the Qur’an that the reality of punishment is non-existential. Punishment is the lack of mercy, and vengeance is not bestowing blessings. That occurs when the recipient lacks the capacity to be embraced by God’s mercy and receive His blessings due to ungratefulness and sin. Therefore, the real cause of punishment is lacking the required capacity for mercy.

This is unlike God’s extensive mercy and the effusion of His blessings. They directly issue from God since He is God. These qualities are necessary implications and outcomes of His Lordship. The existence of every being is a blessing for itself, and also for many other beings based on the interconnectedness of different parts of creation. Moreover, anything else that it may have, whether pleasant or unpleasant, is also a blessing. Sometimes it is a blessing for that being and as well as other beings, such as one’s power and wealth, which benefit the person and others. And sometimes it is a blessing for other beings, as in the case of misfortunes that occur to a being, like illnesses, defects and disasters: That being is harmed by these events, but other beings benefit from it. Therefore, divine mercy is all-embracing, not just potentially, but actually. It is not restricted to any person, being or realm. It pervades the faithful and the unfaithful, the sentient and the non-sentient, this world and the hereafter. And divine will is a concomitant of it.

There is also a relative sense of divine mercy which we deduce from comparing certain conditions to others. When some event is viewed to be a punishment or misfortune, then, in comparison, its opposite would count as mercy. For instance, suppose some people are deprived of some blessing, while others get to enjoy it. If the first case is a punishment, then the second case would be a mercy. Similarly, when we consider a painful and disturbing event to be a punishment, like some disaster in this world or the hereafter, its opposite peace and security would be a mercy in contrast. Nevertheless, in absolute terms, divine mercy includes both of these opposites.

Divine mercy can be classified into two types: (1) universal mercy; (2) particular mercy. All beings enjoy the universal mercy of God: believers and unbelievers, good-doers and evil-doers, sentient beings and non-sentient beings. Their very existence at the beginning is by this mercy, and their sustenance and subsistence are also by this mercy as long as they continue to exist. The particular mercy of God is a pleasant gift that He bestows upon His servants as a reward for their belief and servitude. This mercy is rather restricted to righteous believers. Through this mercy they enjoy a luminous and blissful life in this world, and God’s satisfaction and paradise in the hereafter. The disbelievers and sinners have no share of this mercy.

Punishment is an unpleasant state that particularly strikes the disbelievers and sinners due to their disbelief and sin. In this world it appears as a distressful life or an exterminating punishment; and in the hereafter it appears as hell and its pains. Punishment is the opposite of God’s particular mercy, while there is no punishment in contrast to His universal mercy. Whatever can be called a “thing” (shayʾ) is an instance of God’s universal mercy, either for itself or for others. And it is this aspect of its existence—that is, the aspect of being a mercy—which is intended by its creation. And beyond what can be called a “thing” there is only non-existence.

… I visit My punishment on whomever I will, but My mercy embraces all things…: Based on what we just said, this sentence is about God’s particular [and only] punishment, and His universal mercy. While there no contrast between the two, the verse mentions the divine universal mercy as a prelude and preparation for what comes next, which is the prescription of the divine particular mercy for those who are Godwary among the believers.

… but My mercy embraces all things…: A number of exegetes have said that this sentence is also qualified by whomever I will, which is omitted but implied. However, as we explained above, this sentence describes God’s universal mercy, which is not potential or conditional. It is an unconditional actuality which encompasses all things already. Of course, God has willed this, but the divine will in this case is inseparable from His mercy.

… Therefore I shall prescribe it for those who are Godwary and give the alms and those who believe in Our signs: This sentence is mentioned as a consequence and conclusion of the previous statement—I visit My punishment on whomever I will, but My mercy embraces all things—as indicated by the letter fāʾ (therefore, so, then) at the beginning of the sentence. That is: Since My punishment strikes some people, while My mercy embraces all things, it must follow that I prescribe My mercy for the rest [in particular]. They are those who are Godwary and give the alms…

God’s conclusion here is not concerned with Moses’ people alone, because He does not say: “those of you who…” Instead, He speaks in general terms about Godwariness, paying alms, and belief in divine signs, which anyone could have. This is rather a natural way of expression, because the premises and preludes to it were also in general terms: I visit My punishment on whomever I will…

If we match God’s response with Moses’ statement said at the beginning of the verse, what God says here would serve as a qualification for Moses’ request. Moses requested goodness and mercy for his people, and justified it by saying: for indeed we have come back to You (). This means that he requested mercy for anyone among his people who returns to God. He asked God to prescribe for them the good of this world and the hereafter merely for their return and repentance to Him. But God’s response was that He will prescribe His mercy for those who believe and are Godwary. Therefore, He added more conditions before approving Moses’ request. Their conversation can be paraphrased and elaborated as follows:

Moses: Prescribe Your mercy for those of us who return to You.

God: I shall prescribe My mercy for those who return, are Godwary, and believe in My signs.

There is no problem with this qualification and addition of conditions. After all, God is also the guide and teacher of His prophets and messengers. Moses’ request was initially conditional on return to God, which amounts to īmān (belief, faith). God taught His Interlocutor [Moses] to make his request conditional on both taqwá (Godwariness, self-restraint) and īmān. Taqwá means restraint from what is unlawful. Īmān means accepting God’s prophets and the laws that are revealed to them. Hence, God modified Moses’ prayer by restricting it. Another similar modification through restriction is found in the story of Abraham: He said, “I am making you an imam for humankind.” Said he, “And from among my descendants?” He said, “My covenant does not extend to the unjust” (). God also modified another request of Abraham through extension and generalization: “and provide its [Mecca’s] people with fruits—such of them as have faith in Allah and the Last Day,” He said, “As for him who is faithless, I will provide for him [too] for a short time, then I will shove him toward the punishment of the Fire, and it is an evil destination” ().

Here we can conclude two points about Moses’ requests:

(1) The verse implies that God answered and granted the second part of Moses’ prayer: And prescribe goodness for us in this world and the Hereafter, albeit with some qualification, as we explained. It is surprising that some exegetes have said that the verse’s construction shows that God rejected Moses’ request and did not grant it. Similarly, some have said that while Moses prayed for his own people, God granted his prayer for Muḥammad’s ummah (nation, people). This is based on the assumption that the next verse—those who follow the Messenger… ()—is a description and interpretation of those who are Godwary… (). We shall discuss this below.

