SURAH (20) TAA HAA (AYA 61 to 90)

قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَىٰ وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُمْ بِعَذَابٍ ۖ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرَىٰ {20:61}

[Q20:61] Qaala lahum Moosaa wailakum laa taftaroo 'alal laahi kaziban fa yus hitakum bi 'azaab, wa qad khaaba manif taraa. 
[Q20:61] Musa said to them: Woe to you! Do not forge a lie against ALLAH (SWT), lest He destroy you by a punishment, and he who forges (a lie) indeed fails to attain (his desire).

[Q20:61] Nabi Musa berkata kepada mereka: Celakalah kamu kelak! Janganlah kamu mendakwa secara dusta terhadap ALLAH (SwT), kerana dengan sebab itu Dia akan membinasakan kamu dengan azab seksa dan sesungguhnya orang yang berdusta, tetap hampa dan kecewa. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:61) (On the very occasion) Moses warned (his adversaries), saying, *33 "O unfortunate people, do not invent falsehoods in regard to Allah: *34 otherwise He will destroy you by a scourge: for whoso invented a falsehood, perished."

*33 The "adversaries" whom Prophet Moses addressed were Pharaoh and his courtiers who had dubbed him as a "sorcerer", and not the common people, who had yet to see the encounter between him and the magicians.
*34 "The falsehoods" were that they had dubbed Allah's Messenger as a "sorcerer" and his miracles as "a piece of sorcery". 

فَتَنَازَعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَىٰ {20:62}

[Q20:62] Fatanaaza'ooo amrahum bainahum wa asarrun najwaa. 
[Q20:62] So they disputed with one another about their affair and kept the discourse secret.

[Q20:62] Maka merekapun berbantahan dan berunding sesama sendiri mengenai perkara sihir mereka dan mereka rahsiakan apa yang mereka rundingkan. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:62) Hearing this, a difference of opinion arose among them concerning the issue, and they began to hold secret consultations. *35

*35 This shows that those people felt in their hearts that their position was weak and knew that the miracle shown by Prophet Moses was not a piece of magic. Therefore, they had come for the encounter with hesitation and fear. But when the timely, sudden warning of Prophet Moses shook them to the core, they began to debate the wisdom of holding the encounter on the Feast Day in an open place in the broad day light. For they thought that if they were defeated in the presence of the common people, all would come to know of the difference between magic and a miracle and they would lose the battle once for all. 

قَالُوا إِنْ هَٰذَانِ لَسَاحِرَانِ يُرِيدَانِ أَنْ يُخْرِجَاكُمْ مِنْ أَرْضِكُمْ بِسِحْرِهِمَا وَيَذْهَبَا بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ الْمُثْلَىٰ {20:63}

[Q20:63] Qaalooo in haaazaani lasaahiraani yureedaani ai yukhrijaakum min ardikum bisihrihimaa wa yazhabaa bitareeqatikumul muslaa. 
[Q20:63] They said: These are most surely two magicians who wish to turn you out from your land by their magic and to take away your best traditions.

[Q20:63] Mereka berkata: Dua orang ini, sebenarnya dua ahli sihir yang bertujuan hendak mengeluarkan kamu dari negeri kamu dengan sihir mereka dan hendak melenyapkan kepercayaan serta adat peraturan kamu yang utama  

On Pharaoh asking what the matter was and the magicians out of fear for him said this. 

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(20:63) At last some of them decided the issue, saying, *36 "These two are no more than sorcerers. Their object is to drive you out of your homeland by the power of their sorcery, and bring to an end your ideal way of life. *37

*36 Those who were of this view must have been a few fanatics of Pharaoh's party-who were prepared to go to any extent to oppose Prophet Moses. Those hot-headed people must have been preparing the public for a determined encounter, while the saner and experienced among them must have been advising caution and restraint. 
*37 Probably those people based their argument on two things: 
(1) If their magicians were also able to turn their staffs into serpents, it would be a clear proof that Moses too was a sorcerer. 
(2) If, on the other hand, Moses won, the rulers would lose their country, and their ideal way of life, which reflected their culture, their arts, their civilization, their recreations, etc. would automatically come to an end. Therefore they should do all they could to defeat Moses.

فَأَجْمِعُوا كَيْدَكُمْ ثُمَّ ائْتُوا صَفًّا ۚ وَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْيَوْمَ مَنِ اسْتَعْلَىٰ {20:64}

[Q20:64] Fa ajmi'oo kaidakum summma'too saffaa; wa qad aflahal yawma manis ta'laa.
[Q20:64] Therefore settle your plan, then come standing in ranks and he will prosper indeed this day who overcomes.

[Q20:64] Oleh itu, satukanlah segala cara helah kamu, kemudian datanglah beramai-ramai dalam satu barisan untuk menentangnya dan sesungguhnya beruntunglah orang yang menang pada hari ini. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:64) Therefore muster up all your devices and come into the field with a united front. *38 You should realize that whoso comes out victorious today, he will win (the battle of ideology)."

*38 They also urged them to present a united front and not to show their differences on the very occasion of the encounter. For, they argued, any hesitation and secret consultation before the very eyes of the public would show that they did not consider themselves to be in the right. 

قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَنْ تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ نَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىٰ {20:65}

[Q20:65] Qaaloo yaa Moosaaa immaaa an tulqiya wa immaaa an nakoona awala man alqaa.
[Q20:65] They said: O Musa! Will you cast, or shall we be the first who cast down?

[Q20:65] Mereka berkata: Wahai Musa! Engkaukah yang akan mencampak lebih dahulu atau kamikah yang mula-mula mencampak? 

ALLAH (SWT) AND THE GODLY ONES NEVER TAKE THE INITIATIVE OF CHALLENGING ANYONE BUT TAKE THE CHALLENGE AND ANSWER IT. Moses could have cast the Rod first BUT, he allowed the magicians to do whatever they could, and then played his role as needed by the situation. 

ä  When the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) (at Khandaq) faced one of the greatest Pharaohs of Makka viz. Omar ibne Abd Ud the unconquerable hero of the heathens, challenging the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), ASKING IF there was anyone on the side of ALLAH (SWT) (i.e., ALLAH (SWT)’s prescribed faith Islam) to meet him in combat, AND none of the companions responded to the repeated call from the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

     Then the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) sent his vicegerent Ali ibne Abi Talib to answer the challenge of the heathen giant. Ali was only a young man of about twenty five years of age. Omar challenged Ali to attack him but Ali, like Moses, answered ‘We of the Ahlul Bayt never take initiative to start any quarrel, we only respond to it duty’ AND told Omar to strike and when Omar attacked with a heavy blow, Ali with wonderful dexterity avoided the stroke and returning the same to him sent Omar to hell.

