Baqarah 55-57

Baqarah 55-56

55- AND AS YOU SAID: “O MOSES, WE WILL NOT BELIEVE IN YOU UNTIL WE SEE ALLAH MANIFESTLY”, THEN YOU WERE STRUCK WITH LIGHTENING WHILE YOU WERE LOOKING.

56- THEN WE REVIVED YOU AFTER YOUR DEATH, SO THAT YOU MAY BE THANKFUL.

Once again, the Children of Israel doubting and disbelieving, and once again they were shown the clear signs, then forgiven.

It has been reported that it was the seventy men Moses took with him on an appointment with Allah who said that they would not believe unless they see Allah manifestly. They were the selected few who were chosen to represent the children of Is- rael. They put a condition on believing, to see Al- lah the Highest manifestly. This condition was very bad sin for many reasons:

• -  It was bad after all the manifest miracles they had seen, to need more proved by Allah and Moses as His messenger.

• -  They asked to see Allah the Highest, a thing no human being was allowed.

• -  Moses, peace upon him, did not see Allah manifestly and he had no power to let any one else do so.

• -  They thought that this condition would pres- surize Allah the Highest in some way. For- getting that their belief is for their own good, not for Allah’s or Moses benefit. Allah the Highest said: “O MANKIND, THE TRUTH CAME TO YOU FROM YOUR LORD. HE WHO FOLLOWS THE GUIDANCE, HE DOES SO FOR THE GOOD OF HIS OWN

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SOUL, WHILE WHO GOES ASTRY, HE DOES SO FOR HIS SOULS LOSS, AND I AM NOT YOUR GUARDIAN”. (S:10 A: 108)

Moses, peace upon him, knew that he could not see Allah the Highest just with the power and abilities of the human eyes and vision. Therefore when he longed to see Allah the Highest, he asked to be giv- en the ability to look at Him. As a messenger of Al- lah, who spoke to and was spoken to by Allah, he did not have such ability.

“WHEN MOSES CAME TO OUR APPOINT- MENT AND HIS LORD SPOKE TO HIM, HE (MOSES) SAID: “MY LORD LET ME SEE TO LOOK AT YOU”. HE (ALLAH) SAID: YOU WILL NOT SEE ME, BUT LOOK AT THE MOUNTAIN, WHEN IT SETTLES IN ITS PLACE YOU SHALL SEE ME. WHEN HIS LORD MANIFESTED HIMSELF TO MOUN- TAIN, THE MOUNTAIN CAME DOWN CRASH- ING, AND MOSES FELL DOWN SENSELESS. WHEN HE RECOVERED HE SAID: GLORY TO YOU, I REPENT TO YOU, AND I AM THE FIRST OF THE SUBMITTERS”. (S: 7 A: 143)

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Allah the Highest showed Moses, peace upon him, that even the mountain could not stand Allah man- ifesting to it, then the human nature would not ei- ther.

As for the Children of Israel, or the seventy of them who made seeing Allah the Highest, a condi- tion for their belief, Allah struck them with lighten- ing. Then, Allah the Highest brought them back to life, which should be more than enough proof.

Allah the Highest was Merciful not to let them die disbelievers.

Baqarah 57

57- AND WE SHADED THEM WITH CLOUD AND WE SENT DOWN TO THEM AL-MANNA AND AL-SALWA (THE QUAILS): “EAT OUT OF WHAT WE PROVIDED FOR YOU”. INDEED, THEY WERE NOT UNJUST TO US BUT UN- JUST TO THEMSELVES.

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The Children of Israel were in the desert for forty years. Allah the Highest was very Merciful to them during that time.

Allah the Highest shaded them from the hot sun with clouds, and provided them with food which is scarce in the desert. There were two kinds of food, Al-Manna and Al-Salwa.

Al-Manna was a kind of food they found on the ground, fresh every day, and it did not store except the harvest of Friday, which they could store for Friday and Saturday (The Sabbath). Its exact na- ture is not known for certain, but it was like bread. It could have been a sort of Mushroom or some- thing else.

Al-Salwa is the Quails, birds a little smaller than a dove or pigeon. They used to fly their way every day and they caught them easily with nets.

These were not the only favour they received, just a sample of them. But, The Children of Israel did not meet them with thanks or gratitude, but quite the opposite. They told Moses, peace upon him, to tell Allah the Highest that they could not continue

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to eat the same food every day “AND AS THEY SAID: O MOSES, WE CAN NOT PERSEVERE AND BE PATIENT EATING THE SAME FOOD, SO ASK YOUR LORD TO BRING FORTH FOR US OF WHAT THE EARTH GROWS ................” (S: 2 A: 61)

Thanking, Allah the Highest, for His bounties upon us, is a cause for Allah’s reward, in this life and the Hereafter. It is also a cause for these bounties to last and increase. “AND YOUR LORD DE- CREED; IF YOU THANK I SHALL GIVE YOU MORE”. (S: 14 A: 7)

“HE WHO DESIRES THE REWARD OF THE LOWER LIFE, WE WILL GIVE HIM OF IT, AND HE WHO DESIRES THE REWARD OF THE HEREAFTER, WE WILL GIVE HIM FROM IT, AND WE SHALL REWARD THE THANKFUL”. (S: 3 A: 145)

These bounties were special, for a special situation, which should have deserved special thanks from the Children of Israel, but they did not give thanks. This was particularly bad, when they should have been thankful for all the bounties, Allah the High-

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est bestowed upon them, as He does for the rest of the human beings, “ALLAH IS BOUNTIFUL TO MANKIND, BUT THE MAJORITY OF MANKIND DO NOT THANK”. (S: 10 A: 60)

All believers should try to recognize Allah’s boun- ties and favors upon them, and be thankful. Allah the Highest does not need our thanks, but we need to be seen to be thankful.