The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2)

The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 604

CH. 7 AL-A'RĀF PT. 9 وَاخْتَارَ مُوسى قَوْمَهُ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا And Moses chose of his. 156 people seventy men for Our لِمِيقَاتِنَا فَلَمَّا أَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ appointment. But when the earthquake overtook them, he رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ said, “My Lord, if Thou hast وَإِيَّايَ آتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَّا pleased, "Thou couldst have اِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَنْ تَشَاءُ destroyed them before this, and me also. Wilt Thou destroy us for that which the foolish وَتَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ اَنْتَ وَلِيُّنَا among us have done? This is nothing but a trial from Thee. فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْغُفِرِينَ Thou causest to perish thereby whom Thou pleasest and Thou guidest whom Thou pleasest. Thou art our Protector; forgive us then and have mercy on us, and Thou art the best of those who forgive. 1045 "13:28. does not (Lane). Thus the word exactly mean a "writing", though, for the sake of convenience, it has been translated as such. 1045. Commentary: This verse shows that the tablets were not broken as alleged by the Bible; for if they were broken, how could the very tablets have been taken up again. The word a (writing) explained above also hints that Moses did not receive any written tablets from God but that he himself wrote them under divine inspiration. The word (the foolish) used here not in the general sense but in the specific sense of the foolish in the ways of God, i. e. "ignorant", for every act of disobedience is born of ignorance, even if it is committed intentionally. Those, who were clever enough to render Aaron helpless, could not be called fools in the ordinary sense of the word. They are called (fools) because they did not possess the sense and intelligence to understand the Word of God. 1044 The incident of the calf proved to be the first occasion when the transgressors among the Israelites became distinguished from true believers, and the prophecy, Soon shall I show you the abode of the transgressors (7:146), was fulfilled.