For Moses’ meeting the magicians of Pharaoh see verses 7:109-120.

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(20:65) The magicians *39 said, "O Moses, will you cast down (your things) or shall we cast down first?"

*39 That confidence was subsequently restored among Pharaoh's party by the speech of the head-strong people, and the magicians were asked to come iota the field for the encounter, has been omitted. 

قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا ۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ {20:66}

[Q20:66] Qaala bal alqoo fa izaa hibaaluhum wa 'isiyyuhum yuhaiyalu ilaihi min sihrihim annahaa tas'aa. 
[Q20:66] He said: Nay! Cast down. Then lo! Their cords and their rods-- it was imaged to him on account of their magic as if they were running.

[Q20:66] Nabi Musa menjawab: Bahkan kamulah campak dahulu. Tiba-tiba tali-tali mereka dan tongkat-tongkat mereka terbayang-bayang kepadanya seolah-olah benda-benda berjalan, disebabkan sihir mereka.  

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:66) Moses replied, "No, cast down (yours). Suddenly it so appeared to Moses that their cords and staffs were running about by the power of their magic, *40

*40 'In V11: 116, it was stated: "When they threw down their devices they bewitched the eyes of the people and filled their hearts with terror." Here it is stated that it was not the common people alone who were terrified by their magic but Prophet Moses too suffered from its effect. He not only seemed to see that the staffs and cords were running about like serpents but he also felt a dread of them. 

فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُوسَىٰ {20:67}

[Q20:67] Fa awjasa fee nafsihee kheefatam Moosa. 
[Q20:67] So Musa conceived in his mind a fear.

[Q20:67] Maka yang demikian menjadikan Nabi Musa merasa takut sedikit dalam hatinya.  

See verse 9:117. Amirul-Momineen Ali ibne Abi Talib says that the fear felt by Moses was not of serpents OR for himself BUT AGAINST THE PEOPLE BEING MISLED. The next verse 68 supports this interpretation.

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(20:67) and Moses' heart was filled with fear. *41

*41 It appears that no sooner did Prophet Moses say, "Cast down", than the magicians immediately cast their staffs and cords and it seemed as if hundreds of serpents were running towards him, and he instinctively felt e dread of them. And there is nothing strange in this because a Prophet is after all a human being. Besides this, it is also possible that Prophet Moses apprehended that the demonstration of the magic might create a misunderstanding among the people about his miracle.
This is also a proof that a Prophet too can be influenced by magic to a certain extent like the common people, though magicians have no power to produce any effect on his Prophethood or interfere with Revelation, or misguide hint. THEREFORE there is no reason why one should consider as false those traditions in which it has been stated that the Holy Prophet suffered temporarily from the effect of magic.

قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعْلَىٰ {20:68}

[Q20:68] Qulnaa laa takhaf innaka antal a'laa; 
[Q20:68] We said: Fear not, surely you shall be the uppermost,

[Q20:68] Kami berfirman kepadanya: Janganlah engkau takut (wahai Musa)! Sesungguhnya engkaulah yang tertinggi mengatasi mereka dengan kemenangan.  

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:68) We said, "Don't fear for you will come out victorious.

وَأَلْقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوا ۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ ۖ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ {69}

[Q20:69] Qa alqi maa fee yamee nika talqaf maa sana'oo; innamaa sana'oo kaidu saahir; wa laa yuflihus saahiru haisu ataa. 
[Q20:69] And cast down what is in your right hand; it shall devour what they have wrought; they have wrought only the plan of a magician, and the magician shall not be successful wheresoever he may come from.

[Q20:69] Dan campakkanlah apa yang ada di tangan kananmu, nescaya ia menelan segala (benda-benda sihir) yang mereka lakukan, kerana sesungguhnya apa yang mereka lakukan itu hanyalah tipu daya ahli sihir; sedang ahli sihir itu tidak akan beroleh kejayaan, di mana sahaja dia berada. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:69) Cast down what is in your hand, and it will swallow up all their sham creation; *42 for they are mere tricks of a magician; and a magician can never succeed, howsoever skilled he may be."

*42 This is capable of two interpretations: (1) the staff, which was turned into a dragon by a miracle, actually swallowed up all the staffs and cords which had been trade to appear as serpents. (2) The dragon of the staff did not actually swallow up the serpents of the magicians but wiped out the effect of their magic from these things and they again became ordinary cords and staffs. We prefer the second interpretation because the wording of VII: 117 and XXVI: 45 is this: "It swallowed up their false magic", and here the wording is: "It will swallow up all their sham creation". Obviously, the staffs and cords were not their creation but the tragic which had made them appear like serpents.

فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَارُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ {20:70}

[Q20:70] Fa ulqiyas saharatu sujjadan qaalooo aamannaa bi Rabbi Haaroona wa Moosa. 
[Q20:70] And the magicians were cast down making obeisance; they said: We believe in the Lord of Haroun and Musa.

[Q20:70] (Nabi Musa pun mencampakkan tongkatnya yang terus menelan segala benda sihir mereka), maka keadaan yang demikian menjadikan ahli-ahli sihir itu segera merebahkan diri sujud sambil berkata: Kami beriman kepada Tuhan yang mengutus Nabi Harun dan Nabi Musa.  

This indicates the difference between miracle and sorcery. THE RESULT OF A MIRACLE IS REAL AND LASTING WHEREAS that of sorcery is unreal and momentary. See also commentary of verses 7:120-123.

