Surah Araf ayat 150 Tafsir Quran 7:150

﴿وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِي مِن بَعْدِي ۖ أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ ۖ وَأَلْقَى الْأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ قَالَ ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِيَ الْأَعْدَاءَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِي مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾
[ الأعراف: 150]

7:150 And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, "How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you impatient over the matter of your Lord?" And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, indeed the people oppressed me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me among the wrongdoing people."

And when Moses returned to his people angry because of them and bitterly grieved he said to them ‘Evil is that that is evil is the manner of succession which you have followed in my place after I had gone this idolatry of yours. Would you hasten on the judgement of your Lord?’ And he cast down the Tablets the Tablets of the Torah angry for the sake of his Lord and they were broken into pieces and he seized his brother by the head that is by the hair with his right hand and seized him by the beard with his left hand dragging him toward him in anger. He said ‘O son of my mother! read either ibna ummi or ibna umma by which he meant the standard form of saying ‘my mother’ ummī the mention of her is more affectionate in appealing to his heart Truly the people judged me weak and they were close to killing me. Do not make my enemies gloat over my misfortune to rejoice thereat by your humiliating me and do not count me among the folk who have done evil’ by worshipping the calf in your reproach of them.

And when Mussa returned and found that his people have wronged themselves, he strongly resented their evil act, and so great was his indignation against them. Grieved at heart, he said: Evil indeed is what your minds and souls have you to do; did you wish Allahs punishment be hastened on! He dropped the plates and dragged his brother by the head, laying the blame on him, But Harun said to him: O son of my mother; the people judged me wanting in power and authority over them and almost killed me. Therefore, do not let my enemies gloat over me and rejoice at my misfortune, nor should you associate me with the wrongful of actions

قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِى مِن بَعْدِى ( He (Musa ) said: "What an evil thing is that which you have done during my absence.") evil it is that which you committed after I departed and left you, by worshiping the calf, أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ ( Did you hasten in the matter of your Lord ) Musa said, `You wanted me to rush back to you, even though being there this was Allah's decision' Allah said next, وَأَلْقَى الأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ ( And he threw down the Tablets and seized his brother by his head and dragged him towards him. ) This Ayah demonstrates the meaning of the Hadith,
«لَيْسَ الْخَبَرُ كَالْمُعَايَنَة»
( Information is not the same as observation. ) It indicates that Musa threw down the Tablets because he was angry at his people, according to the majority of scholars of early and latter times.
Allah said, وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ ( and seized his brother by (the hair of ) his head and dragged him towards him.) for Musa feared that Harun might have not tried hard enough to forbid them from their evil action.
In another Ayah, Allah said, قَالَ يهَـرُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّواْ - أَلاَّ تَتَّبِعَنِ أَفَعَصَيْتَ أَمْرِى - قَالَ يَبْنَؤُمَّ لاَ تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِى وَلاَ بِرَأْسِى إِنِّى خَشِيتُ أَن تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِى إِسْرءِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِى .( He Musa said: "O Harun ! What prevented you when you saw them going astray.
That you followed me not (according to my advice to you ) Have you then disobeyed my order" He Harun said: "O son of my mother! Seize ( me ) not by my beard, nor by my head! Verily, I feared lest you should say: `You have caused a division among the Children of Israel, and you have not respected ( waited or observed ) my word!"') 20:92-94.
Here, Allah said that Harun said, ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِى وَكَادُواْ يَقْتُلُونَنِى فَلاَ تُشْمِتْ بِىَ الأَعْدَآءَ وَلاَ تَجْعَلْنِى مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( "O son of my mother! Indeed the people judged me weak and were about to kill me, so make not the enemies rejoice over me, nor put me among the people who are wrongdoers." ) Harun said, `Do not place me on the same level as they are, as if I was one of them.' Further, Harun said, `O son of my mother', so that Musa would feel more mercy and leniency towards him, even though Harun was also the son of Musa's father.
When Musa was satisfied that his brother was innocent, وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَـرُونُ مِن قَبْلُ يقَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنتُمْ بِهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَـنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِى وَأَطِيعُواْ أَمْرِى ( And Harun indeed had said to them beforehand: "O my people! You are being tried in this, and verily, your Lord is (Allah ) the Most Gracious, so follow me and obey my order.") 20:90, this is when, قَالَ ( he said ) Musa, رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِى وَلأَخِى وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَحِمِينَ ( "O my Lord! Forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy, for you are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy." ) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«يَرْحَمُ اللهُ مُوسَى لَيْسَ الْمُعَايِنُ كَالْمُخْبِرِ أَخْبَرَهُ رَبُّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَّ قَوْمَهُ فُتِنُوا بَعْدَهُ فَلَمْ يَلْقَ الْأَلْوَاحَ فَلَمَّا رَآهُمْ وَعَايَنَهُمْ أَلْقَى الْأَلْوَاح»
( May Allah grant His mercy to Musa! Surely, he who observes something is nothing like he who is informed about it.
His Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored, told him that his people were tested after him, but he did not throw the Tablets.
When he saw them with his eyes, then he threw the Tablets. )