(2) God also granted the first chapter of Moses’ prayer [in verse ], because He does not say anything that implies its rejection. It is far from God to narrate some prayer in His Book that He has not granted, vainly and without any purpose. God’s response in this verse—Therefore I shall prescribe it for those… ()—corresponds to Moses’ second prayer mentioned at the beginning of the current verse, where he asks continuous good for his people in this world and the hereafter. This response cannot be matched with Moses’ first prayer [in the last verse], where he asks forgiveness for their sin of saying: Show us Allah visibly (). Remaining silent in response to that prayer implies its acceptance and fulfillment, just as we see in other similar places in the Qur’an.

We can infer the acceptance and granting of his prayer for forgiveness from another verse that talks about the same story: Then We raised you up after your death so that you might give thanks (). It is very unlikely and unbelievable that God would bring them back to life without having forgiven the sin for which they were destroyed.

… Therefore I shall prescribe it (fa-sa-aktubuhā, from kitābah)…: The pronoun “it” refers to My mercy. Kitābah (writing, prescription) is used metaphorically here. It conveys a definite decree, in the sense that when something is written, it is more established and solid.

… for those who are Godwary…: Those who abstain from what is forbidden, and are careful not to miss what is obligatory.

… and give the alms (al-zakāh)…: This refers to obligatory financial dues, or any spending in the way of God. There are a few possible aspects for why such expenditure is called zakāh (a means of growth): (1) It causes one’s wealth to grow. (2) It fixes social problems. (3) It removes the deficiencies of the society. Some exegetes have suggested that what is meant here is spiritual growth and self-purification. That is, fulfilling the zakāh is the same as improving one’s moral traits. However, this view is implausible.

… and those who believe in Our signs: They are submissive to any sign or message that is from God. Some examples of these signs are: (1) The miracles of the prophets, such as the miracles of Moses, Jesus and Muḥammad. (2) Religious laws and commands, such as the legal codes brought by Moses and the other prophets. (3) The prophets themselves. (4) The signs which indicate the truth of the prophets, such as the signs of Prophet Muḥammad mentioned in the scriptures of Moses and Jesus. All of these are divine signs that the Israelites and others must believe in, submit to, and not reject.

We notice a transition from the first person plural in the last verse—Moses chose seventy men [from] his people for Our tryst ()—to the first person singular here: Said He, “I visit My punishment… (). This shows God’s special care and attention for answering the prayer of His servants who call Him. He turns to them personally, without the involvement of anyone else, even as an intermediary. Speaking in the first person plural indicates the grand status of the speaker, since important individuals speak of themselves and their retinue in plural. But if the same important person wants to show his special attention to the addressee or to the address, he would use the first person singular.

We see the same usage throughout the Qur’an. God uses the first person singular when narrating His answer to the intimate prayers and private conversations of His prophets and saints. Some examples are the supplications of Noah, Abraham, and Moses on his nocturnal tryst in Mount Ṭūr. The same goes with the prayers of other righteous servants, and God’s granting of their wishes. He always uses the first person singular, unless He wants to convey some other point.

… and those who believe in Our signs: Here we see another shift back to the first person plural. The reason for this transition is to make a connection between this verse and the following verse, which is presented as an interpretation of this sentence: and those who believe in Our signs. As we shall discuss below, the next verse is rather a digression to a parenthetical remark, made in the middle of the current discussion. It does not share the same context as the current verse, which is a direct conversation and an intimate whisper between Moses and God. Instead, the next verse goes back to the previous context, where God was speaking in the first person plural.

Therefore, rather than saying, “those who believe in My signs,” the verse says: those who believe in Our signs, in order to link the next verse to the previous thread in a very subtle way. This is an elegant literary usage in the Qur’an. The reader should reflect and ponder about it.

الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ مَعَهُ ۙ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ١٥٧

(7:157) “—those who follow the Messenger, the unschooled prophet, whose mention they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel, who bids them to do what is right and forbids them from what is wrong, makes lawful to them all the good things and forbids them from all vicious things, and relieves them of their burdens (iṣrahum) and the shackles (al-aghlāl) that were upon them—so those who believe in him, honor him, and help him and follow the light that has been sent down with him, they are the felicitous.”

Aghlāl is the plural of ghull, which is “a means of binding” [that is, chains, shackles, fetters]. Al-Rāghib says in al-Mufradāt:

Iṣr is to tie something and confine it through domination. When one does so, one says: aṣartuhu. That which is tied and confined is called maʾṣūr. A ship’s prison is called maʾṣar and maʾṣir. God says: and he relieves them of their burdens (), meaning those things which were restraining them and holding them back from doing good and achieving rewards. Similarly, He says: Place not upon us a burden (). Some have interpreted iṣr here as thiql (weight, load), but the correct view is what we said.

—those who follow the Messenger, the unschooled prophet…: This verse lists eight characteristics for the Prophet Muḥammad:

1. He is a messenger.
2. He is unschooled.
3. He is a prophet.
4. He enjoins what is right.
5. He forbids what is wrong.
6. He legalizes good things.
7. He bans foul things.
8. He takes off the burdens and the shackles that were upon the previous nations.

Given the context and connection of the verses, this verse is apparently a description and interpretation of what we read at the end of the last verse: those who believe in Our signs (). The apparent text of the verse confirms this, because it mentions that these eight qualities are indications of the last Prophet, and signs that were given the People of the Book in the Torah and the Gospel. One of the conditions that God set for them [in the last verse] was to believe in His signs. Part of that would be believing in the signs of Muḥammad’s prophethood, which are found in their sources.

Question: We saw earlier [in the last verse] that God set two conditions for the Jews to qualify for His special mercy: Godwariness and belief. Meanwhile, it is certain, beyond any doubt, that God’s special mercy was not restricted to those Jews who lived to see and believe in Muḥammad. What about the other righteous Israelites from the time of Prophet Moses to the time of Prophet Muḥammad? We should not even imagine the possibility that they are disqualified from God’s promised mercy. After all, only a very small fraction of Jews believed in Muḥammad [when he made his call]. There were multitudes of believers between Moses and Jesus, and after Jesus, who accepted the divine call of their prophets. God accepted their belief and promised them good. The Qur’an attests to this. So how could divine mercy, which covered all Children of Israel, be limited to a small group of them who believed in the Prophet Muḥammad?

