5. CHAPTER CONCERNING THE CHILDREN OF ISRA’EEL’S WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS
We have already discussed the Children of Isra’eel’s refusal to fight against the giants and how Allah, Most High, punished them by causing them to wander in the wilderness and He ordained that they would not leave it for forty years.
According to the scholars of tafseer, the Children of Isra’eel camped around Mount Sinai and Moosa (Peace be upon him) ascended the mountain and his Lord spoke to him and commanded him to remind the Children of Isra’eel of the Blessings that Allah had bestowed on them, such as how He had delivered them from Pharaoh and his people … and He told him that on the third day, they must assemble around the mountain, but that none of them should approach it, for anyone who did so would be killed. He even forbade that any of their livestock should come near so long as they could hear the sound of the horn, but that once the horn was silent, it was lawful for them to approach it. The Children of Isra’eel heard these Words of Allah, but they did not understand until Moosa (Peace be upon him) made them understand. Then they said to Moosa (Peace be upon him), “Convey to us what the Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful has told you, for we fear to die.” So Moosa (Peace be upon him) conveyed to them what Allah had told him and he spoke these Ten Commandments:
1. That they should worship Allah, Alone, without ascribing partners to Him.
2. That they should not swear falsely by Allah (SWT).
3. That they should preserve the sanctity of the Sabbath, meaning that they should devote themselves on one day in the week to the worship of Allah – and this occurs (now) on Friday, the day which Allah selected to replace the abrogated day, Saturday.
4. That they should honor their fathers and their mothers, in order that they might enjoy a long life in this world which Allah, their Lord, had given them.
5. That they should not commit murder.
6. That they should not commit adultery or unlawful sexual intercourse.
7. That they should not steal.
8. That they should not bear false witness against their neighbors.
9. That they should not covet their neighbors’ houses.
10. That they should not covet their neighbors’ wives, or male or female slaves, or oxen, or donkeys, or anything that belonged to their neighbors.
All of this is a prohibition of envy. Many of the scholars from among the Salaf and others said that these Ten Commandments are all implied in two Qur’anic Verses; and they are the Words of Allah, Most High, in Soorah Al-An‘am: Say (O, Muhammad). “Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to fawahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand. And come not near to the orphan’s property, except to improve it, until he (or she) attains the age of full strength; and give full measure and full weight with justice. We burden not any person, but that which he can bear. And whenever you give your word (i.e. judge between men or give evidence, etc.), say the truth even if a near relative is concerned, and fulfill the Covenant of Allah, This He commands you, that you may remember. And verily, this (i.e. Allah’s Commandments mentioned in the above two Verses 151 and 152) is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become muttaqoon.” (Soorah Al-An‘am 6:151-153)
In addition to these Ten Commandments, they mentioned many other counsels and rulings which have come and gone and which were acted upon for a time, until they were disobeyed by those who were charged with the duty of fulfilling them. Then they set about changing them, distorting them and misinterpreting them. Then after all this, they abandoned them and they became abrogated and replaced with others, after having been prescribed and executed. And the whole affair – both past and present – is in Allah’s Hands; and He commands what He wills and does as He wants. Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of Al-‘Alameen!
And He, Most High, says, O, Children of Isra’eel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you on the right side of the Mount, and We sent down to you al-manna and quails, (saying) eat of the Tayyibat (good and lawful things) wherewith We have provided you, and commit no oppression therein, lest My Anger should justly descend on you. And he on whom My Anger descends, is indeed destroyed. And verily, I am indeed Forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them, (till his death). (Soorah Ta Ha 20:80-82)
Allah, Most High, reminds the Children of Isra’eel the Grace and Kindness that He has shown to them, by saving them from their enemies and delivering them from hardship and oppression. And He reminds them that He promised them the company of their Prophet – His Kaleem – to the right side of the mountain, i.e. to the right of them, in order that He might send down the great Commandments to him – and in these Commandments was great benefit for them – both in the life of this world and in the Hereafter. He also calls upon them to bring to mind how He sent down manna to them from the heaven when they were traveling throughout the Earth, in places where there were no crops and no livestock. They would awake each morning and find it around their tents and they would take from it for that day, sufficient for their needs until the same time the next day. And if anyone stored up more than that, he would find that it had gone bad, but if anyone took a little from it, he would find that it was enough for him. They used to make from it something resembling bread, which was just white and very sweet. Then in the afternoon, quails would descend on them and they would avail themselves of them without difficulty, as much as they needed, according to what was sufficient for their dinner.
