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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
بيان قصص أنبياء الله عليهم السلامExplanation of the Stories of the Prophets of Allah, Peace Be Upon Them
بَابُ قِصَّةِ عِبَادِتِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ فِي غَيْبَةِ كَلِيمِ اللَّهِ عَنْهُمْ وَالْقَانِهِ الْوَاحَ التَّوْرَاةِ عِنْدَ مَا عَابَنَ ذَلِكَ فَانْكَسَرَتْChapter: The story of their worship of the calf during the absence of the Speaker of Allah from them, and the tablets of the Torah when he condemned that, and they were broken
Hadith 10380
اُردوEn
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ((لَيْسَ الْخَبَرُ كَالْمُعَايَنَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَخْبَرَ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ بِمَا صَنَعَ قَوْمُهُ فِي الْعِجْلِ فَلَمْ يُلْقِ الْأَلْوَاحَ فَلَمَّا عَايَنَ مَا صَنَعُوا أَلْقَى الْأَلْوَاحَ فَانْكَسَرَتْ))
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Information is not like witnessing. Indeed, when Allah Almighty informed Musa (peace be upon him) that his people had adopted this attitude regarding the calf, he did not throw down the tablets. But when he witnessed it himself, he threw them down and they broke.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … When Musa (alayhis salam) went to Mount Tur for forty nights and received the Torah from Allah Ta’ala, Allah Ta’ala informed him right there that his people had taken the calf as a deity. He (alayhis salam) heard this, and continued to carry the tablets of the Torah. However, when he returned and witnessed the scene himself, the situation was entirely different.
Regarding what happened upon Musa’s (alayhis salam) return, Allah Ta’ala described it in this manner: {وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوْسٰٓی اِلٰی قَوْمِہِ غَضْبَانَ اَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُوْنِیْ مِنْ بَعْدِیْ اَعَجِلْتُمْ اَمْرَ رَبِّکُمْ وَاَلْقَی الْاَلْوَاحَ وَاَخَذَ بِرَاْسِ اَخِیْہِیَجُرُّہٗ اِلَیْہِ قَالَ ابْنَ اُمَّ اِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُوْنِیْ وَکَادُوْا یَقْتُلُوْنَنِیْ فَلاَ تُشْمِتْ بِیَ الْاَعْدَآئَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِیْ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظّٰلِمِیْنَ۔} … And when Musa (alayhis salam) returned to his people, angry and sorrowful, he said, “You have done a terrible thing in my absence! Did you hasten ahead of your Lord’s command?” And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by the head, pulling him towards himself. Harun (alayhis salam) said, “O son of my mother! These people considered me weak and were about to kill me. So do not let the enemies rejoice over me, and do not count me among the wrongdoing people.” (Surah Al-A’raf: 150)
Every human being naturally perceives a difference between hearing and seeing. This is why Ibrahim (alayhis salam), for further reassurance of heart, requested Allah Ta’ala to show him how He gives life to the dead. The amazement and wonder that arise from seeing cannot be matched by merely hearing. And the certainty and conviction attained by seeing is not achieved by hearing alone.
Regarding what happened upon Musa’s (alayhis salam) return, Allah Ta’ala described it in this manner: {وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوْسٰٓی اِلٰی قَوْمِہِ غَضْبَانَ اَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُوْنِیْ مِنْ بَعْدِیْ اَعَجِلْتُمْ اَمْرَ رَبِّکُمْ وَاَلْقَی الْاَلْوَاحَ وَاَخَذَ بِرَاْسِ اَخِیْہِیَجُرُّہٗ اِلَیْہِ قَالَ ابْنَ اُمَّ اِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُوْنِیْ وَکَادُوْا یَقْتُلُوْنَنِیْ فَلاَ تُشْمِتْ بِیَ الْاَعْدَآئَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِیْ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظّٰلِمِیْنَ۔} … And when Musa (alayhis salam) returned to his people, angry and sorrowful, he said, “You have done a terrible thing in my absence! Did you hasten ahead of your Lord’s command?” And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by the head, pulling him towards himself. Harun (alayhis salam) said, “O son of my mother! These people considered me weak and were about to kill me. So do not let the enemies rejoice over me, and do not count me among the wrongdoing people.” (Surah Al-A’raf: 150)
Every human being naturally perceives a difference between hearing and seeing. This is why Ibrahim (alayhis salam), for further reassurance of heart, requested Allah Ta’ala to show him how He gives life to the dead. The amazement and wonder that arise from seeing cannot be matched by merely hearing. And the certainty and conviction attained by seeing is not achieved by hearing alone.
