Taha 20:86
Ta-Ha · Juz 16 · Page 317
فَرَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ غَضۡبَٰنَ أَسِفٗاۚ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ أَلَمۡ يَعِدۡكُمۡ رَبُّكُمۡ وَعۡدًا حَسَنًاۚ أَفَطَالَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡعَهۡدُ أَمۡ أَرَدتُّمۡ أَن يَحِلَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ غَضَبٞ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ فَأَخۡلَفۡتُم مَّوۡعِدِي ٨٦
So Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved.1 He said, "O my people, did your Lord not make you a good promise?2 Then, was the time [of its fulfillment] too long for you, or did you wish that wrath from your Lord descend upon you, so you broke your promise [of obedience] to me?"
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Commentary on 20:86
When Almighty God informed Moses that his community had gone astray, he returned to his community very emotionally upset. He reminded his people that God had only recently showered His blessings on them and had revealed His many signs to them. So, how was it that they had forgotten everything so quickly and gone astray? Moses had gone to receive revelations from God for the Israelites and in the meantime the Israelites had started indulging in the worship of false deities at the instigation of certain misguided persons. This shows how deeply the polytheistic atmosphere of Egypt had influenced the Israelites and why it had become necessary to take them away from Egypt in order to restore them to the worship of the one God. Whatever Moses did with regard to Pharaoh was in connection with his dawah mission, and whatever he did with regard to the Israelites was in the context of safeguarding true religion. He performed both these tasks simultaneously. This shows the importance of both these tasks. If the Muslims had gone astray, dawah activity could not be stopped on that account and, similarly, if dawah work had to be done, it was not to be at the cost of internal reform.
Page 317
20:77
وَلَقَدۡ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنۡ أَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِي فَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُمۡ طَرِيقٗا فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ يَبَسٗا لَّا تَخَٰفُ دَرَكٗا وَلَا تَخۡشَىٰ ٧٧
And We had inspired to Moses, "Travel by night with My servants and strike for them a dry path through the sea; you will not fear being overtaken [by Pharaoh] nor be afraid [of drowning]."
20:78
فَأَتۡبَعَهُمۡ فِرۡعَوۡنُ بِجُنُودِهِۦ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمۡ ٧٨
So Pharaoh pursued them with his soldiers, and there covered them from the sea that which covered them,1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., not only the water but that which only Allāh knows - terror, pain, regret, etc. ↩
20:79
وَأَضَلَّ فِرۡعَوۡنُ قَوۡمَهُۥ وَمَا هَدَىٰ ٧٩
And Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide [them].
20:80
يَٰبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ قَدۡ أَنجَيۡنَٰكُم مِّنۡ عَدُوِّكُمۡ وَوَٰعَدۡنَٰكُمۡ جَانِبَ ٱلطُّورِ ٱلۡأَيۡمَنَ وَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰ ٨٠
O Children of Israel, We delivered you from your enemy, and We made an appointment with you1 at the right side of the mount, and We sent down to you manna and quails,
1 translator’s note
- i.e., with your prophet, to receive the scripture for you. ↩
20:81
كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَٰكُمۡ وَلَا تَطۡغَوۡاْ فِيهِ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ غَضَبِيۖ وَمَن يَحۡلِلۡ عَلَيۡهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدۡ هَوَىٰ ٨١
[Saying], "Eat from the good things with which We have provided you and do not transgress [or oppress others] therein, lest My anger should descend upon you. And he upon whom My anger descends has certainly fallen [i.e., perished]."
20:82
وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٞ لِّمَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا ثُمَّ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ ٨٢
But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance.
20:83
۞ وَمَآ أَعۡجَلَكَ عَن قَوۡمِكَ يَٰمُوسَىٰ ٨٣
[Allāh said], "And what made you hasten from your people, O Moses?"
20:84
قَالَ هُمۡ أُوْلَآءِ عَلَىٰٓ أَثَرِي وَعَجِلۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ رَبِّ لِتَرۡضَىٰ ٨٤
He said, "They are close upon my tracks, and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You be pleased."
20:85
قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدۡ فَتَنَّا قَوۡمَكَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ ٱلسَّامِرِيُّ ٨٥
[Allāh] said, "But indeed, We have tried your people after you [departed], and the Sāmirī1 has led them astray."
1 translator’s note
- Translated as "the Samaritan" (from Samaria), a hypocrite among them who led the Children of Israel into idol-worship. ↩
20:86
فَرَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ غَضۡبَٰنَ أَسِفٗاۚ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ أَلَمۡ يَعِدۡكُمۡ رَبُّكُمۡ وَعۡدًا حَسَنًاۚ أَفَطَالَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡعَهۡدُ أَمۡ أَرَدتُّمۡ أَن يَحِلَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ غَضَبٞ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ فَأَخۡلَفۡتُم مَّوۡعِدِي ٨٦
So Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved.1 He said, "O my people, did your Lord not make you a good promise?2 Then, was the time [of its fulfillment] too long for you, or did you wish that wrath from your Lord descend upon you, so you broke your promise [of obedience] to me?"
20:87
قَالُواْ مَآ أَخۡلَفۡنَا مَوۡعِدَكَ بِمَلۡكِنَا وَلَٰكِنَّا حُمِّلۡنَآ أَوۡزَارٗا مِّن زِينَةِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ فَقَذَفۡنَٰهَا فَكَذَٰلِكَ أَلۡقَى ٱلسَّامِرِيُّ ٨٧
They said, "We did not break our promise to you by our will, but we were made to carry burdens from the ornaments of the people [of Pharaoh], so we threw them [into the fire], and thus did the Sāmirī throw."