The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 331
PT. 6 AL-MA'IDAH CH. 5 قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي He said, “My Lord, I have. 26 فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفُسِقِينَ JE بعين عَلَيْهِمْ اَرْ قَالَ فَإِنَّهَامُ يَتِيهُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الفَسِقِينَة power over none but myself and my brother; therefore make thou a distinction between us and the rebellious people. '661A 27. God said: "Verily, it shall be forbidden them for forty years; in distraction shall they wander through the land. So grieve not over the rebellious T people. '662 "2:244. Prophet of God! as said the companions of Moses, 'Go thou and thy Lord and fight and here we sit'. On the contrary, O Prophet of the Lord! We are ever with thee and we will go with thee whither thou goest. We will fight the enemy on thy right and on thy left and in thy front and behind thy back; and we trust God that thou wilt see from us what will comfort thine eyes. " The tradition says that when the Holy Prophet heard these words, his face beamed with delight; and no wonder (Bukhārī & Hishām). 661A. Commentary: Even if, as the Bible says, "the two men" referred to in 5:24 above were Joshua and Caleb, the present prayer of Moses remains true; for Aaron being a Prophet of God was the only one truly entitled to the guarantee expressed by Moses. 662. Important Words: يتيهون (they shall wander in 771 تاه distraction) is derived from meaning: (1) he lost his way in the desert; (2) he was or became confounded or perplexed; (3) he went away in the land confounded or perplexed and was unable to see his right course; (4) his intellect or mind was or became disordered and confused and he perished; (5) he magnified himself or behaved proudly or insolently (Aqrab & Lane). Commentary: When the Israelites behaved in a cowardly manner, God decreed that they should remain in the desert for a period of 40 years so that the life of the desert should invigorate them and strengthen their morals. In the mean- time, the old generation became practically extinct and the younger generation grew brave and strong enough to conquer the Promised Land. See also note on 5:24 above. For the relevant portion of the Bible see Num. ch. 14.