In the name of Allah the Merciful, the Beneficent
So Moses said to his people: “My people, remember the favors which Allah has bestowed upon you when he raised up prophets among you, made you kings and granted you what he has granted to no other nation. My people enter the holy land which Allah has assigned to you. Do not turn back, or you shall be ruined.
“Moses, “they answered, “mighty people dwell in that land, and we will surely not enter it unless they depart from it. If they do depart, then we will enter. Thereupon two men who were God-fearing and on whom Allah had bestowed his grace said: “Go in upon them through the gate. When you have entered, you shall be victorious. In Allah put your trust, if you are true believers. They said, “Moses, we will never set foot in it so long as they are in it. Go forth, then, you and your Lord, and fight. We will stay here.
“Lord,” he said, “I am master of none but myself and my brother. Do, then, draw a dividing line between us and these wrongdoing folk.” He replied, “This land will then be
Forbidden to them for forty years, during which they will wander aimlessly on earth. Do not grieve for these wrongdoing folk. (The Repast, “ Al-Maidah”-5:20-26)
Moses (peace be on him) was worried as he made his appeal to the Jews to enter the holy land that they might disobey. His worries were soon to come true as they sought to give excuses for failing to comply. They answered him in these words: “Moses, mighty people dwell in that land, and we will surely not enter it unless they depart from it. If they do depart, then we will enter.”
The Jewish nature appears here un-masked, without cosmetics. They were facing danger and, therefore, all attempts to put up a brave face were abandoned. Not even Allah’s promise to them to make this land theirs was sufficient to motivate them. They wanted an easier prize without paying any price. It should come to them from heaven as Manna and quails were sent down for them to eat “Mighty people dwell in that land, and we will surely not enter it unless they depart from it. If they do depart, then we will enter.”
Victory, however, does not come in this manner as the Jews wanted, when they were devoid of faith: “Thereupon two men who were God- fearing and on whom Allah had bestowed his grace said: “Go in upon them through the gate. When you have entered, you shall be victorious. In Allah put your Trust, if you are true believers.”
The value of having faith and being God fearing appears very clearly. These were two men, who feared Allah, and being God-fearing made them totally fearless when they confronted mighty-people, they had all the courage needed to dispel the imaginary danger. They made this testimony, highlighting the importance of faith and the time of trial and difficulty. They wanted to show what it meant to fear Allah alone at times when people fear each other. Allah does not combine the two feelings of fear in any one man’s heart: A person who fears Allah fears no one else.
“Go in upon them through the gate, when you have entered, you shall be victorious.”
This is a basic rule in how to fight the enemy. The Jews are advised here to launch an offensive which takes them right through into the other people’s homes. Once they are in, the others will be demoralized while their own morale will be high indeed. Those attacked will suffer a total loss of confidence and the attackers will win.
“In Allah put your trust, if you are true believers.” A believer relies on no one other than Allah. This is the distinctive mark and the correlative of faith. But who were these two men addressing the Jews with these true words? True to their nature, the children of Israel said, “Moses, we will never set foot in it so long as they are in it. Go forth, then, you and your Lord, and fight. We will stay here.”
When cowardly people are cornered, they are increasingly impudent. They start to kick around like donkeys but they never step forward. Often, cowardice and impudence go hand in hand. A cowardly person is reminded of his duty, but his strength fails him. His neglect of his duty embarrasses him and he abuses this duty as well as the message which imposes on him what he does not want.
“Go forth, then, you and your lord and fight. We will stay here,” A perfect example of rudeness from weak people who realise that rudeness costs nothing, but words. Fulfillment of their duty, on the other hand, requires them to fight in a real war. “Go forth, then, you and your Lord.” He is, then, not their Lord if his lordship means that they will have to fight. “We will stay here.” We neither desire a kingdom nor sovereignty nor even the promised holy land if it means that we will have to fight these mighty people.
This is now the end for Moses (peace be on him) after the strenuous efforts he exerted with the children of Israel and after bearing all impudence and deviation. The result was simply to turn back away from the holy land when they stood at its doors. This was a clear violation of the covenant they had made with Allah, but the covenant applied to Moses also. What should he do now and whose help he should seek?
“Lord, he said, “I am master of none but myself and my brother, Do, then, draw a dividing line between us and these wrong doing folk.” It is a prayer uttered with pain. It is an appeal to Allah and total submission to him. It also expresses total determination and a total break with those who disobeyed.
Moses was aware that Allah knew that he could not account for anyone other than himself and his brother. His are the feelings of weakness experienced by a person who suffered a major let-down, the faith of a prophet who spoke to Allah directly, the determination of an unshakeable believer. He could not put his complaint to any one other than Allah,whom he prays to draw a dividing line between him and the evil doers. Nothing could provide a link with them after they had abandoned their covenant with Allah. No relationship of family, lineage, history or previous efforts was of any significance. Their only relationship is faith and the pledges they had given to Allah. As they breached them, then all relations have been severed. As for him, he was determined to fulfill his own promises to Allah, while they continued to do wrong.
This is the attitude of humble politeness shown by a prophet, and this is the action plan of a firm believer. The tie which could bring believers together was the tie of faith. Nationality, lineage, race, language, history and all other ties known to mankind are of no significance when the tie of faith is severed.
Allah answered his prophet’s prayer and pronounced his judgment of the wrong doers. “This land will then be forbidden to them for 40 years during which they wander aimlessly on earth. Do not grieve for these wrong doing folk.” As they approached the holy land which Allah has promised them, he abandoned them to their aimless wandering. He forbade them the land he had signed to them. The weightier view suggest that the land was forbidden to that particular generation of them, until a new generation came of age, aware of the lessons and strengthened by their up-bringing in the desert. The first generation had long been used to subjugation and tyranny in Egypt. As such, it could not shoulder the tough responsibilities. Tyranny and humiliation corrupt the nature of individuals as well as communities.
The Muslims also learned this tough lesson Allah has related to them. When they came face to face with difficulty and they were few in number confronting a mightier force of polytheists in Badr, they said to their Prophet Muhammed (peace be on him), “We will not say to you messenger of Allah what the Israelities said to their prophet. “Go forth, then, you and your lord, and fight. We will stay here.” But we will say to you; go forth, then, you and your lord, and fight: we will fight alongside you.
We see how the Qur’anic method produced results in educating the Muslim community through relating stories from past generations of believers. We can also see what purpose is served by relating the history of the children of Israel.