(7:150) And when Moses returned to his people, full of wrath and sorrow, he said: 'Vile is the course you have followed in my absence. Could you not patiently wait for the decree of your Lord?' And he threw down the Tablets [of the Law] and took hold of his brother's head, dragging him to himself. Aaron said: 'My mother's son, the people overpowered me and almost killed me. So let not my enemies gloat over me, and do not number me among the wrong-doing folk.' *108

And when Moses returned to his people, meaning

*108).
The above Qur'anic verse absolves Aaron of the charge levelled against him by the Jews.
According to the Biblical version of the story of calf-worship, however, it was Aaron who had made the golden calf for the people of Israel.
To quote:
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, 'Up, make up gods who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' And Aaron said to them, 'Take off the rings of gold which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.' So all the people took off the rings of gold which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.
And he received the gold at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made a molten calf; and they said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.' When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.' And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play ( Exodus 32: 1--6 ).

The Qur'an, however, refutes the above account at many places and points out that it was Samiri the rebel of God rather than Aaron the Prophet who committed that heinous sin.
( For details see Ta Ha 20: 90 ff. )
Strange though it may appear, the Israelites maligned the characters of those very people whom they believed to be the Messengers of God.
The accusations they hurled at them included such heinous sins as polytheism, sorcery, fornication, deceit and treachery.
Needless to say, indulgence in any of these sins is disgraceful for even an ordinary believer and decent human being, let alone Prophets.
In the light of the history of Israeli morals, however, it is quite understandable why they maligned their own Prophets.
In times of religious and moral degeneration when both the clergy and laity were steeped in sin and immorality, they tried to seek justification for their misdeeds.
In order to sedate their own consciences they ascribed the very sins of which they were guilty to their Prophets and then their own inability to refrain from sins on the grounds that not even the Prophets could refrain.

The same characteristic is evident in Hinduism.
When the Hindus reached the lowest point in their moral degeneration, they produced a literature which presents a very perverted image of Hindu ideals.
This literature portrayed their gods, hermits and monks as crass sinners.
In doing so, they suggested that since such noble people could not refrain from indulging in grave sins, ordinary mortals are inevitably bound to commit them.
Moreover, a person's indulgence in immoral acts should not make him remorseful for the same acts were committed earlier by their monks and hermits.

 

قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِى مِن بَعْدِى ( He (Musa ) said: "What an evil thing is that which you have done during my absence.") evil it is that which you committed after I departed and left you, by worshiping the calf, أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ ( Did you hasten in the matter of your Lord ) Musa said, `You wanted me to rush back to you, even though being there this was Allah's decision' Allah said next, وَأَلْقَى الأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ ( And he threw down the Tablets and seized his brother by his head and dragged him towards him. ) This Ayah demonstrates the meaning of the Hadith, «لَيْسَ الْخَبَرُ كَالْمُعَايَنَة» ( Information is not the same as observation. ) It indicates that Musa threw down the Tablets because he was angry at his people, according to the majority of scholars of early and latter times.
Allah said, وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ ( and seized his brother by (the hair of ) his head and dragged him towards him.) for Musa feared that Harun might have not tried hard enough to forbid them from their evil action.
In another Ayah, Allah said, قَالَ يهَـرُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّواْ - أَلاَّ تَتَّبِعَنِ أَفَعَصَيْتَ أَمْرِى - قَالَ يَبْنَؤُمَّ لاَ تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِى وَلاَ بِرَأْسِى إِنِّى خَشِيتُ أَن تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِى إِسْرءِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِى .( He Musa said: "O Harun ! What prevented you when you saw them going astray.
That you followed me not (according to my advice to you ) Have you then disobeyed my order" He Harun said: "O son of my mother! Seize ( me ) not by my beard, nor by my head! Verily, I feared lest you should say: `You have caused a division among the Children of Israel, and you have not respected ( waited or observed ) my word!"') 20:92-94.
Here, Allah said that Harun said, ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِى وَكَادُواْ يَقْتُلُونَنِى فَلاَ تُشْمِتْ بِىَ الأَعْدَآءَ وَلاَ تَجْعَلْنِى مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( "O son of my mother! Indeed the people judged me weak and were about to kill me, so make not the enemies rejoice over me, nor put me among the people who are wrongdoers." ) Harun said, `Do not place me on the same level as they are, as if I was one of them.' Further, Harun said, `O son of my mother', so that Musa would feel more mercy and leniency towards him, even though Harun was also the son of Musa's father.
When Musa was satisfied that his brother was innocent, وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَـرُونُ مِن قَبْلُ يقَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنتُمْ بِهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَـنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِى وَأَطِيعُواْ أَمْرِى ( And Harun indeed had said to them beforehand: "O my people! You are being tried in this, and verily, your Lord is (Allah ) the Most Gracious, so follow me and obey my order.") 20:90, this is when, قَالَ ( he said ) Musa, رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِى وَلأَخِى وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَحِمِينَ ( "O my Lord! Forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy, for you are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy." ) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «يَرْحَمُ اللهُ مُوسَى لَيْسَ الْمُعَايِنُ كَالْمُخْبِرِ أَخْبَرَهُ رَبُّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَّ قَوْمَهُ فُتِنُوا بَعْدَهُ فَلَمْ يَلْقَ الْأَلْوَاحَ فَلَمَّا رَآهُمْ وَعَايَنَهُمْ أَلْقَى الْأَلْوَاح» ( May Allah grant His mercy to Musa! Surely, he who observes something is nothing like he who is informed about it.
His Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored, told him that his people were tested after him, but he did not throw the Tablets.
When he saw them with his eyes, then he threw the Tablets. )

( And when Moses returned unto his people, angry and grieved ) when he heard the voice of sedition, ( he said: Evil is that (course ) which ye took after I had left you) evil is what you did by worshipping the calf after I went to the mountain. ( Would ye hasten on the judgement of your Lord ) would you hasten by worshipping the calf the promise of your Lord? ( And he cast down the tablets ) from his hand and two of them were broken, ( and he seized his brother by the head ) i.e. by Aaron’s hair, ( dragging him towards him. He ) Aaron ( said: Son of my mother! ) they were full brothers, but he mentioned their mother so that Moses might be gentle with him ( Lo! the folk did judge me weak ) humiliated me ( and almost killed me ) due to my opposition. ( Oh, make not mine enemies to triumph over me ) make not the enemy, the folk of the calf, spite me ( and place me not among the evil-doers! ) do not harm me because of the folk of the calf.

And when Musa (Moses) returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said: "What an evil thing is that which you have done (i.e. worshipping the calf) during my absence. Did you hasten and go ahead as regards the matter of your Lord (you left His worship)?" And he threw down the Tablets and seized his brother by (the hair of) his head and dragged him towards him. Harun (Aaron) said: "O son of my mother! Indeed the people judged me weak and were about to kill me, so make not the enemies rejoice over me, nor put me amongst the people who are Zalimun (wrong-doers)."

Page 169 English transliteration