The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 683
CH. 18 PT. 15 AL-KAHF 73. He replied, 'Did I not tell thee that thou wouldst not be قَالَ اَلَمْ أَقُلْ إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صبران able to keep company with me in patience?'2112 قَالَ لَا تُؤَاخِذْنِى بِمَا نَسِيْتُ وَلَا Moses said, “Take me not to. 74 تُرْهِقُنِي مِنْ أَمْرِى عُسْرًا task at my forgetting and be not hard on me for this lapse of mine. '2113 followers, i. e. he would see to it that wealth does not accumulate in the hands of a few but that it continues to change hands and is fairly distributed among all sections of Muslims. To effect this Islam has made the giving of Zakāh obligatory, has totally prohibited all transactions based on interest and by its law of inheritance has sought to distribute the wealth of a dying person among all his children, parents, wives and other near relatives. It has also prohibited gambling and has laid down laws to better and improve the condition and status of labourers. The materialistic and wealthy Jews and Christians could not view such a division of wealth with favour and regarded it as reckless waste. All their economic laws tend to increase the wealth of the rich and to help it accumulate in a few hands. Whereas in his vision Moses objected to the hole being made in the boat by his learned companion which, interpreted in accordance with the language of dreams, meant that his people would be too much enamoured of material wealth to accept laws aiming at its equitable distribution, the Holy Prophet in his own Vision refused to accept the cup of water offered to him 1891 which signified that his followers would prefer religion to the world. Just as Moses in his vision found fault with his learned companion when the latter made a hole in the boat, similarly his people found fault with the Holy Prophet when he called upon his followers to spend their money in the cause of God. They even taunted him for making such demands (5:65 & 36:48). 2112. Commentary: The righteous man of God in Moses' vision (the Holy Prophet) is here represented as saying to him that as there existed great difference between the teachings of the two, he (Moses) could not accompany him, i. e. Moses' people would not accept him (the Holy Prophet) unless they replaced their love of money by love of God. 2113. Commentary: Moses repents of his mistake, begs to be excused and promises to ask no more questions. This may be interpreted as signifying that at first Jews and Christians would offer to make common cause with the Holy Prophet but later on they would back out of their solemn agreements. It so happened that when the Prophet went