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(20:70) Accordingly, at the end of the encounter, all the magicians were cast down to prostration *43 and they cried out, "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses." *44

*43 When they saw the power of the staff of Moses, they involuntarily fell prostrate as if some one had trade them do so, because they were convinced that it was a miracle and not a feat of tragic. 
*44 This profession of faith by the magicians shows that every one was aware of the basic object of the encounter. It was not an encounter between the feats of the magicians and those of Prophet Moses, but it was to decide whether the claim of Prophet Moses that he was a Messenger of Allah was true or not. If this staff was actually turned into a dragon, it was by means of a miracle. On the other hand, Pharaoh intended to prove by the feats of his magicians that it was not a miracle but a feat of magic. Incidentally, this also shows that Pharaoh and his magicians and the common people fully understood the distinction between a miracle and a feat of magic. ,That is why when the magicians saw that it was a miracle shown by the power of Allah which had exposed their magic, they did not say that Moses was a more skilful magician, but straightway fell prostrate, saying, "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses."
It is obvious that the defeat turned the tables on Pharaoh who had himself arranged the encounter "to expose" Prophet Moses. He had mustered all his magicians with a view to demonstrating before the public that there was nothing extraordinary in turning a staff into a serpent for this could be done by every magician. But the defeat of the magicians and their acknowledgment testified that Moses was really a Messenger of Allah and the transformation of the staff was not a feat of magic but a miracle.

قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ ۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ {20:71}

[Q20:71] Qaala aamantum lahoo qabla an aazana lakum; innahoo lakabeerukumul lazee 'allama kumus sihra fala uqatti'anna aidiyakum wa arjulakum min khilaafinw wa la usallibannakum fee juzoo'in nakhli wa lata'lamunna aiyunaaa ashaddu 'azaabanw wa abqaa. 
[Q20:71] (Firon) said: You believe in him before I give you leave; most surely he is the chief of you who taught you enchantment, therefore I will certainly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will certainly crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees, and certainly you will come to know which of us is the more severe and the more abiding in chastising.

[Q20:71] Firaun berkata: Patutkah kamu beriman kepada Musa sebelum aku memberi izin kepada kamu? Sesungguhnya dialah ketua kamu yang mengajar sihir kepada kamu. Oleh itu, demi sesungguhnya, aku akan memotong tangan dan kaki kamu dengan bersilang, dan aku akan memalang kamu pada batang-batang pohon tamar dan demi sesungguhnya kamu akan mengetahui kelak siapakah di antara kita yang lebih keras azab seksanya dan lebih kekal.  

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:71) Pharaoh said, "Have you believed in him before I gave you permission? Obviously, he is your master who has taught you sorcery. *45 Well, now I will have your hands and feet cut off on alternate sides *46 and crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees *47 then you shall know whose punishment is more terrible and tasting (mine or that of Moses)." *48

*45 In VII : 123, it has been stated : "Indeed it was a plot you conspired in the city to ,deprive the rightful owners of their power." Here the same thing has been further explained, as if to say, "It is not merely a plot between you and him but it appears that Moses is your master and leader. You conspired beforehand that you would be defeated by your master in the encounter to prove that he was a Messenger who had shown the miracle of the staff to frustrate your magic and bring about a political revolution in the country." 
*46 That is, "Right hand and left foot or via versa." 
*47 This was a very cruel way of punishment in ancient times. They fixed a long pole in the ground or used the trunk of a tree for this purpose. Then a piece of wood was tied across it at the top. Then the hands of the criminal were nailed on to it and he was left hanging there for hours to die a slow, painful death. 
*48 This was the last trick played by Pharaoh to win the losing game. He held out the threat of a cruel punishment in order to coerce them to admit that there really was a conspiracy between Prophet Moses and them against the kingdom.But the fortitude and determination of the magicians turned the tables on him. The very fact that, they were ready to endure the terrible punishment proved to the world that they had sincerely believed in the Prophethood of Moses and that the charge of conspiracy was an impudent trick that had been invented as a device. 

قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْثِرَكَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَاءَنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالَّذِي فَطَرَنَا ۖ فَاقْضِ مَا أَنْتَ قَاضٍ ۖ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِي هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا {20:72}

[Q20:72] Qaaloo lan nu'siraka 'alaa maa jaaa'anaa minal baiyinaati wallazee fataranaa faqdi maaa anta qaad; innamaa taqdee haazihil hayaatad dunyaa. 
[Q20:72] They said: We do not prefer you to what has come to us of clear arguments and to He Who made us, therefore decide what you are going to decide; you can only decide about this world's life.

[Q20:72] Mereka menjawab: Kami tidak sekali-kali akan mengutamakanmu daripada apa yang telah datang kepada kami dari mukjizat-mukjizat yang terang nyata dan (tidak akan mengutamakanmu daripada) Tuhan yang telah menjadikan kita semua. Oleh itu, hukumkanlah apa sahaja yang engkau hendak hukumkan, kerana sesungguhnya engkau hanyalah dapat menghukum dalam kehidupan dunia ini sahaja. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:72) The magicians replied, "By Him Who has created us, we can never prefer you (to the Truth) after we have seen clear Signs. *49 Therefore you may do your worst, for at the most you can pass judgment concerning this worldly life.

*49 'It may also be interpreted like this: "It cannot be that we should prefer you to these plain Signs which have come before us and to that Being Who has created us."

إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ {73}

[Q20:73] Innaaa aamannaa bi Rabbinaa liyaghfira lanaa khataayaanaa wa maaa akrahtanaa 'alaihi minas sihr; wallaahu khairunw waabqaa. 
[Q20:73] Surely we believe in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and the magic to which you compelled us; and ALLAH (SWT) is better and more abiding.

[Q20:73] Sesungguhnya kami telah beriman kepada Tuhan kami, supaya diampunkanNya kesalahan-kesalahan kami dan dosa-dosa sihir yang engkau paksakan kami melakukannya dan ALLAH (SwT) jualah yang lebih baik dan lebih kekal balasan pahalaNya. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:73) We have believed in our Lord so that He may pardon our errors, and forgive us the sin of sorcery which you forced us to practice. Allah is Best and Eternal."

إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَأْتِ رَبَّهُ مُجْرِمًا فَإِنَّ لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ {20:74}

[Q20:74] Innahoo mai yaati Rabbahoo mujriman fa inna lahoo Jahannama laa yamotu feehaa wa laa yahyaa. 
[Q20:74] Whoever comes to his Lord (being) guilty, for him is surely hell; he shall not die therein, nor shall he live.

[Q20:74] Sebenarnya sesiapa yang datang kepada Tuhannya pada hari akhirat sedang ia bersalah maka sesungguhnya adalah baginya Neraka Jahannam yang dia tidak mati di dalamnya dan tidak pula hidup. 

THOSE COMMITTED TO HELL WOULD SUFFER THE LIFE WHICH WOULD BE WORSE THAN DEATH, AND though they would prefer death BUT it would be given to them, for death would mean the cessation of the torment to which they would be committed.