And during the summer months, Allah would shade them with clouds, which protected them from the heat and dazzling brightness of the sun, as He, Most High, says in Soorah Al-Baqarah, O, Children of Isra’eel! Remember My Favor which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill (your obligations to) My Covenant (with you) so that I fulfill (My Obligations to) your covenant (with Me), and fear none but Me. And believe in what I have sent down (this Qur’an), confirming that which is with you, (the Tawrah and the Injeel), and be not the first to disbelieve therein, and buy (get) not with My Verses (the Tawrah and the Injeel) a small price (i.e. getting a small gain by selling My Verses), and fear Me and Me Alone. (Tafseer At-Tabari, Vol. I, page 253). (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2: 40,41) up to His words: And (remember) when We delivered you from Fir’awn’s people, who were subjecting you to horrible torment, killing your sons and sparing your daughters, and therein was a mighty trial from your Lord. And (remember) when We separated the sea for you and saved you and drowned Fir’awn’s people while you were looking (at them, when the seawater covered them). And (remember) when We appointed for Moosa forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were zalimoon. Then after that We forgave you so that you might be grateful. And (remember) when We gave Moosa the Scripture (the Tawrah) and the criterion (of right and wrong) so that you may be guided aright. And (remember) when Moosa said to his people, “O, my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf. So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves (the innocent kill the wrongdoers among you), that will be better for you with your Lord.” Then He accepted your repentance. Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. And (remember) when you said, “O, Moosa! We shall never believe in you till we see Allah plainly.” But you were seized with a thunderbolt (lightning) while you were looking. Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be grateful. And We shaded you with clouds and sent down on you al-manna and the quails, (saying), “Eat of the good lawful things We have provided for you,” (but they rebelled). And they did not wrong Us but they wronged themselves. (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:49-57) – up to His Words: And (remember) when Moosa asked for water for his people, We said, “Strike the stone with your stick.” Then twelve springs gushed forth therefrom. Each (group of) people knew its own place for water. “Eat and drink of that which Allah has provided and do not act corruptly, making mischief on the Earth.” And (remember) when you said, “O Moosa! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows, its herbs, its cucumbers, its foom, its lentils and its onions.” He said, “Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!” And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allah. That was because they used to disbelieve the Ayat of Allah and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds (in their disobedience to Allah, i.e. commit crimes and sins) (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:60,61)
So Allah, Most High, reminded them of the Blessings that He had bestowed on them and the Kindness He had shown to them, which made their lives easier, such as the manna and the quails – two pleasant foods, which they obtained without difficulty or effort on their part; indeed, Allah used to send down the manna in the early morning and the quails in the afternoon and He caused the water to gush forth in springs for them. Moosa (Peace be upon him) struck a rock which they had been carrying with them with his stick, upon which twelve springs gushed forth, one surging spring for each tribe. Then the flow became cold and they drew water, drank and watered their riding beasts, after which they kept what sufficed to supply their needs. In addition, He shaded them with the clouds from the heat (of the sun).
These were a plenty of blessings and valuable gifts from Allah, but they did not give them the attention or respect that they deserved, nor did they give thanks or observe worship for them. Then many of them became dissatisfied and bored with them and so they asked to be given something else in their place, from the produce of the land, such as herbs, cucumbers, foom, lentils and onions.
Al-Kaleem rebuked them, scolded them and reprehended them for these words and berated them, saying, “Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!” (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:61) It means that which you request and desire, in place of these blessings which you are enjoying may be found with the inhabitants of large and small towns; so if you go to them, i.e. and you give up this privilege – which you do not deserve – you will find there (in the towns) all those inferior foods that you mentioned, which you desire and yearn for. But I will not accede to your request, nor will I convey to you the fate which you bring upon yourselves.
And all of these characteristics which they displayed prove that they did not desist from what they were forbidden to do, as He, Most High, says, …and commit no oppression therein, lest My Anger should justly descend on you. And he on whom My Anger descends, he is indeed perished. (Soorah Ta Ha 20:81) That is, he is surely destroyed and he is most deserving of that; and Allah is the Destroyer, the Annihilator, Whose Anger rightly befalls such a person.
By Ibn Katheer
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