Answer: It is true that the qualities mentioned here—those who follow the Messenger, the unschooled prophet… ()—are descriptive and interpretive of the last part of the previous verse—those who believe in Our signs ()—but the interpretation and what is interpreted are not equal in terms of inclusion and universality. Rather, the interpretation is a subdivision of the entire group, which is specifically derived, highlighted, and pointed out for a certain purpose. In the current discussion, the purpose is to describe and clarify the truth of Prophet Muḥammad’s mission, and the reason why the People of the Book must respond to it and accept it.

There are other examples of this in the Qur’an, where the description and what is described are at different levels of inclusion and breadth. For instance, in one place God narrates from Iblīs: By Your might, I will surely pervert them (). Elsewhere, God narrates a more specific and restricted from of this from him: and I will lead them astray and give them [false] hopes, and prompt them to slit the ears of cattle, and I will prompt them to alter Allah’s creation (). The second verse is derived and extracted from the general expression of the first verse.

We saw another example of this at the beginning of the current sūrah, from verse (Certainly We created you, then We formed you…) to verse (O Children of Adam! If there come to you messengers from among yourselves…). As we explained, that is an example of deriving one address from another one, for the purpose of generalization. There are other similar cases to this in the Qur’an.

Therefore, what is mentioned in this verse—those who follow the Messenger ()—is descriptive and interpretive of the last verse in the sense that it extracts a specific description from a more general one, and applies it to what is required by the context. It is as though the verse is saying: As We said, God prescribed His mercy for those Children of Israel who are Godwary and give the alms and those who believe in Our signs (). Now, the application of that today—when Muḥammad has announced his mission—would be those Children of Israel who follow Muḥammad. They would be the ones who are Godwary and pay the alms, and those who believe in Our signs. They have believed in Our signs, meaning Moses, Jesus and Muḥammad. They have believed in Our signs, meaning the miracles of these messengers, and the laws and obligations which were revealed to them. They have believed in Our signs, meaning the indications that We have provided for them in the Torah and the Gospel for Muḥammad’s prophethood, appearance and mission.

those who follow the Messenger, the unschooled prophet…: The verb “follow” (yattabiʿūna) is a descriptive substitute for the verb “believe” (yuʾminūna) at the end of the last verse. This is a remarkable expression, because real belief in the signs of God—like His prophets and laws—can only be through submission and obedience. Choosing the verb “follow” [as a replacement for “believe”] shows that it is not sufficient for one to merely adopt some belief, alone and abstracted from action. If one does not obey and submit to God’s signs in practice, that is tantamount to their denial and rejection, even if the person accepts them to be true.

… the Messenger, the unschooled prophet…: This verse and the next are the only verses in the Qur’an where the Prophet Muḥammad is described with these three qualities together.

… whose mention they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel…: This shows that the Prophet was described and known with the above mentioned three qualities in the Torah and the Gospel. The purpose of stating these three qualities is to introduce the Prophet in a way that the People of the Book would recognize based on his descriptions in their books. Otherwise, there was no reason to describe the Prophet with these three qualities, especially the last one [unschooled].

… who bids them to do what is right and forbids them from what is wrong, makes lawful to them all the good things and forbids them from all vicious things, and relieves them of their burdens and the shackles that were upon them…: Just like the first three qualities at the beginning of the verse, these five qualities are also part of the Prophet’s signs which are to be found in the Torah and the Gospel.

These qualities are among the exclusive traits of the Prophet Muḥammad and his bright religion, although some share of them certainly existed in the previous religions and their righteous followers. They too used to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, as the Qur’an says concerning some People of the Book: Yet they are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is an upright nation… and bid what is right and forbid what is wrong, and are active in [performing] good deeds (). Similarly, legalizing the good things and banning foul things are fundamentally intuitive ordinances (fiṭriyyāt) which are common to all divine religions, as God says: Say, “Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good things of [His] provision?” ().

Likewise, the law that Prophet Jesus brought included some element of laying down the burdens and fetters, as God narrates from him in the Qur’an: And [I come] to confirm [the truth of] that which is before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of the things that were forbidden you (). There is also some allusion to this in his address to the Children of Israel: [I have come] to make clear to you some of the things that you differ about ().

Despite the above, the one religion which blew a full spirit of life into the bodies of enjoining good and forbidding evil was Islam. It raised these precepts from merely being some values to the degree of holy combat (jihad) in the way of God with one’s possessions and life. Similarly, Islam is the only religion which takes in its scope every aspect of human life and every element of human behavior, and classifies them into fair things which are lawful, and foul things which are unlawful. No other religious law nor any social code of law parallels Islam in terms of its comprehensiveness and elaboration. Likewise, Islam is the one religion which abrogated all difficult obligations which were laid upon the People of the Book—particularly the Jews—as well as what their scholars had taken up [as obligatory], and what their priests and monks had innovated. All these culminated in the religion which Muḥammad brought, with a book from God that confirms the divine books before it. This is something that no skeptic can doubt.

The perfection of these five qualities is exclusively found in Islam, although some stages of them are also found in other religions. This itself is the best evidence for the truthfulness of the Prophet who proclaimed this religion. That is even if there were no mention of these signs in the Torah and the Gospel, because the Prophet’s religion is a perfection of the religions of Moses and Jesus. After all, what is expected of a true religion? Are the criteria for a true religion anything other than these five qualities: (1) to recognize what is right; (2) to deny what is wrong; (3) to legalize the good things; (4) to ban foul things; and (5) to abolish all burdens and shackles? These are an elaboration of the truth which of all divine religions propagate. Hence, the followers of the Torah and the Gospel must acknowledge that a religion which incorporates the perfection of all these matters in detail is exactly their own religion in its perfect stage.

What we just said means that the five descriptions given in this verse—who bids them to do what is right and forbids them from what is wrong… ()—together amount to the fact that the Prophet confirms the divine laws and teachings in the Torah and the Gospel. It is equivalent to saying, “He confirms what was before him,” much like what we read elsewhere in the Qur’an: And when there came to them a messenger from Allah, confirming that which is with them, a part of those who were given the Book cast the Book of Allah behind their back, as if they did not know [that it is Allah’s Book] (); And when there came to them a Book from Allah, confirming that which is with them—and earlier they would pray for victory over the pagans—so when there came to them what they recognized, they defied it. So may the curse of Allah be on the faithless (). These verses say that the Prophet has brought the perfection of the laws that are found in their scriptures, yet they deny him despite knowing that he is mentioned in their books and was promised by their prophets. Thus God narrates from the Messiah: O Children of Israel! Indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you, to confirm what is before me of the Torah, and to give the good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Aḥmad (). We shall discuss the promises of Prophet Muḥammad in their sacred books to the extent possible, if God wills.