£  The life in Hell would be a continued consciousness.

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(20:74) –In fact, *50 for the one who comes before his Lord as a criminal, there shall be Hell, wherein he shall neither live nor die. *51

*50 This is a saying of Allah, which has been added to the foregoing words of the magicians.
*51 This is the most terrible of all the punishments that have been mentioned in the Qur'an. The criminal will prefer death to the horrible life in Hell, but death will not come to him. He will remain in that state of agony without any hope of relief from it. 

وَمَنْ يَأْتِهِ مُؤْمِنًا قَدْ عَمِلَ الصَّالِحَاتِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الدَّرَجَاتُ الْعُلَىٰ {20:75}

[Q20:75] Wa mai yaatihee mu'minan qad 'amilas saalihaati fa ulaaa'ika lahumud dara jaatul 'ulaa, 
[Q20:75] And whoever comes to Him a believer (and) he has done good deeds indeed, these it is who shall have the high ranks,

[Q20:75] Dan sesiapa yang datang kepadaNya sedang dia beriman, serta dia telah mengerjakan amal-amal yang soleh, maka mereka itu akan beroleh tempat-tempat tinggal yang tinggi darjatnya:  

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:75) As for the one, who comes before Him as a Believer, who has done good deeds, all such people will have the highest ranks for them.

جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ مَنْ تَزَكَّىٰ {20:76}

[Q20:76] Jannaatu 'Adnin tajree min tahtihal anhaaru khaalideena feehaa; wa zaalika jazaaa'u aman tazakka. 
[Q20:76] The gardens of perpetuity, beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein; and this is the reward of him who has purified himself.

[Q20:76] (Iaitu) Syurga-syurga yang kekal, yang mengalir padanya beberapa sungai, mereka kekal di dalamnya dan yang demikian itu ialah balasan orang-orang yang membersihkan dirinya dari perbuatan kufur dan maksiat.

THE LIFE IN PARADISE WILL BE A CONTINUED CONSCIOUSNESS OF ENJOYMENT OF THE SUBLIME BLISS AND THE GRACE OF THE LORD mentioned in these two verses 75 & 76.

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(20:76) They will dwell for ever in the evergreen Gardens beneath which canals flow. Such is the reward of the one who adopts purity.

SECTION 7

The Children of Israel follow Moses

Moses ordained to march away with the Children of Israel – A Miraculous way through the sea is created by Moses striking his Rod on the water of the sea – Moses gets through and Pharaoh drowned along with his hosts.

وَلَقَدْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا لَا تَخَافُ دَرَكًا وَلَا تَخْشَىٰ {20:77}

[Q20:77] Wa laqad awhainaaa ilaa Moosaaa an asri bi'ibaadee fadrib lahum tareeqan fil bahri yabasal laa takhaafu darakanw wa laa takhshaa. 
[Q20:77] And certainly We revealed to Musa, saying: Travel by night with My servants, then make for them a dry path in the sea, not fearing to be overtaken, nor being afraid.

[Q20:77] Dan demi sesungguhnya! Kami telah wahyukan kepada Nabi Musa: Hendaklah engkau membawa hamba-hambaKu (kaummu) keluar memgembara pada waktu malam, kemudian pukullah air laut dengan tongkatmu, untuk mengadakan jalan yang kering bagi mereka di laut itu; janganlah engkau menaruh bimbang daripada ditangkap oleh musuh dan jangan pula engkau takut tenggelam. 

MOSES WAS COMMANDED BY ALLAH (SWT) TO STRIKE AT THE WATER OF THE SEA IN FRONT OF HIM. Twelve dry paths were effected through the deep water, for the Twelve Tribes of the Israelites to march away to safety. Moses was assured of not being overtaken by Pharaoh in the safe passage through the sea. The water was split and made to stand still like huge walls on either side.

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(20:77) We *52 sent this Revelation to Moses: "Set forth with My servants during the night and make for them a dry path across the sea. *53 Have no fear of being overtaken nor be afraid (while passing through the sea)."

*52 Here the details of the events which happened during the long period of Prophet Moses' stay in Egypt have been omitted. For these please see VII: 130-147, X: 83-92, XL: 23-5O and XLIII: 46-56. 
*53 This happened when God at last appointed a night for the exodus of the lsraelites and the other Muslims from Egypt. They were asked to gather at a fixed place and set forth as a caravan. Just at the time when they reached the coast of the Red Sea Prom where they had to cross to the Sinai Peninsula, Pharaoh arrived there with a large army in their pursuit. We learn from XXVI: 61 -63 that when they were literally between the devil and the deep sea, Allah commanded Moses to smite the sea with his staff and according to this verse the sea tore asunder and stood like two high walls on both sides, leaving a dry path between them for the caravan to pass. Thus, it is quite clear and plain that it was a miracle, and not the result of a wind storm or tide, for when the water rises in this way it does not remain standing like two high walls, leaving a dry path between them. (For details see E.N. 47 of Chapter XXVI). 

فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُمْ مِنَ الْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمْ {20:78}

[Q20:78] Fa atba'ahum Fir'awnu bijunoodihee faghashiyahum minal yammmi maa ghashi yahum. 
[Q20:78] And Firon followed them with his armies, so there came upon them of the sea that which came upon them.

[Q20:78] Maka Firaun pun mengejar mereka bersama-sama dengan tenteranya, lalu dia dan orang-orangnya diliputi oleh air laut yang menenggelamkan mereka semuanya dengan cara yang sedahsyat-dahsyatnya. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:78) Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts but the sea overwhelmed them completely. *54

*54 According to XXVI: 64-66, Pharaoh with his hosts followed the caravan on the dry path and they were all drowned. In II:50  it has been stated that the Israelites had reached the other shore and saw them drowning in the sea. From X: 90-92, we learn that Pharaoh professed to believe in God while he was drowning but this was rejected by God and he was told that his dead body would he preserved for the coming generations to serve as a lesson for them.

وَأَضَلَّ فِرْعَوْنُ قَوْمَهُ وَمَا هَدَىٰ {20:79}

[Q20:79] wa adalla fir'awnu qawmahoo wa maa hadaa. 
[Q20:79] And Firon led astray his people and he did not guide (them) aright.

[Q20:79] Dan dengan itu Firaun telah menjerumuskan kaumnya ke tempat kebinasaan dan tidaklah dia membawa mereka ke jalan yang benar. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:79) Pharaoh had misled his people and had not guided them aright. *55

*55 This was a subtle warning to the disbelievers of Makkah, as if to say, "Your chiefs and leaders are leading you on the same way on which Pharaoh led his people; now you may yourselves see that he did not guide them aright."
In conclusion, it will be worth while to consider the version as given in the Bible, for this will make it plain that it is absolutely false and ridiculous to say that the Qur'an has copied these stories from the Israelite traditions. We learn from Exodus the following:
(1) According to 4: 2-5, the miracle of the staff was given to Prophet Moses, and in 4:17 he was instructed: "And thou shalt take this rod in thee hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs", but according to 7: 9, the same rod was transferred to Prophet Aaron and then it remained with him to work miracles. 
(2) The first dialogue between Prophet Moses and Pharaoh has been given in Chapter 5, but there is no mention in it whatever of the Doctrine of Tauhid presented by Moses. In answer to Pharaoh's question: "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord", Moses and Aaron merely said, "The God of the Hebrews hath met with us". (5: 2-3).
(3) The encounter with the magicians has been summed up in a few sentences thus: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." (7:8-12)
When we compare this with the version of it in the Qur'an, it becomes obvious that the description in the Bible lacks the real essence of the whole encounter, for it does not mention that the encounter took place on the Day of the Feast in the open as a result of a regular challenge, and there is no mention at all that the magicians became believers in the Lord of Moses and Aaron and remained steadfast in their faith even in face of terrible threats. 
(4) According to the Qur'an, Prophet Moses demanded full freedom and liberty for the Israelites, but according to the Bible his demand was only this: "Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God." (5:3) 
(5) In Chapters 11 to 14, the details of the events concerning the exodus from Egypt to the drowning of Pharaoh have been given. Though these contain some useful information and details about the events which have been briefly described in the Qur'an, they contain some strange contradictions as well. For instance, in 14:15-16 the staff (rod) again comes into the hands of Prophet Moses, who is commanded: ".... Iift thou up thy rod, and stretch out throe hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." But in w. 21 -22, it is said: "And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry /and, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground.' and the waters were a wall unto them, on their right hand, and on their left." It is not clear whether the sea was divided by a miracle or by a strong "east wind" which incidentally has never been known to divide the sea into two parts leaving a dry path between them.
It will also be worth while to make a study of these events as given in the Talmud. The Talmudic account differs from the Biblical version but is nearer to the one given in the Qur'an. A comparative study of the two clearly shows that the one is based on direct Revelation from Allah and the other on centuries old oral traditions which have been handed down from one generation to the other and thus considerably tampered with. (See H. Polano: The Talmud Selections, pp. 150-154). 

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدْ أَنْجَيْنَاكُمْ مِنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ وَوَاعَدْنَاكُمْ جَانِبَ الطُّورِ الْأَيْمَنَ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ {20:80}

[Q20:80] Yaa Baneee Israaa'eela qad anjainaakum min 'aduw wikum wa wa'adnaakum jaanibat Tooril aimana wa nazzalnaa 'alaikumul Manna was Salwaa; 
[Q20:80] O children of Israel! Indeed We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a covenant with you on the blessed side of the mountain, and We sent to you the manna and the quails.

[Q20:80] Wahai Bani lsrail! Sesungguhnya Kami telah selamatkan kamu dari musuh kamu, dan Kami telah janjikan kamu (dengan memberi wahyu kepada Nabi Musa) di sebelah kanan Gunung Tursina itu dan kami turunkan kepada kamu "Manna" dan "Salwa", 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:80) O children of Israel, *56 We rescued you from your enemy and fixed a time for your attendance on the right side of Tur, *57, *58 and sent down manna and salva to you. *59

*56 The part of the story relating to their journey from the Red Sea to the foot of Mount Tur has been omitted. This has already been given in VII:138-147. It has also been stated there that the Israelites said to Moses, "O Moses, make a god also for us like the gods these people have". (See VII:138 and its E.N. 98). 
*57 That is, on the eastern side of Tur 
*58 According to II: 51 and VII: 142, Prophet Moses and the chiefs of the Israelites were summoned to Mount Tur for receiving the Divine Commandments on stone tablets for the guidance of the people. (See E.N. 71 of Chapter II). 
*59 For details please see E.N. 73 of Chapter II and E.N. 119 of Chapter VII. According to the Bible, manna and salva started being provided to the Israelites when they were passing through the wilderness between Elim and Sinai. According to Exodus, manna and salva were sent down thus:
"And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat  .....And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." (16: 13-15, 31).
In Numbers, the following details have been given:
"And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. And when the dew fell upon the camp in the bight, the manna fell upon it." (11: 8-9).

كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَلَا تَطْغَوْا فِيهِ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبِي ۖ وَمَنْ يَحْلِلْ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدْ هَوَىٰ {20:11}

[Q20:81] Kuloo min taiyibaati maa razaqnaakum wa laa tatghaw feehi fa yahilla 'alaikum ghadabee wa mai yahlil 'alaihi ghadabee faqad hawaa. 
[Q20:81] Eat of the good things We have given you for sustenance, and be not inordinate with respect to them, lest My wrath should be due to you, and to whomsoever My wrath is due be shall perish indeed.

[Q20:81] Serta Kami katakan: Makanlah dari benda-benda yang baik yang Kami kurniakan kepada kamu dan janganlah kamu melampaui batas padanya, kerana dengan yang demikian kamu akan ditimpa kemurkaanKu dan sesiapa yang ditimpa kemurkaanKu, maka sesungguhnya binasalah ia. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:81) Eat of the pure provision We have given you and do not transgress after this; otherwise My wrath will visit you. And he who is visited by My wrath is bound to perish.

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَىٰ {20:82}

[Q20:82] Wa innee la Ghaffaarul liman taaba wa aamana wa 'amila saalihan summah tadaa. 
[Q20:82] And most surely I am most Forgiving to him who repents and believes and does good, then continues to follow the right direction.

[Q20:82] Dan sesungguhnya Aku yang amat memberi ampun kepada orang-orang yang bertaubat serta beriman dan beramal soleh, kemudian dia tetap teguh menurut petunjuk yang diberikan kepadanya. 