In this verse, instead of saying, “he confirms what was before him” [like the other verses in the Qur’an], it says: he bids them to do what is right… (). The reason for this expression is that the verse’s audience is not limited to the People of the Book, but includes all people. That is why in the next verse, God orders the Prophet to address everyone: Say, “O humankind! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all” (). Similarly, at the end of the current verse He says in general terms: so those who believe in him, without confining it to the People of the Book.

… so those who believe in him, honor him (ʿazzarūhu, from taʿzīr), and help him and follow the light that has been sent down with him, they are the felicitous”: Taʿzīr means “supporting someone with honor and respect.” The light that has been sent down with him refers to the Qur’an. It is described as “light” to indicate that it illuminates the way of life, and lights the path that one must pursue to reach the abode of happiness and perfection. After all, this is the central theme of the verse.

… that has been sent down with him (unzila maʿahū)…: The verb unzila (sent down, descended) is normally used with the preposition ʿalá (on, upon, over) or ilá (to, toward), but here the verse uses maʿa (with). This usage indicates accompaniment and concomitance. This is an indirect reference to the Qur’an’s function as a sign and evidence for the Prophet’s truth. The effective meaning is: “Follow the light which has been sent upon him. Since this light includes and manifests the perfection of the previous religions, it is evidence for his truthfulness. This light shows that he is the one who was promised by their prophets, and was mentioned in their books.” Therefore, maʿahu (with him) functions as ḥāl (circumstantial qualifier, participial phrase), describing the condition of the implicit subject of the passive verb unzila (has been sent down). A similar usage to this can be found in the verse: then Allah sent the prophets as bearers of good news and as warners, and He sent down with them the Book with the truth, that it may judge between the people concerning that about which they differed ().

Here is what some exegetes have said about the usage and meaning of the preposition maʿa (with) here:

1. The pronoun “it” (or “him”) in maʿahu (with it, with him) indicates something that has been sent down in addition to the Qur’an and with it. That is not the Prophet, but it is his mission or prophethood, which is omitted and implied in the verse. Otherwise, the Qur’an was not sent with the Prophet, but with Gabriel.
2. The pronoun “him” in maʿahu (with him) refers back to the verb “follow” (ittabaʿū). The meaning is: “Those who follow the Qur’an in addition to following him [the Prophet].”
3. Maʿahu (with him) functions as ḥāl (circumstantial qualifier, participial phrase), describing the condition of the implicit subject of the verb “follow” (ittabaʿū). The meaning is: “Those who follow the Qur’an while the Prophet also follows the Qur’an with them.”
4. The preposition maʿa here means ʿalá (on, upon, over).
5. The preposition maʿa here means ʿind (at, near, before).

The implausibility of all these views should be clear.

… so those who believe in him, honor him, and help him and follow the light…: This is an interpretation and elaboration of the first part of the verse: those who follow the Messenger… It shows that true followership of the Prophet is to follow the Book of God, which includes His laws and teachings. The part of following that pertains to the Prophet is to believe in his prophetic mission, to not deny him, to honor him through submission, to and support him in what he resolves to do during his life.

… so those who (fa-alladhīna) believe in him…: The letter fāʾ (therefore, so, then) here indicates that this final part of the verse is a conclusion that is drawn from the first part of the verse: those who follow the Messenger… (). As we said, this entire verse is a specific description that is extracted from a general criterion at the end of the last verse: those who believe in Our signs (). The meaning is: When Moses asked Me to embrace the Children of Israel in My mercy, and to prescribe the good of this world and the next for them, I accepted his request with a few conditions. One of them was that they should believe in Our signs. An application of believing in Our signs at this time [with the appearance of Prophet Muḥammad] is to follow Our Messenger who has these qualities [mentioned in this verse]. Therefore it follows as a conclusion that those who believe in him—and have the rest of the mentioned qualities—they are the felicitous.

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ١٥٨

(7:158) Say: O humankind! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, [of Him] to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no god except Him. He gives life and brings death. So have faith in Allah and His Messenger, the unschooled prophet, who has faith in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided.

This verse follows directly from the last. The previous verse elucidated the qualities of the Prophet, which constitute a perfect religion, and which provide the people with a good life in any time or place that they may be. These are what the people need the most in order to lead a truly happy life: (1) to be enjoined to what is right; (2) to be forbidden what is wrong; (3) to have good things made lawful for them; (4) to have foul things made unlawful for them; (5) to have their burdens and shackles removed from them. Having these qualities established for the Prophet, he is now ordered to announce his mission to all humankind, without restricting it to any particular community: Say, “O humankind! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.”

… to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no god except Him. He gives life and brings death…: These descriptions of God together serve to justify two things: (1) the possibility of Muḥammad being chosen and sent by God as a divine messenger; (2) the possibility of him being sent with a universal mission that applies to all humankind. The Children of Israel were reluctant to accept a prophet being sent to them from another nation, particularly from among the unschooled Arabs. However, they are part of God’s nation [like all human beings]. Moreover, they presumed to bear no duty toward the gentiles, and considered themselves to be the chosen people of God, His children, and His loved ones. Similarly, due to bigotry, some non-Arabs were extremely suspicious of an Arab prophet being sent to them. These descriptions serve to remove all such prejudice. The verse’s justification can be elaborated as follows:

1. God, Who has appointed Muḥammad as His Messenger, is One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He has absolute dominion over the entire universe.
2. There is no god except Him. There is no one beside Him who possesses anything in existence. Therefore, He can rule over His kingdom as He wills, without anyone holding Him back from that, or anyone’s will interfering with His. Hence, it is up to Him to send a messenger toward His servants. Similarly, He has the right and authority to send a messenger either to some of His servants, or to all of them, as He sees fit.
3. He gives life and brings death. He can give a genuinely happy and felicitous life to some or all of the people. Happiness and guidance are part and parcel of [true] life, just as wretchedness and error are tantamount to [real] death. God says: O you who have faith! Answer Allah and the Messenger when he summons you to that which will give you life (); Is he who was lifeless, then We gave him life and provided him with a light by which he walks among the people (); Only those who listen will respond [to you]. As for the dead, Allah will resurrect them ().