NOTE THE MOST REASONABLE ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS EXTENDED TO THE SINNER WHICH IS SUBJECT [*] TO SINCERE REPENTANCE WITH THE [*] AMENDMENT OF THE CONDUCT ON THE PART OF THE OFFENDER OF THE DIVINE LAW, against the belief in the unconditional redemption of the sinners based upon the belief of the price of the sins having been paid away to ALLAH (SWT) in the blood of anyone. Any such belief is a greatest danger to the moral and the social life of the human race on earth, for anyone can merely profess such a dogmatic belief and do whatever the brute in him instigates him to do; for ALLAH (SWT) having received the price of the sins of man, could no more have any authority over any sinner.

µ  THE FIRST, THE FOREMOST AND THE MOST ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOR EARNING THE FORGIVENESS FROM THE LORD IS [1] THE SINCERITY IN REPENTANCE WITH THE ACTUAL AMENDMENT OF THE CONDUCT WITH [2] THE MAXIMUM DETERMINATION TO MAINTAIN THE AMENDED STATE OF FAITH AND ITS PRACTICE THEREAFTER.

v  Imam Muhammad bin Ali al Baqir said:

"Then let himself (remain) guided" means "remain faithful and completely attached to the Ahlul Bayt". By ALLAH (SWT), if a man worships ALLAH (SWT) all his life between the holy Ka-bah and the maqam of Ibrahim without remaining attached to us, ALLAH (SWT) will throw him headlong in the hell when he dies.

The grant of manna wa salwa. Also refer to the Hakim has mentioned the above narration as a tradition through his own chain-of narrators; and Ayyashi has also mentioned it through several chains of narrators.

Ë  The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), therefore, declared through hadith al thaqalayn that the word of ALLAH (SWT), the Qur’an (His guidance, mercy and wisdom), can neither be understood nor put into practice unless the Muslims refer to Ahlul Bayt and follow their teachings. To love them or to remain attached with them has been commanded in verse 42:23 of Shura.

When Musa was summoned to the mount for forty days (Baqarah 2:51), he left Harun behind him as his representative among the people. Similarly the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) left Ali as his vicegerent and executor of his will [1] when he migrated from Makka to Madina, AND ALSO [2] when he went on the expedition of Tabuk. See commentary of Baqarah 2:51 and 207; Anfal 28:30; and Bara-at 9:41 and 42.

While Musa was on the mount his people were tested and tried, and they failed in the trial. The Israelites had brought from Egypt jewels of gold and silver and raiments. Samiri, an Egyptianised Hebrew, who came with them, made a golden calf from the said ornaments. All of them began to worship the image of the calf which made a hollow sound (see commentary of Araf 7:148). Harun admonished them and made every effort to keep them from worshipping a meaningless and lifeless object which had no power either to harm them or to do them good. He warned them that they were being tested by their Lord. They did not listen to him.

·         The questions Musa asks in verses 92 and 93 and the reply Harun gives in verse 94 are used as a medium to make the position of Harun clear by making known the fact to the people that Harun prevented them from falling a prey to Samiri's guile and discharged his duty of guiding them to the right path. He did not want to cause a division among the children of Israil.

Samiri's answer is an example of mixing truth with falsehood. He says that he took a handful of dust from the footprint of the angel Jibra-il and threw it into the calf's image.

Like Musa the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) also left Ali as his successor among the people, AND the Samiries among the Muslims made their own images of authorities by distorting and discarding the word of ALLAH (SWT) and the word of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT ALL SAMIRIES SHALL BE AFFLICTED WITH THE WRATH OF ALLAH (SWT).

ALL INFRINGEMENTS IN THE UNITY OF A RELIGION ARE MADE BY MIXING HALF TRUTH; WITH IMPOSTURE. It played a very important role in the development of various sects in Islam.

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(20:82) except the one who repents and believes and does righteous deeds and then follows the straight path, for I am very forgiving for such a one. *60

*60 According to this verse (82), there are four conditions for forgiveness: 
(1) Repentance: to refrain from rebellion, disobedience, shirk or disbelief.
(2) Faith: sincere belief in Allah and the Messenger and the Book and the' Hereafter. 
(3) Righteous works : to do good deeds according to the instructions of Allah and His Messenger. 
(4) Guidance: to follow the right way steadfastly and to refrain from straying into any wrong path. 

 وَمَا أَعْجَلَكَ عَنْ قَوْمِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ {20:83}

[Q20:83] Wa maaa a'jalaka 'an qawmika yaa Moosa. 
[Q20:83] And what caused you to hasten from your people, O Musa?

[Q20:83] Dan apakah yang menyebabkan engkau segera datang ke mari lebih dahulu dari kaum engkau wahai Musa? 

After they had been recovered from the clutches of Pharaoh, the Israelites wanted Moses to get for them the laws regulating their lives to be prescribed by ALLAH (SWT). **When Moses prayed for the laws, ALLAH (SWT) summoned Moses to Mount Sinai. **Moses left his brother Harun in his place at the head of the people and went on the Mount. **On reaching the Mount, Moses left the chosen men at the foot of the Mountain and hastened himself up on the mountain.

SIMILARLY when the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) was commanded by ALLAH (SWT) **to migrate to Madina, he left Ali in his bed as did Moses leave Harun. Again when the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) **left for Tabuk, he left Ali in his place in Madina.

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(20:83) "And Moses, *61 what has hastened you to come here before your people?" *62

*61 From here the same account is resumed that was interrupted by the parenthesis (vv. 81-82). The Israelites were told to stay on the right side of Mount Tur, and they would be given the Commandments after forty days. 
*62 This shows that in his eagerness to see his Lord as soon as possible, Prophet Moses had left them in the way and reached the meeting place alone. For the details of that meeting the reader should see VII: 143-145. Here only that portion has been mentioned which is connected with the calf-worship by the Israelites. This has been stated here to bring home to the disbelievers of Makkah how idol-worship starts and how deeply a Prophet of Allah is concerned about this evil.

قَالَ هُمْ أُولَاءِ عَلَىٰ أَثَرِي وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضَىٰ {20:84}

[Q20:84] Qaala hum ulaaa'i 'alaaa asaree wa 'ajiltu ilaika Rabbi litardaa. 
[Q20:84] He said: They are here on my track and I hastened on to Thee, my Lord, that Thou mightest be pleased.

[Q20:84] Nabi Musa menjawab: Mereka itu ada mengiringi daku tidak jauh dari sini dan aku segera datang kepadaMu, wahai Tuhanku, supaya Engkau reda akan daku.  

Moses’ haste was to please ALLAH (SWT) with his readiness and haste in carrying out His Command to report himself with the men at the place.

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(20:84) He said, "They are just coming behind me: I have hastened to come before Thee, O my Lord, so that Thou mayst be pleased with me."

قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ السَّامِرِيُّ {20:85}

[Q20:85] Qaala fa innaa qad fatannaa qawmaka mim ba'dika wa adallahumus Saamiriyy. 
[Q20:85] He said: So surely We have tried your people after you, and the Samiri has led them astray.

[Q20:85] (Setelah selesainya urusan itu) maka ALLAH (SwT) berfirman kepada Nabi Musa: Sesungguhnya Kami telah mengenakan kaummu satu fitnah ujian sepeninggalanmu dan mereka telah disesatkan oleh Samiri 

Samiri, a calf-worshipper who only professed belief in ALLAH (SWT) and at heart was a disbeliever, was among those who followed Moses out of Egypt. **When Moses had gone on Mount Sinai with the chosen men and there was only Harun in his place at the head of the people, Samiri managed to get the people agreed to making a calf of the jewels of gold with the Israelites had brought from the Egyptians. **By some witch-craft Samiri managed to create some sound from the hollow of the golden calf made by him AND in spite of Harun’s efforts to keep the people away from getting deluded by Samiri’s device, the Israelites were beguiled by Samiri and they began worshipping the golden calf made by Samiri.

ä  ALLAH (SWT) INFORMED MOSES OF HIS PEOPLE HAVING GONE ASTRAY.

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(20:85) He said, "Well, listen! We put your people to a trial after you and the Samiri *63 has misled them. "

*63 It is obvious from the last letter `ya' that Samiri was not the proper name of the person, for this Arabic letter is always added to show a person's connection with his race or clan or place. Moreover, the prefix `al' (definite article 'the') in the original Arabic text clearly denotes that the Samiri was a particular man from among many other persons of the same race or clan or place, who had propagated the worship of the golden calf. In fact, this does not require any further explanation than this, but this has been necessitated because many Christian missionaries and the Western Orientalists have tried to criticise the Holy Prophet and the Qur'an on this account. They say, (God forbid,) "This is a proof of the grievous ignorance of history on the part of Muhammad, the author of the Qur'an, and is one of the anachronisms of the Qur'an." They base this absurd criticism on the assumption that this Samiri was the inhabitant of Samaria, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Israel, which was built in 925 B.C. long after this happening; then centuries after this, a generation of the Samaritans came into existence as a result of inter-marriage between the Israelites and the non-Israelites. As the Samaritans worshipped the golden calf, the critics accuse the Holy Prophet of inventing this story on the basis of mere hearsay. They say that the Holy Prophet might have heard something like this from the neighbouring Jews and inserted it in the Qur'an. This is not all. They also criticise that Haman who was a courtier of Cyrus has been mentioned in the Qur'an as a minister of Pharaoh. It is a pity that these so-called scholars seem to think that in the ancient times there used to be only one person bearing one name in a clan or a place, and there was absolutely no possibility of another person or persons having the same name. They do not know, or pretend they do not know, that during the time of Prophet Abraham, a famous people known as the Sumerians inhabited 'Iraq and the neighbouring regions, and it is just possible that during the time of Prophet Moses there were some people known as the Samiris who might have migrated to Egypt from 'Iraq. Besides this, according to the Bible (1 Kings, 16: 24), Samaria itself was built on a hill which was bought from Shemer and named Samaria after him. This is a clear proof that there were people named Shemer (or Sumer) even before Samaria came into existence and it is also just possible that some clans might have been called "Samiri" 

فَرَجَعَ مُوسَىٰ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا ۚ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَمْ يَعِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا ۚ أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْعَهْدُ أَمْ أَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ يَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُمْ مَوْعِدِي {20:86}

[Q20:86] Faraja's Moosaaa ilaa qawmihee ghadbaana asifaa; qaala yaa qawmi alam ya'idkum Rabbukum wa'dan hasanaa; afataala 'alaikumul 'ahdu am arattum ai yahilla 'alaikum ghadabum mir Rabbikum fa akhlaftum maw'idee 
[Q20:86] So Musa returned to his people wrathful, sorrowing. Said he: O my people! Did not your Lord promise you a goodly promise: did then the time seem long to you, or did you wish that displeasure from your Lord should be due to you, so that you broke (your) promise to me?

[Q20:86] Maka kembalilah Nabi Musa kepada kaumnya dengan perasaan marah dan dukacita; dia berkata: Wahai kaumku! Bukankah Tuhan kamu telah menjanjikan kamu dengan satu perjanjian yang baik? Patutkah kamu merasa panjang masa pemergianku menerima apa yang dijanjikan itu? Atau kamu sengaja menghendaki supaya kamu ditimpa kemurkaan dari Tuhan kamu, lalu kamu menyalahi perjanjian kamu denganku? 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:86) Moses returned to his people in a state of anger and grief. Reaching there, he said, "O my people, did not your Lord make good promises with you ? *64 Had a long time passed since those promises were fulfilled? *65 Or did you want Allah's wrath to come down upon you that you went against your Covenant with me?" *66

*64 That is, "Did not Allah fulfil the promises He made with you of showing His favours to you? For instance, He safely brought you out of Egypt and not only freed you from the slavery of your enemy but also destroyed him totally. He provided you with provisions in the desert and in the mountainous regions." It may also be translated like this: "Did not Allah make a good promise with you?" In that case, it will mean: "He made a promise that he will give you the Law and Guidance: was this not a good promise for your well being and betterment?" 
*65 That is,"Had a long time passed since those great favours were done to you that you forgot them? Had long ages passed since you were afflicted with persecution by your enemy that you committed such a blasphemy?" It may also be translated like this: Had you to wait for a long time for the fulfilment of God's promise .that you became so impatient?" In that case, the meaning is obvious: "You had not to wait for a long time to see the fulfillment of the promise of Guidance. Therefore there was no excuse for what you did."
*66 This Covenant was the one which every community makes with its Prophet and promises that it will steadfastly follow the Guidance brought by him and will not worship anyone except Allah. 