… So have faith in Allah and His Messenger, the unschooled prophet, who has faith in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided”: The context suggests that this is a continuation of the first part of the verse, where the Prophet is given a speech to address to the people. Therefore, according to the theme of the verse, there is a shift from the first person to the third person here: and His Messenger, the unschooled prophet, who… Instead of using first person pronouns, the Prophet is ordered to refer to himself with these qualities—in the third person—because these qualities serve as a justification and reason for the injunctions that are drawn as a conclusion: So have faith and follow him so that you may be guided.

In other words, the point of making this transition can be inferred from the letter fāʾ (so, therefore, then) at the beginning of this segment, which shows that what is said here is a conclusion drawn from the previous parts. The Prophet is ordered to conclude: Given the above points, you must believe in me, for indeed I am the above mentioned Messenger, the unschooled prophet, who was promised in the Torah and the Gospel. I believe in God and do not deny Him [or am not ungrateful to Him]. I believe in His words, which include all the laws and teachings that He sent to me and to the previous prophets. You must follow me so that you may be guided.

“Guidance” here is offered as a result and consequence of: (1) having faith in God and His Messenger; and (2) following the Messenger. This shows that guidance here means being guided to happiness in the hereafter, which consists of paradise and God’s satisfaction. It does not mean being guided to the right path, because that is no different from the two conditions—of faith and following—which were just ordered. Hence, the result mentioned here—so that you may be guided—boils down to the same result mentioned at the end of the last verse: they are the felicitous ().

وَمِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَىٰ أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ ١٥٩

(7:159) Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth (bil-ḥaqq) and do justice thereby.

This verse shows the fairness of the Qur’an, as it praises those who deserve praise, and applauds their good deeds after rebuking their sins. It says that the Jews are not all the same. Not all of them disobey God and His messenger. Not all of them subscribe to error and wrong. There is a community of them that guide others to the truth and treat each other with justice. The letter bāʾ (by, with) in bil-ḥaqq indicates instrumentation (ālah). It can also indicate coverage (mulābasah).

This verse ascribes the act of guidance to someone other than God, the prophets, and the religious leaders (Imams). There is another similar verse which narrates from the believer from Pharaoh’s family: And he who had faith said: O my people! Follow me, I will guide you to the way of rectitude (). It is likely that “a nation among the people of Moses” refers to the prophets and religious leaders that came after Moses. This is how God has described them in other verses, such as: And amongst them We appointed imams to guide [the people] by Our command, when they had been patient and had conviction in Our signs (). The thing is that the real meaning of “guidance to the truth” and “judgment by the truth”—as mentioned in this verse, guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby—is something that only a divine prophet or leader (Imam) can perform. We have already discussed the meaning of guidance under other verses such as: He said: I am making you an imam for humankind () and: Whomever Allah desires to guide, He opens his breast ().

وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا ۚ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ إِذِ اسْتَسْقَاهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ ۖ فَانْبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا ۖ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَشْرَبَهُمْ ۚ وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ١٦٠

(7:160) We split them up into twelve tribal (asbāṭan) communities, and We revealed to Moses, when his people asked him for water, [saying], “Strike the rock with your staff,” whereat twelve fountains gushed forth from it. Every tribe came to know its drinking-place. And We shaded them with clouds, and We sent down to them manna and quails: “Eat of the good things We have provided you.” And they did not wrong Us, but they used to wrong [only] themselves.

According to the lexicons, sibṭ means “grandchild,” whether through a son or a daughter. Its plural is asbāṭ. When used for the Children of Israel, however, it has a more specific meaning: it is equivalent to qabīlah (tribe, clan) among the Arabs.

Ibn al-Ḥājib has argued that since plural in Arabic consists of at least three members, asbāṭan in this verse would amount to 36 tribes or more [which is certainly not what is intended]. Hence, the verse implies an omission: “We split them up into twelve a sect; that is, tribes.” Asbāṭan here functions as a badal (substitute, replacement) for “twelve” not as a tamyīz (specification, discrimination, clarification) for it [because tamyīz must be singular in Arabic]. The tamyīz for “twelve” is the implicit firqah (sect, faction, branch). Others have said that asbāṭān can function as tamyīz for twelve because it implies a singular meaning. It is equivalent to a word like jamāʿah (group, cluster, bunch) [which is a collective noun (sing. ism-i jamʿ), but singular in construct].

… whereat twelve fountains gushed forth (inbajasat, from inbijās) from it…: Inbijās is synonymous with infijār (eruption, explosion, burst). It is also said that inbijās is used when water flows out softly at a slow rate, while infijār is used when it flows out abundantly at a rapid rate.

… whereat twelve fountains gushed forth from it. Every tribe came to know its drinking-place…: This suggests that there were as many springs as the tribes, and each spring was assigned to a certain tribe. This was apparently done due to of some rivalry and dispute among them, as confirmed by the narrations concerning the story. The rest of the meaning should be clear.

In the verses that we have read so far in this chapter [and will read below], God has mentioned a number of miracles and signs of Moses, including:

1. The python [ and ].
2. The white hand [].
3. The drought and loss of fruits which afflicted Pharaoh’s clan [].
4. The flood [].
5. The locusts [].
6. The lice [].
7. The frogs [].
8. The blood [].
9. The splitting of the sea [].
10. The killing and resurrecting of the seventy elite [].
11. The emergence of fountains from the rock by a strike of the staff [].
12. Being shaded with clouds [].
13. The sending of manna and quails [].
14. The plucking of the mountain above them like a canopy [].
15. Perhaps one can also add the following to the list:
16. Speaking to God [].
17. The revelation of the Torah [that is, the Tablets; ].
18. The transfiguration of some of them to spurned apes [].

We shall discuss his story in further detail in our exposition of Sūrah Hūd.

Examining Narrations

1. Al-Ḥārith b. al-Mughīrah says: I said to Imam al-Ṣādiq, “In the illness which led to his death, ʿAbd-Allāh b. ʿAjlān claimed, ‘I will not die [from this illness],’ but he died.” The Imam said, “May God not forgive any of his sins. What was he thinking? Moses chose seventy men from his people. When the quake seized them, he said, ‘My Lord! [Save] my companions! [Save] my companions!’ God told him, ‘I will replace them by those who are better than them.’ Moses said, ‘I knew them and was accustomed to them.’ Then God resurrected them as prophets for him [in their stead].”