قَالُوا مَا أَخْلَفْنَا مَوْعِدَكَ بِمَلْكِنَا وَلَٰكِنَّا حُمِّلْنَا أَوْزَارًا مِنْ زِينَةِ الْقَوْمِ فَقَذَفْنَاهَا فَكَذَٰلِكَ أَلْقَى السَّامِرِيُّ {20:87}

[Q20:87] Qaaloo maaa akhlafnaa maw'idaka bimalkinna wa laakinna hummilnaaa awzaaram min zeenatil qawmi faqazafnaahaa fakazaalika alqas Saamiriyy. 
[Q20:87] They said: We did not break (our) promise to you of our own accord, but we were made to bear the burdens of the ornaments of the people, then we made a casting of them, and thus did the Samiri suggest.

[Q20:87] Mereka menjawab: Kami tidak menyalahi janji kami kepadamu itu dengan kuasa dan ikhtiar kami, tetapi kami telah dibebankan membawa barang-barang perhiasan orang-orang (Mesir) itu, supaya kami mencampakkannya ke dalam api lalu kami melakukan yang demikian, maka demikianlah juga "Samiri" mencampakkan apa yang dibawanya. 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:87) They answered, "We did not go against the Covenant with you of our own accord; it so happened that we felt burdened with the ornaments of the people and we merely threw them down. *67 ...........Then *68 the Samiri also put down something like these

*67 This excuse was put forward by those people who were involved in the shirk fabricated by the Samiri. They meant to say, "We did not throw down the ornaments with the intention of setting up a calf nor did we know what was going to be made of these, but when the calf was brought before us, we involuntarily got involved in shirk." The Arabic text which we have translated into: "We felt burdened with the ornaments of the people", simply means this: "The heavy ornaments which our men and women were wearing like the Egyptians proved very burdensome to us in our wanderings in the desert and we did not know how to get rid of them for it appeared very difficult for us to travel in the desert with them." But according to the Bible these ornaments had been borrowed by every family of the Israelites from their Egyptian neighbours with this intention, "....and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters and ye shall spoil the Egyptians....and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold....And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians....so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians." And that, too, on the advice of Prophet Moses, whom God Himself had instructed to do this "noble deed." (Exodus, 3:1422, 11:2-3, and I 2:35-36).
It is a pity that some of our commentators have interpreted this verse in the light of the above traditions of the Bible. They say that the Israelites felt burdened with the weight of those ornaments which they had borrowed from their Egyptian neighbours, with the intention of carrying them away as a "spoil" bestowed by God.
We are of the opinion that the clause of the verse under discussion means this: "When the people were tired of carrying their ornaments on their bodies, they decided by mutual consultation that all the ornaments should be gathered at one place and it should be noted down how much gold and silver belonged to each of the owners. Then it should be melted into bars and rods and placed on the backs of the beasts of burden." Accordingly, they might have brought their ornaments and thrown them in the common heap.
*68 It is obvious from the context that the answer of the people ended with "threw them down", and Allah Himself has added the remaining story up to the end of the paragraph. It appears from this that the people including the Samiri went on bringing their ornaments and throwing them down into the heap while they were absolutely unaware of what was going to be done by the Samiri. After this the Samiri offered his services to melt it. Then he shaped it into a calf which lowed like a cow. Thus the Samiri deluded the people, saying, "This god of yours has come into being by itself for I had simply thrown the gold in the fire."

فَأَخْرَجَ لَهُمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَهُ خُوَارٌ فَقَالُوا هَٰذَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ وَإِلَٰهُ مُوسَىٰ فَنَسِيَ {20:88}

[Q20:88] Fa akhraja lahum 'ijlan jasadal lahoo khuwaarun faqaaloo haazaaa ilaahukum wa ilaahu Moosaa fanasee. 
[Q20:88] So he brought forth for them a calf, a (mere) body, which had a mooing sound, so they said: This is your ALLAH (SWT) and the ALLAH (SWT) of Musa, but he forgot.

[Q20:88] Kemudian Samiri mengeluarkan untuk mereka dari leburan barang-barang itu (patung) seekor anak lembu yang bertubuh lagi bersuara, lalu mereka berkata: Ini ialah tuhan kamu dan tuhan bagi Musa, tetapi Musa telah lupa!  

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:88) and forged the shape of a calf which lowed like an ox. Then the people cried out, `This is your god and the god of Moses: Moses has forgotten it."

أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَلَّا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا {20:89}

[Q20:89] Afalaa yarawna allaa yarji'u ilaihim qawlanw wa laa yamliku lahum darranw wa laa naf'aa. 
[Q20:89] What! Could they not see that it did not return to them a reply, and (that) it did not control any harm or benefit for them?

[Q20:89] Patutkah mereka tidak mahu berfikir sehingga mereka tidak nampak bahawa patung itu tidak dapat menjawab perkataan mereka dan tidak berkuasa mendatangkan bahaya atau memberi manfaat kepada mereka? 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(20:89) Did they not see that it did not respond to their prayer nor had it any power to hurt and benefit them `?

SECTION 5

Children of Israel deceived by Samiri

Moses questions Aaron as to how the people were misled – Samiri questioned by Moses – Samiri confesss his account.

وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ مِنْ قَبْلُ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنْتُمْ بِهِ ۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِي وَأَطِيعُوا أَمْرِي {20:90}

[Q20:90] Wa laqad qaala lahum Haaroonu min qablu yaa qawmi innamaa futintum bihee wa inna Rabbakumur Rahmaanu fattabi'oonee wa atee'ooo amree. 
[Q20:90] And certainly Haroun had said to them before: O my people! You are only tried by it, and surely your Lord is the Beneficent ALLAH (SWT), therefore follow me and obey my order. 

[Q20:90] Dan demi sesungguhnya, Nabi Harun telahpun berkata kepada mereka sebelum itu: Wahai kaumku, sesungguhnya kamu hanya diperdayakan dengan patung itu dan sesungguhnya Tuhan kamu ialah ALLAH (SwT) yang melimpah-limpah rahmatNya; oleh itu, ikutlah daku dan taatlah akan perintahku. 

Though Harun was warning them against the misleading temptation, the Israelites were being tested by ALLAH (SWT) --- the Israelites did not pay any heed to Harun’s admonition.

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(20:90) Aaron had already warned the people, saying, "O people, you have been involved in mischief by this (calf) In fact, your Lord is Rahman, so follow me and submit to me."