Author’s comment: What the Imam means here is that God will substitute better companions for him in the place of ʿAbd-Allāh b. ʿAjlān, just as he did for Moses. This is an odd narration on this topic, and does not match the apparent meaning of the Qur’an.

2. Saʿd b. ʿAbd-Allāh al-Qummī says: I asked Imam al-Mahdī, “Tell me, my master, why are the people not allowed to choose their own Imam?”

He inquired, “A righteous one or a corrupt one?”

“A righteous one, of course.”

He asked, “Given that no one knows what thoughts occur to others—whether good or evil—is it possible that they choose a corrupt leader?”

“Yes,” I confirmed.

“That is the reason,” he explained. “I will give you an argument that stands to your reason. Tell me about God’s messengers like Moses and Jesus. God has chosen them, has sent a scripture to them, and has supported them with revelation and infallibility. They can make a much more accurate choice since they are the cream of the crop. If they are given the choice, is it possible that they, despite perfect degree of reason and knowledge, would choose a hypocrite, thinking that the person is a believer?”

“Never,” I replied.

“Well, there we have Moses, God’s Interlocutor, with abundant reason, perfect knowledge, and receiving revelation. He chose seventy men from the elite of his people and the chiefs of his army. He had no doubt in their īmān (belief, faith) and ikhlāṣ (sincerity, purity). Nevertheless, his chosen ones turned out to be hypocrites. God says: Moses chose seventy men [from] his people for Our tryst (), up to where He says [narrating from them]: “We will not believe you until we see Allah visibly” (), whereat a thunderbolt seized them for their wrongdoing (). This is someone who was chosen by God as a prophet. He selected the corrupt ones instead of the righteous ones, even though he believed that he was picking the righteous ones, not the corrupt ones. This should make us realize that the selection [of religious leaders] is an exclusive prerogative of the One Who knows what the breasts hide, what the souls conceal, and what the secrets hold. When the selection of the prophets turns out to be corrupt—while they were aiming for the good—it leaves no weight for the selection of the Muhājirīn (Meccan Immigrants) and the Anṣār (Medinan Supporters).”

Author’s comment: In this hadith, the verse is paraphrased, in the sense that the Imam has combined the verses of the story from Sūrah al-Aʿrāf and Sūrah al-Nisāʾ.

3. Nūf al-Ḥimyarī said: When Moses chose seventy men from his people for his Lord’s tryst, God said to Moses, “I shall make the earth for you a place of worship and pure [or purifier]. I shall place the tranquility with you in your homes. I shall make you recite the Torah from your hearts, such that all of you can read it, whether man or woman, free or slave, young or old.”

Moses told them, “Indeed God has made the earth a place of worship and pure for you.” They retorted, “We want to worship only in the synagogues.”

He told them, “He shall place the tranquility with you in your homes.” They retorted, “We rather have it in the Ark, as it was.”

He told them, “He shall make you recite the Torah from your hearts, such that all of you can read it, whether man or woman, free or slave, young or old.” They retorted, “We want to always read it from the text.”

Then God revealed to him: Therefore I shall prescribe it for those who are Godwary and give the alms… the felicitous ().

Moses said [to God], “I came to You with a delegation of my people, but You are bestowing the reward of their visit on others. So place me among that nation [as their prophet].” God replied, “Their prophet shall be one of themselves.”

Moses said, “Place me among that nation [as one of their members].” God replied, “You will not live to be part of them.”

Moses repeated, “My Lord! I came to You with a delegation of my people, but You are bestowing the reward of their visit on others.” So God revealed to him: Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby (). Thus Moses was satisfied.

Nūf then added: Would you not thank your Lord Who was there [on your behalf] when you were absent, Who took your share [on your behalf], and Who bestowed the reward of the visit of others on you?

Nūf al-Bikālī said: When Moses chose seventy men of his people, he told them, “Now you get to proceed toward God and ask Him a request.” Moses had one wish [that would be granted] and they had one. When they reached Mount Ṭūr, the place where God had appointed for Moses, he told them, “Now ask God [whatever you want].” They said: Show us Allah visibly ().

Moses told them, “Shame on you! Are you requesting this again?” They retorted, “This is what we want! Show us Allah visibly ().” Thus the quake seized them and they swooned dead.

Moses said [to God]: “My Lord! I came to you with seventy from the best of the Children of Israel. Now should I return to them without any of them? Then how should I deal with the Children of Israel? Will they not kill me?” God replied, “Make your request.” He prayed, “My Lord! I ask You to resurrect them.” And God resurrected them. Thus their wish and his wish were squandered, but that [granted] wish is assigned to this nation [of Muslims].

Author’s comment: We quoted the last two accounts because they are representative of the other narrations on this story. The chain of these narrations ends with the Prophet’s Companions (called mawqūf). Despite their differences, the way these two narrations have depicted the story and embedded the Qur’anic verses does not match the apparent meaning of the verses whatsoever. Here is the Qur’anic view: (1) They demanded to see God, which was rejected. (2) Moses requested two things: (i) He prayed for their resurrection, which was granted, and they were brought back to life. (ii) He prayed that God would prescribe His mercy for the Children of Israel, which was granted on the condition of Godwariness and belief in the signs of God. (3) Nothing of the reward of their visit was diverted to other nations [according to the Qur’an]. (4) The verse, Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby () is addressed to the Prophet Muḥammad, not to Moses, as per the context.

4. Concerning And prescribe goodness for us in this world and the Hereafter () Ibn ʿAbbās said: God did not grant this to Moses. Said He, “I visit My punishment on whomever I will… the felicitous.” ().

Author’s comment: This means that God did not give it to Moses, but his wish was granted for this nation [of Muslims]. As we said [under the verses’ exposition and the last comment], the apparent meaning of the verse is otherwise. Similar to the last two accounts, this narration is incompatible with the Qur’anic verses.

5. Concerning This is only Your trial… () al-Suddī said: Moses asked God, “My Lord! The Samaritan (al-Sāmirī) ordered them to make a calf. But what about the spirit in it? Who blew that in it?”

“I did,” God admitted.

Moses concluded, “So You are the One Who led them astray, my Lord.”

Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq said: Moses inquired, “My Lord, who made the calf give a lowing sound?”

“I did,” God admitted.

Thus Moses said: This is only Your trial by which You lead astray whomever You will and guide whomever You will ().

Author’s comment: The last two accounts, which are similar to one another, are also incompatible with the Qur’an. The problem with them is that in the verse, Moses makes this statement—This is only Your trial ()—when the seventy elite fell dead. That was a completely separate event from the story of the calf—unless one says that Moses repeated this on two occasions.

6. Once a desert Arab came [to Medina], alighted from his camel, and tied it. After praying behind the Messenger of God he cried, “O God, show mercy to me and Muḥammad, and do not associate anyone else in our mercy!” The Messenger of God said, “You have certainly suppressed an extensive mercy. God created a hundred shares of mercy. He sent one share [to this world], by which all creatures show affection to one another, including the jinn, the humans and the animals. The other 99 are with Him [reserved for the hereafter].”

The Prophet said: God has a hundred shares of mercy. One of them is the mercy by which the creatures show affection to each other, and by which the animals look after their offspring. He has left the other 99 shares for the Day of Resurrection.

The Prophet said: “God created a hundred shares of mercy the day He created the heavens and the earth. Each of them is as vast as the distance between the heaven and the earth. He sent a single share of that to the earth. It is with that share that the creatures show mercy to each other, a mother shows kindness to her child, the birds and animals drink water, and all creatures live. Upon the Day of Resurrection, He will take that away from His creatures, and will then shower it upon the Godwary in addition to the other 99 shares of mercy.” Then he recited: But My mercy embraces all things. Therefore I shall prescribe it for those who are Godwary ().

Author’s comment: The idea seen in the last three narrations is also narrated through Shia chains of transmission from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt. The last hadith [number 10] is apparently a paraphrase of the one before it [number 9]. The transmitter has ruined the meaning by adding: “Upon the Day of Resurrection, He will take that away from His creatures.” If mercy is taken away from everyone except the Godwary, then how can one explain the life and subsistence of the heavens, the earth, the angels, paradise, hell, all their inhabitants, and other beings? How can they continue to exist while being deprived of God’s [general] mercy?

A better expression is found in some Shia narrations. Relying on my memory, they say: “God will gather all hundred shares of mercy for the believers.” Gathering and bestowing that upon the believers is not the same as taking it away from others and assigning it exclusively to the believers. The former is logically possible, as opposed to the latter. The reader should reflect on this.

7. The Prophet said: By the One in Whose hand is my life, God will certainly forgive so much on the Day of Resurrection that even Iblīs will raise his hopes that His forgiveness may reach him as well.

Author’s comment: There are also some Shia narrations from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt to this effect.

8. Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī said: When God revealed, My mercy embraces all things (), Iblīs said, “My Lord, I am also a thing!” Then God revealed: Therefore I shall prescribe it for those who are Godwary ().

Author’s comment: Apparently this conversation is something that Abū Bakr thought must have been implied. Otherwise, the first statement is about God’s universal mercy, which undoubtedly applies to Iblīs as well, while the second statement is about God’s particular mercy in the hereafter, which certainly does not cover him.

9. Once the Prophet said, “The īmān (faith, belief) of which of God’s creatures is the most marvellous?”

The Companions replied, “The angels.”

“The angels are with God [in the divine presence],” the Prophet explained, “so why shouldn’t they believe?”

They replied, “The prophets.”

“The prophets receive revelation. So why shouldn’t they believe?”

They replied, “Us.”

“I am amongst you. So why shouldn’t you believe? Rather, there will be a people after you who will [only] find a text written on paper, and they will believe in it. This is the meaning of the verse: those who follow the light that has been sent down with him, they are the felicitous ().”

Author’s comment: We can accept this narration as an example of matching and applying the verse to a different context (jary wa inṭibāq). Likewise, there are some narrations which interpret “light” in verse 5:157 as Imam ʿAlī. That is also an example of extending the verse to other contexts (jary) or an inner layer of the verse’s meaning (bāṭin).

10. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib said: The Children of Israel divided into 71 sects after Moses. All of them are in hell save one. The Christians divided into 72 sects after Jesus. All of them are in hell save one. And this nation shall divide into 73 sects. All of them will be in hell save one. Concerning the Jews God says: Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby (); and concerning the Christians God says: There is an upright group among them (). These are the sects that will be saved. As with us, He says: Among those We have created are a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby (). They are the ones whom will be saved from this nation.
11. Once Imam ʿAlī called Raʾs al-Jālūt and the archbishop of the Christians. He told them, “I want to ask you something that I know better than you, so do not hide it from me. O Raʾs al-Jālūt, I ask you by the One Who sent the Torah upon Moses, the One Who fed you manna and quails, the One Who opened a dry path for you in the sea, the One Who burst twelve springs for you from the rock in Mount Ṭūr—one spring for each tribe of the Children of Israel. Tell me: how many sects did the Children of Israel divide into after Moses?”

He replied, “Only one.”

The Imam said, “You are lying. By the One but Whom there is no god, they divided into 71 sects. All of them are in hell save one. God says: Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby (). That is the sect that is saved.”

12. Concerning the same verse [] Imam al-Bāqir said: They [the guided Jews] are a people from the other side of China. There is a valley of sand between them and China. They neither deviated from, nor changed anything [of Moses’ teachings].

Author’s comment: This is a weak narration; its attribution to the Imam is not certain. There is no news of such a just and guiding community of Jews there today. Even if they existed today, they would be neither guides nor guided because: (i) Prophet Moses’ religion was abrogated by Prophet Jesus’. (ii) Both of their religions were abrogated by the Prophet Muḥammad’s. That is why some of those who have narrated this superstitious account were forced to add to it: “The Prophet visited them on the night of his ascension (miʿrāj). He called them to his message, and they accepted. Then he taught them how to pray.” They have fabricated a variety of strange stories about them, some of which we shall see presently.

13. Muqātil said: One of God’s special favors upon Muḥammad was that on the night of his ascension, he got to see the followers of Moses who are on the other side of China. They were first in the Holy Land, but when the Children of Israel disobeyed God and started killing those who enjoined them to justice, they prayed to their Lord, “O God, take us away from their midst.” God answered their request: He made a tunnel for them in the ground, and they entered it. There He made a stream for them and a lamp that went ahead of them. They walked 1.5 years from Jerusalem to the place where they are now. Then God brought them out into a land where there were only a community of insects, cattle and predators: a land that was free from sin and disobedience. So the Prophet went to them with Gabriel on that night. They believed in him and confirmed him; and he taught them how to pray. They said that Moses had prophesied this.
14. Al-Shaʿbī said: There are some servants of God on the other side of Andalusia, as far as Andalusia is from us [in Kūfah]. They cannot imagine that any creature would disobey God. Their pebbles are of pearls (durr) and ruby (yāqūt); their mountains are of gold and silver. They neither cultivate, nor harvest, nor do any work. They have a tree in front of their door with wide leaves which they use as clothes. And they have a tree in front of their door with fruits that they eat.

Author’s comment: There are other stories narrated about them. All of these are fabricated. The meaning of the verse should be clear based on our exposition above.

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1. In other words, digression is not necessarily against eloquence. (Trans.) ↩︎

2. This is a rather anthropomorphic representation of God. The author’s expressions here should be viewed as symbolic and poetic elegance, not as literal or metaphysical statements. (Trans.) ↩︎

3. The author’s point here is that there must be some congruity between a prayer and what qualifies one for its fulfillment. (Trans.) ↩︎

4. In other words, any person, object or occurrence that exists is an example of a “thing,” and all things are embraced by God’s universal mercy. (Trans.) ↩︎

5. That is, He has willed His universal mercy to be absolute and unrestricted. (Trans.) ↩︎

6. The author does not mention “alms” separately because it is a branch of taqwá (Godwariness, self-restraint, piety). That is why the phrase those who is only mentioned before Godwariness and belief, but not before alms. The verse explicitly points out alms for emphasis, and perhaps because of its special applicability to the Israelites. (Trans.) ↩︎

7. Moses spoke in the past tense: for indeed we have come back (hudnā) to You, but God replied in the present tense: those who are Godwary (yattaqūna) and give (yuʾtūna) the alms and those who believe (yuʾminūna) in Our signs. This could be another implicit correction and qualification by God. It means: “While I accept your repentance to Me, you must maintain it in the future in order to qualify for My special mercy and be rewarded with goodness in this life and in the hereafter.” (Trans.) ↩︎

8. This is the majestic plural, called the “royal we.” (Trans.) ↩︎

9. This makes iṣr and ghull synonymous. Either way, both are used metaphorically here, which reduces the significance of their precise distinction. (Trans.) ↩︎

10. See the author’s “Introduction” to verses , and his exposition of verse ; volume 15, pp. 95-96 and 114 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎

11. Ḥāl always implies the meaning of “while.” The meaning here is: “Those who follow the light which has been sent down while it is with him.” The Prophet’s evidence for the truth of his mission is that the Qur’an has been sent in his company. The verse conveys this point most succinctly by using the preposition maʿa (with) instead of ʿalá (on, upon, over) or ilá (to, toward). (Trans.) ↩︎

12. The meaning would be: “Those who follow the light that has been sent down together with his prophethood.” (Trans.) ↩︎

13. The author’s sole objective in the current paragraph is to precisely explain the usage of the letter fāʾ as an indicator of consequence and conclusion. (Trans.) ↩︎

14. See verses and . (Trans.) ↩︎

15. The meaning would be: “They guide by means of the truth.” (Trans.) ↩︎

16. The meaning would be: “Their guidance is covered with the truth.” (Trans.) ↩︎

17. Also see verse , which the author has referenced and discussed under verse . (Trans.) ↩︎

18. See volume 2 (1st ed.), pp. 78ff, and volume 14, pp. 152ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎

19. Therefore, the current verse and verse present the same scene using two synonymous verbs. (Trans.) ↩︎

20. Based on this, the current verse refers the onset of the flow, and verse describes its subsequent profusion. (Trans.) ↩︎

21. The author’s discussion is in Sūrah al-Qaṣaṣ, under verses . (Trans.) ↩︎

22. Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī. ↩︎

23. The two published editions of Tafsīr al-burhān say: aʿlām al-umam (emblems or leaders of the nations). That seems to be a transcription error. The original was perhaps: aʿlam al-umam (the most knowledgeable of their nations). (Auth.) ↩︎

24. Tafsīr al-burhān, on the authority of Ibn Bābawayh, via its chain of narration, as a part of a longer hadith. ↩︎

25. Apparently the quote from Sūrah al-Baqarah was also meant to be from Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: for they said, “Show us Allah visibly,” whereat a thunderbolt seized them… (). This mistake could possibly have occurred in transmission or transcription. (Trans.) ↩︎

26. This refers to a special and miraculous tranquility, as mentioned in verse . (Trans.) ↩︎

27. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Abū al-Shaykh. ↩︎

28. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Abū al-Shaykh. ↩︎

29. Al-Durr al-manthūr. ↩︎

30. Al-Durr al-manthūr. ↩︎

31. Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, via an incomplete chain of transmission (mursal). ↩︎

32. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Aḥmad and Abū Dāwūd, on the authority of Jundab b. ʿAbd-Allāh al-Bajallī. ↩︎

33. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Aḥmad and Muslim, on the authority of Salmān. ↩︎

34. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of Salmān. It is also narrated on the authority of Ibn Abī Shaybah, on the authority of Salmān, without connecting to the Prophet (mawqūf). ↩︎

35. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Ṭabarānī, on the authority of Ḥudhayfat b. al-Yamān. ↩︎

36. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Abū al-Shaykh. ↩︎

37. That is, in order for the verse to have an acceptable meaning, Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī has suggested this hypothetical conversation, as a way of complementing the verse’s meaning, and in order to avoid any misinterpretation. According to the author, however, the objection is not applicable in the first place. Either way, it is not a Prophetic narration. (Trans.) ↩︎

38. That is, “amazing, impressive, and admirably extraordinary.” (Trans.) ↩︎

39. Tafsīr al-burhān, on the authority of Nahj al-bayān. ↩︎

40. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Ḥātim. ↩︎

41. This was the title of the head of the Jewish rabbis. (Trans.) ↩︎

42. Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, on the authority of Abū al-Ṣahbāʾ [or Abū al-Ṣuhbān] al-Bakrī. ↩︎

43. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

44. Al-Durr al-manthūr. ↩︎

45. Al-Durr al-manthūr. ↩︎